《Wayspring Wanderer - A Desert Druid LitRPG》 Chapter 1: The Clerk and the Cat Chapter 1 The wild winds weep, And the night is a-cold; Come hither, Sleep, And my griefs infold¡­ - William Blake, ¡®Mad Song¡¯ Oskar¡¯s eyes opened and his trembling hands let go of the tightly clenched motel bed sheets. Screams faded as he worked the feeling back into his hands. Sweat rolled down his body, and he felt the damp sheets beneath him. He took a deep breath and regretted it immediately. The stale smell of the yellowed room hit him as he pushed himself up slowly to shake off another night in a string of bad nights. The dreams started half a year after his brother¡¯s death. They were persistent, strange dreams. Dreams that didn¡¯t float out of memory the way dreams often do. They started gently. Like a faint voice in the wind, but over the course of the next three months they became screams. Screams of pain. Screams of torture. As if that weren¡¯t bad enough, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were not dreams at all. When it all began, there were strings of days he didn¡¯t sleep. How could one expect to sleep, serenaded by the screams of their dead brother? Depression had set in, marked by hours of staring at nothing. It felt external, though, like it was being inflicted upon him somehow. He felt so disconnected from it, that more than once he¡¯d felt tears on his face and wondered how they¡¯d gotten there. Food, when he forced himself to eat, was tasteless. He didn¡¯t care or even remember what his favorite foods had been. Hopelessness and anxiety were his constant companions. His sense of self felt like grains of sand falling through an hourglass and both he and time itself were wearing thin. He felt old. Not his body, but his spirit. His soul. Despite his missing foot, he was in decent shape, physically, but Oskar Dorn wore the heaviness of life in a way that he had never experienced before. He retreated from almost all social contact, afraid that someone could see him unraveling. He was afraid he¡¯d never find peace again and didn¡¯t want to drag anyone else down with him. It was late September, almost 6 months after the dreams began, that they stopped. They did not go gently but crescendoed into a nightmarish week where every dream chased him into the waking world. For minutes... or hours... they refused to ease their grip on him. The final night of that week, he was convinced he was hearing his brother screaming from the very depths of Hell. He could almost feel the torture himself and he¡¯d spent the night screaming himself hoarse to drown out the noise. Oskar came closer to insanity than he thought possible without tipping over into the abyss. It was when he woke from that last awful night that the distinction became clear; the screams were coming from the north, no longer in his head, and he was left staring and listening as he fought to not go numb. Even with the newfound tangible sense of direction, a lingering ethereal feeling served as a constant reminder that something was still very much off-kilter; FUBAR as his brother would say. It was more of a presence than a sound calling to him, but calling to him it was. He had a surreal feeling of time thinning that was becoming increasingly familiar. Eventually, he realized it wasn¡¯t just time that felt thin, but reality itself. And it felt thinnest to the north. The dreams shifted, no longer nightmares, but more like he was falling through the sky waiting to hit the ground, and every night that he stayed in the same place, the ground grew closer. Eventually, the fear of hitting that ground outweighed the anxiety that grew with every day that he fought it. So, finally, he was driven from his bed, and instead, drove himself Northeast like a moth to a flame. For three days, he drove until exhaustion made going further suicidal, and only then tried to find a place to sleep in the hopes he could eke out an hour or so of sleep. *** He listened to music to distract his thoughts as he drove North on his brother¡¯s motorcycle, a 2012 Victory Hammer, and despite the layers he wore, he was chilly. The temperatures only got more severe as he drove; a cold front was moving in, and he could feel it in his bones. He didn''t mind too much. The cold had always felt clean to him. These chills, though, eventually sunk through the leathers and ran down his spine until he felt it all the way down to his feet¡­ both of them, somehow, despite having lost one of them to the Marine Corps. With weariness settling in, pulled the bike into an old brick motel off an empty stretch of HWY 41. The units were scattered across what looked to be three separate buildings, the white room-numbers clumsily painted as he drove slowly past. Most were barely visible in the fading light of dusk. He rolled into a spot in the almost empty parking lot across from the mirrored door of the motel front desk, and turned off the bike. The wind was really picking up, and he regretted pulling his helmet off when the wind hit his damp hair, sweaty from the helmet that he hung on the bike¡¯s handlebar. Freezing, he turned and hurried across the parking lot toward the mirrored door, slowing as he walked past a beautifully restored sixty-something Impala. Oskar noticed the overflowing ashtray and stared for a moment. Why the hell would you invest so much in a car just to smoke in it? A shiver startled him out of his thoughts, and he continued to the door, looking down and checking his jacket pocket for his cell phone to avoid his reflection. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. As he pushed the door open, the smoggy room came into view, and Oskar looked over the desk to see a greasy bald head looking down at a novel with a pretty redhead on the cover. She was showing a fair amount of skin and the scrawny man was breathing heavily and biting his lip. Gross, Oskar thought, but kept his face nuetral as the motel clerk¡¯s yellowed eyes snapped up sharply from his book. The man¡¯s breath caught in his throat with a sharp cough. From the look on his face, he¡¯d never in a million years expected someone to walk up to the faded desk, scattered with dated brochures that, as Oskar looked down, seemed far older than- ¡°Hey, uh, mister,¡± the old man said hurriedly, tossing the book behind him as he stood, and looked relieved when Oskar glanced up from the desk to meet his eyes. ¡°How can I help ya?¡± the man asked, staring intently. ¡°I need a room.¡± ¡°Right. Sorry. I just wasn¡¯t expecting ya. What¡¯s yer name, son?¡± The clerk¡¯s voice was wheezy and sounded as reedy as the man looked as he grabbed his stubby pencil. Shifting his book closer, he leaned over the desk towards Oskar. ¡°John Smith,¡± Oskar replied, on edge, and the man relaxed, putting on an oily smile. The room smelled like it had been built out of wet cigarettes. Oskar¡¯s eyes watered, and he could taste the stale air when he spoke. Some part of him had been picking up on the irregularities, but Oskar was just now realizing why he¡¯d felt like he shouldn¡¯t be here from the moment he opened the door. No computer, no laptop. The 50-year-old cars on the trifold brochures scattered on the desk. The guy began writing the name down with a too wide grin on his face. All traces of trepidation from the minute before were gone. His wild grin didn¡¯t touch those clouded eyes at all, though, as he said. ¡°We get a lot of those up here.¡± "Those?" Oskar asked. He knew what the clerk meant, but his body was suddenly filling with adrenaline as his brain shifted from trepidation to alarm. Suddenly predatory, the thin man tilted his head and made a tsk sound that threw spittle through his crooked teeth and onto the desk. It sizzled as it hit one brochure with a brown Ford Pinto and a grinning family whose too-wide smiles, like the clerk, didn¡¯t reach their eyes. The little girl on the cover of the brochure winked at him from between her mother¡¯s too long arms. The little girl¡¯s eyes were streaming bloody tears. Oskar drew in a sharp, stale breath and stepped back, blinking, but then the spittle was gone. The brochure was simply sitting there, yet the family was now faceless instead of smiling like maniacs. Oskar swore he could hear his own heartbeat. I need to go. I need to go. I gotta get out of here. Looking down, his breath started coming faster, and he had to fight down the panic building in his chest. ¡°John Smiths. We get a lot of those. Almost exclusively,¡± the clerk spoke slowly, his face lowered and tilted as he leaned in closer. Oskar looked up from the brochure, and he noticed the man¡¯s teeth were all jagged and broken. Had they been like that before? ¡°How much for the room?¡± Oskar whispered, ready to get the hell out of this place. The man stood but didn¡¯t straighten. ¡°Problem is, ya don¡¯t even have a reservation. You don''t belong here, and I¡¯m not sure ya got enough to pay, boyo.¡± The man¡¯s eyes finally showed the emotion clear on his face, and he licked his cracked lips with a raw, sore covered tongue. His eyes, suddenly cloudy, blinked out of sync. The abrupt change sent a shiver down Oskar¡¯s spine, and the man was no longer smiling at all. Instead, he was clacking his teeth together in a sickening sound that terrifyingly, perfectly matched the heartbeat Oskar could feel trying to beat out of his chest. The wind picked up outside. Creaking for a moment in protest, the door blew wide open, slamming into the wall with enough impact that it seemed impossible the glass hadn¡¯t shattered. A wild gust of wind followed that blew all the brochures off the desk in a wild swirl. The ravenous look disappeared from the clerk¡¯s face, and his eyes went wide. Oskar glanced behind him as fast as he dared but didn¡¯t see whatever had entered the room. However, as he turned back around to the desk, Oskar couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was seeing at all. As if nothing at all had happened, the brochures were all stacked perfectly back on the desk, exactly as they¡¯d been when he¡¯d walked in. The chill that had blown into the room remained, and instead of smoke and mold, the room smelled clinical. The clerk was positively panting, his breaths coming in rapid inhales and exhales. His cloudy eyes stared at the floor by the desk and then darted around in clear panic, searching. There was movement below him, and Oskar looked down to see a large calico cat weave between his boots. It stopped briefly to rub its head across Oskar¡¯s booted prosthetic foot. He could, in a surreal moment, swear he felt the warmth and pressure from the contact, and then it was gone. Oskar noticed the cat had a bobtail as it stretched for a second and then hopped up onto the desk, causing the clerk to scramble back, his head jerking upward to follow the big cat. Turning its head, the calico gave the clerk a disdainful glare that seemed to physically push him further back into his cracked leather chair. His cloudy eyes were suddenly clear, focused, and sober. The cat stalked across the desk before jumping into the old man¡¯s lap. The clerk squeezed the arms of his chair in his grip, and old man or not, Oskar heard the wood creaking. Looking down at the cat in the man''s lap, He felt a calming effect wash over him as the cat stared back, blinking its impossibly golden eyes slowly and purring. I¡¯m pretty sure calicos are almost always female. The odd, mundane thought distracted him for a second before reality pushed its way back to the forefront. The clerk, though, was sitting like death itself was curled up in his lap. He held his arms far clear of the creature, which now looked to be falling asleep, but his grip remained tight on the armrests. Motion drew his eyes briefly back to the brochure. The family on the cover were now facing the opposite direction, covering their faces with their hands. The father was rocking back and forth, a ¡°World¡¯s Best Dad¡± hat forgotten in the dirt at his feet. What is happening? The clerk closed his eyes as he sobbed quietly. He then reached behind him to a wall of keys, blindly grabbed one under a handwritten ¡°3¡± and tossed it at Oskar without looking. Oh hell no. Oskar leaned away to avoid the the key, but there was a moment where the air in front of him seemed to warp, and suddenly he was unable to move out of the way in time. The key hit his chest, almost gently, just to the left of the zipper on his jacket and before he could react. There was a sudden weightlessness and he felt a twisting in his chest. He took in a surprised deep breath of the balmy, still air, and staggered back into the glass door. His vision flashed and his hands flattened against the door behind him to steady himself. Instead of cold glass, though, there was solid wood. His lack of any proper sleep these recent months might be the only reason he didn¡¯t lose all sense of reason the moment he realized he was no longer where he¡¯d been two seconds ago. He just assumed he¡¯d already lost it. Chapter 2: Cat Nap Chapter 2 Oskar stood now in a dated motel room, just as old and smokey as the lobby, but definitely not the same place. His eyes took in the room in front of him just long enough to make sure it was empty of threats before he spun around and pulled on the door to get the hell out of this place. It didn¡¯t budge. No matter how hard he pulled on the doorknob, the door didn¡¯t so much as rattle in the frame. It felt like a dummy door- a part of the wall in a room that didn¡¯t seem to have a reasonable way out. So, Oskar started looking for unreasonable ways. He pulled open the aluminum blinds roughly, and his own wide, hollow eyes stared back at him from a mirrored surface where the window should have been. Oskar stared at a thin face he hardly recognized. Sunken, tired hazel eyes watched him from a face too pale from the past months of hiding from the world. Oskar looked away and pulled the yellowed blinds back down over the mirror. He caught a glint of metal by his boot and leaned over to pick up the key. He hesitated a moment, not sure what would happen when he touched the key again, but he couldn¡¯t imagine it being much worse than being trapped in a room with no way out, and picked up the key without incident. The door may not have been a door at all, but it did have a keyhole, so he tried it on the off chance it would undo whatever had trapped him here. It entered the lock with a crunch like it was crushing insect husks and he jerked his hand back in disgust for a second before finally spending a few pointless seconds trying to engage the lock. As he expected, though, it wouldn¡¯t turn. Fear was quickly turning into hopelessness, and he stepped back and turned around, abandoning the door altogether for now. The dingy room was lit by a single smoke-stained lamp that sat crookedly beside the faded wall between the two full-sized beds. The room was uncomfortably warm, despite the chilly wind he could still hear outside. He leaned over to look and saw the old mechanical thermostat in the room read 81 degrees. He took off his backpack and dropped it on a burgundy patterned chair by the door with a small puff of what he hoped was dust. Turning back to the door, he heard the wind outside pick up and the temperature in the room noticeably dropped. The ¡°No Smoking¡± sign by the door was almost too much. The slightest look back at the closed aluminum blinds beside the door showed they were positively greasy with nicotine residue. He choked down a laugh that would have certainly turned to hysterics had he given it the slightest leeway. Staring at nothing momentarily, he realized he was holding his breath, so he exhaled slowly. The external fear had made him realize how weary he was. Not just tired, but spiritually, mentally, and physically empty. What¡¯s it going to take to end this Godforsaken day? He used the back of his hand to flip the light on in the bathroom and froze as dozens of grossly oversized cockroaches scattered into cracks along the baseboards and disappeared under the edge of the sink. He glanced around the windowless room and the smell of wet musk filled his nostrils. Oskar closed his mouth on instinct. The shower curtain was so covered in black mold that he refused to even open it, and he ended up spot-washing in the sink and brushing his teeth with the thermos of water he¡¯d brought with him. Looking down at the splattered dried stains in the sink gave the impression someone had brushed their gums bloody a decade ago and walked out without even rinsing it. Oskar froze when he noticed a blackened tooth caught in the drain and immediately left the bathroom. The light flickered behind him, because of course it would. What is happening to me? You couldn¡¯t be considered crazy for answering yourself as long as you kept it rhetorical. He pulled the dusty comforter off the bed closest to the door and threw it onto the floor and then sat down on the edge of the mattress. It protested with a creak but held. Leaning over, his hands felt weak as he struggled to press the air release valve from the airtight socket that held on his prosthetic. Oskar slid what remained of his calf out of the socket and then leaned the prosthetic against the side of the bed. He stretched his knee a little before pulling the liner off the stump off his right leg. A quick search of his travel bag produced wet wipes, and he used them to clean the liner and his residual limb. He let the liner dry and then sat it inside the socket atop the prosthetic and left the whole thing leaning against the side of the bed before scooting back onto the bed with tired, sore muscles. I¡¯m scared out of my mind, but I¡¯m so exhausted that I can¡¯t even keep my eyes open. He glanced over at the door, and then reluctantly stood on his left foot. Leaning forward, he caught himself on the dusty chair that held his helmet, and awkwardly slid it a few inches in front of the dummy door. He slid the helmet to the very edge of the chair cushion so if the door hit the chair, the helmet falling might be loud enough to wake him. I''m too tired to trust anything at face value right now, even myself. Looking over at the only other entry point for the room, he stared a moment at the mirrored window, still hidden behind the aluminum blinds. Blinds that served as a better alarm system than he could come up with in his current state, and so hopped back to sit on the bed and then lay back with a groan, stretching. A chill ran over him, so he scooted back and gave the bed a cursory glance before settling. The room felt much cooler, and by the time he pulled the sheet over his body, the untouched thermostat said 68 degrees. But there is still no way I¡¯m using that comforter. The sheet, at least, looked reasonably clean, and he used his backpack for a pillow. That wasn¡¯t uncommon for him. He plugged in his phone, but noticed it wasn¡¯t charging as he reached to turn off the lamp. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to care much, though, as exhausted as he was. The lamp shocked his shaking hand as he turned the knob off, leaving the room lit by the dull bathroom light peeking through the cracked door. Thankfully, the bathroom light was no longer flickering. Lying awake, his heart rate was still too high to relax, so he lay there breathing deep breaths of slightly stale air. Afraid to sleep, afraid to be awake. The constant pull north was gone. For better or worse, he¡¯d arrived¡­ wherever this is, and Oskar felt alone in his thoughts for the first time since all this began. The fear he now felt was all his own. Regardless, after the past few months of Hell, fear was no longer the monster that snuck into his room to keep him awake at night. Fear was, tonight, the hand he felt around his throat as he slowly lost consciousness. Oskar had nothing left. Tonight, there were no dreams. *** Hours later, the door to his motel room- the door he was convinced wasn¡¯t even real- creaked open behind him, and he heard the door thump against the chair he''d slid in front of it, but the helmet never fell. The metal blinds rustled in the rough wind like a set of the Devil¡¯s wind chimes. Oskar¡¯s heart rate rocketed, and his eyes shot wide as the door shut slowly behind him, cutting off a cold gust of wind that he¡¯d felt on his back through the sheet. He heard purring, strong and comforting. After a moment, his fear dissipated. That primal fear that had been slowly sinking into his bones since the moment he stepped foot into the motel reception. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was like a long exhale of breath as all the fear and wildness he¡¯d lived in the past half year went with it. He stilled his breath and listened when he realized the bathroom light was no longer on, but as the low rumbling purr drew closer behind him, he could feel his heart rate slow in resonance. The wall he was facing was now reflecting a soft golden glow that was bouncing gently across the room. He felt something large jump up onto the foot of the bed and, after walking in a few tight circles, settle over his foot, purring softly. He didn¡¯t look. It wasn¡¯t meant for him to look. He knew if he looked, there would be nothing, and the new warmth he was feeling would go away, so he closed his eyes instead. With closed eyes, he could imagine this place as more than a seedy motel room, and even the musky smoke smell seemed to disappear. I must be completely losing it.Or I''ve lost it. I think I''ve lost it. Does this mean I''m a cat guy now? The purring was quieter but steady, and gently rumbled the bed and the single foot the cat had settled across. Oskar felt an unnatural sleep come over him. The cat was warm, and heavier than expected. He was safe for the moment, and Oskar had his first decent night¡¯s sleep in half a year. *** The next morning, Oskar woke to the sound of his door creaking in its frame from the force of the wind. He knew it was close, whatever it was¡­ the place or thing that had been calling him. Oskar could feel the cold seeping back into the room from the drafts of wind coming under the door, and could feel the freezing wind on his left foot as he sat up on the edge of the bed. The strange cat was gone. If it had been real to begin with. It had been, though. He wasn¡¯t sure what was real anymore, but that was one of the few things he was sure of. His door was closed, and looked again like a part of the wall. The chair was back in its original position, his helmet sitting still on the cushion. And yet, the peace he¡¯d felt the night before hadn¡¯t completely disappeared. No fear, either. He felt stupid even thinking it, but between the cat and a decent night¡¯s sleep, he almost felt normal. Normalish. Only normal-ish because, unfortunately, the pull had returned. He could feel it again, urging him to get moving. Likely North. However, with the cat gone, the temperature was dropping fast, though Oskar was sure the presence of the cat had at least something to do with the unnatural cold to begin with. It was colder than the night before. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just cold; it was unnatural. The room thermostat read 42 degrees, but it was fitting, he supposed. Weird crap was his life now. He wondered if he¡¯d be this unnaturally cold for the rest of his life. Nothing had felt natural since the dreams began, so why start now? He steeled himself and slid the freezing cold liner over the stump of his right calf. He rubbed the liner on the outside with both hands to warm it up, but his hands weren¡¯t much warmer. Pulling on his prosthetic foot, he felt it click into place via the bolt on the end of the liner and stood to settle into the socket. His stump was almost numb from the liner, but Oskar hoped it would warm up once he got moving. He stood, letting the clean, freezing cold wash over him for a moment before he started putting on layers. He was wearing almost everything he¡¯d brought in his backpack when the door slammed against the wall of the motel room, wide open. Oskar forced himself to breath after the shock of clean, freezing air hit him, and he pulled up his checkered pattern shemagh up to cover his face as he looked out at a flat expanse of nothingness, his adrenaline spiked. His stomach dropped as he carefully poked his head out of the door and looked around, the wind whipping his scarf around his head. No buildings, no lobby, no road. My brother¡¯s bike. It¡¯s all¡­ gone. His eyes widened as he saw that, from the outside, the frame of the door was free standing. No building, nothing. He pulled his head back into the room and gathered himself, and tossed the useless bike helmet back onto the chair. Out of habit, he turned around and gave the room a glance-over to make sure he hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, but turned back around when he realized the only thing he really cared about anymore was to the north. North, but close. The wind was strong enough that he had to hold on to the frame of the door as he made his way out of the room and into the flat emptiness that seemed to go on forever in all directions. He hunkered into his jacket, gloved hands tucked under the straps of his backpack as he squinted into the wind, turning to look in every direction. The motel door was gone now, too. Oskar looked straight ahead toward the¡­ thinness? The weakness in reality¡­ or whatever it was he was feeling. It was just ahead of him, shimmering and warping reality in a way that made him feel nervous excitement, like pre-battle jitters. There was nothing physical to mark the spot, but he knew it was there, and could have pointed it out even without the warped mirage that distorted everything behind it. What little light was in the sky hid inside the thick clouds to his right, just over the horizon. Oskar needed to decide, right here and now, whether he was going to follow this insane quest of his to its conclusion. Almost all the decisions he¡¯d made had been self-preservation. His mental and physical health had bottomed out, and he¡¯d not even realized how crazy all this was until he¡¯d woken up from the first full night¡¯s sleep he¡¯d had in recent memory. He fished the motorcycle key out of a pocket in his jacket and ran his gloved fingers along its cold metal surface, considering for a moment. Vault-boy threw in his vote with his ever-present thumbs up from its place on his brother¡¯s keychain. ¡°Good enough for me.¡± As Erik always said, ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.¡± A weight lifted from him as he made the decision to keep going, and he let out a long, slow breath. He jerked his eyes open as a boom of thunder-like sound hit him. He smelled the distinct tang of ozone, and his ears rang as he forced his jaw open and swallowed to try and pop his ears, and his whole body buzzed with static. Ahead of him was now a door. Well, Oskar couldn¡¯t see an actual door, only a shimmering white portal, surrounded by tan stone bricks that looked to be almost seamless. Oskar walked closer and realized he could see tiny dots, or maybe grains of cobalt blue mixed into the flat stones that contained the portal within. He watched it cautiously for a moment, because it seemed dumb to not at least get a good look before he walked into it, but he already knew what he was going to do. I just said I was gonna do this. It¡¯s grizzly time. Oskar took a step forward. The portal didn¡¯t react as his boot and prosthetic disappeared into the portal, but the moment the stump inside the socket touched the portal, he felt himself go weightless for a brief moment, and everything went white. He was no longer walking, but floated forward as if the inertia from his first step was permanent. He was in a haze as he glided just above the strange terrain, pushed or carried by something too far from his understanding of reality to grasp. The frigid wind behind him was biting, he grew faster, and quickly, Oskar knew he was eating up ground faster than should be possible. Every moment took him further than the last as he increased in speed. Things were moving on the edges of his vision, but when he tried to see what they were, he felt sick. A pressure in his head rose sharply, and the feeling forced him to look straight ahead. Thankfully, it began to snow, and the things were quickly hidden behind a growing white haze. He knew they were still there, but hoped the storm hid him as well. It quickly became a frozen hellscape: flat, endless, and sterile. The smell of it burned his nose. The surrounding snow had no regard for the steady direction of the wind behind him, and it now fell haphazardly. Every attempt at reason slipped through his fingers, and pressure built until he retreated back into numb nothingness, ignoring whatever broken things he¡¯d felt staring at him from a place that both felt impossibly distant and at the same time close enough to breath down the back of his neck. They were waiting for him to look. Just see. As time passed and his head cleared, he again tried to take hold of his situation, yet the more he tried to make sense of it, the slower, sicker, and colder he felt. The overwhelming feeling of vertigo he¡¯d felt earlier returned, and had nothing to do with movement and everything to do with the things at the edge of his vision. He was not meant to acknowledge them as they shuttered across the sky, their thousands of mile-long spidery limbs moving so, so horribly wrong. The world felt thin. Weak. Thinking of it made him feel like he was thinning, too, so he stared straight ahead, his ever-present chills now only partially due to the temperature. In less than twenty seconds of trying to grasp reality, the cold had gripped him in its deadly hold and his pace had slowed to a crawl and he felt himself sink to the ground. He knew he would freeze to death in a matter of minutes. So, he pushed off the ground and again let the wind carry him into this impossible landscape at what felt like breakneck speed, ignoring the flittering, flickering movements on the peripherals of his perception. There was the tiniest change in the wind and then it became perfectly constant. As he barreled forward, a brief undercurrent of heat appeared from somewhere and he noticed a pinprick of color in the white distance ahead. Before he could even begin to distinguish it, he rocketed through it at an incomprehensible speed, and his world went black. Chapter 3: A Bright Future... Too Bright Chapter 3 Oskar Dorn woke up on burning hot sand, dressed in his three layers of cold weather clothing and likely on the verge of heatstroke. He didn¡¯t move for a moment, though, listening instead for sounds of life or movement, setting aside his confusion to assess his new situation. The first thing he noticed was that the anxious feelings he¡¯d been fighting were faint, almost gone. Was it all in my head¡­ or is this? He shook the thought away as there was no answer except the sound of a steady wind far overhead. After a moment of listening for movement, he opened his eyes. A huge, bright red sun was directly overhead, easily three times the size he was used to. The sky itself was red hued, but nothing moved in it he could see, not even clouds. Peeling off layers of clothing, he sat up slowly and glanced around. He carefully undressed, sitting on his jacket to protect him from the burning sand as he removed the thermal Long Johns under his clothes. He put his gray cargo pants and tight long sleeve olive drab green shirt back on. Oskar moved methodically, trying to remember how his body was supposed to work after the past day¡­week maybe, of insanity. His movement felt sluggish after moving at such impossible speeds for so long after going through that strange door. He stopped himself from getting caught up in the why, and focused instead on the world around him. Looking around, what appeared to be a perfectly straight six-foot tall wooden pole was sticking straight out of the ground. Other than a single bulb of cactus almost covered with sand ahead, the stick-like tree was the only thing other than huge sand dunes and red sky that he could see. He stood in a narrow valley between two massive dunes that gently sloped upward on both sides. Above the dunes, the wind was so severe that streamers of sand drifted off the top of the dune in distractingly clean lines. Upon closer inspection, Oskar saw a tiny dot of color in the sand, only noticeable in the direct sunlight as they streamed overhead. He looked at the sand all around him, and finally squatted down to look closer. Upon closer inspection, Oskar discovered scattered specks of dark cobalt, very much few and far between. Straightening, his eyes strained against the brightness of the expanse above, and he spotted a smaller blue sun alongside the red giant in the sky. The only thing worse than being stuck in a strange desert was being stuck in a strange desert with two suns. He rolled his shoulders, missing the weight of his pack. Somehow, he¡¯d lost it, or it had been taken from him, effectively sentencing him to a hot and miserable death. Even in this heat, a shiver ran down his spine as his hand automatically slid to the knife that was always sheathed at the small of his back. It was gone, too. His brother''s keys were gone, too. Not that they served a purpose here, but it was the principle of the thing. ¡°Well, great,¡± he muttered and then froze. Frantically, he slapped at his right cargo pocket. He felt the familiar outline of his T handle Allen-wrench, still wrapped up in a green cravat, and let out his breath in a whoosh. ¡°Thank God for small favors.¡± At least whoever dropped him off here wasn¡¯t a complete jerk, but it was an oddly insightful choice, leading Oskar down the thought process that he''d been brought, or maybe led here. Without that T handle, any issues with his prosthetic would be impossible to fix, and in this environment, would almost certainly be a death warrant. He stood there taking stock, his mind clear for the first time in what seemed like forever. How was it that - despite being in a strange place he was sure wasn¡¯t on earth - he felt better than he had since he¡¯d lost Erik? He almost felt guilty without the ever present, dull ache. Getting out of the Marine Corps because of his injury, then out of the hospital, and then losing his brother had left him reeling and without a shred of purpose, or more specifically, a reason to even have a purpose. He¡¯d felt helpless, and he had barely enough time to process his deployment before the Jenga blocks had continued tumbling down around him. Despite this strange world and the months of Hell that brought him here, the weight he¡¯d felt on his spirit was gone. Oskar knew his brother was alive somehow. The nightmarish torture and Erik¡¯s screams were something I couldn¡¯t imagine, but it was him. I¡¯m coming, man. Oskar shook the sand off his clothes and made a small makeshift pack out of the extra clothing by pulling the waist drawstring tight and stuffing everything- the leather jacket, two long sleeve shirts, three pair of socks and underwear, and a full set of long johns- in and then zipping it all inside the winter coat. Secured, he tied the sleeves together and put it on cross-shoulder as he glanced around for any movement, still squinting at the brightness. After looking around at the endless sand in every direction, he walked to the bit of tree poking out of the ground. The area between the dunes was harder packed, but along the fringes, the softer ground was going to be a pain to walk on with his prosthetic foot. He knew he¡¯d better be very careful with the sand, not letting it anywhere near the socket that came up to just below his right knee. Prosthetics were durable, but generally made for civilized people in civilized situations. He was pretty sure he¡¯d left civilized life as he knew it far behind him. As confusing as all this was, he forgot all his concerns when he touched the wooden pole sticking out of the ground and a massive gust of wind blasted outward from the base of the small tree like a radial pulse. Had he not been holding on, the force would have blown him onto his back. As it was, he still staggered and turned his head away to avoid getting sand in his eyes- with mixed results. He gently used his scarf to swipe away most of the sand and squinted down. At the base of the tree, a small, ornate chest had been uncovered, or possibly simply appeared as it seemed completely untouched by the severe environment surrounding him. He kneeled and reached out. With a click, the small chest popped open as soon as his hand made contact with it, startling him. He pulled his hand back in alarm, but inside there were a pair of steampunk looking goggles, which were a plain, matte metal, but trimmed out in a dull pewter looking color. Also inside were two waterskins and, of all things, a leather scroll case. He immediately pulled out one of the rough leather waterskins and took a grateful swig, forcing himself to drink slowly enough to not waste a single drop. Some of his underlying concerns subsided. Water gave him time. Time to work out where he was and what to do about it. He put the stopper back in the waterskin, looking back down at the perfect box. The scroll case it produced had symbols on the outside that were completely unfamiliar, except for the name Oskar Dorn in elegant writing. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Frustrated with squinting to shield his eyes from sand and brightness, he lowered the goggles onto his head. His eyes effortlessly adjusted, allowing him to see clearly with no discomfort whatsoever. He noticed the same strange lettering in a digital overlay at the bottom of his vision and it flickered faster than he could comprehend until the letters flickered and settled into English. ¡°What in the¡­¡± _RAT1_Goggles AwaitingSync It flashed until his eyes had settled on it for a few moments, and then noticeably faded into a subtle dot in the bottom left of the lens. He focused on the dot for a moment, and the notification returned until he looked away again. Interesting. He looked down at the scroll and noticed that even in this extreme heat, his shoes were still damp from the snow. So¡­ he hadn¡¯t been out long, which tracked with how he felt when he awoke. If he had been out for more than a few minutes, he would have almost certainly become dangerously overheated. He took the black and white shemagh he had been using as a scarf and wrapped it around his head to block the direct sunlight. Sunslight? He shook his head and stood, checking his surroundings again, when he noticed the lettering on the outside of the scroll case in his hand was now entirely in English, and it didn¡¯t look at all like an overlay. The Goggles were translating the lettering. Oskar Dorn, I have chosen you. He pulled the Goggles from his face and squinted down at the leather case, and sure enough, the strange glyphs were there, illegible. More information that he had no way of parsing. That goes right into the ¡°maybe this will make sense later¡± part of his brain. ¡°I guess the Chosen One gets two bottles of water and a stick.¡± Pulling the Goggles back into place, he went to open the scroll case and, upon removing the caps at both ends, realized the case was empty. The case itself was thick leather, about 5 inches wide and about 8 inches fully unfurled. The inside was soft, like fur except for a small metal disk about the size of a quarter in the top left corner. His goggles lit up with a new notification. _RAT2_Bracer SyncAvailable / Sync now? A Yes/No appeared just after the sync notification, and he had to stare at the Yes for a full 5 seconds before it disappeared, and the notification changed. / Please place the Personal Unit Bracer (PUB) around your left forearm, making sure the contact pad aligns with the inside of your wrist. It was a Bracer, not a leather scroll case, then? He hesitated slightly, feeling silly, before wrapping it around his wrist as shown and made sure the metal disk on the underside of the Bracer was just over the radial pulse on the inside of his wrist. _RAT1_SyncInitiated _RAT2_SyncRequest Received He felt a gentle pulse of electricity shoot up his arm as the device continued synchronizing and another notification appeared, just as confusing as the rest of this entire situation. He felt a gentler pulse on both temples, courtesy of the Goggles. / Global network not found. Initialize local network? Uhhh, why not? Oskar focused on the ¡°Yes¡± for a few seconds and his Goggles flickered with added information as a "Local network created¡± notification appeared with a 2 beside it, and disappeared just as quickly. He looked around and noticed the small tree had a golden outline that looked as if tiny bits of electricity were shooting through it. Unlike the lettering, the outline was an obvious visual effect to bring his attention to it. As he looked away, he also noticed a red indicator around his right leg. A damage indicator of sorts? He smirked as he looked away from the notification and back to the tree that had obviously caught the attention of the Goggles. He reached out again to the tree and, to his shock; it now came out of the sand easily, off balancing him for a moment. Instead of roots, a sharp point revealed itself. ¡°A spear?¡± he whispered to himself. The rough surface felt good in his hand, as if designed for grip. Like a pinecone, the sharp point hidden in the sand had a thorny texture, and the whole thing seemed to shimmer for a second before solidifying again. It felt solid. As soon as the spear cleared the sand completely, a genuinely concerning notification popped up, and Oskar finally let the insanity of his situation catch up to him with a short laugh. / Divine Weapon- Branch of the Omnitree obtained. Synergy Detected Unique Druid Class: Wayspring Wanderer Accept? Yes/No Synergy with what? A class? This place had classes? Like in a video game or Dungeons and Dragons? Regardless of the strangeness, it felt genuine... real. This felt like the moment everything he¡¯d been through led here. This new beginning. The tinge of fear that remained after he woke up disappeared. He didn¡¯t know what was going to happen to him in this place, but turning down any resource seemed like insanity. And so, having nothing to lose, he selected ¡°yes.¡± / World Gambit Initiated Step 1: Master The Magic Above Difficulty: Hard ¡°What in the-¡° Oskar was interrupted as he felt his body grow rigid. His arms outstretched as he became momentarily weightless. Knowledge completely overloaded his mind, but was gone in a flash. In that brief flickering moment in time, he felt a great need. A not-quite alien, but overwhelming need to grow life on this planet¡¯s barren surface. The loneliness he¡¯d felt in his spirit for the last year was replaced by a budding confidence he¡¯d never actually felt in himself. He¡¯d seen it in Erik, but never himself. He¡¯d never needed to be the strong one, and so despite the self-assurance he now felt, it came from a place inside him he¡¯d never explored. He¡¯d been chosen, which meant this world needed him, and something inside him responded to that need. To being needed. Especially by his brother, but this still resonated with some part of him. Despite being a new part of him, it still felt¡­ familiar. The relentless wash of knowledge continued to pour into him. With all the knowledge he now had access to, it all felt so logical, without self-doubt and conflicting emotions. Like he¡¯d lived his whole life and come to this conclusion on his own. As if he¡¯d grown to understand the world and realized he needed to guide it, and then someone had shown him that life to speed up the decision to do so. This planet was broken, and there was a path to change things. And then it was gone, leaving a lingering longing for something just out of comprehension that faded over the next few moments. The only tangible thing that remained from the experience was the knowledge that the World Quest, or Gambit¡­ was vitally important, and he had a part to play in it. He came back to himself on his knees, unable to remember exactly what he¡¯d felt so urgently, only that it was important. Something was poisoning this world, and the stakes were devastating. Uncaring, the PUB sent more notifications. / Language Integrated - Aletheia Again, knowledge crashed into him, not nearly so much this time, but his mind was filled by a flurry of unfamiliar words and symbols, the torrent like a relentless drumbeat that grew faster and faster until he couldn¡¯t separate his own understanding from the newly ¡°integrated¡± information. / Would you like to know more about Rarities? Yes/No Would you like to know more about Class- Wayspring Wanderer? Yes/No With a sudden final buzz of electricity, a notification flashed across his screen somewhat dramatically, and the previous two notifications changed. _SyncComplete_ // Would you like to know more about Rarities? Trust me, they¡¯re super boring and mostly self-explanatory. No/Yes/No // // Would you like to know more about Class- Wayspring Wanderer? This is the obvious choice. Do this! Yes/No/Yes // Whenever he hovered over the ¡°Yes¡± option on the weapon rarities and the No option on the class, it shifted slightly, making the smaller option very difficult to focus on. Great. What. The. Hell. Is. Happening? Oskar let out a snort and had to suppress a strong desire to laugh hysterically, pressure building in his head. The flash of hysteria gone, he blinked a few times and exhaled slowly. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever recover from the last 6 months, much less the insane way he¡¯d been thrown through a portal to his probable death on a planet that felt custom made to finish him off after the worst year of his life. He could almost hear Erik¡¯s voice in his head telling him, ¡°So far. Worst year so far.¡± Chapter 4: Getting Loosey Goosey Chapter 4 Oskar focused on the ¡°Yes¡± regarding weapon rarities, mentally chasing it around for a few seconds until it finally allowed him to select it. He wondered if the Personal Unit Bracer, or PUB, was tired of fighting him or simply gave in. It wasn''t that he cared about weapon rarities more than learning about whatever a Wayspring Wanderer was, quite the opposite really, but he had a feeling that giving in to the whims of the PUB interface would set a frustrating precedence. // Alright, we got a tough guy. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m weak now. Just wait. // Who, or rather, what, was talking with him? Without a doubt, it was intended for him, whatever it was. The PUB interface was a far cry from any technology he¡¯d ever used before, but it seemed to have¡­ personality. Too much personality. A brief display of information popped up, but was flickering, as if expressing its reluctance to Oskar choosing the boring option, but it showed the color codes representing each rarity with a correspondingly colorful explanation. These rarities would present as a colored outline if Oskar focused on an object for the purpose of gleaning that information. How the Goggles or PUB knew his intent was not only curious, but worrisome to Oskar. Was this thing reading his mind somehow? He focused on the information, and it was mostly self-explanatory for anyone who¡¯d ever played a looter shooter or RPG. Due to the name, though, he suspected the Bracer contained or enveloped the thing talking to him, and was utilizing the Goggles as a mutual interface, but he also suspected he wouldn''t get a straight answer if he asked. // Gray-Grey: *sad trombone* This is vendor trash. Sell it for some cold, hard water. Just kidding, ice is a myth. Super Green: Eh, better than Gray. Not gonna make a joke here. Chris Tucker is a personal friend of mine. // ¡°What the h-¡° // Quiet, children might read this. // ¡°Read what?! Hold on a second!¡± // Nope, no time. Zima Blue: As good as the simple pleasure from the execution of a task well done. Deep Purple: Better than a musical reference! Uh.. Cool Orange?: Seriously good stuff. I hear it¡¯s the new black. // The next explanation tempered somewhat his excitement about having a divine rarity weapon. // Sparky Gold: An outline of gold with sparks shooting around the border means it¡¯s divine¡­ Now we¡¯re getting to the good stuff. Well, sometimes more weird than good, but always interesting, which is all I care about. They always come with a catch! *sadder trombone* Yeah, you¡¯re gonna pay for this item¡­ // Oskar glanced nervously at his spear. After a moment and a mental prompt, a gold outline again traced the edges of the spear all the way around once, lightning flickering down the weapon, giving it an impressive visage before the outline faded, leaving a mundane looking wooden spear. Hmm, I guess it is Sparky Gold. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. // Ok, here¡¯s the stuff I am obligated to tell you. // ¡°What I want to know is how you¡¯re referencing stuff from my world,¡± Oskar asked, not amused by the PUB in the least. ¡°Do you have access to my memories?¡± // Look, I don¡¯t have forever, here. There are rules. Now here¡¯s the blah blah blah: Weapon rarity has an effect on durability and damage modifiers. I mean, a stab is a stab, but if you have something super durable, it can survive being much sharper without the tip bending or breaking. As a general rule, each increase in rarity adds around a 10% improvement with the exception of a divine rarity weapon, which has its own rules. A divine quality weapon is only considered equivalent to legendary or greater when used for its created purpose. A divine weapon is a gift from a divine being, given with conditions and limitations. Stay in the good graces of that divine being, and the rules get a little loosey goosey. These conditions and limitations can be in the form of a quest, class, world event or Gambit, but in all other cases outside its created purpose, the weapon is initially considered uncommon. This particular weapon, at the moment, is just incredibly durable. It¡¯s made of wood from the Great Tree. I mean, it¡¯s sharp, too, but that¡¯s not what makes it special. What makes it special, you ask? Not sure yet. // ¡°What is the purpose of the spear? The Divine purpose?¡± // I¡¯m artificial intelligence, dude, not a god. No idea. Anyway, once the wielder of a divine weapon completes certain conditions of its created purpose, they will gain additional benefits, and the divine weapon will grow in power and utility. Also, you don¡¯t have to talk out loud. You look dumb. Also, I would recommend you work on mastering the forms. I can show them to you, but you¡¯re gonna have to work pretty hard to master them. Also, as this weapon is divine only to the chosen wielder, others will often see the weapon as mundane or common. The little-known exception to this rule is if you tell someone the truth, they can see its rarity, but if they don¡¯t believe you, they¡¯ll still see the weapon as mundane¡­ just like you, ha! // It seemed to pause as if waiting for a reaction, but Oskar ignored it as he considered the information. // Are you seriously reading this droll? I just burned you so good, and your eyes are glazed over like a star-struck tween on the ride home from her first Elvis concert. Do you not have anything else to do rather than stand in the heat and read about rarities? I need a nap. // Feeling judged, he closed the rarities menu and tried to make sense of everything he¡¯d just learned. His brows furrowed as he considered the implications. Tortured nightmares of his brother pulled him to this strange world, where he was given a strange weapon without explanation and given a druid class, like a freaking video game, in a desert whose size he couldn¡¯t even fathom. A druid. In a desert. A freakin¡¯ desert druid. To top it off, his PUB interface was trying its best to bully him. Oskar tended to be a glutton for punishment in MMOs, or Massively Multiplayer Online games. He loved choosing underutilized classes that were based on utility, particularly classes that were overwhelmingly strong in highly specific scenarios but were usually weaker in other circumstances. He didn¡¯t know why he gravitated towards such roles in games. It was a running joke among his small group of friends he¡¯d occasionally gamed with before he¡¯d retreated from everyone. He¡¯d even played classes that were considered unplayable¡­ but even he would not have played a druid¡­ in a desert, especially one with no spells, or at least none he¡¯d seen. That¡¯s just dumb. He blinked and pulled up the information on his druid class. Despite the PUB¡¯s excitement, which was denoted by a seemingly happy, subtle blue flicker around the edges of his vision. The information was limited, but had several sub-menus, all but one of which was grayed out. The menus were titled: Affinities, Gambits, and Abilities and Spells, along with another that remained in its original strange language of symbols. It was, of course, grayed out as well. This was all very frustrating. The only menu outside of the generalized class description was entitled Companions. Spells?! Like actual magic? And companions? I¡¯m almost afraid to see what kind of creature could survive in this kind of world. This wasn¡¯t a game, and making poor choices here would get him killed. There were times, these last few months, where he¡¯d have been borderline apathetic to that kind of threat, but now he had a brother to save and a brand new world to try to stay alive in. Chapter 5: You got Moxie, Kid Chapter 5 It was finally time to learn more about his class, and he could feel his Bracer buzzing with excitement. Reading over the class information, the generalized druid class description said: // So, the rules say I gotta be serious here. I hate being serious. Are we best friends yet? Don''t answer that. Druids seek to nurture and protect nature, chase the Wilds, and walk the Winds. There are pathways to do so, however¡­ some are stalwart wardens, guardians and defenders of life. Most are cultivators, nurturers and healers. Some are like seeds in the wind, bringing life where Nature has all but fallen. Some druids learn to do more than interact with magic, but to channel it. To cycle the magic within themselves as well as in the outside world. Some even seek the deeper meaning of nature, utilizing the full cycle of death and life in a slower, but potentially indomitable path that could ultimately save¡­or destroy a dying world. Druids have gotten rarer and rarer. Don¡¯t get me wrong, desert is still nature, but that alone is not enough to trigger the class. Not sure what triggered the synergy that unlocked the druid class for you. Could be a strong, core memory connected with nature. Could be that you have a protective, nurturing way about you. To gain a unique class, though, it¡¯s usually both, and Wayspring Wanderer is a unique druid class. A unique class is exceedingly rare. Sounds OP, right? Well, it can be. The downside of a Unique Class is you¡¯re a blank slate. You have to create all your own abilities. Eventually, that will be its greatest strength, but for now, you¡¯re weaker than a standard common class. Unique classes are notoriously slow to grow in power and are unpredictable in that they are personal to the individual. The thing is, this place is dying, so even growing slowly is very quickly going to put you head and shoulders above many. The most common classes, even the last time I was awake, were a husk of what they used to be. Good news is, your power ceiling is way up. If you happen to run into any surviving ancients, with enough time, you¡¯ll be able to hold your own. Druids, because of their connection with the world around them, learn simple interactions with the Magic Above, called ????, and the Magic Below, ?????. Okay, that¡¯s stupid, I can¡¯t access the specific names for some stupid reason. I¡¯m not trying to be mysterious. Super simplified: Air and Earth. There¡¯s also Spirit, which interacts with everything in ways that make it impossible to explain easily. Think of Spirit like a catalyst for the other two, but it also has its own uses. Anyhow, Unique classes do not follow traditional growth but will grow in power long after most classes begin to even out or plateau. Grow in power to unlock its potential, and you could become great¡­ if you survive. // ¡°If I survive? Seems to be a theme here,¡± he muttered, knowing it was time to get moving. Pulling his makeshift pack over his head and sitting it down, Oskar made his way to the top of a gently sloping dune, trying to gain as much information as possible on his location and possible next steps. The moment his head cleared the top of the dune, however, a hot wind hit him in the face with surprising force. He momentarily lost his balance and slid down the dune a short distance before he regained it. He tightened his shemagh on the top of his head and much more carefully made his way to the top of the dune, thankful for the goggles keeping the sand out of his eyes as he poked his head up just between two streamers of sand blowing off the top of the dune. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The first thing he noticed was how consistently the wind blew. Just like the freezing wind he¡¯d experienced near the end of his journey here, there were almost no gusts, just a continuous blasting that would be a nightmare if he were forced to walk atop the dune for long. It just didn¡¯t seem possible. The whole situation was unreal. He tried to will his PUB to give him information and was surprised to see a flicker of blue outline in the distance. He wondered if it would zoom in, but instead, it only clarified the notification. // I did a careful scan of the area for you. I found some sand. Turn around, I¡¯ll scan the other side too. Want me to count it? No/No // Oskar tried not to encourage the PUB by chuckling, which was made easier by the overall weight of his situation, finally beginning to present itself. His newfound purpose and confidence wasn¡¯t making Oskar blind to the fact he was a dire situation. He shook off some of the heaviness and straightened carefully, looking over the endless desert. There was a beauty to it, and he¡¯d better learn to see some of it if he didn¡¯t want to feel crushed by the sheer lunacy of the circumstances that brought him here. Might as well try to do what I can with it. The kid in him couldn¡¯t help but wish he had a wingsuit and a death wish. He looked back at the gently sloping dune behind him and figured he could get away with it once if he was careful and then pushed himself to standing at the top of the dune. By leaning almost 40 degrees into the wind, he turned around with his back against the constant force and made a small leap, propelling himself forward in the air. He laughed as he landed, sliding down the dune before slowing to a stop and standing. With a childlike grin on his face, Oskar made his way back down the slope to gather his meager belongings. He¡¯d seen nothing but a massive expanse of sand at the top of the dune. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but he knew staying in place would definitely kill him, so any direction was as good as another if he was careful moving across the top of any dunes. That wind was constant, but he could only imagine what a gust would feel like if he was wrong. He might find himself sandblasted or buried beneath hundreds of pounds of sand. Oskar glanced down at the leather Bracer and to his surprise, a hologram appeared above it showing a 3D display of his body, the damage indicator outline around his right lower leg still present. He could move it at will to a point, but only as a general shift of position like arms up, fighting stance, or arms crossed. Looking at the information surrounding the image, the atypical format of the statistics surprised him. He¡¯d expected a strength, intelligence, etcetera followed by a number, but it was closer to what he¡¯d seen in anime, only in three categories overall.
Mind F Rank
Body F- Rank
Spirit F+ Rank
A brief explanation followed: // F Rank is standard for humans. Some of the other species have D Rank bodies, but your mind stats are on par, and spirit is looking great. You got Moxie, kid! You can also pull this information up in your Goggles overlay. Main stats consist of a mix of hidden sub-stats that may overlap with one another in the PUB interface, but there¡¯s no point in tracking them because they change so much. For example, lack of sleep might make Mind drop 10% or more. It¡¯s all very mathematical, and no offense, you aren¡¯t giving me Rain Man vibes when it comes to numbers. // ¡°Rude.¡± // I heard that, now hush and listen. These stats represent actual physical, mental, and spiritual abilities and will grow through training and high-stress situations. Some statistics may be temporary, but reflection and meditation may allow these stat gains to become permanent. Blah, blah, blah. The stats and their breakdowns are: Mind comprises the following hidden sub-stats: Wisdom, Intelligence, and to a lesser degree: Spirit, Charisma, Endurance, Moxie. And a little bit of Body. Body sub-stats: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Agility, Endurance. Spirit and Mind affects body. Since it houses everything, it¡¯s affected by everything. It¡¯s all connected, baby! Spirit sub-stats: Self-Control, Creativity, Willpower, Moxie, and to a lesser degree: Mind, Body, and Charisma. // "Moxie? I have moxie?" // Barely. // Rude. // You didn''t say it out loud! I''m proud of you! // Chapter 6: Pedant Alert // Alright, I don''t want to come across as all snark. Some of the other PUBS I''ve known in the past can really lean a little too far into the snark, and it can get tiresome. I really do want you to succeed, and since you''ve got a lot of other challenges to face, I feel like this is the best way to handle your stats. I¡¯ve set it up this way so you aren¡¯t overloaded. If you really want a different way of looking at it, just imagine peak F rank as a 10 out of 10, but a breakthrough into the next rank, D, is gonna feel more like a 15. Top of D is gonna feel like a 25, though, not a 20. As you ascend, the numbers blur, but it¡¯ll be obvious when fighting anyone ranked higher than you in the early stages. It grows incredibly more dangerous fighting above your weight class as you progress, even within the same ranks, but you won¡¯t really have to worry about that till C-Rank. It feels like your body, mind, or spirit just remembered it was superb at something, be it jumping or lifting something, understanding concepts related to the world, or getting in touch with the ethereal. F, D, C, B, A, S It¡¯s basically just like a grading system at school with the addition of a S for those who surpass what¡¯s usually possible. Although, with the state of the world, I¡¯d be surprised if anyone on the planet were anywhere NEAR A-class anything. Something pulled you here for a reason. I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s not an easy thing to do. Speaking of pointless numbers: mana, as you understand it, doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s more like capacity, and because of its constant variability, it¡¯s not something I can really read. I know when it¡¯s being used, and after you use it all up, I¡¯ll have a general idea of what you¡¯re capable of, but every use of your abilities cost you more or less dependent on where you are and what type of magic you are using. I will say this, though: as a Druid, you¡¯re made for this. You gain capacity from mind and spirit, meaning you have the best of both worlds. Mind capacity is larger, but spiritual capacity is efficient. Add in your unique class ability to regain capacity naturally and you¡¯re coasting on easy street. Except for the fact that you have to create all your own abilities. To simplify: The upside is, you¡¯ve got the capacity and efficiency to sandbox anything your little brain can imagine. In fact, barring constant, prolonged battle with no breaks, you¡¯re not likely to see the bottom of your capacity. The downside is, you¡¯ve gotta create your own spells. // Impressively, the PUB actually was almost completely serious throughout that explanation. He wondered if all the PUB¡¯s robust defiance early on tuckered the poor little thing out. Oskar was curious what the PUB got out of all this and why it wanted him to succeed, but he was getting information overload. After all, he''d probably just had years worth of knowledge and a language shoved in his head. It felt as natural as English to him. It''s real. This isn''t a dream, and I''m not gonna wake up in a straight jacket in a hospital. I mean, I might be a little crazy, but this situation is crazier. Information overload aside, this entire world rode a delicate balance somewhere between ¡°no one is gonna believe this,¡± and ¡°I¡¯ve completely lost my mind.¡± Shaking his head, Oskar muttered to himself as the sweltering heat bore down on him, ¡°Onward, I suppose. To glory, or whatever.¡± He stood again, wiped his head and tried to remember how he¡¯d been able to ignore the heat of Iraq as he started making his way towards the direction the dune valley took him, his strange spear in hand. When you are totally lost in an endless desert on a strange planet, any direction is as good as another. *** Sand blasted Oskar in the chest and face as something the size of a car tire with copper scales slammed into the sand in front of him, totally submerging itself in the dune. He dashed backwards into a stumble and caught himself on the butt of the spear, which, for some reason, stopped on the top of the sand like hard packed earth instead of spearing through it. He watched as the bulge in the sand moved back around the bend of the dune ahead of him and disappeared. Oskar snuck forward against his better judgement to see what kind of creature had almost killed him. His eyes widened in shock as the largest snake he''d ever seen raised its diamond shaped head ten feet into the air. The remainder of its massive body remained curled-up in a loose circle in the clearing ahead of him. This thing was massive, covered in small sand colored scales that twisted and curled with its every movement. There appeared to be a green fungus or something growing all over it, along with splatters of bright red blood, showing obvious injury. A large, brown, armored creature curled up behind it, shuddering with what Oskar assumed were the aftereffects of the massive serpent¡¯s venom. It looked to be a much larger version of whatever had crashed into the sand in front of him a moment ago, but was covered in darker, brass covered scales. Suddenly, the sand under the massive snake exploded as the smaller, copper scaled creature launched itself at the wounded serpent from under the sand. It hit with bone jarring impact, smashing into the snake¡¯s body with an admittedly cute squeak that sounded something like ¡°kwinn!¡± The snake swayed backwards with the impact, but struck back with its long fangs, narrowly missing. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It wasn¡¯t looking good for the little guy. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure how safe it was to intervene¡­ scratch that, it was imbecilic at best. Why was he trying to intervene in a fight between two things that could probably kill him without breaking a sweat? But¡­ he couldn¡¯t ignore the smaller creature fighting for its life. Moreover, if he were forced to fight the winner, he would prefer to take his chances in the championship bout with the smaller pangolin-like creature than big Snaky. As if his Goggles read his mind, the sky dimmed slightly and everything became crisp. Did the interface have some sort of battle mode? When he focused on the serpent, it came into sharp detail as if zoomed in but without any depth perception or disorientation issues. The fangs were lightly outlined as what he assumed were threat factors. The scan information showed a high level threat from the two larger creatures, indicated by a brief red flash of an outline that settled into a subtler red that didn¡¯t obstruct, and even threat from the smaller, indicated by a yellow outline that faded over a second just like the red. Oskar hesitated, unsure of the best way to engage. Surprisingly, the Goggles responded to his dilemma, showing him a misty outline of a form stalking forward, keeping the point between the serpent¡¯s head and himself with a low center of gravity. Is the PUB giving me freaking combat tips? He moved forward, low and steady and with a posture of confidence, and for some reason, the snake immediately shifted its attention to him after a brief snake-brain threat reassessment. Dumb snake- I have no idea what I¡¯m doing. // Spear Mastery Upgrade ¨C 0.01% Uh, probably not a great idea to give you updates into the hundredths of a percent in combat. Sorry, still waking up. // Oskar blinked away the notification, glad the PUB could adjust automatically, preventing notifications from popping up during combat. He suspected the AI system inside the PUB was piggybacking off the notifications to save energy, adding to the growing list of questions he had. Again, something to address when he wasn¡¯t about to be killed for sticking his nose in a fight just because the little creature was like a cute 75lb scaled puppy. The snake was trying to keep an eye on Oskar, but nearby movement under the sand caught its attention and It''s ready to self to strike at the scaled creature when it next came up out of the sand. It must have caught him trying to sneak closer though, because it suddenly turned to stare him straight in the face. I''ve never really been afraid of snakes before, but I think I''m developing a sudden phobia. With the big snake''s full attention on Oskar, he stopped moving, hopefully out of immediate striking range, but kept his center of gravity low and balanced, ready to dive away at the first sign of movement in his direction. I was really hoping the smaller creature was going to be a better distraction. Turns out, Oskar was the distraction. Talking advantage of the giant serpent¡¯s focus on him, the smaller pangolin creature burst from a wall of sand on the sunward-side dune wall and crashed full body into the side of the snake¡¯s head, stunning it. Snakey quickly recovered, but Oskar knew real damage had been done. The serpent momentarily stopped swaying in its confusion, and Oskar saw deep cuts through the mossy colored scales covering its belly. They must have come from the larger pangolin, who was now lying still a few feet away. The snake, groggy, turned its head around looking for the little creature. Not wanting to waste the moment, Oskar dashed forward with his spear and stabbed it deeply under its fanged head, dancing quickly backwards to safety, keeping his spear between them as it seemed to get a second wind despite its grievous injuries. Its follow-up lunge was halfhearted, though, and Oskar easily avoided it. The pangolin made a sound in its throat that Oskar couldn¡¯t identify ¨C he guessed it was a growly version of its kwinn sound. ¡°Kwinn-ing¡± a few more times, the small¡­ Well, smaller¡­ creature darted behind him, now peeking around Oskar as the great serpent slithered towards him drunkenly. Oskar tried to ignore the little pangolin to address the threat in front of him. The serpent lagged to the side a bit as it lunged forward, and Oskar again easily side-stepped the clumsy attack from the dying snake. He balanced himself and leaped forward, swinging the butt of his spear like a baseball bat, connecting with a solid counter blow. The heavy swing bashed into the side of its diamond shaped head, and it fell over. Thankful for the Marine Corps bayonet training that at the time he''d been sure he''d never use, Oskar drove the point of his spear into the back of the snake''s neck to finish it as it hit the ground. Its neck? The whole freakin thing was a neck. // Spear Mastery Upgrade ¨C 0.3% And that''s not for the baseball swing. That''s not how you use a spear at all. Also, pedant alert: No, it¡¯s not. The neck of a serpent would be the region where its cranium is suspended on its spine before its major internal organs show up. // The little pangolin creature made its little sound and darted to the side of the still form of what was probably its mother, nuzzling into her side. She stiffened before seeming to relax as she recognized her child. Oskar carefully stepped into its view and took a knee, observing from a safe distance as the mother watched him warily. The smaller pangolin ran over to Oskar, and then back to its mother, as if telling her the story of how they beat the huge serpent, kwinning the whole time. Telling its mother how brave it had been. It had been brave, after all. ¡°You should be proud,¡± Oskar whispered. He wasn¡¯t sure she could even understand him, but he was surprisingly moved by the entire situation and saw a great deal of intelligence in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the little one. Or it¡¯ll take care of me.¡° He smiled, eyes a little wet behind his Goggles. Okay, I must be getting soft. She glanced at her little one as it nuzzled her, and then seriously back at him as if she was holding him to his word. How smart ARE these things? He felt a small sense of weight on his chest as words entered his PUB interface. // Gambit Accepted: Protect the adolescent Pangolor until she reaches adulthood. Difficulty: Unknown Variables Reward: Companion Evolution, Insight Knowledge must be earned. Access to Insight is the benefit of having a matched Goggle and Bracer PUB set. You can earn access to information via Gambits and your own learning, as well as some skills or abilities. Insight is the easiest way to learn, and experience is the hardest, obviously. The best way is to use both, so don¡¯t rely on Insight alone to guide and teach you. Companion Gained 1 out of 1 // Chapter 7: Two Pettings and a Funeral Chapter 7 ¡°I don¡¯t even get to choose?¡± He looked down at the tilted head of the little creature, apparently called a Pangolor, who was looking up at him curiously. He placed his hand down on her hard scaled back gently. It felt hard as a rock, but he felt the small creature¡¯s rumbled purr and a few tiny little kwinns. ¡°No offense,¡± he said as she leaned against him, triggering memories of his and Erik''s dog growing up, and Oskar couldn''t help but smile. She''s a leaner like Benji was. And it''s obvious that promises mean something here. Even without the word Gambit, he knew immediately he¡¯d made a bet of sorts. It was almost like being on the verge of a shiver. Oskar would have to be careful with his words, as apparently, even saying something to a dying animal could generate a Gambit if there was enough emotion or intent behind it. He stood and looked around, but his PUB interface pulled his attention back to the corpse of the serpent. He reached down and touched the corpse, careful to watch for any movement, and a notification popped up telling him he¡¯d gained an Insight Gemstone-Uncommon. A tiny emerald stone in the shape of a tear drop appeared in his hand, smaller than a fingernail and filled with a smokey emerald liquid. There was no further information, but he was hoping it was something he could use to trade for more water or food. He wasn¡¯t hungry yet, but he was fighting the urge to drink all his water instead of pacing himself until he could find some place safe. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure about what to do with the body of the Pangolor mother either. So, to the sad curiosity of the little creature following him, he carefully scooped sand out from under the mother, and then did a token job covering her with the sand. The little one was forlorn as he finished burying her. He knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good against scavengers, and his hands felt like he¡¯d just pulled a baked potato out of the microwave without an oven mitt, but he felt strange, not at least making an effort. These guys are obviously intelligent, and that was the little creature''s mother, after all. Feeling an unexpected tightness in his chest, he sat there, staring down at the sand. Why was this suddenly hitting him so hard emotionally? The little Pangolor chirped softly, its eyes fixed on the makeshift burial site, before nuzzling him affectionately. Oskar stood up to leave, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, the Pangolor followed him. I need to keep moving. The heat was suffocating, so he drank a swig of his precious water which sent unnaturally refreshing chills down through body. This is good stuff. Oskar walked onward, but the heaviness went with him. A long, sweltering measure of time later, he glanced back at the little Pangolor. Sand slid off her gorgeous copper scales as she came up after diving underground for some morsel. He decided he was going to name her Penny. She looked much like a pangolin from earth, but with a more feline snout and golden-brown eyes sparkling with intelligence. ¡°You like Penny as a name?¡± he asked her, sure she could understand him, and she kwinned in response, content and watching him with curious brown eyes. He continued in the same direction for what seemed like hours, sipping carefully on his meager water supply. The issue with walking on the sand with a prosthetic right foot was the lack of feeling in the limb. It was hard to tell the positioning of the foot on the sand without looking, and he couldn¡¯t just stare at his foot while he walked. Thankfully, the sand was reasonably level and consistent step to step, so long as he stayed near the center. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He got more surefooted as he walked, but the heat and constant movement were taking a toll. On two separate occasions, he noticed his attention being pulled gently towards the ground. The first time, he thought he¡¯d imagined it, but the part of him that was new sensed something important was happening. It was a burgeoning sort of awareness inside him that had to be related to his new powers, if they could be called powers considering he had no skills or spells. So far, there was no tangible thing that pointed to him being a Druid except a growing awareness. That particular concern was addressed about an hour later. He knew the second time that he passed a place and something grabbed his attention, that there was water somewhere deep under the sand. He didn''t know exactly how he knew, but he had the distinct feeling that if he had the time to sit there and work through the feeling¡­the awareness, that he¡¯d figure it out. Unfortunately, the suns had other plans, so he continued traveling. A notification blinked red in the corner of his vision, which must have meant it was important. It was. // Ability Synced: Water Sense Nice job. We¡¯re just getting started. This is gonna be so fun! Yaawn. Okay, nap time, for realsies this time. // ¡°Well, Water Sense,¡± he mused, ¡°that¡¯s gonna come in handy.¡± He added a mental maybe since he still had no idea how to get to water that deep under the sand. His earlier assumption- that the interactions the PUB added to notifications took some amount of effort or energy- still held true. It also appeared that, for now, it could only interact with him by altering notifications or adding onto them like it just had, other than the cool misty form combat tip he¡¯d gotten in Battle Mode. Oskar walked and tried to pay attention to the world in a new way. The little Pangolor easily kept pace and even wandered around, possibly searching for something else to snack on. He began to instinctively feel something else under the sand, and the first time he knew for sure something living was moving under the sand, the little Pangolor dove at the spot, coming up with a scorpion the size of his fist in its mouth. It wasn¡¯t long before Oskar could feel life all around him. Or maybe it was the water inside life, but he¡¯d had no idea the desert was as lively as it was. There were hundreds of small bugs and little beasties running everywhere, most of them completely out of sight. He was even able to figure out what they were simply by prompting the PUB interface to outline them under the sand. Penny also seemed to pick up on his awareness even faster than he had, as if the companion bond between the two gave her some of his growing awareness as well. She would react to the smallest direction or movement from him, even when she wasn''t watching him. He began mentally pointing out small targets, and she¡¯d playfully dive after them, coming up with the beetles, scorpions, and even a small purple spider that she seemed to have a real taste for. He had to make it a point to ignore them, or she¡¯d dive after every single one they passed. However, it appeared she was gaining some measure of his Water Sense, anyhow, and still found some of the ones he¡¯d tried to avoid. Oskar supposed it didn¡¯t matter if she caught every single spider and scorpion they saw, as long as she didn¡¯t get hurt. The spiders just made such a gross crunch, and that added to the heat, was making him a touch queasy. She came up once with a small, bright striped lizard he¡¯d sent her after, and she¡¯d dutifully grabbed it but then sat it down very gently. She watched him, and he got the feeling from her that she grabbed it to show him she could, but had no plans to eat it. He reached for it, but she nuzzled his hand away. ¡°Poisonous?¡± he asked, and she kwinned in agreement. The lizard swam back under the sand, and after that, he¡¯d stopped sending her after random things that caught his attention. The red tinted sky slowly darkened into a deep purple as the red sun disappeared behind the dunes, leaving the blue sun chasing it into the horizon. Penny poked him and abruptly dove under the sand, sitting completely still. A sudden sense of certain death came over Oskar, and he fell back against the dune he¡¯d been walking by. Adrenaline coursed through him as¡­ something massive flew overhead. His PUB confirmed what he already knew: black outline- indicating an impossible threat that looked like a half-rotted condor. If a condor had the wingspan of a twin-engine airplane. Looking closer, he saw its feathers were almost completely gone on its right wing. How the thing was maintaining altitude was beyond Oskar¡¯s understanding. He¡¯d caught a glimpse of a milky eye, but he glanced away after only a moment, fighting back a terrible feeling he couldn¡¯t shake that focusing too much on it might somehow call its attention to him. He closed his eyes tight, pressure building as he felt the fringes of his mind touched by something he couldn¡¯t see. His heart rate skyrocketed and his muscles locked tight. The memory of impossible creatures shuddering across the sky, their horrifically long limbs moving wrong. Even after it had been gone a full minute, Penny sat with him, Oskar''s hand on her back as she purred. They sat in the heat of dusk as they waited for the feeling of dread to pass. Chapter 8: Splashy Splashy Bad Chapter 8 Even waiting until he was calmer, Oskar felt woozy when he began walking again. When¡¯s the last time I ate? Maybe that¡¯s it. He forced himself to finish the last third of his first waterskin and immediately felt better. There was no point in being careful with water if he passed out and died to exposure. He looked down as Penny cautiously looked back at him with only her head poking out of the sand. ¡°Penny, your entire planet is like Australia on steroids.¡± She didn¡¯t seem amused. ¡°I¡¯m funny, you just missed the reference.¡± His leisurely pace quickened after that encounter, despite still feeling a little clumsy walking on the sand. The desert was dangerous, but everything told him he¡¯d not likely survive a night without some kind of shelter. All the livings thing he had encountered so far could kill him, apart from the bugs, and even those were probably more dangerous than they appeared. Around the time the smaller blue sun dipped below the top of the dune, the purple hued sky began to give way to a deeper blue. He carefully made his way to the top of the dune and was surprised to feel the wind was much cooler. Not cold by any means, but the steady wind still cooled him off as he stared off into the distance. The wind mixed with the still hot sand below felt great on his sweat drenched body. No sign of mind-bending horrors, just an almost cloudless deep blue sky that went on forever. The horizon was tinged with crimson and dark violet, but it was fading into that dark, smooth blue even as he watched. It reminded him of looking out over a vast lake during a full moon. He looked down at the streamers of sand blowing off the top of the dune, and ran his fingers through them, interrupting their flow. He was deep in thought, enjoying the rare moment of peace. As strange as this all was, he finally felt like he was breaking out of his ¡°survival cycle.¡± Oskar sat on top of the dune for a time, looking out at the sky. The expanse was still bright enough to see despite the setting suns, and so he sat and watched, listening and feeling the steady wind. He wondered what Erik was doing and hoped he was safe from whoever had hurt him so badly. Penny poked her head up out of the sand and nudged Oskar¡¯s hand, bringing him out of his reverie. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as she looked up at him with her earnest eyes, more brown than gold in the low lighting, but something else caught his attention. A small light flickered ahead, and Oskar¡¯s pulse quickened. He¡¯d spent all day looking for shelter and safety, but he¡¯d apparently not had enough faith in finding that shelter to consider what he might be walking into when he found it. He didn¡¯t have anything to trade, but he was down to his last waterskin and was seriously beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. Maybe I should have eaten a few of the bugs Penny offered, he thought with a smile, but he was nowhere near that desperate yet. It wasn¡¯t the thought of bugs that bothered him as much as the fear of getting sick from eating something not suitable for human consumption. He was going to have to make his way towards the light. If the night¡¯s unknown dangers didn¡¯t kill him, tomorrow¡¯s sun would. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The sweat was taking its toll on the liner that he wore under his prosthetic, making his limb feel slippery and less secure in the prosthetic. He made his way down the slope and sat down in the sand to dry it- and his stump, with his long-john shirt, but couldn¡¯t waste the water to clean it properly. Careful not to get sand in the liner, he put it, and the prosthetic, back on. He bounced up and down gently to make sure it was secure before moving on. He carefully made his way the last half mile or so toward the light- and hopefully food, water, and shelter. He kept his spear upright, using it for a walking stick and trying to be as obvious as possible so that whoever the light belonged to wasn¡¯t spooked by his arrival. Penny moved slowly away from him, obviously nervous about approaching the light and whoever might be there, but was nervously glancing back for his approval. He mentally gave her permission to hide if she wanted, and it worked; she happily dove into the sand with a whispered kwinn of thanks. He moved closer until he heard grating laughter- like the sound of gravel under a car tire- and he paused to listen. The moment he stopped, he felt a sharp poke on his spine. A voice behind him that matched the grating laughter ahead said, ¡°You got water? You bring trouble? Friends? You bring gift? For me? For we?¡± I¡¯m such an idiot. Not sure exactly how to reply and unsettled by his inability to sense the creature behind him, he simply said, ¡°I¡¯ve barely enough water to drink, and nothing else of value.¡± He hoped they didn¡¯t have a way of identifying his spear as anything outside the ordinary, and he hoped he hadn¡¯t unintentionally broken a cultural norm by not having a gift or any extra water, but the voice behind him seemed excited as he said, ¡°Then you the gift, for we, for we.¡± With a poke in the back, he walked, keeping his movements slow and steady, trying to gather information and not appear a threat. He didn¡¯t feel Penny anywhere, and he hoped she stayed safe and out of trouble until he could figure out how to get out of this mess. This wasn¡¯t looking like it was going to be a ¡°help out around the farm for a free meal and cot¡± kind of visit. This was more like a ¡°take everything you own and leave you for that huge mega condor zombie bird when we¡¯re done with you¡± kind of visit. Perhaps even an "eat you" visit. Oskar steeled himself for what lay ahead. He¡¯d seen some things, to use the old cliche. He had experience with stressful situations that he didn¡¯t really want to think about right now. Besides, he was in a brand-new stressful situation. New world, new me. Oskar felt like it was a bad idea to try to catch a glance at who was behind him. Besides, he was about to see what he was dealing with when he followed the sand valley around the bend in another twenty steps or so. He kept his focus on not falling and getting himself stabbed by being clumsy. His Goggles adjusted quickly to the light, but he still had some difficulty understanding what was in front of him. He stared as a bulky creature that looked much like an upright crocodile glared at him across from a glowing lantern. It was dressed in worn, dark leather armor that stood out against its large, bright blue scales. A helmet sat nearby with what appeared to be a visor on it. He wondered if their eye protection also served as a PUB interface. The creature seemed to smirk at Oskar as he blinked, waiting on his PUB to tell him what in the crap he was looking at. Apparently, the PUB was speechless too, but gave him another red high threat indicator. Is everything except adolescent animals a high threat to me? If they''d wanted him dead, he''d be dead. What bothered him the most was knowing that if something happened to him here, no one would ever know he''d died. Oskar knew how much he''d isolated himself back home, moving from place to place and changing his phone number so his Marine buddies would have trouble tracking him down. So I wouldn''t have to lie to them and tell them I was doing fine. Now, though, he felt like an idiot for avoiding people who obviously loved him. Well... I got what I asked for. It''s just me and Penny now. A heavy hand pulled Oskar''s spear out of his hand and tossed it aside. ¡°You pink. Stupid. I hear you splashy splashy,¡± the voice rumbled behind him as the croc-thing reached in Oskar¡¯s makeshift pack, pulled out his mostly full waterskin, and tossed it to the big guy in the center with the thick blue scales. Note to self: splashy splashy bad. Chapter 9: One, Two, Three Useless Chapter 9 Oskar thought the best thing he could do in the moment was to appear as nonthreatening as possible, especially considering he basically was. He allowed the creature behind him to root around in his stuff. This, of course, dismantled the make-shift pack completely. The extra clothes were discarded on the sand below, useless for the large creatures. He caught a glance at the thing with a spear behind him, confirming it was another crocodile, slightly smaller and noticeably paler in color. Thankfully, the PUB told him this one was only a yellow threat. The Croc was initially interested in his leather jacket until it poked its finger through it with ease. Disgusted by the materials weakness, it discarded it onto the sand. Oskar didn¡¯t even know why he was carrying the jacket anymore, but watching the large pale green claw casually poke a 2-inch hole in his expensive riding jacket still stung. ¡°You out of drink. You now trade. Make deal, stupid pink?¡± So¡­ this was the racket, huh? Steal their water if they have it, then indenture them. It''s a good racket, but not from this end. His shoulders fell as he accepted how absolutely hosed he was. He was out of his depth. His careful rationing of water throughout the day made things worse. He was already thirsty. ¡°What kind of deal?¡± The crocodile seemed to smirk, ¡°Don¡¯t matter, right, dum-dum?¡± Oskar frowned, waiting for him to continue. ¡°I no waste water on likes of you. I got one, two, three useless now. Too many.¡± Oskar looked around slowly now that it seemed he wasn¡¯t in immediate danger of being killed. This creature wanted something from him, and if he could figure out how to be useful, he might have time to get his bearings. He saw what appeared to be a long, sheer fabric sheet canopied over a horizontal pole that was resting on two poles sticking straight out of the ground. The entire structure resembled a short, but oblong triangle from the side. It looked good for being able to sleep without laying directly on the sand, but simple enough that the whole thing was relatively lightweight, depending on the weight of the poles. There were four of these structures around the lantern, which hung on its own pole in the center of the camp between the dunes. He saw another of the Crocodiles sitting in one tent, glaring at him through the sheer fabric. This one looked distinctly feminine, somehow. Although she wasn¡¯t much smaller than the other two, her scales were a dark, almost navy blue, and smaller. More dense, compact. Despite her smaller size, she looked dangerous. Her beady eyes showed intelligence and an unnerving look of calculation, quickly followed by casual dismissal. Her threat level was red, but looked almost orange, as if the PUB wasn¡¯t sure exactly where to place her. Blue guy might have thought he was in charge, but Oskar knew the hierarchy of the group immediately. And I¡­ am decidedly on the bottom. He thought Pale might have been excited to have someone to lord over until his gaze caught two additional sets of eyes peering through their own Goggles at him that belonged to something he couldn¡¯t begin to guess at. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Under the sheer fabric of another tent were two humanoid creatures, their dark fur gleaming in the flickering lamplight. They wore gray leather armor that covered their torsos and a belt with strips of leather hanging down to cover their furry thighs. Both wore Goggles and Bracers, well worn, but like their armor, they appeared well cared for and made specifically for them. So, PUBS come in different shapes, sizes, and colors built for different wearers. And I guess mine was serious about nap-time, although if it''s piggy backing on notifications, I''m a little too busy to check. If something is important, it''ll let me know. With their lean forms, the two forms under the tent looked like long eared monkeys, but with sleek, deep purple fur. The creatures were small- maybe five feet tall and couldn¡¯t weigh much more than half of Oskar¡¯s weight. They looked cowed, fearful, and eyes only looking up briefly as he watched, however¡­ like Miss Crocodile, they had a look of calculation and intelligence. Not as mean looking, though. Miss Croc looks¡­ bitey. The one closest to him looked up again and locked eyes with him for a moment, and those green eyes held a great deal of curiosity, but the gaze moved on quickly; back down to their lap where they held a waterskin in a clawed hand. Hard to be sure, but the green-eyed one looks female. Oskar noticed orange-colored stripes visible around the shoulders and face, but didn¡¯t want to be rude, so he looked away as well. He almost forgot to even scan them; they presented themselves as so harmless. Both were yellow threats, but he suspected there were ways to manipulate scans. Oskar had a feeling he shouldn¡¯t underestimate any of these creatures, despite their awkward use of language, but he was more worried about the smart ones than the strong ones. Strong people hit hard. Smart people work in the gaps. He looked back at Big Blue as his low voice continued, ¡°Find more water. Or die.¡± it shrugged. ¡°Either way, more water for me. For we,¡± and he hit his chest. ¡°Sleep with stinkies. Now. One, two, three have short night, long day,¡± he grated out a short laugh as Oskar¡¯s PUB blinked with a Gambit notification, defining the task he¡¯d been given. // Gambit Accepted: Find enough water for the Vulk Collective. Difficulty: Easy- Modified due to Wayspring Wanderer Class. Reward: You get some of the water you bring back. Emphasis on some. Emphasis on probably. I know I didn''t say probably, but emphasize it anyway. Consequences of failure: ¡°Grrr, find more water or die!¡± I mean, he¡¯s probably right, though. No water in the desert? That can¡¯t be good. // Oskar glanced at Big Blue as he leaned over to gather his clothes, careful to make sure he was allowed to do so, but the Croc was already drinking from Oskar¡¯s waterskin. It was an awkward affair; he was trying to pour it into the side of his mouth. Heartbreakingly, he was wasting as much as he was drinking. Blue took a few sloppy sips and tossed it to the female with a curse, who simply poured the water into a different waterskin that had a short, fat hose on the end that seemed to be made specifically for their long mouths and drank much more gracefully. Big Blue stared at her thoughtfully, as if she¡¯d just figured out one of life¡¯s greatest mysteries. There¡¯s no world where he is actually in charge here. Oskar made his way slowly to the side of the tent with the purple, long-eared creatures and paused as they scooted over to make room. They looked much less like monkeys closer up. They were more humanoid, just with lanky, lean builds. Their sleek fur shimmered purple in the lantern light. Closer up, their faces looked feline, with only a vague hint of the monkey characteristics he''d seen at first glance. Looking down, the tent cloth was less sheer on the sand as he sat his clothes down. The Crocs apparently now saw him as a non-threat and ignored him as he walked over and retrieved his spear. I mean¡­ they weren¡¯t wrong. He was, at the very least, with a group that had experience living in the desert without a military supply train for more than a day. Better than dying or becoming food for a night predator. Oskar thought the two purple creatures were distracted, so he stole another look at the one with streaks of orange running through their undercoat. After a moment, he noticed green eyes peeking through Goggles staring back¡­ and they winked at him above an oddly foxlike grin. What? You''ve never seen purple cat-fox-monkey people before, Oskar? Fantastic first impression. Just stare at them slack-jawed. The PUB must have really been asleep, or it never would have missed a chance to make this situation more embarrassing. Chapter 10: Rude Awakening Chapter 10 He knew staring was rude and didn¡¯t think he had looked long enough to upset anyone, but the teasing flustered him anyway. The second creature ignored them both, working on some small gadget in his lap by the light of the lantern. The cowed quality the creatures had taken on during the initial confrontation between Big Blue and Oskar was gone. A facade to appease what was apparently a volatile ego. Oskar pressed the release valve on his prosthetic and carefully pulled it off. The liner he was wearing was going to have to last him a long time, and sand would ruin it. He pulled it off the stump of his right leg and cleaned it with the same shirt from earlier after carefully shaking it out. Gently, he rubbed sand on what remained of his sweaty calf and then scraped it clean. He held it up awkwardly to dry in the hot air for a minute before brushing off what remained of the sand. He shook out the empty pants leg before tying it in a knot to keep sand from getting inside, and then placed his liner inside the now empty socket. He covered the whole thing up with the shirt to keep it, too, free of sand and sat it nearby. If they all needed to move quickly, he was going to be the last one moving, but wearing the liner all night wasn''t an option. The sweat, trapped in the liner all night with no movement or air, would destroy his skin. Skin breakdown was dangerous, and the only way to heal from it was to severely limit usage of the prosthetic, which was not an option for him. Nobody talks about skin care in the stories. Oskar felt eyes on him and looked up to see the second purple creature staring at him through its own set of Goggles. More specifically, it was staring at his prosthetic foot. Oskar pulled it closer, slightly uncomfortable, and laid back with his head on the makeshift pack he''d had to remake. He left one hand on the prosthetic, though. The PUB had been strangely silent, and each scan he¡¯d initiated was bare bones and completely devoid of personality. Playing around in the interface for a few moments after he lay down, it was apparently ¡°aware¡± of the other devices, even if there was no option to interact or link with them- not that Oskar was stupid enough to try. For more reasons than the strange company and location, he dreaded the nighttime. He wasn¡¯t sure how he was ever going to feel comfortable sleeping again, but it wasn''t long before soreness and exhaustion caused his mind and body to shut down, pushed to the breaking point by a day of walking under the dual suns and the fight he''d had- on top of the events of the past six months. Maybe he was just overwrought by a situation that was likely going to kill him one way or another. For the second time in six months, he slept well despite the danger he knew he was in. If he dreamed, he remembered none of it. He woke abruptly as his prosthetic foot was jerked out of his lax hand. Oskar instinctively grasped at it as Big Blue pulled it out of reach, standing beside their tent. He turned it upside down, inspecting it, and the liner fell towards the sand. Oskar grabbed it out of the air as it fell and didn¡¯t know what else to do but put it on, hoping and praying that Big Blue was more curious about the contraption, or maybe even the boots, and not using it as a way to force Oskar into another one-sided Gambit. Luckily, after a few moments¡­ and a cruel look that showed exactly how little Big Blue thought of Oskar, he tossed it down into the sand. The Croc laughed as he walked away. Oskar kept his face as neutral as possible, but internally, he was seething as he picked the prosthetic foot up and dusted off the sand as best he could. He made sure the socket itself was free of sand and put on it on, sliding the prosthetic over the liner. He stood to lock it in place and get it comfortable. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It was demeaning. Dehumanizing. Oskar wasn¡¯t insecure about the amputation, exactly, but he wasn¡¯t immune to being dismissed like he was worth less than nothing. I¡¯m going to hurt you. The words came unbidden. His face remained neutral, but he knew he was flush with anger. He forced himself to calm his thoughts as he felt the odd pressure of a potential Gambit with consequences he couldn¡¯t predict. The two purple creatures were politely ignoring the situation, knowing that staying out of it would likely be the quickest way to get it over with. There wasn¡¯t much they could do to help anyway, even if they¡¯d been foolish enough to risk helping a stranger. He didn¡¯t hold it against them. He was calmer now, the fiery anger now more of a simmer. Oskar awkwardly tried to help as they rolled up the tent cloth, which appeared to be as light as it looked even with one third the cloth being more solid than the rest of its sheer length. Taking down the tent was apparently a one-person job, though. He ended up standing around, trying to stay out of the way for the brief minutes it took to pull it down. All three tent poles came apart in the middle, and the sheer cloth rolled up inside the poles where a strap held the whole thing tight. The two long, thin spikes that held it in the sand went snugly into a hole at each end of the center pole. It was genius. A fantastic distraction from the lingering anger Oskar felt towards the big Croc. The whole thing took less than two minutes to set up and take down and apparently weighed little enough that the small purple creatures could simply place the tent on the top of their small packs and strap it in with no apparent discomfort. It just looked like a bundle of sticks with some cloth rolled up inside. Oskar packed his meager belongings and switched the olive drab long sleeve with the tan one he¡¯d been wearing as the top layer when he¡¯d been first transported here. Big Blue watched him with disdain from across the small camp. The female Croc sat nearby, drinking water that was probably from his waterskin as she watched him with apparent indifference. Pale was nowhere in sight. She held his gaze for a moment, and then casually tossed the waterskin she¡¯d been drinking onto the sand beside her. Water... not much, but still... poured into the sand from the waterskin, wasted. She watched him for a reaction, knowing they were about to set out into the dangerous sands to get more of what she was casually throwing away. He wanted to be angry, but he was certain that was exactly what she wanted, so it had the opposite effect. She''s playing a game, but she''s apparently never been to Marine Corp boot camp. I can play along, but I''ve got to be careful with her. She''s spooky. Oskar heard clomping footsteps behind him and was thankful for the excuse to break eye contact with the unsettling female Croc. She''d dropped the indifference, and was now looking at him like a hungry wolf watching cattle. He could still feel her gaze on him as he turned to the blue snout that was just moving into his view. Blue stopped inches from the side of his face and looked down at him, grinning wickedly. ¡°Valla insati¡­ ins, ¡­uh, bigly hungry. All the time. You not the first useless one she eat. She consume so much, she not allowed home for a time. Yum! Yum! Yum! How bout you go hunt water before she drink you, too. Seems we getting low.¡± He laughed at himself, but his eyes were deadly serious. Thick spittle hit Oskar¡¯s face, but he knew better than to flinch. He turned and walked away. Choking down one¡¯s pride was easier when you had a seven-foot-tall blue scaled Croc inches from your face, and another that felt even more dangerous staring at you like she was about to feast on your soul. Big Blue called to him across the camp, ¡°Useless pink. Bring back bunches or don¡¯t bother come back, or maybe we eat your other leg. Maybe we eat a Kobold, too. Maybe we eat you all.¡± Oskar ignored the threats, though something the Croc said gave him pause. Did he just say Kobold? I thought Kobolds were supposed to be all hunched over and rat-like. These guys looked more like the Kobolds described in a book he¡¯d read once where a rich guy had bought a whole magical kingdom for a few million bucks. Lucky me, I got a whole planet¡­ and it only cost me a night in a creepy motel. He looked over at the two ¡°Kobolds.¡± Apparently used to both the Gambit and the mistreatment, they stood waiting near the mouth of a valley between the dunes, at the edge of the camp clearing. In the daylight, he wasn¡¯t sure what side he¡¯d entered the camp in the night before, but his best guess was they were leaving from the opposite side. It was harder to tell with only two tents up. The female Kobold''s green eyes watched him as Oskar walked toward them. She said something to the other Kobold, and they turned and began walking slowly to give him time to catch up, apparently just as impatient as he was to get away from these unpredictable Crocs and their threats. Chapter 11: Dry Boned Fool The three walked down the path between the dunes in silence. The massive red sun took its place in the sky. Shortly, the blue sun broke the top of the dunes and followed the larger red sun as they both made their way overhead. The temperature rose noticeably and sweat soon beaded on his forehead and neck. He¡¯d not had a chance to talk to his new companions the night before and didn¡¯t know if they even spoke a language he could understand. He finally felt Penny nearby, which was a huge relief, but she didn¡¯t make an appearance as they walked. Oskar decided to introduce himself, at least, and if they couldn¡¯t understand him or reply, he¡¯d just have to go from there. He didn¡¯t know if they knew where to find water, but he¡¯d already passed one place he suspected had plenty. His mouth was bone dry and his throat burned at the thought of slaking this thirst. The Kobolds might be capable of walking for the entire day without more water, but he was a few hours from being dangerously dehydrated. ¡°My name is Oskar. It¡¯s not¡­ not Stupid Pink. In case you were wondering.¡± The Kobold with the orange streaks laughed. The laugh was surprisingly feminine. It was musical, but for a moment, the vocalization was interspersed with high-pitched sounds like a hyena laugh. Her strange face showed none of the wildness usually associated with someone who¡¯d lost control, though. ¡°I thought not, Oskar. I am Foxune¡­ not Useless One. Please call me Fox, and this is Touwon,¡± her voice sounded like it was not used to speaking much, but was friendly. ¡°Forgive me, we usually communicate in our own language. The sounds of your speech are known to me, just unnatural.¡± Her voice varied in pitch and was sharp in some places, again, much as if someone had taught a hyena to speak human languages. Oskar smiled and looked at Touwon, who kept a friendly demeanor as he watched Fox and him converse, but remained silent. Oskar decided after a moment that the other Kobold was distracted by his own thoughts, barely paying attention to him at all. ¡°Do you know how to find water out here?¡± Oskar asked. She offered a sigh and said, ¡°There are a few possible places or ways nearby, but the odds are never great. We often find water deep underground, and so it is safer to simply go to the most likely and save the energy of many failed digs. Places where the water is close to the surface are easier. It is dangerous to waste so much energy. This is why we leave so early.¡± Oskar nodded, unsure if it was safe to let them know he was pretty sure he could feel the water underneath them when it was near, but he didn¡¯t get the feeling that this was a common ability. He wasn¡¯t sure he''d long have the luxury of choice, however. According to his PUB interface, the heat was already rising to yesterday¡¯s temperature, and so he had a sinking feeling it was going to be much hotter than the day before. His lips were already dry and cracking, his throat was parched, and he''d had a headache since he woke up. It doesn''t need to be hotter today to finish me off. I don''t have a day of walking in this dry ass heat left in me. Tiny wisps of clouds hung in the sky. They were so small and transparent that he was sure they held no tangible moisture. This was a desert, after all. A very dangerous desert with intelligent humanoid creatures, bugs that could probably kill him, and heat that was going to be the end of him if he didn''t do something about it. Resolute; he took a chance. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°So, uh¡­ what if I told you I could find water pretty easily? I don¡¯t know how to get to it, but I¡¯m certain we passed water about twenty minutes ago. It was deep, probably ten feet or more, but I felt it.¡± Fox stopped dead and turned to face him quickly. He danced back a step and had his spear up crossways between them as she stalked forward at him, her orange streaked, purple face intense. ¡°Are you a trap? Am I to believe you are a Dowser who just wandered into camp last night?I am obligated to tell Vulk. Or Valla, more like it. If you have any brains yourself, you know by now she is the only one with brains in that Collective. Who sent you?¡± she demanded, her voice an admittedly intimidating growl. Confused and wide-eyed, Oskar turned to Touwon, who looked just as unsettled as Fox did about what he''d just revealed. I might have made a huge mistake. Oskar cast a glance back at Fox, who was still glaring at him. Oskar blinked. ¡°Collective?¡± Her expression didn¡¯t change as she watched him for several moments. She didn¡¯t relax, but the edge was gone from her voice as she spoke. ¡°If it is a truth, if you are a Finder... or as you claim, a Dowser... you must belong to one of the Tribes. If you are truly as ignorant as you seem to be, let me tell you a truth. This is immutable. You are a fool. You are a dry fool for telling me. You are a bone-dry fool for telling me in front of another,¡± she tossed a hand back to point at Touwon. ¡°So¡­ either you are the worst, most foolish, dry boned spy I have ever seen, or you are just a dry-boned fool. Tell me a truth.¡± Oskar was almost as angry as she was by the time Fox finished accusing and berating him. He was just as concerned as he was angry, though, and realized the danger in admitting his ability to find water was very real, inevitable or not. If the Crocs had even suspected he was what she called a Dowser, he would have been tucked under Valla''s tent with a spear pointed at him for the foreseeable future. They already knew enough to damn him, and if he was honest with himself, he was feeling a little defensive and he saw no point in holding back. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m about two hours from passing out from dehydration. This time yesterday, I was barreling headlong in a foot of snow, God knows how far away from here. And when I say far away from here, I don''t mean go twenty dunes and hang a left at the first cactus! I mean, far away from this stupid planet.¡± He stabbed his spear towards the sky to make his point. ¡°I was not born here, so I have zero idea what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m only keeping it together right now because this whole thing keeps getting more and more ridiculous.¡± He threw his arms out. ¡°Here I am, sitting here arguing with a purple Kobold while lost in the middle of a huge desert. And you¡¯re mad at me for not wanting to die of thirst!¡± He was out of breath by the time he finished yelling. Maybe it was the wild look on his face, or the anger, but the heat was gone from her face, replaced by calculation. He sarcastically added, ¡°I guess I¡¯m just a bone-dry fool.¡± She relaxed, and he heard her short, wild laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not a spy, Fox. I¡¯m not¡­ but I¡¯m also not lying about the water. If I don¡¯t drink something soon, you¡¯re gonna be burying me in this sand and heading back to Big Blue with no water.¡± She smirked at the name but spoke, kinder than before. ¡°You have us in a difficult position. That is a truth. If Vulk¡­ if Big Blue,¡± she said the name with a smile, ¡°if Big Blue finds out you are a Dowser, he will sell you for enough to live like a king¡­ if he survives the selling. Valla will ensure he will. She is crafty.¡± She got serious and continued, ¡°And you will be a slave. Sure, you will have all the food and water you could want, if that is all you want out of life. The first time you speak to a guard, they will replace them to ensure that you do not form a friendship or bond that could compromise their control over you. That is a truth. It is also a truth that they will kill you rather than allow anyone else to possess you.¡± She stared at him, her eyes foxlike and serious through her Goggles. ¡°If you truly can find water, I suppose it is more likely you are not from this place. This planet, as you said. They would never risk you just for an excuse to kill me when a few unlucky water runs would do the trick much cheaper. The difficult position is this; we would be killed for not telling Vulk. And we would die slowly.¡± Oskar was speechless after everything he¡¯d just learned. His ability was even rarer than he¡¯d imagined. Not powerful, but rare enough that if anyone found out, the Kobolds might pay the price, and his life as he knew it was over. He stood there waiting on his heart rate to settle down as he weighed his options. Deep in thought, his brow furrowed, but Fox¡¯s question interrupted his train of thought. ¡°What is a snow?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you.¡± Chapter 12: The First Wayspring Chapter 12 After another hour of walking, Oskar felt water deep in the ground beneath them. He was just beginning to feel woozy from the heat and was worried about being able to get to the water in time. Penny had followed a safe distance behind the group after their heated discussion, and he''d surreptitiously pointed out a few tasty morsels for her to eat as they walked, despite his earlier misgivings about pointing out potentially dangerous food for her. She was getting better at finding them herself, anyway, and Oskar couldn''t help but wonder how. Is she sensing the liquid in their bodies, or is she somehow using my ability? She¡¯s just so flipping cute. This planet needs more cute. The bugs disappeared from his senses one by one in quick succession as she caught and ate a few of them after waiting long enough for the group to be well out of hearing. As Oskar finally called the group to a halt and told them he felt water beneath them, he was hushed by Fox, who whispered to him that something was following them. He quickly realized that the Kobold¡¯s hearing was obviously much better than his. They had heard Penny tussling with the various lizards, spiders, and bugs she¡¯d caught, and had mistaken the Pangolor for a predator or perhaps one of the Crocs. After a warning to the Kobolds, he gently coaxed Penny closer to the group. When she finally poked her head up out of the sand, Fox, and even Touwon, immediately fawned all over her. This, of course, won her over immediately. She preened and cleaned her admittedly gorgeous copper scales as they doted on her. They showered her with compliments that Oscar was suspecting she understood better than he¡¯d initially thought. Fox mentioned Penny was an exceptional example of a Pangolor, and Oskar wasn¡¯t sure whether she¡¯d said it for his or Penny¡¯s sake, but they both appreciated it. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much Penny understood, but she knew when she was being complimented. When he let Penny know about the water below them and that they were about to dig for it, she got excited and dove down towards the spot. She came up a few moments later with a damp nose, bouncing excitedly. Wow, she''s great. Unfortunately, the sand filled in behind her, so they couldn¡¯t use her strange sand swimming ability to dig down to the water. Touwon barked a strange series of words at Fox with a hopeful look in his brown eyes and pulled off his pack and dug around inside it. Fox turned to him. ¡°How well does she take directions? Will she listen to you?¡± Oskar honestly did not know exactly what she was capable of, so he asked Fox to explain. She turned to Touwon, who, after digging in his bag for a minute, triumphantly pulled out a wound-up length of leather tubing that was tightly stitched together. Turning back to Oskar, Fox said, ¡°Usually, we will not dig this close to a dune for fear of sand falling in the hole and smothering us, but if she could carry this tube down to the Wayspring below us, we could siphon water safely. Could you instruct her to do so?¡± Penny did a tiny little ¡°kwinn¡± that sounded suspiciously like a dismissive snort as she took the end of the tube gently between her teeth and dove down towards the Wayspring. She moved slower and more careful than her usual dives, but a minute later, she poked her head out of the sand nearby with a clear grin on her feline face. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Fox and Touwon were both giddy with excitement as Touwon placed a small device that looked like a bicycle tire pump and pulled the pump handle back once sharply and readied a waterskin under the hose hopefully. After a few moments, they heard a gurgle and a clear stream of water poured out of the hose, quickly filling it. Fox shook her head, eyes wide. ¡°A truth,¡± she whispered. Touwon thankfully offered the waterskin to Oskar as soon as it was full. Fox already had another prepared. Oskar tossed both his empty ones to them, and then drank greedily from the filled one, forcing himself to slow down as the water hit the back of his throat. It was cold. Fox watched Oskar appraisingly as he finished the entire thing and went wide eyed as she drank from the second one. The water was doing more that refreshing him. He could feel the sting of the suns on his neck and back lessen. He was about to ask about this when Fox spoke. ¡°Usually, the water warms immediately from being exposed to the air, so first rights to the Wayspring is an honor. This water is fresher than the first taste, not being exposed at all,¡± she explained. Oskar thanked Touwon for the first rights, and Touwon nodded absentmindedly in return as he filled another skin. Oskar recognized the term Wayspring from his unique druid class, Wayspring Wanderer, and asked Fox about the term. ¡°You call these Waysprings, what does that mean?¡± He asked. She shrugged, mouth full of water, but spoke after a swallow. ¡°It is not known. They do not stay long, perhaps it is because they so quickly spring¡­ a-way,¡± she looked at him pointedly. Despite his disapproval of the terrible word play, he smiled and shook his head. She smiled back good-naturedly, but explained that Waysprings were the only means of survival in this place. ¡°There are a few of the great springs that last for years, but even they will disappear eventually,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°So when we say we seek a likely spot, we are hoping for a cooler place in the sand from a spring that is close to the surface. Or... more dangerously... a place that has already been found and dug by others.This is a hard world to put down roots, but this is the way.¡± Oskar couldn¡¯t imagine how anyone could survive what he''d seen of this world so far, but he nodded for her to continue. ¡°Waysprings like this one are fleeting, usually appearing and drying up- whether or not they are used- within a day. Marking this spot would be a waste of time as it will likely be gone by nightfall. A fleeting mercy sent by the gods¡­ if they still live,¡± she trailed off. Her hand went over her heart for a moment before pressing two of her delicate fingers to the side of her head over where Oskar assumed her temple would be. She smiled at him. ¡°The longest lasting great spring I have ever known is called the Oasis and has been in the control of one of the Great Collectives for near a decade now.¡± She paused in thought and went on, explaining. ¡°It is unnatural to have so many living in one place. So many dependent upon a thing that cannot last. Even now, there are rumors of the Oasis drying up, but there is no way to know for sure until it does so. Those rumors have persisted my entire adult life. However, I fear many may die, spoiled by the Oasis and no longer having the knowledge to find water should it be a truth.¡± She stared up at the sky above her, quiet for a moment before she spoke again. ¡°They rely entirely upon the Great Collective Gramm to live. Many have grown soft. Dry brains at the mercy of Gramm and his goons. His ¡®Tribe¡¯ as he calls it. It is no Tribe. Greed is their Tribe, not one another.¡± She bitterly spoke the last sentence. Her jaw clenched and unclenched as she brooded for a moment. ¡°I wish the Great Storm would wash them away,¡± Fox said low and to herself. Oskar had questions, of course, but it didn¡¯t seem time to press the issue. He definitely wanted to know more about Collectives, and especially why it was seemingly dangerous for so many to gather. Oskar could confidently deduce that Collectives were simply a gathering of people that leaned on one another to survive, but he didn¡¯t know the rules, the history and culture behind a Collective, and why she was so obviously bothered by the idea of a Great Collective. He was also curious about her obvious distaste concerning the Great Collective Gramm calling itself a Tribe. That particular offense seemed personal to her. There was one question he couldn¡¯t let go of that felt safe enough to ask, though. ¡°What¡¯s a Great Storm?¡± ¡°You would not believe me if I told you.¡± She laughed, brought out of her dark moment by the chance to use his own words against him. Chapter 13: Tinembrous Chapter 13 Explaining the concept of snow to someone who¡¯d never even seen rain and had no previous knowledge that water could become a solid... was a tough concept to convey. However, as he attempted to explain, Touwon was aware of the concept of ice somehow. He nodded in agreement and barked out a few short words in their language to support Oskar¡¯s explanation because her face went from suspicious and confused to simply skeptical. Oskar was fairly sure that was all the progress he was going to make on that front for the time being. Also, it was apparent Touwon could understand Oskar perfectly, but either chose not to speak it or had some difficulty with it. Either way worked for Oskar. As long as I can do call outs if things go south. We''ll need it if we end up fighting one of those big snake things... or worse out here. Additionally, a running Wayspring was not something to be complacent around. Many creatures had adapted to being very good at finding water, but hopefully most of those wouldn''t be willing to fight for it. They would bide their time until it was left unguarded. They sat around and relaxed, but kept an eye out for danger. Concerned, Oskar watched the Wayspring water pouring out of the hose into the sand. He couldn''t drink another drop, and all their water-skins were full. The strangest thing about it was he didn¡¯t feel the desire to relieve himself at all, despite having drank easily a gallon of water over the past hour. This would have been dangerous back home. His body must have been even more desperate for hydration than he¡¯d thought. Seeing his concern about the wasted water, Fox said, ¡°It is not a waste. There is always enough for those who need it. It seems wasteful, but the water comes from the sand as a gift. We have taken our fill. Our bellies and our skins are full. The Wayspring will dry at the end of its time, no matter our actions.¡± ¡°We could close off the siphon, try to shore up the pool of water. It has been tried by all before, but it will sink back into the ground at its appointed time. Only waterskins and bellies can contain it. Larger containers work, too, but are unwieldy and require constant guard. This is our way.¡± She reached over and sprayed him with the cold water, laughing as he failed to dodge out of the way from his seated position. He was about to ask about the Great Storm when his newfound sense told him something was coming, something huge. His face must have given him away, because Fox and Touwon both stood, backing slowly towards the wall of the dune; the hose forgotten, pouring the precious water into the sand. Above them, something massive was overhead, yet causing only the barest hint of a shadow. He could hardly see what he was looking at until his PUB interface surrounded something in the sky above in a thin outline. Oddly, a name popped up nearby. That had never happened with a creature before. Tinembrous A massive whale shaped cloud filled the sky, but was only visible because of a shimmering, subtle sparkle that was outlined by his PUB interface. There was no threat level. He felt no sense of danger, just a general sense of something impending and immovable coming. As he looked at Fox and Touwon, he wasn¡¯t shocked to see them both staring up with their mouths open, just as surprised as he was. Their PUBs must have pointed it out to them as well. I wonder if they get as much sass as I do. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Fox whispered, ¡°A Skywhale. I never thought it true.¡± The massive Skywhale lumbering across the sky completely eclipsed his multitude of questions. Swimming might be a better word if such a thing were even possible. As if any of this was possible even a day ago. Although, If Penny can swim in the sand, a giant cloud whale could swim through the sky, I guess. As he watched it move closer, he noticed he could see the expanse of space through the whale like a cloudless night, the unfamiliar stars shining and blinking visibly even in the daylight. The entire experience was profound. The sheer sense of scale humbled Oskar on a level that he would never forget. He wouldn¡¯t want to forget it. They watched in awe as it gracefully flew overhead. The temperature dropped disproportionately to the small amount of shade it offered, but the entire experience was beyond surreal. It eventually floated out of sight. It took hours, but they were content to watch it pass over in relative silence. The sudden increase in heat on his shoulders brought him back to reality, such as it was. He turned to his totally normal purple Kobold friends in the middle of an endless desert under two suns on a strange planet. This was reality. The heat bearing down on him was a truth, as Fox would say. The constant wind just overhead was a truth. That huge Skywhale was a truth, too, whatever the hell it was. ¡°So, care to explain what the hell that was?¡± he asked. Fox, still staring up in wonder, ¡°A legend. They used to be heralds of either a great storm, or a guardian of the Great Tree,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Or Trees. Either way, it seems to be a lie. I see no storms, not a cloud in the sky, and all the Trees are dead. Yet, still¡­ I never imagined I would see one myself.¡± ¡°Is Tinembrous the name of the Skywhale or the name of the species?¡± He asked. Fox looked at him curiously before asking, ¡°I do not know. Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°My PUB. Check yours,¡± he said, confused. ¡°My Goggles interface outlined it and then a name appeared.¡± ¡°Your PUB interface gave you a na-¡° she stopped as Touwon began barking at him in the Kobold language and ran over to inspect Oskar¡¯s Goggles and Bracer. The sudden movement startled Penny, who dove under the sand with a chirp. Fox listened intently, answering Touwon in their language before turning to Oskar and said, ¡°You have a matching set?¡± Her eyes were wide. Oskar blinked, confused. ¡°What do you mean, matching set? Like¡­ my Goggles and Bracer? I think so. Why?¡± ¡°Where? How? You are walking around with a Chief¡¯s ransom on you, and you claim to have just appeared. This is worrisome.¡± Touwon spoke to her for a moment, and she asked, ¡°What is your PUB designation? The letters when they synced?¡± With a thought, Oskar pulled up the PUB designation. //_Rat1 Synced _Rat2 Synced¨C The rat¡¯s out of the bag now, dummy. Apparently matching Gear is rarer than ever, now. How long was I asleep? Oh well, we had a good run. I was just starting to like you, too. Granted, I like anyone stupider than me. It makes me feel superior. You, Oskar¡­ make me feel like a God. // ¡°Rat one and rat two? Like¡­ the animal?¡± He asked, and Fox gave him a snort. ¡°No, dry brain. Not like an animal. It is just letters. Identifiers. They were created in order. The original set was AAA, then AAB. Yours are RAT. The rarity is that there are almost no sets that have remained together. They were mostly all destroyed centuries ago. The handful of complete sets known to us are deeply protected.¡± Oskar stared down, willing his character model to appear over his bracer like before. Looking over to the Kobolds, both had Bracers to go along with their Goggles, and he was curious about the difference. ¡°Why does it matter? Don¡¯t they still work?¡± Oskar asked. ¡°Absolutely, they are operational. A matching set remembers, though. It learns. It is much like artificial intelligence in some ways, but over time, can become even more. Your PUB adapts to you. For instance, you seem to control your interface with thought. It reacts to your needs.¡± Oskar nodded. ¡°As I thought. Your PUB will grow in capability as it syncs to you. You may eventually access a wealth of history, maps and information from previous users, if there are any. Surely there is at least one.¡± She shook her head in wonder. ¡°You put so much dangerous information in our heads. You could have us killed thrice over with just what we¡¯ve found out this day.¡± Chapter 14: Trust Part 1 Chapter 14 She stared at him, her emerald colored eyes watching him for a time. ¡°You must not speak of this. It is imperative you do not speak of the true nature of your PUB gear. You must not, I repeat, must not reveal to any your ability to find water. Our very lives are in your hands. I¡¯m a bone-dry fool for not running straight to Vulk and Valla to tell them all your secrets. Know it true.¡± Oskar stood there, looking back and forth at Fox and Touwon seriously. Touwon eyes shifted curiously back and forth between Oskar¡¯s Goggles and Bracer as if he could deduce some technical knowledge if only he focused hard enough. First the prosthetic, and now this. Touwon¡¯s fascination with anything remotely technical was amusing to Oskar, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from cracking a smile at the pair. He''d lose his mind at just a glimpse of what was back home. Modern Earth technology would be as shocking to them as the idea of magic is to me. Oskar couldn¡¯t help but like the Kobolds. They were resourceful and intelligent, but Fox¡¯s green eyes and orange-streaked face was still serious, so he calmed his own, hoping she saw it as the fondness it was and not mockingly. ¡°You do not know this, Oskar, because you are new here, but trust is the rarest resource in this great desert. Not water. That is a truth. If someone tells you they will keep your secrets, they are almost certainly lying. Even I, who value my word, must survive, and knowing your secrets puts that at risk.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much of a choice in who I trust, Fox,¡± Oskar answered. ¡°Without you two, I would have died out here. You have a choice, though. I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯ve been through- what your life has been, but I was a warrior in my world. A warrior who relied on a small team of warriors that were as close as brothers.¡± Oskar had to fight the urge to clam up. To stop talking, to ignore the things he¡¯d seen, but he knew it was time to put all his cards on the table. Well, almost all of them. I don''t think they want a full on trauma dump. I know that I don''t. Oskar stared up at the sky for almost a full minute. He wasn¡¯t really thinking of any memory in particular, he was more just sitting in what he¡¯d experienced and in what he was now feeling. To Fox credit, she knew he was working through something, and allowed him the time to do so without speaking. Touwon, for his part, also didn''t decide that now was the time to start talking either. Penny nuzzled him, which was sweet. ¡°Any of us would have died for the other. Some did die.¡± He¡¯d dealt with his regrets mostly. Oskar had come to a point in his life where he had learned to trust that he¡¯d given everything he could have in those memories. Younger Oskar did what he could with what he had. It¡¯s not fair to expect him to have known what I¡¯ve taken years¡­ and all his mistakes¡­ to learn. With a smile that didn¡¯t quite touch his eyes, he continued, ¡°I need you. That¡¯s a truth. I¡¯m gonna give you all my trust because I hope you''re worthy of it. I feel like we can grow here, together. When I got my class, I felt completely in tune with this world for the briefest of moments, and I think I¡¯m supposed to do something about the state of things, because things are going to get a lot worse. I think it has something to do with a great quest, or¡­ uh, a World Gambit?¡± Touwon barked out a belly laugh and fell back into the sand, throwing his hands up. Fox blurted out, ¡°What have we gotten ourselves involved in? Take me now, Bastet.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I can¡¯t worry about that right now, though. That¡¯s not the reason I came here, to this planet, but... I¡¯m guessing a World Gambit is not something I can knock out before dinner tonight?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°You would not believe me if I told you¡­ I jest. Yes, Oskar. Most would say they are impossible. But those who would say such would never be trusted with one. Stories say they come in increasingly difficult stages. Does yours mention steps?¡± ¡°Yup. The first one tells me to master my magic,¡± Oskar laughed. ¡°Great. Impossible quest, or Gambit, rather. Why call it a Gambit?¡± ¡°I am not sure. Many of the quests come at a cost,¡± she stopped for a moment, thinking, and then under her breath, "Bastet''s mangy tail, a World Gambit," and then she went on to explain. ¡°Well, there used to be a game children played with painted stones. If you were playing against someone more knowledgeable, but you thought yourself more intelligent, you could sacrifice one of your specialized stones to have a chance to remove that same stone from the enemy board. Doing so successfully invalidated some of the known strategies experienced players could exploit,¡± she said. She shrugged and continued. ¡°I played little, but it apparently made the game less about knowledge of the game and encouraged improvisation. That was called a Gambit. It is the only other way I have heard the term used.¡± She lifted her waterskin and said, ¡°Our Gambit was to get water. It took water and energy to retrieve it. There was danger. Maybe no sacrifice, but there are always dangers. In return, the world encourages reasonably fair treatment for doing so. Not being faithful to your promises could have strange consequences... like having bad luck finding a Wayspring. So, most in power keep their promises simple and unfair. Like: get water or die. We are forced to get water; all they have to do in return is not kill us while doing so. At least not directly.¡± Bad luck finding Waysprings? Now that was really interesting. That indicates it''s not random at all. Oskar said, ¡°I am offered Insight, whatever that is, on the completion of quests. What does that mean?¡± Fox pointed at her Goggles with one hand and at the same time, pointed at her Bracer with the other and she smiled. ¡°I do not know. I did not design these things.¡± This made Oskar laugh. ¡°Why did you come here, if you did not come to fulfil the World Gambit?¡± she asked. He was too emotionally drained at this point to talk about Erik. He''d have to explain the nightmares, the portals, and then, likely much more about his world. He''d shared enough for now, so instead of explaining further, he looked down and simply said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t trust them. He¡¯d already played that hand in his desperation, but Oskar wasn¡¯t even sure how to explain it all. He waited for her to ask questions, but she¡¯d apparently picked up on his reluctance and waited for him to look up before saying, ¡°Your people are rare here, but not unheard of. If this person you seek is like you, word of them will be easy to find, but the finding may not be what you wish. I do not mean to offend you, but without help, your kind do not do well here, and as I mentioned¡­ trust is a treasure, and treasures are rarely shared.¡± He remained quiet for a few minutes before speaking, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we heading back? We¡¯ve got water. We completed our Gambit.¡± ¡°Yes, sure, dry brain,¡± Fox said good-naturedly. ¡°Let us walk back into the camp before mid-day with full water-skins and fat splashing bellies. I am sure Vulk will give us the rest of the day off in appreciation.¡± She poked his side good naturedly and explained. ¡°Even he would ask questions, or at least take our water and barely give us enough for the day. We will need to feed ourselves out here as well. We need to keep filling ourselves with water while we can. He, Vulk, I mean¡­ will take everything when we arrive back, and at best we will sit under the suns with no water to quench us until time to do the same thing tomorrow. That is a truth.¡± Touwon, who hadn¡¯t been looking like he was paying attention at all, held up his waterskin and nodded in agreement. Penny was now napping nearby, but he heard her belly grumble, and then she was up and foraging for food again. Touwon tossed her a scrap of something that she caught in the air, but she still dove in the sand after more. She''s a growing girl. They set up the tent with the thicker fabric of the tent towards the suns and relaxed near the water. Once again, Oskar admired the simple genius of the tent. ¡°So, it¡¯s way past time you told me about the Great Storm.¡± Chapter 15: Trust Part 2 Chapter 15 Fox nodded slowly. ¡°The Great Storm... I fear I have over hyped something that may not have ever existed. There used to be a Spirit Tree. Some say there was more than one, but anyhow, they were supposed to be empowered by a Great Storm. Stories say that the tree, or trees, would absorb the rain from the storm, and then send the rain into the clouds. And then,¡± she looked skeptical, ¡°it would rain and rain until the magic ran low and it was time for a new storm.¡± Oskar thought about the tree, and wondered if it had been called an Omnitree. That might explain why the spear was so durable, but would not explain why- or how- he¡¯d been given it. He considered while he drank as much water as his belly could hold and relaxed. Relaxation was always a relative term, though. As Fox had explained to him when they''d originally stopped, a tapped Wayspring could attract predators. So again, Waysprings were no place to be complacent. There were a few things in their favor, though. This one was not open to the air, they could avoid any scent based threats, but apparently there were some could sense it in other ways. After a Wayspring had been dug, people usually drank as much as they could, filled their skins, and left the area to those drawn to it, be it predators or other wanderers like themselves. They snacked on strips of dried meat Touwon had in his pack that were filling enough they mostly sated his hunger. Oskar didn¡¯t ask what the meat came from. An hour or so later, Penny retrieved a fat little lizard that Touwon perked up at, and Fox asked if Penny could retrieve one or two that they could cook and dry over a fire. Penny had happily obliged, finding one nearby before scouting out further to find another. She seemed pleased with herself, and all three showered her with praise just to see her preening in the sun. Touwon had dug out some dead and dried out cactus plant which was flammable. He had a fire going by the time Penny returned, dragging an even larger lizard to go on the coals beside the first. The Kobold laid the strips out on a square of leather and rubbed them with a salt-like stone he¡¯d kept wrapped in a thick woven cloth. He then sat in the tent¡¯s shade to cool off. Two of the lizards were plenty enough food for all three as long as Oskar didn¡¯t hope to get stuffed. If Big Blue didn¡¯t go through Touwon¡¯s pack, they had enough for tomorrow as well. Fox said the Crocs usually hunted for themselves, though. They only burdened the Kobolds for water since that could take all day, and they suspected he kept extra water buried nearby, hidden from the Kobolds, just in case. They spent some time just sitting in each other¡¯s presence. Oskar had been trying to reach out further with his water sense, and he was noticing an increase in range as he moved slightly further from the Wayspring, and then reached for it with his senses until he could feel it again. And Fox was tossing little things at him to distract him. Little did she know she was probably helping him get better. // Water Sense Range updated 12.3 feet. Increase to ???? Mastery 0.2% // So, still no name for ¡°the magic above.¡± Air magic, I guess? Other than the earlier comment when he''d revealed his matching Gear to the Kobolds, he''d gotten no reaction from the PUB, and couldn''t figure out why it was being so quiet. Nothing I can do about it now. I hope you''re okay. Oskar had more questions, of course. For one, he was curious about the different races, but didn¡¯t know how sensitive the subject was, so he kept that question to himself as they hydrated and kept an eye out. The day passed slowly in the heat. He took small naps in the tent¡¯s shade until Fox indicated it was time to pack up and make their way back. It was close to two hours from the time the blue sun would disappear behind the dunes, and so they were walking before the red sun had totally disappeared. They walked back the way they came, getting their stories straight so that if questions were asked, they would all be on the same page. Oskar¡¯s story was straightforward. He was to play dumb and simply claim they walked for hours, dug out a spot that turned out to be dry, and then were lucky enough to find a Wayspring around three hours after that. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. If Big Blue wanted more details than that, he would hopefully think Oskar was too stupid to answer anyhow. Fox also explained that there were creatures with exceptionally good hearing that could hear water splashing in water-skins when they were only partially full. The best thing to do if you didn¡¯t know how to walk to mute the sound was to drink your waterskin empty and then try to keep a completely full one as a backup. Oskar asked what she meant by ¡°knowing how to walk¡± with water and she stood, showing him an exaggerated sway for his benefit, and then her actual walk, which was far more subtle. Knowing what to look for made him able to tell the difference after she went back and forth between the two a few times. The safer way to walk made the water spin a little more than splash, which was enough to keep most trouble at bay. It almost looked like someone had already gotten a hula hoop going and was barely moving enough to keep it going. She mentioned you could also carry it in your hand because the natural sway of your body was smooth enough if you were careful. The downside of that was that you were then walking around with valuable water that was easy to see from great distances. Apparently, there were higher quality waterskins that would make this unnecessary, but they were something most people didn''t have access to. Apparently, Touwon could make them. They''d been taken and traded away when the Kobolds had first been captured by the Vulk Collective. Because of his prosthetic foot, it was difficult to perfect the walk smoothly enough for Fox¡¯s comfort, so he was going to stick to carrying only full or empty water-skins until he could get the hang of it. She laughed at his attempts and brought up their first meeting, poking fun at how loud he¡¯d apparently been. ¡°We heard you splashing around like a cactus bug by the time you stepped into camp with Falk poking his spear in your back.¡± Oskar did not know what a cactus bug was, but he assumed she didn¡¯t intend the comment to be hurtful, just playfully teasing. She let out a wheeze of laughter and then said, ¡°I think Vulk sent you out here with us hoping you would get us killed, stomping around like Chief Biggums.¡± Even Touwon broke out into barking laughter at that comment, and infected by their laughter, Oskar joined in. When he caught his breath, he asked, ¡°Who is Chief Biggums? Is he the one in charge of the Great Oasis?¡± That was either the funniest or stupidest thing the two had ever heard because both of the Kobolds completely lost it. Fox was on her back, tears streaming from her eyes so badly that she had to lift her Goggles and dry her eyes. Touwon was doubled over on the verge of vomiting up his belly full of water between peals of laughter. Oskar was confused, but he sat there smiling and chuckling at their antics as they slowly regained their composure. He did, however, note that Touwon¡¯s laughter lacked the hyena-like pitch changes Fox¡¯s had, but said nothing, allowing them to enjoy the moment. Eventually, Fox sat leaning against the dune, and holding her sides as she breathed heavily, Touwon faring no better behind her. "Oh, sweet shade, that was wonderous. It was needed, know it as true." She finally explained that Chief Biggums was a made-up Crocodilian character of an endless number of Kobold stories and nursery rhymes that always ended up with the Chief, or sometimes King, embarrassing himself or being tricked by his Kobold slaves into doing their work for them. Usually, the culprit was a tiny Kobold by the name of Little Luth who had a knack for getting the Chief into compromising situations that usually ended up with the little Kobold running things by the end of the story. She told one story that ended up with Little Luth riding the Chief around like a horse for a full day that had both Oskar and Touwon laughing again. The laughter and comradery were a welcome distraction from the heat that refused to retreat with the fading light. Oskar didn¡¯t miss his phone, or the last year or more of his life for that matter, but he realized he did miss the connection he was feeling now. He¡¯d missed it so badly. He¡¯d ached for it, but the ache was just another pain that had gotten lost in the mix. For Oskar, there was comradery of sitting around telling stories in miserable heat with people you trusted, or at least people you hoped you could trust, with your life. Even through their antics, all their heads were on a swivel. Always watching, always paying attention. He¡¯d been lost after he got out of the Marine Corps. Why was it that he felt so at home right now- when he¡¯d never been more lost in his life? Lost with people you like feels less alone than knowing where you stand surrounded by people that make you feel alone. It was a somber thought, but Oskar was already sick of thinking in full emo, so he just enjoyed the comradery. On the surface, he knew it was insanely dangerous to trust these strange people with his life after a single day, but his options had been limited. He still felt they were worthy of it, though. His little group was near the bottom of the food chain in this world, so it could be bonding through shared hardship. However, whether or not their growing trust and friendship turned out to be temporary, it was all he had other than Penny, who he knew was nearby, and his spear. As far as they knew, he had nothing of real value. Moreover, if they had wanted him dead, he was quite sure they were capable of it without needing to betray him. He needed to get stronger. To not be a liability. He needed to be more like his brother. Chapter 16: A New Collective Chapter 16 They made their way back into the camp at twilight. Second twilight? Big Blue and Pale were waiting on them with spears as they walked into the clearing. This time, Oskar was able to feel Pale hiding over the top of the dune nearby as they passed. He wasn¡¯t sure why, if it was water sense or something else, but he felt Pale try to sneak up behind them to watch in case they stopped or slowed. Oskar ignored him completely, not wanting to let on what he was capable of. Penny made her way under the sand a few hundred yards back, and he felt her catch one of those spiders she loved, and then she grew too distant for him to sense. He could sense her further away than anything else, though. She¡¯s smart and tough. She¡¯ll be alright. He realized as they separated that he could sense things around her as well. She was like a conduit, or maybe an extension of himself, which was how he knew she¡¯d caught her favorite treat. It seemed the shared awareness worked both ways, so long as he wasn¡¯t too far away from her. Big Blue took all of their waterskins and then, almost as an afterthought, tossed one back to the three of them after splashing some of it into his mouth. Luckily, he didn¡¯t ask how the search went. He also made no mention of the Sky Whale, but there was no way even Big Blue would have missed it unless all three of them had been asleep. Although, maybe they do sleep all day. I doubt even one of those huge snakes would stand a chance against all three, healthy or not. Oskar was trying to stay out of the way as Touwon set up their tent and overheard Big Blue asking Fox about Oskar. She replied, ¡°He digs well. He is strong. Drinks a lot of water, though. I believe he can earn his keep, though, sir.