《Wrath Reincarnated [Vol 2 — Lust]》 [P] Ch 1 - The Four Horsemen
KAIZEN
Before Jules, there was Kaizen. Before Kaizen, there were many, but none so strong as Wrath. The Beast of the Apocalypse clawed the ground and heaved for air. Blood filled its lungs, and dry gasps turned to desperate gurgles. Kaizen knelt down beside it. Sisyphus would be proud. Tears welled up in the Beast''s eyes. Kaizen''s stomach dropped, though he couldn''t explain why. He thought a trace of guilt, or perhaps even remorse, passed across its wretched face. The Beast mouthed something to him that Kaizen couldn¡¯t decipher through the mucus and blood. He drew his blade. Sorrow filled him as he went to work, but he realized the sadness belonged to someone else. Rukia? Kaizen rose from his prey and brandished the trophy by a tuft of its fur to his allies. What used to be the Beast¡¯s neck dripped steaming blood and drenched Kaizen¡¯s clothes and sandals. Veiny eyes rolled to the back of its lifeless head. Two beautiful women with emerald eyes limped over to Kaizen. They each wrapped an arm around the other¡¯s shoulder for bracing. Another man, covered in jewelry, rushed to support them before they collapsed. ¡°Kaizen. It¡¯s time to summon Wrath.¡± Greed¡¯s golden necklaces, rings, and bracelets shimmered in the eerie light. ¡°No. We do this without him.¡± Kaizen pointed the decapitated head over to the raging battle beside them. ¡°The Virtues will contain the other Sins.¡± ¡°How¡¯d an idiot like you manage that?¡± Envy asked. Her injured right eye reflected Kaizen¡¯s image like a mirror, but not her left. Never the left eye. That one always cuts right through me. ¡°Everyone hates Pride, the fucking prick,¡± Lust said through gritted teeth. ¡°Kaizen, Lust and Envy are weak,¡± Greed said. Envy pressed her remaining hand against the nub of her severed elbow. The mirror of her right eye faded and transitioned to the stump. It reflected the white world around them. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± No. Best to remove you three from the playing field. ¡°Then heal them with your fancy jewelry¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re gambling our lives,¡± Greed snapped. Lust suppressed a bloody cough. ¡°Heal them. That¡¯s an order, Greed. Then come join me.¡± Greed scowled but obeyed. The Seven Deadly Sins had clashed amongst themselves many times over the past few decades, but they always ended in a stalemate. This battle would finish the war, but Kaizen wouldn¡¯t accept any liabilities during the final fight, family or not. He turned his back on his friends while they healed, and he left them behind. The endless sunlight of Purgatory beamed onto Kaizen¡¯s broad shoulders. He approached the Throne Room gates, which stood alone with no structure to support them on any side. The twin golden doors stood fifteen feet tall and appeared to lead nowhere. He studied them. Kaizen was the latest incarnation of the Seventh Deadly Sin, Wrath. And I will be the last. After envisioning these doors in decades of nightmares, Kaizen pushed them open without hesitation for the first time. They screeched against the white marble floor and traced a small black scuff arc in their path. Interesting. Perched high above him, four thrones overlooked Kaizen inside the white, marble temple. Rather than a ceiling or dome, the columns supported an ethereal disk of the night sky filled with stars, the three moons, and a floating globe tilted on its axis. If what the Magi say is true, Rukia, that actually is the Earth. The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse had already abandoned his throne. He floated above the ground and beneath the Earth. Kaizen studied him for any sign of vulnerability. The other three Horsemen, still perched on their monolithic thrones, shifted their attention to the intruder. But not Death, the heartless bastard. Earth had captured his sole attention. Famine slouched to one side of her throne and rested her head upon a bony hand. She would have pressed the skin of her cheek against her clenched fist, were her flesh not so taut and rotted away. Her time of plague long since passed, she sat, bored, awaiting the next Rebirth. As always, she wore sparse clothing to showcase her hollowed ribs while her hip bones jutted past her exposed and protruding vertebrae. Looks like Pride didn¡¯t get her pregnant after all, Rukia thought. Her words echoed in Kaizen¡¯s mind, but he ignored her poor timing for humor. Conquest gazed down upon Kaizen with mild inconvenience. As far as he was concerned, the war was over, his enemies vanquished. He looks like the type of general who inherited his position, Rukia thought again. B-because he is. Get it? I didn¡¯t laugh at your first joke. I won¡¯t laugh at this one. Be serious, Kaizen replied. His eyes rested on Conquest¡¯s missing arm, and he grinned, reminiscing. Then why¡¯re you smiling, Little One? the fox asked. Not because of you, Kaizen thought. Something I did while you were¡­gone. Kaizen sensed her scoff at both him and Conquest. Always adorned in the finest imperial armor and regalia. Impractical fool. He¡¯s the least dangerous, yes, but why do he and Famine seem so¡­bored? He looked down at his own robes. Wait, that insult wasn''t meant for me, was it? Rukia''s cackling filled his mind. Kaizen shifted his attention to The Third Horsemen, the only one he still respected. With a grin and a gleam in his eye, War stared past Kaizen with intense focus. Curious, Kaizen turned around. The twin doors he¡¯d entered the temple through were gone. Instead, he could see the infinite marbled expanse of Purgatory and the battle between the Holy Virtues and the Deadly Sins behind him. Greed, Lust, and Envy had been dragged back into it and teamed up against Pride while the Virtues battled Sloth and Gluttony. War was built like a smithy; thick arms, thick wrists, and a thick chest. Scars engulfed his body, with many covered up by his unkempt, auburn hair and massive, braided beard which crept past his navel. This guy never wears a shirt, Rukia thought. At least he¡¯s distracted. Kaizen ripped his katana from its sheath and stepped further into the temple. He glared at Death again. His blood boiled. Kaizen snorted two deep breaths to calm his rage. Getting too angry this close to Death¡ª I know, Rukia, quiet. I¡¯ll keep him at bay. Death ignored Kaizen. Kaizen and Death had met before, but not in The Horseman¡¯s ascended form, so he studied Death¡¯s newest features. Now eight feet tall, Death appeared more inhuman than Famine. The flesh on his face flayed backwards to his scalp and ears to reveal teeth, nasal cavities, and eye sockets; all smooth, white bone. His ghostly hood shifted and breathed like smoke or mist and shrouded most of his hideous face, thank Kami. Death reached up one bony finger towards Earth. A soft white stream of energy swirled out of the Earth and into his finger. ¡°It¡¯s over, Death.¡± Kaizen approached the center of the temple. ¡°We¡¯ve usurped your Harlot, slayed the Beast, and¡ª¡± ¡°And we¡¯ve opened your Sealsss,¡± Famine hissed. Kaizen¡¯s arm hair shot up. Her voice was shrill and dripped with acid, as if her spit itself were toxic. ¡°Setbacks were¡­inevitable.¡± Kaizen gestured back towards the civil war. ¡°Your army lies fractured, though.¡± Death granted Kaizen a most uninterested glance before turning back to his task at hand. Arrogant prick, always looking at us like ants. Kaizen polished his blade with his bare hand to remove the last drops of the Beast¡¯s blood from it. ¡°For how many more ages will you serve as his lapdog, Conquest?¡± ¡°I serve no one but the laws of Fate,¡± Conquest snapped. ¡°A commoner piece of trash like yourself can¡¯t comprehend a life without servitude to others, to other people, whereas we answer to higher powers. You exist solely to serve us, of¡ª¡± ¡°You know,¡± Kaizen waved a hand through the air to swat away yet another rambling tirade. ¡°I heard you¡¯d¡¯ve paid an arm and a leg to win your last campaign. Guess you got a deal.¡± Kaizen waited. Well, that certainly shut him up, Rukia thought. ¡°And Famine,¡± he continued. ¡°How long will you let yourself be starved and plagued by Death? Unless of course, you¡¯re into that whole maso¡ª¡± Famine shot out of her throne and unfurled massive black wings, each ten feet in span. One was covered in mottled, rotting feathers. The other was mostly just bone, with some scorched leather clinging on for dear life. Kaizen squeezed his sword grip. ¡°Know your place, Sin,¡± Famine said. Beneath her, Death continued to drain the world. ¡°You were given free will to a point. You are free to suffer the consssequences of your actions, but no one has the power to defy Fate.¡± As she spoke, a lone black feather floated down. It boiled with rot and plague and drifted carelessly toward Kaizen. ¡°Oh, but there is a way to change every event.¡± The feather floated within feet of Kaizen. ¡°To prevent it from happening, to change its outcome. You¡¯d be surprised at what I¡¯ve learned this Cycle.¡± He lobbed the Beast¡¯s head at the feather. They ignited into flames on contact. The resulting inferno splattered onto the bottom step of a staircase that led up to the thrones. It burned away at the white marble like acid and hissed like Famine¡¯s speech. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°See? Nothing can last forever. Not even this temple.¡± Kaizen reveled in every opportunity to talk down to this old bag. ¡°And, War, how many more Cycles will you let Death prematurely end your global conflicts? Surely you feel how we feel.¡± Kaizen gestured towards the rebellion behind him. War smirked. Kaizen ascended the staircase, careful to avoid the smoldering remains. Conquest rose to his feet and drew his silver-and-gold warhammer. Clumsy with just one arm, aren¡¯t you? ¡°You dare lay foot on the Altar of the Gods!?¡± Conquest shouted. ¡°Your kind is forbidden from this holy space!¡± Famine wrenched out twin short swords from the bones of her wings. ¡°Your very presence, it desssecrates me. I will plague you and your entire family in the next incarnation for this blasphemy and¡ª¡± ¡°You will both permit The Seventh¡¯s approach.¡± Famine and Conquest both balked at War. Famine¡¯s contorted face betrayed her bloodlust. Conquest¡¯s betrayed his noble bloodline until he remembered to shut his gaping mouth. War slouched back into his throne and stretched out his legs before him with a smug grin. With his hand on the pommel, War wobbled around his battle ax. The edges of its two heads chiseled the white marble with each rotation. It appears he agrees with our sentiments, Rukia. She growled back. ¡°If you two are of such faith,¡± War continued, ¡°then you shouldn¡¯t fear a Sin squaring off against the most powerful Horseman. Or would you? For Kami¡¯s sake, shut yer fuckin¡¯ gaper, Conquest.¡± Conquest shut his fucking mouth. ¡°Call me sentimental, but I¡¯d really like to see more carnage before I hibernate for millennia¡­¡± ¡°...And if either one of you interfere,¡± War stroked one long tug on his braided beard with his free hand and smiled warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll collect yer fuckin¡¯ head.¡± Conquest sat down. Famine lingered for a moment, then snapped her wings shut so fast a gust of wind blew Kaizen¡¯s long crimson hair in his eyes. He swept it back behind him and regained his vision, and she now sat on her throne, too. That went surprisingly well, Little One. All the pieces are out of play and now it¡¯s just us on the board. Kaizen gave War a subtle, customary bow of respect, then ascended the final steps to the Altar with his katana, the Sound of Fury, still drawn. He halted ten paces from Death and the Earth. ¡°Death, I know you¡¯re listening, you bastard. I challenge you to a duel of honor.¡± He received no response. Fine. To Hell with honor. Kaizen¡¯s eyes lit with scarlet fire, and he slashed the Sound at Death. As he swung, the metal blade stretched and contorted until it became a flaming whip that wrapped around Death¡¯s finger and snapped the entire hand from its body. Death¡¯s sapping life-stream of Earth fizzled out with it. The Horseman glanced at Kaizen, still uninterested and clearly unthreatened. He lifted his other hand toward the globe, and the stream resumed. Kaizen lashed his whip again and dismembered Death¡¯s other arm. Death tilted his head toward the globe, unfurled a massive tongue, and literally sucked out the Earth¡¯s soul. Conquest and Famine remain seated, Rukia thought. I¡¯m ready to hunt. Kaizen studied Death as his limbs reformed from his cloak¡¯s black mist. His Regeneration still takes a few precious seconds. Kaizen sprinted at Death¡ªin another flash of fiery fury, the Sound transformed back into a katana, still ablaze. He hacked and slashed Death to pieces. He¡¯s not even bothering to dodge, just pulling his limbs back into the mist as they fall. Speeding up his Regeneration won¡¯t help, though. Rukia remained silent. The onslaught continued until Death retreated from the globe and became as ethereal as the night sky above them. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to say to me!?¡± Kaizen raised the Sound of Fury into a defensive position and circled his prey. ¡°You killed my master, you killed my best friend. Now you want to kill everyone who¡¯s left? Fight me. Fight!¡± Still, Death stared silently. He healed himself while ethereal¡ªa new skill¡ªbut Kaizen suspected that Death hesitated to fight for some other reason. Though enraged to be ignored, Kaizen knew his makeshift plan was working. Death returned to flesh and blood, and Kaizen delivered him a flurry of attacks to push The Horseman away from the globe. Death dodged each attack now, but after a dozen, Kaizen had gained enough distance. ¡°Rukia!¡± Kaizen¡¯s Familiar, a hefty red and white fox the size and build of a tiger, emerged from the shadows of the Altar. She leapt up towards the globe and bit it like a chew toy with her sharp fangs. Rukia thrashed the globe about, as if to break her prey¡¯s neck, then she skulked off toward the battle behind them. Kaizen stepped between the fleeing fox and Death. Famine again shot to her feet. Conquest hesitated but grabbed his warhammer. War yawned and, as he stretched his arms out, lifted his colossal battle ax in the air with a single hand. He cracked his neck, and Famine returned to her seat. Death retreated from Kaizen and reached an arm behind his shoulder to draw his blade. Time slowed down for Kaizen. This is it, Rukia. Good work. Death slashed the weapon''s barren shaft down to his side. His black, misty cloak ripped away with the shaft and reassembled itself into the ghastly blade of his scythe, the Grim Reaper. The blade materialized in the shape of a massive, black wing. The wing of a fallen angel. How appropriate. Before the scythe¡¯s construction was finished, Kaizen shifted his katana into a massive greatsword and crashed it down over Death¡¯s head. The Horseman blocked the attack with just the flat of his scythe¡¯s blade, mere inches from his exposed nasal cavities. At last, Kaizen found himself in the endgame of a decades-long chess match. Nothing would be left behind. Rukia had escaped with the globe, and War, too invested in watching this fight, had detained Famine and Conquest. Kaizen could stop thinking about strategy, about what was lurking in the shadows, and focus solely on what stood before him. In the way of everything he¡¯d ever wanted, and everyone he¡¯d ever loved. Kaizen slashed and sliced at Death in an all-out assault. Death barely blocked and parried each strike, but The Horseman gained his footing with each deflection. With each blow, Kaizen fed into his anger at being born a Sin, into his hatred for The Horseman he fought, and into his inner wrath. The flames around his eyes transitioned from scarlet into a fierce, glowing white. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can withstand this¡ª¡±
?? Flames of Hell ??
Kaizen¡¯s entire body erupted into white flames, and every strike carried the rending power of eternal fire, struggle, and damnation. And still, Death gained ground. Master, and Ren¡­ This one is for both of you. Kaizen slashed up to make Death parry, then he chopped down to make Death halt the strike, which left Kaizen¡¯s sword in position to thrust its point into Death¡¯s exposed brain. But with just two bony fingers, Death pinched the tip of the greatsword¡¯s blade and restrained its movement. Despite Kaizen¡¯s resolve and power, he couldn¡¯t move his sword forward to strike or backward to retreat. Kaizen¡¯s blood filled with Wrath, his innermost demon, his innate cardinal sin, and the flames around his eyes turned pitch black.
KAIZEN¡ªNOW IS THE TIME TO MERGE.
¡°No!¡± Kaizen fought off an entirely different opponent, who both wasn¡¯t there at the Altar but always present. I will finish this without you, demon. Kaizen stared into the voids of Death¡¯s eyes to focus on something other than his rage. The black flames surrounding his eyes dissipated. He took the only available opening, released his sword, and lunged under it toward Death. Kaizen trapped Death¡¯s scythe arm and gripped him in a body lock. He harnessed all of his energy, every last drop of chi, and invoked his ultimate spell.
?? Gates of Hell ??
Corroded, black metal gates materialized from the void. Kaizen''s spell bent and warped them into a makeshift force field around both himself and Death, trapping them inside. He squeezed Death for dear life and even cut his cheek on his own sword stuck between them. Kaizen erupted in flames, and the inferno engulfed them both. ¡°I¡¯ll drag you down to Hell with me!" The way we were always destined to go. The flames scalded Kaizen¡¯s skin and seared down to his muscles. It incinerated his organs until he could no longer see through his melted eyes. Still, he unleashed every ounce of energy available until the last possible moment, when his body could no longer sustain the self-inflicted punishment. And then he died.
Kaizen awoke to the sounds of smoldering embers and War¡¯s deep, roaring laughter. His body had Regenerated enough to revive himself, and his eyes shifted back in their proper place and working condition, though not much else had. The charred temple around them burned and sizzled, and even the hallowed Altar of the Gods was scorched. Did the force field hold long enough? He rolled over and saw a cracked shield. His eyes trailed up, and his stomach dropped. Death towered above him and held onto the broken shield. The Horseman Regenerated his wounds. Kaizen wished his eyes hadn¡¯t healed. My shield, the Sound of Fury. But only I can use it. Me, Wrath, and¡ª ¡°Oh,¡± Kaizen whispered. His heart skipped a beat. He felt so much ignorance, so much stupidity in that single moment. Kaizen coughed up more blood. ¡°I see now.¡± Cruel Fate. He dropped his head down to the ground with a thud. Horror overrode the dull yet constant pain. Kaizen laid there in disbelief. ¡°Ever the fool.¡± The muffled voice came from the surrounding void. Death had finally spoken. ¡°Of course I can harness the power of the Sound.¡± Rukia¡­ Run¡­ Death tossed the shield aside like trash. It clattered on the stone floor, but Kaizen didn¡¯t hear it. Death grabbed Kaizen¡¯s hair and lifted him to his knees. A tear streamed down Kaizen¡¯s cheek. He felt guilt; he felt remorse. I''ve been here, in this moment before¡­ But when was it? And why do I feel like the roles have reversed? Kaizen couldn¡¯t look Death in the eyes anymore. He averted his gaze to the other combatants on the battlefield, well beyond the Altar of the Gods. My enemies, my allies¡­my friends. All of them had stopped fighting each other to witness this deciding bout. ¡°This time, you will watch.¡± The Horseman pulled back the Grim Reaper. Time slowed down. Wrath¡¯s Rebellion, as they were called, all looked on in horror and defeat. Sloth, Gluttony, and Pride all boasted their wicked grins. Envy and Lust both looked upon Kaizen with pity and longing desire, of love that would never be. Greed glared at Kaizen. He was right before, about summoning Wrath. And I¡ª Death slashed his winged blade through the air. A wave of black energy surged from its edge and rushed the battlefield. Its arc grew wider as it swept across the expanse. Kaizen watched as the single attack wiped out all fourteen combatants at once¡ªsix Sins, seven Virtues, and one fox Familiar. Rukia¡ªI¡­ Kaizen waited for what felt like hours for them to Regenerate. Cold sweat dripped down his temple. His heartbeat quickened, and bile crept up his throat. No one moved, and none of the severed body parts connected themselves back together. The constant weight of the Horseman¡¯s fistful of hair pressed Kaizen down firmly into the ground. ¡°I am Death, you fool. When I kill something, it remains such.¡± It. It. We¡¯re all just pawns in this stupid game of¡ª Pain ruptured Kaizen¡¯s flesh and soul. It fused physical pain with the emotional torture of loss. His own Regeneration had finally repaired his nerves from their third-degree burns, and his pain receptors radiated violently. Agony mixed with the shock of his defeat, the shame of his arrogance, the finality of the coming Apocalypse, and the regret of it all. It wasn¡¯t enough. I wasn''t enough. I should have listened to Greed and Wrath, and Integrated with him back then¡­ Death released his ironclad grip. Kaizen¡¯s hair tumbled down in his face, and he gazed up at both the sun outside and the ethereal night sky inside the Altar. ¡°You bastard. You fucking traitor. I will kill you. I''ll find you in the next Cycle, and I''ll kill you myself. This whole time¡ª¡± ¡°It was me. It¡¯s always been me.¡± Death¡¯s voice echoed in the chambers. His message repeated over and over again, as if to taunt and torment. ¡°Better luck next time, Wrath.¡± Wrath. How could you have been right? Why didn¡¯t I listen and merge with you? I have always hated this world, always hated this, this shared destiny of ours. Does that make us alike, after all? Am I truly Wrath? Kaizen stared into Rukia¡¯s lifeless eyes. Even in her final moments, his most loyal friend had turned to him, to look up at him one final time for help that never came. No. I am not you. I am¡­ ¡°Kaizen.¡± Even through the pain and defeat, Kaizen regained his sense of honor and corrected his posture. He knelt before Death in a position of ceremonial execution customary to his homeland. ¡°My name is Kaizen. Say it.¡± Death stood still. Their eyes locked. The Horseman dropped his scythe to the ground. He drifted over to the cracked shield and picked it up. The Sound of Fury transformed back into its base form katana in his bony, lifeless hands. ¡°Farewell, then¡­Kaizen.¡± Death lifted the sword¡ªI will kill you¡ªand cut Kaizen in two. His torso plopped down next to kneeling legs. Hot blood pooled around him. Death hurtled the sword like a spear and pierced the globe by Rukia¡¯s corpse, and then it flew back through the air into his skeletal hand. Looks like you have a new Master, my old friend. Famine cackled at Kaizen. An irritated Conquest shifted in his seat. War still twirled the pommel of his battle ax against the marble. His smile had faded long ago. Kaizen saw the damage his own final attack had done to the temple, when his force field failed and the flames torched it. Some of the columns were destroyed. Pieces of marble continued to crumble all around. His vision faded to black around the edges, but he could still make out two images. Death resumed the Rebirth Cycle, sucking out Earth¡¯s soul, and a rounded slab of marble fell from a column by the night sky¡¯s edge and onto the stairway to the Altar. It rolled slowly down the steps and stopped near Kaizen''s kneeling lower half. Many emotions flooded Kaizen as he lay there dying¡ªtruly dying, for the first time¡ªbut none so strong as Wrath. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 1 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* [P] Ch 2 - The Prisoner
KAIZEN
Kaizen awoke from the nightmare on a cramped and dirty cot confined to a tiny and grimy room. He rubbed his temple to relieve a massive headache, popped his neck, and yawned. Oh no. Oh, Kami no. Terror set in when he realized he was back in the jail cell that''d haunted his dreams for decades. He leapt out of bed and ran to the cell¡¯s door. Its cold, black iron still bore the service hatch, movable only from the other side. Something¡¯s off. I only come here when I¡¯m sleeping. Am I asleep? Am I even alive, or am I dead? He banged on the cell door and shouted obscenities at the demon that always locked him away. Memories of his defeat flooded Kaizen¡¯s mind, and his arms tensed up and shook. His eyes widened, and a lump lodged itself in his throat. Kaizen quit his struggle at the door. Still braced against it, he keeled over and dry heaved. I had him. I fucking had him right there. All that training, even submitting myself before Patience for help¡­ Pointless. Worthless. He turned his back to the door and slid down it, then craned his neck to the ceiling. Confusion shifted to disillusionment. The lone cot, a symbol of his punishment, drew his gaze. Thought I could change Fate, or Destiny, or whoever the Hell is above us all. How arrogant. Kaizen pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. All alone, as I deserve for putting their lives on the line, for not listening to Greed. He begged me to do it, to call on him, though I swore not to. I took the biggest gamble in life and lost it all on the river. ¡°Everyone dead, because of me.¡± Anger followed another thought. ¡°And I was betrayed.¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± he whispered. I¡¯ve never dreamt of this place so lucidly. I¡ªI must actually be here this time. ¡°Where am I?¡± he repeated, this time a shout into his drawn knees. ¡°Where are the others? Is this Hell? Purgatory still?¡± For the first time, Kaizen thought about eternal punishment, though not for his own sake. He thought of Rukia. Kaizen wondered if she, Envy, Lust, and Greed were stuck in some prison as well. He laughed. ¡°I bet Sloth, Gluttony, and fucking Pride get to sleep until the next Cycle, while my friends and I are damned forever. Who could create such beings as awful as us¡ªThe Horsemen, the Beast, the Seven Deadly Sins? Imprisoned and torn apart from each other, completely isolated¡­¡± ¡°YOU ARE NOT ALONE.¡± It spoke deeply, slowly, gutturally. Kaizen stood, poised to fight him. ¡°Get out of my head! This is your fault, always haunting me. I could have won if you didn¡¯t distract me my entire life.¡± ¡°DO NOT LIE TO ME. I OFFERED MY SERVICES, YET YOU REFUSED.¡± The room expanded away from each corner until it was much wider, longer, and taller. The monster breathed behind him, and Kaizen hesitated before he turned to face it. His gritted teeth could¡¯ve cracked against each other at any moment. Wrath¡ªthe original manifestation, the Seventh Deadly Sin, the Deadliest Sin, the Harbinger of Destruction, and all the other self-important titles Kaizen had long forgotten about¡ªtowered nine feet tall before Kaizen. His raw strength and power were so immense that they made War look like he was on the same plane as Conquest. Fierce crimson eyes illuminated his stag-horned helm. Demonic plate armor fused to his skin from his eternal imprisonment in Hell. Everything about Wrath conveyed brutality, a lack of forgiveness and mercy, and the desire to fight. Kaizen had no idea how long Wrath had been tortured there, but knew it to be unendurable. And well deserved. ¡°So this is my punishment. Eternity with you.¡± The demon barked out a laugh. ¡°I LIKEWISE FIND MY PUNISHMENT UNBEARABLE.¡± Sharp teeth scraped into a cruel grin. ¡°You were the one to curse me, to make me a Sin, your puppet. My entire life spent fighting you, when there were more important battles to be won. But you always wanted your retribution, to fight your own fights¡ªall because of your stupid pride!¡± ¡°MY WRATH, CHILD, NOT MY PRIDE. FORGET NOT TO WHOM YOU SPEAK.¡± The lump in Kaizen¡¯s throat could burst. The demon''s eyes grew brighter still. ¡°AND WHAT COULD YOU KNOW OF MY WRATH? OF THE CAMPAIGN I WAGE? YOU MADE NO ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER THEM FOR YOURSELF.¡± ¡°Our relationship, if you could even call it that, was never grounded in trust. It was founded in submission and on control, and your endless thirst for power. The price never mattered to you, but I couldn''t risk you destroying my world¡ª¡± ¡°AND WITNESS THE RESULT. YOU NEEDED ME TO WIN, JUST LIKE ALL YOUR FAILED PREDECESSORS. BECAUSE YOU IGNORED ME, YOU DESTROYED YOUR WORLD. NOW, ADMIT AT LEAST THAT.¡± ¡°I will never entrust my body to your power again, not after¡ª¡± Kaizen broke eye contact. He locked away that tragic memory before it took root, like he always did. ¡°There must still be a way to fix this. One that doesn¡¯t involve you.¡± ¡°AH, YOUR FIRST TRUTH OF OUR LONG NIGHT TOGETHER.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Kaizen glanced back at him; his heart skipped a beat in hope for a way to reverse the hands of time. ¡°YOU¡¯LL NEVER ENTRUST YOUR BODY TO ME AGAIN, BECAUSE IT IS NO MORE.¡± Kaizen¡¯s stomach lurched. He wasn¡¯t sure to trust his gut or this demon, his demon. An arrogant prick, but Wrath never lies¡­ An unreliable take on reality, yes, but outright deception, never. ¡°YOU ALWAYS PRIORITIZED SAVING YOURSELF OVER YOUR FRIENDS. AND HID IT FROM YOURSELF ALL THESE YEARS.¡± ¡°It was because of my friends I never gave you power. You¡¯d have killed them all in a fit of rage, willing to destroy anything if it meant killing¡ª¡± Death. "AH, YES. THE TRAITOR. ONLY YOU AND I KNOW DEATH''S TRUE FACE." Kaizen couldn¡¯t say the name, couldn¡¯t get past the betrayal, or even think of Death¡¯s real name in his head. ¡°I WARNED YOU OFTEN. YOUR FRIENDS WILL DIE, THEY ARE DESTINED TO ALWAYS DIE. UNLESS¡­¡± Wrath looked around the room, an insult to Kaizen¡¯s current bargaining chips. ¡°...YOU ACCEPT MY OFFER. INGRATIATE YOURSELF TO MY SERVICES. YOU COULD SAVE THEM, YET ARROGANCE PREVAILS. A SHAME THAT WAS NEVER MADE A SIN, ARROGANCE. YOU WOULD HAVE SURELY SUCCEEDED." ¡°I don¡¯t need you. I can do it alone, I¡ª¡± The welling lump in his throat stopped Kaizen. Just listen to yourself. He¡¯s right. Wrath crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. The demonic grin spread wider. Shit. ¡°IT¡¯S A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW. BETTER TO TAKE IT WHOLE RATHER THAN IN PARTS.¡± Kaizen fell to his knees before Wrath. He tried once more to swallow and choke back the guilt, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± This is punishment enough. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, and it¡¯s always been my fault. I didn¡¯t kill them, but¡­I got them all killed.¡± The lump dissipated as if a lodged pill had broken free, and Kaizen felt immediate relief in admitting his guilt and shame. ¡°YOU ARE MISTAKEN, KAIZEN.¡± Kaizen looked up at him, puzzled, but holding onto some form of hope. ¡°THE WORLD¡¯S REBIRTH HAS ALREADY HAPPENED. SO EITHER ALONE OR ACCOMPANIED, GUILTY OR INNOCENT, THERE IS NO GOING BACKWARD. ONLY FORWARD REMAINS.¡± Kaizen¡¯s glimmer of hope shattered. ¡°DESPAIR NOT. YOU SURPASSED ALL OF MY PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS BEFORE YOU. NO ONE, NOT EVEN I, HAS EVER KILLED THE BEAST.¡± ¡°Certainly had help there.¡± Kaizen laughed. How can I laugh now? He thought of the future, and what he could do to rectify his sins. ¡°Has War ever stood up for us?¡± Kaizen thought he saw the demonic mouth contort into a humane, even warm smile at the word us. It sent a different type of shiver down his spine. ¡°NO. ANOTHER FIRST OCCURRENCE.¡± Another first occurrence¡­ Have I really come further than any other incarnation? I¡¯ll never trust him, but I need to extract as much information from him as possible. We both want to kill Death now, but I¡¯ll probably have to share everything with him in exchange. ¡°Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth didn¡¯t take the bait. They should have been trapped at The Hallows, but they found the pathway to Purgatory.¡± ¡°I SEE. AND ALL THE ARCANICS ATTENDED THE CONCLAVE?¡± ¡°Yes, everyone. Sins and Virtues.¡± ¡°AH¡­A RAT AMONGST THE SWINE.¡± ¡°We need to identify them for¡­for next time. Has this piece of history repeated?¡± ¡°THERE ARE PATTERNS WHICH REPEAT THEMSELVES. THEN THERE ARE PATTERNS WHICH WE REPEAT OURSELVES.¡± ¡°Great. More worthless riddles.¡± Wrath grunted back. ¡°YOUR SHARP SWORD HAS KEPT YOUR MIND DULL, KAIZEN. IT MEANS I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN WHETHER IT WAS A SIN OR A VIRTUE.¡± Kaizen walked over to the cot and sat down. He couldn¡¯t be insinuating Envy, Lust, or¡­No. ¡°I need to find a way out. If I can find Greed, I can break out of here¡ªWhere are we? You never answered me earlier.¡± ¡°YOU FOUR¡­¡± Kaizen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Just four¡­ And the bastard stopped so I''d realize. ¡°¡­ARE ALL TRAPPED IN PURGATORY. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. LIKE HELL, IT IS AN INFINITE EXPANSE THAT FOLDS BOTH TIME AND SPACE INTO ITSELF. IF YOU GO LOOKING TOO MUCH¡­YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF MILLENNIA FROM THEM.¡± ¡°And¡­Rukia?¡± Even Wrath hesitated to answer this question. ¡°YOUR FAMILIAR IS ELSEWHERE.¡± ¡°Great talk.¡± I''ll search for Rukia immediately, after I formulate a plan. ¡°We can find ways to break time and space again, then Purgatory wouldn¡¯t be an issue. And if we could do that, then we really could go backward to fight again.¡± ¡°YOU LACK ACCESS TO THAT MAGIC, AS YOU LACK OTHER RESOURCES. YOUR BODY, FOR ONE.¡± ¡°At least I have the advantage of time dilation in the Celestial Lands.¡± ¡°HA! AND WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH ALL THIS TIME?¡± ¡°How about I beat the shit out of you and your cynical attitude, over and over?¡± Wrath snorted. ¡°I can train here until the next Rebirth Cycle. I can plan¡­I can¡­¡± he trailed off, trying to think of more options available. ¡°OR YOU COULD ACCEPT MY OFFER. I CAN GRANT THE CLAIRVOYANCE YOU SEEK. OF COURSE¡­THERE¡¯S ALWAYS THE PRICE OF ADMISSION.¡± Wrath gnashed his teeth into another cruel smile. You remind me of him, you greedy bastard. Kaizen paced the jail cell and reviewed his options. It¡¯s bound to be thousands of years until the next Cycle initiates. But I don¡¯t know what the time dilation is here. He glanced at the door. Just like in his nightmares of this prison, a knob slowly materialized from the void on it. ¡°How much time do I have?¡± Wrath frowned. ¡°MORE THAN YOU CAN COMPREHEND. LESS THAN YOU WILL COME TO DESIRE.¡± ¡°Fine. I will spend the entire time training.¡± Wrath gazed back stoically. Kaizen rolled his eyes. ¡°Gotta say I¡¯m disappointed with your reaction. For the source of all wrath, you sure are patient. But¡­¡± Still nothing. Decades of avoiding this moment at all costs, thrown out the window. ¡°I will accept the deal.¡± Wrath remained steadfast. ¡°So the next pawn in your endless game doesn¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve come too far. It¡¯s not over for me or my friends, yet.¡± Wrath¡¯s facial plates screeched into another devilish smile. He pointed at the cot, which was now surrounded by a heap of Kaizen¡¯s belongings from his world. ¡°PACK.¡± ¡°I need only one thing.¡± Kaizen walked over and picked up his sheathed, shapeshifting katana, the Sound of Fury. ¡°Now, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°NEXT?¡± The demon laughed. ¡°YOU COME WITH ME TO HELL. I¡¯LL SHOW YOU EVERYTHING YOU¡¯VE SO DESPERATELY WANTED TO KNOW.¡± Kaizen approached the door but stopped when another thought struck him. Surely not. He turned to face Wrath again. ¡°How many incarnations have taken this offer of yours?¡± Kaizen felt a pit in his stomach. His entire body hummed, and a cold sweat broke out all over. ¡°ONCE MORE, YOU ARE THE SOLE ANOMALY.¡± Fuck. Kaizen took a deep breath. He walked to the door he had envisioned so many times, in nightmares and in fever dreams. The door he was constantly warned not to open. The door that, the one time he¡¯d attempted to open in a past dream, had turned into the twin golden doors to The Four Horsemen¡¯s Throne Room. Wrath studied Kaizen through narrowed eyes. Kaizen turned the newly formed handle, pushed it open, and crossed the threshold to the other side. With that simple motion, that commonplace and daily action, Kaizen penned his name in blood and accepted Wrath¡¯s Deal. ¡°Well, come on,¡± Kaizen said over his shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t wait around forever.¡± Wrath whispered his response behind his incarnation, and this time, in a human''s voice. ¡°You have no idea, Kaizen..." ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 2 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* [P] Ch 3 - reincarnated
KAIZEN
The past dozen millennia, give or take a few, were not kind to Kaizen. Still, the suffering and agony quickly faded away when he finally reunited with his trusty familiar, Rukia, the yokai fox. She sat patiently waiting for him, as always, at an intersection of the rough dirt road he walked along. Kaizen recognized her immediately, though she wasn¡¯t the colossal beast he¡¯d previously known, that he¡¯d previously led to slaughter. He drew a deep breath. Today is not for sorrow. Now a fraction of her former tigress size, Rukia inhabited the body of a tiny snow fox kit with black paws and ears, and crimson tail and eyes. Kaizen spread his feet, dug into the ground, and glared at her. He spread his arms to the side. She stood up on all fours with narrowed eyes. He jabbed a hand inside his kimono, grabbed something, and stood motionless with his hand still concealed. In turn, she slowly leaned forward and raised one paw in a point. Her nose twitched wildly. He ripped the item from his kimono and raised the hand above his head in a threat. Rukia snarled. Her wet nose glistened in the moonlight. Drool dripped from her jowls with murderous intent. Kaizen chucked the ball far to her side. Rukia dashed through the air in a furry fury and caught it before it touched the ground. ¡°Still haven¡¯t lost your touch, I see,¡± he said. Rukia growled and thrashed about. She shook her stubby snout and the ball, pretending to crush its vitals. ¡°Hell no!¡± Her growls were low, but her voice pitched high. ¡°I¡¯ll kill it, kill it, kill it!¡± Rukia snapped into a neck-breaking frenzy, surely to showcase her overwhelming strength in her new body in this new world in this new Cycle. When she¡¯d made her point, she proudly cantered over to Kaizen, who crouched down with arms wide open. She jumped into them, and they embraced with plenty of rubs, scratches behind the ear, and slobbery licks. ¡°Oh, how I¡¯ve missed you, Little One,¡± Rukia said. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re the pipsqueak now. How long have you been waiting?¡± Rukia withdrew from the embrace and tucked her tail. She flashed droopy puppy dog eyes and pulled her ears back. ¡°Ah, that long. It¡¯s been the same for me, Ruke. It¡¯s been the same for me¡­¡± ¡°You know, I always lose my memories,¡± she said. ¡°I can remember you clearly, our bond. But I just don¡¯t remember what happened last time. And somehow I remember there was a last time.¡± Kaizen stroked the soft spot between her eyes with his thumb. ¡°I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t remember. But,¡± Kaizen sighed and looked away, ¡°lucky for us, I do. I¡¯ll hold on to that weight for the both of us. Come, we need to meet our prot¨¦g¨¦. Should be born any time now.¡± Kaizen picked up Rukia and carried her on his wide-set shoulders. He couldn¡¯t stand to be as far apart from her as even walking side-by-side. It¡¯s nice to finally repay her for all the rides she¡¯s given me. ¡°So, how long have you been here, in this world?¡± Kaizen asked. ¡°I¡¯ve only just arrived.¡± ¡°I was reincarnated last week. Gave me mum quite the scare.¡± Rukia dropped her playful demeanor and addressed the real question. ¡°The only intel I¡¯ve gathered is that this world operates on a life force called Ryoku. It powers all life and exists in everything, even the sticks, squirrels¡ªand that insufficiently squeaky ball.¡± She dropped her voice to a low but quick whisper. ¡°Seriously, do better next time, Kaizen. I need to really, really hear the life draining out of its voice as I crush its dreams, hopes, and ambitions. I know you can do better, I''ve seen you do better, though I don''t actually have the memory, it''s a strong feeling, and before you say anything, no I''m not gaslighting you. Ok, I trust we won''t have to have this conversation again. Anyway!¡± She returned to her high pitched, squeaky voice. ¡°The humans also have certain systems they have to abide by¡ªclasses and ranks or some crap.¡± ¡°Not so different from our world, is it? Social castes and all.¡± He reached into his kimono again to fetch Rukia¡¯s collar. ¡°Well, yes and no. The system here, it¡¯s not necessarily social classes, but I only just started going out on my own yesterday.¡± Kaizen fixed the collar around Rukia, and she resumed her playful nature. ¡°Also, everyone must be chefs because they¡¯re always talking about their menus.¡± Huh, odd. ¡°Anyways, maaaaan, everywhere I go¡ªI¡¯m a wondrous sight to behold! So it¡¯s hard to stay stealthy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a fox if not sly?¡± he asked. ¡°What¡¯s a star that can¡¯t shine?¡± They spotted their destination, a solemn cottage deep in the woods. ¡°What are you going to tell them?¡± Kaizen chewed his lip while they approached a window. ¡°I¡¯ve rehearsed this moment a thousand times. Now that we¡¯re here, I find myself¡­doubting¡­myself.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Rukia blinked. A leaf drifted past them in the cool night breeze. ¡°You¡¯re certainly off to a great start.¡± They spied through the cottage window beside the front door. Two men surrounded a woman lying down on a kitchen table. Luxurious satin cushions lined her body, but she still shouted horrific obscenities at both men. Every so often, she grabbed one man¡¯s hand, and they¡¯d gaze into each other¡¯s eyes during a fleeting moment of respite. Kaizen noticed this man¡¯s lean arms because they were sleeved in tattoos, mostly blue, though also speckled with green and black. The woman boasted a few tattoos around her wrists and one eye, as well. Are those written in some type of text? Kaizen leaned into the window. ¡°Evelyn, my dear,¡± the other man, short and plump, said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be doing any better. I wish all my patients were as easy as you are.¡± Evelyn muttered more insults at him. ¡°You are so close!¡± ¡°Doctor¡ªisn¡¯t there something you can give me to prolong this?¡± Evelyn looked nervously at the doctor and occasionally grimaced in pain while speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°Why Evelyn, I¡¯ve never had a patient who didn¡¯t want to rush through this part.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be today, it can¡¯t be tonight¡ªoh fucking shiiiiit.¡± She heaved short but deep breaths. ¡°Slow it. Down.¡± ¡°My dear¡ª¡± The gray tattoo around Evelyn''s eye burned bright red. ¡°Call me dear one more time and Salvos himself¡ª¡± ¡°We can only speed things up at this point. That baby is coming¡ª¡± ¡°What about the prophecies? All those fanatics and Zeke, talking about the births tonight¡ªabout how the Fourteen will be born?¡± ¡°Evelyn, we¡¯ve been over this.¡± The large, tattooed man sighed. ¡°Those cultists are just shilling everyone for money. They want to scare us into donations and contributing to their Church. Nothing they say can affect our baby.¡± Kaizen felt Rukia glance at him from the corner of her eyes, watching him for a reaction. She¡¯s forgotten what my mother was like, but she can still sense when I¡¯m reliving moments I¡¯d rather not. ¡°Think we¡¯ll just wing it, then?¡± Rukia asked innocently. ¡°No,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°I think I will just wing it.¡± ¡°Okay, then¡ªLet¡¯s wing it!¡± Rukia shook while she spoke, and her mischievous eyes widened with the thrill of the hunt. She leapt from Kaizen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, wait¡ª¡± Kaizen reached for her but only caught air. He loved how wild she was, even as she burst through the door beside him. Kami, how I''ve missed you. Through the window, he saw the three startled figures and clambered inside after her. He locked eyes with the woman first and hesitated. Practiced this a hundred times, must achieve perfection. Just inside the door and facing the three strangers, Kaizen slammed down to his knees and bowed to them, forehead to the ground¡ªa sacred act in his homeland where the proportions of the bow mattered. He eased his muscles into position and¡ª Ah, yes, perfection. An impeccable bow of humility, honor, and peace. Head still pressed to the ground, he began his speech. ¡°Honorable parents, I have journeyed a long way to witness the birth of your daughter. She has a prophecy to fulfill, and¡ªand a destiny¡ªand, I¡¯ve prepared¡ªI will prepare her¡­¡± Tongue-tied in the final hour, dammit. Lost that bet to Wrath. ¡°Son.¡± The doctor spoke first. ¡°I don¡¯t know what nonsense you¡¯re hollering about, but shut the damn door. This woman is in labor and it¡¯s freezing outside.¡± Kaizen gave Rukia a glance and then got up to face the door. He wasn¡¯t sure if any of them had noticed her or not, but he needed her to shut the door for him. She nodded at him with furrowed brows. Kaizen sighed in relief. Glad she remembers. Rukia stood up on her hind legs, skipped to the door with flailing front paws, and slammed it shut with a roundhouse kick. Kaizen looked back to see everyone staring at their newest guest. He ran a slow hand through his long auburn hair. A gust of freezing air swung the door open again and toppled Rukia over into a clumsy sploot. The icy wind extinguished all the cottage¡¯s candles, which provided the only light besides the stars and the moons. ¡°Quickly, Doctor,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°It¡¯s time. She¡¯s coming.¡± Evelyn shrieked in pain and the doctor rushed to her. Kaizen¡¯s heart raced. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead into his eyes. Rukia¡¯s tiny fangs dripped with saliva, and her pupils widened out to her irises. The tattooed man ignored the intruders and squeezed the woman¡¯s hand. Moments later, a baby was successfully delivered. ¡°What do you want to call him?¡± the doctor asked the parents. Rukia and Kaizen looked at each other, puzzled. He mouthed, Him!? Did you pick the right house!? Evelyn admired the baby boy still held by the doctor. Not even the mass confusion of what just happened could override the joy of a newborn baby. ¡°Jules. His name is Jules,¡± Evelyn whispered. She kissed the icon strung about her necklace. ¡°Thank Salvos.¡± She smiled warmly, then looked over at her intruders. ¡°If you¡¯re with those cultists, then looks like you were mistaken. This boy isn¡¯t one of The Fourteen. Now if you wouldn''t mind to fu¡ª" A bright light emerged from Jules¡¯ little baby chest, and his body grew scalding hot. The doctor flinched and clumsily dropped the infant into the bucket of water prepared to clean him. The water evaporated within seconds, and Baby Jules burst into flames. A column of vertical light emitted from Jules¡¯ chest and burst through the thatch roof high into the night sky. The light eventually stopped radiating from Jules, but continued shooting upward until it¡¯d left the atmosphere. ¡°Yeah well, ya know," Rukia said, "I¡¯d say we¡¯re definitely at the right house and all." Evelyn shrieked again, and the father looked at the doctor in disbelief. Here it comes. ¡°Did you just drop my son?¡± he shouted. ¡°Ah¡ªUm¡ªWell¡­¡± The doctor fumbled his words and shrank away from the father. He fears you. Why, I wonder? Kaizen stared at Jules and felt a truly deep mix of guilt and obligation, as if the infant were his own son. Rukia, on all fours again, cantered over to the bucket and licked the baby before the fire even died down. Kaizen felt a tinge of envy. Jules giggled. Everyone else was silent. ¡°This,¡± Kaizen, composed once more, gestured to the fox, ¡°is Rukia. She is Jules¡¯ guide, his Familiar. She will go with him everywhere, and their lives are intricately laced. As for me, I am Kaizen, and¡ª¡± ¡°The hell is going on here,¡± the father demanded. ¡°Are you one of those damn cultists after all? If you wanna see some real magic tricks, just try me.¡± The tattoos all over his body illuminated brighter shades of their base hues. Kaizen met the threat with compassion and patience. Chill air misted around the father¡¯s clenched fists.
? Ice ?
He shouted the incantation in a harsh, foreign tongue and launched a flurry of ice spikes at Kaizen. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 3 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* [P] Ch 3.5 - Wrathchild
KAIZEN
Kaizen felt no pain and didn''t flinch as they passed right through him, but adrenaline still flooded his system. Oh, how I''ve missed that feeling. But back to the father. Quick to anger. And ready to defend his family. Good. ¡°What can I say,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I¡¯m a ghost, so you can¡¯t harm me. Like I said, my name is Kaizen and I am the previous incarnation of Jules. We have a lot to discuss, but these cultists you spoke of, they make me nervous.¡± I didn¡¯t have them until much later. Nor did my¡­master. The father¡¯s tattoos dimmed down, and both he and Kaizen redirected their attention to Evelyn. ¡°Your son,¡± Kaizen continued, ¡°is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Wrath, and I am the previous incarnation. I regret your fears came true.¡± Evelyn clutched her necklace again. The icon''s sharp metal drew blood from her palms. ¡°Salvos, no¡ªNo! Not my baby, my son!¡± She fainted. While the father attended to Evelyn, the doctor inched towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ve come here to prepare Jules for what¡¯s to come, to give him tools, to help you two raise him.¡± ¡°The prophecies of Salvos are true? Our boy, he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only just come back to life and am ignorant of your prophecies or this Salvos, though he¡¯s probably full of shit. But¡­if they mention an Apocalypse, that part is, uh, very true, I''m afraid.¡± "¡­Apocalypse?" Dammit, man, you are too close to that door. ¡°Rukia. Please let our esteemed medic know that, however gracious we are of his delivery skills, that you won¡¯t hesitate to violently, meticulously, surgically even, rip out his pudgy little throat. Should he flee, that is.¡± Rukia growled and snapped her sharp fangs. The doctor collapsed on his ass, paralyzed in fear by a tiny, impish fox kit. ¡°That pillar of light is going to draw attention Jules doesn¡¯t want or need, but what he does need is a safe hideout. I¡¯ll tell you more on the road.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re sure it¡¯s him? You thought he¡¯d be a baby girl.¡± Kaizen balked at the man. ¡°Did you just see that fucking column of¡ªah, you know what? Tensions are high. Forgive me.¡± Inside voice, Kaizen, Rukia thought to him. Kaizen took a breath and composed himself. Time was scarce, but he needed the dad to cooperate. ¡°Rukia bonded with him, so I¡¯m certain. If you need more proof, that column of light would have left a mark on him like mine.¡± Kaizen pulled back his kimono and revealed an intricate tattoo of the number 7 over his heart. The father walked over to his son and stared at him, in silence, his question answered. He picked up his son, crudely swaddled him in a blanket, and rocked him in his arms. As any first-time father would, he gazed at Jules with a blend of deep love and sheer terror. Kaizen knew those emotions would run deeper for him, given the news. ¡°Can I¡ªcan I see him?¡± Evelyn was awake again. The father awkwardly transferred baby Jules to his mother. He wriggled around in the blanket and grunted. He tried to escape his warm little prison but couldn¡¯t, so he shrieked in frustration. Tiny red embers sparked around his eyes. ¡°Get him away from me,¡± Evelyn shouted. She thrust Jules back into his father¡¯s arms. ¡°I won¡¯t have this monster feed from me. He¡¯s a devil, sent to destroy us all.¡± Rukia turned her attention from the doctor to his patient and barked a yappy protest. Why must we always be doomed to this family? ¡°You are mistaken, Mother,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°It is he who¡¯s stuck with you.¡± She froze, and Kaizen spoke again to the father. ¡°I understand Ryochu is important here, but can I use chi to power up a vehicle to escape? Or do you have a carpet?¡± Kaizen heard the crickets outside, all desperate to find each other and mate. Right. They don¡¯t have the concept of chi. ¡°Dammit, man, help your son!¡± Kaizen¡¯s eyes emitted red flames like Jules¡¯. ¡°You must mean Ryoku. I don¡¯t know what chi is, but Ryoku fuels everything here. I have stores of it, we can power my sailboat to safety.¡± Kaizen and Rukia worked out a hurried plan. Rukia informed him of the meager forms of transportation here while Kaizen watched the man shush and rock his son; he felt the father¡¯s love through his weak bond with Jules. I feel worse for this man than I do for losing to Death right now. ¡°Alright, we need to flee to a new city. You¡¯ll have to start over again, but Rukia has experience with fresh starts. Now let¡¯s pack up your¡ªshit.¡± Kaizen scanned the room. ¡°Where¡¯s your medic?¡± Kaizen sprinted through furniture and the window he¡¯d spied through, touching nothing. In the distance, a mob approached the cottage, outlined by the torches they carried. The doctor scurried away, halfway between them. He flailed his arms and yelled at the growing crowd. Kaizen ran back inside. ¡°Dad, in five minutes, you¡¯re gone. Rukia, our prey awaits.¡± The father shoved Jules into Evelyn¡¯s reluctant arms. She held him at a distance from her breasts and looked disgusted. At least she¡¯s holding him. Kaizen and Rukia exited the cottage together. They heard some of the doctor¡¯s shouted words. Sins. Wrath. Monster. Another villager called out from the pack¡¯s center. ¡°That true, Tideshaper? You harboring the spawn of demons in there?¡± ¡°Zeke,¡± the father whispered at the doorway, though it was more like a curse. ¡°They really will kill my boy, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll certainly try. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯d be easier for them to kill me, though. Thought I told you to pack. Three minutes now.¡± Kaizen and Rukia approached and stopped short of the madding crowd, who hurled a variety of slurs, insults, and threats at him. All around, the vigilantes'' tattoos lit up the growing darkness. Kaizen concentrated his strength to his core and grew in size by another half. His muscles bulged and veins popped. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Said he¡¯s a g-ghost,¡± the trembling doctor said. ¡°He can¡¯t touch or do anything!¡± ¡°Aye. I can¡¯t.¡± Kaizen jerked a thumb towards the fox. ¡°But she can.¡± Rukia charged to the midpoint, fangs out, and squealed out a roar. The villagers cackled and shouted more insults. The right side of Kaizen disintegrated slowly from his body, into a fine powdery mist.
? Integrate ?
The rest of his body evaporated into a cloud of ash that flowed into Rukia. She grew back to the size and build of a tiger, though she retained her foxy features. Archaic patterns and glyphs lined her white fur in fiery crimson tufts all over. Like the tattoos of this world? A girl of honor, a regal lady true to her word, an avenger of the downtrodden and the weak, Rukia fulfilled her promise and attacked the doctor first. She pounced high into the air and roared again. This time the sound echoed through the entire forest. Rukia¡ªand Kaizen within her¡ªflatted the medic and wrenched out his throat with surgical precision. We warned you, they thought as one. The villagers rioted and ran forward to attack, with their pitchforks and makeshift weapons brandished, their own tattoos aglow. Nothing braver than a zealot. Rukia charged the horde. She lacerated and crippled a dozen men before she took a pitchfork to the side. Enraged, she eyed the man who had impaled her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a head start.¡± The man fumbled with his farming tool and scurried back to the safety of the crowd. She slashed the throats of three more men with thick claws and bull rushed a few others before she leapt on her assailant¡¯s back. Rukia held him prone on the ground with one paw and glared at the remaining villagers. The young man writhed around under her weight as he suffocated in the mud. Too many. Time to pull back. Rukia carved her claws into the man¡¯s back and flung him through the air at the group closest to Jules'' home. The man howled midair and collided into his own allies. Rukia leapt back to the cottage door, and Kaizen ended the Integration and ripped himself away from her. He removed her collar just as she turned back into her fox kit form, then ran inside to the father. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough power to fight them off. I¡¯m tied to Jules¡¯ and Rukia''s energy levels, and I don¡¯t know how anything works here. How can he get more?¡± The father held up a pouch filled with roughly cut purple gems. ¡°We can give him Ryoku from these crystals, but not much. It¡¯s all the money we¡¯ve got.¡± Money? ¡°We can¡¯t give away all we have for him,¡± Evelyn snapped. Kaizen¡¯s skin crawled. ¡°Give him all the energy you can. We will stay and dispose of the villagers, but we won¡¯t be following you. Here, take this collar. Rukia will find Jules one day.¡± The man took the collar. ¡°Let Jules give her the collar¡ªmake sure it¡¯s him and only him.¡± Evelyn continued to protest, but Kaizen knew she was much too weak from childbirth to fight. The man picked up Jules in one arm and wrapped Evelyn around his shoulder with the other. He turned for the back door, which overlooked the sea. Kaizen reached for the father''s shoulder but went through it. He whipped around, startled by the sensation. Jules cooed. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Kaizen asked. ¡°Liam. Liam Tideshaper.¡± Liam? Jules acts like this is his father, but¡ªWhat the Hell is going on here!? ¡°Liam¡­I see.¡± Kaizen gazed at Liam with forlorn hope; after taking the deal with Wrath, Kaizen knew all too well how this would end for him. ¡°Take care of Jules. You are all he has. Your son was born a Sin, but his destiny is far from determined.¡± Wide-eyed, Liam nodded, and Kaizen felt he understood the message. This woman may have given birth to him, but you are Jules¡¯ only parent. ¡°Patience,¡± Kaizen added. ¡°You must seek Patience.¡± He turned his back on Liam and returned to Rukia. The villagers threw torches at the home. Kaizen felt Jules carried through the back door as Liam ran to safety. Better still, he felt Liam feed Jules all that invigorating Ryoku. The riot closed in on the cottage. Kaizen and Rukia smiled at the raging flames. ¡°If only they knew how much we love fire."
? Integrate ?
This time, Rukia¡¯s body disintegrated into Kaizen¡¯s. His long auburn hair receded back into his scalp until it was much shorter and mixed with white tufts. The slits of his eyes narrowed like a cat¡¯s, and his fingernails sharpened like claws. Crimson tattoos crept down from his eyes to his cheeks. Thirty men, most of what remained, stormed Kaizen in a full frontal assault. He dug his feet into the ground and wrapped one finger at a time around his katana¡¯s hilt. When the wave surged close enough, he ripped the Sound of Fury out in a single sweep across them all. Upon finishing, he cleaned off his blade with the inside of his elbow and sheathed it. Rukia disintegrated from his body and formed her own again. Kaizen turned back to the shore behind the cottage. A lone pale white sail drifted through the darkness. ¡°That¡¯s all the Ryochi, Ruke. I¡¯m sorry to leave you again so soon.¡± She didn''t laugh at the poor attempt for humor. A single tear fell down Kaizen¡¯s cheek. ¡°Find him, but keep your distance. This time¡­ This time I trust the father.¡± ¡°Why do you have to leave? I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡± Rukia¡¯s puppy dog eyes welled with tears. The Sound of Fury lit up with a soft white glow, then burst into light. It shattered into three pieces that hurtled off into the night sky in different directions. Each left a comet''s trail behind them. Kaizen thought of his friends, his comrades in arms, as the light from each faded away. ¡°Just now, I breached an agreement.¡± He knelt down and scratched her ears, one final time. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again. But for now, there¡¯s more prey to hunt.¡± They surveyed the battlefield. Just beyond the thirty butchered bodies were a handful of villagers who kept a safe distance from combat. Some backpedaled and ran away, while others stared in horror at the massacre. ¡°Will you do it one last time, Little One?¡± Rukia asked, still moping. ¡°Of course.¡± He pet her from head to tail and stood up. Kaizen reached back into his kimono and chucked the ball towards the survivors. ¡°Fetch, girl!¡± Rukia¡¯s face lit up with excitement and focus. She zipped through the air after the ball, full speed ahead. Kaizen smiled as his vision once again faded to black. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 3 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Our Fathers'' by B.S. Snelliott Just as the prophets and priests of the Church of Salvos had forewarned, on that Fateful Night in the dead of winter, the Fourteen were summoned to the continent of Salvatica. All four nations were brought into an uproar when, in most of their major cities, pillars of light penetrated the skies. Seven pillars of damnation for the Seven Deadly Sins. Envy. Gluttony. Greed. Lust. Pride. Sloth. Wrath. Seven pillars of hope for the Seven Holy Virtues, to save us from the blight of evil. Poor, poor Charity, may Salvos bless her resting soul. Chastity. Diligence. Humility. Kindness. Patience. Temperance. Note from the Publisher: Per the Salvos Communal Convent Edict, Chapter 6, Subchapter 9, Article 420: ¡°Whomsoever shall publish distributable pamphlets or volumes pertaining to, alluding to, or encompassing anything to do with the Seven Deadly Sins, shall, by law and decree, alert and remind their readers that, should they have any knowledge about the identity of, or have any suspicions that could lead to the identification of, any of the Seven Deadly Sins, then that Individual, Faction, Guild, Party, or any other form of social association, is legally obligated to disclose such information to any station entrusted to the oversight of The Iron Maidens.¡± GLOSSARY -- work in progress I will break entries up into different categories of characters and System elements. Comment below to tell me what you''d like to see! For now it''s just my shout code.
Wrath Reincarnated The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 7 Sins & Virtues | 4 Horsemen | The Number of the Beast When cursed by Fate, embrace damnation. In the magical world of Salvatica, Sins and Virtues are more than concepts of morality, they are given corporeal form. Jules was born a Sin ¡ª the deadliest of them all. With his System set to unlock, he will soon learn if he is demon or saint. Alongside his fox familiar Rukia, Jules will fight off cultists, militaries, other Sins and Virtues, and the many Factions of Salvatica. Will he fulfill his destiny as a Sin and summon the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or will he rebel against Fate? On second thought, why not both? What to Expect [+] A wide array of complex characters with a heavy plot [+] Multiple POVs, although Jules (the MC) is 80%+ [+] Reasonable amounts of swearing [+] Influenced by manga and Image comics, with a pinch of heavy metal
Ch 4 - Chapter Four
JULES
The sun wouldn¡¯t dawn for another hour over the lush outskirts of Coralhaven. The largest wolf snapped at the other two, who''d gotten too close to its meal, a savory severed leg. Remnants of a golden tribal tattoo spread across its calf muscle. Adrenaline flooded Jules¡¯ bloodstream, but his heart dropped all the same. Definitely Alistair.
[The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Save Alistair.] [The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Return Alistair''s remains.]
Jules glanced back toward his hometown, blocked by the massive rolling hills that comprised its forest. Along with a few other citizens, Alistair had ventured out to the woods one day, only to never come back. Jules studied his prey again. Two weeks of tracking was about to pay off, though he and his Hunting Party were too late to save another soul. All 2nd Rank? No wonder they¡¯re causing trouble. If only they¡¯d run into me instead. The largest wolf ripped off the last shreds of Alistair¡¯s skin, and his tattoo along with it. The smaller two gnawed on rotten bones. If Dad¡¯s actually still 2nd Rank like he claims, this could turn south if we fail. ¡°Won¡¯t get a better position,¡± Liam whispered to his son. ¡°Final test starts now.¡± Jules locked eyes with Cyrus. They nodded at each other, as if to say, I won¡¯t screw this up for you. Liam motioned to both Jules and Cyrus. Figure he wouldn¡¯t help today. Cyrus pointed at Jules and deferred the strategy to him. Scripts are out of the question today with Cyrus around, so I can¡¯t use my Muffle Rune. Have to rely on Skills alone. ¡°Flank,¡± Jules whispered. ¡°One-shot. Pincer.¡± He noted the three general locations for each of them to position themselves. Jules and Cyrus gripped each other¡¯s forearms in a handshake. ¡°Second place, ?1,000,¡± Jules wagered. ¡°Thanks for the Fire Rune,¡± Cyrus taunted. His eyes turned black, and he invoked a Script from some hidden tattoo.
? Muffle ?
Cyrus snuck off behind some trees with deadened footsteps to secure his position. Jules and Liam crouched down and traversed the clearing''s edge. They encircled the wolves and their den. Jules stalked through the brush. He ducked under twisted branches covered in cobwebs and stepped beside every fallen twig to avoid snapping them. Still unnoticed. So far, so good. Jules'' stomach rumbled with hunger.
[Pang! Stealth increased to Level 8.]
Jules flinched and snapped a twig underfoot. All three Hunting Party members whipped their attentions to the beasts and froze. One of the smaller, more curious wolves titled his ears towards the sound, but lost interest and resumed gnawing on scraps. Good boy. Back to your meal¡ªEh, sorry Alistair¡­ Cyrus glared at Jules. Better remind him too. Jules zipped his lips, and the System silenced his Notifications. Cyrus flipped him off and mouthed back, Amateur. Jules¡¯ lean muscles tensed, and sweat dripped from his auburn hair onto his brow. He looked to his father for guidance, but Liam stared back with a blank expression. Dad won¡¯t stop on his own. He¡¯ll make me choose the spots. ¡®A real Gamesman needs to make decisions for themselves.¡¯ Jules had never wanted to pursue the Gamesman Class, but that didn¡¯t make the advice any less true today. He forged on and examined vantage points from a few spots. Eventually, he found the perfect one for his father that guaranteed one kill-shot. The greatest asset in their Party was Liam, so he had to be given the best positioning. Jules grabbed his father¡¯s shoulder and pressed down. Liam nodded approvingly and squatted down to settle into his position. Jules continued on alone to the final location. His fingers twitched in exhilaration, in anticipation. He felt his weapons to keep his hands occupied. The curvature and smoothness of the bow was a stark contrast to the cold stiffness of his dagger¡¯s handle, and further contrasted to his preferences. I hate bows, but close contact with 2nd Ranks near Cy is bad news. My Archery Level better surge after this. Jules settled into his position and drew the wooden bow strung around his neck. A rustle sounded from some bushes behind him. All three wolves raised their heads in his direction, and Jules twisted around to inspect it himself. A flash of white, some small animal, scurried beneath the underbrush, but he couldn¡¯t make out what it was. The largest wolf dropped his haunch, stood to his feet, and growled. The others followed their leader and crept toward the sound, toward Jules. Their backs now faced Liam, whose eyes and tattoos lit up in the distance. He drew an arrow and aimed at the biggest one. Cyrus nocked an arrow without invoking another Script. Don¡¯t use Scripts in front of Cy, Jules. Don¡¯t use Scripts in front of¡­ Jules hesitated for too long. The largest wolf advanced to Jules¡¯ position around the rocks that formed its den. Damn, he¡¯s already out of Dad¡¯s line of sight. Jules nocked an arrow, the signal for the Hunting Party¡¯s simultaneous attack, and aimed at the big one. One. Cyrus¡¯ wrist tattoos lit up in the darkness, and a gale picked up behind him. Two. Jules steadied his breath for an accurate shot. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Three. An explosion of light from Liam preceded three arrows charging through the chill air. The two smaller wolves squealed; one hit the ground and remained there. The largest wolf howled in pain, but mostly anger. Damn, my Archery Skill wasn¡¯t enough. Plan B, then. The big wolf thrashed about and tried to bite the arrow in its side, as if it chased its own tail. The surviving smaller wolf rushed toward Cyrus, and the leader followed after. The cryptic emblem on Jules¡¯ chest burned iron-hot, and battle rage swept him into motion. He charged the wolves from their rear. One turned to face Jules. Cyrus ran away from the other and flung himself to the ground, as if he¡¯d tripped. ¡°Oh no, help,¡± Cyrus shouted. Don¡¯t pursue an acting career, Cy. The large wolf decided to strike its weakened prey before handling Jules, and the smaller wolf closed in on Cyrus, who invoked another Script.
? Earth ?
Rigid spikes of dirt and soil shot from the ground on both sides of the smaller beast and directed it on a route straight to Cyrus. Jules flanked them from behind. Cyrus jumped to his feet, and¡ªjust when the lesser wolf was a few paces away from him¡ªa trap ensnared its paws and ripped the wolf high into the canopy. The final wolf, the leader of the pack, slid to a halt inside the spiked funnel. Blood and slobber dripped from its mouth, and it eyed the trap''s only two exits. It could either run to Jules, or it could run to Cyrus. Jules was pissed; he¡¯d lost the bet. Better harness that anger. ¡°Cy, this one¡¯s mine.¡± Cyrus invoked another Script, composed of two separate Runes.
? Water ? ? Freeze ?
Atmospheric water condensed into Cyrus¡¯ hand and froze into a crude spear. He stood his ground and didn¡¯t approach, to allow Jules a chance for his kill. Jules inched toward the wolf, and it mirrored his movements as they gauged each other¡¯s weaknesses and strengths. He¡¯ll try me first since the funnel opening is larger here. Wait, what the hell is that? On a ravine behind Cyrus, another wolf, much larger than the one before Jules now, emerged from the top ledge. Jules immediately noticed its most prominent features. His stomach sank. Antlers. But in Coralhaven? ¡°A Warg¡­¡± In his distraction, the alpha wolf, which now seemed minuscule in comparison to the Warg, charged Jules. It leapt past him, and he barely dodged its piercing claws. When Jules turned to face the beast, he realized he was now the prey trapped inside the funnel. Cyrus approached from behind. ¡°No. He¡¯s still mine, and mine alone.¡± Jules clutched his bow in his left hand. His right hand remained free to fight. The wolf lunged again, and Jules blocked drooling teeth with the top of his bow. One paw slashed at Jules¡¯ face, but he managed to grab it with his right hand and lessen the impact. Still, four lines ripped down Jules¡¯ cheeks. Pain throbbed, but the searing emblem on his chest hurt more. Damn thing¡¯s going for my eyes. Jules stretched one leg out and thrust the wolf backwards. It tripped onto its back and thrashed about until it was on its feet again. Before it could recover, Jules threw his bow at the beast and unsheathed his dagger. The wolf tackled him to the ground and held Jules down with one massive paw on his chest, right over the searing emblem. Jules felt no fear as the wind escaped his chest. Bait him. Jules stretched out his neck to expose his most vulnerable spot. ¡°Come on, you bastard.¡± Slobber dripped from the wolf¡¯s jowls, and its fangs lunged at the open target. Hot blood pooled everywhere. It dripped down Jules¡¯ neck and stained his clothes. A sharp squeal turned to a muffled gurgle, then to silence, and the beast collapsed. Jules was soaked with warm blood. Deep breaths calmed him down. That was close, but I bought yet another day with Cy. Jules shoved the carcass off of himself, and his dagger went with it. He¡¯d kept the pommel braced above his chest, and the wolf had impaled its own neck on it while going for Jules''. ¡°Oh man. Did we pass?¡± Jules asked Liam. He looked up at the other two. Cyrus braced himself not even one pace away, his ice spear poised to pierce the wolf, tattoos aglow. Liam lingered a little farther back with his bow still nocked, arrow aimed at the corpse. Cyrus¡¯ tattoos dimmed down, but Liam¡¯s did not. "Well, thanks for giving me a chance. Glad to know you have my back, though." ¡°Kill confirmed,¡± Liam said. Referencing his own. Always another lesson. Pain returned to Jules¡¯ face and emblem. The guilt of missing his target, and the likely disappointment of his father from having fought so wildly, stung even more. Cy will be part of the family soon, anyway. Dad knows the risks of taking him out here. Jules removed his dagger and focused on the wolf, whose body glowed yellow around the edges to Jules and only Jules. ¡°Confirmed,¡± Jules said. He looked at his friend. ¡°Right,¡± Cyrus said. He walked over to a rope and cut it, then his wolf fell dozens of feet to the ground with a short squeal. ¡°Same.¡± The light from Liam¡¯s tattoos died out, and the Hunting Party finally laughed and smiled, and Jules un-silenced his System Notifications. ¡°My boys,¡± Liam said. ¡°Congratulations. Your first real kills. You¡¯ll get Trophies from these guys. Not to mention the town Bounty.¡± Up until this point, Liam had just taken the boys to hunt 1st Rank game, which didn¡¯t offer as much loot as 2nd Rank beasts. He placed a proud, fatherly hand on Cyrus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Cyrus. Yours is in one piece, for once. Might even be able to sell the hide this time.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Cyrus laughed. ¡°But thank you for training me, Mr. Tideshaper.¡± He tried to brush off Liam¡¯s hand, but Liam gripped harder and leaned in to his ear. ¡°You say that as if you¡¯re finished. Now pack up.¡±
[The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Kill the wolves.] [Fatherly Advice ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Hunt and solo-kill 2nd Rank game.] [Fatherly Advice ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Harvest your loot.]