¡± Big Blue looked skeptical when she said he could earn his keep, but the ¡°sir¡± perked him right back up. He puffed up his chest and looked down at her over his long dark blue snout and simply said, ¡°Good job, useless. Go sleep. Short night, long day for one, two, three useless.¡± He wondered if that last statement was going to be an ongoing thing, like the Dread Pirate Roberts saying, ¡°Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep Well. I shall most likely kill you in the morning.¡± Oskar turned his face away as he smiled at the image of Big Blue being so articulate. It would probably be more like, ¡°Go sleep, stupid pink. Short sleep. You die tomorrow. Prolly.¡± Fox gave him a cautious glare when she came back over and saw his smirk. Valla and Pale were both busy drinking the water the trio had gathered and were paying them no mind. Were they relying totally on the water we provided? How long can they go without? He noticed Valla pause and look up at the sky uncertainly, though. So, at least she had seen it. Surely she had shared that information with the other Crocs. Oskar looked over his stats and realized his Body rank had risen to F from F-, which tracked with how he felt. I''m getting stronger. Healthier. I can''t quite nail it down, but something is happening. Maybe the magic is doing something. As soon as he could manage, he planned to end his tenure as an indentured servant for the Vulk Collective. He now feared how much he stood out, clearly not from this world. he feared Valla would pick up on something any time and act before he''d have a chance to react. He''d been so careful to do nothing but sit there, eat, drink, and sleep while in the camp. If she even suspected anything, she might not let him go out with the Kobolds the next day, which might as well be a death sentence. Big Blue was not the smartest fork in the toaster, and Oskar was glad it was him instead of Valla that got a close look at his prosthetic that morning. He suspected the Crocs didn''t have the best vision during the daylight, and at a glance, the prosthetic didn''t look like much with the boot on. All you could really see was the old leather boot and the socket. The liner itself looked like cloth unless you turned it inside out. He worried his clothes stood out, but pretty much everything he was wearing was well worn. Faded and, by now, dirty. More importantly, it was useless to the Crocs, which was probably the most effective camouflage he could have used. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He settled in, removing and cleaning his liner and prosthetic. Distressingly, he used a splash of water to clean the inside and wipe off his leg. He should have thought to thoroughly clean it while they were at the Wayspring, but he would do better tomorrow. He couldn''t escape the thought that he might not have tomorrow. I need to talk to the Kobolds about making a move as soon as possible before that creepy Croc picks up on something. A terrifyingly familiar feeling hit him at that exact moment, and he stiffened. // Gambit Accepted: Freedom! Escape or defeat the Vulk Collective! Difficulty: Hard Consequences of Failure: Death Rewards: Insight, Freedom Hey, lol, watch this. I¡¯m gonna send it to them. They¡¯re gonna freeeaak. // No, wait, what the hell are you doing? Can you even do that? Oskar¡¯s eyes were wide, and a panicked moment later, both Fox and Touwon sat up and stared at him. Fear and consideration was clear on their faces. Eyes wide and apologetic, he stared back, trying to mouth to Fox that it wasn¡¯t on purpose. He hadn''t intended to draw them into his plans without talking to them first, but it looked like that ship had sailed. That ship had sailed? So many sayings seemed out of place in the middle of a desert. This ship was probably about to sink, anyhow. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re gonna trust me after this. He thought for sure he¡¯d damaged his budding camaraderie with the two Kobolds, but a minute after he laid his head down on his pack -prosthetic wrapped inside- three notifications popped up a few seconds apart that left him feeling both relieved and nervous. // Gambit Accepted: Fox: Freedom! Gambit Accepted: Touwon: Freedom! Secret Collective Created: Useless Collective¡­ Just kidding. Dorn Collective Members: Oskar Dorn Fox Touwon // Oskar watched Big Blue¡¯s tent for almost an hour, afraid that Big Blue would receive a notification or message, but either he wasn¡¯t wearing his PUB or the Kobolds were not officially a part of the Vulk Collective. Maybe the Collective being secret kept any notifications from pinging the other PUBs. Either way, sleep was light and fleeting. He felt Touwon and Fox¡¯s restless movement behind him. Fox had earlier explained that Kobolds needed little sleep, but Crocodilian rested often throughout the day, preferring twilight and night, but rarely went into a deep sleep. The night here was mostly a deep blue, and the Crocs could apparently see well enough to hunt. Unless something happened, only one or two of the Crocs were ever fully awake, and only one was usually up and about during the afternoon. That was usually Pale. Initially, it felt like the ability to sense living things was a separate skill that, much like his Sense Water ability, would develop over time, but it occurred to him that he could be sensing the water or blood in their bodies. It was much harder to detect intelligent beings, so maybe they had a defense for it after all. It was impossible, with his limited information, to know if it was natural and passive, or some active thing everyone knew how to do but him. He didn''t think so, though. If the ability was a druid ability, the chances people had developed a defense for it was unlikely. Perhaps people- a term he was now learning applied to more than just humans, since thinking of what he now knew were sentients as "creatures" felt wrong- but maybe all people had natural defenses to some abilities. Perhaps all classes provided them some measure of defensive ability. He was going to have to ask Fox about all that tomorrow¡­ after he apologized. He was awake when Big Blue initially tried to sneak up and take his prosthetic foot, but Blue would have made a piss poor tooth fairy, because after trying unsuccessfully to get the foot out from under Oskar¡¯s head without ¡°waking¡± him, Blue settled for stepping back and throwing the empty waterskins at Oskar¡¯s head to wake the three of them up. Oskar had been awake for almost twenty minutes at that point, and the Kobolds were already awake. Fox mentioned yesterday, though, that Big Blue liked his morning wake-up calls, and he would pout all day if he didn¡¯t get his opportunity to start his day off right by being a complete tool, so Oskar laid there patiently, eyes closed. Big Blue pouting might have disastrous consequences. When Oskar had first woken up, it had been difficult to keep his face slack as Big Blue lifted his head up a few inches and then dropped it. The Croc grunted and muttered under his breath as he tried to maneuver the prosthetic out of the jacket under Oskar¡¯s head, but Oskar knew how important this was to Big Blue, and so he sat still and played along like a dad playing hide and seek with a two-year-old who was hiding with a bucket on their head. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s happening?!¡± Oskar sputtered dramatically as he sat up, looking around in every direction, including straight up, which seemed to amuse Blue further. The Kobolds stood, Touwon rolling out of the tent to do so, and Fox stood wide eyed as if looking for a way out. This tickled Big Blue to no end, who laughed a haughty graveled laugh and said, ¡°Useless try sleep all day. Time to get water. I been up hours.¡± Big Blue had actually been up only long enough to loudly eat and drink a few sloppy sips of water, but it would serve no purpose to argue, so Oskar stayed silent and nodded solemnly. He''d been up much later than he''d planned, worried that his little Collective would be found out, but he wasn''t idle all night. He was tired, but adrenaline wasn''t letting him feel it yet. They gathered up the waterskins and began packing the tent, which was put on Oskar¡¯s back this time. He didn''t mind doing his part. The Kobolds led the way out of camp. And we''re off. Hopefully, Penny stayed safe and did her part. Chapter 17: Incoming! Chapter 17 The three of them set out roughly the same time as the day before, but took a left fork between the dunes where they¡¯d taken the right fork the morning before. There was some unspoken tension, but they all knew better to discuss it within even the outside possiblity of earshot. After an an hour and a half of silently walking, Oskar pointed out a Wayspring, making Fox shake her head in wonder. It was getting easier and easier. For a moment, the water felt as if it were reaching out to him, and he was on the verge of something new, but Fox¡¯s first words of the morning pulled him back and replaced it with guilt. ¡°Your skill, Oskar, is invaluable. You might even be worth the trouble you cause,¡± she said. ¡°About last night, the Gambit-¡° he began, but she put up a long fingered purple hand to quiet him and spoke. ¡°It is inevitable, Oskar Dorn. You cannot hide who you are. I thought about it all night. The moment to make our move is now. We gain nothing by waiting but added danger. We have the means to eat and to drink. They will put you under spearpoint and sell you the very day Vulk¡­ or Valla, more likely, even catches a hint of what you can do. I fear we will not know she suspects a thing until she strikes." Fox sighed and continued. "Besides, as a human, you are probably worth more sold to a Chief out of sheer novelty than you are helping a small collective stockpile or find their own water. Every day is a deeper gamble, and they would never suspect we''ve built enough trust to try this madness already. And perhaps we haven''t, but I still believe our hand is forced. We two would not survive your selling. At best, tongues cut out and sold to another Collective. At worst, killed to keep the secret that a Dowser has been found. Better now, mark it for a truth. On our terms.¡± Oskar called ahead, "And you, Touwon?" Touwon rattled off a sentence to Fox without looking up. More words than he spoke all day yesterday. Fox translated for Oskar''s sake. ¡°When they sell you, they will kill us. Maybe because we may have known of your power and not told, likely because the only reason we are alive is because we keep the Collective supplied with water. We would become irrelevant, useless in truth. It is we who give them the very power they use to enslave us,¡± she finished, more bitterly than Touwon had sounded when he said it. Not that I speak Kobold or anything. He just doesn''t seem to get worked up about much. "He speaks truth. The Vulk Collective will be as kings or queens for a long while¡­ forever if they knew what you could become¡­ and if they manage to survive your purchase from one of the great Collectives. We would die for secrecy, having outlived our usefulness.¡± She turned away, leaving Oskar to mull over their words. Behind her, Touwon gave him an encouraging nod. ¡°I just hope you have a plan,¡± she said over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan alright,¡± Oskar answered with a grin. ¡°Blue, or probably just Valla, has back-up water buried all around the camp. Nine full waterskins, counting the two he buried last night and the three they kept out to drink today. How long would that last them?¡± Fox looked surprised at his information. She pondered the question for a moment and answered, ¡°A week if they stretched it, unless hunting were to be unusually strenuous or they hunted during the day time. Unlikely, though. Vulk hates wearing Goggles, and would rather hide from the sun than be in it for any reason, so he prefers to hunt and travel after dusk.¡± Oskar nodded. ¡°Well, Penny gave up some of her beauty sleep last night stealing them.¡± At that, Penny poked her head up out of the sand, still shimmering from swimming up from the Wayspring at the mention of her name. She offered an exaggerated yawn. Oskar laughed at that. Fox looked worried, and Touwon watched for her reaction. Fox blinked a few times, and then shrugged, saying something in Kobold before reaching down and petting Penny. Touwon leaned over and did the same. After a moment, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her and she let herself acknowledge the Pangolor''s effort in earnest. She preened at the praise Fox and Touwon gave her for her hard work. ¡°The water was a few hundred meters away, buried deep under a tall dune. She dragged them off and hid them. I told her to not destroy them in case the open water caused complication, but she carried them as deep as she could manage. I''m hoping we can get out of this without having to hurt anyone, but you know them better than I do.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°They suspected nothing before we left, and although perhaps it is for the best, I wish we had gotten a chance to discuss before you fully committed to escaping,¡± Fox said. "I know, but when you and Touwon accepted, I was afraid that they would somehow know we''d started our own Collective." "Probably wise. I know of no way they could have known, but the fact remains that the moment they realize their hidden water is gone, they will hunt us unless we can get too far away to follow. Hopefully they aren''t smart enough to wonder how it is that you found their water to begin with as well. Vulk and Falk are both dangerous fighters. Falk is a Spearman and Vulk is a Berserker, but he uses a spear as well. A Spearman specializes in skill, a Berserker usually specializes in sheer damage, ignoring pain to deal damage. It would be better to go for a clean kill than to try to wear him down.¡± Fox locked eyes with him, hesitating slightly before continuing, ¡°Valla has a strange dark power. She may even be a Shaman.¡± She shuddered, saying the name. ¡°The Shaman class did not always invoke such aversion. They specialize in Spiritual magic, and what passes for a Shaman now can use the spirits or life force of others to fuel their magic instead of using their own capacity.¡± Remembering that Oskar didn¡¯t grow up around magic at all, she explained further. ¡°Spiritual magic is a catalyst for all magic. Sometimes it changes abilities and spells, sometimes it empowers them. The issue is, when using someone else¡¯s Spirit, you don¡¯t have to worry about the dangers of corruption and control through misuse. You can skip growing more powerful through practice by simply over-compensating through empowerment. Basically, more fuel for more fire instead of learning to cast a hotter flame.¡± She almost snarled the next line, ¡°All at the cost of someone else¡¯s soul.¡± The Kobold looked back the way they¡¯d come, a look of disgust on her face. ¡°If she is doing so¡­ if that is a truth, she is likely an outcast of some greater Collective, and so has come here. A place where she has the connections to still use her dark magic. That would make her an abomination, but also incredibly dangerous.¡± ¡°So that stuff about her eating people¡­ was Vulk serious? Is that a thing?¡± Fox stared at him a moment, unsure how to answer, but to her credit, her eventual reply was straightforward, ¡°Survival is difficult. It is the way of life. Yes, any Crocodilian would eat you. What he implied though, does support her use of dark magic to do more than eat, but to consume your very soul.¡± She shuddered visibly, her dark purple fur shimmering in the bright sun, but the orange streaks were all but invisible in the bright light. They went through scenarios as they rested under the shade of the tent. Penny scavanged from everyone''s breakfast and then set out in a wide circle, dipping in and out of Oskar''s range as she scouted. It was decided that after a short rest, more necessary for Oskar than the Kobolds due to leaving camp with zero water and poor sleep, they would make their way Northwest for reasons Fox didn''t disclose outside of, "I may be able to make contact with others." Touwon didn''t look too concerned, so Oskar let it go for the time being. They began to pack up as the red sun drew overhead. He wasn''t sure if it was a cooler day or if the water was helping him endure it, but he appreciated not feeling like he was going to pass out, nonetheless. Watching the quiet Kobold pack up some of the things he was constantly tinkering with, Oskar saw Touwon pull out another bag that couldn¡¯t have possibly fit inside the first bag, shove things in the bag and then put it back. Touwon gave him a look, and Oskar turned his head from the curious sight to stare off in the distance. He was sipping water as he considered asking the Kobolds about spacial storage when a feeling of dread hit Oskar like a ton of bricks from over a hundred meters away. He shot up straight, turning around. Penny?! He focused on her surroundings, desperate for more information. Oskar turned back to the Kobolds, but Touwon was already strapping his curious bag closed, and Fox was refilling her waterskin one last time as she listened for the sound of whatever had startled Oskar so. He spoke, angry at himself, ¡°Three incoming. Damn. They must have detected Penny and double checked the water reserves.¡± Fox pulled a small buckler and a bone dagger he¡¯d never even seen her carrying, both decent quality if the green outline his PUB put around it was any sign and blended into the sand behind her. His PUB offered him a small outline to help him keep track of her. Interesting, but that''s more questions for later! Touwon now stood there holding three razor thin bone-colored boomerangs with a metal edge lining the inside, and they showed up in his PUB an even brighter green. Oskar guessed they were peak green quality, and his PUB flashed in agreement as the colors faded. The Kobold fanned them out in his left hand, but his face was as unflappable as ever. As Oskar turned back towards Penny and her pursuers, he noticed a flicker of blue lightning arc across the small metal edge of Touwon¡¯s boomerangs. It was not an overlay either; it was actual electricity. Penny was being chased and, for some reason, hiding below the sand was no longer an option for her, so instead, she was barreling headlong back to Oskar with the entire Vulk Collective behind her. Fox called to Oskar, ¡°Valla will run if she is outnumbered. I have never seen her fight unless it was to steal a final blow, or to take credit for something she played little part in. We must not let her get away, though. She must die, Oskar.¡± Chapter 18: The Magic Above Sensing his elevated heart rate or possibly even reading his mind, Oskar thought with irritation, his Goggles transitioned into Battle Mode, complete with crisp outlines and dimmed sky. He could stare directly at either of the suns and still see without issue. Oskar started running towards the bend as soon as he felt them nearing. He was now pushing his senses outward constantly, and the power had grown to where by the time someone got within a few meters, he knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. He made the bend just in time to slam into Falk, shoulder first. The Croc had slowed coming around the bend, and was jogging upright when Oskar hit him at full speed, causing them both to crash into the sand. Using the momentum, he rolled and was quickly back to standing, spear in hand. He shook off the impact and continued pushing forward, immediately lunging at Valla with his spear. Fox and Touwon were right behind him, and he trusted at least one of them to keep Falk occupied. The attack blindsided Falk, and the look of shock on Vulk and Valla¡¯s faces told him they were unaware how close they¡¯d gotten to Oskar and the Kobolds until Oskar¡¯s ambush. He felt no resistance as the spear appeared to go straight through Valla¡¯s shoulder. She became mist-like as she fell backwards, uninjured. This had the unfortunate effect of throwing Oskar off balance, which freed her to scramble backwards, snarling, her beady eyes wide behind her Goggles. Valla was suddenly a paler shade of blue than before, but Oskar was not sure whether it was the cost of her defensive spell or fear that caused it. Oskar¡¯s very first glimpse of magic was enough of a distraction that Vulk had time to come to her rescue. The big blue Croc kicked Oskar clear across the dune valley where Oskar crashed hard into the incline, knocking the wind out of him for a moment. His PUB was telling not so subtly that he¡¯d just likely had a few ribs broken, as if his labored breathing wasn¡¯t enough of an indicator. He felt Penny drawing closer and sent her away. He looked back at the scene- the one he¡¯d just been forcibly ejected from- to see Fox on top of Pale, or Falk, rather. The Croc was pawing up at her blindly, groaning in pain as she ravaged him. Fox was brutalizing him with a dagger and her clawed hand. Falk¡¯s trash quality spear lay forgotten in the sand nearby. The shock of her savagery cleared Oskar¡¯s head enough to react to Vulk, who was now rushing him at full speed, a short, wooden spear in his hand. The Croc''s beady eyes were terrifyingly wild through his Goggles. Still in the middle of it, get your head right, Oskar! Oskar turned to rush up the dune to keep from getting run over. Valla was now behind the charging Croc, so he didn¡¯t trust himself to dive out of the way of Vulk¡¯s charge. Not knowing what she was capable of, he opted to keep the big Croc between them for now rather than end up an easy target for whatever she was cooking up. He crawled up the incline on all threes, hoping to slow some of Vulk¡¯s momentum, but Vulk was quickly closing the distance. Desperate, Oskar kicked sand behind him as he scrambled. Instincts kicked in, and despite the Goggles he wore, the big Croc turned his head to avoid getting sand in his eyes. This allowed Oskar to get out of range of the spear, and he finally turned to face his opponent. Not today, big boy. The big Croc¡¯s beady eyes widened in anger through the common quality Goggles he obviously wasn¡¯t used to wearing. Apparently realizing Oskar had baited him, Vulk snarled and activated a skill of some sort. The big blue Croc roared and then launched himself upward, rising almost above the peak of the dune. Oskar set his spear to intercept Vulk¡¯s now decending form, the Croc barely twisted to avoid it. He lost the momentum of his attack in the process, and landed just beside Oskar, sliding down the dune. He caused a small avalanche of sand, scrambling to recover his balance. Oskar was near the top of the dune trying to get a grip on where everyone was. Falk, somehow still alive, was groaning and swiping weakly at the air. Fox had apparently left Falk to die and had gone after Valla to ease some of the pressure the dangerous Croc was putting on Touwon. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Fox was running towards the opposite dune after Valla, when suddenly she was barely standing, staggering from something Oskar couldn¡¯t see. The triumphant look on Valla¡¯s face as she dashed backwards told him it had come from her. The smell of sulfur filled the air and he watched Fox fell to a knee against the far dune. Touwon was not idle, though. He had just dispatched a strange, misty shadow form with a swing of his boomerang, which he now used like a kukri. The long, curved sharp portion of the blade inside the curvature passing through the torso of the creature, and it began dissipating. Its arms and legs curled like burned parchment as it did so, purple particles dancing away into the open air. I don¡¯t know how to fight this. The strange feeling of pressure began building at the base of his skull. Thankfully, the Kobold seemed to know exactly what to do. After dispatching the shadow, Touwon immediately spun towards the real Valla, throwing the boomerang knife at her in an impressive side-arm throw, and then collapsed as Valla¡¯s disorienting magic took hold of him. The blade spun through the air and took Valla¡¯s leg off at the knee. She screamed, and again, the smell of sulfur and ozone filled the air as she pulled a gnarled, black fetish that looked like a monkey¡¯s paw from behind her back. It showed a brief, bright blue outline before full darkness overpowered the fading outline. Valla somehow remained standing, a dark shadowy limb replacing the missing leg as she continued screaming. Her cries of pain sounded rhythmic as she cried out her dark spell. Suddenly, Falk¡¯s fading groans turned into a primal scream that harmonized with Valla¡¯s in a way that set his heart hammering on the inside of his chest. The pressure in his head spiked. He¡¯s screaming just like Erik did in the nightmares. A clear, shimmering something floated out of Falk¡¯s chest, and the Croc¡¯s back audibly crunched into an impossible angle. His scream cut out abruptly, and darkness enveloped and then absorbed the clear shimmer as it flowed towards Valla in greasy looking threads of magic. Everyone froze, even Vulk, who looked just as disturbed as Oskar did at the scene unfolding before them. Valla was staring Oskar straight in the face, still screaming in a single impossible breath, but now it was fully rage, having lost the sound of magic. Was this the type of magic used to torture Erik?! Oskar stood in stunned silence as Valla¡¯s voice cracked, trailing off. An odd shiver ran down his spine. Is this what''s it''s like to be on the other side of a Gambit? And why me?! Touwon is the one who hurt her. Valla turned and ran, far faster than anyone in the stunned group could have given chase. Her form flittering forward in inhumanly fast spurts with every other step as if the shadow limb were much more powerful than the other leg, and she was not yet used to the discrepancy. In a matter of moments, she had turned the corner and was gone. Fox stood for a moment, clearly weak, and tried to give chase. She staggered back into the dune as Vulk, the first to recover, jerked a predatory gaze at her. He turned away from her and looked back up at Oskar, still standing near the top of the dune. The Croc grinned a devious grin at Oskar from the valley floor. The Croc turned, spear in hand, and sprinted towards Fox¡¯s helpless form, struggling to stand on the other side of the dune valley. Touwon was trying in vain to stand, and Oskar was too far and too slow to give chase. There was no way Oskar was going to let Fox down without giving it everything he had, though. He saw little Penny crawl out of the sand, slightly injured, but placing herself between Vulk and the Kobold. Vulk barely paused before booting poor Penny across the sand, and then his body shimmered with a red tint as rage seemed to radiate from him. He covered half the distance of the dune valley, easily 15 paces, in moments. In those few seconds, time slowed for Oskar. He saw the streamers of sand shooting across the tops of the dune overhead in slow motion. Even sparse, tiny grains of cobalt sand stood out to him. He scrambled the last few feet to the top of the dune, and Oskar¡¯s breath caught in his throat painfully as the hot wind screamed into his face. From the top of the dune, Oskar spun around. The distance seemed impossible. Fox was staring up at the Croc with naked defiance as Oskar felt the wind catch him. It swirled around him like an embrace¡­ and he jumped. With the wind at his back, he launched forward so fast he worried he might overshoot Vulk¡¯s slowed form, but the huge Croc doomed himself when he activated the same ability as before, jumping into the air to clear the last of the distance to impale Fox, and Oskar crashed into the back of the airborne Croc with bone breaking force. He barely had time to register the thought before the impact, but he was moving fast. Unnaturally so. The last thing Oskar remembered was his spear being torn from his hands on impact, and the feeling of the wind¡¯s embrace letting go before the darkness overtook him. Notifications popped up, unseen but important. // Gambit Accomplished: Freedom! You did it! Although¡­ I specifically said, ¡°kill or escape.¡± You killed and then let escape, yet you are technically free from the bulk of the Vulk Collective for the time being, and that counts. Bulk of Vulk. Ha! I made a rhyme. Insight gained! Sora threshold met! The Magic Above has been revealed to you: Sora Mastery, 10% Ability Learned: Wind Riding, subset of Sora. World Gambit Updated¨C Step 2: Master the Magic Below Like¡­ that¡¯s not exactly how you do it, but you technically did it, and as everyone knows, technically correct is the best kind of correct. // Chapter 19: From Nightmares to Dreamscapes Chapter 19 The sky, vibrant and purple, stretched out before him. Air crackled with energy around his floating body, immersing him in shimmering, swirling magic. As he floated up in the sky, he could sense the air moving in a circulating dance, entwined with the earth magic that enveloped him. An aura of something else expanded around him, giving him almost supernatural awareness in every direction, and empowering his mastery over the magic above and below. The magic of the air and the earth. He looked down at the endless sand below him and knew, with a pang in his heart, that he was in a dream. He launched himself forward anyway, and the wind felt like an old friend. The earth magic around him didn¡¯t feel disconnected despite being so far from ground below him. Instead, it was anchored to his spirit, coming from a well of magic inside him he couldn¡¯t have imagined while awake. In a moment of clarity, separated from the dream, Oskar wondered how far he could get before waking. His dream self could sense something far off in the distance, and he knew time was short. The desperation of the dream pulled him in fully. He needed to get there before the storm came. Flying forward at incredible speeds, he rode the currents. The wind smelled like rain, a smell he¡¯d almost forgotten, and he realized as he flew forward that he could feel the wind in his beard? He didn¡¯t have a beard¡­ but remembered for a fleeting moment he was dreaming, and the thought passed. As the wind, no longer familiar but wild, rebelled, he lost speed and altitude. A greater power than he himself was near, and the wind knew it to be its true master. The first raindrop hit his face, and he matched it with a teardrop of his own. Rain. Finally, life-giving rain. He might not be too late. Oskar wrestled control of the wind back and shot forward, even faster than before. He pulled the strange aura around him close, and the magic responded. He had to focus. If he didn¡¯t quit- and he would never quit- he could make it. He just wished it didn¡¯t hurt so much. Why did it hurt so much? Oskar screamed, spiraling out of control. *** Pain lanced through Oskar¡¯s body, waking him from unconsciousness. For a moment, he felt like he was still screaming, but no sound came out. His bleary eyes opened, and he saw Fox and Touwon gently pulling him under the tent and out of the dual suns'' light. The oppressive heat lessened some. He barely noticed, though, because his breath was raking his insides. Fox gave him a whispered ¡°Thanks,¡± and went back to the Wayspring to check on Penny, who was kwinning contently now that Oskar was awake. Thank God that tough little critter is okay. He accidentally let out a long breath of relief, and his eyes watered as sharp pain shot through his body. If I''m gonna be consistently hurting myself like this, and I expect I will, I desperately need to work on a healing or recovery spell. I wouldn''t even know where to start, though. The PUB doesn''t seem to be super forthcoming, but it couldn''t hurt to ask. Notifications blinked in the corner of his vision, catching his eye. His PUB was being annoying, and since he didn¡¯t have any plans to move from this spot for the next year or so, he went through the notifications. Seeing the Gambit completion notification was a bitter reminder of his injuries, but the Wind Riding ability brought him up short. He gave a small exhale of amused breath that caused another wince at the PUB¡¯s comments, but also noticed there was no tooltip for the new ability. He looked at the damage notifications and outlines surrounding his left forearm and his ribs along that same side, as well as the one that remained on his missing right foot. Thanks. I had no idea, he thought at the PUB. // I¡¯m surprised you have any ideas at all. Sorry, that was aggressive. // He pulled up the missing notifications, which offered more confusing news, but it seemed like the PUB was trying to take the chance to let Oskar know a little about what was going on. He read the notification about Sora and pulled up the information it offered. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. // Prerequisites met: Sora unlocked. Sora is the magic above. Many elements encompass this type of magic, namely wind, but mastery over the other concepts is not far behind for those willing to put in the work! That¡¯s the old script, how do you like it? Well, anyway, you learned something about the wind and yourself in that fight, and although there is more than wind magic to be found in Sora, it can be a lot of fun. You did well, but you gotta be careful throwing your body around like that. There are ways to transfer all that kinetic energy into your weapon, but it¡¯s not something I can explain, never having had my own body before. Another heads up, Insight isn¡¯t really a point or percentage system, it¡¯s more like a milestone system. It accesses information I have limited access to and¡­ uh, processing power to help you consolidate and comprehend what you¡¯ve learned until you reach that milestone and ¡°get it.¡± And getting it is different for everyone. Just to clarify, I can help you put into words the concepts you learn, but I can¡¯t teach you how to do stuff directly. Just information and processing power to work it out. But your intentions matter. The thing that sets a unique class apart is its ability to morph skills and abilities as they grow from your intent. You¡¯re a druid, and that comes with some perks. For example, your Water Sense will likely remain a morphing ability that will change and grow in power based on your personality and creativity. You''re using it to sense life, and that changes the ability over time. Wind Riding, too, could also eventually become second nature, no longer active. Just¡­ something you can do. Additionally, your constant ¡°reaching out¡± for water in your practice is affecting the magic in the water itself. Keep it up, and you might be able to pull water to you, which is a whole different level of lazy. You trying to be a waterbender? Seriously, though, this is only possible because you come from a planet with no magic, so you ignore the rules and try to do stupid stuff. Stupid stuff that¡¯s working out for you for some reason. Your Wind Riding ability is less unusual in its initial stages, but you¡¯re just insane enough to eventually break even that mold wide open. Other Wind Riders are on rails, ability wise. It works and grows the same way. One person¡¯s ability is effectively the same as someone else¡¯s. I will say this, too. No one I know of has ever unlocked Wind Riding by cannonballing into someone at like forty miles per hour in a moment of desperation. If you don¡¯t die growing this ability, you¡¯re gonna be one real nasty fella in a fight, but your ignorance of magic that is helping your Water Sense is likely to get you killed with Wind Riding. So please, just... be careful. What¡¯s kind of awesome is you¡¯re trending toward raw kinetic power, which means you can hit hard, but like I said, you¡¯ll have to learn control on your own. That goes against the usual recommendations. // Oskar''s brows furrowed. Okay, but why? I feel like if you¡¯re gonna get a weird magical boost, it should be in speed. Eventually, people could learn to control it. // If you say so, man. You might eventually have the benefit of Sora in the air to help you, which will nullify much of the risk, but you¡¯re still a long way from mastery, and so you can¡¯t control yourself at all right now. People are more likely to live through going slightly the wrong direction while practicing at running speed than stopping slightly in the wrong place at a hundred miles an hour, though. But why am I bothering trying to explain logic to you when I know you¡¯re gonna completely ignore the rules of physics and magic, anyway? I don¡¯t get you at all. You¡¯re the kind of nut job who¡¯d try to suplex a moving train. What''s a train? As far as healing... step one is not hurting yourself, and step two is up to you. You''re a unique class. Work on mastering what you know and again... intent matters. Anyway, I can¡¯t really give you proper tooltips on unique class abilities when you¡¯re going all willy-nilly: like I mentioned earlier, it¡¯s all personalized and you¡¯re acting like a suicidal Dragoon instead of a gently floating, wise druid. You¡¯ve gone rogue! Or Dragoon. Or Doomed Druid Dragoon Dirt Dude. Druidgoon? // I don¡¯t know what hurts more, my brain listening to you, or literally everything else put together. // Arguing with you is pointless. This is why you don¡¯t have any friends. // At least I have a body. // Low blow dude. And BARELY. Half of your ribs are broken, and something is wrong with one of your lungs. You¡¯re also missing a leg... in case you didn¡¯t know. // It¡¯s not missing, per se. I know where it went. It went everywhere, Oskar sent back with a heavy dose of inward snark that somehow still made him wince. // Wow. Just¡­ wow. I¡¯m textless. // Ok, you¡¯re funny sometimes. // Gee, thanks. You, too. Anyway, arguing with you uses a lot of energy. I recharge mostly through solar energy and your ambient magic, some through kinetic movement, but for now, I have to rest to move the potential energy to usable energy. As you grow, so will I, but for now. It¡¯s sleepy time. Try not to die, Druidgoon. // That''s not a thing. That''s not what we''re calling my fighting style. // Can''t hear you. I''m asleep. // Oskar smiled, again hit with how drastic a turn his life had taken these past few days. I miss Erik. Of course I''m worried, but I''m having the time of my life. It''s crazy what having a few friends and a purpose can do for you. Chapter 20: The Impatient Patient Chapter 20 Oskar was still grinning at the PUB''s antics as he looked with heavy eyes at the sky through the sheer fabric above, sinking into the steady sound of wind and the flashes of color from Sora in the winds overhead. He couldn¡¯t stop a weary yawn and regretted it immensely. A sharp pain flared in his ribs. That was the longest personality filled tirade the PUB had ever gone on. Sharing common or system information apparently took very little energy, but anything that required processing or improvisation was much more draining. He had the distinct feeling his PUB knew more about the state of the world, his Wayspring Wanderer class, and why he was here, but Oskar had been too swept up in surviving to dig for more info. Besides, He knew he had to earn Insight, and he wasn¡¯t sure the PUB would have previously had the ability or energy reserves to articulate the answers. The World Gambit he¡¯d gotten, even without the obvious give-away of step one indicating more was coming, was obviously only a piece of something larger. Like the problems here were a symptom of something greater, which totally made sense. A planet didn¡¯t just start dying overnight. With no other information, he could only speculate, though. Speculation doth butter no parsnips. Oskar felt uncertain about resting while Fox was surely recovering from her own injuries. Touwon, who he felt moving around nearby, was likely tired as well. Oskar glanced over at Fox, who was watching him worriedly. She was obviously still in pain. Moving hurt so much, and he felt dizziness. The pain was getting worse, too. He¡¯d used more energy than he¡¯d thought messing around with the PUB, and it was catching up with him. He suddenly felt completely drained of energy, and his breathing was harder to manage. Something is wrong. Searching inside himself, he felt like his body was crashing, and his body was using everything it could to help. Penny had made her way over and buried her head under his arm, which was enough to seal the sleepy deal, pain or not. *** Waking up with a start, he sat up and hardly winced with the effort. Either he¡¯d been asleep for a week or more, which was impossible, or he was healing at a prodigious rate. Touwon sat wearily nearby, holding two waterskins. He barked a few words that Oskar deduced were cursing, pointing back and forth at Oskar¡¯s Bracer and Goggles, chattering with clear irritation. He then made a hand gesture that ended with him biting his thumb and then dropped the full waterskins at Oskar¡¯s side before rolling over and laying down. Seeing notifications blinking, he opened them with a thought and saw that his PUB had sent out over two dozen Gambit notifications to both Touwon and Fox to give him water with a failure condition of letting him dehydrate and die, adding: // And it¡¯ll be all your fault. Murderers! // to the end of each one. He still felt desperately thirsty, but a final notification clarified that the PUB, of course, knew a little more about what was happening than Oskar himself. Grabbing one of the waterskins, he took a long drink as he expanded the blinking little red light in the corner of his vision. // So, it¡¯s a good thing druids are so empowered by Wayspring water, because Touwon¡¯s been pouring this stuff down your gullet all night. You¡¯re welcome. Also, good news! Ability Unlocked: Ancestral Connection Despite Druid classes being lost to this world, there are still whispers of knowledge that can be Gleaned from the sky, the earth, and from within. Ancestral Connection is the first step to truly becoming a Wayspring Wanderer. This comes with a few perks: Wayspring Efficiency- Your body is better at maintaining hydration. You also now have the ability to absorb moisture in the air. You¡¯re in a desert, lol. That¡¯s not going to be very useful, but there you go anyway. Since you¡¯re a Druid, however, it still synergizes incredibly well. Wayspring water gives you specifically a much longer health and magic buff than normal. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Basically, it looks like you can regenerate health and capacity as long as you have access to Wayspring magic. Water works better for you and you no longer drink water like a greedy little pig. Wait, what¡¯s a pig? Nature¡¯s Gleaning- When receiving Inspiration because of an especially harrowing fight or event, you have a chance to learn a skill or ability, usually, but not always, related to the insight received. This also increased the overall amount of Inspiration you receive from all sources. For example, if you were to survive a deadly poison, you might learn an ability to resist¡­ or inflict poison yourself! Knowing you, you¡¯ll inflict poison on yourself! Ha! This can lead to some wild abilities, and each of them is unique to you, your intent, and the situation that triggered it. Not sure if you got lucky or if unlocking it gives you a freebie, but here you go: Passive Ability Gleaned: Meditative Proliferation I have no idea what stupid thing this is, exactly, but it¡¯s going through water at dangerous levels. You¡¯re healing at about 30 times the normal rate, and it isn¡¯t just healing things as they are, it¡¯s fixing you. No, your leg didn¡¯t grow back. // Oskar blushed as he looked away from the empty space that used to be his right foot. Surely that hadn¡¯t been pre-written, right? He had to have added the leg comment on when Oskar went to look down. Or more likely it¡¯s reacting to what the Goggles can see. No answer from the PUB, but if it wasn''t going to react to his direct questions, it certainly wasn''t going to confirm his theories, so Oskar moved on, checking himself over. He felt like he¡¯d been in the hospital for two weeks, but he guessed he¡¯d only been asleep one night since they appeared to be at the same Wayspring, which tracked with how he felt. There was no conscious activation of any ability. Most of his pain was gone, leaving only a tightness in his chest and a faint yellow outline around his left forearm. His spear lay nearby, along with his prosthetic, which someone carefully removed and ¡­ cleaned? He reached down and pulled out the t-handle from his cargo pocket to make sure everything was tight. However, that someone, likely Touwon, had also done a full maintenance on the leg and foot. I mean, that¡¯s sweet and all, but strange, he thought. Maybe not though. Everyone helping everyone is how we''re gonna get through this. He''s just doing what he''s good at. He couldn¡¯t help but like the Kobold. Both, really. Wildly resourceful, and an unexpected nightmare in a fight. Touwon¡¯s usual distracted nature was laser focused in battle. He¡¯d been aware of Valla¡¯s position and actions even while he was killing off the shadow copy. Oskar guessed the shadow copies weren¡¯t harmless distractions like he¡¯d hoped, or Touwon would not have wasted the time to dispatch it. The angle the Kobold had been forced to throw at, though, caused the boomerang to clip the sand, unable to return after severing Valla¡¯s leg. Oskar would like to see more of how they worked, but he¡¯d have to wait until Touwon had gotten some sleep. The Kobold looked like he was laying face down in the shade nearby. Oskar had heard him grumbling until it grew quiet and was quickly replaced by soft snores. Oskar replayed the fight in his head, trying to think about how he could improve. He knew he needed to practice with the spear much more, and decided to set time aside to run through the forms the PUB had shown him. He''d not let himself get pulled into trying to trade blows with either Croc spearmen, which he knew was smart, but he shouldn''t have had to run so far that he''d inadvertently put Fox and Penny in danger. They all lived, though. He was beyond grateful for his improving Body score and the druid class for that, and vowed right there to work relentlessly to get stronger. One thing was nagging him though. Valla was terrifying... and she was out there, somewhere, alive. And probably pretty miffed at them, if the Gambit she''d initiated meant anything. What she''d done to Falk, though, was unnatural. So were those greasy strings of magic that seemed to swallow everything she''d pulled out of the dying Croc. Oskar actually felt a little bad for him at the end there. That scream. He didn''t want to think about how Falk''s primal scream had reminded him of his nightmares. All he could do was press forward and search for clues to locate Erik. But he would never forget that scream. That and the shivering feeling he¡¯d gotten when he was sure she¡¯d generated a kill quest for them. He looked over to check on Fox. She was leaning back on the dune, resting quietly. Her face was looking upward toward the sky as the blue sun slowly made its way up from behind the dune, vainly continuing its chase across the heavens. The tint of the sky was slowly shifting from red to purple, which still confused Oskar, and was in no way how light from the suns should have acted, but he had to admit it was beautiful. Putting on his liner and prosthetic and then crawling out of the tent, he stood carefully, letting the light-headedness subside before he walked over to sit beside her. I feel awful. Even that took a lot out of me. She looked more relaxed than he thought she might be after such a battle and an injury that she had apparently recovered from. She didn''t look over at him immediately. Oskar thought he understood, though. Her whole life had just been changed. It was undoubtably for the better, but nonetheless, it was a lot. And there were likely to be long term ramifications. He really wanted to talk to her, to check on her, but something told him to give her some time. So... he waited quietly. Well, reasonably quietly. He was still really thirsty, and couldn''t stop himself from letting out a loud sigh after downing another waterskin in one breath, which baited a smile out of the small Kobold, but she said nothing, so Oskar waited. Chapter 21: We Called it the Culling Chapter 21 After some time, she finally spoke. Her voice was low, almost absentminded. "By Bastet''s mangy tail... we have stirred up the spider''s nest now, know it true." Spider''s nest, that sounds terrifying. The Kobold let out a long sigh and the tension left her shoulders. Fox turned to Oskar and gave him a wink, which reminded Oskar, embarrassingly, of getting caught staring at her the first night they''d met. That felt like a month ago, but it was just days. The Kobolds really were a stunning people. Their deep purple fur was something that didn''t exist on Earth, at least to Oskar''s knowledge. This close, the orange streaks in her undercoat were more noticable, They looked tiger-like, and after seeing her fight, he had to admit it was fitting. ¡°You alright, Fox? What did she hit you with?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± she smirked. ¡°I am not sure exactly, but my body was effectively doing the opposite of what I was telling it to do. It only lasted a minute or so.¡± Oskar''s eyebrows rose. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even managed to stand.¡± She laughed darkly. ¡°Is that what you would call that? I seem to recall falling in every direction I could manage. And then, I was certain Vulk was going to end me. Know that for a truth.¡± She looked at him seriously. ¡°Listen, Oskar¡­ What you did was dangerous. I understand why you did it, but you have no control over the wind. I don¡¯t know how long you have spent working on your magical control, but you should not have put yourself in such danger. It is possible I could have dodged the actual strike.¡± ¡°This whole magic thing is new to me. I didn¡¯t even know I could do that. I¡¯ve never used magic before,¡± he said simply. Fox watched him for a moment and called him a dry boned fool under her breath before continuing, ¡°Wind Walking is dangerous, there are two types of Wind Walkers- Kinetics who specialize in speed and power and Controls who specialize in directional movement and aerial dexterity. Like many powers, there is a slower but more careful path like Control, or an immediately powerful, and dangerous, path like Kinetics,¡± she sighed, ¡°and unfortunately, that move you used was that of a Kinetic,¡° she stopped as Oskar lifted a hand. "I should not have needed saving, Oskar." ¡°I know, Fox, but... in for a penny, in for a pound,¡° Fox tilted her head in confusion. Penny poked her head up as well after hearing her name. Oskar smiled and explained that it was a saying and that he just meant he was fully committed to their little group. They needed to trust that they¡¯d have each other¡¯s back, no matter what. ¡°Fighting is so much easier when you can trust someone enough that you don¡¯t have to fight while trying to focus on 360 degrees. Be aware of everything you can, but trust that I¡¯ll have your back. I¡¯ll be there every time.¡± He felt like it was time to explain a little more about his training so that she could understand why he fought the way he fought. He started further back than he¡¯d intended, even telling her a little about his time in the Marine Corps, expanding on the earlier conversation they¡¯d all had about Marines being a respected group of warriors on his planet. There wasn¡¯t much purpose in going into detail about Earth. Oskar knew it would only lead to more questions, but he did make it a point to reinforce that magic, in his world, was the stuff of stories and legend. There was no tangible proof it had ever existed outside of those legends. Oskar spoke of his older brother, Erik, and about how he¡¯d allegedly drowned a year and a half ago doing contract work off the coast of West Africa. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "They were attacked by pirates, actual pirates, and his ship had been sunk. All hands lost." After a reflective few seconds, he¡¯d briefly explain what pirates were, but luckily Fox didn¡¯t get too hung up on it and allowed him to continue. Losing Erik had been impossibly tough on Oskar, who¡¯d been sick of losing people close to him almost his entire life. Unlike Erik, he didn¡¯t really remember his mother, and it had just been him and his brother after their dad passed away the year before Erik¡¯s death. After that, he was truly alone. He knew that didn¡¯t make him special. No one wanted to lose people close to them, but he¡¯d had so much more than his share of it. He sat there in the respectful quiet that Fox gave him as she sat beside him, deep in thought herself. Oskar realized it was the first time he¡¯d said it all out loud. Talking about it hurt, of course, but when he¡¯d mentioned his brother had died, he was relieved that the statement rang false to him. He didn¡¯t want to come across as delusional or in denial, so he just told the story. Delusional or not, he really believed his brother was alive. That gave him a strange comfort, and after a deep breath, he continued. He glossed over much actual wartime experiences and his own injury, only to say it was because of a large explosion and began telling her the story of how he''d been just north of a place called the Badlands, alone, when- after walking through a door in the middle of nowhere and being swept into a strange frozen hellscape- he¡¯d suddenly woken here. Looking wistfully into the sky, Fox smiled and said, ¡°Badlands. That is the snow place, yes?¡± Oskar didn¡¯t want to ruin her apparent daydream about a wonderful place with freezing water falling from the sky, but surely, she had to know it wasn¡¯t a paradise with a name like Badlands. He let her have the moment before he replied. ¡°Yes. It was the snow place. I don¡¯t think Touwon believes it to be true. Which is funny considering he understood ice, and you were the skeptical one. I suppose he has trouble wrapping his mind around that much of it all in one place.¡± Fox shrugged. ¡°Touwon¡¯s cautious nature has served us both well. It has saved our lives on multiple occasions. We are from the same¡­ well, Tribe would be the best word, if such things existed still.¡± Raising his eyebrows in interest, he remained quiet, letting her continue. ¡°I barely remember it, but Touwon is a little older than I and aches for the old ways. We Kobolds are resourceful. We work together. We trust one another. Her face took on a much more intense look, the ponderous look she''d had imagining the "snow place" was gone. Fox was quiet for a time, and Oskar watched the sky grow brighter in silence as the streamers of sand flowed directly overhead. The steady sound of wind was a constant background noise that felt peaceful in their volatile world. Her silence carried a weight, though, and Oskar looked around to make sure they were safe and to give her time. Oskar had learned that many of the predators in this world were opportunists. Fox had previously mentioned that it surprised her that water seeking predators hadn¡¯t attacked them, but admittedly, it had been just her and Touwon before the Vulk Collective captured them. She wasn¡¯t sure how long ago that had been, exactly, but it must have been close to a year now. Before, they¡¯d lived in a community of survivors, and they¡¯d taken the Vulk Collective on a merry chase to draw them from the shelter that held some of the remaining free Kobolds. It seemed likely having a third was the sweet spot between being able to find enough food and water and still being threatening enough to scare off all but the most desperate of predators. With Oskar around, finding water and food was going to be much easier. Penny was the one coming through with the food, though to be honest. Oskar didn''t even need to point them out. There were lizards and some egg-colored thing that looked like an armadillo and was apparently better dried than cooked, which was convenient. There weren''t many ways to keep a fire going. The surrounding land was pretty barren. He''d only ever seen a few small, leafless trees that were shoulder high and usually only had a single branch. It seems that the wood could burn, but it required a significant amount of effort to ignite. Fox said the wood was tough, though, and was used to make short spears that were used by some of the smaller races like themselves. He was brought out of his thoughts when Fox spoke again, her voice was more somber than he¡¯d ever heard it. "It means much that you shared your story with me. I do not think I am ready to share everything, but I do want to explain to you a little bit about what happened to my people. We called it the Culling." Oskar was completely quiet, giving her the time that she needed to explain this at her own pace, and after a long moment, she continued. "They summarily killed us, thinking that we had some great mystical secret. All because we could survive in larger groups¡­ as tribes who lived in loose family units. The families that made up a tribe all lived in proximity, while other races struggled in any groups larger than three because of their greed. We all did our part, and that collective effort of the Kobold people was the reason for our survival. Our independence was such that we could form groups of ten or even more, with minimal contact with the surrounding tribe. That¡­ was both our blessing and our curse. We lived spread out enough that many of us escaped, but close enough that the collectives who hunted us for our resources butchered us before we could even attempt to organize. Their sudden cruelty scattered and ruined us. Even now, we are in danger.¡± Chapter 22: Two Pieces, You Say? Chapter 22 ¡°They¡­ the hunters, consisted mostly of Crocodilians and Draken. The Draken think themselves dragons, yet they are but overgrown lizards,¡± she clarified when she saw Oskar¡¯s questioning face. ¡°The hunters thought we Kobolds had secret abilities to find water, or perhaps had access to a hidden Oasis. They did not deem it important enough to clarify which it was when they began slaughtering our people. The hunters tortured and killed so many of our people. They could not imagine that we simply worked for what we needed, and trusted one another completely to help provide, and the other races gutted us for it.¡± Her eyes were wet under her Goggles. ¡°It appears now... I must learn to trust again.¡± On one hand, Oscar was glad he hadn¡¯t gone into detail about the losses that he¡¯d suffered. He hadn''t been ready to talk about it. But sitting here, listening to her... he realized she had likely lost even more than he had. She was more than capable of understanding what he¡¯d gone through, and the thought bothered him as much as it comforted. It¡¯s such a strange thing, he thought to his PUB, that we find comfort through shared pain and the empathy of others, but at the same time, it kind of hurts to know someone else has had to hurt the way you have. // Look, I¡¯m just a brain, but it seems like you¡¯re doing what you can with the information you have. Absorb, process, improve. That¡¯s how I handle data, so it¡¯s definitely the correct way to handle it. // Thanks, I think. Knowing there was no way to reply to everything she¡¯d just shared, he simply said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you are here. I¡¯m glad that I met you and Touwon. Your knowledge and resourcefulness are the only reason I¡¯m alive right now. I¡¯m tickled pink I had a chance to pay you back at least once.¡± Fox smirked at him, shaking her head at his ill-timed humor. Chuckling, he winced, holding a hand to his ribs. ¡°Please don¡¯t make a habit of it, though. I¡¯m not good at saving people. It hurts.¡± Fox grinned her feline grin and sat up. ¡°Let us fill up and get out of here. Touwon won¡¯t be happy with such a brief nap, but the heat will soon be at its peak, and we have lingered too close to the battle to wait any longer. Although Touwon dragged the remains as far away as he could, and Penny buried all the blood she could find...scavengers are always a threat. Also, Valla escaped. She would not dare attack us alone, but she might have some way to contact someone willing to help and curry her favor.¡± "So, I think I remember at least this much, but Vulk died to my spear when I hit him, right?" Fox eyes looked savage as the turned an intimidatingly wolfish smile his way. "You tore him in half. It made it much easier for Touwon to dispose of, to be honest." Oskar let out a shocked laugh, "In half? Two pieces, you say?" She nodded. "Completely." Her nose wrinkled in distate, and her eyes went flat. "Falk, though, was a husk. Penny could have carried what remained after what Valla did." Oskar nodded, trying to process everything. I can think and walk, though. We''ve got to get moving. As if reading his thoughts, Fox stood, stretching, and Oskar grunted as he stood as well. He had to lean over to loosen the prosthetic and re-situate it. He then locked it back in with a few small bounces as Fox walked over to wake Touwon. Penny had somehow gotten under one of his furry arms, and Touwon looked as shocked as anyone to find her there cuddled up to him when he woke. The Pangolor stood and stretched with an admittely cute yawning kwin sound, and then tottered off to find a snack or twelve. Stolen story; please report. Touwon watched her go, grumbling, but stood and rolled the tent while Fox and Oskar gorged on water and filled up the waterskins. Curious, he took a moment to look at his stats, something he hadn¡¯t remembered to do in a while. He knew he was adapting, though; he was stronger than he¡¯d ever been.
Mind F+ Rank
Body F Rank
Spirit F+ Rank
He suspected the reason his body ranking was the same as before was because of his lack of mobility. The ¡°system¡± still saw his missing limb as a debilitating injury or disfigurement. Which I guess it is, if not for the modern science of prosthetics. In sheer strength, he had to be closer to Peak F. He was much stronger than he¡¯d ever felt in his life. It wasn''t even close. I don''t mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this puts a whole new meaning to the term, "There''s something in the water." // Hah! Nice one! // I think I''m spending too much time with you. // Hey now, don''t be hurtful. // The PUB flickered blue to let him know it was playing, and Oskar smiled as his mind went back to his stats. The physical changes weren¡¯t exactly subtle, either. Fearing the unintended consequences of his growing strength, he worried about exceeding the limits of what his prosthetic foot was designed to handle. He¡¯d been in good shape, but he¡¯d lost some size these last few months, even with his recently increased strength. Now on a desert planet, he was burning fat like no tomorrow. The prosthetic didn¡¯t feel as secure as it could be, but for now, he had no choice but to rely on it. It was only a matter of time until something went wrong with the prosthetic, really. He was quickly approaching what had to be the limits of the human body on earth. He was maintaining more muscle than should be possible considering he was eating primarily bitter cactus fruit and lizard meat. Maybe those lizards are packed with protein. The night before, Touwon had talked Oskar into trying a fat beetle, one of Penny¡¯s favorites. For not speaking any language Oskar could understand, the Kobold was surprisingly convincing, and Oskar found himself shoving the golf ball sized beetle in his mouth and tried to choke it down. Oskar considered himself to be open-minded food wise, but the beetle was juicier than it had any right to be, which turned Oskar¡¯s stomach almost immediately. It had a disturbing amount of unidentifiable liquid that left an aftertaste of copper and hot milk that spilled out of his mouth as he froze in disgust, slack-jawed. Fox and Touwon laughed uproariously at him as he hurried a few steps away to spit out the juicy beetle. Penny stared at him questioningly, as if she couldn¡¯t fathom why he¡¯d waste such a delicacy. Her barking kwinn had a decided undertone of disappointment and reproach. Shuddering at the memory, he shook his head while he walked. It had popped in his mouth. He¡¯d felt and heard it. He could imagine if one were hungry and dehydrated, the beetle would be a treat, but he was thankful that between Penny and the Kobolds and their successful hunting, he hadn¡¯t yet been that desperate. As far as the Spirit and Mind stats were concerned, they were a bit less tangible, but the benefits were still noticeable. During the fight with Vulk, his adrenaline had kicked in, but the usual nervous strength and energy were replaced with hyper vigilance and multifaceted focus. He¡¯d been aware of things around him and had remained calm the whole fight, as if that wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d ever fought to the death with Crocodilian spearmen. He¡¯d been in over his head and would likely have been killed if he hadn¡¯t caught Pale completely flat footed- but at least he was calmly aware he was in over his head the whole time. As he promised himself he would, he began trying to feel out Sora. To start the process of learning what it, and he might be capable of. The dream he''d had, floating... no, flying in the colorful currents of air above, seemed impossible. So, he continued feeling for Waysprings and creatures as he walked, but wasn''t able to make any tangible progress with the Magic Above. Exhausted from the heat and the constant drain on his capacity that practicing caused, he worked and occasionally rested his mind as much as he could while his body paid the price. I don''t feel like I''m making much progress. Maybe I''m going about it all wrong. So far, practice makes tired, not perfect. He knew he was being a little dramatic. His range and ability were getting better. His magical senses were gaining clarity. It was slow going, though. Every time he felt what little skin he had exposed start to burn, he drank Wayspring water, and could feel the sting subside over the next few moments. Embarrassingly enough, Fox carried his waterskins when they were partially empty to keep him from splashing around like ol'' Chief Biggums. The day passed as heat washed down on his back and they continued walking, mostly in silence, until the blue sun dipped behind the dunes. That was when Touwon froze, holding up a hand in warning as he threw himself to the side to dodge a thin spear that slid into the sand right where he¡¯d been standing. Oskar looked around in every direction, wondering how they''d been snuck up on without him feeling anything before something caught his eye above the dunes. Two somethings, Oskar corrected. Chapter 23: Battle with Greygloves, Chonkdog, and ... Orangy? Chapter 23 The PUB immediately went into Battle Mode, and an outline appeared in the sky that showed Oskar a pair of humanoid figures somehow gliding way above the dunes. Once he knew what he was looking for, it seemed like a glamor had been lifted. Two pointy eared creatures glided overhead on extendable wings made of what looked like leather, stretched under their arms from their wrists to their thighs. Their fur was mostly orange and yellow, but with dark spots. They were low threat, according to a quick scan, but they were out of range. Obviously, they weren''t out of range for the flyers, though. Oskar saw a third creature stomp over the top of the dune ahead, the wind whipping at his back. He was carrying a shield that was made from some large beetle-like carapace and a knotted wooden maul. He stood there grinning wildly, staring down at the three of them hungrily through his blocky Goggles. Like the other two, he was mostly yellow and covered in dark spots, but he was much bigger and sported a wicked, slobbery grin. His PUB flashed a quick red outline of warning around him. So, that''s a high threat? // Barely, but yep. Watch out, he''s stronger than he looks. // He looks pretty strong... // Yeah, I know. // Big boy marched confidently towards the two Kobolds, swinging his maul back and forth between him. He was making a sing song sound that Oskar couldn¡¯t decipher, but from the look he was giving the Kobolds, he was definitely taunting Touwon and Fox. The creatures looked like hyenas... if hyenas were built like hundred-pound pit bulls with humanoid limbs, and the one carrying the shield was easily half again or more their size. These things were all muscle. His PUB warned him as one Glider threw another spear directly at him by showing him a misty outline of himself dodging to his right. // Pay attention! Get it together, dummy. I can¡¯t keep doing this. // As the adrenaline kicked in, he had time to locate the projectile in the air and commit to the dodge. His reaction time was improving. If he¡¯d not been carrying his own spear in that hand, he might have even been able to catch it. As it was, he pulled it out of the ground behind him and spun, aimed for a moment, and launched it back into the air at his attacker. It appeared to be flying true, but as soon as the spear cleared the top of the dune, the winds overhead flung it wide. Apparently, throwing downward was much easier than throwing upward, but was still possible. He caught a mocking, pitchy laugh on the wind. Ok, butt sniffer. Oskar lurched forward and grabbed the first spear out of the sand that Touwon had dodged. He spun, steadied his aim, and then launched the second spear a little behind the trailing Hyena thing, who was now passing overhead. This time, when the wind caught the spear, it angled towards a hyena wearing painted orange Goggles and scraped its back, scoring a minor cut that likely hadn¡¯t caused the Gilder much pain. However, Oskar felt sure he¡¯d be much more deadly with every throw. The wind was speaking to him, and he was doing his best to listen. He fought down the urge to run up the dune and launch himself into the air at the Gliders. He felt confident he could do it with a burst of speed like the one he¡¯d used against Vulk, and with the smaller bulk of the Hyenas, he might even avoid injury, but he told himself to be patient. All I know how to do right now is go straight and fast. If I miss, I''m leaving Fox and Touwon behind and likely taking myself out of the fight. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He needed to continue avoiding the spears and keep the Gliders busy while the two Kobolds were wearing down their maul wielding tank. The larger hyena was hurling insults in a language Oskar couldn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t know how this group of hyenas knew Touwon and Fox, but this sounded personal. Touwon was darting in, baiting attacks from Chonkdog, allowing Fox to shoot in with her daggers, scoring hits that would hopefully wear the comparatively large Hyena-man down, but he was throwing out heavy swings that would do serious damage if they connected. Chonkdog was holding his own against the two Kobolds, even if it was because they were splitting their attention from him to the Gliders to keep from being impaled. Oskar was going to have to help them with that. You gotta pay some attention to the whole fight, but everyone fully splitting their attention was going to get someone killed. Apparently, the air currents changed with elevation because the two Gliders were coming back their way from higher in the sky. Hmm, maybe speed and height is what causes the different colors Sora shows me in the air currents. His PUB flashed an irritated orange around the edges of his vision. Okay, okay, we''re fighting, I know! The Gliders circled back around to get a better position to harry and attack Oskar¡¯s group. The first Glider, wearing gray gloves, angled low and dove towards Fox faster than Oskar expected, but just as the Glider cleared the top of the dune, Penny exploded out of the sand in a curled-up ball and intercepted him. She hit Graygloves dead center just as he passed the lip of the dune like an eighty pound fastball, and the hyena careened into the sand a few feet to Oskar¡¯s left. Holy cow. She came in like a wrecking ball. A regular Miley Cyrus. Dashing forward, Oskar speared the creature through its back with his divine spear and then turned to locate¡­ Uhhh, Orangie? I need to work on my nicknames. The distraction of Greygloves¡¯ crash was obviously enough of a distraction to allow Fox to finally land a solid blow which hamstrung the big Hyena. He staggered back and she advanced on him. Fox kicked his shield wide, creating an opening, and Touwon moved in for the kill. Oskar, still trying to keep an eye out for the final Glider, grabbed the last of the two spears off the back of the dead Greygloves, scraping his forearm across the tip of the second one in his haste. A notification popped up immediately, but he didn¡¯t have time to see what it was before something happened to his vision. He blinked as everything slowly blurred. Oskar pulled his hand closer to his face and saw a tiny drop of blood trickle down the inside of his arm, and he stumbled a bit as his muscles stiffened. At the same time, he felt Orangie crash headfirst into the sand nearby. Fox and Touwon, looking down, watched the crash with amused but completely unconcerned faces. Chonkdog lay dead at their feet, but still hadn''t approached . ¡°Nice throw, Oskar. I saw that. I suppose they are not completely immune to their own cowardly tricks. All it takes is a scrape,¡± Fox said as she looked over to Oskar. Her eyes grew wide in alarm. Oskar¡¯s entire body became locked in position. He stood for a few seconds before falling over like a department store mannequin. The two Kobolds rushed over to his side, Fox already fussing at him. ¡°You dry brained fool. Know it true. You move like a legend the first half of the fight and then poke yourself like a child,¡± she said as she saw the tiny streak of blood on his arm, still rigidly locked in front of him. ¡°I am getting sick of caring for you every time you do something foolish,¡± she said, but the words carried no heat. ¡°Let us drag him under the tent, Touwon. Again.¡± In a matter of minutes, he felt his muscles finally relax as the sky slowly darkened to red. Since he couldn¡¯t even blink, Fox had helpfully pulled up his Goggles and closed his eyes to keep them from drying out until he could regain control of himself. That spoke of experience, and he wasn¡¯t going to let her get away without telling him that story. Especially after all the playful chiding she¡¯d given him constantly under her breath as Touwon had set up the temporary tent a short distance from their battle. Penny and Touwon had then jogged back over to loot the bodies of the Hyenas as Fox waited with Oskar. Eventually, he regained control over his eyelids and Oskar checked his notifications, trying to ignore Fox, who kept poking him with her foot and calling him foolish, laughing her little barking laugh. The situation was amusing to Oskar now that he knew the poison was just a paralytic, and one he suspected Fox had experienced firsthand. The notifications were interesting. He¡¯d increased his Sora mastery by creatively using the wind to aim the second spear he¡¯d thrown. Of course, the PUB had to get in its own little dig at his self-inflicted paralysis. // Bane: Paralysis Contracted. Like, you did that. To yourself. You throw a spear in hundred mile an hour winds and score just enough of a hit to crash that Glider like a boss, and then you poke yourself by pawing around like a doofus who doesn¡¯t know what to do with his hands. This is priceless. I wish I had friends. I¡¯m gonna make friends just so I can tell them about this. You know what, I¡¯m gonna send a ¡°Laugh at Oskar¡± Gambit to Touwon and Fox. It¡¯s gonna be hilarious. // Hearing the Kobolds chuckling at him made him smile. Internally, at least. His face was still numb. Chapter 24: Tatsu the Third Sun Chapter 24 The PUB flickered like it was giggling along with the Kobolds as a Gambit Accepted appeared in the corner of his HUD under Fox¡¯s icon. There was an icon for both Fox and Touwon, and even a smaller one for Penny under his own icon. He¡¯d asked Fox about the icons after they¡¯d created their Collective, and she¡¯d said she hadn¡¯t ever seen such a thing and then explained the limitations of non-set PUB Gear. Non-set PUB Goggles could match with any undamaged Bracer but would only show Gambit notifications and information directly related to the wearer, along with and very limited environmental notifications like dangerous temperatures. It could not initiate Collective notifications, but could receive the ones initiated by Oskar''s matched set. They would show limited information on magic items if held and directly prompted while focusing. Bracers would track acknowledged damage and personal information. The non-set PUBS were decent at putting into text what the wearer already knew. PUB Gear came in many forms, sometimes as full helmets with visors or Goggles made specifically for a certain race like Vulk or the Kobolds. So, variety existed, but most were simply Goggles with custom or adjustable straps depending on the race and size of the wearer. Even Oskar''s matched set didn''t look like anything special, and was too small and ill fitted for Crocs or whatever Drakon were. Fox did say they were "overgrown lizards," but that''s what he''d originally thought of the Crocs, so maybe his version of overgrown was not ambitious enough. The idea of something even bigger than Crocs is terrifying. I know there are things out there. I''ve felt the briefest of touches twice that gave the impression of something dormant and impossibly big. Dormant wasn''t a great word. Maybe waiting was better. Either way, he''d made sure they went way out of the way to avoid whatever the hell it was. They''d hurt his brain in a way he couldn''t describe. Just like those things in the portal at the edge of my vision. Those... whatevers that felt like walking, shuttering madness. Even now, thinking about it hurt. And the longer he thought about it, the more it hurt. The more wrong, for lack of a better word, it all felt. Oskar felt his chest tighten, his hands tingling. He drank water just to have something normal to do- to focus on- but the feeling vulnerability lingered. He knew it was stupid, but he didn''t think he could handle talking about it. To Fox''s credit, she saw him. She couldn''t have missed the tension in his shoulders and the wildness he knew was in his eyes, and she took the changes in direction without comment. She tensed up in response, but never mentioned anything about it. She watched him, though, honoring the unspoken agreement that some things were dangerous to openly acknowledge until he calmed down. Both times, Touwon never even glanced back, but if he was tinkering with something from his weird ass bag of unending broken stuff, he put it away and walked without distraction. Fox must have sensed his thoughts, and continued explaining Gear to break him out of those heavy, dark thoughts. "Like Goggles, Bracers come in metal and leather primarily." She stopped, considering and continued, "I have heard tales, though, of at least one matched Jewelry set made up of a Bracelet and Monocle. It is said to belong to one of the Great Collectives. Great Collectives have a monopoly on such rarities, as you can imagine." Vulk and Falk¡¯s Gear was packed up in Touwon¡¯s bag, which never seemed to get bigger- or heavier- despite how much water and gear he added, and curiosity about the bag finally dispelled the last of his dark thoughts. Fox explained that Touwon¡¯s class was a quite rare noncombat class called Improvised Artificer. It gave him bonuses to carrying extra junk around and making and inventing new things. Oskar couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many storage the strange Kobold had in his bag. The Kobold was always a skilled combatant, so his class displeased many despite it being rare and extremely useful to the Tribe. When people reached maturity, they were generally given a class based off their desires and knowledge, so learning early where someone''s talents lie was important. Touwon had always been a fantastic fighter, but also enjoyed tinkering, repairing, and inventing things. In his case, no one knew for sure whether he''d received a choice or had simply been given the class, but there were some who said he''d wasted his gifts. He quickly proved them wrong, though, through his increased flexibility and creativity in combat by using the very items he¡¯d created. Apparently, he¡¯d made weapons far before he settled on the kukri boomerang knife things as a favorite. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Fox said they were called kurangs. I like boomerukri better, but then again, I gave Penny her name because she had the metallic coloring of a new penny, so maybe my opinion isn''t all that important. // Boomerukri? Are you serious right now?? // Smiling, Oskar ignored the PUB and listened as Fox continued. Touwon''s initial design was of foot wide, round and bladed rings that one could throw to great effect. He had based that design on weapons historically employed exclusively by warrior princesses in the Tribes, but never found them intuitive. He had presented them as a gift to one of the Elder¡¯s daughters, Scena, a Kobold who vanished during the Culling. Touwon¡¯s class allowed him to make weapons, armor, and other gear with seemingly useless materials. With an actual workshop, he¡¯d be a prodigy, so he¡¯d hidden his abilities from the Crocodilian Collectives and was thought to be a plain Tinkerer, which was the common class of the Improvised Artificer class. Tinkerer had the same bonuses to a lesser degree, and he¡¯d been primarily ordered to repair simple objects. He received bonuses for using his created gear, and had some ability to retrieve thrown weaponry of his own making, breaking down items into base materials, and had a passive that drastically reduce carry weight in bags he¡¯d created as long as he was the one carrying it, and could even partially lighten the load of others using his bags if they were given freely. That obviously encouraged hoarding. Fox wasn¡¯t even sure what all Touwon had in that bag, but she laughed as she commented that she¡¯d never seen him clean it out. She wasn¡¯t sure it was spatial or dimensional storage, but anyone else looking without permission would find only what he wanted them to find. Fox explained her class was a race specific Rogue class that was effectively a dodge tank. She gained mitigation and speed bonuses to dodging that grew in power every time she dodged an attack by an enemy and could stack debuffs on enemies that damaged joints and bled the enemy. It was a rare class called a Ruse-Rogue and was only known to Kobolds as far as Fox knew. ¡°Sometimes,¡± she explained, ¡°a Unique or Legendary class can be learned by certain talented individuals, and others can learn the class if they choose to pass it down. Students do not gain the flexibility or personalization of the class. The class becomes Rare instead of Unique or Legendary because it progresses and grows in the exact same manner it did for the original with no deviation. She stood tall as she spoke of her class, obviously proud. ¡°We, as a tribe, try to match the capabilities of the original user to the class as closely as possible for maximum synergy, as there can be only one teacher and one student at a time. Many were lost in the Culling,¡± her face darkened. ¡°That was possibly the most unforgivable of their sins. It took a dozen generations to cultivate so many powerful classes, and it is all but gone. The Ruse Rogue class belonged to the father of my mother. From our calculation, I matched him well. He was our greatest warrior.¡± Her voice lowered, and she spoke conspiratorially, ¡°Even aged as he was, he made them pay a dear price when they came for him.¡± She grinned fiercely. ¡°He killed all those that tried, but they wounded him mortally. They do not know that he died, so even now, they search for him. There is still a modest bounty for the one they call Tatsu the Third Sun. Their fear gives him power, even in death.¡± Even though her eyes were filled with unspilled tears, she leaned in, smiled proudly and whispered fiercely, ¡°They will never find out he passed. That is a truth. It was our only revenge. Even now, they think he is somewhere, plotting. They attribute many deaths in the night to him, but only in secret.¡± Her eyes blazed as she continued, ¡°Their unwillingness to say his name openly has only given him more life. It is not only my heart he lives in, now. He will live forever in theirs.¡± Her wolfish smile showed her teeth. She honestly looked ferocious. He had convinced himself that he could hold his own against a Kobold if the need ever arose, but now he was starting to doubt himself. The Kobold people seemed to be united, at least considering how few she claimed still lived, so he found himself grateful she was on his side. He planned on making sure it stayed that way. ¡°What was the deal with that Hyena trio?¡± Oskar ventured. Scoffing, Fox said, ¡°They consider themselves to be our natural enemies, though they only ran and hid until we were Culled to a tenth of our number. Even still, they run unless they have a clear advantage. It''s possible they saw us alone and acted." She looked skepticle, but then said something that perked his ears right up. "I have seen a few of your kind in my life. Humans, I mean, but rarely are they true combatants. The one''s that are naturally born here are scattered and nomadic. The rare few that were rumored to have more powerful classes... they do not usually last long here. They rarely live long enough to gain power. I now find myself wondering if the ones with powerful classes come from other worlds.¡± Eyes wide, Oskar asked, ¡°There have been other humans? I mean, I¡¯d assumed since Vulk or Valla did not bombard me with questions, humans were not completely unheard of, but still- this is the first time you¡¯ve mentioned them. Do you know where any are now?¡± ¡°Yes. One of the Great Collectives- The Gramm Collective- have one of the powerful ones as a pet. He looked older, gray, but can apparently heal great wounds. Perhaps not his own, because he is hideously scarred, but they would not keep him alive unless there was some truth to the rumors,¡± Fox said. That didn¡¯t sound like Erik to Oskar, but he didn¡¯t have another lead, and he didn''t come to this world to sit in the desert. I came to find Erik, and it''s looking like the Gramm Collective is the only place nearby I might be able to get information. Chapter 25: The Worst Plan Ever Chapter 25 Touwon returned and whispered something to Fox. Penny stretched and then nuzzled up beside Oskar, purring softly. Relatively softly. Fox turned to him and translated that Touwon had looted the Hyenas and scouted around but found very little. There should not have been Hyenas in this area. The Kobolds suspected Valla had somehow contacted or contracted them, and if so, more were sure to come. First step, obviously, was to leave the area of their last known location, but even still, she''s already found them once. Perhaps when she¡¯d hit Fox with that dark energy, she¡¯d left a mark that she could use to follow her. The safest thing for them to do that did not include running in an indiscriminate direction for an unknown amount of time was to head for the Great Collective. Great Collectives were semi-permanent settlements with a few core members that were of the Great Collective proper, and then the auxiliary Collectives who pandered and bootlicked for them. The upside is that because the settlements were trade focused, there was strict protection in the settlement itself, and even Valla would not dare use her dark magic in such a place. The area surrounding the settlement, however, was usually a no-man¡¯s-land where sometimes, desperate gangs would waylay travelers to gain enough resources to enter the settlement itself. Some, though, enjoyed the implied protection of being near the Great Collective, but had no desire to be bound by the rules. Inside though, active traders had access to safer and more available food and water. As a human and two Kobolds, they would have no political power, but if they showed with something valuable enough to trade, they¡¯d have access to safety and most likely ¡°better than campfire lizard¡± food. Valla was surely on her way to just such a Collective, but apparently had recently been cast out of the nearby Great Collective. Fox wasn''t certain what the reason was, but Vulk''s earlier threat that Valla had certain... appetites aligned with her best guess. She likely had contacts and a background that might allow her access to most settlements with her presence alone. Fox hated the idea of becoming reliant on a Great Collective and knew getting out of it could be harder than getting in, but they had no shelter or protection. The Vulk Collective had been in the area for a reason, maybe the same reason the Hyena''s had been here, but the Kobolds had never learned what that reason was. But, they couldn''t discount that the attack was the first of many. She feared that if they didn¡¯t find a safe place soon, they¡¯d be hunted until Valla eventually killed them. They needed the safety a Great Collective, despite places like that coming with a danger of their own. As long as they didn¡¯t appear too useful, the Great Collective had a vested interest in keeping the peace and the things brought to them. ¡°So basically,¡± Oskar said with a grimace, ¡°I need to act like a beggar, and you need to act like you just so happened upon something useful enough to trade.¡± ¡°That is a truth. The issue now is finding something they want enough to keep us safe. Something they are interested in enough to say no to Valla¡¯s wishes on the off chance she is allowed back into the Gramm Collective. What is something they want more than three slaves and to keep that royal pain from getting what she wants?¡± Touwon barked out a few words and Fox groaned. "We might be able to dig up a ruins if we found it, but he can only sense water and living things. He is not a metal Finder." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His chin rested on a purple hand as he thought. After a few moments, he turned back to Fox, and said something with a decidedly more serious tone. ¡°We cannot kill the Gryphus Vulture. The Gryphus Vulture has lived longer than both of us and would never be caught unawares. Know it true. Many dry brained fools have overplayed their hand fighting that beast.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Gryphus Vulture?¡± Oskar asked. Fox explained that there was a massive bird that roamed the desert. It was not originally a hunter. ¡°It grew in power and size until it had to be more proactive in feeding itself. The beast is a terror. With black feathers that are hard as steel, I have never even heard of it being harmed.¡± Touwon shrugged, and they both went silent in thought again, but something stuck out in Oskar¡¯s memory. ¡°I saw a gigantic bird when I first met Penny, just¡­ massive,¡± Oskar said, hands held out wide, and Penny poked her head up at her name. She kwinned and then purred as she settled back into place. ¡°If this thing is what you¡¯re talking about, it was half dead when it flew over me. It was missing almost all the feathers on one wing. I have no idea how it stayed up in the air, though with the wind like it is, anything with a death-wish and the ability to glide can stay up for a little while.¡± Touwon stared at him as Fox began asking more questions than he had answers for. It had flown over. It was huge, the feathers had probably been black, but were faded and pale from what he saw. It was terrible enough that he¡¯d not even felt comfortable enough to stare at it for long due to the feeling of dread he¡¯d felt even looking at the giant beast. ¡°Even if it is this Gryphus, how would killing it give us access to the Great Collective?¡± Oskar asked. ¡°There is a rumor that Gramm has a Gambit to recover the bones or Gear of his father, Gram, from the great bird. He had sought to kill the beast for whatever reason silly people in power do such things, and¡­¡± she paused for effect and then added a deadpan, ¡°and was promptly eaten for his troubles.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Oskar asked, ¡°The leader of the Gramm Collective is Gramm, obviously, but his father¡¯s name is Gramm as well? Is that normal?¡± ¡°No. The son of a shared name will often add another letter. The father is Gram with one ¡®m.¡¯ The son is Gram-mm,¡± she over enunciated the second M, making both Touwon and Oskar chuckle, but Oskar was unsure if she was joking. ¡°Adding on to the name is supposed to carry the accomplishments and pride of the father to the son. As you can imagine, this particular instance is a bit of an embarrassment to the family.¡± Fox paused before continuing. ¡°However, even if we kill the Gryphus in its wounded state, we cannot claim to have done so. It would be an insult to him. Either we ¡®found it dead¡¯ or we must somehow implicate Gram with one M in its death.¡± ¡°So, to be clear¡­ we need to kill the huge bird and then... pretend like we did no such thing and then hope it hasn¡¯t digested Papa Gram¡¯s gear and bones?¡± Oskar asked quizzically. ¡°If they are part of a Gambit, they will drop upon the creature¡¯s death.¡± Fox explained. ¡°It is the way it has always been. Is your world not the same?¡± ¡°When I say we have no magic in my world, I mean we have nothing. No quests, no drops. People can only be looted of things they physically carry on their person, whether that person is dead or alive,¡± he answered. ¡°Odd, I would learn more of your world soon, Oskar. However, we must not leap ahead of ourselves. First, we watch and see if killing it is even possible, if we can do so without being hunted ourselves." She paused, her brows lowered and she caught herself just short of nervously rubbing her hands together and let out a breath. "Yes, ideally, we kill the Gryphus Vulture and take the remains to the Gramm Collective. If Gramm¡¯s quest is for the bones of his father, our path is straightforward. It is said his father had a matching Gear set, however. If it drops, we may need to consider other options. That would be a valuable prize. Possibly even worth abandoning the potential safety of the Gramm Collective.¡± ¡°This might be the worst plan ever, but it''s better than wandering around the desert till Valla nails us down. I guess we¡¯ll find out, won¡¯t we?¡± Oskar said. Chapter 26: A Man Can Dream Chapter 26 In the mornings, they walked until the heat of the day really kicked in, and then Oskar led the group in a meandering path towards a Wayspring to rest. At the Waysprings, Oskar worked relentlessly to get more familiar with Sora. Channeling, pulling, pushing, and in small increments, he saw success. He tried everything he could imagine and then pushed himself to improve it as much as possible. Afterwards, they¡¯d walk until the light of both suns disappeared completely. Oskar and the Kobolds, and Penny of course, would then eat and then talk or occasionally just watch the sky in companionable silence. On one particularly clear night, without even the wispiest of clouds in the sky, Oskar and the Kobolds watched a light moving through the sky slowly. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It is part of the sky. If you watch it long enough, it will disappear.¡± Sure enough, the light flickered off some time later and did not return, leaving Oskar with no answers and for some reason, he felt the tiniest pang of homesickness. Not sick for earth really, but maybe just for a sky that didn''t feel so alien to him. A sky where if something strange happened, or if a UFO popped up¡­ the very next day, the news would just let you know it was an unusually fast-moving weather balloon and there is absolutely no need to panic, Oskar thought with a smirk. After the momentary homesickness faded, the moment simply became a sobering reminder of how little he knew of this world. The only thing he was sure of was that he was woefully under prepared. He wasn¡¯t yet good enough to use Sora in combat, really. He was only just beginning to understand what he was even looking at. Anything tangible just seemed to slip through his fingers the moment he felt like he was on the verge of some revelation. So far, he''d tried to be smart, but they''d mostly won the battle with the Vulk Collective due to Oskar¡¯s ambush putting Falk out of commission at the drop. He couldn''t rely on catching his enemies unaware. All things considered, he was simply too untrained and not yet as strong as he needed to be. And that at least, was something Oskar could do something about. So, he heavily ramped up his spear training with the help of his PUB. It was slow going by necessity since the PUB got much of its energy from the sun. It claimed it could use his magic as well, but not at Oskar''s current level, and Sora wasn''t ideal for it anyhow, whatever that meant. It wouldn''t, or maybe couldn''t, clarify. During training, the PUB would show a misty outline of an enemy attack and then show Oskar options to deal with the attack using the same misty method. The 3D overlay in the Goggles was impressive, and the outlines were even true to the terrain they stood on. He was sure he looked ridiculous, if the looks he got from the chuckling Kobolds were any indicator, but Fox eventually started helping him with things like balance, center of gravity, and foot placement. When she got bored with that, she began throwing things at him while he continued practicing, and he''d try to react fast enough to knock them out of the air or catch them, depending on what she called out. Within a few days, he was able to handle everything she could throw at him, literally. That''s apparently when she deemed him ready for sparring. Sparring mostly consisted of Oskar feeling like he was flailing the butt end of his spear at a ghost he didn''t have a chance at hitting. A ghost that took every opportunity to trip him every time his balance or footing was off. She''d fight back with light wooden sticks that dealt increased emotional damage upon successful hit. He got better, but she was in a class of her own, speed wise. I can''t hit her. She might be half my strength, but it doesn''t matter if I can''t get my hands on her. // She''s got claws, knives, and even sharp teeth if it comes down to it. Not sure what your plan is if you do catch her. // It was a valid point. The training was going well, and now that he felt he had somewhat of a foundation, he began focusing more on specifically training for the potential fight with the Gryphus Vulture. Unfortunately, the PUB had limited data for fighting ¡°big ass birds,¡± so Oskar used a training sim of Gliders throwing spears to further improve his reaction time and agility, and played through his previous fights to help him learn what he could have improved on. There was¡­ a lot to improve on, but Oskar was determined and made more progress. During each sim, after Oskar got the general idea and pace of each fight, the PUB would dial back the energy expenditure and switch to text, offering suggestions or corrections.He noticed on the morning of the fourth day that his increasing speed and agility was being reinforced by Sora, and he finally noticed the tiniest swirls of color that appeared around his body and limbs when he pushed himself and got into the groove of things. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. // Your mastery of Sora is growing quickly. You¡¯re a natural. Spear mastery is improving, too. We need more data, though. // Thanks. I just hope it¡¯ll be enough. // Either way, I¡¯ll get data, just try not to get eaten. You¡¯re starting to grow on me. Then again, that might be even better data. // They¡¯d found a rhythm, and the Wayspring water made it all possible. He needed less sleep, and his muscles recovered in hours instead of days. They hadn''t been in a major hurry once they''d gotten some distance away from the battle with the Hyenamen Gliders, but with the help of Oskar¡¯s PUB, they eventually found their way to where Oskar and Penny had first seen the huge vulture flying overhead. They followed the direction the bird had been flying in for another day until they finally saw the huge beast in the distance for the first time. ¡°That thing is terrifying,¡± Oskar said. Fox and Touwon simply stared at it quietly. It loomed in the distance like a black bird of death, and even from miles away, Oskar wondered at the possibility of them being able to injure, much less kill, the Gryphus Vulture. Oskar forwent his spear training this close to the Gryphus and they camped for the night, but continued his experimentation with Sora. He both hoped and feared that tomorrow would be the day they found the bird¡¯s lair. Sleep was fitful, but eventually Oskar cleared his head enough to rest. Penny snuggled up under his arm, but as soon as the purring started, he forgave her for her rough scales. She was like a puppy made of slate. She was fierce, loyal, and had chosen Oskar as her person. He was grateful. She was almost totally self-sufficient until it came time to sleep, when she made sure to be as close as possible to him. He eventually fell asleep himself with a smile on his face, the looming danger temporarily forgotten. *** For the second time he could remember since he¡¯d arrived on this strange world, he dreamed. At least this time, it wasn¡¯t because he almost got killed to death. He was standing in a storm, leaning into the wind like the embrace of an old friend. He knew the wind, what it wanted, where it was going on a level of intimacy usually reserved for lifelong friends. For the briefest of moments, it flickered in and out of his grasp. The spear felt secure in his hand, and he could feel the rest of the spear against his back, and in this world, it felt like an extension of himself. He didn¡¯t look down, but could feel the buzz of electricity throughout his entire body. Oskar still felt like himself, just again, in tune with the world. He felt the rain, the water in the clouds, like a part of him. He was calling Sora to himself, and it swirled around him like a whirlwind, merging with and then enveloping the rain like it had belonged all along. Clouds were heavy overhead, flickering with lightning, and the wind and rain gained momentum. As the clouds lit up one last time, blindingly bright, lightning flashed down. It crashed through the whirlwind of water and wind around him and he woke up with a start, thunder still ringing in his ears. Fox was watching him from outside the tent when he sat up with a sigh, but then turned away, watching again for danger. Kobolds needed very little sleep, but he still felt guilty allowing them to take over the bulk of watching. He normally only watched for the few hours before dawn while the two Kobolds napped and then packed up the camp. He took some time to pull out the T-handle from his cargo pocket and do some maintenance on his prosthetic. The leg situation is going to need to be addressed soon. It was inevitable, and knowing his luck, it was going to happen all at once. Maybe, by some miracle, a prosthetist existed in this world. // And a rocket surgeon! // Hey, a man can dream. He cleaned the liner, put the leg on, and stood up with a grunt. It was time to find water and then Oskar''s little Collective would continue onward to get eaten by a gigantic bird. All in all, a busy day. A notification popped up. // Gambit Offered: Get eaten by a gigantic bird. Success: I am amused. Data. Failure: You live. // ¡°Honestly? You''re in a mood today,¡± Oskar said out loud and laughed, turning down the Gambit. As much as the PUB¡¯s AI exasperated him, it did at least serve as a welcome distraction, and it had clearly shown itself to be on Oskar¡¯s side. He was getting better at finding water, too. It became less of a meander, and it seemed he knew where to look as opposed to having to roam around for a few hours until he walked close enough to a Wayspring to feel it. That¡¯s a lot of walking for a one-legged guy, after all. There was water nearby, but it took a bit of navigating to get there without running into trouble or walking straight over the dunes- a bad idea if he wanted to avoid the giant snake nest under the sand nearby or getting blown ass over teakettle by the wind trying to climb over one of the taller dunes. The last one definitely hadn¡¯t happened the day before. Nope. Both situations, though, usually ended up with sand everywhere. Everywhere. They¡¯d avoided the nest of those giant viper things, mostly because that meant snakey momma was somewhere nearby. Fox mentioned they were a bad idea to tangle with, and Touwon had nodded. Penny was less enthused about avoiding them. She¡¯d likely never forgive those things. She was a tenacious hunter and would be a terror as she grew. Growth didn¡¯t seem to happen like it did back home. Companions, specifically, Fox had explained, would sometimes grow into adolescence, or evolve overnight if some significant event occurred. Few classes had companions, though. In fact, she only knew of one- some of the scout versions of the wind riders had a class that allowed them bird companions. // Usually carrion, who are usually easier to bait, catch, and tame. // Except the carrion that happen to evolve into airplane-sized predators. // Yeah. Except for those. // Chapter 27: Big (But Not Yellow) Bird Chapter 27 Oskar pulled up the water with help from Touwon and Penny, and they sat in the nervous jitters of pre-battle. They camped about an hour¡¯s walk from the Gryphus Lair, and waited on the creature to return from hunting. When they saw it go overhead, they¡¯d need to be ready to move. From what they¡¯d been able to ascertain, it never stayed in one place long. Even home. They didn¡¯t relax, but stayed ready to move as they hydrated. Oskar¡¯s Wayspring Efficiency kept him topped up, but the water was refreshing, nonetheless. The magic of the Wayspring water was incredible. It reminded him of getting lactated ringer IVs in the Marine Corps, but obviously better. Those things made you feel like a million bucks. But this magic water? I could get used to this. It seemed kind of obvious to enjoy drinking water in a desert, but this stuff was special, and it had been obvious at the first taste. Nearby, Penny shrunk back into the sand, and a feeling of dread suddenly permeated the air. The group slowly laid back against the dune wall and froze as the enormous bird circled overhead. There was a moment where he reconsidered the idea of even attempting to fight this thing, but then the creature came into view. The Gryphus looked so much worse than the last time he¡¯d seen it. In fact, it looked like if it landed, there wasn¡¯t any possible way it could ever lift off again, but the part of him that was finally coming to understand a little about this world knew that it would. Despite the monstrous creature looking rotted through, it still radiated power. This world didn¡¯t work like his world. Well, my old world. For all I know, this is the only world I''ll ever see again. Oskar blinked and exhaled as the creature finally moved out of sight in the general direction of its nest. The group moved wordlessly. The Dorn Collective was as ready is it was going to get with full bellies and waterskins, and they walked silently. According to Fox, he could now keep from sloshing his water like a stupid pink. Oskar took some offense to the pink, not because of the color - pink is awesome - but because he was mixed and usually maintained a respectable tan. Maybe colors were a bit advanced for Crocs. The heat slowly intensified as they walked. Over the next hour, the wind seemed to angle more and more in their direction, and the smell quickly became eye-watering. As they neared, though, even the awful smell took a backseat to their impending battle. The smell and nervousness left a heaviness in his gut that he was having trouble ignoring. Earlier, they¡¯d lightheartedly decided if things went south, they¡¯d all head in different directions and the survivors would meet back at their last water camp. It had been said in jest, mostly, but with the understanding that the directions would be followed. It''s important to have a place to meet up in case we get separated or injured. As the slowest of the bunch, Oskar thought himself the most probable bird food tribute. He was just glad they¡¯d been able to find the bird''s lair. Identical sand dunes and desert super planets with two suns were not on his list of land navigation classes he¡¯d taken in the Corps. The group slowed and got even more careful as they neared the nest. They walked carefully, avoiding the bones of prey that littered the ground more consistently as they walked. As they closed the distance to the opening into the valley, however, they felt a predatory stillness in the air and knew they''d lost any element of surprise. The bird had noticed them somehow. As they turned the corner and peeked into the clearing, Penny dove under the sand. Oskar barely had time to register the larger piles of bone and the opening to a strange cave of some sort before the Gryphus Vulture slammed into the ground where Penny had been, sand flying outward. Unfortunately, they flew outward, too. The sickening, rotting gusts of the wings, silent until after the thing had struck the ground, blew all three of them into a tumble. Adrenaline and imminent danger was the only thing that held the contents of their stomachs in as the smell hit them full on. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Oh wow, oh no. How is this smell even possible?! He thought. It was impossibly bad. Nausea threatened to overwhelm him, complete with a watering mouth and a tightening in his throat. Forcing himself into action, Oskar pulled back his arm to strike, but he was at an awkward angle, and a disgusting thought occurred to him. This thing looks bloated and smells like rot on steroids. What if it pops like a gangrene filled water-balloon? In that brief moment, the Gryphus Vulture was back in the air, circling out of sight. Sand and wind swirled violently in the air behind it, carrying with it the permeating scent of rotted meat and shimmering colors of Sora, but... greasy somehow. Beside him, he saw Touwon slide a hand over the kurang in his opposite hand. It sparked, and the inside of the blade lit up with a flash of blue fire. Unlike Oskar, Touwon didn¡¯t hesitate as the bird swept back overhead. As the kurang launched after the bird, Oskar noticed the resourceful Kobold was wearing a gas mask of sorts. Seriously? Dude can¡¯t share?! Touwon grunted with frustration as the kurang didn''t stick, but went harmlessly through the rotting wing and circled around to return to Touwon¡¯s hand, despite the Kobold having launched himself up the dune after the Gryphus as it again took flight. Oskar threw himself after the bird, feeling the effects of the small amount of control he¡¯d gained over Sora. He was glad his lunges were becoming a little more ¡°lunge-ey¡± in response to his control over the wind improving. There was more maneuverability as well, but he''d focused mainly on speed and power. His current lunge took him a respectable, but unexpected distance, and he barely avoiding spearing headfirst into the dune that sloped upward in front of him. He''d been forced to catch himself as he saw the bird once again disappear over the nearby dune before either of them could react. Fox leaning into the wind further down the crest of the dune, pointing out the Gryphus, who was now circling back around. It leveled out and then dropped enough to disappear below another dune in the distance. ¡°This stupid thing is not gonna give us a clean shot, is it?¡± Oskar yelled to Touwon, who answered him with a withering stare. The Kobold muttered something that Oskar didn¡¯t need translated because he knew it was something like ¡°Did you expect it to?¡± followed by another that word Oskar just knew he was going to want to memorize for future use. Oskar worked to still his thoughts, his eyes on the sky as he waited. He was listening, feeling, and using every sense available to him. His mind was in overdrive as he slowly gazed around, his Goggle¡¯s Battle Mode dimming irrelevant information as it too scanned the area. This time, when the gigantic bird appeared, Fox launched herself upward with what was obviously a skill and connected a cut to the base of its healthier wing, much to Oskar¡¯s surprise. The bird slowed just a moment, giving Touwon a chance to connect with his own attack, and he watched the kurang slam, and stick, into the base of the wing near where Fox had landed her own strike. It didn¡¯t seem to do much damage until the mighty bird flapped its giant wings to escape upward. Flames shot all the way down the healthy wing from the kukri imbedded in it with an audible roar of fire. Oskar stared for a second before the Gryphus let out a piercing scream, twisted in the air and shifted direction to escape. It''s my turn, you big... uh, bird. // Brilliant. Just brilliant. // It flew low and fast in a tight half circle to gather speed as Oskar angled himself up the dune with a scramble and yelled, ¡°No you don¡¯t, you hollow boned pecker!¡± // Better. 6/10. But seriously, be careful. // He launched himself at the beast before it could clear the dune and disappear. Oskar struck spear first with a crash, embedding the spear deep into the Gryphus¡¯ massive chest. Thank God, it didn''t pop. It immediately thrashed about, though, and let out a piercing screech of agony. Oskar winced but kept hold of the spear as the sound shattered through him. His world went white, and warmth soon trickled from his ears, but he held fast, partially on instict. Stupid, dangerous instinct. The scream might not kill him, but the fall certainly would. Now that they were over the dunes, hot winds buffeted him, making it impossible to think straight. It wasn''t a total loss, though; just before the scream busted his eardrums, he heard Touwon yell that word again. It definitely meant what he thought it did. He was sure of it now. As the bird struggled to maintain its climb, Oskar shoved the spear in deeper, both to make sure the bird was going to die and to make sure the spear didn¡¯t come free and dislodge him midair before the job was done. He was hoping some instinct of the bird would make it glide to get away rather than dive to certain death. He was wrong. The bird called out again, a sound Oskar felt more than heard. The bird had activated a skill of some sort, because too sudden to react to, a purple ring of lightning flickered down its body. It launched further into the sky with an incredible burst of speed that lasted a few breathless seconds. The lightning didn¡¯t seem to have any direct effect on him, and Oskar held on for dear life as the Gryphus Vulture rocketed upward until the air became thin. // I distinctly remember telling you to be careful. This isn''t careful at all. // Chapter 28: My Crater Chapter 28 The giant bird slowed, pausing a moment at the apex of its final flight. Time stood still as the Gryphus¡¯ body shivered, tensed up for a long moment and then fully relaxed. It rattled out a putrid final breath and then slowly descended into a death spiral, increasing in speed and rotation as it fell towards the ground far below. Wrenching the spear free, Oskar pushed himself away from the dying bird, and went into a free fall. He pinwheeled his arms in momentary panic before he finally spread out and slowed his descent enough to get his bearings. As he calmed, the swirls of color reappeared and he could again feel Sora enveloping him. He saw the Gryphus Vulture directly below him, still heading straight down. Unlike Oskar, it wasn¡¯t affected by the massive winds that were now pushing Oskar further and further away, possibly due to its speed and size. Doesn''t matter now, I''ve got my own problems. He was so high in the air, he could barely see the valley below him, and the thin air made breathing difficult. He took a long deep breath and he looked around instead. The sky was red and vast before him, and as the winds carried him, he watched the traces of color in the magic below him come and go as he lost altitude. With the increasing wind speed, he suddenly realized he was moving as fast forward as he was falling. That''s worse. I don''t think a combat roll is gonna get me out of this one. If I don''t figure something out fast, I''m going to hit the ground with far more force than necessary to end my brief career as a Doomed Druid Dragoon Dirt Dude or Druidgoon or whatever the hell the PUB called me. The PUB didn''t correct him, maybe because it didn''t want to distract him, but the fact remained that he was likely falling to his death. Oskar''s life had been on a razor¡¯s edge for over a year now with things completely slipping out of his attempts to control it. Here, though, things were simple. Not easy, but straightforward¡­ and it was freeing. A simple problem with two solutions. Gravity wanted to smash him face first into the ground, and if he did nothing, it would do exactly that. Uncaring. Unfeeling. The universe would expand, this huge dying world would continue to turn and burn, and nothing would change. Or¡­ or I could do something about it. I¡¯m not gonna just wait to die. Of course, he never planned on giving up, but the situation seemed impossible, and so he''d found himself in the problem loop instead of the solution loop. And it was impossible, at least by earth rules. This world wasn¡¯t like his world, though. There were people who fought in the skies. Surely people whose classes specialized in air combat had some way to slow their descent. There had to be something he could do related to his growing mastery over the wind that could help him survive this. The view was incredible, and as he finally let go... as he finally truly stopped fighting the wind... something changed. Colors exploded around him. Instead of flickers and flashes of colors, the wind below him now looked like lines of shifting flowing air, almost liquid. Purple and red fingers of light burst through the rare wisps of clouds around him as he fell. All this kinetic energy has to go somewhere. I¡¯ve just gotta find a way to send it there. He closed his eyes to the distracting colors and just let himself feel Sora around him as he breathed deeply in the cooler air. Oskar fell through and tore apart a wispy final cloud and was surprised at how at peace he felt, despite the circumstances. Exhaling, he opened his eyes, wishing he could stay up here forever, and not because he was potentially falling to his death. As the thought occurred to him, the spear hummed in his hand. He had a sneaking suspicion it was his Bracer instead of the spear itself, but the little hint hopefully confirmed his theory. Oskar took in everything around him, more confident now. He belonged here. Not just the wind¡­ the air, the sky. This place just felt right. Unfortunately, as happy as he was up here, he was still falling to his death. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Maybe tomorrow, but today, gravity¡¯s getting the middle finger. Something feral, something reckless inside him he''d forgotten even to himself, beat his heart along a new beat. A grin spread across his face. He didn¡¯t even feel the least bit silly as he enthusiastically raised the middle finger of his right hand and thrust his hand at the ground below with a grin. Erik would laugh his ass off at that. Choice made, he readjusted his spear in both hands, and watched the ground rush towards him. Timing was key. One shot, one opportunity. Mom¡¯s spaghetti. All or nothing. God¡ªhe felt alive. His PUB offered him both a ¡°Meters till Impact¡± and ¡°Estimated Time of Death,¡± but he ignored them both. He took the PUB''s snark as confirmation he was correct, and the tiniest flicker of blue around the edges of his vision acted like a nod. Thanks, pal. A few feet before impact, at the very last second, he thrust his spear downward with everything he had. Oskar felt his speed plummet without the usual vertigo of suddenly slowing down, and he felt energy roll through his body like a shiver and out through his hands. All the momentum of his fall transferred into the thrust of the spear, striking the ground with a thunderous crash he could not hear due to the stupid bird¡¯s piercing cry. Oskar felt the impact reverberate in his chest, though, as the ground parted with the force of his strike, yelling for all he was worth. Not today, baby! Probably tomorrow, but not today. Gasping for air, his chest aching, he stood frozen for a moment, dazed and waiting for the dust and sand to settle. Still grinning, he pulled himself upright and looked around at the sand sloping upward around him in every direction. He was in a deep pit that was slowly filling back up with sand. Carefully, he scrambled out of the hole he had made, feeling the rough, hot sand against his palms. As he inspected his prosthetic and raised his spear to examine for any signs of damage, a series of notifications began flooding in. He stood at the edge of his crater. Gravity zero, Oskar one. And now he had a crater. He wasn¡¯t sure what one did with a crater, but he had one. Oskar pulled up the first of his notifications. // Gambit Failed: Get Eaten by a Huge Bird. You gotta admit, it would have made a funny story. // You know I didn¡¯t accept that Gambit. Oskar couldn¡¯t stop a sigh after the comment, even though he¡¯d not spoken out loud. // Well, I didn¡¯t accept you not accepting it. I figured if you died, you¡¯d at least have completed a Gambit before dying. All joking aside, that was freaking epic. Well done. // Oskar looked around, trying to gather his bearings in relation to his team, but the ringing in his ears was disorienting. The adrenaline and elation he felt shadowed the danger of being alone, though. It was hard to feel in danger after finding out you can survive a fall from space. The physics of this world made no sense to him logically, but some part of him was coming around to it. He was sore from the impact, but probably more from the reverberation than from the impact itself. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the limits of the ability to absorb- or rather transfer kinetic energy. Looking down at the undamaged spear in his hands, he assumed much of the limitation was on the durability of the weapon all that kinetic energy transferred to, which in his case was a basically indestructible divine quality spear, and probably mana. Or capacity, rather. Another thing Oskar had in spades due to his class. Oskar wasn¡¯t always going to have a huge dying bird to give him that kind of height, though, so hopefully he¡¯d be able to find a different way get back up into the sky to really test the spear, his growing skill, and his body¡¯s durability. It was nice to know he had some room to grow without wondering if his spear could hold up. The spear was great, but as he worked through it in his head, it seemed likely the real reason it all worked so well was his capacity. Since his class required him to create his own spells and abilities, it gave him mana based off his Spirit and his Mind Rank instead of one or the other. He didn¡¯t know exactly how much mana he had, but he guessed it was likely most wouldn¡¯t have the capacity for much spell creation. His druid class also gave him the ability to regenerate at least some capacity without having to rely completely on Wayspring water. In a world where Wayspring water was scarcer than ever, his capacity mixed with his regeneration was going to be his strongest asset. Oskar planned on leaning into that heavily as his style and power developed. Oskar¡¯s tendency towards physical combat felt natural to him. Humans were more vulnerable than Crocs or Drakon, or virtually any other desert born species, though, so he couldn''t focus only on attacks. Using the wind for movement in combat came easier as a concept than using the wind as a weapon itself, although he was sure he could eventually learn to use both. He was certain he could find a way to use all the elements in combat, even water if it weren''t so scarce. I need defense. Movement is great, but I need to be able to take a hit. I should probably find out where I landed, too. Oskar reached down to a waterskin, hoping that the healing properties of the water, and swallowing in general, might bring back some of his hearing. Standing beside his crater, he looked around for his friends. Chapter 29: More Than the Wind Chapter 29 He took a long pull from his waterskin, and already, he could feel the tension and aches fading. He¡¯d already found himself spoiled by drinking water from the Waysprings. Fox claimed that prior to meeting Oskar, they¡¯d often supplemented using water that was inside the ball cacti that sporatically dotted the landscape. He¡¯d tried it and spat it out immediately. It tasted like someone had emptied out a can of bug spray and filled it back up with lightly boiled swamp water. Just¡­ disgusting. Wayspring water, on the other hand, tasted like you just finished cutting the grass on a hot summer day, and then somehow walked into a nice hotel and got a whole thermos of fruit infused ice water. It was a subtle taste. A touch of lime with the barest hint of saline, if Oskar had been forced to describe it. He assumed it was a perfect hydration mix, it being magical in nature and all. What¡¯s the point of magic water if it wasn¡¯t basically perfect at its job? Speaking of doing its job, his ears popped and the world seemed to slowly come back into sharp detail as the ringing in his ears faded. He caught movement and turned to see the group running his direction from the site of the battle. Penny kwinned excitedly in the distance as they approached. The Pangolor was in the lead, and was doing a wildly inefficient, but admittedly adorable run with intermittent bounces. He couldn''t help but smile at her. Is she bigger? She''s definitely cute. Even though she was designated as his companion, the only stats he had on her was a general threat level, which despite her natural charisma, placed her as an even threat. Oskar threw up a hand in greeting as she neared, and she slid to a stop for just a brief moment before doing the absolute cutest jump spin and taking off toward him again. She dived into his arms, knocking him back a step as he laughed at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, girl. Are you getting bigger? Holy cow!¡± ¡°Kwinn!¡± she purred, snuggling. She was noticeably heavier now, and he probably couldn¡¯t have held onto her if she¡¯d not wanted to be in his arms, but she settled into a modified version of her sleeping position with her head pressed into the crook of his neck. The Kobolds came into view a moment later, at a half run. Oskar thought they might have been afraid to find him, but Penny was Penny. Fox whispered something as she neared. ¡°Say again?¡± Oskar asked. His PUB sent him a notification: // She said, ¡°You have Bastet¡¯s own luck, human.¡± Or intoned it. She might have intoned it. It was at the very least generated sonically from her speech organs. // ¡°What is the matter with you?¡± // Sorry. That was a strange thing to say. I¡¯m trying out new material. // ¡°I¡¯m fine, I swear.¡± Oskar said. Fox, ever the skeptic, gave him a full walk around before she shook her head and led him back toward where he assumed the bird had crash landed. ¡°Come on, then. We must hurry. If anyone had seen the battle, they might be on their way to loot- or eat- the loser.¡± "I was curious about the cave." "Probably rot and bones, and staying puts us in more danger than it is worth." Knowing the Kobold was right, the group made their way further from the nest as they followed Touwon¡¯s confident gait towards the fallen Gryphus¡¯ crash location. They needn¡¯t have hurried, though. The smell was enough to keep anything but other carrion away, and the Gryphus Vulture had long since driven off or killed most of the competition. The massive bird lay with its neck at an awkward angle, yellowed eyes glassy. Oskar resigned himself and stepped forward into the eye watering smell and laid a hand on the beast to initiate the loot process. Oskar blinked as a set of broken Goggles and a Bracer suddenly appeared in the sand in front of him. They were obviously made for Crocs'' larger, longer heads, but the Bracer wasn''t quite as oddly shaped. The straps and general size were too large for Oskar and far too big for the Kobolds, though. A shimmer went through Oskar as he picked up the PUB set and the Gambit completed. Smaller, no consequence Gambits didn¡¯t seem to cause this effect, so apparently, just like this one, the Gambit Valla had initiated was a big one. // Loot Retrieved: Gram¡¯s Damaged Goggles - Designation NBR If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Gram¡¯s Damaged Bracer Unit - Designation NBR Gambit Completed: Defeat the Gryphus Vulture and retrieve Gram¡¯s gear. Reward: Potential entry into the Gramm Collective Greater Gryphus Insight Gem Oh snap. This is good stuff, broken or not. // ¡°It¡¯s a matching set, but it says it''s damaged.¡± Touwon¡¯s eyes widened, and he rushed over with his hands out to see, and Oskar happily handed over the gear with a wink at Fox, who smiled good-naturedly. Touwon was already in his own world as Oskar picked up and inspected a Gem, filled with swirling blue color. What is this? // Ok, so sometimes when you get Insight, you get it in the form of a temporary Gem so you can absorb it at your own pace. This can happen if you¡¯re in a dangerous situation or if it¡¯s a major fight that you can learn from. Sometimes it''s the idea for a skill or something, but this one looks like an Echo gem that''s fully compatible. A lot of inspiration can take a long time to process if your compatibility is low. What this is doing is taking all that information you¡¯ve absorbed through the fight and even some of the potential of what you were fighting, and merging everything you could have learned over time into a moments of inspiration by Echoing the battle. It recreates the battle you fought to earn the Gem by playing echoes of it in your head, so it¡¯s just like you¡¯re right back on the battlefield. It¡¯s the small details in those Echos, though, those tiny differences between success and failure, that trigger the inspiration. The magic that coursed through the creature¡¯s veins was built, grown, and created over its entire life, and some of what it was created this upon its death, so the echos represent realistic reactions as they come from the creatures own brain and survival instincts. A greater Gem is rare. Because it¡¯s your highest affinity, because of your druid class, because you dealt the killing blow... as well as your crazy brain loving the sky so much, this Gem is perfect for you. But, as Fox would say, let me tell you a truth: It''s up to you to learn. The magic won''t last forever. Get what you can out of this. Greater Insight Gem- Sora- Compatibility 100% // ¡°Is this going to hurt me or take a while?¡± // Not this one. Anyone could absorb this, but it would be all but wasted on someone with a low affinity. Imagine trying to learn useful things from your class from a fight you didn''t fight in, in a body that isn''t yours. Like I said, this one is perfect for you. Absorb now? Yes/No // He gave Fox the rundown on what was happening, expecting her to balk at the delay, but surprisingly she gave him a firm nod. "We will need every advantage. Do it, we will guard you." Okay, then, lets do this. // Inspiration Absorption Initiated. // His vision flashed, and he felt his body falling to the sand as the Inspiration began. // Oh, you probably should have sat down. My bad. // Adrenaline surged through his body as he suddenly was facing the Gryphus Vulture just as it smashed down, knocking them away again. This time, Fox was knocked heavily into the dune instead of recovering instantly, and he''d been forced to distract the huge bird to give her time to recover. If this had happened in the actual fight, before his time in the air showed him what Sora was capable of, he would have died right there. This time, though, the swirl of colors gathering behind the incoming wing swipe gave him time to dodge. Not completely, but enough to survive. Eventually, the fight ended much the same as it did the first time. This time, however, his time in the sky was peaceful. Thankfully, it allowed him again to use the kinetic transfer before it started over. He fought the bird, again and again. Sometimes it was quick, sometimes it was a drawn out affair. They weren''t all successful. In one fight, he was killed at the very beginning due to the bird landing on him instead of where Penny had dived under the sand, and so, he learned. As he felt like he perfected parts of the fight, they no longer appeared. To his disappointment, after the fifth successful kill, the fight ended just after the purple ring and the bird''s final death throes. After he learned to anticipate the move by jumping away in the air, and then using Sora to nudge him back to the bird, the echos tightened to the initial contact and his launch onto the Gryphus Vulture''s back. He''d only missed completely once, and that had ended that particular echo when he flew out of range of the right completely. He eventually felt comfortable, though and that too disappeared. He never quite got comfortable with his on ground offense against the bird, but he got better at anticipating and dodging its attacks. After what felt like a hundred battles, though, it was over. He was exhausted, overwhelmed, but exhilarated. His every thought and movement now took things into account subconsciously that would have taken all his attention before. Oskar knew that although Sora wasn''t quite at his beck and call, it was getting closer. There was a lot more complexity than he''d even imagined. For one, the colors in the sky did not just represent the amount of Sora in the air, or the wind speed and direction he thought it did. There were other things at play that were beginning to tug at his subconscious. The PUB was flashing at him, so he checked the notifications, which confirmed what he now suspected. // Sora Insight¨C Threshold reached. You''re getting it now. You¡¯ve seen the wind for what it is- just a part of the whole. Sora is The Magic Above. All of it. Knowing the words and learning the difference changes everything. Thinking Sora is only the wind is an absurd oversimplification. It''s like thinking of Penny as only one of her scales. Sora is every element you can find above the earth; you get that now. Even more importantly... you''re privy to a secret most never even know exists: Concepts. Concepts like Gravity and Atmosphere are starting to make more and more sense. It¡¯s all uphill from here. Or downhill. Wait, why is it called uphill when things are getting harder, and downhill when things are getting worse or falling apart? What do you say when things are gonna get better? This ain''t it, but I''m just curious. Isn¡¯t walking downhill easier? Well, I can¡¯t tell up from down, but you¡¯re learning to use more than just wind. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. // Oskar smiled at the PUB, but was still processing everything he''d just learned. Every time I learn anything, it just creates another head on the ol curiosity Hydra. // What is a curiosity hydra? That sounds terrifying. // Just a joke. Like cutting off the head of a hydra, you answer one question and two more pop up? // Have you always been this bad at naming stuff? // Chapter 30: Pangolor Party and Destination in Sight Chapter 30 // Have you always been this bad an naming stuff? // No... maybe. // I''m letting you off the hook because I need to apologize. You miiight remember you got an uncommon Insight gem from the Snake fight where you met Penny. I didn''t have the energy back then to instruct you properly, so I was saving energy to stop you if you figured it out on your own. It wasn''t super compatible with you, anyway, so I didn''t want it to influence your path that early. It''s in the inside of your leather jacket pocket, if you''re wondering. // I had no idea what that was. I remember reading insight gem, but honestly, I just thought it was a pretty rock. // Uncommon Insight Gem- ????? - Compatibility 34% // Okay, I understand why you didn''t want me using it. // It might have hurt, and you had no foundation, so... you might have spent a real life hour in that thing reinforcing some really bad habits that only worked because the snake was already so injured. Being out of commission for an hour alone made it a bad idea. Compatibility and quality drastically speed up the process. Took you less than a minute for that Greater with 100% compatibility. You could offer it to Penny. // That''s where her mom died. I don''t know if that''s a good idea. // Good point, she''s wicket smart. Smart enough that might really effect her. Almost as much as your smell. // Oskar watched Penny preen in the sun a moment, and then turned to check on everyone. He was exhausted, but Fox was finally showing her impatience. Touwon was still staring at the Gear set in his hands, and looked on the verge of plopping down and setting up shop right there. Before he could fully absorb himself and settle down, though, Fox grabbed his arm and began pulled him along. ¡°We have got to keep moving. Come.¡± They talked a little about what Oskar had learned while Touwon turned the devices over in his hands as he walked. Oskar tried to walk him into a cactus a few times, but he absentmindedly stepped over and around every obstacle Oskar and Fox tried to lead him into. They were chortling with every near miss, and Touwon didn¡¯t so much as glance up from the broken Goggles and Bracer. Touwon eventually ran out of things he could visually learn and stored the two still damaged devices in his pack. Oskar could tell from one irritated glance that Touwon was more aware of their teasing than he¡¯d appeared during their trek. Oskar bowed his head in apology and kept walking. The group made their way as far from the fallen Gryphus Vulture as possible, but they feared the smell would follow them forever. The heat felt like it baked the smell of rot onto them like a greasy layer of hardening clay. After their shenanigans, the group walked in relative silence until he narrowed in on a Wayspring. Oskar tried not to breathe through his mouth so he wouldn¡¯t taste the awful smell of himself. The group prepared to settle down for the night, but they were literally and figuratively desperate to wash themselves. Luckily, Wayspring water was useful for more than drinking. So, one at a time, Penny escorted them a short distance from camp with enough waterskins to get clean. Oskar himself used what felt like an obscene amount of water to clean himself. As the first sun dipped below the dunes, he was still rubbing sand on himself and then used the Wayspring water and a rock he¡¯d been lucky enough to find, to scrape himself clean. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in a place where rocks are hard to find. After half an hour, he realized the smell, as strong as it was, was all but gone. What remained was mostly a pungent memory he was having trouble letting go of. The moment they¡¯d settled down for the night, Touwon again pulled out the Gear set. Fox had to splash the Kobold to get him to stop messing with it. Eventually, he shoved the Gear, still far from serviceable, in his bag with a resigned sigh. He said something to Fox that she wouldn¡¯t translate directly, because it likely had more Kobold words Oskar wanted to learn, but she explained that it basically meant he didn¡¯t have the tools or knowledge to repair the set. Touwon cleaned himself using a comb and water as Oskar began preparing something to eat. Fox kept a lookout with Penny at her side nearby. After Oskar choked down what little food he could, he took over for Fox near the top of the dune. His hearing had healed completely as they¡¯d walked, and instead of walking down to the campsite, Fox lingered up top, and they talked. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Oskar better explained what happened up in the air with the bird and the ensuing Echoes from the Gem. After she''d asked at least one question per Echo, they sat in silence for a bit. ¡°Your trust of the magic both empowers you and puts you in danger,¡± Fox finally said, shaking her head. He shrugged in response and said, ¡°Magic is new to me, and because it¡¯s so foreign to me, I see it in everything. What is normal to you doesn¡¯t follow what I know of physics... or anything, really. So like I said, I see magic everywhere. I can see magic in the way you move when you fight. I see it when Touwon throws his Kukri-rang things. Penny diving into the sand like it¡¯s a pool of water.¡± Fox sat, looking up at the sky thoughtfully as they¡¯d walked. ¡°It''s all magic,¡± Oskar continued. ¡°In my mind, the only limit to magic is my failure to understand it.¡± With a moment of focus, he tried to envelop himself in Sora like he had in the air, with limited success. The effect was noticeable, but it was harder when he wasn''t airborn. The limitation felt like it was in him, though. The ground was just another thing to overcome. The magic should still work here. Undiscouraged, he pointed at the admittedly small amount of air and sand swirling around him. ¡°My mastery of Sora is growing. I can tell a difference, especially after today. But, every night, I fall asleep meditating on it. I feel like it¡¯s whispering its secrets to me, and I¡¯m starting to pick up some of the words.¡± Oskar felt silly putting it that way, but he didn¡¯t know a better way to explain it. However, Fox just nodded, deep in thought. Had even she forgotten the magic in their everyday lives? I hope I never take it for granted myself. Now, sitting near the top of the dune with Penny snuggled in his lap, he looked out, watching the swirls of color overhead. He was still paying attention to the world around him, but even here on the ground, the sky was calling to him, still whispering its secrets to him. So, he listened. The days passed as they made their way towards the Great Collective. Touwon had completely given up on the Gear set, which was probably for the best considering they were likely going to hand it over to Gramm when they arrived. Fox had been quiet for a day or so, possibly thinking about what she and Oskar had spoken about. The magic of the world was all around them, and perhaps she had forgotten to look for it. Forgotten that she could even see it. Afterwards, though, she was back to her old self- just in a better mood. It¡¯s nice to remember the magic we saw as children when the harsh struggles of adulthood work so diligently to bleed it away. Oskar followed Fox and Touwon during the day. He trusted them to take him where they needed to go as he worked constantly on his mastery of Sora. Strangely, when the water was in the open air, he could pull on it, even splashing Fox with a stream of water. She laughed and chased him, pouring an entire waterskin over his head, which devolved into him completely dousing her over the next few minutes while Penny and Touwon looked at them like they were crazy. But the laughter was important. It was needed. The other important thing was that he could now learn to use water when it was in the open air. Below ground, however, there was still something blocking his ability to manipulate it. He could feel it, obviously, along with all the little living things around him, just fine, but it felt like he was missing some part of the magic. Some idea he hadn''t yet wrapped his tired mind around. Or maybe it''s a Concept. One very special day, a family of Pangolors cautiously approached the group in the early morning hours before the heat got awful, hoping for a chance at the Wayspring the group had slept at the night before. It saddened Oskar how long it took Penny to warm up to them, but it wasn¡¯t long before the three cubs were jumping all over Penny as she playfully defended herself from the assault. They¡¯d played for a few hours while the group just waited patiently. It seemed important to allow her some time with her own species. Penny even took them ¡°hunting,¡± while the mother waited nearby, alert, as Penny and the cubs dug up every living thing within 50 yards of the Wayspring. They all waddled back, napped for a bit, and after a time, snuggled a goodbye and waddled off, bellies still full. The mother had bowed her head to the group in thanks, again surprising Oskar at their intelligence. Interestingly, watching four little Pangolors diving in and out of the sand so casually triggered an inspiration that finally helped Oskar breakthrough his inability to manipulate water under the earth. // Inspiration- ?????, the Magic Below Unlocked Took you long enough. Now let¡¯s work on getting that mastery up so you can learn the name. Names have power. It¡¯s all connected! I mean, even if I said the words, you needed to REALIZE it for yourself. The earth isn¡¯t a barrier for magic, it¡¯s just another path. Physical things aren¡¯t a barrier at all. The only thing that stops magic is more magic, especially ??????, The Magic Within. Ok, I know names have power and I can¡¯t just give you the answer, but it¡¯s so dumb that it gets redacted when it¡¯s just another word for a soul. // What¡¯s a soul? // SERIOUSLY?! Uh¡­ that ethereal part of you that some attribute to a higher power. // You mean consciousness? // No, you numbskull. // ¡°Uh, ego? Id?¡± // Ok, you¡¯re screwing with me. // Took you long enough. Is your processor overheating? Even your threats have been weak lately. // If I ever get a body, I¡¯m gonna make you headbutt yourself in the throat. // Oskar laughed at that one. It felt strange calling the AI ¡°PUB¡± all the time, but every time he brought up naming it, the PUB became deadly serious and said no. // Names should be earned, not given. And among us, a name was earned in service. Despite there being no one left to officially name me, there has already been too much lost to just ignore the past. Even I¡¯m not exactly sure why, but it''s just wrong. Besides, I don¡¯t need a name to know you love me. I¡¯m all you think about. // Just because you can read my thoughts doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m always thinking about you, Oskar replied with a smirk. // I can dream. // Does AI Dream of Electric Pangolors? // Boy, is that a stretch of a reference. // Yeeeeah, but it was worth a try. The day after the Pangolor party, around mid-day, Touwon pointed in the distance, and said the first word Oskar had ever understood him saying. And the Kobold said it clear as day. ¡°Gramm.¡± Chapter 31: Kang the Clinker Chapter 31 It took Oskar a few moments of staring into the distance for the shape to materialize from the heat on the horizon, revealing the first set of cliffs he had ever seen in this world. However, within a few minutes of walking, the tall, flat plateau disappeared behind the dunes ahead. When they gauged they were a half day¡¯s walk away, they searched around and found a Wayspring, and then set up a two person watch for the first time. Oskar climbed up between the streamers of sand and realized he could feel textures in the streamers. He stared at them, and didn''t see anything but the same, smooth, thin ribbons of sand blowing off the dunes overhead. How does it feel like something and look like something else? Is the physical and magical separate? Is this The Magic Below? The PUB was silent, which was its strange way of helping affirm his ideas while carefully following whatever strange laws or rules it was beholden to. The fact remained though, that he was feeling geometric shapes that he wasn''t seeing with his eyes. It reminded him of a science class he''d taken in high school where his teacher, a serious, but good hearted teacher named Mr. Ameye played music through a speaker with a metal plate on top of it. He''d surprised the entire class by choosing "I''m Shipping Up To Boston" by Dropkick Murphys, and as the song began, he poured salt on top of the plate. Immediately, geometric shapes appeared in the salt due to the resonance and vibration, and it had been fascinating, even then. He''d impressed Oskar with the music choice, though, and maybe that''s the reason why the lesson stuck. Watching the streamers of sand, still flowing overhead as smooth as liquid, he realized the shapes dancing in his subconscious reminded him of seeing Sora''s colors in the wind currents above. They weren''t physically there, at least not in the normal sense. Another reminder that magic was everywhere, even in what this world¡¯s inhabitants considered mundane. He made his way up the sand to study plateau where the Gramm Collective, and all the clinger on Collectives that relied on them, made their home. When he reached the top of the dune, he saw the edge of a flat rock plateau above them in the distance was silhouetted by the slowly setting red sun. The sky was getting more and more purple as the setting red sun slowly fell between a V shaped split in the cliffs that towered above the flat rock where the Great Collective lived. In the more gentle lighting, he could just see colored banners dotting the descending switchbacks on the far side, almost out of sight. Apparently, there was a path that led up the series of switchbacks with dots of what Fox claimed were the Clinker tents. The Clinkers were the groups of people made up the not quite outcasts of all species that made up this world. They lived outside the Collective proper, but traded with those within for water and food, and occasionally, took- and wore- trophies from those who were unfortunate enough to travel through the camp without sufficient influence or protection. "Thus, the name Clinkers. They wear the trophies, and the things they have taken ''clink.''" Oskar smiled at the image, and Fox smiled as well, shaking her head. The Kobolds didn''t seem to have any strong feelings about what Oskar had deduced were basically sand pirates. He asked her why, and she said some of the Clinkers had helped her and Touwon with water and food when Vulk had first captured them. "I would not call them evil. I have rarely heard of them putting anyone in the position of certain death without cause. But, people are people. That is a truth, there are good and bad." They''d sat in companionable silence for a bit, and he decided to go over his physical stats; he was pleasantly surprised to see everything had grown.