Liam let go of Cyrus¡¯ shoulder and slapped him on the back. ¡°But Jules¡ªWhat the hell happened to you?¡± Jules had been so focused on finishing their original three prey, which they¡¯d been hunting and solely focused on for days, that he forgot about the beast, the monster, he¡¯d seen. ¡°I saw¡­a Warg,¡± Jules said. He looked back over to the ravine¡¯s edge and pointed. ¡°He walked along that path.¡± Up where they all looked, something darted by. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 4 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott Now it¡¯s time for an elementary primer on the Quest and Leveling Systems. Quests of course are a main part of The Salvatican System. The Quest Log inside your Menu consists of several components: Quest Title, Quest Description, Quest Reward, and Quest Objectives. The System will notify you whenever components of your Quests are altered in any way. Quest, of course, encourage the citizens of Salvatica to pursue certain goals and gain XP to increase their Skill Levels. Skill Levels are determined by ¡ÆXP for that specific Skill. Every Human is born with a base Skill Recovery that dictates how quickly they can recover their Ryoku. Typically, this Skill will be around someone¡¯s age. Open Skill Slots, for those who have Unlocked their Systems, determine one¡¯s Potential Ryoku Pool by a complex equation, which we will cover in another section. Open Skill Slots are automatically filled by a person¡¯s highest Leveled Skills, up to a predetermined number allowed by one¡¯s Rank. If the last Open Skill Slot is tied in Level with another Skill, The System in its benevolence will choose one for you, based off of which Class it thinks one would be best suited for. Ch 5 - Mother
JULES
A white flash darted by on the ravine''s edge, just where Jules had pointed. Cyrus laughed, though Liam didn''t look so amused. Was that the same animal from earlier? ¡°Jules, the closest Shrine is Siren¡¯s Cove,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°There¡¯re no Wargs here. Just admit you were scared. No shame in an Unranked fearing 2nd Ranks.¡± Jules looked at his father for support. Liam furrowed his brow and turned his attention to the ravine. ¡°Gather your game,¡± Liam said. ¡°We¡¯ll harvest at home this time.¡± Both boys groaned. Not again. Jules and Cyrus griped and moaned to loot the corpses here, but to no avail. Jules was exhausted from an hours-long adrenaline high; he didn¡¯t want to deal with the burden of that wolf¡¯s carcass¡ªthe biggest wolf, I might add¡ªall the way home. ¡°Consider it punishment for both missing your marks earlier,¡± Liam said. ¡°I swear¡­just skip to Plan B next time.¡± His discipline met more complaints. ¡°Listen, the sooner we get home, the sooner I sign your applications.¡± A little motivation went a long way, and they were packed in minutes. Liam handed Jules a vial of healing medicine for his face. The quicker a wound heals, the less it scars¡ªJules was brutally aware of this fact, and he and Liam always had medicine on hand, lest someone see something they shouldn¡¯t. Cyrus, on the other hand, was always slow to heal and welcomed scars. Important lessons, he called them. The vial of medicine was low as always, and Jules just sprinkled a few drops on his cheek, which started to steam as it healed the gashes. Then, he pretended to drink a reasonable amount in front of Cyrus¡ªwho he felt staring at him¡ªbut didn¡¯t actually take a drop. He lowered the vial and noticed the wolf¡¯s claws had torn and frayed the top of his hunting jerkin. He couldn¡¯t explain why that put him on edge. He hated wearing it and only wore it when hunting with Cyrus, but never when hunting alone or just with his father. The weight slowed him down too much. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Liam said. Jules glanced at the ravine again. The sun dawned at the top of its trees.
[The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Investigate the Warg.]
Jules turned around and started the long trip home. They curved through the woods and hillside, down into the outskirts of Coralhaven, where colorful sea shanties and charming huts were more spaced out than in town, but still in sight of each other. They hiked to an isolated shoreline, where the city of Aquilantis sparkled and glimmered in the morning light; far off to the east, the sun crested over its towering spires. Jules loved having a beach as a backyard¡ªThough maybe it''s my front yard¡ªand loved watching the distant city¡¯s shifting bridges every night and day. He even loved Coralhaven, a simple town though it was. But as long as Jules could remember, Aquilantis always drew him in. He desperately wanted to visit it, or to live in it, but his mother had always refused his requests, and eventually pleas, to visit. Ah, speak of the devil. Evelyn bent down and tended to her exquisite garden. Flowers of every color, vines, bushes, and trees of many varieties, and carefully bred Alchemy ingredients brimmed out from her nursery of plants. The garden always expanded outward, as if it found its purpose in manifest destiny. Evelyn glanced at them, stood up, and brushed the dirt off her skirt. Like every other day Jules could recall, she wore all-black clothing. Jules shifted his attention from the source of eternal darkness to the beautiful sunrise. Perpetual mourning. A hot breakfast waited for them. So did school, which is why Liam had allowed them only three days of hunting. When the Hunting Party arrived, they were each greeted with a cold glare, though Jules noticed Evelyn''s face soften when she looked at Cyrus. ¡°You were supposed to find the den,¡± she said to Liam. ¡°Aye, and that we did.¡± Liam plopped his wolf onto the ground between them. Trying to hide his labored breathing, I see. ¡°That you did, and more.¡± She crossed her arms. Jules and Cy exchanged nervous glances. Tick. Tock. ¡°I thought they were ready, and¡ªyou won¡¯t believe this, Evelyn¡ªbut I was right.¡± He hugged his wife and kissed her on the cheek, which finally put her at ease. ¡°So it seems.¡± She didn¡¯t return the hug or kiss. Instead, she sighed and looked at the sunrise. ¡°Breakfast is getting cold. I expected you back an hour ago.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Tideshaper.¡± Cyrus rushed toward the door, toward breakfast. Jules knew his best friend wasn¡¯t sucking up to her. Orphanage only serves porridge and dog food. ¡°Yeah, thanks, Mom. By the way, I have your medicine,¡± Jules said. Evelyn spun around and stormed inside. She even brushed against Cyrus'' shoulders in her haste. Jules dumped his wolf next to Liam¡¯s. ¡°Well, Cy, you taking that inside?¡± Cy laughed and dropped his wolf, too, and the trio followed Evelyn inside to eat. They shoveled heaping loads into their mouths and cleared their plates in minutes flat. Jules offered the vial of medicine again. ¡°Evelyn,¡± Jules said. ¡°Here you go.¡± She snatched it from him this time and didn¡¯t dare look at the gashes on his face. The Gamesmen-in-making ran off into the ocean to clean their bodies for the first time in days. Then they returned to their wolves and Liam¡¯s lessons. ¡°Jules,¡± Liam said, ¡°you were crazy to get that close. If you learned to keep your prey at a distance and dispose of them safely, you wouldn''t have had to take that stupid little risk.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Jules paused skinning his wolf¡¯s hide. He understood the word close had a different context for himself than it did for Cyrus. As in close call, though not for my life. Not directly, at least. ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Jules said. ¡°Practice Skills, not Scripts, right?¡± Got him there. ¡°They¡¯re the same thing,¡± Cyrus said. Everyone continued their field dressing in silence. ¡°Still, that was quite the thrill.¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Evelyn said from her garden. She harvested her own prey, a bush of thick nightshade. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t act so brave in front of Cy. One day, it will get you killed.¡± It wasn¡¯t the emphasis of the word Cy, but killed, that made Jules¡¯ stomach lurch. Anger disguised as worry. ¡°Anyways, Cy,¡± she continued, ¡°please tell me how you killed your prey.¡± Cyrus recapped the story. He played down his own and bolstered Jules¡¯ role in the traps. The trio transitioned to harvesting the wolves¡¯ organs while he spoke. ¡°...And then it slashed Jules¡¯ face, down his cheek like this¡ª¡± Cyrus clawed his nails down his face with a blood-soaked hand. He stopped when no one laughed. Evelyn abandoned her task and left them again. ¡°Oh. Sorry¡­¡± Just another day, man. Jules continued to remove the larger fangs from his wolf. Liam wrapped up his harvest and made a neat pile of teeth, bones, hide, and liver, heart, and other organs. ¡°Well boys,¡± he said. ¡°Your training is nearly complete. You¡¯re ready to become Gamesmen like myself.¡± Liam grinned, and Jules laughed. Cyrus looked confused. Maybe he still feels guilty from his comment earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hunt all my life,¡± Jules said. ¡°Hey, I fish too,¡± Liam said. ¡°You know, I used to be a¡ª¡± Evelyn slammed a door inside. ¡°Uh, Cyrus, what Rune are you working on these days?¡± Almost had him. Jules loved to catch his dad slip up and mention things from his days past, before they¡¯d fled to Coralhaven, before he was born. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out Fire.¡± Cyrus paused his extraction of a tooth and grinned at Jules. ¡°And actually, your son¡¯s gonna pay for it.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. All¡¯s fair in love, war, and gambling,¡± Jules said. He yanked out the fang and admired it. ¡°Hm. Still caught the bigger fish, though.¡± Cyrus laughed. ¡°Anyway, I must really be from Coralith because I¡¯m so bad at this Fire Rune. It¡¯s downright stereotypical¡ªI¡¯m too skewed towards Water and Earth attributes.¡± ¡°Well, when the paperwork goes through, you¡¯ll be a real Coralithian,¡± Jules said. ¡°Screw you, orphans have citizenship. Rights, too.¡± ¡°And a legal Tideshaper,¡± Evelyn shouted from inside. ¡°Save your bickering for your walk to school. This is my final lesson, before I release thee unto the world. Please,¡± Liam begged, ¡°treat me like I¡¯m important for once, and tell me what you learned today.¡± ¡°Stick to close combat.¡± Liam scowled at Jules. ¡°Sorry, Dad. It¡¯s just who I am. Bows are too primal for me.¡± ¡°Plan B is always worth the price,¡± said Cyrus. ¡°Salvos,¡± Liam recited a prayer, ¡°please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change¡­¡± ¡°Always hunt with a team and a plan.¡± Jules looked at the two of them. ¡°Corner your target for efficient disposal.¡± Cyrus cleanly separated his wolf¡¯s liver from its viscera. ¡°Ah!¡± Liam dramatically raised his hands to the heavens. ¡°Thank ye for answering mine prayers. So¡ªWhat¡¯d you gain?¡± Jules perked up. I forgot! Both Jules and Cyrus formed an L-shape with their left index fingers and thumbs to open their System Menus, which they both kept on privacy mode so no one could peek in. Jules felt the familiar hunger pangs of Leveling Up.
[Pang! Archery increased to level 6.] [Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to level 9.] [Pang! Blades increased to level 9.]
"I Leveled Up Archery, Hand-to-Hand, and Blades once each. Oh, and also Stealth before I silenced everything." ¡°I Leveled Up Stealth, Archery, and Elemental Control,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Which Elemental Runes do you have now?¡± Liam asked him. ¡°Water, Ice, Air, and Earth.¡± Cyrus grinned ear-to-ear. Jules smiled. He was happy for Cyrus, whose sole goal in life was to become an Alter. Combat magic, while useless to most citizens, was crucial to Cyrus. ¡°Good job. We¡¯re proud of you, Cyrus,¡± Liam said. We. ¡°So,¡± Liam continued, ¡°aside from Gamesman, what Classes are you two considering?¡± ¡°Dad, my System Unlock Day isn¡¯t for another two years.¡± ¡°Come on Jules,¡± said Cyrus. ¡°If you want a good Class to start with, you need to pick Skills now. I started at your age last year¡ªThat¡¯s why I know so many Runes.¡± I know Runes, too. I just¡­can¡¯t show you. Besides, I think my Levels are higher than yours. ¡°Tease all you want, but for seventeen, you don¡¯t know that many.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that many boring ones,¡± Cyrus corrected. Fair point. ¡°Anyway,¡± Jules said. ¡°I¡¯ve always been drawn to the Shaman Class.¡± Liam watched his son intently, quietly. ¡°Really¡­why that?¡± Cyrus asked. He struggled to extract his last fang. ¡°Seems pretty boring to me. Ghosts have wisdom, sure, but they probably don''t understand industrialization¡ª¡± ¡°I don''t really know why. Conjuration, talking with spirits, it just appeals to me.¡± Jules plopped a heart down on the dirt and relaxed, his harvest complete.
[Fatherly Advice ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Harvest your loot.]
¡°Can¡¯t do that without Runes,¡± Cyrus said. He split the wolf¡¯s jaw open wide to get that tooth. ¡°Can¡¯t do anything without Scripts, really.¡± Jules sat there and gazed at the loot from his wolf. ¡°Mr. T., what are your Skills?¡± Liam leaned in to them. ¡°Stealth. Stalking.¡± He feigned a crazed look. ¡°Murder.¡± He leaned back in his chair and stretched. ¡°All the best traits of a Gamesman.¡± And only one real Skill among them. Curious, Jules studied his father. He knew his mother was still at 1st Rank¡ªas she liked to remind him, blaming him for the family disgrace¡ªbut he figured his father was beyond the 2nd Rank he claimed to be. But he¡¯s only listing three Skills. He can¡¯t even be 2nd Rank without five. Unless he¡¯s hiding something, which he always is. As if reading his son''s mind, Liam stood up. "Well boys, it''s high time I finally came clean." ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** 5 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Basic Magic'' published by Sylvan Publishing House (Author¡¯s Note: For the purposes of this study, when I mention the word ¡°Scripts,¡± assume that I mean only Runes, and please forget the bastardized terms--Scrolls & Tomes--that the Scholars Guild invented for the perversion and distortion of Runes. There is a reason the Alters return to studying Runes alone.) Magic is simply the combination of Scripts fueled by Ryoku, the spiritual essence of all life and inanimate objects, even the air. But Magic, Scripts, Ryoku¡ªthey all are one in the same. Scripts are simply the Sylvan language written out, and can be thought of as the mundane task of converting Ryoku into work. Magic is limited by only one¡¯s knowledge of Scripts and their imagination for what can be done, what can be accomplished. It all started in the Old Domain, what has now become a part of the Verdant Domain, when the progenitor Elders wrote single words in soil upon giant rock epitaphs in the southernmost tip of Salvatica, the Ethereal Rift. They would enact these Scripts by infusing their own Ryoku; but over time, the Scripts would fade and need to be written again. For unknown reasons, and an unknown period of time (year, decades, centuries?) the magical aspects faded from these stones. The transition of Scripts on stone to the tattoos we currently wear has sadly been lost to history. At least for now. Maybe the reader will take it upon themselves to uncover this mystery? Ch 6 - Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1
JULES
¡°I have taught you how to survive," Liam said. "It took years longer than I expected, but alas, my lessons are done, and I have to say this: Neither of you would make good Gamesmen. It''s a harsh reality, but it''s the truth. There, I said it." Liam placed some jars before them, sat down, and sighed. Never wanted to be¡ª "Phew, I feel better. Now, Cyrus is right, Jules. You need to start picking your Skills now. Eighteen will be here before you know it.¡± He looked at each of them long and hard. ¡°I think survival Skills are more important than Classing up, but now that you¡¯ve got them, it¡¯s high time for a graduation.¡± He handed them each a document, and they couldn¡¯t hold back their excitement.
[Fatherly Advice ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Complete your application.]
¡°Now, I have some final tasks before I sign your applications.¡±
[Fatherly Advice ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Complete your chores.] [ERROR: Fatherly Advice ¡ª QUEST INCOMPLETED] [ERROR: Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective INCOMPLETED: Complete your application.]
¡°Oh, come on!¡± Jules protested. ¡°What? If I don¡¯t force you, you¡¯ll forget, and all our hard work will expire, along with all our food stores, and we won¡¯t have dinner, and then we¡¯ll starve to death, and our lives will have amounted to nothing.¡± Jules rolled his eyes. ¡°So go into town and sell our loot. Your shares are yours. Use my proceeds to buy what¡¯s on this list. Arrows, medicine, food. Then split what¡¯s left of mine, plus the Bounty, between the two of you.¡± He handed a list to Jules. ¡°Alright,¡± said Jules. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do it after school. We¡¯re running late.¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t skip today. It¡¯s the Fall Ceremony,¡± Cyrus said. Before they went into town, the boys harvested their final loot from their wolves: the Trophies. They resisted the urge to replay their victories, and instead they filed away all the wolves¡¯ loot into their System Inventories. The items stored neatly into their backpacks and took up nearly all the space in Jules¡¯ since he took Liam¡¯s items so as not to burden Cyrus. More importantly, it made Jules feel like a contributing member of his family, something that wouldn¡¯t remain solely his duty for much longer. They washed the blood and guts from their hands, and then they ran to town.
In the colorful and vibrant market street of Coralhaven, Jules smelled an odd mix of sweet baked goods and smoked meats. All around, people bargained to save a few Ryoku in their transactions. Some early-morning fishermen had already dropped off their morning catch into salt bins and ice displays on the streets. Jules hated the foul stench and strolled past the stalls with Cyrus. Some drummers had gathered with other musicians, and their rhythm with the woodwinds and strings transitioned from celebratory to triumphant. The Fall Ceremony would begin soon. They walked past shanty buildings of every pastel color imaginable until they reached the end of one of the market streets, which dumped out into the town square. Nearly a dozen other streets and alleyways split off from the square, and most of them contained market streets in their own rights. Apothecary Alley, as it was called, had street vendors selling all sorts of ailments, and, of course, butted against the square itself was The Apothecary, a building which towered over most. The shop was built around one giant alchemy apparatus, whose glass tubes and pipes formed a double helix three stories tall. We¡¯ll have to come back here and check out Armor Avenue as well. Hopefully, we can steer clear of Scripts Street, Political Parkway, and then we can head to Faction Freeway. "Cy¡ªyou ever wonder who named all the streets?" "Some buffoon like B.S. Snelliott." Everyone was dressed up in a slightly more formal fashion than normal for the Ceremony, but not by much. Merchants displayed banners of sea legends: merfolk, sirens, kraken, leviathan, even one of Poseidon¡¯s trident. After Jules took note of the shops he¡¯d have to visit after school, he spotted his teacher, Isolda. She stood in front of the Ceremony stage, in the middle of the plaza. Always right in the thick of it. Jules had always been drawn to Isolda. Maybe it was because her subjects were the most interesting¡ªafter all, Scripts and Factions are what Jules and Cyrus lived for¡ªmaybe it was because she herself was an interesting subject¡ªthe way she taught it, the way she spoke about it. Maybe it was because she took the time to talk to Jules about his own interests. Perhaps it was more primal than that, as Jules and Cyrus both found her drop-dead gorgeous. The wind whipped her long brown hair and her out-of-place, ruffly pirate-era clothing about. Isolda lectured her students that had gathered so far. The morning light twinkled in her eyes, those eyes whose color he could never quite tell. Could have sworn they were green last time. ¡°Jules, quit gawking.¡± Cyrus elbowed him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but act like you¡¯ve seen her before.¡± Jules responded with a side-eyed glance, his cover blown. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t stammer when I met her. Come on, let¡¯s join the class.¡± They shifted through the crowd and joined their dozen classmates and teacher. ¡°Ah, Jules, Cyrus,¡± Isolda said. ¡°Just in time. They¡¯re about to begin. I knew you two wouldn¡¯t miss this one.¡± ¡°Good morning, Isolda.¡± Jules approached his teacher and reached into his bag. ¡°I finished your book, Basic Magic. I thought the author¡¯s approach to using others¡¯ Scripts was pretty interesting.¡± Not to mention practical, for me anyway. ¡°Ah, yes, well that is what fueled the early industrial revolution across all of Salvatica, actually. We take it for granted with Tomes and Scrolls, but society as a whole has completely forgotten Runes are the foundations of Scripts¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± Jules interrupted her, as he often did. Isolda was keen to ramble about modern day politics and the economy and blah blah blah, we should return to our roots, the old ways, etc. ¡°I was wondering, actually, who is he? The author?¡± Isolda¡¯s blue eyes flashed. She grinned mischievously. ¡°Ah, so you like his work. I¡¯ll turn you to the dark side, yet.¡± She leaned in to whisper in Jules¡¯ ear. I like where this is¡ª ¡°Power to the proletariat.¡± Oh. Jules'' shoulders'' slouched down with his face. ¡°But actually,¡± she continued, ¡°he has another volume about Conjuration that I think you¡¯d like. Now, where is it¡­¡± Jules knew his father loved him, and that Cyrus supported him no matter what Class he chose, but this was the first time today he felt seen by someone else. Isolda fumbled around inside one of the many bags slung around her shoulders. She was one of the few people Jules knew who actually placed items in bags, instead of storing them in a Container Inventory, or her System Inventory. Behind her, the Island Elder of Coralhaven dredged across the stage to the podium, rather slowly, due to his arthritis and long beard that often tripped him up. ¡°Ah, wait, they¡¯re about to start.¡± Isolda quit her search for the book, hushed her class, and gave all her attention to the old man. He stepped up to the podium, and his strained back hunched over it. He cleared his throat, and the tattoos around his mouth lit up. His eyes were lit, too, though they were hidden under heavy eyelids and beneath bushy white eyebrows. ¡°I thank all of you in attendance today, Coralhaven natives and guests from afar, for honoring our recipients at this fair Fall Ceremony.¡± The Island Elder¡¯s voice boomed from the stage. They could hear the old coot in Aquilantis. The Island Elder chuckled before he told his coming joke. ¡°Of course, in the Shattered Isles, we know not what fall and winter are. But I especially want to thank all of our recipients for honoring Coralhaven¡­¡± Jules looked around the stage to find a hint at what the Tome and Scroll would be. The Runes would be the obvious elemental choice, the Water Rune. ¡°...thank our Inkers, who have traveled from¡­¡± Wait, that Inker, he¡¯s just a 3rd Rank. Jules had seen all of these Inkers at the previous Summer Ceremony, and knew there was no way the 3rd Rank could have ascended to 4th Rank in that time. We all would have heard about it¡ªthe whole world would have. ¡°...work so tirelessly to bestow these gifts upon us¡­¡± He saw a group of ten-year-olds on stage, organized in two neat rows, fighting off their nerves. A tinge of envy flowed through him. ¡°...ready to receive their first tattoos today, our blessed Water Rune.¡± Jules glanced at his barren left hand and shoved it in his pocket. ¡°...future of Coralhaven¡¯s brightest¡­¡± Ouch. ¡°We also have Sal Brookshore, an Apprentice Apothecary imbuing his first Scroll today, and just at eighteen years old, which reminds me of my second son, who¡­¡± Wow. Sal really did it. He and Cyrus glanced at each other, jealous of Sal¡¯s accomplishment. ¡°...to purify toxins in the distilled ingredients our Master Alchemists brew for¡­¡± Mom¡ªEvelyn¡­wonder if she knows that one. Have to remember to ask her and Dad what their Ceremony Scripts are. ¡°...expect great things from you, Sal, and to see you here again soon earning your first Tome.¡± Isolda grunted softly in contempt. ¡°Which brings us to our most esteemed recipient today, Fin Rivers, Master Druid of the Hydromages, who has mastered his Tome to control animals.¡± The crowd ooh¡¯ed and ah¡¯ed and whispered each of those words, Master, Druid, Hydromages. ¡°Now, let the Ceremony commence!¡± The Island Elder hobbled away from the podium to speak to Fin Rivers. His cane wobbled with each step. ¡°Bah, no Trophies today, class,¡± Isolda said. ¡°Nothing of note must have happened this season. What a shame." Jules and Cy exchanged smiles. Their 2nd Rank Trophies would have been accepted into the Ceremony if they had received them sooner. Not as exciting as a decade ago, when ''ole Bootstraps received his Leshen Trophy¡ªwhich would impress anyone¡ªbut it was still extraordinary that two Unranked children slayed beasts two full Ranks above themselves. The Fall Ceremony recipients walked to their easels, which were displayed towards the crowd. All except Fin Rivers dipped pens into Enchanted Ink and wrote out the Scripts they''d mastered. The students finished their Runes first, as Runes are just single glyphs. Shortly afterwards, Sal finished his Scroll, which was a longer series of individual Runes. Once the others were finished, Fin Rivers unveiled his Tome, which he had written previously. Thank Salvos. "Oh, come on," Cyrus complained. ¡°Ah, I know, Cy,¡± Isolda said. ¡°I was keen to see his technique in action, but the Hydromage has more important things to do than invest his time in public affairs, it seems." ¡°I¡¯m glad he came prepared,¡± Jules said to Cyrus. ¡°Besides, Alters only care about Runes.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°but only after they¡¯ve worked through countless Scrolls and Tomes first.¡± Isolda smiled at Cyrus. ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve been reading my recommendations as well.¡± Isolda patted Cyrus¡¯ head, and the Island Elder took the podium again. ¡°We will begin with our esteemed Master Druid and proceed from there.¡± ¡°Alright class, gather back up for the lesson.¡± She moved them to the edge of the stage, where students and recipients'' family members were given priority. ¡°Now who can tell me¡ªbesides the obvious lack of Trophies¡ªwhat¡¯s odd about today?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** 6 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott And that brings us, of course, to Rank, a fundamental component of the Salvatican System that is indirectly tied to an individual¡¯s Ryoku potential. Now, the reader should see it as no surprise that your illustrious author is, as of writing this, no less than 3rd Rank. (Publisher¡¯s Note: And showing quite the promising career path to achieve the coveted Genius prestige!) The Ranks are, of course: Increasing Rank comes with significant benefits, and is determined solely by one¡¯s top Skill Level. Only one Skill needs to hit the threshold to push one into the next Rank. Some benefits include increased Ryoku pools and Open Skill Slots, Skill Specialization, and access to advancing forms of Scripts, select Classes, and select Factions. Now, it is much simpler to break each Rank down and illustrate their tiered benefits of ascension¡­ Ch 7 - Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
JULES
¡°He didn¡¯t introduce the Tome Inker,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°But our esteemed Island Elder is renowned to shower his honored guests with lush respect and due admiration.¡± Jules elbowed Cyrus in the ribs. They were within earshot of the old coot, who had personally disciplined Cyrus many times. ¡°I recognize him,¡± Jules said. ¡°He was a Master Inker that came for the Summer Ceremony.¡± ¡°Ah, precisely. And he still is, a Master, that is. If you two would apply your interest to Scripts to your other teachers¡­ But yes, we are not graced with a 4th Rank¡¯s presence today, I¡¯m afraid. Fin Rivers must be rushed. He pre-wrote his Tome, and he didn¡¯t wait for a Genius Inker to carve it into his back.¡± Some of the students winced. ¡°The Hydromages have been busy culling the Shattered Isles¡¯ Shrines. He¡¯s probably leaving for the front lines straight from this Ceremony. Must really need that Tome, too.¡± As Isolda continued her lecture, which was more of a harsh critique, on Tomes, Jules watched the Hydromage. He took off his shirt and lied down on a padded table. It made him uneasy, and the tattoo¡ªor emblem, or whatever it was on Jules¡¯ chest¡ªburned slightly. The Master Inker touched the Druid''s Script with his left hand and began painting on the man''s back with his right, careful to match the symbols exactly. ¡°...so watch closely,¡± Isolda lectured. ¡°See how the Inker works, infusing the knowledge and Skill of the man who wrote the Script with his own knowledge and command of the Runes it¡¯s composed of. When the Tome is etched into his skin, he¡¯ll be able to use the power of it without¡ªOh, wait, they¡¯re starting on the Apothecary.¡± Isolda herded her flock of students down the stage''s edge to its center, in front of the Scroll recipient. Sal lifted up his shirt sleeve and lied down in a chair with a footrest so all could see him. A Journeyman Inker began the same process on him. Isolda continued her lecture, a little more vibrantly than how she spoke of Tomes. The Devil¡¯s Work, as she called them. During a lull, Jules asked Isolda for that book on Conjuration. ¡°Ah, hold on, the First Years are starting their Runes!¡± Her eyes lit up again, and she ran over to the other side of the stage, not bothering to shepherd them. All the ten-year-olds, First Years in school, lined up on stage before another Inker. Each child held onto a small piece of paper they had inscribed their Runes on, and each child looked nervous. They stood during their portion of the Ceremony, not receiving the honor of sitting or lying down for their procedure, their rite of passage. ¡°Ah, seems they all have the common Water Rune,¡± Isolda said. ¡°Not exciting, but a Coralithian tradition nonetheless.¡± ¡°Why is she getting it on her right hand?¡± asked Aidyn, one of Jules¡¯ classmates. What an idiot. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s customary to wear elemental Runes on your non-dominant hand,¡± added Kaidyn, Aidyn¡¯s twin brother. Both twins smirked at Jules. Here we go. ¡°You just answered your own question,¡± Cyrus said. It¡¯s a trap, Cy¡­ Cyrus raised his right hand to showcase his elemental Runes. ¡°She¡¯s left-handed like I am.¡± ¡°Ohh,¡± the twins replied in unison. ¡°So, which hand do you use, Jules?¡± They snickered. Jules felt the familiar lump in his throat and burning chest. ¡°Thought this¡¯d be your year.¡± ¡°I already have my Rune.¡± I just can''t show you¡­ ¡°Oh yeah, where?¡± one of the twins demanded. ¡°I knew you¡¯d want to see it.¡± Jules grabbed the back of his pants and feigned pulling them down. ¡°Children, this is a most honorable Ceremony,¡± Isolda said. Jules sensed the sarcasm, and Isolda looked keenly at Jules. ¡°Besides, some families pass down secret Runes in private, opting out of the ceremony. Be careful, you two.¡± The heat dissipated from Jules. He felt grateful to her again. True, but all those families are all rich. Rich, rich. They¡¯ll see through that smokescreen. ¡°Thanks,¡± Jules said to Isolda after the Aidyns moved away. ¡°Barbaric,¡± Isolda scoffed. Jules was confused. Is she talking about them? He followed her gaze to the stage where one child had progressed through the process. After the Inker painted the script on them, he then etched it into their skin permanently with a special needle only used by the Inkers Guild. ¡°What is¡­?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Ah, nothing,¡± she replied. ¡°Now class, Runes are obviously just the first steps in Scripts. The Island Elders and¡ªoutside the small world of the Shattered Isles¡ªsociety as a whole want you to progress to Scrolls and Runes. But never forget that Runes are the basis of learning, knowledge, and wisdom.¡± Jules glanced at both of Isolda''s hands. For the first time, he noticed she also didn''t have a Water Rune on either one. Just like me¡­ They watched more kids processed through the Inking assembly line. Though they held their sore hands daintily, each child walked away from the Inker to applause from the crowd. There were still a few children left, but Isolda ushered the class back to the Apothecary, who was wrapping up. As they navigated the crowd, the Aidyns bumped shoulders with Jules, out of Isolda¡¯s sight. ¡°Hey, Jules,¡± said Kaidyn. Or maybe it''s Aidyn, they match today. How cute. ¡°You think your mom will be next? Heard she¡¯s still an Apprentice Apothecary.¡± Rage swept through Jules, but he was confused as to why he felt so protective of her. He grabbed one hand from each twin and twisted them behind their backs and pushed them forward through the crowd. ¡°You know, my mom¡¯s adept at culling weeds. In fact, she taught me how to chop them down.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The twins struggled to escape. They winced and groaned, but he refused to let go. Jules¡¯ Hand-to-Hand Skill was unmatched to all the other kids in Coralhaven, especially these two. Eventually, he pushed them forward and freed them, and they scurried away from him.
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to level 10.]
Oh really? I must have been right on the edge after fighting that wolf. ¡°...see the patterns start to take more intricate designs and shapes here. Runes are fixed glyphs, and Tomes are, well, horrendous. They¡¯re just hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Runes in a row. Nothing pretty about industry. But Scrolls can be adapted into beautiful designs¡­ I certainly admire that, I''ll admit.¡± Jules'' heart skipped a beat when he remembered one of her Scrolls, that he''d seen years ago, in the shape of a butterfly, in a place that he probably wasn''t supposed to see. ¡°...see the patterns start to take more intricate designs and shapes here. Scrolls can take the patterns of tribal patterns, animal and plant shapes, constellations¡­¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Cyrus asked. "That Tomes aren¡¯t as¡­appealing.¡± The Inker finished his design work and picked up his needle. ¡°Ah, the designs represent the efficiency of a Scroll,¡± Isolda said. ¡°Combining Runes into a Scroll makes a task more efficient, something the almighty state appreciates. That¡¯s why everyone is encouraged to equip as many Scrolls as possible.¡± ¡°But Runes seem so much more versatile,¡± Jules said. Isolda beamed at him. ¡°They certainly are, Jules,¡± she said. ¡°You can do much more with Runes than with the others.¡± ¡°But not as much work, right?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Scrolls use less Ryoku and are quicker to activate than combining individual Runes when¡ª¡± ¡°Only for those who lack imagination,¡± Isolda said sternly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m surprised, Cy, I figured you would understand the importance of Runes¡­¡± ¡°Runes, Scrolls, Tomes, back to Runes,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°That¡¯s the path of an Alter.¡± Isolda laughed. ¡°Ah, you certainly keep the end in mind,¡± she said. ¡°Look, he¡¯s almost finished.¡± Sal, the Apothecary, stood and thanked the Journeyman Inker with a deep bow. The Inker returned a shallow one, as a 2nd Rank would not bow deeper than a 1st Rank. Unranked recipients, like the First Years, never showcased their new Scripts, but Apprentices and upward always did. A Master Alchemist, the highest Ranked in Coralhaven, brought out an alembic filled with black liquid onto the stage. The Apothecary brought forth some tools from his pack and heated a fire under the alembic with a Rune. Jealousy crept across Cyrus¡¯ face. The mixture bubbled, and Sal grabbed a vial with his right hand. He touched the burning alembic with his bare left palm. The tattoo on his left arm lit up as he invoked the Script. Pure, clear liquid dripped out of the alembic and into the vial. The crowd roared with applause. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Isolda said. ¡°He¡¯ll be a Journeyman Alchemist soon.¡± The crowd calmed down and started to disperse. Only family members, students, and those truly interested in the Ceremonies would remain for its entirety. The Tome would normally take an hour from a 4th Rank Inker, but since only a 3rd Rank was present, they probably wouldn''t finish today. ¡°Now we¡¯re left with the Hydromage, defender of the Shattered Isles,¡± Isolda said. Another student chimed in. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯ve finally joined forces with the Royal Navy to bring down The Flying Dutchman!¡± Isolda smirked. ¡°Ah, they certainly have their work cut out for them there, unless they learn to breathe underwater.¡± The class laughed. ¡°As your teacher, I¡¯m required to remind you that¡ªwhere¡¯s that damn propaganda sheet¡ªAh, yes: ¡®Tomes are your societal duty. You are charged with formulating and donating a unique Tome to mankind. It is why we live in the level of society that we do. So leave your Runes to the children,''" Jules felt she adlibbed there, ¡°¡®and master Scrolls until ye beget grandchildren, and then dedicate your heart to¡­¡¯ Well you get the idea.¡± She threw the slip of paper away and let it blow with the cool breeze. ¡°Alright class, you can disperse for now, but be back when those bells chime for the finale. Jules, if you wouldn¡¯t mind holding back.¡± Cyrus stayed back as well, though he gave them some space. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more careful, especially at this Ceremony?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Ha! I¡¯m leaving for a trip soon. In the meantime, if they think of firing me¡­ Well, they''ll realize how much they need me." ¡°Why do you¡­say the things you say? About Scripts, and society, and all that.¡± ¡°Hmm, Cyrus.¡± Isolda motioned for him to join. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked. ¡°What are the Alters charged with?¡± ¡°Finding new Runes.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t they the highest Rank? Shouldn¡¯t they give us more Tomes instead? Benefit all of society, yada yada?¡± ¡°Well, I think that finding new Runes is important, too. It helps expand our knowledge¡ª¡± ¡°OK, but why doesn¡¯t everyone focus on finding new Runes, then?¡± Jules and Cy looked at each other, confused. ¡°I want you both to think about this. If Apprentices focus on Runes, Journeymen focus on Scrolls, and Masters focus on Tomes¡ªThen why do the few who reach the Genius Rank always go back to Runes again?¡± They met her with more blank stares. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer now. Think about it, and use these books as reference.¡± Isolda handed Cyrus a few books. Then she handed Jules books one by one until his pack was full. ¡°Ah, alright, that should do it,¡± Isolda said. ¡°Oh wait, Jules! Take this one, too.¡± She handed him a satchel with one final book. ¡°Take care!¡± With a mischievous grin, she turned and strutted away. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 7 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott Just like all the lovely citizens of Salvatica¡ªin this wonderful journey we call life¡ªwe begin our discourse with the Unranked Novice. Unranked, aka Novice Ch 8 - Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 3
JULES
Their teacher, Isolda, hurried off through the busied but dispersing crowd, and Jules and Cyrus stared after her. ¡°Hate to see her go,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°but love to watch her leave.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Jules said. He held up the chores list his father had given him earlier that morning. ¡°Let¡¯s knock these out, then we can drop off our applications to the Scholars Guild.¡± The two walked across the plaza and onto Armorer Avenue. Metal clanked on metal, sparks rained down, and the smell of hot iron and sweat filled the air. Tradesmen and their shops lined the street, each sold a variety of merchandise. A 1st Rank Farrier pounded away at some horseshoes for some military regiment. A Journeyman Armorer counted a stack of ingots, preparing to smelt them for a commission. Another 1st Rank Tradie¡ªJules couldn¡¯t tell his Class at a quick glance, though he guessed Farmhand¡ªsharpened a rough scythe in front of the agriculture store. Eventually they came upon The Halberd, home to Liam¡¯s favorite Smithy and Forger. Jules waved at Hal, the man outside, the man who was always outside. He banged away at crude hunks of iron on the anvil out in front of the shop. Hal lifted up his hammer to the sky and paused to smile and wave it at them. His crystalline tattoos, which extended from his broad shoulders down to his hands, dimmed briefly during the acknowledgement, but he quickly focused again on his task. Hal was a 3rd Rank Forger. Both a Class and a Faction, members of the Forgers Guild were the only group of people who knew how to create Enchantable items; of course, they had to focus so much on crafting the items that they had to leave the Enchanting to the Enchanters Guild. Hal never spoke to Jules. He preferred to hammer away. But he''s at least cordial, unlike Smitty¡­ Jules walked through the short noren curtains that acted as a door to The Halberd, which was packed with junk. Armor on mannequins; battle axes, spears, and pikes mounted on walls; swords, clubs, and other weapons sticking out of barrels; scrap metal strewn about everywhere and piled into wood crates. ¡°Whadya want?¡± Smitty asked without looking at them. ¡°Buy or get out, not time for you today.¡± He was such a massive man that his stereotypical Blacksmith apron could burst at the seams. His tattoos started at his hands, extended up his arms, and ended somewhere on his chest beneath his apron, and then continued again around his eyes. Smitty was rough, tough, and lived in the dump shop. But he is the best in town. His tattoos still glowed silver while he sharpened a claymore. ¡°You¡¯ll have time for me today. I come bearing gifts.¡± Jules admired a Shinsorai blade displayed in a place of honor on the wall. ¡°Well, not for free.¡± He unloaded some of his Inventory into two piles on the counter. Cyrus stacked a third pile. Smitty took a single glance at the loot and grunted. ¡°Second Rank? You boys?¡± He didn¡¯t drop the claymore, but his tattoos receded and he even stood up to inspect the loot. He read their descriptions and weighed them, focusing mostly on the pelts, bones, and fangs. ¡°Keep all three separate, please,¡± Jules said, and he explained how the payment should be split. He haggled with the Blacksmith for a while until they agreed on a price. ¡°Nay, twenty-five ''n fifty apiece,¡± Smitty said. ¡°Aye, yours¡¯s bigger, lad, but your pa''s the better harvester. They¡¯s the same use to me.¡± ¡°Fine. Deal,¡± Jules said. Less than I wanted, but he won¡¯t budge. ¡°And ?2,550 for me,¡± Cyrus said. Ha! Cyrus¡¯ harvest was worse than mine, and my wolf was way bigger. Smitty laughed, too. ¡°For you, it¡¯s seventeen. Look at the mess ye made." ¡°No, for me it¡¯s ?2,550, too.¡± ¡°Seventeen.¡± Smitty''s eyes narrowed. Cyrus cocked his head to the side. ¡°OK, fine. I¡¯ll go see what Ironsalt will give me.¡± Cyrus gathered his loot up slowly. Smitty balked. ¡°Comin'' into my store and say you''s leaving for that Novice. Ironsalt. Pah!¡± ¡°He¡¯ll pay more than ?1,700 for 2nd Rank loot. Maybe he can do more with it than you can.¡± Cy still hasn¡¯t put it up in his Inventory yet¡­ ¡°Gah, blast it, you little¡ªTwenty-two ''n fifty. Naught else.¡± ¡°I said ?2,550.¡± Smitty pounded the table with a fist. ¡°Not better''n Jules¡¯ or Liam¡¯s, and I just sold thems for twenty-five ''n fifty.¡± ¡°Not my fault Jules doesn¡¯t know what his loot was worth. I know his is worth more than what you¡¯re paying, and I know mine is worth ?2,550.¡± Ouch. ¡°Fuck all, then! Twenty-five ''n fifty you mangy little¡­¡± Smitty pointed at Jules. ¡°Already agreed on a price with the likes''a you, so don¡¯t try me.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it. A deal¡¯s a deal. By the way, I need a bundle of arrows. Cedar and bone.¡± ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake, boys!¡± He threw the claymore down to the ground with a clang. ¡°Coulda mentioned that when we was haggling before.¡± He muttered to himself and walked through another set of curtains to the back. Jules and Cyrus exchanged grins. Smitty peaked through the curtains. ¡°Come back in half an hour, need to craft ¡®em.¡± He disappeared behind the curtain again. Once they were at a safe distance back on the street, Jules and Cyrus burst out laughing. ¡°You got him good,¡± Jules admitted. ¡°And he got you good,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Haggling isn¡¯t everything, and besides, I don¡¯t have Mercantile ambitions like you.¡± Cyrus gazed off at the horizon, as he often did when he thought of his life goals, without a word. They proceeded to Apothecary Alley, up to the huge Alchemist¡¯s building with the double-helix piping tower. They entered and saw Sal already at the counter, purifying some mixture. Jules and Cyrus erupted into applause for him. They drummed on the display counters as they approached him and cheered him on. Sal stopped his task, and he grinned and bore the celebration. Some of the Alchemists and Apothecaries from the back popped in to see what the ruckus was about. Once they realized what was happening, they joined in as well. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Our esteemed recipient, we honor thee!¡± Jules and Cyrus both curtsied daintily. Sal smiled and shook his head. ¡°This One deserves not thy respect,¡± Sal joked back. Then he lit up his tattoos and invoked his new Scroll.
?? Purify Ingredient Toxins ??
The red mixture in his hand changed from orange to red. The two boys stared in awe. ¡°Seriously,¡± Jules leaned in and studied the vial, ¡°congratulations on getting your first Scroll so quickly. But they¡¯ve got you back to work just like that?¡± ¡°Yeah, the Hydromages and Royal Navy put in enormous orders recently.¡± Sal handed the vial to Jules. ¡°And thanks, I appreciate it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got some loot for you to purify,¡± Cyrus said. He emptied the rest of his Inventory onto the counter. Jules handed the vial back to Sal and did the same. Wolf hearts, livers, other organs, smaller teeth and bones, pairs of eyes¡ªall an Apothecary''s dream. Jules leaned in to Sal again. ¡°And they¡¯re Rank 2, so we know what they¡¯re worth.¡± Cyrus bit back a smile. Sal inspected, weighed, and put them in pickling jars. Then he pointed to a sign below the counter.
[No haggling. Set menu prices.]
Oh, come on. ¡°Fine. I need mine split in two payments. But don¡¯t forget¡ªthey¡¯re 2nd Rank.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it. You told me.¡± The Alchemists in the back invoked some Script, and red liquid flooded through the distillation glass piping that looped through the shop. ¡°Alright, Jules, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve got for you today. And thanks for watching the Ceremony today. I¡¯ll give you both a discount next time.¡± ¡°Thanks, Sal, but actually I need to buy some things today.¡± Jules handed him a list. Sal scanned it, and then his eyes bulged. ¡°Uh, does your dad know you¡¯re buying this?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I mean, I think so. He gave me the list, but that''s Evelyn''s handwriting.¡± Sal burst into laughter. It was so funny he slapped his own forehead and keeled over. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got this one in the back. Let me wrap it up for you.¡± Sal walked through the curtains to the back. ¡°Nothing unusual about that,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°No idea what''s so funny,¡± Jules said. ¡°And I''m pretty sure I want to keep it that way.¡± Sal returned smiling and handed Jules a parchment-wrapped package. ¡°Right, taking that out of your dad¡¯s share, I owe you ?2,250 and your dad¡ª¡± he shook his head and smiled again ¡°¡ªyour dad, ?1,300.¡± ¡°Oh, wow, he¡¯ll appreciate that discount¡ª¡± ¡°Shh¡ªDon¡¯t mention it.¡± He looked toward the back, where the Alchemists and shop owners were. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t.¡± Jules reached into his bag and placed two purple, roughly cylindrical crystals onto the counter next to a third, the store¡¯s crystal. The Apothecary¡¯s eyes glowed a deep shade of purple and he invoked a Script.
? Exchange ?
A stream of purple energy emerged from the store¡¯s gem and into Jules¡¯ crystals, and the Ryoku exchange was complete. ¡°You¡¯re up, Cy,¡± Sal said hurriedly. Cyrus hesitated. ¡°Eh, I was hoping for more for these eyes. I think I¡¯ll shop around first.¡± Sal rolled his eyes and sighed. ¡°Salvos,¡± he whispered. Then he shouted towards the back, ¡°Don, ten-plus on these eyes? 2nd Rank wolf.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Don shouted back. ¡°Cy¡­¡± Some not-so-muttered swearing erupted from the back. ¡°Eight,¡± the voice shouted back. ¡°Eight each,¡± Cy shouted at Don. ¡°Hell. Five each.¡± ¡°There¡¯s my extra ten. Deal,¡± Cyrus said, this time to Sal. ?2,300!? You son of a bitch. ¡°Thought these were fixed prices,¡± Jules complained. Cyrus clapped him on the back and squeezed his shoulder. ¡°Everything¡¯s negotiable.¡± He leaned in and whispered in Jules'' ear, "They gave it all to me on the eyes because they knew I''d negotiate every single item. This is a valuable life lesson, Jules¡ªYou just need to start asking the right questions." Sal laughed and transferred the Ryoku to Cyrus¡¯ crystal, which was much rougher than Jules¡¯, which in turn was much rougher than Liam¡¯s. The trio said their farewells, and Jules and Cyrus headed back to grab the arrows from The Halberd. Smitty sat fusing rough bone chips to cedar strips. His Scripts allowed him to craft them by hand¡ªthe Ryoku he poured into them allowed the Script to transform rough bone into an arrowhead and attach it to a strip of wood that the magic carved into a smooth arrow shaft¡ªall in less than a minute each. He huffed and puffed and threw the last arrow into a rucksack. ¡°Oi, me heart¡¯s gonna give out one of these days, lads. Fear you boys won¡¯t want to come to me funeral.¡± Always nicest when working on weapons. With all his might, Smitty stood up and waddled to his counter. ¡°For the furs ¡®n¡¯ such it¡¯s twenty-five-fifty apiece, less a grand for them arrows.¡± Wish he would just say it''s ?1,550¡­ Once again, Jules and Cyrus exchanged Ryoku with their crystals. ¡°Thanks, Smitty,¡± Jules said. ¡°And of course we¡¯d come pay our respects.¡± ¡°Course ye would. Cy¡¯d be there to see how much he can buy me store for.¡± He laughed heartily, which caused him to cough. He rushed them out the door. Jules transferred the arrows in the rucksack to his newly empty Inventory. Well, nearly empty, anyway. There''s always that one grayed out spot¡­ He left the sack in front of Hal outside, who still hammered away at some Forged metal. As they strolled to their last stop, the food markets, Cyrus whistled a triumphant tune. ¡°?3,550. For you anyway. Is this the most you¡¯ve ever had?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Most I¡¯ve ever made in a day, move I¡¯ve ever had at once. Hell, most I¡¯ve ever seen at once,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Today was a good day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s barely started. Let¡¯s get some food.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do that by yourself? No offense¡­¡± Cyrus stopped and stared off at the horizon again. ¡°Actually, I should repay your father''s kindness." Always careful not to mention Evelyn. Perceptive as ever. ¡°Won¡¯t work until the list is complete.¡± Jules pulled out the chores list from his father, and Cyrus grabbed it. ¡°What kind of magic is this, anyway?¡± ¡°Never thought to ask. But Dad¡¯s always had it.¡± They looked at the list, which magically had the Blacksmith and Apothecary items checked off. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to ask him about it,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Tonight. Come over for dinner. We can celebrate our Trophies.¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know¡­ Well, OK. You sold me.¡±
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 3.]
Finally, I got somewhere with my haggling today. They walked past fruit stalls with peaches, lemons and limes, bananas, pineapple, coconuts, even mango; every fruit imaginable grew in the Shattered Isles. They passed stands with spicy peppers¡ªa local favorite¡ªand cucumbers, avocados, olives. Artisanal breads, cuts of meat large and small. Open-faced fish on ice with beady, lifeless eyes next to gray shellfish. Vendors sold rice balls and sushi, sweets and nuts, and saltwater taffies. Kegs and kegs of lager and mead. It was all so overwhelming to Jules, but irrelevant. His family stuck to buying the cheaper foods with longer shelf lives¡ªsweet potatoes, day-old breads, onions, and garlic. Liam provided the meat and fish. Sometimes they splurged on some berries and fruits, but not today. Not even for his Trophy. ¡°Mother of Salvos,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Is that what I think it is!?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 8 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott We next move on to the First Rank, which of course is immediately rewarded upon a System Unlock, though a rare few¡ªthe elusive Magnus Tharlsson, for one¡ªtranscend this Rank upon their System Unlock. Rank 1, aka Apprentice Ch 9 - Bootstraps Bootstraps
JULES
Jules wrapped up his own shopping list when Cyrus walked back toward him with a cache of kiwis in one hand and a slightly duller Ryoku crystal in the other. It made Jules both happy and sad. Even fruit¡¯s a delicacy. Jules reached for a kiwi. ¡°Hey, give me one¡¯a them.¡± Cyrus swung his stash out of reach and snapped at Jules¡¯ hand. Jules laughed as his friend delicately placed each kiwi in his pack. Of course, it didn¡¯t really matter how someone physically loaded a Container Inventory, but at this moment, it was a matter of principle to Cyrus, who tossed the second-to-last one at Jules and kept the last to himself. Jules cut his in half with his hunting knife, and Cyrus gnashed his teeth into it whole. ¡°You, uh, you ever eaten one of these before, Cy?¡± ¡°Not since I was a kid.¡± Jules looked at his friend¡¯s hands, which oozed with juice and bits of kiwi fur surrounding the carnage. Cyrus smiled and displayed more kiwi fur in between his teeth. ¡°What? Waste not, want not.¡± After they¡¯d cleaned their hands, they inspected Liam¡¯s list. Whatever Script he''d used check off every item, and they watched as his signature etched across both of their Scholars Guild applications.
[Fatherly Advice ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Complete your chores list.] [Fatherly Advice ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Fatherly Advice ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Dad¡¯s signature on Scholar¡¯s Guild application.] [Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Complete your application.]
Jules and Cyrus dashed through town to Political Parkway. White buildings made of dull sandstone and shells lined the street, which contrasted the colorful wooden structures of most of Coralhaven. It gave the impression of somewhere meant to last and withstand, even if it lacked any culture. ¡°Gotta be quick, before the Ceremony bells ring again.¡± Jules walked up to the Scholars Guilds'' door. Cyrus burst through the doors without a moment''s hesitation. ¡°Runemaster Cyrus, reporting for duty, Sirs!¡± He saluted and clicked his heels at the two surprised recruiters. Jules shook his head and filed in behind. ¡°Aye, these chaps again,¡± said a hardened recruiter. ¡°Finally got the docs in order, then? Been a few days.¡± A jagged vertical scar stretched across the man''s cheek. He went by Field Recruiter Tack, but Jules and Cyrus had nicknamed him Bootstrapper. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been hunting and tracking with my father over the weekend. We had to finish his lessons before we could join.¡± ¡°Hunting?¡± The second recruiter hunched some massive books on his desk. ¡°Lot of good that will do you in the Scholars Guild.¡± Wears robes that scream, ¡®I live at the library.¡¯ Jules and Cyrus had no idea what this man''s name was, though he''d told them several times. They preferred his nickname, Bookstacker. ¡°Bah, he''s right if you¡¯re one of them boring, book-reading Scholars.¡± Bootstrapper stood up. ¡°All we Hydromages do is fight beasts in the wild.¡± ¡°Which is precisely why you are mere affiliates of the Scholars.¡± Bookstacker never stood up for them. ¡°Aye. You study magic, and we use it.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose you should thank us then,¡± Bookstacker said. Jules cleared his throat. ¡°What about you two? Do you think the Hydromages are true Scholars?¡± ¡°I plan to both study magic and use it, Sir,¡± Cyrus said, again at attention. ¡°Just like the Enchanters, Forgers, and other associated Factions, if you¡¯re a Scholar, you¡¯re a Scholar.¡± Bookstacker frowned at Jules. Bootstrapper laughed. ¡°Here are our formal applications for your review.¡± Jules bowed, which clearly pleased Bookstacker. ¡°No need to be so formal here,¡± said Bootstrapper, after he''d already received the formality. ¡°With me, anyway. Etiquette can get you killed out there.¡± The two recruiters reviewed the applications. They pointed out some items, glanced at each other, and whispered. While Jules was extremely used to it at home, he still feared rejection. Gonna be a problem somewhere, I feel it. He looked at Cyrus, who beamed with confidence. ¡°All seems in order,¡± said Bootstrapper. Bookstacker shot a look of contempt. ¡°Perhaps for the Hydromages, but as for the Scholars, I certainly have questions about your resumes here. We typically only accept one-in-ten applicants,¡± he glanced at his Hydromage partner, ¡°no matter how badly we need grunts to guard the Shrines. At which Skills do you two excel?¡± ¡°Hand-to-Hand,¡± Jules said. ¡°Stealth. Blades. But I¡¯m really interested in Conjuration.¡± Bookstacker responded by looking at Cyrus. Damn¡­ ¡°Elemental Magic. Alteration. Stealth as well.¡± ¡°And Classes which interest you are¡­?¡± ¡°Shaman,¡± Jules said. ¡°But I really just want to fight monsters.¡± Bookstacker¡¯s lost interest in me, but ole ''Straps seems intrigued. ¡°I want to be an Alter, Sir.¡± Both recruiters roared with laughter. Assholes. But at least the pressure¡¯s off me now. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What else, boy?¡± Bootstrapper asked. ¡°I will be an Alter, or I will die trying. Until then, a simple Mage or Sorcerer will do. Sir.¡± ¡°You throw those words around¡ªAlter and Sorcerer¡ªwith confidence.¡± ''Stacks is over us. ¡°Reminds me,¡± Bootstrapper said, ¡°of a Pirate Line Cook who wanted to be a Chef out in Lustris Haven.¡± ¡°He knows a lot of Runes already,¡± Jules said. ¡°He¡¯s probably mastered a few, even ready for Scrolls.¡± Bootstrapper stroked his beard. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°To who?¡± Bootstraps asked. Bookstacker muttered it should be to whom. ¡°The Pirate, Sir,¡± Cyrus said. Jules¡¯ cheeks flushed. Come on, Cy. ¡°Oh¡­ We boarded his ship. Didn¡¯t make it off alive.¡± Jules saw no break in Cyrus¡¯ resolve. ¡°Are you planning to stay true to the Scholars, or branch out to other¡­illustrious Factions?¡± Bookstacker side-eyed ''Straps. ¡°I¡¯m interested in the Arcanians and the Shinsorai,¡± Jules said. ''Stacks scoffed. ¡°The Shinsorai only take their own. Arcanians, though. Interesting topic in itself. And you?¡± ¡°The Alters, Sir.¡± ¡°With your zeal and resolve, you¡¯re better suited for the Iron Maidens.¡± ¡°Easy,¡± ''Straps said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone this brazen in all my recruiting. Completely delusional, but he deserves more respect than that.¡± ¡°Hm. Your friend mentioned Runes earlier. Of which ones are you proficient?¡± Jules hesitated, but Cyrus stepped up. ¡°Air, Earth, Water, Freeze, Liquid, Light. All proficient. Currently working on Fire and Strike.¡± Jules knew Cyrus had worked on way more than those last two. Probably being modest for my sake, though just barely. Both recruiters nodded their approval. ¡°And for Mr. Arcanian Shaman, here¡­?¡± Jules gulped. Do I lie? ¡°None, Sir.¡± They both stared blankly at him. ¡°You do realize you¡¯re at the Scholars, boy?¡± Jules just looked ahead and gave no response. ¡°Only a few more details.¡± ''Straps pressed on. ¡°Show us your Trophies.¡± Both boys pulled out glowing gold orbs from their packs, which hovered over their palms. ¡°We just got them today and haven¡¯t equipped them yet,¡± Jules said. The recruiters watched the Trophies'' replays of the boys slaying their wolves. ¡°It appears you are actually more fit for combat, Mr. Shinsorai. And you,¡± ''Stacks pointed at Cyrus, ¡°are more fit for laying traps, despite all your supposed knowledge.¡± ¡°He was ready to slay my wolf with an ice spear if I had failed,¡± Jules said. ¡°Even so, deceit is not a primary trait of the esteemed Scholars.¡± ''Straps roared with laughter. He turned around and lifted his shirt over his shoulders to expose a massive tattoo of a wooden monster with antlers. ¡°Found this one on patrol." The Trophy replayed its story on his skin. "Knew I couldn¡¯t handle it on me own, but it¡¯d killed six comrades. I had to lure it into a trap to incinerate it.¡± The monster seemed to reach out for Jules, off the man¡¯s back, but it fell into a pit that erupted in flames. He pulled his shirt back down and lifted his leg onto the table. A few inches down from his knee was a wooden prosthesis. ¡°Took me fookin¡¯ leg first, though! And that right there, it was just a child leshy. Who knows how many more it would have killed had he matured?¡± He looked at the other recruiter. ¡°Who knows how many more a 2nd Rank wolf would have caught in them woods?¡± ¡°I never knew, Tack,¡± ''Bookstacker whispered. ¡°Aye, you never asked. Now show us your Trophy.¡± Bookstacker balked at the request. ¡°It appears your Trophy will suffice for today,¡± he said to Cyrus. ¡°But it also appears that you have a bit of a record.¡± This guy¡¯s got a bone to pick with Cy. ¡°Allegedly.¡± ¡°Allegedly and¡­¡± ¡°I might have been convicted when I was younger. It¡¯s entirely possible. Sir.¡± ¡°Hmm. A record. Aspirations to become an Alter¡­¡± ''Straps snorted. ¡°Remind me of Davy Jones hisself.¡± ¡°I can vouch for Cy¡¯s character,¡± Jules said. ¡°So can my family.¡± ¡°It would appear your family has adopted him?¡± ''Stacks asked. He reviewed Cyrus'' application through furrowed brows. ¡°Almost, Sir,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Legal proceedings and all, takes a while. We are just waiting¡ª¡± ¡°Well, now.¡± ''Stacks¡¯ eyes lit up with malicious glee. ¡°Your application cannot be approved until the adoption is finalized. That, or your current guardian signs these documents before then.¡± And there¡¯s the rub. Cyrus remained silent. ¡°You know Patricia. She would never do that,¡± Jules said. ¡°Please, just accept his application and we will bring the final documents by on the day my parents receive them.¡± ¡°And you,¡± ''Stacks said to Jules. ¡°You need to learn at least one Script to join the Scholars. Until then, you can join the Fighters Guild.¡± A lump lodged in Jules'' throat. Anger spread inside him. Why is he so¡­ Jules stepped forward. ¡°Sir¡ª¡± ¡°Step back, child. I¡¯ve had enough of this debacle. We''re in dire need of candidates, it¡¯s true, but proper candidates who are studious enough to read the fine print.¡± ¡°Sir¡ª¡± ¡°This is the Scholars Guild, not some mere Faction.¡± ¡°It''s our dream, Sir¡ª¡± ¡°Return when you¡¯ve completed the requirements. You are dismissed.¡±
[Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Demonstrate your Rune knowledge.]
The injustice. Jules'' chest burned. Static around his eyes caused his surrounding hair to slowly rise. What felt like a blade pierced the emblem on his chest, though from the inside out. He took another step forward and repeated, shouted his plea. ¡°SIR!¡± The ground shifted below them once. Twice. Then the entire building shook around them. Jules and Cyrus kept their balance, though the Rumbling tried its best to throw them to the ground. ''Straps held his poise calmly, peg leg still on the table, but ''Stacks fell to the ground from his chair. Eventually, the aftershock wore off. ¡°Was that¡­?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Yeah. It was,¡± Jules said. They exchanged a quick glance and agreed to speak later, given their present company. ¡°Dear Salvos,¡± Bookstacker gasped. ¡°Was that an earthquake? In the Shattered Isles, of all places?¡± ¡°No, you buffoon,¡± Bootstrapper said. ¡°That was a Rumbling. A Shrine¡¯s appeared in Coralhaven.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 9 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott We next move to the largest population segment by Rank, Rank 2. Rank 2, aka Journeyman Ch 10 - Ultralight Beam
JULES
The bell-tower clanged away nonstop and muffled the frantic footsteps all around them. Jules and Cyrus sprinted through Coralhaven alongside all its other citizens. Each scrambled off in different directions to buy food and find their loved ones. Bootstrapper had dismissed them both minutes ago, claiming he had to go join the other Hydromages and Island Elder to create and send out a Search Party for the new Shrine. Most people would lock themselves indoors for the next few days, until the military quarantined¡ªor better yet, captured¡ªthe Shrine and deemed the town safe. They sprinted to the inland part of Coralhaven, where the buildings were less colorful and more dull, where the painted wood chipped and flayed away, where the homes were much smaller, and where the people wore simpler clothing. Even the red-light district, small as it was in this town, was shutting down. They passed drunks laid out on the ground, oblivious to the surrounding chaos. Finally, they came upon the egregiously massive stone building that housed the Coralhaven Orphanage. Some Aquilantis philanthropist many decades past commissioned the building and built it to last. The orphanage should have stood in stark contrast to the part of town it inhabited, but years of disrepair made it blend right in. Dead and dried vines spread across its walls, and weeds and uneven clumps of dirt overran the massive courtyard. No longer a proper place for the children to play, young orphans ran around the courtyard with wooden swords, slaying fake monsters of the Shrine. Jules and Cyrus played with them a bit before rushing inside to Cyrus¡¯ shared room. Kids kept running in and out of the room. ¡°Man. Bookstacker really pissed me off,¡± Jules said. "I think we should change his name to Bootlicker." ¡°Eh,¡± Cyrus shrugged, ¡°it¡¯s hard for me to be mad right now. I just need those docs finalized and I¡¯ll never see him again.¡± He dumped his belongings onto his bed. Yeah, you¡¯ve got an easy in. Though there is one shortcut¡­ "But seriously,¡± Cyrus continued, "why don¡¯t you have any Runes yet? You do a private seance with your family instead? That why you want to be a Shaman?¡± ¡°No, but we tried. Runes, not the seance. I just can¡¯t get it down, yet, and I don¡¯t want to go on stage at this age, so it has to be a private ceremony.¡± ¡°OK. Then we stop everything and train until you have it done. Got it?¡± ¡°What about your record? Think that¡¯ll be an issue?¡± Deflect, deflect. ¡°Who cares? I can¡¯t do anything about it. Stop deflecting.¡± Cyrus ate another kiwi. Two children tried to swipe one from him, but Cyrus blocked them. ¡°Here, you two guard that door. Don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± He gave them the remaining kiwis as payment, and they scurried off to slam the door behind them. ¡°So a Shrine,¡± Jules said. ¡°Sorry, Jules. Looks like you were right about that Warg.¡± ¡°Yeah. Coralhaven is about to change.¡± ¡°Siren¡¯s Cove became an adventurer¡¯s haven¡ªHey, think they''ll change the town''s name? I could coin that!" Jules laughed and looked away. "Think that¡¯ll happen here, strangers coming in?" ¡°Nope.¡± Jules smiled. He took off his pack and Isolda''s satchel and leaned back with his hands behind his head. ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Cyrus'' eyes narrowed. Jules propped his legs up on a desk and crossed them. ¡°Because we¡¯re gonna capture it.¡± ¡°Ha! Then Stacks¡¯d have to let you in.¡±
[Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective UPDATED: Demonstrate your Rune knowledge OR Capture the Coralhaven Shrine.]
Exactly. And I won¡¯t have to worry about Runes. ¡°We can check it out tonight. We need to act fast while we have an advantage. The Hydromages have probably already started hunting for it, and the Navy will be here by morning, ''Straps said so. They¡¯ll be out there all night until they find it or get replaced with fresh recruits¡ªover and over again.¡± ¡°OK, say we go find it tonight.¡± Cyrus savored the last bit of his kiwi. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Then we make a plan. Get some weapons. Go in and capture it¡ª¡± ¡°Are you crazy? You don¡¯t even know any Runes.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m better with a blade than you. And my Stealth Skill is way higher. And I¡¯m better with bows. What I''m trying to say is, I''m just better than you." Cyrus threw a ravaged fruit husk at him. "We can work together and capture it before anyone finds out.¡± ¡°Or die trying.¡± Well¡­ ¡°Trust me,¡± Jules said. ¡°We can do it. If we get close and find some monsters we can¡¯t handle, I''ll abandon the plan. Think of this as your first step to becoming an Alter.¡± ¡°Listen. Nothing is more important to me than becoming an Alter. Not even dear ''Ole Patty. But if I die young¡­ I know said I¡¯d die trying, but that¡¯s if I¡¯ve got no other option, and right now, I have plenty.¡± That¡¯s fine. I just need your help to find it. Actually, it¡¯s safer that you stay back, anyway. I¡¯d never get you killed. ¡°Fine. We just find it tonight. Then we go home. If we run into trouble before that, we go home.¡± ¡°Sweet. I¡¯m in. Now let¡¯s equip our Trophies.¡±
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 4.]
Children burst through the door. Cover¡¯s blown. Just in time. ¡°Hey, kids,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°You wanna see something cool?¡± He pulled up his Trophy for them to gawk at. He¡¯s like a brother to them. Or maybe more like a father. ¡°Come on, Jules." Jules'' heart sank. He broke out into a cold sweat. Will a Trophy stick to my skin? Plus, I¡¯d have to take off my shirt. The emblem on Jules'' chest burned. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got to get back home with this food. Plus, with the Rumbling, Dad will be worried.¡± ¡°Parents, am I right?¡± Cyrus rubbed one of the kid¡¯s heads. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Hmph. Damn Rumbling will be the end of this town." A wave of tension filled the room, and Jules could have sworn it became suddenly darker. Patricia, the orphanage house mother, leaned against the doorway. "We¡¯ll be overrun by tourists and fools with death wishes.¡±What a¡­ Guess that¡¯s why the kids abandoned their posts. Cy must have picked up on it. ¡°Hey, Patty,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°you¡¯re just in time to see this wolf I killed.¡± He stood up, took off his shirt, and equipped the Trophy to his back. Everyone watched the wolf¡¯s eyes bulge as it hanged and swayed through the sky. The children all ran off screaming and laughing. Patricia glared at the two of them. ¡°Sick. Both of you. Put that damn thing away. Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± She left, and Jules shivered in her silent wake. ¡°She cooks now?¡± ¡°Hell no, mate,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°That means it¡¯s prepped, and I have to cook it." "So no dinner at my place tonight, then?" For the better. I can think of a way to get around the Trophy situation. Jules felt sorry for Cyrus and the other children. He especially felt guilty regarding the children, as he and his family were about to rip Cyrus away from them. ¡°Afraid not. And they¡¯ll be fine,¡± Cyrus said, as if he could read Jules¡¯ mind. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up tonight and track our steps back to where I spotted the Warg. We¡¯ll go from there.¡± They clasped hands, and Jules headed out. Jules walked home along a path outside of town, on the inland side, to be alone. No one will be out this far, this close to the forest right now. Should be safe to practice. If only they could see what Runes I know, but that¡¯s the problem. They can¡¯t see them. Jules looked at his palms. Six years ago, when he was ten and expected to go through the Fall Ceremony as a First Year, he tried carving Runes into his palms, the backs of his hands, on his forearms. Nothing ever took. The wounds always healed and the Runes always disappeared. Well, not disappear entirely¡­ Jules messed around with some Runes he''d learned so far. Water, Air, Speed, Freeze. Each time he invoked a Script, the emblem on his chest would glow bright red. Even the Water Rune, which should have glowed blue, remained crimson for him. Jules knew he was an Arcanic, one of the Fourteen¡ªit was clear from his Stat Screen¡ªbut his parents had never told him which one. Obviously not a Virtue, which would only leave¡­ Hell, especially with the way Mom¡ªI mean Evelyn¡ªtreats me. But which one am I? Do they even know?
? Air ? ? Speed ? [?9,300 // ?10,000]
A quick gust of wind whirled around Jules for a second, like a little tornado.
? Water ? ? Freeze ? [?8,300 // ?10,000]
Jules created a small dagger out of ice, similar to Cyrus¡¯ spear in its crudeness. He turned his other hand over and carved a jagged Water Rune into it. Not a proper Inker, but it''ll suffice. Jules watched the glyph fade away as his skin steamed and Regenerated itself. Hm. Maybe this will work¡­ Jules equipped his Trophy to his back. He¡¯d have to check it out later at home to see if it would fade away, too. As he drew closer to home, he suppressed his disappointment and worries about joining the Scholars. That¡¯s a problem for another day. No¡ªIt won''t matter soon, so don¡¯t even think about it. When Jules¡¯ father got home much later, they had an excited discussion about Shrines. Jules thanked him for not doubting him about the Warg earlier, and Liam told Jules some Shrine lore, and about all the various heroes across Salvatica who had captured Vessels from the Shrines. They ate dinner, and Jules avoided Evelyn all night. Both of his parents went off to their bedroom and Jules went off to his, just like any other normal night. A few hours later, Jules crept out of his window to go meet Cyrus.
Jules leaned against a tree at the very edge of the forest when he saw Cyrus creep up their usual path. One of the moons, in its crescent form for the season, hovered above Cyrus¡¯ head, though it didn¡¯t illuminate them or their surroundings very well. Owls hooted and bats fluttered inside the lush green forest. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Jules asked. ¡°The military, man.¡± Cyrus looked back toward Coralhaven, down one side of the hill. ¡°Fresh Hydromages arrived in the last few hours. They¡¯re buzzing all over my part of town, enforcing curfew on us ne''er-do-well folk. Said the Navy¡¯d be here soon.¡± Jules looked towards the port, though another hill blocked it, and surveyed the sea beyond it for masts and sails. As he scanned the water, his eyes locked onto the city of Aquilantis off in the distant east. Seems to shine even brighter at night. Light glistened off of the ever-changing bridges of the city, which disconnected and reconnected various spires to each other. ¡°We better get moving. It¡¯s only gonna get harder to see. Shouldn¡¯t slow us down too much, but it will.¡± Jules marched off toward the morning¡¯s hunting grounds. From dusk ¡®til dawn. ¡°Well, you know,¡± Cyrus began. Oh no, I know that tone. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a new Rune.¡±
? Light ?