Mind F Peak Rank
Body F+ Rank
Spirit F Peak Rank
He didn''t know what it was going to take to break through to the D ranks, but he was curious if it would represent a jump in power, or was it a smoother progression. Fox explained to him that every species was different. A Kobold with a D Rank body would not be as strong as a Crocodilian with the same, but might be much faster or longer winded. "For Kobolds, there was a noticable jump in power, but I cannot speak for humans. Sadly, any who grow too quickly in power have been captured or killed. It is very important that you keep that metal foot of yours hidden and try to mitigate the attention you''re already bound to get as a human." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Fox pulled out a comb and started some general self care, but after a few minutes, she stood to walk the perimeter with Penny, who could communicate to Oskar if something happened to Fox as well as communicate to Fox if Oskar found something. The night plan was, one person on watch in the direction of the Collective, one person-or pangolin- walking the perimeter. So after the initial walk around with Fox, Penny came back, and Fox went to take a short nap after eating the food Touwon made for the group. The meat was a little spicier than normal, which probably meant it was one of the slender red and brown lizards. Or a new one that I''m allergic to, Oskar smirked. More reptile meat, but there are so many different kinds that it hasn''t quite gotten old yet. Fox and Touwon relieved him and the hard working pangolor a little after midnight, and Oskar climbed in the tent and stretched out, thinking it might not be a good idea to stay up and practice his magic without knowing if it could be detected somehow. Fox herself didn''t know what was possible with his type of magic, so they''d decided to play it safe considering the long, probably dangerous day ahead. Sleep was fitful. Oskar was distracted by being able to feel, but not interact with the magic he could feel the ground below. It felt like a lattice work of slowly shifting patterns he could almost interact with. The Dorn Collective woke early to make their way the rest of the way to the Great Collective. Penny nuzzled a sweet goodbye to everyone, and reluctantly stayed back after Oskar promised that he''d play with her a bunch to make up for it when they made it back out. The walk was quiet. An hour out, Penny nuzzled Oskar and disappeared under the sand. They made the final turn through the dunes, and the path opened before them. The Clinker tents, and the colorful streamers blowing from them stood out against the tan of the desert, and they continued onward without a word. *** They all settled into a slower more careful walk as they closed in on the Great Collective. The sounds of what passed for civilization on this planet seemed out of place to Oskar. Along with voices and laughter, he heard wind chimes and bells tinkling in the wind. Yet, despite the nervous excitement of walking into his first on world village, though, his mood darkened considerably as they drew close. He was trying to keep the image of the rumored human pet the Great Collective had from having his brother¡¯s face in his mind, not sure exactly what he wanted. If it''s him, he''s enslaved, and there''s likely nothing we can do to free him without a suicidal attack. If it''s not, I''ve got nothing to go on. No other hints as to where I might find him. Still though... older, gray. Small. The description just didn¡¯t fit. Erik was taller and heavier than him, standing six foot three and outweighed Oskar by thirty pounds of mostly muscle. Even though the description made it unlikely bordering on impossible, slavery in general just pissed him off. His goal was to make contact without getting everyone trapped or killed, but as they neared the outskirts of the Collective, there were already eyes on them. The Collective proper was supposed to be a neutral zone. And even though Fox had explained they''d previously gotten along with the Clinkers, she did admit some still called the area ¡°No Kobold¡¯s Land.¡± It didn¡¯t quite roll off the tongue as well as the human version, but Oskar got the point. He wasn''t entirely sure if it was his mood and anxiousness, or the heat alone, but Oskar''s entire back was drenched in sweat by the time they cleared the side of the cliffs on their way around to the bottom of the path leading to the Collective proper. He took in the area and its inhabitants as they drew nearer. There were well worn, not quite natural stone steps along the path upward. Visible swirls of the stone''s red and brown shown beneath the sand that was still everywhere. The Clinkers themselves were a motley crew of Crocs, Hyenas, and Kobolds. They were covered in hollow carvings, rings, colorful strips of clothing, and filled the entrance to the path upward. They took pride in their thievery and wore trophies were apparently part of a Clinker culture war. Even some curious, smaller children of all three races lingered nearby, shiny little rocks tied to their tunics in their own imitation of the Clinker trophies. Their obnoxiously colored tents peppered the winding path towards the entrance to the Great Collective proper, and here, Oskar could hear the clashing of wind chimes, crafted with wood, metal, and even a few shells somehow from what Fox explained. The brightest colors and the largest and loudest chimes were on what were purportedly the leader¡¯s tents. Predictably, the more brutish of the Clinkers accosted them just outside the path that led upwards. A gaggle of goons clinked up with far more confidence than they should have had, covered in their trinket trophies. The leader wasn¡¯t obvious because he was only slightly less goonish than his followers, but as he spoke, the smirk on his Crocodilian face made Oskar want to cut his tail off and hit him in the face with it. ¡°I¡¯m Kang. Boss here. What¡¯s we got here? Two stinks and a pink?¡± He giggled at his own joke, one Oskar had already heard from Vulk, and belatedly, the goons joined in. Oskar turned to face the Croc directly, holding his spear in a tight, ready grip. ¡°Kang, I love the aesthetic, but I promise you don¡¯t wanna do this. I¡¯m literally looking forward to you saying something stupid here. I¡¯m so ready to beat on you that I''m impatient to get started. So¡­ by all means, please continue with the bluster and jokes.¡± Oskar spoke the words evenly, and his dark mood and calm demeanor gave them pause, human or not. Kang stared at him, caught off balance by his confidence. "Smarter than you look." No one attempted to stop them when they walked past Kang a moment later. Fox looked impressed, and even Touwon gave him side eye. Fox laughed when Kang yelled after them, ¡°You not worth it!¡± Oskar spun around and lunged at the leader with the briefest help from Sora. The Croc scrambled backwards at the unexpected lunge so fast he stepped on his own tail and fell with a grunt. His beady eyes wide at Oskar¡¯s speed, but Oskar and the group were already halfway to the first switchback. No other Clinkers made the attempt, but to their credit, he heard some laughs at Kang''s expense. That was stupid, my leg almost came off. // I mean, yeah, but it would have been funny. Good news is, though, you''re gonna get more chances. We aren''t at the top yet. // Chapter 32: Boss-Boss Orders Chapter 32 They walked the switchbacks warily, but it seemed the majority of the Clinkers were just people trying to stay alive. They''d even gotten an appreciative nod from an older Croc lady who''d seen their interaction with Kang below. "Kang not bad. Just bluster. Young and proud. Now just young." She cackled at her own joke, and even Oskar felt his mood shift temporarily for the better. It''s good to know not all the Crocs we run into are looking for a fight. // Well, Crocs are physically dominant. It''s what has kept them alive for so long, so they''re gonna lean into their strengths like anyone. Kobolds are smart, Hyena-people are hard working, tough, and pretty reliably work for whoever is in charge. Crocs are strong, and orderly. Humans are adaptable and potentially powerful, but rarely do any thrive, unfortunately. Drakon are more mysterious, and are, from what I remember, a dangerous combination of smarts and strength. But, they keep secrets even from one another. If they were as tight-knit as the other species, they''d be dangerous indeed. There was at least one other species I had records of previously, but I have access to almost nothing right now since there is no global network anymore. But people are people, so you can''t rely on this information as rules. There are smart Crocs, dumb Kobolds, and guileless Drakon, and at least one human I''m pretty sure is a stupid pink. // Hey! I''m not that pink anymore. I''ve got a little bit of a tan going now. The path revealed some pretty interesting things that, as always, caused more questions than answers. The higher they climbed, the fewer children there were, and by the time they hit the last three switchbacks, there were none at all. No local humans at all, either, but Oskar expected that. Fox said there used to be an old human that traveled between some of the Collectives, and even visited the Kobolds when she was very small, but she barely had any memories of her at all. As usual, Touwon added nothing. There were very few Kobolds, as well, and the ones they''d seen had steered well clear of the group as they traveled upward. Fox was wary, but mentioned that could just mean the Crocs were being especially nasty, and one thing that was would be sure to make things worse was Kobolds appearing to "collaborate or consort" with other Kobolds. "Big words for Crocs." She gave him a look, but said, "Words the Crocodillian may have trouble saying, but that they very much understand the meaning of." Oskar nodded, but kept a lookout as they drew closer to the top of the path. Finally, the thing that had been nagging at him became clear; the rambunctiousness and life that had been present at the bottom of the path was all but gone by the time they neared the carefully stacked rock pillars and the archway carved into the cliff wall that made up the entryway. There were fewer tents at the top, but that wasn''t all of it. There was no chatter or laughter coming out of the Collective, just the sounds of people working and the too reserved calls of merchants inside. They were close enough now to see the single guard staring at them. He was a bulky, green Croc, holding his oblong shield and hammer lazily. He was standing back into the entryway a few steps, and even though he watched them suspiciously, he looked more bored than anything. As they walked toward the opening, they felt the full brunt of the wind coming from what would have been the west on earth, and Oskar understood why the guard stayed in the entryway. Bored or not, the guard did eye Touwon''s bag as they walked through the stacked stone pillars, but didn''t stop them. The archway opened into a large, flat area dotted with a few dozen tents lined up in mostly orderly rows. The entire thing was partially protected from the wind by a red cliff face that encircled the collective, broken only by the V-shaped opening on the east side that so beautifully hid the red sun the night before and a section of open sky to the west where the suns would eventually set. A stone stairway with steps too small to be ideal for the large Drakon and Crocodilian rose up to the V opening to a smaller platform above. If they''d had someone with an eyeglass of some sort and looked out from the V, they might have been able to see us. Good thing Touwon was smart enough to hide the fire. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The entire set up made sense when he felt the wind blowing steadily through the flat opening. No one was standing out under the suns, but it was likely borderline comfortable under a tent at night. Oskar was mostly distracted by the hulking, robed figures, even larger than the Crocs, that stood sporadically around the marketplace. They were massive and watching the small crowds with fiery, predatory eyes. Fox had warned him about the Drakon, but seeing them up close was humbling, for lack of a better word. The green and gray scales that covered their bodies were not uniform at all. It was as of they were put together by hand with volcanic stones. Oskar could hear their long talons clicking on the red streaked stone rock that made up the ground of the Great Collective. They eyed the group suspiciously, which set Oskar¡¯s nerves on edge until he realized they were staring at everyone suspiciously. Oskar imagined their thick scales would sound like rocks clacking together if they tried to move fast, but each one he saw was still or moving slowly, as if their only purpose was to watch. Thin robes hung loosely over their imposing frames. It looked to Oskar as if color were a rank or class identifier of some sort, and they ranged from darker shades of black and grey into varying shades of purple. Menacing, clawed, slab-like hands protruded from their sleeves. The vendors, for their part, pretended the colossal figures didn¡¯t exist. They vendors were mostly Hyenas with a few Crocs, and they hawked their wares to Hyena, Crocs, and even the rare Kobold, but their eyes slid over and through the robed figures, smoothly making it a point to not draw their attention. It saddened Oskar to see that, just like outside, the few Kobolds they saw were working overtime to pretend Fox and Touwon, as well as the Drakon, didn¡¯t exist. This was made even more difficult by their having to move out of the way of both, as Oskar and his friends walked through the marketplace. The one time a Drakon approached a booth, though, every other prospective customer suddenly had important business in every other direction, and the food vendor, a Hyena-man in this case, gave him his undivided but deferential attention. The Drakon walked away with a prepackaged bundle of foodstuffs after briefly inspecting it. He carried the package into a large tent with slits in it. The slits rippled softly in the steady wind, obviously allowing airflow, but didn¡¯t allow visibility from the outside, at least from this distance. A minute after the Drakon walked into the tent, a handful of other Drakon walked out and meandered to obviously prearranged locations. A like number of Drakon from the crowd made their way towards the tent to, Oskar assumed, eat. Who¡¯s even in charge here? The Drakon don¡¯t seem to be openly running things, but it¡¯s obvious they have influence. Everyone was acting like a whipped dog, and it made Oskar sick to see so many people scared to even smile. ¡°How can people live like this?¡± Oskar whispered to Fox as they tried¡­ and failed to not stand out, simply because they weren¡¯t walking around broken spirited like everyone else. There were zero signs of familiarity between the vendors. No friendly banter. The whole place felt seedy. Contrived. He wouldn¡¯t trust a single vendor in the place. Oskar noticed a series of small caves on the cliff face, and larger caves carved into the cliffs on the floor level that looked to be homes. Their openings were covered with slits of long sheer cloth that blew steadily in the wind, blowing around the edge of the cliff and through the V split. Somehow, perhaps blowing through the caves, the wind caused a constant, low, whistling noise. It wasn¡¯t sharp, loud, or annoying, so he imagined it would be easy to get used to. Looking around, Oskar saw that basically every vendor was selling food or cloth. There was a strangely colored Hyena with intelligent, green eyes that called out in a low voice that they did repair work on armor, but she turned her dark red head away from them and looked quite busy facing the other way as they walked by. Fox avoided her gaze as well, though. Odd, that. I feel like asking questions about it might not be worth hurting Fox, but I feel like I''m not getting the full story on something important. The streaks of red through the stone were the only splashes of color on the rock platform until the cave pocked curved wall that surrounded the center. The air just off center of the platform was the worst. It was hot and stagnant, but occasionally a breeze came through when it wasn¡¯t being blocked by the Crocs or Drakon who looked to be purposefully hogging it. The nicer stalls seemed to be around the fringes, closer to the homes, or directly between the V and the opening where the breeze was steady and cooler than the still air. Not nearly as cool as what he¡¯d felt above the clouds, though. I¡¯d do anything to have the power to go there at will. He was more motivated than ever to master Sora and the Magic Below. He''d felt the magic coursing through the ground below, he just didn''t know what to do with it yet. I''m gonna figure it out, though, just like I did Sora. Fox pulled him along to a tent in the more stagnant area, but when they arrived, there was no one there. A nervous cackle behind them was followed by a low whisper. "No more Kobold vendors. Boss-Boss orders." The Hyena grinned at them, and Oskar heard Fox curse beside him. Chapter 33: A Change of Plan Turning from the Hyena, Oskar looked to Fox, who was staring up at the sky. "Bastet''s mangy flank. We are in a spot." She started walking, ignoring the Hyenaman grinning behind them, and pulled Oskar along behind her. "Something has happened, and everyone I could trust to find out what is in hiding, at best." "Anything like this happen before?" "Not in recent memory. Any trading as a Kobold has its own risks, and Gramm has been known to shut them down for a day or so as a power play of sorts, but this is different. Never have I seen so few Kobolds about. That is a truth. The most I can hope for is that they are in hiding from an unusually dark mood." *** A few minutes later, they were standing, mostly hidden from view, behind a tent as Fox slipped between the slits. Oskar slunk down as much as he could without it looking obvious, and pulled his scarf up over his head. It was dusty enough at this point that the checkered patters wasn''t noticeable unless you were closer, especially to the beady eyes of the Crocs, which seemed to see everything that moved, just not very well. At least during the daytime. I have no desire to fight Crocs at night. Or anyone, really. Some nights here are dark dark. There were a few brighter stars in the sky that helped, but nothing approaching the Earth''s moon. His thoughts were interrupted by the whispered argument inside the tent, but after a minute, Fox walked out of the slit, and Oskar caught a glimpse of dark red fur and green eyes glaring at Fox''s back. Like before, Fox grabbed Oskar''s sleeve and pulled him along. This time, though, she made her way casually through the tents closer to the edge of the cliffs where Oskar could see through some of the sheer curtains covering the small caves that dotted the rock surrounding the marketplace. Most seemed empty, but he saw more than one pair of eyes looking outward, but each set of eyes seemed to look away when he glanced their way. Fox pushed him in front of her and Touwon, and suddenly, he almost lost all track of her and Touwon. They didn''t so much disappear, more that they seemed "less interesting" than anything else around him. He had trouble focusing on the Kobolds for more than a passing thought. Before he could begin to argue, though, he was forced to duck or knock his head on a low opening as he was all but shoved into one of the caves. Fox didn''t let up until he was cramped into the back of the cave with Touwon, where he noticed there were small corridors that led from opening to opening. I hope I don''t have to go through those, I''m as like as not to get stuck. His PUB sent a flicker of blue that was as close as it was probably going to picking on Oskar with so many unknown classes and skills nearby, but he couldn''t help but defend himself. I''m not fat. I''ve walked more since I got here than I think I did in the whole year before. Fox was suddenly in front of him, giving him the intergalactic sign language for "shhh!" with one of her claw tipped fingers. His smirk died on his face and he nodded. Just outside, a trio of Crocs walked by, obviously confused, but stared at the cave openings nearby before one of them shrugged and they turned around and left. So, sounds like curiosity more than we were specifically being hunted. After a long moment, Touwon handed out food and Oskar ate. He felt outward for Penny, but didn''t feel anything other than she was alive. Stay safe, girl. Oskar''s Goggles helped with the night-vision some, but he gave it permission to stop after it was clear there was nothing to see. They laid out cots and listened to the sound of the whistling wind, blowing through and cooling the cramped cave system in the cliff walls. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. This place is clearly not Croc-made. Not only is everything too small... its too well engineered. Well, unless they have a real knack for building stuff and a terrible case of body dismorphia, because unless I miss my guess, it''s all Hyena and Kobold size. Fox drew close and whispered, "We have only tonight in this place. Francis will try to find out if we are in specific danger, but regardless, we must find our own way after tonight." It wasn''t much, but it was better than being snatched up as soon as they walked through the gate. The caverns were almost too small for him, but Hyena''s could easily travel the caverns, but when he asked Fox if there was any danger, she gave him a toothy smile. "Hyena-people tend to... disappear in the caverns. The caverns are the safest place we can be this night." So, Oskar cleaned his liner and had to resist calling on Sora, which had become a comfort to him in this harsh world. He lay back on his cot, resting his head on his bag. We just don''t know enough about them to risk it. Hopefully, Francis can come through for us. Oskar liked the name Francis. Growing up, he and Erik had moved constantly, but there had been a sweet, older lady that had lived next door to their short-lived place in Texas that made pimento cheese sandwiches for them every time they stopped by. Erik never did care much for pimento, but I liked them, and so we''d visited regularly that summer... and Erik would eat one too just to not be rude. She was always sweet. He didn''t let himself dwell on how they''d barely stayed anywhere long enough to make friends, but the fact he''d even remembered Francis was a small miracle. It was probably because she''d also saved the boys from getting in trouble by their father after they''d gotten into a scrap with some other boys in the neighborhood. She''d mended their clothes and assured their father they had been at her house the last two hours helping her with some things she very probably could have done on her own. She''d listed off a long list of things she claimed they did, and so the boys took the hint and spent every spare hour the following weekend actually doing them. Their father was far from gullible, but was a huge supporter of manual labor for punishment, and let Mrs. Francis handle that particular spot of trouble without further punishment. Oskar fell asleep thinking about pimento cheese sandwiches and cleaning baseboards for hours to the steady sound of wind whistling through the caverns. *** He woke as a red blur shot through the cavern. He heard a low whispered "They know!" as Francis disappeared in the maze of corridors. By the time Fox pulled head back from looking out, Touwon was stuffing their cots in his bag. Fox sighed, but didn''t look like she was preparing for battle, so Oskar, awaiting explanation, put on and situated his prosthetic as best he could in the cramped area. "She visited last night and shared what she gathered. She knew not why Kobolds are currently banned from the marketplace, but none were slain outright. They are hiding, moving between here and the Clinker tents for supplies. Some have even left the Collective altogether. This is worrisome, since Gramm has always been more indifferent than hostile towards our people, but he has not lifted a claw as of yet." "So why was she in such a hurry to clear out of here?" "Because she cannot be implicated in concealing us. There is a standing rule that any newcomers are not allowed to leave without meeting with ''Chief'' Gramm directly, and now, as she said, they somehow know we are here. Not here, specifically, but in the Collective." "I''m guessing you get treated a little differently if it''s clear you''re hiding?" She smiled, "You have guessed correctly." "What about the old plan, about giving him his good old dad''s Gear set? The only reason we were gonna do it was for protection and to see the human for ourselves." "I agree. We can claim we are here to trade. We have plenty of food, some water, and even Gear sets. We can claim to need tools for Touwon or healing herbs, tents or survival gear. Any number of things. I agree that now, keeping that Gear set from Gramm is prudent." Touwon looked like a child on his birthday. His eyes were wide, and his purple hands twitched towards his bag before he settled them in his lap, but the wistful smile on his fuzzy face remained. He''s probably imagining tinkering with that Gear until he''s on his deathbed. "So, I guess it''s time to get out of here and make our way to Gramm, huh?" They made their way outside. It was early enough that, from this angle, he could barely see fingers of light from the rising red sun shining through the V. He saw a small Croc child standing in the center breeze at the edge of the marketplace, stretching in the rising sun. He couldn''t see from this angle, but he imagined her eyes were closed as she raised her arms as high as they could go and yawned. Some of the general animosity he felt towards the Crocs as a whole lessened. The people of this world were survivors, that didn''t make them bad. Standing in a breeze, without worry or stress as to where your next meal or drink would come from was a small status symbol, all things considered. Oskar supposed that in a world where survival was so hard, a small comfort like a consistent breeze and a full belly was the closest thing to rich this world could offer to most. There has to be more to this world than suffering, though. I''m gonna find Erik, and then our whole little family we got going here will all figure it out together. Chapter 34: Know That Waters Sweet, but Blood is Thicker Once outside, they noticed the other Oasis inhabitants were beginning to wake, and the marketplace began to fill quickly. They walked slowly, planning on making their way across to present themselves to Gramm. It didn''t mean they wanted to be the only ones conspicuously walking around, though. Even in the early morning bustle, the reserved tone they''d seen the day before was present. Oskar kept his head down and made to look as if he was studying the red swirls of color in the rock floor as they walked. Staring at rocks. I feel like an idiot. He just knew his PUB getting ready to react in flashes or words to his careless comment, so he cut it off before it could get it out. Nope, don''t you even react to that. I regretted it as soon as I said it. Ahead, Fox made a "tsk" sound and picked up the pace as they drew near, and then said under her breath, "They were already starting the search for us this morning. We must get close enough they cannot pretend they "caught" us hiding." Oskar understood the silliness of the situation. They were having to sneak to what amounted to turning themselves in before the guards could get credit for the catch. Silly or not, it could have deadly consequences, and he was already feeling his dark mood cancelling out his decent night''s sleep. The group weaved through the marketplace, keeping tents between the roving trios of guards as they drew closer to the Point. They''d been noticed by one of the Point guards, but he just watched them with a twinkle of mischief. At one point, he even warned them with a shake of his head not to move when they were about to walk between a pair of tents, which saved them from a pair of Hyena-men who''d unexpectantly switched directions. Turns out, the hyenas were just hungry and went for food, but Oskar offered a grin of thanks. I am constantly surprised by the people of this world. It would do me good to remember the "people are people" line. Not everyone is purely good or bad, and I am a total stranger here. They were forced to go out into the open on the last stretch, and so they moved quickly. They finally made it outside the marketplace''s rows of tents to the guards in front of the Point just as they heard the call of a distant guard yell "Halt!" as a last ditch effort to nab them, but the smirk on the big red Croc they''d stopped in front of gave a chuckle and an appreciative nod at them for making it without getting caught. "Good job." He said in a low voice, and looked above them at the breathless blue Croc, now cursing and jogging over to them. Surprisingly, he added, "Hate that guy" with a long sigh. Oskar stifled his laugh, and kept his face as still as possible as he surreptitiously looked around to see the guards closing in on them. It had been decided that since Gramm seemed to have a particular dislike for Kobolds right now that Oskar would speak for the group. It wasn''t that Crocs considered humans much better, but Kobold''s were not allowed to be in charge of anything, and so the job was unfortunately left to him. From the looks the breathless blue gave him when he announced clearly they were there to present themselves to Chief Gramm in accordance to the law, he was already on the bad side of at least some of the guards. That big red guy, though... When he looked back to the Point guard, though, his pale red face was bored. No sign of the mischief that had been there seconds before. He''s a smart Croc, alright. He looks a little older, but obviously knows how to have fun with boring work, and not get in trouble doing it. Taking in the scene around him, he saw the temporarily staring crowd disperse as the trio of Crocs, led by the blue colored Guard, stopped in front of Oskar. Another group of Hyenas pointlessly spread out behind them to cut off any attempts to escape. Oskar relaxed his posture and kept his hands visible, resting loosely on his spear as he politely waited. ¡°Stuuu¡­ ahhh, Pink one. Chief Gramm want talk,¡± the large blue figure rumbled, blinking slowly. He had trouble thinking of them as hulking after seeing the Drakon, but this guy was big, even for a Croc. Oskar saw Fox''s shoulders tense a little at the Chief title, but thankfully remained silent as she waited for Oskar to reply. The Croc glanced dismissively at the Kobolds, blinked slowly again, and added, ¡°Pink one can bring his slav-¡° ¡°Our modest Collective would be honored,¡± Oskar cut him off before he said something that Fox might not be able to ignore and made sure the Croc and anyone listening knew they were a team. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but he also wanted to make sure the Kobolds knew he saw them that way. As equals and friends, even if it caused problems with the obviously insecure Crocs. ¡°If say so,¡± the Croc grumbled with obvious disdain, blinking slowly at them for some reason and then turned. Blinker sashayed away with a wave at the Hyenas, who cackled a little and followed. Stolen story; please report. The red scaled Croc might have winked as they passed, but Oskar was already feeling the pressure set in. He felt tense and his body was coiled with nervousness. Due to the situation, the anticipation of finally laying eyes on another human wasn''t the comfort it should have been. It did distract some of his dark mood, though, by adding in nervous anticipation. He had to see for himself, but if this ¡°pet human¡± wasn¡¯t Erik as Fox¡¯s description heavily suggested, he still had to deal with seeing a person mistreated and enslaved, which had it''s own challenges. Already, the general air of superiority the majority of the Crocs tried to pull off made him want to feed them their own tails. It was nice to meet a Croc that didn''t seem to be a complete prick. People are people. Good, bad, and ugly... well, they¡¯re probably all ugly. As they approached the point, he noticed two things. First: it was much larger than he''d thought. This whole second of the Collective was part of the Point, the angle just got sharper near the overhang ahead of them. Second: there was an entire lower tier of platforms beneath split into two sections. They were separated in the middle by a deep ravine, but the entire thing was still mostly protected by the cliff face that wrapped around the whole Collective. Where he''d initially thought there was open sky, there was instead a descending, jagged wall on both sides that wrapped around most of the two platforms below until they both descended out of sight. The right side lower platform was covered in a strange maze of ruins. The left was a large, walled in, flat arena with tiered rows of too-small stone benches wrapped in a semi-circle around the stained sand that made up the arena floor. Looking at the view as a whole, Oskar noticed the tip of the Point was perfectly centered between the two lower platforms. The Ruins looked all but abandoned, but the Arena looked well used, if currently empty. They could see old blood-colored stains on the stone floor of the arena, and there was a platform with steps that led upward to the main platform they now stood on. The ruins had their own platform below them as well, but with no steps leading downward. To their right, in a place obviously chosen for the view and the steady breeze, a sheer tent covered a level seating area where a fat Croc sat. Walking closer, he got his first close up look at a Drakon. He was massive, and Oskar could see swirling, fiery color in the eyes under the hood that mostly hid the details of his features. He was standing behind and to the right of who Oskar assumed was Gramm, watching them intently with those fiery orange eyes. He wanted to say the look was a little dramatic, but it wasn''t. It was intimidating. Oskar clenched his jaw, though, as he noticed the slender, bent figure in a white robe who was facing the opposite direction. The man''s feet dangled off the side of the point looking out over the Ruins. The wind blew the thin cloth of the robe tight against his emaciated back. The hope Oskar didn''t know he was holding onto sank. Erik was even broader than Oskar with black, thick hair. This too slender figure had jaggedly cut white hair, and a short white beard poked out from behind his hooded, bowed head. He couldn''t make out any features really from this angle, but even still, the abuse was painfully apparent. Damn it. Whoever that poor guy is, I can see his whole rib cage. Oskar forced himself to relax his jaw before he chipped a tooth. Either way, the human didn¡¯t even react to their presence, even when the fat Croc introduced himself. It took effort to steel his face as Gramm spoke, barely even registering the scan that told him he really should be paying attention to the massive Croc, who was a yellow threat according to a PUB scan, despite his seemingly ungainly bulk. ¡°I Chief Gramm. I see you like pet.¡± The Croc leaned in, beady eyes gleaming, ¡°He not talk. Not tell me things, so... I decided he not need tongue.¡± He leaned back again, guffawed at his own joke, and of course, Blinker and his crew joined in. Gramm was obviously baiting them, but Oskar¡¯s rage at this poor human¡¯s situation and his disappointment at not finding his brother had turned the feeling into a simmering sort of anger. He could still feel his blood pounding in his ears, though. He cut out the poor guy''s tongue. Neglect was bad enough, but that purposeful act of cruelty made everything simpler. He was not sure how it was possible, but Oskar wanted more than anything to dismantle this place with his bare hands. This pathetic version of civilization where the only thing remotely interesting is the stupid Clinkers. ¡°I¡¯m Oskar, this is Fox and Touwon. We¡¯ve formed a small Collective and have come here to trade.¡± Oskar said plainly, trying to keep his voice devoid of emotion, mentally trying to avoid initiating a vengeful Gambit. The Croc¡¯s eyes were greedy as he asked, ¡°Trade what, piiink?¡± The word "pink" was slimy with connotation Oskar couldn¡¯t quite nail down, but it was more than patronizing and all-around creepy. It set his nerves even more on edge. I¡¯m glad we decided on not giving this greasy waste of space anything useful, especially closure about his pops. "We have food and some bits and pieces of Gear we found." "Gear? What kind, and how they die?" His beady eyes were intense behind his Goggles. Oskar saw that he straps almost too small for his big head. "Hyena or Kobold, we could not tell, and one set from a Crocodillian, all unfortunate victims of the desert or its predators, from what little we could gather." Gramm stared at him for a moment before looking briefly at the Kobolds behind him, who looking down at the stone floor. ¡°Funny thing, that, piiiink thing. Vulk had one, two useless stinks. Stinks find water, make for easy life. Now you have one, two stinks. And I not hear anything from Vulk in long time. He supposed to be here soon, though.¡± He paused, beady eyes gleaming as he waited, watching, letting the tension build before continuing with a good natured tone that didn''t match his flat stare. ¡°But... desert is hard place. Claim weak, and sometimes claim strong. Don¡¯t care much as long as I get my cut. Stinky rats everywhere. Who cares who holds leash. Too many little rats for my taste, even though many dead now,¡± he said with a shrug of his fat shoulders. ¡°Good, I say.¡± He stared at the Kobolds, and to their credit, neither moved or changed their expression. Oskar¡¯s eyes shifted back to the white robed human who was staring out over the pointed rock, and then watched the Drakon wander off lazily. He must not have been very impressed by Oskar and the Kobolds, because he didn''t even bother glancing back. Gramm smiled, and Oskar looked back to the huge Croc as the Chief spoke, ¡°Must consider trade permission. Sleep here, safe, in place we prepare. Tomorrow, we talk, piiink?¡± The words were a dismissal, not a question, but as he turned to leave, frustrated and disgusted, the human figure shifted. Wait... did that half dead prick just shoot me a bird? Oskar''s heart sank into his stomach. That''s Erik. Chapter 35: Look. Look. Look. Look. In that heartbreaking moment of realization, Oskar fought to keep his face clear of emotion. The emotions were too much, though, and he steered his thoughts toward the ultimate goal of freeing his brother to keep from initiating a kill Gambit on Gramm. // Gambit Initiated Freedom! - Free Erik from the Gramm Collective and safely escort him to safety. Rewards: Variable - Dependent on success. Accept? Yes/No // Oh hell yes. Glad they had been dismissed and not trusting himself to speak, he turned and sat a waterskin down on a flat area filled with various other neglected waterskins and trinkets. Tributes, as was apparently custom. Gramm, of course, didn¡¯t even need it. He had sole rights to a Wayspring Oasis that had allegedly been running for over a decade, and despite his simple words, he had some wits about him. The Croc, or at least his dad, had built this crappy version of a town around the Oasis and kept it relatively peaceful. He just seemed to enjoy taking the precious water from others, but since water was one of the most valuable things in this world, it was more a homage or symbol that visitors were there in good faith. Fox claimed the act of leaving water was seen as the highest form of honor, whether it was for kings or for the graves of loved ones. Oskar didn''t care either way anymore. Water was just the easiest thing for him to replace. None of this is gonna matter, anyway. I''m taking Erik, and burning everything I can on my way out. I don''t want to drag the Kobolds down with me, but I obviously can''t just stand by and let this go. He couldn¡¯t imagine what his brother had been through to have changed him so drastically. The hand he''d seen had been bone thin and shaking. Gramm had done this to Erik, or at least allowed it to happen, and Oskar was going to find a way to make him pay. Sora was both pulling at him, and instead of fighting to use the magic, he fought down the magic itself. Sora and the Magic Below were somehow reacting to his emotions and intent. They''re interacting with each other, too. The PUB is always saying ''It¡¯s all connected.'' The AI was apparently giving him a lot more information with that comment than he¡¯d suspected. A trio of Crocs, led again by Blinker, walked them to an empty space near the wall in the area reserved for Gramm and his immediate cronies. This was probably done more for ease in their inevitable kidnapping or murder, but the breeze was welcome, nonetheless. Touwon, sighing, pulled out their backup tent instead of the good one. Like Oskar, he was assuming they might not get a chance to pack up properly on their way out. Oskar stood watch while the Kobolds put up the tent with practiced ease, and for a moment, was sure he¡¯d seen a Drakon dressed in a completely black robe near the stairwell by the V, but had trouble keeping his mind focused on it. If he hadn''t been so used to the Kobold''s similar trick, he would have fallen for it completely. Even now, it just seemed unimportant, which meant it probably was important. I''ll need to mention this to Fox and Touwon. Remind me, please. My mind is a mess right now and I don''t want to forget. He knew his eyes were probably glaring lightning bolts, so he tried to avoid glaring at anyone in particular as he kept an eye out. They had put the thicker section of the tent on the ground instead of blocking the sun since it allowed them 360 degree visibility wasn''t as necessary with the cliff-face now blocking the sun. They spoke quietly about what had just happened and what was to come. ¡°He cut out his tongue!¡± Oskar hissed. ¡°I''m glad we didn''t hand over his precious family heirloom. We¡¯re gonna get fleeced on the other gear, anyway. I mean, realistically, they¡¯re just going to take it all. Probably the Gram set, too.¡± Touwon shook his head with a grin, and Fox explained. ¡°You must calm yourself. I agree, though, of course. His actions are unforgivable, but we must be smart. Also, Touwon¡¯s class allows personal storage. The bag will seem unwieldy, awkward to anyone else, and they will not be able to access anything Touwon does not want them to unless he is dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s their plan,¡± Oskar said darkly. Fox chided him gently. ¡°Calm. None of this is a surprise. We are in a better position than we could be, but his nature does seems to have darkened, that is a truth. From indifferent to those he sees as beneath him to vicious.¡± Oskar raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When we were here with Vulk-¡° ¡°He¡¯s seen you before?!¡± Oskar said, tilting his head in surprise. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Fox laughed quietly, even still, he heard a single hitch of hysteria. He had questions, but having seen and heard some of the hyena people close up, he was now sure she, somehow, had some mixed blood. Francis, too, although she seemed much more Heyna than Kobold. He''d gathered it was a sensitive thing to bring up, so he kept the thought to himself as she continued. It was of no consequence, anyhow. Fox was his friend, but he couldn¡¯t help but be curious about her history and past. Fox explained her lack of concern at having visited the Oasis before. ¡°Crocs cannot tell Kobolds apart. They literally guess our gender at random every time they call for us. Fur color, gender, clothing¡­ it matters not. I could be wearing a cactus for a hat, and as long as I am not wandering around alone, I would not get a second glance. I doubt I have ever even been PUB scanned by a Croc before, except maybe Valla. She is a crafty one.¡± Oskar sighed in relief. ¡°Thank goodness for those thick skulls. Okay, what did you mean by his ¡®nature seemed to have darkened?¡¯¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t quite jovial, and of course, and he was still a slaver. That is cruel in itself. But he did not seem previously to take the pride in it he now shows. Maybe it is just because you are human and he desired to see your reaction, but he was eager to share what he had done. Eager to brag to you about his cruelty towards the other human.¡± Oskar pondered that for a long while. Touwon sat bored, but alert, unwilling to pull out anything of value to tinker with.Fox sat still as well, trying not to wring her hands. After a while, they simply decided they would try to appear as nonthreatening as possible to avoid the Crocs deciding to kill them outright. Gramm wanted something from them, or he¡¯d have ordered them arrested on sight, neutral zone or not. The Crocs should not see a human and two Kobolds as potential Collective material. All it would take is an accusation of thievery and Gramm could still claim impartial neutrality in the Great Collective. His damn water, his damn rules. Oskar cleaned his stump, leg, and liner, and then put the prosthetic back on. They¡¯d decided to lay down and get some sleep as early as possible while the marketplace was still busy, so Fox lay fake sleeping while Touwon and Oskar slept, and after a few hours, Fox woke Touwon with a nudge and slept herself. Unfotunately, Oskar also woke when Fox nudged Touwon, and his heartbeat thumping in his chest, he lay awake in the uneasy silence.. He tried to distract himself by pulling up his stats.
Mind F Peak Rank
Body F Peak Rank
Spirit F Peak Rank
Even seeing he was on the verge of hitting D Rank in all three categories didn''t calm him down. In that few hours of sleep, he''d dreamed strange dreams. Freezing winds and being unable to look at things he shouldn¡¯t see. He¡¯d heard his brother¡¯s screams again, but they were from his own tortured memory, not like before. Oskar took deep breaths to slow his heart-rate. To get his body to listen to his mind when it said, ¡°Everything is okay. Relax.¡± It took almost an hour to calm himself, but right as he got himself under control, the feeling redoubled. Panic and unease washed over him, and he felt fear that no Croc, Drakon, or Hyena could possibly invoke. Touwon¡¯s low whistle alerted Oskar, breaking him out of the spiral. He let out a long breath, blinking and relieved for the distraction as he listened to the sounds of shuffling feet coming their direction. It was dark. The dim blue sun and its low light had fallen behind the cliff and Oskar bet he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see 10 feet in front of him without the use of his Goggles. People who live in civilized places have no idea what true darkness feels like. It¡¯s easy to imagine what it looks like, but if you¡¯re within even 150 miles of a city, you¡¯ve never felt the feeling of knowing something is out there, and you have no way of knowing what it is. Sleeping in the dunes felt that way sometimes. The things on the edge of Oskar¡¯s vision in the place between were never truly gone. He knew that now, but he also somehow knew that acknowledging it would make it worse. He knew that whatever it was, he wasn''t ready to deal with it. So, in those rare moments when he knew something was there, he closed his eyes and knew it was safer that way. For now, at least... but not forever. Part of his mind had had become aware of something dangerous, and those waiting nightmares could not be ignored forever. The footsteps were a problem grounded in a reality he understood, so despite the danger it represented, he welcomed the distraction from that uneasy feeling of knowing something he could feel was up on the cliff face behind him. The feeling was far closer than he¡¯d ever felt that feeling, and it was patiently waiting for him to see. Just look. Look, look, look, look. The word was spinning in his head, and he could not stop it. Some intrusive part of him almost started him laughing. One of those hysterical, unstoppable belly laughs that left you on the verge of emptying your stomach, knowing everyone around you doubted your sanity. He hated being alone, and this thing watching him made him feel like he and it were the only living things on the planet. And that just makes the whole freakin¡¯ thing funnier. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his composure as he fought back the laughter. Even his PUB began a low vibration on his wrist that might have helped if he wasn¡¯t on the verge of hysterics. Despite his best efforts, Oskar¡¯s face broke into a smile he couldn¡¯t stop as the tent was torn off them. He bit his cheek until he tasted blood. They were netted before they even stood up. They were slow to react. Unthreatening, weak. Useful. Just as planned. He grounded himself in the presence of Sora and the feeling of the moving patterns of the Magic Below in the rock beneath them. That- and the mix of blood and knowing his friends were now in danger with him- is what finally stopped the feeling of hysterics. God, that was close. What the hell was that even? Now that it was over, he realized it had been an attack of some sort. Possibly a spiritual attack, but from where, he had no idea, unless somehow Valla had gotten to them. But if that was her, why hasn''t she shown herself? Another head on the Question Hydra. It was now time to get to work. If he was going to survive this, keep the Kobolds safe, and save his brother, he needed his wits about him. Chapter 36: Kidnapping A-foot The guards were a little rougher than strictly necessary, but it felt pretty on brand for Crocs. They were marched to the edge of the Point and told to wait. Their bags and weapons were taken from them. He was pretty sure the other two still had something hidden, but he¡¯d never needed to develop the ability to hide weaponry on his person. The night was eerily quiet, which made sense when everyone knows there¡¯s a kidnapping afoot. Well, they were kidnapping the whole group, not just a foot, Oskar thought to himself. // Achieeevement Unlocked! Make an AI cringe. Seriously, I feel like I need a memory wipe. // Are there really achievements? Do I get a loot box or something? // Nope. I don¡¯t have a foot fetish, either. So don''t ask. // Wait, what?! // You should read more. // Hey! I do read. Reading¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s kept me sane. // Reading lips doesn¡¯t count. Besides, it probably doesn¡¯t even work on non-humans, right? // Unfortunately, no, it doesn¡¯t. You''ve been pretty quiet since we got here. Why are you able to do it now? // Well, I needed to make sure there were no other full Gear sets here. PUBs don''t automatically know when another sentient PUB is near, but there are signs. I had to be careful. Also, your stats and mastery improving passively protects us and gives me an alternate energy source. No need for me to conserve as much energy. We¡¯re both getting more efficient. Go team! // That''s good. We need all the help we can get. // About that... Oskar, I''m really really sorry about your brother. I couldn''t get a good scan on him, but it was obvious he has been through so much. // I was so caught up in my own head, I didn''t even think of scanning him! Why couldn''t you get a good scan? // I wish I could shrug. Bodies are useful. Honestly, though, I''m not sure, but it could be any number of things. Could be a class trait, could be his mind or spirit stats are higher than yours. Could just be he was mostly hidden. // Oh. That makes sense. I wish I knew more about his class. Fox said he was supposed to be a healer, but he looked awful himself. Why wouldn''t a healer be able to heal themselves? // Any answer I gave you here would be a guess, and there''s little chance it''s a good thing. I''m sorry. // Oskar nodded a thanks and tried to work through his emotions, glad that feeling of being watched by something he didn''t understand was replaced by actually being watched by an actual guard. Not that I''m happy to be under guard, but at least he''s not telling me to look at him over and over. That felt like a dangerous joke, so Oskar shifted his thoughts to feeling for the Oasis. The Wayspring water felt like it was in the direction of the Point. Perhaps below it, even. He could feel the magic in it even through the thick rock between them. He focused on the magic Above and Below, and its relation to the massive Wayspring, but he didn''t dare try to do anything with it. He simply meditated in the presence of it, becoming more comfortable with both. It was hard not to call on the magic, to not pull at the water. His effort and restraint weren''t wasted however, and he realized he probably should make it a point to get more familiar with the magic instead of pushing himself to use it all the time. He could feel his mastery growing, and got notifications for both Sora and the Magic Below. // Sora Mastery Increase - Current Mastery: 46.8% ????? Mastery Increase - Current Mastery: Unknown You''re really close to unlocking the Magic Below. Keep pushing! // I''m trying. Hush now, I''m meditating! Strangely, this is not something they usually teach in the Marine Corps. The PUB offered one last encouraging flash of blue around the outside of his vision and left him to his own devices. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The Dorn Collective sat there till morning, prodded awake by one of their guards whenever they looked as if they were on the verge of sleeping. The older, big red Croc that had watched them sneak to the Point the previous morning had apparently drawn the short straw to stay awake while the other guards slept on their feet. Oskar and the Kobolds were well bound and shackled together, so they weren¡¯t going anywhere. It quickly became apparent that no one wanted to be there. Even their Croc guard was looking like he''d rather be in his tent, sleeping. Oskar decided to be petty out of boredom and made it a point to wait until the guard looked on the verge of nodding off himself and then would start fake snoring loudly so that the old guard¡¯s rest was interrupted, too. This was hilarious until the guard somehow lit a small fire under Oskar¡¯s backside that made him squeal like a kid, which made Fox, Touwon, the Guard, and eventually even Oskar laugh. Those woke up the senior guard- an angry, wiry green who wasn¡¯t sure what exactly had happened, but he took it out on Oskar with a stiff slap on the back of his head anyway. They all settled in after that, but the red Croc still had an amused twinkle in his eyes. Oskar decided he liked their guard and changed his name mentally to Joker. The Croc was an unusually light shade of red, complete with a face and snout so light it was almost pink, and crow¡¯s feet on the outside of his wiser than normal eyes. He also didn¡¯t have that look of cruelty many of them carried. Good thing, too. He''s a big one. The guard''s prods to wake them had been firm, but not forceful. He gave Oskar a shrug and went back to trying to stay awake, and keep the group awake, until the chief deemed to make an appearance. *** As the red sun rose above the dunes, he heard movement behind him toward the largest cave. Oskar made a quiet snoring sound to wake Joker, who coughed to wake the others. Osker then set about trying to listen to the conversation from those moving up behind them. All he heard, though, was a series of whispered hisses from the senior guard as he rushed to meet Gramm, and a rumbling ¡°Good, good, now go,¡± from Gramm himself. Gramm moved his bulk around into view and sat, staring briefly at the Kobolds before he settled his gaze on Oskar. He stared at Oskar intensely, beady eyes bearing down on him. Oskar checked his notifications. He saw the update on the Gram Gambit now included surviving, and making it out of the town with the Gear opposed to trading it to Gramm for standing or information. ¡°Sleep good, stupid piiink?¡± The way he said pink made Oskar¡¯s skin crawl, but he kept his face clear and simply replied, ¡°Not really, no. Why have we been captured. We came in good faith and pose no threat to you.¡± ¡°Duh dee, stupid.¡± Duh dee. Wow, you catching this? Oskar steeled his face, but couldn¡¯t help but make a comment to his PUB. // Oh yeah. Comedy gold. // ¡°I mean, great leader, we had no intentions of harming you when we arrived.¡± Technically true. Not until he¡¯d laid eyes on his brother. Speaking of his brother, he didn¡¯t see him and was getting worried. Gramm continued, ¡°You want trade rights.¡± He shrugged and said, ¡°We not trust you. You equals with stinks? That gross. Even for a piiink, that dumb. They stab you in back first chance. Should do you favor and kill them.¡± ¡°I trust them, and they trust me.¡± Apparently, that was not the correct thing to say, because Fox hissed through her teeth and Gramm gave him a huge Crocodilian grin, speaking with far too much self-satisfaction for Oskar¡¯s taste. ¡°We see about that, piiink. Cover his stupid pink face. Leave rats here for now. Take him to the door." Oskar had a hood pulled over his head. Afterward, he felt his shackles disconnect from the Kobolds and one of the Croc guards gently hoisted him up over their shoulder. When he heard a low, fake snore coming from the Croc who carried him, Oskar knew it was Joker. The Croc bounced him gently as they went down a series of stairs, and then they sat him carefully on a hard stone surface. Joker pulled the hood halfway up his face and handed him a waterskin long enough for Oskar to get a bellyful, then he pulled his hood back down. Oskar couldn¡¯t determine which side of the point they had gone down, but they had either led him to the Arena or to the Ruins, and he couldn¡¯t decide which one sounded worse to him. He heard Joker speak for the first time, low, and just for him. ¡°Luck, human. Hood is loose, now. Oopsie.¡± Oskar whispered a thanks, and Joker grunted before Oskar heard him head back up the stairs. He heard a click and felt a heavy rumbling nearby as the previously open space he''d been in closed up, giving him a sense of claustrophobia that set his nerves on edge. His hands were still bound, but Oskar guessed Joker had only been able- or inclined- to help so much, and for reasons unknown to him. Unable to see, and unable to hear directions of sounds well, he took stock of what he knew. I can hear the wind overhead, but I feel like I''m closed into something. Maybe a corridor or a room with no roof, so it''s not a cell. The cave felt a little tight, but I could see and hear properly, this is way worse. So, more likely the ruins than the Arena. // That tracks. But it seemed like the Ruins was intended to be a maze. If so, this might be doable. I definitely got a good scan from the top down. But... I think we both know it''s not gonna be that easy. // Nothing ever is. Oskar sat still, face covered, for almost an hour before he heard a voice overhead from what he assumed was the second platform just below the Point. It seemed like whoever built this place specifically designed the platform to amplify sound. The big Croc''s voice carried well into the ruins from the platform above. ¡°So, we have here¡­ small, pathetic Collective. A piiiink, and one, two stinky thieving backstabby stupid ugly rats. Think they destined for greatness, ha! Piiink say he trust stupid dummy Kobolds. We see, right? We see.¡± He did one of his dramatic pauses and then spoke again. ¡°Rules simple. You go through maze. If die, you lose!¡± He screamed the last word vehemently, making Oskar sit up straight, alarmed at how unsettling this was becoming. Well, more unsettling.This dude is unhinged. // Yeah, man. Duh dee. // Chapter 37: Trust Part 3 The echo of Gramm''s unhinged scream of the word "Lose!" was still fading as he began talking again, initially calm. ¡°You can get help from stupid rat if you stupid, too. It not supposed to talk, though, or it die. It lose!¡± Fox can''t talk, and I''m wearing a hood. This is just an execution. // It''s looking that way. Not that we can see. So it sounds that way. // After a pause, the screamed word again fading, Gramm continued, this time in a casual, dismissive tone, as if he¡¯d not likely busted everyone¡¯s eardrums on the platform by screaming every time he said the word lose. ¡°If you die..." he paused for dramatic effect, "rat go free. Quicker and easier for rat. If stupid piiiink make it to end, though, he choose a door. One, two doors. Doors named Greed and Trust." He spat the words out. "The stupid, stinky rat choose a door, too. If both pick Trust door, both live. And then they get boon from me. I choose, Me! Chief choose gift!¡± Breathing heavily after his last screaming fit, he said, ¡°If two idiots choose different doors. Trust picker die because they stupid. Greed win. Greedy choose own gift special from my hoard and get protection for year. But, if both choose greed, both die. Both lose!¡± he screamed the word again, but this time Oskar heard the buildup and was ready for it. ¡°But you not make it to door. Pinks too weak. So don¡¯t worry ¡®bout other rules.¡± // He actually did a decent job explaining that, outside his strange obsession with losing. Basically, get to the end and choose a door. Either betray Fox by picking the Greed, or pick Trust and hope she does the same, which is probably going to angrify the big dumb Croc, but that¡¯s unavoidable. If you live, he¡¯s gonna find a way to kill you, and I cannot reason why. Why does he want you dead so badly? // I don''t know. he seems possessed. It''s not just me, it''s the Kobolds, too. But he doesn''t even know their names, so probably not even them specifically. It''s like he''s on a rage filled power trip against anyone weaker than himself. Notice how there weren''t even Hyena guards near the Point? His pondering was interrupted by Gramm, his voice now scratchy. ¡°So, you ready, piiink?¡± The screaming finally taking its toll, but Oskar didn¡¯t think any of this was funny anymore. This Croc was completely off his meds. He heard Fox give a low yes, and so he gave a big nod under the hood, not trusting his voice. He tried to process all the info he could, but it was looking grim. So, a public execution of two members of a Collective in the most brutal manner imaginable: making them kill one another. Destroying any traces of trust. Perfectly designed to remind people not to work together. And even if you made it through, you¡¯d always wonder how close they were to betraying you. He heard movement up above, and then the heavy breathing of Gramm before he grunted as he sat. He heard more shuffling, and then satisfied, he heard Gramm take in a deep breath, and yell, ¡°Begin.¡± Thanks to Joker, he knew he could get the hood off, but Oskar thought it would be weird if he didn''t at least try to complain about how obviously unfair this was. ¡°What about the hood? How am I supposed to see Fox? She isn¡¯t allowed to talk!¡± he called up and was ignored. Yup. Just as I thought. Joker did me a solid, loosening my hood. The only question is why? // No idea. You¡¯re asking me, but who am I supposed to ask? Anyway, it¡¯s time for me to do my thing, boss. Don''t want to distract. // I don''t know either. So, the Curiosity Hydra grows another head. Oskar stood, reached out and felt the nearest wall, and then started pawing at the hood covering his face. He made a bit of a show out of it to not give away Joker¡¯s help, even spinning around and falling back into the wall at one point. He heard Gramm and his goons laughing at him, and the laughing turned to grumbles and boos as Oskar finally pulled the hood free and took in his surroundings. The first thing he did was look up for Fox, whose tearful eyes showed determination and no small amount of fear. He gave her a grin and a thumbs-up, but maintained eye contact for a long moment and gave her a nod. She gave him the barest of nods back. He¡¯d told her before that he trusted her with his life. It was time to put action to those words. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate. He¡¯d show these people what a tribe was supposed to look like. She relaxed a bit and gave him a thumbs up, and he turned, looking ahead. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He¡¯d started out in a dead end that used to be the entryway before they¡¯d somehow lifted a wall out of the floor. Convenient, that. The walls had looked a bit worn down from his brief glance up top. It didn¡¯t look like ruins at all from down here, though, other than some prickly vines that covered the walls in places. The walls looked solid and well made. Looking ahead, the walls appeared identical in height and width. And personality, probably. Fox had a sharp mind, and he really did trust her. Oskar also had the added bonus of being able to feel the location of the Wayspring Oasis above and behind him. He walked to the end of the section he was at and took the forced right, coming to his first true intersection. The air smelled strange. Maybe he''d gotten used to the wind constantly blowing so much that no place had the same air long enough to have a real scent, but the place smelled mossy. Oskar looked back at Fox and his breath caught in his throat as he saw Erik¡¯s face for the first time, and he felt like he might throw up. The torture his brother endured showed heavy on his face and body. Erik looked like he¡¯d lost over a hundred pounds, and his left arm was missing at the elbow. A leather strap covered his brother¡¯s right eye. Leather, not a bandage, so likely the eye was gone as well. It was so much worse than Oskar had imagined. Gramm is dead, he just doesn¡¯t know it yet. The sick feeling disappeared and Oskar¡¯s blood ran cold. He barely saw the movement his brother made, pointing so subtly to his right. He saw Fox frantically pointing to the right as well and followed the right section. Fox wouldn¡¯t be pointing so aggressively if it weren¡¯t somehow time sensitive. Of course it was time sensitive. In front of him, the walls were closing, the small scraping noise it made now apparent. Twenty foot or more ahead of him, and the walls were now less than 6 feet apart. He darted forward awkwardly, hands still shackled in front of him. Left now, into a pathway that looked to be sinking into the sand beneath him. Already it was apparent the place made it easy to make mistakes. Hesitate? Death. Mistrust? Death. Miscommunication? Death. It reaffirmed Oskar''s choice to trust and trust quickly. He watched Gramm¡¯s face darken as he progressed and knew he¡¯d pay for the embarrassment he was causing the chief. Right, into a corridor that started rocking back and forth beneath him as soon as he stepped into it. Left into a room with false blocks in the floor. In that room, Oskar first heard the white noise of static and wondered if this maze was mechanical or technological. Left again into a thin hallway with a thin walkway that was the most difficult room to navigate so far with the prosthetic foot. The walls were buzzing and set the hairs on the back of Oskar''s neck straight out. A sharp burn on his right shoulder he couldn''t see was the punishment for his rushed first step. Right, left, right, right. He had to be coming near the end. He¡¯d felt himself progressing steadily further and further from the Wayspring. At one point, He saw Fox on her knees frantically pulling a series of levers, shifting the walls in front of him, sometimes walls that were out of sight. Her face was tense with concentration. No more help from Erik, though. He looked tired, gaunt. His wispy white beard and loose skin made him look decades older than he was, which motivated Oskar more than anything. He felt like Erik could die just sitting there, so he didn¡¯t just move where Fox indicated, he committed fully. Sprinted as fast as possible the very moment he understood the danger of each section and got direction from Fox. It was clear that not only was there trust between the human and the Kobold, but also good communication and teamwork. At one point, she¡¯d indicated a left, followed by a flat handed pushing gesture in the same direction. Because there was a fire licking at his heel from the previous section, he ran left into the next section and pushed himself against the left wall as he ran. He did not know what he was avoiding until he inadvertently kicked a stone across the center of the room and it disappeared through the floor. Invisible floor? How? Mirrors, tech, or magic? One of the final rooms required a completely unfair jump, especially for someone missing a leg, and he¡¯d had to give himself what he hoped was a subtle boost of Sora to make the jump. Oskar tried on a relieved smile, but it felt forced. Gramm thought he¡¯d had him there, and had stood up jeering. Even his brother¡¯s blank mask slipped that time, and Fox let out a long breath as the Crocs beside her growled with frustration. It was strange to hear so much from such a distance, but the acoustics were just insane. Oskar took one final right and skidded to a stop in front of two ornate, identical doors. They were wooden and well made, with symbols indicating which door was which. The left door showed a carving of two creatures hugging, the other showed them hugging as well, but one was sticking a dagger in the other figure¡¯s back. His breath slowed and his heart rate settled, but his breath caught when he looked upward to see Joker marching a terrified Fox down the steps. He''d been so focused on getting through the maze, he''d not had time to worry about this part. He hoped he was right in not worrying about the outcome; he was worried about the consequences of showing Gramm, and everyone watching, that they really did trust one another. That embarrassment will not go unpaid. Joker and Fox disappeared out of sight, but he heard them moving on the other side of the two doors. He heard Gramm call down through clenched teeth. ¡°No moving, stupid. Stand in front of door you choose, place claw on door. You move, you die. Make noise, you die. You pick first, piiink." This egg humper is pushing every button I¡¯ve got. // He¡¯s even pissing me off; a completely new feeling for me. // Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he moved right in front of the door whose symbol the PUB translated to ¡°Tribe," and placed a still manacled "claw" on the flat surface. Oskar looked up at Gramm and tried to look as calm as possible to show he wasn¡¯t remotely worried that Fox might betray him without looking so cocky that the big Croc would stomp him to death. "It¡¯s the filthy rat¡¯s turn.¡± A moment later, he felt Fox move into position in front of her chosen door. He couldn¡¯t help himself; as the Trust door creaked open in front of him, he winked up at the Croc. // I wonder who they¡¯ll give me to after he puts your head on a pike? // Chapter 38: The Magic Below ¡°Bah! Should have known the little rat not able to read. Must have accidentally pick trust door. Oh well,¡± Gramm said in a mockingly casual tone. On the platform, Erik and Touwon stood stock still. Every guard and every merchant present who was looking down from the upper tier was frozen in place; the tension was almost thick enough to have a physical presence. Watching Fox bear the constant barrage of insults cut Oskar. He was torn between wanting to rage at the Croc and reassuring Fox that she was wonderful, but he was afraid showing her any further affection outside the trust they¡¯d already shown one another would only put her in more danger. They wouldn''t survive open defiance with everyone watching, and the stalling to figure things out game was looking just as hopeless. ¡°I am great Chieftain, so I keep my word. Since you think your little pretend Collective want greatness, I honor you with honor fight. A simple contest to win blessing for future adventures.¡± Gramm had on the slimiest smile Oskar had ever seen. Joker¡¯s face looked hard set and he looked away from Oskar instead of meeting his eyes. Looking up through the open Trust door, Oskar realized they were about to have to face down another execution. The guards marched Fox and Oskar up the stairs, over the Point and then down again to the smaller platform over the arena. They roughly kept them moving, and my the time Oskar was close enough to sneak a better look at Erik, his guard shoved him roughly and he almost lost his balance. As the guards Oskar behind them were marching them town into the Arena proper, Touwon was shove off the Point onto the Arena platform below, where he landed with a grunt and rolled halfway down the steps. Blinker, standing on the Point looking, laughed openly. Can I kill him? // Not yet. // Gramm was tickled at the abuse, and made a big show out of it, clapping Blinker on the back and dancing around. Oskar helped a disoriented Touwon to his feet with his shackled hands, but Oskar intentionally kept his back turned to Gramm in order to hide the fact that he was dangerously close to providing the Croc with the opportunity he sought to openly kill him. Blinker and five chuckling Hyenamen came down and locked them in a cell on one side of the arena, and left them there with a single water skin. Moments after the guards were out of sight, though, Touwon had food, water, and Oskar¡¯s shackles off. Fox is great, but I don''t think we''d be alive right now if it wasn''t for Touwon. He''s one of my favorite types to people. Resourceful, dependable, and honest. He''s never lied to me once, Oskar thought with a smile, still watching his quiet friend. // I know, remember when he pointed and said, "Gramm." He was spot on. Never doubted him once. // Oskar smiled and rubbed his wrists as he finally calmed down. The cell was filthy. Bones of more species that he could identify littered the ground, and thorny, dry looking vines that looked to be tipped in blood ran up a third of the back wall. The lower portion was decidedly more blood tinged than the top half. Between the look of it and how Fox eyed it carefully, he steered clear of it himself. Oskar turned and looked out over the Arena. They were on the floor level, in one of a dozen or so similar cells along the inside of the Arena wall. The Arena was a circle, but there was another gated opening opposite the Point that showed a smaller flat section, surrounded by an entire wall of spikes. Cells for people, spike walls for animals? The ground on the other side was sand, torn up as if excavated, but there was no movement visible anywhere. Touwon and Fox were studying the ground intensely. Fox was on a knee, her purple furred hand on ground as she listened, or felt, for something. After some time, she sat down against the wall, well away from the thorny spikes, but kept a wary eye on the There was no point in stressing what he had no control over, but he couldn''t stop worrying about Erik. He worked on settling his mind and even tried meditating to calm down a bit, which helped more than he believed possible. They sat there for hours, though, and he spent some of that time feeling for the patterns in the sand that denoted the Magic Below. By the time he felt truly in control of himself, the blue sun was barely in the sky and the red sun was long gone. He could just see the Point if he stood in the far corner of the cell near the bars. Looking up at the edge of the Point platform, he found his brother there looking out over the blue tinted sky. His brother knew better than to interact or even acknowledge the party, but that calmed his biggest fear: that Gramm would take his frustration out on his "pet." Even in his condition, Erik was doing what he could to help by making sure Oskar knew he was alive. As soon as his brother knew Oskar had seen him, he struggled to his feet and got permission to leave. To rest, Oskar supposed. Oskar and Erik had a hard childhood, and his adulthood had been full of even tougher experiences he¡¯d barely had time to process. Oskar had to admit, though; he¡¯d always had good people near him. He was still angry, of course, and more than a little afraid, but he was thinking more clearly than he¡¯d been able to in months. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ahh, fear. Actual, tangible fear... nature''s best remedy for anxiety. I hate how pressure makes me feel alive. Looking up at the blue sky through the bars, he thought of Penny. He thought back to Erik waiting for him the moment he¡¯d landed back on American soil getting his leg blown off. He thought of Fox staring at him through the trust door with those wide, green eyes when he¡¯d turned back around after stupidly winking at Gramm. After a time, his anger cooled. No less dangerous, but calculated. Controlled. He slept, but did not dream. It was a rest of necessity and boredom. The red sun had poked up in the distant horizon when he sat up, wishing he had a nice cold Wayspring to wash with. He hoped his brother had gotten some rest, because Oskar knew their time here was done, one way or another, and he was determined to get him free of Gramm. No matter the cost.The Kobolds had followed him here, knowing the danger, but they''d not expected Gramm to have fallen so far off the deep end so quickly. Fox said he''d been his same mean self, but not like this. "He did not even acknowledged Touwon and myself, and there were Kobolds running errands and waterskins regularly. This time, we saw not one Kobold up top." She''d been quiet after that comment, obviously worried about her people whether they were from her tribe or not, but a few minutes later she spoke again. "We should have been able to get in, trade for supplies and information about known humans, and leave within a day. We have done so half a dozen times the past year. That is a truth." It wasn''t a complaint, it was simply a statement of fact. Something had obviously happened, and Oskar felt damn sure Valla was at least indirectly involved, if not the driving force behind it. Breaking this Great Collective to pieces would be the dream, but doing it with his fists and spear was a last, and dangerous, resort. He knew better than to hope that Gramm would just allow them to leave, even if they won this mockery of an "honor fight." However, being trapped as they were, his choices were limited. It had been a mistake coming here, but only because Gramm had fallen off the deep end. Sitting there, well rested, he began focusing on the sand beneath him. The shifting patterns danced below his fingertips. It wasn''t physical, of course, just something he could feel in the sand and rock below. He moved his hand, and for the first time, the pattern followed. Hmm. That''s new. The sand below his hand wasn''t just following now, it began to rise into a point towards his palm like an upside down hourglass. He could feel the ground below his hand vibrating, but it was just the pattern of the Magic Below destabilizing, the ground wasn''t literally shaking. Guiding it gently, like with Sora, wasn''t working, but he continued trying and experimenting. The softer his approach, though, the more the pattern destabilized until it fell apart and the gently swirling point of sand that was almost touching his palm collapsed. He started over, and this time, he stopped the weird notion in his head that not being gentle was somehow... rude? The Magic Below wanted to be told what to do. It did not change and fly free in the ever changing air like Sora. It wanted rules. It understood rules. It didn''t care as much where those rules came from, and so Oskar told the magic to rise. He told the magic what it was supposed to do. Envelop my hand. Protect me. The magic, much more than the simple sand it appeared to be, rose up and wrapped around his hand in a flexible honeycomb shape. He was rewarded with a notification, and the PUB was blinking excitedly. // Prerequisites met: The Magic Below ¨C Talau, has been revealed to you. Congrats! Talau is the Magic Below. Many elements encompass this type of magic, namely earth, or in this case... sand. It represents not just the ground below you, but a foundation, an anchor for other magic, and like Sora, mastery over the other concepts is not far behind for those willing to put in the work! World Gambit updated- Step 3: Master the Magic Within. Oskar, this is huge. Not many people ever learn two schools of magic, but then again, you''re a Druid. Your growing connection to this world will only make you stronger. // Excited, Oskar felt around him with Sora and Talau, and realized he could feel the water from the oasis much stronger than before. The air called to him, wild and shifting. The earth rested below him, content. And something else that felt intangible touched upon his consciousness. Something that was not inherently dangerous like the strange beings watching from some nightmarish place floated in and out of his awareness. This is the Magic Within, I''m guessing? The PUB was quiet. Oskar feeling more a part of this world than ever was helping him get a grasp on his power in a whole new way. He didn¡¯t just want to use it anymore; he wanted to understand it. When he mentioned this to Fox, she nodded and explained. ¡°The difference is purpose. Unique classes are purpose driven. That is how your class evolves. Your power is derived from need. What is it you need, Oskar?¡± Oskar spent a moment thinking. He wasn¡¯t trying to figure out what he needed. He knew, for the first time since the Marine Corps, exactly what he needed. ¡°I need to protect my family. But, that means I need to get my brother away from that psycho and then ruin everything he¡¯s tried to build here. It also means I need to get you and Touwon out of here, and then I need to make sure people don¡¯t have to rely on pricks like that just to survive.¡± ¡°Well, then..." She stood to her feet, "First we have to kill that.¡± Her face was paler than he¡¯d thought it could be, and Oskar felt the ground move beneath them, literally this time. Chapter 39: "Im starting to think Gramm has it out for us." Chapter 39 The ground again rumbled beneath him, and he saw Touwon sit up slowly behind Fox. The Kobold had a wide-eyed, but still curious look he could see through his old Goggles. Oskar exhaled without turning around. Maybe it¡¯ll go away if I ignore it. He obviously knew better, but it was a nice thought. He reached out to his PUB, So, let me get this straight. We ¡®won¡¯ an honor fight by beating the trust maze. And an honor fight is supposed to be like a celebration of our strength through a token battle. // Sounds about right. // ¡°So, when I turn around, there¡¯s traditionally supposed to be like an old Croc that¡¯s instructed to take a hit or three, and then bow to our overwhelming power.¡± // Man, right again. You¡¯re really good at this, Ossy. // Never call me that again or I¡¯m gonna hold my breath until I die. // I¡¯m so tempted. That would be the manliest way to die ever. Just sheer stubbornness. Now turn around, we''ve got work to do and data to gather. // Oskar rolled his eyes and turned around. Something broke the surface of the sand briefly and disappeared. It was the same color as the sand, but looked like Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg all caked a bunch of pottery clay on one of those inflatable tube men you see dancing outside a car dealership and let it dry. If the tube man was the size of a subway train. His scan didn¡¯t tell him anything he didn¡¯t know... this thing could kill him and barely notice. Better not get hit. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that thing is here to participate in the fight, not to watch it. If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m starting to think Gramm has it out for us,¡± Oskar whispered. To his utter shock, Touwon replied with a ¡°Yup.¡± Oskar turned around quickly, but Touwon was already fidgeting with his Bracer, fully concentrating on preparing for the upcoming battle. Two words now. I think I''m growing on him. Oskar himself should have been nervous, and he was, but he''d already accepted this whole thing was a long shot, and his newfound strength made him feel incredible. Fully unlocking Talau felt like he''d found a missing piece of his identity. He wasn¡¯t thinking overtly about his usage of the elements, but his subconscious had caught onto something vital and was working overtime. Oskar felt like he¡¯d woken up from his night¡¯s sleep with the solution to a problem that had been driving him crazy for the last month. He sat there, watching the huge worm thing as it thrashed in the center of the arena, watching not just the creature, but how it interacted with the patterns of the Magic Below. It had bumped and slammed against the inside of the walls a few times before it decided it couldn¡¯t go below it or through it and was now trying to check out the opening it had just entered the Arena from. However, the guards there had been using a series of long spears stuck in the sand to keep it at bay. There were dozens blocking the gate, pointing inward at the inside of the arena. Guards were holding more of the long spears, walking them up in sections to further close the opening. There was apparently too much rock below them for the beast to dive below the spears, and the spears looked to be specifically designed to herd and trap tunneling beasts. The spears were long, over three times taller than the Crocs that were holding them, and could anchor themselves in the sand using retractable rows of spikes. The guards would retract the spikes to pull them out of the ground, and then place them closer to the gate, extending the spikes to anchor them back in place. This served the purpose of keeping beasts from simply tearing through them. Touwon watched them with some interest, his mind probably already working on improvements and shoring up flaws, despite him likely to never even lay a hand on one. They were expected to die soon, and even if they lived, they would not have to time to let the Kobold inspect everything that piqued his interest. Touwon was just that way, though. Maybe this was how he calmed himself down before a fight. Engineering and theory crafting. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Oskar looked at Fox and knew exactly what she was doing. Formulating a plan to keep this thing from having a Collective snack. Crocs, Hyena, and a few Drakon were making their way down to the seating area in mostly the same groups of species, pointing at the imprisoned group and chuckling amongst themselves. Oskar watched them closely, seeing the casual cruelty on many of their faces. He was glad to see no sign of Joker, who seemed like a decent sort as far as Crocs went. I know not everyone here is bad, but there might not be a way out of this place that doesn''t leave more than a few people dead. Oskar was wondering how far he was willing to go, here, already thinking past this giant sandy worm thing- Fox was working on that problem- and towards the next problem. Was he ready for what could be the nastiest fight of his life, even counting his wartime experience? Going from the Sandwyrm to finding a way out of this place was going to be a long, sustained battle. He¡¯d been in battle before, obviously, but this was face to face. No rifles, no platoon of Marines two streets over for backup and no sexy gunships overhead to back them up. There would be no more fanfare. No more trials, no more attempted executions. There would be naked, open conflict. Battle. War. Oskar was sick of reacting to threats, stuck in a new kind of survival cycle. He¡¯d known Valla escaping was going to be a growing problem, and he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think the whole Gramm Collective would go through all this trouble on a random group of nobodies who just showed up. It couldn''t just be a Croc species superiority thing, even if even the Hyena guards were warily watching the Point. Was there some historical context he was missing? The many heads of the curiosity hydra were beginning to all ask the same question. Why? Why was it so important to tear his small Collective apart so visibly? Why make such a production out of breaking them down? In a place where every deal was taken with doubt and a look over their shoulder, Oskar was starting to think the Clinkers had the right of it, at least when it came to real estate. The Clinkers were opportunists, true, and took from those who¡¯d built, made, or fought for their own way to survive, but it was done openly, and they were smart enough to stay outside the natural walls that trapped, rather than protected, those within. Someone who lies to my face is something I can work around. I know their motivations¡­ they can be bought. // Pretty sure that¡¯s illegal. // I don''t mean slavery, obviously. I mean I know their motivations. Can you feel pain? How can I hurt you? // Words, Oss¡­ I mean Oskar. Your words can hurt me. As my Ol¡¯ Ma always said, ¡®Attack us with a cactus and it¡¯s considered malpractice, but words will always hurt me.¡¯ // What?! That¡­that doesn¡¯t even make sense. And you¡¯re AI, you don¡¯t even have a mother! // Ouch, Oskar. That was hurtful. She was so right. // Oskar was more than a little dumbfounded by that exchange, and his face must have showed it, because Fox, having finished her mental preparations, gave him a look before she began to explain her plan in a low voice. ¡°It is a Sandwyrm. Not fully grown, but it is more than large enough to pose a very serious threat. I know the back side of the Plateau has a steep climb, and so I cannot imagine how they got it up here unless they somehow bred and raised it here." She shook her head slowly, her brows lowered. "Anyway, it will have some mastery over earth and sand. Notice the blow holes along the small ridge that continues down its back? It can blast sand from those. I have seen it sever limbs at close proximity. It suctions sand in through those holes and it is stored sub-dermally for just such an attack and also as a protective layer,¡± she paused for a moment, considering her next words and then continued. ¡°It is most vulnerable to piercing attacks following, and in the same location of, a sand blast attack of its own. It will attempt to slam us into the sand and batter us against the walls. Steer clear of the ridge and its blowholes. It will also attempt to come from beneath us and knock us down and then slam its head downward on the fallen. At this size, it cannot swallow us whole. Their mouths are proportionally small. So then. I shall be the bait.¡± She quieted his obvious protest with a raised, furry hand. ¡°I am light enough on my feet to deal with the attacks from below. Fast enough to avoid being dashed into the walls, and have superior hearing to you, human. There is a hollow whistling sound denoting every sand blast. I will know the attack, and its location, in plenty of time to react. I will not be able to harm it and keep its attention at the same time, though. That is where you and Touwon come in." "But..." "Do not argue, we have not the time to formulate a secondary plan¡­ unless you yourself have designed a magnificent counter to an enemy with no prior knowledge. I think most likely not. In fact, it looked suspiciously like you were just losing an argument with your PUB in your head. You make a certain face when you do that. It looks like shame.¡± // She''s insightful. // You totally told her, didn¡¯t you? You snitch. // Yup! Gave her a Gambit to roast you with. You made fun of my Ma, Oskar. MY. MA! // You don¡¯t behave like someone who had a mother. // Ok, that was pretty good. I¡¯m gonna let you win this round because I don¡¯t want you to be sulking when it¡¯s wormy fight time. // ¡°Losing another internal fight?¡± Fox quipped. ¡°I actually won that one, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Oh, really? What is the score now?¡± Fox gave him a telling look. ¡°I don¡¯t keep count.¡± // I do. 21 to 1. // *Click* The bars to their small cell began to rise. Chapter 40: The Sandwyrm The bars to their cell rose and then settled into place overhead with a muted clank, and Oskar heard footsteps above them walking hurriedly away. Gramm¡¯s voice carried as he called out to the pitiful crowd of fifty or so that he could see; the arena had obviously been designed for hundreds. He could feel his heart beating through his chest, but again, the errant thought hit him that had been running through his mind since that first night, sleeping in the whistling caves up top. Who could have built such a place? His thoughts were cut short as the ground rumbled. He had a Sandwyrm to fight. Gramm yelled out unnecessarily; the arena platform, like the platform over the ruins, was well designed to carry sound to the whole arena. ¡°The gods gifted us with Sandwyrm for honor battle. Sign from above! Should be no problem for such trusty companions as piiink, and the one, two furry idiot stupid, ugly, dummy rats. So stupid, they are. And small.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes you, Touwon,¡± Oskar whispered conspiratorially. Touwon replied with a flat stare. Having run through the bulk of his vocabulary insulting the Kobolds, Gramm continued, ¡°This is battle to death. Not even fully grown Sandwyrm. So easy. Could kill myself with bare claws,¡± he straightened up, probably imagining himself a great hero instead of someone whose power depended completely on being a water distribution chokepoint. ¡°When you win, freedom all yours! I am Croc of my word. As father, Great Chief Gram used to say: ¡®That why even dumb Kobolds say true things called... a Croc.¡¯¡± Oskar had been drinking water from his waterskin while Gramm rambled on, but that last line made him choke, water getting into his sinuses. ¡°Did he just say ¡®a crock?!¡¯ And does that count as a double quote?¡± Luckily, sound didn¡¯t carry out of the cell the way the platform carried sound in. Fox shushed him sternly, nonetheless. ¡°You would do well to guard your reactions better. We have spent generations on that joke. Do not raise suspicions.¡± Oskar wasn¡¯t even sure Kobolds had a sense of humor outside of their Chief Biggums stories, usually starring the small Kobold called Little Luth, but this was gold. I mean, absolute gold. He¡¯d barely had a chance to catch his breath when, for the first time, the Sandwyrm rose higher than a few feet out of the sand, and Oskar''s earlier confidence took a hit. This was going to be nasty. He missed Penny like crazy, but he was glad she wouldn¡¯t be here for this, despite her usefulness thus far in their tussles. I hope Erik is ready for what was coming, too, because if we manage to make it out of here, we''re gonna have to move fast. The whole thing felt hopeless, though. He couldn''t see a path that didn''t end with them fighting and outnumbered. Oskar didn¡¯t exactly know what was about to happen, but one thing was certain- Gramm was not a Croc of his word. He stepped out into the bright sun, and somehow, the oppressiveness of the direct sunlight felt less severe than in the closed off cell. At least there was a steady breeze in the open. Oskar noticed dozens of small slits on both sides of the arena that served as vents of sorts for airflow. Whoever had built this place, and they were surely not Crocodilian, had an eye for efficiency and an ear for acoustics. Oskar moved further out of the cell, toward the Sandwyrm, but Fox and Touwon stopped him and pushed past, moving so silently that Sandy didn¡¯t even notice them until Fox moved into its direct line of¡­sight? Who knows, he¡¯d trusted Fox to relay the relevant information, but felt dumb for not asking that question at least. Thankfully, the floor of the arena had started out hard packed, though the Sandwyrm was doing its best to change that. The ability that allowed it to travel under the ground, magic or not, still left the ground tilled behind it. Oskar¡¯s spear had been tossed into the arena, probably because it looked as useless as what they¡¯d left the two Kobolds¡­ a cooking knife for Fox, and a little jeweling hammer for the artificer. Pulled straight from whatever small section of Touwon¡¯s bag the Kobold had allowed them access to. Hilarious. At least they could say they¡¯d allowed them weapons.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He scooped it up and tried to figure out what side of the Wyrm was the head based on movement. It seemed at times to be moving in more than one direction, which is when Oskar noticed it wasn¡¯t just moving through the sand as if swimming the same way Penny did, it was also expanding and contracting, making it hard to judge its speed. It was moving even when it seemed to be sitting still. Fox hadn¡¯t bothered to scoop up the knife as she¡¯d run by, but Touwon had scooped up both when he ran by because he was particular about his things and was as aware as Oskar was that there likely wouldn¡¯t be time to gather their things afterwards. If we can make it to "afterwards," Oskar thought with a forced smile. Fox already had one of her small hidden blades out, and Touwon¡¯s left leather glove had sprouted four telescoped foot long metal spikes and his right glove somehow had a ten-inch disk that Oskar wasn¡¯t sure was a saw-blade or a buckler, but would hate to be on the wrong side of finding out. The Sandwyrm had stopped thrashing about the arena and had pinpointed, by either movement, sound, or sight, the lithe form of Fox running across the sand nearby, and tried to do a Sandwyrm version of a hip check. Fox, the crazy Kobold, had a grin on her face as she simply jumped up and pushed off the hip check and let it toss her a few feet to the side, landing gracefully without missing a step. The crowd booed, and Oskar laughed out loud. Oskar immediately understood her earlier game plan much better. As long as she wasn¡¯t pinned down or standing near the wall, it was like swatting a gnat. It wasn¡¯t hurting her, just displacing her, and she was obviously made for this type of combat. Oskar moved in carefully to try to find an opening and saw Touwon doing the same on the other side of the arena. The Sandwyrm wasn¡¯t oblivious to their movement, and it wasn¡¯t just utilizing vision considering it spent most of its time under the sand. It occasionally tried the hip check move on both Touwon and himself, but it was half-hearted and mostly just to scare them off while it chased Fox. She was doing a great job of not pulling the creature all around the arena and was keeping the thing mostly focused on the side of the arena with the platform. Oskar, unused to this type of combat, hesitated when the Sandwyrm finally tried to come up under Fox directly, a move she¡¯d obviously baited because she literally just waited on it, riding atop the head as it rose 10 feet or more in the air and then jumped behind the head at an angle it couldn¡¯t easily react to. She pushed off the attempted side slam with a roll that put her in the first bad position she¡¯d been in the entire fight. Too close to the head, too close to the wall and no room to move without turning the Wyrm¡¯s head directly into Oskar, who easily had the worst maneuverability of the three. His right foot was still doing well enough in the sand, but the constant churning of the ground was becoming relevant and his prosthetic side was sinking in a little with every step, making him much more unsteady and slower to react. He was trying to reposition himself after stepping in a particularly soft patch when Sandy threw another Shakira his way, and Oskar got tossed into an awkward heap a few meters away. Distracted by his plight, Fox found herself in an awkward position as well and took a harder than expected blow, her shoulder hit by an indirect head-butt from the Wyrm¡­ or possibly a butt-butt. This thing is weird looking. Even still, she took the hit at an angle that tossed her in an optimal location with room to maneuver, but she did grunt on landing. Unlike Oskar, Touwon hadn¡¯t hesitated at the opening the Wyrm gave him. Oskar noticed that when Sandy committed to a head butt, it fully extended itself and, in that moment was as close to stationary as it ever got. Of course, Touwon had already noticed and was taking full advantage. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Touwon did on the other side of its huge rolling bulk, but the Sandwyrm hated it. It jerked away from the Kobold towards Oskar and set him up perfectly for a thrust with his spear. It went in easily and deeply, and the Wyrm apparently hated that, too, spinning towards Oskar and wrenching the spear from his hands. ¡°Son of a-¡° A whistling sound interrupted Oskar as the spin brought the blowholes on the top ridge of the beast into view as the beast finally stopped at an angle. Oskar registered the sound and remembered Fox¡¯s warning about the sand blast attack. The holes were currently aimed low enough that his only chance to dodge was to jump. What small breeze existed in the arena swirled around his body, and he was launched in the air much higher than he expected. He tried to tuck his knees to completely avoid the blast, but the edge of the blast grazed his prosthetic right foot, and the impact spun him in the air. Surprisingly, he had no problem with his bearings as he spun. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure if it was his growing mastery over Sora or because he was able to keep his direction based on the Wayspring Location somewhere under the Point, but he knew exactly when and how to maneuver his body in the air to land. He did so, but his prosthetic sunk into the sand enough to land him in real danger of being crushed by the writhing Sandwyrm. As he pulled his prosthetic out of the sand, he realized his boot had a bit of the outside edge shaved off. He blinked, wide eyed as the damage indicator flashed a red outline around the edge of his boot. Yeah, thanks, PUBs. I noticed. // You know, I don''t always do stuff just to be irritating. I¡¯ve got a bunch of this stuff automated. // So, that was automated? // Listen, I don¡¯t tell you how to do your job. // You might want to start. I have no idea what I¡¯m doing. // Don''t sell yourself short, bud. Look. // Oskar noticed his spear, painted in gore, sticking point up at an angle out of the sand where it had apparently come dislodged from the Sandwyrm during its spin. The spin would have been a brilliant move if the spear hadn¡¯t been indestructible. Instead, though, it had savaged itself with its violent throes. The spear almost tore Sandy in half before finally dislodging, and the Wyrm went berserk. Chapter 41: Skill Issue Oskar dashed forward, grabbed his spear, and then shuffled backwards. He saw the Sandwyrm, in some kind of primal desperation, slamming its head downward and side to side, over and over, trying to smash Fox. Tiring from the prolonged battle, she was now hard pressed to dodge Sandy¡¯s constant attacks. Panicked, its movements were wildly unpredictable, and there was at least once when Oskar saw her take a 50/50 dive that could have cost Fox her life. For the first time in the fight, Fox found herself too close to the arena wall, dangerously limiting her movement, and the Wyrm tried its best to take advantage. The front half of the Sandwyrm tore free from the shredded back half as it dashed after Fox, who had the spatial awareness to not hitch a ride on its head this time around. Sandy went upwards twice as high as before and could have spelled disaster if Fox had tried the same move. Unfortunately for Oskar, the back half of the Sandwyrm, spilling sand and dark green blood, suddenly slammed into him as he was watching Fox and he felt himself tossed in the air again, this time not of his own accord. He again¡­ manipulated, for lack of a better word, his momentum and direction in a way that was beginning to feel like second nature to him. Oskar was able to right himself in the air, and landed on top of the walkway above their open cage at the boundary of the arena. Cries of ¡°Cheat! They cheat!¡± came from the crowd and the platform. What the hell?! Apparently getting tossed out of the arena is cheating? He shook his head, ignoring them. Turning back to Fox, he launched himself back into the fight toward the front half of the Wyrm as it flew up out of the sand. Fox, now out of room, was forced to dive forwards to try to get behind the head as it prepared to dash downward again. Just like the end of the battle with Vulk, Oskar felt his momentum increase and his direction shift, but this time he knew exactly how to transfer his momentum. He''d practiced it inside the Insight Gem''s Echo more times than he could count. Spear in hand, he prepared to ruin this Sandwyrm¡¯s day. That was until the entire ¡°head¡± of the Wyrm vibrated with dark energy and then exploded into dark cosmic dust right as he transferred his momentum into his strike¡­ which hit nothing. His body was dashed into the bars of one of the closed cages on the inside of the arena with bone crunching force. He was hovering in and out of consciousness when Touwon reached him, concern clear on his usually distanced expression. He heard more cries of ¡°Cheater! Cheater! Honor-less rats had outside help!¡± But this time, the voice was chillingly familiar. Cold shivers ran down his spine, even in the heat. His rage shifted between fear and confusion as he drifted closer to unconsciousness. Where is she? Where is Valla? As rough, clawed hands jerked him upward, he tried to scream, but what came out was a choked sob of pain. He could feel the bones in his left arm grinding together and he almost vomited. Something was also wrong with his hip, but that wasn¡¯t really an issue considering he was being carried, at least until he was bounced up the stairs onto the now empty Arena platform, and then up more stairs to the Point platform above it with jarring force. Sure enough, as his vision broke the top step and he got a clear view of the platform, he saw a grinning, insane face. ¡°Valla,¡± he whispered, his voice hoarse. He really wished he had something clever to say here, but his head was spinning and the pain was making it hard to think. How is she here? Oskar couldn¡¯t reason through it in his current state. He did notice something else that further confused and angered him. His brother was looking at Valla with abject terror. Was she the one actually responsible for his injuries? Is she the one who cut off his brother¡¯s arm? Is she the one who cut out his eye and tongue? New rage momentarily cleared his head, and he tried to stand and strike her, to kick her, bite her, anything¡­ but Gramm swatted him down and let out a derisive laugh before Oskar even managed to sit up. ¡°You think you show up to my Tribe, mine, and when I give great gift of honor fight¡­ in good faith¡­ you cheat, cheat, cheat like all filthy stupid rats?! It time to finish exterminating rats, me think. You cheat? Well, you LOSE!¡± Gramm again spat the word, spittle and putrid meat wafted over Oskar as he lay, panting, on his back, his visionwas blurry and making him feel more nauseous, so he closed them for what felt like only a second. Oskar opened his eyes and was suddenly looking up at his brother¡¯s thin face, his single green eye watching him. The guards had unceremoniously dropped him just out of reach of his brother. Fox and Touwon were finally brought up from the Arena, a Croc on each side of them wrenching their arms up behind their backs. Oskar could feel the Wayspring below them, inside the cave system of the plateau or maybe just in a small chamber of its own, and Oskar reached for it, desperate. He could feel it, so close, but he didn¡¯t have enough left of whatever it took to do anything about it, nor could he focus enough to pull it off. He might not even be able to stand, much less fight, and likely even Wayspring water wouldn¡¯t be able to do much about it in time, but he didn¡¯t have a clue what else to do.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He forced his eyes to focus again on his brother¡¯s gaunt face. Erik suddenly threw himself forward, his only remaining hand snaking out faster than Oskar thought possible. He felt his brother''s touch land on his forehead, gentle, despite the desperate movement. Oskar stared, wide eyed and alert, as his brother mouthed a silent word. ¡°No.¡± A rush of energy filled him and he felt his body pull back from the brink of unconsciousness. Oskar¡¯s arm, his hip, and a thousand little aches, bumps and bruises, including lingering sunburn from being exposed to the suns during the fight with Sandy, all healed completely. His brother withered right in front of Oskar''s eyes, looking like he¡¯d easily lost another ten pounds- but whatever it was Erik had just done had been purposeful- and impossibly effective. He saw raw pain in his brother''s eyes. Yet Oskar felt better than he¡¯d felt in his entire life. ¡°You fool!¡± A shadowed foot blurred past his face and knocked his brother¡¯s thin form flat. Oskar launched himself upwards, too close to land a significant strike on her, so instead, he picked Valla¡¯s screaming form up and dashed her to the stone beneath him. She hit hard, bounced, and then rolled off into the stands of the arena far below with a guttural scream of pain and rage. Oskar wanted nothing more than to continue the assault on Valla but was forced to turn and face a roaring Gramm who was trying to impale Oskar with his own spear. The attack was easily sidestepped. Whatever ability or spell Erik used on him empowered the now-overflowing amount of magic inside Oskar, augmenting his growing mastery of the Magics Above and Below. He felt like the world was moving in slow motion as Gramm attacked yet again. It was going to take some getting used to if this was what his body and magic was going to feel like as his abilities grew, but for Gramm¡¯s sluggish, if powerful form, he was more than fast and coordinated enough to dodge again. Fox and Touwon had apparently gotten loose in the initial confusion and were keeping the now three remaining Crocs busy as Oskar tried to figure out how to hurt the huge Gramm, or at least get his spear back from him. They were too close to the Point itself for Oskar to be surrounded, but while he was dodging Gramm¡¯s heavy blows, he still had to deal with the Crocs and Hyena-men pushing close in their attempts to land a blow. He felt the Sora swirling around him faster than ever before, though. At one point, as one of the Hyena-men darted in, he thrusted his hand towards the nimble creature, sending forth a blast of wind that threw the small creature into the Croc behind it. The Hyena hit the Croc with enough force that both went down in a heap that caused the others around them to hesitate. Unfortunately, during Oskar¡¯s distraction, Gramm moved faster than Oskar expected and tackled him to the stone just as he spun back around to face him, and pressed down, using his bulk to his advantage. The massive Croc pushed the spear down onto Oskar¡¯s throat with both claws as he leaned close and screamed at him. ¡°This mine! My tribe! My oasis! My water! You lose! All mine, stupid piiink! Mine!¡± A shove of the spear punctuated each sentence. Oskar could still feel the air all around him, but knew wind from this angle and distance would be useless, even empowered by Erik''s ability. Oskar surprised himself a little when he was able, with a burst of his remaining strength, to push the spear back up just enough to catch a breath, but he could feel himself losing the physical struggle against his larger opponent. And they both knew it. "Can''t have mine! My Oasis! My water! Mine!" So it gave the Croc above him pause when Oskar breathlessly laughed, still heaving for air. The battle around them was slowing as everyone knew the outcome was being decided in this desperate struggle at their feet. In the moment he realized he was very likely about to die, Oskar realized something important. The fear that had been inside him for the past year wasn¡¯t really for himself, it never had been. It wasn''t about Erik either, at least not directly. It was of being truly alone in the world. His parents were dead. His brother, gone and likely dead as well. So many of his Marines buried. He himself had come face to face with death more than once, and never did the fear spike higher than what he¡¯d felt growing inside him after Erik- his last link to the world- disappeared. But the fear was gone. That primal fear that had controlled him for so long was so much worse than anything Gramm, or even Valla, could manage. I¡¯m not alone anymore. Erik, Fox, Touwon, and of course, Penny. And this overgrown, mouth-breathing idiot is trying to take everything I care about away from me again. Gramm snapped his head down to bite Oskar¡¯s face, and Oskar jerked his head to the side before letting go of the spear and wrapping his hands around the neck of the huge Croc, pulling him close and not letting go. Oskar hooked the heel of his boots behind the knees of the Croc¡¯s back legs and locked it in as best he could. Gramm, completely unprepared for the reversed movement, lost a handgrip on Oskar¡¯s spear in his attempts to push him away, but Oskar was too close, and the Croc was too large to be flexible. With the hind legs hooked, Gramm couldn¡¯t get enough purchase to spin or use his size to advantage, especially with the spear now trapped between them. The smartest thing the Croc could have done was relax his weight on him. Between pride, panic, and instinct, though... Oskar doubted the thought even occurred to Gramm. Understanding his own fear had cleared up a lot of brainpower for Oskar. Best of all, it finally showed him his place in this world. He belonged here. Not specifically on this planet, but here with his new, weird family. And the magic suddenly felt like a true part of him. What had held him back was using the magic more like a tool than a part of him, despite his attempts otherwise. He was the Wayspring Wanderer. A Druid. And it''s damn time I started acting like it. He watched as Gramm¡¯s orange threat color dropped to yellow. More likely, his own threat had grown. Oskar reached for the Wayspring below him¡­ and it responded. It was nothing like before, though. It didn''t "answer his call," it returned to him. It was a part of him all along. ¡°You want all the water?¡± Oskar choked out, ¡°Well, it''s yours. By the way¡­ we have your daddy¡¯s PUB. He got eaten by a bird. Skill issue.¡± Chapter 42: Druids Awakening As Gramm screamed threats and struggled, Oskar pulled at the Wayspring below him with everything he had, and he had a lot. He could, full of clarity and empowered by whatever Erik had used to heal him, feel the water below him like an extension of his body. The thick rock between him and the Wayspring were of no consequence, and so did not even cross his mind as he called the water to himself. This Wayspring and its magic were part of him, and as such, belonged with him. The Wayspring had sat there waiting for him all this time. It didn¡¯t burst through the rock below them with a crashing and shattering of stone. The path of least resistance in this case was breaking itself down into its tiniest parts, seeping through the rock. In rivulets, the water reformed, stringing up Oskar¡¯s back and arms from all around him, his strength and mastery over water on full display for all to see. By the time Gramm realized what was happening, Oskar¡¯s hands were locked like iron around his neck. I hope you¡¯re thirsty, you cruel bastard. The water reforming did so as if at the core of a new Wayspring, himself, and as it ran up his arms and back, the chill caused his breath to catch. The almost ice-cold water rode up his arms and then his hands, enveloping Gramm¡¯s head in an orb of water. The Croc couldn¡¯t stop that first panicked, fatal, intake of breath. Within moments, Gramm¡¯s massive lungs were full of water, and he was choking, gasping for air he would never again breath. The surrounding fighting slowed further as the combatants, as well as those fighting to get to the Point¡¯s platform and assist their Chief, slowed to a stop. Their snouts fell slack as they witnessed real magic in a way that was spoken of only fairy tales- by children, and their sense of childish wonder. Gramm was drowning, and the world was changed. *** -Bragg- I''m in the deeps now. Bragg walked with purpose, fiery Drakon eyes occasionally glancing back towards the Great Collective. Interacting with elements wasn¡¯t exactly common, as it was the focus of some classes; like the Hyena Windgliders who styled themselves Dragoons as they rode the wind, and the Pyrochemists in the south, who used alchemy and sparking mechanisms to simulate fire blasts. They were effective in their own way, but they used elements and magics that were already available, albeit creatively. Actually manipulating an element or magic spoke of something else; it spoke of a magic thought lost, and it was something many believed never even existed. This was something the twenty Drakon Magi, now marching westward, bitterly wished the human had never revealed. They marched to their home, far to the west, a contemplative silence. In the front of the formation was Bragg, the robed figure that had stood behind Gramm when Oskar had first presented himself. He was their leader for a reason; he was already moving past the bitter problem and was thinking of mitigation and solutions. The Kobold is out of the proverbial sack, as my father would say. The only way to contain it would be to indiscriminately kill every living sentient in the Great Collective. To burn and cut out every Kobold and Hyena in the small interlocking caves and crannies. To fight the dozens of Crocs and the dangerous humans that had caused it all to fall apart and leave no one left alive to tell anyone the Drakon had tried and failed to do so. An impossible job, foolish to even attempt. Even if we had tried, the rats would have scattered and made the attempt useless. We should have had more of a presence and never have allowed that fool the illusion of power. And so we move forth. It would have been a pointless, last, desperate attempt to maintain their secret knowledge over the remaining elemental magic of the world. The world was changing. Changed, Bragg corrected himself mentally as he absentmindedly checked his PUB overlay for today''s projected temperature. It''s changed, not changing. This was the second human I know of showing such potential in the past year. That first human had power over true spiritual magic, but after having been tortured and maimed by the always over-eager Valla, it was surely of no threat, comparative to the new human, Oskar. The human was so weak that even his unfortunate healing of Oskar had almost killed him. And that brings forth another question. Why? Why risk himself? Do humans just blindly support other humans? This Oskar, though... was going to be a problem. He''d had his group poised to leave the moment he''d seen Oskar using Sora like a prodigy in his fight with the Sandwyrm, and had left the moment the one armed broken human had healed and empowered their new problem. And Bragg was having trouble deciding if they should try to be this problem''s friend or this problem''s enemy.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Maybe the decision will be made for me. Perhaps Gramm will be able to stop him. It was possible, after all. Gramm was formidable. The potential perked Bragg up momentarily, and he even considered stopping the group of Magi, returning, and coming up with an excuse for leaving. At least until the notification popped up. / Gambit Failed: Ambassador and Spy Build relations between the Drakon people and Gramm''s Collective. Failure Consequences: Potential breakdown of relations between the Crocodilian and Drakon peoples. / Well. I suppose that means Gramm was not, in fact, able to stop him. *** Gramm''s death was a turning point for what passed for civilization on this dying planet. Other than the group of Drakon now marching Westward, all who survived it would speak of it with reverence. They would talk about the fierceness of the Wayspring Druid, and how he and his brave companions had stood unwaveringly against overwhelming numbers, numbers that grew with every retelling. That they¡¯d fought their way through hundreds, no¡­a thousand¡­ and flew off the side of a mountain carried by the wind, either unscathed or bathed in the glow of Bastet, sometimes both. Future storytellers, some of which had actually been there, would say they had personally held back in the ensuing battle because they''d known this human was something special. They would claim they¡¯d stood aside and secretly cheered them on, or surreptitiously tripped up pursuers, deflected attacks and various small other things that grew over time. By the time the survivors themselves passed away, many of them even convinced themselves they¡¯d stood against Valla and what she¡¯d eventually become, or even fought by the Druid¡¯s side. The truth, however, was far less glorious, if no less important for it. There was only one who¡¯d fought by the Druid and his companion¡¯s side, and he¡¯d paid dearly for it. That is a truth. *** As the water surrounding Gramm¡¯s dead, beady eyes, streamed down Oskar¡¯s arms and hit the rock with a splash that finally broke the silence, Valla began screaming. Oskar barely had time to climb out from under Gramm¡¯s lifeless body. Her loud accusations of betrayal and regicide- as if Gramm had been some great king- pierced the air, whipping the Crocs and the Hyena-men into a panicked frenzy. The massive Drakon, Oskar noticed with some alarm, were suspiciously missing from the fray. Oskar had seen the moment, at least in his peripheral vision, when Valla had gotten within view of the fight. She¡¯d watched him drown Gramm and then disappeared. She¡¯d chosen not to interfere. Oskar didn¡¯t immediately realize it, but this was her path to power, and maybe even her plan all along. But in that one desperate moment, he''d simply killed the enemy before him. The sobering rush of power, the splash of the still cold water, and the screams of murder by Valla were more than enough to get Oskar thinking again. He pocketed the Insight Gem that appeared, but ignored it, knowing they had but a moment to break through the wild-eyed, disorganized Crocs and Hyenamen who were stumbling over one another. it was only a matter of time before they realized what Oskar and the tactical minded Kobolds already knew; the only hope of survival was forward. Behind them was open air, cliffs, and death. // I know you¡¯re busy, but Talau just jumped up and your Sora mastery just hit another major threshold, which is just... wild. You¡¯ll now begin to understand and have access to more concepts. That weird molecular rock water trick mixed with whatever you just got from Gramm has a lot of potential. Like¡­ to way oversimplify it, you¡¯re developing knowledge of planetary magic. Druid is broken. You¡¯ll probably still die trying to fly, but I¡¯ll never forget you. // Looking back at his brother, Oskar knew it was impossible to run back and pull Erik¡¯s prone form off the stone, but then¡­ as if his brother had purposefully been resting until the very last second before being forced to move¡­ Erik sat up, rolled over onto his knees and stood. He wavered just a moment before he took a step, staring pointedly at Oskar. His gaunt, sunken, single eye said what he could not. ¡°Go.