A sizzling flare illuminated them in the darkness and sparked embers around them like a firecracker. ¡°Oh, shit." Cyrus stamped out the light as quickly as he''d ignited it. Jules laughed despite his irritation. ¡°Better stick to Dark, champ. Come on, let¡¯s double-time away from here.¡± ¡°Unless you have a better Rune up your sleeve,¡± Cyrus said before Jules could move away. What¡¯s that supposed to mean¡ª Oh shit. Jules had looked away from Cyrus to divert the question, but spotted a torch off in the distance. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 10 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott Those bold enough to ascend past Rank 2 (such as your illustrious, esteemed, and modest author) are awarded with the bountiful advantages of Rank 3. Rank 3, aka Master Rank 4, aka Genius Those wishing to achieve the pinnacle of success and power would be wise to turn around now. Anyone reading this book is highly unlikely to ever achieve the illustrious, the esteemed, the coveted, Genius Rank, Rank 4. However, if you would like to educate yourself on what little is known about this Rank, read on at your own risk. Ch 11 - Congratulations
JULES
Jules squatted down and motioned for Cyrus to do the same. ¡°Soldiers up ahead, where we normally enter,¡± Jules whispered. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find this Shrine before they do.¡± He directed them around the side of a hill to climb a much steeper slope, out of sight of the Search Party. Once on top, Jules took advantage of the high ground to survey the group.
[Pang! Stealth increased to level 9.]
Jules silenced his System notifications again, and motioned for Cyrus to do the same. ¡°One step ahead of you. Again,¡± Cyrus replied. ¡°I swear, you¡¯ll never learn.¡± ¡°Looks like they¡¯re still wandering aimlessly, though in the right general direction. Let¡¯s book it to the ravine and rest there.¡± ¡°Roger, Cap¡¯n.¡± The two crouched down and moved as quickly and silently as their Stealth Skills would allow them. Trees became denser as they progressed through the lush forest, a mix of evergreens and palm trees. Jules made little sound as he jumped and swept over rock formations and logs overgrown with mushrooms that laid in his way, but he tended to trip and stumble through the underbrush between patches of wildflowers and clover. Cyrus, on the other hand, moved with poise and balance, though he made much more sound. Even when relying on his Skills, he moves with purpose and precision. Should take note of that. Eventually, they made it to where Jules had spotted the Warg. Blood still stained the ground where Jules had sliced the 2nd Rank wolf¡¯s neck wide open. Cyrus¡¯ earth spikes lingered from the dirt as well. They raced up the ravine. Jules got there first, as always, and then he focused on his Tracking Skill to find a hint of the Warg. Cyrus followed suit. ¡°Why bother?¡± Jules teased. ¡°My Level is way higher than yours.¡± ¡°Figure I can use the practice. Plus, you may have the higher Skill, but I¡¯m more observant. You rely too much on the System sometimes.¡± ¡°Funny, I was just thinking that back there, after almost tripping the fourth time.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve thought about it after the first time.¡± Jules crouched down to inspect the ground. No footprint, no scent, no nothing. Had to have left something behind. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t know any Tracking Runes you¡¯ve been holding out on me?¡± Cyrus asked. Where¡¯re these questions coming from? ¡°No,¡± Jules said. ¡°Can¡¯t get any to stick.¡± Technically the truth. ¡°Interesting choice of words, stick¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± And why am I sweating? ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Cyrus said. He walked over to a tree to inspect it, but Jules suspected he faked it. ¡°Just lots of sticks out on the ground tonight. So, where do you want to end up with the Scholars?¡± Something rustled in the bushes, and both boys crouched down and waited for it to move again. Jules wiped the sweat off his brow. He was burning up. Emblem on my chest is going mad tonight. A small white blur zipped across a small clearing up ahead. They both laughed at themselves for being frightened by something so small. ¡°Still,¡± Jules said, ¡°could be a wolf cub, which would mean more nearby.¡± No sooner than taking two steps, they heard a deep howl. From the opposite direction? Faster than he¡¯d ever done before, Jules squatted down, drew his bow, and knocked an arrow. Cyrus swept around a tree for cover and invoked his Runes to make another crude ice spear. His tattoos glowed a faint blue. More rustling ahead. A few feet from Jules, four wolves rushed by them, headed in the same direction as the white blur, as if in pursuit. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Jules said. He panted. Didn¡¯t realize I was holding my breath so long. ¡°Four of them just rushed by me. They saw me, I could see it in their eyes, but they kept running.¡± Jules caught his breath. ¡°They¡¯re following that trail ahead, but we should wait a bit longer,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We need to follow them while we can still hear them.¡± Jules left the cover of the trees and walked a few paces. ¡°GRRRR¡­¡± A lone wolf stalked toward Jules from the side. Drool dripped down from its bared fangs. The sounds of the other wolves grew farther off into the distance. ¡°Jules.¡± ¡°I see him.¡± Jules slowly raised his bow and kept his body perpendicular to the wolf¡¯s approach. Feign ignorance. ¡°Give him the ¡®ole 1-2 combo, in 3¡­2¡­¡± Jules swung to face the wolf and loosed an arrow into its side. Cyrus hurled his spear at the stunned wolf¡¯s heart, which killed it instantly. First sign of trouble. Let¡¯s see how long Cyrus lasts. I just need to find the Shrine, then he can go home. ¡°Come on.¡± Jules slung his bow and his neck and crept forward through to the clearing. He tracked the wolves¡¯ paw prints to a babbling brook just up ahead and didn''t look back to see if Cyrus still followed. Excellent, a change in geography. ¡°Never knew this was here,¡± Cyrus said behind Jules. ¡°That¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t.¡± Wait for it¡­ ¡°Ahh¡ªI see.¡± Cyrus clapped Jules on the back. "Congratulations, Jules. You did it." ¡°We did it. But you can head back if you want.¡± ¡°Hell no. Lead the way.¡± They followed the ravine around a bend, where the stream depressed into the land so much that the two lost sight of what was around them, their heads just level with the ground above. Completely lost the wolves now, but that doesn¡¯t matter. This water leads straight to the Shrine. ¡°...And then she stepped on the ball!¡± Out of sight, three men, Soldiers, cackled away in the night breeze. Jules and Cyrus clambered up the ravine in the opposite direction and took cover in the underbrush. ¡°The Level Ups tonight will be insane,¡± Jules whispered. Cyrus elbowed him in the ribs. The three men carried torches far on the other side of the ravine and continued to talk loudly. As if unafraid of what¡¯s really out here. They¡¯re close, but not going in our direction. Jules followed the water through the underbrush. Cyrus motioned for him to stop, but Jules forged on ahead. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell, I hate night duty,¡± one man said. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± another said. ¡°Talkin'' about a new Shrine¡ªbeen ages since Coralith got a new one!¡± ¡°Damn Verdant Domain¡¯s been hoggin¡¯ ¡®em all lately. Them and those blasted Obsidians,¡± the third soldier said. ¡°Just leave it to the Navy, I says. By morn, I¡¯ll be off duty and asleep.¡± ¡°Idiot,¡± the third said. ¡°This is inland, it¡¯s our problem. Call yourself a Hydromage¡­¡± ¡°Watch it. Been fighting Drowners since before you soiled your breeches.¡± ¡°Aye, and Kraken too, I reckon.¡± Jules advanced slowly, but more quickly than the trio of Soldiers. He¡¯d stopped paying attention to Cyrus a while ago, but trusted he¡¯d stay close by. ¡°Heard the Navigators were en route. Wanted to hole up in Coralhaven for a bit, I bet.¡± Why would the Navs be coming in? Jules turned to find Cyrus, who wasn¡¯t too far behind, and made some hand gestures. Send that way. Cyrus flipped off Jules. Then he faked a gasp and covered his mouth with the other hand. Slowly, and with a feigned struggle, Cyrus grabbed his middle finger and pulled it down, then grabbed his thumb and pulled it out. Cheeky bastard. I must be burning through his patience. Jules couldn¡¯t hear the whispered invocation from this distance, but saw Cyrus¡¯ hand tattoos and eyes glow. Loud rustling sounds erupted near the Hydromages, and the gust of wind travelled down a path away from the ravine. One of the Hydromages laughed at the others. ¡°Always jumpy, new blood. Come, let¡¯s follow whatever beast that be.¡± The seasoned Soldier led his protesting crew off into the distance. Once they were far enough away, Cyrus caught up to Jules. ¡°Can¡¯t believe the Navs are getting involved,¡± Jules said. ¡°Yeah, well, gotta play it safe. Never know how dangerous a Shrine will be.¡± ¡°Anyway, to answer your question back there, about the Scholars, I¡¯m serious about the Arcanians and Shinsorai. So I guess in two years, I¡¯ll head to the south of The Verdant Domain.¡± ¡°Hm. Shinsorai only take their own people." Cyrus stopped in his tracks. "But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll make an exception for someone¡­like you.¡± Jules turned to face his best friend with that familiar lump in his throat. His emblem burned. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± It was more of a statement than a question. Here we go. This conversation has been a long time coming. ¡°Jules,¡± Cy said. ¡°Why are we really out here?¡± Breathe. Calm down. ¡°We''re here so I can find a way to join the Scholars. You know that.¡± Leave it be, Cy. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just learn a bloody Rune, then?¡± Cyrus demanded. Jules clenched his fists. Well, Cy, I¡¯ve certainly fucking tried. ¡°Well, Cy,¡± Jules said. ¡°I¡¯ve certainly f¡ª¡± Jules cried out and fell to his knees. The emblem on his chest seared with pain. He clutched it, trying to ease himself. A dozen daggers pierced outward, trying to escape from within him. A twig or branch snapped behind them. Then another one, then a rustle. Jules saw the antlers first. The Warg burst through some trees toward them, then slowed its charge. It eyed Jules curiously, cautiously. Both boys froze. The beast was powerful, dangerous, and beautiful all at once, with a towering body, like that of a wolf, and a stag¡¯s rack of antlers. Its massive feet were a mixture of both paws and hooves. Before Jules could study it, before he could admire it further, it dashed off again down the bank. Numb to the pain through adrenaline, Jules jumped to his feet and pursued it. Cyrus yelled after him. The distance between the three continued to grow, and Cyrus shouted louder still. Dammit, going to draw their attention¡ªshut up, Cy! Jules slowed down as he approached a zig-zagging bend that was blocked by a different creature entirely. Even though it was in a playful bow and wagged its bushy tail, it growled at him. Jules¡¯ emblem pulsed, without pain this time, and he felt a longing desire, like he''d discovered a missing piece of himself. Odd, usually my chest only causes me pain. This is more like¡­sorrow? ¡°I think I¡ªI think I know you.¡± Jules kneeled and offered out a hand. ¡°Come here, little one.¡± The beast softened its face a little. Is that fox¡­purring? Cyrus rounded the corner fast and knocked both Jules and himself to the ground. The little white fox growled again and turned its back to them. It snapped at the air and backed up into them. Jules saw the Warg before he heard it; it rushed around the opposite bend and charged straight into Jules, antlers down. Jules hit the ground, dazed. His diaphragm heaved, desperate to get air back in his system. On my back? Broken rib. He gasped and tried to get back up. ¡°Cy,¡± Jules wheezed. Cyrus was glowing¡ªactually, two Cyruses were glowing right now¡ªand a dozen shards of ice floated above his head. Jules didn''t hear him invoke the Scripts beyond the ringing in his ears. The fox continued to growl between Jules and their common enemy. Odd, kind of like I have that Tome that Hydromage got earlier today¡ªNo, focus Jules. It just feels threatened, too. Two Cyruses merged back into one, and Jules¡¯ vision returned. Jules focused his Regeneration on the rib. Cyrus had been busy dodging the Warg¡¯s charges and launching his ice shards at it. Still laid out flat on the ground, Jules nocked an arrow and fired. For the third time today, he struck his target''s side. The Warg thrashed its hind legs about, only further enraged. It lowered down its head and neck, dug its feet into the ground, and bared its fangs. Cyrus launched three more shards at its neck, and Jules fired another arrow. He threw his bow aside, and then it rushed Jules again. It trampled over the little fox. Heavy paws crushed it into the ground, and it squealed and whimpered in the mud. Jules got to his feet and dodged the charge just in time. He drew his father''s short sword he''d borrowed for the night from its sheath. His chest was practically on fire. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so protective of that fox, but you''re gonna regret that. The Warg charged Cyrus again and knocked him aside. Jules was next. Both man and beast lunged toward each other. Jules grazed the side of its face with his blade but caught antlers to the chest again. It catapulted him through the air, and he landed next to Cyrus. Jules'' lungs collapsed, and the rib snapped a second time. He was afraid for Cyrus¡¯ life, for the fox¡¯s too. Steam rose off Jules'' body. No other choice. Either way, he¡¯s gonna see it. Flames flickered around Jules'' eyes, which now glowed crimson red. The Warg lunged at full speed, though it appeared in slow motion to Jules. He aimed both of his opened palms at the monster and shouted.
? FIRE ? [?2,500 // ?10,000]
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 11 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by B.S. Snelliott Rank 4, aka Genius, aka Alters (for only the Scholars Guild) Ch 12 - Knockin On Heavens Door
JULES
A stream of green flames erupted from Jules¡¯ palms and scorched the Warg¡¯s face and antlers. It recoiled and swung about. It stopped, dropped, and rolled on the ground and then leapt into the water to put itself out. ¡°Came from over there,¡± one of the Hydromage Soldiers shouted, far off in the distance. Jules sighed with relief, despite all his pain, and looked at Cyrus. His friend stared back, wide eyed, confused. Jules instinctively reached for a vial of medicine, but let it be. Too late for that. The show''s already over. ¡°Can you get up?¡± ¡°Jules¡­ What was that?¡± ¡°Please, Cy. Don''t.¡± Cyrus didn¡¯t respond. Regeneration¡¯s not working fast enough. Jules reached into his pack for his purple Ryoku crystal, and consumed the entire cache, everything he''d earned that day. So long, savings. His rib repaired itself immediately. He got to his feet and stumbled over to Cyrus, who¡¯d been tossed around the bend. ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus groaned. He caressed his own ribs. ¡°What was that?¡± Jules took one step toward him, then another step, and another¡ªand then he saw it, a short distance behind Cyrus. The red torii gate towered above the ravine''s bank, among the trees. Two massive, round columns held up two arched lintels. A translucent veil shimmered across the inside of the gate.
[The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Investigate the Warg] [New Quest Available: The Shrine of Coralhaven] [New Reward Available for The Shrine of Coralhaven: Unknown Vessel] [The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Capture the Shrine.]
But some type of magic shoved both the Shrine and Cyrus to either side of Jules'' periphery. He no longer heard Cyrus¡¯ questioning. He no longer saw the veil sway. Before Jules now stood a massive black door, conjured from thin air. Its ethereal edges wavered like black flames. Jules reached his hand up slightly, slowly, towards its doorknob. Heat resonated from it. His hand trembled, but he grabbed it. The skin on his hand scalded and bubbled away. The pain was immense, but he couldn¡¯t turn away now.
DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR.
The ominous warning shocked Jules back to his senses. He looked down at his hand. Bone, sinew, muscle¡ªall exposed through his eviscerated hand. He gasped and jumped back reflexively. Jules'' hand returned to normal, and he looked back up at the black door. But it was gone. Only the Shrine, and Cyrus on the ground before it, remained. ¡°Fire''s over there. Hurry it up, lads!¡± a Soldier shouted. ¡°Jules¡ªPay attention! They¡¯re closing in.¡± Jules snapped out of his daydream. He hoisted Cyrus to his feet with his left hand¡ªafraid to use his right, though it appeared normal now¡ªwrapped an arm around his shoulder, and dragged him off through the forest. After a few steps, he turned back to face the Shrine¡¯s gate. He was confused about the door, but also filled with dread. I¡¯ve led them straight to it. He invoked another Rune.
? Muffle ? [?2,200 // ?10,000]
Jules fled the Shrine. He didn''t even bother to utilize his Stealth Skill¡ªhe''d spent long enough hiding from others. Besides, no one would hear them now.
[New Quest Available: Shut the Damn Door] [New Reward Available for Shut the Damn Door: ???] [Shut the Damn Door¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Do not open the door.]
Jules finally stopped at the edge of the forest, where they¡¯d started the night¡¯s journey. Despite their condition, it only took Jules half the time to get back. He lowered his injured friend¡ªhis best friend, his only friend, really¡ªto the ground and leaned him up against a tree. Jules didn''t know what to say. It''s my fault he''s hurt. Him and that fox. ¡°Well, Jules, I don''t know what you were so nervous about.¡± Cyrus coughed and hacked. ¡°Seems you know some Scripts after all.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you seem surprised?¡± ¡°Did you forget about our agreement?¡± Jules felt the gash on his face for the first time. It steamed slightly as it healed. He turned that cheek away from his friend. Warg¡¯s antlers must have gotten me. Still, Cyrus doesn¡¯t seem to suspect anything concrete. Yet. ¡°No,¡± Jules said. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°What, you just don¡¯t feel like sharing? You know I¡¯ve been working on the Fire Rune for months. Why keep it a secret?¡± Cyrus straightened himself. Jules¡¯ internals were completely healed now, which on one hand was nice, but on the other, his facial wound Regeneration picked up steam. Literally. Not gonna be easy to hide this. ¡°The truth is,¡± Jules said, ¡°I can¡¯t control it." Again, technically the truth. ¡°Show me the Rune.¡± ¡°No.¡± Cyrus sighed, then struggled to his feet. ¡°Show me.¡± He shoved Jules. Jules shoved him back. ¡°I said no.¡± Cyrus tackled Jules to the ground. As gently as he could, Jules pushed his friend off and got to his feet. He looked down at Cyrus. ¡°Getting up fast for the beating you took, Jules. Show me.¡± Again, Cyrus rose to his feet. That damn look of determination. A flurry of punches and kicks later, they were back on the ground. They wrestled and threw dirt in each other¡¯s eyes, and got back to their feet. Cyrus lit up.
? Water ? ? Freeze ?
Cyrus brandished a shield of ice. Adrenaline flooded Jules. He felt betrayed, threatened, cornered. Jules took his kickboxing stance. No way in hell I end up like Sloth. ¡°Cy. Leave it alone.¡± ¡°Show me your fucking Seal!¡± It was the last word that ignited Jules¡¯ rage, his fight or flight. Fight. Jules lunged at his best friend. Fury had him gripped. He beat the ice shield with bare knuckles and shin kicks, over, and over, and over, until it cracked, and again, and again, until it shattered, and drove Cyrus backward with a kick to the chest. Jules went to throw a finishing punch¡ª A loose array of ice shards, much smaller this time, floated above Cyrus¡¯ head. ¡°Don¡¯t make me find out this way,¡± Cyrus said. Jules snapped. He unleashed a primal battle cry and, in a Ryoku-powered flash, tackled Cyrus to the ground. The shards of ice fell listlessly from the surrounding air. Jules pinned him down, knee on belly, and looked at him with murderous intent. His eyes were on fire with red flames; his Seal burned crimson even through his shirt. Cyrus just lied there, and Jules couldn¡¯t detect a hint of judgment in his demeanor, just focus. Jules drew his hunting knife, and the blade ignited as well. ¡°You wanna see so badly?¡± Jules ripped his shirt open to expose his emblem, his Seal, the mark of all Arcanics¡ªboth Sins and Virtues. His took the shape of the numeral 7. "Jules¡ª" The first traces of fear crept across Cyrus'' face. You would have found out, eventually. Jules flipped the knife around in his hand and plunged it into the Seal. Cyrus grabbed Jules¡¯ wrist just in time, before the blade pierced past his muscle and into his ribcage. Jules froze, wide-eyed, and the flames of his eyes faded away. Quickly, he got off Cyrus and stepped back. Cyrus inhaled sharply, his diaphragm finally free again. He took a few breaths and then cracked up laughing. What the Hell is going on? Jules sheathed his knife and helped Cyrus to his feet. ¡°How long?¡± Jules demanded. Cyrus wiped tears away from laughing so hard. ¡°Ten years. We¡¯ve been friends for ten years. It was impossible to hide it.¡± ¡°Be serious. This is my life. Who else knows?¡± Again, a demand. ¡°Nobody knows but me. At least I think so.¡± Cyrus hunched over and grabbed his sides. Jules collapsed on the ground. Then he started laughing, too. ¡°Yeah, that was pretty dramatic." ¡°You have no idea. That¡¯s hilarious. Gotta admit, though, I wanted to see what happened next, with the knife. Morbid curiosity and all. But I didn¡¯t want your blood all over me.¡± ¡°Yeah, like that wolf on me this morning. So, how? And how long?¡± Cyrus sighed. ¡°First off, I¡¯ve always been suspicious of Evelyn. She''s so mean to you, dismissive. Meanwhile, Liam takes you so seriously.¡± It was the first time Jules had ever heard Cyrus say Liam. ¡°Never saw how they meshed, why he would stay with her.¡± ¡°Yeah, she probably wants to keep it hidden more than I do.¡± Jules gazed off toward Aquilantis. ¡°One time, I came over and heard her slip. Regeneration. I just¡­went home. Confused, but I stayed silent, kept it to myself. None of you knew I was there that day. That¡¯s when I started suspecting, for obvious reasons. Probably three years ago.¡± ¡°Salvos, three years. And still, you never said a word.¡± Jules pulled out Liam¡¯s Ryoku crystal and tossed it to Cyrus, who was still clearly in pain. ¡°What else? Lay it all out.¡± ¡°Speak of the devil¡ªer, sorry¡ªbut the medicine.¡± Cyrus activated the crystal to heal himself. Though slower and less efficient than the medicinal route, it was still effective. ¡°All that medicine, man. I thought it odd she¡¯d pay so much for you to use it when she¡­" Hates me. "So yeah, I might have¡­inspected it once, and saw that it was empty. A few hours later, you pretended to use it.¡± Jules laughed. ¡°Ironic, the one who wants to keep it hidden the most is also the worst at hiding.¡± ¡°And then today, after you left the orphanage. You forgot that satchel Isolda gave you. I chased you down, but then I saw you using Runes.¡± Ah, shit. ¡°Yep. In broad daylight. Stupid. I figured everyone was distracted by the Shrine.¡± Jules put his hands behind his head and laid back to look at the stars. ¡°That was stupid. Really stupid. One of Isolda''s books mentioned Seals can absorb Scripts, but still, I took a gamble tonight. I didn¡¯t know for sure.¡± They sat in silence. Cyrus healed himself as best he could, and Jules tried to read the constellations. ¡°Who are you?¡± Jules felt the first tinge of judgment from his friend. He lifted himself up on an elbow and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°My name is Jules.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Sorry.¡± Cyrus averted his gaze. Jules laid back down. ¡°But I don¡¯t know. They won¡¯t tell me. Probably on purpose, to prevent it from taking form, but I have a few guesses. Hell, they may not even know.¡± ¡°If he hadn¡¯t already been caught, I would''ve bet you¡¯re Sloth, you lazy fuck.¡± They laughed it off, finally relieved of all the night¡¯s tension. Cyrus dug into his backpack and pulled out a satchel. He threw it at Jules. ¡°By the way, here¡¯s the book that turned your life upside down.¡± ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s see how much my secret identity is worth.¡± Jules opened the satchel and pulled it out. The lump returned to his throat. Fear paralyzed him. "Why would she¡­" ¡°Oh Salvos, what?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Cy¡ªI don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one who knows.¡± Jules held up a copy of The Sins of Our Fathers, the definitive book regarding the Seven Deadly Sins. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 12 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Our Fathers'' by B.S. Snelliott It all started two years before the Fateful Night (2 BFN). All across Salvatica, various High Priests independently discovered dark omens in the night sky. The stars shifted and created new constellations. The High Priests and their Scries deciphered individual parts of what came to be known as The Prophecy of Salvos¡ªthe foretelling of the Fateful Night. Fourteen messages in all, that foretold of The Fourteen that would be born on the same night, at the same hour, when the sun finally set on the western shores of Salvatica. Many dedicated to the Faith took it upon themselves to root out the evil prophesied to arrive. None of the Sins were captured that night, but the most zealous and hardened fanatics among the chaotic night assembled into what became known as the Iron Maidens Faction. Ch 13 - Red Red Wine
JULES
Evelyn¡¯s shell-shocked. Dad finally stopped pacing. Probably strategizing, making all sorts of contingency plans before speaking. B.S. Snelliott''s The Sins of Our Fathers laid face-up on the dining room table. All four of them stared at it from their chairs surrounding it. Any sign of an interrupted sleep had been wiped clean off Jules¡¯ parents¡¯ faces. Jules didn¡¯t dare look anyone in the eyes, not even Cyrus. It didn¡¯t burn, but he felt tension around the Seal on his chest. The lump in his throat had returned. Evelyn crossed her arms and sighed. She muttered something Jules couldn¡¯t make out, but Liam must have, judging by the glare he gave her. He looks so stressed, he could stroke out. ¡°If Cy knows," Liam said, "it''s very likely Isolda does, too.¡± Jules and Cyrus glanced at each other. Both caught Liam saying the familiar Cy for the first time. Evelyn loudly refilled her glass of wine, clanging glass bottle to glass stemware. She picked up the glass above her head and swirled it while she listlessly looked at her distorted reflection in the glass. ¡°Cheers.¡± She both toasted and drank alone. ¡°Your true nature was bound to come out sometime. Tired of hiding it, to be honest. Now I¡¯ll have to bear it for the rest of my life. The shame. Of you.¡± She slouched down on the table, her glass empty again. Not holding anything back tonight, are you? ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Liam cautioned her. ¡°I just wanted a normal child, a chance at a normal life." She went for a second refill. "Instead, I gave birth to an abomination who¡ª¡± Liam slammed a fist on the table. Wine splashed out of Evelyn¡¯s glass onto the table. ¡°Enough.¡± She just looked lazily at the wine that seeped into the wood. Staining it, tarnishing it¡­ ¡°I am sorry it got out,¡± Jules said, ¡°and to have put you all in this situation. I understand how¡ª¡± ¡°You understand nothing!¡± Evelyn sat back up when she snapped at him. ¡°Do you know what they¡¯ll do to us? When they find out we¡¯ve known?¡± She buried her head in her hands and moaned. ¡°No. I don¡¯t,¡± Jules said. ¡°But I do know what they¡¯ll do to me.¡± Liam and Cyrus turned their attention to Jules, but Evelyn didn¡¯t bother. ¡°That won¡¯t happen to you, Son,¡± Liam said. ¡°Not like Greed, not like Sloth. I¡¯ll keep you safe to my dying breath.¡± ¡°Certainly not his,¡± Evelyn said with a laugh. The Tragedy of Sloth. The chilling thought repeated, reverberated in his mind. ¡°Cyrus¡­Cy,¡± Liam said. ¡°How did you find this out? Leave nothing out.¡± Cyrus told Mr. Tideshaper everything he¡¯d encountered that led him to suspect Jules was Arcanic. Everything except the Shrine. Clearly not satisfied with Cyrus¡¯ report, Liam pushed for more information. ¡°The pieces aren¡¯t adding up for me, yet.¡± Cyrus shrugged in response and remained silent. Thanks for trying. Starting to see how you kept this secret for so long. ¡°We," Jules said, "well¡ªI made Cy, and it was my idea, but we found the Shrine. And the door.¡± Liam stood up from the table, put both hands on it, and leaned close to them. A cloak of darkness ushered around them all. The lights of the candles all but extinguished. ¡°Salvos damn your stupidity, Son. Strike it from yourself immediately. You too, Cy. Even before you knew about Jules, that was a terrible decision. If you ever do something so rash before considering how bad the consequences are, you will compromise this family.¡± Jules gulped. ¡°I understand, Dad." ¡°Understood, Liam,¡± Cyrus said. Also a first. To his face, at least. ¡°The Hydromages and Royal Navy are all over this town, and now you¡¯re telling me the Navigators will be here. Leave that damn Shrine be, and don¡¯t put yourself in any other dangerous situations while you¡¯re at it.¡± Liam sat back down, sighed, and rubbed his temple. Jules noted how the darkness disappeared with his father''s anger. ¡°What about this door you mentioned?" Huh? ¡°What door?¡± Jules asked. ¡°You just said you found the Shrine and a door.¡± No, I didn¡¯t¡ª Memories of his vision at the Shrine flooded his mind. The excruciating pain returned to his hand, and he checked it to make sure it was still unharmed. ¡°It was sort of like my fever dreams, but a waking dream¡­and there was that fox, too.¡± Liam perked up. ¡°What fox? Was its fur white?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, it was. It felt like I knew it somehow.¡± ¡°Fucking fox and samurai ruined my life.¡± Evelyn downed the rest of her wine. ¡°Samurai?¡± Jules asked his father. ¡°Kanban,¡± Evelyn mocked. ¡°His name was Kaizen. He brought you that fox to help guide you, but we were separated. Her name is Rukia. I wonder why she didn¡¯t follow you. Did she say anything to you?¡± ¡°Did the fox say anything¡­?" Jules asked slowly, confused. "And you said his name was Kaizen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he survived the fight at¡ª" Liam paused. "When we fled our home.¡± Damn, he almost slipped. ¡°And yes, didn¡¯t she talk to you? She spoke to us. Certainly had a lot to say.¡± ¡°No, she just growled. I don¡¯t know which way she went, but all of us scrambled, even the Warg.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Well, when you find her again¡ªor I should say when she finds you¡ªbring her back here.¡± ¡°If you say so, but look.¡± Jules opened The Sins of Our Fathers to a passage.
Excerpts from ''The Sins of Our Fathers'' by B.S. Snelliott After the captivities of Greed and Sloth, and of course the fallout learnings from the Calamity of Charity, the esteemed researchers of the Iron Maidens were able to surmise two primary ways in which to identify Arcanics. Method The First The ''Seals,'' as the Alters have officially declared them (Author¡¯s Note: and rather forcibly demanded the world adhere to their edicts, as if they reign supreme against the great and renowned Church of Salvos), number each Sin 1-7 and each Virtue 1-7. The placement seems to be randomized at birth; however, all the identified Virtues are confirmed to have them (see photos attached in the Index of the four known Virtues, which of course excludes Charity, as the images are too gruesome to expose), as well as Greed and Sloth during their brief and prolonged, respectively, stints of imprisonment. The purpose of these Seals is still yet to be determined. Method The Second Each Arcanic is bestowed another marker to help us identify them, though find this one on their bodies, the reader will not. An animal is bonded to each Arcanic (and it is for this reason that in the 18th Year AFN, no Druids will be allowed to take Spirit Animals), presumably for life. The Virtues¡¯ Familiars, as the Virtues themselves refer to them, have been confirmed. While Greed¡¯s familiar was never discovered, Sloth¡¯s certainly was¡ªAnd the reader should have no question as to which animal this demon chose for his Familiar."
¡°It goes on,¡± Jules said, ¡°but I can¡¯t stand his pompous writing style. You get the idea. The only saving grace here is that the Iron Maidens don¡¯t know that Arcanics can¡¯t equip Scripts to our bodies.¡± ¡°You mean they don¡¯t appear to,¡± Cyrus said. Put some attitude in that one. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not Arcanics, Jules, it¡¯s just the Sins.¡± ¡°It could just be me.¡± ¡°I¡¯d wager they don¡¯t know,¡± Liam said. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have given Greed or Sloth any Scripts. It would''ve been too dangerous.¡± ¡°They might have admitted it in their torture,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Maybe,¡± Liam said. ¡°They were both young when captured. It would be extraordinary to have learned any Runes that young, to have even tried them.¡± ¡°We are certainly not ordinary.¡± Jules pushed the book back to the center of the table. ¡°So, who am I?¡± ¡°You are Jules, our son.¡± Funny, I said the same thing to Cy. ¡°Oh, just get it over with and tell him who he really is.¡± ¡°No, Evelyn. I will not. And neither will you. Have you forgotten our agreement?¡± She glared back at her husband. ¡°How could I? I regret it every day.¡± Agreement... Couldn''t be, right? ¡°Jules,¡± Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means. Any of it. All I know is that you are my son, and I decided to raise you into a man, not an Arcanic, not a Virtue, and certainly not a Sin.¡± ¡°But I am a Sin,¡± Jules said. ¡°I need to know who I am so I can steer in the other direction.¡± Liam sighed. ¡°Jules¡­ You are a human first. Actually, you¡¯re a child first. My child. This world is hard enough to navigate as is. I needed to teach you how to handle that, because that¡¯s what I know. And I protected you, and taught you how to protect yourself, though it appears I could have done better.¡± Cyrus looked away. ¡°I say that because of Isolda, not you, Cy. We all agreed Jules would tell you before his System Unlock Day. Which is another reason I won¡¯t tell you, Jules.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never talked about it,¡± Jules said. ¡°But it¡¯s obvious. If we were born at the same time, then everyone Unlocks the same day. That¡¯s why we lie about my birthday, like I¡¯m sure the rest do. But why does that mean you have to wait?¡± ¡°Because I have a short timeline, only so many years to teach you how to survive, physically, mentally, financially, socially. The list goes on. And it¡¯s better to choose your identity as an adult than a child. Trust me.¡± Evelyn scoffed, then she laughed. ¡°If only you knew who your father really was before I got pregnant.¡± ¡°And if only my father could see me now,¡± Liam snapped back. ¡°If we told you who you are, all of your decisions would be based around that. But up until this point, you¡¯ve had more free will to make your own, unbiased decisions.¡± ¡°So you do know,¡± Jules insisted. Evelyn¡¯s laugh was all the answer Jules needed. ¡°Fine. I think I understand what your agreement is, anyway." Won''t get around a Binding Vow. "So what do we do now, flee?¡± To Aquilantis? ¡°No,¡± Liam looked at Evelyn as he spoke. ¡°I swore we¡¯d never do that again, never start over again.¡± ¡°I gave up my life and made a second one, Jules. What other sacrifice could you possibly want from me?¡± For the first time tonight, Evelyn¡¯s words stung Jules. Never wanted to be born into this world, you¡­ It took all his self control to not snap back. ¡°Do we find someone else? Someone who can help me?¡± ¡°Who can you trust?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Sins are out of the question. The Virtues have a reputation of their own, but still, I doubt they¡¯d help either.¡± ¡°They¡¯d turn you over to the Iron Maidens,¡± Cyrus said. "Sworn enemies and all." ¡°And us along with you,¡± Evelyn added. ¡°So what about Isolda? We¡¯re still assuming she knows, but she might not.¡± Jules looked at his father. ¡°Jules, I love you, but I said to cast your¡­naivety aside,¡± Liam said. ¡°Thanks for the euphemism. So what, do I get close to her? Pulling away would seem too obvious. Do we spy on her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam said. ¡°I will spy on her.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t reported her suspicions yet,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Bah! You two, listen. You need to start thinking outside of the box, see the bigger picture here. She likely hasn¡¯t reported him, yes. But maybe someone reported Jules to her, and she is an Iron Maiden infiltrator, building a case. There haven¡¯t been raids in years after the protests and riots. They have clearly taken a stealthier approach. Or maybe¡­?¡± That look. This is a teaching moment. Great. ¡°Or maybe,¡± Jules said, ¡°she¡¯s independent, or with another group we don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Liam appeared pleased. ¡°Now you¡¯re thinking. Concepts of known unknowns and unknown unknowns. Remember them, and apply them. We have no room for error here.¡± ¡°Then Dad¡ªit¡¯s unlikely, and I¡¯m not going to assume it¡ªbut she could prove to be an ally. So do I get close or stay at the same distance?¡± The cruelty behind Liam''s grin sent shivers up and down Jules'' spine. ¡°Those Skills I told you about this morning, that make up a Gamesman? They apply to other Classes as well. I¡¯ve kept you safe this long, and not by pure chance.¡± Always taunting his past in front of me. I wanna know more, but he¡¯s a stone wall, and at the moment it¡¯s just another distraction. He might even be testing my resolve right now. ¡°OK. We will probably still have school tomorrow¡ªI led those Hydromages straight to the Shrine. Surely they¡¯ll have enough time to quarantine it. Isolda said she¡¯s leaving soon for a trip, so tomorrow might be the last chance we get. We need a plan.¡± Without excusing herself, Evelyn stood up and went to bed, leaving her wine stains on the table. The other three drafted plans for another hour until Jules and Cyrus had to go to sleep. They¡¯d barely gotten any rest in days, and needed to be fresh by morning. Cyrus bid them farewell and crept off into the dark. Liam warned him that he better not get caught on his way back to the orphanage. Jules retreated to his bedroom and shut the door. He placed his Ryoku crystal on his dresser and stared at it for some time with disappointment. Its hollowness and emptiness put him on edge, for some reason he couldn''t explain.
[New Quest Available: Hot for Teacher] [New Reward Available for Hot for Teacher: Identify an ally or a foe.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Execute Liam¡¯s Plan.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Extract information from Isolda.]
Before Jules went to sleep, he looked in the mirror at his exposed back. The Trophy he''d equipped a few hours ago had already faded away. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 13 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 14 - White Room
JULES
Jules crept to the edge of the lake. Its black waters sat mostly still, and it appeared to extend infinitely in the opposite direction. He''d been here before, countless times, but never remembered it when he awoke. Rote memorization, and alongside it dread, filled him to his core. Just part of the routine. It''s always a whirlwind until the prison, but there¡¯s no other way out of here. Jules glanced around for something interesting to procrastinate his journey. A thick, lush forest surrounded this side of the lake. He had no idea where he was. It was night, but no starlight pierced the pure black sky. The only light came from the lake¡¯s shimmering reflections, but Jules¡¯ could never identify its source. Now where''s that entrance? It used to take him days to find it¡ªsomehow, time dilated here. After years of this fever dream, this nightmare, he could find it in minutes. Jules took one step onto the water, then another, and another, and continued to walk across its uneven and ever-changing surface. He walked until he felt it was safe to turn back and walked even farther. When he finally spun around, the forest had disappeared, completely out of sight. Instead, in the same direction¡ªor what Jules felt was the same direction where he started his journey¡ªtwo giant double doors towered over him. Their gold surface shined through the shroud of mist and haze. He stood before them, but nothing happened. The gates should have opened by now. Jules reached out for a handle, and the doors faded away. Overcome by panic, Jules¡¯ wide eyes looked down at the water, and he sank through the lake''s surface. The uneasy sensation of free-falling sent his stomach down into his bladder. SPLASH! The shock of icy water tore him from his nap against some cargo crates. A girl nearby held an empty wooden bucket. Jules sat on a docked boat, drenched. Jules steeled himself. Here we go. The girl''s emerald eyes cut sharply through the darkness. He knew her from before. But where, and when? As soon as Jules recognized her face, her eyes and body zoomed out, far away from him. Jules stood on a cobblestone street now, bumping shoulders with a gathering crowd. Another woman appeared before him, paraded on a palanquin supported by samurai wearing demon masks. Oni. The Shinsorai? Jules locked eyes with the woman, hers also of a deep green shade, and his Seal seared on his chest. Against the silhouette of her shoulder, far in the distance, small flames danced. Jules took his eyes off of her in favor of the embers for just a moment, and her palanquin hurried away through the parade. Now he found himself on the other side of the street at a vendor¡¯s stall, the procession behind him long gone. Before Jules was a heavily tattooed man, sat tailor-styled on top of some merchant crates. The man tried to sell Jules the source of those dancing flames¡ªa magnificent blazing sword. Fire flickered and reached toward Jules¡¯ eyes. In some type of communion¡­or dark sacrament. The fire entered from the right of his field of vision and passed quickly through to the left until it darted out of sight. Jules followed its path with his gaze. No longer a sword, a fiery arrow flew by his nose. It landed on the drawbridge he stood on, surrounded by a company of soldiers, knights, and hooded figures mid-siege. Jules noted one distinct knight slaughter man after man. The knight bashed them aside like bugs, to plunge into the water below, lifeless. Jules turned to see where the arrow came from. Another whirlwind passed through him, and Jules stood in a castle bailey. An entire legion of knights stood before him, at attention. Not for me, though. At the steps to the keep, their leader removed his helmet and ordered them to kneel. Even Jules complied and looked down at his feet in submission. When he lifted his head up again, Jules found himself knelt alone before the obscure outline of a portly king, slouched on a throne. Jules'' gaze drew high above the king¡¯s crown, to a sword pointed downward at the monarch. It was aflame and supported by only a thin thread, frayed and spinning. Terror gripped Jules. It¡¯s ripping. ¡°No!¡± Jules reached out for the king¡ªto save the king. Guards immediately grabbed him and ripped him away from the throne. The belligerent king ordered Jules be sent to prison. The guards dragged Jules away, and he watched the string still fraying, ripping. Anticipation and dread gripped him, until¡ª WHAM! Jules'' back met the ground. The cell¡¯s stone floor chilled his spine. He caught his breath, sat up, and blinked slowly while he adjusted to the darkness and collected his wits. I¡¯ve never seen that much before, have I? No. Definitely not. I always forget when I¡¯m awake, but when I¡¯m in this dream, I regain the memories of past dreams. And I certainly don¡¯t remember any of that. Jules looked around the prison cell, searching for anything new, something unfamiliar. ¡°Last time I was here, the key was in the doors, but now¡ªwait, what?¡± Jules studied the lone door. He always saw those twin golden doors here, but today, or tonight, or whenever the hell it was, he saw something else. The black door from the Shrine. Its handle still burned red hot and provided the only light in the room. Jules remembered the ominous warning from earlier. Do not open that door. He took another step back. ¡°Don¡¯t open the fucking door. Got it.¡± Jules searched for another exit. Each time a section of the prison went out of his vision and came back in, something changed, if only slightly. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. SCREECH! The service hatch slammed open and flooded the room with blinding light from the other side. Jules approached the hatch, and his eyes adjusted slowly. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about looking through the door, though, did you?¡± Jules wasn''t sure who he even asked, but he peeked through the slit before it could respond. On the other side, he saw that white fox sitting on a familiar shore. A man in a foreign outfit walked into frame, and the fox lovingly leapt into his arms. The picturesque scene burned away like parchment. Scarlet flames from behind the facade grew darker and blacker. The flames singed Jules¡¯ eyebrows, and he recoiled back into the safety of his cell. His dry eyes reflexively teared up. Struck more by curiosity than bravery, he peered back through the service hatch door and became paralyzed with fear. Walking toward him was a monster of pure darkness. A demon. It was much taller than a man but still seemed somewhat human. Antlers reached out from its skull above a set of fiery crimson eyes. Its skin and clothing were entirely shades of black and deep gray. Rich, red blood dripped from the demon¡¯s countless battle scars and from the edge of the serrated blade it clutched in its right hand. It approached Jules, and the seemingly unyielding red flames split a path before it. As if fire itself fears it. In its wake, black flames replaced the scarlet. Fear crippled him, and Jules couldn¡¯t move his hands to shut the service hatch, he couldn¡¯t move his feet to step back. He couldn¡¯t even move his eyes to avert his gaze. This is what Dad¡¯s been protecting me from¡ªWhat Evelyn¡¯s always been afraid of. ¡°I know who you are.¡± Who we are. Just before it reached the door¡ªand just before the last bit of its black flames had subdued the crimson embers, flailing on their last stand¡ªwhite and red flames surged through the service hatch and into his cell. Jules leapt backward to avoid the heat, but felt none. The white flames formed a fox¡¯s face. Crimson flames filled its eyes. It repeated one message, over and over again. ¡°SAVE HIM. SAVE HIM.¡± ¡°Save who!?¡± The fox peered into Jules¡¯ soul. One last time, it shrieked. ¡°SAVE HIM!¡± It burst into a flash of white light, and Jules was in a white room with no walls, just an infinite expanse of white in all directions. He dropped to his knees. Finally. Jules was safe in the White Room; he knew that he¡¯d wake up soon.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The bell tower''s incessant ringing gave Coralhaven''s citizens the all-clear. Jules sat on a crate in the plaza, people-watching. It feels weird being out in the open today. And that damned bell won''t stop. It''s like a constant reminder of last night''s failure. I wish it would stop, but at the same time, I''m afraid that it will. The morning sun warmed his back. Bustling villagers hustled all about town. Most found friends and family members they hadn¡¯t been able to see the afternoon before, when everyone hurriedly locked themselves indoors. With no one to talk to, Jules eavesdropped on many conversations and laughed to himself at some of the absurd rumors spreading around. ¡°Navigators got in last night and found it right away!¡± ¡°And he said the Hydromages found a trail of fire that led them straight to it¡° "He swore the Royal Navy found it deep underwater just off the south shores.¡± Only one rumor¡ªand that¡¯s all it is, just a rumor, right?¡ªcaught Jules¡¯ attention and stuck with him. ¡°Magnus Krakenbane himself captured the Shrine last night!¡± Despite an extremely delicate and complex problem before him, Jules still couldn¡¯t shake his hope of getting another chance to capture this Shrine himself. A light flashed in the distance and caught his eye. He searched for the source and finally found his father, alone in an alleyway. Liam feigned looking at his watch. Five minutes. Five more minutes of peace, and then it all begins. Jules tried to relax while Liam and Cyrus moved forward with their parts of the plan. He tried to think about the villagers running about, but his thoughts kept going back to it. He tried to think about how exciting it would be to go see the Shrine this morning, as most of the village would, because it was a rite of passage for city- and townsfolk to visit their Shrines, at least when they were deemed safe or quarantined. But the thoughts wouldn¡¯t stop. And he tried to distract himself with how different Coralhaven was soon to become, now that it was home to a Shrine, but still he couldn¡¯t keep the thoughts at bay. Jules even tried to think of their plan to isolate and corner Isolda today. Why now? Why today, of all days? I should be focused on Isolda, and the plan, but I can¡¯t stop shake that nightmare. Countless mornings where I can¡¯t recall what happens, but of course today I do. And I know that it was my first time experiencing a lot of it. Jules opened Isolda¡¯s satchel and took out her copy of The Sins of Our Fathers. Arcanics, Isolda, the nightmare, this Shrine¡ªCould they all be related? ¡°Put that away,¡± Cyrus said. He¡¯d snuck up and taken Jules by surprise. ¡°Liam¡¯s in place, it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Thank Salvos,¡± Jules said. He shoved the book back into the satchel and hopped off the crate. ¡°I was beginning to lose my mind. Let¡¯s find out what she knows, what she wants.¡± The duo bumped into and slid past villagers on the streets as they walked toward the schoolhouse. Jules never knew Coralhaven was as populated as it was. Bet Hal and Smitty are the only people working today. Not even the food stands are open. ¡°We''ve all had quite the busy past day¡ªAh, Jules, Cyrus, welcome!¡± Isolda beckoned them to join the rest of the small class. ¡°Obviously we didn¡¯t get to finish the Ceremony yesterday, but we¡¯re already onto bigger and bolder topics. Who wants to go visit the Shrine?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 14 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Our Fathers'' by B.S. Snelliott Which brings us to the known powers of the Arcanics. Ch 15 - Know Your Enemy
JULES
The entire class cheered, and some students jumped up and down. Only Jules and Cyrus maintained their composure. Isolda glanced at them, then continued. ¡°The Navigators and Navy arrived before dawn, so we probably won¡¯t be able to see the Shrine. We certainly won¡¯t be able to see it up close, so rid yourself of that hope. But my sources say they¡¯ve declared a safe zone of a hundred yards, so let¡¯s head out.¡± All the students marched through the door, except Jules and Cyrus. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s quite unlike you two Scholars to sit back so calmly on such an adventurous day.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got our minds on a few other¡­problems,¡± Jules said. ¡°Surely you can put them aside for our field trip. I''m leaving town again soon, and you won¡¯t have my classes again for a while. I know they¡¯re your favorite, Cy.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I never know what¡¯s in store. You and your lessons always keep me guessing. That¡¯s for certain.¡± ¡°Ah, Jules.¡± Isolda grinned. ¡°Did you have time to read those books after last night''s¡­excitement?¡± That was bold. "Nerds." Cyrus feigned disinterest, took a few steps away, and pretended not to listen. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t read them,¡± Jules said. ¡°Like you said, there was quite a lot of excitement yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a shame, because I think there¡¯s one you¡¯ll especially like.¡± That look¡ªDoes she know I''m lying? She slung a few more satchels around her shoulder and asked, ¡°Would you mind grabbing that bag for me?¡± Jules looked down at the two bags. ¡°Sure, which one?¡± Isolda hesitated for a second, without eye contact, then studied Jules through narrowed blue eyes. Now that''s a suspicious look. ¡°The one to your left,¡± she said flatly. First her demeanor, now even her tone shifted. What just happened? Jules handed his teacher the bag. She exited the classroom and left the other bag on the desk. Isolda took the lead of her students again and, at the same time, separated herself from Jules and Cyrus. His heart raced, and Jules felt a tinge of fear through the confusion. Need to be more careful and take a different approach. She¡¯s on edge for some reason. The class departed the schoolhouse for the hour-long journey to the Shrine. Jules and Cyrus kept to the far back of the group. ¡°Cy, I don¡¯t know what to do, what to say. She got so aggressive all of a sudden.¡± Cyrus looked back over his shoulder toward the school. ¡°What did you mean back there?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There was only one bag.¡± ¡°No, there were two. That one,¡± Jules pointed to Isolda, ¡°and another one. It was enormous, Cy¡­¡± Cyrus studied Isolda in silence. ¡°No, Jules, there weren''t two. She¡¯s playing some game. With you, with us, I don¡¯t know. But I know there was not another bag. We need to tread carefully here.¡± During the long journey to the Shrine, Jules ruminated over a new plan of approach. Eventually, they approached a clearing at the base of the forest hills, where officials of the Island Elder¡¯s office directed traffic up to the Shrine. Hundreds of villagers made the pilgrimage alongside them. They weaved through the forest and eventually connected to the newly formed stream, courtesy of the Shrine. I¡¯ll be damned. Even Hal is here. Now no one is really working today. They rounded a bend in the growing brook, where two Hydromages stopped everyone from getting any closer. Jules noticed Isolda glaring at the Soldiers. Now she¡¯s looking around for more, surveying the forest. He nudged Cyrus and whispered, ¡°Looks like she¡¯s counting Soldiers. Should do the same.¡± Jules lost track somewhere in the forties, and there were still plenty more beyond that. ¡°It¡¯s like an entire army showed up at this Shrine,¡± Cyrus said loudly enough that Isolda could hear it. Yeah, and it¡¯s making me extremely nervous. And seriously, don''t become an Actor. Jules thought Isolda gave Cyrus'' comment the slightest smile. ¡°Ah, here we are class, the Shrine of Coralhaven!¡± She gestured somewhere off into the distance, since hills and the ravine blocked it. Her eyes rested on Jules. Yeah, not falling for this trap. ¡°Um, actually, ma¡¯am, it¡¯s over this way,¡± said one of the Hydromages. He pointed to the opposite side. Isolda smiled and shrugged to her class with a giggle, but she never took her eyes off of Jules. ¡°Ah, any who, the last Shrine to show up in Coralith was Siren¡¯s Cove, and that was five whole years ago. Of course, it has still yet to be captured, which leaves quite a handful in Coralith¡ªand specifically here in the Shattered Isles¡ªto be plundered for untold treasures.¡± ¡°Why do Shrines appear?¡± asked a student. Isolda coughed. ¡°Ah, no one knows the answer to the question you¡¯re really asking; however, we know that after someone captures a Shrine, another one springs up elsewhere. Sometimes even two or more! So Shrines are always growing in number, never shrinking.¡± "How many is that now?" one of the Aidyns asked. "Three plus one is four, you moron," Cyrus said. "Seriously, how don''t you know that?" ¡°So does that mean somebody captured one yesterday?¡± a student asked. Isolda¡¯s eyes flashed with excitement. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely positive that they did.¡± Seems oddly aroused about that. ¡°Ah, well, what other questions do you have?¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°What are the rules for this one?¡± Jules asked.
[The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find out the Shrine''s rules.]
¡°Excellent question,¡± Isolda said. ¡°But I¡¯m certain that the Navy will prevent us from finding out anytime soon. Siren¡¯s Cove was a nightmare at first, children, so take heed.¡± I feel like she¡¯s talking directly to me. She even said the word nightmare. ¡°Brave fools from all over ran to the Siren¡¯s call of that Shrine. Fitting, isn¡¯t it? Had the Navy released the Shrine¡¯s rules sooner, a lot fewer people would have died meaninglessly. But I heard the undertaker¡¯s done well there, so I suppose it¡¯s good for taxes.¡± The Hydromage grunted a warning. Isolda fielded a handful more questions about Shrines, and Jules spaced out as he thought of a plan. Isolda¡¯s acting much more boldly than normal. When there were no more questions, Isolda stepped away to ask the Hydromages if the class could get closer. ¡°Ha! After that speech?¡± "What? I''m teaching my students to be dubious of a government who uses force to¡­" He and Isolda went back and forth for a bit. Jules felt that lump in his throat. Chest isn¡¯t burning, so that¡¯s a good sign. Especially this close to the Shrine. I think the longer I wait, the smaller my window gets. Better just corner her now. He looked back at the forest to spot his father. Suppose it''s a good sign that I can''t find him. Jules walked behind Isolda and the Hydromage. When she finally gave up her pleading and accepted defeat, Jules pulled her aside from everyone. ¡°So what was in that big bag back at school, more boring volumes by Snelliott? Or perhaps something more dubious, as you put it.¡± Isolda paused. ¡°Rations for my trip.¡± She relaxed her posture. ¡°So you did read my books.¡± ¡°No, I just read one, and I was curious, why give me that one?¡± ¡°You chose here to talk about our little book club? With so many more titillating¡ªand dangerous¡ªthings about?¡± She gestured around the forest. Dangerous, huh? But maybe she¡¯s just pointing out the military. ¡°If we don¡¯t pay attention to our surroundings, something could come sneaking up on us.¡± ¡°With such an observant teacher, I¡¯d be surprised if that happened. The way I figure it,¡± Jules looked around their surroundings sarcastically, dramatically, ¡°if anything was lurking, it¡¯d already be upon me. Well, us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly a poor place for traps¡ªfrom the Shrine monsters, of course.¡± She smiled wryly and glanced at the military. ¡°Eyes are everywhere.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. Surely they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill any beasts around this Shrine.¡± ¡°I see my efforts to brainwash my star pupil have failed. For when I look about, all I see are beasts. Tell me, Jules. You wouldn¡¯t have read The Inked Arts last night, would you? No, I¡¯m sure your focus was enthralled by another volume.¡± There¡¯s the opening. ¡°Naturally. I actually tried to find a safe place to read it.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I see.¡± She escorted Jules back to the class and stopped within Cyrus¡¯ earshot. ¡°You''''ll find that the author of The Inked Arts provides such a safe place, as you called it, for all his practitioners.¡± Understood. ¡°I see. We¡ªCy and I¡ªwent to the Scholars Guild yesterday to put in our applications. We spoke with the, uh, what do they call them again? Recruiters?¡± Isolda nodded knowingly. So¡­are you recruiting us for this author? ¡°Well, it¡¯s always good to have a Plan B. So tell me, what this author expects of his¡­recruits?¡± ¡°Ah, you must mean his students. He expects a great many things from them, I¡¯m afraid. But for you¡­¡± Isolda placed her hand on his shoulder. They turned to face each other. ¡°He¡¯ll want to know which of the two you are¡­¡± Jules¡¯ heart raced; he was frozen. His palms broke into sweat. Virtue¡ªor Sin. ¡°Remind me, what are the two types again?¡± Isolda removed her hand from his shoulder and smiled pleasantly, once again her usual, unassuming self. ¡°If you are a Scholar, or a scholar, of course!¡± ¡°Hmm. And what exactly is the difference?¡± ¡°Yes. What is the difference, indeed?¡± Bells clanged again from the city square. Isolda tensed up again for a second, but returned to her pleasant demeanor. Or is this her pleasant guise? ¡°Ah, Jules, it seems my vacation has started prematurely. You have your next assignment. I think it might be the last one I give you. It seems you have a new teacher on your horizon. Happy hunting.¡± She hurried back to the group.
[Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Execute Liam''s plan.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Extract information from Isolda.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find out who Isolda wants you to meet.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find out what Isolda knows about you.]
¡°I¡¯m afraid it seems that my dingy has arrived," Isolda told her students. ¡°You¡¯re traveling with the Navs?¡± a student asked, referring to the chimes of the bell''s message. ¡°Sweet Salvos, no. I would never. Though it''s a meager dingy, I always travel in greater style than the Navs. It should have arrived with them, though. Goodbye class, I will see you all soon.¡± She walked away but stopped at Jules and Cyrus. ¡°And to you two, farewell.¡± Then she hurried off back toward town. Cyrus stared at Jules intently. He was ready to act immediately. Jules stretched out his arms high into the sky and yawned. Cyrus relaxed. Hopefully, Dad saw the message, too. Jules quickly recapped his conversation with Isolda to Cyrus. ¡°She¡¯s trying to recruit me. She claims it¡¯s safe,¡± Jules said in final summary. ¡°Who the hell is she?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man.¡± The two of them watched Isolda shuffle down the hill until she was out of sight. Right about now, I wish Dad wasn''t so good at hiding. They stayed around the scene for a while longer. Each group of people gathered intuitively knew that they outnumbered the Hydromages guarding the perimeter by a long shot, so one group moved closer, then another, and then another, and so on, until the first group pressed closer again. Finally, Jules and Cyrus glimpsed the Shrine for a second time. "Jules, does that look different than last¡ªer, different than you''d expect?" Yes, it does. "The veil isn''t shimmering anymore." Someone''s inside. That means someone''s either going to capture it, or¡­ The deep, low blast of a scout''s horn chilled the morning air. Everyone turned toward the blaring sound¡ªquickly, in anticipation. No! Did they capture it already!? "AAGGHH!" Two men shrieked as they flew through the air overhead the crowd. Their bodies slammed into tree trunks and collapsed to the ground. Someone nearby screamed a primal cry that froze Jules in place. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 15 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott Ryoku is the sole attribute of The Salvatican System; it dictates spirit and encompasses health, stamina, mana¡ªEverything is composed of Ryoku. It is even used as a form of currency, often stored in Forged objects, such as the commonplace purple Ryoku Crystals carried around all of Salvatica. One should find it not surprising the Geniuses far outrank the rest of the world, and the simple reason for that is the geometric, not linear, returns one¡¯s Skill-based Ryoku that sums into the additive Potential Ryoku Pool when Leveling Up a Skill (not to mention the sheer amount of Open Skill Slots that Geniuses get to enjoy). Below you will find the Ryoku Equations, which determine one''s Potential Ryoku Pool based off of their Open Skills Slots: ¡ÆRyoku = Ryoku1 + ... + Ryokun Ryokui = {Skill Level}2 * 69 where n = number of Open Skill Slots Ch 16 - What Does the Fox Say?
JULES
Jules and Cyrus looked back in the direction the flung Soldiers came from. The crowd broke into a scattered rampage, and more horns blared again, and another body hurled through the forest canopy in their direction. From the Shrine, wolves emerged and hunted down the closest prey to them. Villagers fell to violent ends left and right of Jules. The Hydromages abandoned their posts to intercept the wolves and Shrine, to defend whomever they could save. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go!¡± Cyrus grabbed Jules¡¯ arm and dragged him in the opposite direction. Jules looked up and saw it again, and the beast charged straight at them. Without hesitation, he wrenched his arm free of Cyrus¡¯ grip and placed both of his open palms on his friend''s torso in strategic spots. His eyes¡ªand concealed under his shirt, his Seal¡ªlit up, and Jules invoked a Rune.
? Air ? [?9,500 // ?10,000]
A gust of wind launched Cyrus several yards away from the threat. Jules spun around to fight the Warg, but was too late. Its antlers pierced his heart and collapsed a lung at once. Jules flopped and flailed with each of the beast''s steps. It flung him off, and he crashed onto rocky soil. Heal faster, get up. His vision faded around his peripherals. Dazed and slightly numb to the dull throbbing pain, Jules tried to lift his body, but only his head raised up. Paralyzed? No, it still hurts¡ª A pack of wolves approached him beside the Warg. The last thing Jules remembered before he died was feeling truly sorry for what had happened to Sloth and Greed. The torture he felt now, of wolves ripping his skin off with fangs and claws, everywhere, and all at once, surely paled in comparison to what they had experienced. This pain, it''s nothing short of what they endured, but at least my tormenters won¡¯t be waiting to continue when I awake.
CYRUS
"We''ve got to go!" Cy grabbed Jules'' arm and dragged him in the opposite direction. You can''t die here, Jules, not with everyone watching. Jules wrenched his arm free of Cy''s grip. Jules, why are your eyes lit¡ª
? Air ?
The Script launched Cy through the air. ¡°Jules!¡± Cy reached both hands out to grab his friend, but he flew farther and farther away. He struck the ground and gasped for air, desperate to replace what had just escaped his lungs. Gotta make sure Jules is OK. Cy felt his ribs and stomach to survey the damage first. Jules had good placement with that blast, didn¡¯t damage me inside. He dragged himself to his feet, despite the shock to both his body and mind. Four wolves gnawed on Jules'' corpse, and the Warg redirected its attention to Cy. It lowered its head and stamped one foot over and over. The wolves turned their attention to Cy as well. It''s as if that Warg¡¯s their master. Blood dripped from their fangs and maws. Jules¡¯ blood. Arrows pierced the wolves and Warg. Cy spun around. A team of five Soldiers blasted the beasts with round after round. The Royal Navy? Just behind them, several more Hydromages engaged with another group of wolves in close quarters combat. One man succumbed to a beast, and another whipped gashes into a wolf with some type of Air Script. ¡°Get out of here, kid,¡± a Naval Officer shouted at Cy. They felled the last wolf, and the Warg retreated. ¡°But my friend,¡± Cy whispered to himself. ¡°Son, that boy is¡­just run away!¡± Another Naval Officer hurtled past them until its lifeless body struck a tree. This one didn¡¯t yell as he flew by. Cy ran over to Jules¡¯ body and tripped and fell to the ground. His face landed next to Jules¡¯, which Cy didn''t even recognize. He crawled over closer to examine Jules¡¯ mangled body. Ribbons of flesh, exposed teeth and nasal cavity, and¡ª Steam. Shit, lots of steam. Someone grabbed Cy¡¯s arm from behind. Threatened, he whipped around. ¡°Too dangerous to stay here, boy. Leave him and get to safety.¡± The Hydromage had an iron grip on Cy¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Guilt, fear, and anger flooded Cy and powered him with adrenaline. "I said¡ª"
? Ice ? [?9,100 // ?10,000]
Three ice shards materialized above Cy¡¯s head, and he launched them at his newest enemy. It yelped just before it died. The Hydromage swung around and stared at the dead wolf behind him. Would have ripped your throat out. ¡°I can handle my own,¡± Cy said. The Hydromage glared at him, then released his grip and ran back into the ensuing chaos. [Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 8.] "Shut up!" Cy zipped his lips, and his System Notifications silenced. ¡°Alright, Jules¡ªHe never saw you. So if you¡¯re in there, if you can hear me, then you need to work as fast as you can.¡± Cy surveyed his surroundings quickly. No threats, or at least nothing coming our way right now. He emptied his pack on the ground and took anything, everything, he could wrap Jules in to mask the steam. Cy wrapped Jules'' face in his own shirt, and the morning sun warmed his barren back. "Doubt I can suffocate you, so you¡¯ll have to deal with¡ª¡± Three more men raced by, shrieking and flying wildly through the air. One of them hit a tree and the other two rolled across the ground, but all three laid still. A guttural yell came from the direction of the main battle. All the surviving troops near Cy charged toward the shout. What. In the hell. Is that? The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Sorry, Jules.¡± Cy huffed and groaned, then lifted Jules just enough to drag his unconscious body. ¡°Change of plans. Gonna take their advice and run for it.¡± He took one step, two steps, three steps, and then that white fox emerged from the bushes. It wagged its tail and looked from Cy to Jules, back and forth. Is it pointing at Jules? ¡°I know you, from last night, right?¡± Cy didn''t stop or alter his course. The heels of Jules'' boots left two marks in the dirt. ¡°You tried to save us then, too, huh?¡± The fox nipped Cy¡¯s hand. ¡°Ow! Damn, I guess not.¡± Cy shoved the fox away and continued his escape. The fox badgered him. It growled and even hissed at him until Cy came around the corner of a large rock formation. Oh shit¡ªyou were helping me. A team of five squatting Hydromages cowered behind the boulders. Cy was suddenly aware of the blunt force trauma from Jules¡¯ Script, and how much it would slow him down in combat. The Hydromages motioned for Cy to join them, but paused when they saw Jules¡¯ body. The corpse pulled its ribbons of flesh back together slowly and stitched him back to life. They watched the steam rise from Jules, and before they could fit the pieces together, Cy dropped Jules to the ground with a heavy thump.
? Ice ? [?7,100 // ?10,000]
Cy charged the men while an ice shield and spear, still forming from the atmospheric moisture. Both he and the fox roared out battle cries. One man fled cover, another one froze in fear, but three gathered their wits and drew their weapons, and the forces clashed. Avoid the vitals. Cy pierced one man¡¯s shoulder with his icy spear. The fox moved like lightning, quick and in zigzags. It leapt at one attacker¡¯s throat and ripped it out, then hopped onto the man paralyzed in fear to dispose of him, too. Cy deflected a sword¡¯s blow with his shield, though it cracked instantly.
? Air ? [?6,300 // ?10,000]
The Rune pushed the fourth assailant to the ground, on his back. Stealing your move, Jules. Before Cy could immobilize the soldier, the fox ripped his throat out as well. ¡°No!¡± Cy kicked at the fox, but he was too late. Enlarged pupils blocked most of its crimson irises, which matched the bloodstained white tufts of fur around its jowls. The first soldier, whose shoulder he¡¯d stabbed, whose life he''d spared, clawed the ground and back away from them. ¡°Run and tell, and the fox will find you.¡± Cy grabbed Jules again and dragged him away from the fight. The fox growled at the cowering survivor until Cy was a safe distance, then it ran after him and Jules. ¡°A Sin! He¡¯s a Sin!¡± The Hydromage shouted at his comrades. Wrath consumed Cy. That dirty little motherfucker. In an order to the fox, he jerked his head back at the man, but it was already on its way. ¡°He¡¯s controlling all these beasts! If we attack him, they¡¯ll all stop! Get the Iron Mai¡ª¡± Gurgles filled the air before they fell to silence. ¡°Fuck, Jules. Fuck!¡± Cy glanced around while he dragged even faster. No coverage here, or there, or there. Three men see me, now all running off. Probably getting more. The white fox, now dyed crimson in blood all over, returned to Cy¡¯s side. Well, Jules¡¯ side. ¡°Fox, I¡¯m tired. Ryoku''s running thin. Bark once¡ªWait, do you bark? What do foxes say? Who cares¡ªBark once for yes, bark twice for no.¡± ¡°Ruff.¡± ¡°Are you here for Jules?¡± ¡°Ruff.¡± ¡°Are you here for me?¡± ¡°Ruff ruff. Ruff.¡± ¡°OK, I¡¯ll take that one as a maybe. Can you heal him faster?¡± ¡°Ruff.¡± ¡°OK great¡ªCan you fucking do it!?¡± ¡°Ruff ruff.¡± Voices grew louder and closer. ¡°Well, why the hell not? Right, can¡¯t answer that. OK, think think, can we escape?¡± ¡°Ruff Ruff.¡± ¡°So we fight?¡± ¡°Ruff.¡± Cyrus swore and dropped Jules to the ground with another thump. ¡°Wake up, Jules!¡± Cy kicked him in the ribs. Jules groaned. Cy squatted down and lightly slapped Jules¡¯ face, which had mostly healed. ¡°Come on, come on.¡± ¡°Over there!¡± Cy looked up to see an entire platoon of Soldiers, a mix of Hydromages and Navy, march towards them. They brandished torches, pikes, spears, and bows. Their eyes and tattoos lit up, ready to invoke their Scripts. Cy pulled his Ryoku crystal out of his bag and fumbled for Jules¡¯ and Liam¡¯s in Jules¡¯ bag. Damn, theirs are empty. Still got some in mine, though.
? Exchange ? ? Earth ? [?3,850 // ?10,000]
Cy raised a hand. His tattoos and eyes lit up a dull shade of green. He drew Ryoku from the crystals, and a crude wall of dirt and roots and plants raised around them in a large semicircle. He cut the Script off when the wall reached near ten feet. Again, he grabbed Jules and dragged him. The fox scampered away towards the wall¡¯s edge farthest from the soldiers. Damn coward. Oh, Cy. ''Become an Alter or die trying,'' what a foolish thing to say. The soldiers'' shouts interspersed with loud thuds as they banged on the makeshift wall. Not gonna last long, nowhere to run. Where the fuck is Liam!? ¡°Wake up!¡± Cy repeated over and over. The yells shifted to growls and guttural yells from men and beasts alike. In a flash, Cy saw a ball of fire launched over the wall, headed straight for him. Wait, that¡¯s not an attack¡ª What¡¯s little Fox up to? And why is it¡­ ¡°Hey, watch out, no!¡± The fox rained from the sky and landed on Jules, torch in mouth, and dumped the fire on Jules¡¯ body. Cy dropped him and tried to pat out the sizzling fire as it roasted Jules, dead or alive. The fox bit Cy again, much harder than the nip before. Demon spawn! A massive explosion burst open Cy¡¯s wall of earth. Clunks of dirt, roots, and vines showered down around them. Through the dust and haze, the Soldiers stormed through the breach.
? Ice ? [?3,050 // ?10,000]
Cy created another spear. He couldn¡¯t create another shield, and this spear was much shorter; his Ryoku usage was at its limit. He stepped between the men and Jules. ¡°I will protect my brother¡¯s life with my own,¡± Cyrus threatened. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 16 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott Scripts, of course, are a fascinating and enticing topic of study all themselves. From simple Runes, to workhorse Scrolls, to the illustrious Tomes, of which your illustrious author has mastered several along his journey as a 3rd Rank, Scripts have powered the world for generations. Runes are simply the words of the Sylvan language. They are the simplest expression of words, and¡ªaccording to the Alters, and many other Geniuses¡ªthe most versatile of Scripts, regardless of whether or not they require much Skill (which the humble author asserts they most certainly do not). We of course study Runes for the main purpose of incorporating them into Scrolls. When written down, Runes are expressed inside single Sylvan quotes, for example:
? Write ?