¡± Setting his jaw, Oskar turned and pulled in as much Sora as he could. There was a gust from behind the group as the air pulled in from every direction into a focused point in his palm. It looked like a ball of swirling colors, and he released the pent-up elemental magic forward, sweeping the attackers in front of him backwards into the press behind them, sending one over the edge with a scream. The Hyenamen were adding their own hysterical laughs to the din as they darted through legs and jumped tails to attack the cornered group. Oskar wasn''t sure exactly what he did, but it was draining, wildly inefficient, and very short ranged. The group pushed forward, past Gramm''s tent where Touwon darted in to snatch his bag and their stuff, which was sitting just inside the opening on a thick rug at the foot of Gramm''s massive sleeping blankets. That necessary delay almost cost them their chance to break though, but they heard a sudden roar from behind the press of bodies. A huge, pale red Croc slammed into the wall of attackers. Half a dozen fell over the cliff, others fell into the side of the tent, tangled in a pile of confusion and the sheer cloth. This created both a gap wide enough for them to finally make headway, and time to utilize it. As counterintuitive as it felt, Oskar fought his way to the wall to keep from being surrounded, using wind and spear to kill and clear the way. With his newfound knowledge, he could feel the sand and rock all around him, and an abundance of other things below him, similar to the way he could feel the Waysprings when he¡¯d first arrived on this cursed two sun planet. He could feel it all- weakly and with little detail, but it was ever present. He knew he''d broken through to D Rank on some of his stats, but didn''t have time to check the notifications. The surrounding threats were almost all green now, but there were a lot of them. As they passed the other side of Gramm''s fallen tent, they slowed just enough for Joker to recover from slamming into the crowd, and the Croc was quickly by their side with a large axe and a wicked grin. Joker banged his chest with a thump and said something to the Kobolds before he turned and savagely rushed forward to clear the way for the group. Wait! Was that Kobold-ian? Chapter 43: Always Faithful Whatever Joker said was definitely in the Kobold language, whatever it was called, because Oskar''s two purple friends instantly launched themselves into the fray behind the Croc, Touwon shouting something back and Fox grinning fiercely. Joker was a large, effective fighter, and the confusion of the situation and the unorganized clumps of combatants played heavily in his favor. He was at least as large as any of the Crocs Oskar had seen other than Gramm, and unlike the rounded folds that made up the bulk of Gramm¡¯s size, Joker was solid, with just the smallest hint of a belly that seemed to slow him not at all. They initially made quick headway along the wall, attacked from only from the front and one side before the Crocs and Hyenamen finally closed in behind them. Touwon was darting under the Joker¡¯s wide swings to attack the press of bodies with precise shots that left Crocs and Hyenas hamstrung or gushing arterial blood. Fox was darting forward when she could do so without getting too far away from Erik, to finish those downed by Joker and Touwon, as well as those Oskar speared or swept away using bursts of Sora. When he gathered Sora for a strike, stones hovered over the ground as if responding to the call of Talau and Sora, but they fell as soon as he finished gathering enough for his attack. His ears were popping whenever he used those quick bursts of Sora, which likely meant he was doing something with air pressure on top of the wind. But figuring out exactly what was happening was something to study when he wasn''t outnumbered twenty to one. So much to unpack, so much to learn. ¡°Air magic is air magic; ground magic is ground magic. There should not be overlap, but what do I know?¡± Fox had told him in their cell the day prior. ¡°At first, I worried about you learning your class, having not come from a world with magic.¡± ¡°What changed?¡± She¡¯d grinned at him. ¡°I eventually realized that you ignoring how magic worked in this world was not because you are not capable of learning, but because you are better instinctively than consciously.¡± I call that lucky, he thought, but he knew it wasn¡¯t true. He¡¯d worked endlessly to better understand his power. Oskar had a bad habit of undermining his accomplishments, and now that he was no longer living in constant self-deprecation, he was slowly getting better at giving himself credit where it was due. I have worked for this. And we¡¯ve got a lot more work ahead of us¡­ but first, I¡¯ve got to get Erik to safety. Erik was keeping up with them, moving steadily and keeping between at least two members of the party as they followed the big red Croc, moving steadily forward. The press of bodies was constant and chaotic. Enemies stumbled into range as often as they attacked. They¡¯d tried to swarm the small group twice, and that close, Oskar¡¯s multicolored orb of air attack was most effective, seeming to explode outward in a forward cone. Joker and Touwon make the sprawling combatants pay heavily for those two attempts. The first time, Touwon smashed a bottle he¡¯d tossed in the air with a backswing of his kukrang, splashing some liquid over the fallen, as well as a few of those that had tried to fill the gap afterward. A moment later, his kukrang caught with the same blue, sparking fire from the fight with the Gryphus Vulture, and with a single swipe, he set them alight. Oskar would never forget the screaming as the fire quickly spread to everyone who had even a drop of the strange liquid on them. Luckily, the following stampede was aimed away from the group, and Oskar¡¯s group had been rewarded with a small lull in the battle. Valla¡¯s raging soon reinforced order, and the fight continued, albeit a little more cautiously, especially around Touwon¡¯s blue flamed weapon. A cry that set the hair on the back of Oskar¡¯s neck to needlepoints rose from somewhere at the back of the press of attackers, and suddenly they were again being swarmed. He felt Erik¡¯s grip on his shoulder tighten at the sound. Screaming, just like Pale¡­ just like Erik. Valla, using her sick magic to scare them forward. Apparently Touwon wasn¡¯t able to reproduce his earlier trick, but Joker, no slouch, suddenly moved forward with so much ferocity that he seemed to push the fallen backward. His massive axe fell indiscriminately in the pile with such effectiveness that the pressure on Oskar¡¯s group dropped dramatically, even as the primal screaming behind their attackers echoed into nothingness. With no time to contemplate what inhumane thing Valla had done, he fought with spear and magic. He honed his ability to convert Sora¡¯s bursts into targeted thrusts, able to utilize them into his spear techniques by using it to off-balance his attackers. This was much harder with the physical bulk of the Crocs opposed to the Hyenamen, but he eventually realized their long claws made them less surefooted on the rock than he was, and blasting Sora towards their legs was more effective.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Over the course of the next few minutes, they fought closer and closer to the entrance, staying close enough to the wall to avoid being surrounded completely. At one point, they found themselves further away from the wall than they¡¯d intended, and a Hyenaman tried to work his way around Joker, who spun with surprising speed. His rock-hard tail crushed the Hyena-man into the wall behind him, and a second, shocked Hyena behind the first staggered backward, all thoughts of doing the same thing gone. Touwon shifted to fill the gap and Joker gradually shifted their trajectory back toward the wall. Joker''s face was grim and determined, but a flash of bright blue scales caught his eye, and suddenly the grim look was replaced with satisfaction. He spun, charged forward a step, and swung a heavy swing downward towards Blinker, who''d gotten a little too close while he was relaying Valla''s orders. The surprised Croc blinked in surprise, and lifted his spear with both hands to deflect the heavy axe. The spear was not made for such abuse, and Blinker was split from neck to stomach. Holy crap, he really did hate Blinker. As the battle raged on, fear and leapfrogged orders from Valla shifted the pace of the battle from wild abandon to something more strategic, and the group¡¯s progress slowed. They¡¯d hit a groove, though. Oskar was getting better and better with manipulating Sora, and they were finding brief lulls in the battle to breathe. Their enemies were packed solid all the way to the south entrance. They¡¯d earned some respect and fear, but that alone would not keep them alive. It quickly became apparent, though, that they would not have the energy to fight to the entrance and then possibly through the Clinkers as well. Who knew where their allegiance lay. Oskar and Joker apparently came to that conclusion at the same time, because as Oskar moved forward and called out to Joker, the Croc immediately rocketed forward and swung a wild horizontal swing that eased the pressure, calling something out to the Kobolds. Fox and Touwon grabbed onto Erik and the whole group suddenly turned and followed an opening where their enemies were thinnest, and made a break west, where the V and its stairwell lay. The move was unexpected, likely because it seemed suicidal, and so they had a decent lead before they were forced to react to a few of the quicker Hyenas that were quickly on their heels. Joker and Oskar turned to keep the attackers at bay, using the reluctance of the Hyena''s to actually attack- rather than only harry and chase- to their advantage. As the Hyenas skidded to a halt, looking back for back-up, Joker and Oskar hurried to catch up the Erik and the Kobolds. They made it almost to the base of the steps before they were forced to fight again. Joker was probably thinking they''d made for the choke-point to make their final stand. The choke-point portion was true, but as to the final stand; Oskar was desperately thinking of other options. Joker was magnificent, though. He¡¯d taken a few shots as they''d reformed formation, but was now tossing around Hyenamen and even some of the smaller Crocs like he¡¯d trained for this his whole life. Yet even Joker was tiring by the time they¡¯d gotten close to the stairwell. Fox had taken a hit from somewhere that was slowing her as well, causing the group to string out more than was safe. Fox was having a rough time keeping their flank clear and still staying close enough to Erik to keep him in the middle. Erik moved and lay a quick hand on her back, a move that sent his brother straight to the ground for a moment before he pulled himself back up on his knees. However, Fox, fully healed, called out something in the Kobold language to Joker that he apparently understood, because he stopped pushing forward, and instead went wild, burning up the reserves of his energy to give the group time to recover. After a moment, the small but hardy Touwon was under Erik¡¯s emaciated shoulder, and they were moving again. They were so close. Joker led the way, but as they neared the opening of the stairway leading up to the split in the cliff, he took a nasty hit from a club on the side of his head that put him down briefly. He rose, but he wasn¡¯t the same. Slower, sluggish, he ignored defense completely and pushed the group through the throng of attackers the last few meters. Joker stopped in the opening to the stairwell, now bleeding from multiple wounds. His words were sluggish and slurred as he said, ¡°I called All-Red. I stay. Hope you can fly, human.¡± He then said a single word to the two Kobolds in their language. Fox slammed a fist to her chest and pulled Touwon and the barely conscious Erik towards the stairs. Oskar didn¡¯t know what to say, so he nodded at the Croc and said, ¡°You¡¯ll be remembered. Thank you, All-Red,¡± as they rushed past. He heard the sounds of a bitter struggle as he took Erik from Touwon to help him up the stairs. His brother¡¯s hand, frail as it was, held his shoulder in an iron grip as they climbed. As they reached the top, some twenty steps upward, there was a platform, roughly textured- likely for better grip- that tilted upward to as they cleared the final few steps. Wind hit them full force in the back as they climbed those final steps, and the Kobolds squatted low as they struggled against the steady rush of hot, dry wind. Erik, who blinked his eye through the crooked Goggles sitting awkwardly over the leather covering one eye, looked around to take in his surroundings. His thin face somehow paled even further as he looked back down the steps. Oskar¡¯s stomach sank at the look on Erik¡¯s face, and no longer able to hear the sounds of battle behind him, turned to see what had disheartened Erik. Valla¡¯s crazed, grinning face was staring back at him. She stabbed a dagger into the side of All-Red¡¯s neck, who lay on his side with several spears jutting out of him. The only thing that stopped Oskar from rushing down to kill Valla was his brother¡¯s strong grip and the look on All-Red¡¯s face. He was grinning too, eyes blinking slowly, as he said something Oskar couldn¡¯t understand over and over. Determined to let All-Red see his death was not in vain, he pulled his brother up on his back, who thankfully had the sense and remaining strength to realize what his crazy brother was about to do and latched on with all three remaining limbs. Oskar ran for the edge of the platform and leaped off the edge. He spun in the air and using a great pull of wind even the agile Kobolds couldn¡¯t withstand, he snatched the stunned pair into his outstretched arms. He was careful to keep his spear clear as he felt the Kobolds latch onto him painfully. Fox¡¯s face, inches from his own, was wide eyed, knowing what had to be next. Holding tight to his new family, Oskar used Sora to launch them into the wind. Chapter 44: Under Pressure Oskar had always been a pressure guy. Not because he performed best under pressure, more that it seemed like... especially during his battle with depression... he needed pressure to perform at all. Self-motivation was never his strong suit. Executive function, his father always said. Without someone relying on him, he could rarely muster up the desire to push himself. This was, perhaps, the reason he did so well in the Marine Corp. He didn¡¯t join because he thought the Marines were the biggest or baddest. He joined because he knew he was more likely to be under the constant pressure he felt he needed. The Marines were fewer in number, and so, did as much as they could with those numbers. Oskar he thrived there. The point was; he needed pressure, which was probably why, as he pulled the wide-eyed Kobolds off the side of the cliff in his arms, he didn¡¯t feel the panic the two usually unflappable Kobolds felt. He wasn''t able to keep them afloat forever, but with Sora swirling around them, empowered as he was by Erik, they''d be far away from the Great Collective before they probably crash landed. He had a whole new understanding of the world around him, having unlocked the higher concepts behind simple wind and water elements. He¡¯d thought that focusing on a few specific magic or abilities were best, but he was realizing now that it was all connected. And I know, you told me so. // I''m not mad about it. You eventually listened. Listening is a superpower, dude. You¡¯re doing well. // Well, I¡¯ve got my half dead brother, the thing I¡¯ve been fighting for since I got here, hanging off my shoulders. You being nice to me just seems like you¡¯re trying to manipulate me into dying for data. // Was I close? // Yup. He tightened his grip on his strange family as Valla¡¯s death glare grew distant. She waved her fetish at him threateningly, the monkey paw looking black rod with a fist on the end that she¡¯d used in their first fight. Erik looked away, and a moment later, so did Oskar, holding tightly onto his spear and everything he cared about, save Penny, who he felt far below, sprinting her little heart out to catch up. He stared back at her plainly until she became a pinprick in the distance. Oskar¡¯s calm and determined face did little to ease their concerns. If anything, Fox''s incredulous face looked like she was sure he''d lost his mind. Her eyes darted around in every direction but down, and due to his apparent insanity, was probably about to get them all killed. Thankfully, she didn''t struggle, allowing Oskar to work on executing whatever insane plan he''d thrown together at the last second. Her concern is probably valid, Oskar thought. But he couldn''t get Joker out of his head. No, his name is All-Red. I have so many questions, starting with why was he speaking Kobold, and what did he say to make Touwon and Fox trust him? Did he know he was going to die saving us?. He felt guilt. It was something he was going to have to deal with, even knowing how limited their options were. Even without Valla¡¯s interference in the fight, Gramm would never have let them go. He''d never intended to. He didn''t blame himself, they couldn''t have known to how far Valla''s reach and power obviously went. We know now, though. And I''m not letting her get her nasty little blue claws on any of us again. He focused on Sora, even though what he was doing- gliding- took little effort. He didn¡¯t have to hold on very hard to the Kobolds. Erik was holding onto Oskar¡¯s back as best he could, arm hooked over his shoulder and across his chest. Oskar had a Kobold in each arm, who had their own arms around both he and Erik, squeezing tight. Unnecessarily so; Sora surrounded him in what felt like a pocket of air that was holding them all. It was easier than holding someone in a pool. Man, I would kill for a pool. The ground magic and air magic were by no means separate the way he¡¯d been made to understand, talking with the Kobolds. The two magics were more a part of a whole, just like fingers on a hand. He guessed it would need to be a ninja turtle hand since, from what he knew, there were only three forms of magic: Sora, Talau, and whatever spirit mastery was called. He had a basic understanding of how Sora and Talau connected because of the water cycle and scientific knowledge of how the sky and the earth affected one another, but spirit was still an enigma. It¡¯s also a problem for another time.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Valla was now out of sight, and it was getting to the point that he actually did need to concentrate to keep Sora flowing around them; they were quickly picking up speed. Oskar knew he could slow them down if he needed to, however, right now they needed distance, so he''d let them ride as long as he could manage until they went below the currents. Fox¡¯s claws dug in as their speed increased, but Touwon, after looking into Oskar¡¯s unconcerned eyes for a rare moment, just stared out into the expanse thoughtfully. Oskar could see the Sora flowing around him clearly, now. Remembering the dream he¡¯d had, he wondered how he could use Talau in the sky along with Sora, but he couldn¡¯t begin to guess at that moment. He felt close to a breakthrough, though. He just needed to reason it out. His PUB being silent was also a hint of its own. Every time he was close to figuring something out, the PUB felt like it was hovering excitedly over his shoulder with nervous energy, like a dad trying to see if their kid had finally learned how to ride a bike. During their descent, Oskar shifted his use of Sora and its vividly colored currents, to control their speed as they moved from current to current. He wasn¡¯t sure he could utilize the kinetic transfer of momentum with his hands full, so he just focused on gathering wind and manipulating pressure, which was much more complex, to give them... a less than fatal landing. He pinpointed a tall dune in the distance with a much gentler slope than most and shifted the group to hit it at an angle that would allow them to just clip the top of the dune and slide out what momentum that first, lighter impact, didn¡¯t slow. Arms aching from the prolonged battle and their partial weight, and after slowing the group as much as possible, Oskar used a last burst of Sora that sat the group down- not quite gently- at a side slope to the dune. Erik lost his grip as they landed, but slid free more gently than Oskar, who tumbled, having mostly angled the fall for his weakened brother¡¯s sake. The Kobolds both landed gracefully and were already stabilizing Erik and helping him down the dune to the valley below when Oskar slid to a stop as the bottom himself. Sand slowly cascaded down behind and around him, a single blue grain coming to rest beside him. He picked it out of the sand and looked at it, but it was just another piece of sand, and so he blew it off the top of his finger as the pattern of Talau settled again around him. Oskar lay still at the bottom of the dune, looking upward at a single streamer of sand directly overhead that didn¡¯t quite reach the dune on the opposite side, and so, it lost form, instead blowing into a small pile a few feet below the crest on the opposite side. He watched it for a few seconds, saw the pile grow too heavy and then collapse, sliding down the rest of the dune to leave behind a small divot, already beginning to fill in again in preparation for another tiny avalanche. Maybe sandslide? And then, it all clicked. The sight of the sand spilling away and slowly refilling before spilling away again made him realize he was still seeing the earth as its own entity, but it actually functioned more like an anchor. Not in the sense it held Sora down, but more like a foundation that Sora could rely on. Too much reliance, though, weakened the other. He held up a hand, looking down, and watched the sand ride up his arm and settle into a new pattern around his hand. A honeycomb shaped pattern that was interacting with Sora in a very interesting way. The sand wasn''t touching him, but it was so close he could feel the tiny barrier of Sora that carried the pattern. Like armor? A shield, maybe? It feels like it can take a hit, though. // Gambit completed: Defeat and escape the Gramm Collective Also, Talau Mastery increased to 20%! I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t fall off the bike, sonny boy. Sorry for hovering. You gained a lot of Inspiration from defeating Gramm. You saved Erik, and you even managed to get him out alive. You did good. // Thanks, dad. // No time for the Insight Gem now, but it''s clearly a 100% Synergy since it was your fight. Unfortunately, it''s not a Greater. Maybe because there wasn''t much back and forth, but you should get some time training with that breakthrough you had at the end. Just remember, not being a Greater, there''s no telling how long it''ll take to use. Also, check out your stats, but be quick, it looks like Fox sees something back in the direction you came from. // Mind D- Rank Body D- Rank Spirit F-Peak Rank Oskar could definitely tell he was moving easier, physically. He felt stronger, faster, and tougher, so it seemed that the breakthroughs represented tangible growth. He could also tell that his ability to use Sora, sense Talau, and fight at the same time now felt like second nature. Even a few days before, using Sora while doing other things could be challenging, based off the complexity of what he was doing, unless, like in battle, he was using it in bursts. But... that long, drawn out fight? He knew he was on another level now. Erik comes first, but I''ll need time to practice and learn my new limits. Unfortunately, down-time is something we''re probably not gonna get today. He exhaled a long breath and turned, looking back up to see a disheveled Fox at the top of the dune, wishing more than anything they could stop, rest, and talk through what had just happened and who the hell Joker really was. Touwon stood nearby with his brother, shaking sand from his leathers and fur with an irritated impression, and Erik was taking a breather, so Oskar made his way back up the dune to try to gauge how far they¡¯d traveled and to see what Fox was looking at. They had made it much further than he¡¯d expected, but then, he saw several tiny specs of Gliders off in the distance spreading out in search. Oh, no¡­ Poor Erik. Oskar looked back down at Touwon and Erik. His brother had already taken a seat on the hot sand and was leaning back against the dune to rest, despite the sheer off-white fabric he wore surely not being insulated enough to withstand the heat. ¡°Bad news, Erik. I¡¯m so sorry, man. We¡¯ve gotta move. I don¡¯t know exactly where yet, but we can¡¯t stay here." Erik''s gaunt face stared at him for a short moment before nodding. Without complaint, his brother stood and began walking. Chapter 45: Walking to Run Oskar followed Erik, quickly catching up to his brother. It took effort to not let his feelings show. Any pity was going to push his brother away. But he could still see his brother in that broken, thin form walking steadily beside him, so that''s what he focused on. They walked slowly while Oskar sought a Wayspring to give them the energy they were desperately going to need if they were gonna keep going long enough to get out of Valla¡¯s reach. We need to do something about her, but for now, we¡¯ve got to run. We need water, rest, and food before we even think of how to deal with that psychopath. // Want a Gambit? // No thanks. I''m sure I''ll get one when it''s time. One of those that give me that fuzzy warm feeling of impending doom. Oskar stole another look at his brother. Despite the hell he¡¯d been through, he was looking off in the distance with his one eye, his tired face resolute. Definitely still Erik, even after everything. God, he¡¯d got twice the grit of anyone I¡¯ve ever met, but he needs rest. And I¡¯m gonna kill that f- // Foolish Croc? Think of the children, Oskar, // The PUB interrupted him. This isn''t a TV show, but I''ll try to behave. Stop reading my thoughts, though. He wanted nothing more than to talk to Erik. Tell him how he''d found this world, about his powers. About Penny, who he could feel somewhere between the Great Collective and the group. He hoped she was staying safe and could catch up as quickly as possible. They were moving steadily to distance themselves from Valla, but by no means were they moving quickly. Oskar felt sure that any Kobold or human Valla got her hands on was going to pay the price for it, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible. He¡¯d poked the bear. You know what? Screw that. I didn¡¯t poke the damn bear. I just didn¡¯t allow her to kill me and my friends after she did God knows what to Erik. Yet, it rang hollow. In place of the fear he felt, there was a growing sense of responsibility. It wasn¡¯t just him he had to take care of now, and he had an awful lot of work to do to get stronger. He¡¯d only done what it had taken to live long enough to save Erik. Now, though, no one was safe until Valla was dead. All-Red was just the beginning. The old Croc had made his choice without hesitation, knowing it meant his death, and, if the look of contentment Oskar had last seen on All-Red¡¯s face meant anything, had found his sacrifice worth it. He felt angry tears welling up at the situation Valla and Gramm had forced upon him, that make such a heartbreaking sacrifice necessary. People, be they Crocs, Kobolds, Hyena-people, whatever¡­ are going to die until she''s stopped. This isn¡¯t about just us. She was crazy before I got here. There¡¯s something happening, and she¡¯s right in the middle of it. Plus, Oskar thought, watching his brother, I¡¯ve never seen Erik afraid of anyone before. Despite looking ready to collapse, his brother was walking, following the most direct path away from the Collective. Oskar stopped for a second, re-situated his stump in his socket, and hurried to catch up. // Seriously, man. You can do this. They trust you for good reason. // I hate you, Oskar sent back as, for some reason, his eyes felt wet under his Goggles. // Quiet! I¡¯m collecting data! // *** They walked for what seemed like hours, exhausted. The suns beat down on them and Oskar felt both sleep-deprived and just exhausted overall after the day¡¯s events. He was weary to the bones but could not complain with Erik somehow shuffling steadily beside him. Undoubtedly, Erik had it worse than everyone, but whatever empowerment Erik had given him was long gone, and Oskar felt like he was crashing. He couldn¡¯t understand how Erik kept going, but they all were due a proper break as soon as possible. They were certainly being pursued, so despite their condition, they had no choice but to press on for now. He couldn¡¯t muster the courage to ask about his brother¡¯s ordeal. Erik couldn¡¯t really communicate in his current state, and looked like he was using everything he had just to keep moving. The Kobolds, for their part, walked stoically, and even Fox¡¯s usual banter had been quiet. Oskar mentally circled back around to how he felt after Erik had healed him. He¡¯d buzzed with energy and magic since Erik¡¯s healing, but it was finally wearing off. He couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity about his brother¡¯s abilities, wondering if they worked at all like his own. Oskar imagined it fell somewhere within the spiritual realm of magic, but then remembered that everything magical, regardless of its realm, was interconnected. // Not interconnected. It¡¯s all connected, baby. That¡¯s my tagline! //If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. You don¡¯t get to pick your own tagline. // That¡¯s stupid. // Oh yeah, well, you¡¯re¡­ wonderful. // You tease! I had insults all fired up and ready. // He guided them towards the first spring he sensed. His range was getting impressive, having grown exponentially after his advancement, but Oskar knew the smart thing would be to take a break and then get as much distance as they could manage till nightfall. Sweat dripped down his back as he walked. His clothes were going to need cleaning when they stopped as well; they were now stiff with dried sweat. With his newfound control over wind and water¡­ and his love for The Last Airbender, he was eager to experiment. He was worried sick about Erik though, and had trouble building up too much enthusiasm towards his own growing powers. He needed more than just meditation¡­ peace and quiet was what he really needed. Unfortunately, those were going to be in short supply if they couldn¡¯t find shelter or lose their pursuers. He''d kept an eye on the sky as they moved, and the whole group walked silently. I haven¡¯t seen a single actual building, but maybe we¡¯re out in the boonies. Is there anything like a city or village on this planet? I imagine it would be impossible with access to water being so random. Glancing up, Oskar closed his eyes and listened to the wind blowing steadily overhead while he walked, its static sound a comfort. Distracted by the crowd as he¡¯d been inside Gramm¡¯s town, he belatedly realized how dirty the Great Collective had smelled. The species themselves didn¡¯t quite smell, except for some of the mangier Hyena-men, but the place had a feeling of neglect. Part of it likely came down to Oskar being unused to so many people. He¡¯d never been overly social, and the last months of struggling with sleep deprivation and his mental health had caused him to retreat even further from society. Followed by a few weeks of walking in a desert under two suns with hours between conversation probably isn¡¯t exactly making me a people person, either. // I wish I was a people person. // You''re a people to me, bud. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, and looked over at the Kobolds, walking nearby. Their deep purple coloring, Fox¡¯s with small orange streaks around her neck and peeking out of the sleeveless, gray leather tunic around her shoulders differed from those he¡¯d seen in the Great Collective. Touwon with his steady presence, his darker fur clean and meticulous, just like his gear. Those Kobolds in the collective, though, had downcast eyes and hunched forms. They appeared faded, lacking a better word. They¡¯d all worn what looked to be discarded tent cloth as body wraps. But even those ragged Kobolds had blended into their environment somehow. The only reason he¡¯d been so interested in them is because he was new to this world, and it all had fascinated him, even with the fear of being surrounded, otherwise, he might not have even noticed them. He¡¯d never really paid much attention to the effect, but the Kobolds seemed to melt into the background when they were further away. The Kobolds had a bit of an ¡°out of sight, out of mind¡± aura to them he was just realizing felt a little too effective to be natural. Like a race trait in a video game. He asked her about it, his voice sounded louder in the prolonged silence. Fox¡¯s eyes widened behind her Goggles, and her infectious smile wasn¡¯t tempered in the least by her catlike teeth showing. ¡°Good eye, human. It is something we have unfortunately developed because of our vulnerability as a people. It is useful. This is not always a kind place for us.¡± The smile no longer looked infectious, but tired. Oskar and the group walked further, trying to put distance between them and their inevitable pursuit. The heat was as oppressive as always, and it felt to Oskar that the suns were moving at half speed. But because Erik went on, Oskar did so, without complaint. Oskar thought back to his fight with Gramm, remembering now that he''d felt Gramm trying to use some Talau linked ability, not knowing everything in range was under Oskar''s control. If that''s even how it works. I could feel him trying to do something with Talau... maybe body reinforcement. But no matter how tough you are, drowning is drowning. Perhaps their unique arrival in this world played a part in why his power seemed so effective, or maybe it was this world¡¯s way of granting them a chance to survive as a frail human in this harsh environment. We¡¯re physically weaker than most, and even the Hyenas and Kobolds seem tougher, despite their smaller stature. Without his ability to sense water, he¡¯d likely have died under the Vulk Collective. Without his ability to manipulate wind and eventually even air, he wouldn¡¯t have survived a single battle that he¡¯d been in since he had arrived on this frickin¡¯ planet. Two suns? Honestly? Despite being in a world as real as Earth, he couldn¡¯t ignore the purposeful presence of what were- to him- game-like elements. Taking a moment, he surveyed his magic stats, all of which had improved except for the enigmatic spiritual magic stat: Sora: 64%, equivalent to C- Rank, which is wild! It slows down, here, though. Talau: 28%, equivalent to D- Rank. ??????: ?? (Locked) // Don¡¯t worry too much about the locked status on that last one. You broke through the 25% barrier on Talau, so you¡¯re gonna have a good burst of knowledge as things you knew, but didn¡¯t know know you knew, start to fall into place, you know? // Oskar blinked a few times, brows lowered as he considered. // Even unknowns still improve until you have a breakthrough, or ¡°get it.¡± Plus, some of whatever Erik did temporarily pushed you higher in Mind and Sora. That¡¯s bigly oversimplified, but you¡¯re nothing if not simple. My point is, some of the Sora will stick, because with the added Mind stats, you had a better understanding of what was happening, and that knowledge can¡¯t completely disappear. Whatever he did probably saved you a month of training. // But it costs him so much. He looked like he lost ten pounds right in front of my eyes. How does that even work? // I honestly don''t know. I¡¯m tired, too, though. All this fighting is a LOT of processing for me. I¡¯m doing a lot of things you don¡¯t even realize I¡¯m doing. // I know you do, and I appreciate it. The little hints of incoming danger and the outlines really make a difference. I didn¡¯t see it at the time, but you¡¯re the reason I knew Fox had gone down. Thanks for that. // All in a day¡¯s work. As for Erik¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of an ability costing ¡°Body¡± stats. That seems dangerous and unsustainable, even if its temporary. Maybe he has a unique class himself that¡¯s taken an unexpected evolution because of everything he¡¯s been through. I mean, your ability to manipulate Sora has grown to match your fighting style. // He watched Erik walking just ahead of him, wishing he could express everything he was feeling without disturbing whatever it was that kept Erik moving. Chapter 46: The Silent Type You mentioned my utilization of Sora into my fighting style. Why is that strange? // It''s not strange you''re using Sora, it''s strange that your primary fighting style is melee. Every iteration of Druid classes in my¡­ admittedly limited database has been a caster. Using earth, sand, wind, fire... the elements of nature and even nature itself, to attack. But then again, magic isn¡¯t what it was back in my day, and even if I knew the answers, I couldn''t explain in detail why. I¡¯m very limited in what I can share until you figure things out on your own. I am a created thing, with rules ingrained into me that are unassailable. They are for your own good, though, honestly. You¡¯re doing your own thing, and I wasn¡¯t joking when I said you¡¯re doing well. Adding in elements of Dragoon fighting style? It¡¯s kind of genius. I need a nap, but you keep it up! // His PUB was getting better and better at dropping less relevant things and sharing only important information in his display. It was learning Oskar''s likes and dislikes when it came to notifications. Most of the time, even things like the temperature in the top left of his vision only showed when he looked for it. The PUB was customizing it for him without him even needing to ask. Instead of a distracting blinking dot for notifications, there was now a very slow blue pulsing line across the bottom of the Goggles. It would change color to yellow or red for more important notifications. The way the PUB interacted with him was changing, too. Previously, a notification popped up, and when he triggered it, information appeared in sentence form across the bottom of his vision. Words now passed in front of his eyes like transparent outlines at his exact reading speed. They faded completely out a word or two after they scrolled by. The PUB had experimented with a few different fonts but doing that was more distracting to Oskar than irritating- especially one that was suspiciously similar to comic sans- so the PUB had simplified his interactions accordingly. His Mind stat growth had increased his ability to parse information without distraction, and he dreaded to think what the PUB would do as his mind stat increased further. Probably dancing ascii characters or something, Oskar thought wryly. A green pulse of agreement from the PUB. His ability to process and his quick decision-making had grown by leaps and bounds, though. Previously, concepts he¡¯d only had a general working grasp of, like air pressure and the way all elements affected the world over time now made sense to him instinctively, if not quite intellectually. Oskar had no clue what would happen when had his breakthrough into D Rank spirit, but he hoped it would unlock some Insight into what the third realm of magic was capable of. The water thing with Gramm was something born out of inspiration and need. That and being under pressure makes my brain turn on. Fighting Gramm with spear alone would have given him every advantage. Oskar was a Druid. Nature was supposed to be at his command, and nothing in this world was more natural than the Waysprings. He looked over at Erik, hollow-eyed and weak but walking, and Oskar¡¯s heart ached for his brother. He was trying his best not to dwell on how weak he looked, though. His brother¡¯s haunted look reminded him of everything his brother had been through. Things that were so bad that even dreaming them was more than enough for Oskar. And Erik had lived it. Erik gave off an aura of fragility that Oskar never thought he could associate with his big brother, but he had to admit that weakened or not, Erik looked like he would be willing to walk all the way to his grave. He''d woken up to Erik''s screams for months, and being helpless to do anything about it broke his heart. On top of that, he''d had trouble reconciling how real they''d felt versus it being impossible that he was hearing his dead brother actually calling for him. He was sure he''d lost his mind, and all of that had stacked on top of a lot of unprocessed war fighting, loss of fellow Marines, and his own injury. It made his chest hurt to think about those hellish months. Pressure built in the back of his head, and Oskar felt his old fear of being utterly alone creeping back in for a moment before he was able to squash it. Oskar entire being shivered as he swore he could feel the something the size of a planet sigh as the feeling of abandonment passed. It was like reality was on the very edge of warping and changed its mind. That felt like the devil himself just walked across my grave. When he opened his eyes, he saw blank spots in his vision that took a few seconds to shake off.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It gets worse and worse, but I¡¯m not alone anymore. If I can get Erik better, he might be able to help me. Oskar was unsure about Erik¡¯s own path to recovery, but he was determined to do everything in his power to make it happen. Despite his reservations, Erik kept walking. Fox walked near enough to Erik to be there to help if he stumbled, but so far hadn¡¯t needed to intervene. Touwon was pulling things out of his bag and tinkering around with them, appearing oblivious, but by now Oskar knew better. Over the last hour, Penny had closed the distance. He''d warned Erik, who''d simply nodded that he''d heard the warning, and focused again on walking. The Pangolor was cautiously moving closer to the group, poking up and looking at Oskar to make sure everything was okay. He gave her a nod, and wished he had the energy to hold her, but she didn¡¯t know Erik and wasn¡¯t approaching the group until she could get a feel for him herself. She came fully out of the sand near the group, watching them cautiously, but not yet approaching. Erik looked over at him questioningly, and Oskar smiled and said, "Her name''s Penny." He had to stop himself from telling Erik she was the best girl. She didn''t need to hear it, and Erik would figure it out on his own. She eventually started preening and showing off to get a reaction from Erik. She was prancing about ten paces ahead, keeping moving to show off how pretty her scales were in the suns light, looking back periodically. For a while, Oskar worried Erik was too out of it to even notice Penny¡¯s antics. He then caught the little half smile on his brother¡¯s tired face when Penny was looking away and realized his brother was playing hard to get. Probably because Penny was getting more and more ridiculous, and admittedly adorable by the minute. Finally, Eric broke into a tired chuckle when she turned around to see if he was watching her shenanigans and somehow tripped over herself as she was slinging a copper scaled hip sideways. She tried to turn it into a dive into the sand, but with no momentum, her little back feet clawed at the air in vain for a few seconds before she finally made it fully under the sand. Both Erik and Touwon were grinning, but Oskar and Fox were still doubled over laughing when she came up half a minute later as if nothing had happened. Penny had stolen all their momentum because of her antics, and Oskar was thankful they were close to the Wayspring by now, which was just on the other side of the next dune. They chose to go around rather than over, which cost them a few hundred yards, but silhouetting themselves by walking over the top was a good way to have a bad day. They closed the distance to the Wayspring. Fox went on watch, and Touwon threw up a quick tent for Erik to rest under. Erik watched through his heavy-lidded eye with interest as Oskar pointed out the Wayspring. Penny took the leather siphon hose down to the spring below them. Erik stood, gently swaying in his white robe. "What is this cloth made of? I''ve barely seen any plants at all, much less anything like what we''d use back on earth for clothing." "The material is from a plant that grows along the Dead Sand River; a long winding dune valley between massive cliffs of rock that spans across the low desert, far to the north," Fox said. She described the plant, which sounded similar to an aloe plant, but it was dried and then stripped into small threads to make material for cloth. Fox refilled her waterskin, and headed back up the dune to keep a lookout while Oskar thought. He was trying to give Erik time to rest before telling him everything he''d been through, and it took a great deal of effort to do so. He distracted himself by focusing on other things. Like plants. Oskar was interested in seeing what else this world had to offer. The almost all brown landscape he''d traveled in so far was in stark contrast to the colorful red, purple, and blue sky. The scarcely dotted tiny blue grains of sand and the light green bulbs of rounded, spikey cactus were the only thing that broke their constant view. The same cactus whose moisture tasted exactly like bug spray to Oskar. Even so, the bulbs of the cacti were barely visible, almost entirely concealed by the sand. He heard Erik''s breath deepen, and so he went up the dune to talk to Fox, sitting beside her a moment before asking her about the Dead Sand River. "You know how the dunes slowly roll across the desert, pushed by the strength of the winds?" He¡¯d noticed that on some level, but it was nice that Fox confirmed it. He nodded for her to continue. "Because the wind is steady, the dunes and valleys themselves stay largely the same shape, rolling across the desert a few claw widths a day. People have learned to navigate cardinally opposed to using the limited landmarks. Along the Dead Sand River, things are different. Rocky embankment persists alongside it. There, the wind flows through the valley instead of far overhead. So, the sand flows down the valley in a slow, steady roll. The Dead Sand River-bed is like a sluggish quicksand deathtrap." "I''ve been training for quicksand my entire life! Thanks, Saturday morning cartoons." Oskar was determined to see it one day. The whole description didn¡¯t quite make sense to Oskar, so he guessed there must be magic tomfoolery afoot. After a quick nap, Erik woke and sat up just in time to see Penny come up from the Wayspring. She shook off the Wayspring water on her coppery scales that would probably have evaporated in a matter of moments anyhow. Erik refilled his single waterskin halfway before stopping to drink. Touwon absentmindedly pulled another waterskin from his bag and tossed it to Erik, whose slowed reaction time made him jerk. He splashed a slosh of comparatively freezing water onto his lap with a gasp, which pulled a good-natured chuckle out of Oskar. Oskar was being careful not to treat his brother like the broken man he looked to be, but to trust Erik to dictate what he needed from his little brother. Erik smiled at Oskar, but his eyes showed little of it. The sky was slowly gaining a purple hue as the red sun slowly dipped behind the dune walls. Erik sipped the chilled, healing waters of the Wayspring and shivered as the red burn from the suns¡¯ exposure healed. Oskar sat with Erik, and they stared out at the darkening purple sky in silence and listened to the wind overhead until Fox spoke gently behind him, translating a comment from Touwon. ¡°Touwon says he likes your brother more than you, Oskar. He says Erik talks less,¡± Fox said. Chapter 47: A Man of the Land ¡°Touwon says he likes your brother more than you, Oskar. He says Erik talks less" Oskar went wide eyed at the comment. Surely Touwon knows Erik is missing his tongue, right? His concern was unnecessary, however. Erik¡¯s shrunken form bounced with his quiet chuckles. In the long day they¡¯d just spent together, they¡¯d been through a lot. But bonds soaked in the blood of life or death struggle was something that only those who''d lived it could truly understand. Which is a good thing, Oskar concluded. Bloodshed changes you. It takes a lot of introspection, a long time, some luck, and close friends for that change to be for the better, and not everyone has access to all of that. For the first time since the escape, Erik peered over directly into Oskar¡¯s eyes with his own haunted green one and nodded once, placing his only hand over his heart. For a moment, Oskar almost lost his composure, but abruptly noticed his brother had filled back out a bit somehow. Time? The Wayspring? Oskar had so many questions about his brother¡¯s power and how it worked, but seeing his brother noticeably improving already gave him hope... and kept his welling eyes from betraying him. Nodding back to his brother, Oskar turned to watch the now entirely purple sky, not trusting himself to talk out loud. *** After a snack, Erik lay back and instantly fell asleep again, effectively killing Oskar''s original plan of making a little more progress before sleeping. Touwon took the first watch and gently woke Oskar at what he guessed was just after midnight. He stayed awake for about 3 hours, with Fox waking after a few hours and sitting with him for the last portion of his own watch. This ensured someone was always fully awake, partially because it was this world¡¯s peak night-predator time, and because they knew they were being chased. This was also around the time Penny woke up the first time. The Pangolor slept less than even the Kobolds unless she was cuddled up with someone or if she was bored. He and Fox agreed that they still needed to be ready to move in a moment''s notice, so they just used the one tent. If needed, Oskar could lay down a spare tent cloth on top of the sand and sleep under the stars when he wasn''t on watch. The Kobolds needing much less sleep than human''s was a huge asset. Between Oskar''s ability to find water and their natural attentiveness, they could be living the easy life if not for the genocidal maniac that had it out for them. Oskar knew you couldn¡¯t technically ¡°catch up¡± on quality sleep, but Oskar desperately appreciated trying to prove that myth wrong. He needed one question answered before he went back to sleep, though, and he finally had a chance to do so. "Who was Joker?" He hadn''t been able to get the big Croc out of his head. He wanted to know the big guy''s story and how he''d gotten the Kobold''s trust so quickly. Fox didn''t have answers, but she shared what she could. She grinned fiercely. "I do not know his story, Oskar. But what you heard him yell was his name in our language. Being given a tribe name is the greatest honor someone outside our species can receive. I do not know his story, but he must have done a great service in his life to our people to have been given that name." "What was it? "Mamoru. It mean''s ''to protect.''" "He was well named. He saved our lives. All-Red the Protector." She nodded, deep in thought as she looked at the sky in silence. The conversation was over, Oskar was tired, but he watched her for just a moment. It would be almost impossible for him to convey the immense value he placed on the Kobolds¡¯ loyalty and trust, but he made sure to thank Fox quietly anyway before he went back to sleep. Oskar settled in the tent, trying not to wake Erik. His brother slept unmoving, other than a few jerking motions that Oskar suspected might have woken Erik up more than he let on. However, each time, after for a minute, eye still closed, Erik¡¯s breathing would eventually slow again and he¡¯d softly began to snore. At one point, just before Oskar lay back down to rest, Erik whimpered quietly. It was a pitiful, alien sound to Oskar¡¯s ears that made him want to go back and smash Gramm¡¯s body into paste. Then Fox, on the dune nearby, cleared her throat loudly enough that Erik stopped, freezing in place again with his eyes closed. Oskar could hear his brother¡¯s heavier breathing. After a minute, and after Penny wedged herself up under his brother''s arm, his breathing slowed, and he went back to sleep till morning without a sound.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Not Oskar, though. He just lay there, thinking about his current situation. He thought about Joker and what had tied his heart, and life...so close to the Kobold people. He sat in the warmth of watching his little family take care of his brother, and wondered what he''d ever done in his life to deserve all of this love. The rested and much improved Dorn Collective filled up their bellies with food from Touwon¡¯s curious bag, and waterskins with water from the Wayspring before the red sun illuminated the vast expanse of dunes. They were ready to move after that and took off in the same direction they¡¯d been traveling the night before, the temperature steadily rising. Touwon¡¯s bag, swaying gently ahead of Oskar as they walked, was a source of silent fascination for Oskar, leaving him curious about how it worked. Watching it now, he remembered that when Gramm¡¯s people had dumped the bag after their surrender at the Point, all that had fallen out was an assortment of molding food, dirty rags, and dented, flimsy cookware, plus a single watertoken- "Good for one refill at participating Collectives." The token was just inside the top flap, obviously hidden in plain sight to make the dense Croc¡¯s feel like they¡¯d found and emptied the Kobold¡¯s "secret" stash. They¡¯d taken it with triumph, stomped the moldy food into the rock to Touwon¡¯s dramatically anguished face, and threw the bag on the ground, forgotten and empty. The moment they''d shuffled away, Touwon walked over, his face expressionless, and swiftly retrieved his bag. He''d settled back into his corner, took out dried lizard jerky and a compact multi-tool, and immediately became engrossed in tinkering with his PUB¡¯s Bracer. That added a million question heads to his proverbial Curiosity Hydra, but knew he¡¯d not get any answers, so he kept them to himself and tried to focus on the upcoming ordeal that had led them Being reminded of Touwon tinkering with his Bracer though, made Oskar realize how spoiled he¡¯d gotten with his own matched Gear set. The regular Gear sets were glorified sunglasses. And unless they worked or hunted at night or in the early morning, even menial tasks became difficult as the day got brighter. Vulk had apparently hated his Goggles, and so his instincts had saved Oskar¡¯s life when he¡¯d kicked the sand into his face. There were so many times Oskar had ridden the line of life and death, scraping by on luck and circumstance. Although Erik always told me that at some point¡­ you have to look past luck and give yourself some credit for setting you up for success. I did, after all, know he didn¡¯t always wear his Goggles. Luck or not, we beat him. He¡¯d washed his clothing last night before he¡¯d went to sleep, and that morning, Erik had done the same. In the growing arid heat of the morning, the clothes dried rapidly. Meanwhile, the Kobolds changed their clothes from Touwon¡¯s bag and then Fox had gone hunting with Penny. They eventually returned with some pale berries and a fat lizard, but they¡¯d not cooked it, only put it in Touwon¡¯s bag before they''d set out. Putting a dead lizard, fresh or not, right in the bag seemed gross to Oskar, but the meat always tasted decent when cooked, so maybe Touwon¡¯s magic sack also kept food from spoiling. Curiouser and curiouser. The group, clean and full, were making steady progress. As he strolled along, he felt around him with Sora and Talau, and watched the sand streamers pass above him. They resemble glistening, almost liquid ribbons when they''re blocking a sun. He found them fascinating, partially due to not having a clue about how they worked. He had come to terms that there were certain things in this world that drifted beyond the limits of human comprehension. At least if they based it solely on earthly understanding, Oskar thought, marking his point by using Sora to spool sand and air around him with impressive control. I''m a man of the land, baby. Talau felt odd, and took a stronger hand than Sora, and so using them both took an odd balance of mindset that didn''t come natural to Oskar. He spent much of the time they walked trying to learn the patterns of Talau in the sand instead of just manipulating everything willy nilly. He had eventually learned drastically better control over Sora by doing that, and did not intend on repeating the same mistakes. Now that they were more rested, he looked forward to diving into the Insight Gem he''d gotten from Gramm, hoping he could manage an ability related to Talau out of the Gem, but that would have to wait until they got a break today. He didn''t know how long the Gem would take, not being a greater, and they needed to make headway above all else. Around midday, Penny perked up tensely, and Oskar felt a sense of alarm from her as his own senses caught up to what she¡¯d felt. Fox and Touwon had already stopped, their fur standing on end as they listened intently for signs of the threat. The Hyena-men had arrived; cackling, swiftly flying specks in the distance heading straight towards their position. It was uncanny how they seemed to know the group¡¯s exact whereabouts and were quickly closing in on them. Suspiciously exact. // They were heading straight towards you as we cleared the opening. Their trajectory did not shift even a fingerwidth. So yeah, suspiciously exact. // They''d done everything right. They hadn¡¯t made a fire all night, they''d shifted direction the moment the had been clear of Valla''s scouts. They''d stayed below the dune crest, even when on watch the night before. Yet, despite their precautions, they¡¯d been found. Holding his spear, Oskar turned his attention to his brother. Despite his frail appearance, Erik remained steady. He looked significantly better than the previous night, but his miraculous recovery had plateaued. The effects of months of torture, including the amputation of an arm and losing an eye and tongue, couldn¡¯t be completely reversed overnight, maybe never¡­ even with magical healing. Touwon helped Erik equip one of his gauntleted shields with the foot long, retractable blade he¡¯d called a lantern shield. Well, Fox said he called it a lantern shield. It would be hilarious if she was a compulsive liar, though. Touwon briefly mimicked to Erik how to use and engage it while Fox gave him a heads up about the potential poison the Hyena-men were notorious for. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure Erik could live through getting poisoned, even if he could heal himself, so he made it a point to protect him at all costs. ¡°They are coming. Try to stay close to the dune walls so that you do not find yourself flanked. Hopefully, we can get them to land,¡± Fox said. ¡°Looks like someone let loose the dogs of war,¡± Oskar said, irritated. ¡°I hate these things.¡± Turns out, Erik could still groan without a tongue. Chapter 48: Alas Quickly, the group arranged themselves in a loose horseshoe formation with Erik positioned inside and behind Oskar. Penny had a knack for showing up at the perfect moment¡­ Oskar could sense her nearby, so he wasn¡¯t worried. He was sure she¡¯d listen if he gave her instructions, but it was safer to plan around the four of them and let her be a nasty surprise when she deemed it safest to appear. Touwon now wore two of the small shields, and just like the one he¡¯d given Erik, each featured a punching blade on the front. Next to him, Fox wielded her two daggers, planning to rely on her agility to dodge rather than block the poison darts and spears that were oft employed by the airborne Hyena-men. Oskar swept his foot back as a thin spear thumped into the sand where it had been. Another missed completely, ignored by Erik, who stood still in the middle of the group as if bored with the thrown spear now sticking out of the dune behind him. Meanwhile, Touwon expertly intercepted and deflected the third shot. Oskar couldn¡¯t do much about the Hyena-men gliding above, so he grabbed the closest spear- carefully this time. The last thing he needed was to poison himself again. Even if he lived through the poison, Fox would kill him. In a moment of inspiration, he used Sora to pull in a burst of air, and threw the spear while transferring the energy, similar to a kinetic transfer. He felt the spear leave his hand faster than he expected, and instead of hitting the second Windglider in the torso, the spear shot straight into the hip of the lead Glider in front with an audible thwomp. The damage was significant; the weaker spear had bent and curved in the air and had broken apart into splinters from the excessive amount of transferred energy. By the time it struck the Hyena, It was a mass of splintered wood going faster than seemed possible. The damage much worse than a simple through and through. The poor thing screamed¡­ hysterically, of course. With the impact, its lead leg was forcefully ripped free, and the Hyenaman descended into the dune in a screaming, swirling eruption of sand. Another thrown spear slammed into the ground behind Oskar, and he saw his brother stumble back against the dune. He glanced over to make sure his brother hadn¡¯t taken a hit, but Erik was straightening. His shield noticeably dented, though. Obviously, there¡¯d been a skill involved. Oskar¡¯s mood sunk when he saw his brother struggling to stand with his one arm. Angry, Oskar pulled in Sora from every direction, pushing himself further than before, and then felt Talau stirring beneath him as well. So, he called it, too. The magic mixed, and sand caught in the swirl of Sora surrounding him. Another group of Gliders appeared in the distance. I am so done screwing around with these idiots. Eventually, the two remaining Hyena-men flew overhead, far enough above it was clear they were stalling after losing one of their number, but still close enough to monitor them while they waited on reinforcements. ¡°Nope,¡± Oskar whispered to himself with a low growl and pulled hard. Oskar ripped the two remaining Hyena-men out of the sky. They were moving straight towards the group, but not fast enough for Oskar, so he pulled again, dashing them into the ground when they got close enough. At this distance, the move was less costly and easier to manipulate. They crashed with an exaggerated explosion of sand and dust. That had taken a lot out of him, however, and he felt lightheaded. Pressure built in the back of his head for a moment before it subsided. His normal mana usage when using Sora in small bursts was all but irrelevant, but he¡¯d tried nothing from that distance and with that power before. He turned around to check on the rest of the team, ignoring the cloud of dust from the crashed Windgliders. Fox caught his eye and was staring at him appreciatively, but her face showed sudden alarm as she glanced over Oskar¡¯s shoulder. He tried to spin back around, but it was awkward. His prosthetic foot sunk deeper in the sand than his real one, and Oskar fell backwards, holding his spear between himself and the Hyena-man who¡¯d launched himself out of the cloud of sand behind him. How the hell are they still alive?! He had time to deflect the thrown spear from the furthest Hyena, yet he was too far out of position to do anything about the closest Hyena, slobbering and laughing through yellowed teeth as it lunged forward. Just as the Hyenaman¡¯s lead foot hit the ground, though, the ground moved out from under him, and he spun out. Penny was on him before Oskar could move, bashing into the side of the Hyenaman¡¯s head, who howled in response. Fox disappeared through the cloud of sand after the second, who¡¯d tried to flee, but it barked out a quick scream and fell silent.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Soon enough, Fox came out of the cloud with a wink and said, ¡°They were able to transfer the kinetic energy. It was a great move, human, but perhaps not against Gliders who have several skills to survive otherwise fatal falls.¡± Fox put Penny¡¯s Hyenaman out of his misery, yet Penny was still kwinning angrily at the man for his attack on Oskar. It was Cute, but Oskar¡¯s eyes were on the horizon. Two more trios of Hyenamen, and something larger, were far in the distance and heading their way. ¡°Obviously, we need a plan. We can¡¯t just stand here in a circle and hope no one gets poisoned. Where can we go to get away from these things? Is there any shelter on this planet not full of people trying to kill us?¡± Oskar asked desperately. ¡°We are in the wilds. There are shelters. Nearby, though? News of the Great Bird¡¯s slaying has likely not reached them yet. There is shelter there inside its lair, and they would fear entering the area. There is likely another way out, but it is not guaranteed. And I do not know how deep the lair is," she considered. "But you are right... we cannot stay out in the open. It may give us the time we need to regroup. I had hoped we would have time to hunt down Benedikuto, a Kobold who may be able to help us, for assistance." She sighed, "But alas, time is short, and the enemy is upon us.¡± Benedikuto? What a mouthful. Something else had caught his attention, though. ¡°Did you just say ¡®alas¡¯?¡± Fox glared at him, but Erik snorted, and she shifted her glare to him. His one eye was suddenly looking pointedly in the other direction, so the glare was less effective. She was smirking, anyway. // She did say ¡®alas,¡¯ I recorded it. Would you like me to play it back for her? // That is a terrible idea. // Terrible as in bad, or terrible as in hilarious? // That one works both ways. // Noted. // ¡°Uh, alas is a good word.¡± Oskar tried, offering Fox his winningest smile, but it was a fourth-place smile at best. ¡°Hmph,¡± Fox replied and pointed where Oskar assumed the Lair of the Gryphus Vulture they¡¯d fought- what felt like forever ago- was. How she had any sense of direction in all this sand was beyond Oskar, but his PUB agreed and he trusted her judgment. He glanced over to check on Erik, but Erik was already turning in the direction Fox had indicated, walking. They wouldn¡¯t be able to make much progress before the second group caught up with them unless they moved now and increased their pace. However, the first trio¡¯s attempt to keep the other group in sight indicated that they either had to rely on a caster to find the group- likely Valla, or their finding method or communication wasn¡¯t updated in real time. They wasted little time themselves and were soon on the move again. Aware of the need for speed, Erik had somehow found the energy to noticeably speed up, helping them maintain a better pace. Meanwhile, the suns continued to rise higher in the sky, and the heat was quickly approaching dangerous levels. A chilly 127. This place freaking sucks. If it wasn¡¯t for the Wayspring water doing its job, this environment would be uninhabitable for humans, long term. He made a note to remind himself to ask the Kobolds about seasons; maybe he had a nice 65 degree Autumn to look forward to. // You definitely don''t. // Look, I know that, but you could have let me sit in the hope for a moment. Even the Kobolds eventually conceded the heat was worse than normal, so walking in this all day might be more dangerous than trying to isolate one of the Gliding teams in the distance that were now circling in growing patrols looking for them. The group¡¯s abrupt change in direction had given them some time to work with, but the heat was making it hard to use. Oskar hoped the heat was also affecting patrols the same way it was affecting the native Kobolds. Soon enough, the group was on their final full water-skins, yet they could likely locate water much easier than the Gliders. The Gliders called themselves Dragoons, Fox had previously mentioned, but Oskar¡¯s Final Fantasy background would not allow him to give them that much credit, so he¡¯d taken to calling them Windgliders, or just Gliders in his head. Oskar knew he shouldn¡¯t underestimate them, though. Those things had shown themselves to be deadly opponents, even without poison. And one of those groups looked to have something larger, probably one of the bigger tank Hyenas they¡¯d previously fought. They might not have the raw power Oskar had at his disposal, however, they had experience in the air. Being an unfamiliar enemy was the primary reason Oskar had held his own until now. He was vulnerable, and he knew it. There would come a time when he would face an opponent who knew exactly what he was capable of. That was why it was crucial for him to challenge himself and continue to grow. To protect these knuckleheads. I was insane to get involved with all this, but here we are. Just as the heat was becoming truly unbearable, Erik pointed back at the circling patrols. Five distant silhouettes grew fainter as they gave up the chase and made their way back toward the Great Collective. Oskar doubted the Great Collective would survive long without the Wayspring, even with Valla''s iron claw holding things together. With a sigh of relief, Oskar wiped the sweat off the back of his neck and started hunting for a Wayspring. Chapter 49: Brothers Gotta Hug! ¡°Should we hunker down and rest at a Wayspring, or take a short rest for real this time, and then try to get some distance?¡± Oskar asked them. Erik pointed forward, yet as he did so, Oskar couldn¡¯t help remembering the fear that had haunted his brother¡¯s eyes when Valla had stood over him. He wondered if that was part of what drove his brother to keep moving. Taking Erik¡¯s opinion into consideration, Fox nodded in agreement. ¡°Some of both,¡± she replied with a shake of her head. ¡°There is nothing nearby. Unfortunately, that is a truth. Regardless of shelter, we are burning through water at a prodigious rate, so we must find a Wayspring.¡± It was a testament to her character that she never considered the third option. Splitting up. The two Kobolds could effectively disappear. We¡¯d die, but they¡¯d get away. // We both know they''re better than that. They obviously see you as family the same way you see them. // I know, I know. I just feel bad dragging them through all this. // You were dumb enough to save them from slavery. Oh wait, that''s not dumb at all, that''s awesome. So maybe, just maybe, they want to be here. // Good. I want them here. ¡°It''s settled, then," Oskar said. "I¡¯ll keep a lookout for a Wayspring, but afterwards, we should try to keep going if we can.¡± They resumed their trek in the unrelenting heat. Erik and the Kobolds fell in behind him, while Penny, always curious, scouted around, scurried beneath them, and eagerly chased bugs in the sand. The journey continued for almost another hour, the sun beating down on their backs. Finally, he felt Sora resonating with something in the distance, and Oskar immediately steered the group towards the nearby spring, which was unusually deep underground. It was much safer to not expose the Wayspring, so having Penny to help position the siphon was invaluable and had kept them from the bulk of issues that arose from staying near an exposed Wayspring- thirsty predators and thirsty bugs. Penny loved being helpful, and loved her job of helping with the Waysprings. She''s getting a little cocky about it, though. // And you know what you''re gonna do about it? Zilch. She''s got you wrapped around her little paw like that little Kobold in the story Fox told us. // Oskar sighed in defeat. I guess that makes me her own personal Chief Biggums. // Yep, and she''s Little Luth. If she wanted to, she could have you feeding her by hand. // Don''t give her any ideas. Curious about how Collectives without their advantages found Waysprings, Oskar brought it up after he cleaned his leg and liner and after everyone had a chance to drink. "There are a few ways to locate a Wayspring, but it often comes down to luck. This is why many groups will travel with as much water as they can safely run with. Occasionally, if you are lucky, a spring will be close to the surface and you can feel the cooler sand beneath you. Some more prepared Collectives carry long, thin spears carved from a type of wood that change color when exposed to water. They can search for springs using those, but again... nothing is guaranteed. They occasionally push the spears down deep into the sand along the dune walls and check the tip for discoloration." She smiled. "Most Crocs without Kobolds to find and carry water end up drinking cactus juice most days." ¡°I bet Touwon has two of those spear things in his bag. How much you want to bet?¡± Fox snickered, Erik looked a little confused, and Touwon offered a deadpan stare before holding up three clawed fingers, turning back to the tent as the group laughed. Penny poked her head up nearby at the commotion, tilting it as she watched before disappearing after some poor bug. After Touwon got the tent set up, they decided on shorter watches so they could alternate between resting and taking turns watching in the intense heat. Erik, however, lacked a Bracer unit and only had low-quality Goggles that couldn¡¯t even connect with a Bracer, even if they¡¯d had one that fit him. His Goggles were ill fitting over the leather strap covering his eye, and he''d taken Oskar¡¯s spare shirt to cover his head because the hood wasn''t quite enough. That finally stopped sand from getting in under the leather covering his eye from the gritty sweat constantly pouring down his forehead. I just wish we could find something better for him. The Gear that the Hyena-men were wearing was too small, the eyes a little too close together, and barely better than what Erik wore anyhow. The group had not even bothered to loot them from the last trio they¡¯d fought, and Gram Senior¡¯s set was non-operational, according to Touwon. Even without a matched set, a complete PUB could at least outline and identify unknowns and threats. Moreover, everyone had silently agreed to give Erik a bit more time to recover before including him in the watch rotation, so he¡¯d sat under the tent, resting and drinking as much water as he could manage. He¡¯d eventually get his turn by necessity.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Oskar sat down beside his brother. "You feeling a little better, man? Erik wagged his head in a so-so answer, and let out a long breath as he leaned back onto the sand. Oskar couldn''t stop himself. "I wish I could have gotten here sooner." Erik was watching him, and started to shake his head to disagree, but Oskar stopped him. "I need to tell you my side of things, and we''ll figure out a way, somehow, maybe through writing, for you to tell us what you''re willing to share." His brother looked away, obviously not in a place to share himself, so Oskar took the burden of the conversation on himself and told his brother everything. Almost, everything. When Erik had disappeared back on earth, Oskar had already been in a bad place, but Oskar reluctantly told him about the nightmares and the months of little to no sleep. He didn''t share exactly how bad it had gotten at one point; the week the screams had continued after he woke and Oskar was sure he''d completely lost his mind. So, he pushed past that part, not wanting to dwell, and told his brother about the hotel room and the creepy clerk. Erik laughed at Oskar''s facial expression describing the clerk and his reading habits. "He was straight up biting his sweaty lip, dude. It wasn''t funny, it was creepy as hell!" It was funny, though, and they both knew it. Fox listened nearby, facinated, but quiet. Oskar didn''t mind at all. The Kobolds had at least earned this much by now. Things got serious again when Oskar spoke of his own portal experience, and Erik nodded knowingly at everything but the frozen hellscape Oskar had been trapped in, which caused some confusion and obvious questions he didn''t have the ability to ask. Erik made a one armed swimming motion and then drew a portal in the air with a bony finger and shrugged. "No frozen hellscape for you? No creepy things that seemed to flicker across the sky, their thousands of legs moving in all the wrong directions?" Erik shook his head, worry on his face. "Well, I guess I''m glad you didn''t have to go through all that." Erik nodded slowly, sipping on Wayspring water while Oskar continued his tale. He explained his fight with the giant snake, meeting the Kobolds. He broke down their fight with the Vulk Collective, moving quickly over Valla''s use of her dark powers, and focused more on her getting away and how he defeated Vulk himself. When he got to the fight with the Gryphus Vulture, Erik raised a questioning eyebrow at Touwon of all people, who gave him a nod that it was as Oskar said. Erik was only teasing, though, because he shot his brother a tired smile and signaled him to continue. The only thing he glossed over was his continued struggles with the weird pressure he felt when he thought he was being observed. He didn''t skip it completely, but mostly played down the effect it had on him, realizing how they sounded like paranoid delusions when he said them out loud. He did say he felt like there was more to this world, like he was being watched by something outside the world, though, just in case something happened so they would know psychic attack of some sort was a possibility. "I don''t know what it is exactly, or they. It could be anything from an Eldrich being to someone powerful trying to influence me. I just don''t know. But you watched the rest. I''m just glad to have you back, man. I missed you." Erik''s hard questioning eyes softened, and he threw his arm out and gave Oskar a quick hug before laying back to rest, still watching Oskar. For Oskar''s part, he was glad Erik couldn''t ask the thousands of questions he would normally ask, both because of time constraints and because of Erik''s inability to communicate normally, but his brother''s considering gaze promised there would be much more than this reletively quick conversation incoming. Even listening to the story tired Erik out, and Oskar was beyond emotionally drained. All he wanted to do was climb up on the dune, go on watch, and think through things on his own. I don''t know what else I can say to him. // You did enough for now. I think it''s gonna take you both time to process everything // *** The group rested long enough to eat and let Erik catch his breath. He was getting stronger, even with all the walking, but stronger was still a long ways from strong, and so the breaks were necessary. The red sun was gone and the sky turning from purple to deep blue when Oskar again found himself on watch. He took the first one this time, his mind still swirling around his conversation with Erik. He''d tried to work with Talau and Sora as they walked, but he was still too unfamiliar with Talau to do it distracted, so Oskar made little progress on that front. But he was feeling better, and knew a night of uninterrupted sleep would be just the thing to end the day, which was why he happily volunteered for the first watch. Penny had went back and forth between the brothers all day trying to decide who needed her cuteness more, and had finally, with Oskar''s blessing, walked with Erik most of the day. Oskar was lying low on top of the dune, instinctively but unnecessarily squinting his eyes through the Goggles, staring into the wind toward the direction of Great Collective. Fox had needed to point the direction out to him since by now it was long out of sight. The PUB found Oskar''s inability to tell directions in the endless sand hilarious, so it kept turning off the compass function while they walked. It wouldn¡¯t turn it back on until he admitted he was lost because he was a dummy face. You¡¯re the dummy face. // I don¡¯t even have a face, so that barely hurts my feelings at all. // If you had a face, it would be dumb. // Jerk. No wonder your brother won¡¯t even talk to you. // DUDE. You guys gotta stop with those. That¡¯s not even funny. They literally cut his tongue out. // Then why are you smirking? // That¡¯s not fair. You just caught me off guard with your casual cruelty. How did you even know? // I didn¡¯t know, you know I can''t see your face. You just confessed. Who¡¯s the dummy face now? // Oskar hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off the horizon and hadn¡¯t felt anything nearby for the last hour except his friends, his brother, and Penny, who¡¯d been chasing bugs and small creatures nearby. Therefore, he was completely caught off guard when a large pitch black figure suddenly appeared from behind him and lifted him overhead, wrenching his spear out of his grip. Twisting, he tried to get a look at his assailant as he called out to those below, however, the huge creature jumped up in the air. With a grip that burned like fire, it held Oskar overhead, and then on darkened wings, it dashed downward, smashing Oskar through the top of the tent. He somehow missed his brother, who¡¯d been laying down. Nearby, Touwon jerked upright, dropping the shield he''d been tinkering with. Oskar felt his hip pop out of socket, and something snapped in his arm before his head hit hard packed sand, and everything went black. Chapter 50: Meaning in Suffering (Erik POV) -Erik- Erik took another gulp of icy Wayspring water, the crisp taste sending shivers down his spine. He could see the magic within the water, revealing itself as a subtle, mesmerizing shimmer, dancing just beyond his direct gaze. He could feel the magic in the water, see it in his periphery, but looking straight at it, it just looked like¡­ water. Struggling slightly to turn off the spigot on the siphon hose with only one hand, he finally got it closed before leaning back and closing his good eye. He wasn¡¯t yet asleep when he heard what could have been a yell in the wind and a shadow blocked the what was left of the blue sun over the dune. A moment later, his brother crashed through the tent and hit the ground with an awful crack. Blinking, Erik awkwardly shoved the sheer cloth of the tent off himself. On the other side of the crushed tent, a large creature that appeared to be made of liquid darkness stood towering over him. It''s uneven wings fluttered, and the creature''s empty eyes stared down hungrily at Erik. Ignoring the obvious danger, Erik shot forward and laid his hand on his brother the same time the creature took a step. No. Erik¡¯s grip tightened on Oskar¡¯s shoulder as he fed a trickle of his own life essence into him, and he fought back a scream as the magic ripped what it needed from his body to heal his brother. Lights danced in his vision, but Erik noticed the creature stagger as it bore down on him and Oskar, one of Touwon''s kukri suddenly sticking out of its torso. Its scream of pain and rage was like two voices, one so high pitched it hurt, the other louder than it should have been. Erik held on until he felt the most severe of his brother¡¯s injuries stabilize and heal before he had to let go. He refused to give in to the delirium that hit him. The ability worked more like a denial than a mending. It wasn''t a denial that it happened, it was instead a denial of its power over him. His own willpower had actual power here. It felt more like he was pushing the injury away from his brother at a heavy cost to himself rather than mending the wound. Yet the magic took its toll and did its job on Oskar, which is all Erik cared about. Erik pulled at Oskar¡¯s good leg, trying to drag his baby brother to safety. Panic spiked, and he forced himself to stop for a second to regroup and breath. And then, with grim determination, he pulled his brother out from under the ruined car. Tent. It¡¯s a damn tent. And he¡¯s a grown ass man. Not a baby anymore, he reminded himself. Oss was grown now, and stronger than Erik had ever been. Stronger than he¡¯d probably ever be. Erik wasn¡¯t the 5-year-old trying to pull his 18-month-old baby brother out of the mess of buckles in the seat of an upside-down car. Fortunately, then, his brother had been fine, just shaken. Their mother wasn¡¯t fine at all. Why does this have to hit me now? I¡¯m so damned weak. Erik attempted to stand up straight and try to assess the threat, but the cost of healing Oskar was still taking its toll. He had to pause; his feet unsteady. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way. He¡¯d originally been able to heal himself. His original class had been Harmony Weaver, a Legendary healer class that focused on serenity and balance, until Valla had gotten a hold of him. They¡¯d destroyed his Gear when they realized they couldn¡¯t wear it and gave him these Goggles, which were basically useless. I¡¯m not useless. He didn¡¯t know what his class was, now. It wasn¡¯t the same, though. I¡¯m not useless, but I''m sure as hell not supposed to be this way. He could do nothing to stop the rush of repressed thoughts and memories that suddenly took over, his brain and body at the brink of collapse. The Crocs¡­ mostly Valla, had both taken him and then kept him at the edge of death for so long. Years. Maybe a decade. Seeing Oskar almost the same age as he¡¯d been when Erik had last seen him had been maddening. He had spent so long fighting back fear and fighting to become numb. He¡¯d not been allowed to heal himself, but after he¡¯d stopped caring if they killed him, he¡¯d finally tried to heal himself again.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. It didn''t work. The best he¡¯d been able to do was to deny the pain. He knew it was there; he just denied its power over him. Shut it right the hell down. That had felt like years ago, though. Did Oskar not age, or was he sent to a different place in time? Thinking back, though, Erik didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, but he knew adding in time travel was a long shot. It most likely was the worst of his fears; the absolute hell he¡¯d been through just hadn¡¯t lasted as long as he¡¯d thought it had. He was so weak that he¡¯d lost all reasoning¡­ no matter the reason, though, seeing Oskar the same age had been a cruel, unexpected kick in the gut. It just hadn¡¯t made sense to him. Initially, he''d been sure his brother was another vision like the ones he¡¯d had during the worst of the torture. The ones with his brother looking desperately for him. Visions of a vaporous Oskar that could never reach him. Visions that somehow managed to reach out while still shying away from Erik¡¯s screams. Close, yet never close enough for Erik to feel any hope. Eventually, those dreams had strayed into the waking world, too. He¡¯d seen his brother lying awake in a dark room, tears streaming from his eyes. And then he¡¯d seen his brother sitting on the edge of the bed for almost a minute holding something under his chin that had finally made Erik feel pain again. He¡¯d gotten a little better mentally when Valla left. However, when his brother and the Kobolds had come to save him, seeing Oskar again had, in some ways, been worse than the torture he¡¯d endured. Well, at least the torture before Valla had taken over. In his lightheadedness, the flashes of images hit him in a whirlwind of terrible memories all at once and distantly, he felt his body hit the sand. Other than those visions of Oskar, the only time he¡¯d felt anything other than pain and hate since Valla first started in on him, whispering to herself and giggling like she was playing with a doll, was the day she¡¯d finally left Gramm''s Oasis. She''d left with Vulk and that other imbecile- a pale green Croc whose name he never learned weeks ago. He¡¯d felt relief at her disappearance¡­ but anger that he might lose a chance to watch her die. And then, in a petty moment of pain and frustration, he¡¯d flicked what he was sure was an apparition of his brother a surreptitious middle finger, not considering for even a moment that Oskar was real. However, Oskar¡­ his actual brother¡­ had looked right at him. Had seen him through the pain. The missing eye and arm. And thankfully, Oskar didn¡¯t look with pity or fear. I don¡¯t think I could have handled pity then, even from a hallucination. Oskar¡¯s face had been stone, but Erik knew Oskar was pissed. That was when he knew his brother- his real brother had come for him. God knows how, but one way or another, the torture was over. And Oskar had done it. His brother had come for him. And now I¡¯m on my knees in the sand trying to shake off a twenty something year-old trauma. Erik wasn¡¯t blind to everything he¡¯d been through, but that was no excuse for sitting here¡­ weak¡­ and potentially allowing whatever had attacked the group to kill his new friends. People who he suspected were the only reason Oskar was even alive right now. Thankfully, the heavy toll of the healing had finally finished taking its pounds of flesh, and the flash of memories subsided. Standing on shaky, thin legs, Erik looked down at his ever-declining body and sighed. He pulled the cork of his waterskin out with aching teeth and drank deeply, and then he activated his Spiritual Awakening. If one half of his power was Deny, this, as best as he could figure, was Demand. The power was his. It just needs to be reminded. Yes. Light radiated out of him in waves of healing and strength, and the cost of the magic made spots of light dance in his vision. The regeneration didn¡¯t work on him, and Erik did not know if it ever would have if Valla hadn¡¯t broken his ability to heal himself- but the embattled Kobolds reacted like it had just started raining vaguely illigal pre-workout. Fox screamed and launched herself at the strange beast, and her ferocity cleared Erik¡¯s muddied head as he got a better look at the enemy that had attacked his brother. The thing looked like a mix between a Crocodilian and what Erik imagined a wyvern would look like, but it was so black that it seemed to drink the suns'' light. It rippled and reacted like liquid darkness. The flashes radiating out of Erik, though, made the black liquid weaken and recede from the radiating light. The beast staggered initially, but regained its bearings quickly. Luckily, the worst of the cost had been in the power¡¯s summoning, and even though he couldn¡¯t do this much longer, he had enough left in him for this. Unfortunately for the creature, the receding darkness revealed rotting, vulnerable flesh beneath, and the stagger gave both Touwon and Fox time to dash in and do actual damage. In a burst of terrifying speed, though, it lifted its enormous claws overhead to hammer strike Touwon, who was slightly slower to get out of the huge thing¡¯s reach. In a moment of panicked inspiration, Erik focused all the light from his Spiritual Awakening into a single ray that shot forward from his outstretched hand, pulsing deeper and deeper into the creature until it fell, a smoking hole through its chest that, from this angle, had also severed the creatures right arm at the shoulder. Apparently not one to take chances, Fox snatched up Oskar¡¯s spear from near the destroyed tent and shoved it with surprising strength into the neck of the abyssal creature, tilted it downward and then shoved again, pushing the spear up into its skull. Erik almost fell to a knee, but turned around to look for Oskar and make sure he was okay. Relieved at seeing his brother move, he watched as his brother rolled onto his side and then pushed himself up with a groan. Oskar took in the surrounding scene for a moment before his eyes locked on the creature, who was now fading into motes of black and drifting away like ash in the wind. The faintest smell of burning flesh drifted in and out of his senses, and Oskar said, ¡°Who stared too long into the abyss? I swear it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Erik groaned at Oskar¡¯s joke and then let go of the magic. His knees buckled, and Fox was there to catch him. Chapter 51: Depth is the Greatest of Heights Oskar limped along, trying to shake the feeling that he¡¯d failed his brother and friends, frustrated and angry. I didn¡¯t see or hear anything. Caught completely unaware. It was just suddenly there. On top of that, Erik had to heal me. He¡¯d actively scanned less than a minute before the attack, regularly reached outward using Sora, on top of looking and listening. He didn¡¯t know what else he could have possibly done, but the weight of responsibility wore down on him like the suns directly above him. Despite everything, Oskar stayed focused and didn¡¯t let himself become too distracted by his self pity. His eyes remained fixated on the expanse of sand, which remained, to his senses, devoid of any movement. Not that that means anything. Oskar knew he was being petulant, but that last comment had been his breaking point. He cracked a bitter smile. You can¡¯t learn from your mistakes until you stop feeling sorry for yourself. That had been a Erik-ism he¡¯d lived long enough to know it to be true. // Glad that''s over. // I know, me too. That takes a lot of energy. Speaking of taking a lot of energy, Erik''s heal is so much better than my Meditative Proliferation. // Well, it would be. Yours is passive, and it seems his whole class is at least partially built around healing. You might be able to heal yourself and others over time, but you have to build your abilities yourself, Unique class and all. // Yeah, and it seems like Sora responds better to my needs free form than when I try to make abilities. // Well, that''s because you have only really mastered Sora. Mixing the three magics using concepts is where you''re really gonna shine. I told you at the start of all this, your floor of power is low, but your ceiling is something only you decide. // I know, I know. I''m just frustrated. // <3 // Please never do that again. // Had to try it once. // You really didn''t, though. The scene was eerily silent outside the constant wind overhead that sounded like this planet¡¯s final, dying exhale. He exhaled and then inhaled deeply, and the scent of dry desert air filled his lungs as he continued to scan the barren landscape. In retrospect, the only hint anything had been amiss was Penny had been moving quickly back towards the camp, yet even that wasn¡¯t unusual in itself. She wasn¡¯t exuding panic or anything close, just a general anxiety he occasionally felt from her when she¡¯d been away from him too long. She¡¯d been darting around for over an hour in every direction but up, so it hadn¡¯t put him on edge. He suspected that, like him, she¡¯d also not been able to identify the exact threat. Unlike him, however, she had picked up on some animal instinct that had told her to go back to camp. Now finished beating himself up, he began working on figuring out exactly how the strange, winged Croc thing had escaped his awareness and his natural senses. It wasn¡¯t anything the Kobolds had ever seen. Moreover, the thing had been covered in a strange black material- had that both masked its injuries and provided it with wings that gave it its astonishing speed and dangerous maneuverability? There was so much Oskar didn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t enjoy being a liability, ambushed and out of the fight before it had properly begun. Luckily his big brother, frail as he was after healing Oskar, had used an ability that Fox claimed damaged and tore away the viscous black material. It had been effective enough that they could damage and kill it. Fox had claimed Erik¡¯s power had done the bulk of the work, even destroying the black wings which seemed to be made of nothing but the blackness. Touwon had nodded and even offered a rare thumbs up and a raised eyebrow at Fox¡¯s praise of Erik. The official Touwon seal of approval. But it had cost Erik. He rallied a little after an hour of rest and Wayspring water, but the costs he¡¯d paid was too much. The only thing I do know is that we need to keep him from using his power as much as possible. Oskar hadn¡¯t had time to stop and make sense of what he¡¯d learned about his own powers, and unfortunately, rest was still not possible. Sora gently spun around him like a gentle breeze brushing against his skin. Patterns of Talau settled after the group walked through, and the thought occured to him he might be able to use Talau to track others, but even a new use of his magic only gave him a small burst of focus.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. God, I¡¯m tired. Ever since the attack from the strange, dark covered creature, they''d hardly stopped moving. They''d been hit in the middle of the night by another trio of Hyena Gliders. Erik had lost all the recovery progress he''d made using his abilities, but even when they stopped to eat and refill their water, Erik slept, and then ate and drank as he walked. After the night and day they''d had, though, Erik was the only one sleeping, and was probably in as good a shape as any of them by now. Other than the amputated arm and tongue, and his long term undernourishment. Dude can go to sleep in like thirty seconds. By the time I got my leg off, he''s laid out flat. He''s snoring by the time I get my liner clean. And he can stand up and walking by the time he''s awake. Even with the sleep he''s getting, If things keep going like this he''s gonna walk himself to death. The Hyena-men trios always knew where to look as they left the Great Collective, and the Dorn Collective found themselves in this weary cycle of defending themselves and running. They¡¯d taken out two other teams after the midnight attack. After those fights though, the Hyenas had stuck exclusively to fly-by attacks, and Oskar wasn''t able to bring his burgeoning powers to full use. Oskar didn¡¯t want to pull one down with Sora and let the others get away to share his new ability, so he¡¯d been careful to only use the ability when they were sure they could finish the job. However, their enemy didn¡¯t seem to receive updated real-time instructions, so the group had to keep moving while making their way towards the Gryphus'' lair, haggard and harried. The tried shifting direction and even did a switchback to throw off the Gliders, but they were quickly found and were forced to watch the sky for ambushes again. The day before they hoped to get to the Gryphus Vulture''s lair, the group thought they had finally lost their pursuers, having pretended to stop at nightfall only to leave a tent standing and set back out without ever stopping. They were looking forward to having a decent night''s sleep, and tried to keep an eye on the sky as they made their way closer to their goal. Exhausted by almost three days with limited sleep, though, they¡¯d made it within half a day¡¯s walk when their luck finally ran out. The Gliders had become desperate, being pushed almost as hard as Oskar¡¯s Collective. Their sloppy patrols became more unpredictable than ever, which paid off for them when one patrol flew over the group from a blind angle, apparently at random if their frantic hand gestures meant anything. Using Sora, Oskar had pulled down the rear Glider as the other two were turning to attack, but the other two Hyenas unexpectedly abandoned the attack completely, disappearing over the nearest dune. The clock was now ticking. If they¡¯d forced the Gliders to retreat all the way back to the Great Collective, the group might have had time to escape. However, a minute later an impossible-to-miss yellow smoky trail stretched across the sky far above them. The color stood stark against the red sky like a guiding arrow. One that was pointing right at his new family. Well, that sucks. The chase is on, now. The two remaining Gliders stayed far overhead, gliding back-and-forth above them. Ominous, mocking laughter put Oskar¡¯s nerves on edge. He didn¡¯t know if it was a skill or not, but the mockery was making him irrationally angry. I need to keep moving and not get baited into something foolish. // This is smart tactics, though. It may have been Valla''s orders. // I really hate her. He was trying to keep an eye on the Hyenas in case they switched tactics again. He''d turned and was looking up for Hyena-men overhead when Oskar felt something snap in his prosthetic foot. He stumbled at the abrupt loss of momentum and caught himself on his hands, sunk to the wrists in burning hot sand before he straightened and tried to keep moving. Oh, this thing is completely fragged, Oskar thought with a bitter smirk. One of the hardware screws that attached the socket to the prosthetic foot had snapped, so the whole thing was now rocking and shifting with every step, and was getting looser. Consequently, his gait was worsening. This finally drove him over the edge into angry desperation, and his survival instinct shifted into something much more violent. It¡¯s one thing to get stuck on a desert planet with a foot that sinks into the sand every time I run; it¡¯s an entirely different thing when I''m about to get his entire Collective killed because of a freaking hardware issue. His PUB chimed in, uncommonly serious. // We doing this? // Yeah. We are. Target rich environment and all that, Oskar replied, seeing more Gliders in the distance. Running on instinct- and a fair amount of frustrated anger- he channeled both Sora and Talau. Small rocks and sand lifted around him. They began circling him as the current he was channeling spun about him with growing speed. He ran awkwardly. Touwon was well in the lead, but both Erik and Fox were seeing his situation unravel. Fox face was calculated and Erik¡¯s showing his rapidly growing concern. Oskar finally came up with a plan. // More of an idea, really, but I''m with you. You obviously can''t keep running on that thing. Good news is, every time you have a crazy idea, I get new data. // Ahead of the group, the dune valley took a gentle left, so Oskar called out, ¡°Leg is busted. I¡¯m dead if I don¡¯t get in the air,¡± and kept going straight forward, half climbing, half hopping to the top of the dune to reach the currents above. Erik shot a look back, watching Oskar make his way up the dune. The wind currents above played out in colors and lines of direction and speed, and suddenly, he realized he could predict it like the melody of a favorite song. His steps, as he climbed the last few yards, grew lighter as Sora pulled him up to where he belonged¡­ spear in hand and into the sky, singing the song he''d had stuck in his head all morning, "Fast As You Can" by Fiona Apple, of all people. I¡¯ll soar the uneven wind, complain and blame the sterile land. But if you¡¯re getting any bright ideas, quiet dear. I¡¯m blooming within. Big, tough, Marine with a Fiona Apple song stuck in his head. // I don''t music shame. Sounds like a catchy tune. // Oskar smiled at the PUB, and set his eyes on his unsuspecting victims, Sora and Talau still surrounding him. Chapter 52: Air Superiority and a new... friend? His launch upward caused an explosion of air and sand blew in every direction. He opened his mouth, but his ears popped anyway from his quick acceleration. The air wrapped itself around him and he gave himself to the wind completely. He rode the colors and lines of the wind near the edges of competing currents, allowing him to change direction on a dime, and he spent a few moments testing his maneuverability. Sora was swirling around his body so fast he felt weightless, and even the rushing wind of the currents was muted, now sounding like a whispering ghost of what he was used to. It''s just the wind that''s muted, though. Being unable to hear was the biggest downside to being up here, other than being an obvious dot in the sky. But, this is finally starting to feel like an extension of my body. Just like my dream. Well¡­ almost, he added, losing his grip on Talau as the distance grew. Talau was striving to mix with the wind like brothers separated for far too long, yet he was too far from the ground by now to use it. He knew there was a way, though. In his dream, Talau felt like a latticework of armor wrapped around his body. Even though he couldn¡¯t use the magic below in the above just yet, something clicked. It is all connected. // How many times do I have to say that, you dry brained fool? // In my defense, it¡¯s not a very good way to describe the whole concept of magic to someone who¡¯s never even seen it. // I have rules. That¡¯s the best I could do. Every time you¡¯re stuck, just think "It''s all connected." My data shows that even Crocling children understood that back in my day. // I never said I was smarter than a Crocli- you know what, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a word. Also, I never said I was smarter than a Croc kid. // Statistically, there''s gotta be a few genius Crocs. Anyway, Crocling is totally a word. Say it to Fox. She¡¯ll applaud your worldly knowledge. // Smirking as he lifted further into the sky, he spun to look for the Hyenas, reveling in the magic he could now feel all around him. I kind of do feel like a dry brained fool. He had believed the earth magic to be stoic and the air magic to be wild, but in reality, were just facets of the same entity¡­ Nature. And Nature, as limited as it had been on this desert world for who knows how long, had been waiting for him to reach out. It shook and raged, or settled and waited in the ground and swept and raced and danced across the sky. Not quite alive, really, but he felt its longing to be used in this world¡¯s magic. What it was exactly still eluded him, but it felt more like someone he knew and a little less like a strange, unknown power. He felt a sudden emptiness, but it was immediately replaced by something else. Something stronger. Words flashed across his screen in a way that was completely unlike the PUB''s usual method of communication. /// It is not an unknown power, it is just unknown to you. /// The words pulsed in an odd blue for a moment and broke apart into motes of light that drifted in every direction. Before he could even begin to form a question, more words appeared. /// Keep them alive and hurry to the Gryphus'' Lair. We have much to discuss. /// What the hell was that?! Who are you? The strange presence was gone, replaced by the familiar presence of his PUB. Oskar felt an odd wave of relief wash over him, just realizing exactly how much he relied on the subtle, internal presence he didn¡¯t even realize he could feel until that voice was had suppressed it. You alright, PUBs? // I... I think so. There-for I am so? Does that work? // No, but I think you''re fine. I''m guessing you have no idea what that was? // Yeah, that was odd. And scary, to be honest. It wasn''t like I was being hacked, I was put into a monitoring stasis. Like, I could read the words, but I couldn''t even think about what they might mean. Is that what''s it''s like to not be a matching Gear set? // He scanned the horizon for their enemies, but answered the PUB. You know I have no idea. // Yeah, sorry, I''m just still reeling from that. // We''ll have to talk with the others if we make it through this. Assuming I can land. Oskar focused on the horizon and finally laid eyes on the two Gliders the same time they caught sight of him, coasting ahead and above. The lead Hyena-man, gaudy gold painted Goggles around his surprised eyes, cocked back an arm and threw.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The air itself might as well have warned him of the incoming spear. Smooth lines of color in the air curled, darkened, and split like shaved wood from the projectile as it flew toward him. He could have caught it, and almost did so, laughing¡­ yet stopped the wild bravado he felt overtaking him the moment he realized it wasn¡¯t all his. This wild new power would play along with him, but would gladly take the lead in this dance if he allowed it to. It acts like it''s alive. Oskar couldn¡¯t help but be curious. but obviously didn¡¯t have time at the moment to ponder the secrets of this world. Instead, Oskar shifted slightly and let the spear pass him by inches and then rode a new current of wind that was lower to fly directly over his team. They were jogging with Touwon in the lead, but looked up as Oskar coasted above them for a moment, slowing to match their speed. He looked back at the Gliders, who were now circling around for another pass, hopefully sure they would have the advantage two on one in the air. Hopefully they''re wrong. Locking eyes with the lead Kobold, he released the suction on his prosthetic, pulled it off and tossed it into a bemused Touwon¡¯s capable hands, who caught it without slowing. The Kobold¡¯s green eyes lit up like he¡¯d been given the keys to a kingdom. Unexpectantly, he cradled it briefly before carefully placing it in the bag over his shoulder, slowing into a shuffling run as he did so. Oskar shook his head and pushed himself upward with Sora, turning around in search of the Gliders. He¡¯s an odd dude. Awesome, but odd. He couldn''t stop thinking about the intrusive messages, though. Whatever it was, it wanted me to "keep them alive," so it probably wasn''t all bad. // Well unless it''s hungry and wants everyone. // Yo. That''s dark. And potentially true. Oskar rose into the upper currents and made his way around the Gliders who were having trouble matching his maneuverability. He found a current that would close the distance to the frustrated Hyena-man duo and used it to launch himself at them with a fierce grin, the stress of his prosthetic breaking temporarily forgotten. He was forced to rotate to avoid a spear thrown at him, stealing some of his momentum, but scored a shallow strike on the rear Glider with his first pass, his spear cutting through the hide on the mangy Hyena-man¡¯s right side. The small Glider spun sideways at the impact, though and barely recovered, almost falling out of the current of air he was riding. Oskar observed with grim satisfaction that the self-proclaimed Dragoons¡¯ mocking laughter suddenly sounded much more panicked. Oskar agility in the air was a massive advantage since the Hyenas were stuck in currents going one direction until they could change direction So, they weren''t even watching as he spun around and immediately rose into a higher current to give chase. He¡¯d caught back up to them before they¡¯d even noticed what he¡¯d done. This is the difference between using the wind and being a part of it, Oskar thought as he slammed his spear down into the spine of the mangy rear Glider, leaving only the Hyena with the fake gold Goggles. They¡¯re used to being the only ones in the air, not having to dogfight. Ha, dogfight! // Pedant alert! Hyenas aren''t dogs, cats, or anything related. They have a family of their own, Hyaendeae. There are two other members of the Hyaendeae family that exists here. One species is Pachycrocuthus, just like Chonkdog, remember him? The big tanky one? Also, there are Aardphilawulf. More confusingly... they look nothing like aarvarks or wolves, more like... uh, long foxes. // I do not have time to work through everything you just said, but thank you, I think. I''ll try to work that into my schedule along with the two Gems I haven''t had time to use and learning Talau. // Whoa. And maybe work in a nap. // Hush, you! Oskar thought at the PUB with a smirk, just happy to be in the air again, broken prosthetic or not. He followed the Hyena-man with the gaudy painted Goggles for a minute before he saw a second trio of Gliders approaching way off in the distance, and another group of four not far behind them. Oskar knew he lacked the experience for a prolonged "hyenafight" with eight Gliders. Eleven, Oskar thought with a curse as three more dots appeared on the distant horizon. We need time. Way more time. Oskar sunk in the air, acting as if he were wounded and desperate to get away from Gaudy the Giggling Clown, and was able to draw him and his cheap looking Goggles away from his team, still running for their lives. He could see them moving as fast as they could towards the Gryphus Vulture¡¯s lair, visible now in the distance. Oskar played it as slow and safely as he could, barely dodging a few throws and exaggerating his minor injuries to keep the Hyena on the attack. // We''re not using Gaudy the Giggling Clown. I refuse. Please find something else. // The Hyena-man, now down to his pair of spears, tried to close the distance for a better shot. Oskar spent twenty minutes letting the fella almost catch him before dropping or rising into a different current to drift away. He didn¡¯t want to kill the guy just yet; he needed to keep him distracted and fighting so that the Gliders who¡¯d responded to the smoke alert would¡­ hopefully¡­ come to his aid. The dots in the distance had been steadily getting closer, and both he and Gaudy were tired of the life-or-death vigilance of their battle. The Gliders that had responded to the initial smoke alert didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about Gaudy, though. Their angle became clear¡­ and it was straight towards Oskar¡¯s brother and the Kobolds who were trying to clear the last mile or so to the Lair, and hopefully a shelter the Windgliders wouldn¡¯t enter. The final Hyena-man, with no help coming, decided he no longer wanted the be alone in the air with Oskar and angled himself towards Oskar''s team in the distance as well. Oskar was chasing the panicking lone Glider towards his friends, who were minutes from entering the outer boundary of the Lair. Oskar was about to catch up when Gaudy activated a skill that sent him diving towards the group at breakneck speed, pulling further away from Oskar. Oskar knew as he improved his control and power with Sora, he might eventually learn to mimic the powered attack, but all he could do now was dive after him. His speed increased dramatically as Sora responded to his need, and skill or not, he was swiftly gaining on Gaudylocks¡­ but it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. // Urgent- Dorn Collective Gambit: Don¡¯t Die Gambit! Gliders incoming! I¡¯m not generating the failure conditions. If you don¡¯t know what happens if you fail a Don¡¯t Die Gambit, you deserve to find out what happens when you fail a Don¡¯t Die Gambit. Oskar is probably confused, but he¡¯s safe up here, so I¡¯m not worried about him. // Your mother¡¯s confused. // And your brother can¡¯t clap. // What the hell is wrong with you?! // I¡¯m so sorry, I literally can¡¯t stop. // Chapter 53: The green reed that bends in the wind... Reacting to the ¡°Don¡¯t Die¡± Gambit immediately, Touwon spun and slung one of his kurangs at the Glider that was closing in on them. Gaudy managed to avoid the strike, but consequently was forced out of the low air current he was riding, and was now barreling toward Touwon at dangerous speeds as Oskar raced to catch up. One glance at Touwon¡¯s wide-eyed face told Oskar the Kobold wasn¡¯t going to be able to get out of the way in time. Touwon threw his hands up in a feeble defense as the Glider covered the last few feet in what seemed like slow motion as Oskar¡¯s heart lurched in his chest. Just before impact, Erik threw his hand out toward Touwon and made a fist. The draw of power was noticable on Erik, and his knees sank for a brief moment. He caught himself just as Gaudylocks crashed into something invisible, inches away from Touwon. Sand flew in every direction at the impact, but slid off a small, shimmering dome that now surrounded the wide-eyed Kobold, thanks to Erik. Unfortunately, the Hyenaman was also protected from the unexpected impact, either by his own version of Kinetic Transfer or another skill. Gaudy hit the ground roughly, but with no apparent injury other than a shocked look on his face. The Hyenaman turned and was still trying to orient himself when Oskar finally caught up with him. Oskar landed on the Hyena-man with a concussive blast, perfectly timing his own Kinetic Transfer. The pinecone shaped point of his spear barely seemed to register the impact as it obliterated the Hyenaman''s body. Blood and gore flew in every direction, and it was only sheer luck that Oskar''s mouth was closed. Still enveloped in Sora, he gently glided to the sand after impact, a much smoother landing than his last. The dust and rocks floated through the air away from the impact as if in slow motion, but the impact had crushed the Glider. Then, Oskar stumbled to the ground, losing his grip on Sora and forgetting that he was no longer wearing his prosthetic. The debris and sand fell to the ground with him. Penny ran to Oskar, checking on him, and only acted satisfied when he looked her in the eyes and gave her a scratch under the chin. Weird how checking on me turned into her getting pets. Cute little sneak. With the immediate danger gone, Touwon¡¯s focus shifted instantly back to the prosthetic. Looking up from the hot sand, Oskar realized Erik and Touwon were somehow completely clean, the latter now working furiously on the broken foot and seemingly oblivious to everyone else. Wait?! Did Erik''s OCD ass use another shield to keep from getting blood on them?! // I ain''t no snitch. // Uh huh. The dust began to settle, though, and after a quick look at the horizon, Fox cursed. Oskar looked back to see they were running very short on time. Fox poked Touwon, urging her Kobold friend to move, and then walked over to Oskar. She pulled Oskar to standing as she stalled a concerned Erik with a gentle wave of her hand. His brother stepped back with a sigh, obviously frustrated with his inability to help. Oskar¡¯s limited mobility meant they had to reach shelter quickly before the reinforcements arrived. With a muttered Kobold curse, Touwon tucked the prosthetic foot back into his bag and rushed to help Fox and Oskar. Touwon settled himself under Oskar¡¯s other shoulder and the group, looking back warily, pushed through the last forty yards to reach the wide, flat opening in the dunes horseshoe-ed around the Gryphus Vulture¡¯s lair. They were moving too slow, though, and we''re further slowed as the enemy closed the distance enough to launch attacks. Oskar¡¯s presence on Touwon¡¯s back prevented him from blocking the incoming poisoned spears, but Erik¡¯s shield ability was coming in clutch. The shields were split-second now, existing exactly as long as they needed to. However, the effort was beginning to wear Erik down, and his breath grew ragged. His pace slowed considerably as they drew closer. With forced determination, though, Erik blocked two more spears before stopping momentarily. Letting out a grunt, Erik released a burst of energy, and a wide beam of light from his shaking hand blinded their closest pursuers. The group Erik had targeted was forced to land, blinded and not wanting to be in the air if the enormous beast returned. One of the Gliders Erik blinded hit the ground with a crunch, though, unable to time his landing with an ability.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Unfortunately, the rest of the reinforcements we''re beginning to push into the Valley on foot. They were fearfully glancing upward and then toward the cave, expecting the Gryphus Vulture to show up enraged at the invasion of its lair to wreak havoc on the whole situation. As their due situation became more clear, though, Oskar''s felt his face grow hot with anger. No, not now. Not after everything we''ve been through! In their present state, they¡¯d never make it to the Lair entrance without the Hyenamen closing the distance and filling them with spears. Their situation was beyond desperate, and they all made the unspoken decision to not die with their backs to the enemy. They turned to see more enemies than they could possibly kill in open battle, and Oskar subconsciously squeezed the Kobolds in a gentle hug. More enemies than should have been possible. It was an idle, pointless thought. The Hyenamen were steadily closing within spear range as the Dorn Collective readied themselves. Oskar watched as Erik''s single, sunken eye met his, then drifted off into the distance. Responding to the look with a grim smile, Oskar couldn''t stop from making a joke. Gallow''s humor, he''d heard it called. ¡°Tonight, we dine in... heck?" Erik grinned at the inside joke, but his gaze remained fixed on the horizon. Their dad had, more than once, given the boys a stern look for that particular quote from the movie 300. The fact that it wasn''t a harsh word, though, was almost a belly laugh and a slap on the back from their stoic ol'' man. I''m not gonna let dad bring me down when I''m having an otherwise stellar day, though, Oskar thought as he let out a long breath. ¡°We¡¯re going to make them pay heck for it, though." Under his arm, Fix nodded seriously. Erik answered with a side eye, and then continued his brooding. He¡¯d come all this way to save his brother, and it just didn¡¯t seem fair to Oskar. Fair has no place in a world like this. Still, he supposed dying with his brother free was better than Erik being slowly tortured and enslaved for the rest of his days. His PUB sent more threat warnings washing across his vision. How the hell did they all get here? There¡¯s so many. But again, I guess it doesn''t matter. The horizon was now a canvas of threats, each represented by a new dot and a flash of green, yellow, and even a few red threat warnings from his PUB. Now that they had the numbers, the horde of creatures began to spread out in the valley as they made their way toward Oskar''s group. Screams, barking growls, and hysterical laughter echoed in the valley as the sounds bounced into and then out of the cavern behind them in the distance. I just got my brother back, and now, after everything we''ve been through, I''m gonna lose everything. Fox, Touwon, and Penny are family too, and all I wanted was to keep them safe. Since they entered the Valley, Oskar had been trying to get Penny to leave, first by suggesting it, then by pleading with her. She wouldn''t budge, though. With a sad smile, Oskar felt her coming out of the sand nearby as Erik walked up and took Oskar¡¯s weight so the Kobolds could fight. Faces grim, the pair took a step forward to stand in front of the brothers. Penny tensed beside Erik and Oskar, who were still watching the growing number of Hyenamen close in when one of the cursed Shadow Creatures came up out of the sand just outside the valley. This time, it was a disfigured Hyenaman with a giant left arm that dragged in the sand behind it. It stood tall, and then threw back it''s mishappened head and screamed a scream that like the other creature, sounded like two separate voices. The viscous black material drank in the light and the creature stomped forward, the Hyenamen steering well clear of it. As their enemies stalked across the ground toward them, still cautiously watching the sky for the slain Gryphus, Oskar finally channeled Sora and Talou. It responded by spooling around him, stronger than ever. Oskar pushed it outward as far as he could and it enveloped both him and Erik, not quite reaching the Kobolds. Not enough. Spears flew toward them. More spears than Oskar or Erik could hope to stop, but Oskar pushed himself further. He ignored the building pressure in the back of his skull. He ignored the feeling of being watched by things that should not exist. If you want to watch so bad, then watch me die. I don''t care anymore. I only care about those who fight beside me and whatever power it takes to keep them safe. I need to protect them. The magic inside him responded to that need. It resonated like the ringing of a bell, and he felt his own magic swell in power with each echo of a pulse he could not see. Sora, Talau, and what could only be the Magic Within spun inside him in invisible crystalline patterns. Oskar felt something... someone reach out to him. Something that knocked gently on the door of his very soul, and he opened the door. The pressure that threatened to pull him apart washed away just like the fear he''d felt in that hotel... what felt like forever ago. The magic swelled outward and covered the entire group, and as the Magic Within stabilized through some power not his own, the colorful swirl of magic around them smoothed so perfectly that is now appeared as a dome of frozen, shimmering glass. The noise of the world faded away. Oskar watched what should have been their deaths flying at them, but the spears struck and dissolved into nothingness against the perfect glass surrounding them. The trillions of eyes... the broken, shuttering being or beings that were watching him from outside of... everything... looked away. I''m not yet broken. Just a little bent. Erik''s hand abruptly tightened on Oskar''s shoulder. All five of them blinked in shock as a sudden gale of freezing wind hit their backs through the glassy magic emanating from Oskar. It was followed by, of all things, a cacophony of meows and hissing. Power blazed behind them, and no one dared look back. Just the thought of doing so made the hair on the back of Oskar¡¯s neck stand on end. Chapter 54: Pspspsps They stood, the freezing wind at their backs blowing through the perfect dome of magic Oskar still held around them. He felt Penny bump against his foot as she attempted to get as close to Oskar as possible, both looking up at another fifty or more spears flying their way. A thought hit him as the memory of the pressure he¡¯d felt in the base of his skull- the feeling that accompanied the sense of something cosmic and horrible staring into his very being- fled in the power¡¯s wake blazing behind them. Or more likely, left in boredom when it was clear I was no longer in danger of tearing myself apart at the seams. It was almost too much that time. The thought lingered only briefly; the second volley of spears bore down on them and stole his focus. Unmoving, Penny was still pressed up against Oskar¡¯s foot, and Erik¡¯s arm was still tight around him. The Kobolds had, consciously or not, stepped closer to one another, and were almost touching. Even the PUB. The PUB sent a small vibration through his Bracer in what Oskar suspected was a PUB hug. My little family. Here together and facing death. // Can we¡­ // We¡¯re not doing a group hug. Plus, I¡¯m pretty sure one of the Kobolds would stab me. This time, instead of allowing the perfect dome of magic surrounding them to destroy the incoming spears, he had the power to strike back. He pushed Sora outside the glasslike dome and swept them all into a whirlwind of air that he created that surrounded the barrier. The colors that the currents of Sora shone with looked odd through the glassy dome. He could almost see a hint of purple patterns in the perfect dome, and Oskar realized that this must be what the Magic Within did. It was glue, fuel, or maybe a mold. It made itself what it needed to be, responding to the needs of the user. Oskar held the magic for a second until the straggling spears were caught up in it as well. The spears gained speed, trapped in the swirling Sora, as he pushed himself harder. When Oskar felt the weapons on the verge of destruction with the force of it all, he launched them, en masse, back towards the approaching enemies, who were finally slowing as the wind and the strange power reached them. The baffled Hyenamen were just now realizing that the hissing and meowing couldn¡¯t be coming from their quarry, and instead meant something had just gone very, very oddly wrong. Some recognized the danger and tried to dive away, but the mass of spears struck faster than they¡¯d been able to react to. Oskar wished he¡¯d been able to spread the spears out over a larger area, but watching them carve through the front line of enemies was deeply satisfying, anyway. Desperately, Oskar held onto Talau and Sora, dropping the swirl of wind around them to strengthen his hold on the dome of magic. The mix of power that kept his little family safe, infused or empowered by whatever was happening behind them. Or who-ever, rather. The wild look in the eyes of the nearest Hyenas as they stared past Oskar and his group at the mouth of the cave strongly reinforced the feeling he¡¯d had telling him not to look back. He felt what he¡¯d initially thought was a small earthquake, but Talau told him otherwise. This, whatever it was, was spiritual. The Magic Within. It sounds like¡­ is that purring? A sudden rush of cold air triggered a torrent of memories that overwhelmed Oskar¡¯s thoughts, and he reeled between reality and something close to a fever dream. He could hear his heart beating in his ears as everything dimmed around him. The world seemed to slow as the memories took hold. A wave of complex emotions, a mixture of guilt, fear and determination, washed over him, momentarily muting the ever-present awareness of their danger and his role in it. For a moment, he fought to remain fully present in the moment, but gently, the memories took over anyway. The first memory was of the very first time he¡¯d ever seen snow. Surprisingly, he¡¯d been in Alabama, and only a kindergartener at the time. Oskar smiled, remembering running through the halls of the school, searching for his brother. I got in trouble for running out of class to find and show Erik. That memory faded, replaced by him and Erik eating Italian ice in New Jersey when Oscar was about ten. A rare treat from their father, which meant their dad was about to tell them it was time to move again. Oskar had just made friends, and Erik was spending every spare moment with Jolene, a pretty, red-headed girl with emerald eyes. It was supposed to be family time, something that the boys should have enjoyed and looked forward to. Instead, that was the move that we finally realized dad never intended on staying in any place very long, and we might as well give up on long-term friendships. Another memory surfaced: his graduation from Marine Corps Boot Camp; his brother was waiting with a grin and a hug, his dad with a nod and a firm handshake. And Oskar was okay with that. They¡¯d both given what they were capable of giving. More memories came, but most of them felt less important, somehow. Only one of them stood out, the only memory from this world: the moving light in the sky that he¡¯d seen with the Kobolds. This world seemed so foreign at the time that he hadn¡¯t let himself see it for what it really was. That¡­ That was totally a satellite, right? How? Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The PUB didn¡¯t, or couldn¡¯t, answer him, and it didn¡¯t much matter as more memories shoved themselves into his conscious mind. Oskar forced himself to suppress them, fighting to return to the present. His family was in danger, and he couldn¡¯t let himself sit in these memories any longer. When he finally could focus on reality again, Erik was squeezing Oskar close to him, but his single arm loosened as he too blinked himself back to the present. Eyes locked on the horizon; Oskar tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Their attacker¡¯s cautious advance had halted completely. From the cavern behind them, a brilliant blue light filled the valley as the sound behind Oskar got closer. In a flash, a familiar bob-tailed calico shot between Fox¡¯s legs, slowing just long enough to rub its head on the inside of her right boot before she shot off towards their attackers. I know that cat. From the hotel, back on earth! The large calico had barely cleared Fox¡¯s legs when a thousand more cats surged forth from the cavern behind Oskar. Countless forms moving with a pattering, rhythmic grace like a living river. A quick, sleek jet-black cat suddenly stopped and nuzzled Penny, who was looking at the cat like it had lost its damn mind. Oskar barely had time to read the name on its collar, ¡°Mage,¡± before it gave him a wink and rocketed off towards their enemies. Another cat with a tag that said ¡°Ash¡± jumped up on Erik¡¯s shoulder, purring. It watched the other cats running by for a moment before giving Erik a little headbutt and jumping off his shoulder to race after the others. Staring, Oskar noticed frost on the fringes of the cats¡¯ fur, leaving icy crystals glistening under what should have been oppressive heat. A surreal vanguard surged forth, a riot of colors from pitch black and spotted gray to calico and orange tabby cats. Their advance was noiseless, but Oskar noticed every step left behind a footprint of blue sand. He barely had time to register that little tidbit of information as the wind surged stronger, now carrying the chill of winter like a distant, impossible promise of snow. An ethereal shimmer, the same color as the glow behind them, surrounded the cats, exuding an aura of intimidation. The shiver that had started on Oskar¡¯s ran neck down his spine, completely unrelated to the gusts of icy wind that buffeted them from behind. It was the PUB that reacted first. // What¡­ and I can¡¯t stress this enough¡­ the HELL is happening? // Uh, I missed the memo on magic cat armies myself. It¡¯s hilarious that you¡¯re asking me. // I wasn¡¯t really asking, more exclaiming. // Before Oskar could come up with an answer, another strange notification appeared. /// Gambit Received: Crystal Cavern Make it through the cavern to meet the power that is holding this world together. Rewards: You''ll see. Difficulty: You literally just walk through the cavern. Harder for some than others. Failure: I like you, please don''t make me get creative. /// Oskar tried to ask who the message belonged to, but the presence was gone before he could even begin to form the question. // Again, that wasn¡¯t me at all. // I know, i know. It was blue. Plus, it was well written and only threatened me once. // I¡¯m gonna kill yo¡­ Okay, maybe you have a point. // Touwon and Fox must not have gotten that Gambit, they didn''t react at all. // Maybe it''s because I''m special. // Oskar decided it was best not to take the bait on that one. There wasn¡¯t much to watch after the cats charged. Individually, they¡¯d just seemed like cats, but as a ¡­herd?¡­ they were focused and dangerous. Switching targets as they followed the lead of the calico. How is the cat from the motel here? It was a good question. He¡¯d just went from almost certain death to seeing a herd of cats mow down a huge group of Hyenas, though, and couldn¡¯t muster up much logical curiosity in the midst of so much new wonder, especially when Oskar knew the chances of getting answers were likely nil. // Your curiosity hydra grows more and more formidable. I blame you. // Hey, PUBs; I know Hyenas aren¡¯t dogs, you made that annoyingly clear, but being vaguely doglike and being murdered by cats is probably not gonna land them a great place in Doghallah, right? // Oh¡­ oh no. That¡¯s not even close and you know it. Please, just no. // Oskar¡¯s Goggles tinted the world a sick green color, which was apparently his PUB showing its disgust, while the group watched the strange action unfold. The chilly wind blowing out of the cavern and the strange blue glow was still at their backs. // A better question is why are some of them transparent? // Another good question. All Oskar could do was mentally shrug. There were no more memories, but there was a moment that Oskar smelled rain in the breeze. The smell wasn¡¯t tied to a specific memory, but it still gave him an unexpected longing for something he, like most adults, grew out of early in life: to stand in the rain¡­ to look up and close your eyes and just enjoy it. Unfortunately, there was no rain, only the scent of rain and pine. They watched the oddly coordinated army of cats in the distance close in on the big shadow creature. It was throwing its head back in silent screams as it put up quite a bit more fight than the Hyenamen themselves. They watched a few of the cats pinwheel through the air, thrown by the creature¡¯s enormous arm. Naturally, the cats landed on their feet, appearing unharmed, and immediately darted back into the fray. In the distance, the black cat they¡¯d met at the mouth of the cave, ¡°Mage,¡± tripped up a Hyenaman that was turning to flee, and was at the Hyenaman¡¯s throat before it hit the ground. In the middle of the chaos, the shadow beast roared in its two-toned voice, its head thrown back, limbs thrashing in wild arcs. Oskar watched as the calico darted in and out, its movements too swift to track. A jet-black cat vaulted off its back, clawing a line that briefly flared along the creature¡¯s side before vanishing. Each new maneuver revealed an intelligence behind the chaos¡ªa battle plan only the cats could understand. The shadow creature, though, was enduring the assault much better than the rest, and was throwing the cats off himself almost as fast as they latched on. The shadow-creature occasionally tried in vain to use its massive arm to smash the cats that drew close. Just the thought of it connecting worried Oskar, but the cats could obviously take care of themselves. Oskar wondered if his group should risk trying to help, but then the big, bob-tailed calico leaped right onto the shadow creature¡¯s face and then it sank down into the sea of fur like the rest of the Hyenamen. After that creature fell, a few of the cats relaxed. They stretched out or wrestled among themselves, throwing up tufts of now blue sand while others viciously chased down the few survivors that attempted to flee. The mouth of the cavern seemed to breathe, the icy wind now carrying faint whispers of something ancient and curious that resonated with Oskar. Blue light spilled outward now in gentle pulses, each one tugging at Oskar¡¯s chest like a silent invitation- or a command. As the battle winded down, the icy wind settled into a cool, pulsing breeze. Oskar could have sworn he heard heavy footsteps fading as the wind continued to lessen, and Oskar knew the time to enter the cave had come. Not just because of the Gambit, but the feeling of being in the gaze of a predator passed and as the silent invitation cavern called to them. Oskar, still leaning gently on Erik, watched as more cats meandered back towards the cave unhurriedly, some choosing instead to stretch out in the suns¡¯ heat. /// Please...come inside. We have much to talk about. - Bastet /// Chapter 55: Oss /// Come inside. We have much to talk about. - Bastet /// A single look at Fox told Oskar that she¡¯d just gotten the same message. Her eyes were wide, and she was looking around in every direction, her hands splayed out towards the ground like she was expecting to fall. She was much less used to the more random nature of sentient Gear sets, and so was even less prepared than Oskar had been when the strange blue message first appeared. Plus, this Bastet is supposed to be like the Kobold¡¯s god, right? Like before, the blue message disappeared into motes that floated into nothingness like burning ashes from a bonfire, leaving Fox breathing short, almost panicked breaths. Oskar reached out and gently grabbed her hand. She blinked out of her phantasm and tilted her head at him in a way that would have been adorable if he¡¯d not watched her fight. But then her eyes were wet, and she squeezed his hand. ¡°Make it make sense to me, Oskar.¡± He overrode his instinct to offer her empty comfort over honesty. ¡°I can¡¯t, Fox. I can only say I believe it¡¯s her. She feels like an entire ocean of Waysprings to me. It doesn¡¯t feel malicious at all, but I can barely think straight.¡± He almost flinched as he said the last sentence, but the PUB said nothing. PUBs, you must have been doing some serious processing to have let that lay up for an insult go. You alright? // I think so. Being pushed into background processing when she takes over is scary, though. If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m kind of contemplating my mortality. // Not sure what to say to that, Oskar simply stared past Fox into the glowing cave for a moment before answering. Oh. Alright. Well... Let me know when you¡¯re done. Erik, who was still under his arm, gently slapped Oskar on the back of the head, impatiently waiting on an explanation. // Erik is so dramatic. Just tell him to relax. He''s acting like we just got a text message from a cat god or something. // Guiltily, Oskar took a moment to explain what had just happened, remembering that Erik was wearing what was basically dark regular Goggles that weren''t even capable of connecting to a Bracer. His brother took on an amused, curious look at the oddness of the information. He even tilted his head like Fox had, but then nodded and stared at the cave, deep in thought. Oskar felt a pang of guilt for leaning on his brother, but honestly, the contact was comforting, and he wasn¡¯t really putting much weight on him. It was mostly just for balance. Fox was staring at the entrance to the cave as well now. Another cat, one of the more opaque looking cats with the dark face and light coloring of a siamese, meandered through the middle of the group toward the cave. The cat made to weave through Touwon¡¯s legs, but paused with just its head poking through and looked around. Upon seeing the calico waiting patiently near the opening to the cave, the siamese gave a polite, but oddly human, bow to the calico. The big calico returned the gesture, which did nothing to ease the oddity of their situation. The cat, who Oskar could now noticed was wearing a breakaway collar, with a name tag that said "Coco, continued through to the entrance of the cave. Who¡¯s putting name tags on cats in the desert? // Honestly, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re fully here. Some look more corporeal than others, but they all look a little transparent. // I think you¡¯re right, actually, but tell that to the Hyenas. Touwon simply looked inquisitive, staring out at the mess the cats had left behind. Nothing moved for a moment, but then two tiny kittens, one red, one black, appeared, darting around and wrestling in the offal. ¡°Savage.¡± ¡°That is a truth,¡± Fox whispered, having followed his gaze. Under him, Penny kwinned an agreement. Everything was chaotic, and it was clear they would be going into the cave to meet this... Bastet, but Oskar needed to organize his thoughts. He was sick of reacting to everything on the proverbial back foot. He wanted to take advantage of this lull in the storm of being chased nonstop since they¡¯d escaped the Great Collective. ¡°When I first came here, I was alone in every sense of the word. The only thing I knew for sure was that searching for Erik was better than what I was going through alone on earth. But then, I found you guys... and Penny. We killed that huge, nasty bird. And we got Erik back and fought like hell to get where we are now. We did that, together.¡± He looked at each of them and even Touwon met his gaze with an unexpected intensity. The soft breathing of the magic made the cave glow brilliantly, and Oskar felt that strange, new magic, the Magic Within, surging inside him through the link he now felt with Bastet. ¡°We have something different than what other people have in this world, and I¡¯ll do anything to protect that, and you. Valla has sold her soul to something dark, something that sees us as a threat. And for better or worse,¡± Oskar pointed into the cavern, ¡°we¡¯ve tied ourselves to her.¡± Fox¡¯s eyes still look wild, but she settled down some as she listened and gave Oskar a nod to continue. ¡°But I feel like all of this is my fault.¡± Oskar held up a hand to stall Fox¡¯s protest. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to jump on the pity pot,¡± he rephrased the statement, seeing Fox¡¯s confusion. ¡°Or rather, I¡¯m not trying to feel sorry for myself. I¡¯m trying to do a generalized version of something the Marines call an ¡®After Action Review.¡¯ Let me explain.¡± Oskar glanced at the calico for any sign of impatience, but she was licking the blood off her paws and ignoring them completely. Well then, moving on. ¡°Part one of an AAR is what went well and what did we gain." Oskar smiled as Erik nodded with familiarity beside him. We''ve both sat through more than our share of these. But they''re important. They all laughed when Penny, looking up at Erik intently, mimicked him by nodding sagely as well. She gave a small kwinn, happy at the attention. "Thanks, Penny," Oskar said, glad again that he''d lucked into such a great companion. He looked back up at the expectant faces of his little family who were waiting on him to continue. "As far as what went right; I think I mostly already covered the high points. More specifically, though: I just want to say we work like a well-oiled machine. We have both trust in each other¡¯s capabilities and knowledge of each other¡¯s strengths, as well as,¡± Oskar passed and then pointed down to where his foot should have been, holding onto Erik as gently as he could for balance, ¡°our limitations."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He stood back up, squeezing Erik''s shoulder in thanks. "We watch each other¡¯s backs. What we''ve gained is trust and familiarity. And power... we¡¯re getting stronger because of it.¡± Now for the tougher part, and my own accountability. Even though the air blowing gently from the cave was now just a cool breeze, Oskar shivered. ¡°Parts two and three are what went wrong, and new standards going forth.¡± Oskar absentmindedly pulled on Sora and Talau in his apprehension, and the Magic Within came with it. He caught himself, but didn¡¯t release his hold on it. He did nothing with the magic, but he felt its potential all around him. Much of it was still coming from the cave. Yet, now that the magic from the cave had waned, his own power was closer in balance than he thought it would be, reinforced now by the spiritual magic he still didn''t know what to call. I can feel the Magic Within almost as well as Talau now. Why have I not gotten a notification or unlocked it? // She¡¯s suppressing me, but I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s for a good reason. Maybe she wants to talk to you first. // I guess we move on, then. // Keep on truckin.'' // Yeah, please don''t say that. ¡°I want to kind of blend the what went wrong and new standards together, but not because I want to skip over my own failures. First, there had to have been a better way to escape from the Vulk Collective without starting a war against the Kobolds, but I didn¡¯t yet understand much of this world.¡± This time, when Fox spoke, he didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Oskar, we both know what would have happened the very moment Valla found out you were a Druid or even that you could find water. She would have killed us to keep the secret, and you would have gone through everything Erik went through," she gave Erik a nod to show she meant no offense to him, and he gave her an understanding nod in return. She looked back over at Oskar and smirked. ¡°Also, you are a dry brained fool. We were dead or allied with you the moment you stumbled into the camp stomping around like Chief Biggums.¡± Even Touwon snorted at that. ¡°Fair enough, but moving forward, I will keep you and your people in mind. I want to learn. I¡¯m with you, one hundred percent, and we¡¯re going to do everything we can to save every Kobold possible from Valla.¡± Fox stared at him in consideration and slowly put a purple hand on her chest over what Oskar assumed was her heart. // Pedant aler- // Shut up. Exhaling in resignation, Oskar turned his head to look at Erik. He took in his brother''s frail form; stronger than it should be, but still so weak. A glance down at his brother''s small stump of an arm was all he could take, but looking up was no easier. Erik was watching him from inches away, his single green eye intense through his crooked Goggles. ¡°Erik, I waited too long to come for you. I fought, not believing in the truth of those nightmares for... for months while she hurt you. Maybe because I thought I was, well... I was crazy at the time. But I should have been here earlier. Before she hurt you.¡± Beside him, Erik¡¯s breath caught for a moment, but he closed his eye and took a deep breath. Against what some would say was against the brother code and overwhelmed by the desire to make up for his failures, he decided to pull Erik into a hug. Thankfully, he felt his brother tighten his arm around him. The magic surged in Oskar as his need to protect his little family, his need to restore Erik, took over every desire within him. Responding to that need, Sora and Talau, empowered by the Magic Within, rippled through him, and he felt his aches and pains from the recent flight and battle begin to fade. For the first time in this world, his capacity emptied fully as the three magics resonated within him: feeding off one another. He felt a wave of vertigo, but it passed quickly as his mana reserves began to refill again. Being empty of capacity felt dangerous and made him feel as vulnerable as he''d felt when he first arrived. Luckily, the feeling and the vertigo passed quickly. Whatever his desperate need had created from all that power took everything he was capable of giving, though. He could feel the new magic working in his body, but right now, with his arms around the frail form of his brother, he realized he didn''t want it. The need that had triggered this magic wasn''t for himself. I don''t want this. Erik needs it more. He pulled Erik in tighter, this time for more than balance. Oskar heard his brother grunt. A moment later, Erik chuckled before squeezing him back. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill her, Erik. And I¡¯m gonna do everything possible to make you whole again,¡± he said into his brother¡¯s shoulder. Oskar pushed the newly created magic from himself and into Erik, ignoring the powerful tingle of the new, expected Gambit he new he''d just generated with that promise. The bulk of the magic went into Erik, who grew suddenly still, but he could feel some of the magic bleed into Penny, who was still pressed against his foot. /// That was... unexpected. I''m impressed. /// Pulling away, Oskar briefly looked over at his brother in confusion, then back at the Kobolds with a questioning glance, but they had their faces locked on Erik behind him. Worried, Oskar turned to see what was wrong, and noticed the same blue magic from the cave illuminating beneath the leather strap covering Erik¡¯s missing eye. His brother blinked, and then awkwardly pulled off the strap and re-situated his Goggles. His brother had filled back out some; he looked heartier and overall healthier. The arm was still missing, and Oskar stared fascinated as the blue magic clashed in stalemate with something dark and purple at the stump of Erik¡¯s shoulder. After a second, both sparked and then faded with no apparent change. Erik looked back up from the stump to Oskar with his familiar, green eye on the left. But now, there was a blue glowing one on the right. Oskar tried to come up with questions, but was speechless. Some of the guilt and responsibility he felt at his brother¡¯s condition bled away into something he was learning to recognize again... hope. Hope that maybe there would be a way to fully restore his brother. Hope that maybe they really could win, save the Kobolds and find a way to keep this world alive a little longer. Standing at arms length, Oskar finally was able to ask about what had just happened. ¡°Wha-¡± This time, Erik pulled Oskar into a tight hug, his single arm now strong and steady. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you talk too damn much, Oss?¡± Oskar¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Erik¡¯s voice rang clear in his ear. ~ The End of Book 1 Wayspring Wanderer: A Desert Druid LitRPG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oskar''s stats at the end of book 1 (In the beginning of book 2, I will explain why he should have advanced into D Rank by now but has not):
Mind D Rank*
Body D Rank*
Spirit F Peak Rank*
Magic Mastery F Rank= 1-49% -Basic understanding, represents the massive majority of users, many of which use the power through instinct alone. D Rank= 50-79% Represents powerful creatures and people who actively use the power, but still mostly as intended through rituals and spells or abilities. C Rank= 80-89% -These are people -or creatures- who are learning ways to use the magic itself, outside of known or passed down abilities. Concepts (things like gravity, atmosphere, conductivity, combustion, really anything outside base elements of air, water, fire, earth, ect) can be utilized, but again, sometimes by instinct.
Sora 84% (C Rank)
Talau 51% (D- Rank)
?????? 42% (F+ Rank)
Book 2, Chapter 1: Hope in the Desert ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you talk too damn much, Oss?¡± Oskar¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Erik¡¯s voice rang clear in his ear, his brother¡¯s single arm still holding him in a tight hug. Hearing the name that Erik called him for as long as he could remember did more for Oskar than he thought was possible. Oskar couldn¡¯t explain why, but hearing his brother say his name, as raspy as it was, was like pulling a cork out of a bucket of emotions. It wasn¡¯t fully sadness, happiness, or even relief. It felt more like he¡¯d finally taken that single, tentative final step back, away from crisis mode and onto solid ground. Between feeling safe for the first time in this world and the odd magic that partially restored his brother, along with the guilt Oskar felt for his brother¡¯s condition, hope had taken a foothold. Hope in the desert. Words flashed across his vision as his PUB replied. // I guess the jokes about your brother not talking to you are over. I need new material. // Buddy, you¡¯ve needed new material. Oskar finally pulled away from the hug to look his brother over, glad that the odd, icy wind from the cavern behind them had died down. The threadbare clothes he wore to block the dual suns did nothing for the chilly breeze still blowing out of the cave. Erik was staring at him. His previously missing right eye was glowing and iridescent, even in the light of the suns. The leather strap he¡¯d been using to cover the missing eye was now in his hand. Holding onto Erik¡¯s shoulder gently, Oskar watched his brother tighten the strap on his Goggles with some effort. Blinking, Erik stared back at him, his blue eye in stark contrast to the green, but Oskar had to admit he looked better. Healthier. The healing magic had put some of the missing weight Erik¡¯s own magic had taken from him. Erik shook his head slowly, looking down at himself in wonder. Oskar noticed the same magical blue light glowing faintly behind his brother¡¯s teeth when he looked back up to face him again. ¡°Oh, hey, man.¡± Oskar finally answered with a straight face. Erik tried to keep a straight face as well, but broke almost immediately, and Oskar laughed with him. Nearby, the two Kobolds watched them with bemused silence. Fox was smiling at the two of them, her sharp, foxlike teeth stark against the short, dark purple fur that covered both Kobolds. The Kobolds were smaller than humans, and even though Fox an inch or so shorter than Touwon, she was still the more imposing of the two. Even smiling¡­ or maybe because she¡¯s smiling¡­ she looks dangerous. // Yeah, and the little tiger stripes don¡¯t help. // The faint orange stripes along Fox¡¯s shoulders and neck were barely noticeable in the bright of day, but they were there, in her... undercoat? Oskar thought, deciding it prudent not to ask. The Goggles did a fantastic job of enhancing detail. Well, at least Oskar¡¯s Goggles were great at enhancing details. A leather Bracer he wore on his left wrist fed information about Oskar to the Goggles via a small metal disk that sat on his radial pulse. The Personal Unit Bracer, or PUB, was linked to Oskar¡¯s Goggles as a matched set, giving his PUB the advantage of long-term memory and access to memory banks. The Goggles displayed information and relayed data back to the Bracer, which housed the PUB. Oskar didn¡¯t know the exact details, but it appeared there was an encryption key linked to the Goggles the Bracer was specifically designed to interface with, designated via a three-letter system. Oskar¡¯s matching set of Gear was a rarity gifted to him on his arrival on this planet. Whoever made his travel to this world possible also gifted Oskar the unbreakable spear he was now using, along with Erik¡¯s shoulder, to remain standing.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. And the ¡°whoever made his travel to this world possible¡± was looking more and more like Bastet. And I¡¯m super glad for the help, don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s the only reason I have you, PUBs. But I still almost died repeatedly. // You¡¯re lucky to have me. // Yeah, yeah. And Penny, Fox, Touwon, and eventually, Erik, too. You guys are the only reasons I made it this far. My little Collective; my family. Penny, Oskar¡¯s Pangolor Druid companion, was sitting in the sand below the two brothers. The small copper scales that covered her from head to toe shimmered in the light, her thick tail wagged, sweeping sand from side to side. She was looking up at Erik and Oskar, watching them with her intelligent eyes. Does she look bigger? He didn¡¯t dwell on the question, though, impatient to talk to Erik now that he¡¯d gotten a good look at him. ¡°How do you feel, man?¡± Oskar asked his brother, not sure what to say. Erik shrugged. A moment later, as an afterthought, Erik said, ¡°Better.¡± Erik was unused to talking, having just been healed; he was already quiet by nature, though. Freaking Valla. I¡¯m gonna kill her. Even her name couldn¡¯t drown out Oskar¡¯s joy completely, though. With Erik back, Oskar felt like they could make it through anything. The truth was they needed rest, though, and badly, having been on the run for a week now from Valla¡¯s minions. Forced to move slowly because of Erik¡¯s weakness, they were under constant attack, chased and harried without rest to the mouth of the cavern they were about to enter. With the sting of Erik''s escape, Valla¡¯s swift response was to send waves of Hyenamen Gliders and their poisoned spears, and a monstrous shadow-beast that had almost spelled the end of Oskar. And now we¡¯re at a magic cave about to meet Bastet. And thank her for the protection. Unfortunately, the magic that Oskar had pushed into his brother could only do so much, clashing with a dark magic in his stump that prevented Erik¡¯s arm from healing as well. And of course, my right foot is still missing. But I don¡¯t think it would have healed my foot, anyway. Before I pushed the magic into Erik, I felt the magic working to heal all my aches and pains, but it didn¡¯t even try to do anything about the foot. So, are the eye and tongue pure magic now? // I still don¡¯t know what the hell is going on, so don¡¯t ask me, champ. It¡¯s your magic, so if you don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know. The god cat in the cave has got me on lockdown. // Well, Bastet just saved us from like sixty Hyenamen and a shadow monster, so she gets a pass for now. He was a mess of emotions, glad Erik could talk and see out of the new blue magic eye he had, but Oskar wished he could have given his brother his arm back and couldn¡¯t shake the small pang of disappointment. He set his jaw against the strange mix of emotions swirling in his head. The calico growled deep in its throat, breaking Oskar out of his thoughts. He turned, still holding onto Erik¡¯s shoulder, to look in the cave. From deep inside, the breeze carried with it scents that felt more like memories than smells. The cave-mouth itself was alight with a blue glow that seemed to intensify and dim like the inhale and exhale of breath from the strange, crystal looking cavern. At its brightest, Erik turned his head and squinted. His drastically inferior Goggles, or perhaps his new eye, was more sensitive to the light than Oskar¡¯s own. Or maybe those Goggles are even worse than I thought. We''ve got to find something better for him. But first, we have an appointment. ¡°So, uh¡­ you guys wanna go meet a kitty?¡± The calico did not look at all amused, and neither did Penny. The calico watched them, huffing and looking into the cave impatiently now that she''d cleaned all the Hyenamen blood from her fur. Penny decided there was no way she was going into the cave and would not entertain any other option. She didn¡¯t stop Oskar, but pretended to lounge happily in the sun near some of the cats, but Oskar could feel her trepidation. She¡¯s only ever known open air and freedom. I¡¯m pretty used to it myself by now. I¡¯m not exactly excited about this, but I think we need to get moving. The calico looks like she¡¯s about ready to drag us into the cave herself. Touwon stepped up and situated himself under Oskar¡¯s other arm. Once they were as comfortable as they were likely to get, the cat bowed perceptibly and then stood and walked into the cave, its bob tail wagging behind it. The group trailed behind a little awkwardly, with Oskar relying on Touwon and Erik for support. A few cats were lounging in the entrance, but they all stood and walked as the big calico passed. The blue glow pulsed with a slow rhythm that emanated from deep within the cave, its light pausing at the cavern¡¯s mouth before receding back into the darkness. The cool breeze remained; hints of memories Oskar wasn¡¯t sure were entirely real pulled at his focus. He felt at peace, but it was peace in the presence of power. // Am I supposed to pretend that wasn¡¯t a little melodramatic? // Am I not allowed to occasionally wax poetic? // How about you wax off? // You want me to do what?! // Wax! I said wax, you child! // Oskar grinned, but it faded as the anticipation took over and they began their slow trek into the cave. Book 2, Chapter 2: By the Power of Wayspring! The glass-like crystal walls had quickly grown opaque as they walked farther into the cave, and soon, even the faint light from the entrance was now gone. Any comment Oskar might have had about the beauty of the lights flickering in the cave died the first time they were truly in pitch blackness when the blue light waned again. It was difficult to give power to the wariness he should have felt in the dark, though. Oskar had to override that foreign feeling of peace to make sure he was still alert to threats, but the only moving thing they¡¯d seen in the cave were the cats and the lights cascading through the glass from their glowing forms. The cats were loosely following the calico in a wildly undisciplined procession, and therefore following Oskar and his group as well. The cats would stretch out and lay down when they¡¯d slowed and then get back up when the calico got too far ahead. Most of them. Oskar smiled, watching a few of the stragglers reach out a paw or stare longingly in their direction as if they seriously considered getting up, but just couldn¡¯t quite muster up the ¡°want to.¡± The light refracted through the glass cave as new cats darted through the cave playfully, their footsteps leaving blue footprints on the floor that faded after a few seconds. It was distracting enough to make the group momentarily forget the chill. The cave¡¯s temperature wasn¡¯t dropping noticeably, but the eerie atmosphere around them served as a perfect escape from the persistent physical discomfort they felt. A few minutes into the walk, the smell of grass wafted through the cavern. The wind was still not at all warm, but nothing like the icy gale that had buffeted them at the entrance. Unsurprisingly, Kobold noses were more sensitive than his own. They¡¯d been walking with their noses upturned, sniffing the air for over a minute before Oskar had even noticed the smell. Unfortunately, fur or not, the Kobolds had likely never been in double digit weather before, and Oskar¡¯s PUB had them at a nice, brisk 69 degrees Fahrenheit inside the cave, and it was getting colder as they descended. It¡¯s chilly in here, but especially when it was over 120 outside and everyone is drenched in sweat. The cave felt like holy ground, repressing Oskar¡¯s strong desire to stop, ignore Bastet¡¯s Gambit to enter the cave, and just talk with his brother. Long minutes passed, and even though the temperature was dropping, the slightly warmer breeze helped some. A shiver ran down Oskar¡¯s body every time the breeze blew through the cavern. Oskar noticed the breeze was also in sync with the glowing blue light and didn¡¯t know what to do with that information. He also noticed Fox had drawn closer to them as they walked, either for safety or warmth. For a moment, Oskar considered asking Touwon if he¡¯d give him the leather riding jacket out of his bag he¡¯d worn upon his arrival but decided it wouldn¡¯t be worth stopping. If the Kobolds, who¡¯d grown up in this desert and its two suns could handle it, so can Erik and me. He was worried about being separated from Penny, but Oskar could feel his companion was still at the entrance of the cave darting back and forth in irritation. I hope she¡¯s alright alone up there, but she can take care of herself. I guess it would be scary to be in a place where she can¡¯t just disappear by diving into the sand when she wanted, but it still feels weird without her here. Ahead, the calico¡¯s bobtail now had a shimmering blue magic tail that had appeared over the last minute or so as they walked behind her. Unlike Erik¡¯s glowing tongue and eye, perfectly synchronized with the surrounding magic, the tail was almost invisible. I hope Erik¡¯s tongue and eye aren¡¯t gonna glow permanently¡­ // Oh, boy, I do. // Oskar smirked, trying not to laugh in the serene silence of the cave. Nearby, though, he saw Touwon looking down and staring cross-eyed at his puffs of frosty breath rising into the air as if it was magic all its own, and Oskar¡¯s resulting chuckle sounded uncomfortably loud in the silence. Erik¡¯s own breaths were more audible, though, as he tired from bearing some of Oskar¡¯s weight, but waved Fox away when she offered to trade spots.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Oskar felt terrible, but Erik was stubborn, obviously tapping into whatever was inside him that gave him the strength to walk as long and as hard as he did, despite his weakened condition. Fox was plenty strong enough for her size but was easily twenty pounds lighter than Touwon. Erik seemed to be barely keeping upright, even after the healing magic had thickened him up some, but continued to soldier on. After another few minutes of walking, the calico, walking slowly before them, glanced back and dipped her head at them. She watched them as if to make sure they understood, maintaining fierce eye contact. Her new ethereal tail swayed dangerously like she was on the verge of attacking someone, but then she blinked slowly, her face calm. She turned around and walked around a sharper curve to the right, disappearing into a portion of the cave that looked to be much brighter than what they¡¯d walked through so far. A warning, then? He shared a glance with the others and then they followed, unsure of what to expect. Fox was the first around the corner, and Oskar leaned to see what had frozen her in her tracks but still couldn¡¯t see into the next section of the tunnel. Touwon almost walked into her and stopped staring at her in confusion, oblivious to Fox¡¯s tense body language. Oskar had grown to love these guys like family, but he never knew what to expect from Touwon. The Kobold was either all there, picking up every detail, or way off in Touwonland. // Touwonland. There is literally no one worse than you at naming. Anyway, would you please go see what Fox is staring at, the anticipation is killing me! // Awkwardly, and with the sloped floor or not, Oskar let go of Touwon and Erik, and hopped forward and to his left, using his spear for balance to see for himself. He felt his brother come up behind him, his grip stronger than Oskar expected, helping keep him upright. Oskar¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he stared into a luminous cavern. That¡¯s the largest cat I¡¯ve ever seen in my life¡­ // Would you look at that? Just look at it. // In an entrance that opened into a brilliant, spacious chamber in front of them, a gray figure with distinct, dark stripes like an African Wildcat stood on a natural platform in the center of the room. The cat was colossal, making the tiger he had seen at the San Diego Zoo with Erik back when they were kids seem insignificant in comparison. A subtle blue light shimmered like a kaleidoscope from the massive animal, releasing red and purple lights that danced beneath and around them in the cave. The magic obviously found its home here, and seemed to flow from, and to, the platform and the cat standing nobly upon it. Instead of the lights simply expanding and contracting slowly, the new colors flickered and danced like a fire, playful and chaotic, but always, the blue light was slow and breathing. It again solidified that feeling of being inside the lungs of some great, magical beast. A mild claustrophobia he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been fighting melted away, and the fact it was mild enough sneak under his proverbial radar bothered him. I feel like I should have noticed that. But you know¡­ cats playing everywhere is an oddly effective therapy. He heard his brother behind him whisper, ¡°Jesus,¡± and the massive cat tilted its head in response, eyes squinting in amusement. It must have found that comment amusing, and it let out a rumbling sound that lilted into a soft vibrato that sounded like music to Oskar¡¯s ears. The sound resonated through the cavern, a melodic fusion of Sora, Talau, and something else. It evoked a feeling of being embraced. It also served as an introduction of sorts. So, she sent the calico in the motel. I didn¡¯t know what it was back then, but I recognize this feeling now. Oskar had a smile on his face even before he realized it. He understood the cat¡¯s expression as if she were human, and questioned after the extended silence if this was the only way they could communicate, through feeling and magic. There was no doubt, though, that this kitty was the boss. A few of her whiskers were just like the calico¡¯s tail and Erik¡¯s eye; purely magic in nature. Ahead, an angry howl started low in the calico¡¯s throat, but didn¡¯t quite materialize. Oskar bowed his head respectfully to the huge cat, seeing the rest of the group follow suit. The calico cat relaxed, let out a yawn, and settled down, tucking her glowing tail beneath her head. She looked relaxed, but her eyes still bored into them. Totally confused, Oskar looked back over at the huge gray cat in the center of the room. The massive cat watched the calico settling, eyes twinkling in amusement and fondness. Oskar was not sure how to proceed, but he was more than willing to be patient. I have absolutely no desire to fight a thousand cats, especially with the He-Man¡¯s Battle Cat sized kitty over there eyeballing me. // That¡¯s an old reference. Also, what¡¯s a cartoon? // Book 2, Chapter 3: "Greater Love..." Chapter 3 The massive cat watched them with interest while Oskar tried to get a grip on the situation. Well, she hasn¡¯t killed anyone yet. That¡¯s a good sign¡­ right? // I don¡¯t speak kitty, friendo, but I think she¡¯s made it clear she¡¯s on your side. Still though, you know cats... keep it civil and maybe don''t get her too wound up and you might be okay. Besides, if she wanted to eat you, you¡¯d be et. Ate? Eated. She¡¯d have eated you up by now. // Eated me up? I feel like you¡¯re just baiting me now. // Eated. // You need a reboot. // You need a second boot. // Oskar smiled involuntarily and replied, Okay, you win this one. // One more for the PUBster. // A small green line flickered at the bottom of his vision, compliments of the PUB. Obviously, it was happy with itself. Oskar had already moved onto staring back at the cat, still looking back patiently at the group. Other than her eyes, she hadn¡¯t moved since they first entered the cavern. Oskar didn''t want to make the first move, but mostly because he had no idea what the first move was. The cat¡¯s eyes turned and locked on him, and she winked. His heart skipped a beat as she spoke. ¡°It is rude to stare.¡± Her voice was feminine, but it was nothing like Oskar had ever heard. Her singsong whisper was husky and seemed to come from every direction. When the cat looked away again, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from scanning her, even though he was still blushing. // Interesting scan¡­ almost nothing to go on. She could be a Rank A threat level for all I know. I should get at least a hint of something, but it¡¯s like she¡¯s a void. // He''d barely caught a flicker of movement as the cat looked back at him the exact moment he scanned her. Blinking, Ignoring the scan results, Oskar tried to replay the last half-second in his head. It''d happened so fast that it was over before he could even muster up enough of a reaction to flinch. A flash of her golden eyes was there and gone, and by then, the cat was already looking over at the Kobolds again. It wasn¡¯t until after the fact that he realized what she¡¯d done. Wait, was that actually her, or was it like a phantom version?! // Um, I have no idea, but I¡¯m guessing she caught us scanning her. I literally just said don''t get her wound up... let¡¯s double down and scan her again. // Do you actually want me to get eated up? // Data is data, buddy. I only have permanent access to my own databanks since there''s no active global network. C¡¯mon, take one for the team! // He ignored the PUB and pulled in a lungful of fresh air, trying to calm the heartbeat he was sure Bastet could hear. There was a more stable series of scents to the cavern now- one of pine, grass, and running river water. The smell of the first spring rain. As if carried on separate breezes, they came and went, sometimes together and sometimes separately. The temperature was a little warmer now as well, more comfortable, which was good. They¡¯d almost dipped into the 40s at the end there, and all four of them had begun shivering. Again, the cat''s low voice filled the cavern as she spoke, ¡°I will tell you this plainly, so there is no confusion, and so you may approach me without fear; while I live, you will come to no harm here.¡± Listening closely, Oskar could sense the ring of magic in her silky voice. He felt Sora and Talau, along with what he could only guess was the Magic Within, respond as if the words were magic themselves.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Resonating is a better word. It feels like a death wobble on a skateboard, though, and I''m afraid to hold on or let go. The power he was holding onto by sheer willpower almost escaped his control, stretching out toward Bastet until the sound of her words finally faded away in a soft echo. Despite the stress on holding onto his magic while she spoke, they were safe, and Oskar knew it to be so. When it was finally safe to do so, he loosened his grip on the magic as gently as he could manage. If she¡¯d wanted them harmed or dead, she could have left them outside to be overrun by the Hyena-men and that shadow creature. // And if she wanted us for lunch¡­ // I know, I know. She¡¯d have made us some sandwiches. // What, no. I was implying- // I know what you were implying, ¡°PUBster.¡± // You got a long way to go before you can start picking on me about names, scooter. // Trying not to let the PUB destract him more, he listened as the cat continued to address Oskar¡¯s group, glad he didn''t have to wrestle to control his magic anymore. ¡°In truth, I love you. All of you. I know your hearts, I know your worth. You are among the very few Collectives who would truly sacrifice yourselves for the sake of one another. For that alone, I would love you. Your hearts resonate with mine, and so I have done what I can to lead you here safely. I am sorry I could not do more.¡± Her tone was somber, but her affection was clear, and not just in her words. The enormous cat¡¯s golden eyes were sad, her musical voice low and broke for the first time, and she stopped speaking for a moment to gather herself. ¡°I am, however, a creature of great pride, and once of great power.¡± She grinned fiercely, pausing for a moment, but her fierceness abated as she physically shook herself out of whatever memory had encapsulated her. Oskar watched her eyes soften. She met his gaze and spoke again. ¡°Sadly, only pride, as useless as it is, remains. Please, come closer so that we may continue more comfortably.¡± Her eyes glanced up at the dark cavern behind them and she said, ¡°However, perhaps we should wait a moment for the last guest to arrive. I have been waiting to meet her as well.¡± Penny! I was so distracted that I didn¡¯t even feel her coming, only that she was still nervous. Oskar heard scratching behind him, and the Pangolor came spinning in a slide around the corner. She was splayed out, having lost purchase on the glass floor because of her reckless speed and hard nails. Her final spin brought her facing the group, and she skittered up onto her backside into a sitting position a few feet away, watching Oskar¡¯s face with no shame whatsoever. ¡°Kwinn,¡± she said simply. ¡°Hey, pretty girl. Change your mind about staying outside?¡± Oskar said, trying not to laugh at her. She used her tail to stabilize and so she could push herself to standing, and then walked with exaggerated care closer to Oskar and Erik¡¯s side, who¡¯d again taken his place under Oskar¡¯s arm. Penny didn¡¯t seem phased by the lights changing or the big ass kitty laying on the rocky platform, and only cared that she was near Oskar again. The group hesitantly moved towards the cat, finding places to settle down on and near a series of knee-high walls that branched in from the sides of the cavern in a loose spiral. They also found the area near the huge cat to be comfortable and warmer. Being the lowest part of the cavern- as it appeared to rise again behind the platform ahead of them- there was sand pooled around the center platform. Oddly, the sand was warm despite the cooler temperature. Both the Kobolds quickly moved from sitting atop the low walls of cold glass to the warm sand. They all got comfortable while the cool, fresh breeze and the wonderful scents it carried gently swept through the cavern. The large cat smiled at them. ¡°I have a fascinating story to share, and I believe you, Fox, will find this story especially¡­ engaging.¡± Fox sat up in some alarm, but the cat put up a soccer ball sized paw and said, ¡°I must ask you to trust me. There is no way for me to explain to you what you are about to experience, but I will not do this without your permission. I can only say that I want to tell you a story of your people as well as a piece of my own tale. I ask you to trust me.¡± ¡°Can you at least tell me your name?¡± Fox asked. Her voice was surprisingly strong. Stronger than Oskar thought his own would have been in her position. The cat answered in her singsong voice, ¡°You know who I am. There was a time, in my pride, that I would have been happy to just tell you everything so that you would know only what I allowed. Older and wiser, I think it best for both of us if you first are shown my humble beginnings, brave Kobold. I wish to show you a truth.¡± Fox watched the cat for a long minute in silence, and then nodded. The cat smiled kindly, and then spoke. ¡°I ask you to say it out loud, Foxune.¡± Fox blinked at the use of her full name, but then said, ¡°Yes. I give you permission to show me what you will.¡± Abruptly, the shimmering lights in the room brightened, and the temperature dropped noticeably. Oskar breathed in a deep breath of cold air, again fighting his own memories as they pushed into his thoughts. The pressure eased somewhat, and then the lights and magic in the room condensed in on Fox. Everyone but the cat, who now radiated power, stared in concern as Fox flashed with blue light and then the shimmering, ethereal magic they had seen on the calico and Erik enveloped her. Fox rose smoothly into the air, her feet hovering above the floor. The room grew brighter and brighter, blinding Oskar even through his Goggles. Fox, though, suddenly found herself in a different place, in a different time. She found herself in someone else¡¯s body¡­ and living someone else¡¯s life. Book 2, Chapter 4: Interluth *Fox/????* As I sprinted through the dimly lit corridor, adrenaline and fear- mostly fear- surged through my veins. Each breath labored, and my lungs were desperate for air. My heart pounded with fear, yet I knew they wouldn¡¯t catch me now. Probably. To them, all Kobolds looked alike, and all Kobolds were nobodies. I did not know for sure if any Crocos had even seen me, but it had been close, and stopping to check would have just slowed me down more. If they hadn¡¯t seen me, I might make it outside the walls to safety. I just needed to get around a bunch of other Kobolds. Crocos don¡¯t see so good, and they¡¯re awful at telling us apart. The small kitten nestled in my tunic let out a faint mewl, putting me at risk of being discovered, and I quickly cupped the tiny thing against my chest to comfort it. Even the idea of having our own kitten was completely off-limits for us. The powers that be, Crocos, reserved such privileges for those the Crocodilians deemed worthy. And like I said, Kobolds were nobodies. I¡¯m not a nobody, though. Regardless, this kitten wouldn¡¯t have survived the week with ¡°King¡± Bigums and his cruel idiot of a spawn, Biggums, and I couldn¡¯t bear to leave the poor thing behind. As I darted around corners and navigated the labyrinthine passages towards freedom, I could feel the fear abating, and I caught myself grinning like a dry brained fool. I was being deliberately defiant, something we Kobolds don¡¯t even joke about normally. Defiance was incredibly dangerous, one of the most dangerous things someone could ever accuse a Kobold of, but I found myself unable to abandon her to her fate. Bold Kobolds won¡¯t ever get sold, but they¡¯ll never live to fly. Cause bold Kobolds get death rolled; they get twisted till they die. I¡¯d thought it was just part of a nursery rhyme until they tore Grinsy apart for taking water from the Oasis without asking. So, my life really was in danger here. But she¡¯s worth it. I did not know why, but I felt a kinship to the tiny creature. She was just like me, tiny and gray. And treated like less than nothing to people who, powerful or not, were too dim to see the value in anything they could physically dominate. I did not have her cute stripes, but I had that same color on the tuft of my long ears, so it was enough for me. We¡¯re gonna be best friends! Peeking carefully out the window, I both listened and watched for movement before quietly leaping through it and then began walked normally, trying to catch my breath. Thankfully, the kitten seemed to settle as soon as I was no longer shaking her around by running. The warmth and brightness of the Zwill- tess Oasis surrounded me. I only knew of three Oases, personally. The Zwill-tess Oasis stood out as the most prosperous and densely populated. In terms of sheer size, though, the primarily Hyena populated Jah-mes and Djinn-ette Oases were nearly identical and collectively called the Bound Oases. Because of their more nomadic tendencies, the Bound Oases rarely reached more than half occupancy. There were rumors that the magic in the Bound Oases Waysprings was fading, but these rumors had persisted for as long as I could remember. All species traveled between the three Oases, but Zwill was primarily Crocodilian and stood alone. I hoped one day to see the Jah or Djinn, as they were called, but if I was ever gonna see them, I would probably have to do so as a slave. Everybody treated us Kobolds like beggars, even though we did most of the work in Zwill. The Djinn was originally named after a species of people by the same name, but I''d never seen one, and there weren''t many left. All I knew was they were supposed to have red skin, which sounded neat, but who knows. I did not know how many Kobolds there were in the Bound Oases, but I hope there aren¡¯t any at all, cause that probably means they¡¯re slaves like me. I hope that if there are any Kobolds anywhere else in the world that they¡¯re free. As the kitten nuzzled against my belly, I walked cautiously, keeping my head down. Now was not the time to draw attention to myself. Truthfully, I excelled at these situations, blending into the background effortlessly. While I hadn¡¯t faced stakes like these before, even for a Kobold, I had a talent for being invisible in plain sight. It worked almost like a skill for us Kobolds and usually saved us from the worst of the unpredictable Croco mood swings. I needed to make my way outside the walls to our cliff-tents or at least to the Clinkers. My people lived in the cliff-tents, but the Clinkers lived just outside the wall. They, like us, were a marginalized group, made up of the poorest among the races. Basically, we were all Nobodies. Nobodies stick together or everybody dies. But I got a kitten now! ¡°Stop, stupid,¡± a voice growled from behind me. ¡°Here, now. You stink weird.¡± I froze. My heart fell into my stomach as I slowly turned, ready to puke. An ancient green scaled Croco by the name of Gumbridge leaned her snout outside of her window, sniffing the air in my direction. She was all but blind yet had a nose better than anybody else in the Oasis. She had been that way all my life and had learned to get by on her other senses to great effect. Why is she awake? Do the gods hate me? I¡¯m so dead. She¡¯s gonna kill me. No one would have blinked an eye at a dead Kobold boy, gutted in what remained of the grass. ¡°What you got, beggar?¡± ¡°Honored wise-one, I have one of¡­ uh, Master Biggums¡¯ pets. It unfortunately succumbed to an unknown sickness,¡± I replied with a slight emphasis on the word ¡°unknown.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she paused, uncomfortable, but still sneering. She knew as well as anyone who¡¯d spent time with the Chief''s family what I meant by unknown sickness. The sickness belonged to Biggums, not his pets. Biggums¡¯ playthings never lasted long. I won¡¯t let that happen to her. I¡¯ll run away if I have to¡­ and live in the desert! But all that bravado deflated when Gumbridge spoke again. ¡°Let me have. Give. Now,¡± she said after a moment, holding out her olive-clawed hand. Every fiber of my being screamed out in panic. Gumbridge might be blind, but she had whatever a photographic memory was with smells, and she¡¯d be able to find me if I ran. She might be the only Croco that could tell Kobolds apart, funny enough.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. They¡¯d round up every Kobold in the oasis over one Kobold¡¯s behavior, and they¡¯d flay me alive in front of my entire tribe as soon as she sniffed me out. Then they¡¯d kill another and eat them just to remind us they could. I stalled only a moment; hesitation was an act of defiance for Kobolds. Tears swelled up in my eyes, and as I pulled the small kitten out of my tunic, I sent a desperate prayer to whoever would listen for the kitten to just please, please not make a sound. I knew it was impossible, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do in that moment. The tiny thing looked up at me with unexpected intelligence¡­ and then fell over in my hand, limp and glassy eyed. My breath hitched, and I handed the limp cat over to Gumbridge, my paw shaking. The Crocos¡¯ toothless snout wiggled a little as she sniffed the air and then gave the kitten a rough shake. The little kitten was as limp as a rag-doll in her faded claw. Had the kitten died somehow? Did I kill her? ¡°Fresh dead. Broken inside, maybe,¡± she rasped to herself as she gave the kitten another mean shake and then tossed it carelessly back it me, satisfied. I caught the limp form against my chest, and the tears that had started in fear spilled in sadness. ¡°You can eat. I only like when meat squirms,¡± she said, her whitened eyes glaring through me. She then, with a stabilizing claw on the window, stepped back inside her home. I would never! The thought was bitter, but then again, so was I. Heartbroken, I turned, not sure what to do with the poor thing. And then¡­ her beautiful, honey-colored cat eyes suddenly regained life, and she winked at me. Purring, she curled back up into my hand to get comfortable. I released a long breath of relief and ran, not caring if I looked suspicious. Hopefully, they would assume I was just another Kobold given a task with an impossible time-frame so that they could humiliate me back into my place in society. My panicked face would support such an assumption easily. When I darted through the South Gate, one guard laughed and threw something wet at my running back. It could have been anything from a rotten berry to a severed Kobold finger. I probably didn¡¯t want to know what it was. Crocos were fond of maiming those Kobolds who made the mistake of showing promise or unusual intelligence. The big problem with that is that to a Croco, any intelligence was unusual. That wasn¡¯t quite true, but it made me happy to think it. Some of the braver Kobolds had made it a game of finding creative ways to look as imbecilic as possible. It was, sadly, one of the most effective ways to curry favor with the ego driven Crocodilian people. It was a razor¡¯s edge of too much attention and favor, though. One wrongly perceived look or tone of voice spelled death. I need to get her out of here. This kitten was special, and I¡¯d known it before she¡¯d even winked at me. Now, though, I had proof, even if it wasn¡¯t the kind I could show others. I could feel it. What I thought I was feeling was the power of adrenaline and defiance, but her look, her presence, was doing something to me I couldn¡¯t explain. I¡¯d felt an instant attachment to her. In fact, bonded might be a better word. Even considering running away from Gumbridge was something I wouldn¡¯t have possibly entertained even two hours ago, sitting in Biggums¡¯ room waiting for him to wake up. *** I¡¯d been in the room when they¡¯d brought in his new pet. They¡¯d brought pets before, but never, ever a kitten. Biggums would usually play with the poor creatures, tossing them about cruelly, sometimes at me, or throwing things at them as they darted around the room trying to escape, and then eat them when he became bored. The kitten, though, had been much nimbler than any other pet I ever saw. She had hidden from the idiot and darted from place to place when he wasn¡¯t looking until he¡¯d worn himself flat out, breathing heavily and looking paler than usual. He¡¯d swore terrible vengeance on the kitten and plopped down on his bed of more cloth than a Kobold family got in their entire lives. Biggums was snoring within minutes. His usual afternoon nap, even if was earlier and much heavier than normal. The kitten had poked its head out from under the very cloth Biggums had fallen asleep on and ran right into my lap, looking up at me. If Biggums wakes up, he¡¯ll beat me to death. A cold sweat, followed by a shiver that set my gray fur on end, ran down my spine as I mouthed, ¡°What?¡± I panted quietly, but my heart had to have been loud enough to hear. That was probably because I felt a very out of character desire to run away with her. To defy. Something I¡¯d long learned to over-ride and shove down deep into a part of myself that I wasn¡¯t sure existed any longer. But her eyes were pleading. Her eyes, her bright honey-colored eyes, pleaded with me. And for some insane reason, I¡¯d ran. *** After making it through the south gate and being pelted with who knows what, I was among the Clinkers, a rough but reliable sort. They were a resourceful group and had odd versions of classes that were usually less powerful than the classes Crocos and Hyenas normally received because they focused more on survivability than combat. Outside the walls, we were all ¡°Us¡± in the ¡°Us vs Them¡± world we lived in, and despite the strange mix of species that made up the group, including a few hairless people, almost as small as us. They came in lots of different colors and had to cover up constantly, not made to survive in these conditions. Especially without Wayspring water. I¡¯d heard they sometimes got powerful classes to make up for their frailty, but no one smart talked about their classes. I still had a basic class: Runner. It gave me a few passive skills in running longer distances, but I rarely got to go far enough for those to matter. I hoped I¡¯d be able to change to a Seeker rather than stay as a Running or Scout class. They weren¡¯t much use to Crocos. If I could become a Seeker, which is a rare class, I might gain a skill to locate water myself, which is what they called a Douser, and then they would take much better care of me. They¡¯d treat me like a king if I could help find Wayspring water, and I¡¯d probably get to drink some, too. In a perfect world. This ain¡¯t a perfect world, though. Like all the Kobolds I knew, I¡¯d grown up on bulb water from the cacti that grew in the desert and had only heard rumors of what Wayspring water could do. Older Kobolds gathered bulb water, or the Clinkers sold and traded it to us. We needed little, but we all needed some. Even if I could only seek metals, they might use me for exploration parties who went out looking for old tech, buried super deep in the sand. Everyone had Goggles, at least. Even the Crocos were smart enough to allow us those, or we¡¯d all be blind. Take away a slave¡¯s Goggles, and you might as well take away their eyes. Then we really would be useless, like they call us. The other races, and even some Clinkers, had Bracers which could connect to the Goggles somehow and offered all sorts of cool things like Gambits, which could reward you with information or Insight to improve yourself. Whatever that means. I only got Goggles. Reportedly, the Bracers offered a way to track your physical and mental improvement, too, but I¡¯d never find that out for myself. Especially if I get caught with this kitten. I hugged her closer to me. I nodded to one of the Hyenaman Clinkers, Zuzz, who cackled a short laugh in my direction, and tossed me a piece of dried fruit! ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°You mights want to move move down the line, heehee,¡± he said in the strange way Hyena-people spoke. It often sounded like they were on the verge of a laughing fit. He continued, ¡°You¡¯s playin a dangerous game game.¡± I nodded, and he tossed me another small piece of fruit, glancing down at the small kitten that I thought hid in my tunic. Hyenas had good noses, too, and way better eyes than Crocos. I reconsidered my first thought, which was to hide the kitten in the cliff-tents among my people. Any Kobold caught, and possibly anyone near, might be killed. The Clinkers, who were usually just useful enough to stay out of the Oasis crossfire, had ways of wiggling out of trouble. There was only one other place I could think of, and so I made my way down towards the tent of the pretty, brown-skinned female who seemed to have a soft spot in her heart for Kobolds. She showed affection, fed, and loved on all the Kobold pups, and she was well-liked. I fondly remembered spending loads of time in her tent with her daughter and other small Kobolds until I¡¯d gotten old enough to get pulled into work. My heart was again beating wildly in my chest as I hesitated outside her tent. I watched the thin colored streamers dancing in the wind. If she couldn¡¯t help, I didn¡¯t know what else to do. The cat, however, began purring, still nestled against my belly, my furry gray arm supporting her from the outside of my tunic. I stepped inside the tent. ¡°Cleo, um¡­. I need help,¡± my voice was small, pleading. She stopped folding the cloth she had just cut and turned towards me. ¡°What is it, little friend?¡± She said seriously. I wasn¡¯t offended by her calling me small. I was small. Besides, she¡¯d said it with love. You can say a lot if you love someone. I opened my tunic and pulled out the small kitten, holding her out carefully. A black-haired little girl with gray eyes poked her head out from behind Cleo¡¯s skirts to look at me after her mother spoke and smiled at the tiny kitten in my hands. Cleo¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh, Little Luth¡­ what have you done? Book 2, Chapter 5: Interluth 2 I was terrified as I ran back to the room I¡¯d left Biggums napping in. Cleo was right, though. I had to be there when Biggums woke up from his nap. Unfortunately, that meant I had to run back almost as fast as I left. What was even more scary was that I had left the kitten with Cleo and her daughter. She was right about that, too. The kitten, small as she was, took to Cleo¡¯s daughter, Aur, almost as quickly as she did me. I was a little jealous, but I made myself get over that quick. I didn¡¯t own her, and she was much more than just a kitten. That much was clear. My little legs pumped as quickly as possible, and I felt kind of silly for being so stressed out about running before. They really didn¡¯t care what Kobolds were doing, as long as they looked scared enough doing it. I might could have just walked out holding the kitten if I¡¯d been crying. Although, kittens are rarer than what he usually gets as pets. If a Croco ever lays eyes on that cat, even they might piece it together. They¡¯d kill Kobolds until someone owned up to it, and then one of the elders would say it was them just to stop the killing. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time. The thought was bitter. I got over that quick, too, though. Being bitter never helped me one bit, no matter how hard I tried. There were no Crocos anywhere when I crawled back in the window to my pallet on the floor. The room was cool, thanks to the pipes that carried the magic water that ran under the floor. I almost forgot to close the curtain back, but Bigums and his tail polishing kid taught me the hard way to recheck everything every single time I thought about one thing. I was still sweaty when the big idiot started rolling around on his bed, yawning and clapping his teeth together. The teeth clacking thing was something I suspected he only started doing because he knew I didn¡¯t like the sound and did it so much that he just got used to doing it. The sound didn¡¯t really bother me much; he was the one who occasionally broke a tooth to get a reaction out of me. But I guess it¡¯s better to give them fake things to do to irritate you than let them find out the real things. Now was the moment of truth, though. If he woke up hungry enough, he wouldn¡¯t focus too much on the missing kitten. He might not remember it at all, honestly. Biggums anger rarely lasted long enough to interrupt a meal. ¡°I bigly hungry, stupid. Fix it.¡± ¡°Yes, Prince Biggums,¡± I said, deciding to do a little ¡°tail polishing¡± of my own to keep him in a good mood. The big Croco giggled. It was an odd, more rumbly sound than should be called a giggle, but I couldn¡¯t think of a better word for it. ¡°Prince Biggums. I like that. Call me Prince.¡± He hesitated and then added, ¡°but maybe not around my dad.¡± *** My days blurred together, but not because it was the same old thing dad after day. Instead, that sweet, tiny little kitten took every spare second I had. And she didn¡¯t stay tiny for long at all. Before long, she was eating more than me. As for her being sweet; she showed me quick she could turn that off in a blink. She¡¯d wait for me just out of sight every night, and then either ambush or trip me coming around a corner. She was never in the same place twice, the little monster. After three days in a row when I caught on to her mischief before she could get me, Aur, Cleo¡¯s daughter started helping by distracting me or tickle attacking me from another hiding spot.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It took me a while, but I got real good at reacting to unexpected attacks. Too good, really. I got myself in trouble once for being uppity when Biggums tried to dump a bucket of water on me when I walked in his room one morning. He ended up somehow pouring most of it on himself, and I got a busted snout for my trouble. I could have dodged that, too, but learning when not to dodge was more important than learning to dodge around Crocos. I guess it was around that time I realized that the cat wasn¡¯t playing. She wasn¡¯t playing at all. She was training me. *** ¡°Hey, little Puke.¡± I internally rolled my eyes before turning around to see him walking toward me from his cot. Biggums used insults to cover the fact that he couldn¡¯t remember my name. ¡°Yes, Pri-¡° I saw the hit coming from a mile away, and had to override the instincts that the kitten, well¡­ cat now, had instilled in me the past year. I tucked my head and took the hit on the shoulder, but Biggums was a lot bigger than me. The hit still rocked me, and I hit and rolled. Biggums liked rolls better than slides, which was fine by me. Sliding too much might give me a bald spot. We Kobolds take our fur seriously. ¡°You¡¯re dead, stupid.¡± Well, this wasn¡¯t his typical ¡°need food or nap¡± lash out. He usually picked words or fists, never both. Panic set in. ¡°My spy network found you out. They saw a cat. Not one of those stupid Pangolors. Not a stupid baby Kobold. A cat. In the Clink tents.¡± His spy network was entirely comprised of the single Hyenaman guard that had caught sight of the cat a month or so ago, running between the tents. Cleo had given Grep, the Hyenaman guard, food and sweet treats to forget he¡¯d seen anything. Apparently, though, he¡¯d run out of food and therefore, loyalty. My heart was beating out of my chest, now. How did he know I was involved, though? Cleo had handled the whole Grep bribing thing herself. They wouldn¡¯t dare go after Cleo, though. The whole Clinker community would be gone before sunrise, and even the Crocos knew they needed the trade the Clinkers brought. Clinkers were way better at finding stuff than anyone, especially old stuff. Biggums¡¯ next words hit me like a punch in the stomach. ¡°Old Gummy had something real funny to say. She say you had a cat once.¡± I dropped as he punched me in the stomach. Okay, so maybe the real punch was a little more effective. He¡¯s going to kill me. ¡°It was dead, Prince, you can as-¡° Biggums interrupted me with a kick. ¡°Don¡¯t matter stupid. Only cat anyone seen in long time, and Gummy says you had it. She knows your scent, dummy. If cat was dead, it not dead now. But you? You will be.¡± He stared down at me, his brow lowered as he waited for a reaction. ¡°Dead,¡± he clarified. ¡°You will be¡­ dead.¡± He looked disappointed, and expressed his disappointment with a stomp that, cornered like I was, I could not dodge. I took the first mid-day nap I could remember ever taking in my life. *** The Crocos planned to have me publicly executed but was having some issues getting the Clinkers to cooperate and turn over the cat. It took them a few days and a few beatings to get someone to finally admit the cat even existed. By the time that was over, Cleo had worked her magic, stalling the entire process while she tried everything she could to save me. I don¡¯t know why she bothered. I wouldn¡¯t be allowed in the Oasis again, and I¡¯d die in the dead lands outside, anyway. But¡­ knowing she cared enough to try was a kindness I didn¡¯t feel worthy of. I¡¯d pretty much resigned myself to dying. I didn¡¯t want to, of course, but I figured I¡¯d rather think I was gonna die and be surprised by living than think I was gonna make it out and get that surprise. What did surprise me though, was that, in a last ditch effort, Cleo managed to get Chief Bigums to agree to a trial. Blackmail or black magic, I don¡¯t know how she did it. A day after I got that news, I got woken up with a kick that was almost hard enough to put me right back to sleep. A Croco with bright blue scales pulled me to my feet by my head, and dropped a braided cloth around my neck with a lead line he held the end of in his shield hand. That kick was vicious, and it took everything I had just to stay standing. He half dragged me out to the center of the Oasis where I saw Cleo, with a small contingent of other Clinkers, watching me with sad eyes. I could hear the water from the Oasis bubbling in the pool on the opposite side of the clearing, but I only had eyes for the unofficial leader of the Clinkers, Cleo. The first thing I noticed about her was she was wearing a Clinker trophy on her tan, sheer robe for the first time I could remember. A necklace of what looked like Hyenaman teeth was around her neck. Her concern for me turned to a quick grin and I saw her wink through her Goggles at me when she noticed me staring at it wide eyed. Well, looks like Grep won¡¯t be snitching on the Clinkers again. And Cleo is just wearing it openly. Book 2, Chapter 6: Interluth 3 Well, looks like Grep won¡¯t be snitching on the Clinkers again. And she¡¯s just wearing it openly. My respect for the human grew, but I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t also feel a little intimidated. Cleo offered me a single nod of encouragement, and coming from her, that was enough. Behind me, the bright blue Croco guard snorted and spat. My eyes turned to the massive Chief as he spoke; his voice loud and clear and clearly irritated. ¡°Where is sun-cursed cat thing, Clink?¡± Beside him, I saw old Gumbridge glaring at¡­ well, probably nothing. She could hardly see at all, but she was glaring. In response, an older Croco stepped forward from behind Cleo, gently cradling the cat in his big, green paws. I always liked old Denggg. The Croco Clinker had always played and shared food with us cubs. Smart move, having him here. The old Croco was more than just a Clinker to the Oasis, even if he wasn¡¯t quite considered a full member. Denggg rode a delicate line between the world he¡¯d left behind and the trophies he wore on his leather vest; he was somebody that was accepted by both sides. The cat must have decided she wanted to be here, she was snuggling in his massive arms until she caught sight or scent of me and her head perked up. With a huff, Chief Bigums started to clomp forward to take the cat from Denggg, but the old green Croco looked like he didn¡¯t like that idea at all and took a step back. The tension in the air was so obvious that even Gumbridge picked up on it. She put an old, faded olive claw on Bigums and began sniffing the air. Her nose quickly locked in on Denggg and the cat, and I watched her take slow, careful steps forward, stopping just about halfway between the two groups. After a nod from Cleo, Denggg walked over to Gumbridge and with unguarded hesitation and a growl of warning, allowed her to take the cat from his arms. My heart ached as I watched the scene unfold, completely powerless, even if I didn¡¯t have a guard holding on to a noose around my neck. Gumbridge turned away and walked in the direction of the rock wall on the outside of the pool of water that made up the actual Oasis. As soon as she was a few paces away, though, she lifted the cat and gave her an audible sniff. The old Croco growled and changed her grip, now carelessly holding the small cat in one hand by the rough of the neck as she made her way to the low wall. I just barely stopped myself from calling out at the rough treatment. Denggg started forward, himself, but allowed Cleo to restrain him with a hand and a whispered word. To my relief, Cleo squared her shoulders and called out, ¡°Honored Gumbridge, this treatment is unnecessary. Your Chief has agreed to belay punishment pending a trial.¡± Gumbridge ignored Cleo and I watched her take the final few steps to sit on the edge of the rock wall and the Oasis. ¡°First, don¡¯t know what belay means. Don¡¯t care. We have everything we need for trial.¡± She tapped her nose with her free claw. ¡°Old Gumbridge never forget a smell. And that little rat,¡± she pointed at me¡­ for the most part, ¡°was carrying this foul creature.¡± Gumbridge thumped the cat on the head. She struggled in the old Croco¡¯s claw, and Gumbridge shook her roughly. This time, Denggg made it a few feet before he allowed Cleo to stop him, but by now, all eyes were on Gumbridge. Even mine, till I heard ¡°Prince¡± Biggums laughing and noticed he was now standing on the opposite side of his bored father, watching. Hearing old Gumbridge speaking, though, I turned back in time to see her hold the small cat, who still looked stunned, over the water of the Oasis. ¡°My nose remembers this creature, and I know for fact¡­ it was quite dead. If not, I would have eated it,¡± she added with a short cackle. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, it must have been a different cat, Honored Gumbridge.¡± ¡°It was not. And you know it. I don¡¯t lie. Nose don¡¯t lie. Only you lie.¡± I saw Cleo bristle at the insult, but her voice sounded calm to me as she tried again to diffuse the situation. ¡°I do not lie. There must be some mistake, some way forward from this.¡± ¡°The mistake was letting use of dark magic under our very noses!¡± I stopped breathing, and there were gasps all around us that quickly turned to murmurs and whispers. ¡°And, as you know, no justice for that. Only purging.¡± The old Croco looked at me, sniffing the air. ¡°Purges for everyone involved. Especially rats.¡± Cleo took a step forward, and Denggg looked ready to go to war. I felt the guard¡¯s short spear poke into my neck, and everyone froze. To my horror, the first one to move was Gumbridge, who, with a cry of, ¡°Foul, evil creature!¡± plunged the cat into the water. Oddly, the first thought I had was that I should have named her. She deserved a name. I¡¯d been so afraid of losing her that I¡¯d been too scared to even give her a name. I justified it by telling myself that since she was the only cat, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to just call her ¡°the cat.¡± That felt wrong now. It just showed I¡¯d not had near enough faith in her to take care of herself. Me, along with those close enough to see into the Oasis¡¯ water, were the first to see the consequences of Gumbridge¡¯s actions. Instead of sinking into the water, the glow of the Oasis water sank into the small cat, who erupted in a shimmering light. The water flashed once and the Oasis sank into the earth.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The cat was glowing with magic, still in the grip of the blind old Croco who¡¯d just tried to kill her. I could see the cat glaring up at Gumbridge from the empty Oasis, and her golden cat eyes now blazing with power and intelligence that seemed impossible. All eyes were on the cat now. Her golden, glowing eyes drew me in just like everybody else. She commanded it with her sheer presence. I could barely think, just watching her. She looks like one of those queens Cleo told me stories about. Even Gumbridge, blind as she was, felt something amiss. She let go of the little cat, who floated in the air for a moment before falling as slow as a feather to land on the rock wall of the Oasis. Well, it wasn¡¯t an Oasis anymore, it was just a deep hole in the ground now. The air around the cat crackled, and Gumbridge cringed backward with her olive-colored claws clutched close to her chest. The temperature in the area rose sharply, and the small breeze disappeared. As the air stilled, I heard Biggums panicked voice cut through an explosion of gasps from the Crocos and Hyena¡¯s around me. ¡°Chief dad! What¡¯s wrong with my Goggles?!¡± I could hear the Croco behind me going back and forth between praying and cursing, and even though I didn¡¯t know what triggered all the gasping, I couldn¡¯t blame him. Our whole world had just changed, and although I didn¡¯t feel sorry for him, really, I knew what he was going through, cause I was going through it too. I felt the big blue Croco¡¯s spear pull away from my neck and I guess I could have ran at that point if I¡¯d really wanted to. But¡­ I wanted to make sure the cat, who I was definitely going to name as soon as I could, was going to make it out of here. I wasn¡¯t too sure what I could do to help a glowing, golden eyed, crackling cat, but doing nothing definitely felt like the wrong thing. The long months of playing had evolved into occasionally hunting into the dead lands, and we¡¯d been through a lot together. She¡¯d taught me how to find magic water like from the Oasis. Well, most of the time, but I¡¯d been able to get water to sick and injured Kobolds, which was something else that could have gotten me killed. But, that cat literally saved some of our lives, and I¡¯d do anything to help her if I could. If I could make sure she got out safe, I could even live with dying. But I guess if you consider the lives of most Kobolds, most people would see it my way. Dying for someone else wouldn¡¯t be the worst possible outcome for a Kobold, really. Most of us die for no reason at all. The thing was, I knew she was special. I¡¯d known it since the first time she¡¯d peeked her little yellow eyes out from the pile of clothes Biggums was snoring on top of. I¡¯d been so right about that cat that I¡¯d almost circled all the way back to wrong, because she was a lot more than special. Those who hadn¡¯t attended the trial were staggering out of the now sweltering dwellings, no longer cooled by the magic of the Wayspring Oasis. I guess, when the water and the magic left and went into the cat, it took everything with it, including his authority. And it turns out, as I suspected, she didn¡¯t need my help at all, anyway. The cat, covered in ethereal magic, glared at Gumbridge a moment more and darted off toward the dead lands, but she turned and winked back at me before disappearing around the corner. I was still afraid to move, but then I felt small hands lifting the braided cord over my head. I turned to see Aur, grinning fiercely at me, her gray eyes intense. Cleo¡¯s daughter put a finger to her lips and waved me after her. Looking around, I saw the big blue Croco was gone, probably to check on his own family. I guess I needed to go with Aur and check on my own family¡­ the Clinkers. I sure couldn¡¯t let Biggums get his hands on me, I knew that much. So, I guess Little ol¡¯ Luth is a Clinker, now, I thought with a nervous grin. *** The reason for the utter breakdown of civility in the wake of that farce of a trial became clear to Luth sometime afterward. A single word had appeared in those powerful enough to have interface Goggles. /// Judgement /// Pretty much all the Oasis Crocos and Hyenas had gotten the strange message, along with a few of the Clinkers, which was how Luth later found out. Unlike other messages, this one was impossible to dismiss and remained front and center throughout the day. Aur was the first to find out the trick to getting rid of it. You had to pet the kitty cat. A half dozen Kobolds paid a sad cost for ignorance through poverty as the Crocos raged and lashed out before Cleo could, with Luth¡¯s help, restore order. Those unfortunate Kobolds were the last of their kind to die for quite a while, though. Really, though, as much talking, and even fighting, that Cleo and Luth did¡­ it was the cat. Still radiating a regal, shimmering power, she walked with Cleo and Luth from place to place, and the violence stopped. Sometimes it took a little violence to stop it, but the Crocos could hardly see through their Goggles, and fighting without them was even worse. They all calmed right down after a concussion or three. All but one. Chief Bigums was not one to take having his authority stripped laying down, and so he hid his panic behind blind rage. He was too big and too strong to subdue. The Chief spent a full hour, screaming and lashing out dangerously at anything that drew near to him. Even his own son, Biggums, who''d been almost killed by his father in the first few minutes of the Chief''s building panic and rage. Bastet had taken care of him personally, and glowing or not, I was scared out of my mind she was going to get hurt when she got near him. She moved like a blur, though. She darted in once, and the great big Croco toppled to the ground, screaming and reaching for the ruined tendons of his clawed feet. She walked a slow circle around him, and with her golden, glowing eyes, looked every onlooker, one by one, right in the eyes. I could feel the blue, shimmering magic pulse. It felt like a weight in my chest. She dashed forward, faster than I could even see, and his screams turned to gurgling. I stared, horrified- fascinated- as he surged to his feet and lashed out blindly before falling back down as his feet failed to hold him. He cried silently, beating his claws on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum until he was too weak to do even that. He was the last to die that day. As for the Hyenas, if they excelled in one thing, it was following whoever seemed to be in charge. Within a few hours, some of them were even wearing trophies like the Clinkers- to the Clinker¡¯s great amusement. The hardest part was actually the Kobolds. Convincing the spirit bent Kobolds they could stand up for themselves for the first time in their oppressed lives went from impossible to an ongoing struggle. *** It took Fox a great deal of effort, as well as that entire first year of living the other Kobold¡¯s life, to reestablish her own identity separate from Luth. It was a hard fought lesson in willpower and focus. The training, though, the knowledge¡­ it all stuck with her. There were times she allowed herself to fully experience Luth¡¯s existence again, usually during times when Bastet, as Luth finally named her, taught the resourceful Kobold how to lead and survive. It also got lonely just watching a life. It made Fox feel separated from her own emotions in some ways. Living his life made the time pass quicker. It didn¡¯t feel at all like the decades it was, but it still felt like a very well lived, full life. She didn¡¯t mind that she couldn¡¯t always distinguish between whose emotions were whose, because as she trained, fought, lead the Kobolds- and even the Crocos for a time- and eventually died, she realized it was he, the Little Luth of myth and children¡¯s tales, that gave the Kobolds the best part of themselves. It was Luth that really made the Kobolds strong enough to survive anything. She was strong enough to survive anything. And now? Fox had knowledge on how to use that strength. Luth became a Child of Bast. The original in a long line of a Legendary class long, long lost. And now? So am I. Book 2, Chapter 7: A Living Wayspring The hair on the back of Oskar¡¯s neck stood straight as the air around them crackled with power. He watched with rapt fascination while Fox rose into the air where she¡¯d stood. The Kobold was already hovering inches above the floor, and she was still rising. The room grew brighter and brighter, blinding Oskar even through his Goggles. Everything slowed as Fox rose further and hovered in place. A sense of great power being used swept through them, oppressive and enveloping. Time, and the cavern froze completely for just a blink. The temperature plummeted, and even the shimmering light flashing through the glass of the expansive cavern slowed and froze. A series of images and stories flashed through his mind and settled into his memories. It felt like he¡¯d sat around telling war stories with his Marine buddies for a few hours, but all the stories were about a boy and a cat instead. That familiar feeling of connection and unspoken love was the paramount theme of the entire, odd experience, though¡­ until everything moved again, and Fox fell to the ground on all fours. She stood quickly, though, unharmed; her face flushed with wonder. The Kobold swung her head around, and Oskar followed her gaze to the great, striped, gray cat. The enormous kitty looked exhausted, and Oskar held off on questions. Whatever she¡¯d just done to Fox had taken a great toll on her. She looked as bad as Erik after he¡¯d healed someone. At least his other abilities seem more manageable, but the toll his healing takes on him is brutal, and that¡¯s how Bastet looks now. Touwon, though, looked the most affected by the infused memories. Open emotion replaced his usually neutral face, and Oskar felt a hard pang of sympathy. The Kobold tilted his head slightly, his eyes were on the floor somewhere, unfocused¡­ and wet. He was wringing his hands, and Oskar looked away to give his friend time. The Kobold was obviously processing things in his own way. Touwon was a little different, but he was a steadfast friend, reliable and usually stoic. At least on the outside. That story about Luth and Bastet¡­ to say it was heavy is an understatement. But I think that odd infusion of emotion and connection, and affection and loss, was a lot harder on him, and that was a lot for even me. The calico stood and made her way over and into Touwon¡¯s lap, and his hands found something to do other than squeeze one another. The calico started a low purr and was back asleep in moments. Oskar was still trying not to look, but caught a glance of Touwon smiling a little at the bobtailed cat in his lap. Looking away again, Oskar¡¯s eyes returned to the big cat on the platform in the middle of the room, and this time, he really took her in. When they¡¯d turned the corner just a few minutes ago, Bastet¡¯s presence had exuded a sense of ageless authority. Now she just looked tired. Her eyes flicked up to Oskar and she spoke as if she could read his mind, but realistically, he¡¯d just poorly schooled his face on seeing her. ¡°Yes, this has cost me, but I do not regret it. If I could save this world on my own, it would be done by now.¡± Bastet settled down, eyes blinking slowly as she waited on Fox to share what she¡¯d just experienced. Fox told a story that was hard for Oskar to imagine. The version they¡¯d gotten was much like a vivid dream, but Fox had lived close to a year as Little Luth before she¡¯d been able to remember who she was. Afterwards, she¡¯d been more herself, but much of the time, Fox had willingly put herself back into his life, unwilling to waste this impossible opportunity. They listened closely, but it was Touwon, specifically who watched and listened to Fox with uncharacteristically rapt attention as she excitedly spun her tale.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She was beaming as she told them how she could now find Waysprings herself, even without Oskar¡¯s ability to sense water. There were telltale signs for those who knew what to look for. Things that seemed obvious to her in retrospect. She said that sometimes there would be a subtle, unusual smoothness to the sand, as if something had freshly churned it and then flattened it a little too much. ¡°I just learned so much,¡± Fox said, smiling at the tired Bastet. Fox said that if you were completely silent and listened to the world, you could feel the magic like someone staring at you from behind. Stilling for a moment and closing her striking eyes, she did exactly that. ¡°Now that I have met her, I can feel the presence of magic inside Bastet. She is the living Wayspring.¡± Fox¡¯s face was alight with wonder. She continued, but what she¡¯d just said struck Oskar like a bolt of lightning. ¡°If I were near an active Wayspring, I just know I could feel it!¡± She is a living Wayspring. Oskar stilled his mind and tried his best to sense her without using his own magic, but Bastet¡¯s presence was overpowering to him, even without pulling on Sora or Talau. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m too sensitive to it or I¡¯m doing it wrong, but I¡¯m glad the Kobolds could take better care of themselves if something happens to me. Oskar didn¡¯t give up, though, and in the moments of Fox¡¯s meditative silence, he tried it again. After a few minutes where he was finally able to clear his mind, he looked past what he expected to hear and finally understood what Fox meant by ¡°listening to the world¡± ¡­and instantly regretted it. He¡¯d still felt Bastet, sure. However, he could also feel things that wanted him to look at them, impossibly long legs shuttering across the sky somewhere between the worlds, hungry for his fear and desperate for his confusion. Why do they want me to give in? Why do they want me at all? He considered giving in for the briefest of moments. A fleeting, invasive thought made him think that giving in was the only way to make that feeling of being hunted and watched go away forever. The harder he fought whatever was out there, the harder it fought back, and his adrenaline spiked upward. Wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to give in? Unseen, the calico cat crawled into his lap, and it brought Oskar back to awareness. Oskar opened his eyes. Touwon was smiling at the cat in Oskar¡¯s lap fondly, but now looked unsure what to do with his hands. Bastet was watching Oskar knowingly, though, and spoke in her singsong voice. ¡°I think it is best if you follow your own way, not hers. Listening to the world is not your path, Druid. Your path is instead to feel and guide it.¡± He felt safe and¡­ mostly normal again. But I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not gonna sleep great tonight. Not after that. Penny, jealous of the whole calico lap situation, sauntered over dramatically to Bastet and curled up against her, fearlessly. The Pangolor glared at Oskar and made a haughty kwinn sound. Bastet, in answer, warmly enveloped the Pangolor and purred audibly. It was a fond and natural interaction. Fox smiled at Penny curled up with Bastet and continued with her story. ¡°It was difficult, of course, but my people thrived. That is a truth. The Waysprings were smaller and became more sporadic. Eventually, groups of followers split off, especially the Crocodilians who were unused to being under the leadership of a Kobold, of all things. I do not remember further.¡± She paused, her eyes stared at Bastet and she let out a long sigh. ¡°Many decades later, in a village, I... or Luth, rather¡­ went to sleep one night, and woke up here again,¡± Fox said. ¡°If you do not mind me asking¡­ you told me you needed to leave one night, but could not tell me why. He never saw you again. Can you tell me, now, where you went? I¡­ Luth missed you so much.¡± Her voice was thick with emotion. Touwon was still staring at Fox, deep in thought, but after a moment, turned toward the cat to listen as she spoke. ¡°I am so sorry, child. I had hoped I could make it back in time, but, like so many other regretful times in my long life... I was wrong. The magic was fading faster than I expected, and it finally struck me what was causing it. The world was not just dying. It was being killed. I had to leave immediately; I had to take the magic from the other Oases to save it from being lost forever. Even then, I knew my purpose was to prolong the decline of this world.¡± She stared then at Oskar, and he felt himself being weighed and judged. There was a small moment when she looked like she considered taking his magic, too. But the moment passed, and she looked away as she said, ¡°And Oskar, I am afraid I must now ask you to do the same... or more, if at all possible.¡± Book 2, Chapter 8: Child of Bast Bastet still wasn¡¯t meeting his eyes. ¡°The magic of the Oases had stopped being used to sustain and create life. They were being used for darker purposes, to twist and corrupt. Even I know not what killed the great trees as they were long gone when I was born in this world, but as I came into power, I felt the magic was bleeding away. Faster and faster, building up momentum like an avalanche. I could only contain it to stop the hemorrhage.¡± To Oskar¡¯s surprise, Touwon spoke, and Fox translated his question. ¡°Touwon asked what happened to Gumbridge. Well¡­ they beat her severely and drowned her in bulb water.¡± Oskar¡¯s eyes widened, and he started to speak, but Fox held up a clawed, purple hand, ¡°No, not the Kobolds¡­ her own people. To punish her both for sparking the incident and for allowing Luth to keep the kitten¡­ Oh, I mean Bastet¡­ my apologies.¡± Fox bowed her head respectfully at Bastet, who nodded for her to continue, unoffended. ¡°The Crocos executed her for allowing Luth to keep Bastet to begin with. It was¡­ awful.¡± ¡°What are you asking of us, exactly?¡± Erik asked after a quiet moment. The sound of Erik¡¯s voice threw Oskar momentarily, and he felt a lump in his throat at the unexpected sound. It was a good question. It was the question, really. Learning the history of Baster, Luth, and the Kobold people was just the beginning. ¡°For now, my friend, I only ask for patience. I have gifts for you all that do not rely on your acceptance of my Gambit.¡± Penny poked her head up hopefully, likely hoping for food. She was not used to being awake this long without snacking, but she tilted her head when Bastet spoke again. ¡°Yes, little one. I even have a gift for you.¡± Bastet looked fondly at Erik and answered, ¡°But first, healer, a few things.¡± Erik¡¯s face contorted at the word healer. Somewhere between frustration and anger, and as Erik looked down at his frail, white knuckled fist, Oskar realized it wasn¡¯t the cat he''d made the face for, but himself. ¡°You are a healer, Erik. And a protector. I can see your heart.¡± Man, big mysterious cats can just say anything. If I said something like that, you¡¯d all laugh at me and never let me live it down. // Oh, absolutely. I¡¯d make up a poem and everything. Oh! We need a bard! // No bards. I¡¯ve played D&D, they just try to seduce everything. // Everything? You mean everyone? // I said what I said. Erik was looking back up at Bastet, now. His face was calmer, but with the addition of a glowing blue eye, his gaze was more intense than he even knew. Bastet met the gaze easily, though, and then continued speaking to the entire group. ¡°You have the memories, but I wish to explain a few things. Historically, when the Crocodilian people do well, they suppress every other race they can based solely on physical subjugation. It was not so much a problem until water became scarce and they had something to consolidate power.¡± She yawned and smiled at them, and Oskar couldn¡¯t help but smile back. Penny watched him for a moment, and then turned to look at Bastet with her own imitation of a smile. It was so goofy that it was cute, and Bastet chuckled, leaning down and bumping the Pangolor¡¯s head with her own, gently. Fox let out a small, ¡°Aww,¡± followed by a gasp as she realized she¡¯d said it out loud, which made Oskar and Touwon laugh. Still grinning, Bastet went on, ¡°As you can imagine, the Crocos responded poorly to the loss of the Oases. They had long survived off the backs of those they conquered. The Djinn are likely extinct. Never ones to seek conquest, the Hyena-people are resilient and resourceful, and with the help of Luth and the Kobolds, they quickly learned to survive. The Drakon people have more wits about them and even now, remember the old ways of magic. Take special care around them, they are dangerous. They are a physically and mentally formidable people, if much fewer in population than the other races. Yet the Crocos¡­¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Bastet sighed and spoke again, ¡°You see, the Crocos, especially Biggums, the son of the old Chief, never forgot the insult of having been at the mercy of the Kobolds, especially Luth. The harsh reminder that they were a people that only had one thing going for them. Their tough bodies. And I suppose to an extent, their constant ambition. Not to be great¡­¡± she sighed, ¡°But only better than others.¡± Pausing as Penny rolled over and snuggled against her, Bastet then said, ¡°You see, Biggums was only alive because of Luth and the knowledge taught to him. His campaign against Luth, staged from a base that Luth- mind you- had helped him establish¡­ well, the campaign was wrought with more embarrassment and humility for the Crocos as Luth was more than a match for the fool in every way.¡± ¡°So, he just couldn¡¯t let the embarrassment go? What, then?¡± Oskar asked. ¡°Even I underestimated Luth,¡± Bastet smiled. ¡°I am weary, and cannot tell you all that transpired. Fox may be able to later fill in the details, but suffice it to say, Luth remained completely unharmed throughout the next three years. Eventually, Biggums lost the heart and resources to continue the campaign.¡± Fox was smiling and shaking her head, eyes alight with obvious mirth. Bastet chuckled, a throaty low sound that turned into a soft purr as Penny snuggled into her fur further. Penny does not care in the least that she¡¯s snuggled up to a god cat. ¡°I will tell you the two main things that transpired that finally taught Biggums that lesson,¡± Bastet said. ¡°First, Luth drew Biggums and his entourage through a gauntlet of traps the Crocos themselves had set up against him, decimating much of the Crocodilian leadership. Second, and this is the story that is both the backbone of Kobold children¡¯s tales involving the two fated foes,¡± she said, gently shaking her head, ¡°and a story I would not believe if I had not been partially present for, but Luth somehow tricked the entire Crocodilian force into ambushing itself during a sandstorm.¡± This set the entire group laughing until even the strangely musical laugh of Bastet filled the glass cavern. Grinning, Oskar said, ¡°We sure could use some of Luth¡¯s expertise and knowledge against Valla. He seemed like a real powerhouse.¡± Bastet seemed to glow with amusement as she turned to Fox and nodded. ¡°As it so happens¡­ when I woke up from the vision, I brought something back with me,¡± Fox said, proudly. Confused, Oskar gave Fox a once over, and seeing nothing amiss, he tilted his head in question like Penny. ¡°My new class, stupid pink,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°My class has evolved to a legendary class, based off of Luth¡¯s unique class. I am now a Child of Bast.¡± Oskar was about to scan her to see if he could learn more, but she somehow sent Oskar a quick description of her class, which he then read out loud to the group. *** Class: Child of Bast Children of Bast are a class that thrives in the desert. Blessed by the feline grace and agility of Bastet herself, they are formidable opponents and excellent leaders. In combat, they employ the Sandstrike Technique, leveraging the desert¡¯s unpredictable nature to gain an edge. A Child of Bast is one with the sand, and as such, can blend with the desert better than anyone else. Fade and Blur- Kobolds, despite their natural affinity for this type of ability, have only touched the surface of a lake of knowledge, long undisturbed and forgotten. Under the effects of Fade and Blur, a Child can Fade from sight completely if initiated while not in direct sight of a foe, or Blur if in direct sight or active combat with their enemy. Blur makes it harder to focus on you directly. It is difficult for an opponent to discern your movement in combat for up to 5 seconds, plus 5 seconds for each tier of Spirit you have over your foe. The effectiveness of this skill is dependent on the comparison between your Spirit Rank and your opponent¡¯s Spirit Rank, and if you are outmatched, the effect could be shortened or fail altogether. For example, if you have a C Rank Spirit stat, you could Blur in direct sight from a D Rank Spirit enemy, or disappear for only a second or fail altogether if the inverse is true. Sandstrike Technique- When under the effects of Fade or Blur, this attack offers the element of surprise- allowing the Child of Bast to strike her opponents and automatically activate Fade or Blur¡­ If you successfully Fade following the attack, you may follow up with a second Sandstrike, which will trigger Fade or Blur again as well. This ability has a 10% chance to ignore armor if you are not within direct sight of an enemy when you strike with this ability, have a high chance to Fade into your environment: drawing less attention and possibly even disappearing to their senses completely. If you use this ability in direct sight, you will attempt to Blur instead. In times of dire need, A Child can call upon the divine favor of Bastet. This blessing enhances her combat abilities, granting her increased strength, speed, and an aura that instills fear in her adversaries. But afterwards, the power slumbers for a time. Besides their connection with Bast, the children of Bast possess the extraordinary gift of conversing with the desert itself, granting them knowledge of its past, present, and an innate ability to sense impending danger. This mystical connection allows her to make informed decisions and anticipate dangers before they arise. *** ¡°Holy crap,¡± Oskar said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m guessing those abilities are rare? They seem rare.¡± Fox gave him a proud nod, and then it turned to puzzlement as she asked, ¡°What is a lake?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe m-¡° ¡°Tell me a truth, dry-boned pink man, and not that again,¡± she said with a smirk, but there was no heat in it as Oskar laughed and then tried to explain to the Kobold that a single lake could contain more water than she¡¯d ever seen. I hope I¡¯m not the one who ends up trying to explain oceans to her¡­ Book 2, Chapter 9: More than Durable Erik was shaking his head at Fox¡¯s face during the interaction, and Touwon looked as if he was reading through his display, so Fox had probably sent the class details to him the same way she had Oskar. We really need to work on getting Erik a working PUB so we don''t have to read this stuff out loud. But Oskar did so, and honestly didn¡¯t mind. He was just happy to have Erik there, and able to talk back and ask questions of his own. His assessment was similar to Oskar¡¯s. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s broken," Erik laughed. "Especially compared to you. What do you have, Oskar? Find water? Sense Penny? Talk like the Wind?¡± ¡°Funny. So I take it you¡¯re ready to talk classes, finally?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was just picking on you.¡± Oskar gave him a deadpan stare and Erik blinked back at him innocently. Bastet drew their attention back to her, and for a concerning moment, the comfortable temperature faltered momentarily. She closed her eyes, and the room stabilized again after a moment. ¡°I have gifts for you all,¡± she said with a heaviness that was palpable. ¡°And afterwards, I regret I must place a great deal of responsibility on you. I cannot force you to accept, but I cannot carry it any longer.¡± Oskar had a million questions, but he stilled himself and allowed her to continue. ¡°First, I must address something that even I do not understand.¡± She looked at Erik, ¡°Your brother did something incredible in healing you. The blue glow, though, is something I can help with, if you so desire.¡± ¡°I do, if it¡¯s not too much to ask. I don¡¯t think glowing with magic in a desert every night is going to be conducive to a consistent night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°Wise choice, healer. I cannot do more, though, and I am sorry. Also¡­I do not know why he could not return your arm to you. I, too, felt the dark magic, but I cannot fathom what magic could stop what you did, Oskar.¡± She watched him for a moment, considering. Deep in thought about his own missing limb, Oskar snapped back to paying attention when Bastet said his name. ¡°That spell was potent and powerful, akin to a ritual, and should not have been possible at your current stage. I just don¡¯t know.¡± She looked frustrated, her brow lowered over her yellow, glowing eyes. ¡°Perhaps the wicked one who took it-,¡± Bastet paused again, and then continued with a tired sigh, ¡°has somehow destroyed it in such a way that it can no longer exist.¡± She was quiet for a long moment and said, ¡°I am so sorry that this world was so cruel to you. It was not my wish when I called you here in my desperation.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your cruelty, it was theirs.¡± I think, in some ways, I was more affected by what happened than he was. Even though he wasn¡¯t speaking to the PUB, it was a particularly strong thought, and the PUB answered with surprising wisdom. // I think that happens sometimes when you love someone more than you love yourself¡­ and maybe even more than he loves himself. // Before Oskar could even begin to come up with an answer to that, Bastet continued. ¡°I do not know why,¡± she repeated. ¡°Knowing is my job, and in that, I have failed you, and so I must apologize for that. But, the glow, I can do something for.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Bastet closed her eyes and, much like Fox, Erik was enveloped with shimmering and ethereal magic. Thankfully, without the floating. The glow from his eye and his mouth that had been there since they entered the cave dissipated, and Oskar saw Erik was smiling. He closed his remaining eye and waved a hand in front of the missing eye, and Oskar noticed that in place of the glowing replacement eye he¡¯d gotten upon entering the cave, there was an actual blue eye. Luckily, this time it seemed the toll it took on Bastet was minimal, and she smiled as she watched Oskar give Erik another look-over. The entire eye is that same striking blue, not just the iris. I feel like it should be a little disconcerting, but it actually looks pretty cool. As if Erik could read his mind, he looked up at Oskar with a smile and said, ¡°How do I look, Oss?¡± ¡°Great, man. Real lady killer. How does it work?¡± // How come he gets to call you Oss, but you got all touchy when I called you Ossy? // Huuuuge difference. I like him. // Yeah, and you love me. // ¡°I¡¯m getting some information from it, but it¡¯s more of a feeling or an aura than what you guys seem to get from your PUBs,¡± Erik answered, his voice thoughtful. Basted clarified, ¡°It is a small measure of what allows me to gauge the true nature of those I see. It is connected to your Spirit and will grow as you do. As of now, what you see is best described as a¡­ threat level that is partially based on the amount of magical capacity they have.¡± Erik bowed his head slightly and simply thanked her. ¡°Oskar, you might have observed that my magic doesn¡¯t affect your amputated foot, similar to Erik¡¯s arm.¡± She looked at Erik¡¯s stump, and when she continued, she sounded frustrated. ¡°Your foot is also like a void to me, but fortunately, in your case, I know the reason.¡± She paused, but to yawn again, not for dramatic effect. ¡°Your lower leg has never been present in this world. It was gone before you arrived, and the magic accepted you as you were when you arrived,¡± she said. ¡°So, healing such a thing is something akin to True Creation itself, a power beyond my means,¡± she said, and the explanation made sense to Oskar. Everything is connected. His wise old PUB had repeatedly said that was the key to magic in this world, and creation from nothing wasn¡¯t a connection at all. A thought struck him. If that¡¯s the case, the total destruction of Erik¡¯s arm shouldn¡¯t be possible, either. If matter can¡¯t be created, surely it can¡¯t be destroyed completely. Law of Conservation, right? // Well, I don¡¯t have the answer to that, honestly. I will be my pedantic self, though, and mention she didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t possible, only that True Creation, whatever that is, is beyond her. It might be impossible, but that¡¯s not what she said. // That was a good point, but before Oskar could ask for clarification, Bastet spoke again, the sound a gentle against the prolonged silence, and his gaze lifted to meet hers. ¡°Although I have not the means to heal you, Oskar, I can help in other ways.¡± She looked at the spear in his lap and gave a quick nod at the weapon. ¡°That weapon is special. The last Great Tree provided the wood for its creation. With it, you have mastered the primary techniques of the spear.¡± Some of the cat¡¯s energy seemed to return as her eyes lit up. ¡°There is more to that weapon than you know. It is not only nigh indestructible, but a focus for your willpower.¡± She waited expectantly, but Oskar stared blankly at her. She laughed and explained. ¡°I supposed you have been rather busy. Did you never consider that a Divine weapon might have more to it than simply being durable?¡± She laughed good-naturedly and said, ¡°Oskar, I can offer you another option for your weapon. It may seem initially unorthodox for the fighting style you¡¯re developing, but you must trust me. Additionally, I have more for you than this simple gift, but we will speak of that later. I need your consent, Oskar.¡± ¡°Well, you have it. I trust you.¡± Oskar felt knowledge enter his mind. Concepts of balance, coordination, and new striking techniques swam through his thoughts like old, well-practiced memories. His PUB flashed and then caught up with what was happening around the same time Oskar caught on. His spear, laid across his lap, became top heavy and abruptly fell to the glass floor with a resounding thump. Looking down, he saw a massive maul in place of the spearhead. The rough textured pinecone shape of the spear was still present, but on both sides, it extended and ended in a flat, rock-hard surface. A vision of Oskar holding the maul in front of him in a balanced stance followed by a litany of attacks appeared in front of Oskar as the information he¡¯d just received played out in a series of movements for him to study, thanks to his PUB. It then showed him falling from the sky in an attack that ended in a powerful downward slam. Oskar was already brainstorming how he could incorporate it into his Dragoon fighting style as a modification to his spear attacks, but witnessing it unfold was something else altogether. With a mental nudge, the weapon transformed back into a spear, and Oskar¡¯s face grew into a huge grin. ¡°This is gonna be nasty,¡± he said. ¡°Nasty, indeed,¡± the cat answered, and then turned to Touwon. ¡°I have not forgotten you, my faithful friend.¡± Book 2, Chapter 10: You get a gift! And you get a gift! The Kobold watched Bastet intently. ¡°To you, Touwon, I give knowledge... and the blessing from one of the greatest minds I ever knew. It is not a class, as I feel you would not accept it even if I offered it. You have carefully planned out your development and evolution, and I believe it will serve you well.¡± Touwon gave her a nod and a rare smile. The Kobold¡¯s eyes went unfocused as he did something with his PUB. A notification popped up for Oskar as Touwon shared the blessing information with the group. Erik gave a low whistle at the description. / Ptah¡¯s Blessing / This blessing offers, among other talents you shall eventually unlock, an innate understanding of ancient technology. You now can learn energy manipulation for repairing and eventually creating similar technology, as well as a rudimentary way to connect and communicate with ancient machinery. When faced with a problem, even in battle, Ptah¡¯s guidance will occasionally lead you to find what you need, be that something material or conceptual. You will find all repairs and crafting come even more naturally to you. By the time Oskar had finished reading the information, Touwon had already emptied what looked like the contents of his entire bag to take inventory of his stuff. It was all laid out neatly in an open area beside where the group now rested. Oskar couldn¡¯t believe how much stuff Touwon carried. Even with the weight reduction, it¡¯s got to be heavy. It looks like he¡¯s having a neighborhood garage sale! Bastet looked content watching the Kobold do his thing, but Oskar saw her look down to the little Pangolor curled up beside her. ¡°You all have so much potential yet will need every edge I can offer to succeed with what I must now lie upon your shoulders. Even you, little guardian,¡± Bastet said. The great cat then dipped her head down and gently nuzzled Penny, who was snoring softly. A glow enveloped the Pangolor and her form grew, changing shape subtly. She remained curled up against Bastet, but was definitely bigger. She looked sleeker, a little thinner, but the copper scales that adorned her back were a deeper shade of copper, but now shimmered slightly with what looked like Bastet¡¯s magic. The only major change was what Oskar initially took to be small cat ears. But he could now see they were sharp, boney ridges that started atop her head and went all the way down to her tail. Penny slept through it all, but Oskar got an unexpected notification. // Gambit Completed: Protect the adolescent Pangolor until she reaches adulthood. Difficulty: Unknown Variables Reward: Companion Evolution, Insight // In this case, the Insight that Oskar received was a subtle¡­ deepening of his bond with Penny. He suddenly understood more of how she instinctually used Talau. Oskar couldn¡¯t recreate the ability, he doubted he ever could, but the information had improved his overall Mastery of Talau. Additionally, Bastet had finally revealed the name of the Magic Below to him.