Scrolls combine at least two Runes into simple ideas, and they are the most efficient use of Ryoku to work done. For instance, your favorite author uses the Scroll, sampled below, to write whilst hiking the gargantuan Misty Mountains of Zephyria, and falling into all sorts of misadventures, so as to save time. Scrolls can represent phrases, sentences, paragraphs, simple instructions, and possibly even parables (of course, meant for young children). When written down, Scrolls are expressed inside double Sylvan quotes, for example:
? ? Quill Write for Me ? ?
which of course uses significantly less Ryoku than the same Script enacted in all Runes:
? Quill ? ? Write ? ? For ? ? Me ?
And last are Tomes, which can combine both Scrolls and Runes together to express complex ideas, such as stories, complex instructions, and even forbidden rituals. They are the most effective form of Scripts, though certainly far from the most efficient. If you want a job done right, it¡¯s best to use a Tome, or have someone else do it for you, as typically you must be 3rd Rank to even attempt to use one, less the Tome consume all your Ryoku¡­ When written down, Scrolls are expressed inside triple Sylvan quotes, but I won¡¯t bore the reader with a true example:
? ? ? Sample tome ? ? ?
Ch 17 - Sympathy For The Devil
CYRUS
¡°I will protect my brother¡¯s life with my own,¡± Cyrus threatened. It was a paltry threat, and even though he was clearly overwhelmed, no one laughed. The situation was too dire, too dangerous, with an alleged Sin on the loose. Over thirty Soldiers, spread out in an arc, charged them. The fox proved hard to pin down, but the Hydromages invoked all sorts of entrapping Scripts at it. Cy, on the other hand, was quickly surrounded by the men. They pointed pikes and spears at him from all angles. Cy stepped back. Gotta get back to¡ª Men filed in to separate him from his burning friend. They closed in their circle around him. Cy surveyed them to find the weakest one. I¡¯ll break the line there. The fox let out a bloodcurdling squeal, like the shriek of a banshee. Cy whipped around. One of the soldiers had pierced it with a pike. Its legs and body were restricted by a Hydromages¡¯ vines, and it writhed and thrashed in pain. The sight both broke Cy¡¯s heart and enraged him. He let out a battle cry and thrust his spear at the closest soldier, who was caught off guard. The spear slid through the man¡¯s chest and Cy continued his momentum to break out of the circle. No one reacted to him. First, Cy felt the oppressive heat singe his exposed back. Then, he heard the cries and pleas of the man who''d held down the fox. Finally, he saw the demon, engulfed in flames. It bashed the pikeman¡¯s head against a tree again and again until there was nothing left to grip. ¡°Halt, Demon! We¡¯ll harm your friend if you come any closer.¡± The demon hurled the headless soldier''s corpse at the man who¡¯d dared threaten him. Just like whatever beast was at the Shrine¡­ Some men dropped their weapons. Others fled. Another plunged his sword through the demon¡¯s chest. No¡ªnot a demon. That¡¯s Jules. Jules grabbed the blade with both hands. Its wielder screeched, released the hilt, and held his burnt and blistering palms up to his eyes. Jules ignored the man and walked toward Cy. ¡°Jules,¡± Cy whispered. He backed up slowly and tripped over a root. He continued to retreat, scooting back. That¡¯s definitely not Jules. Arrows and shards of ice and earth struck Jules¡¯ back and nudged his body slightly to one side. The demon redirected its attention. Another set of arrows struck his chest and face. The demon howled a visceral roar at them and stalked toward new prey. Cy scooted back until he bumped into the fox, who healed its own wounds. The blade of the pike in its side had broken off the shaft. Cy ripped it out of the fox, and it gasped. I hope that was a sigh of relief. Ten Soldiers surrounded the demon now. They slashed at him with swords, struck him with spears and pikes, and one pounded him with a warhammer. It gave heed to neither pain nor force. It slashed at them with claws, grabbed them and tossed them aside, and halted their weapons with its bare hands. Despite its overwhelming strength, it still struggled against the sheer numbers. It looked up at the sky and bellowed. ¡°WHERE ARE YOU?¡± A column of light burst to the sky a short distance away. The demon spotted the beam, swept all the men out of its way, and ran to it. ¡°Fox, that light, is that coming from the Shrine?¡± The fox squealed once. ¡°Is that¡ªIs Jules still in there?¡± One more pitiful squeak. Cy scooped up the fox and followed the demon, followed Jules. What little remained of the platoon checked for other survivors. Still, Cy ran through the shattered hole in his earth wall. ¡°They¡¯ll regroup and attack again, but he¡¯s running to hundreds more. Do you know how to stop him?¡± Two groans. Shit. The beast moved with inhuman speed, but when Cy finally caught up to it, it was surrounded again. The Warg and a massive pack of wolves pinned the demon on one side, another wave of Navy men posted on the opposite side, and a group of Hydromages flanked between it and the Shrine. The Warg roared, and the wolves rushed in. They jumped on Jules¡¯ body and ripped his arms with their teeth. Arrows pelted him from the other side, ice shards and earthen spikes from the front. Enemies approached him from all angles. Spikes emerged from the ground and pierced Jules¡¯ legs. He was trapped in a makeshift cage. The demon flung the wolves off of him, snapped protruding arrow shafts¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t keep up with the onslaught. The yellow and orange flames surrounding Jules¡¯ body slowly dimmed down. The wolves squealed and retreated to the Warg. Cy looked at the battle and dissociated. I''m daydreaming. None of this is really happening. He felt guilty for his morbid curiosity; he couldn''t look away from the onslaught. More than anything, I want to be an Alter¡ªWell, wanted. This is the end of the road for me. Their fundamental principle is power¡ªbut this¡ªthis is the power of a Sin. Can an Alter even touch this level? Jules¡¯ flames completely faded away. The archers and Hydromages prepared for one last assault. Even if I Ascended the Alter, could I ever be this strong? Who was I kidding? Who was I trying to impress? I was just born an orphan. Abandoned by even my parents. I wasn¡¯t born special like Jules. I wasn¡¯t born Arcanic. I¡¯ll never wield a power like that. Is that really what I wanted? And if it is¡­ Jules looked up. His eyes turned to yellow embers, to orange, scarlet, then crimson. Finally, they turned darker than coal, and black flames licked the air around his eyes. ¡­Is that really so bad? Black flames grew and spread like wildfire across Jules¡¯ eyes. Or what used to be his eyes. Not sure who that is anymore. But this power, and this sensation I¡¯m feeling. Like I¡¯m Regenerating myself¡­ Cy swiped his left hand into an L-shape to open his menu. He ignored all the System Notifications he¡¯d received in the battle and fixed his gaze on his Ryoku stats. ¡°No, I''m not healing. Then what''s this feeling?¡± Cy whispered. He looked up again and saw the black flames had stretched out past Jules¡¯ eyes like small wings, but didn¡¯t touch the rest of his face or body. It has to be coming from Jules. No other explanation. The Hydromages braced themselves for another assault. Ice spears and shards and earthen spikes braced for launch. The Naval Archers invoked Scripts on their arrowheads to bolster their attack; some lit on fire, some froze, others turned to black mist. ¡°Fire at the Sin,¡± a commanding officer shouted, and all the weapons released at Jules, at the Sin, at the demon. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Jules roared another deafening battle cry and emitted a shockwave that blew back most of the weapons and Soldiers. Cy¡¯s ears rang as he looked on in terror again. Not Jules, not Jules, not Jules. Many of the arrows and ice shards incinerated instantly. Only the black mist arrows slipped through the wave, and one protruded from Jules¡¯ neck. He ripped the arrow out and fell to one knee. A small black cloud clung to the open wound. The Hydromages were in disarray, but the more seasoned Naval Archers had already knocked a fourth or fifth round. ¡°Black Mist arrows got through, men¡ªUse them now!¡± shouted the commanding officer. ¡°We¡¯ll not let another Sin escape us.¡± Cy looked at the Archers, then looked back to Jules. What can I do, what can I do? No one is paying attention to me¡ªUse that to my advantage.
? Air ? [?2,650 // ?10,000]
Cy''s hand tattoos and eyes lit up a brilliant white. He, too, waited for the order. ¡°Fire!¡± Just before the soldiers loosed their arrows, Cy released his charged Script. It pushed as many Archers¡¯ aims and arrows off course as his Skills allowed. Only a few connected, bought some time. The Warg retreated with his dwindled pack of wolves, and the Hydromages regained their composure. Jules Regenerated faster after each assault, and the black flames had now spread to his clenched fists, which ripped out more arrows. Liam, if you¡¯re here, now¡¯d be a good time. Cy invoked his Rune again, ready to repeat his strategy until someone discovered him. Anything to buy time for Jules to escape or¡­to handle the situation. ¡°You little urchin.¡± Cy immediately recognized the voice and the insult. Bookstacker must have snuck up behind me in the chaos. Fresh adrenaline flushed Cy''s mental and physical exhaustion from his body. Maybe it was the mystique of fighting so close to a Sin, maybe it was the opportunity for some payback that fueled Cy. Either way, one thing¡¯s sure. I don¡¯t have time for this guy. Gotta make it quick. Cy raised his hands in defeat¡ªthough he didn¡¯t discharge his Script, so his body still glowed. ¡°I just want to save my friend.¡±
? ? ??? ??? Air ??? ??? ??? ? ?
Cy never even saw Bookstackers'' tattoos glow. Still several feet away, the Scholars recruiters'' punch blasted Cy''s cheek and flipped him upside down, midair.
? Air ? [?2,400 // ?10,000]
Cy invoked the Rune to soften his fall, and landed with all four limbs on the ground like a cat, though certainly not as gracefully. He stood up and wiped his face. Idiot. Couldn¡¯t even decipher half of his Script. But his affinity is definitely air. If I can¡¯t see it coming, then¡­
? Ice ? [?2,200 // ?10,000]
Tiny shards of ice formed above his head, much too small for combat. Bookstacker cackled. ¡°I''ve been watching you for a while, child. Those shards get smaller every time. What a joke you are. Seems you¡¯re at the end of your Ryoku pool, and the end of your rope.¡± Rope, now that¡¯s a good idea. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me?¡± With caution, Cy circled his opponent. ¡°So what, you waited until I was weak to attack me?¡± ¡°Hmph. I simply waited for my enemy to exhaust their resources¡ª¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, ''Stacks. Sounds awfully deceitful to me. And remember: Deceit is not a core principle of the Scholars.¡± Good, he¡¯s enraged. Bet he doesn¡¯t have much battle experience. Use that edge. ¡°What¡¯s your specialty, anyway? I can¡¯t translate your Script.¡± ¡°Obviously I¡¯m a Wind Mage, you sad excuse for an Alter.¡± Cy edged closer. ¡°Wind Mage in Coralith? Hm, smells fishy to me. Although that might just be your musk. You should use that little breeze of yours to blow it away.¡± Can¡¯t use wind against him. Stick to the others.
? Earth ? [?2,050 // ?10,000]
Bookstacker leapt back to a defensive stance, but nothing happened. Again, Cy invoked his Rune.
? Earth ? [?1,900 // ?10,000]
¡°Dammit.¡± Nothing happened again. This time, Cy leapt back from his opponent. Just as he landed one foot on the ground, the ice crystals above his head shifted slightly in one direction. He followed their lead and dodged into that direction, away from another blast of wind. ¡°Out of Ryoku already? To think we¡¯d accept some nobody like you into our midst with that¡ªthat demon.¡± Bookstacker walked slowly, confidently, toward Cy. ¡°The Scholars Guild is not for you. It¡¯s not for people like you, or that blasted Hydromage, Tack. It¡¯s for people like me.¡± Bookstacker wildly punched the air. Each one launched a blast of wind with the power of a tornado. Cy dodged each one¡ªthough a few left shallow gashes¡ªand every time he dodged one, he came one step closer to his opponent. Just a few more steps¡­
? Water ? [?1,500 // ?10,000]
The dull green light of Cy''s tattoos, which hadn''t faded away since his last invocation, shifted to bright blue. Two water whips formed, one in each hand. Cy lashed at Bookstacker, who easily dodged each blow. It¡¯s obvious from his face that he¡¯s toying with me. Let him believe it for just a few more seconds. ¡°Enough.¡± The Scholar invoked another indecipherable Script, and wind shredded Cy¡¯s water whips apart and ripped deep cuts all along his arms and barren chest. All of Cy''s water rained down to the ground, and Cy collapsed with it, beyond exhausted from the day¡¯s fighting. ¡°You know, I should thank you," Bookstacker said. "You¡¯ve made me rich beyond belief. The Iron Maidens¡¯ Bounties have no match, and you two will make a lovely set for them.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 17 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott Coralith The Verdant Domain Obsidia Zephyria Ch 18 - Runnin with the Devil
CYRUS
Cy leveled his hand with Bookstacker''s face.
? Freeze ? [?1,300 // ?10,000]
Bookstacker emitted a gust of wind, a shockwave of his own, to intercept the magic. For the first time, he looked at Cy with malice. ¡°You¡¯d try to freeze my blood, boy?¡± What? I never thought of¡ª A column of wind crushed Cy down to the ground. ¡°The Maidens¡¯ll still take you dead. At least he¡¯ll still be alive. Farewell, urchin.¡±
? Earth ? [?1,200 // ?10,000]
A thin spike struck out of the ground at the mage. He evaded to the side. ¡°Oh my, so fierce. Seems your tricks won¡¯t work against someone of a higher intellect than¡ª¡±
? Speed ? [?400 // ?10,000]
The vines around Bookstacker''s ankle ensnared him tightly and then slung him up high into the canopy of the old growth forest, out of sight. THUD! The Mage crashed back down to the ground. The tension of the vines lifted the man back up, so he hung upside down by one ankle. Unconscious, his other leg and both arms dangled down. During the fight, Cy had gathered pieces of vine near the trap, and then fused them together by freezing the water drenched from his whips. Everything else was just a distraction to buy time. For someone who looked down on deceit and traps, he certainly fell for one easily enough. Still, I don¡¯t know if I could have taken him in combat at full strength, and I don''t know if that says more about me or him. Cy limped back over to where he¡¯d left Jules¡ªor Jules¡¯ body. Black flames still shrouded the demon, though to a lesser degree. It had crushed through the Hydromage platoon and converged on the Shrine. Cy¡¯s hair stood up on edge. Gonna go out on a limb here and say that Jules should absolutely not reach that Shrine. Cy looked back to Bookstacker. Ha, limb. The Archers released another flurry of black mist arrows, this time to a lesser effect. Is he adapting to their¡ª Oh, Salvos dammit. A man emerged from the woods, the Master Druid from yesterday¡¯s Fall Ceremony. He descended the hill towards Jules, his eyes and new Tome shining brightly, with a menagerie of beasts. Stags, wolves, some kappas, even two bears. The animals, beasts, and Cy all rushed to Jules. Battle fatigue crept into Cy¡¯s heart¡ªhe was weary beyond just his physical limitations. Jules, what do I do? I can¡¯t keep going like this, and they''re too fast. The beasts and another wave of Hydromages locked Jules in position for close quarters combat. A suicide mission that won¡¯t last long. Why are they still¡ª "Master Fin Rivers!" a Naval Commanding Officer shouted. He stood beside the Shrine''s veil. ¡°I shift command to you and the Hydromages. Take control of this beast, that we may subdue the other.¡± The officer put his hand to the shimmering surface of the Shrine and invoked a Rune that Cy couldn¡¯t translate. Remember the sound of that one, could be important later. The man stepped forward into the Shrine, and one second later a colossal monster emerged¡ªa humanoid beast forged from trees and moss and vines, with the face of a stag and gigantic antlers. Great, a Leshen. It immediately attacked the Hydromages closest to it. It thrust several men through the air like playthings. Was this the thing chucking people earlier? The poor Soldiers were now pinched between two monsters who mowed them down. Still, Cy trudged forward to Jules. Jules¡­ Liam¡­ Jules dodged charges from the lesser beasts and grabbed the animals by their throats. It slammed them into their comrades and Hydromages alike. He kept the bear at bay while he dealt with the smaller animals of larger numbers. Anything that came too close was met with streams of black flames from his hands. Arrows laced in at both threats now, but Jules'' Regeneration appeared to accelerate. The Druid relinquished his control on the beasts, and several ran away. Oh no, he''s shifting control to the Leshen with his new Tome¡­
? ? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ? ?
Golden light exploded from the Druid, and the Tome emitted a shockwave that blew Cy''s hair all over his face. It¡¯ll be a battle of the minds. If he takes control of that Leshen, he¡¯ll be Jules¡¯ biggest threat. The Leshen stopped its assault and stared at the Druid, then approached him. Jules swiped wildly at everything around him, and one blow connected with the monster, which howled at the sky. They halted their attacks and locked eyes, and Soldiers took their opportunity to flee for cover. ¡°AH. THERE YOU ARE, MY OLD FRIEND.¡± Is Jules speaking to the Leshen!? Its black eyes turned gold, just like the Druid''s. Shit, he gained control. The monsters engaged each other. Jules reached for an antler, but the Leshen threw him to the ground. Oh Jules. What did we get ourselves into? The fox purred nearby Cy. Jules launched a stream of black flames at one of the Leshen¡¯s arms and burned it away. Vines shot down from the canopy and out of the surrounding trees. They weaved into the severed arm and restored it. It can Regenerate!? Shit. Fuck. Cy knew what he¡¯d have to do. He took a deep breath. I¡¯ll never be an Alter now. The Leshen controlled vines and earth alike and grabbed onto Jules¡¯ limbs and torso to imprison his legs in earth and stone. Jules flailed at the assault, breaking one body part free at the expense of two more. He burned the surrounding earth with black flames to break free. Your flames are dying out. Jules¡ªor whoever that is¡ªis losing this fight. Cy faced the Druid. The Master knelt with his eyes closed. Struggling to control the Leshen... Cy thought he''d vomit at what he was about to do. So long, Coralhaven. Goodbye, Alters. Farewell¡­humanity. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
? Ice ? [?250 // ?10,000]
Cy formed one last ice shard above his head; his focus and intent had formed a perfect point at the shard¡¯s tip, in sharp contrast to his usual rugged formations. Cy closed his eyes. ¡°Mother, Father. Wherever you are, I¡¯m sorry. I am so sorry.¡± He opened his eyes, focused on his target, and launched his ice shard at the Druid¡¯s skull. The projectile accelerated with intense speed, but Cy watched it in slow motion. Halfway there, it slowed down even more. Cy stood there, disappointed in himself, in his decision to end the man¡¯s life. Is this what happens when you kill someone? Everything slows down? I always thought it¡¯d be the opposite. Each moment passed more slowly than the previous one, until eventually the kill-shot froze in place, just feet away from the Druid¡¯s temple. Cy blinked. What the hell? He looked around. Even the Leshen and Jules were frozen in place, though Jules lied down on the ground. Dead again? Jules'' black flames quickly receded. Cy tried to move but couldn¡¯t. All he could do was breathe and move his eyes. The white fox ran over to Jules¡¯ limp, steaming body and licked his face. It looked over to Cy for help. Cy struggled to move and was finally freed. He looked back over at the ice shard, still locked in place. ¡°Thank Salvos.¡± He rushed over to Jules and the fox. Jules¡¯ body was still hot from the black flames, but Cy ripped arrows out of his body, anyway. ¡°So much for morbid curiosity, eh?¡± Jules¡¯ numerous injuries stitched themselves together at a speed quicker than any medicine Cy¡¯d ever seen. Wish I had that power right now. He ripped vines off Jules to free his legs from the dirt and stones surrounding them. He wrapped Jules around his shoulder and lugged him away from the Leshen and toward the Druid. Cy nudged the midair shard with all his might, and eventually he moved its path away from its intended target. "Until next time, Master Fin Rivers." Cy glanced around one last time to make sure everyone¡ªand everything¡ªwas still frozen. Then he carried Jules away with the fox close behind. As he hobbled through the woods, he reunited with Bookstacker, who still hung upside down, with neither dignity nor consciousness. His shirt was slightly untucked from the back. Why not? Cy ripped the shirt out so it flapped down and revealed the Scholar¡¯s back. Cy laughed. ¡°Look Jules¡ªNo Trophy. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to show us.¡± Cy looked off into the distance and saw the Warg beyond the edge of the battle. Even it was frozen in place, though its eyes were locked on Cy. Or is it staring at Jules? Cy looked around for Liam¡ªfor he thought who else could have saved them¡ªbut saw nothing but carnage. ¡°Come on Jules, Fox. Let¡¯s go home.¡±
JULES
Jules stood in the threshold of a door and faced the desert sun. I¡¯ve never been here before. Is this another dream? He looked around slowly at the adobe home, at the smooth and weathered sandstone that made its walls. The wind whistled and swirled sand around. The landscape shifted as one sand dune receded and another formed. A pink flower bloomed on a cactus outside by a sun-rotted wooden fence. Massive thunderclouds spat lightning and rain to the north. The storm was headed straight to him. Arid heat and the sun¡¯s rays beat down on him and warmed him inside his clothes. Wait¡ªWhat the hell am I wearing? Thick black robes with a golden embroidery protected Jules from the harsh climate. He studied his hands, which were much tanner and smoother than he remembered. ¡°Are you OK?¡± a timid voice asked from behind. Jules jumped, startled as they¡¯d been so silent the last few minutes. He didn¡¯t recognize the three people who sat at the small table. A man, a woman, and a child, who was surely their daughter, looked at him cautiously. They were not dressed nearly as nicely as Jules, but he had the sense that they at least recognized him. ¡°What¡­Where am I? And who are you three?¡± Jules asked. The man and woman glanced at each other. Concern¡ªNo, they look terrified. Of me? How¡¯d I even get here? What''s the last thing I remember? Jules swallowed nervously¡ªhis dry and raw throat itched. I need water. Now. Used to having water everywhere. I¡¯m not fit for the desert. Y-you¡¯re safe. With us.¡± The man stammered as he spoke. ¡°You must have had those dreams again. Did you¡­see him again?¡± How do you know about my dreams? The man recoiled from Jules¡¯ intense stare. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s us! Mama, Papa. Even your sister.¡± The man shot from his seat and kneeled down before Jules and pleaded through stammers. ¡°Please forgive me, for bringing it up. I just wish you well¡ªWe all do.¡± The father gazed at the floor. What the hell? ¡°Please, Sir, get up¡ª¡± Jules tried to speak, but his throat was so parched he thought it¡¯d rip. He looked around desperately. ¡°Water. Where?¡± The man lifted his gaze to Jules, surprised. Cotton filled his mouth. The surface of his tongue felt like it ripped each time he moved it around in his mouth. ¡°Water,¡± he gasped. The man pointed outside with a shaky finger. Jules fled in that direction. He lost his balance and thought he¡¯d hyperventilate. Haze filled his vision. A shaded trough sat along the fence line. He stumbled over toward it, shoved the drinking camels out of the way, and plunged his face into the vile water. After several deep gulps and coughing fits, he lifted his head up to the desert sky. Cool water streamed down his face, onto his clothes. He felt the weight of his long, wet hair. Wait¡­ Frantically, Jules gazed down at the rippling water¡¯s reflection and saw an unfamiliar face come into focus. It was tanned, with dark gray eyes and long black hair. The face was poised and well manicured. It was the face of a noble child who''d never be caught dead kneeling, soaked before a beast of burden''s trough. ¡°Who are you?¡± The reflection danced on the water and fizzled away. A tarantula lowered down right in front of Jules'' face. One eye was missing, but the other seven glared at Jules. He jumped back in disgust. The dizziness of dehydration returned. Jules felt a whirlwind around him and struggled to keep his balance before he collapsed and passed out. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 18 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott Coralith Natural Features Major Cities Other Cities & Towns Smaller Villages Ch 19 - Dont Speak
CYRUS
Cyrus paced around Jules'' kitchen.
[Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 9.] [Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 10.] [Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 11.]
Great. At least I Leveled Up a few times.
[Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Be accepted into the Guild.] [Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª QUEST FAILED] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Join the Scholars Guild.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª QUEST FAILED]
And there''s the rub. Not the time or place for it, though. Cy paced the room. Come on, Jules. We can''t just sit around and¡ª ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Cy and Evelyn spun around. It was the first time Jules had spoken since Cy slammed his Regenerating corpse on his parents¡¯ kitchen table. Oh, thank Salvos he¡¯s back. Cy rushed over to his friend. ¡°Jules, it¡¯s me, Cy. You¡¯re safe now.¡± Jules lifted his head to look around, but that must have been all the strength he could muster. ¡°Jules¡­ Who is that?" Cy took a step back and glared at Jules. Shit. The demon''s back? ¡°You are Jules, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jules'' furrowed brows relaxed. His frown transitioned to a smug smile. He studied Cy and Evelyn¡¯s faces. Then he looked over at the fox. He coughed out a laugh. ¡°Jules, mm? Jules¡­¡± His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he passed out again on the dining table. ¡°He''s damned us all.¡± Evelyn glared at her son. Her fierce eyes wouldn¡¯t blink, her nostrils flared. ¡°What in the hell happened? And where is my husband?¡± Cy remained silent as he observed Jules, confused at their interaction. ¡°I want to make it clear," Cy finally said to Evelyn, "that I am not on your side, and I don¡¯t support how you view and treat Jules¡ªthe real Jules. But right now, we need to proceed with caution. Jules is still in there, somewhere.¡± Cy pointed at the steaming body. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure who he¡¯ll be when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Leave him.¡± The hair on Cy¡¯s arms stood up, and he tried to catch his breath to calm down. ¡°Leave with me, Cy. Let Liam handle¡ª¡± Jules gasped before Cy could snap. Here we go again. Jules attempted to get on his side and look around. Cy rushed over and grabbed him by the jaw, which until recently had been shredded in tattered ribbons. ¡°Where¡­ What happened?¡± Jules mumbled through clenched teeth. ¡°You seem more animated this time, but I have to ask you,¡± Cy said. He tightened his grip until Jules made eye contact again. ¡°Who. Are. You.¡± Jules furrowed his brows and swatted Cy¡¯s hand away. ¡°Jules.¡± Cy sighed with relief and collapsed into a chair. He stared at the ceiling. Looks like I¡¯ll die another day after all. Cy stretched out his jaw to relieve the tension he¡¯d been carrying for hours. ¡°Mom¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you fucking dare call me that, you¡ªyou devil!¡± Cy couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch as Evelyn cowered away from her own son into the kitchen. Nothing will disturb this brief, brief respite¡­ Just give me a few minutes, please. Cy massaged his temple. ¡°A mirror,¡± Jules demanded. ¡°Get me a mirror, Evelyn. Now!¡± Please¡ªshut up. ¡°Why should I? There¡¯s not a scratch on your face. Not anymore, anyway.¡± Please shut up. ¡°Fine. Useless as always." Shut up. "Don''t you dare speak to me that¡ª" Jules struggled off the table but plopped onto the floor with a deadened grunt. Salvos, grant me the serenity to¡ª ¡°And why was I on the dining table?¡± ¡ªthe courage to change¡ª "Why? Why!?" ¡ªand the wisdom to¡ª "Because you just went on a rampage¡ª" ¡°Will everybody just shut the fuck up for one Salvos-damned minute!?¡± They looked at him wide-eyed, silently¡ªrespecting his request¡ªbut Cy''s fuses had already blown, and there was no turning back now. ¡°Evelyn, if you have any hopes of being called a mother by anyone ever again, including me, and I know that¡¯s all you¡¯ve ever wanted in your sad life of your¡ªyour self-induced misery, then keep your zealotry to yourself and support your son for once and if you can¡¯t do any and all of that then shut the fuck up¡ªand Jules, I don¡¯t even know what the fuck to say to you¡ªyou¡¯re back, hooray! Great! And this time it actually is you again, but what the fuck did you just put me through, and now you ask for a mirror¡ªa mirror¡ªa fucking mirror¡ªI swear to Salvos I almost just killed a man¡ªthree Ranks above me, by the way, if any of you three would care to ask me, but you didn''t, did you¡ªand you just asked me for a fucking. Mirror. Oh¡ªand how could I forget? How the fuck could I forget to tell you¡ªyou¡¯re on the dining table because you were dead¡ªfor the third, fourth, fifth, I don''t know how many times, and where the fuck else can we go right now, because everyone knows you¡¯re a Sin, and please Jules please I know that¡¯s a lot to take in, it certainly was for me, but please just shut the fuck up, just shut the fuck up, everybody just shut the fuck up for one minute.¡± Mother and son stared at Cy for a moment, then looked away. Jules back laid down on the kitchen floor without a sound. Evelyn slid her back down and against the wall and hugged her knees. She buried her face in them. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Cy closed his eyes. Feels like I could fall asleep. A few minutes passed. Better get moving again. Cy opened his eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Thank you both. It''s been a long day. Clearly, I needed a moment to myself.¡± Cy patted the armrests of his chair and returned to the kitchen with a mirror. He handed it to Jules. No sooner than Jules looked at the mirror, he sighed with relief. ¡°I¡¯m still me,¡± Jules said. ¡°I just had a dream. I was another person in the desert. Long black hair. Looked well put together.¡± He gestured down to his tattered clothes. Cy took the mirror and helped him to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re still you¡ªfor now, Jules. But I saw something else entirely, back at the Shrine. Definitely wasn¡¯t well put together.¡± Jules glared at Cy intensely. ¡°Tell it to me straight. Must¡¯ve been bad.¡± ¡°Jules¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± ¡°Were Isolda or Dad there?¡± ¡°Uh, no. I didn¡¯t see them. After Isolda left, we stayed around. Liam never rejoined us like we planned. But the Warg attacked us, and some wolves. You knocked me out of the way and they¡­devoured you alive.¡± Evelyn gasped and looked at her son with what Cy felt was compassion and empathy. So she does have a heart. ¡°Uh huh. I¡¯ve died many times before, skip the boring stuff.¡± The boring stuff, this motherfucker says¡­ ¡°I tried to escape with you. Some soldiers saw you healing, claimed you were controlling the animals and monsters. Sweet Salvos, Jules, you fought a Leshen. That was probably what threw all those men over our heads earlier.¡± ¡°How did I do that?¡± ¡°Hmm. At first you were on fire, fighting¡­people¡­and wolves. The fox actually set you on fire. Then you were cornered, and a¡­¡± Cy paused. Jules doesn¡¯t seem as shaken up about this as I thought he would. Is this¡­is this not the first time this has happened? ¡°Look. I¡¯m sorry for the words I¡¯m about to use, but you need to know, and I know you want to know, so here it goes: a demon came out of you. He was on fire and smashed everything in his path. You Regenerated faster than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. I think they killed you a second time, and you revived again, this time with black flames. Master Druid Fin Rivers brought a bunch of animals to kill you. Then a Naval Officer ran into the Shrine¡ªseemed like he knew what he was doing, too, like a sacrifice¡ªand the Leshen came out. The fight didn¡¯t last much longer, and then¡ª¡± ¡°Black flames¡­¡± Jules¡¯ eyes glazed over. ¡°Jules, focus¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in, Cy.¡± Jules buried his head in his hands. ¡°Everyone knows¡­ Wait¡ª¡± He looked up sharply. ¡°If everyone knows, then we need to run.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you, Jules. You coming back from the dead wasn¡¯t the weirdest thing that happened. Everyone is frozen.¡± ¡°What? Frozen how?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t move. It¡¯s been like this for nearly an hour. The only ones not affected were you and the fox. When it was clear you needed my help, I was unfrozen, and the same for Evelyn here.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think, too,¡± Cy said. ¡°You put too much trust in Liam,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°He¡¯s more than either of you think he is, but there¡¯s no way he has this power or Skill. Not to mention the Ryoku¡± Jules rushed to the sink and vomited. ¡°Maybe. But you¡¯re definitely right about one thing, Jules,¡± Cy said. ¡°We need to run. Whoever our benefactor is, they can¡¯t keep it up forever. I had to drag you through town, and everyone there is frozen, too.¡± ¡°So everyone knows?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cy said. ¡°Everyone at the Shrine sure as hell does. But people in town may not know yet. We can use that to our advantage. We need to go¡ªGet your books.¡± ¡°Books?¡± Evelyn scoffed. ¡°Knowledge won¡¯t save you, not even the Holy Book of Salvos could save you now.¡± ¡°I thought I told you to support your son, or don¡¯t speak. I just gave up my life and dreams for him. I¡¯m an accomplice¡ª¡± ¡°And what do you think I¡¯ve done? I gave away my life, a good life, in¡ª¡± She glanced at Jules. ¡°Back home. I gave up my family, my friends, my Class, and my Rank for him. And look what it got me. He will take everything from you, too.¡± Cy could tell Jules felt more guilt than anger toward his mother. Lucky for you, I only have anger. ¡°The book Isolda mentioned¡ªThe Inked Arts. Make sure to get that.¡± Jules took one step toward his bedroom and wobbled to one knee. Annoyed, Cy hurried to the room and received it. He overheard Jules¡¯ apology. ¡°Never wanted to be like this¡­would have been better had I never been born. I see that now. A lot more people would be alive, by the sounds of it, but¡ª¡± ¡°You have no idea. The day you were born, that samurai and fox massacred my friends and family. It¡¯s too late to apologize.¡± ¡°But, I was born. There¡¯s no stopping this train, Evelyn. It¡¯s time to take your seat, or it¡¯s high time for you to get off. Our relationship has been terrible, but still, I thank you for getting me this far, and I am truly, truly sorry for what this has done, and will do, to your life. No one deserves that.¡± Ah, here¡¯s the damn book. Cy waltzed back into the room. He feigned ignorance of their conversation and tossed the book onto the table. ¡°So who is this guy?¡± Cy and Jules thumbed through the pages. ¡°No author name, no photo. Just some dumb pseudonym." ¡°This is no time for books. Jules, you have damaged us enough. If we stay with you, this will keep happening. I think it¡¯s best if you go your separate way and I leave with Cy.¡± ¡°Whoah, whoah,¡± Cy said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving Jules. And what about Liam?¡± This is giving me creepy vibes. Evelyn turned to Jules first. ¡°Liam will never stop protecting you. Go with him if you want.¡± She turned her gaze back to Cy. ¡°Cy, all I have ever wanted was a child, a normal child, a son. Stay with me, and¡ª¡± Cy shoved her away from him. You disgust me. He jammed his finger into the book¡¯s cover. ¡°Have you ever seen this book before, Evelyn? Do you know anything, anything at all? We need to find this author.¡± Her lip curled in disgust, but she walked over to look at it. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 19 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott The Verdant Domain Natural Features Major Cities Other Cities & Towns Smaller Villages Ch 20 - Ghost Town
CYRUS
¡°No,¡± she said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen or heard of it.¡± Cy growled, and he walked away from the table in frustration. ¡°Where can we go?¡± Cy asked Jules. ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡± Evelyn grabbed Cy, and he shoved her off again. ¡°How can you do this to your son?¡± Jules just watched. ¡°He¡¯s not human, so he¡¯s not my son. It¡¯s too late for him now, anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late for Cy, too,¡± Jules said flatly. ¡°He¡¯s my accomplice. He said he attacked the military. He also has a small window to escape. If you won¡¯t help your real son, then help your adopted one.¡± Evelyn gaped at them both. Shock and grief finally hitting this old bag? ¡°Aquilantis is my obvious choice,¡± Jules said. ¡°Lustris Haven¡¯s mine,¡± Cy said. ¡°We can hop to another nation easily from there.¡± Evelyn walked over to the book and fanned its pages. ¡°Aquilantis¡ª¡± ¡°Is too obvious a choice, Jules. It¡¯s the closest city. Obviously you¡¯d run there. I can practically see it from here.¡± Cy pointed out the window toward the shimmering island-city in the distance. ¡°It is the obvious choice. And it¡¯s also the simplest choice, and the right one. Odds are high that there¡¯s another Sin there. I give it four-to-two.¡± Evelyn tilted her head at one of the pages. ¡°You mean two-to-one, but how¡¯d you reach those odds?¡± Cy asked him. ¡°Simple. Only two Virtues weren¡¯t identified at birth, Patience and Diligence. And only two Sins were found, Greed from Hinomura and Sloth from Zenithoria. Then there¡¯s me, from¡­¡± Jules flashed a look at Evelyn, who silently scowled back. ¡°Who¡¯s probably not from Aquilantis. That leaves four Sins to two Virtues. Of course, we fled home. These odds are only that he was born in Aquilantis.¡± ¡°Or she,¡± Evelyn said. Shocked she didn¡¯t say ¡®it.¡¯ ¡°Not great odds, and for too large a gamble,¡± Cy said. ¡°Jules is right. You need to go to Aquilantis, if you want to find this author.¡± Evelyn spun the open book around on the table and pointed out the publishing house. ¡°Sylvan Publishing House is in the heart of Aquilantis. We came across it when finding a new¡­home. It didn¡¯t take long to hear the rumors that another column of light had appeared there, so we quickly left, but that place has always stuck with me.¡± Is she up to something? Seems convenient. Maybe she wants Jules to get captured in Aquilantis. ¡°What was so memorable about it?¡± ¡°Because I could see it, but Liam couldn¡¯t.¡± Cy and Jules looked at each other. "Just like Isolda¡¯s bags." ¡°That can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± Jules said. ¡°Cy, pack our crap. My head¡¯s still groggy.¡± "What coincidence?" They both ignored Evelyn. ¡°OK Jules. By the way, we had some help getting here. Well, a lot, actually, but one of your saviors is standing guard outside.¡± ¡°Who?¡± "Don''t bring her inside," Evelyn snapped. "I just kicked her out again." ¡°Guess you¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡± Jules hobbled outside, and Cy packed their bags with provisions, rations, arrows, and medicine. He walked over to the hearth and removed a bow from a mount. Sorry Mr. Tideshaper¡­Liam. Cy approached the front door when Evelyn called out to him one final time. ¡°Wait. Stop.¡± He paused but didn¡¯t turn back. ¡°Sorry, Evelyn, but there¡¯s no time for goodbyes.¡± He took a step forward.
? Stop ?
Again the sensation gripped Cy. His leg halted mid-step. Anger flared within him. Did she do this before? No, it feels different, much weaker. He couldn¡¯t move forward, but he could turn around. She at least allowed me that much. Definitely different from before. Evelyn avoided eye contact with him. She retreated back to her room. Cy tried to wrench himself free of the spell, to no avail. Evelyn returned and gave Cy a final parting gift. ¡°Jules will need this. You¡­will need this. Give it to the fox.¡± She handed Cy a collar, and the Script released its hold. Finally helping Jules, though maybe it¡¯s just for my sake. ¡°Thank you.¡± Cy opened the front door, then stopped. ¡°I hope it works, by the way. The medicine. Farewell.¡± Cy shut the door behind him. Evelyn sobbed on the other side, all alone.
JULES
Cy was right. They really are all frozen. Jules couldn¡¯t believe what he saw as Cyrus supported him through Coralhaven. Still weak and recovering, Jules wrapped an arm around his friend¡¯s shoulder. The little white fox walked on his other side, and the trio strolled through town like a wide wave. An absolute menace to society. Every part of town still had a few stragglers left behind from the townsfolk¡¯s mass pilgrimage to the Shrine that morning. A man and a woman embraced, a child cried into the sky on the streets, a lone Merchant exchanged Ryoku with a customer. Jules recognized everyone except a homeless man. He sat on the dirt and leaned against a crate in an alleyway that peered into the plaza. Wonder if he came in for the Shrine? A demon had struck it, and Coralhaven had become a somber ghost town. ¡°Do you think they can see us?¡± Jules asked. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°I could move my eyes when I was stuck. I¡¯m sure they can, too. But then again, I was allowed free.¡± Cyrus scanned from left to right continuously, and each time it strained Jules¡¯ internal injuries. Jules inspected the lingering wounds. He rubbed his stomach and winced at the damage still Regenerating. Ah, that¡¯s right, I changed. My clothes were ripped to shreds. Usually I heal my insides first, then my skin. Whoever took control of me went for the opposite. I wonder why¡ª Oh. I¡¯m being selfish. ¡°Fox,¡± Jules said. ¡°Have you healed your injuries?¡± The fox transitioned its march into a happy canter. It wagged its tail and made a low, sweet sound, similar to a purr. Jules smiled. ¡°Take that as you¡¯re gonna make it, good. I¡¯m growing quite fond of you saving me all the time.¡± A half hour prior, Jules reunited with the fox outside his home. He''d immediately felt relief, as if a longing void were filled. This fox must be my Familiar, so then. ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk?¡± The fox stood on its hind legs and hobbled a few steps ahead of them to put on a show. It pretended to draw a sword from an imaginary hilt and then slay an invisible enemy. Then it grabbed more fictional foes and pretended to rip their throats out. It reached to the sky in victory, but then it grabbed its neck and coughed out choking gurgles. It fell onto its back and played dead, tongue stuck out and all. Jules looked at Cyrus for help. "You get any of that?" ¡°Don¡¯t ask me." ¡°Did you lose a fight, Little One?¡± It growled back at him, tongue still drooping out, and furrowed its brows. ¡°OK, so you didn¡¯t lose, but you were tired? Did magic have something to do with it?¡± The fox shot to its feet and responded with a short, low yap. It tilted its head up to the sky and looked away from Jules. Seems I''ve offended you. ¡°Well, from what I can tell, you¡¯ve fought well for me several times. Thank you, I really am grateful.¡± Jules surveyed the plaza. ¡°Cy, why do you think everyone is frozen?¡± ¡°No idea. I haven¡¯t seen your dad since early morning.¡± ¡°If your sense of time is right, we should be coming up on two hours of this, on a few thousand people. I know he¡¯s not who he appears to be, but there is no way Dad¡¯s past 3rd Rank.¡± ¡°The amount of Ryoku this would take¡­ I can¡¯t even do the math right now.¡± It''d have to be a 4th Rank. Or¡ªoh shit. ¡°Cy, how much Ryoku do you think I used? Back there.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry Jules. I know where you¡¯re going with this. I already thought about it while you were out, I just forgot to tell you. I don¡¯t think this is the work of another Arcanic, Sin or Virtue.¡± ¡°And your reasoning is?¡± ¡°This has to be a group of people. Not even you, in that demonic state, could fight the Leshen. To be fair, you did fight a small army beforehand, so maybe you could have if you were fresh, but even that monster was paralyzed.¡± ¡°I see. So¡­ You gonna tell me what I actually did?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You went berserk, man. That¡¯s all you need to know. Besides,¡± Cy looked down at Jules, ¡°that wasn¡¯t really you.¡± ¡°Thanks, but that¡¯s not going to rid me of this guilt.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. The marina¡¯s just there. We need a ship.¡± ¡°What, we¡¯re just going to commandeer a ship from the Navy? Or are you gonna steal one from the Navs?¡± ¡°Salvos, no, are you mad? We can¡¯t pilot one of those things.¡± The little fox growled. I can sense its annoyance. No, not annoyance. What, then? ¡°We¡¯re smuggling onboard. It¡¯s the last place they¡¯ll look.¡± Jules thought about Cyrus'' grand scheme for a single second. ¡°Yeah, that''s a shite idea. We could be stuck there for days.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve got anything better, now¡¯s the time.¡± Nope. Jules wracked his mind for anything to grab onto. ¡°What about my dad?¡± Cyrus sighed, annoyed. ¡°Again. I don¡¯t know where he is, Jules. And sorry, but we don¡¯t have time for goodbyes.¡± ¡°Isolda?¡± "Jules!" Cyrus stomped a foot, stopped, and looked at the clouds. ¡°I don¡¯t know where¡ª¡± ¡°No, Cy.¡± Jules pointed ahead. ¡°Isolda. She¡¯s right there.¡± Their teacher hurried from the marina to the schoolhouse. She carried a large wooden chest in both arms. Cyrus yanked Jules behind a stone wall lined with shipping crates. Jules motioned for the fox to join them. It sat down on its butt¡ªquite reluctantly¡ªand pouted. ¡°We should follow her,¡± Jules said. ¡°See if she can lead us to safety.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯d be crazy to trust her.¡± ¡°Why? She gave us our only lead. And she didn¡¯t turn me in to the military. Or worse, the Maidens.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we aren¡¯t blindly following that lead. We''re gonna inspect that publishing house from a safe distance, and figure out our next move. We¡¯re not going to storm through its doors demanding a welcome party, just like we¡¯re not going to¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry, Cy.¡± Jules removed his arm from Cyrus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to see her.¡± Jules fled their cover and limped a few steps over to the schoolhouse. ¡°Jules, wait!¡± Cyrus grabbed him, but Jules shrugged him off. My Hand-to-Hand Skill is way higher than his, and he knows it. Even in this state, he¡¯d lose. Plus¡ªand I¡¯m ashamed to even think about this¡ªhe¡¯s terrified of me right now, anyway.
? Stop ?
When did you learn that Rune? Jules turned back around to his best friend. Break his resolve, not the spell. Make him withdraw it on his own. They locked eyes for a while. Looks like he needs a little push. Jules¡¯ chest lit up, and yellow ember sparked around the edges of his eyes. ¡°Dammit, Jules. Fine.¡± Cyrus¡¯ eyes dimmed out, and he released Jules from the spell. "Wouldn''t do much anyway, I just learned it from Evelyn." Hm. Jules staggered across the wide open road, which led to the marina and its docks, towards the schoolhouse. Cyrus and the fox followed in tow. When he got close enough, Jules crouched down and focused on his Stealth Skill. Adrenaline carried him now, and the pain from his legs and back receded. He peered in a window. Isolda shifted her Inventory from one bag to another. Every movement was deliberate, careful, and methodical. ¡°How many bags do you see?¡± Jules whispered. ¡°Still just one. The objects she moves over there disappear. You must be right. But Jules, why can she¡ª¡± An emboldened Jules headed straight for the door. Cyrus spat hushed curses after him. Jules swung the door open and limped inside. ¡°Hello, Isolda.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 20 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott Obsidia Natural Features Major Cities Other Cities & Towns Smaller Villages Ch 21 - Hot for Teacher
JULES
¡°Ah? My, you gave me quite the fright, Jules.¡± She calmly moved items between bags without looking up at him. She didn¡¯t acknowledge Cyrus or the fox as they crept in after him. ¡°Certainly seems that way.¡± Jules spotted the chest she''d carried in. Its lid was opened, and it was empty. Iron chains and a lock laid scattered next to it. The front face of the chest was marked with a Faction¡¯s large crest. That emblem. ¡°That¡¯s an awfully large chest you¡¯ve got there.¡± Isolda paused and looked up at him. ¡°That¡¯s no comment to make to a lady, Jules.¡± ¡°Are you? A lady, I mean.¡± Her face darkened, and she looked at Jules for the first time. Chills swept through him. Something¡¯s off. ¡°And what could you mean by that, Jules?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. It¡¯s just¡­I didn¡¯t think ladies took things that don¡¯t belong to them.¡± He motioned to the Faction crest. Her eyes softened. Still confused, Jules decided to take one step forward. ¡°Are you accusing me of stealing, Jules?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just borrowing it.¡± He took another step. ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong there, Jules. I am stealing it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the Navs won¡¯t take too lightly to that.¡± He placed his hand on a bag, the one that only the two of them could see. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The Coralhaven bell tower sounded its alarms. ¡°Shit Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta go. Now.¡± Jules slowly uncovered the bag¡¯s flap. His eyes glazed over at its contents. ¡°Put that down and step away, Jules.¡± Bewildered, his eyes shot to Isolda. ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus shouted. ¡°Why do you have this much?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who those belong to, Jules.¡± She stepped closer. ¡°Put it down. Now.¡± Another step. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you frozen?¡± ¡°You hear those bells ringing, don¡¯t you? It means everyone is unfrozen now. Besides, why do you think you were unfrozen, Jules?¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°she¡¯s threatening us. We saw you walking from the marina. Other people were still frozen in town. Don¡¯t know how you¡¯d have had the time to make it all the way down there, anyway. Let¡¯s leave. Now.¡± ¡°Hello, Cyrus.¡± Isolda acknowledged him for the first time. ¡°How was your visit to the Shrine today? Do anything you¡­regret?¡± ¡°I need more answers,¡± Jules said. ¡°Or I¡¯m taking these.¡± Cyrus looked out the window to scout any more enemies. ¡°That would be a costly mistake, Jules. To both of us.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯m taking them, then.¡± Jules slung the pack over his shoulder. ¡°Have you not made enough enemies today, Jules?¡± ¡°Stop saying my name like that.¡± ¡°Why? That is your name¡ªJules, isn¡¯t it?¡± Isolda¡¯s gaze was colder than any ice magic. Jules'' hands trembled slightly, and he felt like he could vomit. Something heavy, pressing down on me. ¡°Isolda, you don¡¯t want to mess with us today.¡± She grabbed his arm. ¡°Aquilantis,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°He¡¯s in Aquilantis, right? Jules, drop whatever that is, and let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Isolda studied Cyrus and then the fox. ¡°That is a single-admission ticket.¡± ¡°You can play games with the Navs,¡± Jules jammed his thumb into his chest, "but not us." ¡°Well, he only plays with¡­"
? Arcanics ?
She used the ancient Sylvan Rune for the word, but didn¡¯t invoke a Script. Though Jules had never heard the word before, he recognized it. Jules tried to remember the Rune, but it fled his memory. Boots shuffled and padded armor clapped against itself nearby. Jules whipped his head around. Damn, out of time. ¡°Your father,¡± Isolda said, again only addressing Jules, ¡°has a ship for you at the marina. I¡¯d take you personally, but you¡¯ve just cost me precious time¡ªnot to mention trust¡ªand I have other duties required of me at the moment.¡± She glanced over at the Navigators'' chest. ¡°So what,¡± Cy pressed, ¡°Liam trusts you now?¡± ¡°Did my father do this? Freeze everyone?¡± Isolda smirked. ¡°It appears our time has run out.¡± She leapt back from Jules and the chest. Without speaking or invoking any Scripts, she formed a water whip in one hand and blasted desks around with the other. Jules and Cyrus took defensive stances, but she didn¡¯t attack them. The sound of troops approached the door. Damn, is she framing us? A group of Soldiers burst through the doors. Jules, Cyrus, and the fox jumped away from them. Sandwiched between them, our own technique used against us. The fox growled at the men and hunkered down. ¡°There it is!¡± A Soldier pointed at the Navigators'' chest. ¡°These must be the thieves here.¡± ¡°What? We didn¡¯t steal anything!¡± Cyrus shouted back. ¡°It¡¯s you¡ªJules?¡± ''Straps. You don''t look so friendly this time. ¡°Everyone. Get back. They¡¯re saying up top that he¡¯s the Sin.¡± The other men hesitated, then focused their weapons on Jules. Isolda, if you¡¯re gonna help, now¡¯s the time. "Oh Salvos¡ªa Sin!?" Isolda shrieked. Should have expected that. ¡°Ma¡¯am, step away from that monster.¡± Isolda feigned terror and obeyed. ¡°Men, strike!¡± They lunged forward, and Isolda dropped for cover behind a desk, but Jules saw what she was up to. Hidden from view, her eyes lit up. Jules heard a whisper from all around him in the Sylvan language, a shorter Script that he couldn''t translate. The soldiers froze in place again. One of their swords stopped inches away from Cyrus¡¯ heart. Daggers of ice halted midair on a collision course with Jules. The fox arched its back and growled, or more so squealed. Jules surveyed the bizarre scene. Guess I was wrong about you. A devilish plan came to mind. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Jules punched Cyrus in the face as hard as he could. Cyrus¡¯ head turned with the blow, but the rest of his body remained motionless. He punched him again in the stomach. Sorry, mate! He grabbed Cyrus by the jaw and practically spat in his face when he spoke. ¡°Worthless piece of trash¡ªI told you to keep watch. I told you what¡¯d happen if you failed. I ought to kill every child in that orphanage, you miserable little street urchin." Jules released his friend''s face, but not without an aggressive shove. "I guess I can¡¯t control you as well as I thought.¡± Jules slammed the chest shut, wrapped the surrounding chains, and locked it. He thrust a finger into Bootstrapper''s chest. ¡°And you. I should stop your heart while I¡¯m at it. Denying my application. But I¡¯ll leave you alive to cower in fear for the rest of your life, never knowing when I¡¯ll surface again. Next time, I might freeze and unfreeze your lungs, over and over again, so you suffocate forever.¡± Jules turned his attention to a Soldier wearing a Navigators'' uniform. ¡°And if you ever want back that which I have stolen from you¡­¡± Jules wondered if he was overdoing it here. ¡°Then you better not follow me.¡± The fox growled viciously and snapped at the man¡¯s ankles. Jules looked down. ¡°My god, man. Did you just wet yourself?¡± Do not laugh, Jules. Do not laugh. He scanned the room again and looked each man in their eyes. He hoisted a frozen Cyrus onto a shoulder. ¡°Any man braver than him,¡± Jules gestured to the pants-soiler, ¡°you better think twice about following me. I¡¯m taking this fool hostage, and if I so much as see a flag following me¡ªI¡¯ll kill him, and all the orphans in this town go down with him.¡± Jules bumped into each Soldier on his way out the schoolhouse door.
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 5.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find out what Isolda knows about you.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find out who Isolda wants you to meet.] [Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find the publisher in Aquilantis.] [The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Return Alistair''s remains.] [The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Collect your bounty.] [The Haunting of Coralhaven ¡ª QUEST FAILED] [Join the Scholars Guild ¡ª QUEST FAILED ¡ª Let''s face it¡ªthey''ll never let you in now.]
Blasted System. But we should be safe now. Jules laid Cyrus down against a wall near the marina. He greedily eyed the invisible bag. His heart raced. Should I? Or should I leave it all? Just one, maybe two¡­ Jules sighed and looked at Cyrus. ¡°What would you do?¡± Cyrus grunted back. ¡°OK, I hear you loud and clear. One for you, one for me.¡± ¡°Ruff!¡± ¡°Oh, right¡ªsure. Three it is.¡± Jules removed three Ryoku Crystals, of such dark shades of purple that they were nearly black, from the bag and inserted them into his own pack. He filed the stolen chest into the bag''s Container Inventory, and then he dropped the bag in the middle of the street. ¡°Alright, Cy, Fox. I¡¯m leaving that behind for her. It''s got dozens of Ryoku Crystals left, plus that chest she stole. Seems like me and her are the only ones who can see it, so hopefully this plays out." He searched for any witnesses. Cyrus grunted again. ¡°Sorry, Cy. She scratched our backs, in her own way, I think. I had to return the favor. Plus, she¡¯s right. We don¡¯t need any more enemies today.¡± Jules carried Cyrus down to the marina where, according to Isolda, his father waited for them. Cyrus swung awkwardly over his shoulder. He was still frozen and stiff as a board. His body was still mostly straight from when he¡¯d been standing, and Jules hoped that he would eventually start to sag down into an upside-down U-shape. Figure this would kill my back, but I feel amazing right now. Almost invulnerable. Cy still feels heavy, but it¡¯s different somehow. The little white fox chugged along happily next to Jules. She smiled up at him as they walked. They passed another military group by the first ship docked at the marina. Only their eyes followed Jules and company as they strolled past. Once they¡¯d passed a dozen or so mighty Navigator ships, Jules saw Liam at the very end of the marina. He tied up the mast of a small sailboat. Excellent choice, Dad. Jules waved him down. Liam scanned for any witnesses. He must have decided the coast was clear, because Liam rushed out of the boat, toppling it side-to-side. He almost tripped on his way to the boardwalk but ran over to his son and gave them both, Jules and Cyrus, an awkward hug. ¡°Jules,¡± he said in a scratchy, hushed voice. ¡°Oh, thank Salvos you¡¯re alright.¡± Jules returned the embrace, aware that this was farewell. For now. He pulled away. ¡°Dad. What are you doing here? Are you working with her?¡± ¡°Hurry now, Jules.¡± Liam grabbed his son¡¯s free shoulder and led him to the sailboat. Avoiding the question. ¡°Get on the boat. We¡¯re all running out of time. I have a change of clothes for you both, and provisions loaded." ¡°Dad,¡± Jules said firmly. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on here? At the Shrine and in town? With Isolda?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re leaving town. Aquilantis, was it?¡± Jules shrugged Liam¡¯s hand off his shoulder. His eyes are glazed over. And he¡¯s acting strange. ¡°How did you know we¡¯d be here?¡± The fox hopped onto a crate on the sailboat and mewed at Liam. An odd sensation flowed by, like a magnetic pulse, or a low frequency sound that Jules'' ears couldn''t quite detect. ¡°Rukia¡­¡± Liam said. ¡°Jules, you found her.¡± ¡°Found who?¡± His eyes, they seem awake again. Liam looked back at his son. A single tear streamed down. ¡°Jules. Oh, my Jules. What''s happened to you today?¡± ¡°Dad, you look like you¡¯ve just woken up from a deep dream.¡± ¡°I did. I have¡­been asleep. And I feel it coming back, listen, Jules. This is Rukia. She¡¯s supposed to be your guide. That¡¯s what the samurai said, anyway.¡± ¡°The samurai?¡± So this fox really is my Familiar. Liam squatted down and rubbed Rukia''s ears. ¡°I wish I could stay and talk with you, to properly thank you for before. I want you to take good care of my boy, but I know you will. Oh wait¡ªthe collar!¡± Cyrus mumbled loudly and writhed. He still planked across Jules¡¯ shoulder. Jules laid him flat on the sailboat deck. Cyrus grunted back in appreciation. ¡°Dad. How is it that you¡¯re able to move?¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Everyone¡¯s frozen, just like Cy here. I figured you were the one who, you know¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Liam scanned their surrounding. You already did that¡­ ¡°I figured everyone was out chasing you. She said you were safe and that I needed to plan your escape route.¡± Liam handed Jules a nautical map. ¡°Are you working with Isolda now?¡± Liam''s eyes glazed over again. ¡°I followed her back from the Shrine. It¡¯s a story for another time. But I trust her plan.¡± But not her? ¡°Did she do this, to Cy and everyone? And whatever¡¯s happening right now to¡­you?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 21 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott Zephyria Natural Features Major Cities Other Cities & Towns Smaller Villages Ch 22 - Hes a Pirate
JULES
¡°No, it wasn¡¯t her. It was a man.¡± He pointed out to sea. Liam winced and twitched. ¡°And you better leave now, before he returns.¡± Liam hugged his son again, this time unencumbered by Cyrus¡¯ frozen body. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Dad.¡± ¡°I know, Jules. I know.¡± Liam squeezed tighter. ¡°But you three need to leave. I¡¯m not coming with you. I have more ships to sink.¡± Jules pulled away from the embrace. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been sabotaging their fleet for an hour. Figured I¡¯d better get you supplies, so I took a break. But I need to finish the job if you¡¯re to get away.¡± ¡°Dad, they¡¯ll throw you in jail.¡± Liam smiled, the way only a parent can smile at a child''s blissful ignorance. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll do much worse to me, but not for that. No one has seen me. He made sure of that. Part of our deal." Liam nodded towards the sea. What deal? "It¡¯s the Maidens I need to worry about. I¡¯ve been willingly harboring a fugitive for years.¡± Jules felt that familiar lump in his throat. I''ve ruined their lives, Mom and Dad. ¡°Come with us,¡± Jules pleaded. ¡°I can¡¯t abandon your mom.¡± She¡¯s not my¡­ ¡°What¡¯ll happen to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Liam looked away. ¡°I¡¯ve been brave, Jules. I¡¯ve been courageous. For years. But I¡¯ve always been too afraid to read the papers, about the others¡¯ parents. Greed and Sloth¡­¡± He looked his son in the eyes again. ¡°But no matter what they do to me, I won¡¯t stop being your dad. We will give them nothing.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t, but Evelyn knows where we¡¯re headed, too.¡± ¡°Oh, Jules.¡± Liam shook his head, then hung it low. ¡°Your mother, she¡¯s conflicted. I know it¡¯s been tough. The first few days you were born, she was up and down. Some days you were a curse, other days you were the greatest blessing in the world. I have a feeling she¡¯ll bounce back the other direction soon.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Jules leaned into his anger to hold back tears. "I don''t¡ª" ¡°It was her idea, Jules. The Binding Vow. On one of those days she was up, when she was happy. We knew this day would come.¡± ¡°A kill-switch?¡± ¡°No. A failsafe. When we¡¯re questioned, we will show them. They¡¯ll know we¡¯re useless in an interrogation chamber.¡± ¡°So, then¡­¡± Jules buried his face into his dad, one last time. Liam laughed. ¡°Salvos no, son. The Maidens aren¡¯t so shortsighted. They¡¯ll keep us alive, hoping you¡¯ll be foolish enough to reach out to us. So, if you do,¡± Liam pulled Jules in for one last hug, ¡°be smart about it. Be smart, Jules. Cy, groan once for yes, twice for no. You caused a ruckus earlier, so do you have Rukia¡¯s collar?¡± One grunt. ¡°Did Evelyn give it to you?¡± Another single grunt. Liam smiled. ¡°Looks like your mother gave you a parting gift as well.¡± Liam motioned toward the sailboat. ¡°Put that collar on Rukia when you¡¯re safe. Go, now. And Jules¡ªHe said you have to seek Patience.¡± ¡°Patience, the Virtue? And who said it, the samurai?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes glassed over completely. ¡°We¡¯re out of time, Jules.¡± The way he said that just now, it reminds me of Isolda. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there somewhere, but¡ªGoodbye, Father.¡± Rukia settled into the sailboat, and Jules unfurled the sail. Liam shoved them off and waved goodbye. Jules watched Liam, the docks, and the marina itself shrink away against the backdrop of Coralhaven, and into the forests behind it. The plaza, the bell tower. The Alchemist''s alembic tower, the Halberd. Their favorite hunting ground, their home to the southwest. And the Shrine. All faded away with Coralhaven. Jules loosed the second sail. Cyrus groaned loudly again and tried to thrash about. Rukia barked. Of course. Should be safe enough. Jules shuffled through his friend¡¯s backpack and found a dog collar. Jules knelt down to the panting and tail-wagging fox. He wrapped the collar around her neck and snapped the latch in place¡ª Light drew in around Rukia¡¯s tufts of crimson fur and eyes. Her features softened up, a little more humanlike than before. Her eyes were more piercing, the irises more ovular and pointed like a cat¡¯s. She sat back on her haunches and saluted Jules with one front paw. ¡°Sailor Rukia, reporting for duty, Cap¡¯n!¡± A feeling of overwhelming joy overtook Jules, as if he were reunited with a long-lost runaway dog. He felt like he¡¯d known her for eternity, like they¡¯d never been separated. He saluted back. ¡°Private Rukia¡ªWhere in Salvos¡¯ name have you been? You¡¯re late to your post.¡± She looked straight ahead. ¡°Disposing of enemy forces, Sir! They were going to overrun your family, and they¡ª¡± Her playful demeanor fell to sadness. ¡°They knew your faces. And names, Sir.¡± Sweet Salvos, those puppy dog eyes¡­ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He swooped in and hugged her tightly. Her eyes bulged, and she kicked her hind legs into his chest like a trapped rabbit. She wiggled about side-to-side. ¡°No, no, no¡ªPlease, no hugging¡ª" ¡°I bet it took a while to find me.¡± Jules ignored her request. ¡°But you¡¯ve been on my tail for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡± Rukia finally slid down and out of the embrace. She raised her own tail. ¡°Yes, I went on quite the adventure.¡± She stood on her hind legs and dusted herself off and smoothed out her fur. Rukia''s voice was squeaky and shrill, but also somewhat harsh. ¡°I¡¯d love to show it to you sometime, but now¡¯s not that time. Storm¡¯s coming and you can¡¯t handle the swells.¡± Show me? ¡°How do you know what I can handle? And the weather¡¯s been clear all day.¡± Out at sea, the sky darkened, and the clouds shifted a little too quickly. ¡°I have unrestricted access to our Menu. You¡¯re only Level 3 at Sailing¡ªand apparently Level 0 at Meteorology.¡± Dark clouds now formed around a single point, just a knot out. ¡°Uh, are those clouds¡­radiating out from that point?¡± ¡°Excellent deduction, Jules.¡± Rukia inspected the mast''s components and mechanics. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m used to ships, and ships with motors at that, but I think I can figure this little guy out.¡± The clouds spread faster now in every direction and would soon block the sun. Cyrus mumbled frantically. Jules leaned his frozen body up so he could see the singularity point. ¡°Rrrr-nnn rrr-nnn,¡± Cyrus repeated several times. ¡°RRRR-NNN RRR-NNN!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t understand you, Cy. Rukia, can you sail this thing?¡± ¡°I was a sailor in at least 471 past lives, and I''ve almost always been known as The Storm¡ª¡± ¡°Great. Brag later. Get us away from those clouds, especially from that center point. The one that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°You mean the point that¡¯s moving right at us?¡± Rukia tugged on a rope. The wooden boom swung back and cracked her in the head. "Oof!" ¡°Don''t touch that¡ªBut yes. Storm¡¯s either coming straight at us or heading right, so go left.¡± ¡°Port it is,¡± she shouted. Rukia swung the boom to change course. Black mist rose off the ocean¡¯s surface, a half-knot out. Cyrus mumbled and squirmed about more freely now. He thrashed his head toward the mist and slurred his words. Jules gaped at the mist. ¡°Cy, is that who I think it is?¡± ¡°High-nnn duhh-nnn.¡± ¡°What would he be doing in Coralhaven!? The Shrine, you think?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Rukia carefully tugged another rope, then leapt back from it. Nothing happened. ¡°The Flying Dutchman. Davy Jones, he goes by. The Dutchman is the name of his ship¡ªRukia, he¡¯s an Alter. The Alter Pirate. We can¡¯t fight him, not even¡­¡± In my other state. Rukia huffed and puffed as she loosened ropes and tightened others to accelerate away. Jules ran his thumb over a stolen Ryoku Crystal. ¡°Cy...I think I know who these belong to.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cyrus asked. Jules handed him one of the crystals. ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t see those before, either. I wondered what you stole.¡± ¡°I see you can speak again, nice of you to join us. We need to use these¡ª¡± Oh Salvos. The peak of a black mast broke through the water¡¯s surface from below. Black rope and sails followed after, as did two smaller masts with black sails. A pirate¡¯s crest of white skull and bones appeared on the dark mainsail. ¡°So you stole those from Isolda¡ªfrom him!?¡± ¡°Allegedly.¡± ¡°Allegedly!? Jules, I saw you do it!¡± "But did you, though?" "I MEAN YEAH KINDA!!" The hull breached the surface a quarter-knot out. Salt water gushed from gun ports and cabin windows. As their little sailboat shifted direction, so too did The Flying Dutchman shift its course to maintain a collision. ¡°Rukia, sail. Cy, we need to move fast. Use the Crystals to power this thing. I don¡¯t know if Rukia can use these, so I¡¯ll use the other one." Jules and Cyrus both lit their eyes and markings¡ªCyrus his tattoos, Jules his Seal¡ªand invoked their Runes.
? Air ? [?1,500 // ?10,000]
¡°Avast, ye scurvies!¡± Rukia shouted orders to imaginary men. She danced about the deck like an acrobat. She flipped around and yanked ropes to continually adjust their course. ¡°Ye¡¯ll not catch Rukia, the Stormfront, today, nor any day!¡± A hundred feet. No good, more, more! Fifty feet. Not gonna make it. Twenty feet. ¡°Brace yourselves!¡± Their flimsy sailboat''s stern grated against The Dutchman''s hull. The sailboat shifted near a 45-degree angle as it grazed along the side. Jules and Cyrus pushed against the black wooden hull. Rukia flew through the air on a rope, as if she could simply kick the massive ship away, and just bounced off of it. A moment later, the boats disconnected, and they rocked back the other way as the boat evened out. Just enough. Rukia almost fell overboard, but grabbed another rope and landed gracefully back on all four feet. The vessels drifted past each other, and Jules looked up at the other''s deck. A younger girl about his age¡ªthe only person on the entire ship¡ªleaned against a rail. Dressed in simple pirate garb, she studied the sailboat, then Jules. Their gazes connected until a colorful parrot landed on her shoulder. ¡°Full speed ahead,¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°Give her yer all, mateys!¡± She pinched one eye shut as if she wore an eyepatch. The boys'' Runes blasted them forward, away from all the day¡¯s action. They eventually depleted two of the three Ryoku Crystals, and only then they looked back and sighed with relief. ¡°Looks like no one is following us. Better keep the last Crystal for another emergency." The Flying Dutchman continued its course away from them. ¡°Maybe we weren¡¯t his target,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°They were headed straight for Coralhaven.¡± ¡°For Isolda, I bet.¡± ¡°What a day.¡± Cyrus laid down on the deck. With no Ryoku left, the wind would have to put in its fair share of work. Jules paused to think about his parents. He chewed on his lip. ¡°They¡¯re on their own now, as are we,¡± he said. ¡°We must continue forward.¡± ¡°Aye, Cap¡¯n Jules.¡± Cyrus looked at Rukia. ¡°So¡­you¡¯re a talking fox.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 22 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott But of course, among all of those fortunate souls who achieve the Genius Rank, there is a group who stands alone upon a higher plane still¡ªThe Alters. Whenever the rare singularity appears on Salvatican soil, and dedicates their life to the Scholars Guild and achieves 4th Rank, they embrace the only unique moniker given to the Geniuses. Some call it ascending the Alter, while others have dubbed it raised to the Alter. Either way, the Alters are renowned by the leaders of every other Faction and Guild. They rarely interact with the public, except of course for the Shinsorai Musashi, and are tasked with the sole charge of discovering new Runes for the citizens of our world. They find their headquarters in The Library, nestled in somewhere hidden in Solstice Keep, Obsidia, hidden from the public eye, and even the eyes of the other leaders inside The Scholars Guild. Were are currently blessed with seven Alters:
  1. The Cat of Ninetales, who is heavily involved with The Harbormasters in Lustris Haven,
  2. Clementine, who is only associated with the Scholars Guild, and has not been heard of for some time,
  3. Davy Jones, the Fallen Alter Pirate, widely disowned by the world for his shameful life choices,
  4. The Dreamer, of the mysterious Dreamweavers Faction, who has never been confirmed to actually be awake,
  5. Kazuma, of the Elementalists and Windjas renown,
  6. Musashi, the peerless warrior Shinsorai, who not even the Fighters Guild 4th Rank Champion will agree to duel, and
  7. The Nomad, who is stationed at The Library and has alleged connections to The Nomadic Clans of Hinomura¡­
Ch 23 - Water
JULES
Hours passed. Coralhaven blended into all the other coastline along the western horizon. The sun began its final descent against clear skies. ¡°Whatever Jones wanted, he must have gotten," Cyrus said. ¡°Yeah. Clouds and mist are gone.¡± Jules collapsed on a wooden seat built into the sailboat. Rukia remained at the tiny helm. ¡°So what really happened back there¡ªat the Shrine?¡± ¡°Like I said, the Warg attacked us, then the wolves. They, uh, ate your face. Yeah. And then something else, off in the distance, and men were flying overheard, Jules. I bet it killed more men than¡ªWell, I¡¯m guessing that was the Leshen you fought.¡± The boat smashed into a wave, and Jules felt sick to his stomach. ¡°You saved my life,¡± Cyrus added. ¡°At least something good came of it.¡± ¡°The military rushed in, and Rukia and I dragged you to safety, but they saw you healing and¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s when the carnage began.¡± ¡°Yeah. Pretty much. Do you remember anything?¡± ¡°Vaguely. It was like I was dreaming, and even then I was looking through a dirty window to fog outside.¡± ¡°Well, I fought ''Stacks to get back to you, after we split up. The military was focused solely on you. I whooped his ass, by the way.¡± Jules was silent. I wonder if Cyrus killed him. Another thought struck him. ¡°I remember the Druid Hydromage. Seeing him, anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was a scene,¡± shouted Rukia. ¡°He had every animal in the forest on you! Well, except me and the Warg. Come to think of it, that Warg fled when you ignited and exploded into flames.¡± ¡°I what now?¡± ¡°You were fueled with frenzy, and power,¡± Cyrus said. Jules laughed cynically. ¡°I always wondered which one I am. But I¡¯ve always known. Deep down. The rumors about Charity discouraged me, but I always hoped I was a Virtue, and that Evelyn was just repulsed that I wasn¡¯t human, but the Regeneration. Charity couldn¡¯t do it, and I¡¯ve been able to as long as I remember.¡± Jules sat still. Cyrus gazed up at the few early stars. Rukia pretended to fiddle around with some ropes. A distraction would be great, guys. ¡°Why¡¯d you help Isolda back there and claim I was a hostage?¡± ¡°Good touch, wasn¡¯t it? The second question¡¯s obvious. Maybe I could keep you out of the limelight. Or at least prison chains. My Persuasion Skill isn¡¯t high, but I might have convinced them. Fear''s a powerful motivator.¡± ¡°Slim chance, but thanks anyway. Lot of people saw me protecting you at the Shrine. The orphan-killing threat was a nice flare, though.¡± Cyrus laughed alone. ¡°Those people¡­ Is there any chance that they can, you know, still tell anyone?¡± Or did I kill them all? Your hesitation says it all. ¡°Yeah, definitely. We¡¯ll both have wanted posters all the way to Lustris Haven by sunrise.¡± Jules tried to smile, to laugh it off, but couldn¡¯t shake away the massacre. That wasn¡¯t really me, right? Can''t dwell on it right now. ¡°Anyway, back to your first question. Isolda helped us out, and then I stole from her. Leaving that chest behind seems like the right call, too. I''d say the two of them are connected. Plus what my dad said back there¡­¡± ¡°Where''d that leap of judgment come from?¡± ¡°The Dutchman drew Ryoku from these Crystals when we got close. They had to be Jones''. Also, I figured my Bounty won¡¯t improve any, so I might as well keep her off the radar, free to move about and help us again some day.¡± ¡°You''re damn right about the Bounty.¡± Cyrus laughed. ¡°That¡¯s my Jules, a wanted man!¡± Rukia said. Cyrus scowled at the fox. ¡°You speak as if you were always friends.¡± ¡°Oh, of course. I was there for your birth, Jules. Me and Kaizen. Oh man, wait ¡®til you meet him, he¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Kaizen, who is he? I¡¯ve heard his name several times today, but never before.¡± Rukia quit fiddling with the ropes. ¡°He was the last you.¡± Those are some mopey eyes. ¡°What do you mean, the last me?¡± ¡°Yes, dummy. What did your parents tell you?¡± ¡°Uh, not much, actually. They agreed not to tell me anything. I just really found out I¡¯m a Sin.¡± Rukia¡¯s eyes popped out of her skull. ¡°You don¡¯t know who you are!?¡± ¡°Fire and brimstone? Pretty obvious. Gotta be¡ª" Rukia leapt between them. ¡°Well, allow me to formally introduce you to¡ªuh, yourself¡ªand who Kaizen was before. Or is? I¡¯m not sure yet¡­Ahem.¡± Rukia ripped off a piece of splintered wood from the hull that was snagged during the collision. With a bow and dramatic flair of the stick to Cyrus, she bellowed, ¡°Allow me to introduce to you, oh Friends of Sinners, the one¡ªthe only¡ªWrath: Reincarnated!¡± The two boys let the moment sink in. They just stared at her and blinked. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Jules¡¯ Seal burned and lit up crimson. Waves lapped against the woods. More silence. Rukia shrank back into obscurity, in embarrassment. She patted Jules¡¯ head in her small form of apology. ¡°Well," Jules said finally. "That is what I was going to guess.¡± "Well, if you ever decide to write an autobiography, you know what to call it now." Cyrus changed the topic again. "So, what¡¯ll happen to Liam and Evelyn?¡± Rukia stepped farther back into the growing shadows of the sails. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Dad said he promised her they wouldn¡¯t run again, wouldn¡¯t start over. See if he holds to that. If she holds to that., if I can ever visit them again, anyway.¡± Rukia''s white fur faded to black as she disappeared into the ether of public shame. "Parents¡ªam I right?¡± Cyrus asked. Jules laughed at the attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, we have plenty of time to wonder, but limited time to plan. We need to slip into Aquilantis unnoticed. We should avoid the docks and marina.¡±
[Hot for Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Sneak into Aquilantis undetected.]
¡°What, beach the boat somewhere? And not be seen? That¡¯s unlikely.¡± ¡°Plus, we have a talking fox, which is sure to turn heads.¡± Cyrus gave Rukia a wry smile. Jules patted the empty seat next to him for her to join him, to rejoin the world of the living. ¡°Yeah, Rukia. No speaking in public¡ª¡± "But my illustrious voice has just returned, and¡ª¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t risk anything right now.¡± Rukia groaned. ¡°This world is so different from the last few,¡± she complained. The last few? ¡°We go straight in, unload, and run to town," Cyrus said. "Maybe news hasn¡¯t reached them yet, with everyone frozen and then Davy Jones hitting them." "But maybe it has,¡± Jules said. ¡°I think things will work out if we just trust our guts,¡± Rukia piped up. ¡°Not good enough,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°There could be Bounties waiting for us. Big ones.¡± ¡°We need to hit land during the night. We¡¯d be pressed to arrive tonight, but it¡¯s dangerous to drift around until tomorrow night.¡± ¡°We have plenty of food and visibility. We¡¯d get sunburnt, but we¡¯d live. You¡¯d heal anyway. And I don¡¯t think we can make it until mid-morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be busy and crowded, which could either help us or hurt us. We could go straight in and get lost in the crowd. Should be easier to spot a trap in daylight. We could just float past Aquilantis for a day or two and circle around from the other side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We come in from the east. They¡¯d expect us from the west.¡± ¡°OK, we can go down past Lighthouse Point and circle back up, but stay out of sight.¡± "Uh, do either of you have a map?" Rukia asked. "Sounds like a lot of work for me¡­" ¡°And what do we do when we dock?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Probably get haircuts, dye our hair, change our voices and names¡­then grab a pint. See who knows where this publishing house is.¡± "Uh, kinda need that map over here¡­" ¡°Starting a book club in a pub. Brilliant, Jules.¡± ¡°You two should get some rest¡ªafter you gimme that map. We can figure out the rest of this in the morning. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re exhausted.¡± Jules took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve only had a few hours of sleep in the last few days, and today alone could put me to bed for a week.¡± The adrenaline hangover set in long ago, and Jules'' eyes drooped low. ¡°I¡¯m full of energy now that I¡¯m back to myself. I¡¯ll take the night shift,¡± Rukia said. Jules scratched her behind the ears and she cooed a raspy purr. Cyrus snored away, almost immediately. Jules wasn''t far behind. For the first time in years, he didn¡¯t dream while he slept. "¡­Seriously guys, where''s that map?" Both boys were dead asleep.
Ice cold water wrenched Jules from deep sleep. Fragments of ice cubes streamed down his face with the water. His vision was fuzzy from slumber and shock. ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± He shook Cyrus'' shoulder. ¡°Hey, Cy, wake up. Ru¡ª¡± Jules paused. Someone else is here. A dry and dreaming Cyrus mumbled beside him. A younger girl, around Jules'' age, stood outside the boat. She wore lightly mended plain clothes, held an empty metal bucket, and glared at him with half-open eyes and perfectly flat brows. Empty bucket¡ªwait, is she standing on water? Oh shit. We beached. ¡°You¡¯ve been caught red-handed, trespassers,¡± the red-haired girl said. ¡°Hands up where I can see ''em¡ªYou¡¯re going to jail!¡± Her emerald eyes flickered with a mix of malice and glee. Jules kicked his friend. "Cy!" Slowly and clumsily through his half-sleep, Jules got to his feet, ready to fight if negotiations failed¡ªat least, so he thought. Small waves crashed around him. We must have beached some time ago. Their boat ran aground somewhere in a horseshoe cove. Sand dune rolled into each other about a hundred feet inland. At least it¡¯s private here. Now where¡¯s that damned fox? "Zzzzzz¡­" Hope I''m the only one who can hear that. Rukia snoozed away, wrapped in a blanket. Of course she fell asleep! At least she¡¯s hidden. For now. "Hey! I''m talking to you." The girl pulled a strain of hair, which blew in the wind, behind an ear. ¡°And where exactly are we trespassing?¡± Jules gestured to her clothing¡ªtight black pants, a form-fitting white shirt, and some basic black boots. Somehow I doubt you own this little slice of paradise. ¡°My family¡¯s private beach,¡± she boasted. Jules raised his eyebrows. Now awake, Cyrus choked on a suppressed laugh. ¡°Uh huh. Sure,¡± Jules said. ¡°So did we make it to¡ª¡± ¡°Lighthouse Cove?¡± Cyrus interrupted. Quick thinking. A sly grin crept across the girl¡¯s face. Like she¡¯s caught some prey in a trap. ¡°Not good navigators, I take it. Just some damn landlubbers lost at sea. You¡¯ve landed in Aquilantis.¡± Good.
[Hot For Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Sneak into Aquilantis Undetected.]
"Ah, shoot. Whelp, guess we better get back to sea, then." Jules approached the beach, and her, so he could push their boat out. ¡°Oh, no, no, no,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re not getting off that easy. Can¡¯t let you walk away¡ªor sail away, if that¡¯s what you call what you¡¯re doing there¡ªwithout some form of punishment. It¡¯d send the wrong message to the riffraff.¡± Jules'' and Cyrus'' eyes both lit up. The showdown began. She crossed her arms and slammed one boot on the boat''s bow and pushed it down. She¡¯s more intrigue than threat, but she could become a serious problem. ¡°Come now, are you boys or are you barbarians? You don¡¯t want to play it that way because¡ª¡± She puffed her flat chest out and jammed her thumb to her heart. ¡°I take bribes!¡± They both burst out laughing. Jules¡¯ eyes dimmed out, but not Cyrus¡¯. ¡°Well, you see, the thing is, little girl¡ª¡± She winced at Jules'' comment. He turned up empty palms. ¡°We¡¯re broke!¡± Her face dropped, and the joy of the hustle fled her face. Only contempt remained. ¡°OK, that¡¯s fine,¡± she said innocently enough. ¡°Jail it is.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 23 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wonderful World of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott Major Cities of Coralith Aquilantis Lustris Haven Ch 24 - Jealous
JULES
Her eyes lit up, and before Jules could respond, an oar smacked him in the face. He shouted a curse. All the loose objects on the sailboat floated in the surrounding air. ¡°What is this, a racket?¡± Jules grimaced and rubbed his sore cheek. ¡°What this is, is two foolish boys, floating adrift at sea, making themselves easy targets¡ªand me, a beautiful young lady¡ªNot. A little. Girl¡ªwho''s in need, and you¡¯re helping out. Think of it as a rescue. You can twist the story later to make yourselves look better when you tell your friends around the campfire about all your stunted adventures, but for now¡ªEmpty all your bags. Go.¡± Jules and Cyrus unloaded everything except the bag with the Ryoku Crystals. Jules kicked that bag under the slats next to a snoozing Rukia. Wish I''d kept Isolda''s bag right about now. The robber rummaged through their belongings while levitating them. She created a circle of all their crap around her and shifted them midair by moving them around the arc. She only paused once when she went through Jules¡¯ bag of books, and looked at Jules curiously, then continued her pillaging. Wonder what book made her stop. Could it have been the Inked Arts? Maybe she knows where that publishing house is. ¡°You guys really are poor.¡± She pushed all the objects through the air and pressed Jules and Cyrus back to the stern of the sailboat. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be aspiring Hunters, would you?¡± "Hunters?" Jules asked. "The hell are Hunters?" ¡°We¡¯re aspiring Scholars, actually,¡± Cyrus said coolly. ¡°Though we do have some experience as Gamesmen.¡± Their own crap shoved them back a few more steps, and Jules was now out of reach of the Ryoku Crystals. A green glint returned to her eyes. Damn, she caught me looking. ¡°Oh, what have we here?¡± She reached a lean arm under the slats, pulled out the bag, and emptied it on the deck bench. Her eyes and face dropped. ¡°See, boys, this is exactly what we didn¡¯t want to happen. Holding out on me¡¯s not a great idea.¡± ¡°Hey, those are ours¡ª¡± ¡°Is that enough to get you off our backs?¡± Jules asked. Cyrus shot him a dirty look. The girl hummed a happy tune and twirled her long, red, tousled hair. Jules noticed her freckles shift across her face as she bit her lip. ¡°These are definitely not yours. Which makes me wonder who you got them from. Are they stolen? Could you be the thieves here?" She looked them up and down." Though with you two, you¡¯d probably prefer to say they¡¯re borrowed. Then again¡ª¡± She brought the floating circular rotation of objects back around to the books. She pulled all but one away from the pack. All alone, floating in front of them, was The Sins of Our Fathers. ¡°You have an interesting collection of volumes here.¡±
? Air ?
Cyrus'' spell launched their belongings even higher, and he lunged for her. He grabbed her, but she shifted to the side. Using his own momentum, she thrust Cyrus into the shallow water. For good measure, she let some books crash down on his head. Jules read the titles of the volumes that floated around Cyrus. His stomach dropped. All of them Arcanics-related. I need as much distance from this chick as possible. ¡°The Crystals should be a sufficient bribe.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes glowed crimson red to add to the threat. Cyrus waded through the water behind her. Pincer formation. You read my mind. ¡°You have¡­such interesting eyes,¡± she said. ¡°For a Hunter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you and I share the same definition of a Hunter. Whatever you think it is, we¡¯re far from it.¡± ¡°MEOW.¡± A black kitten Jules hadn¡¯t noticed waddled over to them on the beach. Why does she look scared? Is she superstitious? With nothing short of grace, it pounced onto the boat and stuck its head under the slats where Rukia lay hidden. The kitten tilted its head at her, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. Jules could almost see Rukia sweat as she looked at Jules. Do foxes sweat? Jules had that lump in his throat. Please don¡¯t speak, Rukia. Please don''t speak, Rukia. Please don''t¡­ He shook his head at her, slightly enough so only she could see. The kitten glared through narrowed slits of eyes. ¡°Meow,¡± it repeated. Rukia looked to Jules for help. She looked at the cat. She looked back at Jules. She looked at the cat again. She looked back at Jules. Oh Salvos, no. Back to the cat¡ª ¡°...Meow-meow?¡± Rukia asked. The cat leapt back and landed on hind legs. He pointed at her with a single claw extended from his right paw. ¡°Hiss!¡± Jules stepped between the two animals. His eyes glowed, and green flames licked their edges. He lightly slapped Rukia on the back of her head. ¡°Foxes don¡¯t say meow." Rukia spread out into a defeated sploot. Every levitating object crashed down onto the deck and into the water. The girl''s jaw dropped. The light from her eyes faded away to their natural emerald. ¡°Whiskers¡ª¡± ¡°Katarina, one of these fools is just like you.¡± "Oh fuck," Jules said. A talking cat. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Whiskers studied Jules, then Cyrus. ¡°Not this one.¡± Behind bushy eyebrows, its gaze settled back on Jules. The kitten licked its lips. Only one way out of this. ¡°I¡¯ll show you mine if you show me yours,¡± Jules said bluntly. Katarina looked to Whiskers. The cat never took its emerald eyes, which matched hers, off of Jules. Is she seeking guidance, or does he control her? So much I don''t know. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the fox speaks.¡± Katarina averted her gaze from all of them. She dropped her arms and clasped one wrist in the other hand. Her left hand reached up to her left ear. She ran her fingers through her hair behind it. Jules caught a quick glimpse before her hair covered it again. The lump in Jules¡¯ throat receded. She hasn¡¯t hurt us yet. Pain radiated across his cheek from the oar''s facial slap. Well, she hasn''t really hurt me, anyway. Wanna look at Cy, but I can¡¯t take my eyes off of her. Jules loosened the string on his shirt and revealed his own Seal. This feels weird. Wish she''d stop staring. Guess I can put it away. ¡°Mine stands for¡ª¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus interrupted, but Jules ignored him. ¡°¡ªWrath.¡± Katarina blushed and then looked away again. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you¡ªKatarina, was it? My name is Jules Tideshaper. This is my friend Cy. He¡­recently found out.¡± The fox huffed. ¡°Oh, and this is Rukia, of course. I just recently found out about her, actually. We were separated at birth, so¡­¡± Cyrus, though still clearly enraged, let his Script, and its light, fade away. ¡°Katarina, where are your manners?¡± Whiskers licked a paw. ¡°Oh. My name¡ªMy name is Katarina Waverunner. I am¡­Envy.¡± You say you are Envy. Interesting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I attacked you. I saw that book, thought maybe you were Iron Maiden Hunters.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°What a poor choice of words, young man,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°Ironic calling me young, coming from a kitten.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh, got ¡®im.¡± Rukia laughed at her own joke. Jules pressed on. ¡°Listen, Katarina¡ª¡± ¡°Kat. Only Whiskers here calls me by my full name.¡± Still a way to avoid a fight. ¡°Right¡­Kat. My town just¡ªuh, discovered what I am. Who I am. I¡¯m sure that you can appreciate the situation I¡¯m in.¡± Beads of sweat dropped down his brow in the open sun. Katarina sat down on the deck''s bench. With one leg crossed, she looked ready to do business. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll help you hide. But it won¡¯t be for free.¡± She grabbed the sack of Ryoku Crystals. ¡°This should pay for your stay. For a while.¡± Our stay? ¡°That¡¯s fine. But we need to get out of the open. I judge by the sun that it¡¯s still early morning?¡± Katarina rose and left the sailboat. ¡°Seems you have at least some navigation sense. Wait here. When I come back,¡± she gestured at the boat, ¡°I better see nothing but driftwood.¡± She ran off toward the dunes and into towering palm trees. Whiskers leapt out of the boat between the two Sins and started affectionately licking his sharpened and extended claws. Jules and Cyrus hustled to gather their belongings. Cyrus dried off their books as best he could. They whispered to each other with backs turned to the cat. ¡°Do you think we can trust her, Jules?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. Besides, I¡¯ve seen her somewhere¡­¡± ¡°What, where? You¡¯ve seen another Sin? Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where. In a dream, I think? She wakes me up every night with a bucket of water. She¡¯s one of the few that I¡¯m on friendly terms with, actually.¡± ¡°When you say it out loud like that, it sounds even stupider than it must have in your head. But fine. I¡¯ll go along. For now.¡± ¡°I trust her, but not that cat,¡± Rukia said. "Nasty species, cats." ¡°You!¡± the boys shouted together. ¡°You fell asleep!¡± ¡°You''re never taking night shift again!¡± "Aww man¡­" Rukia shrank into the shadows once more. Jules scorched part of the boat, careful not to draw attention from too much smoke. Cyrus blew up the mast piece by piece with his Air Rune. Rukia organized their remaining belongings, of which now much fewer remained, and ripped the sails to shreds with her magnificent and sharp claws. After a while, the sailboat was in a dozen pieces. Sorry, Dad. ¡°Katarina is unruly, really,¡± Whiskers licked a paw with both eyes closed, ¡°but as trustworthy as they come.¡± He opened one eye to glare at Jules. ¡°You should be grateful, Wrath. She strikes whom she most likes.¡± Jules laughed nervously. ¡°Guess the Kat¡¯s out of the bag!¡± Rukia cackled before she finished the joke. Whiskers pounced near her and hissed. Rukia scurried away behind Jules and hid low. ¡°Who¡¯s the scaredy cat now?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Well, I, for one, can use a little break, a little good luck. Whiskers, was it?¡± ¡°Whiskers the Sage to you. And we haven¡¯t been introduced, but I¡¯ve heard tails about you, Cy.¡± The cat¡¯s eyes gleamed with a tinge of wisdom and omniscience. ¡°Really!?¡± Cyrus smiled widely. "You know my name??" ¡°No. Of course not. The other buffoon just said your name. I thought we were having a contest of puns and wit. Alas.¡± Whiskers turned around and licked his own ass, but he still glared at Cyrus. Cyrus lunged at the cat, scatted and hissed, and the kitten jumped five feet in the air. It landed on all fours with its back arched and hissed back. ¡°Welcome to Aquilantis¡­¡± Jules sighed. Two barrels rolled down the dunes between the group. Jules and company looked at each other and collectively complained. "No." "Nope." "Nuh-uh." ¡°They¡¯re for your things, you idiots.¡± Katarina descended the last dune. ¡°And¡ªYeah, well, it is for you, Rukia. Here, boys, take these uniforms.¡± ¡°No no no no no." ¡°Uh, for what?¡± Jules asked, regarding the uniforms. ¡°No. No. No. Jules!?¡± ¡°Shits and giggles," Katarina said. "Do you want to stand out, or blend in, in plain sight?¡± ¡°Jules, you¡¯re not even going to defend me here? I¡¯m going to suffocate¡ª¡± Jules grabbed a uniform. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to turn around?¡± Katarina blushed and spun around. She whistled while the two boys dressed. ¡°¡ªSwear the last thing all y''all wanna do is piss me off¡ªAnger? Oh, I''ll show you anger¡ª¡± ¡°Alright. You¡¯re gonna load all your crap onto my cart, then we will go to the inn.¡± ¡°¡ª''Cuz then, when I¡¯ve ripped out your throat nice and clean-like, I¡¯ma¡ªI''ma move down to your¡ª¡± They loaded their remaining supplies and equipment into the barrels and dragged them through the sand, rolling them whenever possible. Jules had the added weight of Rukia in his barrel, and she continued to threaten them all as she bounced around inside. Her voice shifted direction and tone like a rotating siren. Jules and Cyrus both loaded their barrels onto Katarina¡¯s cart at the roadside. This piece of crap? Those are the worst wheels I have ever seen in my life. Does she do this every day by herself? Everyone¡ªexcept Rukia¡ªremained silent on the trip into town. The cart had only two wheels and two long prongs that stuck out to pull it. Jules and Cyrus alternated duties. Katarina grinned most of the mile-long trip in town. ¡°Alright, park the cart here,¡± Katarina ordered. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 24 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott Factions are simply organizations of people seeking a common goal. To different people, they can represent simple affiliations, jobs, entire careers, and life callings. There are several different categories of Factions, seen below. Guilds ¡ª Multinational Factions Militaries Other General Factions And of course, there are many, many more Factions out there, such as the Iron Maidens¡­ Ch 25 - God is a woman
JULES
Thank Salvos. Jules dropped the prongs from waist height, and the cart crashed down at an angle. Rukia shouted a string of muffled curses. ¡°Hey,¡± Katarina shouted, ¡°easy with the merchandise. Took me months to buy this thing.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Jules looked back at the barrel. ¡°Sorry, Rukia. So where¡¯s this inn?¡± Whiskers purred. ¡°Yeah¡­ About that. It¡¯s the complete opposite way. See, I¡¯m late for my job¡ª¡± ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡± Cyrus shouted. ¡°Oh¡ªAm I being an inconvenience to you? Imagine finding two deadbeat kids who turned my life upside down minutes before I was supposed to be at work¡ªAnd still offering them a place to stay. You¡¯re going to help me make up for lost time.¡± ¡°You said we¡¯d go to the inn,¡± Jules said. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for games.¡± Katarina fluttered her eyes at him. That seems somehow very unnatural to you. ¡°And we will. Eventually. But for now, I need your muscle. Rukia will be safe here. With two strong men, such as yourselves, it should only take fifteen minutes." "Fifteen minutes," Cyrus said. "No wonder it took you months to buy that piece of crap." "Eh, thirty minutes tops. Or forty-five." This is probably a test. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Just know, I¡¯m gonna have to make this look realistic. No one will pay any mind to a couple of new deckhands.¡± A few hours later, Jules and Cyrus wished Katarina had actually sent them to prison instead. They hauled crate after crate from newly docked ships and rolled countless barrels up the sloped docks from massive galleys¡ªwhich always seemed to be on the farthest end of the ships. Katarina barked all sorts of orders at them the entire time. ¡°Use your back!" "Hurry up and hustle!" "Don¡¯t put that on its side!" "Get off your back¡ªWhere the hell did you learn how to work, a brothel!?" Jules was nervous about her drawing too much attention to them, but nobody paid them any mind at all. When they¡¯d finally unloaded the last crate, the two collapsed. ¡°Enough lollygagging! You two were the worst deckhands I have ever seen in my entire short existence, and I pray to Sweet Salvos Herself that I never see someone worse. You¡¯re both fired!¡± She stormed off to the marina counter and collected her day¡¯s wage from the attendant. "You know, I always thought Salvos was a dude." ¡°Are you sure she isn¡¯t Wrath?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°She was testing us, seeing if we¡¯d run, seeing if she could trust us, seeing what we¡¯re worth. Hope we passed, but here she comes.¡± ¡°Quit screwing around and get the cart.¡± Jules checked on Rukia, who played dead inside her barrel. "Good girl. Want a treat?" ¡°Not gonna¡ªI''m not gonna make it. Heat stroke this time¡­¡± Jules laughed. He¡¯d gathered from Cyrus¡¯ retelling of yesterday''s events that Rukia could Regenerate too. ¡°Listen, Ruke, I¡¯ve had to take one for the team plenty of times. I know it sucks, but just keep it up. You¡¯re being a Good Girl.¡± Rukia¡¯s tail wagged at that last bit, though the rest of her still pretended to be dead. Can¡¯t hide your excitement well. Jules slammed the lid shut. ¡°Hey, Kat.¡± Cyrus stretched out an open palm. ¡°What about our share?¡± ¡°This coin was mine before you washed up on that beach.¡± She flashed a glare of contempt. ¡°OK, OK.¡± Cyrus took a few steps back. Jules laughed. Wow. Out-negotiating the Great Cyrus with a single look. Katarina chewed on it for a second and then changed her mind. ¡°Ah, fine. Here¡¯s a coin each.¡± She flipped them each a small silver coin. Cyrus studied it, then bit it. ¡°Not even Forged¡­¡± he complained. They set out in the complete opposite direction through the massive city of Aquilantis. They went past canal after canal, lined with boats and floating markets down below. They went past a massive field, the only level spot on the entire island that used to house the zephyr fields, but looked more like a graveyard now. A massive dome caught Cyrus'' eye, and he asked what it was. Katarina looked him up and down and said he''d be better off never knowing. Finally, they walked past the famed moving bridges of Aquilantis, though to Jules'' dismay, they never crossed one. From any point on any of the islands, they could see at least three of the many towering spires that lit up the city, day and night. ¡°Alright boys, stick close. The inn is just ahead now.¡± The boys sighed with relief. Jules looked up and saw a three-story building ahead, up on one of the many rolling hills inside the city. Oddly enough, this one sat alone, with a patch of grass and wildflowers around it on all sides. Empty lots in a city? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Near the top of the hill, Katarina veered off to the other side of the road. Wrapped in blankets, despite the high heat of the day, a man sat slightly upright, fast asleep. Only his legs stuck out from under the blankets. Katarina flipped a small silver coin into his offering cup and motioned for them to do the same. Cyrus¡¯ cheeks flushed red, and Jules was likewise annoyed. Even our payment was another setup. The two boys copied her and tossed their coins in as well. The beggar stirred from his rest and addressed them, though he still sounded half asleep. ¡°Agh, wuzzit?¡± He pulled the blankets down from his face and looked around. Jules noticed he was blind. Unless he¡¯s just wearing that blindfold for¡ªwhat did Kat call it ¡ªshits and giggles? Despite the ragged and dirty blindfold, the beggar directed his gaze to Jules. ¡°Ah yes. Good morning to you, devilish one.¡± Jules felt the lump in his throat again. Devilish one¡ªanother trap? ¡°Wait, where are you?¡± The man grasped and sniffed the air around Jules, but consistently missed him. He looked around aimlessly, left, right, high, low. ¡°Right here, Cane.¡± Katarina gently kicked the man¡¯s folded knee. The beggar bellowed a gruff and harsh laugh. "Where were you yesterday?" ¡°Wouldn¡¯t say that, lassie. That is certainly not my name.¡± His gaze shifted to Cyrus. ¡°And I was out on a hot date. Finally made some friends, didja?" ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, either,¡± she replied. ¡°Oh ho! Spicy today.¡± He fumbled around for his offering cup. Once he found it, he shook it around next to an ear. The coins clinked and jingled. ¡°Mm, three coins. Gets you one fortune, innit? Which one of you cheap bastards wants it?¡± Cyrus rolled his eyes and left the scene. ¡°Surprise us,¡± Katarina said. The blind beggar put on quite the charade for them. Waving his hands around like some type of voodoo magic shit. ¡°Mm, yes. I see,¡± the blind beggar said. Jules had to crack a smile at that one. And I don''t even have to conceal it. For the first time, the man took a serious tone. ¡°All I can tell you, boy, is to watch out for paint! Heh, heh, heh¡ªcough, cough¡­¡± The old man laughed and cackled through fits of coughs, and he pulled the covers back over himself. Katarina walked away to the inn without a word. As if that were a completely normal interaction¡­ Jules dragged the cart again, up the street with Cyrus, and parked it in front of the inn''s doors. Katarina scanned their surroundings. It''s just a bunch of empty lots, but I guess it''s good to be paranoid right now. ¡°It¡¯s OK to get your pet fox out now. Leave the rest of your crap behind.¡± Jules pried open the barrel cover. Frail, exhausted, inches from mere death¡ªRukia slowly clawed out of the barrel. Her puppy dog eyes squinted in the harsh sunlight. ¡°Sweet, sweet freedom,¡± she gasped. Jules scratched her between tucked back ears. ¡°You did well, Little One.¡± The little fox whimpered and nodded slightly. She climbed up onto Jules¡¯ shoulder. The party of five climbed up the stairs to the front door. Katarina motioned for Jules to go through first. He walked in and¡ª A man fell off a ladder behind the door, and a bucket of paint followed him in slow motion. Rukia''s eyes widened at the threat. Time slowed down. Huge globs of paint grew wider in midair as they fell. Not on my fur¡ªShe dug all four claws into Jules'' shoulder, twisted and contorted her body, and launched herself off of him. The fox spun and flipped through the air, narrowly dodging paint from every direction. When she''d made it to safety, she looked back. Oh no. Did I do that? Jules was bent in half from Rukia''s use of him as a launchpad. The stranger fell just inches above Jules, and the paint¡ªOh, the paint¡ªwould overwhelm Jules before Rukia could rescue him¡ª WHACK! SPLASH! All three¡ªJules, man, and paint¡ªcollided with each other and the floor. Cyrus and Katarina erupted into laughter. Whiskers purred and slunk around the paint splatters and jumped onto a counter, where he lapped up a saucer of milk. Oww¡­ Jules pushed the colossal man off of him. The stranger cursed Jules. Rukia¡ªDid I just hear your thoughts? ¡°Hey, Pop,¡± Katarina said. "I''m home early. Surprise." Facedown in paint, Jules rolled over, onto his back. Rukia''s psychotic face hovered inches above his own. Her eyes were wider than Whisker''s milk saucer, her irises were deep crimson and her pupils were razor-thin and sharp at the ends, and her ears pulled back all the way. OK, this is freaky. If you can hear my thoughts, please stop. ¡°Thank you for taking one for the team, Jules.¡± She spoke in a slow and mocking whisper. "I know it sucks, but just keep it up. You''re being a Good Boy." Rukia scampered away. Katarina offered a hand to help Jules up. ¡°The old man, he tried to warned ya.¡± ¡°Paint. Right.¡± Jules dipped his hand in paint, then clasped hers. A visible spark shocked them when they touched. They both winced and blushed. She yanked him to his feet. She wiped off the wet paint on her hand on his shirt. Jules apologized to the old man, then helped him up. Coulda sworn you tried to pull me back down you¡ªWow. You''re huge. At least six-and-a-half feet tall, and stout, the gruff man rubbed some wet paint onto his smock and towered over Jules. He bent down until his face was closer than Rukia''s had just been. ¡°Welcome home, Dear." Uh, you talking to me? "But who¡¯s this riffraff?¡± Jules trembled. Why am I so nervous? ¡°Anyone here?¡± Katarina asked. Pop grunted. Guess he understands. ¡°Few guests. Scattered ''round.¡± Why have you not blinked this entire time? ¡°Well, in that case¡­" Please blink. "They¡¯re my boyfriends.¡± Ah, there it is. Looks like I win the staring contest. ¡°Boy-friends?¡± Pop''s booming voice shook and rumbled the inn. ¡°Kat, you can¡¯t just¡ª¡± ¡°Come on, boys.¡± Katarina walked away to another room. She snapped her fingers at them over her shoulder, without looking back. Jules gave Pop a sheepish grin. Pop''s glare could''ve broken Jules'' resolve in time¡ªbut Pop flicked his gaze back-and-forth to Katarina. Follow her. Got it. The two boys rushed after Katarina. The Familiars stayed with Pop in the large central room. He still looks like he could blow with rage. And kill me, maybe at the same time. Katarina wrote a note on a desk in what must have been her bedroom. Without looking up, she waved for them to shut the door. She held up a scribbled note:
[He knows. Safe to stay, but can¡¯t talk here. Play the role. Maidens arrived a week ago. Need your help to run.]
Jules finished reading and looked at Cyrus. Great. Katarina crammed the paper in her mouth. She swallowed bitterly, grimaced, and then kicked her chair down loudly. Pop, as if on cue, burst through the door. Eyelids half-closed, eyebrows perfectly flat¡ªI see the resemblance when they''re mad. ¡°No closed doors in this home, young lady.¡± Veins popped on Pop''s neck and forehead. He stormed off, muttering. ¡°Damn kids messing up my paint job¡­¡± Jules turned to Katarina. ¡°OK, so now what, Kat?¡± ¡°Play the part¡ªnow we make out." Jules raised an eyebrow. ¡°Just kidding, of course,¡± she said with a sly grin. "No way," Cyrus said at the same time. SLAP! "Not in either of your dreams." Well, she''s right there. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 25 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott The Iron Maidens, originally designated as a Cult Faction, was promoted to a Religious Faction, under the overreaching purview of The Church of Salvatica. When the Prophets of Salvatica finally reported the last Prophecy of Salvos, a young maiden¡ªenwrapped in iron, as I¡¯m sure the reader can only imagine¡ªput the pieces together and solved the riddle. Many ridiculed her, and all of her followers, until they were proven right on The Fateful Night, when the Sins and Virtues were born to this world. The Faction¡¯s sole purpose is to capture the Seven Deadly Sins. To join, one must past through their Rite of Passage, and receive a nomination or recruitment by an existing member. Their are pop-up outposts for The Maidens in every major city, and several smaller ones across Salvatica. Ch 26 - Big Poppa
JULES
The sun set to the west. Jules sat perched on the inn¡¯s roof with Rukia by his side. Cyrus remained inside with Whiskers, Katarina, and Pop. ¡°Well, today went nothing like I expected.¡± Rukia purred in agreement. They''d decided that she wouldn¡¯t speak again until later that night. ¡°But you know, after I knocked that old man down, the rest of the day went exactly how I expected. Awkward.¡± Rukia smiled and panted. Jules gazed at the sunset and realized where he was looking. ¡°Look, Rukia. Just below the edge of the horizon, somewhere out there, is Coralhaven. Dad, Evelyn, home, if there¡¯s anything left of it by now.¡± Rukia nuzzled her furry head into his lap. Ah, well. Better not dwell on it. "Guess I better check my Notifications. I''ve had them silenced for some time." Jules swiped his left hand in an L-shape. His Menu was in Privacy Mode, as always, but Rukia could read it. "Hmm¡­ No Level Ups. I guess when I''m¡­in that state¡­it doesn''t count."
[New Quest Available: Inner Vices] [New Reward Available for Inner Vices: ???] [Inner Vices ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find out who you are.] [Inner Vices ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find Wrath (it''s you).] [Inner Vices ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find Envy.] [Inner Vices¡ª 5 Quest Objectives ADDED: Find Gluttony. | Find Greed. | Find Lust. | Find Pride. | Find Sloth.] [New Quest Available: Virtue Signaling] [New Reward Available for Virtue Signaling: ???] [Virtue Signaling ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Find Charity (Deceased)] [Virtue Signaling ¡ª 6 Quest Objectives ADDED: Find Chastity. | Find Diligence. | Find Humility. | Find Kindness. | Find Patience. Find Temperance.] [New Quest Available: Seeketh Patience] [New Reward Available for Seeketh Patience: ???] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Seek Patience.]
"Wow," Rukia said. "Even the description for Seeketh Patience is Seek Patience. This System really hates you." Jules laughed. "Yeah, I guess it does. You know, you eventually get used to vague Quest Objectives¡ªcan''t give too much away¡ªthough I''ve never seen cryptic Rewards until a few days ago. And hey, you shouldn''t be talking." Jules pet her head-to-tail for some time. ¡°Oi, Loverboy,¡± Cyrus called out from somewhere below. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± After one final scratch between the ears, Jules rose and plopped her on his shoulder. The trio from Coralhaven joined the trio from Aquilantis in the inn''s dank basement cellar. Katarina leaned against a crate. Whiskers sat balanced on a rafter high up. Pop stood with his massive arms crossed. He had a long brown beard and short brown hair. The shape of his bulbous gut defied physics. ¡°First thing you need to know about me inn,¡± Pop said, ¡°is that it¡¯s a hole for shite. Full of seedy folk, much like yourselves. Sleep all day, go out to the bars in even worse districts at night. Most of ¡®em are aimless vagabonds, but we get the occasional spy now and again¡ªwhich is why we¡¯re down here, in the cold dark.¡± ¡°Um, Sir,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°no offense, but your walls are paper thin, and so is that floorboard.¡± Always poking the bear. ¡°Aye. And your point is?¡± Katarina rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, boys. Pop just wants to brag. He¡¯s a Master Forger and his second-highest Skill is Enchanting.¡± Pop beamed with pride. No way. Jules and Cyrus glanced at each other. Impressive. If true. ¡°I Forged these walls, floor, and floorboard above us. Then I Enchanted them with a Silence Rune. Nothing inside escapes.¡± ¡°Silence¡­" Jules said. "Isn¡¯t that, uh, highly illegal?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t come close to harboring Sins,¡± Katarina said. ¡°I gather you two are already¡­well acquainted.¡± Wouldn¡¯t put it like that, but I guess he¡¯s talking about me and Kat. ¡°You could say that. My name is Jules, Sir, and my Seal stands for Wrath.¡± Katarina and her father glanced at each other. ¡°I told him I¡¯m Envy. Whiskers here suggested it.¡± The black kitten mewed his approval. ¡°So, Wrath, how did you get here? And don''t call me Sir, it''s Pop.¡± Nice power move. ¡°Uh¡ªAgain, my name is Jules. And I¡¯ll stick to Sir.¡± No way I call you Pop. Ever. ¡°You don¡¯t think Wrath is your real name?¡± Why do you? This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°No I don¡¯t, Kat. I¡¯ve known I was a Sin for a long time, though I really hoped I was a Virtue. I only found out which one I am yesterday, when I was reunited with Rukia here, and she told me. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s how you knew?¡± ¡°Yes. I told them.¡± Whiskers unfurled its bushy tail to reveal two separate ones. He let them hang over either side of the dividing rafter he sat on. ¡°I¡¯m sensing some minor tension here,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Floor is yours, Kat.¡± Pop motioned to her. ¡°Ugh, fine. Pop¡¯s my father, but not biologically. If it weren¡¯t for him, I¡¯d be¡ªwell, not dead, but even worse off than that. I¡­don¡¯t remember my birth parents. And that¡¯s all there is to discuss.¡± Jules nodded, but remained silent. ¡°So you two. You seem like you¡¯ve been through a lot recently. Care to share?¡± "Ehh¡ªMy story''s really dramatic and complicated. I''ll let Jules go first." Jules chuckled. Thanks, I really needed that. ¡°I was born. Somewhere, I don''t know where. Then Rukia and my former incarnation visited me. We were attacked by villagers-turned-cultists, and my parents fled. We¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on. What did you mean by incarnation?¡± Katarina asked. Rukia panted in Jules'' ear. He felt the hot steam of her breath. ¡°Uh, well, Rukia? What did you mean?¡± ¡°Heh heh, oh man, did I forget that part again? You know, that''s just like me!" She paused, so Jules grabbed her by the nape of her little neck and held her before him. Her paws drooped down. "Yeah, so see, what had happened was, Wrath is always the only one who can commune with previous versions of himself and all that.¡± Jules returned Rukia to his shoulder. He ran a hand down his face. ¡°OK. Sure.¡± Of course he is. Rukia panted through a bright smile. Her gaze hopped from face to face. No one returned the sentiment. ¡°What? Is there something in my teeth?" ¡°Foxes,¡± Whiskers swore. ¡°Would you so kindly care to elaborate?¡± ¡°Oh! Oh yeah! Nope. Jules¡¯s gotta figure that out on his own.¡±
[New Quest Available: Wrath Reincarnated] [New Reward Available for Wrath Reincarnated: ???] [Wrath Reincarnated ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Speak with Wrath directly.] [Wrath Reincarnated ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find out why you were reincarnated.]
¡°Tough to trust people who withhold information,¡± Pop said. "Well, ya see here, I''m not a people. I''m a fox." ¡°You two aren¡¯t exactly forthcoming with your own origin stories,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°It would appear that our caution was merited,¡± Whiskers said. Jules tried to read Rukia''s mind, but just tapped into her feelings. She¡¯s completely relaxed. Actually, she¡¯s excited, borderline ecstatic. ¡°Rukia trusts you, Kat, so I¡¯ll fill you in on the last few days. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you both really want to know about, anyway, seeing how it affects your safety.¡± Jules began his tale at the hunting trip and ended with him¡ªand Rukia, the little devil¡ªfalling asleep on their sailboat last night. He included everything, even Isolda, Davy Jones, and the publishing house they searched for. At the end of the story, Whiskers slinked over to Jules and rubbed against his legs affectionately. Kat does not like that. ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°I have to admit, I am a little jealous of your adventure. But I am sorry for you and your families. I know what it''s like to¡­lose control and deal with the fallout.¡± Pop placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Let me be very clear with you boys. Bring any trouble to my baby girl, and I¡¯ll rip you in half.¡± Jules gulped. I know you mean it. ¡°Hey. Hey Whiskers,¡± Rukia whispered. ¡°Can we play? I wanna play.¡± The kitten hissed back. Rukia wagged her tail. ¡°So, you know my story. Our story. How did you two meet?" Jules motioned to Pop and Katarina. "And Whiskers, is there anything you can share about, I don¡¯t know, who we are?¡± Pop took a deep breath. ¡°One day, I found Kat, my little kitten." Pop placed a hand on each of Katarina''s shoulders. "She was just a babe¡ªand bald, so I saw her Seal. Of course I¡¯d heard the myths spouted from those fat priests¡ªbut I''d come across loads'' of zealots in the War, and not one of them ever seemed right in the head¡ªso I didn''t care what they said and I took her in. Knitted a cap that night meself, I did, to keep that Seal hidden, and¡ª¡± ¡°You raised me the best you could." I would pay to see this man knit. Wonder which war he''s talking about. "Even though I was born in Aquilantis, no one ever came looking our way. I guess they figured the poor would sell their babies to the Church, especially after Sloth''s whole thing. But it wasn¡¯t always that way. For Pop.¡± Man''s stoic as a rock. Bet he¡¯s trying not to cry. ¡°I¡¯m an orphan,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Not even the smallest lead on who my parents are. But Jules¡¯ were going to adopt me. Ah Hell, I just realized...¡± Yeah. We failed our Quests. ¡°We both really wanted to join the Scholars Guild,¡± Jules continued for his friend. ¡°But after yesterday, that¡¯s not happening for either one of us.¡± ¡°Why would you ever want to join that lot of lousy louts?¡± Pop snorted. ¡°Heh, say that five times fast, Whiskers.¡± Rukia playfully pawed at the kitten. He arched his back and hopped away. "Lotta lousy louts, lotta lousy louts, lotta¡­" ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Adventure, I guess. Maybe because I knew I couldn¡¯t join, being a Sin, and that made me want it even more? I also thought, foolishly, I realize now, that someone could help me¡­control myself. Or fix me.¡± ¡°I am going to be an Alter one day,¡± Cyrus said. Whiskers sat down in front of Cyrus and studied him for a while. He went back to Katarina¡¯s side without a word. Must have faith, figured he¡¯d offer some more insults. "So it''s the natural choice for me." ¡°What do you want, Kat?¡± Jules asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Whiskers purred next to her. ¡°I guess I want what you two have, a goal to work for. I haven¡¯t found out what that is yet. But first, I want to escape Aquilantis.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Pop said. ¡°You two oafs arrived at a poor time. The Maidens¡¯ve doubled down. And after your stunt yesterday, it¡¯ll only get worse.¡± ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your story?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you¡ª¡± ¡°Before you met Kat.¡± Pop''s eyes flashed. ¡°The old me died the day I met her, and I was reborn. Sounds like Wrath here can relate.¡± Can''t tell if that''s his attempt at humor, or¡­ ¡°So where do we go from here?¡± Jules asked. ¡°You want to leave, but we have business here. We need to find the Sylvan Publishing House, and I need to seek Patience.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no publishing house by that name here,¡± Pop said. ¡°You¡¯d be a fool to trust that woman, anyway. At least your friend has some sense about him. In that regard.¡± ¡°We can move on and go our separate ways,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We don¡¯t trust each other still, and I¡¯m not sure how we can get common ground at this rate.¡± ¡°I could lock you in the store room.¡± Katarina motioned to her father. ¡°He¡¯s Enchanted that area, too. I could make you my playthings.¡± ¡°Kat, you are welcome to join us,¡± Jules said. ¡°Then we can all leave together. Help each other find whatever it is we¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Well Kumbaya, Jules,¡± she replied. ¡°I''ll make you a deal. I''ll escort you somewhere tomorrow, where you might be able to do something about Patience. In exchange, you take me away from this place.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 26 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''War'' by The Sylvan Publishing House 15th War of the Wastes It is reported that The Wars were ended with the ceasefire enacted after The 15th War of the Wastes, which reached its crescendo in the year 3 BFN (Before The Fateful Night). But if one were to take a closer look at the events that led to Greed¡¯s capture¡­ Well, the author will leave that to the reader¡¯s imagination. After The Nomad Alter finally arrived to the scene, the Nomadic Clans were able to overpower the Elementalists and their allies during the bloodshed. However, when the Alter Kazuma arrived, the tide shifted again in the latter¡¯s favor, and The 15th War endured another full year. After hundreds of thousands of deaths, the two Alters finally agreed to a private duel, to settle matters once and for all. With no one to bear witness to the bout, we cannot be entirely sure of the events and negotiations that transpired; what we do know is that both leaders of these Factions agreed to a complete ceasefire. The Nomad wandered off, and has not been seen since, and Kazuma retreated to Aeromancer¡¯s Retreat, joining the Windjas Faction¡ªboth abandoning the Factions they led to the slaughter. Perhaps it was the only way to avoid conflict, that the two deadliest threats flee¡ªor perhaps, rather, hide in the shadows¡­ Ch 27 - Dream On
JULES
¡°Kat.¡± ¡°Pop." She struck him with a cross look. He didn''t flinch. "It¡¯s time for this kitten to grow her wings and fly away.¡± ¡°What an absurdity,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°We can go tomorrow morning, first thing. There¡¯s something I want you to see, so you understand our mutual¡­situation. And then Whiskers and I will leave with you¡ª¡± ¡°Kat¡ª¡± ¡°Pop, I already said¡ª¡± ¡°And now you will listen,¡± Pop said, and listen, she did. ¡°I know you must go. I know you must leave without me. I''ve prepared myself for this day. All of you Arcanics will face great challenges as you approach your System Unlock Days. I knew it would be soon. The timer''s always been in my face. But none of you," his speech slowed, "are taking your positions seriously in the long term. You are all too focused on your immediate safety, which is important, but has blinded you worse than that beggar you''ve gone chummy with. Not one of you lot has mentioned the most serious issue at hand." Jules shifted uneasily. The Prophesies of Salvos. ¡°The Church is full of cracks, but they were right about your birthdays, down to the time of day. If they were right about that, then they might be right about the Sins bringing on the Apocalypse. I don¡¯t know Wrath here from any other freeloader walking through my doors, but I know you, Kat. Envy. You are a beautiful, gentle, kind young lady¡ª¡± Do not laugh. ¡°¡ªAnd would never destroy this world, but you need to take it seriously and think about it from this point forward. Often.¡±
[New Quest Available: Start the Apocalypse] [ERROR: Start the Apocalypse ¡ª No Description, Rewards, or Objectives available.]
Uh¡­ Jules'' heart skipped a beat. Then several. Kat''s not acting weird, like she didn''t just get that Notification. Maybe her System''s silenced, but better keep this one to myself for now. No one added to the discussion. ¡°I think I got the message across," Pop said. "Now all of you, to bed. Go.¡± Thank Salvos. I need to get out of here. Jules, Cyrus, and Rukia filed into the room next to Katarina¡¯s. They brainstormed plans, and how they would test Katarina¡¯s trustworthiness, when Whiskers pranced in. ¡°Do you mind?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather sleep here tonight. If that¡¯s OK with you.¡± ¡°Uh, actually¡ª¡± ¡°Great. It¡¯s better this way. I can keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Kat be lonely?¡± ¡°Lonely? Perhaps. Jealous? Absolutely.¡± Whiskers purred away into the night.
Jules walked to the edge of the black lake. ¡°Back again. Wonder what I¡¯ll remember this time.¡± He walked on the water¡¯s surface until he reached the massive golden doors. Each footstep rippled across the water. Doors aren''t disappearing this time. He winced, afraid to plunge into the water, before he reached for the handle. Blinding light radiated from the doors, and Jules shielded his eyes. His vision adjusted. The prison cell door floated before him on the water now. Red and orange flames surrounded Jules¡ªThey burned even on the water. The heat scalded him and he took a step back and sank through the lake''s surface. Air fled his lungs. Boiling water filled them. He drifted off into sleep, or maybe death. SPLASH! Ice cold water, a stark contrast to the lake and flame''s heat, wrenched him awake. He saw the cheap iron bucket first, then the person holding it. I recognize you. But from where? A tomboyish girl with short red hair, emerald eyes, and freckles overlooked his sleepy body. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you. I guess we¡¯re both here this¡ª¡± ¡°Obviously, you idiot. Now hurry up and help me unload!¡± Right, unload. We''re back at the docks. They unloaded cargo after cargo. Barrels of mead and whiskey, crates of grapes and other fruits, boxes full of weapons. The work was tough and dragged on. Each boat''s size surpassed the next until they encountered full-sized ships, which continued to grow in size. They never took time off for themselves; they just worked, and worked, and worked. For what, though? ¡°You know,¡± Jules said, ¡°I really wish we had a nicer boat. Hell, even just a bigger one.¡± He waved his arms around the port. ¡°I mean, look at all of these, and ours is the shittiest.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I wish we had better jobs,¡± she said. ¡°But we don¡¯t. Keep unloading. He¡¯ll wake up any second.¡± Who? Jules'' train of thought dissipated in the haze of his dream. ¡°Can¡¯t get a better job,¡± he said. ¡°Not how we were born. If only we came from a higher station, if our parents had been merchants, or something.¡± He threw smaller cargo off the side of a ship to the silent girl. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying. We could be wealthy if we came from wealth. Nobles have it all, and don¡¯t even realize it.¡± He threw another crate to her, then paused to gaze at the massive city''s center. The castle glistened in the early morning sun, and its alluring draw always captured his attention. ¡°Hey, ¡­¡± She shouted his name. What? Is that my name? Why can¡¯t I remember it? ¡°They¡¯re coming for us!¡± Jules didn''t look away from the castle. ¡°Help! ¡­¡± There¡¯s that name again. ¡°No, stop, we didn¡¯t do anything¡ªAck!¡± Jules snapped out of the daydream. A guard yanked his spear from her body. Jules looked at them curiously, almost detached. Two other guards aimed crossbows at Jules. He reached for the castle, then went to leap off the boat for it. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. TWANG! The crossbows released. They struck Jules midair. He fell and woke up on the prison cell floor, before he ever fell into the water''s depths. He was back to his senses¡ªthe allure of the castle faded away. Some sort of spell? ¡°That¡­ That wasn¡¯t me. Couldn¡¯t have been.¡± Jules eyed the prison door and its closed service hatch. ¡°Don¡¯t open that door,¡± he repeated. The hatch slid open. ¡°Let me guess, save him,¡± Jules said. Nothing happened. He rolled his eyes, got up, and peeked through the open slat. No fire tonight? Wait, who''s that? A man approached Jules. A massive white tiger prowled at his side. Not a tiger, a fox. Rukia? And that man, he looks like a Shinsorai. I think I¡¯ve seen him before. The man whispered to Jules, from the void beyond the cell. ¡°Jules¡­tomorrow¡­the Fountain of Virtues¡­¡±
The Fountain of Virtues¡­ The sun''s rays woke Jules through the window. He gasped for air. Why is it so hard to breathe?
[Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Unlock The Nightmare, Level 1.] [Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Unlock The Nightmare, Level 1.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Visit to the Fountain of Virtues.]
Rukia got to her feet and shook out her fur as if she were wet. "Get it off! Get it off!" ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you two?¡± Whiskers yawned and draped one front paw over the dresser he''d slept on. He stretched out his weariness with grace. "I dunno. Coulda sworn I was wet." Rukia chomped on a dog bone she¡¯d saved last night; drool pooled on the wooden floors beneath her. "Well now you are." ¡°Should you be talking?¡± Jules whispered to Whiskers. He meowed in response. ¡°Can Cy and I have a moment?¡± Whiskers jumped down, extended the claws from a front paw, got on his two hind feet, and opened the door slightly, all while glaring at Jules. He strode out of the room that way. So much for being incognito. Guess he knows the lay of the land, though. Jules slammed the door shut and relayed his dream to a sleepy Cyrus. ¡°Alright,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°guess we just need to convince your girlfriend to go to the Fountains with us. She¡¯s not gonna let us go alone after last night.¡± Come on, man. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll convince her, alright.¡± They stretched and entered the inn''s main room. Katarina and Pop ate their breakfast. Whiskers drank his. ¡°Listen, Kat. We want to¡ªuh¡ª¡± Jules looked around the crowed room. A half dozen drunken men slept on chairs and barstools. ¡°Take you on a date to the Fountain. Let¡¯s get going soon.¡± Pop¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°It¡¯s the wee fookin¡¯ morning you¡ª¡± ¡°The Fountain, you say. In the plaza, where all the kooks and cultists gather every day?¡± Her eyes narrowed. Whiskers looked up from his milk. ¡°Before you say no¡ª¡± ¡°OK!¡± Katarina smiled. ¡°Sounds great. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Kat, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± With just a single glance, she silenced that old man. ¡°Listen, Father, you said I couldn''t have a boyfriend. So I got two. You should work on your clarity.¡± She turned and left him gaping at the table. Katarina yawned and snapped at the two boys. The three men looked at each other¡ªNo one dared speak up to their collective boss. When she was out of sight, Cyrus stuffed his face with some fruit, then grabbed a loaf of bread in each hand. ¡°No funny business.¡± Pop slid a finger across his throat. He practically fumed with rage. Jules grabbed some bread as well, then retreated to his room and stuffed Rukia in his backpack. "No, no, no¡ª" The boys scurried out of the inn, and the black kitten followed behind them like a watchdog. Or a shepherd. Whole new meaning to the phrase herding cats. ¡°Well, that was easy,¡± Cyrus mumbled through his food. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to,¡± Katarina thrust a finger into Jules¡¯ chest, right over his Seal, ¡°but you need to see this.¡± She stormed off ahead of them, then spun around again. ¡°Relationships are founded on trust, you know.¡± Cyrus laughed and slapped Jules¡¯ back. ¡°She¡¯s gonna run you over, flatten you out, and hang you up to dry, buddy.¡± Cyrus followed after her, still laughing. Any other day, I¡¯d laugh. But somehow I can¡¯t find the humor today. Thirty minutes later, Jules smiled and laughed when he rode his first moving bridge. "I can''t believe it! I''ve watched these things for year, years!" "Savages," Katarina said. Up ahead sat the Fountain of the Virtues. Surely a Genius Sculptor crafted these. They arrived at the plaza alongside a large and bustling crowd. Each of the seven fountains was chiseled from magnificent white marble¡ªall except for one¡ªand were all similarly constructed to the others. Central cylindrical pillars extended from circular bases with flanged tops that spouted never-ending water. And yet each was completely unique in its own way. Even the gushing water patterns from the six active fountains retained their own individuality. One black sheep towered among the Seven. Yep. I know who that''s for. Any ordinary person would feel comforted here, safe. But I''m feeling more on edge the closer we get to them.
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Visit to the Fountain of Virtues.]
And the crowd¡ªthey all look desperate for something. A savior? Probably what Kat wanted us to see. The Fountains sat high on a cliff that sheared straight down to the sea, between one of the many Aquilantis isles connected by the moving brides. The sun rose in the east, immediately behind the altars. Now that¡¯s a statement I don¡¯t like. I bet they¡¯d put a fountain for Sins facing the sunset. But after last night¡¯s conversation with Pop¡ª Damn, he got me. I actually called him that. Katarina scanned the crowd. Jules copied her. A few odd figures caught his attention. A young man with a shaved head in billowing black pants and a monk¡¯s sleeveless robe hulked about. He looked like he could break a bridge with his muscles. And his frown looks like the arched bridges surrounding us. Another man, though maybe on the cusp of adulthood, leaned against a tree in its shade. He wore all black clothes that matched his slicked back hair. Hiding any weapons under that cloak? Dagger or something small? Guy is a Stealth type, definitely not a Tradie. After a bit more searching, a purple-haired girl caught his eye. She looked about his age. Her fair skin contrasted with her jet-black clothing. That¡¯s an insane amount of zippers she¡¯s got there. Definitely Cy¡¯s type. Jules nudged Cyrus and nodded toward her. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t''ve done that. He¡¯ll be ogling all morning. Oh, this one. He¡¯s an odd sort. A painter sat before an easel. With one eye closed, he held his hands up in a rectangle. Probably deciding how to capture his shot. He wore a blue kimono covered in brightly colored flowers and leaves. His wild hair was partially tamed into a bun. What a wicked-looking grin, almost ear to ear. Hasn''t started painting yet. I wonder if he''s Kat''s type. Wait, why do I care? When he finally looked away from the man, his stomach lurched. Guards marched up the staircase beside the Fountain, and from either side of it. Just in front of the altars, they converged on a man¡ªthe man Jules had seen in his dream last night. He beamed at Jules and put a finger up to his lips. Shhh¡­ ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** 27 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Our Fathers'' by BS Snelliott Sightings of the Columns of Light
  1. Aetherhaven ¡ª Charity
  2. Aetheria ¡ª Humility
  3. Hinomura ¡ª suspected Greed, with ties to The Nomads
  4. Lustris Haven ¡ª Kindness
  5. Seraphim¡¯s Reach ¡ª Charity
  6. Solstice Keep ¡ª Temperance
  7. Zenithoria ¡ª Sloth
  8. Aquilantis
  9. Crimson Desert
  10. Crimson Mirage
  11. Obsidian Citadel
  12. Serene Archipelago
  13. Shinsora
  14. Whispering Brook
Virtues
  1. Charity ¡ª Aetherhaven
  2. Chastity ¡ª Seraphim¡¯s Reach
  3. Humility ¡ª Aetheria
  4. Kindness ¡ª Lustris Haven
  5. Temperance ¡ª Solstice Keep
  6. Diligence ¡ª ?
  7. Patience ¡ª ?
Sins
  1. Greed ¡ª suspected Hinomura
  2. Sloth ¡ª Zenithoria
  3. Wrath ¡ª unknown birthplace, though confirmed in Coralhaven
  4. Envy ¡ª ?
  5. Gluttony ¡ª ?
  6. Lust ¡ª ?
  7. Pride ¡ª ?
Ch 28 - Ongo Goblogian
JULES
The man turned around and walked back to the Fountain, through several Guards. A ghost? ¡°Here come the Guards. Just in time for your eulogy,¡± Katarina whispered. ¡°They¡¯ve been doing this all day, every day, for weeks.¡± Jules lost sight of the ghost. ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe here,¡± he whispered back. He searched for the man again, but he was lost in the growing crowd. A Preacher, adorned in billowy white robes and an excessive amount of fine jewelry, took the podium and commanded his audience. ¡°Thank you all for answering the call of our Great Lord Salvos, Divine Spirit of Salvatica.¡± His voice boomed with the aid of a Rune, though his eyes did not glow. ¡°We gather you again today to bring terrible news of our lands¡¯ most cursed ailments, to reveal revelations brought forth from that Fateful Night!¡± The Guards brandished their weapons and formed an arc around the Preacher. "Really don''t feel safe here," Jules whispered again. The Preacher broke off his commanding presence to feign sorrow. ¡°But first,¡± he bowed his head, ¡°we must pray to the Vassals of Salvatica¡ªthe Seven Holy Virtues!¡± He gestured grandly to the Fountain. ¡°Kindness!¡± Katarina twitched. ¡°Chastity!¡± Cyrus stifled a chuckle. ¡°Charity¡­¡± The Preacher patted his heart in dismay. He bowed to the black pillar. ¡°Our poor, poor Charity, lost to this world as but a babe by the evils wrought forth from the¡­Others.¡± By your own kind, you rat. Still, he¡¯s having a strong effect on this crowd. ¡°Temperance! Humility! Diligence! Patience!¡± Rukia growled inside Jules¡¯ backpack. ¡°All sent from Heaven to protect us against the foul harbingers of the Apocalypse¡ªthe Others, the accursed Seven Deadly Sins.¡± Cries and outrage erupted from the audience. ¡°Bastards!" "Heathens!" "Cowards!" The Preacher gently calmed them down. Though certainly not quickly. ¡°Out Gracious Host, Salvos, gifted us the location of five of his Vassals on that Fateful Night¡­and for reasons incomprehensible to our wretched and undeserving souls, He has hidden the other two away from us. A part of His plan, I am sure.¡± "See? Salvos is a dude," Cyrus whispered to them both. Katarina hushed him. Jules surveyed the crowd uneasily again. ¡°However, the devils of this world managed to hide the Seven Deadly Sins that night. Although we know where they were born from the pillars of light, they remain shrouded in darkness, in occluded obscurity, along with our dear Diligence and Patience." And why is that? ¡°And yet, hear me still! Salvos has recently bestowed us with more of his Divine Wisdom! For he has revealed the location of one of the Dark Omens: Wrath!¡± The crowd gasped and verged on the edge of riot. Jules threw up in his mouth and swallowed it. What the¡ªHow could they know who I am already? ¡°He unveiled himself two days ago in Coralhaven, a gentle, meek neighbor of our illustrious and holy city. And what was he doing there, you ask? Helping a criminal escape justice, no less!¡± More outcries erupted. Criminal? Escape justice? Are they framing me, for what¡ª ¡°Am I famous now?¡± Cyrus whispered. "We should leave. Slowly." ¡°Can you imagine?¡± The preacher gave a wicked grin, clearly enjoying his captivated crowd¡¯s attention. Jules shifted his weight. ¡°Can you imagine a more fitting way for such a wretch to expose himself? After aiding Davy Jones himself¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, Preacher Marignol.¡± Another man walked onto the stage. So that¡¯s their angle. ¡°Ah, yes. Yes, of course¡­¡± The Preacher reluctantly departed the stage, defeated. The man from Jules'' nightmares approached through the crowd, actually through them. He repeated his message. Shhh¡­. If he knows Rukia, and he''s telling me to stay¡­ But I can''t wait much longer. ¡°Citizens of Aquilantis, I am Pastor Ezekiel, a representative of the Iron Maidens. This delicate situation is now in our hands.¡± Something about this man¡­makes me hate him. Makes me want to¡­ He was a stout, middle-aged man with a commanding presence. He wore a hooded black robe with the Faith Rune inscribed on its back, and iron armor underneath it. Guess your faith can only protect you so much. ¡°I have just been given full station over Aquilantis, and all the Shattered Isles, actually, to fulfill our mission.¡± Hushed whispers¡ªand the Maidens'' propaganda¡ªspread through the crowd. ¡°We have reason to believe that your city is harboring not one, but two of the Deadly Sins.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Katarina winced. The ghost held up a hand to Jules. Wait. ¡°How fuckin¡¯ dare ye!¡± a man shouted. Other hecklers joined in from the crowd. A few Guards shifted their spears and swords. ¡°It is most likely that a Sin was born to Aquilantis, as is known from the pillar of light that night. It has been kept from the public at our decry, but we are releasing more information to the public now. That night so long ago, we located the home where the light came from, and we unfortunately discovered the parents, both dead and¡­¡± Without thinking, Jules spun his head to face Envy. No, not Envy¡ªKat. Stay subtle, listen to the speech. ¡°...inside informant has assured us that the most recent revelation in Coralhaven is, in fact, Wrath.¡± The ghost was almost to Jules. ¡°He was seen going east, right before Davy Jones sacked the town two days ago.¡± People in the crowd questioned the information, demanded why it took so long to reach them, and how they could have wasted an entire day. The ghost stood beside Jules now. He glared at the Pastor with murderous intent, but said nothing. ¡°Coralhaven was struck by poor luck and unrest in the past few days. They had a Shrine appear, which fortunately drew in military and Navigators. They had troops to fight off Wrath, or who knows how many more would have perished? But Wrath¡¯s power proved too much, and he froze the entire population. In the chaos, he led in the Fallen Alter with his Pirate crew to ransack what remained of the town. They had to fight for their lives first, so do not blame them.¡± At least that part''s true. Still, sweat dripped from Jules¡¯ brow. ¡°Don¡¯t acknowledge me, Jules,¡± the ghost said. ¡°Only you and Rukia can see or hear me. Just nod if you put the collar on Rukia¡­ OK, good.¡± ¡°We have received another blessing,¡± the Pastor continued. ¡°We now have images from Memory Scripts of the culprits.¡± Two men each hoisted up a post and unfurled a banner between them. Jules and Cyrus saw their images displayed in plain daylight, along with Rukia¡¯s. ¡°Jules¡ªit¡¯s a trap, but¡ª¡± Betrayal. Jules'' thoughts drowned out the ghost''s words. Jules glared at Envy. She looks shocked, too. ¡°They haven¡¯t¡­ They¡¯ve never shown these before,¡± she whispered. ¡°¡ªso just continue to act like I¡¯m not here,¡± the ghost said. ¡°I can take them all.¡± Jules and Cyrus lowered their heads, but it was too late. People around them had already noticed. ¡°Hey! Over here" "They¡¯re right here!" The entire crowd now focused on Jules, Cyrus, and Katarina. Whiskers scurried away through the crowd. No time to think. If Rukia trusts him, I have to as well. ¡°Keep your eyes open,¡± the ghost warned. "Those Preachers aren''t smart enough to lay this trap¡ª" Jules grabbed Katarina¡¯s hair and yanked her head backward. He drew a dagger to her throat and snarled at the crowd. "Someone else did.¡± ¡°Your turn to play the part,¡± Jules whispered to Katarina through gritted teeth. He saw the fear of Salvos in her eyes. ¡°Guards!¡± the Pastor shouted. Guards surrounded them from all angles. Forty, no fifty. Shit. Jules¡¯ Seal burned his chest, and his eyes flooded with red flames. Choose life, or choose death. ¡°If you wanted to find Wrath,¡± Jules threatened the Guards, ¡°I think you¡¯ll come to regret it.¡± ¡°Guards, capture him at all costs!¡± As in, forget about the hostage¡­ The Guards drew their weapons. They lowered spears and pikes at him and pointed bows and crossbows. One man even brandished a morning star. Someone sounded a battle cry, and the Guards charged. From the corner of his eye, Jules saw the painter in the crowd finally lift up his brush and make a few quick strokes across his canvas.
? Stop ?
Every single person, animal, even leaves froze inside that plaza. Except for me. Katarina leaned back from his blade. "Kat? Can you mo¡ª" Jules froze mid sentence. He couldn''t feel his heartbeat. Katarina didn''t move, either. So this is what it felt like to Cyrus. Three times now. Cyrus and Katarina grunted. The painter slashed a few more strokes across his canvas.
? Obscure ?
A semi-transparent black sphere radiated outward from the strange man until it encompassed the entire plaza. It stretched out past the Fountain of the Virtues, the cliffs below, and even some buildings beyond the cobblestone streets. Anyone who could have possibly been paying attention to the Iron Maidens and heard the damning news was inside the sphere.
? Isolate ?