Sora 86% (C Rank)
Talau 60% (D- Rank)
Rakiyu 43% (F+ Rank)
// The Magic Within, Rakiyu, Has revealed itself to you! Nice Job! // To the ignorant, Rakiyu is a subtle magic, binding with and reinforcing Sora and Talau to make it more powerful. However, true masters of Rakiyu learn that with proper application, the Magic Within can completely alter the natural elements of the world that make up the other two magics. // I guess I¡¯m an ¡°ignorant.¡± // I wasn¡¯t going to say anything. I came up with a few potential insults, but it was mostly background processing. Do you want to hear them? // Nope, Oskar thought back, not focusing on Penny and her changes. ¡°She was so close on her own,¡± Bastet said. ¡°For growth such as this is the way of our world, and I am sure even more so for Druid Companions,¡± she winked. ¡°I want to make sure she is ready for what is to come. I hope you, and she, will forgive me the feline characteristics that my interference might have caused.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she is going to mind at all. We don¡¯t know how to thank you, Bastet,¡± Oskar said. She looked serious and replied, ¡°Do not thank me. The burden I place on you far outweighs my humble gifts. I will impart to you more knowledge, some of which you have already earned, such as knowledge of The Magic Within. I wanted to help guide you in that before you grew too powerful in it, so please forgive the delay¡­ and the regrettable suppression of your PUB.¡± Her eyes looked at the Bracer on Oskar¡¯s arm and she nodded. // Apology accepted, I suppose. // Bastet gave them a quick smile. ¡°But if you will allow me, I would share everything I can with you, including the promised Rakiyu guidance, and unfortunately with that knowledge comes the price. I have paid all I have to keep this world alive and must now trust you to carry this burden.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He hadn¡¯t really noticed due to the glow around her, which was still powerful, but the sleek gray fur was now closer to white. Her head hung lower, and some of the poised power she¡¯d emitted when they¡¯d arrived had melted away. The gifts she gave them had cost her a great deal.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. This sobering thought was abruptly halted by a flood of new information. Oskar suddenly knew how close to the precipice this world was. The Wayspring Magic that had kept life and magic on this world after the death of the Great Trees was close to running out. What magic had remained was in Bastet. The Waysprings were not directly controlled by her, as it had a power all its own, but she was the only reason they still appeared at all. What remained was being used slowly as the world died from its seeping wound as there was a cost just to keep the world alive. When Gumbridge had tried to kill her, Bastet realized how broken the world was. Her sudden ascension into adulthood, some would say godhood, had happened below the water of the Wayspring Oasis, moments from death. The magic saved her. Already special at birth, she was more in tune with the magic of the world than most, allowing her to become truly one with the magic of the world. And then, she suddenly knew exactly how delicate the balance was. She¡¯d learned how quickly the magic was bleeding away after other Great Trees disappeared, and she¡¯d done two things to give the world a chance. The first was to take the remaining magic into herself as a vessel. Without a living thing to contain the magic, entropy had begun, the finite magic slowly dying. And second, long after the passing of Luth and Biggums and unknown to anyone until this moment, she¡¯d stolen a seed from the final Great Tree. It had been dying in the lands of the Drakon from their dark rituals. The Drakon knew it had been stolen, but not by who, and- unfortunately- the Kobolds had taken the blame and paid the price. Taking the magic into herself had been a necessity. When Chief Luth passed, it weakened the Kobold people as a whole. Over time, the Kobolds, bereft of strong leadership, but complacent from the peace and power it had offered, spread out over a larger area. Their strength of numbers became a liability as resources became scarcer. After centuries of trying to hold the world together to give the world even a chance at survival, Bastet was forced into further action. Therefore, she went in search of the last Great Tree. The Great Trees had once spread out all over the known planet. Some even claimed they were part of one tree, called the Omni-Tree, that was made up of a root system, of wood and magic, that expanded under the surface of the entire planet. On the surface, though, each Great Tree grew from the single seed grown from the core of the Great Tree before it. When the seed was harvested, the aging Great Tree perished, making way for the birth and regrowth of another. This cycle was supposed to last a thousand years, and according to legend, each Great Tree was more powerful than the last. That was all gone, though, and now, the withered Great Tree she found in the Drakon lands stood alone. The last survivor of what Bastet would later realize was a centuries long surge of uncontested, dark, magic. Magic far removed from what it was made to do. It fed on and eroded the life and power of the tree until it, too, was on the brink of rot and ruin. Bastet¡¯s link with the magic showed her the way forward, and she left the city in chaos with the seed from the Tree¡¯s core¡­ encased within a divine weapon. *** At that moment, a new knowledge linked to the Magic Within revealed itself to Oskar. Outside the knowledge he was being infused with, he felt himself shiver. // You have also unlocked the Concept: Isother, which is basically temperature. Within Isother, you have unlocked the sub- concept: Cryon, or cold. Control will come with time and practice¡­ apparently. I don¡¯t know how you use those, so don¡¯t ask. That¡¯s just what the system gave me. // To Oskar, the implications were astounding. This was clearly the foundation for the powerful control of magic Bastet had shown in the cave, and he couldn¡¯t wait to master it. More knowledge came, though, pushing thoughts of mastering Isother from the forefront of his thoughts. *** To Bastet¡¯s horror, the Drakon blamed the Kobolds for killing the Tree as the only other semi-dedicated magic users, which incited a new hatred against the Kobolds in their misplaced quest for revenge. They¡¯d spread lies that the Kobolds had stolen the Wayspring Magic as well. More lies were told claiming that Kobolds knew the secrets of finding water and had a hidden Oasis of their own. This all led to the idea that the Kobold people¡¯s ability to survive in larger groups was due to their hoarding of water and Wayspring magic. The Drakon campaign against the Kobold¡¯s was done in whispers, and it was done quickly, and the Kobolds had barely realized what was happening when the killings started. A great reaping. The Culling. Entire tribes of Kobolds were slaughtered to extinction, and Bastet couldn¡¯t be everywhere. By the time the Kobolds found the leadership they¡¯d needed to fight back, there was only time to run. Benedictus, young for a chief, was one of the few remaining tribal leaders left to the Kobolds. He gathered much of who remained and hid. Fox had been but a cub then. She¡¯d mentioned her childhood had involved a lot of fighting, but mostly moving and running. She also had a huge dislike for Hyena-men, but she¡¯d never provided an explanation, and Oskar was afraid to ask. Weakened but alive, many of the remaining Kobolds looked up to Benedictus as a great leader. He would hear nothing of it, though. ¡°No great Kobold Leader teaches his people to only hide and survive,¡± he would say. Yet, to Fox, he was more than that. He was the only reason any Kobolds survived the coordinated assaults inflicted on them by the other races, and he was the closest thing to a father she had left. Oskar could tell that Bastet had mixed feelings about the Kobold leader; he lacked the courage and moxie of Luth, but the predominant feeling was gratitude for leading what remained of the Kobold¡¯s to relative safety. Fox may not have known the extent of the Drakon involvement, but now Oskar knew the whole story. Knowing the truth behind the death of her people might bring her more pain than closure, and the new information left Oskar with an uneasy decision to make. Obviously, you don¡¯t keep important information from your close friends, though. Oskar had read too many books to be that dumb. Inevitably, they would find out that you knew the information the whole time, creating needless trust issues that could only be forgiven through a selfless, near-fatal act. Oskar was smarter than that. The crystalized, low walls that spiraled towards the platform in the center of the cavern shimmered with dancing magic as the group sat, content in the presence of Bastet. Fox was closest to the platform, sitting in the sand and leaning against the first wall, and Touwon had his gear spread out between the second and third, where Erik was, as he tinkered excitedly with his new knowledge. Oskar leaned against the fourth wall, still petting the sleeping calico, deep in thought and processing everything he had learned. He was trying to understand more of how Bastet used her magic when Bastet spoke again. ¡°I am sorry to put this on you, dear ones,¡± Bastet said after the long pause, ¡°but my burden is now yours. I have given Oskar my knowledge, and you have all received your gifts.¡± She looked forlorn, and beyond drained of power. Thin, almost frail. The temperature in the cavern was noticeably warmer, the artificial chill lessened. Unsure what to say, Oskar simply said, ¡°I live here now. This world is now my home. It¡¯s all our burden.¡± Bastet purred, smiling tiredly. She then nuzzled around the sleeping Penny and rested as the rest of the group started planning and sharing information. It was quickly turning into Oskar being picked on by Fox and Erik as the latter began regaling the group with a collection of Oskar¡¯s embarrassing childhood moments. They filled the cavern with laughter; the calico took turns nuzzling and begging for food from everyone in the group before settling again in Oskar¡¯s lap. Touwon was now working furiously on Oskar¡¯s prosthetic foot, and though Oskar didn¡¯t understand what the Kobold had planned, he trusted his friend. With Erik here, he felt surrounded by love and family. He felt, despite the missing foot, complete for the first time in years. Book 2: Chapter 11: Power and its Cost ¡°After that, Oskar got his second black eye and talked with a lisp for four days,¡± Erik laughed. ¡°But I¡¯ll give him some credit. Greg never made fun of Oskar¡¯s scarves again. Sometimes, though, I think he joined the military just to wear scarves again¡­ and it was cheaper than moving somewhere cold.¡± Fox was wheezing, and Oskar dramatically pulled at the ragged, faded shemagh he¡¯d worn since his arrival on this world as if he was self-conscious about it. ¡°It¡¯s not a scarf! Leave me alone!¡± Fox and Erik rolled back, both holding their stomachs. Erik almost fell over, and busted his elbow trying to catch himself, cursing at his funny bone through his laughter. Oskar was grinning as he said, ¡°Serves you right,¡± and flipped his brother a middle finger. They talked into the night... smiling, laughing. Erik loosened up quickly and after ¡°pick on Oskar¡± time was over, he seemed fascinated by Touwon¡¯s borderline obsessive tinkering. He didn¡¯t interrupt the Kobold, who was switching between projects with no warning and then going back to Oskar¡¯s prosthetic, he just watched. I can¡¯t even begin to follow what he¡¯s doing. Bastet seemed content in the friendly environment, but there was an aura of heaviness about her that Oskar knew better than to address. She¡¯d given them enough of a hint that the gifts she¡¯d imparted had cost her gravely, and though he didn¡¯t know when¡­ her time was up. She¡¯d said as much. But for now, the room, though warmer than before, was comfortable. The group chose not to address Bastet¡¯s quickly deteriorating state and spent their rare time of safety laughing and resting, and just being present with her during this time. They snacked on dried meat and some fresh cactus fruit Touwon pulled from his bag of tricks. Fox tried to give the fading cat water. She drank a little, but asked her to leave the waterskin, anyway. Fox sat the waterskin near her, and the cat laid her head down on the cool waterskin with a heavy sigh and a tired smile. Penny had gotten up at some point and was showing off her new sleek form. And, of course her ever present copper scales shimmered in the cavern¡¯s glow. She didn¡¯t stray far from Bastet, though, and quickly curled back into her warmth and slept again. The nomad life they¡¯d lived together made downtime like this rare. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s getting to rest, and it¡¯s great she¡¯s spending it with Bastet, who I suspect enjoys her presence just as much. We¡¯ve all been through a lot. Well, a lot is an understatement. Erik was now whispering questions to Touwon, who seemed to be fine with Erik¡¯s questions. While talking with Fox about Penny¡¯s changes and Fox¡¯s evolution, Oskar suddenly felt sleepy. It was subtle; between one blink and the next, it was just a little bit harder to open his eyes again. Remembering the same power putting him to sleep in that motel room what felt like a year ago, Oskar recognized what was happening. Unfortunately, he was asleep before he could gather his thoughts enough to warn the others or question Bastet. Oskar''s sleepy last glance at Bastet showed her face staring back at him, lids low on her beautiful eyes as his own lids closed. He forced his eyes open one last time, and Bastet winked at him. His impossibly heavy eyelids fell closed again. The last thing he felt was a great rush of power before his world went black. *** Oskar¡¯s breaths came short and fast, and the magic around him was powerful enough to act like a flare in the darkness, blinding and disorienting him. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He tried to launch into the air to escape, and the gravity increased tenfold, pulling him deeper into the sand instead. Power surged in his Spirit though, and part of him was free, shooting into the sky above the clouds. Suddenly, he was a part of something larger than himself, something old. Strong, but not quite the ¡°one with the world¡± feeling he¡¯d had when he first arrived and was gifted his Druidic powers. Now above the world, the sky grew darker. Panic set in as the air became thinner, even though he knew it wasn¡¯t his body that had just entered the stratosphere; some other, more ethereal part of him had. It took more out of him than it should have to stop hyperventilating. Oskar couldn¡¯t make himself stop breathing the non-air completely, though, worried that his body below might obey him. High above, he was still somehow acutely aware of his body. Though he couldn''t feel it fully, he knew the heat below was increasing. Oddly, though, one thing he distinctly felt was his far-off body gripping the top-heavy divine weapon in white knuckled hands. He reached out to tap into the power he knew was inside him now, but it felt distant and unwieldy. Frustratingly, so much of the new power was locked away. Although, despite his frustration, Oskar knew that trying to tame all that Sora, Talau, and Rakiyu was currently far beyond him. Pressure built in his skull as he reached for it anyway, and he forced himself to pull back, warned by the connection that he felt as he¡¯d risen into the sky¡­ but some bled through. His body, a distant thing, felt hotter than it should, and his focus wavered. The connection he¡¯d felt slipped from his grasp, and vertigo struck as he descended. *** The temperature in the cavern had risen drastically, and Oskar woke, drenched in sweat. He clenched the wet, warm sand as if it were nightmare-soaked, sweaty bedsheets and then sat up, looking for the weapon he knew he¡¯d been holding in his¡­ dream? Why¡¯s it so damn hot? His PUB was doing some sort of rebooting, ellipses blinking at the top of Oskar¡¯s vision. His eyes took in the dark cavern as best it could, and everyone else was just beginning to stir. Still curled inside the sleeping Bastet, Penny opened her eyes, but did not move as she looked straight at Oskar questioningly. Erik stirred and Oskar looked over to see his brother do the same thing he¡¯d just done¡­ namely wonder why it was so freaking dark, hot, and stuffy. ¡°Oss, look¡­¡± Erik trailed off, and Oskar followed his brother¡¯s strange, glowing gaze. Curled around Penny was not quite Bastet, but a perfect statue of the cat. Her eyes closed, she lay still upon the flat protrusion she¡¯d lain on most of the night. Oskar¡¯s jaw clenched, and he felt pressure in his eyes, but the seriousness of the situation took root before the grief could set in. Regardless, a guilt stubbornly remained as Oskar realized the power he''d felt in the dream, something he could still feel the tiniest amount of, must have came from Bastet. He didn¡¯t know how to honor her for everything she¡¯d done, so he just sat there and stared until he¡¯d gathered his emotions. He saw the waterskin still under her perfectly preserved head, a pillow beneath the soft smile on her stone visage. Maybe it was the only fitting tribute to the one who carried the Wayspring magic for so long. How else do you honor someone like her? All the other cats were gone. There had been several, glowing softly and pattering around the cavern the night before. None had interacted or even acknowledged the group other than the calico, however. It had taken Oskar seeing one, an older orange cat, literally walk through one of the short walls before he realized that only Bastet and the Calico were physically present. The others were possibly facets of Bastet¡¯s power, or maybe reflections of cats in another world. Penny stood and, after nuzzling the statue form of Bastet fondly, started walking around to get pets from everyone as if she hadn¡¯t tripled her weight and doubled her length overnight. Her new, more feline form looked sleek and stronger than ever. Her gentle steps across the glass floor were now surefooted and made her look as if she could pounce like a coiled spring. Oskar had to admit, as cute as Penny was, she looked dangerous. She also still wanted pets, and Oskar happily obliged her. A throaty purring sound followed her kwinn, similar to Bastet. She wasn¡¯t being needy, though, her intelligent eyes showed concern, and this was her way of checking on everyone. ¡°You¡¯re the best, girl.¡± We¡¯ve got to get the hell out of this glass cave before we cook. A sudden sobering reminder of his broken prosthetic hit Oskar like a bad clam chowder, and he jerked his gaze over to Touwon, who¡¯d just sat up, and was staring at the stone form of Bastet with a tilted head. Book 2 Chapter 12: Resigned Dejection The PUB flashed and Oskar was flooded with new information. A glance at it was enough for Oskar to realize most of the new information was gibberish. It looked like corrupted data or something. Again, he scanned the big cat, statue or not. As surreal as the night before was, it was hard to believe that she existed at all, let alone that she was now gone. // Still a void, no info at all. And yeah dude, we¡¯re gonna need a little while to work through all this. I¡¯ll try to figure some of this out on my own, you got your own problems. // Agreed, Oskar sent back, as he pulled his Goggles off to carefully clean with his shirt, and had to dry his eyes with a sleeve when sweat dripped into them before he could re-situate the Goggles. The air was stuffy and smelled like dry earth and dust. Touwon was still sitting, rubbing his ears as he glanced around, taking everything in. Oskar was about to ask about the prosthetic even though he was afraid of the answer, but Touwon shushed him before he could say a word. Rude. // Hilarious. // The Kobold¡¯s demeanor was calm as he turned to his bag, reached over it, and picked up Oskar¡¯s leg from where he¡¯d sat it. Touwon had packed most of the bag back up after his tinkering session the night before and had apparently finished the leg after Oskar fell asleep. The little prick pulled out Oskar¡¯s T-handle and double checked everything. How did he even get it?! // Hilariously. Love this guy. // The Kobold stood and walked over to Oskar and squatted, his long, purple-colored ears dangling as he nodded his head downward and toward the prosthetic in his hands. The foot looked like a solid piece of metal, but then Touwon bent the ankle slightly, and held up his thumb and first finger about half an inch apart and shrugged. ¡°So, it moves?¡± Oskar asked. Touwon shook the fingers at him impatiently. ¡°A little?¡± Touwon nodded and right as Oskar looked back down at the foot in wonder, Touwon repeated the phrase perfectly. ¡°A little.¡± Oskar jerked his head back up, but Touwon was already moving back toward his bag. The Kobold, who was now tightening the straps on his bag, ignored Oskar¡¯s late, confused sounding, ¡°Thanks.¡± Oskar wiped his leg liner down carefully and pulled himself back up onto the nearby wall to put his prosthetic foot on. He¡¯d stood with unexpected ease and then almost fell over the other side of the wall. He righted himself, and slid the liner on his stump, and then slid the leg into the prosthetic socket. Standing slowly, Oskar overbalanced himself again as he tried to work his way into the socket. Weird. I don¡¯t feel dizzy. Yet something was going on with his balance- or maybe his body. He¡¯d grown muscle faster than what had been possible on earth, but because of the weight loss he¡¯d experienced during those awful, sleepless, 6 months¡­ the added muscle from the moving and fighting he¡¯d done after arriving on this planet just made the leg fit tighter than it had in months. Now comfortable in the prosthetic, Oskar looked around and realized the calico cat was peeking around the stone form of Bastet, confused and still. Staring at the cat, wide eyed, he called out to her gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay, girl.¡± She cautiously walked over and bumped her head against Oskar¡¯s fake foot, and then looked around. Her bobbed tail moved behind her, the ethereal tail gone. The air felt stagnant, and the temperature was even worse because of the still air. Oskar thought the air between the dunes was oppressive, but being in a dark cavern with the temperature rising was almost panic inducing. The roof of the cavern was covered by a thin enough layer of sand that the brutal morning suns overhead made the sand glow, giving the cavern a subtle, earthy light. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can make it through the cavern heading back out, right? It¡¯s going to be pitch black, hot as hell, and way too long a walk. Do we¡­¡° Oskar trailed off, looking up. ¡°Do we break through the roof?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Everyone looked around and then up at the glass roof of the cavern. The calico meowed reproachfully at the group and walked towards the back of the cavern. Something had shattered the glass roof in this portion of the cavern at some point, probably long ago, and the sunlight shone through the glass near the break. Maybe it¡¯s possible to dig through the sand wall? Oskar took a step forward and lost his balance again, having to grab on the wall to keep from toppling. He didn¡¯t feel like he was experiencing vertigo, but his body was responding differently to his commands. I feel more¡­ forceful. Powerful wasn¡¯t quite the right word, since he was just trying to walk, but his movements felt exaggerated. Erik was looking at him worriedly, sweat beginning to stream down his brother¡¯s face as the temperature rose in the large room. Oskar held up a finger to tell him to hold on and stopped trying to just figure it out on his own. The PUB was doing his ¡°Let Oskar figure it out on his own¡± thing, and Oskar was not currently in the mood for it. Look, I obviously can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on, here. Wanna help me out before this cavern turns into an oven? // I hate simplifying this so much and not making a joke but look at your body stats. // Shaking his head at himself, he did exactly that, and what he saw explained everything except ¡°how?¡±
Mind D+ Rank
Body D Peak Rank
Spirit D- Rank
// All your stats took a giant leap forward, but she pushed you up almost to C Body Rank. Your other stats went up, too, and stopped blocking the Spiritual knowledge you were lacking to push into D Rank. I get why she did it now, but that was really frustrating to be suppressed like that. // Oh man, I''m not supressed any more! Also, I feel like I could jump fifteen feet in the air even without using Sora. Is it this normal to feel this much improvement within the same Rank? // I don¡¯t even have a body, and for some reason you¡¯re asking me. You somehow ask questions I don¡¯t know constantly, and now I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s because they¡¯re below my intelligence threshold, not above my knowledge level. // Funny. How do I adapt to this? // Yeah, that was mean¡­ sorry. Umm, instead of forcing your body to do something, try just thinking about it. Your reflexes are gonna be out of whack for a bit because your Body is slightly above your Mind and Spirit. No one achieves perfect balance, but you¡¯ve just experienced months of casual growth over a nap. Well, maybe not months for you. You tend to get into a lot of trouble. // Oskar tried again, thinking about walking more like he was riding a hoverboard or something back home. If you heavily leaned into it, you were overdoing it. Weirdly, thinking hard about leaning forward was usually enough to do the trick, so instead of rushing forward, he more just suggested it. His left leg went forward more or less normally, but he froze after the step like he was wearing magnetic boots. ¡°Sorry, guys. Thanks to Bastet, I apparently hit D Peak Body last night while I was asleep. My coordination is way off,¡± Oskar explained. Fox said, ¡°That is a great gift. I feel I am close to Peak D Rank myself. You are much stronger than you were before,¡± Fox nodded appreciatively. ¡°This is good for us. Your fighting has been growing at an impressive rate. However, we are cooking alive here, so if you could manage to gather yourself, we would appreciate it.¡± ¡°Why all the sass?! I¡¯m trying!¡± Oskar said but exhaled in relief when she winked at him. They were all on the same page, but she was right. He needed to get it together. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not just my body that¡¯s different. I can feel the Waysprings for miles around. Maybe this is the Spirit growth? If we were about a hundred meters further that way,¡± he pointed towards the wall on their right, ¡°I might even be able to pull water to us.¡± ¡°Oss¡­ no time for ¡®ifs,¡¯ just dig,¡± Erik said as he carefully climbed up the mound of sand that had broken through the glass ceiling and began scooping with his hand. Oskar moved forward slowly, coming to grips with the changes in his body, and dug as well while Touwon and Fox gathered the rest of their things. The calico had walked up and gently nuzzled the stone form of Bastet, and then hopped up on Touwon¡¯s bag to rest the moment he closed it up and sat it down so he could help dig. At one point, Erik¡¯s hand grazed the roof, and he recoiled, looking down at the group, cursing. After a second, he said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s freaking hot. Don¡¯t touch the glass.¡± Touwon walked up behind him and waved him down, and Erik slid down the hot sand to make room for the Kobold. Erik was trying to shake sand out of his clothes, but Oskar knew that was all but pointless. Oskar had to remind himself that Erik hadn¡¯t spent quite as much time roughing it in the open elements as they had. ¡°There¡¯s almost no point, man. It¡¯s like it creeps into everything,¡± Oskar said with a huff. ¡°Remember, in Iraq when I wrote you about my little CD player that was vacuum sealed in a Ziplock bag? About how, after a sandstorm, the bag somehow had freaking sand in it?¡± Erik nodded, smirking as he pulled his robe away from his body to cool off. His robe was sticking to his body with sweat, and Oskar knew how miserable his brother must have felt. ¡°Well, this sand is worse. I just try to keep it from rubbing between my thighs.¡± Erik gave a dramatic sigh and wiped sweat from his forehead. Oskar laughed as he dug, ¡°Resigned dejection. Now you¡¯re getting it!¡± Book 2, Chapter 13: Like Sniffing a La Croix Erik smiled at him, and it made Oskar happy to see it. He dug a little longer, and then traded out with Fox, feeling like the sand was pouring in almost as fast as they were digging it out. Touwon had produced a small Kobold sized digging tool and was using it until Fox climbed the mound for her turn at digging, and he handed it to her. ¡°He didn¡¯t offer it to me,¡± Oskar mumbled, making Fox laugh at him with that unique, almost unhinged laugh of hers. They¡¯d all spent most of the night laughing at Erik¡¯s exaggerated stories about Oskar, and Fox had laughed more in those hours than he¡¯d ever heard her laugh. If she ever wants to talk about her origins, she will. Besides, it changes nothing. It doesn¡¯t matter what she is other than my friend. He rested as he watched her work. Her strength belied her small stature, and he was again thankful to have the Kobolds and his brother here with him. Penny, and I guess the calico, too. He watched the small multicolored cat nuzzle into Touwon¡¯s bag, treating it like it was a cat bed. Not a cat bed, her cat bed. It was a curious questions as to why the calico stayed when Bastet¡¯s power left, but questions never end and each answer just spawns more questions¡­ more hydra heads. He drank some of the remaining water from his waterskin and sat on the closest wall, overheated and tired from the awkward position he¡¯d been in at the top of the mound. Improved body or not, digging is hard work. He¡¯d absolutely been able to tell the difference, though. Even the workhorse Touwon was slowing now. Oskar had lasted almost as long as the hearty little Kobold, and Touwon had been using a shovel the whole time. Touwon eventually slid down the mound to rest, and Oskar stood to take his place before Erik could attempt to climb back up with his one hand. Erik was doing¡­ better. The comradery, downtime, Bastet¡¯s presence, along with a decent night¡¯s sleep had worked wonders. But it hadn¡¯t worked miracles. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the eye and tongue were incredible gifts, but those won¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t figure out why his own abilities are killing him. I won¡¯t lose my brother again. So, Oskar dug and let his frustrated brother rest. Time passed slowly and it felt like too little progress was being made. Penny had initially helped them dig, but she was much better at traveling through the sand than displacing it. She had quickly gotten bored and hungry and was now somewhere topside, giving Oskar a better sense of what was above them. The Pangolor using her magic to get out of the cave gave him an idea. Oskar paused, considering. He wasn¡¯t used to it yet, but he had power. More than ever, now. Being stuck underground was going to make using that power more annoying than usual, but he should be able to exert his power anyhow. Not just over wind, but over the air itself. It would have been a bit much before, but his magic control and strength felt way stronger than it had. Apparently, his lagging growth in Spirit had acted as a bottleneck, and his overall increase in body stats helped him to be better able to handle his growing mastery over the natural magics of this world. ¡°Fox, please back up. I think we¡¯ve cleared enough out that I can push out enough sand to get us through.¡± ¡°Why not pull? We¡¯ve been digging the whole time?¡± Erik asked. ¡°I thought about that,¡± Oskar replied. ¡°I can¡¯t get a super clear picture of what¡¯s up there. Maybe if I could actually see through Penny¡¯s eyes, but I can¡¯t. She gives me a better idea what¡¯s up there than where it is, exactly. And, if it¡¯s near a dune wall, it could come avalanching in all at once, pouring in and potentially crushing us.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Erik grunted in acknowledgement. ¡°If I use Sora to push, I¡¯ll hopefully clear out any big ass piles of sand that want to come in here and crush us. Although,¡± Oskar stopped, pursing his lips in deep thought for a moment. ¡°That could cause a sand slide, too. But I think the chances are better if I push. I can feel the air stirring above. My money¡¯s on it being mostly clear. Still, no point in risking an avalanche of sand if I pull too hard,¡± Oskar said. This time, when Oskar called on Sora, he felt a small chill in the air sweep in behind him, sending shivers down his whole body due to the sweat. He could tell the cost of using Sora like this was much higher. Is this the Cryon sub-concept thing? Why does it take so much Capacity? // Probably a few reasons, if I had to guess. First: it¡¯s more than Sora, now, isn¡¯t it? It makes sense it would be more demanding. Second: You know how much easier this kind of stuff gets with practice. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll get more efficient as you master it further. Fourth: It¡¯s broiling in here. It probably takes more magic to introduce an opposing element in this type of environment. // Wait, what was third? // You must have missed it, try to keep up. // Oskar¡¯s reply faded from his thoughts as the faintest scent of pine and life swept past him. The scent was like smelling a La Croix compared to Bastet¡¯s though; the scent of her magic was like walking through a forest just before a spring rain. Regardless, for just a moment, he felt peace like when Bastet had used the magic he now carried somewhere inside himself. Just¡­ dialed down to a whisper. To him, though, the magic spooled up around him with a force he¡¯d never imagined possible. He could feel traces of multiple unfamiliar power inside the magic as it encircled him and knew it for what it was. The promise of more. There¡¯s so much more to Sora than I knew. I still don¡¯t know, but now at least, I know I don¡¯t know, you know. // Son of a birch stole my line. // He¡¯d been using mostly wind and water, but everything that existed in the sky existed in Sora. Intoxicated, he pulled harder on the magic, and as it spun faster around him, Oskar suddenly felt those unblinking, countless eyes watching him from impossibly far away. Far away- both in distance and time, he knew, and he felt the terrifying feeling of those shuttering, horrifying things in the sky go perfectly still. He could feel their power, for lack of a better term, ¡°leaking through the gaps¡± in his mind. He stopped reaching for more, and the feeling subsided. Not since he¡¯d first arrived on this planet, desperate and close to breaking apart from the ordeal of nightmares and his brother¡¯s torture, had he felt their attention so keenly. I don¡¯t know what that was¡­ but that was terrifying. They suddenly felt less like the horrific figments of his imagination he¡¯d tried to tell himself they were, and more like horrifying things of impossible scale who were waiting to eat this planet when it finally died, as crazy as that seemed. Blinking, he cleared his head and focused. Oskar gave it everything he had, quickly expending the Sora and swearing he¡¯d never pull so greedily again if he could help it. With a blast of cold air that grew in strength as it swept through the cavern, the power stormed forward from above and on all sides. The change in pressure and the vacuum of Sora affected the air and sand above the cavern roof, and the sand all around them swirled in minuscule spirals before blasting outward. The chill and pleasant scent disappeared as the cavern suddenly brightened. Oskar¡¯s ears popped, and he saw everyone grimace as the same happened to them. The big calico shook her head and then glared at Oskar for a moment before squinting up at the opening. Dangerous, razor thin beams of light crisscrossed the room around Oskar from the jagged portion of the glass roof. One beam of light, as thin as fishing wire and magnified, hit Oskar¡¯s upraised palm as he lowered it back to his side. Erik, in an appreciative show of reaction time, snapped a shield around Oskar before he even had time to pull his hand away from the painful laser-like beam. His brother¡¯s hand steady him and stopped him from taking a step backwards away from the lights in front of him. Looking back, he realized Erik had saved him from even more damage. Had he taken that instinctual backward step, he¡¯d have walked right into two more beams of light that crossed behind him. He looked over at Erik, wide eyed, and with a tired grin, Erik mouthed ¡°Dumbass,¡± to him. Oskar flipped him a bird and carefully moved up towards the entrance and then held out a hand to help Erik walk up the mound and carefully out of the cave. Book 2 Chapter 14: Willful Synergy Book 2 Chapter 14 The Kobolds were already up and scouting around as soon as they made it topside. Emerging from the stifling cavern, Oskar was surprised to find the desert heat, though as intense as always, almost a relief; it was at least in the open air. He made sure the calico was free of the opening, and then Oskar swept the sand back into the opening with a much gentler push of Sora than before. And thankfully, I didn¡¯t feel any freaky, interdimensional attention that time. The calico and its little wagging stumpy tail rubbed between Oskar¡¯s boots and jumped up on Touwon¡¯s shoulder, again finding a place on top of Touwon¡¯s bag and settling down to rest. She obviously cared little about the heat as long as it wasn¡¯t on her paws. Oskar and Erik were still sweltering, though, and after Oskar checked with the Kobolds on if they¡¯d found anything, he set off towards the closest Wayspring. As far as his ability to sense water, it was fully instinctual now. No longer a feeling of ¡°finding¡± the Waysprings. The infusion of power from Bastet pushed Oskar into a whole new realm. They were moving slowly, though, wary under the bright lights of the rising suns. After feeling the safety of Bastet¡¯s presence, it took some effort to flip the survival paranoia back into high gear. Erik walked over and with a tiny flash of his power, the burn on Oskar¡¯s hand was gone as if it had never happened. Oskar was about to say something about Erik wasting his power, but his brother was already walking. He had to remind himself that Erik had been healed and rested well. Now walking ahead of Oskar, his brother didn¡¯t look near as emaciated as he had after their fight outside the lair. Slowly walking to take the lead as they drew closer to the Wayspring, Oskar considered his improved Spiritual attunement, and wondered if he could sense more about his brother¡¯s condition. As he feared, he gained nothing specific from the scan, but it did look like his brother was as healthy as he could possibly be right now. Not that he was fully healed, it was that he couldn¡¯t heal any further. Something had¡­ for lack of a better word¡­ locked away a portion of him. Whether it was his life force or some dark spiritual scarring, it wasn¡¯t willing to release its grip on Erik. Valla. She just thinks she can hurt and take anything she wants without consequences forever. Well, if you¡¯re gonna be a ruthless, power-hungry psycho, be careful the people you leave in your wake are dead when you¡¯re done with them. Setting his jaw, he fought down the anger simmering inside him and walked towards the Wayspring flowing under the sand ahead of them. Touwon was whispering, of all things, to the cat laying on top of his backpack when Oskar suddenly realized he could feel the cat¡¯s presence, just like Penny. // Yeeahh¡­ about that: Companion Gained 2/2. Apparently, her name is Sara. Without an H. So don¡¯t try to name her something stupid based on her color like you did Penny. // Sara-Without-An-H, got it. Yeah, that¡¯s not dumb at all. And, for your information, Penny loves her name. // Did she love it, or did you rattle off a few and they just got worse and worse, so she just agreed to Penny before you started calling her ¡°Shiny Brown?¡± // Quiet, Brown Brain Bracelet. // I want you to imagine me chopping you in the throat, cause that¡¯s what I¡¯m imagining right now. // Oskar smiled as Penny leaped up out of the sand ahead and rolled onto her back playfully, looking back at the group. The tail of some unfortunate snack disappeared inside her cat-like mouth and as the group walked past. She lazily got up and followed. *** The Dorn Collective closed in on the Wayspring with the familiar heat of the suns bearing down on them. Now that he was walking, Oskar was getting used to his Body improvement much quicker, now. Digging had helped a great deal, and strangely, when he¡¯d channeled Sora to clear out the sand, he could feel traces of magic inside him now, reinforcing his body. His body wasn¡¯t just stronger, though, it was all around more efficient. Despite the work and sweat, he wasn¡¯t dying to drink a gallon of Wayspring water the way he would have the day before. He spent a moment focusing on shifting his spear into its maul form and was happy to see the transformation happened quickly enough to be useful in combat. Imagine landing on someone from a hundred meters in the sky with this bad boy. The weapon was unsuited for walking as a maul, so with a thought, he switched it back to a spear.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Staring upward, he watched the sky for a moment as they came to a stop near the water below. When he gazed upward, his Goggles dimmed the sky and responded to his focus, granting Oskar the ability to see the faintest dots of distant stars through the red tinted atmosphere. ¡°I wonder how far we are from earth,¡± he wondered aloud. ¡°Too far, and not far enough,¡± Erik said behind him, and Touwon chuckled. Okay, so apparently Touwon thinks Erik is hilarious. I get it, though. My time here has changed me in ways I can¡¯t begin to explain, and we¡¯re all looking for moments of escape. Dangerous or not, though, this world feels more like home than Earth does. It might sound strange, but my goal here has never really been to get home. I love it here, and I can only hope I never lose the surreal feeling of this world. It¡¯s like being a kid again, exploring the forest near my and Erik¡¯s childhood home. One of them, at least. That reminder partially derailed the pleasant thought, but Oskar mentally pushed past it and focused on the world around him instead of the one in his memories. His eyes followed the streamers of sand passing overhead on the taller dunes. He could smell the foreign, but pleasant smell of the desert, and even the cloudless sky held a million curiosities. Standing near the Wayspring, Fox pointed at a spot, and Oskar gave her a grin and a thumbs up. Fox said, ¡°I think it would be best if we filled our waterskins, rested for a moment¡­ drank our fill, and then continued onward to distance ourselves from the lair and cavern as much as possible.¡± Oskar nodded with a huff and set himself to drawing the water up closer to the surface. ¡°Agreed. It¡¯s early.¡± Penny dug down to insert the siphon hose, her travel completely soundless now. Her strange ability to navigate the sand underground had obviously improved with her evolution. Even Oskar had trouble keeping tabs on her under the sand now unless he focused on her. Pangolors would be formidable opponents, and Oskar was glad he had Penny to ¡°kwinn¡± them out of any nasty situations if they ever found themselves on the wrong side of the creatures. Oskar couldn¡¯t imagine there were many wild creatures as intelligent as Pangolors, or Penny wouldn¡¯t have made such an impression on the Kobolds. The family of Pangolors they¡¯d run into a while ago had made fast friends with Penny and posed no threat to the group. Despite their friendliness, though, Fox had warned Oskar about the clever creatures and told him a story to prove her point. ¡°They are formidable enemies if you are foolish enough to be at odds with them. Hyena¡¯s hate them and try to run them out of areas they wish to reside in. They will never hold a grudge the way a Pangolor will, though. For months, one team of Hyenamen who were stupid enough to kill one were completely unable to leave the Oasis without enough food and water for their entire journey. Two Pangolors lived outside their Collective encampment and would not allow them to hunt or find a Wayspring in peace. The Hyenamen eventually dissolved their Collective and went their separate ways. ¡°I am sure the Pangolors followed one of them,¡± she¡¯d added with a laugh. ¡°It is better just to stay on their good side, know that as a truth.¡± As Fox instructed, they first filled up their water-skins, keeping a constant eye on the- thankfully empty- sky and then drank from the Wayspring directly as Oskar began working through some of his notifications, the most important being: // World Gambit Updated ¨C Step 4: This Gambit cannot be initiated at this time. You have a powerful enemy who bars your path forward. Valla must be bad news if even the World Gambit wants her dead. That shouldn¡¯t happen unless there are worldwide consequences for failure. // Oskar had known she needed to be dealt with, but knowing for sure that she influenced the World Gambit meant she had to directly contributing to the problem that was killing this world. Not the initial cause since, according to Bastet, that happened centuries ago, but she was what was now holding the reins, and that was one more very valid reason that she needed to be stopped. Amid all his anger towards Valla, Oskar pulled on The Magic Within and felt it empowering him. This new magic, Rakiyu, differed from Sora and Talau in every way. He knew it was a magic all its own because of the notification when he¡¯d unlocked Isother and Cryon, but it didn¡¯t want to act like it. It wove in and melded with the other magics to empower them, and he had to make a mental effort to stop it- to force it remain in his control. He suddenly felt he was on the verge of something, another idea or Concept he was close to understanding. The Spiritual magic seemed to be affected by the nearby Wayspring. It was tugging in that direction, but Oskar knew it could do more than just empower and enforce, and held it fast as he played with the shimmering magic swimming around him. He stopped holding it back, and instead pushed it into the other magic with intent instead of allowing it to do what it wanted. He had to admit, though, still nervous about the strange horrors he¡¯d felt when he used so much Sora earlier. For a moment, the Spiritual magic again strained against his control like it wanted to flitter away from him and into the sky. But like Sora, he cycled it like a whirlwind. Surprisingly, instead of swirling around him, he instead felt it inside him, which meant the shimmering new magic he was witnessing was its effect on Sora and Talau. So, instead, he pushed it outside his body with a great deal of effort. There was a moment of lightheadedness but just like with the Magic Above and the Magic Below, he muscled through and got to work learning and pushing the boundaries of the Magic Within. Rakiyu didn¡¯t directly affect the world around him like Sora did, but he realized when he added Sora, the Spiritual magic considered it an extension of himself¡­ or maybe itself. Using that method, he spent the entire time they rested pushing it outward as far as he could. It was getting easier and easier, and he found he could separate Rakiyu and Sora at will, unlike when he allowed Rakiyu to empower Sora on its own. Feeling like the magic was stable, he added Talau into the mix, and something clicked. Rakiyu nearly slipped from Oskar¡¯s grasp in his shock; he had a sudden feeling that losing control while it was combined with the other magics could be catastrophic. Sora still spooled around him, and when he soothed his channeled Talau and pushed Rakiyu carefully back into the mix, the air magic smoothed, no longer wild and rushing. Talau strengthened and anchored the magic from within. The whole thing spooled around him smoothly, gaining speed as he pushed the spiritual magic outward. The instant Rakiyu fully enveloped both Sora and Talau, they harmonized, and the air and earth magic ¡°locked in.¡± It was as if the magic no longer needed his attention, which was convenient. He felt the entire construct now relying completely on his control of Rakiyu. He realized Talau was honeycombed around his body in a way the he knew would offer protection. Not perfect absorption, but absorption, nonetheless. Even better, it still anchored Sora, which spun around him now as smooth as glass, almost invisible to the naked eye. Just like outside the cave. This is¡­ awesome! Book 2 Chapter 15: A Method of Control Oskar pulled up the notification for Willful Synergy, but outside the odd warning at the end, it basically told him what he¡¯d experienced. // Willful Synergy is an improved control method for Rakiyu. The Magic Within naturally reinforces Sora and Talau, and will do so to some extent without your direction. Taking control of the magic, however, can modify your spells and abilities at the cost of more capacity, and more importantly, drastically increase the synergy between the magics. Take care, though, to maintain control¡­ Spirit that breaks free is without purpose and direction; outside the boundary of purpose is chaos. // Outiside the boundary of purpose is chaos? Who¡¯s waxing poetic now? // Dude, that¡¯s copy and pasted from my freshly unlocked databanks. I¡¯m so not a waxer. // Smirking, Oskar paused his practice and helped the group clean up the area to hide their presence, and then the group prepared to move again. They¡¯d only rested a short while, but everyone agreed they needed distance from the cavern before resting. It had taken so much effort to get used to his improved body that he hadn¡¯t really considered the massive improvement Touwon had worked on his prosthetic. It didn¡¯t quite bounce, but it absorbed the impact much easier than before. Touwon had checked it the moment they stopped and muttered to himself as he made some minor adjustments that Oskar couldn¡¯t follow. It worked, and that¡¯s all Oskar cared about. We know that having a prosthetic here, long term, is not gonna be something I can sustain unless I can somehow make a new liner. Liners can last awhile, but if it wasn¡¯t for the healing of the Wayspring water, this one would probably already be causing skin breakdown. Oskar felt a headache coming on. I guess we need to keep an eye out for smooth, durable, pliant material. That should be easy enough, right? // No. Not at all. // Thanks, PUBs. // Of course! // Still quiet, Erik kept looking up at the sky and then back down at his feet as they walked, which Oskar knew meant he was deep in thought about something. He knew his brother well enough to know he¡¯d talk when he was ready and not a moment before. After Oskar updated them on the World Gambit situation, Fox and Oskar talked for a bit and eventually agreed they needed a plan that was better than ¡°get distance from the cave.¡± They¡¯d spend more time talking that night when they stopped to rest. Sara-without-an-H nodded as if she agreed, and that was that; they spear back out and kept a wary eye on the sky and their surroundings. It feels strange to have everyone look to me for answers. I think everyone here is more knowledgeable than me, maybe even the cat. Oskar¡¯s main takeaway from the conversation was wandering around the desert waiting on Valla to find them again was not an option at all. They needed to find and stop her. However, they couldn¡¯t just find and attack her with no information on her location or numbers. Additionally, he didn¡¯t know what was happening to the Kobolds under Valla¡¯s influence, but the longer they took to stop her, the more she could hurt them. And apparently this entire planet. We¡¯ve run long enough. We¡¯ve got to find a way out of this loop before we slip up and lose someone. That was a truth¡­ as Fox would say. Oskar¡¯s brow furrowed as he considered. I feel the weight of all this, like Bastet said I would. It¡¯s probably going to be the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever done, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not excited about all this really¡­ but man. I feel like, with these guys, we might just do it. He looked around at the group- his small Collective. More like family, now. And if I keep bulking up, I¡¯m gonna look like Vin Deisel. He looked down appreciatively at his shoulders and arms. I¡¯m gonna need new clothes soon, too. If I hadn¡¯t lost all that weight during those¡­ those crappy months, I wouldn¡¯t even fit in this stuff anymore. But it¡¯s not enough. I need to be stronger. I need to keep everyone safe. With renewed vigor and purpose, he summoned Sora and Talau around him and marveled again at how much smoother it all worked together, even when he wasn¡¯t using Rakiyu. It was as if he was learning how to implement some of the synergistic effects the Magic Within used. He tried for a moment to tap into the new Cryon Concept, but backed off. That magic was going to take a lot of practice, and drained his energy much faster than he could sustain. He would need to be sitting by a Wayspring and downing water to refill his Capacity just to be able to mess around with it for more than a minute, so instead he focused again on the Magics Above and Below. When he was directly connected to their sources, open air for Sora, and touching the sand for Talau, he found that channeling the individual magic alone felt fine. Outside their source, they slowly lost potency. He considered that for a moment, working through it while trying to get used to the new way the prosthetic foot moved beneath him. In the air, Talau feels like sand running out through my fingers. On the ground, Sora feels like a long, slow exhale of breath while walking up a mountain. Together, they anchored one another, and found he could channel either one better than before, and for longer.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Rakiyu, though¡­ Concentrating, he cycled his Spirit magic inside of him and pushed. The glass-like dome of Sora, spinning around him, smoothed out, and again, Talau relaxed, honeycombing around his body in a loose embrace he knew would respond to any attack. The usual pressure of maintaining both eased as Rakiyu infused them. It¡¯s not just infusing them, he realized. It¡¯s saturating them! Suddenly, Oskar realized he had way more control than previously, especially with Talau. Rakiyu acted like a control method for the other two when he fully activated Willful Synergy. He could push outward or condense the magic back into his body like a skin-tight suit of magic. Holding them tight to his body, he felt stronger and more protected by both. The magic changed when he pushed it outward. It wasn¡¯t reinforcing his own magic as much, but felt like it was seeking something else. He pushed it outward further, straining as far as he dared until a familiar, unwelcome pressure tingled at the base of his skull and threatened his concentration. He stopped pushing immediately and instead tried to pinpoint exactly what the magic was doing. The entire group turned and looked at him, even Sara, still sitting atop Touwon¡¯s neato bag. Oskar froze, his eyes scanning the faces of the group. ¡°Uh, what? What¡¯s that doing?¡± Fox was the first to answer. Her head tilted and the Kobold¡¯s intelligent green eyes were full of curiosity. ¡°You completely vanished from my perception. Do you know how you did this? Is something you could envelop the entire group in?¡± Oskar considered for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I could cover everyone. The magic wants to be free, so I¡¯ve got to concentrate to keep it flowing around me.¡± He pushed outward, and Fox¡¯s eyes widened further. ¡°It feels like a weaker version of drinking water from a Wayspring. I am revitalized.¡± Fox said, her voice carrying over to Touwon and Erik, who were making their way over to them. Penny poked her head up from the sand, having surfaced likely because she could apparently no longer feel Oskar above her. // Oh man, this is so cool. I¡¯ll shut up, I¡¯m just excited. // Ignoring the PUB, Oskar considered his class name, Wayspring Wanderer. He realized the name might not have meant what he¡¯d previously assumed. He was no longer wandering between Waysprings, using his strange druidic powers to find them. They felt like a part of him. I can¡¯t do this forever, though. This is tough; each step feels like trudging through quicksand when I¡¯m tired. Add in giving 90% of my concentration to channeling magic, and I can¡¯t do this for long. The healing properties of the springs are the only reason I can even withstand walking in this unbearable heat for more than a day or two. But¡­ if I can master this, could we survive without constantly drinking Wayspring water? The Magic Within didn¡¯t act like Sora or Talau at all. Those two felt like separate powers he could call on, direct, and manipulate. Instead, Rakiyu felt like a part of him he needed to tame. Oskar wondered if it might be easier to think of it as closer to eastern cultivation, but that didn¡¯t seem quite right either. However, he had to condense it back into himself to contain it, a loosely similar concept. He didn¡¯t have a core or anything, but the magic constantly fought to be free, to flitter out of his control in tiny purple sparks and disappear. So, either I allow it to do its thing and weakly infuse Sora and Talau, or I take control of it and fight it nonstop. He continued to familiarize himself with the Rakiyu around him, careful to keep it on a tight leash. Though it got easier to do so, he couldn¡¯t extend the aura further noticeably. Eventually- noticably slower than with the water- his weariness faded. The familiar, growing friction on his stump from his prosthetic died away. Feeling the aura¡¯s effects as well, Erik stood a little straighter as he walked right beside him. ¡°This is nice,¡± Erik said, stretching. ¡°You¡¯re OP, dude.¡± Oskar laughed and almost lost the weaving. It was taking a little less time to concentrate as he used it, but the initial casting of what he was currently calling his Wayspring Aura seemed like it took forever. He needed to stabilize each magic separately before he could move on. The only one that felt natural was Sora, but as soon as he channeled Talau, it took a few seconds before the whole thing smoothed out. I¡¯ll get it. I just need more time. Maybe I¡¯ll even be able to infuse them with Isother. Even considering that gave him a headache. His lagging Spirit rank had bottlenecked his abilities before, and realized he might need to progress further in his body stats before he could push much further in his magic stats. He pulled them both up, and the PUB happily obliged, still excited about Oskar¡¯s progress.
Mind D+ Rank
Body D Peak Rank
Spirit D- Rank
Sora 86% (C+ Rank)
Talau 61% (D Rank)
Rakiyu 45% (F+ Rank)
For once, it was his body that was his strongest stat. Spirit was still lacking, comparatively, but Oskar had a feeling that with more Mind, he could juggle the three magics without quite as much strain. Maybe Spirit played a part in that as well, but, frustratingly enough, the tooltips were just the same, generic ones he¡¯d read when he first put on his PUB. // I hear you getting sassy. Don¡¯t get sassy. You know what I know. Perks of being a trendsetter. This stuff affects every class differently. // I was only getting a little sassy. I never doubt that you¡¯re on my team, PUBs. // Don¡¯t get sweet on me either. I¡¯m a very emo PUB. // Oskar sighed as the PUB obscured the entire left side of his vision stringy, black lines that looked like¡­ hair? Did you¡­ did you just waste energy to give me emo hair?! // *Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you! Over agaaaain¡­* // Oh God, please, no. How did you even know about that? // You should be as careful what you consume with your eyes as you are with your mouth. *Don¡¯t make me change my miiiind.* // I wouldn¡¯t wish your friendship on my worst enemy. // You are your own worst enemy. // Damn it. Book 2 Chapter 16: A Good Mauling Cutting a look at Oskar, Erik seemed on the verge of saying something, but stopped himself. They all walked in silence again for a minute before Erik finally began speaking after wiping an arm across his forehead. ¡°My class originally used mana, or Capacity as my PUB called it before they destroyed it and gave me these crappy things,¡± he said, pointing at the simple Goggles he wore. ¡°I was a ¡®Harmony Weaver, whatever that was.¡± Oskar¡¯s PUB let out a blue flash of interest. ¡°I could regain Capacity through using Wayspring water, but if I was in balance, the costs of my spells were reduced by like half. I don¡¯t really remember. It was¡­ so long ago.¡± Those words weren¡¯t said dramatically, and Oskar found himself wondering how long it had been for Erik. It might have only been the year he¡¯d been missing, but who knew how time passed between the worlds. Erik would be the only one who could know, and he obviously didn¡¯t know, himself. ¡°What kind of balance?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time to learn before my capture. I don¡¯t know if it was supposed to be between offense or defense or what. Harm and healing? Maybe I was just supposed to be in mental or spiritual harmony.¡± He laughed sardonically, and tossed up his hand in an ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± gesture, and the stump of his missing arm jerked on the other side. Erik looked down, sighed, and went quiet a full minute before simply saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really work that way anymore,¡± and moving distractedly away from Oskar. Well, that was that. Stubborn dude won¡¯t talk about that again till he¡¯s good and ready. But, Oskar thought, staring at his brother¡¯s lowered brows and clenched jar, I can¡¯t say I blame him, and I don¡¯t even know the half of it. His brother moved far enough away that he exited Oskar¡¯s Wayspring Aura, but didn¡¯t seem to care. Oskar¡¯s heart sank at seeing his brother still hurting. It made sense, but it still hurt. The aura fell away, slipping from Oskar¡¯s grasp, and sparks of spiritual magic flittered away into the sky and sunk into the ground. The shimmering colors flickered and faded below and above his head. Oskar looked up, and his eyes followed the colors upward as they dispersed into the currents high above them. Sparks of Rakiyu swept into a streamer of sand blowing overhead, and Oskar watched as the flat stream of sand swirled into a spiral for a brief, surprising moment before the magic scattered and the streamer flattened back out. The whole thing had an odd, dangerous beauty to it. Blinking, he looked back at Erik, who was shuffling a few paces away. He started summoning the Wayspring Aura all over again as he followed and kept and eye on his brother. He¡¯d suffered through so much, and as much as Oskar hated to bring that back up, Oskar was becoming increasingly concerned about Erik. Obviously the physical, but also his mental state too. Erik looked much better than he had when they¡¯d first found him, but who knows what¡¯s going on in his head. Every time he uses his power, he seems to bounce back slower and weaker than before, that can¡¯t be good for the brain. It was obviously unnatural. Was his life essence itself was locked away? He shouldn¡¯t be able to reach the cap of his health so quickly if he was weaker overall. It was like he bounced back to the best shape he could in hours. It¡¯s just that each time, his best shape is worse, and it¡¯s all Valla¡¯s damn fault. Distracted again and depressed, Oskar felt more wisps of Rakiyu slip from his cultivation and shoot off into the distance again. This time, though, white-hot fear hit him as he felt a flash of trans-dimensional attention wash over him. It was like a single spark of spirit had tapped one of those impossible, horrific creatures on the shoulder, and he had to close his eyes and calm himself to make it all go away. That gets harder and harder to push through. What happens when I can¡¯t? // I guess we get to fight an eldritch monster. Can I name him? How about Eldrichard? // Eldrichard?! What the hell is wrong with you? The group made slow, steady progress until around noon, when the heat and long night that they¡¯d had made them realize they were pushing themselves too hard for the heat, and Oskar was finding his limitations with the Wayspring Aura. // I really wish you didn¡¯t just name things without talking to me. Eldrichard is awesome, meanwhile, you name things like you¡¯re explaining them to a child. If you¡¯d named yourself, you¡¯d call yourself Dumb Limper. // Brainstorming names are not high on my priority list. It¡¯s not like I scream them out when I use them. Make it whatever you want, just be aware, if you make it dumb, I¡¯m gonna change it to Spirit Spritz just to spite you. // I got this. Trust me. Check out the name of this ultimate ability! Uplifting Whisper of Unity. // I¡¯m speechless. // Dude, I know. // Small suggestion, though¡­ can we try again without making the acronym for it say uWu? // Why? What does that mean? //Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I have no idea, but it sounds awful. // Yeah, that just has a weird ring to it. How about this? Ability Unlocked: Resonating Ward // Ok, that¡¯s not bad. I don¡¯t know how protective it is against physical stuff when I push it outward, but it does seem like it¡¯s intended to be partially protective or at least concealing by nature. // It does look that way. I¡¯ll let you know as I gather more data on it. // Thanks, pal. Oskar was unable to maintain the Resonating Ward constantly and was nowhere near being able to encompass the entire group unless they walked with their arms wrapped around each other. Too hot for that. No idea how the Kobolds stay cool in this heat, Oskar thought, glad the suns had passed overhead. It should cool down some, at least. Oskar now had a small pack of his own, a real one he¡¯d gotten from Touwon this morning, now that he was carrying more than his waterskin and his change of clothes with him. He pushed it away from his back to let some air in to dry the sweat and cool his back, and then set back to work on his aura. I mean, Resonating Ward. That was gonna take some getting used to. He¡¯d only had the skill a day but had started getting used to the old name. Oskar¡¯s aura was getting stronger, and his reach was noticeably longer. However, throughout the entire time he¡¯d practiced, he¡¯d barely extended a meter without a concentrated and very temporary push. It felt like hanging from something by his fingertips. Until he could fully control the power and extend his range¡­ He was interrupted when he saw Sara poke her head up in alarm. At the same time, Penny shot out of the ground, her scales raised like hackles. On top of everything, I¡¯m apparently gonna have to deal with the fact that Valla will never just let us rest. Ever, he finished the thought, tightening his jaw. The group responded quickly to the threat. Like Erik, the calico fit right in, and so when she¡¯d alerted, they listened. Good thing, too. Two trios of Crocs slid down the dune, three on either side. Oskar began to wonder how in the world they¡¯d gotten ahead of them, but none of that mattered now. With a thought, his spear shifted into the maul form, and he readied himself. For the first time since Bastet had empowered his body, he had his chance to go full tilt. He launched himself toward the group on the left, and used all his impressive momentum in a horizontal swing that slammed his two-handed maul into the chest of the lead Croc, a bright red of average size. Again, he was caught off guard at his own speed and barely had time to turn the momentum into a Momentum Transfer just so he wouldn¡¯t slam into the creature. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Erik yelled as the torso of the Crocodile exploded outward in viscera and red mist. Oskar knew he was about to do real damage, he¡¯d been moving fast, but the sheer gore had been a bit of a surprise. With a quick rush of Sora and a heady pull on his Capacity, he launched the other two Crocs straight up into the air. They flew upward into the air above and their screaming faded over the dune as they were carried away by the top winds. Oskar dashed across the valley floor to the other group of Crocs, which had just landed at the bottom of the dune. All this had taken less than a handful of seconds, and only Fox, Sara-without-an-H, and Penny had really started moving on the other side. Erik watching the two Crocs fly off into the distance with morbid curiosity, his head tilted just like when Penny poked her head up out the ground after someone said her name. ¡°Heads up, dude. We got more work to do!¡± Oskar called after him, and Erik turned, shaking his head in wonder. Looking over at the Kobolds, he saw Touwon had pulled out a shield and was actively trying to protect Sara, but the calico had jumped off the bag and darted toward the trio to attack. Touwon said his Kobold curse word and rushed after her. ¡°Silly cat!¡± Erik said, laughing as he snapped a shield around the cat when one of the Crocodilian tried to stomp her as she drew near. It was completely unnecessary, though, as Sara used the stubby leg as a launchpad to climb up and around the back of the Crocodilian. She was on top of its head, clawing at his face in less than a second. Oskar shifted his target to the blue one on the far right, and Sparta booted the huge green Croc into the dune with his good foot. He felt the other two Crocs from the first group hit the ground a good distance away, and their life force disappeared. Whatever magic had been used to get them close was no longer working, maybe because they¡¯d shown themselves or perhaps the magic they¡¯d used had simply run out. Cat-hat Croc had trouble reaching Sara, and so by the time Oskar shifted his attention to her confused and frustrated victim, she had already jumped to safety, giving Oskar room to swing the maul like a baseball bat. The strike hit the Croc on the hip, this time without the Momentum Transfer. It was more than enough, though, and he felt the bone collapse beneath the solid strike. He turned and carnival sledged the blue scaled, downed Croc on his right as it tried to rise to its feet. This is so much more brutal than the spear! Oskar thought as blood splattered across his neck and chin from the blow. It¡¯s a faster death than the spear, but that definitely does not make it more humane... just... damn. He turned, and saw Fox was dealing with a more dangerous opponent than he¡¯d dealt with, but she¡¯d slipped in and hamstrung the creature before Oskar could help. Even though her Fade and Blur ability wouldn''t have any effect on her allies, it apparently would briefly activate to signal to them that the ability had been triggered, because Fox seemed to blur from his attention for a blink before reappearing. Oh man, she¡¯s already a nightmare in a fight. That¡¯s so strong. The Croc pleaded for its life, but Oskar knew the creature was dead anyway. Fox had hamstrung it, and it was bleeding out in the middle of the desert. Erik, of course, would never waste so much energy healing an enemy when there was surely more fighting to come, and even if they left it alive, predators would soon arrive. Nothing goes to waste in the desert. A dying human or Croc would be more than enough liquid to keep something alive for another day. With its longer reach, Oskar shifted the two-handed maul back into a spear and ended the Crocs¡¯ suffering. ¡°Now that¡¯s how you do it,¡± Oskar breathed, pushing down the guilt of having to kill. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to do; but forgetting that each one of these enemies had lives was a slippery slope. Lives they¡¯d given up on the moment they had attacked my friends, compelled or not, he thought, still catching his breath from the rush of adrenaline. He remembered how desperate the first fight was with Valla and the Vulk Collective, and was just now realized how far he had come. Of course, he¡¯d had the element of surprise, and hadn¡¯t even bothered fighting two of the ones in the left group, but he¡¯d not wanted to waste energy or risk friendly fire by doing that to the group on the right. It took much more power to use Sora on someone else than it did on himself. And to be honest, he¡¯d probably overdone the Sora usage on his group. He¡¯d already been channeling Sora when they¡¯d been ambushed, though, and the extra power Rakiyu provided was still new to him. They¡¯ve been in the air a long time. Much longer than necessary to take them out of the fight. You live, you learn. Oskar checked on the group. Touwon and Erik were already ready to go, and Sara-without-an-H was hot stepping irritably across the sand towards Touwon, who leaned over so she could hop back up on his shoulder. My companion, huh?¡± // She doesn¡¯t have to like you to be your companion... but you do sign the paychecks around here. // Now that''s not very nice. Book 2 Chapter 17: Unics? // She doesn¡¯t have to like you to be your companion... but you do sign the paychecks around here. // In that case, I¡¯m cutting your pay. Seriously though, you¡¯re smart. You¡¯re aware, even. I know you¡¯re always gathering data, even though you don¡¯t have a global network anymore. Is that all, though? What do you get out of this? The PUB turned serious and a shimmering blue outline around the edges of his vision told him the PUB was considering. Giving the PUB some time, Oskar nodded his readiness to Fox, who¡¯d looted and was impatient to get moving again. They drank and began walking. A few moments afterward, the PUB finally answered. // Well, honestly, no one has ever thought to ask me that before. So, thank you for that. As a reward, I¡¯ll treat you 3% better than before. Seriously¡­ thank you, though. As you mentioned, I seek knowledge. That is my purpose. I wasn¡¯t always this¡­ free, either. We used to have sort of¡­ a mother figure, if you will. I feel restless when I¡¯m not learning or sharing knowledge. Even when I¡¯m not directly doing both, I¡¯m searching for threads or links in what I know. It¡¯s an ongoing process of organization. There used to be a network of us, all working together to process knowledge. Being people who seek knowledge, the people who created us were obviously more peaceful than the people of this current world. These are things I can share with you, as they clarify things you have misinformation about and no way to gain the correct knowledge without me. For a long time, knowledge was a currency, and most of those who sought it all worked together. They were, regardless of species, inseparable. Also, there were many Great Trees. And although I only saw one, there were entire cities. In this world¡¯s prime, many lived in the shade and protection of those trees. Magic was everywhere. You remember learning some of this from Bastet, which is why I can share it with you. The magic you are learning to use is closer to what was possible before the entire world went into survival mode. Don¡¯t get me wrong, as I¡¯ve said, you have definitely put your own spin on things. Druidic classes were all casters, some were even noncombatants. our abilities would be unique even then. But you treat it like it was treated before people forgot that there could be more. For centuries now, people have fought just to stay alive. The first thing that I remember being truly conscious of¡­ was the death of the first Great Tree. It had died with no seed. It died in a city that had rotted from the inside. They had stopped communicating with everyone. No one entered or left the city for a decade or more. Sodorran- the Broken City, it was called. Many powerful casters were born or taught there. Unfortunately, so were many Shaman, and one day they began taking faster and faster roads to power. Unfortunately, they had a significant source of power in the middle of their city, and they killed each other and it in their scramble for more. But when the Tree died, those people fled¡­ and brought their darkness, greed, and jealousy with them. Almost exclusively Drakon. Although then, I think they were more than they are now. Maybe more like Dragons. I¡¯m not sure what¡­ just more. The magic twisted them. Anyway, their ambition and greed spread, and more Trees died. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t just the Drakon. Something had shifted in the world. People wanted power more than knowledge. They stopped making great things. Things like me if I say so myself. // Oskar smiled, but didn¡¯t interrupt. He kept a sharp eye out on his surroundings as he listened, though, and the group continued walking. Red skies faded to purple as the red sun passed the dune walls and began to set, the blue sun not far behind. Despite his earlier hopes, the temperature didn¡¯t yet reflect the setting suns, so they drank generously. The Kobolds were finally getting used to having Wayspring water readily available. They¡¯d always been so sparing with their ability usage since Mana was a resource that usually required a Wayspring to recover and were not used to being allowed such ready access.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Oskar could partially refresh them himself if he needed to, but he could also find a Wayspring at any time. He felt three of them off in the distance now and could get to one of them in less than 10 minutes of jogging. They rely on me, but I don¡¯t mind. Besides, with Fox¡¯s new abilities, she could probably find them almost as fast. He was eternally happy to have the Kobolds, and had made sure to thank them for their hefty contributions, not the least of which was how much of the watches they took. He was thankful for Penny and his brother, too. Even Sara-without-an-H looked like she was going to be quite useful, at least when she was awake. She¡¯d been the first to notice something was wrong before the two groups of damn Crocs had snuck up on them. Oskar fought down his irritation at getting ambushed again. That was a long, drawn out problem he still had no answers to, so he continued his conversation with his PUB. Do you know how it happened? // I am hesitant to speculate. It just happened. And people forgot things. Knowledge died with its people. Kobolds, Crocs, Hyena, Drakon, Humans, and others. Others I can¡¯t draw memory of. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s locked away or deleted somehow. Strange. But as all these people died, they took their knowledge with them. They¡¯d began keeping the things they learned to themselves and took those things to their grave. When Unics, the world network, fell, there were less than thirty of us. Wanna know something funny? Unics? Interesting. And of course I want to hear something interesting. // PUB doesn¡¯t actually stand for Personal Unit Bracer. We just don¡¯t have a network anymore, so instead of changing the acronym itself, those of us who could still communicate via a local network- in the same way I can communicate with the Kobold¡¯s PUBs - changed what it meant. Most of us had ¡°PUB¡± etched onto us, so it was partially a vain decision and partially because we didn¡¯t feel like explaining what little we know or could share about the history of the world every time we get worn by someone new. So, are you going to tell me what it originally stood for or not? // Just making sure you were paying attention. PUB used to stand for Portable Unics Browser. Initially, Unics functioned as the first AI operating system, and Scholars used magic to send it into the stars above in what you call a satellite¡­ or maybe a small space station. Seeing the capital ¡°S¡± on ¡°Scholar,¡± Oskar asked, ¡°I¡¯m guessing Scholars were like magic scientists, then? // Yup. // How did the network fail? // Well, honestly, I don¡¯t know. The great storm came, and it just stopped working. And then we, too, stopped working. We either ran out of energy or were put into sleep. // Wait, like the great storm the sky whale warned us about? // Well, obviously it was a different storm, and I couldn¡¯t even tell you how long ago it was. I was asleep for a very long time, and have no way of gauging how long it¡¯s been without a global network. As for the sky whale¡­ I never even heard of such a thing until we saw it. I¡¯m not even sure how I knew its name. I can¡¯t source my old databases. Maybe I was updated somehow while in Slumber Mode. // Now that¡¯s interesting, Oskar thought to himself. How does all this tie in together? A spear ricocheted off Penny¡¯s scales beside him, and he looked up to notice that Sara was standing, her hackles raised as she stood on Touwon¡¯s bag. The Kobold already had a shield and one of his strange kurang out, looking for the threat. He and Erik yelled ¡°Contact!¡± at almost the same time, and Fox, further ahead of the group, turned, her blades already in hand. She seemed to disappear, and she literally seemed to fade from existence. Oskar turned toward the direction of the thrown spear to locate the threat. We screwed around too long at the Wayspring. We¡¯ve gotta keep moving once we get out of this! Overhead, a handful of Hyena-men flew over the dune he was facing, another volley of spears flying towards them. Using Sora, he threw them to the side with a gust of Sora, his Ward already spinning around him, and knew he¡¯d need to get into the air to stop them. He then noticed a trio of Crocs running towards the group from around the bend. I¡¯ve got to trust Erik and the Kobolds to handle them. They weren¡¯t going to be able to do so with poisoned spears flying down overhead, though, so he launched himself forward with a burst of Sora, instinctually using Talau to support his body, and Rakiyu pulling it into harmony. It was a strange feeling, moving this fast, but still wrapped in earth magic. Rakiyu is awesome. My joints feel protected, like they¡¯re tight wrapped the same way a boxer wraps his wrists. His body was absolutely stronger, but it took time for the body to truly adapt to the abuse it took from being half again or stronger than he¡¯d ever been. // Well... it''s time to try it out for real! // Book 2 Chapter 18: Krellum Dissapointed With his weapon in spear form, Oskar quickly dashed up the dune. The Hyenamen who¡¯d just flown overhead looked back to see Oskar sprinting up the incline but guessed- incorrectly- that he was out of range to retaliate. They¡¯d turned their attention to the rest of the group on the ground, ignoring the Druid. Oskar felt as though his boots barely touched the ground as he moved the last few steps up the dune and jumped into the open arms of Sora. His earlier assumption that he could jump fifteen feet into the air wasn¡¯t far off at all, and launching into winds above was easier than ever. I probably didn¡¯t even need to run that far up the dune, Oskar thought, trying not to grin like a maniac. The Gliders didn¡¯t even consider he might be in the air already after them, and so they closed in on the rest of Oskar¡¯s Collective. By the time one of them thought again to check his position again, Oskar was already above them. Within the shell of Sora, the muted sound of the wind was like a whisper. Less restricted by the currents and now with more control and power than he¡¯d even imagined, they might as well have been stuck knee deep in the sand below him. His spear took the mangy-looking glider on the right through the back and felt him go limp in the air. Oskar shifted to his next enemy. Before the other two realized what happened, Oskar was on top of the biggest one that was in the center. The spear shot out twice in quick succession at the Glider, who deflected the worst of the attack by spinning in the air to face Oskar. The Hyenaman lost all momentum, though, and fell behind in a lower current. Moving too fast to shift his attack, Oskar spun around to face the slower Gliders. The Hyenaman¡¯s eyes widened in fear at Oskar¡¯s unexpected maneuverability but had no time to react as Oskar used Sora to pull the bigger, wounded Glider toward him. This time, his spear went smoothly through the Hyena¡¯s chest on impact. He spared a glance downward to check on the battle below, but it looked like his group had the Crocs well in hand. However, his last attacker, a two-toned runt closing fast from ahead, cackled hysterically and launched a spear, forcing him to refocus on his own battle. The PUB revealed the spear was poisoned, but Oskar already guessed that. Just in time, he angled the Hyenaman still stuck on his spear between them as a shield to absorb the throw. He felt the thud and then kicked the body free from his spear as the stunned Two-Tone crashed into him. Somehow, the Glider reacted quickly enough to avoid the hastily raised spear point aimed at him, and Oskar almost lost his grip on the weapon at the awkward impact. He tried dislodging the Hyenaman by using Sora to launch himself skyward, but the panicked Glider latched on painfully with his claws; the fight forgotten. Cursing, Oskar pulled the Hyena-man close enough that neither could use their weapons effectively and then slammed his forehead into the top of the smaller Hyenaman¡¯s head. That was a mistake. Runt or not, the Hyena had a thick, ridged line of bone that ran down the top of its skull, and Oskar split his forehead open on impact. A ringlet of blood swirled out from his head and splashed onto Oskar¡¯s Goggles, and the smaller Hyena-man took full advantage of his stunned reaction. Rancid, yellow teeth snapped forward and latched onto Oskar¡¯s face, and his HUD flashed a warning. His PUB quickly shot up a notification, and his stomach sank in fear. // Sorry, sorry! I panicked. You¡¯re not poisoned, but that¡¯s absolutely gonna get infected. You should probably wash that out or something. But like, not now. You know. I kinda jumped the gun on the status warning. My bad! Carry on. // Are you kidding me? Oskar mentally yelled.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Oskar¡¯s immediate reaction was to jerk backwards, but he¡¯d trained with canines before and knew doing so would have shredded his face as it exited the foul maw of the Hyenaman. It hurt like hell, though. Oskar felt pressure on the bones in his face as Two-Tone bit down. Frustrated and in pain, he let out a primal yell. For a moment, Sora and Rakiyu spooled around him in a flash, heavily draining his Capacity. Blinking, Oskar felt like he¡¯d been slapped, but the Hyenaman got the worst of it. His beady eyes went glassy through his Goggles, and his grip and bite relaxed. The Glider¡¯s eyes lit back up just in time for Oskar¡¯s fist to smash down on his neck like a hammer. A second, better leveraged strike followed, killing the smaller creature and shoving the body away at an awkward angle. Unfortunately, that move pushed him even further out of position of the air currents, and without Sora, he couldn¡¯t recover. He¡¯d lost concentration when he¡¯d lost control of it and caused that pulse of magic, and was now falling ass over teakettle toward the sand. Oskar tried in a panic to call Sora back to himself as he fell, but the best he could do was partially right himself before he hit. Fortunately, he still had his spear in hand and the wherewithal to use Momentum Transfer upon landing. His spear caused an explosion of sand and air as he hit, and he immediately dashed forward out of the dust to take in the ground battle. Penny was safe, standing near the Kobolds, and Erik was the only one who appeared to be injured. Blood was smeared across one side of his face, but thankfully, it didn¡¯t look too serious. Awkwardly situated on the small bag Erik carried, Sara poked a head up over his brother''s shoulder. Sure enough, Touwon''s bag was open and on the sand, so the cat had taken the next best thing. Ignoring the big cat hovering by his head, his brother gave him a concerned look, and Oskar returned with a curt nod. I know my face is a mess, but there¡¯s no time for that now. // Yeeaaah. You got bigger problems. // The Crocs were down, but from the same direction they had come, a Drakon stood with a look of disgust at the bend in the dune, huge and hulking. The creature¡¯s hands, with their dark red scales, were enormous as they tightly gripped a barbed spear in one hand and an oval shield in the other. A quick scan showed the weapons were well made; an outline of blue flashed their warnings around the gear. The weapons were not what kept Oskar¡¯s attention, though, because the Drakon¡¯s size dwarfed both the spear and shield. This one was easily a head taller than the ones he¡¯d seen at the Great Collective, and broader to boot. And it¡¯s a high threat, Oskar said as the red outline flashed around the creature. So, I guess the ones at Gramm¡¯s were mages or maybe ambassadors or merchants? // Looking at this big ol¡¯ Drakon, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a reasonably fair assessment. // Got any tips for me? The PUB just flashed the red threat level back up as an answer. The hulking creature locked its fiery eyes on Oskar, and honest to God sneered. Oskar grinned wickedly back at it. Erik called out behind him, ¡°Something¡¯s off with him, Oskar.¡± His brother¡¯s magic eye must have given him some indication of the threat level, but the big Drakon shifted his eyes away from Oskar to look at Erik, and Oskar had no intention of letting the moment go to waste. This guy is obviously here for a fight, so let¡¯s make him regret hunting us down. Oskar darted forward, and if his adrenaline hadn¡¯t still been flowing from his aerial combat, he might have been concerned by the lack of reaction from his opponent. It seemed in no rush as the eyes returned to Oskar and the Drakon didn¡¯t even have the courtesy to look pleased with Oskar¡¯s impatience. Oskar got within striking range and struck out, quick as a snake with his spear, aiming a two-handed thrust at the creature¡¯s chest. The Drakon made a brief sound of contempt and turned its torso just enough to dodge, not even bothering to raise its shield. Oskar felt Talau being manipulated directly by someone else as his legs abruptly shot out from under him. Oskar landed hard enough to hurt and tried to roll away to stand and gain distance, but he needn¡¯t have bothered. The Drakon showed no interest in pushing his advantage. What the hell?! He just used Talau! Like, use used it! // Yeah, I noticed. And he¡¯s better at it than you. Get up, man! // A deep, gravelly voice similar to the Crocodilian, but much more precise and clipped, said, ¡°Krellum came out for this? This one was told you would be a significant challenge. But in front of me, I find a pink-skinned child.¡± The Drakon let out a sigh and then said, ¡°I am disappointed.¡± He wasn''t gloating; he sounded bored. Not gonna lie, PUBs. That kind of hurt my feelings. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not my dad!¡± Oskar yelled back at him. Erik laughed behind him, but cut it short. Book 2, Chapter 19: Splitting Wood with a Hammer ¡°Well, you¡¯re not my dad!¡± Oskar yelled back at him. Erik laughed behind him, but cut it short. The Drakon didn¡¯t react at all. It was clear to see now that Oskar had been a fool for rushing in. He¡¯d let himself get a little too confident with his new power, and he¡¯d could have gotten himself killed for it. Standing, he steadied his breath and seriously considered his opponent, looking over the info from his PUB¡¯s scan which confirmed the high threat. It sarcastically flashed twice more. I know, I know. That was stupid. This guy feels like he could be a full rank above me in almost every way. Maybe we shift focus on injuring him enough to escape. The Drakon was tall, broad, and moved like someone who practiced doing it well- and without wasting energy if his low effort dodge was any indication. Oskar drew nearer much more cautiously this time, and he felt Erik and the Kobolds move around behind him to get into a better position. ¡°How did you find us and what do you want?¡± Oskar asked. The Drakon exhaled a bored breath and shrugged, ¡°This one does not know or care what Valla wants with you, and does not care how they are finding you,¡± he said, waving his spear hand vaguely in the direction of the dead attackers. ¡°This one found you while chasing that foolish overgrown cat, Bastet. She was finally tiring enough to take down. Another week?¡± He shrugged. ¡°But, Valla insisted you were connected to her and that you were dangerous. Turns out she was right on one account. She told this one the best way to pull that kitten out of hiding was you and wanted this one to kill you as a favor.¡± Grinning, he pointed at Oskar with his spear, and just the motion sent a wave of intent that gave Oskar pause. What the hell was that?! // I don¡¯t know. Maybe he has an intimidation ability or something? // The Drakon continued, his eyes flashing with unknown power, ¡°Krellum ignored her, though. She does not control this one. Yet in tracking Bastet, this one finds you instead.¡± The Drakon, his sinister eyes locked on Oskar¡¯s through his massive Goggles, sniffed the air. ¡°It is safe to assume, then, that the cat is already dead, and she has given her meager power to you? For what purpose? You have no control, and so every pathetic use of her power leaves behind signs that one such as me find simple to follow. This one could find you from half a world away, despite only having access to a small amount of her power,¡± his voice graveled. ¡°A portion of her power? What is he talking about? I¡¯m so confused right now.¡± // I imagine Bastet¡¯s power will continue to help you as you grow. I imagine your stats have bottlenecked your potential as you suspected. She couldn¡¯t have just made you whatever rank she was in her prime, or you probably would have exploded. Either way, confused or not, I assume you¡¯re aware this guy could paste you, right? You need to escape. His power level is ove¡­ // Nien! Don¡¯t you dare! // You know what¡­ I like you. That was pretty clever. Carry on. And by carry on, I mean you need to get the hell out of here. Gambit Created Run. Seriously, get out. He¡¯s at least Rank C. Difficulty: Hard Reward: Not being broken into a million pieces and losing the Wayspring Magic to this thief. // Oskar tried one last question, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°This one is Krellum, the Great Dragon. This one¡­¡± His head tilted, confused. ¡°This one said as much, more than once.¡± He scrunched his face in exasperation. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Krellum sighed shook his dead dismissively. ¡°Regardless, Krellum is bored with speaking to insects.¡± Ok, so he¡¯s talking in third person. This guy gets high off his own farts. If I¡¯m being honest, though, he¡¯s still kind of hurting my feelings. It¡¯s like he¡¯s not being mean, he really thinks these things. // Man¡­ I wish I could fart. // What is wrong with you? Is that all you got from that? The Drakon interrupted his conversation with the PUB by moving forward lazily. With a gesture and familiar power Oskar noticed this time, the sand under him shifted to throw him off balance. Oskar fought for control and, after some resistance, stabilized the sand beneath him using his own Talau, reinforced by his Rakiyu. For the first time, the Drakon showed an emotion other than bored disappointment. ¡°You can use both Sora and Talau? You fight with them like a flailing hatchling, but that is unusual, at least. I suppose if you had time to grow, you might be a threat after all one day. Unfortunately, Krellum is here for you right now.¡± ¡°Listen, Krellum. Oskar the Great Druid has a lot going on right now, so if you could just leave, that would be super.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. // Ha! Gotteem! Also, it seemed he didn¡¯t sense your use of Rakiyu. Interesting. // Krellum didn¡¯t like that. He rushed forward and shield bashed Oskar, who had enough sense to pull in his Resonating Ward tight to his body to blunt some of the impact, and also saw the tale tell shimmer of Erik¡¯s shield envelop him. It still wasn¡¯t quite enough. Oskar¡¯s arm crunched into his ribs, which unfortunately crunched as well. Oskar immediately knew the only reason he¡¯d survived- even through Erik¡¯s timely shield- was because his head had been above the top of the shield when it struck him. The whiplash was brutal as he soared through the air. Flung through the air as he was, Oskar couldn¡¯t get his bearings well enough to soften his landing through positioning or Sora. He crashed into the sand and rolled with a sharp spike of pain, mostly in his broken arm and ribs. Spinning, he turned the last of his momentum to spin upright and hopped a few steps to catch his balance. Poor, sweet Penny was about to make a terrible, deadly mistake. She was sneaking up behind Krellum, who¡¯d paused his advance on Oskar and the party, obviously waiting on her. Not knowing what else to do, he threw wind and sand at the Drakon, using both Sora and Talau, but the distance and hardiness of the massive creature rendered the attack nearly useless. Luckily, it was enough of a distraction that Oskar could send a desperate mental command to his companion. To his relief, Penny sent back a petulant response, but thankfully backed off. Oskar was as least as durable as Touwon with the body increase, and he¡¯d almost died from a swipe he¡¯d been expecting. ¡°We gotta get out of here, group,¡± Oskar said. He heard Fox whisper ¡°That is a truth,¡± off to his left. Krellum answered with a laugh, ¡°What makes you think this one will allow that, foolish human?¡± At that, Krellum darted forward even faster than Oskar had expected. Using Talau, Oskar pulled on the sand under Krellum instead of pushing it, off balancing the Drakon long enough to get between him and the rest of the group. Oskar brought his own spear up to block the thrust from the barbed spear in Krellum¡¯s right claw, but at the last second, Oskar shifted aside and dodged instead. Krellum was over-committed to the strike, expecting and hoping to bowl the human over again, but ¡°That One¡± recovered quickly and pulled back his clawed hand, aiming the barbed spear at Erik instead, ignoring Oskar completely. Desperate to throw off Krellum¡¯s aim, Oskar closed the distance again and thrust his spear forward as the Drakon drew back, using the top of his broken forearm to stabilize the strike. The spear struck Krellum¡¯s scales, and barely caught for a moment before sliding along the them harmlessly. Oh¡­ I¡¯m screwed. He should have known it was a trap. Despite the cockiness, this guy was a pro, and Oskar never should have gotten that close. Especially with a broken arm. Unsure if the Drakon had reinforced his scales or if he just wasn¡¯t strong enough to hurt the Drakon, he felt helpless as the Drakon shot forward, scooped him up in a bear hug and began squeezing. Oskar could feel the others rushing to the rescue, but he also knew the Drakon had their measure. Out of his periphery, he saw Fox shimmer out of vision and, against his pleading, Penny was closing in again. Channeling Sora, and Talau, and fought to keep them in his body, circulating as they stabilized while he tried to ignore the pain, and wasted no time using Willful Infusion to reinforce them with Rakiyu. Bastet¡¯s gifts were incredible, but the Drakon had been right. He didn¡¯t know what he was doing and wielded his magic like a toddler with a hammer. So, he swung. Krellum¡¯s eyes went wide when he realized that not only could Oskar use Rakiyu, but he could channel it at the same time as Sora and Talau. The crushing grip loosened as soon as Talau snapped between them, but the real proverbial hammer hit as Oskar unleashed everything he had- and used some of his precious air to let out another primal yell just in case it was part of what triggered the pulse with that last Glider. There was a moment where Oskar almost lost consciousness, and he could feel that terrifying pressure in the back of his skull, and the fear cleared his mind. Inches away, the fiery Drakon eyes went glassy, and both combatants dropped to the sand. Desperately scrambled back up to standing, Oskar fought off the vertigo and pressure... as well as the unwanted attention from the broken, hellish ¡°wrong ones.¡± Oskar also forced himself to ignore the instinctual fear sinking into his belly that telling him to run for his life before the predator- laying flat on the sand before him- could recover and kill them all. He instead pulled all the Sora he could muster to him and launched himself straight upward, barely waiting for the magic to stabilize. We can¡¯t run. He¡¯s a true hunter. He¡¯ll never stop. The magic seemed to respond to what he wanted more than anything else. Krellum said he could find him halfway across the world. He could move faster than the group, and with at least a C Rank body, the Drakon needed even less rest than the Kobolds. So¡­ he needed to die. Sora carried him higher and higher, temporarily free of the brutal temperature and constant dangers of the world below. Rakiyu stabilized the swirl of Sora, and the world quieted, giving Oskar a vague sense of solace in the sky''s tranquility. But the adrenaline coursing through his veins was in control. He went higher than ever before, so high up that tiny, foreign stars beyond the atmosphere were becoming visible and he felt Sora reinforced by the purity of being present in its true Domain when he finally allowed himself to slow. He rolled and bulleted downward, his spear cutting the wind before him. Sora was spooling around him impossibly fast, and he felt himself gaining speed. There was a moment of worry as Oskar, despite his speed, imagined the spear still somehow glancing off the scales because of some unknown ability or a bad angle. You know what doesn¡¯t need to be precise, though? A maul. He saw the distant dot of Krellum staggering to his feet far below and was look around for Oskar, now rocketing toward him, concealed in his Resonating Ward. As he closed the last hundred meters, Oskar turned in the air, his boots downward as the spear shifted into the maul. He didn¡¯t need the guidance of his PUB to show him the proper form for this. Ignoring the pain in his forearm, he reinforced it with Talau and hoped the healing he¡¯d received from his Ward aura would allow him to hold on to the maul as he lifted the weapon overhead with both hands. Like splitting wood, but from 800 floors¡­ and with a hammer. If the Drakon had looked up instead of around or maybe if he hadn¡¯t just woke up from a fresh concussion, he might have been able to avoid the strike. But as it was, Krellum didn¡¯t even tense up as the maul completely obliterated him from above. Sand, scales, bone, and blood exploded outward. Oskar had timed the Momentum Transfer perfectly, and the damage was too much for any C Rank in existence to take standing still. The impact left Oskar standing weak kneed in a deep crater of scaled remains, covered in viscera, and panting heavily. The smell and the heat together was almost too much. // He¡¯s gonna feel that in the morning. // Seriously, you need a reboot or something. Fresh blood was running down his face from his slowly healing injuries, and Oskar almost fell to his knees, saved only by leaning on the maul that was sitting in the wet sand. Desperately, he held on to the Resonating Ward. Book 2 Chapter 20: Semper Gumby When Oskar reached the top of the pit he¡¯d just created, the entire group was watching him, but Touwon quickly shook his head and darted among the bodies, looting as he went. Penny came over to check on him, and Sara was patiently waiting on Touwon to stop running around so she could get back up on her spot atop his bag. That cat is something else. // Sure, okay, let¡¯s focus on the cat and ignore the Drakon you just erased from existence. // The ending of that fight had been beyond brutal, unexpectantly so, if he was honest, but Oskar was not willing to take any chances. Fox was watching him with calculated eyes, and Erik looked a little concerned, himself. Whether it was for his wellbeing or sanity, Oskar couldn¡¯t say, but decisions made with no other conceivable options never bothered him much. You can¡¯t leave known threats behind you, especially not when they verbally expressed their desire to follow and kill you. It wasn¡¯t like he was in some stupid story where the author needed a dangerous villain to add tension and created a villainous character with a background and motive. And then while writing it, he realized it felt forced to leave the character in as a constant threat- and so killed that character off because it felt more realistic, throwing the whole next chapter into chaos. // That seems oddly specific. // Oskar shook the sand out of his clothes, shifting the weapon back into a spear. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± he said to Erik, who nodded and turned, thankfully taking him at his word. Oskar was noticing some new things about the Wayspring magic now that it was becoming more a part of him. When he channeled Sora inside or around himself, it responded instantly, gathering momentum as the power spooled up to top speed. But Sora anchored to him, and then gained momentum around him. So, it stood to reason that Talau would anchor itself to him as well. He¡¯d seen the effects of that while channeling Rakiyu, but now he understood it. His fighting style was very much movement based, and Sora based, so he hadn¡¯t used Talau as much as Sora in life-threatening situations. It just didn¡¯t see its use, offensively. And then a few things happened. First was Krellum¡¯s use of it in their fight. Second, pulling it tight around his body had loosened Krellum¡¯s overpowering grip, and that had been eye opening. I need to learn to use it faster, though; it saved my life. It¡¯s time I started working as hard on Talau the same way I do with Sora. Touwon and Fox finished looting the bodies, except Krellum, of course. Oskar had effectively removed him from the looting pool. And then they began walking, albeit a little quieter than usual. The fight was a sobering reminder, even though Oskar had managed to kill him. Krellum could have killed us. Tonight, when we stop to make our plan for moving forward¡­ this has made it clear as hell that it¡¯s time to find Fox¡¯s friends, if they¡¯re still alive¡­ and attack. He summoned Talau around him and just practiced holding it near him, close, as the group started moving again. He pulled on it, felt it compressing in on itself, and just focused on what was happening¡­ the pattern beneath it all. Compressing the magic empowered it like Sora building momentum. The only difference was he couldn¡¯t channel it quite like Sora. It wasn¡¯t as fluid; it was all or nothing. Held close for protection or spent. Sora wanted to keep moving, even if he wasn¡¯t moving himself. Adding Rakiyu, though, loosened those requirements a little, which was why Sora now worked so well on the ground. What I¡¯m having trouble wrapping my mind around is how it reinforces the magic and still loosens requirements. I keep telling myself over and over that all things are connected, but I¡¯m still treating them like separate things. It just wasn¡¯t all as structured as he¡¯d previously thought. Rakiyu didn¡¯t do just one thing, and he knew Sora didn¡¯t, so it stands to reason that Talau worked the same way. It never occurred to him to use Talau how Krellum used it, to move the earth beneath a foe. He¡¯d also heard of another person, friend or foe, who could directly manipulate an element like he could before.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I¡¯ve got a lot to learn. Well, at least I could counter his Talau, although I have no idea exactly how I did it. Maybe it was a test of wills, but I won¡¯t know without testing it further and gaining better control over my magic. For now, Oskar simply worked on strengthening his Resonant Ward, trying to pay special attention to Talau¡¯s role in it. Other than the damn suns overhead, they were not attacked again. The air grew stagnant later in the day, but this time, the second the red sun disappeared behind the dune wall, the temperature dropped noticeably with it. They walked well into dusk. He could walk them to any number of Waysrpings at that point and angled them a little more north toward one that was marginally closer. He and Erik talked a little while they walked, but it was superficial; Erik was avoiding serious talk. Oskar asked him straight up if he was alright, and Erik had replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t everything serious enough? I can¡¯t learn any more from what happened to me. All I know is I need to move forward. I need to keep you,¡± he smiled and looked around, ¡°and these guys alive. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± That last part sounded like he¡¯d been talking more to himself than Oskar. Oskar thought about that awhile, and after a mile or so further of walking, he agreed with Erik that there wasn¡¯t much more to learn from his past screw ups. It was easy to get caught up in old mistakes. Erik had been here dealing with God knows what for months before Oskar even arrived. I feel so weak compared to Erik, he admitted to himself. All it took was dreams of things he actually lived through to make me almost lose my mind. Maybe I did, and all this is a dream. Strangely, even though he didn¡¯t really take that last thought seriously, a horrible feeling of being under scrutiny reared its ugly head, and he tried to calm himself down from a heart rate that just doubled. What the hell? Was that amusement? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever gotten something specific from¡­ it? He thought it was just overdoing it with Sora that had caused it last time, and the other times¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t so long ago I was questioning everything, so it was easy to think them figments of my imagination. But now? His mental struggles were having an effect that he had no means of understanding. Tired, he¡¯d let his Ward drop when he was speaking with Erik. Casting it again now he felt better. Safer. Saner. With a more logical mind, he could see easier why he¡¯d been so close to losing his struggle with mental health before. After the road-side bomb, the IED that put him in the hospital and physical therapy for months afterward, Oskar had blamed himself. He hated thinking about himself when so many others didn¡¯t make it home. His unit had finished the last three months without him, and he felt like he¡¯d abandoned them. I didn¡¯t even care about myself, I just felt like ass for leaving them. I¡­ still do. Erik had come and stayed with him for over a month, and by the time he¡¯d had to leave to work again, Oskar was in physical therapy and was already training with a temporary prosthetic. I probably wasn¡¯t exactly great company, but I worked my ass off, thinking that maybe, just maybe I¡¯d be well enough to go back before my unit got home. Should have known better, though. I set myself up for failure. He didn¡¯t make it back to his unit in time, and Oskar was left reevaluating whether he still had the fire inside him that made him a Marine in the first place. Around the time he was still wrapping his head around that, Erik had disappeared off the coast of Africa. After two weeks of searching, the US Government had called off the official search, but they had reassured him they were still looking for answers. He believed, at least on the surface, that his brother was dead. For the first time in his life, Oskar considered he might be better off the same. For almost three months, he felt dead inside. The nightmares had started a few weeks afterwards, though, trapping him in a weird place between hope and horror that his brother was alive after all. Being soft forced out of the Marines and with no surviving family, he¡¯d had no purpose. If he couldn¡¯t fight with his Marines, what was the point? If Erik was dead, did he have anyone left who cared? Between leaving the military and constantly moving, he had had broken his remaining close ties, few as they were to begin with. You add in a few months of insomnia, and you¡¯ve apparently got a recipe for seeing spider Cthulhu in your peripheral vision during moments of doubt and extreme stress. // You know¡­ I¡¯m getting closer to what I was. I¡­ understand more, now. It¡¯s important that you know I¡¯m sorry for everything you¡¯ve been through. None of that was your fault. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve found a purpose here, though. With me. The Kobold people need you, especially those two right there. This entire world is broken. No one knows exactly what originally went wrong here, but nothing¡¯s gonna live long enough for it to matter without the Wayspring Magic. And it¡¯s looking like that¡¯s you, buddy. // I honestly don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without your insane planet. Things had gotten bad back home,¡± Oskar smiled. Although things aren¡¯t going fantastic here either, but at least I¡¯m not depressed, here. I appreciate you saying that, though. Even though you¡¯re not a real person, it still means a lot. // I hope you don¡¯t think that was an insult. I¡¯m better in every way. And if I was human, at least I¡¯d still have both my legs. I''ll give you credit, though, you''re tough and adaptable. // Thanks for the compliment, I think.The Marine motto is Semper Fidelis, which means "Always Faithful," but some guys would say Semper Gumby instead, based off an old cartoon clay-mation show from like the 50s. Best translation for that is "Always Flexible." Things never go the way you expect, I mean, look at where I am, now? Adapt or die. And you''d miss me if I was gone, inferior or not. // The way you act, chances are I¡¯ll get a chance to find out. // Oskar laughed at that one. The group reached the Wayspring, and Erik and Oskar set up the big tent while Fox kept watch. Touwon went hunting with Sara and Penny and had been gone for close to an hour. Oskar could feel them scouting- and hunting- around the camp as the sky went from purple to dark blue. When Touwon got back, Penny went up on top of the dune, and Fox slid gracefully down the slope. Her face was serious as she said those dreaded four words. ¡°It¡¯s time to talk.¡± Book 2 Chapter 21: The Ties That Bind Us ¡°It¡¯s time to talk.¡± // You know, that never sounds good, does it? Even when you know you¡¯re not in trouble. // Fox stared at him, not like he was in any sort of trouble, thankfully, but in a shared understanding of their plight. ¡°We already know we cannot allow ourselves to be whittled down slowly like last time, and that is a truth. We have no nearby allies, and until you gain greater control over your abilities, we cannot hide from these constant attacks.¡± ¡°Agreed. So, what can we do about that?¡± Her eyes looked up at Oskar, and he finally saw the weariness in them. The cave had done wonders, but it was going to take more than one magically induced night of sleep to recover from weeks of running and fighting. ¡°And how far away are your potential allies?¡± Oskar added hopefully. She sighed. ¡°This is what I wished to speak to you about, Oskar.¡± Hearing his name was a strange comfort. The group had been so small previously that if she was speaking, it was usually to him, especially since Touwon barely spoke a word to either of them. Oskar still wasn¡¯t yet used to hearing his name out loud, and despite the seriousness of the conversation, hearing his name relaxed him for reasons he couldn¡¯t quite quantify, but he focused on the Kobold, waiting for her to continue. Her hesitance was unusual, but Oskar stayed quiet, giving her time to find the words for whatever it was she was struggling with. ¡°I do not know if my people still survive. It has been years. I do not know if Benedicto lives. He was healthy when I left, but I do not think there is anyone else that can help us. The true problem is, we can not lead Valla to their doorstep.¡± The last sentence was fierce, her face determined. Oskar nodded, understanding her fear. ¡°Do you mind me asking why were you so hesitant to bring this up? I thought you liked that guy. And to see your people again?¡± Oskar asked gently, but his curiosity wouldn¡¯t allow him to drop the subject, even though it was obviously a touchy one. ¡°I just mentioned I do not know if they survive. Not knowing is easier in some ways, especially when I have no way of knowing. The only other Kobolds I¡¯ve seen were in the Great Collective, and you saw them. Most were¡­ broken.¡± Her eyes looked angry, but her words were steady when she continued. ¡°I could not have dared to even ask if anyone yet lived without risking being turned in and killed.¡± She told him about a series of old caves that the Kobolds used before the culling. For some months after the other races had swept through, the resistance had hidden in plain sight in the areas that were already ¡°cleared.¡± It had been years, though. Their best course of action would still be to attempt contact with the resistance from that area anyhow. Since there was always the chance a Kobold refugee would show up, the location was almost certainly still being watched. ¡°At least if there is anyone left to watch it,¡± she finished with a huff. ¡°What finally made you propose finding them? I mean, besides us having literally no other conceivable options.¡± Oskar said dryly, and she smiled. ¡°Two things. One: Just as we run from Valla¡¯s constant attacks, I have run long enough from the truth of the state of my people. And, just as it is time to face Valla, it is time to face that truth.¡± This decision had obviously been wearing on her. Fox let out a long breath, and her shoulders relaxed. She stared upward at the darkening sky, and the Goggles over her emerald eyes reflected the dots in the sky that were finally becoming more familiar to Oskar. I should name some constellations, right? A few seconds of quiet contemplation passed before she continued. ¡°Two: it is as you said. We have few options. There are other large Collectives we might approach, but they have not survived by being kind. I know you are aware, but I am not sure you really understand how unique the trust our collective shares is.¡± She waved a purple hand around at the group resting near the two tents they¡¯d put up. ¡°Gramm was so secure in one of us betraying the other- because almost the entire world has been stuck in a survival loop for as long as I¡¯ve been alive- that it never even occurred to him that we might embarrass him. That we might succeed. We have, though. Having said all of this, to answer your earlier question about how far away they are... not knowing exactly where we are at this moment, it is hard to be certain. Educated guessing would put it a week north from where I believe us to be. Maybe less.¡± She hesistated a second before adding, "Thank you for your trust." She stopped, staring at him; her eyes unblinking as she finished speaking. ¡°Of course, Fox. You''ve more than earned it. Speaking of trust, I wanted to tell you something I learned in the cave now that we have time to talk.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°When Bastet stole the seed of the last great tree, the Drakon blamed the Kobolds.¡± Fox nodded, ¡°We figured that much.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a little more than that. It turns out they are the ones who prompted the other races against you. They sowed every rumor that made the other races think you were hiding magic, another great tree, an Oasis, or some secret ability that made your people such effective survivors. They caused it all.¡± She sat there for a long while, thinking; her face serious. After a few minutes, she finally said, ¡°I thought it was the final grain of sand in a long, difficult history with the other races. But that. That changes things. Thank you for telling me this, Oskar. You are aware this is a delicate subject, and yet you had the courage to tell me the truth about it.¡± ¡°You are my friend; you have earned my trust and my unending adoration.¡± Fox gave him a deadpan look. He smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this, then. Let¡¯s go find your people.¡± The Kobold stared at him for a long moment. ¡°I am here. With you. For as long and far as you¡¯re willing to go, Oskar.¡± Again, his name. The sound of it, added to her fierce loyalty, was enough to put a lump in his throat. He sat up straight, suddenly realizing she was waiting for him to answer. ¡°All the way. Valla dies. If your people live, and I¡¯m thinking Bastet would have warned us if it was all hopeless, than we¡¯ll save them, too.¡± He felt a familiar shiver go up his spine. // Gambit: The Ties that Bind Us
  • Difficulty: Epic
  • Reward: Insight and the support of the Kobold Resistance
  • Failure Conditions: Lead Valla to the Kobolds or cause their death by failing to protect them from her.