The sphere¡¯s transparency faded away quickly. The sea behind the Fountain faded away; so did the buildings beyond the sphere¡¯s edge. Jules, and everyone else, were now trapped inside the massive black bubble. The painter still sat at his easel. In one hand he held his paintbrush, and in the other he gripped a traditional rounded painter¡¯s palette. He flourished his hands through the air like some sort of eccentric maestro. He stood up and waltzed through the crowd to the podium. Every once in a while, he spun around. Just before the purple-haired young woman, he stopped. He bowed before her and reached out his hand. Is he asking her to dance¡ªlike a puppet? The girl didn¡¯t move. He scoffed at her and pretended to paint her face. He''s toying with us all. Or maybe just me. The painter zigzagged to the banner and studied its images for a while, then shook his head in disgust. ¡°You call this art?¡± he shouted at the frozen Pastor. He looked at Jules, then back to the banner. ¡°Bullshit." He looked at Cyrus, then back at the banner. "Bull¡­shit." He studied Rukia on the banner. "Derivative!" He dabbed his paintbrush on his palette and painted over the images of Jules, Cyrus, and Rukia. The painter whispered some Sylvan, incomprehensible to Jules. He changed their features so much that the group became unrecognizable. Rukia¡¯s image was now a wolf. He¡¯s not just painting over the banner, his strokes don¡¯t even match what¡¯s being painted. Maybe he¡¯s altering the fabrics of the magic itself, but how can he change someone¡¯s memories? The madman pranced through the crowd again, back to his chair. He studied Jules, flashed a grin, and adjusted his easel so it was completely out of Jules¡¯ field of vision. The man flicked his brush around on the easel. Not the canvas this time, he¡¯s folding a note¡ªOh shit, he¡¯s coming right to me. ¡°Nnnnn,¡± Jules mumbled. He sweat bullets. He couldn¡¯t move or resist anything, couldn¡¯t even look the maniac in the eyes. He stopped just before Jules and executed a flamboyant, but most elegant, bow. Or curtsy, Jules wasn¡¯t noble enough to know the difference. ¡°Wrath,¡± he said as both an introduction and acknowledgement. ¡°I come bearing gifts.¡± He slipped the note inside Jules¡¯ shirt, right over his heart, then patted it. My Seal. He straightened Jules¡¯ shirt a little and dusted the dirt off his shoulder. He leaned in toward Jules'' face, pinched a cheek, and tugged on it a little. Cheeky bastard. The painter took a step back and threw his arms in the air, as if he were about to take a bow before an audience. ¡°I¡¯ve still got it!¡± he shouted to everyone and no one. He inspected Cyrus next, just a quick study of his face. This guy has no personal boundaries, he¡¯s practically right on Cy. He moved on to Katarina, whose face was still frozen in fear, Jules'' dagger still at her throat. This inspection lasted much longer; he looked over every inch of her body¡ªexposed body, anyway. Jules felt his heart beat again when the painter examined Katarina¡¯s left ear. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 28 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott The Sylvan Formulae Script = Skill x (Substrate + Knowledge + Ryoku) Forgery = Skill x (Raw Materials + Script(s) + Ryoku) Enchantment = Skill x (Forgery + Script(s) + Ryoku) Tattoo = Skill x (Enchanted Ink + Enchanted Needle + Script(s) + Ryoku) Invocation = Skill x (Tattoo + Ryoku) Ch 29 - Paint The Town Red
JULES
¡°You poor, poor thing. Getting trapped in the middle of,¡± the painter waved his arms all around the plaza, ¡°all this.¡± His gaze hovered over Katarina''s ear for a fraction of a second longer than anywhere else, but he moved on and continued down her face. Eventually, he was satisfied and returned the chair at his easel.
? Calm ?
The adrenaline of combat and imprisonment faded away from Jules, and memories of happier times filled him. Ah, I could lay in the sand right about now. I bet Rukia''d love to play some ball.
[New Quest Available: Go Long!] [New Reward Available for Go Long!: Rukia''s undying affection.] [Go Long! ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Play ball with Rukia.]
The painter slashed his easel some more.
? Move ?
Jules released his hostage and sheathed his blade. What was I even doing? The Guards lowered their weapons and shuffled around.
? Attention ?
Everyone moved away from Jules and company, and looked at the banners near the Pastor. Oh yeah, that painter, he changed the images of me and Cy. What a nice guy.
? Reveal ?
The black sphere surrounding them dissipated. The world around them came into focus again. Jules smiled at the birds flying by in the sky, like an idiot.
? Conceal ?
Jules looked around. He didn¡¯t notice anything different, just the crowd before him. He thought he heard Cyrus grunt, but he felt too good to let this moment escape him.
? Memory ?
That''s¡ªthat''s illegal! One of the most illegal¡­ Wait, what''s illegal again? Jules blinked. The sun blinded him, and he smelled something burning, but couldn''t figure out what it was. Burnt hair? What just happened? Last I remember, they were¡ª He gripped Cyrus¡¯ arm. They both stared at the banner. That¡¯s, that¡¯s not us¡­ Did Kat set us up? No¡ªShe looks just as confused. ¡°They haven¡¯t¡­ They¡¯ve never shown these before,¡± she whispered. ¡°Did you set us up?¡± Jules snapped. ¡°No! No, I promise¡­¡± Whiskers waddled back over to them. ¡°Ah, excuse me, citizens.¡± The Pastor¡¯s voice boomed again. ¡°I felt like I had seen these two boys somewhere before, but I was mistaken. Be on the lookout for these two, and this wolf, and come to us with any information you have. We will be by the¡­¡± Jules tuned him out. His heart pounded. Someone set us up. Does the Shinsorai ghost know who? Where''d he go? He panned the dispersing audience for the ghost. Jules'' eyes stopped on the painter''s. Haven''t I seen him before? ¡°Hey, Ruke, where¡¯d he go?¡± Jules asked his backpack. ¡°Where¡¯d who go?¡± Cyrus asked. Rukia didn¡¯t respond, so Jules ripped his pack off. It was empty. ¡°Cy¡ªI lost Rukia. Do you see her?¡± Whiskers rubbed his mouth and a fang across Jules¡¯ legs. He pawed the air toward a tree. The ghost scratched Rukia underneath it. One hind leg kept reflexively hitting herself in the face. ¡°Subtle. Good kitty.¡± The painter stumbled past Jules. ¡°Ah, well. It appears not even the greatest painter alive can make this scenery appealing.¡± He gestured back to the stage. ¡°Probably because the subject matter is absolutely repulsive.¡± He strolled straight through their group with downcast eyes and a wry smile. A scrap of white paper flapped out of his art kit when he walked by. "Hey, watch it!" Katarina sidestepped their collision course. ¡°Rude! What a moron." ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Cyrus asked. He¡¯d been crowd watching. ¡°And you know what? We shouldn¡¯t even be talking to you anymore!¡± Curious, Whiskers sniffed the fallen scrap paper. Back to Rukia. She sat underneath the tree, close to the banner, alone. Jules checked its images again before he joined her. Still a wolf and two kids I¡¯ve never seen before. Jules picked her up by the nape of her neck and placed her gently in his bag. That certainly drew some odd looks. Jules and Cyrus fled the plaza¡ªand Katarina and Whiskers. She followed them and pleaded with them. Rukia mumbled for Jules¡¯ attention through the backpack. ¡°Please, I didn¡¯t know! They¡¯ve never shown banners of anyone before!¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Cyrus demanded. ¡°I knew it was too easy to get you to come here, after all your talk last night about leaving town." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Envy stammered and Rukia thrashed about. ¡°Will someone please let the fox speak?¡± Whiskers asked. Jules stopped in a vacant alleyway. He popped open the cover. A dazed Rukia, on the verge of possible heat stroke, panted. ¡°Ahhh! I can finally breathe again." That''s all you wanted!? ¡°Alright, you¡¯re going back in¡ª¡± ¡°No, no¡ªJules, Jules, Jules¡ªMaster Kaizen said, he said to look inside your shirt.¡± So that was Kaizen. Jules reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded note. ¡°Did you put this in my clothes last night?¡± he asked Whiskers and Katarina. ¡°No," Rukia said. "That strange powerful guy did, least that''s what Kaizen said. Open it." Jules opened the note. All five of them read the single Rune inscribed on it. The dry ink liquified and bled down the paper. The Rune activated, and gold light blinded them all.
? Memory ?
Memories of the plaza debacle flooded into Jules'' mind all at once. Overwhelmed, he almost lost his balance. Flashbacks occurred all at once. He assembled the memories as best he could into chronological order. Fear. Confusion. Relief. Safety. Curiosity. "Did anyone else¡­" Jules began. "Yeah," Cyrus said. "That man¡­" Katarina covered her left ear. Whiskers hacked up a hairball. Rukia belched. ¡°So, Rukia, that man, the ghost that came up to me¡ªthat''s Kaizen?¡± ¡°That was the one, the only, Master Kaizen!¡± "That painter was a ghost," Cyrus asked. ¡°No, not him. Kaizen said that someone had set a trap for us. He must have meant the painter.¡± ¡°Well, that man¡ªthat magic.¡± You¡¯d think Cy was the one who saw a ghost. ¡°Who is he?¡± Katarina''s face flushed. ¡°He studied me a lot¡­ And then he tried to walk into me on purpose.¡± ¡°To get a second glance,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°And to leave a curious cat a message. I believe I know where to find him.¡± The kitten unwound its two tailed and dropped down the flyer the man had dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we should find him after that,¡± Jules said. ¡°That was similar to what happened in Coralhaven.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to be gawked at,¡± Katarina said. ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love to be fawned over.¡± Whiskers rubbed against Jules¡¯ legs again. ¡°In all my wisdom and nine lives, I have no idea who that man is.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Everyone turned to Cyrus. ¡°How? Who?¡± Jules asked. ¡°That man is an Alter.¡±
[New Quest Available: Paint It Black] [New Reward Available for Paint It Black: ???] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Investigate the painter.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Discover if he is a secret Alter or not.]
CYRUS
Dammit Jules, Whiskers¡ªwe¡¯ve passed this bar already, and that one, and that one. We''re wasting precious time here. Cy inspected his Quests Notifications again, which he''d received over the course of the past few days.
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Join the Scholars Guild.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª QUEST FAILED] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find an alternative path to become an Alter.] [ERROR: The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª QUEST INCOMPLETED] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Investigate the painter.]
I can''t believe I got a second chance. ¡°Cat,¡± Cy said, ¡°are you sure we¡¯re going the right way? We¡¯ve passed that whorehouse twice already.¡± Envy rolled her eyes. ¡°I may not be an alley cat, by any stretch of your narrow imagination," Whiskers said, "but I certainly know these streets. We are getting closer.¡± The kitten walked between Jules¡¯ stride. Bet that¡¯s driving him crazy. And I bet it¡¯s making Kat jealous. Both of them seem on edge. "And don''t call me Cat. It is confusing to my other half." Cy swallowed his frustration and impatience. I just want to meet this Alter already. I wonder what he knows, who he actually is. There are only seven known Alters, and I¡¯ve never heard of him before. His thoughts drifted off into the world, aloud. ¡°Davy Jones and the Cat of Ninetales. Kazuma, Musashi, The Nomad. And The Dreamer and Clementine." Whose whereabouts are still unknown... A drunk leaned against a crude dumpster with even cruder graffiti. Cy stomped to a halt. ¡°Alright, stop. We¡¯ve walked past this guy at least five times. It¡¯s an hour ''til midnight.¡± Whiskers ignored Cy and whispered something to Jules. They continued a few paces to an intersection of three dim roads. ¡°Sure, what?¡± Jules asked the cat. Cy looked at Envy. Cy himself became jealous of Jules'' new friends. Kat, Rukia. This damn kitten leading us on a wild goose egg hunt. ¡°Whiskers, you may like to chase your tail like a dog, but I sure don¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°That man, over there,¡± Whiskers said to Jules. ¡°He looks like he frequents this illustrious part of town. Ask him if he knows where the art supply store is. Be vague about the name.¡± Cy groaned. ¡°Is your pet always this annoying?¡± Cy asked Envy. She bit her lip. Jules returned and shook his head. ¡°Said I had no idea what I¡¯m talking about, though he was a bit more colorful than that. I¡¯m sure Rukia could fill in the blanks for you.¡± The others laughed softly. Not the time for jokes. I need to learn from this Alter. ¡°Come on. Just admit it, Oh Wise One. You have no idea where this place is." Why is everyone staring? "What? Why do you two look so confused? And you, don¡¯t look at me so smugly.¡± Whiskers purred. His little fangs flashed through his grin. ¡°Am I missing something here?¡± ¡°Cy¡­¡± Jules pointed at the drunk he''d just spoken to. ¡°The art store¡ªIt¡¯s right there.¡± Am I the butt of some joke here? ¡°No, that¡¯s a bar. A shitty bar¡ª¡± Oh. Wait a second. "We''ve passed it several times, Cy," Jules said. "We''ve been testing to see if you can see it. If you''re, uh, allowed to, I guess." ¡°Kat, we should leave now,¡± Whiskers warned. ¡°It seems he¡¯s masking his presence from anyone but Arcanics¡ªOh my word!¡± The black cat leapt so high into the night air his silhouette covered the full moon. He cowered behind Jules. Cy perked up. They all look horrified. ¡°What?¡± he shouted. ¡°We have to help him,¡± Envy said. ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Whiskers said. "Likely a trap." ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± ¡°That man¡¯s on fire,¡± Jules said. No, he¡¯s standing laughing at us, waving a bottle. Whiskers dashed toward the man. ¡°Watch out,¡± Cy shouted. ¡°He¡¯s got a broken bottle!¡± Whiskers leapt clear through the man. This is definitely the power of an¡­ ¡°Alter.¡± Cy joined Whiskers at the door to the abandoned bar. ¡°Is this the real door?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Whiskers studied Cy. "And if it is, what stupid idea are you¡ª" Without thinking, Cy opened the door and stepped into a dark and musty room. Broken glass littered the floor next to looted cracked barrels. The ceiling caved in. Cy beckoned Jules, Rukia, Envy, and Whiskers to follow him inside. But they remained outside the threshold. They look ready to fight. Even Rukia''s out of Jules'' backpack¡­ ¡°What the hell, guys? Just come inside¡ª¡± ¡°Cy, get out of there now,¡± Jules said. Both animals¡¯ hackles raised, and they bared their fangs. Cy felt his heart beat reverberate throughout his entire body. Light and color flashed before him, and the room transformed from a pigsty bar into a cluttered art studio, with works-in-progress scattered about. Buckets of paint littered the floor in place of the shattered glass. Canvases, both empty and painted with images and Scripts, lined every inch of the walls and were stacked against every piece of furniture. A lone bookshelf hosted an assortment of books, with a sign above them that read Clearance. Beside the bookshelf, a unique row of fresh paintings hung on the wall. Each one was a portrait of him and his friends. Cy shifted his gaze left¡ªand saw a sword¡¯s blade running horizontal, just under his chin. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 29 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 30 - wacced out murals
CYRUS
Fear flooded his veins. No, push it aside. There''s plenty of time to worry later¡ª The sword''s cold razor edge pressed against one of his carotid arteries. Sweat dripped down from his temple, though he wasn¡¯t necessarily nervous for his life. These illusions¡­this power¡­ Cy turned his neck toward the blade¡¯s source. The icy steel slid across his flesh but didn¡¯t cut into him. Yet. The painter held the sword. ¡°I suggest you all come inside, eh?¡± Cy felt the most reassurance he¡¯d ever felt. He was filled with unyielding confidence and trust, despite his circumstances. It was almost¡­trancelike. Like the allure of becoming an Alter. ¡°It¡¯s OK, guys. You can come inside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, Cy,¡± Jules said. "He has you trapped in a Calm Rune." "No, Jules. It''s not a spell." I''m just finally next to an Alter. ¡°We will come inside, but only if you promise not to hurt him.¡± ¡°You are in no bargaining position. Eh, Wrath?" The painter smiled. Of course. He¡¯s not interested in me¡­ Man, I wish I was Arcanic, too. I''m not special. I''ll just have to show him my Skills, my worth, then. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but you can trust him. Just come inside.¡± ¡°You are in a trance, you fool." Whiskers waddled in first. "We do not trust you, painter, but we have no choice but to rescue this idiot.¡± ¡°That hurts, but I appreciate your courage,¡± Cy said. The others followed the Familiar inside. SLAM! The door shut behind them and then disappeared. The painter¡¯s smile crept into a wicked grin. "You are all fools." The painter pressed his blade into Cy''s throat and wrenched it across the boy''s throat. Jules reached out¡ªEnvy shouted¡ª Red liquid squirted out and oozed down Cy''s chest. But Cy just felt a slight tickle instead of pain. The blade had transformed into the bristles of a paint brush. Cy gripped his throat and coughed and heaved for air. I''m¡ªOK? Their jaws dropped, except for Whiskers''. ¡°Oh man. You guys should have seen your faces!¡± The Alter burst out laughing and fell back into a bag chair. Tears streamed from his eyes, and Cy was still in awe. Jules and them look ready to kill, though. Cy wiped some of the red paint away. This is¡­ ¡°Eh, what''s the matter?¡± The painter still bore an arrogant grin. ¡°You lot have been skulking out there for ages. I had to prove to you that I wasn¡¯t going to hurt you. All I want is a private audience.¡± "This is Ink. Forged and Enchanted," Cy whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure you can hurt us,¡± Envy said. ¡°Your dirty illusions seem to be the only talent you have.¡± The painter reached for a canvas, tossed it in the air, and slashed at it with his paint brush. In an instant, it transformed into a different sword¡ªa claymore this time¡ªand then back to a paint brush, before the stroke was even complete. The canvas landed in two pieces, with two new perfectly straight edges. He leaned back further into his chair and winked at her. He¡¯s incredible. Cy released his neck and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re an Alter, aren¡¯t you?¡± The painter glanced at Cy. His grin receded and he no longer looked amused. This is the first time he¡¯s truly acknowledged me. The man¡¯s eyes changed colors as he spoke. ¡°That is correct¡ªEh, technically speaking. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t include you in the illusory fun. Your feline friend here¡ªyes, you, Whiskers, was it? Your theory was correct. I could only show this place to Arcanics, which I am sorry to say that you are certainly not. It wasn''t until I heard your name from your friend over there that I was able to add you into my little show.¡± He pointed to Cy''s portrait, which also had some Sylvan Rune etched into it. ¡°So even names have Runes. And you added mine to your Script.¡± ¡°Yes¡­and no.¡± The painter tilted his head up as he studied Cy again. But he shifted his attention back to the Sins. Was he impressed with my question, or is he belittling me more? ¡°Now, you two. I¡¯ve kept your identities safe, and I¡¯ve passed on my opportunity to cause you harm¡ªtwice, actually¡ªwhen clearly I could have. I hope I earned at least some trust from you. I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions, but before we dive in, I have one. Just one. For now.¡± He fixated on Envy. Damn. Wish I could ask him questions. I wonder what knowledge an Alter would seek. ¡°Why did you save us?¡± Jules asked, point blank. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Tsk tsk." The painter wagged a finger. "No more questions from your group until I receive my answer.¡± ¡°I will make you say it." Envy spat her words. The painter sighed. ¡°Fine." He pointed his paint brush at her. "Which Arcanic are you?¡± Interesting. He didn¡¯t immediately assume she was a Sin, so he must think there¡¯s a chance that she¡¯s a Virtue. Cy looked at Whiskers. So if he doesn''t know, then¡­ Whiskers rubbed against Envy¡¯s legs. Odd, I¡¯ve never seen him do that to her before. It¡¯s always Jules or her father. Even Envy looked down at the cat, clearly surprised. Then she looked pleased, and then even happy. Oh no, Kat. You gave it away. The Painter smiled. ¡°So you are Envy, eh? The First Deadly Sin.¡± Envy''s jaw dropped. ¡°No, I, uh¡ª¡± Whiskers¡¯ hackles rose, and he flashed fangs again. Reading you like a book. Cy glanced at the bookshelf again. ¡°You can¡¯t fool the Master of Illusions, Cat. Trying to mask her true nature by giving her affection. But it backfired. Her reaction revealed how rare that must be, and more importantly¡­how much she desires it.¡± Ouch. Tell me about it. ¡°So Virtues'' Familiars'' can speak, too, then?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Cy,¡± Jules snapped. "How''d you arrive at that conclusion?" The painter addressed Cy again. "Jules said my name earlier. That''s how you got it. But you asked Kat which Arcanic she was. Not which Sin she was." "Careful, Cyrus, or you¡¯ll reveal yourself as well." Cyrus¡­? ¡°I have questions for you now, if you¡¯re ready," Cy asked. He felt Jules¡¯ rage directed right at him. Or his Wrath. Envy has recoiled into herself, probably afraid of her secret getting out for the first time. ¡°To answer your question before, Wrath¡ª¡± ¡°My name is Jules.¡± He stepped in between the painter and Envy. Ignored again. ¡°Eh, of course. To answer your question before, Jules, I didn¡¯t save you to protect your identity. You already screwed that pooch. I saved you two simply because I want to use you. Both of you.¡± But not me. He''s starting to sound like an arrogant prick. ¡°Use us how?¡± ¡°I am a painter, yes, but I am also a broker. A broker of knowledge¡ªand before you get angry, I won¡¯t tell anyone who you are. Any of you.¡± Even looked at me, there. Cy felt a sense of pride. ¡°Not because of some sense of delusional, distorted morality or higher duty, but because it gives me an advantage. A strong one, at that." He shook his brush at Jules. ¡°You may be the only Sin known to all of Salvatica right now, but you are certainly not the only one known to powerful people. Next question¡ªand you may sit. I expect we¡¯ll be here for a while.¡± ¡°What about Greed and Sloth?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Eh, those two. It is a shame, but I lost whiff of their scent long ago, as did the Maidens. And¡­others.¡± ¡°Which Alter are you?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Cy,¡± Jules said slowly. ¡°Not now. You¡¯ve already said too much.¡± Jules¡­you are getting in the way of my dream here. I get it that you¡¯re pissed about Envy, but he already knew. The damage was done, and denial will get us nowhere. Cy walked over to a chair and dragged it slowly behind him. It screeched the entire journey. ¡°Fine." Cy plopped down into the chair. "I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°What do you want from us, then?¡± Oh look¡ªKat¡¯s back. ¡°To use us for, and if we refuse?¡± OK, maybe she''s not fully back¡­ ¡°Like I said,¡± the painter took a deep breath and looked back to Cy, ¡°I am a broker of knowledge. Some of my¡­contemporaries¡­believe that Actions and Factions are what shape this world¡ªYou can¡¯t spell Faction without Action!¡ªthe idiots.¡± He¡¯s looking at me for a reason¡­why? Actions and Factions¡­ Oh! Duh. ¡°But I believe that knowledge is what shapes the world. This world, anyway. Concentrated knowledge.¡± He must not be a part of any Factions, which would just leave Clementine. But she¡¯s a chick¡­ "Undemocratized knowledge to be used to one¡¯s advantage against someone more prone to action. Where the deck is forever stacked in one¡¯s favor, and where another man¡¯s action can lead to their own downfall. What I want from you¡ªfrom all the Arcanics, truly¡ªis simply the knowledge of your unique Scripts." Just like a true Alter. Jules reached for his heart. Envy played with the hair trailing from her left ear. ¡°Jules, Kat. Stop playing his game. He just compared this to a card game, and you¡¯re literally giving your hands away.¡± ¡°Ha! You are very astute, Cyrus.¡± Suddenly, Cy could see the painter¡¯s body was glowing with tattoos all over. They must have been hidden before. The lights dimmed down from the ink and his eyes. Those don¡¯t look like normal tattoos. Cy inspected the dried red Ink on his hands. ¡°No more tricks, on my Alter¡¯s honor. See? I would like to see your Scripts in action, though. I¡¯d pay a heavy price for that intel. I¡¯ve lived a long life¡ªmany lives, since I¡¯m being so candid." He flashed another look at Cy. "And of all the rare Runes I¡¯ve collected, nothing comes close to the rarity of your Scripts¡ª¡± ¡°You keep saying Scripts.¡± ¡°Cyrus, it is considered rude to interrupt a lecture¡ªbut yes. I do not know what to call them. Scripts. Runes¡­ Seals? What I do know is that they are truly one-of-a-kind. Not even your opposite Virtue shares the same Script." Jules and Envy looked at each other. ¡°Now, the last part of your multifaceted question: should you refuse¡­? Well, I am a broker, so I don¡¯t expect knowledge for nothing. I have an offer to make.¡± Cy studied his friends. Jules stood with clenched fists. Whiskers stood in front of Envy. He glared at the painter through narrowed cat-eyes. Envy couldn''t help but touch her left ear every few seconds. Only Cy and Rukia sat¡ªand she looks as though she could nod off. ¡°What¡¯s your offer then?¡± Jules asked. ¡°I will train you two, and your Familiars, in the Inked Arts and continue answering all of your questions until I am satisfied having seen your Scripts in action.¡± Cy felt the sting of exclusion, but had a new clue to solidify his theory. ¡°The Inked Arts," Cy said. "Those books, your tattoos¡­ This used to be a publishing house, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I expected you to ask that question much sooner.¡± ¡°A man who can freeze people. A secret house ordinary people can¡¯t see. A man with painted-on Ink instead of needled tattoos. I suspected it at that point. But then you mentioned the Inked Arts. You practically flaunted it. Why?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the author we¡¯ve been looking for?¡± Jules exclaimed. "Eh, once upon a time. I have evolved from Ink on paper to Ink on canvas. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, you know." ¡°How do you know Isolda?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Isolda, eh? So that¡¯s how you heard of me. An illustrious student of mine, from¡­before.¡± Before what? ¡°The Fateful Night?¡± ¡°You should keep this one close to you, Jules." The painter pointed his brush at Cy. ¡°And far from you,¡± Jules replied. The painter laughed. ¡°To help persuade you, I know over 10,000 Runes.¡± Ten-thousand!? I¡¯ll never get another shot to learn from an Alter. How do I convince Jules to run with this? ¡°I know you¡¯ll want to discuss it with each other. If you decide to take my offer, then show up at West Beach tomorrow. The Hydromages are having tryouts. I want to see you in action, and get a baseline for your¡­talents.¡± Last chance, can¡¯t let him leave yet. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡± The painter stood up, his entire body aglow, and he disappeared. Shit! I can¡¯t let him escape, need to show him I¡¯m worth training¡ª ¡°I know you¡¯re still here.¡± Cy activated his Light Rune on impulse, without speaking it. He saw a shadow that shouldn¡¯t have been there, and he reached for an arm and gripped it tightly. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 30 STATS BLOCK UPDATE BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 31 -25 or 6 to 4
CYRUS
¡°I want to be an Alter," Cyrus said. ¡°Want!?¡± The painter reappeared, his face full of disgust, like he''d just been insulted. ¡°You want to be an Alter?¡± ¡°I want to be an Alter, and I want you to train me, too.¡± Cy doubled down on his grip. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want, boy.¡± They stared at each other. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t care what you want.¡± ¡°I will become an Alter, then. And you will train me.¡± A flash of interest resonated in the man¡¯s color-shifting eyes. "It could go that way then, eh? But there is a price. Come tomorrow, prepared to offer it." The painter disintegrated into dust, and Cy was left squeezing his own hand.
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Investigate the painter.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find an alternative path to become an Alter.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Go the Hydromages Tryouts.]
JULES
¡°Did you steal that?¡± Jules asked Whiskers. The cat hissed cautiously, careful not to shred the rolled up scrap paper held between its little fangs. ¡°I would never stoop so low as thievery. I am merely¡ª¡± ¡°Borrowing it?¡± Jules asked incredulously. You are insane. ¡°From that guy? You trust him less than I do.¡± ¡°Curiosity killed the cat¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, Cy." I swear, you''re about to see Wrath again. "You let your ego run wild back there. You¡¯re being way too familiar with him.¡± ¡°Familiar, now there¡¯s a funny word.¡± Jules grabbed Cyrus'' shirt collar. He wasn¡¯t sure who¡¯d throw the first punch. ¡°Funny like how?¡± ¡°You know exactly how I mean it, Jules. I¡¯ve seen your power, and Kat''s gifted too, I''m sure. There¡¯s nothing special about me, except that I was in the right place at the right time. You two have your own guides.¡± Cyrus gestured at the fox and cat. Unbelievable. ¡°I need my own. Don¡¯t act like I haven¡¯t always told you I wanted to be an Alter.¡± Jules released his friend. Fucking asshole. ¡°It¡¯s not some gift. Let¡¯s save it for the basement.¡± Jules and Katarina walked ahead of Cyrus back to the inn, and no one spoke. The last few days tried to kill me. One thing after the other. This wasn¡¯t what I had in mind when I wanted to go on an adventure. He checked his Notifications.
[Hot For Teacher ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find the publisher in Aquilantis.] [Hot For Teacher ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Investigate the painter.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Discover if he is a secret Alter or not.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Go to the Hydromage Tryouts.]
But still, I have come a long way in a short time, and we haven¡¯t even started to Level Up. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d recognize myself from before that hunt, just three days ago now. Yeah, Jules, Rukia thought. I looked at that banner in the plaza and didn''t even recognize you! Get out of my head, Rukia. Jules still fumed as Katarina opened the doors to the inn. He stormed straight down to the basement without looking at her father. Pop and the rest followed their makeshift leader. ¡°I don¡¯t like your face,¡± Pop said to Jules. He placed a hand on Katarina¡¯s back. ¡°Where have you been all day?¡± ¡°Cy,¡± Jules said, ¡°do that thing you did back there, with your light.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. This time, Cyrus invoked the Rune aloud.
? Light ?
Cyrus searched every inch of the basement, though Jules thought he looked a little reluctant to do so. He came back to the group and shook his head. Pop dragged over his popcorn machine from behind some crates. ¡°We fucked up today,¡± Jules said. Pop calmly loaded some kernels into the machine and started it. When it didn''t immediately run, Pop slammed a fist down onto a top corner. It started its task and carried on with a new dent in the metal frame. This man might choke me to death. Better to be thorough with him, we¡¯ll need his insights. Jules relayed the day¡¯s events in great detail. Pop listened to the story in its entirety without a word of protest. His face never budged; he might not even have blinked, he was so still. ¡°His offer was simple,¡± Jules said. ¡°We can train with him, and learn from him, or we can go our separate ways¡ªwhich is a load of crap." ¡°Sixteen-to-two." What? ¡°I appreciate that you¡¯re mad, I am too, but please be more direct.¡± ¡°I kept her safe for sixteen years, and you ruined it in two days.¡± Whiskers licked a paw. Rukia rested her head on Jules¡¯ foot. ¡°Yes. I did. I am sorry to you,¡± Jules turned from Pop to Katarina, ¡°and I am sorry to you. And Whiskers. It seems I¡¯ve done that twice now. In a row, with my own parents." ¡°Ha!¡± Pop roared a short laugh and sat down. Didn¡¯t expect that to soften him up. ¡°You¡¯re a tense lot. Say what you need to say to each other while I think.¡± ¡°Sorry, Kat.¡± Cyrus stepped forward. ¡°But Jules and I need to have it out first. We go way back.¡± Cyrus rolled up his sleeves. Jules popped his neck. "Uh huh," Katarina said. "Men." Cy¡¯s no match for my Hand-to-Hand, unless that steely resolve of his carries him past a broken bone or two. There¡¯s no choice here, but we all still have to play out our parts. Just like Cy will make the first move¡ª Cyrus threw a jab and a cross. Jules dodged both. Cyrus lunged at him, and Jules allowed Cyrus to grip him around the waist. Jules shifted Cyrus¡¯ head outside his body''s line, wrapped him in a guillotine choke, and dropped to the floor. ¡°You were an idiot in there. Are you trying to piss me off? Me? Wrath!?¡± Cyrus wrenched a hand through and broke the choke. ¡°I sacrificed my life for you. And now¡ªegh¡ªugh¡ªyou¡¯re trying to make me sacrifice my dream!?¡± Cyrus took the guard position and tried to separate Jules¡¯ arm from his frame. Jules held his posture. "You already failed your Quest." "It went active again, you twat¡ª" ¡°If you piss me off, Cy, who¡¯s to say I won¡¯t go berserk again?¡± Jules broke the guard and passed it to the side. His body weight crushed Cyrus into the floor. ¡°If you go berserk then who¡¯s going to¡ªow!¡ªsave you, you asshat? Rukia and I both¡ª¡± "Thanks for including me!" Rukia stood on all fours and wagged her tail. Cy gasped for air from another of Jules¡¯ chokes. "¡ªProved we can¡¯t do it." "Aw, shucks. Nevermind." Rukia splooted down in defeat. ¡°You gave Kat away.¡± Jules rolled Cyrus around, took his back and loosely settled in a rear-naked choke. ¡°He already knew¡ªI was working him.¡± Cyrus¡¯ voice grew raspy and faint. ¡°No, Cy. He was working you.¡± Jules tightened his choke, slightly. How will you respond to a lose-lose situation, Cy? You better think it through. ¡°He wants you, not me. I have to work for it, unlike you¡ª¡± "OK, Cy¡ªfuck you." Jules ratcheted in the choke all the way.
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 11.]
Cyrus flailed around in a last-ditch effort to escape. He lasted much longer than Jules expected, which only further enraged Jules. Eventually Cyrus tapped out. Yellow and green fire erupted from Jules¡¯ eyes, and he didn¡¯t let go. Cyrus slapped a foot on the ground, another signal to end the fight. His opponent''s movement slowed down until Rukia bit Jules¡¯ hand, and he finally released his friend. Cyrus rolled out and grabbed his throat through a coughing fit. Slobber dripped from his lips onto the floor. Let him sit there in his defeat and embarrassment. Let him learn the consequences of failure. Again, Pop¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t flinch. Katarina absently munched on some popcorn. ¡°You¡­ You fucking asshole. I tapped¡ªtwice¡ª¡± ¡°Do you think I care, Cy!? Do you think I¡¯ll yield if you ask nicely, the next time I''m possessed? Kat¡ªand her father¡ªboth say that she is Envy. I have always thought of myself as Jules first, Arcanic second, but now I¡¯m starting to assume that I am Wrath¡ªThat I''m a Sin first, Jules second. Your head was too far up your own ass to see it, but I almost snapped, Cy." "Yeah, I noticed¡ª" "No, back there, you idiot! I almost lost control when he had a blade to your throat." Cyrus turned white. He blinked blankly, the anger gone from his face. Jules stood over him. Jules'' eyes still emitted soft yellow flames with flickers of green. Cyrus looked away sheepishly, humiliated. Yeah, motherfucker. Good. Jules inhaled sharply through his nose, and the flames dissipated. ¡°You are right, Cy. You can¡¯t stop me, Rukia can¡¯t stop me, maybe Kat can, I hope we never find out. But you need to stop acting rogue, and focus on our mission, not yours, or someone will die. There¡¯s no maybe here. Somebody. Will. Die. And it won''t be the four of us." Cyrus rubbed his neck. "We aren¡¯t children anymore. We don¡¯t have that luxury, of waiting to enter adulthood at eighteen. I need you to put your ego aside and help me think about the big picture here, because Cy¡ª¡± Jules extended a hand to Cyrus. ¡°If you die, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever come back.¡± Cyrus wiped his nose. Take my hand, Cy. Please. ¡°So this is a lecture.¡± "I don''t¡ªSure, Cy. Whatever. If that''s what you need." Take. My. Hand. Cyrus grabbed Jules¡¯ hand, and together they lifted him up to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡± Cyrus squeezed Jules'' grip, then released him. ¡°Don¡¯t make me have to.¡± Jules wiped Cyrus'' snot off his own hand. Pop cleared his throat. ¡°So, what did you two lovebirds just accomplish?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the same page now. Jules is in favor of us staying to train.¡± I knew you¡¯d find the silver lining. ¡°Yeah, see, that''s where you lost me,¡± Katarina said. A lazy hand lifted another piece of popcorn to her mouth. She chewed it like a cow. ¡°Jules knows we have no option but to train. But he¡­ He did need to show me, remind me, that we are in an extremely vulnerable situation, and I need my guard up and wits about me.¡± ¡°...And you learned all that by getting put to sleep?¡± She shoveled an entire fistful into her mouth. ¡°Pain can be a good teacher. He showed me how weak I am. How I can¡¯t even handle him in this state, without Wrath. How the other day probably isn¡¯t an isolated occurrence anymore. I guess he showed me my blind spots, when I was overcome by my obsession.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve fought a lot over the years¡ª¡± ¡°Sure you have,¡± Pop said. ¡°Moving on. I have some questions, most important of which is what you will choose, Kat.¡± ¡°That depends on the rest of your questions.¡± Pop grinned. ¡°I raised a smart and beautiful lady, who¡ª¡± ¡°Sure you have,¡± Jules said. ¡°Moving on.¡± Katarina and Pop glared at him. Oh. She must have wanted to hear the rest of that. ¡°First,¡± Pop grunted, ¡°why have Kat and Whiskers never seen this place before?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 31 LINK TO IMAGES BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 32 - Cant You See
JULES
¡°I¡¯m not surprised why Kat hasn¡¯t,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°but I¡¯m sure Whiskers is in the red light district a lot.¡± Whiskers¡¯ ears tucked back. ¡°Did he just settle down here?¡± Pop asked. Jules and Cyrus looked at each other. ¡°No,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Cy mentioned something about a house ordinary people can¡¯t see last night. What did you mean by that?¡± ¡°Jules, the floor is yours.¡± ¡°Evelyn¡ªmy mother¡ªsaw it sixteen years ago when she passed through here with my dad, except he didn¡¯t see it. It was a publishing house that printed a book, The Inked Arts, that our teacher Isolda gave us. It was the main lead that brought us here, to Aquilantis. Cy?¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured he was the author because of his tattoos. They¡¯re all Runes, for one, which made me think he¡¯s an Alter, and second, they weren¡¯t real tattoos. He painted them on his skin.¡± Paint? ¡°Then he said he¡¯d evolved his style or whatever from print to painting, but only after I¡¯d called him out on it.¡± ¡°Very humble of you,¡± Pop said. Jules suppressed a smile. ¡°So why could your mother see it, but not your father?¡± Both boys shrugged. ¡°Could your mother be Arcanic as well?¡± Jules doubled over, laughing. ¡°Salvos, no. She hates¡ªAh, well, it¡¯s safe to assume no.¡± ¡°And that still wouldn¡¯t explain why I couldn¡¯t see it before today,¡± Katarina added. "So the point of that was¡­?" ¡°I have a working theory.¡± Whiskers rubbed against Jules¡¯ legs again. ¡°Love to hear it,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I¡¯ll withhold it for now. For Katarina''s benefit.¡± ¡°Ye¡¯ll have eight lives soon, cat,¡± Pop said. Whiskers responded with a string of meows. Probably cursing him in cat-speak. ¡°Next question. Who is Isolda, and how does she fit in all of this?¡± ¡°He said she was a student of his,¡± Jules said. ¡°That explains how everyone froze in Coralhaven.¡± ¡°Hey¡ªdo you think we¡¯ll learn how to do that?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m focused. But then, does that mean Isolda is an Alter, too? That¡¯s a lot of Ryoku.¡± ¡°She had that bag of Crystals¡ªHey, Kat, where are those Crystals?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Jules leveled his gaze at her. ¡°The ones you stole from us.¡± "Steal? I don''t remember taking anything of yours that you owned." She chewed another handful of popcorn. ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about." ¡°She¡¯s probably involved with Davy Jones, judging by that Maiden eunuch of a Pastor you mentioned,¡± Pop said. ¡°You all sure are in the thick of it.¡± ¡°She has ties to two Alters, and may even be one herself. And she was right in front of me. Sorry, I¡¯m back. I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°She suspected I was Arcanic, and led me straight to a madman¡­looking for Arcanics. And I¡¯m positive he set that trap for us, even Kaizen¡ª¡± Kaizen! ¡°Another name into the fold,¡± Pop said. ¡°Who¡¯s this bastard, then?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my past reincarnation. Of Wrath, I guess. A ghost I met at the plaza. I need to go back and see him with Rukia.¡± ¡°Focus, Jules. If I have to, so do you. That¡¯s a hot spot right now.¡± Cyrus sat down on a crate. ¡°You know, there¡¯s one other thing that¡¯s bothering me¡ª¡± ¡°Really, just one?¡± Cyrus scatted at the cat, and it scurried away. ¡°He called me Cyrus.¡± ¡°An excellent deduction,¡± Whiskers muttered, both tails between his legs. ¡°No one calls me that, including any of you I just met. But he said that once he heard you all say my name, he added my name into the Script to see the building. I even saw the Rune for my name painted on one of his canvases. I¡¯d never seen it before¡ªI didn¡¯t even know names had Runes until he confirmed it¡ªbut I instantly knew it was mine.¡± ¡°I think you might be reaching there,¡± Jules said. ¡°I don¡¯t know my name, Jules." Ohh. "My last name, Hell, I don¡¯t even know if Cyrus is my birth name. Patricia didn¡¯t know who dropped me off, and they may have given me a new name.¡± No one really knew how to respond. Not even Whiskers had a quip. ¡°Anyway, it just doesn¡¯t sit right with me, and we should take note of it. This is all turning into such a mess.¡± ¡°Third question,¡± Pop said. ¡°Why are you willing to walk into the jaws of a predator who can freeze you, change memories, and persuade you at will?¡± ¡°Because he can do all three of those,¡± Katarina said with a mouthful of food. ¡°If we could just get out from under his thumb¡ªwell, that¡¯s a pretty big if.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Well, it''s not like it''s mind control. What?" Everyone looked at Rukia. "I''ve mastered telepathy countless times. I''d know." She wiggled her butt with pride. ¡°Kat, my Kat. How do you feel about all this?¡± Katarina stopped chewing. ¡°Oh, I''m terrified. I don¡¯t know who to trust besides you and Whiskers, and he¡¯s already jumped ship to these two morons.¡± Whiskers purred beside Jules. ¡°I wish I could trade places with you.¡± Pop looked away and pretended to remove something from his eye. ¡°I have a few questions still,¡± Jules said. ¡°That Memory Rune that changed our faces on the banner¡ªDo you think that will last? Will it change everywhere those banners are?¡± ¡°And what if someone from your hometown sees them and points out the inaccuracies?¡± Pop asked. ¡°Any Script changing memories, and even the Memory Rune itself, are banned with death penalties.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably safe for you two¡ªthree, sorry, Whiskers¡ªto check on it every so often and make sure that it¡¯s safe for us to come back outside.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Our first task is a Hydromages tryout. The Hydromages. That the two of us¡ªthree, sorry Rukia¡ªjust waged war with. Come on, he¡¯s flexing on us. We can ask him after we pass.¡± Jules rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve got one more question.¡± He looked away. ¡°But I want it to be the last one. And let¡¯s come to a decision first.¡± Cyrus shook his head, implying he had no more questions. Shocker. ¡°I¡¯m out of questions, besides my first one," Pop said. "So, Kat?¡± The way she¡¯s looking at me, she already knows what I''m gonna ask. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know my decision after I hear your question.¡± I should have kept my mouth shut. But I wanted to help her, ease her pain. Stupid. ¡°Ask it,¡± she pressed. In too deep now, I can¡¯t let her see me fold. ¡°In¡­¡± Jules had to gulp. ¡°In the spirit of honesty, when I was born¡­I know I caused a scene. I once overheard from Evelyn that I¡ªcaused a massacre, but it wasn¡¯t me, exactly. At the plaza, that Preacher, he said something happened here, and I just, I want to make it easier. For everyone. And I want to know what happened to me back home¡ªin Coralhaven, I mean¡ªand, just¡­¡± Shit. Jules looked at Katarina, at Envy. ¡°What happened that night?¡± Cyrus took a cautious step away from Jules. Whiskers left Jules for Katarina. Rukia laid her head on Jules¡¯ lap again. Katarina¡¯s father left the basement. Jules saw a shift in Katarina¡¯s emerald green eyes. No, these are Envy¡¯s eyes, now. She turned for the staircase and said over her shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ll get my answer in the morning. Go to bed and get some sleep. If you dare.¡± ¡°Dude¡­¡± Cyrus just shook his head. Rukia nuzzled her head deep into Jules¡¯ lap. At least you understand where I was coming from.
[New Quest Available: Kat''s Out of the Bag] [New Reward Available for Kat''s Out of the Bag: ???] [Kat''s Out of the Bag ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Get Pop or Whiskers to tell you more about Katarina''s birth.]
There''s no way in Hell that I''m sleeping tonight. Time for a little field trip.
? Muffle ? [?9,500 // ?10,000]
Jules tiptoed across the shared bedroom. His Ryoku trickled away each time his Script deadened the inn''s squeaky floorboards. Unlike Jules, Cyrus had no issue falling asleep¡ªhe was dead asleep to the world. In fact, he''d moved around so much he was now upside down in his bed, head at the floorboard and feet on his pillow. He clung to his sheets tightly and muttered utter nonsense. Rukia¡¯s four legs stretched out towards the ceiling. Is she snoring, or snarling? The fox''s back curved in a U-shape. Her head hung off Jules'' bed, and her long pink-and-black tongue dangled from her mouth and touched the floor. Every so often, she¡¯d make a gargling sound. From the opposite side, Jules shut their bedroom door but paused to look at his bed. Man, wasted an hour trying to fall asleep. Way too much to think about. The Maidens, Isolda and those pirates, Dad and Evelyn. The painter¡­ Jules looked over towards Katarina and Whiskers¡¯ room. Not to mention how I left things with you. You''d probably give me nightmares, anyway. He opened the inn¡¯s doors and stepped out into the cool night air. Confident he¡¯d awoken no one, Jules looked around for a bit before heading off. Hm, the mist is starting to set in. How fortunate¡ª Oh. That blind beggar is back. Hasn¡¯t been here since we first arrived. Pretty interesting what he said about paint yesterday, given the circumstances. Jules crept over to the man, who huddled inside the warmth of a bunch of ragged blankets. Jules crouched down in front of the offering tray and silently placed a coin on it. No response. Wonder if he¡¯s really asleep? He placed another coin on the tray, this time a little more loudly, in an attempt to rouse the old man. Jules sighed and got up. Not omniscient after all. He walked away and flicked a third coin over his shoulder and into the offering tray. ¡°Toss a coin to your beggar in these isles o¡¯ plenty?¡± The blind beggar sat up but didn¡¯t bother to take the blankets off his head. Blindness and all. "What?" "Oh, nothing. Just some line from an old game I used to play as a boy." The blind beggar grumbled. ¡°Care for another fortune? I see you didn¡¯t take heed of my last warning.¡± I¡¯ll bite. ¡°Oh, you did, did you?¡± ¡°Aye, I heard the scene all the way down here! That Innkeep is a loud, loud brute. You know what they say, Lose your sight, gain your hearing.¡± I wonder how much better it becomes. ¡°Don¡¯t lollygag, son,¡± the blind beggar said. ¡°Get on with it. I was dreaming about a hot date, and you interrupted it. D''ya want yer fortune or not?¡± Jules chuckled. ¡°Are they all random, or can I ask a direct question?¡± ¡°See, here¡¯s a man who gets to the point. Ask what you will.¡± The blind beggar pulled his covers off of him and revealed his weathered and hollowed face. That rotted blindfold of his covered half of it, and his beard took up most of the remainider. ¡°Am I doing the right thing?¡± Going back to the Fountain? ¡°Ugh, I spoke too soon. Could you be more specific? Or I could give a generic answer to a generic question.¡± Jules stared at the blindfold and felt they both looked at each other through it. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll find out for myself.¡± ¡°Behold!¡± The blind beggar sat up tailor-style. ¡°Now there¡¯s true wisdom, better than any foresight.¡± He might be a beggar, but I better remember that statement as a lesson. ¡°Am I doing the right thing, right now, tonight? That specific enough for you?¡± ¡°You should have saved those coins, tonight, boy.¡± The blind beggar yawned and stretched out his arms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me at all.¡± Jules rolled his eyes and walked away. ¡°Instead of getting a lousy fortune, you could have tossed them for a wish in that Fountain.¡± Jules whipped back around, but the blind beggar pulled his covers over his head and laughed himself to sleep. The Fountain, huh? Again, this blind man sees my future. It seems as if Aquilantis was the best place for us to go¡­ Jules walked off into the hazy mist alone. ¡­If not the most dangerous. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 32 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 33 - (Forget) You
JULES
Jules took a different route for some fresh scenery. And most importantly, to steer clear of the painter¡¯s art store, or publishing house, or bar, or whatever it¡¯s called. He meandered through rough parts of town and chose back alleyways when he could, just in case someone recognized him on the main streets. Eventually, he reached one of the magnificent arched bridges that lit up the city skyline. If my sense of direction is right, the Fountain should be on the other side. When he passed the halfway point across its long expanse, the bridge shook, then shifted away. ¡°Blast it. Too late.¡± The bridge turned away from his destination to another dock on a separate isle. Well, might as well embrace it. Jules leaned his elbows on the bridge railing and looked below. Looks like the water is shifting instead of me. Hard to tell through all this mist. Dolphins and swans swam below, spread out between a countless number of ships anchored out in the wide canal, resting until tomorrow. Every so often he¡¯d see a string of floating markets out there, all closed as well. Water transitioned to rock, and the bridge connected to its new dock. Jules looked up at one of the full moons. Guess I¡¯ll go for a stroll, clear my head a little. I¡¯ve got nothing but time until this bridge moves again, and I may not remain incognito for much longer, so I better enjoy anonymity while I still can. Jules continued along the bridge to explore what surely must have been the heart of Aquilantis. Immediately past the bridge, he found a stretch of flat land, which was odd in this city. Looks like they¡¯re quickly putting up some tenement housing here. Kinda looks like shit, too. He approached a large sign in disrepair and covered in graffiti.
[Aquilantis Airfields]
Oh, I see. Lustris Haven¡¯s deal with The Fleet must''ve hit Aquilantis hard. At the edge of the unusual plains was a domed stadium, dimly lit by neon colors through the mist. It had massive golden doors to enter, and oddly enough, it lacked any windows, so he couldn¡¯t see in. Kat warned us about this place. Jules couldn¡¯t explain why, but something about it¡ªits allure, its promise of hope¡ªgripped him like a siren¡¯s song, so he decided to go in. Just for a minute to look around, and then I¡¯ll leave. One step inside and he instantly regretted coming here alone. Cy would have loved this place. Lights flashed and flickered all around him. The clinking and clanking of coins against each other permeated the smokey air. People shouted frantically in excitement, then shifted sharply to cursing their luck. A woman with purple hair in a mostly see-through dress greeted Jules as he walked in. ¡°Welcome to the casino, baby.¡± She handed him a roll of coins. Jules¡¯ eyes were captivated by the soft silhouette of her body, but his focus instantly shifted to the coins. ¡°Sweet Salvos," he said to her. "I¡¯m about to strike the jackpot.¡± Limitless potential filled him. All his bad luck from the past few days, of his life, of his past incarnated lives¡ªall of it was about to change. He began to sweat. Suddenly, this beautiful woman didn¡¯t exist. He¡¯d been taken in by a different sin. She grinned mischievously. ¡°That¡¯s right, baby. Come back and see me later.¡± My parents always spoke down on gambling¡­ But they aren''t here, are they? I''ll show them wrong¡­ Fifteen full minutes passed, and Jules was broke again. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± I should probably go. ¡­But maybe I should bring Cy here some time, when it''s safe, so I should probably check it out first, to fill him in on everything that''s here. Jules meandered through the casino. He found an underground boxing ring and watched a few matches. He joined in with some other spectators in criticizing the boxers. A floor below that, he found a dog racing ring. It was so bright inside that he eventually thought it was daytime. He finally summoned the mental fortitude to leave the casino, empty-handed. This city is amazing. If only I could live this type of life. Jules followed a wide street to an epicenter of light and noise. The buildings that now surrounded him were eight, maybe even ten stories tall, something Jules had never dreamed of seeing. He walked past merchants closing up their shops. ¡°Excuse me, what time is it?¡± A merchant checked his pocket-watch. ¡°Five past two.¡± ¡°Only two!?¡± I thought I was in there for hours. The man studied Jules for a second, which made him uncomfortable. Then the merchant cracked a smile. ¡°You been in the ¡®sino, ain¡¯tcha boy?" ¡°How could you tell?¡± Jules pulled out his empty pockets. ¡°Har! They tell you it¡¯s illegal to have a Time Script, but apparently not for everyone. Best stay clear of there, boy, or those pockets¡¯ll be empty your whole life!¡± He locked the door to his shop and walked away, laughing the whole while. Jules continued his stroll, his last hoorah. He passed what must have been the end of a massive festival, for only a large group of youth were left partying in the streets, which were lined with lemon and lime trees strung with banners dedicated to all kinds of sea entities. Kraken, Merfolk, even Leviathans and Sirens here. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Everyone was dressed in stunning and colorful clothes; most of the men were shirtless but wore fine sandals and roped bracelets and anklets, and the women wearing elegant beachy dresses with coral jewelry. On a stage, a theater troupe took a bow to shouted cheers. Late night drunks stopped at food stands and outdoor sushi shops to quench their drunken hunger. Musicians blared music through shelled horns, on drums, and even an accordion. By the time he hit the life size chess park, which was mostly empty except a few lovers who had snuck away from the crowds, he realized he¡¯d wasted enough time. No, not wasted. Time well spent. He headed back in the general direction of the bridge, hoping it would still be there. He passed the Shipwrights Guild Headquarters, which had dozens of signs marketing Apprenticeships. Wonder if I¡¯d have made a good shipbuilder? He stopped to read the signs, and then his heart stopped. The Iron Maidens had also posted pamphlets all around the bulletin board.
Wanted: Jules Tideshaper, aka Wrath, aka the Demon of Coralhaven. Wanted Alive. Bounty: ?500,000 See attached picture. Wanted: Unknown Fox, aka Wrath''s Familiar. Wanted Alive. Bounty: ?250,000 See attached picture. Wanted: Cyrus, of no Surname. Wanted Dead or Alive. Bounty: ?50,000 See attached picture.
Ha! What idiots. Wanted Alive¡­ But still, I wonder who these kids are? If they¡¯ll suffer because of me. If they even exist. Surely the Maidens would double checked with Coralhaven, with my parents¡ª Jules stopped himself and walked away. At the edge of a nearby crowd, he saw someone he recognized, the purple-haired girl from the casino. I feel know her from somewhere else, too. She exchanged something with someone in the crowd and then walked away. Jules got the feeling that she hadn¡¯t been a part of them, so he followed her. After he¡¯d gone down one alleyway, she turned her shoulder slightly toward him, and then she walked around another corner. ¡°Hey, I saw you earlier and¡ª¡± Jules rounded the corner. All he saw was another empty alleyway. He jogged to the end of the it, looked left and right. ¡°Well now I feel creepy.¡± Jules caught a faint smell of lilac, and then he felt a familiar presence behind him. He whipped and found her standing behind him. Oh, it''s you. He felt her anger and disappointment almost as his own. ¡°Jules. What are you doing?" Rukia asked. ¡°Uh, just out. For a stroll. Could be my last night of peace for a while, so¡­¡± Rukia narrowed her eyes and leaned forward to him. "You go to the casino?" "Uh¡­yeah¡­" ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have happened to place any bets on those dog races, now would ya?¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m broke, actually. Hey, how long¡ª¡± ¡°And if you weren¡¯t? Broke?¡± She stepped one paw forward, slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know? I probably still wouldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t stay there long, it didn¡¯t sit right with me. They all looked so¡ª¡± ¡°OK good!¡± Rukia panted happily and sat down on her hind legs. ¡°I¡¯m all for animal rights, you know.¡± "What a surprise." ¡°Yeah, so like, anyways, who¡¯s the chick we''re stalking?¡± ¡°We¡ªI¡ªwasn¡¯t stalking her!¡± A passing couple froze at that comment and stared. The man defensively stepped in front of his date. Jules and Rukia side-eyed each other. Uh oh. ¡°AHHHH!!!¡± Jules gripped his head and squatted down. ¡°Get out of my head! The voices¡ªthe voices¡ªdo you hear them, too?¡± The couple sprinted off, and so did Jules and Rukia, in the opposite direction. They didn¡¯t stop until they reached the bridge. Jules leaned against the rail and laughed with his nearly ever-faithful fox. ¡°Quick-thinking,¡± she said. ¡°But you need to be more careful.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. But you''re one to talk¡ªliterally." Jules patted the railing, and she leapt up to it so they were more eye-level. "My world has changed so much already, and even still, there¡¯s no going back after tomorrow. I just¡­wanted a normal night.¡± ¡°A normal night...of debauchery and stalking?" "I told you I wasn''t¡ª" "Count me in, next time!" "No¡ªThat''s not¡ª" "But Jules," Rukia dropped the playful act. "There¡¯s no going back tonight, either. So let¡¯s move it. He¡¯s waiting." The bridge shook again and began to shift docks. Jules eyed her suspiciously. ¡°How did you know where I was going? And did you have anything to do with," he waved a hand at the bridge, "diverting me out here?¡± ¡°Jules, Jules, Jules. We¡¯re connected. You just haven¡¯t opened yourself up to sensing me yet, but I can read you like a book.¡± So you did. ¡°You¡¯re a sly little fox. How would I even do that? It''s happened a few times, by accident.¡± ¡°Accident? Really? Hmm. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll come with time.¡± OK¡­ Apparently, you won''t actually open up. Jules pet her head most of the bridge¡¯s trip to the Fountain. When they arrived, the thick mist surrounded it, so they approached with caution. ¡°Seems awfully convenient that no one¡¯s around,¡± Jules said. ¡°Please¡ªThey all like to worship in the open. Not many come here in the dark. Besides, it¡¯s past the witching hour.¡± ¡°Rather deep, for a pipsqueak with such a high voice." She let out a pitched bark. "So, Kaizen, he was just like me, then?¡± ¡°Oh no. He is so much more.¡± ¡°OK¡ªThat hurt.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, you still have a long way to go! I had a good feeling about you when we met.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s he like? And where was that, where we met?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. My memories are all fuzzy. I just remember what our relationship was like, our terms of endearment¡ªMost importantly, what games we played. Which by the way, we haven¡¯t done yet.¡±
[Go Long! ¡ª Quest Objective STILL AVAILABLE: Play ball with Rukia.]
¡°Guilt trippers. You gonna answer the other question?¡± Jules stood at the center of the Fountain. Yeah, well, I figured you wouldn''t tell me where I''m from, either. ¡°So what do we do? I thought he¡¯d just show up like last time.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nighttime, so we have to perform the Holy Sacrament to summon him.¡± ¡°The holy what now?¡± "One of those games¡ªuh¡ªI mean things I remember." "Uh-huh."
[Go Long! ¡ª Quest Objective STILL AVAILABLE: Play ball with Rukia.]
"I get it!" Jules shouted. With ears pinned back, Rukia looked left and right. ¡°Uh, OK Jules. Just follow my moves, and whatever you do, don¡¯t touch any of these pillars.¡± Rukia rose to her two hind legs and performed a little dance and jig with some chants. Swish arms this way¡ªswat arms that way. Jules copied her. Then she stamped down into a wide squat and flipped off Patience¡¯s altar, the one inscribed with the numeral 7. ¡°Fuck you!¡± she squeaked. She glared at Jules. ¡°Do it.¡± Jules half-assed his squat. ¡°Fuck you,¡± he mumbled, more to Rukia and Kaizen than Patience. ¡°I¡ªhave¡ªrisen!¡± Kaizen emerged from Patience''s marbled altar. He bowed like an actor to a crowd throwing roses. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Rukia repeated. She bounced on all fours. ¡°Yep. I see that."
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Seek Patience.]
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 33 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by BS Snelliott The Fleet and its Zephyrs The Fleet, headquartered in Zenithoria, is a Faction solely based in Zephyria. Potentially a cabal, they own all the Zephyrs in all of Salvatica (alongside slight leaseholds held by The Shipyard Faction, who of course develops and manufactures the Zephyrs in Aetherhaven). They have an ironclad grip on the air-shipping industry, and hold their varied Scripts and Enchantments tightly to their chests. The Fleet conscripts with The Cartographers Guildmembers to actually fly the Zephyrs around, though there is a significant overlap in membership between the two. Ch 34 - New Rules
JULES
I am surrounded by idiots. Kaizen wagged a finger at Jules. ¡°Easy, kid. We can both read your mind.¡± Jules paused and looked left and right. Oh shit. "So when I¡ª" "Yeah," Rukia interrupted, "when you were walking behind Envy all over town tonight¡ª" "Envy, huh?" Kaizen let out a wily grin. "Yeah yeah yeah¡ª" "No, that''s not even what I was¡ª" "So yeah, I know where you were looking and what you were thinking." "What!? That wasn''t even the time I was going to bring up¡ª" ¡°Enough banter. It has been far too long, Jules.¡± Kaizen knelt into a deep bow and touched his forehead to the marble slab. Rukia curtsied back. ¡°Uh, get up," Jules said. "Please. Now.¡± ¡°No. I have failed you miserably, in my primary task to guide you. I spent an eternity preparing for your arrival, and I still failed to keep you safe. And what¡¯s worse, I chose to abandon you.¡± Eternity? ¡°You chose to? What are you even talking about?¡± ¡°I came to your birth with Rukia. We helped your parents escape, but at a cost. I returned to Purgatory and poor Rukia was¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time,¡± Rukia said flatly. Jules understood from her face why she was the Familiar of Wrath. Kaizen peeked up from his bow at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to you, too, Little One.¡± ¡°Did you learn anything to make it worthwhile?¡± Her question was thick with condescension. Kaizen¡¯s eyes gleamed, but he remained silent. Jules thought he saw a smirk for a split second. ¡°Then I forgive you.¡± Rukia pranced up to the ghost and licked his face. They rolled around for a bit, which made Jules feel jealous. ¡°I¡¯m still here. So how¡¯d you know there was a trap this morning?¡± ¡°Straight to the point. I like it.¡± Kaizen dusted himself off. ¡°You look¡­well.¡± ¡°I looked pissed off because I am pissed off. I have a lot of questions, like why you¡¯re in my dreams, for starters.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll fit right in,¡± Kaizen said to Rukia. ¡°Kinda on a time crunch here,¡± Jules said. Kaizen looked back at Patience¡¯s pillar, then at Jules again. ¡°Very funny.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡± Kaizen hoisted himself up into the air and laid down on an invisible flat surface. ¡°First¡ªI am not just some previous incarnation of Wrath. I am your previous incarnation.¡± ¡°OK, great. I didn¡¯t ask, but since we¡¯re here, do you know how many there¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°I am iteration number 69,419.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes opened wide. That many? ¡°Just kidding! I have no idea.¡± The two idiots laughed together. Assholes. Kaizen quit laughing as quickly as he started. ¡°I sensed a massive amount of energy this morning¡ªRyoku or whatever the crap. So I came out to inspect it. Then I smelled Rukia, then I saw you and your Seal.¡± Without thinking, Jules touched his chest. ¡°How¡¯d you see it?¡± ¡°With the foresight I have¡­gained. I spotted Envy¡¯s, too. We always have them in the same spots, you know.¡± A wicked grin spread across Kaizen''s face. ¡°You¡¯ll be absolutely thrilled to find out where Lust¡¯s is, but no spoilers. Anyway, how long have you and Envy been together?¡± He winked. ¡°You sure talk a lot. But we¡¯re not together.¡± Rukia and Kaizen looked at each other and bit back smiles and laughter. ¡°Sure, of course." ¡°You too, old man? I meant I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s joining us, so we may not be a Party. I¡¯ll find out in a few hours. We only met yesterday¡ª¡± ¡°What!?¡± Kaizen shot up, so he now sat in midair. He looked Jules up and down. ¡°How old are you right now?¡± Jules'' eyes narrowed. ¡°Sixteen. Why?¡± ¡°Sixteen!?¡± Kaizen cackled. ¡°Envy is going to ruin your life, kiddo!¡± Wonder if I can punch a ghost? Kaizen dodged the strike. Right. Telepathy. Kaizen laid back down in the air, serious again. He propped his head up with a hand. ¡°By the time I was sixteen, I¡¯d met Envy, Lust, and Greed.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I bet you had your own little spirit guide to help you, too.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes I did.¡± Rukia huffed. ¡°Again, I am sorry, Jules. My world was¡­quite different from yours.¡± ¡°So that painter guy, any idea who he is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen him, never even sensed him before.¡± ¡°I guess we can just call him The Painter, on account of that¡¯s what he does,¡± Rukia said. Jules cracked a smile. ¡°Heyyyy, there he is!¡± Kaizen pointed at Jules and smiled back. ¡°Before you ask more questions, fill me in on your life so far.¡± For the second time tonight, Jules recapped the last few days. Just like Katarina¡¯s father, Kaizen listened to the entire story before speaking. When Jules finally finished, he looked around at the mist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I would have sensed someone. We¡¯re alone. And your father and Evelyn¡­?¡± ¡°How do you know I don''t call her¡ªoh, duh. She must have really been on one that night I was born. I doubt anything changed with her. But I don¡¯t know. I hope they¡¯re safe, but I can¡¯t go back to check. Hey, do you know where I was born?¡± ¡°And your friend with you?¡± Salvos dammit. Ignored again. ¡°His name is Cy. We¡¯ve been friends for over ten years. He just found out.¡± Kaizen stroked his chin. Rukia curled up onto Jules. ¡°You need to watch him with That Painter. He only wants one of you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said!¡± Finally, some common ground. ¡°Good. You must have a solid head about you. Liam trained you well.¡± Jules looked away. ¡°Yeah. He sure did. Only now can I see that, and all he sacrificed.¡± ¡°Parents strive to hide their sacrifices until their children have children, and then they can realize for themselves, or so I¡¯m told. I never had kids.¡± Kaizen straightened up again. ¡°Thanks for getting me up to speed. Now, fire away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m drawing a blank now. I¡¯m exhausted. But let¡¯s start with Rukia.¡± Jules scratched her behind the ears until she purred, which sounded like a cart dragged across gravel. ¡°Your first line of offense, the fearsome Rukia, the Stormfront!¡± She wagged her tail at the compliment. ¡°Rukia causes the Apocalypse.¡± Her ears tucked back. Jules felt her think, Oh shit, really, and Jules thought, This little thing? No way! Kaizen laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re too easy, kid. Toughen up and don¡¯t be so gullible. At least you have a good heart.¡± ¡°You are wasting my time. I''d really like to sleep tonight.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m teaching you a valuable lesson. You need to start asking the right questions.¡± ¡°Fine. Who am I? Who are you? Who took control of me? Are we the same person? Is Rukia part of us too? That specific enough for you?¡± Kaizen nodded. ¡°Specific, but the wrong questions. I¡¯ll answer after you find the right question.¡± Kaizen quietly repeated each of Jules'' questions to himself and counted them on his fingers. ¡°Why are you really helping me?¡± Jules asked. Kaizen¡¯s eyes gleamed again. ¡°Ah, lean into that one.¡± ¡°What am I?¡± Kaizen scoffed. ¡°Colder.¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± "Huh, must be an echo. I already heard that one." ¡°What are these nightmares I¡¯m having?¡± ¡°Warmer.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Hot.¡± ¡°Why do I¡ªwe¡ªexist?" ¡°Hotter.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°Cold again. Jules, what do you want?¡± ¡°To live a peaceful life. A normal life. To grow old and, and die, really die. In my sleep though.¡± ¡°What is not normal about your life?¡± Kaizen pulled out an apple from his kimono pocket and bit into it. ¡°Well I¡¯m accused of starting the Apocalypse, for one.¡± ¡°Hot again.¡± CRUNCH! This is insufferable. I can hear your thoughts, Jules¡­. Hey, boys! What''s up? Rukia here, tee hee! ¡°Salvos, you¡¯re like talking to a brick wall. Is it my fault? Do I cause it?¡± Silence. ¡°Am I going to kill more people?¡± More silence, more frustration. ¡°Am I too weak? Will I destroy the entire world? Will we?¡± Red flames formed around Jules¡¯ eyes. ¡°Am I Wrath?¡± ¡°So hot, you''re on fire.¡± Jules glared at the idiot in front of him. He breathed deeply, and he thought about it. Dig deeper into that question. ¡°I¡¯m Jules. But I¡¯m also Wrath. I¡¯m both? But if I am also just one or the other, then when I am Jules, I¡¯m not Wrath, so then¡­" Ah. Got it. ¡°Who is Wrath?¡± Kaizen dropped his legs to the ground and gave Jules a standing ovation. ¡°That, Jules, is the right question. Took you long enough, but we did have to cram a decade in ten minutes.¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°Ha! If I knew¡ªwell actually I probably still wouldn¡¯t tell you. But with each iteration, we get closer to the truth. You and I and all of those who came before us, we are the collective wisdom of Wrath. A bit ironic, really.¡± ¡°So then what will you tell me?¡± ¡°Learning already. This has been a good first lecture. There is an original Wrath, the progenitor of our kind, the Arcanics. Rukia has always been there, from the start, but she is cursed with her memories. We can only communicate with three versions of Wrath. I guess four, if you count yourself.¡± ¡°Slow down. Who are the other three?¡± ¡°Slow down. Who are the other three?¡± Kaizen laughed, looked at a smiling Rukia, and pointed at Jules with his thumb. "This guy. Look, I can talk to you, and you can talk to me.¡± Kaizen left it at that. ¡°So the previous and the¡­the next iteration.¡± Salvos I hope there¡¯s not a next one. ¡°Then who else is there?¡± Kaizen scoffed and waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Oh. Wrath himself.¡± ¡°Bingo, kiddo. Wrath is a danger to us all. So are the other Sins like him, but Wrath is a danger even to himself, and that¡¯s why he and all the other Sins refer to him as¡ª¡± ¡°Are you going to tell him about the Sound?¡± Rukia asked. Kaizen hesitated. You¡¯re hiding something. I know you can hear me, Rukia. No response. You guys can block me out, huh? I need to learn that technique¡­ ¡°No, Rukia. I guess not,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°That will have to wait. Regardless, Jules, you must learn to suppress him and control him, or else he will possess you.¡± ¡°I think he already has.¡± ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me,¡± Kaizen scratched his chin, ¡°I disagree. Plus I¡¯d sense him through¡ª¡± ¡°Have you ever destroyed a city,¡± Jules asked point blank. Now that¡¯s a stoic face. Jules grew uncomfortable in the silence. ¡°So why are you helping me? And what¡¯s it gonna cost?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the protagonist, of course.¡± Jules stared at him. You know what I¡¯m asking you. ¡°Or at least, I was¡­ Bah, fine. I didn¡¯t want to tell you this, kiddo.¡± Kaizen turned his back to Jules and walked toward Patience¡¯s altar at the Fountain. Rukia gave Jules the cold shoulder. ¡°I lost, Jules," Kaizen whispered. "Like everyone before me, I lost it all¡­¡± Three shooting stars flew by slowly, together. They shined so brightly they pierced through the mist, brighter than the moons. ¡°...Did you ever get nightmares, as a kid?¡± Jules asked. Kaizen followed the shooting stars until their light dimmed out through the haze. ¡°Sorry, kiddo. There are rules. That¡¯s all I can say for now.¡± Rules? ¡°Stop calling me kiddo. And that¡¯s it? That¡¯s all I get from you?¡± Rukia growled at the question. ¡°Seems like I was better off being away from you all these years¡ª¡± Kaizen swung around so quickly that his kimono opened up from the momentum. His crimson hair whipped about, and green sparks tinged his eyes. ¡°Seek not my Wrath, Jules. I beat that foolish demon into submission, and his power is my power.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 34 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 35 - The Time Is Now
JULES
Kaizen''s flares turned yellow and spread out from him. ¡°I will train you to become stronger¡ª¡± The blaze turned crimson like his hair. ¡°¡ªand take control of him, gaining the power to destroy entire nations¡ª¡± The inferno turned black and seared Jules¡¯ entire field of vision. ¡°¡ªand when you have finally surpassed even me¡ª¡± The hellfire erupted further outwards, and it seemed like the entire city of Aquilantis would vaporize. ¡°¡ªI will show you how to focus it all¡ª¡± The flames quickly surged back into Kaizen. ¡°¡ªand use it to stop this endless cycle of vengeance.¡± A single fireball, now white, floated above Kaizen¡¯s open hand. He closed his hand and extinguished it into a crisp line of smoke that wafted upward and disappeared into the mist. Rukia watched in awe. ¡°OK,¡± Jules said. A blood vessel visibly burst on Kaizen¡¯s temple. ¡°OK? OK!? That¡¯s all you have to say about that!?¡± ¡°I mean, that was a lot.¡± Jules shrugged. ¡°I believe you. I didn¡¯t really know what else to say¡­¡± ¡°You could have said anything else and it would have been better!¡± With each twitch of Kaizen''s eyes, black sparks flickered. ¡°Well, I mean yeah, I¡¯m definitely interested in all¡ª¡± ¡°Interested!? After that huge show I just put on? All the chi I just blew away? The display of raw power?¡± ¡°Well they weren¡¯t real flames. It was a neat show, but I didn¡¯t feel any heat.¡± Kaizen shrank into himself. ¡°Because I¡¯m a ghost¡­¡± Oh, I actually hurt your feelings. ¡°B-but the visual effects were spot on!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t animation, kid.¡± What? ¡°No no, I get it, even the colors and everything had meaning¡ªI could tell you¡¯d been working on that one for a while and were proud of it, I¡ª¡± Kaizen reached for his sword, but remembered it wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± He ran over and cowered behind Patience''s Altar by himself. Rukia comforted him. ¡°There, there, Little One,¡± she repeated. ¡°And he even called me Pride¡­¡± "No, no, no¡ªHe just said proud." Rukia shot Jules a dirty look over her shoulders. This is gonna be rough. ¡°Look, buddy, I¡¯m sorry, but the sun rises in a few hours¡ªso, uh, can we start?¡± The hulking imbecile swung back around again, serious once again. ¡°Immediacy! I like it. He made a good choice with you.¡± Jules flinched. ¡°Who did?¡± ¡°The first step is Meditation. Sit. Relax. No, relax, dammit. Relax! No¡ªyes, there¡ªugh. Jules, take this seriously.¡± ¡°I am.¡± Jules¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong posture, and the spirit isn¡¯t there.¡± Another hour dragged by. Feel like this has all been payback for hurting your soft little feelings, you¡ª ¡°There, you¡¯ve figured it out. Mostly, anyway.¡± ¡°Now what?¡± Jules sat with his eyes closed. ¡°Now what, he says.¡± Kaizen scoffed to Rukia. ¡°Now do that sixteen hours a day.¡± ¡°Sixteen hours!?¡± ¡°What? You can count eight if you do it while you sleep. And look, now you''ve lost your concentration.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m supposed to train with This Painter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to train with me.¡± Jules gritted his teeth, but couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°But you¡¯re a buffoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been so lonely¡­" Kaizen floated down through the ground. "Listen: meditate like this every night. For at least an hour. Rukia will give you guidance.¡± ¡°Why not you?¡± Jules tried to get back into the flow again. ¡°Yeah, Jules¡­ It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t come back here for a while. We can¡¯t communicate directly, like we do here, when you meditate apart from me. But there is an indirect channel. We will use that to further your training. Don''t come back here unless it¡¯s extremely important. In addition to that, we also have the dreams.¡± ¡°You mean nightmares,¡± Jules muttered. ¡°But what if we leave during our training? Do I just leave you here?¡± ¡°Yes, but no. Any of Patience¡¯s Altars like this one will work. I¡¯ve been all around Salvatica, trying to find any of your comrades.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Why Patience?¡± ¡°Punishment eternal,¡± Kaizen said. Rukia curled up against Jules again. ¡°I broke a rule to save you and your parents. This was the price I paid.¡± Jules felt guilty, ashamed. So you''ve been looking out for me after all. ¡°Can I get you out of there? Or would that break another rule?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t break rules, nor can Rukia. Only I can, though I suspect our mischievous friend here might know one or two rules¡ª" "Aw shucks, you mean lil'' ole me?" "¡ªHow do you manifest spirits here, in your world?" ¡°It¡¯s funny you should ask, that¡¯s actually the basis of the Shaman Class I¡¯ve been thinking of pursuing.¡± ¡°Well do it.¡± ¡°Yeah, OK¡ªGet off my back, I just said I would?¡± ¡°What are the requirements?¡± Oh now you¡¯re serious. ¡°Level 25 in Conjuration for starters. I¡¯ll have to find out the rest.¡± "Well that shouldn''t take long," Rukia said. "The max Level is 100, and that''s a decades-rare experience for the entire population, so it actually will take a while¡­" ¡°Right! Do that and try not to come back here before then. You too, Rukia.¡± She responded with pitiful puppy dog eyes. ¡°We have much to discuss, but you need more physical and mental fortitude first.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Master your meditation training with Rukia.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Progress Conjuration to Level 25.]