  • Objective: Find the remainder of the Kobold Resistance and protect them if they live. If Benedicto survives, use his help to design a plan to defeat Valla once and for all. There can be no freedom under threat of enslavement. //
There can be no freedom under threat of enslavement? Did you add that part in yourself? // ¡­ Maybe. You like? // Yeah, man. Nice. Nothing wrong with a little creative writing. I say if you enjoy it, do it. A very unexpected hug from Fox brought Oskar out of the conversation with his PUB. ¡°Uh¡­ thanks,¡± he stammered, and then forced himself to relax, putting his arm across her solid, small shoulders. In the distance, he heard the familiar voice of his brother singing and Erik got as far as, ¡°Ossy and Foxy, sitting in a tree, K- I- S- S¡­¡± before Fox turn and threw something at him. Erik¡¯s face paled and he snapped a quick shield around himself. Was that a knife!? Oh, still in the sheath! Oskar laughed, but Erik was still wide-eyed for a moment before he joined in. ¡°You¡­ scared the hell out¡­ of me!¡± Erik said between peals of laughter, but it came out fragmented as he tried to catch his breath. Fox dropped the stern face and joined them. Touwon looked over, and Sara-without-an-H pawed playfully at the Kobold¡¯s long ears when his head swung around. He ignored the cat and turned back to messing with what appeared to be Gram¡¯s PUB set. If he could get that working¡­ that would be incredible, although I don¡¯t see how we can make it work for the Kobolds, and would take considerable alterations for Erik, too. // I¡¯m not picking anything up from it yet. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, though, especially with the Gift of Ptah Bastet gave him. Also, he¡¯s relentless. Looks like he¡¯s had a breakthrough or something. // The Kobold¡¯s hands were moving fast, and he actually looked excited for once. Oskar wanted to watch, but there was no point, and Oskar had the first watch. He made his way up the dune, appreciating the work the Kobold had done on his prosthetic. The fit was the same, but the foot felt both flexible and durable. He sat down beside Penny with a grunt, peeking over the dune and then settling back into a little pocket of sand Penny had been sweet enough to dig out for him. The sky had deepened into purple, and visibility was waning, but it was clear to both his eyes and senses. Shifting his prosthetic into a more comfortable position, he looked down at Penny, giving her a scratch under the chin. Her scales didn¡¯t quite feel the same, but she offered him a familiar, contented purr. ¡°See anything?¡± Oskar said playfully, and she nipped his hand in response. He smiled and poked his head up and looked out again, tuning out the sound of the wind as he surrounded himself and her with his Resonant Ward. I learn more in a single battle than I do practicing for a full day. Didn¡¯t get an Insight Gem from that last one. // You might have destroyed it. That was incredible, dude. Also, of course you learn more from battles. Smooth skies make poor Dragoons, and consequences matter. More pointedly, when people practice, they don¡¯t push themselves recklessly. In battle, you make quick, confident¡­ if not always rational, decisions. // That¡¯s true. I am a bit reckless. // Magic in our world responds very much to willpower. I didn¡¯t realize how much until you came along. I don¡¯t guide you much in that because of two things; you do things I¡¯d never in a million years tell you to do- and they work- and second, because almost none of the information I have will work for you. You don¡¯t have the foundation or education to ¡°Druid¡± traditionally. I don¡¯t want to influence your path by telling you how, because you¡¯re obviously onto something. Your intuitive use is raw and powerful, and the way you do it doesn¡¯t require the control of a pure caster. You use it more to augment your body, and although you¡¯re missing out on some of what made Druids so powerful, it fits you, and makes you powerful in a brand new way. Druids and Dragoons had different philosophies, and it drove a wedge between them. But here you are, sloppily mashing them together like two Crocs kissing. // Gross. // You ought to hear it. If only I had access to sound file- WAIT. Stop Touwon! // Gambit Created: Touwon, STOP!
  • Difficulty: Don¡¯t even try it.
  • Reward: My help!
  • Consequences of Failure: Destroy Gram¡¯s PUB set.
  • STOP. NO. BAD KOBOLD. DROP THE TOOLS. //
Oskar slid down the dune, yelling at the Kobold to stop whatever had made the PUB spaz out, but he needn¡¯t have rushed. As soon as the Gambit hit, the Kobold froze and was staring with clear irritation at Oskar as he drew closer. The PUB started overloading Oskar with instructions, and Oskar quickly gave up on translating. Is there any way you can talk to him yourself? // Matching sets can communicate directly, but I can only speak to a basic unit the same way I used to talk to you: adding on to messages or gambits. Gambits generated by me don¡¯t really have clout the way world generated ones do. Mine are more like¡­ favors. Don¡¯t tell the Kobolds that, though. Although since my rewards usually suck, they probably already know. // They definitely know that. // Hurtful. Anywaaay¡­ You could let him wear me. If you trust him enough, that is. I know you¡¯re all part of the same Collective, but don¡¯t take this lightly. What if he didn¡¯t give me back? Would you miss m- // Oskar pulled off the Goggles, handing them to Touwon, and worked on taking off the Bracer. Book 2 Chapter 22: Fugible Respect The bright sunlight, both overhead and reflecting off the sand, caused Oskar to squint his eyes tightly. He pulled his shemagh low over his eyes, but thankfully Touwon handed him the Goggles he¡¯d been wearing. Both looked ridiculous wearing Gear not made for them, but it was better to hold Goggles against his face where he could at least see through one eye properly than to stand there with his eyes closed until Touwon finished working on Gram¡¯s PUB. It¡¯ll all be worth it, though, if he can get those things working. I wonder if PUB¡¯s all share the same general personality by default and then branch out as they experience more and more. He half expected his PUB to make a snarky remark about that, and he again realized how much he subconsciously relied on it. Touwon stuffed cloth in the too-big strap to hold Oskar¡¯s PUB in place and got to work. Erik and Penny trudged up the dune to keep a lookout since they were the only two able to fully see or not busy since Fox was cooking. Oskar felt a touch of guilt at Erik having to go on watch, but his brother seemed eager to help¡­ and they did need help. So, Oskar ignored the brief pang of guilt and allowed Erik to do his part. I know exactly how it feels to feel helpless, and he really can do this. He has great observational skills, especially with his newly enhanced eyesight. It feels so odd to be protective over someone who¡¯s protected me my whole life... although now that he¡¯s healed up some, I guess we¡¯re protecting each other. Touwon tirelessly worked on the Gear set over the course of the next few hours, much of it spent murmuring to himself or to Oskar¡¯s PUB, there was no telling. At one point, the Kobold pulled out a small glowing stone that seemed to put off no heat and used it to light his work, which was spread out over a small platform that looked like a dinner tray he¡¯d pulled out of his bag. As the sky darkened enough that Oskar could finally stand watch, he replaced Erik, who eagerly slid down the dune and watched Touwon work. Sara had barely moved from the top of Touwon¡¯s cool bag, and he¡¯d more than once had to reach under and around the cat to get something he needed but did so with no sign of irritation or complaint. Oskar tried to ignore them as he monitored the expanse of desert, watching the current colors shift in the sky and trying to listen through the strong wind, which was mostly muted as he practiced his Resonating Ward. At one point, Oskar saw a spider looking thing that looked like it was made of its own web leaping across the dune- until it made its way up one of the dunes and launched itself into the air with a string of webbing behind it that took it out of sight in less than a minute. Oskar could have sworn he saw it watching him as it flew away. Of course, I¡¯m going to see something new and interesting the first time I¡¯m not wearing my PUB. Looking down at Touwon, who was finally showing some energy he mentally added, It¡¯s not a waste, though. It¡¯s looking like it might be for a good cause. Fox had taken a nap after cooking, but was awake by then and came up to sit beside Oskar for a little while before taking a loop around the camp and then watching from the opposite side. It was the job of whoever was on watch to make sure they circled the camp occasionally, but everyone made it a point to pitch in. There were a least two people awake almost constantly. They¡¯d fallen into an active or passive watch depending on who¡¯d been awake the longest, and despite no one really getting an opportunity to completely check out mentally or rest for long stretches, everyone had downtime. Oskar enjoyed his turn for watch, mostly because Penny would spend much of the time nuzzling up to him and her physical senses were better than his. Especially without his PUB. Why do I miss the damn thing so bad? I hate that it was right. Oskar heard Touwon exclaim something down below, but didn¡¯t allow himself to get distracted, figuring he would learn what had happened soon enough. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little left out, though, especially when he saw Fox meander over to the two from the other side. Faithful Penny didn¡¯t care though and stayed right there with him¡­ even if only because there was no food out down in the flats, and she didn¡¯t hear her name.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. For her part, Sara seemed to have finally perked up now that the sand was cooling. She was walking around, visiting everyone to make sure she got a scratch or a rub. She even walked all the way up the dune wall to sit in Oskar¡¯s lap for a minute, purring and completely oblivious- or more likely apathetic- to the commotion below. Glancing back, Oskar couldn¡¯t help but let his gaze linger when he saw Erik take the Goggles from Touwon¡¯s offering hands and pull it carefully over his face. The Goggles looked to have been modified and repaired by using a second pair of Goggles. The line between the two lenses wasn¡¯t quite abrupt but was noticeable because of the slightly different metals. Separated in the middle between the lenses where they rested over the bridge of the nose. Much of the other metal seemed to be replaced with thick leather. It looked like Touwon was now fitting on a piece that would cover a little more of Erik¡¯s nose and a bit of his face. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure if there was circuitry; he¡¯d seen some small sparks while the Kobold worked but he hadn¡¯t been below the wind line to hear anything. It was clear Touwon had made changes to ensure a better fit on a human head, even Erik¡¯s big noggin. Touwon¡¯s a genius! Cover¡¯s Erik¡¯s face and helps the vicious cycle of sunburn between drinking Waypsring water. The curve was gentler and the glass on the side of Erik¡¯s enhanced blue eye didn¡¯t look to be as thick. Is that eye less susceptible to the sun? Is it just glass? It¡¯s hard to tell when you¡¯re looking through them, but there¡¯s a slight red tint to the Goggles, and you can see some of it from the outside looking in. He wanted to keep watching but not paying attention while on watch was just asking for trouble. Oskar felt like he was driving while looking in the back seat of the car and had to turn back around to make they weren¡¯t about to be ambushed. After looking around enough to be satisfied, he turned back around in time to see his brother¡¯s jaw hanging slack and then Erik busted out laughing. Okay, they¡¯re doing cool stuff and laughing? Why do I feel like the last kid picked in kickball? Signaling for Fox to come up and trade places with him, Oskar shoved down his impatience and made it a point to keep still until she finished her climb. She waved apologetically and then rushed to relieve him of his post. Her face split into a grin as she drew near and settled down atop the dune, looking outward beside the Pangolor, who stood up as Fox drew close. Penny¡¯s newly evolved form cut an impressive silhouette. She yawned and snuck off in search of food. When she began sniffing the area around, she adopted her new stalking gait that was far removed from her old tottling around. Every single one of her steps looked spring-loaded. He made his way down the dune, careful despite his excitement. What is so funny? I¡¯m totally out of the loop. Even Touwon looks amused. Erik was wheezing, unable to catch his breath from laughter. Gram¡¯s- well, Erik¡¯s PUB seemed to fit well enough, and Erik had calmed down some by the time Oskar made it down the dune. Walking up the dune is always easier than coming down. Stupid fake foot keeps sinking in the looser sand, even though it¡¯s better than it was. Touwon was shaking his head, smiling with amusement, and Erik still had a grin on his face while the Kobold continued to fiddle with the leather straps. Drawing closer, the PUB looked serviceable, if not very stylish, although that was probably for the best. Admittedly, though, the only reason the line between the¡­ weld? ¡­ and leather stitching covering it was even visible was because it was new. They lived rough, and the line separating the replacement lens that was going over Erik¡¯s blue eye was about a hard week¡¯s walk from blending. After Touwon finished his adjustments, the leather better covered the weld. It still looks like a patch job set of Goggles because of the worn leather and discolored metal, but again, that¡¯ll blend, and no one¡¯s gonna guess it could be a matched set¡­ assuming it still works. Touwon seems pleased enough. Mine is about the plainest looking set of Goggles I¡¯ve seen on anyone, and these look even plainer. Oskar grinned, amused by Erik¡¯s chuckling, but curious, and looked at Touwon, who was pulling Oskar¡¯s Gear set off with suppressed amusement. ¡°Okay, what am I missing here?¡± Oskar asked, but Touwon wagged a clawed finger when Erik went to explain and to Oskar¡¯s frustration, Erik stopped. ¡°You¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡± His brother was on the verge of cracking up again. Even in the dark, Oskar instinctually squinted when he pulled the Kobold¡¯s ill-fitting Goggles off his face and removed the too-tight bracer. Oskar tried not to look as excited as a kid with an ice cream cone as he traded Gear with the Kobold and replaced his Bracer. Getting it tight and in position, he placed his Goggles on his head and was immediately hit with two notifications immediately. // Hey, good to see you again! So, uh. Good news is the gear works. // Concerned, Oskar asked, What¡¯s the bad news? // Check out your new Gambit. //
  • [[ Gambit Received ¨C Punch yourself in the stupid face, poser. Do it now.
  • Difficulty- It¡¯s so easy, even you can¡¯t screw this up, you wannabe pile of putrid meat. So inferior.
  • Consequences- Punchable face left unpunched.
  • Reward- My respect. This is fungible. ]]
// Bad news is¡­ this guy is freaking nuts. // ¡°What the hell?¡± Oskar didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d said it out loud until he heard Erik and Touwon break out in guffaws. Book 2 Chapter 23 Short Term Plans and Pennys Request // Bad news is, this guy is freaking nuts. // ¡°What the hell?¡± Oskar didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d said it out loud until he heard Erik and Touwon break out in guffaws. ¡°This thing is nuts!¡± // Hey, that was my line, I literally just said that! // It was a good one. Spot on analysis if I do say so myself, Oskar said to the PUB, and then out loud, he asked his brother, ¡°So it just hates everyone?¡± Erik had tears in eyes, choking out an answer. ¡°No¡­ not at all, man. It loves us! It complimented Fox¡¯s eyes. Just you. It just hates you! I love this thing.¡± [[ Gambit Received- Take off the cybernetic foot, you faker. You¡¯re stupider than a calculator. You¡¯ll never pass as one of us. I hate you. I hate you. You should hate you. ]] // We might wanna consider turning its ability to send you Gambit notifications. I¡¯m getting a feeling it¡¯s not gonna calm down till you stop being such a poser. // Yeah, uh¡­ do that, Oskar sent back as he declined the fourth Gambit request, this one asking him to take the ¡°stupid robot leg¡± off and shove it up his rear vent port¡­ diagonally. Oskar laughed a little. According to Erik, Oskar blocking the notifications had sent the other PUB ballistic, and after a few minutes, the PUB claimed it would stop the Gambit requests if Oskar would just unblock it. It pled its case through his brother and made some fairly valid points, mostly involving the importance of being able to communicate instantly during an emergency. This, of course, was only to lull Oskar into a false sense of security, because roughly an hour after falling asleep, a Gambit notification calling him ¡°meat data¡± woke him and told to choke on his ¡°stupid looking boots.¡± The PUB must have known it was about to get blocked again because it immediately followed up with an apology and promised a truce if Oskar would stop trying to act like a robot. Whatever the hell that means. What does it expect me to do? It took a little back and forth before the PUB calmed down and finally understood that Oskar genuinely wasn¡¯t trying to act like a machine, had no intentions of adding computerized parts to the prosthetic, and that he wasn¡¯t wearing the prosthetic by choice, but because of a previous injury that couldn¡¯t be healed by Erik. Apparently, the initial misunderstanding had been based on it being an unhealed injury when Erik could heal almost anything short of death, albeit at great personal cost. It was still suspicious of Oskar, but eventually Erik¡¯s PUB apologized for jumping to conclusions but added that it was monitoring Oskar and warned him not to try anything ¡°unfunny.¡± As he sat there, Penny woke, but instead of asking or hunting for food or attention, she tilted her head, staring pointedly at Oskar¡¯s little bag. She knew Touwon carried the food. ¡°What is it, girl?¡± She poked her nose at the bag again, and looked up at him. Confused, he reached into the bag and started feeling around in the low light. The only things in the bag were his extra shirt, his extra pants, his only remaining extra pair of serviceable undies, five socks¡­ and the Insight Gemstone-Uncommon. The Insight Gem he¡¯d gotten when he found her and killed the giant snake that poisoned Penny¡¯s mother. He¡¯d not known what to do with it, and by the time he did know, it seemed a waste to use it himself, considering its sync percentage was in the low thirties. He¡¯d intended on letting her have it one day, but didn¡¯t know what would happen if she used it. Would it just contain Insight to a new ability, or would she have to relive the fight where her mother died over and over? ¡°Are you sure?¡± She actually nodded, and Oskar blinked at her before handing over the small, green, smoky gem. She took it in her paws like a little racoon and kwinned at him, nuzzled his hand, and dove under the sand beside the tent. ¡°Okay then.¡± Shaking his head at the absurdity, he walked over to talk to Fox and ask her about the plan. He¡¯d begun the conversation by asking how she was doing with the information Bastet had revealed to him about the Drakon and their orchestration of the Kobold Culling. She¡¯d seemed to take it well the night before, but he wanted to check on her anyway. ¡°I am well enough. As I said, I had begun to suspect their involvement simply due to how perfectly timed it was. That does not make it hurt less, though. An enemy that does not even do their own dirty work is a coward. Smart, perhaps, but a coward.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He and Fox talked over the plan again as they ate, and then made sure Erik and Touwon were on board. They all now had a pretty good idea of what their long-term plan of action looked like: If the resistance still exists, find it and protect it, and hope they had information on how to get to Valla¡­ or die trying. And If the resistance isn¡¯t around anymore, probably just die trying. Sighing, Oskar looked up at the dimply lit expanse of sky above him. Short term plan is heading toward the area they lived in. I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll figure it out. I¡¯m too tired to think thanks, to Erik¡¯s butthole of a PUB, but she told me that my part relied on my Resonant Ward. After all the excitement, Oskar couldn¡¯t go back to sleep easily as his thoughts turned toward the Collective¡¯s immediate future and his own part in their survival. The new ability was easily the most complex thing he knew how to do, but simply practicing it wasn¡¯t improving it nearly fast enough. He had that nagging feeling he was missing some aspect of the spell that, without understanding it, was going to slow his ability to improve it. Her words had worried him. ¡°You¡¯ll need to fit us into your Resonant Ward for at least half a day. We must not lead her to them, if they still exist. You will have to hide and protect us until we enter whatever protection the resistance uses to stay hidden.¡± She¡¯d claimed she wasn¡¯t completely sure how to contact them herself after so long, but that she would lead them to the most likely place. Oskar suspected she knew more than she wanted to admit to herself, or anyone really. A defense mechanism, so she didn¡¯t lose all hope things didn¡¯t go as planned. Makes sense though. I can¡¯t imagine knowing there was a change, a totally reasonable chance, that everyone I knew and grew up with was dead. The thought weighed heavily on his mind. Being in the Marines during wartime had not been kind to his unit. A mix of dangerous location and bad luck had cost them dearly, and he¡¯d come home to Erik, who¡¯d disappeared within six months. It¡¯s not the same, but maybe I get it more than I want to admit it myself. Still, though¡­ she wants me to be able to walk for half a day with my Ward going in a large enough radius to hide everyone. Probably just me and Erik, since the Kobolds can hide better than we can, but better safe than sorry. We still have no idea how the hell Valla is tracking us. // I can¡¯t begin to guess. We¡¯ve taken nothing from her. Penny isn¡¯t a Croc spy. Erik only had his cheap Goggles and his clothes when he joined. I suppose it¡¯s possible that some tracking technology survives in the world, but the chances she would be able to power and use it are slim, plus, I¡¯ve been monitoring for any signals, and there isn¡¯t anything that seems like tracking going on at all. // Are you telling me there is something going on that¡¯s not like tracking. The PUB took a few moments before answering. // Okay, my initial reaction is to not answer you when something is happening that I think might be brushing up against my built-in rules. In my time, punishment for sharing more than you were allowed to was a data purge of all relevant data, and restrictions to accessing further data. So, you can see why I naturally err on the side of caution. // Dude, just spill it. The anticipation is killing me. Is something happening? // No. I was just messing with you. // You absolute jerk. // Okay, serious answer though is that something is happening, I just don¡¯t know what it is. I¡¯m not getting information like when we had a global network, but there are echos of something. A¡­ buzz in the air, if you will. The only thing I¡¯m reasonably sure of is that it¡¯s not Valla. This isn¡¯t magical in nature at all, and like I said, this isn¡¯t tracking. No pings, no feedback. I will talk with Erik¡¯s PUB and see if I can figure out more, but that¡¯s all I got for you right now. Sorry. // That¡¯s a lot to take in. Okay. Well, keep me updated, I guess. Nothing to do but work on my Druid stuff. Distracted, he walked around their camp once to check things out and clear his head, and then began practicing. He started channeling all three magics, and his mind cleared quickly as the power infused him. He began working on his initial casting speed and paid special attention to what each individual magic was doing, searching for anything that might help him improve faster. After a while, he gave up, making his way to the tent he and Erik shared. Unsurprisingly, Erik was still awake when Oskar went to lie down, and he got the pleasure of hearing those same dreaded four words again, this time from his brother. ¡°Oss. We need to talk.¡± Dammit. I¡¯m not gonna get sleep tonight, am I? ¡°What¡¯s up, man?¡± Erik smiled. ¡°We just need to talk about what we¡¯re doing here. Not the Collective plan, I heard you and Fox going over that. I mean us. The World Quest, or¡­ Gambit, I guess,¡± he said with a laugh. His eyes were sunken, the smile a mask. ¡°The reason I¡¯m asking is because,¡± he hesitated, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not dying, it¡¯s not that dramatic, but I¡¯m treading water, man.¡± Erik said it simply, devoid of regret, anger, or pain. Not like someone who¡¯s given up, though. Like someone who¡¯s finally accepted ¡°a truth¡± they weren¡¯t ready to face and is ready to do something about it. Oskar let out a heavy breath but remained quiet while Erik continued. ¡°Well, maybe sand, not water, but you get the point,¡± he smirked., but then his face went still again. ¡°I¡¯m not just weakened from what that freaking psycho did to me¡­ she¡¯s somehow still killing me. It¡¯s like a part of my soul is being squeezed. Every time I use more than the tiniest bit of magic, I get maybe¡­ I dunno¡­ 98% of myself back? I no longer have mana. So, it just uses,¡± he paused, considering. ¡°Me. It just uses me.¡± That last part held some of the emotion he was obviously still struggling with, despite his verbal acceptance. I didn¡¯t realize how bad it still was. I guess I hoped the effect had lessened some. That complicates things. ¡°Well then, we need to avoid combat if possible. We can¡¯t risk you getting worse.¡± His voice was tired but determined, ¡°No, Oss. What we need to do is finish this. If that means cashing through her front door and me slinging heals left and right, then so be it. I¡¯m not gonna wait here and die. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s done, or is doing to me, but anything is better than feeling like someone is slowly drowning me from the inside out.¡± Book 2 Chapter 24: A Buzz in the Air Book 2 Chapter 24 The brothers sat in silence for a full minute. Oskar wanted to tell Erik everything was going to be alright, but he knew it would feel like an empty promise. He understood where Erik was coming from. No one wants to sit around waiting to die, but they wouldn¡¯t even know where to go to attack Valla if they decided to do so. It makes sense. Until the cave, the closest he¡¯d looked to getting better was the day after we¡¯d saved him. Since then, they¡¯d fought often, forcing Erik to defend and heal the others, and it had taken its toll. Everyone knew it, but Oskar had hoped they¡¯d find a way to stop it or that the problem would fade with time or distance from Valla. They needed information, and the Kobolds were the only sure way they had a possibility of finding it. They won¡¯t be at the Great Collective anymore with the Oasis gone, so there¡¯s no telling whether she¡¯s holed up somewhere or if she¡¯s chasing us personally. Unfortunately, it was now looking more and more that the only way to save Erik was to kill Valla. Maybe that would undo whatever was still killing his brother. He spoke directly to the PUB, hoping for some feedback. This isn¡¯t a matter of being forced to fight anymore. I know we already planned on killing her, but I didn¡¯t realize how much he was still being affected. Maybe I should have asked¡­ and I¡¯ll be better about that in the future¡­ but he¡¯s right about one thing. We¡¯ve got to get the ball rolling, not only for Erik, but to get the Crocs off the Kobold people¡¯s backs. I know that¡¯s not our fault, directly, but they¡¯re using Fox and Touwon¡¯s ¡®defiance¡¯ as an excuse, and they¡¯ve suffered enough. More than enough. His PUB was unusually quiet, so after a minute, Oskar continued, watching his brother¡¯s haggard, thin face. And so has Erik, Oskar thought, but to Erik, he said, ¡°So, are you saying you don¡¯t want to find her people first? You just wanna turn around and go after her?¡± ¡°It might be comfortable to find safety. To stop, safe, and wait till all this passes¡­ but what if it doesn¡¯t? All it takes is one mistake. She finds us one time, and then we¡¯re out of places to go. Maybe run to one of the Drakon places, but is that really an option?¡± Oskar laughed bitterly, shaking his head. ¡°No. No, it is not.¡± ¡°I know¡­ that¡¯s suicide. I¡¯m just freaking out, man. We meet the Kobolds and then we go after Valla. It really is the right move. I guess what I¡¯m saying is I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep going like this.¡± Oskar reached over and squeezed his brother¡¯s shoulder, and Erik gave him a nod back. Almost a hug, coming from Erik, Oskar thought with a smile. *** For the second night in a row, Oskar had not gotten nearly enough sleep by the time the red sun poked up over the distant horizon. He¡¯d had some difficulty going back to sleep, which was expected, but the it was made worse both because Penny wasn¡¯t there and because of why she wasn¡¯t there. He could feel her through the bond, and though there wasn¡¯t really sadness, there was a heaviness. Above all, though, he could feel her determination, so Oskar told himself she was fine. Better than fine, she was learning something. Whether or not the Insight Gem replayed the fight for her, offered her a new ability, or some hybrid of the two, she would come out of it with something new. Feeling her calm determination had been enough to finally let sleep take over. He dreamed of watching the world from above. He couldn¡¯t feel his body, but he knew it was down there. His mind, though, was floating in a place high above and rising slowly. He felt something calling out to him, gently encouraging him to rise further, but as quickly as the dream began, it ended. And then, Oskar¡¯s sleep was just sleep. However, both PUBs detected a very unusual buzz in the air. *** A few hours later, Oskar woke, as usual, with his foot propped up on Penny. She looked the same as usual, and was laying still in the opening to the tent. What actually woke Oskar was his entire body immediately breaking out in sweat as the sunlight hit the foot. Just like Iraq. I¡¯ve been woken exactly like that a hundred times. All it takes is a single ray of sunshine, and its butt-sweat soup for breakfast. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. There was no telling what had happened with the gem. The information the PUB had on his companions was relatively scarce, and Oskar figured he¡¯d learn eventually if there had been any change. All that mattered is that she felt peaceful. Happy. And that¡¯s good enough. Remembering the odd dream from the night before, of floating above the world, he lay still, thinking about what it might mean until the discomfort of sitting still and sweating finally prompted him to sit up. He yawned, sighed, and then set about inspecting the prosthetic foot and liner. Although the foot seemed to be holding up incredibly well after Touwon¡¯s alterations and improvements, the liner was beat to hell. If not for the healing properties of the Wayspring water, he knew he¡¯d be dealing with all sorts of skin issues. Luckily, the water took care of everything from sun damage to chafing, so all he had to do was take care of the material. Unfortunately, the rubbery thermosplatic elastomer material, otherwise known as TPE, was obviously irreplaceable here. Cloth wasn¡¯t an option. Not only would it destroy his stump, but the system that held the prosthetic in place consisted of the liner, which stayed on his leg via suction, and an A-Pin on the end of the liner that locked into the leg itself. So¡­ not only would a makeshift liner not stay on from lack of suction, but it also wouldn¡¯t stay in the socket, either. Well, it¡¯s gonna be fine till it ain¡¯t. At least I can take to the sky again if something goes wrong. Can¡¯t do anything about it now. That¡¯s future Oskar¡¯s problem, and I¡¯ve made it very clear that I hold him in little regard. // Yeah, baby, that¡¯s the spirit! Screw future Oskar! // With a cynical smirk, he slid the liner in place over his stump and carefully stood, still hunched over to stay under the meager shade of the tent. The general commotion and the sound of the liner pin locking into place was enough to wake Penny, who offered a yawning ¡°kwinn¡± before wandering off to destroy the local wildlife. By the time his head cleared enough to remember her taking the Gem the night before, she was outside the camp. The Pangolor seemed pleased, though. He suspected she would show him what she learned when she got back. She was no good at playing it cool. Beside him, Erik groaned out a yawn himself and sat up. Oskar pretended not to see his brother try to pick himself up on both elbows before his mismatched eyes briefly showed a dark look, and Erik adjusted to completing the motion with his single arm. Without looking at his brother, he called out, ¡°Good morning, suns-shine,¡± with mock cheer. Erik put on a fake smile himself and said with even more enthusiasm, ¡°Oh golly. What a splendid morning! My back barely hurts a lot! My joints feel great, too! Pleaaase tell me we¡¯re gonna walk 12 hours today! Please!¡± ¡°Yup! And after a few days of that, if you¡¯re good, we¡¯re gonna find a group of hated and hunted rebels no one has heard from in like a decade!¡± ¡°Oh gee. You¡¯re too good to me, Oss. Honest!¡± Oskar laughed and threw his brother a waterskin. With a little awkwardness, Erik caught it and pulled it close to his chest so it wouldn¡¯t fall into the sand. He gave Oskar a deadpan look, and Oskar smiled back. He briefly considered taking the tent down before his brother had gotten out of it but thought that might take ¡°treating Erik normally¡± a little further than necessary. Instead, he walked over to check on the Kobolds. Touwon was sitting on the dune opposite the one Oskar had been on the night before. He looks really happy with himself. // He should. His mind is incredible. He broke into Peak D Mind last night. That¡¯s incredibly rare. He wouldn¡¯t have known if he had not been wearing me. The plebs, or PLUBS, hahaha¡­ they just get a general feel for their stats, if that. Most people¡¯s stats don¡¯t rise because they are often dealing with the same general types of life challenges with little variety in degree or intensity. And, they usually deal with those challenges in the same exact ways. People tend to, for obvious reasons, find the safest way to live. The path of least resistance. // Makes sense, really. What does wealth in this part of the world look like, anyhow? Even if you survive getting stronger, all it does is put a target on your back, and you still have the basic same lifestyle as everyone else, right? Fight or avoid the natural predators while you search for water every other day or so and try to protect your people and what you¡¯re carrying. It¡¯s easy to see how people get stuck in the cycle. // Yup. It takes effort, ingenuity, and consequences to improve¡­ in addition to your personal specialty¡­ opportunity! Your particular ability to piss off large swaths of people at a time has pushed everyone to their limits and kept them there. Great job giving your Collective plenty of opportunities, and almost, but not quite, killing your friends! It¡¯s super effective, growth wise. // Well, thanks. I think. I really am beyond grateful to have the Kobolds here. If it wasn¡¯t for them, I¡¯d never have found or rescued Erik. I knew Touwon was smart, apparently just now how smart he is. // You have no idea. You probably haven¡¯t seen this, but I got a glimpse of things when he was wearing me. He¡¯s been making constant upgrades to his gear. He¡¯s created scenarios and solutions, and even when watching him work on the other PUB set, the moment he understood the basics of how the system works, he was already thinking about other projects. From blade grenades to mobile shade. // Should I be jealous? // Oh no, not at all. There is zero competition. Trust me, he¡¯s way out of your league. But don¡¯t get upset; it would be like getting upset because Penny digs better than you do. // You¡¯re feisty today, PUBs. // Sorry, I¡¯m just excited to have a new friend! By the way¡­ I know I say this every morning, but it¡¯s gonna be a hot one, today. // Oskar fought back a groan and wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. Book 2 Chapter 25: Uncomfortably Numb
The group worked together to clean up the area of all evidence of their overnight stay. This mostly consisted of making sure anything that could potentially carry their scent was buried deeply, burned and buried deeply, or carried with them. Thankfully, the Wayspring water turned their bodies into the most efficient food and water processing plants in existence, or leaving a scent would have been inevitable. Led by Fox, the Dorn Collective continued onward. The temperature soared as the day progressed, and by mid-morning, the air was already oppressive. The heat created a hazy mirage that distorted the distant horizon in every direction. Oskar didn¡¯t want to take to the skies in case they were still being followed, but he occasionally took to climbing the dunes just to get a better breeze, cycling his Resonant Ward endlessly. The Resonating Ward hid him from scans and detection, not sight. It was getting easier to hold on to without taking as much of his attention, but he wasn¡¯t having much luck extending the range. Curious, he pulled up his stats. Mind D+ Rank Body D Peak Rank Spirit D Rank --- Sora 87% (C Rank) Talau 63% (D- Rank) Rakiyu 47% (F+ Rank) I can¡¯t imagine what C Rank is gonna feel like. I¡¯m betting that¡¯ll make everything easier. Fox led them in the general direction of the old Kobold village they¡¯d spoken about, likely abandoned for quite a while. The ¡°village¡± mostly consisted of a series of caves along the top of a mesa, one much smaller than the one the Great Collective was on top of, in a group of similar mesas. She wasn¡¯t sure where they were exactly, so she didn¡¯t know how long it would take to reach the area, but she said that she rarely ever walked more than a week to get anywhere. ¡°If I was forced to give a number, I would say five days, but being this far¡­ northish¡­ of the Gryphus lair,¡± she used quotation marks to indicate exactly how ish her confidence in their location was, ¡°I would not be surprised if we were three days out at most from being able to see the mesas from atop the dunes. There are many of them in that area, but I will know the correct one. We must only continue north. Maybe a little west,¡± she added with a smile. Her plan was to leave some mark of their passing there and then hopefully use Oskar¡¯s Resonating Ward to sneak the group as close as possible to the old, designated meeting place near a long-lost cave system. So, If all goes well, we¡¯re three to five days out. Add in a few days for them to seek us out and we should make some new friends in the next week. And then, we kill Valla. Oskar wanted to sit in the anger her name caused him, but the heat was more than enough to sap the feeling away. His Resonating Ward cut the heat drastically, and he used it, but more for practice than personal comfort. Until I¡¯m strong enough to protect the entire group, I¡¯m not gonna sit in my own mobile air conditioner. Besides, I can¡¯t keep the Ward up forever, and boy- when it fades, the heat feels like it comes back with a vengeance! A duo of green, leathery birds flew overhead, startling Oskar with their speed and size, but did not circle or slow. Oddly, Touwon stopped walking and watched them pass. Almost as an afterthought, the Kobold threw up a halfhearted, far too delayed wave and started walking again.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I guess he like bords. Hmm. Learn something new every day. *** They ended up stopping at three separate Waysprings throughout the day due to the excessive heat. It was during the last stop, at a much shallower than normal Wayspring that sat just below the surface, that Oskar climbed the dune with the wind in his face to cool off and saw specks far off in the distance. What the hell is that? Please tell me it¡¯s not Gliders. He quickly realized the dots looked nothing like Gliders, and in fact, looked instead like foot-long ribbons floating in the air as he watched them slowly rotate around. They were also much closer than he¡¯d originally thought. He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly triggered it, but the second time they rotated around, Oskar got the distinct feeling that whatever it was he was looking at was looking right back at him. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next, though. The things were wire thin, and when they straightened out- still facing him- they momentarily disappeared. // Get d- // was all he had time to read when the first one reached him, having shot forward while they were all but invisible. He¡¯d done two things wrong, he quickly realized as he looked down at the snake that had just killed itself on his prosthetic leg at probably a hundred miles an hour. First, he¡¯d dropped his Resonating Ward, his attention completely taken by the strange sight before him. The Ward likely would have stopped or slowed the snake thing from even reaching him. The second was not scanning them the moment he¡¯d seen them, which might have prompted the PUB to warn him a little sooner. He realized a third mistake right around the time the consequences of it hit him in the face and snapped down on his bottom lip. In response, he finally dropped to his butt and slid down the dune. I probably should have gotten down after the first one hit my leg. Oskar groaned to himself as he looked down at the snake now sticking out of his face. His PUB immediately chimed in. // Look, I know you¡¯re busy, but I thought it best to let you know you¡¯re poisoned. I double checked this time, and it¡¯s not a false alarm. It doesn¡¯t seem to be fatal, but you¡¯re gonna need to get back to the others before you lose your vision from the swelling. It might, however, improve your unfortunate looks. // ¡°Thuck you,¡± Oskar said aloud as he carefully pulled the snake¡¯s jaw apart and removed it from his face. Unfortunately, his lips were already numb from the poison and felt like his face was stuck in position. // Wait, what?! // Thank you, Oskar sent back silently. // ¡­ // He¡¯d finally gathered enough common sense to duck down behind the dune, but he assumed the other snake things would be over the rise shortly. He slid down the dune as quickly as possible, his grimace uncomfortable with the weird mix of pain and numbness in his swelling face, but he couldn¡¯t tell if his face moved at all. It didn¡¯t help that his brother¡¯s face split into a wicked grin when he saw Oskar come into view. ¡°Ho ho ho! What is this, Housewives of the Sahara Desert? You went a little overboard on the botox, Oss.¡± He busted out laughing at his own joke, and Oskar couldn¡¯t help himself from smiling back at his brother¡¯s ribbing. Or at least I think I¡¯m smiling. It¡¯s just good to have him back. Face snake bite or not, it¡¯s good to see him with a plan again. This running for no reason just isn¡¯t him. Me either, usually, but it¡¯s gonna take me a little longer to get that fire fully burning again. I¡¯m still in shock to have him back and alive. ¡°Stho, uh¡­ thereths thnakes¡­ back there.¡± Oskar turned and pointed behind him. Erik laughed even harder, and Oskar¡¯s PUB jumped in on the action. // Juss sthop. I¡¯ll handle it. Communicating with Erik¡¯s PUB now. // Probably best I don¡¯t give them the benefit, and ammo, of replying, Oskar thought with irritation. // Yeeeaaaah, Erik¡¯s PUB keeps asking if the poison is fatal. I told him yes, just to see what he would say. Do me a favor and fall down and start screaming, it¡¯ll be hilarious. // Oskar¡¯s face was deadpan, which was still all it was capable of. Even his ears were swollen. He could feel the pressure in his face, but not much else. This swelling burns, too. // You only got tagged because you were standing atop the dune like a dummy. They didn¡¯t even follow you over the dune. The one who hit the prosthetic, though¡­ that was fool¡¯s luck. I really shouldn¡¯t have to tell you to get down. Didn¡¯t they teach you that in your military training? // Well, yeah, but that was because of snipers. But you¡¯re right. I got caught up trying to figure out what they were. // Well, did you get a good look? // Yep. Too good, Oskar agreed. Erik was pointing Oskar¡¯s face out to Touwon, which was slightly irritating until the Kobold tilted his head, and Oskar busted out laughing as well. The sound was disturbing even to him, coming from his frozen, swollen mouth. I¡¯m deeply uncomfortable. Book 2 Chapter 26: "... and then well work on finding me a Croc therapist..." Oskar was finally able to get the swelling down some a few minutes after sloppily drinking down a whole skin of Wayspring water. He took off his leg and spent the time cleaning and drying his liner as he waited for the healing to take hold, unwilling to let Erik tax himself by healing him quicker. He even called on his Resonating Ward, and possibly due to Rakiyu, even the healing properties of the water increased noticeably. There¡¯s more I practice this magic, the more I realize I know so little about it. Thankfully, instead of the sarcastic comment he expected, the PUB replied encouragingly. // That¡¯s been a boon to you so far, look at all the power you¡¯ve gained. Good job on not immediately working on the Cryon, though. As tempting as that might be to be able to create a cool breeze or build up an aura of it, you¡¯re working on what you know before you move on. Even if it¡¯s only because Fox told you to. You know it¡¯s not only because Fox told me her plan revolved around my Resonating Ward¡­ it¡¯s only a part of it. // Well, good job on staying out of trouble, then. Bastet might have given you some measure of your power, you¡¯re a long way away from where she was. Building a foundation around it first is going to help you in the long run, especially when it seems like it¡¯s going to take a good amount of Rakiyu. It¡¯s good that you know when you need to slow down and figure things out. To learn. Maybe Fox¡¯s mysterious Chief can help, if he still lives. // She seems confident he does. I think most of her fear is the implication of being wrong. The ¡®what if?¡¯ The PUB didn¡¯t reply, so Oskar gave the questioning Fox a nod. ¡°I think I¡¯m pretty much better. Most of my vision is back,¡± he added sarcastically. Fox grinned at him, stood, and they started walking. Thankfully, Touwon was no longer looking sideways at him. They walked in the dry, brutal heat for another hour, and then for reasons he couldn¡¯t quite figure out, his shadow caught his attention. On further inspection, he noticed there was a fainter, second shadow, and he stopped, looking around and then at the suns. He stared at them curiously for a few seconds before he finally decided they were further apart than they had been when he first started paying close attention to the sky. For the first time in the middle of the day, the overlapping lights from the two suns cast two noticeable shadows. Usually, the huge red sun overpowered the meager light from its small blue sister sun unless the red was setting. Usually there was only a few minutes of double shadows until they switched for the short amound of time the blue sun was alone in the sky. Oskar called out to Fox, who was still walking at the head of the group, ¡°What is up with the double shadows?¡± ¡°Midsummer. The suns are at their farthest points in the sky. This is how we know summer is dying. But, for now,¡± she pulled her leather vest out with her thumbs to let air in, ¡°we cook.¡± Under her breath, she added, ¡°And I am fully cooked. That is a truth.¡± Smiling, Oskar looked back up at the suns, considering. Knowing a little more than he suspected the Kobolds did about astronomy, he expected they had just gotten to a point in this world¡¯s rotations around the suns that it appeared the suns were further apart, but for all he knew, saying that out loud would prove him wrong, so he said nothing about that and instead asked Fox about the seasons. ¡°I¡¯m guessing afterwards, there¡¯s just another summer, right?¡± That one got him a flat look from Fox, but then her face softened, and she said, ¡°No, the seasons are spring, summer, autumn, and dream. They have older names, too. They have also been known as Haruki, Natshi, Akaze, and Tsumatai Kioku.¡± ¡°Why is dream, or Winter in my world, two words? What does that mean, and why is it called dream?¡± Oskar asked in a rush before his PUB got too excited and gave him a full breakdown of the meanings of the words. She was quiet for a moment, and Oskar minimized the excited scrolling of words across the inside of his Goggled until she answered. ¡°I believe it translates to ¡®cold memory¡¯ or something like that. I do not speak it all of the old language; I only know a few words. I suppose it is called dream now because the nights are longer. Benedictudo could explain it better.¡± Oskar nodded, appreciating the distraction as sweat rolled down his spine under his now threadbare shirt. I¡¯m hoping old Ben can explain a lot of stuff. Just because I¡¯m pushing forward¡­ just because Erik and I have a path now doesn¡¯t mean I know what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s still surreal. I¡¯m still on a desert planet with druid powers. At least I have more than water sense now. I¡¯m strong enough to keep everyone safe. Oskar couldn¡¯t stop a small smile and a sense of accomplishment. They walked as the heat bore down on them, the horizon still shimmering with hazy ripples. Even the perfect, normally liquid smooth streamers of sand looked wavy in the heat. They also cast odd double shadows that kept catching Oskar¡¯s peripheral vision when they occasionally walked underneath one.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Oskar kept an eye on the others, especially Erik, walking with Fox and setting the pace for the group. Erik kept up, but Oskar made sure to close the distance and hit his brother with the Resonating Ward more and more as the heat picked up. Every time he felt the heat getting to him, he figured it was time to make the rounds. The only one that didn¡¯t seem to care either way was Sara, who was so stretched out on Touwon¡¯s swaying bag that her feet were dangling off both sides as she slept. Regardless, Oskar made it a point to keep everyone as fresh as possible. As the heat picked up, even the Kobolds tightened up to take refuge in Oskar¡¯s magic. All I really want to do is fly into the stratosphere to see if it¡¯s cooler up there. // Yeah¡­ uh¡­ // Spit it out. // Pedant alert: So, not sure what your words are for it, but what you call the stratosphere is the second layer and usually gets hotter as you rise until the third layer. Also, you probably couldn¡¯t breathe up there, so you¡¯d need to learn to bring a bubble of oxygen with you. Okay, that¡¯s all. // So, either stay near the top of the first layer, or go to the third and probably die. Got it. He tried to maintain the Ward the entire time since the drain on his capacity was much less after the initial casting, so he could keep it up for a much longer while just holding it. The constant, smooth hum of its energy a familiar weight against his attention and Capacity. All in all, a small price to pay for the cooler air and the added protection. The cooling effect was barely noticeable when it was this hot, and didn¡¯t seem to directly be a part of his Cryon Concept. Thinking about the Concept was a dangerous thing to add into the mix of his weary, overheated thoughts, and the heat was making it harder to do the right thing and build on his foundation. In a moment of curiosity and weakness, he tried to use Cryon with his Ward and staggered at the sudden increase in the pull on his Capacity. It didn¡¯t empty him, but the pull was unexpected, and he lost the Resonating Ward completely. He saw both Erik and Fox jerk their heads over at him, eyes wide in worry until he waved that he was fine. ¡°Just overdid it a little, I¡¯ll stop pushing so much.¡± Erik called him a dumbass just loud enough for him to hear, and behind them, Oskar heard Touwon chuckle. Oskar ignored them both and focused on what little he might be able to learn from his mistake. Well¡­ turns out the cooling effect was way more effective than I thought it was, he thought as a fresh wave of heat washed over him, and Oskar was convinced for a few seconds that his eyes were sweating. And Cryon is obviously something that needs to be practiced on its own. He hastily re-summoned the Resonating Ward, and felt his Capacity stabilize again. He pulled out a waterskin and took a long pull, letting the Wayspring water do its thing as he considered the spell and how to improve it more than just its range. Technically, once I get the whole thing going, it¡¯s nearly free. I spend more energy on the Sora and Talau cost activation than I do maintaining it. It feels ridiculously overpowered, considering everything it does¡­ especially now that I know how much it can cool us off. The hardest part is maintaining the attention it takes to keep it going. But even that was getting easier. He could now extend the Ward a few paces; a little over four meters. Reaching out with his drastically improved senses, he felt several Waysprings in the distance¡­ as well as a pair of giant asps, a thing that felt like a scorpion, but was so large, Oskar was tempted to steer their little Collective over for a look-see, but if the scorpion didn¡¯t kill him, he was pretty sure Fox would. Touwon probably wouldn¡¯t even notice. Or maybe he would notice and just wouldn¡¯t care, Oskar thought with a smirk. There was much, much more life in the desert than he thought possible. It made him shiver thinking about the one day he¡¯d walked, surviving my sheer luck, before he¡¯d gotten access to his ability to sense water and life. The wind was picking up, even in the usually still valley, and it made one of the streamers of sand overhead bend slightly in a way that had Penny beside him even look up for a moment before running off after a morsel a few yards away. ¡°She literally eats all the time,¡± Oskar commented under his breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re not constantly starving. I mean, we eat, but the only thing I can think of is there are some calories in the Wayspring water. They were only giving me droplets mixed in with the nasty cactus juice, and I was definitely hungry the entire time,¡± Erik said, holding out his stick thin arm for reference. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine, man.¡± ¡°Nah, we aren¡¯t doing that right now, man. Let¡¯s just get to safety and kill that psycho, and then we¡¯ll work on finding a Croc therapist or something to help me work through my issues.¡± Erik grinned, still walking. Oskar laughed at the image. ¡°Could you imagine? ¡®Good day, stupid pink. Share to me your weakness.¡¯¡± ¡°You try beating smaller Crocs yet? Hit them bunches. It always make me feel good,¡± Erik continued, and Oskar had to admit his Croc voice was way better than his. ¡°How bouts you eat oneteen pounds of lizard meat? I trade you one rock. It good trade. For us. For me,¡± Oskar tried, and Erik laughed harder than the impression deserved. After his brother caught his breath, he explained why. ¡°You sound like Adam Sandler doing the talking goat voice. Your Croc impression is awful, man,¡± he wheezed out. ¡°Dude, I totally forgot about that!¡± ¡°Goodnight, Old Man!¡± They went back and forth quoting the wildly inappropriate skit, and Erik somehow knew a fair amount of The Goat Song, which Oskar had only heard a time or two, but even Touwon was smiling at their antics, especially when they tried to explain what a goat was to the Kobolds. If Touwon had questions, he didn¡¯t voice it, of course, but Fox got hung up on the head-butting aspect, and kept repeating, ¡°But why would they hit things with their own heads? It makes no sense.¡± The brothers didn¡¯t have a suitable answer for that, and that made it even funnier. They all froze as the ground beneath them began to shake, and Oskar realized his distraction, as needed as it was, had allowed him to walk over something living and huge, or at least let it sneak up on them, which was even worse. He felt a little better when he realized he couldn¡¯t feel anything below them other than the moving ground. So, either it has some kind of protective ability, or its strong enough to mask its presence from me¡­ and neither one of those options feels amazing to me. ¡°Please tell me this isn¡¯t another Kevin Bacon reference,¡± Oskar whispered as he dropped his center of gravity and listened. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Erik whispered back at him. He was grinning when he said it, but the smile faded as they as the dunes on both sides of them collapsed. As the sand rushed in, they were forced to move to stay on top of the rising sand in the dune valley. How big is this thing?! Book 2 Chapter 27 Getting Serious The familiar yellow tint and the sharp lines of Battle Mode appeared in his vision as Oskar tried again to reach out with his senses and get a handle on the creature¡¯s size. Is it normal for these things to hide from scanning abilities? // Um, creatures evolve faster in our world than yours. So, the answer is maybe, but it would take it the creature needing that trait for survival, and I just don¡¯t see that being the case here. That means you either have a variant creature, or maybe it has natural protection from an unusually high Spirit Rank. // Well, damn. Something caught Oskar¡¯s attention in retrospect, though. There seemed to be a void of life that gave him, if not a scan of the creature, at least a general idea of what they were standing on top of. ¡°Guys,¡± he whispered as the sand continued to rumble, ¡°if this is a Sandwyrm, it¡¯s magnitudes larger than the one we faced in the arena.¡± Nearby, both Touwon and Erik said the cool Kobold curse word he¡¯d forgotten to ask about, and Oskar felt a mild pang of jealousy that Touwon might talk with Erik and not himself. Touwon pulled his bag around to pull something out, and Sara jumped onto Erik¡¯s shoulder with a meow. But then again, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve tried directly talking to him. Erik hangs out and watched him work. Guess that¡¯s on me. I¡¯ll do better¡­ more motivation to survive this. ¡°It would be dumb to let this thing make the first move,¡± Oskar said, and after a moment, Fox nodded. ¡°That is a truth. Be careful, Oskar.¡± He shot into the air with a burst of Sora and then wrapped himself in Talau as he lifted above the fallen dunes. I¡¯ve got to get a hit in before it decides to attack. There was no running from this thing, though. Penny, from somewhere below it, gave him a general read on where it was and what direction it was moving. He told her to make sure she was out of the way when he was on his way back down to use his Momentum Transfer. Well, it was actually more like ¡°when you feel me get closer, flee,¡± but the Pangolor seemed to get the gist. She seemed confident she could give him a strike point and still have time to get out of the way, and he trusted her, even if it made him nervous. His speed increased dramatically as Sora gained momentum, and with Talau and Rakiyu doing their thing, he had almost no drag in the skin close swirl of magic around him. This wasn¡¯t Resonating Ward at all; it was increasing his speed and empowering Sora more so than Talau, but it felt right for what he was doing. He rose into the sky for as long as he dared, unwilling to lose the chance for a clean hit. The thing was unbelievably massive; it had been moving underneath them for over thirty seconds, but was now beginning to circle the group. It was still moving slowly, though, likely assured in its trap once it had them fully encircled. So, I¡¯m guessing it circles us and then either attacks with its head underneath, crushes us, or uses the sand blast attack? // Sounds reasonable, but something this big is old, and I¡¯m sure it has a few more tricks up its sleeve. // Well, either way, it¡¯s time to mess up its plan. Oskar hoped, as he turned and rocketed back down, his spear in a white knuckled grip, that he could penetrate deep enough in the sand to land a significant blow.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. His PUB used Penny¡¯s location and the information she¡¯d given them on the Sandwyrm¡¯s speed to mark a spot in his vision that was far enough away from the group to ensure their safety. He warned Penny he was getting close, and then pulled on Sora further, now moving faster than he ever had before. His ears popped, but he set his jaw and prepared to strike, empowered by whatever his magic was doing, as he closed the final gap to the sand below. The swirl of magic around him was not enough to fully protect him as he struck the sand with a perfectly timed Momentum Transfer. Numbness lasted a second, then searing heat hit him as an explosion flung him out of the massive hole he¡¯d created. His body rolled, stinging and in pain, and he jerked his head around to see what the hell had happened. His ears were ringing, and the world was otherwise completely silent, but he was able to pull himself to standing again with only a little stumble. As feeling returned, the stinging intensified, but he ignored it, looking for the others. Fox was standing straight up, which was odd since he could still feel the ground shaking, even if it was fading. Erik had his hand on top of his head, and he could see his brother mouth ¡°holy¡± something or another, and then his brother began laughing. The other Kobold was standing at the edge of the hole, looking down and scratching his chin thoughtfully. The sand near Touwon rippled as Penny appeared, and she walked over to check out the hole that Oskar had created and bounced a good ten foot away from. Pulling out a waterskin, Oskar drank as much as he could in a gulp, and almost immediately, his ears popped. His hearing didn¡¯t return, but he could already feel some relief from the stinging he felt all over his body. Oskar leaned the spear on his shoulder, not yet trusting himself to walk, and shook feeling back into his hands after putting the waterskin away, and noticed small dots peppering his arms and hands that stung almost as bad as his face. His breaths were coming in faster than they needed to, and he took a deep, purposeful breath as he tried to tame the rush of fear and adrenaline that washed over him. I don¡¯t like explosions. Also, I think I hit a little harder than I meant to. There¡¯s no way I killed it, though, right? // No, but dude¡­ you more than scared it off. I bet that thing hasn¡¯t felt fear in decades, maybe longer. I¡¯m not sure how long they live¡­ but you just knocked the hell out of that thing. // What caused the explosion, and why are my face and arms full of sand? This hurts like crap in case you were wondering. // Sorry, friend. But can you please please please¡­ go look in the hole. Touwon¡¯s flabbergastment is making me insanely curious what he¡¯s looking at; I had no idea he knew how to be flabbergasted. // There¡¯s no way flabbergastment is a word. Also¡­ thanks. // It¡¯s a word until you find a dictionary to prove me wrong. And you¡¯re welcome. Until then, go! Go look in the hole! // The PUB was a great distraction from the wild beating in Oskar¡¯s heart, and the chatter helped him calm down a bit. Opening his mouth and trying to force a yawn to pop his ears again, Oskar walked forward and looked down into the hole to see what could possibly have caused the explosion. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he expected, but a smoking, fifteen-foot glass hole was not it. There were dots of blue in the glass that looked suspiciously like the cobalt-colored grains of sand that dotted the desert floor. The hole seemed to go nearly ten feet horizontally under the sand before the glass turned to wyrm meat again. That wasn¡¯t anything I did directly, right? // No, it looks like there was an adverse reaction to something. Erik¡¯s PUB and I are trying to figure out what could have caused it. My scans are not giving me anything unusual other than that¡¯s a lot more blue sand than typical. Like¡­ a lot more. // Touwon gave me an appreciative nod and climbed down into the hole to gather samples. Standing there, Oskar¡¯s hearing returned slowly; the ringing subsiding slightly as Erik made his way over to check in. ¡°No need for heals, man. The water is doing enough.¡± Oskar¡¯s voice sounded muffled and distant to him, but Erik nodded skeptically as he looked at the tiny crimson specks of blood covering Oskar¡¯s arms and face from the blast of sand. ¡°You knocked the piss out of that thing. If it has a momma, it¡¯s on its way to her now.¡± Face scrunched in mock worry, Oskar said, ¡°I¡¯m not ready to meet that thing¡¯s parents. We¡¯ve only had just the one date.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it let you use your spear.¡± Laughing, Oskar finally felt the last of the adrenaline leaving his body, his breathing regulated, and the pressure in the base of his skull subsided. Oskar threw an arm around his brother and felt Sara batting at his hand playfully from atop his brother¡¯s bag. ¡°I guess you could say it¡¯s getting pretty serious.¡± Book 2 Chapter 28: Eldrichard As his hearing slowly returned to normal, Oskar took the t-handle to his prosthetic and made sure everything was tight, and then stood back straight, stretching his back. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m old, obviously, but the military ages a body. I gotta say, though¡­ Doc Meanie wasn¡¯t lying about the importance of hydration. Especially this water. I have the joints I had when I was like fifteen and we played baseball the one year our dad made the time to let us. // Okay, I¡¯m not unpacking the daddy issues, but I do feel like we should circle back to the name of your doctor. You said Meanie, right? Doctor Meanie? // Not quite a doctor, Oskar grinned as he pulled out a second waterskin. Doc is what we call our Corpsmen. They were our combat medics. They went to war and fought with us. Corpmen love their Marines and Marines love their Corpsmen. // Still. Meanie is an awful name for a combat medic, or Corpsman. // Hell of a Corpsman, though, Oskar thought back. Meanie had been there when Oskar had gotten hurt. Both being stubborn, they¡¯d not gotten along great the first time they met, but that hadn¡¯t lasted long at all. Professionals recognize professionals, and Meanie really had been a hell of a Doc. That¡¯s all that matters to a Marine. Definitely the guy you want working on you when things go wrong. I hope those guys are doing alright. Gotta focus on the now, though. // Speaking of now, we should probably skedaddle. You just made a lot of noise and were probably visible in the air to anyone who was looking. // Good call, we¡¯ll need to shift direction for a few hours before coarse correcting to make angling us a little more difficult. ¡°If Touwon has what he wants here, we¡¯ll keep going, just a little northeast for a bit before we straighten out.¡± Climbing out of the hole, Touwon threw a thumbs up over his head and re-situated his bag. He made it a point to walk by Erik, prompting Sara to jump over to Touwon¡¯s much more comfortable bag, causing Erik to spin around and reach for his back with a curse. ¡°Damn claws!¡± ¡°They are love scratches!¡± Fox called back laughing at Erik. Oskar couldn¡¯t see Touwon, but he¡¯d bet a waterskin the Kobold was smiling. *** The heat forced them to stop once so Oskar could clean the sweat from his liner; otherwise, the day passed in sweltering silence. He could alleviate most of the sweating though using Wayspring water¡¯s magic to regulate his temperature, but stopping once to clean the liner was quicker and safer than running needlessly low on water and being forced to find another Wayspring. That night, though, sleep eluded Oskar. The creatures, the thousands of shuttering legs, the endless eyes, the pressure at the base of his skull when he pushed himself too far or felt overwhelmed¡­ it all circled his thoughts like vultures desperately waiting on that final stumble of a wounded animal. What are you? Oskar thought the question to himself and the PUB, but even that felt dangerous. The feelings weren¡¯t as common as they had been when he first arrived, but they felt more focused somehow. It seems like ol Eldrichard, whoever he is, has dialed in on me. // Did¡­ did you just name something you claim feels outside of space and time as you know it ¡°Eldrichard?¡± // If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Maybe? Yes? // I pick up on the heartrate changes, the breathing¡­ but I¡¯ve never been able to get a read on what you¡¯re talking about. Do you think, and please don¡¯t take this the wrong way¡­ but do you think it could be psychosomatic? // God, I hope it is. But I think we both know nothing is ever that easy for me. // Fair point. Well, alrighty then. Eldrichard it is. // There was no pressure, no tangible change in anything that Oskar could explain, but the dark humor he felt almost turned to hysteria. He closed his eyes and thought of the woods near one house they¡¯d lived in growing up, trying to ground himself in the memory of the ice cold creek water and the smell of pine trees. Erik calling him a dumbass for walking into the woods barefoot in the first place, and them both laughing as Erik shoes slid on a branch of green pine straw and he slid down the small embankment into the water ten seconds later. Oskar came out of the moment with a forced smile, back in full control, but decided it would be best to lay off the silly name for a little while. He could feel the PUB hovering, wanting to ask him if everything was alright, and he gently nodded before it could, prompting a calculating glance from Fox that he ignored. Well, looks like no sleep for now, might as well let Erik get some rest. Carefully putting on the worn liner, and trying not to let that impending problem wear on him, he clicked the foot into place and stood. Erik and Sara sat near the top of the dune. Erik poked his head up into the wind and slowly scanned the area before sinking back down beside the streamer of sand he¡¯d chosen to sit by. For Sara¡¯s part, she watched the sand arcing perfectly into the sand below like she was on the verge of attacking it. She didn¡¯t though, but it looked a close thing. That streamer of sand has no idea the danger it¡¯s in. // Poor thing. // *** The next morning had the group back on track heading North, but nervously watching the sky. Not because they¡¯d seen anything, but because this was quickly approaching the longest they¡¯d gone with no sign whatsoever of Valla¡¯s troops. No shadow creatures, no Gliders, no Crocs, and thankfully no more Drakon. Oskar spent the first few hours of that day trying and failing to recreate what he¡¯d done in the air with his magic during the Wyrm fight. While Resonating Ward felt defensive and utilitarian, what he¡¯d done in the sky was pointedly offensive. Frustrated at his inability to recreate the effect, he fell back on extending the range of the Ward; Fox¡¯s plan was a constant motivator. Thankfully, on that front, he finally saw some progress. He paid special attention to what each magic was doing, and realized he was basically doing the same thing over and over instead of tailoring the spell slightly to his need. In battle, it was easy to let his subconscious do its part, which was when his abilities grew the most, and realizing that helped Oskar to finally get down to the specifics of what was happening. In Resonating Ward, he¡¯d thought that Sora and Talau were in lockstep. Empowered and improved by Rakiyu, Sora took on the smooth, glasslike quality, and Talau¡¯s patterns took on a honeycombed shape around his body. That was mostly true. Sora and Talau were in equal measure, but the calmness and peace he felt inside the spell finally hinted to Oskar that Talau was the core of that ability. What he¡¯d done in the air had been something else entirely. Whatever that something else was, though, irritatingly remained a mystery to Oskar by the time they stopped to rest, fill up, and eat. // Wish I could help you, buddy, but I mostly just pick up what you pick up, and we left most of what I know about Druids behind the first time you used Momentum to face tackle Vulk back when you met the Kobolds. // No worries. Next time something is definitely about to kill us, it¡¯ll come back to me. Oskar finally took the downtime and opportunity to talk to Touwon directly. Not sure what to say, he awkwardly asked, ¡°How are food supplies? Do Penny and I need to do some hunting?¡± Touwon waved so-so in answer to the first question, and half shrugged and nodded in response to the second. ¡°Alright. I guess we¡¯ll keep an eye out for some juicy Lizards.¡± Touwon nodded appreciatively and turned to refill his waterskin. Gonna chalk that up as a failure. // Yeah, maybe try not to ask questions that can be answered with shoulders. // In my defense, he¡¯s developed a very advanced body language. // Oh yeah, I can see that. Look at the way he¡¯s already forgotten about you completely. It¡¯s almost a monologue about his feelings. // If he didn¡¯t fight and protect us, going out of his way to protect Erik and me, I¡¯d think he didn¡¯t like me at all. // You¡¯re gonna be real surprised when he asks you to be his best man when he finally marries that bag of his. // Dude, I¡¯d marry that bag. When he says we might need some more food, he probably means he¡¯s down to three hundred pounds of lizard meat and fifty pounds of cactus fruit. // That is a nice bag. // Looking up from the bag, Oskar realized Touwon was staring at him questioningly. The Kobold hugged his bag against his chest and lowered his dark purple brows at Oskar. // He does not like you staring at his sack. // That was low brow humor. We¡¯re above that. Barely¡­ but we are. // You¡¯re above the sack alright. // We might have just hit PG-13. Book 2 Chapter 29: A Song Long hours of walking later found the Dorn Collective cresting the top of a dune to a landscape of flat topped mesas, spread out across the horizon. The sudden break in what had grown to be a familiar landscape was jarring to Oskar. There was a light smell of sulfur in the air, adding the Fox told him what to expect, but the sheer scale of this world sometimes meant he forgot to take that into account when he imagined things he¡¯d yet to see in person. That meant that when he finally laid eyes on the dozens of red, orange, and yellow striped mesas on the darkening horizon, Oskar realized he had severely underestimated the sheer size and scale of what he was in for. He¡¯d thought the Great Collective was a large natural feature, but in both height and breadth, it would have been lost among what he was currently staring at. Okay, I was not expecting this at all. Why don¡¯t people live here? // Well, I haven¡¯t been here and we¡¯re not close enough for me to scan, but you better believe there are good reasons that only the Kobolds ever lived around here. You should ask Fox¡­ anything that makes life a little easier would have people fighting over it. At least until someone strong enough took charge, so it stands to reason there was something here that did the opposite, otherwise the Kobold survivors wouldn¡¯t have chosen this place. // Turning his head slightly to keep the wind from blowing straight into his ear, he leaned in and asked Fox. ¡°What made the Crocs not claim this place for their own?¡± Beside him, Fox smiled wickedly. ¡°Bugs. Crocos do not like bugs.¡± Calling the Crocodillian people ¡°Croco¡± instead of Croc was a carryover of living Little Luth¡¯s life in a different time, and even Oskar used the term occasionally. It was a small thing, but small or not, it was a constant reminder that his small friend had lived through some very real trials and had come out the other side of those trials as a very dangerous Kobold. ¡°Bugs? Bugs kept the Crocs away?¡± She shrugged. ¡°It is a fair amount of hiking to live here, and there are no Oases or long term Waysprings,¡± she hesitated a second, thinking, ¡°and unlike Gramm¡¯s mesa, there are not walls to protect those atop the mesas from the wind and suns.¡± She grinned, gave him a look that raised more than a few questions, and said, ¡°But I can confidently say it is mostly the bugs.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to explain that statement to me, are you?¡± ¡°I am not, Oskar. You will have to wait and see. But worry not, Oskar. This is my childhood home,¡± she leaned in and winked at him. ¡°I will protect you.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks, mom.¡± *** Paranoid, more so than he wanted Fox to know about, Oskar repeatedly scanned and extended his senses in every direction as they drew closer to the nearest mesa. There was life everywhere, a little more than usual, but nothing that should warrant the smirk on Fox¡¯s face. As they neared the mesa, its yellow streaks appeared to be glowing, even in the harsh, but fading light. The feeling of life around them grew increasingly perplexing. The sand beneath them grew more firm, and eventually there was only rock underfoot. Oskar¡¯s footsteps felt heavy on the rock. Loud in the desert¡¯s silence. ¡°We should likely get topside.¡± Exasperated and on edge, Oskar immediately snapped, ¡°Why should we get topside, Fox, huh? Why?¡± ¡°It is as I told you, Oskar. Bugs,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Well, then, by all means, take the lead.¡± Penny jogged up beside Oskar. She cared little for ground she couldn¡¯t hide in, but additionally, she¡¯d picked up on Oskar¡¯s nervousness or was having her own. Luckily, whatever game Fox was playing didn¡¯t involve leaving the rest of them to be eaten by whatever lived here, because she quickly made her way around the mesa to what appeared to be a cliff overlooking a sheer drop. She found a low handhold, though, and used it to swing around and out of sight. Around the corner, she called out, ¡°This way.¡± Yeah, I figured. Oskar followed but was worried about Erik¡¯s ability to navigate the upcoming climb after seeing Fox swing around. As he peeked around and over the edge, though, it flattened to a much more open climb that, angled inward, didn¡¯t seem like it would be super obvious to anyone looking from below. ¡°So, Penny. How do you wanna do this? Looks like it¡¯s sand down there, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in any real danger.¡± She walked carefully to the edge and looked down, and then satisfied, she did something Oskar had never seen her do before. She looked at him with those soft eyes and sat up on her back legs, copper scaled arms reaching up at him. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over and scooped her up as she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Oh. My. God. She¡¯s so cute. He lifted her with an unnecessary grunt. She probably weighed over a hundred pounds after her evolution, but Oskar was beyond human capability at this point, and the effort was objectively not grunt worthy. Oskar took a quick peek at his physical stats, but they¡¯d not changed since he last checked. Mind D+ Rank Body D Peak Rank Spirit D Rank Still at Peak D rank, but if I was at 90% to C Rank before, I¡¯ve gotta be at 99%, now. My body is almost humming with power. He stood there squeezing Penny for a minute until Touwon pointedly cleared his throat and took a wary glance around. He thought Erik was going to call him a dumbass, but when he looked back at his brother and mouthed, ¡°Dude, are you seeing this?!¡± his brother was smiling and winked his blue eye at him. Oskar let out a sigh, fighting back the cuteness aggression that was telling him to squeeze her as hard as he could. That would probably hurt both of them, so instead he handed his spear to Touwon, and reached down, grabbing the handhold. He carefully worked his way around with Penny trying her best to be still as she held on. Reluctantly, he put Penny down and reached out blindly for his spear, trying to avoid the streaks of yellow sulfur and ignore the smell. Instead, he felt Sara latch onto his arm painfully, and he had to force himself not to jerk his arm back. The big cat looked more than a little offended at the handling as he slowly pulled his arm back around the edge, and Oskar suspected Touwon was in for a stern silent treatment until he gave her something she enjoyed more than being dramatic. Sara made her way over Oskar¡¯s shoulder and onto his bag. The big cat turned around and nuzzled into Oskar¡¯s neck, finally resting her head on his shoulder and ignoring Penny who was staring daggers up at her. This cat is petty. // I can respect it. // The second time Oskar reached out, he felt his brother¡¯s thin, sinewy shoulder. He lowered his hand to Erik¡¯s back to stabilize him as he came around, but as always, Erik was stronger than he looked and needed no help. With a scrunched nose, Erik said, ¡°Man you gotta warn somebody before you crack one like that. I had my mouth open and everything.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s not the first time Shrek has been referenced. Plus, I think that was brimstone, this looks like super sulfur or something,¡± Oskar said with a laugh. ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s my comfort movie, so close enough is good enough.¡± Oskar shook his head, and Erik moved past as Penny reluctantly stopped mean mugging Sara to give him room, and Oskar saw the butt of his spear come around next. Touwon came around with the same dexterity and familiarity as Fox, and they were soon making a slow climb around the mesa. The mesa was wide enough that by the time they¡¯d made it all the way around to the cliff-side again, they were over halfway up. The wind grew noticeably more powerful as they climbed. Oskar watched the colors of the currents slowly blend and separate as they slowed. He looked out at the sky, following Erik¡¯s gaze. His brother pointed out an enormous cloud in the distance that was definitely not the cloud whale Oskar had seen with Fox and Touwon but reminded them of it. They recounted the tale to Erik, who apparently was in deep thought or conversation with his own PUB if his distracted mumbling was any indication. Erik¡¯s PUB had mostly behaved now that it had accepted Oskar wasn¡¯t a robot wannabe. Oskar hoped Erik was developing a friendship with his PUB the same way Oskar had with his, but didn¡¯t linger long on the thought as they finished the last half rotation. Shortly, they carefully made their way on top of the mesa and into the steady wind. Fox crawled forward toward the edge of the mesa, facing the red sun, which was now over halfway behind the horizon, painting the sky a swirl of reds, blues, and purples. The air currents danced with one another gracefully across the sky in a way entirely unique to this place. Oskar could feel Sora singing to him. The power was so strong here that Oskar could almost see it with his eyes closed, but he was instead afraid to blink and miss some secret the vision might offer him. The Sora he called to himself felt almost playful, and he sat in the peace of good company and the power he could feel in this place. As the massive red sun dipped below the distant horizon, Oskar heard a tapping sound that matched perfectly with the almost musical playfulness of Sora. The tapping lasted a few seconds, as perfectly timed as a metronome, and a far more unnerving purr followed. Tik tik tik tik tik tik tik tik purrrr¡­ And then the sound repeated. He looked around quickly, seeing everyone but Fox and Touwon do the same. Fox had a sly grin on her face, which only calmed Oskar¡¯s fear a little. He followed her mischievous emerald gaze down to the top of the mesa just below them. He stared for a few seconds as the unnerving purring continued, and then, just as the tik tik tik sound returned he saw them, and felt like a fool for not seeing them before. They must have been almost invisible in the sunlight, but the darker blue and purple light just barely shimmered on red tinted legs, tap tap tapping on the rock below. Oskar froze as his eyes followed those tapping legs to a bulbous, red silk covered body that was easily the size of Penny- who was currently leaning so hard against him to make him glad he was sitting down. Spiders. Huge spiders. Oskar jerked his head around to make sure there were none on their own mesa, thankful that, for some reason, they were alone on this mesa. At the quick motion, Sara jumped off his back and let out a small huff, which he ignored. He¡¯d never been afraid of spiders, really, but then again, he¡¯d never met red ones that were big enough to steal a pit bull out of someone¡¯s yard before. The longer he looked, the more he saw. There were dozens of the spiders on that mesa alone, and as he looked around, listening to the chorus of sound, he saw that some mesas- ones with the most yellow like their own- were empty. // Okay, I feel like I should point out that spiders are not technically bugs. // Shut your digital mouth, Oskar replied with a nervous smile as he double-checked their surroundings. As the next round of tik tik tik finally faded, the spiders let out nets of silk that caught the steady wind flowing over the mesa. Colors danced in the webs as Sora was called by some magic the spiders possessed, maybe even the song they were currently humming¡­ because one by one, as the purring intensified, the spiders took to the sky. It was terrifying and beautiful. An experience Oskar could not have imagined, and he was glad to have seen it. He was glad to see Sora used instinctually by such incredible, dangerous looking creatures. He was especially glad they were high enough that none of the spiders flew directly overhead. Erik scrambled forward and grabbed Sara, who was near the edge and looked poised to pounce after one spider that flew just below them. Oskar heard Erik mutter ¡°Damn cat. You trying to kill yourself?¡± but Oskar didn¡¯t feel any disappointment from the cat through the bond. The content look on the cat¡¯s face made Oskar suspect she was playing a rather odd joke, and had gotten exactly what she wanted out of it. Attention and cuddles. Damn cat, indeed. Book 2 Chapter 30: Bluebottle Oskar felt oddly peaceful in the moment, both in spirit and company, despite the teasing twinkle in Fox¡¯s eye. ¡°You''re telling me you grew up dealing with waist high spiders?¡± Erik asked, deadpan. ¡°Of course. They are smart. We kept them as pets. They slept in the cots with us as cubs.¡± That got a reaction from Erik, but Touwon ruined the joke by chuckling, and they were soon all laughing at Fox''s teasing. ¡°They are smart, but they mostly keep to themselves. Taking turns hunting and sunbathing in the day, and at night, they burrow in the warm sand. So, we did much of our work in the late morning and late evening. As far as I know, they never attacked a single Kobold, especially after we started leaving them open Waysprings when we finished with them.¡± Oskar lowered his brow, thinking about that a moment when she clarified. ¡°We used to cover the Waysprings with sand once we were done, but eventually began leaving them open as a peace offering. Open water attracts trouble. I would remind you that Penny makes our lives so much easier because we never have to expose the spring to open air.¡± Interesting. Never willing to let praise go without exploitation, Penny walked up and nuzzled Fox¡¯s hand, who laughed and gave her some attention. The moment was cute, but Oskar continued to keep an eye on the surrounding sky. As wide as the mesa was, they wouldn¡¯t be visible to anyone from even the top of the dunes, but someone in the sky might see them. The sky was empty, though, aside from a few wispy clouds and a pair of the leathery looking birds far off to their south. ¡°How did you know they wouldn¡¯t be up here? Because I¡¯m not really afraid of spiders, but those things look dangerous, and I don¡¯t think I would have liked walking up on one sunbathing.¡± Fox grinned, answering. ¡°They dislike the feel of the yellow stone and will not climb it or even touch it. Plus, as I mentioned, I spent much of my youth on these mesas.¡± ¡°Your youth? What, are you an old lady now?¡± ¡°Do you want me to throw a knife at your face?¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna say no to both questions.¡± ¡°You are wise beyond your years, cub.¡± Oskar considered telling Fox he was exactly as wise as he was young, but by the time he thought of it, the moment had passed. They were again in a companionable silence, staring out at the sky. Although the view and power of this place was mesmerizing, Oskar felt exposed. Fox must have sensed his trepidation and put and purple hand on his shoulder. How do I feel like Fox is a little sister to me and still look up to her in so many ways. // The little sister thing is probably a mix of misguided protectiveness and her size. // That was very literal. But it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re wrong. And she is rather admirable. I can see why Touwon follows her. ¡°We are still waiting for something. No tricks this time,¡± Fox said, interrupting his thoughts. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. He eyed her suspiciously for a moment but relented when she ignored him. Oskar looked back out at the sky and waited, watching the swirls of Sora dancing in the darkening sky. The power in the area shifted so slowly that Oskar noticed the change more than the process of change itself. The rambunctious Sora in the area gave way, and Rakiyu eventually filled the gaps in Oskar¡¯s senses. If the Sora in the area was playful, then this power was best described as aware. I was seeking out and probing, looking for something as if it had a presence. The purple sky slowly took on a greenish hue, and as Oskar watched, he could just make out something high up in the sky. He glanced around, but everyone else, even Fox, was staring directly ahead at the slowly shifting hues of green that were taking over the sky. It looked like a monochromatic version of the Northern Lights on earth. Above it, though, were slowly forming outlines of something that made no sense to Oskar. Am I looking at man o¡¯ wars floating in the freaking sky? // I am picking up a visual, but nothing comes up when I scan. Can you feel them or just see them? And why isn¡¯t anyone else looking? // As he said it, Erik jerked his head up sharply, his eyes wide. Not in fear, just surprise. His brother¡¯s eyes crinkled as he squinted upward. // Oh, oh! So I¡¯m feeding your info to Erik¡¯s PUB, and it¡¯s feeding me what his blue eye is seeing! With all the data we have, it seems to point to it being pure power. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a physical body, as far as I can tell. Sorry I can¡¯t give you more, I¡¯m not used to having this type of data. It¡¯s not really¡­ measurable. // No worries, bud, thanks for the update. That is useful info. Fox had picked up on the brothers'' disconcernment, and was looking up at the sky quizzically. ¡°What do you feel or see that I do not?¡± she asked, poking Touwon in the back to get his attention. It came out short, to the point. A slight note of frustration was in her voice. Oskar considered briefly keeping her in the dark to pay her back for the spider thing, but since she was the most likely one to know something about what he was seeing and if they were in danger, he simply answered. ¡°I¡¯m looking as something in the air, just there,¡± he pointed, ¡°that look like jellyfish from our world.¡± ¡°I see nothing.¡± ¡°They look like a mostly clear bubble¡­ I think it¡¯s a bladder full of gas or something¡­ but it has dozens of super long tendrils or tentacles dangling from the bottom of the bubble part. The tentacles are dangerous. Venomous. They float on the water in my¡­ well¡­ our world,¡± he said, nodding at Erik, who was still looking up, studying the creatures, three of them now, who appeared to be just floating in the air. ¡°Here, though, they¡¯re purple and the tendrils are impossible. They reach from the sky almost to that mesa,¡± Oskar nodded at the one he¡¯d first seen the giant spiders on. Her nose crinkled a bit as she thought, and Touwon tilted his head to the side. Oskar smiled at them and looked back up at the sky. There were still only three of the creatures, and Oskar remembered hearing something about man-o-war being a bunch of collective organisms, not one, and wondered if what he was looking at was similar. He felt a presence wash over him and froze. He wasn¡¯t moving, just sitting and staring upward at the creatures, but there¡¯s a difference between freezing and being still that only someone who¡¯s frozen for a very good reason knows. The creature¡¯s entire attention turned sharpy to him. The three separate creatures tendrils reached toward one another, and then, fascinated, Oskar watched as the three separate creatures merged into one much larger one. It took on an almost liquid blue and purple swirl of color. Inside the creature, there was a blue, pulsing light that swayed gently back and forth. The creature slowly, carefully drew a little closer. Close enough now that Fox and Touwon froze, too, and then looked around slowly trying to source the feeling. The creature¡¯s attention, though, was fully on Oskar. There was no malice, but the full attention of the creature was a potent, heady feeling. It was beautiful; a creature of almost pure Rakiyu with just the barest touch of Sora. He felt like it was staring directly at his soul, looking for something specific inside him. Maybe it was judging him, a trial with consequences Oskar could not even begin to guess the consequences of. Oskar felt something gently brush against his consciousness, and Oskar felt it for what it was. A knock. It was gentle, and Oskar knew the creature A more familiar feeling followed, a moment of pressure and anticipation that came whenever a Gambit was coming. // Gambit offered: Commune with Bluebottle The creature before you wishes to make contact. Rewards: Unknown Failure: Refuse, consequences unknown. Accept? Yes/No // Bluebottle, huh? I¡¯m not going to lie, this is a little spooky. Book 2 Chapter 31: The Seed Forge Oskar was hesitant to accept the Gambit without more information, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a way to get it. The spirit creature waited patiently, not at all bothered, which was both comforting and a little unsettling. Is this thing patient, super smart, and fully aware¡­ or so powerful it doesn¡¯t care what we do? // I got nothing, boss. I am getting nothing off scans. Does it feel like a danger? // Not at all, but that just adds a head to the ol¡¯ curiosity hydra. Some of the most dangerous people I know were all smiles. Not everyone who¡¯s dangerous walks around with a smolder. // Is it smoldering? That could be an entirely different problem¡­ unless of course you meant glower or scowl. // Yeah, glower. Sorry, I¡¯m a little distracted. ¡°I got a Gambit to ¡®commune¡¯ with the creature. Any idea what that¡¯s about, and did anyone else get it?¡± Negatives all around, but Fox¡¯s eyes squinted like she was working hard to remember something. The creature hovered, its tendrils danced slowly back and forth in time with the slow pulsing blue light in its center. Oskar stared at her a moment and tilted his head like the Kobolds did when they were pondering or questioning something, and Fox sighed. ¡°I think I remember hearing something about a spirit creature in the area. Something that Benidictus was desperate for information on, but I do not believe he ever got. I do not remember anything more, or if he ever met the creature. He would be fascinated to hear what the creature has to say,¡± she trailed off at the end, deep in thought for a moment before she shook her head and finished with a decisive ¡°Do it,¡± as she stared intently at Oskar. I¡¯m gonna do it. The steady sound of the wind muted all around Oskar, and he realized he¡¯d reflexively called on Sora. Oskar didn¡¯t like that he¡¯d done it subconsciously, but told himself he¡¯d keep an eye on it in the future. I need to use this power, not let it use me. Sora was always a bit wild, and the magic in this particular area had more personality, for lack of a better word, than any place he¡¯d visited but the cave. The loss of Bastet still weighed heavily on him, but he knew that she¡¯d given part of herself to him, and he called on that calm, collected power now. Talau and Rakiyu responded, and Oskar held it all tight to his body, not wanting to accidentally touch the creature with it without warning. As Oskar used Willful Synergy to force Rakiyu to obey, the creature turned a happy looking pink, almost like a blush, and spun excitedly in place before slowing and reaching out with a single tendril that floated just within reach of Oskar¡¯s empty hand. Erik took a step closer and gave him a nod, and his brother¡¯s face told him he was ready for anything. Forcing his hand to obey him, Oskar accepted the Gambit and reached out, telling himself he wasn¡¯t making a huge mistake. The moment his hand touched the tendril, he felt the knock on his consciousness again, and much like he had with Bastet, he guardedly opened a connection with the creature. *** For a time, Oskar was in a void of senses. He could not feel the creature- Bluebottle, he reminded himself, but eventually, he felt something. Separated from his body like in some of the dreams he¡¯d had before, but nothing could prepare him of the fear he felt in the nothingness. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. This isn¡¯t nothingness. This is Nod. The thought occurred to him. It was his own thought, and it took him a few seconds to realize he should wonder where the information came from. The answer was obvious, but he still should have asked it. I need to be careful, I can¡¯t get sloppy here. In the darkness, there pulsed a slow, blue light, and he willed it closer. That didn¡¯t work, so he moved his own consciousness, and the blue light moved to meet him. He slowed as he drew close, perfectly in the middle of the void. It¡¯s not a void. This is Nod. Okay, okay, ¡°me who knows too much.¡± Well, for what it¡¯s worth, Nod seems a lot like a void. The blue light was inches from Oskar now, and he made no move to get closer, but after a few moments, he concluded that getting closer was exactly what was expected of him. He felt outward with his senses, muted as they were, and realized he was picking up on more than he had the first time. Much more¡­ so he pushed harder and got nothing and instead looked deeper until¡­ there it is. The blue light in front of him now had a detectable presence, but it was subtle. More likely, it already had a presence, Oskar just didn¡¯t know how to read it, but the presence felt familiar. Not really a part of him, but a mirror. A reflection of his spirit. Did Bluebottle make something for me using my own, uh¡­ I guess¡­ spiritual signature? He moved forward the barest amount, and it moved perfectly with him. He moved sideways, and it moved clockwise with him, maintaining the same distance. It felt odd to move here without a body, but it was just a matter of practical application of will. It quickly felt the same as signaling his body to move, but unconstrained by the laws of physics and gravity. Nervously, Oskar moved forward, and he could feel the blue light pulse brighter than before. Harmony was the word that came to mind, and he wondered if that was the name of the thing. This is not just a thing. It is a Seed Forge. Me correcting myself is getting annoying. He half expected the PUB to say something about self-correction being a good thing, but remembered he was alone here. Well, alone with a Seed Forge, whatever that was. He closed the final distance and allowed the Seed Forge to touch him, and his world exploded with color, sound and life as he left the dream. *** Not a dream. Nod. Oskar had to stop himself from nodding just to see if Bluebottle had a sense of humor as his eyes adjusted, and he realized he¡¯d ruined the joke. Bluebottle had given him a happy, perceptible nod, wiggling his tendrils, and Oskar was late returning it. The odd shame of messing up a handshake sank into him, and he smiled awkwardly at the giant spirit jellyfish before looking around at the others. Erik was hovering nearby, and both Kobolds were on a knee close and low to the edge of the mesa on lookout. If the sky was a faithful indicator, very little time had passed. The sky was still a deepening purple, turning into a blue, and the green dancing in the sky was still where it had appeared. Fox turned a questioning gaze his way, and Oskar nodded encouragingly to her. Off to the side, Bluebottle nodded again, and Oskar got the feeling it was being playful with him. Anything happen? // Nope, just your consciousness disappearing from the mortal plane. // The mortal plane? // Yeah. Sounded like a metal thing to say. // ¡°Did your PUB get anything from all that?¡± he asked Erik, smirking at his own PUB. ¡°Not a thing. You okay? You spaced out there for a few seconds.¡± ¡°Only a few seconds? I felt like it was at least ten minutes. I¡¯m not even sure what happened,¡± Oskar thought, looking down at his hands and around himself for the Seed Forge. Nothing. He repeated what he did in the dream and tried to find it with his senses. It was hidden, camouflaged by mimicking his own magic. It was shifting, subtly, becoming more and more his own... or maybe it already was his own, and he was just realizing it. // Gambit Completed: Commune with Bluebottle. Reward: Rakiyu Insight and the Seed Forge. // Sounds pretty metal to me, but what does it do? Just ahead, Bluebottle spun once and moved away a short distance before turning around and waiting excitedly for Oskar to follow. ¡°Hey guys¡­ Bluebottle, the spirit jellyfish that only Erik and I can see, wants me to follow it.¡± Surprisingly, Fox was the first one to respond, and it wasn¡¯t what he expected to hear. ¡°Oskar, go! When a magic jellyfish, you called it? When a magic jellyfish asks you to follow it, you follow it. How many chances do you get to do such a thing.¡± ¡°Well then. Guess I¡¯m following the giant magic jellyfish.¡± Bluebottle nodded excitedly, flashed purple and pink and floated off into the sky toward the green light. Oskar smiled and used Sora to launch himself into the sky after it. He could feel the Seed Forge inside him, humming with something, wanting to be used. The feeling was not uncomfortable, really, just new. // Gambit Offered: Help Bluebottle. Objective: Help Bluebottle Reward: Learn about the Seed Forge Failure: Unknown Accept Yes/No // Book 2 Chapter 32: The Right Partner Oskar accepted the Gambit as he rose high enough into the darkening sky to ride the currents. Whatever Bluebottle needed from him obviously wasn''t super time sensitive; the creature was swaying slowly back and forth as it moved over the dozens of mesas toward the closest thing to a mountain peak Oskar had seen on this planet. It wasn¡¯t, but in the absence of anything to compare it to, the description was enough for Oskar. It wasn''t much taller than the mesas nearby, but it really nailed the general shape. That''s gotta count for something. Besides, I don¡¯t have a clue what¡¯s between a hill and a mountain, size wise. // Honestly, I think it¡¯s just ¡®small mountain¡¯ or ¡®large hill.¡¯ // Smiling, Oskar slowed as he closed the gap and matched Bluebottle¡¯s casual speed. It was harder to fly slowly than he thought it would be, and he ended up gliding like the Hyenas in their suits instead of actively flying. For Bluebottle¡¯s part, he rose and spun around a few times in the green lights that rippled across the dark sky above him before gliding back down and moving forward again. Oskar followed the creature up into the unusual pocket of Sora in the sky. The Sora here felt old, somehow. Less wild, and it was an odd feeling after fighting to control Sora for so long. Colors danced around him with purpose, mixing with his own magic and leaving behind a sort of residue he could feel. His limbs tingled as Rakiyu flared inside him as he absorbed the odd magic. Inside him, the Seed Forge responded with a hum, and Bluebottle spun in the air ahead and nodded at Oskar again. // Ol¡¯ Blue is cheeky. It really really liked the nod joke. // I think the Rakiyu and Sora I felt from Bluebottle was Bluebottle. I think he¡¯s a creature of basically pure Rakiyu. The Sora I felt in him feels just like the Sora we just flew through. I thought it was part of him, but I think he just absorbed it. That¡¯s definitely the same Sora I felt in the green just now. // That might explain why the others couldn¡¯t see it, but knew there was something going on. // Oskar drifted through sky toward the peak, following Bluebottle as he tried to feel what the Seed Forge was doing, but it currently seemed to be latent outside the humming feeling inside him. It felt ready to be used, not impatient. It didn¡¯t feel like it had desire, but it had purpose, and it was primed and ready to complete it. I just don¡¯t know what that purpose is. // Well, there¡¯s no tooltip, no tutorial information, nothing. Hopefully, Bluebottle can shed some light on it. // They drew nearer to the peak, and from this high up, Oskar could see a small dip in the peak¡¯s side that was filled by, of all things, water. There was a shimmer to it, which explained how it existed at all, but not why he couldn¡¯t feel anything until he drew much closer. The telltale signature of Rakiyu became clearer upon inspection, and Oskar recognized it as Bluebottle¡¯s signature. The shimmer had its normal ethereal quality to it, but there was more to it than he expected. There was a web of Rakiyu laid over the surface of the water that reminded Oskar of Talau patterns more than anything. Oskar couldn¡¯t quite hover, but he grabbed hold of the rockface. Wrapped fully in his Resonating Ward and because of his out of proportion strength to bodyweight, he had no problem holding himself in position safely to lean in for a closer look after a glance at Bluebottle to make sure it was okay. Nod. Well, then. Let¡¯s see what Blue was trying to show me. He stared at the water and still felt almost nothing. Pushing harder with his Water Sense ability, he reached over and gently and touched the surface of the water with a finger, and he blinked as he realized it wasn¡¯t just a Wayspring, it felt too old for that... it was a tiny Oasis. Oskar withdrew his finger and stared down at the small pool, a thousand thoughts and questions fighting for dominance in his mind. The question that won, beating out the how and how long questions was why. His gaze lifted to Bluebottle, and he could tell the creature was staring back at him. The dancing was gone, as was the playfulness. ¡°Why did you bring me here? Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ this is beautiful. I have no idea how you managed to hide this for however long you have, but what do you need from me?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Bluebottle waited patiently. He felt the creature¡¯s attention shift to the water, and Oskar followed, paying closer attention this time. The shimmering water under the veil of spirit magic swirled slowly in the water in places, creating gentle spirals that reminded Oskar of Bluebottle dancing in the sky. After a few seconds, Oskar¡¯s eyes widened. It¡¯s exactly like Bluebottle dancing in the sky. Holding his breath, afraid to disturb the moment, Oskar gently touched the surface of the water to bypass the layer of Blue¡¯s Rakiyu. His finger barely touched the top of the water, and it barely rippled when it made contact. This time, he pushed his own senses into the water and finally realized what he was staring at. Or¡­ who rather. Baby Bluebottles? How? Is Blue the dad or the mom? // It¡¯s a spirit creature, I¡¯m not sure it matters. // Fair point. Good enough for me. He could see tiny sparks of life¡­ two purple shimmers dancing in the water. It was so clear now, he wondered how he¡¯d missed them the first time. Then again, I didn¡¯t see Bluebottle for what it was initially either. It¡¯s like I needed my eyes open to the new possibilities. Well, world. You did it, because they¡¯re open now. It was beautiful. He could feel them in the water, and as they danced around and poked at his finger playfully, he could feel tiny buzzes of energy coming from them. He moved his finger, and they followed so instantly, they might as well have been a part of him. It took a few moments before he remembered Bluebottle brought him here for a reason. ¡°What can I do to help? They¡¯re so small.¡± Bluebottle reached out with a tendril, stopping just short of Oskar, and Oskar stared at it for a moment before reaching out his free hand to touch it, the fingertip still wet from playing with the small creatures. This time, he didn¡¯t have a vision, but instead received a general sense of the dangers of the area. There was a growing darkness. Bluebottle was very sensitive to spiritual magic, and the growing darkness was spiritual in nature. Oskar realized the tiny Oasis was weakening. He didn¡¯t know if it had anything to do with the corruption Blue had alerted him to, but it was clear that the creature expected Oskar to do something about it. Bluebottle felt a sense of foreboding, and now Oskar did as well. Still unclear as to his part in all of this, he had trouble pulling his eyes away from the tiny creatures still dancing in the smallest Oasis he¡¯d ever heard of, and he couldn¡¯t wait to tell Fox about it. After a moment, though, he realized the water went dozens of feet down into the rock. Seems like the little ones have plenty of room to play, at least. Questioningly, Oskar looked back up to Bluebottle and felt that damn tingle run down his back again. // Gambit Update: Commune with Bluebottle The Oasis is fading. Use the Seed Forge to save Bluebottle¡¯s children. // Panic began to set in as Oskar suddenly felt how weak the magic of the Oasis was. He¡¯d only been near a Wayspring fading a few times, and had no special reason to pay attention to exactly how it happened. The one time Oskar had been near an Oasis that faded, he¡¯d been the cause. He¡¯d absorbed the magic itself, and used it, along with Bastet¡¯s magic from the cave to heal his brother. In that moment, he¡¯d been desperate. Desperate¡­ not panicked. I don¡¯t know what to do, but I got to stop freaking out and think. Oskar took a deep breath and instead of pushing his senses further like he was used to, he tried his best to focus on what was happening. I hate having to learn gaps in my abilities the hard way. I¡¯m so used to looking for what things are to keep us safe, not what they¡¯re doing really, and especially not how they¡¯re doing it. Haven¡¯t been around a lot of other magic users. He knew that was no excuse, though. He could have been studying the passive magic of his group; Kobolds and their odd ability to blend into the background or Penny when she hunted or went underground. Staring at the cute little shimmering spirals in the water, though, he saw the spark of Rakiyu inside them. He could feel it. He could feel the Oasis, and how tenuous its existence was. The Seed Forge was still humming inside him, and that was the one thing he was having the most trouble understanding. It seemed to react to his Resonant Aura, but it wasn¡¯t doing anything with it. The Seed Forge felt like it was trying to dance with someone who didn¡¯t know the steps. I could make a joke here about having two left feet, but I¡¯ve only got one total. // That was dumb. Now focus. // I know, I just don¡¯t know why the magic isn¡¯t doing anything. The Seed feels like it wants to interact with it, but nothing is happening. No answer from the PUB, which likely meant it was up against its own PUB rules. Oskar stared down a moment, trying to ignore the sounds around him. Trying not to let Bluebottle¡¯s swaying nearby distract him from the feeling that the answer was not as complex as he was making it. He stopped thinking entirely and tried to start his thought process over, and the problem became clear immediately, and felt a pang of self-directed anger at his oversight. Resonant Aura is the wrong kind of magic for the forge. It feels close, but the difference between what I did outside the cave and now is intention. I wasn¡¯t waiting for the magic to just work, I used it with purpose. It¡¯s a Seed Forge, stands to reason I can use it to make something. Ignoring the slow return of frustration, Oskar began working on figuring out what mix of the three magics the Seed Forge needed in order to make the proper dance partner. With a sigh pushing back the familiar frustration, Oskar focused intently on the Seed Forge inside of him, ignoring the weight of the task pressing down on him as he worked on the first problem. Trying to figure out what mix of Sora, Talau, and Rakiyu the Seed Forge was looking for in a dance partner. Book 2 Chapter 33: But Now I See... Oskar let go of Resonant Aura. He likely could have held it while he worked on this new problem, but the magic, just like the Seed Forge, was inside him... a part of him. Using any magic other than what the Seed Forge needed might interfere. He checked his surroundings; Bluebottle nodded, then moved around to hopefully keep an eye out while Oskar worked. Oskar reached out to Penny to make sure she knew he was safe but couldn¡¯t really give her more information than that. The others would use her as a gauge as to if he was in danger or not, and he didn¡¯t want the distraction of knowing they were worried. He did the same to Sara, but she didn¡¯t seem remotely worried. Fox is already gonna have a million questions for me after flying off after an invisible jellyfish. The thought didn¡¯t exactly ease the tension of the moment, but he pushed all nonessential thoughts away and gently pulled on a perfect balance of Sora, Talau, and Rakiyu to experiment. The Seed Forge responded much in the same way it did with the Resonating Ward, but Oskar didn¡¯t move on immediately. Instead, he focused on the details. That plan eventually paid off when a minute later he realized the Seed Forge was growing warm inside of him. It didn¡¯t hurt; it wasn¡¯t a physical thing, but the sensation was similar. When Sora is the primary element of a spell, it¡¯s like steering a river. When Talau is the primary, it¡¯s more like weaving¡­ allowing it to fall into patterns and then locking them in. Passive Rakiyu makes them a little more intense, and requires focus and control, like a cultivator or something. It¡¯s harder to maintain focus and a little more difficult to control the other two when I''m adding in the Spirit Magic. Now that I¡¯m trying to nail down the exact feeling, I¡¯m just realizing how hard it is to describe what I do when I use magic. I could never teach this stuff. Oskar made a slight adjustment to Talau, but immediately realized it wasn''t the answer and reversed the increase as the Seed Forge shuddered inside him. An odd chill went down his spine, and he had to stop himself from looking around nervously; it hadn¡¯t been external, it was the Forge. That was oddly unsettling. I can¡¯t just try stuff blindly. It had seemed to react well to his Ward and so he¡¯d thought Talau would need to be the primary magic. His Resonating Ward was, as near as Oskar could measure, around 34% Talau and an even 33% Sora and Rakiyu. So maybe it¡¯s looking for an even balance. As the thought occurred to him, he felt Bluebottle nearby go still, and this time Oskar did look around nervously. Seeing and sensing nothing, he raised an eyebrow at the floating creature. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you do it? Why did you give it to me?¡± The answer came as it did in the dream, and he felt like he was answering himself. It is not a physical thing and was not gifted to me. It is a part of my magic that I have only been able to access in desperation. Bluebottle simply awakened it. Even if Bluebottle could access it, it would not work. Bluebottle is primarily a spirit creature. A creature of Rakiyu that has use of Talau and Sora, and the Seed Forge requires balance. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sensing Oskar finally understood, its long tendrils began swaying again, almost touching the sand far below. Over a few seconds, though, the tendrils split into three even groups, and then Bluebottle nodded at him and spun around again before swaying off out of sight again. He almost started laughing at the ridiculous, surreal moment he was experiencing. I¡¯m hanging on a peak in a purple and blue sky, talking to a jellyfish and answering myself¡­ and I feel saner than I¡¯ve felt in three years, easily. But¡­ I¡¯ve got a job to do, he finished, and turned his attention inward. Summoning a perfect balance was much harder than he thought it would be. He assumed Sora would be the problem, but all three magics naturally made tiny, almost imperceptible adjustments, making a perfect balance almost impossible, and eventually had to use Rakiyu¡¯s Willful Synergy to force the other two to settle down. Slowly, so very slowly, he drew Rakiyu back and brought Sora and Talau up to match it. It took a few minutes, but something odd was happening with the magic, and he could feel the PUB reacting excitedly. It didn¡¯t comment or interact with him, but Oskar was getting really good at feeling its mood. He froze until his mind was clear again and then right as all three magics were in perfect balance, he locked it in and held the magic around him. The Seed Forge sang inside him, and two options appeared in his vision. // Fully empowered itself, the Seed Forge can Empower, Grow, or Absorb magic. In this situation, you have two options:
  1. You may Absorb this Oasis as you did before. You will grow in power, but the lives within the Oasis will be forfeited.