¡°Listen, I want you to find somewhere safe." Kaizen knelt down in front of Jules so they were nearly eye level, though he was still a head taller. "Jules, you are the focal point and center of the Apocalypse. It¡¯s how it always is. You need to prepare, you need to trust as few people as possible to succeed in preventing it. Always put your faith in Rukia. Envy and Cy seem trustworthy. Whiskers, too, of course. I always liked that cat." Jules felt his palms sweat and heart race to the revelation. I do cause the Apocalypse¡­ ¡°Things are different time to time, but remain constant at the same time. Jules, you are both special and not special. You will never lead a normal life, unless you stop the Apocalypse.¡± ¡°I need to get stronger, so I¡¯m willing to go into tomorrow and strike a new deal with The Painter.¡± ¡°Good. And be careful. Don¡¯t trust him, no matter how much you want to.¡± Jules rose. The sun would do the same soon, and he wanted to be back before the others were awake. ¡°OK, I will. Farewell. And¡­¡± Jules bowed slightly to Kaizen. ¡°Thank you, Kaizen.¡± Kaizen grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that bow later.¡±
CYRUS
Cy leaned over the wooden railing of the boardwalk. The smell and taste of saltwater and rotting seaweed permeated the air. The sun wasn''t even one fist above the horizon, out at sea. He looked around the beach for a sign, any sign, of The Painter. No dice. Annoyed, he sighed and removed his sandals alongside Jules and Envy. Cool white sand shifted between his toes. Cy turned back to the city of Aquilantis. One of the towering and glistening spires caught his eye for a moment. The Hydromages sure didn¡¯t take any chances on the city, having their tryouts all the way out here. "Boy, am I glad you decided to join us, Kat," Rukia said. ¡°Rukia, Whiskers, it¡¯s best if you stay hidden.¡± Jules pointed to the edge of the sand dunes where morning glories, thick brush, and palm trees flourished. ¡°Aww, well, good luck Jules.¡± Rukia moped and waddled to cover. Whiskers titled his head to Envy, then walked away without a word. The remaining trio crossed the sandy cove. Three Hydromage recruiters waited on the opposite side with two other contestants nearby. The Painter likes to get up close and personal, so he¡¯s probably one of these blokes in disguise. ¡°Looks like he didn¡¯t even bother to show up,¡± Jules said. ¡°No, he¡¯s definitely here somewhere. Another one of his illusions. We need to pass this test if he¡¯s going to train us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you trust this guy so much. Are you sure that feeling isn''t another spell?¡± Asshat. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, Jules, but I feel like I know him. Plus, he¡¯s my only lifeline right now.¡± ¡°Well, I, for one, am willing to learn from him,¡± Envy said. ¡°When those Guards cornered us¡­ We had no hope of winning that fight. I don¡¯t trust him, but we need to get stronger. Jules, we stick to Cy¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯ll keep playing devil¡¯s advocate for all our sakes. Let¡¯s go meet our judges.¡± Cy led the group and greeted the three recruiters. ¡°So nice of you to finally join us,¡± the middle recruiter said. ¡°I was beginning to think you would get cold feet over there. Har har!¡± He was expecting us, could be him. ¡°Only five recruits this time,¡± said the left judge. ¡°Damn Navs had twenty-five last week. Twenty-five! Listen here, runts, the Hydromages get the short end of the stick. You need to get used to that now. We don¡¯t have as many resources as the Navs, but we get to specialize in both magic and combat Scripts. And you don¡¯t have to spend your life on a boat.¡± Ha, combat Scripts. He put us here on purpose. Great way to test our Skills. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised by the way he speaks, but Del here is actually our top recruiter,¡± the judge on the right said. Cy focused on Del. Something about him seems familiar. One of the large chests behind Del shook and wiggled about. He kicked it with a curse. ¡°But enough about us. Line up, the five of you, please¡ª¡± ¡°Wait,¡± a voice from behind said. Cy shuddered. His arm hair stood on end. What a beautiful voice. Cy turned around¡ªas slow as he could, to play it cool¡ªand saw a beautiful woman with long purple hair. She infatuated him, first with her silky voice and appearance, but more so because she''d snuck up close to him without him hearing her. Cy looked to Jules, to send him a covert message with a glance, but saw Jules gawk at her. You greedy bastard! While she registered with the Hydromages, Cy ribbed his friend and mouthed Mine. Jules shut his gaping mouth. Jules looked off to the sand dunes. Idiot couldn¡¯t hide it from her, and now Kat¡¯s obviously mad at him, right after she just joined us. ¡°Alright,¡± the center judge said. ¡°Who do we have the pleasure of testing today? We will go down the line, starting with you.¡± ¡°Kat,¡± Envy said. ¡°Uh, Franz?¡± Jules said. ¡°Cody, Sir,¡± Cy said. ¡°Pinky.¡± The boy was short and squat. One look at his face, and you get the nickname. ¡°Shiv.¡± What an absolute unit. Don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a boy or a full-grown man. ¡°Selene.¡± Even your name is sexy. Stop staring, Cy. Cy composed himself and stood at attention. The judges spoke, but Cy couldn¡¯t hear them. Focus on the test, focus on them, not her, because any of them can be him, watching. Even her¡ªwait, probably not. She was at the plaza that day, too. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s why your first task is crab hunting.¡± ¡°Lame,¡± Cy muttered impulsively. Recruiter Del must have heard him based on his reaction. That smirk, could be him. ¡°We''ve got crabs. A major case of crabs¡ªan infestation just a few dozen yards that way,¡± Del said. ¡°If we don¡¯t cull the herd now, they¡¯ll spread to the docks. Like I said, short end of the stick.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know that crabs are some of the least intelligent creatures of the sea,¡± the middle recruiter said. I''m gonna call you Not-Del. ¡°However, these crabs are being led by a Crabacus.¡± Shiv raised his hand. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hell''s a Crabacus?¡± "It''s a 2nd Rank crab with an Accountant Class," Pinky said. Waves crashed onto the beach. A few cawing birds finished large circular laps in the sky. One of the large chests banged about again. ¡°A Crabacus is what we call a Nymph that¡¯s possessed a crab. It can then possess the entire cast of crabs, so this is your first test.¡± Del looked at Cy as he spoke now. ¡°You need to carefully consider how to eradicate these guys without drawing its attention.¡± Oh really? I see. It''s you. ¡°If one of you screws this up, we will step in,¡± the right judge said. And I''m gonna call you Also-Not-Del. ¡°That¡¯s obviously not the goal here. You never know when backup is available. Just look at the poor blokes in Coralhaven the other day. Had backup and were still blasted¡­¡± Cy felt belittled by the task itself and by their lack of faith that they could even accomplish it. Plus, that last comment probably set Jules off, but it¡¯s a simple enough task. Either blow them up individually, or herd them together and¡ªZap! ¡°Test of strategy,¡± he whispered to Jules and Envy. ¡°Do we get any tools?¡± Not-Del stepped forward. ¡°We brought each of you a shovel. Actually, we have spares if you want more than one. We expected a bigger turnout.¡± Cy grabbed two shovels and approached the crabs. The other five followed his lead. He squatted down and studied the crabs for a moment. Just need to look for patterns and we can probably find the¡ª WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Shiv slammed the blades of two shovels into crab after crab after crab. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 35 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 36 - Good Times Bad Times
CYRUS
¡°Stop, you idiot!¡± Shiv stared gruffly at Cy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just listen? Nymphs are too smart, and you¡¯re too slow. They¡¯ll know something is up if you keep playing whack-a-mole.¡± ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Selene asked. Everyone looked to Cy. Are they waiting on a plan from me? ¡°OK¡­ So we just need to corral them up into one spot. Then zap ¡®em.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that draw the Nymph¡¯s attention?¡± The color of your hair might. ¡°Yes. But we can handle the Nymph together, before the Hydros step in. Does anyone know any combat or attack Runes?¡± Jules and Envy glanced at each other. ¡°I know some Fire Scripts,¡± Selene said. A woman after my own heart. You have what I lack. ¡°Nah." Shiv shrugged. "I just smash things.¡± ¡°I know the Water and Air Runes,¡± Pinky said. That¡¯s a surprise. Maybe you¡¯re the Alter. ¡°OK, Ju¡ª¡± Cy coughed. ¡°Ack, excuse me. Franz, Kat, Shiv, and I will be the distractions. Pinky and Selene will be our attackers. Let¡¯s dig trenches around the perimeter. We¡¯ll start wide and then move inwards." Everyone moved but Kat. ¡°Crabs can crawl through sand, you idiot.¡± ¡°Yes, but crabs also like shiny things. Give me your extra shovels.¡± Cy tossed their extra shovels into a star formation in the center of the herd. He got nicked in the ankle a few times by stray crabs. Ow, you little shits! His tattoos and eyes lit up.
? Light ? [?9,900 // ?10,000]
The shovel heads sparkled and grabbed the crabs¡¯ attention. ¡°Dig!¡± Soon, a trench was constructed with walls built up on the outside. They gathered hundreds of crabs in one circle, a dozen yards wide. ¡°Light ¡®em up!¡±
? Fire ? ? Ice ?
Pinky and Selene invoked their Scripts. Pinky crafted dozens of ice shards above the nest, and Selene crafted a defensive ring of fire around the edge of the walls. The shards rained down on the crabs, killing some and harming most. ¡°Now Pinky, push that fire inward, and be prepared for the big one.¡±
? Air ?
Within seconds, the entire cast was incinerated. A giant crab, half the size of the circle that entrapped it, rumbled out of the sand and shrieked. ¡°You fools!¡± Also-Not-Del shouted. All three recruiters sprinted toward the Crabacus.
? Light ? [?9,500 // ?10,000]
Cy blinded the beast, and it hesitated for just enough time. Envy invoked her hidden Seal and levitated all the shovels at the crab, blades facing it. "Pinky, my boy, now!" Cy shouted. Pinky invoked his Air Rune again and shot all the shovels at the beast, all at once. With a sharp gasp, seven large makeshift arrows pierced it. The Crabacus keeled over and died. The recruiters made it to the group and stood in awe. ¡°Wow." Del clapped for them. "I suppose congratulations are in order. You¡¯ll be Hydromages yet.¡± He seems less stressed than the other two, and definitely more intrigued. Dammit man, which one are you? ¡°Recover your Ryoku,¡± Del said. ¡°We will go over the next task: testing your Water Script abilities. This is what we need to see¡­¡± After a short explanation and break, the contestants returned to work. Cy made a thin wall of water, then grew it longer, then thicker. Then Kat froze it all the way through. Next, they switched places. Shiv and Pinky worked on the same task together, as did Jules and Selene. Cy had a hard time hiding his jealousy. Same goes for Kat, it seems. They split into other groups next to test their sailing aptitudes. Everyone fared well, except Jules and Pinky. They surfed on the shore waves, and Pinky even pushed them up into the air with an Air Rune, but then they beached the boat on top of some stray crab carcasses. The boys sheepishly grinned at each other. Last, they were asked to perform some unique but practical application of water magic. Pinky was exempt from having displayed an ice attack against the crabs. Selene created an elegant ice dagger from the atmospheric moisture and told Pinky she was inspired by his method earlier. Dammit, he stole my move. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
? Ice ? [?8,800 // ?10,000]
Cy created a semi-arc of ice daggers around his head and an ice spear, better than he¡¯d ever crafted before. Check that out, Jules, though he looked at Selene.
[Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 12.]
Envy tossed a piece of raw iron into the ocean and made it float. Jules used some saltwater to create a smokescreen-like mist in the air. Shiv pulled water out of the air into his cup and then drank it. "Blegh. Tastes like shite beer." ¡°Good,¡± Del said. ¡°We can see that you can at least handle water magic. You''re gonna need it for this next test. We captured some Drowners off the coast, and now we¡¯re going to test you one-on-one¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Not-Del said, ¡°we will step in if you need us. Take some of these weapons for support.¡± Del rolled his eyes. Finally, I get a chance to really test my abilities and show The Painter what I¡¯ve got. I¡¯m surprised at how much I¡¯m learning here, to be honest. Even Pinky has a better way of stringing Runes together than I do. Cy stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Del smiled at Cy. ¡°Always eager to prove yourself, huh?¡± Bingo. That¡¯s gotta be him. Cy grabbed a curved sword from the barrel of options. The Hydromages opened up one of those chests that''d rumbled around all morning. A monster leapt up from its confined imprisonment and charged at Cy. It stretched out its claws to strike his face and¡ª SCREEEECH! It collapsed on the sand¡ªa chain around its neck had yanked the Drowner down. Barely humanoid, the thing had pale blue flesh. It stood on two legs, but fins ran down its back and forearms. Claws extended out from webbed feet and hands. ¡°Ready?" Yeah. "Set!" Oh shit. "Go!" Del severed the chains with one stroke of his battle ax. The Drowner bared its teeth, all three rows of thin, pointed fangs. It sprinted to Cy and tackled him. Cy crumpled to the ground immediately. Embarrassed, he kicked the beast off of him and rolled up to his feet.
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 4.]
Will its webs make it slower or faster in the sand? It scratched the air wildly with its sharp nails. Cy bid his time and waited for an opening. He studied its moves and patterns as he danced around it. Mm, that¡¯s it¡ª The Drowner slashed at Cy¡¯s head again, and he lunged a leg forward to dodge and then tripped his opponent. The Drowner fell into the sand. It hesitated, but scrambled to rise up and attack again¡ª WHOOSH! Its severed head landed at Del''s feet, who beamed at Cy. ¡°Excellent job. Next!¡± Cy sheathed his curved sword.
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 5.] [Pang! Blades increased to Level 4.] [Pang! Blades increased to Level 5.]
Jules stepped forward. He struggled less with combat than Cy did and killed his Drowner much more quickly. And without a weapon. Damn, Jules'' Hand-to-Hand is no joke. Just tackled him to the ground and snapped his neck. Lucky he didn''t get cut by those claws. Cy remembered Jules'' chokeholds from last night and rubbed his own throat. ¡°Good work, Franz,¡± Cy mocked. ¡°Thanks, I learned how to fight it after watching you.¡± Envy went third and walked into the imagined arena with two daggers sheathed on a belt. We haven¡¯t seen her fight yet. ¡°This should be interesting,¡± Cy whispered to Jules. To their surprise, she took a wrestling approach out of the gate. She gripped the monster¡¯s putrid flesh and judo-threw it over her shoulder and onto the ground. Then she wrangled it into a choke hold. ¡°Watch out!¡± Jules shouted. The Drowner ripped one of her daggers from its sheath. Envy adjusted her position just in time, so the slash only left a shallow slice on her flesh. Still, she winced. She rolled over and sat on top of it. Envy pinned both its arms down with her shins and full weight, so they were useless. Then she cleaved its throat. ¡°You don¡¯t need to protect me," Envy snapped at Jules. She massaged the cut on her cheek. "I saw it.¡± No steam? Is her Regeneration slower than Jules''? Selene walked out next, and like Jules before her, she carried no weapon. Her Drowner attacked her, but she nimbly dodged each slash with grace. The fight continued for a short clip, and the beast slowed considerably. Man, she got an easy one. It''s already tired. The Drowner continued, though neither combatant connected a single blow. The Drowner panted, then heaved heavily, until it collapsed, dead. Steam rose from its body, and Selene returned to the group. ¡°I figured you¡¯d use that new ice dagger of yours,¡± Cy said. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°I cooked him from the inside.¡± Her grim smile made his heart skip a beat. ¡°I thought you¡¯d appreciate the strategy.¡± ¡°Is it hot in here, or is it just me?¡± Jules ribbed Envy. They shared stifled laughs. Pinky had the ever-living crap beat out of him, but he somehow survived. Definitely not a combatant. I doubt that The Painter would let himself get injured like that. Pinky tried to compare his injury to Envy''s, but hers had already healed. Hmm. The way Selene''s watching Kat makes me nervous. Shiv¡¯s turn passed even quicker than Jules''. He actually charged the beast instead of the other way around. He grabbed its throat with one hand and its arm with the other. He ripped the arm clean off and then¡ªwith both hands¡ªchoked the Drowner until its head popped off. ¡°Uh¡­alright then,¡± Not-Del said. ¡°How exciting,¡± Del said. ¡°We clearly have a top-notch recruiting class." Isolda claimed The Painter was a recruiter. All signs point to you. "I can¡¯t tell you how long it¡¯s been. But first, we have your final test. All of you get to fight against a Lesser Kraken.¡± ¡°Hey, no! I didn¡¯t agree to that,¡± Also-Not-Del said. ¡°I think we can agree this class is well-prepared, yes?¡± Del insisted. Finally, someone sees our ability. My ability. And I¡¯m glad it¡¯s you, Alter. ¡°You two ready?¡± Cy asked his friends. Both nodded with grins. ¡°Well, well, well! Looks like you two are having fun, after all.¡± ¡°Release the (Lesser) Kraken!¡± Del¡¯s voice boomed across the water. A horn blew from somewhere out at sea. The six contestants turned towards the waves, ready for combat. Nothing happened at first, but then the ridge of a fin formed on the water, fast approaching them. It grew taller and faster, and eventually created its own wake that cut through the currents. "She''s a 2nd Rank Kraken," Del warned. "Don''t take her lightly!" Definitely not going to be as easy as a 2nd Rank wolf, are you? ¡°Alright, Chief. What¡¯s the plan?¡± Shiv asked. I could get used to this. ¡°Uh¡ªSurvive. For now.¡± Shiv cackled in response. The fin rose high out of the water and exposed the Kraken¡¯s head. Tentacles won¡¯t be far behind. ¡°Should be one tentacle for each of us. Just keep your eyes on those, and then watch out for its beak.¡± Three tentacles slapped down at Envy, Jules, and Shiv, and each evaded the blows. ¡°Selene, throw fire at¡ª¡± WHAM! A tentacle struck Cy and flung him several yards through the air. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 36 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 37 - Who Are You
CYRUS
Cy collapsed on the shoreline. Covered in sand, he tried to breathe. Dull pain radiated around his chest. Finally, he was able to inhale again. Damn, forgot to watch them myself. Cy gripped his curved sword handle tighter. Jules and Kat can hold their own. Probably Shiv, too. Gotta worry about Pinky and Selene. ¡°Shiv, grab one! Pinky, get back and shoot its eyes. Selene¡ª¡± She thrust an arc of fire above her head that warded off the tentacles. ¡°Uh, yeah. Keep doing that.¡± Cy joined Jules and Envy. ¡°Let us take the blow next time,¡± Jules teased. Yeah, yeah. ¡°It needs at least two to balance. Shiv¡¯s got one locked down. Let¡¯s grab the other three.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Jules rushed in and swung wildly. Hopefully to keep it guessing. Envy sidestepped another tentacle slap. She drew both daggers and rolled into another swinging tentacle. As it carried her away, she stabbed both daggers in it. She¡¯s taking it for a ride. Cy followed the patterns of the two free tentacles. He sliced into one, but not through it. The beast shrieked in pain. The cry''s shockwave knocked everyone back but Shiv and Envy, who still rode on a flailing tentacle. Jules stabbed one with a long sword. He pierced clean through it to the other side and into the sand. Should be good leverage for him. Shiv continued to rip off a tentacle, and the Lesser Kraken continued to drag him further inward to its beak. Cy discerned a pattern to the madness, and a weakness to exploit. The Painter¡¯s words from last night resonated with him. Knowledge used against those prone to action, or some crap like that. ¡°Shiv, stop pulling¡ªbut pull on my mark. Selene, get a fireball ready to push him back. Pinky, get ready to do the same. Both of you push him toward Shiv. Franz, Kat, don¡¯t change a thing.¡± Envy let out a manic laugh. Wonder if she even knows which way it up anymore. One¡­Two¡­Three¡ªNow! ¡°Selene!¡± She flung a fireball towards the Kraken¡¯s eyes. It recoiled back. ¡°Pinky!¡± He pushed wind at the monster¡¯s head fin. ¡°Shiv!¡± The brute yanked hard on the Kraken and pulled it into the perfect line of momentum. The Kraken crashed on its back in the sand. Cy rushed in. He raised his sword into the fireball¡ªit caught on fire¡ªand then he eviscerated the beast¡¯s belly. Guts burst forth from its rubbery flesh. Steam seared Cy¡¯s face. He ignored the pain and wrenched his blade through its flesh, up past its eyes.
[Pang! Blades increased to level 6.]
Envy plummeted into the shallow waves after her tentacle lost strength. All six of them twitched. The Kraken squealed for air through its beak. Del approached Cy. ¡°Congratulations, boy. You may claim your prize. But first, put it out of its misery.¡± He handed Cy a harpoon. Cy grabbed the shaft with both hands and judged where its brain would be. He thrust the harpoon in with all his force. The Kraken died moments later.
[Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 2.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 3.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 4.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 5.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 6.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 7.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 8.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 9.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 10.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 11.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 12.] [Pang! Thrusting Weapons increased to Level 13.]
¡°AHHH!!¡± Cy fell to his knees. Intense back pain blinded him. My back? A blade in my back? He thrashed and tried to grab his back. Sand got in his mouth, his eyes, his ears. ¡°Who stabbed me!?¡± Everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Del smiled and knelt down. ¡°Heh, first time? No one stabbed you, relax. You¡¯ve just won your first 3rd Rank Trophy, boy. You think that stings, wait ''til you get a 4th Ranker. Take off your shirt.¡± Ah, I didn¡¯t know it hurt so bad. ¡°Why did it auto-equip?¡± Cy removed his shirt. ¡°Group kill," Del said. "Sometimes the slayers get to decide who¡¯s earned the Trophy, but The System¡ªor maybe even the beast itself, no one really knows¡ªdecided you were the main reason for victory. So it made that clear.¡± ¡°Phew, well, I didn¡¯t feel any pain from my 2nd Rank Trophy¡ªHey wait! I thought you said this was a 2nd Rank!?" Also-Not-Del and Not-Del cursed Del and demanded an explanation. "Well, she was a 2nd Rank when we captured her. Very high 2nd Rank. She must have been on the cusp and ascended in captivity." Another freaking test? "Does anyone have a mirror?¡± Cy asked. "I remember the last time I asked you that¡­" Jules mumbled. "I do." Selene returned from her pack with a small hand mirror. He smelled a slight tinge of lilac when she came near him. Cy reached for it, but she scowled and withdrew it. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Uh, OK. Sorry.¡± He admired the artistry. His previous Trophy of the wolf was realistic, but this style was more local, like what he¡¯d see on a wood print or festival banner. The Lesser Kraken whipped its tentacles at a ship at sea in a thunderstorm. At least Selene admired it for a second before she went back to her resting frown. "What d''ya think?" Cy asked Jules and Envy. "Wow, Cody," Jules said. "It fits you, though I''m not sure how accurate the image is¡­" "It''s cool, I guess." Envy helped him to his feet. When everyone had a chance to look at the Trophy, the entire group reconvened at the sign up station. ¡°Well, congratulations are in effect,¡± Del said. ¡°You have all made the cut. I¡¯d like to be the first to welcome you all to the Hydro¡ª¡± ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Jules said. And he did. ¡°Same.¡± Envy followed behind him. Rude. I guess they didn¡¯t realize that was him. Unless they¡¯re giving up? Surely not. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cy asked them. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to, you know, train?¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± Jules said. ¡°We¡¯re definitely training after that.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Envy snapped her fingers at him over her shoulders as she walked away. Confused, Cy looked back to Del, certain he was offering them a chance to train with an Alter. Shiv slapped Cy on the shoulder. ¡°You did good today, eh Runt?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Cy didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Del. Shiv¡¯s hand lingered on his shoulder blade a little too long. ¡°Do you mind?¡± Cy froze when he saw Shiv¡¯s eyes change color. ¡°Why don¡¯t we rendezvous at my parlor for a celebratory drink? Cody, was it?¡± Shiv winked, then turned to Del. ¡°Yeah, I quit, man. This ain¡¯t for me.¡± The Painter walked away. Cy looked between Shiv and Del a few times. ¡°Yeah, I quit, too.¡± The three recruiters¡¯ faces dropped. ¡°Well,¡± Del said through gritted teeth, ¡°I guess it¡¯s just you two, then.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Selene abandoned them as well. ¡°Hooray!¡± Pinky jumped in the air. ¡°I joined the Hydromages and took down a 3rd Ranker¡ªI can¡¯t wait to tell Mom!¡± "Fuckin'' Hydromages, fuckin'' Navs¡­" Del buried his head in his hands. "Short end of the stick, right?" Not-Del comforted his comrade. Jules and Envy had already reunited with Rukia and Whiskers. Shiv was completely gone. When Cy was halfway to his friends, he paused to look back at Selene one last time. She was already looking at him, and they locked eyes for a moment. Then she turned and walked away.
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Go the Hydromages Tryouts.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Meet up with The Painter again.]
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Meet up with The Painter again.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find a way to train under The Painter.]
Cy looked down at his coffee mug in sheer disbelief that he¡¯d made it here. The red wine that filled it seemed to extend down into the cup and past it, to infinity. He knew The Painter crafted the illusion for him, just like he probably crafted the illusion of the entire art store they found themselves in, but he felt there was still some symbolic truth to resonate with. Holy shit. From wherever I was born, to the orphanage in Coralhaven, to having my Scholars Guild hopes crushed just days ago¡ªand all that''s happened since then¡ªto this moment. This single culminating moment. ¡°I told you," Cy said to The Painter, "that I will become an Alter.¡± The Painter did not look amused, though he did seem pleased to have five new pupils. Jules and Kat, on the other hand¡­ They might as well be at their own funerals. They haven¡¯t drunk or said a word. Rukia''s still panting like an idiot, and Whiskers''s judging the crap out of everyone, as always. ¡°I propose a toast,¡± Cy said. Jules crossed his arms. ¡°To more than one victory today, to all our health, and to our training, that¡¯s to come.¡± ¡°May your enemies¡¯ bones lie crushed and brittle at your feet,¡± The Painter said. The only other one who raised his drink, he drank from a teacup. ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to accept Cy as a student of yours?¡± Jules left his stein on the table. ¡°Is a toast not a binding oath where you come from? Eh, and where is that again, exactly?¡± ¡°Before I proceed, I need assurance. And terms,¡± Jules said. I figured he¡¯d be annoyed, but Jules looks kind of excited. ¡°I see where this is going. Wrath, Envy, you wily little vices. Cyrus, I will train you in the Inked Arts as well, for as long as I train your two comrades here. Do you accept?¡± Is Jules giving me a lifeline here? Do I go for it? Surely he won¡¯t¡ª No. Break down his offer, then counter. ¡°That is a tempting offer, but it falls flat there, at tempting. I¡¯d propose a counter.¡± The Painter leaned back into a floral bag chair and stretched his arms out wide. ¡°I want you to train me to become an Alter.¡± ¡°Fine, but that must include training in the Inked Arts with your two comrades, while they are training it.¡± He remained smiling, a bit arrogantly, Cy thought. That was easy. Way easier than I thought. His smile''s all twisted, and why does Jules look suspicious? He¡¯s still trying to reneg here, but why? ¡°Hmm¡­" Again, he broke down the offer, piece by piece. "To me, that actually sounds like the exact same offer from before.¡± And still constrained by a time crunch outside of my control. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to train me to become an Alter in less than ten years, with no other constraints.¡± The Painter¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Ten years¡­¡± Was that a question or an agreement? ¡°What price will you sacrifice for such a ridiculous request?¡± Cy looked at Jules and Envy. Jules nodded. Envy did not. You were looking out for me after all. ¡°Jules will train with you. I can¡¯t speak for Kat, though.¡± ¡°Their price is already paid. I shouldn¡¯t need to remind you, Cyrus, that you are just collateral damage to me.¡± Ouch. But if he¡¯s losing his cool, that must mean he¡¯s losing. And he¡¯s probably not used to that. What could a man this powerful want? Cy sipped his wine. No way around it, I guess. ¡°What do you want?¡± Cyrus asked. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 37 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 38 - Deal
CYRUS
¡°A decade of my life is invaluable. It took me three to become an Alter. Me. And I was so secretive about it that not one of you knows my name. You¡¯ll never achieve it in ten years, Cyrus. No one has ever achieved it in ten.¡±I see. So you achieved it at 30, and in ten years I''d be 27. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer the question.¡± Envy crossed her legs. ¡°Yes he did.¡± Cy leaned in. ¡°You¡¯re constantly testing me, aren¡¯t you? But not them. They¡¯re special." Cy pointed at his friends with his mug. "I¡¯m not special. Or maybe I am, because you¡¯d have stopped wasting your time on me, trying to tease out my abilities. Your time is invaluable, after all." The Painter cracked the faintest smile. ¡°You have a puzzle for me." Cy tilted his head. "No, you have a puzzle for yourself. And it¡¯s had you stuck for a while. And if I had to guess¡ªLonger than a decade?" ¡°To my unending surprise, you are rather close to your mark.¡± The Painter waved his hand around in the air. A lit cigarette formed between two fingers. He inhaled it slowly and deeply. Smoke wafted upward. What am I missing here? Cy hoped Jules would come to his aid, but help never arrived. What could an Alter want? They have access to nearly unlimited power. They can alter the very fabrics of reality because they know every Rune¡ª Or at least most of them. That¡¯s it. Buy some more time. ¡°I¡¯ll find it for you.¡± Which of the Banned Runes do you want? The Painter exhaled smoke for the first time. He held his cigarette at a distance and observed it, admired it. ¡°And is that before or after I train you?¡± Not the Death Rune¡ªI wouldn¡¯t give that to anyone if I found it, let alone this guy. From his smoking, I doubt it¡¯s the Life Rune, either. You''ve already proven you have the Memory Rune. ¡°After, of course.¡± You seem to have already mastered the Space Rune from all the illusions we¡¯ve seen you perform. Maybe you want the Void Rune? The Painter took another puff; he was halfway finished now. ¡°I¡¯m starting to like this deal." The Painter pointed his cigarette at Cy. "But I feel uneasy about your hesitation to say the Rune aloud. Or is it that you¡¯re unsure?¡± You obviously know the answer. Think, Cy! The cig''s almost out. This¡¯ll be his last puff. A dozen more Banned Runes to go through, and the clock¡¯s almost run out¡ª Cy smiled. He laughed and took a long swig of wine, long enough to make a statement, but short enough to meet his deadline. ¡°Fine. After I ascend to the Alter, I will find you the Time Rune. Then my debt will be paid.¡±
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 8.]
¡°You show promise, child." The cigarette and its smoke disappeared. "But allow me to clarify. When I have raised you to the Alter, within ten years¡¯ time, you will dedicate your life, your very soul, to finding me that Time Rune. When you¡¯ve delivered it to me, your debt will be paid.¡± ¡°Cyrus.¡± Jules cautioned his friend with both a shake of his head and his full name. ¡°Ten years is a long time to figure things out, Jules. Plus, after that, you¡¯d have an Alter by your side.¡± ¡°No, Cy. After ten years, I¡¯d be missing my best friend by my side, for who knows how long.¡± "How long indeed?" The Painter''s eyes pierced through Cy. He extended a hand. ¡°There¡¯s no other way for me to both achieve my goal and become as strong as you need me¡ª¡± ¡°We can continue negotiating¡ª¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Cy shook The Painter¡¯s hand. Their hands lit up, but instead of rays of light, darkness radiated from them. The pain was immense, and Cy fell to a knee. Cy''s hand shredded into ribbons, or at least it did in his mind. The Painter, who simply winced through the pain, ended the embrace. Cy inspected his own hand. The inside of his right palm, uninjured and still intact, bore the symbol of their Binding Vow Script¡ªa tiny hourglass etched in black. The top half was filled in; the bottom was voided, only an outline of the hourglass shape.
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find a way to train under The Painter.] [The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Complete The Painter''s training.] [New Binding Vow: Time Is of the Essence] [New Binding Vow Description: Ascend to the Alter with The Painter, and then find the Time Rune.] If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [New Binding Vow Penalty: Death.] [Time Is of the Essence ¡ª Binding Vow Objective ADDED: Become an Alter in 10 years.] [Time Is of the Essence ¡ª Binding Vow Objective ADDED: Afterward, dedicate your life, your very soul, to finding The Painter the Time Rune.]
¡°You idiot.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes are on fire again. Kat looks disappointed, too. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. I can work toward two goals at the same time.¡± I need to get on your level, Jules. Surpass it, even. Jules didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Shall we seal our deal?" The Painter reached his hand out to Jules. There''s that mischievous grin again. ¡°Interesting choice of words,¡± Envy said. ¡°Binding Vows aren¡¯t necessary for us.¡± Jackass. Jules continued. ¡°We will train with you, and you can see us in action, not to mention keep us close by. But we will reserve the right to leave whenever we¡¯re ready.¡± Jules is learning to bargain pretty well. ¡°Then I¡¯ll claim that right as well.¡± The Painter didn¡¯t flinch. Did he expect this? Did I just play into his hand¡ªagain? ¡°Well, any other closing table changes I should know about? Speak now or forever hold your peace." No one answered The Painter. ¡°Ah, I hear purring. We must be ready to move on, then. Please, sit down.¡± The Painter raised himself out of his chair without moving his body; he just floated up. ¡°You three exhibited great strength and Skills out there today. From strategy to the use of your, limited, mind you, knowledge of Runes. However, I didn¡¯t realize how few Scripts you all actually know. And I noticed you two didn¡¯t want to show your cards to me at all. That¡¯s fine. In due time.¡± He glanced at Cy with that last word. ¡°Now you are clearly the rational thinker of the group. So tell me what you know, better yet, what you think you know, about Scripts.¡± Cy''s cheeks flushed with pride. ¡°Well, Scripts are used in a variety of ways. From the Trades to simple and complex magic to even weapons in combat. We Enchant items or tattoo ourselves to activate the power of our Scripts with Ryoku.¡± ¡°Errgh, wrong!¡± The Painter dismissed him for the other two. ¡°Any other guesses?¡± Jules and Envy shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± Rukia said. ¡°They¡¯re not as effective as my innate Yokai magic!¡± She poofed into a ball of smoke and reappeared in a chibi form. She wore a beautiful flowery pink kimono and fanned her face, which was covered in Noh makeup. Whiskers knocked her over with one paw. She struck the ground in a cloud of smoke and transformed back. ¡°I see you never actually read my book." The Painter shook his head. "Scripts are The Truth in vocal or written form," Whiskers said. "What you say, comes to pass. At the cost of life force." Arrogant pussy today, aren¡¯t we? ¡°Errgh! Errgh! That¡¯s three X¡¯s for you lot.¡± Whiskers licked his ass. ¡°Though you are each close,¡± The Painter continued. ¡°Scripts are words. That¡¯s it. There is no truth to words, just as there is no truth to actions. Think about it this way, what happens when an immovable object strikes an unstoppable force¡ªannihilation? Maybe, but we will likely never know. On second thought, you children might one day find out. Alas, here¡¯s a more practical example.¡± Cy stood up. Oh shit, where¡¯d he go? ¡°Let¡¯s say I hide from you all. I can use a variety of Runes in an even larger variety of orders. Some will be more effective than others, but for brevity, say I activate the Runes Hide, Body, Arcanic, and Human, like I just did. Now let¡¯s say you used some Runes, like Reveal and All¡ªor maybe even Light, like Cyrus here did last night¡ªwho would win?¡± ¡°Well, I did,¡± Cy bragged. ¡°You think you did,¡± Jules said. ¡°It depends on a lot of variables. I am not actually making myself invisible, and you are not actually able to see everything. What would actually happen is you would realize something or someone is hiding, and I would realize that someone was looking for something hidden, which, in this particular case, would be me. It then becomes a battle of wits, wisdom, strategy, and mastery of Scripts.¡± Judging from their faces, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s grasping this, and I¡¯m starting to see through some cracks. Better keep that knowledge to our Party for now, though. The Painter reappeared and held up three fingers. ¡°If you see your training through to the end, I will only teach you three main lessons. You will learn Runes as a side effect, but those are not the lessons I will instill in you. What you should focus on and learn during our time together,¡± again he looked at Cy, ¡°are the answers to these three questions: ¡°What are Scripts? What are the main branches of Scripts? Cy, these are similar to what you mentioned: Trades, Magic, Combat, etc. And how do you exploit the System?¡±
[New Quest Available: The Painter¡¯s Lessons] [The Painter¡¯s Lessons ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: What are Scripts?] [The Painter¡¯s Lessons ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: What are the main branches of Scripts?] [The Painter¡¯s Lessons ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: How do you exploit the System?]
Cy felt nervous, like he was being watched. I guess the System creeps me out after all. This feels¡­ Beyond illegal. Sacrilegious, or like blasphemy. ¡°Isn¡¯t speaking about the System like that a cardinal sin?¡± Shit. Cy scratched his face. ¡°Sorry guys, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Envy laughed, and Jules finally cracked a smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. But I have been doing it for a very long time.¡± Finally, he didn¡¯t look at me when saying that word. ¡°Now, a demonstration. The people of Salvatica are so peaceful on the surface, it¡¯s rather boring. They lack imagination about how to effectively use Scripts, focusing mainly on their efficiency and applications to industry.¡± Yeah, I''d say you definitely taught Isolda a thing or two. "How do we know your answers to these questions are correct?" Envy asked. "Oh, I¡¯m not asking you to mirror my opinions on the matter. Again, there is no truth to words. You must seek your own answers." The Painter waved away a bad smell. Cy scooted to the edge of his chair. ¡°To chase that efficiency¡ªwhether for wealth, power, or the state, it doesn¡¯t matter¡ªthey have split Scripts into self-proclaimed categories. In doing so, they restrict citizens¡¯ Script knowledge relevant to their active Skills. Which, for most people, is a measly five. Ha! Can you imagine?¡± Cy shifted in his chair. I only have three¡­ ¡°Eh, my apologies. I forgot my present company. You can''t control your age, so think nothing of it. Anyway, that¡¯s it for your lesson today on the first question. Moving on to the second, the demonstration. There is a lesson inside it, but figure it out for yourself." ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 38 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Salvatican System'' by BS Snelliott A list of the most egregious of the Banned Texts follows, each of which bears an immediate Death Sentence to whoever would defile our world by using one:
  1. Death
  2. Life
  3. Memory
  4. Silence
  5. Space
  6. Void
  7. Time
Not to mention a few other Runes, with less-than-death-penalties, that still carry time within the prisons of Mt. Fury in Obisidia. Ch 39 - Gimme Shelter
CYRUS
¡°First, we start with Alchemy.¡± The Painter procured an alembic from behind the bar. ¡°I¡¯ve already made this reduction¡ªit¡¯s poisonous, by the way. But to learn how to grow the ingredients, extract the needed parts, and combine them to get the desired result, that is generally considered Alchemy. Second is Alteration¡­¡± The Painter froze the acid, then sublimed it into a thick mist, and finally condensed it back into a liquid. He levitated the liquid out of the alembic. ¡°Another is Transmutation.¡± His eyes flashed, and the compound transformed into a canvas. ¡°Yet another is Enchanting.¡± He picked up a filled Ryoku Crystal and, tattoos now glowing, Enchanted the canvas. ¡°Amazing,¡± Cy said. "I thought you needed a written Script to Enchant, and then invoke the actual Script to Enchant it." ¡°On top of that, the canvas wasn¡¯t even Forged,¡± Envy said. ¡°Ah, yes. The Enchanter would have to do that, Cy, yes. And Envy, a Forger would have similar requirements. Even a Master¡­¡± Envy frowned and withdrew into herself. Touched a sore spot. I guess he looked into her. ¡°Next is Conjuration.¡± Jules perked up. The Alter picked up his paintbrush and painted a demon on the canvas. It leapt out of the canvas itself and howled with bloodthirst. Everyone but The Painter flinched. ¡°Now Illusion.¡± Doppelgangers of the demon filled the room to its corners. They all fought each other. ¡°Destruction.¡± All the images ignited and died instantly, but the original fell to the floor and struggled. ¡°Restoration.¡± The flames receded and the burns on the demon¡¯s flesh bubbled away until they were fully healed. ¡°But that¡¯s enough.¡± He banished the demon, and it returned to the canvas as a painting. The canvas shifted back into the poisonous liquid and flowed back into the alembic. ¡°So, who got the lesson?¡± Not even Cy had a response. Too much in awe to even think about a lesson right now. ¡°Ha! Just remember what I showed you. You¡¯ll learn its purpose one day through practice and reflection. Maybe even meditation, eh?¡± The Painter and Jules stared at each other for a bit too long. What¡¯s that about? ¡°It took me decades, so don¡¯t feel like you need to get it right away. Anyway, the theoretical mojo can wait. What you three need now is practical application. And what you need most is, to be frank, just some fucking Runes. I mean, really, did your parents not teach you anything?¡± All three looked silently at the wooden floor. ¡°Ahh¡­ I see. Well, despite those circumstances, you all still killed a Lesser Kraken today.¡± ¡°Any chance our first Rune will be Fire?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Why would you want to learn Fire?¡± The Painter pointed at Jules. ¡°He¡¯s got you covered there.¡± Jealous, Cy rolled his eyes. ¡°We focus on combat first. Now I have a golden rule about combat¡ªCy, since you are dying to interrupt me yet again, go ahead.¡± ¡°Let me guess, always use combat as a last resort?¡± ¡°Errgh! No. I think you should use it as your first move.¡± Ah, stupid. ¡°You want to hold your cards close, so don¡¯t give away your stealthy tricks to start with. When it comes to combat¡ª¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that contradict what you told us last night, though? About using knowledge against those prone to action?¡± The Painter¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Life is full of contradictions. You should, of course, learn as much about your opponent as possible, and act only when you must. And when you must, combat is often the best opener, in my experience. Any questions?¡± ¡°No. You were sneaky with us because you didn¡¯t want to fight us.¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s one way to say it, though it makes me sound like a coward.¡± ¡°I wonder if an Alter can take on two Sins,¡± Jules said. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I¡¯m sure one day we will find out,¡± he replied. ¡°When it comes to combat, there are four main pillars of Skills: offense, defense, armor, and weapons. These can be broken down into further categories, like extremely close quarters, close quarters, ranged, specialty, war. Only then do you break down further into actual Skills. Keep in mind, you can only have so many Skills active at once. And with the geometric returns of Ryoku when Leveling Up, it makes more sense to min-max your Levels, to an extent. So how do you choose which ones?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Cy said, ¡°I¡¯ve always thought about majoring in two magic Skills and one combat Skill.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the opposite, but I agree,¡± Jules said. ¡°Never thought about it,¡± Envy said. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve instructed you plenty of times.¡± Whiskers, I don¡¯t know how Kat¡¯s put up with you this long. ¡°Eh, at least you have an idea about how to game the System, then. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m looking for, so hear this. I believe that you don¡¯t pick the Skill, but rather the Skill chooses you.¡± ¡°How does that happen? I haven¡¯t had anything choose me yet,¡± Cy said. ¡°And how many have you trained?¡± ¡°Uh, well, none. I was too busy learning Runes.¡± ¡°Ha! And you want to be an Alter. The secret, and it¡¯s best done when young, like the three of you, is to try everything and see what sticks. What can¡¯t you get enough of? What can¡¯t stop calling your name? That is the Skill you choose.¡± Jules and Cy nodded their heads. Envy rolled her eyes. ¡°Most people,¡± The Painter continued, ¡°are so worried about choosing their Class, they never think about the Skills. And they aren¡¯t even proactively choosing their Class, they''re choosing what society told them. Their parents, their culture, their standard of living, to their ease of life. But if you figure out which Skills have chosen you, then your Class no longer matters. Only your Rank and Levels do. And in that wisdom is power, is flexibility, is the power of min-maxing. So, who can guess what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have me try Sewing, just so I can scratch it off my short list,¡± Envy said. ¡°Is Sewing a combat Skill? If so, then yes.¡± ¡°So you really expect us to try them all out?¡± Jules asked. ¡°No. I don¡¯t expect you to try them out. I expect you to raise every combat Skill to Level 10.¡± Three faces dropped. They screamed in both outrage and unison. ¡°Level 10!?¡± ¡°That takes years to do with just one Skill!¡± ¡°Ugh. I hate Archery." ¡°That¡¯ll take our entire decade together,¡± Cy protested. ¡°And that¡¯s before we even move on to magic Skills. I need to hit Level 100 in just one Skill to become an Alter.¡± The entire time, The Painter laughed maniacally. ¡°Let me ask you the big question you are all missing here. How do you Level Up?¡± ¡°From XP gained by performing relevant tasks,¡± Cy said. ¡°Repetition,¡± Jules asked. ¡°By trying harder things,¡± Envy said. ¡°Errgh! You¡¯re all wrong, though Envy is the closest.¡± Doesn¡¯t look like she enjoyed the compliment. ¡°You Level Up by iterating. You repetitively experiment with one method of a task until you test a new one, whether better or worse. A Merchant may Level Up ten times in a year, spread through different Skills, because he does mostly the same tasks each day, but new problems come his way randomly, and he reluctantly tends to them. However, for those who seek out new ways to accomplish a task, consistently and iteratively¡­ They can Level Up much faster.¡± ¡°This is insane. What does this even have to do with the Inked Arts you and Isolda droned on about?¡± ¡°Wrath¡ªJules. You are weak. Weaker than that demon I just summoned on a whim. You don¡¯t have the right to learn the Inked Arts yet. But this is your path to it. Besides, the amount of XP needed to hit Level 10 is negligible. With a regimented schedule of live combat, and constant training days¡­ It can be achieved in days for each Skill.¡± Cy felt ashamed, truly ashamed. All talk and no action. I''ve only got two Skills above Level 10, and I want to be an Alter¡­ Now he wants us to learn dozens? ¡°Using the same method I taught myself, you five¡ªyes, I¡¯m talking to you two furries as well¡ªwill become moderately adept at every type of combat in just three months.¡± ¡°How does that math add up?" Jules asked. Good question. The Painter gawked at them. He grew impatient. ¡°Really? No one¡¯s going to even attempt to reach for an answer? This generation, I swear¡­ You will Level Up different weapon, offense, defense, and armor Skills at the same time, so you can cut the time in fourths. Plus, war Skills are impractical for you all, so we¡¯ll skip them.¡± What in the actual fuck did I get us into? Envy stood up. ¡°We done for the day? I¡¯m hungry, and I have a Master Forger waiting on me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ We can cut it short today, but not yet. First of all, say your goodbyes to him tonight. You five move in with me tomorrow.¡± Envy dropped her bag. ¡°You don¡¯t stop training until you¡¯re done with your combat Skills. Then I''ll give you a day off, and we repeat the process with magic Skills and then the trades. To each their own, but we will only focus on the crafting trade Skills, because if we did them all, well, even you two would die from boredom. And speaking of which¡­¡± The Painter emptied a bag of purple crystals onto the bar. Each was almost black, they were so full of Ryoku. Just like Davy Jones''¡­ ¡°This might seem like a marathon to you. I assure you it is not. You will sprint, you will haul ass, and you will rest when your task is complete. Cy, these Ryoku Crystals are mostly for you, so you don¡¯t die. Wrath, Envy¡ªthere is a price for strength. You two will die hundreds of deaths in this room. I won¡¯t force you to. I¡¯m just being honest. The goal is to finish this segment of training as quickly as possible and move on. You will run ragged on Ryoku. I will constantly pump you with it so you don¡¯t have to sleep, either. What, did I forget to mention that part earlier?¡± Cy swallowed a hard lump in his throat. Am I willing to pay this price? To be exhausted, constantly, just to stay at Level 10? He looked at Jules, then to Envy, and then the puffed-up furballs. Of course I¡¯m willing. He¡¯ll keep me alive so I can move forward to achieve my dream, and I need to reach their level. Jules and Envy must have also thought it all over, judging from their silence. ¡°Say your goodbyes to whoever you need to tonight. Once you step foot inside again, I¡¯ll only give you leave each time you complete a Skill set.¡± ¡°And then what¡¯s next?¡± Cy asked. He raised his head up level with The Painter¡¯s, who smiled brightly. ¡°The real training begins.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 39 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 40 - Sweet Emotion
ENVY
¡°So that¡¯s pretty much it, Pop." Kat leaned against a crate in the basement. "We will have at least six months of hard training, with only three days off.¡± Pop''s faced flushed red. His blood is boiling right now. Kat was mad herself, and she knew his anger wasn¡¯t directed at her, but still, she paused her story to swallow a tough pill. I won''t let any of these boys see me cry. ¡°And that¡¯s just the beginning,¡± Cyrus said. What an idiot. How Jules has been friends with you for this long, I''ll never know. ¡°He said the real training starts after that.¡± Once again, Pop took in all the information before speaking, and once again, he fumed at the boys. He crossed his arms. "Sounds to me like you''ve come to take my girl away.¡± ¡°Pop¡­¡± Guilt silenced Kat. She was unsure of what to say, of how to comfort him in this moment. He laid a hand on hers. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me," Pop said. "I know you lot have no other choice. But if you three hadn¡¯t come here, my Kat would have been much safer.¡± ¡°As you said before, though,¡± Jules said, ¡°you knew this day would eventually come. If not around her System Unlock Day, then sooner.¡± Without breaking eye contact with Jules, Pop cracked his neck left and right. ¡°At least I¡¯m with someone like me¡ª¡± Pop pounded his fist on a barrel next to his chair. Whiskers leapt up to the rafters. Rukia panted. A splintered hole remained. ¡°That is what frightens me most, child!¡± ¡°She¡¯s in good hands, Sir." Flattery will get you nowhere with him, Cy. "If anyone will keep her safe, it¡¯s Jules. Plus, she has me and Rukia to back her up as well. I know I¡¯m the most invested in this plan, but I¡ª¡± Whiskers dropped down in front of him and hacked up a hairball at his feet. Shouldn¡¯t have left him out of that one, moron. Kat cracked a faint smile. This feeling was so new and unusual to her. I¡¯ve been alone for so long. A little camaraderie is nice. She caught Pop studying her face and her smile. His hardened demeanor softened up, if only a little. She thought he¡¯d smile, but he did not. He addressed the two boys and fox. ¡°It¡¯s time you three go. If this is to be my last night with my daughter, I¡¯d rather not spend it with you.¡± Jules, Rukia, and Cyrus stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to split off, too, Jules. You can have the room tonight.¡± Cyrus looked back at Kat with a stupid grin. Pop turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep amongst the stars tonight.¡± He left the basement, but Jules lingered at the base of the stairs, his back to them, until Cyrus shut the door above. This is so embarrassing, always insinuating in front of Pop. But why is Jules still here? ¡°Listen, you three¡­¡± Jules kept his back to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how I left things last night. It was a foolish and stupid thing to say. It came from a good¡ªAh, forget it. I¡¯ll never bring it up again.¡± Jules ascended the stairs and shut the door behind him. ¡°I want you to be careful, Kat." Pop picked a splinter out of his fist. "I need you to be careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your little girl anymore, Pop.¡± He doesn¡¯t see me for who I really am, grown, almost a woman¡­ A Sin. Why is he being so quiet? Why won''t he push back for me? ¡°What do you want, Kat?¡± The question confused her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. To survive this life without being captured or tortured? Though being stuck with these imbeciles sounds like its own form of abuse.¡± That, and the training. Still not cracking a smile. ¡°I meant in life, Katarina. What do you want from life?¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I just said?¡± ¡°No. Both those boys want safety, too. Everyone does.¡± Kat thought about it for a while. She was shocked she didn¡¯t have an answer. ¡°I guess¡­ I want a goal just like those two have. Something to yearn for, to drive me, but I don¡¯t. Maybe that¡¯s what makes them idiots, but I get jealous that they have so much to live for. Me, I¡¯ve just been surviving day by day. I guess I just want a normal life, to have what everyone else has. And a normal¡­" Family. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
[Quest Reminder: Kat''s Out of the Bag is still available.]
¡°I have never doubted you are Envy, Kat, but I have also never doubted that you¡¯re my daughter." She sat down on the unharmed half of the broken barrel. Pop sat down next to her on the splintered part. Always the tough guy. Kat buried her head in her hands. She couldn¡¯t restrain the dam of emotions anymore. ¡°I hate it, Pop. These feelings I have deep inside of me. Feelings for everyone¡ªhate, jealousy, greed. I¡¯m so, so envious of everyone, and everything they have, and everything they are. And to see Rukia and Jules bond the way they¡ª¡± Kat cut herself off there and moved on. ¡°I just don¡¯t know who I am.¡± She wept into her father¡¯s chest. Whiskers remained at a distance from her. ¡°I know exactly who you are. You are Katarina, my little girl¡ªNo, listen. You will always be my little girl, even when you are sixty and I am, hopefully by then, dead. That is who you are, to me. Sweet, but caring¡ªthough you don¡¯t show it. Tough, charming to the right people.¡± A tear streamed down his eye. ¡°To others, you are Envy. That is who you are, too. That is who you are, partly to me, as well. I have never doubted that.¡± ¡°What are you even saying? You sound like one of those fools.¡± She spoke between choking coughs and tears. ¡°The point is, my Sweet Kat, that I know who you are to me. And others will know who you are to them. But you must find out who you are to yourself. That is what matters.¡± Kat choked back more tears and composed herself. ¡°What happened that night?¡± She looked up at him. Snot streamed down her face. He took one of her hands in both of his and patted it. ¡°Some things are better off left unknown. I will carry that weight. For the three of us.¡± ¡°Three of us? You mean you don¡¯t even know?¡± Whiskers gazed at her through half-closed eyelids. Damn cat. Sometimes I wish you really did have only nine lives. ¡°I have nightmares about it, you know. I can never remember them when I wake up, but I know they¡¯ve gotten clearer since I met Jules and Rukia.¡± Pop wrapped one arm around her shoulder and dragged her in until it was difficult to breathe. ¡°I just have this missing piece, like I''m empty inside. It¡¯s better when I¡¯m around them, but somehow worse. I feel hope, but also worthless at times.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had no friends, Kat. Besides Whiskers here¡ªwho damn well better do better to her while I¡¯m not around.¡± ¡°Better do better," the cat mocked. "Got it." Pop drew a long and slow inhale through his nostrils. ¡°And you better watch out for Jules, too.¡± ¡°I can trust him. He and I are in this together.¡± ¡°No, I meant that in a, uh¡­¡± Pop looked away. ¡°Loverboy sort of way.¡± Kat looked down and gripped her sweater wrapped around her pants like a skirt. ¡°Is that all you men can think about? Each of you but Jules and Rukia has pushed that on me. Hard. We¡¯re just kids¡ª¡± ¡°For now. Soon you will be a woman. And your journey together will be long. Watch out for Cy, too. Even Jules is on edge with him right now. He¡¯s blinded by power from that so-called Alter.¡± ¡°Yeah. Blinder than our blind beggar friend.¡± At last, they shared a laugh. ¡°But speaking of The Painter, it seems he knows who you are¡ªOw! What are you doing?¡± Pop turned to her and studied her face with intense focus. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He mentioned a Master Forger¡ªwhen talking to me. Nothing is coincidence with him. Why are you¡­?¡± Pop let go and rubbed her back. ¡°I''m¡­ I''m sorry, Kat. Of course he knows that. He¡¯s an Alter. You don¡¯t attain Genius Rank lightly. It takes decades.¡± Then why would he have promised Cy to do it in one decade? ¡°That was a weird reaction.¡± Kat shrugged his hand off her shoulder. If you don''t want to share, I won¡¯t press you. Not starting a fight, not tonight. ¡°Katarina.¡± Whiskers curled his tails into himself. He looks so pretty. Wise, but sad. Kat rose. ¡°Pop. Father¡­" Another tear fell from her eye. "This is farewell, for now. I¡¯d prefer to leave tomorrow on my own, and I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m not going to come visit you on my days off.¡± Oh Salvos, please don¡¯t cry. ¡°I will come visit you again before I leave Aquilantis. I have to march forward, alone. Blaze my own trail and all that crap. I hope that when I return, I¡¯ll have a goal of my own to confide in you.¡± Kat saw the strain on her father¡¯s face, the control he exerted to hold back tears. ¡°It could be years¡ª¡± Pop cut her off and wrapped her in a bear hug. Wet drops fell onto her face from his. ¡°Go, Kat. You go, and you blossom. I love you now, and I will love you then.¡± He broke the hug and dropped to one knee. He was so massive that they were now at eye level. With one arm still on her shoulder, he thrust a red crystal necklace into her hand. ¡°When you have thought long and hard about it, tell me what item you¡¯d like for me to Forge. Whisper it into that crystal while thinking of me. I will keep myself busy practicing so I can make you the strongest tool possible¡ªand to keep my own sanity.¡± Kat''s heart dropped. ¡°When I deliver it to you, I¡¯ll tell you everything. Your parents, and who I¡­ Once was.¡±
[Kat''s Out of the Bag ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Complete Quest: Master of Forgery.] [New Quest Available: Master of Forgery] [New Reward Available for Master of Forgery: ¡­Do you really need me to tell you?] [Master of Forgery ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Whisper what Forged Object you''d like into Pop''s red crystal.]
She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him one last time. ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered. Then she ran upstairs and outside into the cool, crisp air. Hot, flustered, and depressed, Kat descended the steps outside of the inn. She wiped tears and snot from her face. Man. Had to get out of there or I was gonna explode. I can calm down out here. She gazed at the night sky. Two crescent and one nearly full moon ascended through the stars. Whiskers emerged from the shadows. ¡°Do you love me?¡± ¡°Would I follow someone everywhere they went if I didn¡¯t?¡± You are such an asshole. ¡°You¡¯re tied to me, so you have no choice. But do you love me?¡± Whiskers just licked his paws. And I thought I was the one with issues. ¡°Well, I love you.¡± Whiskers purred. Guess that''s the closest thing to yes I''ll get. ¡°I wish you would show it more often. You know how I am.¡± Who I am. Whiskers put his paw down and wrapped his tails into himself again. He looked at the moons with her. ¡°You are putting me in a very difficult situation." ¡°I have never noticed Rukia inciting Jules¡¯ anger.¡± Got you there, you little bitch. ¡°You and Jules are less alike than you think.¡± ¡°Oh, how so?¡± ¡°For starters, you are The First Sin, and he is the last¡ª¡± Whiskers cut himself off. Odd. ¡°Keep going.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 40 STATS BLOCK UPDATE BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 41 - 3AM
ENVY
¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve said too much already," Whiskers said. Kat sighed. She decided she''d ignore the black cat for a while. Oh, I should say farewell to him as well. She walked over to the sleeping man. Seems I had a friend, after all. ¡°Oi, freeloader. Wake up.¡± Kat shook the blind beggar with her foot to jostle him awake. ¡°Ngh¡ªWhat? No offering, and this late? I was just on a hot date with¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your dreams. I don¡¯t have any coins left. But I do have this.¡± Kat reached into her Inventory and pulled out two bottles of ale¡ª Immediately, he swiped one bottle from her hand. How the hell? She eyed him suspiciously. That was fast. He popped out the cork and guzzled some, then he held up his half-drank bottle to her with a sheepish smile. ¡°Cheers?¡± ¡°No wonder you¡¯re on the streets.¡± She opened her bottle and toasted to his poor health. ¡°To what do I owe our small celebration, oh little she-devil?¡± Kat took a long swig. Whiskers joined them nearby. You¡¯ve been one of my only friends. But then again, I do pay you to talk to me¡­ ¡°Going away for a while. Just wanted to let you know, was all.¡± He grinned ear to ear. ¡°Ah, going away on an adventure, is it? Any chance you¡¯ll make it back to my lovely estate?¡± He gestured broadly to a dilapidated brick wall that couldn¡¯t even constitute a hovel. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to drop in anytime, without call. Not that I needed to tell ye that, in the middle''a the blasted night¡­¡± ¡°Hmph. Nothing can take me down. But what are the chances that you¡¯ll still be around when I make my inevitable, but glorious, return?¡± The blind beggar belched. ¡°Times''ve been tough. They¡¯re ¡®bout to get tougher, lassie.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°I can see it all, Katarina.¡± He moved his arms wildly through the air. ¡°I see which way the tides are shaped. I see which way the waves run. I can even see the ravens in the tree, and the mice in the desert¡­ But beyond that, I''m afraid my sight is impaired.¡± She felt like he looked at her right through his blindfold. She shook her head in disbelief to knock some sense back into her. These bubbles are taking their hold already. ¡°You¡¯re crazy, you know that? I bet you hear voices, too.¡± Another belch with a smile. ¡°Crazy? I was crazy once. They locked me up¡ªthey said I was crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once. They¡ª¡± ¡°They say your sense of hearing is stronger from blindness, but what about your sense of touch?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I like where¡ª¡± WHAM! Kat clapped him on the face. ¡°Oh Salvos! I am so, so sorry¡ªI thought you would dodge¡ª¡± ¡°Oh darling, oh you little she-devil.¡± He languished on the ground, and she consoled him, wracked with guilt. ¡°A blind man? You hit a blind¡ªMy medicine, oh I need my medicine." "Medicine? What medicine!?" "The ale, girl, the ale! Gimme another bottle, and we''ll call it even." Kat dropped his ass to the ground with a thud. Of course. Is this¡ªwhat did Pop call it¡ªenabling him? She pulled out another round. They continued on for a while, bottle after bottle, making a scene, until someone from the inn yelled at them. ¡°Would you two shut the fuck up!?¡±
JULES
[Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Go to the Hydromage Tryouts.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Meet up with The Painter again.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all combat Skills to 10.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all magic Skills to 10.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all crafting Skills to 10.]
¡°Absolutely not, Jules.¡± He wrapped his dagger belt around himself. ¡°I¡¯m not asking, Rukia.¡± Pipsqeak can¡¯t stop me, anyway. Though she doesn¡¯t look so cute and puppy-dog-like tonight. The little fox sat in front of the closed door. ¡°Master Kaizen said: emergencies only. I heard it clear as day, so did you.¡± Jules dressed himself for potential combat. ¡°This is an emergency, Ruke. The Painter knows about us somehow. He mentioned meditation in that offhand comment¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what he meant.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s chance with him. He expects me to train nonstop with him, so how am I supposed to practice meditation in the first place? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°It¡¯d be good for you to practice right here, right now, for one.¡± ¡°No time to waste. Be easier just to talk to him, to make a strategy¡ª¡± ¡°And to be overheard by The Painter, if your theory is correct. The safest place right now is in your mind.¡± Jules rolled his eyes and approached the door. She stamped a paw down and stood on all fours. ¡°Rukia, you can¡¯t stop me. My mind¡¯s made up.¡± He tried to scoot her away with his foot, but she didn¡¯t budge. She snapped at him, and Jules felt anger rise up within him. You little¡­ Rukia¡¯s eyes lit up in gray flames. ¡°You¡¯re staying in tonight, Jules. Rukia¡¯s orders.¡± Jules dropped his rucksack. ¡°What are you going to do, burn this place down? That¡¯s not like you.¡± Her flames darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not the hero, Jules. You are. I¡¯m just the sidekick. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and stick to the plan.¡± Jules hesitated. Surely she wouldn¡¯t. But she¡¯s tied to Wrath just like me, and I know I certainly wouldn''t have destroyed Coralhaven. Maybe I should back down¡­ ¡°Yes, you should. You¡¯ve already dropped you bag.¡± The flames smoldered out. She¡¯s probably right to stay in tonight. He may want me to make a move and observe Kaizen more. He might have even sensed him at the plaza that day¡ªyesterday. Wow. Would be a huge mistake, showing my hand too soon. ¡°Sit.¡± Jules reluctantly grinned. ¡°Seems the roles are reversed¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not some dog.¡± ¡°Rukia the Stormfront, huh? I¡¯m starting to see it.¡± She curled back a lip, and Jules sat on the bed. ¡°You know nothing of the storm, yet, Jules. But I¡¯m glad I could persuade you. Now¡ª¡± ¡°Shh, I need quiet to concentrate. I¡¯ll start off on my own. After I¡¯ve settled in, then you can start critiquing.¡± "Hmph. This pleases The Stormfront." Jules sat tailor-style on his bed. He placed his hands on his knees. Inhale through the nose, slowly. He focused on his Seal until it lit up and seared his chest. Jules dug into that pain until it clarified to a point of inner focus. ¡°Posture.¡± Jules adjusted his back slightly. ¡°Good. Hm. Focus is passable, but your heart¡¯s not there.¡± Jules tried to adjust his heart. How the hell do I do that¡ª Ow! ¡°Why did you slap me!?¡± ¡°Focus on getting mad, and then force yourself to calm down. Stir your emotions, and therefore your heart. You need the practice.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Get angry while meditating.]
Jules cycled through his meditation for a while. After a dozen times, he saw an image of Kaizen with his back turned. After a few dozen more times, Kaizen looked over his shoulder in Jules¡¯ direction. He continued on. It''s loud outside. Jules winced. Really loud. Dammit, shut up. A man and a girl shouted outside. It was hard to make out, but someone had hit the other, and now they were apologizing profusely. The scene continued and was all Jules could think about. He clenched one of his fists. Eventually, the two started to yell into the night sky, sometimes howling at the moon, sometimes singing off-beat lyrics. At one point, they started dancing. Then the incoherent songs came. That¡¯s it, that''s it¡ªThat¡¯s fucking it¡­ Jules slammed open a window and stuck his entire head out. ¡°Would you two shut the fuck up!?¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Get angry while meditating.]
He sat back down on his bed, closed his eyes, and focused on calming down his anger again. I think I''m getting the hang of this.
CYRUS
The whole way there, Cy looked out toward the spires against the city¡¯s skyline. Wonderful creations, made by Architects and Mages and Engineers, and who else? This world is truly amazing. So much larger than Coralhaven. So much larger than Aquilantis, even. Where will our adventure take us? He arrived at the sand dunes next to the road. He referenced his Menu''s Map. Yep. This is the spot. He removed his shoes and walked out onto the beach. Cy laid down a blanket he¡¯d brought to sleep with on the sand and sat down on it. He opened up his Menu again and scrolled through his Skills.