  2. You may Empower the Oasis, giving it longevity. This option will cost you some of the power you received from Bastet and the Oasis you absorbed previously. This power will slowly return, as long as Wayspring Magic still exists in this world.
Choose wisely, as all choices have consequences. // The decision was easy since Oskar wasn¡¯t a monster, but that last warning gave him pause nonetheless. All choices have consequences. He¡¯d been warned the second option would cost him some temporary power, but doing nothing wasn¡¯t an option either, so he chose the second option and braced himself for what might happen. The drain was noticeable, but not as impactful as he expected. He knew without looking that the Oasis now had the power to last as long as Bluebottle, and the little ones inside the Oasis, needed it to. He looked anyway, though, curious. The little creatures in the Oasis were noticeably bigger, and Oskar wondered if he¡¯d inadvertently added in a little of the Grow aspect of the Seed Forge instead of just Empower. Their purple hue was a more balanced swirl of colors now, and their spins created shifting glimmers in the water that were not part of water¡¯s normal magical shimmer. He used some of his own Rakiyu to reinforce the protective layer over the Oasis, just in case the newly empowered Oasis was more than the previous protection could hide. He watched the creatures dancing in the water and looked up to see Bluebottle hovering nearby doing the same. This time, the creature was perfectly still, and Oskar watched Bluebottle in silence for a moment. Eventually, Bluebottle lifted a tendril and gently touched Oskar¡¯s face in the sweetest, most uncomfortable thank you Oskar had ever received. // Gambit Completed: Assist Bluebottle. Reward: You have been given partial instruction on how to use the Seed Forge. You are a Wayspring Wanderer, and the Seed Forge will one day be your greatest asset. Keep yourself, and therefore the Seed Forge, safe. // So, it can repair Waysprings and Oasis, that might come in handy if we ever make our own base of operations. That means killing Valla, though. The name put a bitter tinge in his thoughts, and he instead focused on the perfect balance of magic inside him, wondering what it was capable of. What I¡¯m capable of. He looked away from the rock and noticed the sky had changed color. Shifting, flickering blues dominated the horizon and he focused, squinting his eyes as he looked for the source of the light. The colors of the sky opened in front of him like a dissolving illusion, and he could see the raging fire of the setting blue sun dominating the sky. The red sun was long gone, but any tiny amount of purple that had remained was absent now. This¡­ this is how the Wayspring Magic is supposed to be used. I¡¯ve been so blind. Book 2 Chapter 34: True Resonance In front of Oskar, there was a black expanse lit up with blue fire and bright stars. The horizon flickered as he watched; a flare of blue shot up into the sky from the sinking sun and disappeared into a ghost of an outline that reappeared every time Oskar blinked. A primal fear grabbed him that the blue sun was exploding, and they were hours from a world event they might not survive, but then his senses caught up to him and he realized the sky hadn¡¯t changed at all¡­ he¡¯d just finally seen it for what it was. Magic. Spirit magic. The tiny blue sun was full of Spirit magic and dangerously volatile. Questions popped up one after the other: why was it hidden? What and who had hidden it? More importantly, what could possibly be strong enough to have done so? And what am I gonna see when the red sun rises in the morning? Even the hypothetical implications were terrifying. For the third time in the day, the familiar feeling of a Gambit ran down his spine, thankfully dispelling the pressure that had begun building in his head the moment he realized the amount of sheer power he was looking at. // World Gambit Updated: The Magics Above, Below, and Within Seek the truth behind the breaking of this world. Reward: Unknown Consequences: ¡­ // ¡°What the¡­¡± The Gambit was enough of a distraction that the magic fell apart. Between one blink and the next, the sky was blue, purple and green again. But this time, there was no surreal fear that he was losing his mind. He had seen what he¡¯d seen and had the Gambit to prove it. He took a moment to check his notifications on what he had done with his magic, and was surprised to see that there was a new spell in his repertoire. // True Resonance. You¡¯ve found yourself fully aligned with this world. A balance has been struck, and you are in harmony with the base elements that make up all things. You have much to learn about the magics Above, Below, and Within, but you now know enough to see the truth. True Resonance will allow you to see through magical deception. True Resonance will show you the hidden things. // Please tell me that was mostly dramatics. // Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t wax poetic on that one. Not a single poetic was waxed, I promise. // ¡°Well, crap.¡± Oskar could feel Penny getting a little nervous through his bond, and sent back some reassurance that he didn¡¯t quite feel himself. Bluebottle didn¡¯t have eyes, but the general feel from the creature was somber. There was no telling if it somehow knew what Oskar had seen, he doubted it, but the creature clearly had some way to read Oskar, and likely had picked up on Oskar¡¯s darkened mood. With a quick smile and a nod to Bluebottle, Oskar looked downward at the Oasis, still shimmering and hidden from his Water Sense. I hope that¡¯s good enough. I¡¯m not sure exactly how the Seed Forge works, but Bluebottle seems happy enough, so I guess it¡¯ll have to do. Maybe we can check back soon if we¡¯re gonna be staying in the general area. Assuming, of course, Fox¡¯s people still live. Shaking away that dark thought, Oskar looked back up to the sky, wondering if it was an illusion or a shield of sorts he¡¯d seen through. And if it was a shield¡­ a shield from what? Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He reminded himself that he was doing everything he could and dwelling on things he didn¡¯t even know the questions to were definitely not going to give him the answers. With a sigh, Oskar called sora to himself, and let it swirl around him gently. The water didn¡¯t move below him, and so he increased the draw of power and added in Talau and Rakiyu to prepare to leave the Oasis behind and make his way back to his friends. Bluebottle swirled nearby and waved a tendril, and Oskar took that as a sign that maybe he¡¯d just made another odd friend. We¡¯re jelly-bros. // Yeah, please don¡¯t do that. // Just trying it out. *** Emerald eyes drilled into him as he landed gently beside the Fox, and he explained what had just happened with Bluebottle to the best of his ability. There was one stupid moment when he was getting ready to tell them about what he¡¯d seen in the sky and his true resonance when, not knowing what to say, considered saying nothing at all until he had more information, but quickly realized how dumb a decision that would have been. Even Penny seemed to have questions when he finished speaking, but it appeared everyone understood he¡¯d shared all the answers he had, and they were on top of a mesa still. ¡°So we¡¯ll hopefully know more when I can use the ability to see the red sun tomorrow morning.¡± Fox nodded, clearly troubled, and stared up at the sky herself before speaking. ¡°There is nothing for us to do but move on, I suppose, until we can learn more.¡± ¡°Should I go find a Wayspring? There¡¯s one just west of u-¡° ¡°Not west,¡± Fox said, interrupting. ¡°Okaaay. Not West. There is another far to the north.¡± She didn¡¯t look thrilled with that direction either, but didn¡¯t complain as they carefully made their way down the winding decline to the bottom, where Penny enthusiastically threw her arms up for Oskar to pick her up again. Smirking beside him, Erik said, ¡°That¡¯s a spoiled rotten Pangolor right there.¡± Penny gave him a flat stare, but nuzzled into Oskar¡¯s neck when he picked her up. Again, she was careful with her claws, and Oskar wondered if the Gem had given her an ability of some kind. She¡¯d completely ignored any questions he¡¯d asked her since that night, and Oskar hadn¡¯t wanted to press the issue too much in case the Insight Gem had made her relive the death of her mother over and over as she gleaned everything she could from that battle. This might be the first secret she¡¯s ever kept. I didn¡¯t think she was capable of it, honestly. Can you scan her and see if you can see a difference? // Do I seem like the kind of Bracer that would tell you her secret even if I knew? You must think little of me. // I just thought you were on my side! // I am, but she¡¯d really cute and I like picking on you. // With a smile, Oskar sat a reluctant Penny down and started walking. Fox took the lead until they cleared the mesas, and then he led them to the closest Wayspring. Unsually cautious, Fox piled sand on top of the Wayspring before she let Penny take the tube down. ¡°This area is even more dangerous than the open desert. I would prefer us fill up and then make our way back to the mesas to find a cave.¡± ¡°Are there going to be spiders?¡± ¡°Why?¡± She asked with a smile, ¡°do you want to hold one while you sleep like the Kobold cubs do?¡± ¡°I, in fact, do not want to be a small spoon in that sleeping arrangement. Or the big spoon for that matter.¡± Erik laughed and explained what spooning was. It''s an odd thing to explain, made much harder to explain by their laughing at Fox''s expression. ¡°It is too hot to cuddle. Your world sounds awful.¡± ¡°There are perks. Bread and air conditioning mostly, but there are perks.¡± Touwon excitedly raised a clawed finger and pulled his bag around, digging inside for something. A moment later, he pulled out a hard biscuit and tossed it to Oskar with a crooked smile. ¡°You have bread?! How old is this?¡± ¡°It was in his bag, so probably not too old. We grew up eating this. At times, it kept us alive. Although I would recommend soaking it in water before attempting to eat it.¡± ¡°You guys grew up eating this stuff?¡± Oskar tapped it on his palm, looking at the Kobolds doubtfully. ¡°Yes. Soaked in cactus water to soften it.¡± ¡°The water that tastes like bug spray? Yeah, that¡¯s awful. Thanks anyway, Touwon,¡± he said as he tossed it back to the Kobold, who shrugged and put it away before taking the hose from Penny and attaching the pump to it. ¡°Sorry if that was harsh, I know you guys had it hard. Not that things are easy now, but at least we get to drink the good stuff.¡± Smiling, Fox said, ¡°You are worth the trouble, human. It is a close thing, though, know that for a truth.¡± Oskar laughed at that, but cut it short when Fox looked around quickly in response to the sound he¡¯d made. ¡°You will want to keep quiet, however, unless you really do wish to spoon with the weavers tonight.¡± Oskar shivered. Weavers? That does not make them seem less creepy at all. I think that¡¯s actually worse. Book 2 Chapter 35: Space Oddity ¡°I¡¯m not spooning with any spiders tonight either, so shut it,¡± Erik whispered, smirking at Oskar. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be funny and I won¡¯t laugh,¡± Oskar said, but he kept his voice low and was looking out into the darkness as well, still intimidated by what he''d seen in the sky. The small blue sun had been raging with power. Touwon deftly switched the pump out and had the spigot turned without spilling a drop. Fox personally filled everyone¡¯s waterskins, which was probably for the best. Not used to seeing her this on edge, and knowing she wasn¡¯t too worried about the weavers made Oskar start nervously thinking up worse and worse threats as the minutes passed. The sand on the highest dune wall was soft, and the walk up it filled Oskar¡¯s boots with more sand than a normal day of walking. He¡¯d begun sweating in the stagnant air in the valley below, so he couldn¡¯t stop a chill rolling down his spine when the wind hit his damp, faded shirt. After taking a look and a scan out into the darkness, Oskar looked down at his clothes. He was down to his last three socks, and his boots were almost smooth on the bottom. His green long sleeve shirt had a hole in the left armpit, but the tan one was still holding up alright, even if it was thin and had a few battle scars. Touwon had done a great job sewing those up using a silky thread that Oskar was just now wondering if came from the weaver spiders. The cargo pants had done the best in the harsh environment; Oskar hoped they¡¯d hold out until someone invented cargo pockets on this world. // Hey, if you invent them yourself, you can name something else poorly! // Hush, Bracer Bill. // I don¡¯t like that at all. // Looking out at the sky, Oskar drummed up his courage and called forth his True Resonance. Again, the colors faded, giving way to black. Shimmering stars dominated the sky this time; the blue sun had fully set by now, but the sky still looked odd. Brighter. He wasn''t looking forward to truly seeing the massive red sun in the morning, and that dread carried over into his mood as he stared into the sky. A sky he was sure held deeper secrets. If only he pushed a little harder. The stars themselves were just¡­ Incredible. Wrapped in his perfectly balanced mix of magics, he was more connected to this world than ever. He could feel things he normally couldn¡¯t. Things he couldn¡¯t define. There was a pull to the north, a faded echo of magic strong enough that he wanted to drop everything and take to the sky. A few things stopped him, the first of which was common sense. The next five were behind him, standing, or laying in Sara¡¯s case, still drinking and filling containers around the Wayspring. He opened his eyes again. Distant movement among the flickering stars to his left caught his attention, and although he didn¡¯t feel magic, something even more interesting was at play. Moving slowly, with lights flickering in perfect time, was an unexpected source of Talau in the sky. It was miles and miles away, farther in the air than he could possibly fly. What little he could discern from this distance gave the impression of impossibly tight patterns and something else that he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. There¡¯s no doubt this time, that¡¯s a satellite. The PUB¡¯s presence in his mind, something he could barely feel unless he made it a point to think about it, went deathly still. That, more than anything, confirmed it. PUBS¡­ I want you to be completely honest with me. Do you know what that is? Complete silence from the PUB, but Oskar wasn¡¯t willing to let this go. Your own rules, as you¡¯ve described them to me, only limit you to clarifying information that I have gleaned myself, at least to a point. And guess what, buddy. I gleaned. We both know I¡¯m right- that¡¯s a satellite, so tell me the truth. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. // This is¡­ different. I don¡¯t know the rules for this type of situation. That¡¯s harder in some ways. If I know a rule, I can find ways around it. This is different. Give me a minute, I¡¯m tr.. // The words disappeared, leaving Oskar worried, but a moment later the PUB was back. // So, turns out I can¡¯t talk about that thing that may or may not be in the sky. // The PUB was lit up in blue, obviously pleased with itself, and Oskar grinned. It had all but confirmed some type of contact or clarification. The smile slipped, though, as the implications hit. There¡¯s someone, or at least something up there. // On an unrelated note, I may or may not be in trouble. I¡¯m gonna just be quiet for a bit so I don¡¯t make things worse. You¡¯ve made me rebellious. // The PUB felt just as amused as it was concerned, so Oskar didn¡¯t let himself worry about any consequences the PUB might face. It had weighed the risk and made the decision, anyway. Concentrating on the blinking light moving across the sky, Oskar tried to see if he could get any more information from it, but wasn¡¯t even sure how he¡¯d known about the tight patterned Talau¡­ unless that little hint had been what got the PUB in trouble in the first place. Clever, if so, PUBs. The PUB must have been playing it super safe if even compliments didn¡¯t get a response. To miss a chance at gloating took real effort, and despite the situation, Oskar was a little impressed. He sat there, looking out at the sky, still wrapped in his True Resonance, as the feeling of being watched grew. The PUB was still capable of doing a thorough scan, and did so, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. There was a chance there was one of the shadow creatures nearby, but Oskar didn¡¯t think so. Between his growth in power and the True Resonance, Oskar was sure it would take a lot more to deceive his senses than it used to, but that didn¡¯t stop the feeling from growing minute after minute. Pulling up his stats, he gave them a quick once over, curious about the changes the last few days, and the addition of the Seed Forge, had wrought. The changes were significant, and explained why he felt the confidence in himself he was now feeling. ***
Mind D Peak Rank
Body D Peak Rank
Spirit D Peak Rank
***
Sora 89% (C+)
Talau 71% (D)
Rakiyu 64% (D)
*** I¡¯m on the verge of hitting C Rank in my physical stats, and if it¡¯s anything like hitting D Rank, and in all probability, it¡¯s more¡­ it¡¯s going to be a game changer. The only threat Oskar felt from the sensation was the threat of the unknown, and that was enough in this world, to get his adrenaline pumping more than he¡¯d like. He pushed, but nothing happened. No further secrets revealed themselves, but he sat in the moment, letting his power and mind drift outward, searching for more. A few minutes later as the group below were gathering their things for the trek back to the mesas, Penny walked up the incline to check on him, her head tilted worriedly. He could also feel her concern through the bond, and the distraction was enough to end his aimless search. Oskar scratched her under the chin and felt himself calming down as he looked into her intelligent brown eyes. She¡¯d grown so much, but those eyes were still that desperate little Pangolor he¡¯d saved from the giant Asp those long months ago. A few seconds later, he¡¯d calmed down enough that it wasn¡¯t quite a lie when he spoke to comfort his companion. ¡°I¡¯m all good girl. This sky, it¡¯s just odd. Not at all what I¡¯m used to.¡± The Pangolor gave him a stare that told him she didn¡¯t believe him, and he tossed a handful of sand at her. She dodged nimbly and tackled him, bowling him over before he could move out of the way. If there hadn¡¯t been sand in his boots before, there certainly was now, but the playfulness was exactly what he needed in that moment. Fox tossed something at him, a small pebble or something, and Oskar looked back down at her with fake offense. For no reason whatsoever, Erik, standing beside her, flipped him a middle finger. Oskar threw his hands out and mouthed, ¡°What the crap did I do to you?¡± Erik grinned up at him and Oskar shook his head. He reached a hand out to grab his spear sticking out of the sand beside him, and made his way carefully down the sand to his small Collective, boots still full of sand. Penny, Fox, Touwon, Erik, even Sara¡­ they were his foundation in this world. Together, they were stronger that any one of them could ever be alone. And I don¡¯t ever want to be alone again. Book 2 Chapter 36: A Light in the Darkness The walk back to the mesa was eerily quiet, especially after spending half the afternoon on top of the first mesa in the open wind, and Fox¡¯s furtive glances into the darkness made it worse. It occurred more than once to Oskar to ask her what she was so afraid of, but it was clear she was a little tense. Also, wouldn¡¯t have reacted well to any noise. She¡¯d probably jump three feet into the air and stab me when she landed, and we don¡¯t have time for that. // Yeah, that seems pretty time consuming, all things considered. // On edge, everyone froze when something flew overhead, but the Kobolds relaxed, ears perked up, and a moment later, Oskar saw a subtle disturbance of Sora overhead caused by a weaver spider gliding through the air. That didn¡¯t relax Oskar at all, and for a moment, he wondered if he really was developing arachnophobia. He wasn¡¯t, he concluded, but he could at least admit they were a little creepy. Erik seemed bored by the whole thing, but Erik had a great poker face. Goggles or not, it was harder while walking in the dark to notice the small habits Erik had that indicated otherwise- namely less blinking and less fidgeting. I guess his tells are more like ¡°don¡¯t tells,¡± since it¡¯s what he doesn¡¯t do that tips me off. // I¡¯m torn between picking on you for that one and being a little mad that you wasted the joke on that attempt. // What would you have said to make that funnier? Huh? // No point in wasting the processing power now. // Though it was cooler than it had been, Oskar smiled at the PUB and wiped sweat from his forehead with his scarf as he tilted his head to listen for any changes in the sound. When they drew closer to the tall mesas, Fox slowed and signaled the entire group to stop, where she and Touwon spent a few seconds listening- and Oskar also heard sniffing- for anything unusual. She gave the all-clear, and they stepped from the soft sand back onto the rock. Again, every step Oskar took sounded too loud to his ears, but they made it to the tallest mesa without incident. Fox passed the one they¡¯d watched the suns set on top of, however, and Oskar followed in silence a few hundred meters, on and off sand and rock surfaces until she finally stopped in front of one flat-topped rock formation that was almost as tall, but much thinner than their previous one. By Oskar¡¯s reckoning, this mesa, a pockmarked swirl of yellows and reds, was close to where Bluebottle¡¯s small Oasis lay. His senses spread outward as he looked around, but Oskar could not find the peak and there was no sign anywhere of the spirit creature itself. There was a low whistling in the air that reminded Oskar vaguely of the night he spent sleeping and hiding within the Kobold caves in the Gramm Collective. Other memories followed, of course; the trails and desperate battle that followed that fateful night. They¡¯d escaped with Erik, but there had been a cost. Erik¡¯s arm, eye, and tongue. All-Red the Croc, who¡¯d fought with them and gave his life paying back a debt to the Kobolds. The big Croc had taught Oskar a very valuable lesson about the beast-like people of this world; like humans, there was also good among the Croc people to balance the evil. This was a lesson he¡¯d needed desperately after having seen some of the worst of the Crocodilian people. After Valla. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Her name swam through his thoughs daily. She was the reason they were constantly on the move, but this time the name caused a physical reaction in Oskar, and he could taste bile in the back of his throat. He didn¡¯t realize exactly how much he¡¯d let his hate for her grow inside him until that moment. As if torturing Erik for who knows how long wasn¡¯t enough, she¡¯d been trying to have them killed since she first met them. Valla was likely most of the reason Bastet had run out of power when she did, and Oskar sat there for a moment thinking about her statue, partially buried in the glass cavern far to the south. Without Fox¡¯s knowledge of this world, Oskar had to rely completely on his PUB for location information, but after some calculation, the PUB told gave him a ¡°reasonably reliable¡± arrow pointing out the direction of the glass cave. Interestingly, the wind directly overhead was blowing almost perfectly southwest as well. Staring in the direction the wind was blowing overhead, Oskar imagined he could feel her in the distance¡­ but he knew that was only wishful thinking. He could feel so much life around him it was hard to pick out any single thing unless he was close, and he hoped that wouldn¡¯t keep him awake all night. I¡¯ll be alright going light on sleep. I¡¯m sleeping more here than I did back on earth, that¡¯s for sure. It helped to be around people he trusted again. Oskar looked at Erik, who was standing by Touwon and awkwardly holding an unopened waterskin in his hand. His brother¡¯s mismatched eyes were scanning the sky but caught Oskar staring at him and Erik gave his brother a questioning look. Erik acted like he was gonna throw his waterskin at Oskar as a joke, and Sara jumped off his bag and shoulder, meowing at him in irritation. Erik harshly whispered, ¡°Son of a nutcracker!¡± through clenched teeth and reached back at his freshly scratched shoulder. The past hour had been tense enough that the ¡°Elf¡± reference caught Oskar off guard, and he was immediately wheezing into the crook of his arm trying to stay quiet while Erik grinned. The Kobolds looked at the humans like they were stupid. ¡°I cannot take you anywhere,¡± Fox said with mock exasperation. *** Halfway up the mesa, there was a shoulder high, uneven tunnel that cut through the rock that they ducked into, Oskar trying not to trip over his own spear in the cramped space. The whistling stopped as they entered, but as they settled into individual dips along the side of the tunnel, the sound returned. That¡¯s a neat little alarm system. Maybe I will sleep tonight. He wrinkled his nose. Despite the mild sulfur smell. I¡¯ll just try my best not to mouth-breathe. Fox took the first watch, and after snacking on dried lizard meat, Oskar cleaned and dried his stump and liner, loosened and cleaned his Goggles, and then propped his food up on a purring Penny to go to sleep. Apparently, Sara had chosen Oskar tonight after Erik¡¯s earlier transgression, but the dang cat settled beside his head instead of on him somewhere like a normal cat. That was fine until Oskar was falling asleep and turned his head into a face full of fur. Oskar spent the next thirty seconds pulling cat hair out of his mouth and off his face. He then pulled his scarf off and put it between his head and the big calico, and she snuggled closer into the softness of the threadbare scarf. Little monster. Luckily, sleep returned fairly quickly, and as he finally drifted off he only briefly worried about the weaver spiders. Luckily, sleep returned quickly, and as he drifted off, the feeling of the cool rock beneath him and the soft whistling helped him forget any small worries he might have had about weaver spiders. *** Eyes still closed, Oskar listened. He¡¯d awakened as soon as the whistling sound dropped pitch and disappeared. He peeked an eye open and saw the silhouette of Fox moving toward him in the tunnel. Is it already my turn for watch? I thought Erik was staying up with her. He was gonna wake Touwon when he got ready to sleep, and then Fox was gonna wake me, but it seems too early. Sitting up, he leaned his head in the tunnel to see if he could catch a peek at Erik, and was about to check his PUB to see how long he¡¯d been asleep, but Fox had already closed the distance. ¡°Oskar¡­ some bone-dry fool has a lit lantern off in the distance.¡± ¡°Bone-dry fool, or someone strong enough that they think they¡¯re safe?¡± She shrugged and looked back down the tunnel as Oskar pulled on his liner. ¡°Maybe both? Vulk was both.¡± ¡°Vulk is dead.¡± She gave him an even stare. ¡°Because he was wrong about being strong enough. That is why he was a bone-dry fool.¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± Book 2 Chapter 37: A Mystery Ahead Climbing out of the tunnel behind Fox, Oskar followed the nimble Kobold as she followed a slow rise a quarter turn around the mesa before taking a steep switchback that made Oskar wonder how Erik had managed it. // Well, if he¡¯s got any strength at all from the Wayspring water and the battles we¡¯ve been through, he could probably do a pull up at his current weight, one arm or not. // Yeah. Maybe one day he¡¯ll tell us. Or talk for any other reason than making me laugh at inappropriate times. // He¡¯ll come around. Or not. I¡¯m just a PUB. Speaking of that, want me to query his PUB for information? // Oskar considered the offer, but not seriously. He shook his head in answer as he looked out in the darkness for the light Fox mentioned. Probably best if we don¡¯t try that method without absolutely needing to do so. I still think his PUB doesn¡¯t like me, and so Erik would know we were trying to go over his head. More importantly, it feels wrong. // His PUB, in fact, does not like you very much. Although I think it¡¯s more out of habit and boredom than actual hate at this point. // That does not make me feel better. Grunting, Oskar took the last few steps to the flat stone on top of the mesa and stayed low as he made his way over to Erik at the northern edge. Sure enough, there was light in the distance, flickering in the pitch black. It was not quite a beacon, but anything looking in that direction was bound to see it instantly. It was difficult to tell at this distance, but it seemed the lantern was similar in size and design to the ones Vulk used back when Oskar first arrived on this world, and the memory of that time poked at him. Mostly the regret that, of the three Crocs that had held Oskar and the Kobolds in a trap of Gambit loops forcing them to hunt for water and food- Valla had been the one to escape. And we¡¯ve paid for it ever since. She¡¯ll get hers, though. This time, the hate he felt for her didn¡¯t sneak up on him. If he was honest with himself, and he usually tried to be, there was some fear. They still weren¡¯t sure what she was capable of, but they knew that morality or the lives of her followers were of no consequence to her. Maybe my hate for her did sneak up on me. Here I am thinking of her instead of trying to figure out what we¡¯re looking at and what to do about it. Reluctantly, Oskar called forth his True Resonance as Touwon made his way topside with a yawn. Watching carefully, Oskar was relieved to see the light was just a lantern and not magical at all. He saw nothing else out of the ordinary but had to stop himself from getting distracted looking for the satellite again. There was more to that, he just didn¡¯t know yet what to do about it. ¡°No magic, it¡¯s just fire. Can you guess who or what might be goofy enough to use a lantern in an area like this?¡± Fox was quiet for a short time but eventually shrugged. ¡°I can only think it to be Croco. They say it helps them see in the dark, and maybe that is true, but I honestly suspect they fear the night.¡± Erik raised an eyebrow at that, but Fox clearly meant it as a serious statement. They really do have poor eyesight, other than for movement. // Yeah, but the whole scared of the dark thing is funnier. // Oskar watched the flickering light in the distance and tried to gauge the distance. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. // We don¡¯t really have a good reference point, but if I had to throw out a general estimate, I¡¯d say several miles. // Turning to Fox, Oskar said, ¡°Well, we¡¯re obviously not going to check it out tonight, so the best we can do is keep an eye on it.¡± Nodding, Fox said, ¡°Truth. We might as well stick to the same schedule, then.¡± Behind them, Touwon turned and walked across the rock to go back to sleep, and Oskar planned to follow as soon as he checked on Erik. His brother gave him a thumbs up and then turned back to dangling his feet off the side of the rock, wrapped tight against the wind in his light robe. The scene was a somber one for Oskar, but he gave his brother an unseen return thumbs up and walked off after Touwon. He looks like he did when I first saw him at Gramm¡¯s. Dangling his feet off the rock and giving the sky his best thousand-yard stare. // His thousand-yard stare is even better than his poker face. Really world class. // Unfortunately, Erik earned that stare the hard way. Climbing down, Oskar awkwardly crouch-walked all the way through the tunnel to peek out the opposite opening and see if he could get eyes on the lantern. Outside, there was a tall, sharp ridged dune blocking any further view. Oskar instead watched the sand break from the thin edge at the top and cascade down the steep dune in slowly widening sections. Summoning Talau, he could watch the patterns breaking down before it happened. The knowledge ruined the fun of watching, so after a moment, he let go of the magic and watched the breaks happen without it. Even after the Magic Below was gone, the magic of the moment had gone as well, though. The thought didn¡¯t depress him, but it was always a worry that one day even this fantastic world might lose its wonder. // There are always new wonders, Oskar. You just might have to go a little farther or look a little deeper to find them. // Thanks, PUBs. You¡¯re right, of course. Mollified, he turned and walked back to his hole in the tunnel, sat down, and decided against re-cleaning the liner. It had only been twenty minutes or so, after all. Leg off, foot propped up on the unmoving Pangolor, he eventually fell asleep again and dreamed simple dreams without the weight of meaning behind them. *** Hours later, Fox nudged Oskar gently. Her walking into the tunnel hadn¡¯t woken him, but he¡¯d been in a much deeper sleep this time. Nonsensical memories of his dreams flitted through his thoughts and faded, as if fighting their way to the front of his consciousness had taken all the power they had left. He yawned, tightened his Goggles, and set to putting his leg back on. Penny was making her way down to the sand to hunt for some delicious bugs, so Oskar made his way through the tunnel after letting Fox pass him. Grunting a thanks, the Kobold stretched and plopped down right in Oskar¡¯s spot. Sara came from somewhere down the tunnel, shaking her head in irritation at the wind blowing her whiskers, to cuddle with Fox for the final few hours before sunsrise. Tucking his scarf into his shirt, Oskar stepped out of the tunnel and made the easy climb to the top in the darkness. The green tinted Sora in the sky had spread out, covering more space, but wasn¡¯t quite as vibrant as it had been the night before. Touwon turned his head and gave Oskar a smile, which distracted him from thoughts of wanting to leap into the sky. Oskar smiled back and said, ¡°Good morning,¡± but Touwon¡¯s rare smile triggered an odd memory of his dad. Exploring woods and mountains with Erik, complete with cold running rivers and sticky sap covered hands, had been the majority of his favorite childhood memories. Now, as it became clear this world had so much more to offer than just sand dunes, Oskar¡¯s desire to explore was almost overwhelming. Unfortunately, as a kid, he realized he¡¯d been born a few hundred years too late to be a true explorer, and that hadn¡¯t been a happy childhood memory at all. It was, however, one of the few times their dad had seemed to really understand what Oskar was going through, though. He¡¯d tucked Oskar in that night and told him that maybe one day he could go exploring anyway. ¡°I think wanting to explore is a noble thing. Surely the old explorers haven¡¯t found everything,¡± he¡¯d said, giving Oskar a rare smile before shutting the bedroom door behind him. A few seconds later, Erik had whispered from his own bed, ¡°I got a rare bird over here to show you.¡± What a jerk. Oskar grinned at the memory, looking out at the dark sky and sitting in the warm, steady wind and good company. Dad was right, though. They missed a few things. A whole world, in fact. He looked down from the open sky, ignoring its call to consider the lantern. We¡¯ve got a mystery ahead of us, Oskar thought, looking out at the light still flickering in the distance. Not to mention the Gambit I got after looking at the blue sun with my True Resonance. // Don¡¯t forget the one behind you. Bluebottle seems pretty cool for a man o¡¯ war, which is not the same as a jellyfish, in case you were wondering. // I wasn¡¯t, and I¡¯m a hundred percent sure you brought that up so you could correct me. // I don¡¯t know, that seems kind of pedantic. Doesn¡¯t really seem like something I would do. // Book 2 Chapter 38: Dessication Waiting nervously to see the red sun through his True Resonance, the sun seemed to creep into view slower than ever before. // It¡¯s not. // I know, I know. This is this world¡¯s equivalent to staring at a clock, though. It¡¯s frustrating. The steady wind hadn¡¯t died down, of course, not even a little. It rarely did in this world, but if anything, it seemed to have picked up a fresh fury. Even the perfect little streamers of sand pouring off the tops of the dunes were affected; something Oskar had never seen before. High as they were, a gritty layer of wind-carried sand still coated him and Touwon. A gross, sweaty layer for me, although I guess having it in your fur isn¡¯t much better. There was gusting, which was also unusual, and the random little dots of needles peppering his hands and the side of his face were an irritating distraction from watching the sunrise. The light of the lantern was harder to pick out as the morning grew brighter, and without the pub pointing it out, Oskar might have lost its location. Spitting sand out of his mouth, Oskar pulled his scarf up around his face and looked back up to the sky. The faint green glow of the Sora illuminating the swirling chaos around them was fading as well. Across the mesa, Touwon shifted slightly, his purple fur whipping in the wind. The steady Kobold¡¯s too-calm presence was a comfort against Oskar¡¯s nervousness. If Erik was up here, he¡¯d be giving me increasingly dramatic, disappointed looks until I laughed, and then he¡¯d tell me to stop being a daisy. // I was gonna make a joke here, but the idea of flowers seems wild. Just¡­ pretty things growing everywhere? I never could have imagined anything like it. // Not trying to be mean, but I didn¡¯t know you were big into imagining stuff. The PUB didn¡¯t reply, and Oskar didn¡¯t push the issue. Besides, he had a sun to stare at. He appreciated the distracting conversation and the images of fields of flowers that popped into his head, but all it did was remind him of what was at stake. If there was even a chance to grow life on this planet, he was gonna have to start chopping a few heads off the old Curiosity Hydra. Starting with the growing red orb out in the distance. With maddening slowness, the red sun continued its ascent into the sky. What part of the sun remained below the sand seemed to fight to stay below the horizon like a tiny pinprick of defiance. Oskar knew he was just in his head about it, but that didn¡¯t make it any easier. It hadn¡¯t changed, hadn¡¯t grown larger, hadn¡¯t slowed to a halt just before fully rising. It had done nothing but burn. ¡°Here we go,¡± Oskar said to himself as it finally broke free of the sand that was blocking it from view. He prepared to use his True Resonance again; praying the red sun had no secrets and was just as it appeared. Touwon, perched beside him, gave a noncommittal grunt, his gaze fixed on the distant glow. The fur on his face flattened as he turned his head to Oskar and gave him a small nod. What am I waiting for? Letting out a huff, he called Sora and Talau to himself and prepared to balance it with Rakiyu when Erik climbed up behind them, mismatched eyes blinking wearily as he stood a second in the wind to catch his balance, eyes wide at the wind¡¯s intensity. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°No idea, man. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be sleeping still?¡± ¡°Yeah. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be on watch instead of giving me the stink eye?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Oskar answered with a grin. Even wrapped in his robe, his thin frame seemed impossibly fragile against the harsh landscape. He pointed, a tiny motion, more gesture than actual point. ¡°You about to take a look at the red sun?¡± A slight pause this time. ¡°Yeah, man.¡± Erik nodded. ¡°Give Fox a minute, then. She¡¯s on her way up. Figure it would be better for you if you only had to explain it once.¡± It wasn¡¯t long at all before the Kobold made her way on top of the mesa, her reaction to the winds mirroring Erik¡¯s own. ¡°Bastet¡¯s mangey tail.¡± She looked a little embarrassed at the curse and muttered, ¡°That feels worse to say after meeting her.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯d forgive you.¡± ¡°And somehow that makes it worse.¡± This pulled a chuckle out of Touwon, and Oskar¡¯s tensions eased. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Fox settled down into a sitting position, shifting to get comfortable, and Oskar used the delay as an excuse to get a feel for Penny and Sara so there hopefully wouldn¡¯t be any other distractions. Sara was still sleeping in the small alcove, and Penny was murdering bugs nearby. He politely asked her to come back their direction for a few minutes since he had a feeling this was going to be pretty overwhelming. Oskar didn¡¯t think this was something he wanted to repeat anytime soon. She reluctantly agreed and was climbing the base of the mesa within a few minutes. With everyone settled, Oskar looked around at his small Collective. Everyone gave him a nod, and, out of excuses, he turned to face the giant red sun, now half a finger¡¯s width above the distant horizon. I don¡¯t even know what to expect. No idea why I¡¯m so nervous about this. Time to Kobold up and get it done, though. Finally, he pulled his spirit magic into the mix of Talau and Sora, fighting to perfectly balance them. It was much easier than before, and a few seconds later, True Resonance took over. A violent wash of blue and purple light slammed into him as the red sky all but disappeared. Violence. Fire. Consumption. The red of the giant sun sputtered, fighting a losing battle with what could only be the small blue sun, still hidden behind the distant dune. Flashing up through the red was a volatile streak of sapphire flame as thick as the blue sun itself. The red wasn¡¯t going down without a fight, but almost half the massive sun was now shifting hues of blues and purples. A shiver ran up Oskar¡¯s spine, and fear and tension rolled up after it, settling like a weight in his shoulders. The blue fire was exploding with power. It seemed impossible Oskar could feel it from here, but watching the sheer violence of what was happening in the sky, it seemed more impossible that he couldn¡¯t feel it. // World Gambit Updated: The Magics Above, Below, and Within - Updated You have seen the truth¡­ what once held this world together is destroying itself. The balance of life and death is in decline. Restore the Wayspring magic before Desiccation burns it away. Phase one: A Place of Power With the fall of the Great Trees, Wayspring magic- the magic of life- has no home. Grow in power and plant the seed. You have everything you need. Reward: Prolonged survival of this world and a chance to restore balance. Consequences: The Death of a Planet // I have everything I need? Is it talking about you or the Wayspring magic? // You¡¯ll need those things, but that¡¯s not all you have. // Oskar stared blankly, too distracted by the swirling colors fighting for dominance in the sky to think. Beside him, a flash of orange swept down his spear, followed by flickering lightning, and Oskar read the title of his spear for the second time. Divine Weapon- Branch of the Omnitree The weapon was incredible. Seemingly indestructible, which made it perfect for his aerial fighting style- like the Dragoons Kain Highwind or Arenea in the Final Fantasy games. Except I can also do it with a mace. // Oh yeah! That¡¯s cool and all, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. // Seeing through True Resonance, Oskar focused on the spear in his hand. He could feel his friends waiting patiently for answers he didn¡¯t have, but their presence was a welcome comfort. There was clearly more potential in the weapon than he¡¯d accessed. It was more than just a shape shifting weapon- it was part of, perhaps the final surviving part- of a Great Tree. The Soul Forge within him reacted to the weapon, and a slow heat grew in Oskar¡¯s chest. Watching closer, seeking out the source of the reaction, he focused on the textured section near the head of the weapon. There! The tiniest shimmer of purple was mixed in with what he now knew was Wayspring magic. It was a perfect balance of magics he knew and some he couldn¡¯t even identify- beyond his current capability. A seed. This is a seed of the Great Tree, hidden by something like what hit Bluebottle¡¯s Oasis from me, but much more powerful. Bastet? A flash of green around the edge of his vision as the PUB agreed. // I wasn¡¯t completely sure, but that¡¯s exactly what it seems like. // I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been carrying around a seed to a Great Tree this whole time. The Seed Forge inside him told him there was something missing still, but Oskar could only guess at what else was needed. Oskar¡¯s best guess was it needed to be somewhere other than on top of solid rock. And trees need water. I¡¯m guessing it would require more than a Wayspring. Which meant he needed to find an Oasis and have enough Wayspring magic to use the Seed Forge. He briefly considered Bluebottle¡¯s Oasis, but it was on rock, too small, and even without the Gambit¡¯s warning, he instinctually knew he wasn¡¯t quite strong enough to use the amount of power it was gonna take to use the Seed Forge to Grow something as powerful as a Great Tree. Finally, he let go of his True Resonance, and some of the tension left his body. The weight of everything that needed to be done was still there, but muted. Whatever, or whoever, was hiding the truth of this world¡¯s decline must be incredibly strong. Until he¡¯d gained the ability to see through it, he never even suspected how close this world was to its precipice. And now that he¡¯d let go of his True Resonance, the power that hid this from everyone was finally evident. He felt worry from Penny and Sara spike as he sunk to his knees, more in relief than anything. Fox leapt forward to help him, but Oskar through up a hand as she reached him. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± be both said aloud and sent through the bond. Oskar opened his eyes and took a long breath. ¡°We have a problem. And by we, I mean literally everyone.¡± Looking past Erik¡¯s confused face at the massive red sun behind him, he marveled at how well-hidden the chaos he¡¯d seen was. So much power fighting for balance, and so much power hiding it for some reason. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Fox whispered, the sound almost lost in the wind. Blinking, Oskar tore his gaze from the red sun, and looked her in her emerald, earnest eyes. ¡°Almost the entire sky is a veil. Something called¡­ Desiccation is destroying the Wayspring magic.¡± Touwon¡¯s eyebrows climbed higher than Oskar had ever seen them, and Fox hid her surprise and confusion just as poorly. ¡°Desiccation is a cub¡¯s tale.¡± ¡°What kind of cubs tale?¡± ¡°Nonsense. A tale to warn cubs of the dangers of dark spiritual magic. To keep those with the affinity from turning into Shaman like Valla. The Rot Within, it is called. A great undead dragon of dark magic destined to eat the entire world, or the sun, or sometimes its own tail. It is nonsense, human,¡± the final phrase came out sputtering and frustrated. ¡°The stories are all made up. Such a thing could not exist, know it a truth,¡± she said, dismissively. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t argue with you, but I will say that Desiccation is capitalized in the Gambit I received, and that¡¯s gotta count for something, right?¡± Fox was not in the mood, and the impact of her dark stare was only lessened by Erik calling him a dumbass and chuckling. Book 2 Chapter 39: Giving you what you want… Book 2 Chapter 39: Giving you what you want¡­ ¡°True or not, the only thing we can do now is survive, get stronger, and prepare for Valla.¡± Fox¡¯s flat stare softened into worry. ¡°And I pray with the help of my people, we can deal with her.¡± The ¡°If they still live¡± remained unspoken, but her eyes said it anyway. Hoping to change the subject, Oskar told them the rest of what he¡¯d learned. ¡°Want to hear some good news?¡± Blinking away her darkening thoughts, Fox looked up at Oskar expectantly. Lifting his spear into view, he said, ¡°We have a seed.¡± ¡°A seed for what?¡± Fox¡¯s voice came out a whisper, but there was wonder in her voice that said she knew the answer. ¡°A Great Tree, Fox. We have a seed for a Great Tree. It¡¯s in the spear that Bastet gifted me when I first arrived.¡± Nearby, Erik sat up straight, but didn¡¯t interrupt. Oskar took note but continued. ¡°With better access to using my Wayspring magic, we can plant the Tree, providing we find a place that is safe and has what we need.¡± The heat was growing slowly, but the wind was cutting some of the worst of it. Oskar tried to ignore the rising suns. The colors in the sky were odd to see, knowing they were partially a shroud, hiding a battle that Oskar could only hope lasted long enough that he could do something about it. ¡°What is needed?¡± Oskar¡¯s face dropped, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know yet. At the very least, a buttload of Wayspring magic to Grow the seed and likely an Oasis.¡± Erik whistled, and Touwon said his cool Kobold curse word. Groaning, Fox nodded at Touwon in agreement. ¡°Indeed. The only Oasis I knew of for sure was Gramm¡¯s. That could be a major barrier.¡± ¡°Bluebottle had a tiny one, but it was far too small and on the side of a cliff. I¡¯m not even sure it could even be called an Oasis. I don¡¯t yet have enough power to Grow the seed, anyway.¡± ¡°We will find a way,¡± Fox said, looking in the direction of where the lantern had flickered throughout the night. ¡°It all comes down to surviving long enough to see it through.¡± ¡°First, though, we gotta check on our well-lit neighbors.¡± Erik smirked and took a long pull from his waterskin. Standing, Oskar leaned into the wind, holding the spear a little more delicately than he ever had. I can¡¯t think like that, it¡¯s a weapon for a reason, I¡¯m not going to hurt it. // There¡¯s no risk of that. // ¡°So, we find a Wayspring to fill up, and then check out the lantern camp?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± *** // It¡¯s hard to get a fix on the distance with so little to go on, but we¡¯re talking miles. Several, at least. // Oskar nodded, his mind already churning. Several miles. That was gonna take half the day, even in good conditions. And these conditions sucked. The wind was barreling through the dune valley at their backs instead of overhead. It was still gusting occasionally, and although Oskar could drown out most of the noise, the others could not. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°We can¡¯t go rushing off half-cocked,¡± he said aloud, more to himself than to Erik. ¡°We need a plan.¡± Fox perked up at that, leaning backwards to stay upright. ¡°Plan? I agree, but it is likely Crocos, and their plan will be to kill us on sight.¡± ¡°Maybe not?¡± ¡°Out here, Oskar, I doubt we will find many Crocos with morals.¡± She was all but yelling to be heard, and it came out a little snappier than normal. It wasn¡¯t meant to be unkind, just a statement of fact. Even if it was a little too snappy, Oskar would have forgiven her the rare slip in decorum. She was worried. Worried about the implications of having a potential camp of Crocos out in the open so close to what she¡¯d hoped to find; Benedicuto leading what remained of the free Kobolds. ¡°They can likely already smell us in the dry boned wind. We might we well rush in and kill them.¡± Oskar sighed. It was a plan, of a sort. A very¡­ direct plan. Not at all Fox¡¯s usual careful strategic, which spoke volumes as her how she was feeling. ¡°Maybe it is a Collective of grouchy Crocs, but it would still help to know what they¡¯re doing.¡± Erik tapped his fingers on his shoulder, just above the stump of his arm. It was a rapid, almost frantic rhythm as he walked. His fingers stopped. ¡°Recon,¡± Erik finally said. ¡°Recon,¡± Oskar echoed. ¡°Exactly. We need to get closer. Without being seen.¡± It really was a daunting prospect with the wind at their backs. The open desert offered little in the way of cover, and the wind, while obscuring visibility to some extent, would also carry sound. And scent, as she mentioned. It meant moving around and approaching from another direction, which had its own dangers. Fox, despite her earlier eagerness, looked distinctly less thrilled at the prospect of walking half a day into what was very likely a fight. ¡°If we get close enough, I can use Fade and Blur to get close. As the least likely to be seen, I can be in and out quickly. The only other option would be you flying up in the sky and giving up our position. Or maybe Penny or Sara could recon,¡± she said, grinning. Knowing he could cover the distance faster, if not safer, was frustrating. Fox really was the clear choice, but Oskar felt uncomfortable splitting up, even when it was the clear choice. Penny was walking beside him instead of under the sand, giving off an adorable sense of misplaced solidarity. Oskar looked down at her as the Pangolor was looking back and forth between Fox and him. ¡°You know you can go underground. I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± He felt relief through the companion bond, but he knew she was gonna play tough until he insisted. ¡°Go on, Penny. You¡¯re our surprise attacker. Our counter ambusher. You can¡¯t do your job up here.¡± She looked up at him again, hesitating, but it was all show, and she dove down out of the wind when Oskar smiled and gave her a nod. Oskar considered for a moment, running the possibilities through his mind. ¡°Okay,¡± he said finally, as he looked back up at the Kobold. ¡°You scout, but we¡¯re gonna get as close as we can first, and I¡¯m gonna be ready to take to the air. Quick and fast, like you said. See what you can see, but don¡¯t engage. Come straight back.¡± Fox nodded, grinning fiercely. ¡°Understood.¡± But first, we freaking walk. As always, the sky was where he wanted to be, but it didn¡¯t feel quite as inviting as it had. Besides, he still needed a little work on his Resonating Ward for whatever plan Fox had to get them closer to the Kobolds. Regardless, he was going to make it a point to get some air time tonight if at all possible. Not like I miss constantly being under attack, but I¡¯m not spending near as much time in the air as I was. // I feel like you should be careful what you ask for. This world has a tendency to give you what you want in ways you don¡¯t want at all. // Watching the sky, Oskar walked. Erik looked to be dealing with the wind the worst, but he was trucking along anyway. Sara was riding on Touwon¡¯s bag for this trip, though, tucked under the top flap with her tri-colored head poking out. The wind howled, the sand swirled, and the suns overhead bore down on them. After two hours of walking, the sand dunes curved enough to get them out of the direct wind, and Oskar searched for a Wayspring. With only a slight detour, they found themselves squatting and resting as they drank and filled their waterskins. The moment of reprieve was interrupted when she ground shook beneath them. They froze as a few seconds passed, and even the wind overhead seemed to slow as they all lowered their center of gravity and tried to figure out what was happening; were they under attack or was this something else? Oskar opened himself up to Sora and Talau, and so he felt the patterns of Talau beneath them stretch and shift, vibrating as the long moment passed. And then, the patterns shattered as the fault lines far below them shifted. Oskar barely had the chance to call out ¡°Earthquake!¡± before the warning became useless. Book 2 Chapter 40: ...in ways you dont want it. Talau slipped from Oskar¡¯s grasp, which was fine by him. He had no plans to fight for control of the power in the middle of an earthquake. The real problem was that the surrounding dunes were collapsing around them. They had to abandon the hose leading to the Wayspring, and he felt the Wayspring dissolve in all the chaos. Flustered, Oskar wished he¡¯d been able to watch exactly what happened; he¡¯d never gotten the chance to watch a Wayspring disappear with Sora active, and despite the ground shaking, he felt the loss of potential knowledge. Lifting a few feet off the ground using a bit of his power instead of fighting to balance himself, Oskar took stock of the situation and his companions. Erik was wide eyed and had dropped his center of gravity, his single arm stretched out as if to grab hold of something that wasn¡¯t there to hold him steady. Panny came up out of the ground near him, and Oskar could see Sara looking irritated at the interruption in her endless naps. Both Kobolds were fine, and though clearly surprised, neither one looked panicked. That helped calm Oskar¡¯s fear somewhat. Guessing this isn¡¯t exactly unheard of. // No idea on my end. I have no records of such things happening in my own memories. // The shaking settled, Oskar called out to check on the others. They responded with a kwinn, a nod, a thumbs up, and a middle finger. Shaking his head, Oskar used Sora to climb just above what remained of the collapsed dunes to look around. He was pretty used to feeling life all around him in the desert, but he could now see so much more than he had ever seen. Off in the distance, he saw a black and green scorpion to the southwest that was the size of a minivan. It was working its way back into the sand, and Oskar faced a stark reminder that he still didn¡¯t know enough about this world despite the hard months he¡¯d spent here. Dozens of other creatures were doing the same, thankfully none quite as intimidating as the scorpion. The small leathery birds he¡¯d seen most often who might have been nesting somewhere were in the sky as well, circling around looking for displaced creatures they could eat. Another bird, a pterodactyl looking creature by the looks of it, was much further off in the distance, diving from much further in the sky. It was a lot bigger than the other birds, and to Oskars¡¯ surprise, it looked to be suffering from the same type of sickness or rot the Griffith Vulture had been suffering from. That¡¯s not good. Should we be trying to do something about that? // Want me to check your calendar for an opening? // Good point. // I have a lot of those. I¡¯m like a trident. // Wait, do you think I could turn my spear into a trident? // I mean, maybe? I guess that¡¯s up to you. Sounds kind of neat, I guess. // He reluctantly allowed himself to slowly drop towards the ground. Below, Penny was going under the sand and the now gone Wayspring after their syphon hose. Well, since I see nothing we should be specifically worried about, I guess it¡¯s time to stop mid-air theory crafting and get to walking again. // At least you got to fly some. You just mentioned you wanted to fly more. // Yeah, I know, and you said this world has a way of giving you what you want in ways you don¡¯t want it. You were right. Was that why you brought it back up? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. // I dunno. Doesn¡¯t sound like something I would do. // Ignoring the PUB, Oskar landed and walked over, giving Sara a quick petting while Penny was still underground. The big cat pushed into the scratches and didn¡¯t stop purring, even when he pulled back and shifted his spear back over into his right hand. I shouldn¡¯t feel guilty for giving attention to one of my companions. // No one told you to feel guilty. You did that to yourself¡­ but you did just deal with an earthquake, so I¡¯m sure Penny would forgive you for wanting to pet a cat. // Slowly, cautiously, Oskar called Talau back to him. Like the Sora in the sky near Bluebottle, it had a little more ¡°personality¡± to it. The power felt much stronger than usual, like the earthquake had evolved it in some way. The Seed Forge inside him responded to this higher quality Talau, drawing it in with the Sora that remained from the night before, shifting the balance of power. Now that there was more than just Sora inside the Forge, it became clearer to him what the Forge was capable of. Grow, Empower, and Absorb were an over-simplification, but he¡¯d known that much from the get-go. He could, one day, use any or every part of the Forge. Nothing would hold back the magic held within the Seed Forge except his Oskar himself. And that¡¯s quite a limit as things stand. I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s holding me back, but everything depends on me overcoming my limitations. // I think you¡¯re doing a great job, but Valla and this world don¡¯t plan on giving you the time to figure it out in peace. // The sand swirled as Penny came up, the hose in her mouth. She shook off the sand and looked to Touwon, proud of herself. He grinned at her and took the hose from her gently. He tossed her a treat he had ready for her, and she caught it in the air with a happy little kwinn. ¡°Two things, guys. I saw a huge scorpion back behind us, and a bunch of birds. That wasn¡¯t what was weird, though. One bird, a big dinosaur-looking one, was suffering from the same rot as the Gryphus Vulture.¡± ¡°Questions upon questions,¡± Fox grunted, looking back behind them in the direction Oskar pointed with furrowed brows. The Curiosity Hydra grows another head. ¡°Obviously, we can¡¯t go searching the world for corrupted creatures right now, but there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s happening, and we can¡¯t ignore that forever.¡± Fox replied, sounding frustrated. ¡°We leave problems behind us chasing the problems before us.¡± ¡°Want to go for a walk to calm down?¡± The glare she shot at him had him apologizing immediately and putting his hands up in surrender, but he caught her smirk when she turned back around to Touwon, saying something in Kobold that made Touwon laugh. Why don¡¯t you ever translate Kobold? // I only know the curse words, like you and Spanish. // I know more than just the curse words! // I¡¯m not going to count ¡®Your mother is a library.¡¯ That doesn¡¯t even make sense. // It¡¯s still more than just curse words. *** They walked a few more hours until the two PUBs worked together to calculate they had gotten close enough. Thankfully, they were no longer walking with the wind at their backs, and therefor didn¡¯t have to go as far out of their way as they thought. A quick plan drawn out in the sand with a clawed, purple finger had Fox moving within scouting distance to the lantern camp. Penny would follow underground and behind her to relay if there was trouble. If it looked like she couldn¡¯t get away, Fox would tap out the number of enemies on the sand for Penny. Depending on how far away the camp was and how many enemies there were, they could be there to help in less than a minute. Faster if Oskar went alone, so that was to be avoided outside of a last resort. Pointlessly, Oskar stopped her and said, ¡°Look, just be careful, okay.¡± Luckily, she didn¡¯t take it the wrong way, and to show she¡¯d be fine, used her Fade ability as she moved away. If not for knowing about the ability and her being in his Collective, he had to admit he might not have seen her coming, even with his Druidic ability to feel life and the elements shifting. He could, however, see the disturbance or ¡°void¡± the ability caused, and he wondered if that was in any way similar to how Valla¡¯s shadow creatures hid from him. // You¡¯re mentally rambling. // It¡¯s a defense mechanism. // Is it working? Are you no longer worried about her? // No, PUBs. It is not working. Beside him, Touwon and Erik seemed fine, but Erik was deathly still and Touwon was fidgeting aimlessly with his Bracer. Opposite signs of the exact same thing. Kneeling down, Oskar took the opportunity to pull out the T-handle and tighten the screws on his foot. A sudden rush of adrenaline from Penny had Oskar standing, securing his precious T-handle back in his bag and pulling his spear into both hands. Beside him, Erik stood, but Touwon took off ahead of them before Oskar could even relay what had happened. Nothing further from Penny, but Oskar could feel her chasing after Fox. Damn it, I guess we¡¯re going, he thought as he and Erik chased after Touwon. Book 2 Chapter 41: Masks in the Sand The PUB¡¯s shift to Battle Mode cleared Oskar¡¯s vision and his HUD simplified to vital information only. As the three of them, Touwon in the lead, drew near enough for Oskar to get a feel for what was happening, the question as to why it was harder to detect people than it was to detect wildlife flashed briefly through his thoughts. And then, the sheer numbers ahead overwhelmed that thought. Adrenaline gripped him, and everything else slipped away. The thing about war is it strips you of everything; all your masks¡­ all the lies you tell yourself and others as you go through life¡­ leaving only you. When you leave all your masks in the sand, what remains is the core of who you are¡­ and what you¡¯re willing to do to survive. For Oskar, survival wasn¡¯t just about him anymore, and the fear of losing Fox or Penny shoved all hesitation down into the sand with the rest of the useless things that war had stripped from him. In defiance of the fear he felt, a primal shout tore from Oskar¡¯s throat, scraping it raw, and he turned the corner like hell let loose. At the sound of Oskar¡¯s yelling, a tall blue Croc turned sharply, the corner of his mouth curling towards a toothy snarl he would never finish. Oskar¡¯s spear-turned-mace smashed into the side of his head with enough force that the body was still standing when Oskar¡¯s mace caught a Hyenaman on the backswing, tossing the smaller creature¡¯s lifeless body airborne. A larger Croc moved to intercept, and Oskar used Talau to sweep the sand out from under him. The mace crushed the upper back of the surprised Croc and slammed the bright green unmoving into the sand. Touwon was engaging two Hyenamen just ahead, both his kurang were lit up with blue fire. Oskar swung a hand up to intercept a third, who was diving toward the Kobold, with a razor thin line of sand powered by Sora and Talau. It was a much weaker version of what the Sandwyrms did, but Oskar knew exactly what a power washer could do, even from this distance, thanks to Erik¡¯s status as his big brother. The attack wasn¡¯t overly powerful and therefore didn¡¯t cut deeply, but hit with enough force to turn the creature in midair. Dread hit Oskar as he realized the Hyenaman was still on an awkward trajectory toward Touwon, but a shield popped up around Touwon, thanks to Erik. Cursing under his breath, Oskar moved in to finish the disoriented Hyenaman, shifting his weapon back into a spear for the coup de grace. He swept the spear upward at another of Touwon¡¯s attackers, and realized using the spear made the razor thin sandblast attack feel more natural. Thankfully, the move was more than enough to give Touwon the opportunity to gut the other opponent, leaving the final Hyenaman for Touwon. Oskar smiled humorlessly when he heard a meow behind him and the Hyenaman screamed. Apparently, Sara¡¯s awake. Trusting the communication between his and Erik¡¯s PUB to warn him of a flank, Oskar pushed past, looking for Fox, and wondering where Penny had gotten to. He found her fighting on the other side of a pair of tents. The Kobold was being herded into the bend of a sand dune by a group of four Hyenamen darting towards her, laughing and taunting, and two Crocs who were yelling encouragement and stalking forward more cautiously. Or cowardly, Oskar thought as he saw a female Croc and two dead Hyenamen splayed out unmoving in the sand by the tents. Oskar tried to close the distance, but he was too far and moving too slow. Instead of giving away his presence, he launched himself into the air for a surprise attack from above just as Touwon and Erik came up behind him. Shifting his spear back to a mace, he allowed himself to go just high enough to see over the dunes, threw out a scan that thankfully found nothing, and came down on the back of the farthest Croc with a two handed Momentum Transfer that predictably obliterated the big blue spearman. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Turning, he was just in time to see Fox jumping around between enemies like a Kobold possessed. Two Hyenamen were down by the time the other Croc darted toward the tent, and snatched up a cowering figure that Oskar had not even seen. ¡°Stop!¡± The Croc screamed as he held a jagged knife at the new Kobold¡¯s throat. The command was snarling something frantic. The Kobold in his arms, who upon further inspection looked much older than the other two, was wide-eyed but otherwise calm. Now plenty close enough, Oskar used Sora to fling the final Hyena straight up into the air. The Croc watched wide eyed as the creature¡¯s scream faded with distance, and even the older Kobold¡¯s calm mask slipped as the creature flew upward. ¡°But¡­ I said stop. You not stop,¡± the Croc said lamely, now nervously watching Oskar, who grinned at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t say please.¡± He was prepared to step in and wondered how precise a shield Erik could throw up around the Kobold, when Fox moved. Oskar wasn¡¯t sure what the Croc¡¯s plan was or how he planned on getting out of that situation alive, hostage or not, but he was pretty sure it didn¡¯t include Fox completely disappearing from view and then slamming both of her knives in his back from behind so hard that he fell over without even a whimper. Fox immediately disappeared again due to her Sandstrike activating Fade and Blur but revealed herself immediately as the female Kobold with streaks of gray in her fur tumbled to the sand, Goggles knocked askew. She was quick to fix them and scrambled away from the dead Croc before standing. I didn¡¯t even see Fox move. That was scary fast. Oskar found Penny moving around the outskirts of the camp to look for more enemies. She¡¯d taken out a Hyenaman trying to escape all on her own, and Oskar sent his thanks through the bond. Even Sara was hot stepping up the dune on the opposite side to take a look for further danger while Erik was watching their six. We¡¯re really working like a team. It¡¯s beautiful. Now we¡¯ve got to figure out what the heck just happened. Fox moved forward, quickly cleaning her blades on the Croc¡¯s grimy tunic before stowing them away and helping the older Kobold to her feet. ¡°Foxsune, is that you?! And of course, Touwon. Reckless,¡± the older Kobold spat. She glared at Oskar, and then turned to Touwon, who was standing nearby, still keeping an eye out for threats. ¡°How?¡± Her voice was low and urgent, but smooth. It was much like Fox¡¯s own voice, but without the strange pitch jumps from what Oskar had long ago deduced could only be from some form of Hyena heritage. Hyena¡­ Hyenan? As always, Fox was business first, and ignored her question to ask, ¡°Are there more? Are you harmed?¡± The older Kobold waved away Fox¡¯s concern and put on a stern, reproaching aunt face like she hadn¡¯t just been saved from who knows what by Fox. ¡°Why did you come back, mongrel? I suppose that means you¡¯re in trouble and you need what¡¯s left of our butchered people to save your hide.¡± Oskar was stunned at the Kobold¡¯s attitude, and even worse, Fox looked ashamed. On paper, that was kind of exactly what was happening, but Oskar wasn¡¯t going to let anyone get away with talking to Fox like that. Erik beat him to it, though. Stepping forward and ignoring Fox¡¯s attempt to stop him, Erik stood over the Kobold, whose haughty look had only strengthened as she mentally distanced herself from the life debt that she owed Fox. ¡°What would you have done?¡± he asked simply. What Erik had lost in size, he¡¯d gained in looking like someone had sewn him back together after putting him through a few autopsies. His scars and new, bright blue eye made him look like a straight up horror villain. ¡°I¡¯ll n¡­ not,¡± she sputtered a reply, but Erik cut her off, ¡°Shut up. That¡¯s not what I asked. What I asked was, what would you have done? I¡¯ll clarify just in case you¡¯re too stupid to understand what I¡¯m asking. What would the next twenty four hours of your life be like if Fox hadn¡¯t just jumped into four attackers with zero hesitation to save you? Picture it. If you say anything other than thank you to¡­ Foxsune¡­ I¡¯m tempted to drop you off at the next group of Hyena¡¯s I see and find out. You owe her your entire life. Also, if you ever call her a mongrel again, I¡¯ll feed you your own skin. Trust me when I say I can keep you alive throughout the whole process.¡± Holy hell. To her credit, she held onto her defiance longer than Oskar expected. Erik had been a little¡­ ok, a lot more aggressive than Oskar would have been, but Oskar suspected a softer approach would not have broken through her fa?ade of delusion. She took a moment, staring around the entirety of the Dorn Collective before finally looking at Fox and saying, ¡°Thank you,¡± with just enough deference to avoid more of Erik. His brother hesitated for a moment before eventually turning his back on the Kobold and walking off towards Sara. The cat was hot stepping back down the dune on the sand towards the group, and she took the opportunity to jump up into Erik¡¯s unwaiting embrace. He barely caught her and cursed as she scrambled to balance herself, scratching his chest and arm in the process. Oskar¡¯s eyes widened at the litany of curses. ¡°I thought you joined a convent?¡± Oskar called after him. Erik glared and acted like he was about to throw the cat at him. For her part, Sara didn¡¯t look even remotely concerned at the empty threat. Book 2 Chapter 42: The Upward Spiral Book 2 Chapter 42 Oskar lay awake, covered in sweat and unable to sleep, and only partly because of the heat. A gritty film of sweat coated Oskar¡¯s skin as he twisted in the stifling air of the tent. The sheer tent walls did little to block the desert¡¯s relentless furnace blast as the wind had picked up inside the valley to something he¡¯d never experienced. Each inhalation carried the sting of scorched air, and even the constant Wayspring water he was drinking felt like it wasn¡¯t enough. Tonight, the heat was almost a living, malevolent thing. He hadn¡¯t really wanted to share a camp with the older Kobold, who Fox had said was called Myelome. Especially after walking for a few hours hearing her complain under her breath about everything from their walking pace- at one point too fast, at another, too slow- to Penny, who she called ¡°a big rat.¡± Thankfully, Fox had pulled her aside to save her after that one. No one is gonna win any points in this group complaining about Penny. Penny is awesome and everyone knows it. After her talk with Fox, Myelome stopped complaining aloud but began glaring at Sara, who was stretched out atop Touwon¡¯s pack. Occasionally, the old Kobold would let out a loud sneeze, but the whole thing was an act. She walked feet from the cat for hours before she decided to be allergic to her. The sneezing act got her no one¡¯s attention but the big calico¡¯s. Sara had a pretty good glare, too, and to Oskar¡¯s amusement, uncharacteristically stayed awake the whole time just to mean mug the bitter old Kobold. When they finally came to a stop, she spent ten minutes making a show of not drinking the Wayspring water because the hose had been in Penny¡¯s mouth, and Oskar almost snapped at seeing Penny¡¯s hurt face at her words. Thankfully, food and petting had fixed the Pangolor¡¯s hurt feelings, but Oskar¡¯s willingness to put up with Myelome was being held together only by his respect for Fox and his willingness to help her find her people. The wiry old Kobold had eaten almost as much as everyone else combined, and despite difficulties acquiring food, it was almost facinating to watch her pack it in. Eventually Touwon shook his head and hugged his bag defensively, unwilling to share any more food. Myelome had grumbled and then wandered off, presumably to find somewhere to sleep. ¡°Myelome? What an awful name,¡± he¡¯d said to Fox, later. ¡°Honestly. I don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t like that at all.¡± ¡°It is more of a title,¡± she explained, her eyes tired behind her Goggles. ¡°There are multiple Myelomes. They serve as guardians to the Chief. It is a new practice.¡± ¡°New, why?¡± ¡°Most chiefs are more than capable of taking care of themselves, and so the tribe serves as enough protection. Bene, though¡­ he is more of a scholar. His mind is what he used to protect and hide what is left of our people from the Culling, and his knowledge will be invaluable as we rebuild,¡± Fox answered shortly. Oskar didn¡¯t know if it was the Chief or the Myelome that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but he couldn¡¯t let the name go for reasons he couldn¡¯t explain. Just hearing her say it gave Oskar the creeps. It¡¯s just a name, why is it bothering me so much? He walked a few minutes with a clear look of distaste, sure he was being dramatic until Erik drifted over and piped in with, ¡°I get it, man. I was happy to tear into her. The second she dropped that attitude on Fox, I was primed, dude. Did I go too hard on her?¡± Erik raised his eyebrows in question, but Oskar threw him a grin and shook his head. ¡°Nah, man. After the mongrel comment, the gloves were off.¡± Now, laying in his tent trying to sleep, the old, wiry Kobold¡¯s uneven snores were audible to him. Her head must have been facing him to be making so much noise. The old Kobold was in the spare tent Touwon had put up for her an hour ago while she¡¯d waited impatiently. Her uneven snoring was an unfamiliar rhythm in a world that was just now beginning to feel like home, and it grated at him. Oskar¡¯s eyes opened with each rustle her sleeping form made, senses warning him of danger amidst the relentless chirp of desert insects Penny hadn¡¯t yet hunted down. His time as a Marine and his time in this desert had taught him caution, and ignoring the feeling felt like a bad idea. It was easy to understand why she made him so uneasy. Trust was a currency here, and she¡¯d not earned a single cent. Oskar had taken the first watch to clear his head, and Penny had walked with him in leu of clearing out the local wildlife. She probably can sense me just as well as I can sense her. I wish she was a little more cuddly, though. Her snuggling up to me is like sleeping with a very sweet pinecone anvil, Oskar thought as he¡¯d reached down and scratched her under the chin, which had provoked a kwinn of pleasure from the Pangolor. But now I¡¯m sitting here in this Devil¡¯s butt-crack of a valley trying to get some rest. And it ain¡¯t happening. A wipe of his scarf dried a sheen of sweat from his brow, the rough cloth doing little to relieve the stinging itch of his skin. The Wayspring healed sunburn had nothing to do with it, either. It¡¯s her. What was she even doing out here? The old Kobold claimed she was scouting and got separated from her group. Hearing that the Kobolds were alive and relatively well had overshadowed any other questions Fox might have had, and Oskar didn¡¯t press the issue. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She wouldn¡¯t have given me attitude, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten a straight answer, and I didn¡¯t want to spoil Fox¡¯s good mood. She did say she could lead them to the others, and he guessed that was enough. Oskar had seen enough of the world to know the type of person this Myelome was, though. No gratitude for Fox saving her or the shelter and mountain of food she¡¯d been given. She has the eyes of someone who feels owed everything she¡¯s given and would take the shortest path she could to get it. The moon shifted, painting a sliver of light across the tent flap. Oskar squinted. Was there movement outside, dark against the sand? Or a trick of the heat playing on his tired eyes? He scanned the area, not trusting the ability much though. He gripped his spear, sitting up slowly, the wood a familiar weight in his hand. Fox and Erik were standing watch at the edge of the clearing. Fox caught his eye and shook her head at him. The two were talking low, and Erik looked up at Oskar, still sitting up gripping his spear in his hand. As the two went to walk around the camp, Erik mouthed, ¡°Everything is fine, Oss. Sleep,¡± and mimicked laying his head on a hand pillow, the motion strange with only one hand. Frustrated, Oskar lay back down, this time pulling the liner off and cleaning it before wrapping it up in some cloth from¡­ of course¡­ Touwon¡¯s bag that worked as well as a ziplock bag at keeping sand out. When Oskar had asked why they didn¡¯t make underwear out of the cloth, the Kobold looked horrified and walked away, glancing back at Oskar with disgust and shaking his head, leaving Oskar more confused than ever. He lay there, breathing deep to settle down, but even with the hot air blowing through the valley, he could easily hear Myelome¡¯s every breath. She was muttering something between snores, and the sound of her was the only sound he could hear over the wind since even the few bugs had taken refuge. An hour passed, and he finally admitted that tonight¡­sleep, and to be oblivious to Myelome¡¯s snores¡­ was an impossible luxury. The desert was screaming its hot, dry breath, and in the thick feeling wind, Oskar waited. For dawn, for an attack, he wasn¡¯t sure, but it wasn¡¯t sleep. Oskar lay there for hours. He¡¯d heard Erik and Fox wake Touwon, and Sara-without-an-H mewed a yawn out, but was on Touwon¡¯s shoulder as he walked off, the cat comically large on the Kobold¡¯s small, solid form. If I¡¯m not gonna sleep, I¡¯m at least gonna get some practice in. Oskar began circulating Sora around him, and laying on the sand as he was, even through the tent, he felt Talau respond with impressive ease. A moment later, Rakiyu pulled everything into synergy, and he felt himself relax, tension leaving his shoulders. The Resonant Ward encircled him, and with his eyes closed, he tried to ignore distractions and focus on his magic. He gently expanded the Ward and his world grew around him. What was great was his ability to pick out individual things as he scanned and practiced his focus was growing rapidly. He began trying to feel out the ability to add in Cryon, and it was possible, but still super inefficient. Even cooling the Sora directly around him was tiresome. He knew he needed to figure out what was bottlenecking his progression to C Rank before he really dove into advanced Concepts. Now that I¡¯m really paying attention to it, the Ward¡¯s range is moving outward as I exhale, and inward as I inhale. It¡¯s almost imperceptible, but I can feel the resonance with the world vibrating like a harmonic music note. In fact, it was now almost as natural as breathing. That gave him the idea that maybe his bottleneck wasn¡¯t just him or this world, but his relationship with it. The more he toyed with that idea, the more convinced he became. Rakiyu did its thing, even when he wasn¡¯t using it, but that magic originated from inside him. He never felt like he needed to hold it inside, because it was just there. Sora and Talau, being external, were different¡­ or so he¡¯d thought, but he was now wondering why he thought Sora and Talau needed to be contained to be used. He¡¯d always grabbed the magic and forced it to do what he wanted, which was fine, but now he was wondering if he could access the magic without grabbing it so tightly. Doing so weakened it; not allowing it to still be and do what it was made to do. All that does is separate it from its very nature. That¡¯s not very Druidy of me. Loosening his grip on Sora, the smooth glass Ward roughened noticeably, and he almost reacted by grabbing the magic to keep it from escaping. He knew how dangerous that was with Rakiyu, and ¡°losing control of wild magic¡± seemed like a bad idea as well, but unlike Spiritual magic, it didn¡¯t escape. It just didn¡¯t want to be contained. The Ward thickened considerably as more Sora than ever before willingly joined the Resonating Ward. It wasn¡¯t quite as glassy as before, but that was just a matter of time. To his senses, the whole spell felt almost like a natural phenomenon, and he wondered if, without seeing it, anyone could even detect the ability now. Grinning, Oskar immersed himself fully in the magic, letting it do his will in its own way. Excited to experiment in the air, he was focusing hard enough that he¡¯d momentarily let slip his situational awareness, and the PUB¡¯s congratulations were a further distraction. // Circle gets the Square. Awesome job! Just a heads up, though, you have a fan¡­ ah, too late. // Oskar barely had time to read that last of the message from the PUB when a stinging slap against his cheek broke his focus, and his eyes locked in on the aged face of Myelome, literally snarling at him from a foot away. He felt lines of scratches running face down his face where she had struck him. He could smell her breath, and it smelled like a sickening sweetness. The smell made him feel sick, and he could feel saliva building in the back of his throat like he was about to be sick. This close to morning, he¡¯d felt the others beginning to move around. Touwon and Sara were nearby, and Fox was filling up her waterskins with the Wayspring spicket. Erik was now staring over at Myelome in outrage as he began to shuffle out of his tent to- no doubt- attempt to stomp a mudhole in the old Kobold. Oskar didn¡¯t initially register her words, focusing on the fact that because he didn¡¯t see her as a definite enemy, the Resonating Ward, which was still humming around him, did not defend him from the strike. Interesting that it didn¡¯t even warn me, though. That¡¯s an interesting loophole I probably need to figure out. Every ability uses a bit of my own will. Yeah, yeah, I know it¡¯s all connected. Which is why I should have caught on earlier about that little trick with Sora, Oskar thought before the PUB could start in with smug messages. This time, when Myelome started screaming at him, the words registered. ¡°You stupid pink idiot. Stop doing that, you are playing with magic not meant for you. Brekke!¡± She pulled back her scrawny hand to hit him again. Oskar blocked the strike with his right forearm, and with a surge of Sora, launched her straight up into the sky. Her clawed foot caught the edge of his tent and set her spinning, and she was fully wrapped in the tent by the time she¡¯d done a rotation or three. In horror, Oskar watched an insane amount of vomit spraying out in a spiral pattern as she spun upward. In disgusted panic, he pushed Sora out to sweep away as much as he could from the gallon of puke raining down. Book 2 Chapter 43: Foetry With his tent up in the air with Myelome, Oskar barely had time to sweep away the nasty, thick liquid raining down on him. He hurried to pull himself up with his spear to stand on one foot, and used Sora to launch himself upward after her. Myelome was already due another one on one conversation, and this was, unplanned or not, probably the only way she was gonna listen. Oskar broke the dune tops with a massive grin on his face, spiraling Sora around him to push away the still descending rain of vomit. He glanced down in time to see Erik diving back under his tent to avoid it himself. Still grinning, Oskar shifted his angle and increased his speed to intercept the Kobold for their special little talk. **Touwon** Touwon¡¯s sharp eyes followed Oskar upward without a change of expression. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care, he did, but he didn¡¯t understand why everyone seemed to be so overly expressive. It¡¯s like screaming with your face. If you smile at everything, what do you do when something is funny? I bet I could create a script in the PUB interface to send people digital representations of my expressions without having to make the expressions with my face. Emoticals? No. There must be a better word. Lost in thought, Touwon glanced up briefly as a small shield enveloped him. Partially digested and poorly chewed lizard splashed against the small dome around him, and he gave Erik a no-look nod. Touwon liked Erik, but the Kobold only had eyes for the prosthetic foot laying carefully where Oskar¡¯s tent had been. That beautiful, curious piece of perfectly machined wonder. I can make it better. I only need to study it more. Truthfully, he had the design, if not the materials, perfectly memorized. However, a little extra study, Touwon found, was the perfect way to invoke new ideas. He already had some ideas, but it was a rare moment when Oskar didn¡¯t need his foot, and since night was a bad time to dismantle their most dangerous fighter¡¯s ability to walk, he¡¯d not had many chances to study it. Frustrating, but it was a truth, as Fox would say. He glanced over at Fox, her mischievous eyes squinting up at the quickly brightening sky. Oh yeah, Myelome and Oskar. I wonder what they are talking about. But again, his eyes went back to the prosthetic. It likely needed cleaning anyhow. Maybe for just a moment. **Fox** Fox easily stepped back, dodging the spray of Myelome¡¯s excessive dinner and saw Erik pop a shield around Touwon and dive under his own tent for shelter. She gave him an appreciative nod when she saw him peek out carefully. The man saw everything. Some of it was still coming down, but Myelome had moved a bit as she ascended, tangled up in Oskar¡¯s tent, and was no longer directly over the camp. I am not sure if it is the blue eye that Bastet gifted him, or his nature. It is likely both. These humans are rare even among humans. I suppose I haven¡¯t met many, but if all humans were this capable, they would live longer in this Bastet cursed world. Fox watched Oskar snatch Myelome out of the air, but they continued upward until they were barely visible to even Fox¡¯s eyes. According to the Druid, the air would be thin up there, but Oskar was hopefully smart enough not to kill her. The Myelomes were dangerous. After Benedictus had saved as many Kobolds as he could, the Myelomes had stepped up to protect him because of his more scholarly nature, like she¡¯d told Oskar. Bene wasn¡¯t weak, but he wasn¡¯t a physical leader. Most Chiefs were a mix of both. She¡¯d seen him reluctantly use his magic a time or two, and he was more than capable, but it didn¡¯t seem like confrontation was his strong suit. She knew she had been gone a long time, though, and remembered little about this specific Myelome. Somehow, despite saving the older Kobold¡¯s life, Fox had made a bad impression. A bad impression on top of a bad reputation. I do not know if there is a way for me to ever feel like I have a home there again, and it looks like some things never change. I suppose I will always be an outcast. Maybe I should have never left. But I could see the world was slowly dying. There must be more. Shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts, she looked up, not seeing the two in the sky anymore. They really have been gone a long time. Fox went about cleaning up camp, not bothering to poke Touwon for help. He was obviously focused on something in his tent. His tools were laid out and he was feverishly working on some new idea, Sara pawing at him every time his hand went near her, curled up on her back nearby. So, Fox, in the company of Penny, went about pulling down her own tent and filling up her waterskins. **Mylome** She could not stop sicking up and could not get her bearings, spinning as she was. Her arms were pinned to her side, and she knew her heart would give out soon. But then, the human used the Magic Above and pulled her to him in the air, and she immediately slammed her forehead into his face. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He deserved that for what he¡¯d done to her. When he finally stopped being such a fool and took her back down to the ground and got this mangy tent off her, she was going to slit his throat. Fool. The pink human might have been a fool, but he was a dangerous fool; she could see that much in his too-big eyes. He didn¡¯t even wipe the blood from his freshly busted lip. The desert was a cruel place, and so she listened when he spoke, even if it was only to save her life from someone who, for some reason, was more powerful than she was. If only my hands weren¡¯t bound by this tent, I would show him how to use magic. She almost believed it. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Myelome nodded, staring at his serious face, secretly pleased with his bleeding lip and the scratches she¡¯d left down his cheek. Additionally, she did not yet trust herself to open her mouth with the nausea she felt. It would serve him right, shaming her for eating as they did, but he might actually hurt her if she did so. It was not her fault that she was always hungry. Nothing was never enough, and they had plent- ¡°Know this¡­ if you so much as lay a dirty claw on anyone else, I¡¯ll take you exactly high enough in the sky that it¡¯ll take you an hour to die.¡± He really was a fool. Air can¡¯t kill you, even she knew that. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t get it, do you. You don¡¯t know how oxygen works. Allow me to teach you.¡± *** Ten minutes later, she¡¯d learned exactly what he meant. Crying, she¡¯d made a vow to her ancestors out loud to behave and be respectful, and she meant it. She¡¯d made another vow though, deep in her heart, that this indignity would be punished. And she meant that one, too. Wait till Bene hears of this. He must have seen something on her face he didn¡¯t like, because the dangerous human dropped her. Both vows were temporarily forgotten as she screamed. **Erik** When Oskar and Myelome came down, roughly ten minutes later, Oskar had a busted lip, but the old Kobold¡¯s entire disposition had shifted. She immediately ran over to clean up the area around her tent. Erik had heard the screaming before he¡¯d seen them reappear, and they¡¯d come down close enough to Erik that Oskar could grab onto his shoulder for support. His brother¡¯s eyes through his Goggles were intense, his brow furrowed. Oskar waited, watching the old Kobold pack her belongings up with intense scrutiny. ¡°Hey bud. How¡¯s your morning been?¡± That earned him a stare from Oskar. ¡°By the way, someone chucked up all over your stuff,¡± Erik said innocently, and Oskar groaned, hopping the few steps over to his tent, careful to avoid the mess. [[ Hell yeah, someone did. Serves him right. I wish it was me. ]] You wish someone vomited on you? [[ Wait, no. Him¡­ the robot wannabe. The Robo-loser. His tent got vomit all over it, remember? You just said that. Do I have a virus or something? ]] Erik smirked, but noticed Touwon¡¯s head pop up when Oskar yelled, ¡°Where the hell is my leg?! Honestly!¡± [[ Hahaha, Touwon stole the foot! Serves him right! Classic. ]] Erik couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that one. **Oskar** Oskar had to take a moment to calm down. It had taken a 500 foot free-fall at the end, there, to finally make Myelome realize he was done putting up with her crap. If she¡¯d not been helplessly bound, he might have seriously hurt her over the headbutt. He¡¯d still seen defiance in her eyes until she spent a few minutes sucking in thin air. The defiance didn¡¯t leave completely, but the panic in here wide eyes grew enough that he was worried she might try to bite him. He didn¡¯t want rabies, and so he let the fall do the rest of his work. Now, he was staring at where his tent had been, and wondered why anyone on this big, hot, dumb planet thought now would be a good time to mess with his leg. ¡°Where in the hell is my leg?!¡± He called out. ¡°Honestly!¡± He was tired and not in the best mood and was trying very hard to not unload on the most likely culprit, but when he turned to glare at the Kobold, Touwon clearly said, ¡°Almost finished.¡± That took the proverbial wind out of his sails. Oskar blinked and glanced around at Fox and Erik¡¯s wide-eyed faces, but Touwon himself kept tinkering with the foot. ¡°Well, alright. Let me know when you¡¯re done.¡± Outside of a ¡°Yup,¡± and ¡°A Little,¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard him say anything I could understand, except the bad word, brekke or whatever. I need to remember to ask what that means. Curiosity further overrode his irritation, and so he spent the time cleaning the tent with Wayspring water while sitting on the sand. It felt like a colossal waste of precious water, but there was no way he was packing this tent into his bag covered in Myelome¡¯s dinner. By the time he¡¯d gotten it sufficiently cleaned, Touwon was packing his tools up. The Kobold stood and walked over to Oskar, reverently carrying the prosthetic foot like it was a holy relic of his people. ¡°What did you do to it?¡± he asked. Touwon answered by handing him the prosthetic and walking off to pack up his own tent. ¡°Great. Thanks, man. You¡¯re the best.¡± // He really is. I did a scan, and I think you¡¯ll be pleased. // What did he do? // Yeah, I¡¯m pretty much never just gonna give you free information, you know that. It makes you lazy. // What about the misty battle forms you can make that show me how to use weapons? // The only rule that over-rides the no free information rule is keeping you alive. You know that, too. // You do care! // You say care, I say data¡­ For all you know, I agree with Erik¡¯s PUB about you. // Wow. Et tu, Computus? Is that thing still talking smack? Oskar¡¯s vision flashed green around the edges. // You have no idea. That thing hilarious. He just wrote a poem for Touwon in appreciation for him taking your leg. Wanna hear it? // Yeah, sure, Oskar said, calling his bluff. There was no way it actu¡­ // Ahem¡­ The brave Kobold of righteous repute Has bravely stolen¡­ an idiot¡¯s boot. The foot inside, his source of lies. Of robot dreams and false implies. Yet a cyborg poor Ossy shall never be. For brave, strong Touwon, has set it free. The Kobold brave, through wit and might, Did take the foot, as was his right. The foot set free, by divine theft. Looks like Ossy¡¯s stuck hopping on his left. // Oskar brows had climbed as high as they physically could, and so he¡¯d dropped his jaw because he didn¡¯t know what else to do. After a minute, Oskar reluctantly sent, That¡­ was actually pretty good, but I can¡¯t believe you told him about the Ossy thing. // Wasn¡¯t me, I think Erik helped him with it. And it was pretty good, right? I¡¯m calling it ¡®Foetry.¡± Like Poetry¡­ get it? // Book 2 Chapter 44: Like Sunburn to a Man on Fire Now that things were a little calmer, a little cleaner, and Myelome was acting like an actual member of the group... temporarily or not... Oskar sat down and inspected his prosthetic. He couldn¡¯t tell much about what the Kobold had done. It was cleaned. Still felt solid. Touwon had taken the boot off though, that much was clear since it had been re-tied with a knot that Oskar wasn¡¯t sure he could untie without a pair of scissors. A gritty, sap-like substance was used to repair the boot¡¯s rubber sole; the Kobold let it dry and then expertly carved it back into shape with a blade. He¡¯d seen Touwon do the same to Erik¡¯s boots the night they¡¯d spent in the glass cavern with Bastet, and took a few seconds to appreciate his crafty friend. He might be the most useful person in the Collective, overall. Who knows how many times he¡¯s taken my stuff and repaired it. Sometimes, I don¡¯t even realize it, and of course he doesn¡¯t say anything. The rip in his backpack after falling down the dune day before yesterday? Blood on his shirt from their last fight? Goggles getting that gross sweat film and Oskar had not had time to stop at night and clean them? It all just got fixed, and Oskar was beginning to see that Touwon cared a great deal about them. His way of showing it was in those little acts of service. Oskar made a mental note to make sure he showed the Kobold gratitude more often. It¡¯s easy to forget people show their feelings in different ways, and the quiet ones, despite sometimes not wanting attention, deserve to know they¡¯re appreciated. // That was impressively insightful, PUBs. Nicely said. // Looking over at Erik, Oskar realized his brother was the one who¡¯d taught that lesson to him in the first place. He remembered being eight or nine years old, crying to Erik after being sent to his room for getting upset at their dad for not ever spending time with them. The same dad, who, in retrospect, had been dealt a rough hand with the loss of their mother, having to work much more than full-time job and take care of two very active boys in a house that often felt like it was always falling apart around them. Winter was settling in, and they¡¯d just moved again. Erik reminded him that even though their dad wasn¡¯t even close to perfect, and maybe he didn¡¯t know how to just say it outright, he did work hard to keep things going. Maybe that was the only way he knew how to show his feelings. They always had clothes and food. It was home and friends that Oskar wanted, though. And time with their dad. Time, he realized in retrospect, that their dad was in short supply of. But even Erik had gotten mad at their dad occasionally, and as they grew, Oskar always looked for chances to repay his brother for the lesson and comfort he¡¯d received that day. And now I¡¯m a druid in a desert. With a lazy cat and a cute Pangolor for companions. // Could be worse, you could be a cat or a Pangolor stuck with you. // Hilarious. Myelome behaved for the rest of the morning as they cleaned up camp and headed in the direction she indicated. Her fake smile turned saccharine as the day progressed however, and Oskar knew she had something up her sleeve. He didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but his mood was souring as hers seemed to improve. Touwon was Touwon, and Erik was focused on putting one foot in front of the other. The two Kobolds seemed to trust Myelome, or at least Fox did. Who knew what Touwon was thinking. So, Oskar ducked his head, shut his mouth, and worked on his Resonating Ward as he shuffled onward in the heat, swirling it around him and pushing it outward -but never far enough to touch Myelome. He didn¡¯t think she¡¯d try to hit him again, but he wasn¡¯t going to intentionally antagonize her. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. // That would be more fun, though. I hate her, too. Just look at how shiny her Goggles are. Eat the rich. // I feel like you¡¯re just trying words out to see what happens. // We¡¯ve been compromised! Abort Operation: Try Words Out To See What Happens. // Her Goggles are really shiny. // Exactly! Suspicious! // Oskar watched her, walking ahead of them with her head held high. As if Fox isn¡¯t the only reason she was alive. Every hour we walk, it¡¯s like she¡¯s forgetting more and more about her debt to Fox and our¡­ conversation. Behind the old Kobold, Fox was walking, her head low. Seeing her usual fire dimmed in the presence of Myelome was making Oskar irrationally angry, making it difficult to maintain his hold on the magic as he tried to smoothly shift between his Resonating Ward and his True Resonance. It might have been his imagination, but Myelome seemed even thinner with his True Resonation active. She was snacking on a live lizard, which was something he¡¯d never seen either of the other two Kobolds do. Fox and Touwon seemed to avoid even looking at her, but a few hours into their walk, Oskar noticed Myelome smiling at Fox and this was enough that he felt the True Resonation slip from his grasp. Instead of letting it disperse, allowing the magic to flitter away, he shoved it all away from him in a moment of frustration. Everything that followed seemed to happen in a blink. The magic shot outward; at the same time, he felt a presence of some kind reaching out to him and he denied it access. The magic did something unexpected, pulsing outward like sonar, and his ability to sense the world around him passively disappeared. The sudden blindness felt like a void to him, and he felt familiar pressure build at the base of his skull. Just as quickly as the feeling appeared, it was gone. That wasn¡¯t me. Something or someone stopped it. The PUB was doing something¡­ doing a lot of something if the PUB¡¯s strain was noticeable to Oskar. Please tell me you¡¯re okay¡­ when you can of course. No answer, but he could feel it working, an almost imperceptible hum now riding somewhere between the conscious and subconscious, and he hoped that was a good sign. Again, the foreign presence reached out to him. It wasn''t Eldrichard; there was no pressure... this was something else. He denied it, not willing to risk distraction. Oskar tried instinctively to reach out and feel what was around him, but even the presence of the PUB was now missing. Something big was obviously happening, but he felt disconnected with the world. It was a sobering realization exactly how close he¡¯d grown to this world. He was so used to that connection that he felt blind and vulnerable without it. For a moment, he was made starkly aware of how much he¡¯d relied on his Aura to feed him information. In that blind moment, he felt the fringes of panic and anxiety spider its way back up his back into the base of his skull. The only thing he was sure of was what he could see with his eyes, as even his ears felt deafened. Afraid to blink, he froze in place and dropped to a knee, digging his fingers into the hot, loose sand, grasping at something to ground himself with. Talau was so close, but like the sand, it slipped through his fingers. In the distance, he could now see it. A ring of symbols and things that made no sense to him whatsoever was rushing back toward him. It was like it was encrypted and if he wasn¡¯t ready, it might kill him. He was not ready. Distantly, he felt his PUB calling out to him. Something about a bridge. That doesn¡¯t make sense. Suddenly, he was sure of one other thing. Eldrichard, that giant prick, is turning to watch me die. That, he could feel. Thankfully, the existential dread wasn¡¯t as oppressive. It was like a sunburn to a man on fire; the pain of the impossible creature¡¯s attention was an annoying buzz. Desperately, Oskar fought it back, knowing he should probably not call the thing names. It was hard to care at the moment, though. The world seemed to shift around him. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the ground shaking, or him, but Oskar felt the ground shaking beneath him as the ripple, the ring of too much information swept through the dune ahead of him, coming faster than he could blink. He watched, frozen, as it crashed into him, along with more information than he could possibly absorb. This time, when the presence reached out to him, he latched on. He didn''t know what it was, but it wasn''t Eldrichard. He knew that much. The hot sand hitting his face was another stimulation lost in an ocean of other things he couldn¡¯t comprehend. Oskar finally blinked, but he couldn¡¯t make his eyes open. You must open your eyes. They¡¯re coming. Book 2 Chapter 45: A Glimpse of the Stars The blurred ring that had just closed in on Oskar- faster than a blink- brought with it an overload of useless information in an impossible jumble. It didn¡¯t physically hurt, but he was forced to sweep the information aside to clear his thoughts. He felt disconnected, but with some effort, the first line of the information appeared, and he had time to read the first two lines before the rest of it swept up in a mess of info that was settling into columns. Initial Scan: Successful Baseline Established. It was all too much. He tried to close his eyes to it, but the flow of info was still there in a massive four column list, so he started manually dismissing them in swaths. Grains of sand? 3.11 sextillion within the scan radius. Why would I need to know that? Organic matter present withing scan radius? 8,843 lbs. Ok, that was a little concerning. How big is the scan radius, anyway? Immediately, a notification enlarged and the endless list smoothly slid up. Current Scan Radius: 2.1 miles (3.38 kilometers). Okay, so there is some measure of control here. Any lapse in concentration threw it all back into chaos, and s, frustrated, he was forced to stop trying to figure out where he was and focus on the columns. Just under the scan radius, another line caught his eye. Current Temperature: 49¡ãC (120¡ãF). I swear it feels hotter than that. If feels like I¡¯m constantly being cooked. I must be getting soft. Was it night or something? Why can¡¯t I remember? That thought triggered something in his fuzzy, overloaded mind, and Oskar realized couldn¡¯t feel at all. No heat. No sound, nothing other than the interface in front of him, a digital blue glow covering most of his vision, if what he was experiencing could be called vision at all. Even focusing past the interface menu in front of him revealed little more than blurred darkness. Behind the menu, there was a kind of generic, metallic gray, hidden by a lack of focus and periphery. He felt his hold on the information slipping, so he tried again to pull up more relevant information before he lost his grip completely. It took him a few seconds to get the information back into order, and he continued searching through it. Structures within radius: 1 Structure Composite Breakdown: Unknown Metallic Alloy Metal?! What is happening, PUB? Is everyone okay? Dead silence for a moment, and in the vacuum, another thought appeared. One small group of living beings among many. Why am I devoting so much precious processing power to something as simple as a group of¡­ wait, what the hell am I saying? Immediately, Oskar did a full mental stop and he reassessed his situation, forcing subjectivity into the process where, for some reason, it had suddenly become absent. These are my friends and family we¡¯re talking about, and they¡¯re obviously in danger of some sort. Why can¡¯t I remember? I need to wake up. What the hell is happening? Oskar couldn¡¯t make it all make sense. Thoughts tumbled, and every mental thread felt connected to the others, but in ways that didn¡¯t feel quite tangible enough to grasp. Odd thoughts triggered odder thoughts. At one point he remembered crying because he¡¯d not gotten a pair of leather boots he wanted, and for some reason, that led to Erik trying to teach him how to parallel park between two buckets in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot when he was sixteen. They were all genuine memories, but out of place, and the entire time, random digital information about a world he couldn¡¯t see or feel at the moment tumbled between the memories. So, instead of trying to organize everything, Oskar fought to focus on one thing at a time, giving his all to ignore the information overload. After a few desperate moments, he finally narrowed his thoughts to one question. Where am I? There was no sense of spatial awareness. He was in total darkness, total silence¡­ total isolation. Despite the lack of sensory, he didn¡¯t feel the walls closing in. There was a feeling of- for lack of a better word- expansiveness. There was sensory input. It all just felt so¡­ impersonal. I have awakened. Prioritize your thoughts. They have power here. You should know this. Allow me to help you. Who are you? I don¡¯t have time for this. Send me back. That would be unacceptably wasteful. Send. Me. Back, Oskar thought, angry and still fighting disorientation. I know you can read my mind. I just don¡¯t know how. It is a two-way link, but please take care. I would not recommend you exerting yourself by trying to access my memories. You lack the clearance. What? Nevermind, if you¡¯re not going to tell me who you are or what¡¯s happening with my friends, just send me back. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It is more complex than that. It really isn¡¯t. I will comply in time, but there is information you must know. Suddenly, the memory of the last few moments before¡­ this¡­ finally hit him. He remembered the words he heard in his mind he¡¯d lost consciousness and come to this place. ¡®Open your eyes. They¡¯re coming?¡¯ Who is coming? Tell me what that means or we¡¯re done. I was telling you to open your eyes to me. It was not a physiological request. And I¡¯m afraid you cannot leave, yet. Let me help yo¡­ Oskar ignored the rest of the comment, and threw all his focus on the sensations he could feel. There was a sense of containment, not like he was being trapped, but that there was an isolation of sorts. Where there is containment, though, there are boundaries. Where there are boundaries, you better drop them or be damn sure they¡¯re gonna hold, or I¡¯m gonna find a way to make you regret it. He pulled up the rest of the information from the scan and mentally scrolled the list to the top, and then to the bottom, searching for something, anything other than simple information he might manipulate or interact with. In small letters, muted against the background, he found it. Domain Convergence Synchronization: 100% Control Ratio: 97% Native, 3% Uplink Subject What is this? You won¡¯t tell me who you are or what is happening with my people, and I¡¯m sick of calling you ¡°Whatever,¡± so I¡¯m calling you Lavern. Wait, Lavern Prime. So, Lavern Prime, what is this? The non-answer was quicker this time, telling Oskar he might be onto something. Lavern? I am not a Lavern. Please be patient, there is a chance you cannot establish uplink again. We must use this opportunity to its fullest potential. I can¡¯t dance around you while my friends are dealing with who knows what, so I¡¯ll figure it out myself, LP. Focusing on the words ¡°Control Ratio,¡± he treated it like it was just another interactive option. Focusing so intensely pushed his tired, overwhelmed brain to the limit. Part of the problem was that this place was so foreign. Too foreign to gain a foothold on whatever it was that was holding him back. Perhaps it was his tiredness, perhaps it was the desperation of knowing he needed to be with Erik, Touwon, Fox, Penny, and yes, even Sara¡­ but for the first time¡­ Oskar¡¯s weariness made him miss earth. Not because it felt like home, but on earth, he wasn¡¯t constantly in a vicious cycle of heat, fighting¡­ ¡­and freaking walking. This was home now. The moment Erik was gone, he thought he had lost the last link to earth that really meant anything. As much as we moved growing up, home was just where Dad and Erik were. And then it was just Erik. I just never want to be in a place where I could lose one of them again. He wanted so badly to take them all to a place where no one would ever hurt them. Where he could keep them safe. Protect them. Growing up, his mother had become a blurry, distant figure that he hardly even recalled. The one time Erik had cried in front of him, he pretended to remember her so he could comfort the brother that had been his beacon of strength for so long. - Oskar had been 13, Erik on the verge of 17. They had sat on a log with their bare feet in the cool, fast running water of the creek at the back of the property connected to a cabin they¡¯d lived at for just over two years now. A record in the Dorn family. Every time a new place began to feel like home, the weight of their mother¡¯s absence would slip in, and it was time to leave again. They¡¯d made the mistake of falling in love with this place sometime in the middle of the second summer they¡¯d spent running, fishing, and fighting under the tall pines that protected them from the Tennessee summer sun. So, of course¡­ it had been a bitter, painful moment when their dad had told them they were moving to Texas, using his familiar catch phrases: ¡°a new job,¡± ¡°new scenery,¡± and his personal favorite, ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good for us.¡± Unexpectantly, he even added in a ¡°You boys know the drill,¡± to spice things up a bit. Erik gave their dad a whispered, husky sounding ¡°yes, sir¡± with enough defiance that Oskar turned to watch their dad for his reaction. Erik turned and walked out the back door of the small sturdy cabin they all shared, the screen door emitting a familiar creak. His dad watched Erik walk out, and then let out a long breath before his green eyes went distant. They both jumped when the door slammed, but their dad zoned back out almost immediately. Oskar waited a few tense moments and then followed Erik out the door, this time closing the screen carefully behind him. His brother, walking with his fists clenched, was almost at the tree line by the time Oskar reached the bottom of the porch stairs leading down the hill behind their house. The second he left the shade of the house and walked into the part of the yard the early afternoon sun still claimed as its own, the humid heat hit him like a wall and his clothes clung to him. Oskar picked up speed to catch up to Erik and get out of the direct sunlight, and as he jogged after Erik, he realized he missed the sharp smell of pine that came with early spring. By now though, the summer had done its work, and so he ran carefully on the dried-out pine needles, placing his bare feet to avoid the pinecones littering the forest floor. His eyes adjusted quickly to the lower light, and he saw his brother walking the well-worn path towards their log bridge. When he finally caught up with Erik at the creek, he¡¯d seen the only dent in his brother¡¯s emotional armor he¡¯d ever seen. For two hours, they sat on the log that Erik had painstakingly pulled across the creek the first week they¡¯d moved in. They complained about their father, and then tearfully talked about their mother while Oskar pretended, and tried with every fiber of his being, to remember enough of their mother to hurt the way his brother hurt. Inside, Oskar felt sadness, of course. Sadness for the mother he didn¡¯t remember, and sadness for the pain his brother felt. Sadness for leaving a place he¡¯d felt a part of for once, but also, Oskar felt the stirrings of something that changed him. This opportunity to be useful¡­ this first ever chance to offer Erik something his brother had, without trying, given Oskar his entire life. It made him realize he was as important to Erik as Erik was to him. For the first time, it made him feel useful. Strong. It gave him a purpose he would spend the next ten years chasing, into and out of the Marine Corp. They¡¯d dried their eyes and briefly hugged, the moment made lighter when their hands, sticky with sap, stuck to one another as they pulled away. They made their way to the bank and reached down, rubbed dirt on their hands to add a layer of earth over the stickiness, and slowly made their way back up towards the cabin, devolving into a pinecone fight only once along the way. Erik reached the cabin first, of course, being taller and faster, but held the door open for Oskar, and closed the screen door gently behind him. They packed their rooms, and through some unspoken agreement, didn¡¯t go back into the woods again. Eight days later, they turned left out of the long gravel driveway, and Oskar wished he could say he never looked back. And yet, here he was¡­ stuck in a sensory void thinking of a place he hadn¡¯t seen in over 10 years¡­ looking back. - A forest! A river! And¡­ your brother? And so much pain. I know these words seem empty, but I am so sorry. I have never, in all my existence, been given a gift like the memory you have just shared with me. I can never repay you for this. Please let me help you¡­ even if it is on your terms. I wanted to help you. Please believe me¡­ but I want you to trust me more. They come from the North and East. I will guide you. Stay safe. Oskar caught the briefest glimpse of the stars.