[Skill Slot 1: Thrusting Weapons, Level 13] [Skill Slot 2: Elemental Control, Level 12] [Skill Slot 3: Persuasion, Level 8] [Blades, Level 6] [Hand-to-Hand, Level 5] [Mercantile, Level 5] [Archery, Level 4] [Stealth, Level 4] ¡­ [Transmutation, Level 1]
Which ones have called out to me? None, really. Elemental Control has been more of a necessity. I guess I do like Mercantile, though. The rush of negotiating a deal is almost like combat for me. Transmutation is an obvious choice for an Alter, but I need to learn the proper Runes first. Cy scrolled back up to the top. Where some people would see their Rank, Class, and Factions, he saw what everyone else under eighteen saw¡ªa countdown. Cy was roughly a year older than Jules and Envy. He only had nine months left until his System Unlock Day. I¡¯d barely even be a 1st Rank if my birthday were tomorrow, and here I am, proclaiming to everyone how much I want to be an Alter. Now I¡¯ve only got ten years to achieve it, or The Painter will drop me as a student. Maybe I''ll die. Or do I only die if I don''t fulfill my end of the Binding Vow? ¡­And will he die if I don''t become an Alter by then? Cy stared at the three moons against the dazzling Aquilanti spires. Starting from scratch tomorrow, that¡¯s 10 Levels in one Skill alone, every single year. Of course, The Painter does make that seem easy, but each Level requires exponentially more XP. On top of that, improving all those Skills to Level 10 doesn¡¯t give me any more Ryoku after the third Skill¡­ He tossed a shell into the sea. He tried to skip more across the water, but even the small waves made that impossible. I wonder what his training afterward will be like. I need to hit 2nd Rank by my System Unlock Day. That should be one of my goals, just need to get one Skill to Level 34.
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Reach Level 34 in a single Skill before your System Unlock Day.]
They say Magnus Tharlsson was a 3rd Rank on his System Unlock Day. I can¡¯t believe how, though. Even with this training. I guess if he started out young enough¡­ Cy laid down on the blanket. I''ve been so focused on becoming an Alter, I really am losing sight of Jules and Wrath. And the Apocalypse. But they¡¯re all three tied together, I know they are. I need to get stronger to protect him from others and himself. Still, I got what I needed, a chance. That was all I wanted my whole life, looking at everyone that had it so much better than me growing up. Just one person, one time, to give me my shot. And now I¡¯ve got it. Cy smiled to himself. He was grateful, but also proud. Now I can focus back on Jules, and share with him everything I¡¯m thinking and suspecting about this guy. I need to treat him like a mentor, yes, but also the potential threat that he is. Cy pulled out Isolda¡¯s copy of The Inked Arts from his Inventory. He''d need to read it to prepare for the coming journey. Thirty minutes in, Cy hadn''t turned the first page. He kept thinking about Jules, how pissed off he¡¯s been at me. He thought about Envy, and the wild situation she¡¯d been roped into suddenly. Cy thought about Coralhaven, and Liam and Evelyn, and how the adoption would never go through now. He thought about Patricia, and how she was treating the other orphans. Hopefully she¡¯s suffering somehow from my involvement. But I hope she¡¯s not taking it out on them. Then, for the first time in a long while, Cy thought about his own parents. He always hoped he¡¯d find them one day, or at least find out where they were, or who they were, if they¡¯d passed on.
[Quest Reminder: SSoaSS is still available.]
I haven''t thought about that Quest in years. Still don''t know what the hell SSoaSS even means. He swiped the Notification away. For now, all of that will have to wait. Completely unmotivated to read any further, Cy closed the book. He folded his blanket and spotted a nook between two palm trees where he could hang his hammock. Behind him, a piece of charred driftwood floated back onto shore. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 41 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 42 - Level
JULES
Jules knelt down on the dusty ground in the center of the arena. The crowd surrounded him from all angles and erupted into a mixture of applause and taunting. Soil, dirt, and small rocks crunched against the leather armor that covered his knees. Fake sunlight scorched him from above. The air above the ground shimmered like a mirage. Kat looks pretty good in her new armor. Jules watched her, also clad in leather armor, though it didn¡¯t look as clumsy on her, circle around her opponent. She looked tough, fierce, determined. She gripped an ashen bow in her left hand and wore an empty quiver on the small of her back. The Painter supplied her arrows whenever she drew for them. Just Archery left for Kat, and she¡¯s absolutely hating it, but she¡¯s nearly finished. Maybe she¡¯ll cap out this round and I won¡¯t have to fight her again, but with those injuries, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad a fight if it comes to it. Jules meditated while he had the chance. He often snuck it in while out of combat, which grew increasingly rarer. He wondered if The Painter was aware, or able to dip into his mind, but he had to go for it anyway. Cyrus, on the other hand, looked beat to hell. He was clearly tired, but still stoic and focused. Wouldn''t be so bad to fight Cy again. That iron armor encumbers his movement. He¡¯s been holding on by a thread for the last week. Sure he hates this right now, too, but he just needs one more Level in Heavy Armor and he¡¯s capped as well. So what you''re saying, Rukia thought, is that you''re gonna come in last place? We don''t finish last, Jules. Jules swatted her out of his mind. That should buy me a few minutes of peace. Relentless twerp. Cyrus traversed an invisible circle along with his opponent, Katarina. The iron armor looked as heavy as it looked stupid. He was slower because of it but also the only one in the group who could use the Skill effectively. Kat and I just Leveled it by taking hit after hit. Convenient when you can''t die. Oh, now Cy¡¯s getting defensive. Probably ready to get it over with. Here we go. Jules attempted to hush out the crowd and the atmosphere surrounding him. He felt the room they were in¡ªthe real room, at The Painter¡¯s art supply shop¡ªfor a brief moment, then he was back in the gladiator¡¯s arena. Kaizen watched as well, and Jules sensed how happy it made him. Wonder if The Painter made it a colosseum just for you? Jules knew he spoke to a brick wall¡ªhe couldn¡¯t communicate directly with Kaizen while meditating. Yet. The Painter stepped forward between the two combatants. ¡°Today is your final day of combat training. Finish out the day and earn your rest! Now, ready, set¡ª" ¡°And what about our bet?¡± Jules asked The Painter. Though Jules eyes¡¯ were closed, he could still sense the other smile through his voice. ¡°Yes, our little side wager, eh? I haven''t forgotten. For completing your training three days early, I¡¯ll tell you all about the Tragedy and the Horror. Fight well, my children!¡± He raised an arm, then flung it down to start the bout. Jules inhaled sharply and opened his eyes, fully focused on the fight. He¡¯d seen brutal combat between them in the preceding months, but he expected today would be a much lighter day. For their match, anyway. Neither will go easy on me. ¡°I said fight to the bloody death!¡± The Painter shouted, and he was joined in by howls and jeers from the crowd. Katarina knocked an arrow and loosed it at Cyrus, who took it full force. Jules laughed. ¡°Worth a shot,¡± he cried out to them. We¡¯re all still friends, after all. Cyrus rolled his eyes and lifted the shield he¡¯d been dragging through the dirt. He pressed towards Katarina. She ripped a dagger from its sheath with her right hand and sprinted toward him. She slammed the dagger down toward his shoulder. Always avoiding kill shots with Cy. Cy raised his shield and blocked the blade, then he grabbed her bow arm. Katarina planted her feet on his chest, released her dagger to grip his helm, and then turned 180 degrees and flipped around his head in one graceful movement. Jules¡¯ heart skipped a beat. For an instant, she stood on top of Cyrus. Katarina kicked off his shoulder and launched herself away from him. The force pushed Cyrus face first to the ground. Good. Maintain the distance. Knocked down, Cy should be an easy¡ª She loosed another arrow at Cyrus¡¯ back. How? Did she knock midair? Getting faster, better prepare myself. The arrow deflected off the armor. ¡°You never go that easy on me,¡± Jules shouted. Cyrus spun around and howled at Katarina. He¡¯s just trying to survive the beat down now, all his offensive Skills are Leveled Up like mine. Katarina knocked back three arrows simultaneously. Cyrus got low to reduce his target area. She blasted the arrows at him, and Cy dodged one. Wait, just one? The second arrow pierced through Cyrus¡¯ upper arm and knocked him off balance. The third arrow struck the dirt just next to his hand, which he¡¯d extended to catch himself from falling over. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop!¡± Everyone froze at their teacher''s voice, full of wrath. The Painter walked out and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s pointless for Envy to continue this fight. You won¡¯t take a kill shot, so Jules will fill in until Cyrus Levels Up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t put as much faith in your Restoration Skill as you do,¡± Katarina snapped. "Observe." From his open palm, The Painter shot an arrow at Cyrus, who parried it away. ¡°You don¡¯t put enough faith in your comrades.¡± I never even saw him form that arrow. But Cy did. ¡°I figured if I tried to hit a smaller target, like a bullseye, or a hand, then I could game the System.¡± ¡°Hm. Not a bad idea after all.¡± The Painter turned to study Cyrus¡¯ hand, but he was already using it to rip out the arrow in his arm. ¡°I hate being on the defensive only,¡± Cyrus complained. ¡°Children whine,¡± The Painter said. He looked at the ephemeral sky and sighed. ¡°Alright, Envy: hit Wrath. Wrath: get hit by Envy. Go.¡± He muttered to himself as he walked to Cyrus and healed the boy''s arm. ¡°Just take it, for both our sakes,¡± Katarina said. ¡°I¡¯m ready for my day off.¡± She knocked back three more arrows and charged each one with a Rune. The hair around her left ear lit up a little from underneath.
? Speed ?
Nah, I''ve got a better idea. One that doesn¡¯t involve me dying again. Jules ripped off his helmet and hurled it at her. One arrow struck it. He dove into the path of the other two arrows and twisted to avoid them, but he let one graze his leather armor. He rolled onto the ground and back to his feet, smiling. ¡°Idiot. What was that about?¡± ¡°Figured I can game the System, too. That helmet was still a part of my Inventory until it hit the ground, and I figured a graze would increase XP. Just wasn¡¯t enough. I thought you were right there, at the edge?¡± Katarina glared at him. "Like you''d ever know." He sprinted toward her. She scowled and leapt backward at various angles to keep her distance. Wait for it¡­ Katarina drew an arrow from her quiver¡ª Now! She slowed down to shoot it, but Jules lunged for her front leg with both arms. He looked into her wide eyes, then lifted her up and tripped her backward. Katarina wedged her free leg in between them as they fell and kicked him hard. Oof¡ª Nothing broken, at least. Jules still landed on top of her and pinned her down. But still nothing, dammit. Whoever Levels Up here first doesn¡¯t have to fight again. I¡¯m so tired already¡­ Katarina grabbed his head in a guillotine choke and pressed his head hard into her chest. She wrapped her legs around his back, just under his armpits. Jules leaned back in a deep squat and slammed her back onto the ground. With her grips loosened, Jules snuck out of her chokehold. They continued to wrestle for a while, and the crowd went wild. Eventually Katarina kicked him off of her and rolled back onto her feet. She quickly knocked an arrow, but Jules tackled her back to the ground, and she loosed the arrow straight up into the air, just as her back pinned to the ground. She pulled another arrow from the quiver and stabbed him in the forearm. Jules unbuckled a strap of his armor. See if this works to Level Up¡­ He wrapped it around her arm, entrapping it. He felt at the edge of Leveling Up¡ªbut she wrapped her bow around his head and twisted the string around his neck. Jules tried to peel the string off his carotid arteries. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, and her grimace turned into a smile. ¡°Sorry, Jules.¡± What? She flicked her eyes up to the sky. Oh shit. ¡°AHH!!¡± Jules fell back and tried to rip it out of his shoulder blade. The arrow she¡¯d shot straight up a moment before had finally come back down. ¡°Yes! Level 10!¡± She cut the bow string with a dagger. Jules coughed up blood. She rose and dusted herself off, then threw her broken bow onto the ground and walked away. ¡°Thanks Salvos that¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I think you pierced my¡ªhack¡ªlung. From the top.¡± Jules wheezed and focused on spot-healing his wound. Both he and Katarina had Leveled Up their Regeneration Skills into the 30s by now. ¡°Envy has proven her combat prowess once again,¡± The Painter said. He bit into an apple. ¡°You two are limited matches for her. She excels at extremely close distances, plus her intuition, agility, and knowledge of leverage keep you all at bay so you can¡¯t use your own strengths. That, and she has an uncanny ability to predict your utter stupidity.¡± Katarina smirked at Jules. ¡°Don¡¯t let that get to your head, dear. You¡¯re no match for Jules when he¡¯s not restricted to Leveling Up Skills he hates, and both of these toddlers are far superior to you in magic. In a real fight, you and Cyrus would be an even match.¡± Katarina scoffed and joined Rukia and Whiskers at the side of the arena. The Painter studied both the boys. Nope. Hellllll no. "Alright, let''s take five," Jules said. ¡°Hm, you know, I think I¡¯d rather have you two fight ragged. I''d say you¡¯re good to start now.¡± Jules sighed, and Cyrus rushed him. He closed the distance immediately, but could only slice at the air as Jules dodged him. Cy¡¯s grown a lot. Never shies from killing blows anymore, either. I obviously won¡¯t go for it, and neither will Kat, but it would be more responsible for us to get the practice in¡­ Still, Kat and I know what it feels like to die and come back, so we¡¯ve kinda agreed to a non-spoken peace treaty¡ª Shit, that one was close! We all know Cy has to train this way, though. Best for everyone involved. Maybe I should lean into The Painter on this one and try it out, just once. Could do Cy some good. Jules'' fresh wound slowed his movements, so he just danced around Cyrus¡¯ curved sword while he meditated and healed his lung. Wait for the right moment. You''re doing too much at once, Rukia chided him. You already lost first place, don''t get last¡ª Scram, fox. Jules parried a blow, instead of dodging it this time. ¡°Cheater,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°You try using one lung." The two went in full force, blow for blow. They were pretty evenly matched¡ªJules had a speed advantage in defense with light armor, and Cyrus had the speed advantage of offense, with his curved sword accelerating faster than Jules¡¯ longsword. Even though Cyrus had an extra lung, each friend received a heavy beating from the other. Jules pulled back from one particular slash that almost took his head off. Decapitation would be a new way to go. He stepped back and felt a slice split across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Rage and fire took hold around his eyes and cauterized the wound shut, separate from his Regeneration Skill. Make note of that, could come in use later. Jules took to the offensive now. Gonna make The Painter and Cy both work here. He slashed wildly, left to right, from armor to blade, to blade to armor. Show you what it¡¯s like to face death. Jules slashed at Cyrus¡¯ exposed neck. Time slowed down. Jules saw his friend¡¯s eyes grow wide. Cyrus hesitated to block the blow, and it was too late for Jules to pull back. He¡¯s distracted¡ª The blade crushed into Cyrus¡¯ neck and sent him flying back into the stands. Terror gripped Jules as Cyrus landed on a group of flattened spectators. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 42 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 43 - Alive
JULES
¡°Cy!¡± Jules and Katarina both sprinted to him. ¡°Jules, what the fuck!? We promised,¡± she shouted. The Painter appeared before them both with a grin. Jules grabbed Katarina''s shoulder and pulled her back. ¡°He¡¯s OK.¡± They all looked up at Cyrus, laid out on his back on top of the spectators¡¯ evaporating corpses. He gave them a thumbs up. ¡°I coat him in magic armor every day, underneath his real armor. You two have just never realized¡ª¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you hesitate?¡± Jules demanded. A speechless Cyrus held up ten fingers, all still intact. Oh. You hit Level 10. ¡°So, Jules¡­ Did you Level Up as well?¡± The Painter asked. Katarina inched away from them. Rukia hid underneath a bench. Whiskers hauled ass away. ¡°Uh, no. I¡¯m still at Level 9.¡± The Painter furrowed his brow. "Hm. Pity, eh?" The Alter raised a palm to Jules. OK, try to see how he forms the arrow this¡ª A wide beam of energy blasted Jules to ribbons.
When Jules'' Regeneration finally revived him, The Painter snapped his fingers over Jules¡¯ head. Jules opened his eyes. Twelve people stood over him. "Wrath?" Nine people. ¡°How about now?¡± Six people. "Did you Level Up?" Three people¡ªCyrus, Katarina, and The Painter, who all snapped in Jules'' face. Jules fumbled around for his Menu.
[Pang! Light Armor increased to Level 10.] [Pang! Light Armor increased to Level 11.] [Pang! Light Armor increased to Level 12.] [Pang! Light Armor increased to Level 13.]
"Few times." He gave them all a thumbs up, though some of his other fingers were missing. The colosseum had disappeared, and they were back in the art supply shop. Suppose I never really left, but I haven¡¯t seen this place in months. Jules enjoyed the peaceful silence.
[Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Level Up all combat Skills to 10.]
Son of a bitch System¡ª ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve won the bet.¡± The Painter plopped down into his bean bag chair and spread out his arms. Cyrus and Katarina walked over to their usual chairs and were joined by Rukia and Whiskers. Not fully Regenerated, only Jules¡¯ arms worked, so he army crawled his trembling body over to the feet of his chair. He left a kind of snail trail of blood on the creaky wooden floors. ¡°Thanks for the help, even if it helped me win the bet,¡± Jules said. He stared at the legs of Katarina''s chair. ¡°You would''ve made it today, anyway. I just gave you a little boost to save my own time.¡± Can''t. Move. But I bet that fucker''s looking at Cy right now. ¡°So, Envy, which story do you want to hear first?¡± Asshole. Katarina pet Rukia head to tail. Traitorous bitch. Now, now, Julesie, Rukia chided. Katarina eyed Jules, still strung out on the floor, healing himself. ¡°Sloth seems appropriate.¡± Whiskers failed to suppress a laugh. Too tired¡­ to insult¡­ further¡­ An involuntary wheezing, gasping, rasping croak escaped Jules'' mouth. Oh thank Salvos¡ªtwo working lungs. Finally.
[Pang! Regeneration increased to Level 34.]
¡°Ah, yes. The Horror of Sloth, as it¡¯s known by all. Even the Church calls it that, though for a very different reason altogether. Our hero was born in Zenithoria, the central most trading hub of Zephyria¡ªall of Salvatica, really¡ªon that Fateful Night. He was captured sometime before midmorning the following day. A few of the more zealous Commanders of The Fleet surrounded his home and, after slaughtering everyone there, flew him to Solstice Keep.¡± ¡°All the way to Obsidia? Why there?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Idiot," Whiskers said. "That¡¯s where the Church of Salvos is based.¡± Idiot? That''s Kat''s line. Copycat. CopyKat. Oh ow! My spleen, my spleen¡ª ¡°He was held captive for around the first two years of his life. Tormented, tortured every day. Murdered often. Can¡¯t imagine what that does to you mentally.¡± ¡°Lemme fuckin¡¯ tell ya,¡± Jules muttered. "Surely it messes with you," The Painter continued. "Well, thanks to Sloth''s capture, the Church¡ªand everyone else¡ªlearned about Arcanic Regeneration, which incidentally led to the Calamity of Charity by the same cabal. I''m not sure they gathered as much knowledge about Regeneration as I have these past few months." "Oh yeah, like what?" Jules asked. "It consumes all your Ryoku, for one, and it appears it can take you into negative territory." "And for two?" "Ha! I am working on another theory, but I''ve healed you both before, a few times. Not sure if you noticed, but I''m trying to figure out how much Ryoku it takes to revive and Regenerate you. It''s actually fascinating, the ratio of¡ª" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Can you fucking do it right now?" "No, I need to conserve my Ryoku for another excursion, and you need the XP." "I¡­ You¡­" Nah, I got nothing. ¡°Back to our story, obviously Sloth made no attempt to escape, seeing as he was a baby, but no one came for him. He had no family, no allies. And his location was very public. A media frenzy. Until one day, he vanished.¡± ¡°Vanished?¡± ¡°Vanished. Without a trace¡ªAt first, and to an untrained eye.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°His sloth saved him.¡± ¡°You mean his Familiar is a sloth?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, what else would you expect?" Rukia said. "I don''t know¡ªbut when I think of Wrath, I think of a lion, not a fox." "Oh trust me. She''s full of rage." Jules spoke into a small puddle of pooling blood, still facedown on the floor. ¡°Anyway, he was rescued in an extraction mission¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that a two-year-old sloth saved him from the clutches of the Church and Maidens, alone? I don¡¯t buy it.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± The Painter¡¯s eyes changed colors wildly. ¡°So, who was the outside help? That, I am afraid, is unknown even to me. Safe to say it wasn¡¯t any of the other Arcanics, given your ages at the time.¡± ¡°Was it you?¡± Jules asked. He was too tired to try to imply anything and figured a direct approach might work. ¡°I suspect it was a colleague of mine, but no. I tried to¡­ visit Sloth once. There were unforeseen complications to the matter. It would have have been nice for me to have had that Regeneration knowledge back then. Regardless, a sloth appeared near the detainment camp one day.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they think that was kinda odd?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Of course they did, but then dozens of sloths showed up that night¡ªand sloths aren¡¯t native for over hundreds of miles¡ª¡± ¡°So that outside help,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Obviously, let the man finish,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Thank you, Envy. Anyway, by then, the Church had learned about Familiars from the Virtues, but they did not know that the Sins also had them, as Greed would be caught much later in life. When the first sloth came, I¡¯m sure they joked about it. No one knew he was actually Sloth until much later. But when there were nearly a hundred¡­ Well, they didn¡¯t have much time left, anyway.¡± ¡°So how¡¯d he escape?¡± Jules asked. ¡°He vanished, along with all the sloths. Only one witness was left behind. He¡¯d just joined the ranks that week. The rest were massacred, tortured to death in similar ways they¡¯d tormented Sloth. And that witness? They did something special to him. They gouged out his eyes and left him blind. He told the Church they left him a message, that though he didn¡¯t participate in the torture, he had turned a blind eye¡­Ha! Now that¡¯s poetry in motion.¡± ¡°So the Church calls it the Horror of Sloth because of what happened to the Inquisitors, not for what they did to Sloth.¡± ¡°That, and the horror that they let a Sin escape from right under their upturned noses, without a trace.¡± He took another bite from his apple, right near the core. ¡°Anyway, after hearing that story, would you still like to hear the Tragedy of Greed?¡± Jules stared at Katarina''s chair for a while longer. Eventually, his legs worked again, so he hoisted himself up on his chair. Katarina and Cyrus both looked down the entire time. ¡°Yes," Jules answered. "We need to know.¡± The room around them turned into a desert. Sand whipped around Jules¡¯ face and into his eyes. ¡°He was born to a nomadic desert tribe in Hinomura. Unlike Sloth, Greed lived his young childhood with his family. But when he was five years old, the Iron Maidens, which now had a true form and strength behind them, captured him with the aid of the Elementalists.¡± ¡°The Elementalists? Why would they bother with religious affairs?¡± ¡°The Church is not apolitical, Cyrus. The Elementalists were at war with the Nomads again, but you wouldn¡¯t have learned about the Sixteenth War between the Nomads and Elementalists in your history books. The Church suppressed it all because they used the war as a proxy to capture a Sin. If word of that got out, well, they need to keep the population in check to capture another one, should the opportunity arise¡­¡± ¡°Plus, the Church likes to keep their optics fresh,¡± Katarina said. Kat really hates the Church. ¡°Ah, yes. Anyway, the truth is tens of thousands died to capture Greed. The Elementalists won, so keeping their victory secret was an easy task for the Church of Salvos, who further bribed the Elementalists for their silence.¡± ¡°That must be why the Nomads shut themselves off from society,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, they only speak to the Elders of the Verdant Domain, along with some other Factions... Ah, you know, I once traveled¡ª" The Painter cut himself off. His eyes shimmered, seemed to almost change color. "Eh, back to the story. By now, the Church was familiar with¡­Familiars¡­ However, Greed¡¯s was not found. And not only that, but no Nomad who was interrogated knew what animal the Familiar was, or at least admitted to it.¡± Jules reached to pet Rukia¡¯s head, but she was on Katarina¡¯s lap. Instead, he found Whiskers¡¯ head by his feet, so he scratched him between the ears. ¡°Greed was held in captivity for two full years, from five to seven years old. You should surely beware of him, as well. Endless torment makes you loopy, after all.¡± The Painter smirked at Jules. ¡°Did his Familiar save him, too?¡± ¡°Possibly. Probably. Multiple Nomadic tribes banded together after the war in secret to free him. I never found out where he was being kept, but I do know it wasn¡¯t Solstice Keep again.¡± ¡°Some info broker you are. A band of freedom fighters waging war against a cult and a religion¡­ Sounds like a good story for a child.¡± ¡°You wound me, Envy." The Painter bit into his apple''s core and split it in two. "They did rescue him, and it¡¯s rumored that Greed floats tribe-to-tribe now, constantly keeping his identity and location hidden. In fact, he¡¯s the first person ever to be welcomed like that. When you are born to a Nomad clan, you are forever bound to that single clan for life, but Greed knows no bounds. It would appear he is a unifier of his people.¡± The Painter turned to his two favorite pupils. ¡°He has certainly been the most interesting Arcanic to watch so far.¡± Jules was unfazed by the insult. ¡°Sounds like you have a general idea where he is.¡± ¡°A general idea? Of course I do. I have a general idea where every Arcanic is¡­¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d answer all our questions, so spill it.¡± ¡°Eh, no. Not today. You need to rest for your next round of training. When you complete magic and crafting, we will have more story time. But for now, children, rest up.¡± ¡°What does Greed look like?¡± Jules asked. He thought back to the time he¡¯d woken up in a dream, in someone else¡¯s body in the desert. Was that him? ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 43 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Horror of Sloth'' by BS Snelliott Sloth was born into the slums of Zenithoria to a family and home poor of Ryoku, taste, literacy, and spirit. His own family members were regularly seen hustling outside of their local Church, scrounging and scraping for whatever they could get by on to avoid a hard day¡¯s work, when world¡¯s entire trade route is virtually thanks to Zephyria¡¯s Fleet¡ªTruly, there was no other Sin or Virtue that could have been born into this decrepit family, void of any ounce of diligence. Rumors had already spread, accusing his parents of attempting to sell him to the Church, to wipe clear their growing debts, as his mother¡¯s due date fell on the day of The Fateful Night. Foolish though they were to publicize this information, they at least alerted the right (and righteous) people, who called in the fledging Iron Maidens. Still a start up at the time, Her Holiness received aid from The Fleet to capture the sinful demon hours after his birth. The parents fought hard for their child¡ªof course I should rather say for their bounty¡ªand killed two members of The Fleet while still demanding payment! Swift justice was served to them and all other family members trying to get in on their racket of a deal. The Fleet carefully transported the babe in one piece to Solstice Keep, home of The Holy Church of Salvos. Sloth was safely detained and cared for, mostly undisturbed, for two years while Her Holiness The Iron Maiden studied her first subject. Despite the mounting public outcry for his head, Her Holiness forbade any foul play against the child, as he could still possibly maintain his innocence through growth and proper treatment. Of course, there was the mishap that led to the discovery of Sinful Regeneration, but one should research that topic¡ªahem¡ªelsewhere. After his two-year stint, it is reported that a motley crew of sloths appeared, in Solstice Keep of all places. Some reports say a couple, others say dozens, and of course the sole survivor of the horror itself claimed there were hundreds of sloths. The survivor, his name long lost to history and destroyed employment records, ultimately lost his vision, so I shall leave his distorted hyperbole to the reader¡¯s judgment. Whichever account you choose to believe, the Horror followed the sloths¡¯ arrival. Every Preacher, Pastor, Squire, Inquisitor, and Altar Boy around were massacred, tortured to death, in all sorts of vile manners. Truly, Her Holiness The Iron Maiden should have killed the babe when she had the chance. The sole survivor had his eyes gouged out before he was left behind. He claims that, though he did not partake in any of Sloth¡¯s torture [Publisher¡¯s Note: These are the views upheld by records reported from The Guards of Solstice Keep, and in no way represent the opinions of the Author, Publisher, or that of the official statement decreed by Her Holiness The Iron Maiden Herself on the matter.], but instead turned a blind eye. How quaint. Thus, the Horror ended, and Sloth disappeared back into Salvatica without a trace. Ch 44 - Fountain of Youth
JULES
The Painter¡¯s smile grew crooked and wicked. Then he disappeared. Jules could tell he was actually gone this time. Sometimes their teacher would leave for hours, sometimes days, but never more than a few. Cyrus and Katarina melted into their chairs in silence. Jules'' Regeneration would need another hour. At least. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± Cyrus got up first. Katarina sighed heavily and forced herself up as well. ¡°Same.¡± ¡°Where are you two going?¡± Jules basked in the pulsing relief of a healed spleen. ¡°Wander around. By myself.¡± Katarina looked at Whiskers when she said it. He purred, but Jules thought he blushed, like he was embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna explore, see where I end up.¡± Cyrus faced Jules. ¡°Kinda like you that one night.¡± Jules laughed. ¡°Busted.¡± ¡°Yeah, I woke up and saw you were gone. But I understood, so I stayed back.¡± ¡°What will you do, laze around some more?¡± Katarina crossed her arms. Jules spread his limbs out like a starfish. ¡°Kaizen said to meditate, so meditate it is. Especially while he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to let the pets out, Jules.¡± Whiskers hissed at Cyrus. "Jules," Rukia jerked her head at Katarina and Cyrus. "Today''s the day." ¡°Right¡ªyou two¡ªat some point today, I¡¯m going to try to reach out to you while you¡¯re gone. In your mind. Part of my training.¡± ¡°Sounds like a breach of privacy,¡± Katarina said. ¡°It won¡¯t last long, and I won¡¯t pry. In fact, you should resist it as much as possible. I¡¯ll just try to see where you are, is all. Kaizen said it¡¯s important to learn this technique. Might be good for you to learn how to fight back.¡± ¡°Invade all you want, Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of fighting. I¡¯m taking my full day off to enjoy myself and rest up before it¡¯s back to the grinding stone.¡± ¡°If you pry, you die.¡± Katarina glared at him, and Jules gulped. Then the two of them left the art supply store for the first time in months. The two animals turned their attention to Jules, but he was already meditating.
Jules stopped walking in the middle of the street, closed his eyes, and inhaled through his nose, slowly and deeply. For one moment, just one moment, he''d ignore his stalkers to take in the scenery. Salt in the air. Real salt. And fish. Freshly baked croissants. Citrus. A hint of saffron. Wait, what¡¯s this¡ªteriyaki, this early? Oh. Oh fuck yes. Brilliant¡ª Agh, gross! Is that B.O.? Jules opened his eyes and wrinkled his nose. A mammoth of a man who looked like he¡¯d been at sea for seven years walked past him. The smell faded with him. He watched as a crowd of people hustled about their mornings all around him, rushing through the morning foot traffic. Docking boats blared their horns. Birds chirped and cawed, people laughed. Jules felt sunlight, real sunlight, on his pale skin for the first time in a half-year. I have been tan my entire life until now. I guess not even The Painter can simulate the sun. He raised tilted his head to the sky. Rays of light fell onto his back, but so too did a pair of eyes. A salivating Jules ran over to several food stands and gorged himself on a variety of fruit and pastries. When he had just primed his appetite, he surveyed the streets, but didn''t see anyone following him. Fine, I give up. Jules focused on sensing Cyrus and Katarina through his Telepathy Skill. Big surprise, Cy¡¯s back there. Again. Sweet Salvos, dude, give it a break. Jules released his focus on Cyrus and shifted to Katarina. So it seems Kat¡¯s the one following me, with Whiskers close behind. Good. Figured they¡¯d be curious that I left this time. Kaizen is expecting us all.
[Pang! Telepathy increased to Level 15.]
Rukia shifted in Jules¡¯ backpack. He felt guilty about this heat, but for now, it was the only safe way to travel through town with her in broad daylight. An odd combination of relief and adrenaline carried Jules through Aquilantis. He swiped his hand in the L-formation to look at his most recent accomplishments.
[Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Level Up all magic Skills to 10.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Level Up all crafting Skills to 10.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up your preferred Skills to Level 20.]
Level 10 transformations are finally done. Crafting sucks, but combat and magic were worthwhile. It was their final day off for the foreseeable future, and he wanted to spend it with Rukia and Kaizen; Katarina and Whiskers would be bonus company. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Three kids carrying a shoddy hand cart cut him off and crossed the road. Jules paused to smile. He felt nostalgic about a moment that felt like an entire lifetime ago. Don¡¯t dwell on it. Stay focused. Jules looked over his shoulder. He wanted to make sure Katarina noticed the scene as well. To mess with Kaizen, he took a long and convoluted route to the Fountain of the Virtues. I''ll test his patience for once. He walked to another food stand and bought four servings of raw fish on rice balls. He left two behind for his pursuers, to let them know he was onto them. They caught up to him moments later. ¡°Not very stealthy, either one of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cheating when you can track me anywhere I go.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have to sense you to feel your presence, Kat. But I did want you to follow. There¡¯s someone I want you to meet.¡± ¡°Figured there has to be a good reason for you to break your monk''s vow and step outside for once. The real world reeks, doesn''t it?" "Eh, only sometimes." Katarina shuddered. "Please don''t say that word." Her face fell flat. A shit-eating grin spread across Jules'' lips. "What''s the matter, eh? Don''t like the new way I talk, eh?" "Ugh." Katarina shook her head. "I despise that man." "Eh, The Painter''s not that bad. We''ve come a long way¡ª" "To get a break from him. One more word about him, and I''m gone. Can it." Katarina walked a few steps ahead of Jules, who couldn''t think up a clever response before they reached the plaza. "Last time I was here with you¡­" "You probably wanted to kill me," Katarina said. "If only for a second." Yep. Jules laid out a blanket for them and pulled out a picnic basket from his Inventory. He set placemats and glasses for five. "Want me to silence us?" Salvos, what''d I say this time? "Whatever, sure." Katarina looked off to the Fountain and the cliffs. Jules invoked his Seal.
? Muffle ? ? Conceal ? [?6,700 // ?10,000]
Jules took out some fruit, pastries, and sushi, plus a bottle of booze that he''d stolen from The Painter. "Check out this wine."
[Item: Hinomura Desert Wine. Exceptionally rare. Value of ?10k+. (Stolen)]
Katarina ripped the bottle away from him to study it. ¡°Seems like it pairs perfectly with our celebration. Cheers to perfect 10s across the board.¡± She poured only two glasses, for him and for herself. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve had the best time of my life with you four,¡± Jules said. ¡°Fighting, getting stronger, building our trust together.¡± ¡°Only four, huh? Guess you¡¯re leaving out Whiskers from that count.¡± The cat angrily mewed back at her. ¡°Of course. I¡¯d trust The Painter over a bad luck omen any day.¡± Jules rubbed the kitten''s head to further annoy him. Katarina went to cheers, but Jules held back. She held her glass there, awkwardly, frowning. You could use some patience, too. Katarina looked at the Fountain of the Virtues. ¡°So why bring me here now? Didn¡¯t trust me before?¡± She lifted the glass to her lips, but restrained herself from drinking without a toast. ¡°Of course I trust you. First of all, I couldn¡¯t have introduced you two sooner because I lacked the Telepathy Skill Level. Second, he¡¯s finally gone. Out-of-the-city-gone, so it¡¯s the perfect chance.¡± ¡°You can sense him now, too?¡± ¡°For a while now, yeah. At first he would screw with me, making me think he was gone when he wasn''t, but over time I''ve learned to separate the noise and¡ª" ¡°And you believe that it¡¯s real¡ªreal information? No illusions?¡± ¡°Telepathy is Level 15, so¡ª¡± ¡°Idiot,¡± she whispered. She shook her head and placed her glass back on the blanket. ¡°You put too much faith in yourself and underestimate our instructor. Level 15 versus an Alter, I swear." ¡°It¡¯s not just me who¡¯s certain I¡¯m right, Kat. I''ll let him tell you." Jules'' eyes and Seal lit up white.
? Summon ? [?4,200 // ?10,000]
Kaizen¡¯s ghost materialized in front of the three of them. He sat tailor style between them. Rukia wriggled about inside Jules'' backpack. Oh yeah¡ª ¡°Hello, Wrath,¡± Whiskers said. Kaizen twisted his knuckles into the cat¡¯s head. He made brief contact before his rough hand turned ethereal and slipped through Whiskers. Well that''s an improvement. Then Kaizen reached through Jules¡¯ backpack to give Rukia some love. The fox giggled. Hm, seems like he can always touch Rukia, though. Jules let her out of his pack, and she climbed into Kaizen''s lap without a word. Lastly, Kaizen turned to face Katarina. ¡°Hello, Envy,¡± he said with a warm smile. For a moment, Jules wished he were more like Kaizen. ¡°I prefer¡ª¡± ¡°Address her as Katarina, if you would,¡± Whiskers said flatly. ¡°You look just like her,¡± Kaizen whispered. His smile transitioned into a solemn frown. The red flush of Katarina''s cheeks faded away. She seemed confused to Jules. ¡°Why come now, Jules? Better be an emergency. I¡¯ve been on edge all day since you left your little stronghold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a grueling half to this year. Kat and I have put Greed and Sloth¡¯s punishments to the test. We¡¯ve died hundreds of times, and surely more are to come.¡± ¡°OK, that¡¯s not at all what I asked, but I¡¯ll play along.¡± ¡°Surrounded by idiots,¡± Katarina muttered. Kaizen looked back and forth between the two Sins suspiciously, devilishly even. ¡°Say, have you two noticed anything different between the two of you?¡± Kaizen asked. ¡°We have faster Regeneration,¡± Katarina said. Kaizen laughed. ¡°Not what I was asking, but that is good. I could grow back an arm in minutes, there at the end¡­¡± Trailing off again, probably realized he said too much. Kat still doesn¡¯t know about Kaizen¡¯s battle for the Apocalypse. Not that I know much about it, either. Jules changed the subject. ¡°Cy''s back in control. I can tell he¡¯s more focused on our mission again, though I am worried about where he¡¯s been going¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m so exhausted.¡± Katarina clanked her glass to his, then she took a long swig of wine. Whiskers climbed into her lap. ¡°Yeah, me too. I like the stimulation of battle, though. Not sure what that says about me as a Sin, and Wrath at that. Crafting Skills were boring as hell for me, but still, the progress through it was rewarding enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever take my System Notifications off silent again. The relentless panging was going to drive me insane faster than dying every day.¡± Jules laughed. Kaizen smiled at them both. ¡°Yeah, after combat was over, Cy really took to killing us with magic. I guess crafting wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Decent break at least.¡± "Because I tried all the poisons." "Yeah, because Kat¡­ You were supposed to be making potions. You just suck at Alchemy." "Sounds about right," Kaizen chimed in. ¡°He has become more aware of your vulnerabilities and weaknesses.¡± Whiskers brought them all back down to earth. ¡°True. What he thought was our greatest asset, he¡¯s now starting to see as the curse it really is.¡± ¡°Sounds bad when you say it like that,¡± Katarina said. ¡°It¡¯s really not,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°It¡¯s good that he knows your weaknesses. It will help him protect you in the future, and it shines a light on them today, so you are also aware. I was happy to see you two stop holding back with Cy, and at least trust The Painter to keep him alive. He doesn¡¯t need a false sense of security either. I¡¯m proud of you three.¡± Rukia laughed at the ghost. Kaizen furrowed his brow and hawked a loogie off to the side of their picnic. Katarina wrinkled her face in disgust, and Jules joined in with Rukia. ¡°He hates that word, Pride.¡± Kaizen winced again at the sound. ¡°But I agree. Plus, I¡¯ve made sure to ask a lot of questions about the Arcanics being studied, tortured, killed¡­that¡¯s helped keep Cy focused. He still wants to be an Alter for his own reasons, which I''m happy for, but he¡¯s also more aware of how much we are actually going to need him as our teammate.¡± ¡°So¡­no emergency.¡± Kaizen looked around at all the passersby. ¡°You just risked your life to chit chat, then?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jules filled their glasses again. Katarina lifted her glass to her lips. ¡°And cut the act. I can''t hide my thoughts from you two, yet. I brought us all here because I am terrified.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 44 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 45 - The Gambler
JULES
¡°He scares me, too.¡± Katarina refrained from taking another sip. ¡°The Painter, eh?¡± Katarina winced. Kaizen stroked his chin in thought. ¡°He¡¯s on a mission, a singular mission. Everything he does funnels back to it, I can feel it. And I suspect he¡¯s in my mind at times, especially while meditating.¡± ¡°I find him looking at you and Cy more than us." Katarina stroked Whiskers'' fur. ¡°First, fill me in. I need the whole picture,¡± Kaizen said. "What Skills called your name, as The Painter put it? Ladies first." He winked at Katarina. "Daggers, Restoration, and Tailoring¡ª" "So Sewing is a combat Skill after all." "Cut the sexist crap, Jules," she snapped back. "It''s an ode to Pop. I focused on Tailoring The Painter''s Forged weapons and armor. We''ll need someone to maintain our equipment. These idiots," she said to Kaizen, "didn''t learn a single lesson from crafting." "Ya know, I was something of a master cook and brewer myself," Kaizen bragged. "I''ll just buy stuff with Cy''s money." Jules took a sip of his wine. "Conjuration, Blades, Mixed Armor, and Elemental Control, with a focus on fire magic, for me." "You''d do well to only focus on three," Whiskers said. "Any blades in particular?" Kaizen asked. "I have one in mind." Jules'' red-stained teeth spread into a grin. "I see." Yeah, I bet you do. "And Cyrus?" "Elemental Magic, Blades, Transmutation, and Mercantile." "You guys are better off focusing on three for now, especially Cy¡­" Katarina muttered. Whiskers purred in agreement from her lap. "True," Jules conceded. "It''d be better if he just focused on one to hit Level 100, like Mercantile. Then we''d at least be wanted and rich." "Well, Jules, your Skill selection certainly feels¡­" Rukia looked from Kaizen to Jules, then to the other two, biding her time. "¡­Familiar." Whiskers yawned. ¡°But after all this time, we still don¡¯t have answers to any of The Painter''s three questions.¡± ¡°Not that we¡¯ve had much time, Jules.¡± Katarina raised her glass again. Jules noticed the faint scar on her hand. Why does she suppress healing that wound? I¡¯m sure it was one of the more painful injuries I gave her¡­ ¡°But he said he¡¯d be gone for a few weeks. I didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d actually be gone, but I¡¯ll trust you on this one.¡± ¡°He expects them to get their preferred Skills to Level 20 by the time he returns,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°I¡¯m certain that whatever he is doing, it¡¯s tied back to our children and his bigger plans.¡± ¡°The real training starts soon, and we need a new plan of action,¡± Jules said. ¡°Why not bring Cy, then?¡± Kaizen asked. Can¡¯t you read my mind? You don''t even realize, Kaizen''s thoughts bled into Jules'' mind, that your walls are increasing already. ¡°Cy and I¡­ We just have that understanding. We looked at each other when we left this morning, and we both grasped each other¡¯s position. He knew this was the only place I¡¯d go, and he knew it¡¯d be stupid to come with me. Plus, he¡¯s busy with his own¡­business. He knows he¡¯ll get stronger by staying with us, and he knows I won¡¯t hold him back from his dream.¡± ¡°Ugh. Men.¡± Katarina rolled her eyes. ¡°Where is he, anyway?¡± Jules laughed and shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s spent all three of his days off at the casino.¡± Jules waited for her to call Cyrus an idiot, or a moron, but she bit her tongue. ¡°Anyway, I vote we finish our training.¡± Despite my fear. ¡°What!?¡± Katarina balked. ¡°Why bring us here, then?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not the leader, I don¡¯t make all the decisions. Cy¡¯s made it clear he¡¯ll defer his vote to me, but that doesn¡¯t mean you all have to. The Painter''s training has been incredibly effective for us, and he hasn¡¯t learned too much about us. We still have an advantage¡ª¡± ¡°For now, Jules. The next stage of training may change that, tip the scale in his favor. Far in his favor.¡± ¡°You have no idea how long that will take, either,¡± Whiskers said. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°We''ll be Level 20 in three Skills in just a few weeks, something that would have seemed impossible to us when we met.¡± ¡°Because it is impossible." Katarina swept a strand of hair behind her ear. "To most¡­¡± Yeah, I know. We have the advantage of training beyond our limits, and Cy is constantly being healed by The Painter. ¡°We¡¯ll be at least 2nd Rank by our System Unlock Day at this rate. We could make it to 3rd Rank.¡± ¡°The longer we wait¡­¡± Katarina hugged her knees. ¡°I know, Kat, I know. You miss your father.¡± Jules grabbed her hand. ¡°I miss mine too. My mother, even. But we are strong now, and we''re only getting stronger. It¡¯s time to shift our focus from our safety to the Apocalypse.¡± She squeezed his hand back. ¡°And you think you cause it?¡± Whiskers asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what does. Kaizen?¡± ¡°Sorry, Jules. Rules. Now¡¯s not a good time to break them, and¡ª¡± ¡°So you are selective about that.¡± ¡°Ha, I walked into that one. Of course I am.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we run while he¡¯s gone?¡± Katarina asked. ¡°If I can sense him¡­¡± ¡°I get it." Katarina sighed. "You fool, he has you in his grasp. I was so worried about Cy falling to power that I didn¡¯t worry about you.¡± Rukia stood at attention. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Jules more confident in himself, Kat.¡± Katarina blushed and withdrew her hand. ¡°In the spirit of transparency,¡± Jules said, ¡°there is one more thing I¡¯d like to get off my chest. Coralhaven has been calling to me, day and night. I¡¯m not sure why. Maybe Wrath is still back there somehow?¡± Jules looked back at the Fountain''s pillar of Patience. ¡°It¡¯s the Sound that you heard, Jules." ¡°What sound?¡± ¡°The Sound," Kaizen said. "Your greatest weapon. A piece of it, anyway. You will have to go back there.¡± Kaizen glanced at the pillar as well. Right.
[New Quest Available: The Sound and the Fury] [New Reward Available for The Sound and the Fury: The Sound of Fury] [The Sound and the Fury ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find the missing piece in Coralhaven.]
¡°...Seems I am still struggling with patience. How important is it, this Sound?¡± ¡°There will come a point when it is more important to you than even I, but you are not ready for it yet, Jules. Best to wait.¡± ¡°This is insufferable,¡± Katarina said. Jules tried not to sense her emotions, but sometimes he couldn¡¯t control his ability. I sense your sadness¡­your longing and desire. Could it be you want your own incarnation, like Kaizen? ¡°Is Katarina simply along for the ride?¡± Whiskers asked. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan, but it¡¯s a plan. I still don¡¯t have a goal myself, so I¡¯ll continue on with Jules until then.¡± ¡°I pray that your paths continue to collide,¡± Kaizen said. Now¡¯s not the time to reminisce, geezer. ¡°You said yet, so when will I be ready?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Not I, Jules, but we." Kaizen crossed his arms. "When will we be ready? You can¡¯t face this alone.¡± Selfish idiot. Salvos, do I hate patience. ¡°I see...¡± ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you all,¡± Kaizen said, ¡°I will advise you when it¡¯s time to leave. You will come collect me then, Jules, and not before. You¡¯ll be ready for that much sooner, but you will wait.¡± ¡°And you really think Cy will go along with that?¡± Katarina asked. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to. The Painter will stay nearby. We can¡¯t really ditch him. They¡¯ll stay in touch, but he¡¯ll be at a safer distance. Cy has sacrificed so much for me, I want to see him achieve his goals, too.¡± ¡°So we all get what we want.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s the plan.¡± Whiskers scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ll be a leader yet, Jules.¡± Jules filled a saucer with milk for the cat, and he and Katarina enjoyed their food. Kaizen stayed with them for a time while they all reminisced about some of the funnier moments from training. After an hour or so, they packed up, and Kaizen disappeared into the void. Jules grabbed Katarina¡¯s wrist before they went back. ¡°Kat¡­ Do you ever have dreams?¡± She looked puzzled and slightly hostile. ¡°I haven¡¯t been prying in your sleep, I¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. Every time I sleep. I dream of the night I was¡ªthat we were born.¡± ¡°I dream of you every time I fall asleep.¡± Although it¡¯s not quite you. Is she blushing? ¡°Though I haven¡¯t slept much because of training, and if I can, I usually meditate. But sometimes when I die, I dream for a while in between. Do you ever dream of me?¡± ¡°Uh, sorry Jules¡­¡± Hm, seems hers are very different. They have to be connected somehow, though. ¡°It¡¯s OK. I¡¯ve just been curious, is all. I think they''re somehow connected. Anyway, let¡¯s head back.¡±
The sun eventually set, and Cyrus returned to the art supply store. The group filled him in on their meeting with Kaizen. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine by me,¡± he said. ¡°I figured that was our only choice a while back. Gotta admit, though, I didn¡¯t predict Kaizen would be the one to stall us. Figured that¡¯d be me.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate you being so understanding, and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t take you with us to meet him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I wouldn¡¯t have gone anyway, for the same reasons. But also, I, uh, have something to admit to you guys.¡± Cyrus sheepishly scratched his neck and chin. Katarina¡¯s face dropped. ¡°You¡¯re in debt,¡± she said. "How much?" Cyrus looked shocked. Guess he thought I¡¯d keep his location to myself. Cyrus''s gaze shifted through each set of faces. Jules mouthed he was sorry. Katarina tapped her foot. Rukia panted with glee. Whiskers licked his ass. ¡°Uh¡­" Cy said. "Actually, it¡¯s kinda the opposite?" Katarina''s brow and frown somehow deepened. "I¡¯ve amassed a small fortune gambling.¡± All four Arcanics'' mouths dropped to the floor. ¡°So yeah. I¡¯m going to start a trading company and¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, what!?¡± ¡°Are you stupid, you idiot? What about laying low?¡± Katarina demanded. ¡°Listen, when I become an Alter, I want to share my knowledge with the world. I don¡¯t understand why The Painter is keeping all this wisdom to himself. The kids at the orphanage, and plenty others like them, they can use this information to better their lives, if they wanted. But I need connections and distribution, which won¡¯t come overnight.¡± "You''re like the rich uncle I never had!" Jules embraced his best and wealthiest friend. "You know, I was just talking about you getting rich, I always knew you could¡ª" ¡°This might actually come in handy," Katarina said. "And here I thought you had rocks rolling around up there.¡± She walked off to bed, waving an arm at them behind her. Jules studied Cyrus¡¯ face, then his body language. You¡¯re withholding something. He waited to speak until Katarina was beyond earshot. ¡°Something about you seems different this time.¡± Jules furrowed his brow, and Cyrus avoided eye contact. ¡°Sweaty palms. Your heart rate is up.¡± He leaned into his friend¡¯s face and¡ª That¡¯s it. Jules recalled his own trip to the casino, and fighting the Kraken at the Hydromage tryouts. Jules contorted his face in two sharp, dramatic sniffs. ¡°Lilac,¡± he whispered. Jules side-eyed his friend with a wry smile. Cyrus¡¯ face went red, and he remained silent. "Can it," Cyrus said. ¡°After all the shit you''ve given me for Kat? Hell no. Hell no, you dirty, dirty dog.¡± Jules slapped Cy''s back and hard as he could, then left his friend to meditate. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 45 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 46 - Time in a Bottle
JULES
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Progress Conjuration to Level 25.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Master your meditation training with Rukia.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Meet with Kaizen.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Level Up your preferred Skills to Level 20.] [Paint It Black ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Continue Leveling Up while you learn the Inked Arts.]
Jules measured his fists against the sun and horizon. Two to three hours of sunlight left. It was only the second time he¡¯d left The Painter¡¯s art supply shop in his two-year stay, and a year-and-a-half since his last excursion. He checked out his wrist before putting down his hand; it had certainly gotten thicker in that time. As Jules walked past a Blacksmith''s shop, he studied the unfamiliar figure he saw in the glass¡¯ reflection. Not only had Jules grown stronger, more confident, and a little taller, he had really matured into his young adulthood. Kat and I turn 18 in a few weeks. Crazy how time flies sometimes. His chin had dropped to a sharper point, and he had distinct jaw and cheek lines now. He messed with his hair on the way to his destination. Somehow my hairstyle evolved, which is sick because I suddenly really care about what it looks like¡ª Jules, Rukia interrupted, focus. Jules nodded in response. A large crowd had gathered around the Fountain of the Virtues this early evening. Must be a weekend, Jules thought. Should have paid attention. He closed his eyes before they lit up alongside the Seal on his chest.
? Muffle ? ? Conceal ? [?8,400 // ?10,000]
Jules hid himself to the surrounding world, though he still felt a pair of watchful eyes hiding nearby. ¡°The Painter must be nearby. I sure hope this is the last time I have to come here.¡± ¡°Me too, Jules,¡± Kaizen said from behind. ¡°I¡¯m running out of things to do in these Kami-forsaken pillars, so it¡¯s good for all of us to move on.¡± ¡°What do you mean, these pillars? Aren''t you confined to just Patience?" The ghost glared at him. "Been a while, Jules. Eight months since you last let me in. You shut me out for too long." ¡°Training got¡­difficult, Kaizen. I figured you could still commune with Rukia, and she could fill you in and let me know when it was time to come.¡± Kaizen crossed his arms and grunted. Guess you expect an apology. ¡°Theory paid off, it seems. My communication with Rukia is still strained, mostly limited to an emotional level. I felt your joint hardship, kiddo, but also the camaraderie with Envy and Cyrus. Everything else was a mystery, so I¡¯d like to hear about this training.¡± Jules broke eye contact, staring blindly at the people walking about. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it some other time¡­ This is about the gist of it.¡± Jules rolled up his sleeve and exposed his forearm. A new marking glistened on his skin. Jules hid his arm again, despite Kaizen still clearly studying it. ¡°I have a much better idea of who The Painter is now, though I haven¡¯t shared my theory with the others yet.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Kaizen asked after a long pause. ¡°He¡¯s always listening, even now,¡± Rukia said in a low grumble. ¡°I don¡¯t think you whispering will help,¡± Kaizen shouted. ¡°And what about you yelling, you loaf?¡± she cried back. ¡°He can¡¯t hear me because I¡¯m a ghost.¡± Veins popped from his head. ¡°And it¡¯s oaf, not loaf¡ª¡± ¡°No, Kaizen, you''re a loaf of bread.¡± Rukia¡¯s pupils grew to the size of her irises. ¡°And I eat loafs of bread for breakfast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s loaves¡­¡± Kaizen shook his head and became serious again. ¡°Hmm, I see. An intriguing strategy, Rukia.¡± Kaizen rubbed his stubbly chin. He gave Rukia a thumbs up, and she winked back. What in the actual fuck did I just witness? Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I''m going to pretend none of that happened." Jules grounded them again. "The Inked Arts truly are incredible. It was worth two years of my life. I actually trust him more, ironically. With his position and all.¡± Kaizen leveled his gaze and scratched his chin again. "His position, huh?" ¡°That story will also have to wait." "Hm. Well, does Envy''s cooking still suck?" "Oh Salvos, yes. It''s dreadful, but we need to get started¡ªWait, are you trying to grow a beard?" Jules asked incredulously. ¡°I figured you were stuck how you¡ªuh¡­¡± ¡°Say it," Kaizen said. No. "Say it, you pussy!" Nope. ¡°How I died? Is that what you wanted to ask me!?" Yep. Kaizen smiled devilishly. "Time works very differently for me. I may act like I¡¯m dead¡ªI certainly think I¡¯m dead¡ªbut my body is around somewhere nearby. I guess my appearance mirrors my body." That¡¯s a serious problem. ¡°So like¡­ What happens if your body is destroyed?¡± ¡°Good vibes only, Jules. Good vibes only. I try not to think about that, though it has crossed my mind. I¡¯m locked down for now, so worrying does me no good. When the day comes that I can do something about it, then I¡¯ll make it a priority. Until then¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Focus on the current challenge. Let¡¯s find the Sound.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon. Let¡¯s get Kaizen first, then find the Sound, is what you meant to say. We begin by tuning your spirit. Start by feeling out your own frequency and progress from there.¡± Jules sat down with legs crossed, back mostly straight. Rukia taught him to place his elbows on his knees and, with each hand, form a circle with his index finger and thumb, while extending the other three fingers out, a stereotypical pose. But Jules had spent years progressing his Skills, and had to show off just how much he''d improved the technique. He clenched his hands tightly into fists, and then slowly, gently, in a supple movement of grace and extreme poise, extended both middle fingers. Jules opened an eye, only one, just his left eye, slightly, to gauge their reactions. Rukia looked like she would cry tears of joy, like a mother watching her child achieve their dreams; Kaizen¡¯s mouth dropped in shock and awe. Jules closed his eye and smiled. Amateurs. As he repeated his personal meditation chant, Fuck this, fuck that, fuck you, over and over in his mind, he quickly tuned into the frequency of his own spirit. Then he progressed to finding Rukia¡¯s, whose waves were loopy like a shoestring, and then to Kaizen¡¯s, which felt like a relentlessly uniform zig-zagging line. Jules¡¯ was steadier, like a smooth and spread-out sinusoidal wave. Thump. Thump. Thump¡ª The fourth wave surged, a pattern that ebbed and flowed, stronger than it''d ever been when he''d practiced over the past few years. Its patterns rose sharply and turned back into itself, only to fall gently, then rise again quickly, and fall dramatically back down. ¡°Pay attention. What do you see?¡± Kaizen asked. Jules tried to imagine the wave in his mind, like on a graph from that day Isolda had attempted to teach math. When he finally transposed it, he laughed and shook his head. ¡°Should have seen that coming. It¡¯s the shape of fire. Must be Wrath.¡± ¡°Yes. He will always be there. If he isn¡¯t," Kaizen said, "well, you should probably worry about it. You need to focus on these wavelengths more. You must attain these meditative states instantly in the future if you want to Integrate on command.¡± ¡°Meditative states, Integrate¡ªWhat are you talking about?¡± ¡°Heh heh, I¡¯d love to show you how big I can get,¡± Rukia said. ¡°Shame on you, fox, for not teaching him the basics¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s your job." Rukia leered at the ghost. "Master Kaizen.¡± ¡°Jules, who told you to break your meditation?¡± ¡°Right. Always testing my concentration.¡± And ignoring my questions. ¡°Concentration, yes, and Patience.¡± Fuck patience. ¡°Another goal of yours should be to reach a constant meditative state.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that defeat the purpose of meditation?" Jules asked. "Isn¡¯t it supposed to be a break from reality? A type of rest?¡± ¡°To deal with Patience, you must be one with it.¡± Jules sighed. ¡°You stopped making sense a while ago, old geezer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be redundant. It doesn¡¯t suit you to repeat yourself.¡± But you just¡­ Jules opened one eye again and saw Kaizen grinning like a dad who just uttered the funniest joke in the world, to himself, and only himself. ¡°You can use possessed objects to help you amplify your meditative state, but don¡¯t rely on them.¡± Jules felt a vein on his forehead twitch. Oh Salvos no, please, don¡¯t let me be like him. ¡°You¡¯re going too fast, Kaizen.¡± ¡°Keep up! You will Integrate spirits either into yourself or into objects. Some of those objects will be more capable of hosting than others, so experi¡ª¡± ¡°The marble that makes up Patience¡¯s altar must be shit-grade, then, if you can keep coming out and babbling like this.¡± Really Rukia, no laugh? Jules turned to the fox, just to find her meditating as well. At least she adopted my new meditation technique. Two tiny middle claws rose into the air. Jules received no response from Kaizen either, so he focused on all three of their wavelengths. Wrath¡¯s crept up over and over again. Jules tried to ignore it at first, then suppress it. An uneasy feeling in his gut steadily grew. ¡°Good. Now that you¡¯re done dicking around, we can start the lesson: Integrating spirits into objects. First, we try your dagger.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Master Object Integration.]
This training is going to take forever. All I do is sit here. ¡°Why would I want to do this if I would just Integrate you into my body during a fight? What would even happen if I put you in this dagger¡ªIt¡¯d grow a crappy goatee?¡± ¡°Quiet. First of all, you can¡¯t control the Spirit Integration process yet. You¡¯ve seen Wrath both in your nightmares and in Coralhaven. You know he¡¯s waiting to burst out of Hell and claim you. If you accidentally summon him instead of me¡­" Kaizen scratched his scraggly beard stubs. "Well, we can work around that as long as the bastard¡¯s in an inanimate object. Second of all, you¡¯ll put me in your blade tonight so I can escape my own form of Hell here.¡± Kaizen looked back at the pillar. ¡°I can feel this vermin judging me constantly. And third of all, at least I can grow facial hair.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like forty, I¡¯d hope so¡ª¡± ¡°I am thirty-five!¡± Jules grinned; Kaizen balked. ¡°Oh shit," Kaizen said. "Shit shit shit. I should stop underestimating you.¡± ¡°See? I can concentrate while annoyed. But I hope you didn¡¯t break another rule for that info.¡± Jules'' smile faded with the sudden revelation. So I¡¯m probably halfway through my life already. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then. The sooner I can sleep without nightmares, the better.¡± Kaizen hesitated. ¡°How often do you dream?¡± ¡°Every night, now that The Painter allows us to sleep again.¡± ¡°Hm. Have you seen the sword yet?¡± ¡°I feel like there¡¯s more to it, but I can only remember one that¡¯s on fire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Wrath¡¯s sword, the Sound of Fury.¡± Ahh, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t look away from it. ¡°So what happens if I cram your ass in that sword?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be unstoppable¡ªso long as you don¡¯t do it the other way around.¡± They all shared a laugh. ¡°There¡¯s some motivation for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already motivated enough, Sensei. Let¡¯s go.¡± Kaizen straightened up at the honor. ¡°Practice tuning that dagger to your frequency. Then we move to Rukia before attempting with me.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 46 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 47 - Blinded By The Light
JULES
After some time, Jules had gotten the dagger bright yellow a few times, tuning it to himself. Next he got the blade to alternate between white hot and crimson red by tuning it to Rukia¡¯s spirit. Still, Jules grew frustrated and groaned. ¡°I¡¯m just tuning spirits, not Integrating them. Not how I imagined this would be.¡± ¡°How did you imagine it would be?¡± Rukia asked. "I imagined we''d kill some squirrels¡­or cats¡­ Black cats¡­ Kittens, even¡­" ¡°Kinda like your soul gets sucked in, and it¡¯s more powerful than an Enchanted blade, I guess.¡± ¡°Ha! Not too far from the truth, I think," Kaizen said. "Still, we won¡¯t Integrate tonight, Jules. You¡¯re not ready for the Sound, yet.¡± Kaizen paused to study the stars. ¡°But they¡¯re telling me it¡¯s time to move on.¡± Jules titled his head. ¡°Who¡¯s telling you?¡± He felt sadness overcome Rukia through their attuned spirits, but Kaizen maintained his smile. ¡°The stars of your world are the lights from mine.¡± Three shooting stars flew past, and Jules felt a tinge of nostalgia, or deja vu. ¡°So move on, we will,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°Next is body Integration, which we¡¯ll only talk about tonight, and briefly at that.¡± ¡°So you and Rukia would¡­share my body with me?¡± ¡°You share your body, we share our power.¡± ¡°Seems a bit invasive,¡± Jules said uneasily. ¡°Ha! It does, doesn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only invasive when he does it.¡± ¡°So, does the reverse work as well?¡± Jules was pretty excited at the premise. ¡°Could I spend the day lazing around like a fox?¡± "I do not laze around!" Rukia protested, laid out on her back. After a moment, she waddled her hind legs around in every-growing circles until she wriggled back up to her feet. ¡°Of course not," Kaizen said. "You can host me, or Rukia, or both together. Same for objects, and for Rukia as a host.¡± ¡°So Rukia, you could be in me, and Kaizen, you could be in my sword?¡± Jules grew confused and whispered, ¡°Would that make me a chick, or would she be a dude?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re learning. There are tons of possibilities. Even three-ways!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, don¡¯t say it like that, but I see what you mean. You and Rukia could share a host simultaneously.¡± The endless possibilities excited Jules. He felt like he could truly become unstoppable, but after non-stop training with friends for a long time, that constant feeling of comparison crept up. ¡°How old were you?¡± ¡°What, when I had my first three-way?¡± Something tells me that¡¯s not a joke. ¡°When you Integrated for the first time.¡± ¡°Ha! I was sixteen.¡± Kaizen proudly pounded his chest, where his Seal also lay. "By eighteen, I fully assembled the Sound and Integrated with Rukia and¡ª" Kaizen''s hand fell from his chest. "My master¡­" Assembled? ¡°Wow. You were a lot stronger than me¡­¡± ¡°Way, way stronger. Still am, in fact.¡± ¡°Master Kaizen¡¯s the best!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait. To be that strong.¡± ¡°Too bad, because you¡¯ll have to. It¡¯s a long journey to mastering the Sound.¡± Guess that¡¯s connected to Integrating. ¡°So is Integrating bodies the same as objects? Just attuning the frequencies?¡± ¡°They¡¯re similar. It works like this: You harness the raw energy of a soul, and each soul has a certain imprint. Like a fingerprint, or the frequencies you felt earlier, but with added dimensions. You harmonize that imprint with the engravings of your own soul, or object, and match the lines up as best you can. Trying new combinations of Integration is how you improve over time, gaining experience of what works and doesn¡¯t work. But you have to be careful, because while searching for harmony, it¡¯s easy to fall out of sync. And fast.¡± Jules abandoned his working meditation to lie back and gaze at the stars. ¡°Rukia and I won¡¯t try to take over your body, but Wrath will. So if you Integrate out of harmony, you create the opportunity for him to slip in, and you don¡¯t have the competency to overpower or resist him.¡± ¡°That was blunt. So what, he¡¯ll take control again?¡± ¡°Almost a given,¡± Rukia said. ¡°I can¡¯t kick him out?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You can certainly try,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°You¡¯ll either succeed, or he will possess you as long as he wants. Or until you die. The connection will be severed upon revival.¡± ¡°No offense, Jules,¡± Rukia said, ¡°but it didn¡¯t go so well for you last time.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what happened before? It seems dangerous to even risk Integration, then.¡± ¡°No,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°What happened last time was that you were too emotional and too close to a piece of the Sound.¡± ¡°And it only matters if you Integrate,¡± Rukia added. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling it out and you can¡¯t line things up, you don¡¯t have to take the shot. Relax, you put the collar on me, so now I¡¯ve got you covered.¡± Rukia scratched an ear with one foot, that triggered a reflex in her other foot. She lost her balance and tumbled into the Fountain. ¡°Well great. There¡¯s another way for him to possess me.¡± Kaizen laughed. ¡°Jules, you have no idea how fucked you really are, do you?¡± Rukia joined in the laughter, but Jules did not. She got out of the Fountain and shook off the water. ¡°Who was your previous incarnation, Kaizen?¡± Rukia stopped shaking and froze. Kaizen looked away. Well, that was certainly a killjoy. ¡°Jules¡­that¡¯s a story for another time.¡± Kaizen looked back at the stars. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK. I know you¡¯re curious. I told you there are some things I can tell you, others that I can¡¯t. But there are also some things that I just won¡¯t tell you, of my own accord.¡± Kaizen skipped a rock across the Fountain. ¡°That¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll make it through this life, by learning some things for yourself.¡± ¡°Cryptic.¡± ¡°Just know to always beware of Wrath. If he ever tells you to open a door¡­" Jules studied his predecessor. "Run the opposite direction.¡± Surely you didn¡¯t open the door.
[Quest Reminder: Shut the Damn Door is still available.]
"Yeah. OK, Kaizen.¡± The ghost snapped out of it. ¡°Let¡¯s begin my removal.¡± Kaizen stood tall with outstretched arms. ¡°Right. In the dagger?¡± ¡°Unless you have a better place to put me.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Remove Kaizen from Patience''s Altar and Integrate him into your dagger.]
Jules closed his eyes and meditated. He focused on the vibrations all around him¡ªhis, Rukia¡¯s, Kaizen¡¯s, the crowd¡¯s, even the marble of the Fountain. And of course Wrath¡¯s. He focused on the blade now. Without touching it, he felt its edges, the handle, its hilt, its core components. Shoddy craftsmanship. Damn Painter is a cheapskate. Focus, focus. He found a pattern on the sword¡¯s metallic structure he thought could mesh with Kaizen¡¯s steely resolve. He aligned them, and they felt harmonious enough to him. ¡°Jules¡­¡± Rukia cautioned, though he could only hear her through a muffling fog. ¡°Jules¡ªStop!¡± Kaizen shouted. Jules tried to stop, but couldn¡¯t¡ªhe laid the metaphysical mesh over the top of the dagger, and then opened his eyes in terror. Jules sat meditating on the ground alone. Fire burned the landscape all around him. A voice called to him beyond the flames; it sounded like metal grinding against metal. He looked around for its source, for Wrath, and noticed the entire area was crafted of steel. Jules glanced down and realized he sat on the edge of the sword. Fear caused him to falter, and he slipped down the edge and gashed his leg on jagged metal. He slid down the side but caught himself by grabbing the blade. It sliced his fingers slowly, and the world, or whatever he was in, turned sideways so gravity pushed him down on the flat of the blade. The demon approached him. Its eyes froze Jules¡¯ soul. Wrath was far away, but Jules could see an image in its eyes¡ªa dagger levitating just before Jules¡¯ throat in the real world. Jules tried to stop the point from piercing his throat as best he could, but the weapon slipped through his grip. Wrath drew a serrated katana, dripping with blood, and went to attack Jules¡¯ spirit¡ª WHACK! A blunt object struck Jules'' back. ¡°Wake up, lad. Yer having a nightmare!¡± The man shook Jules¡¯ body, his real body, awake. The demon faded from Jules¡¯ vision and was replaced with the blind beggar to his side, back in the world of the living. The dagger still floated before Jules¡¯ neck. He felt the dry heat from it, and wondered if the old man could too, though he figured he couldn¡¯t see it. The floating blade pointed itself at the intruder. Jules struggled to hold the weapon back with his mind. ¡°Jules,¡± Kaizen spat, ¡°he¡¯ll possess that man if he¡¯s stabbed!¡± Jules reached out for the handle, but the grip slipped from his hands and pummeled towards the blind beggar¡¯s throat. The man tripped and fell, avoiding it. Jules leapt for the dagger and sheathed it. He instinctively activated his Seal to absorb its searing heat against his body. ¡°Oi, why laddie? Why would you knock down an old and blind man?¡± Jules sighed with relief. ¡°You fell on your own accord.¡± ¡°Hmph. Felt you waving a torch at me. It was so damn hot, I just couldn¡¯t hear any crackling flames.¡± Something tells me otherwise. ¡°Anyway, I recognize yer voice, though mostly the edgy tone, and the Coralhaven accent. Where the hell''ve you been with that little she-devil?¡± You show up and save me, mention Coralhaven, and now you''re asking about Kat. Or are you asking about Envy? ¡°Kat is fine. She¡¯s fine.¡± Jules waited to help the man up. ¡°I miss her cussing out the mangy vagrants at the inn, those ill-bred, intolerant¡­" The blind beggar shifted his gaze to Rukia, then to Kaizen, and back to Jules. "Anyway, what¡¯s a sinner like you doing at the Virtues this late?¡± Jules squeezed the dagger''s handle. ¡°Sinner, huh?" Jules glanced at the others. "Well, I must have fallen asleep. You know, you have a habit of finding me at my most vulnerable moments.¡± ¡°Bahaha! I tell ye, fortune follows me wherever I go.¡± His voice deepened. ¡°But now she¡¯s a¡¯leading me far from here, away from Coralith. She must have made you a pit stop along the way.¡± Should we kill him? Rukia thought. Let''s kill him. He just saved us all, Kaizen snapped back. Let''s keep listening, see if he trips with his words this time. Jules reached out an arm to help the man up. ¡°Oh, and how¡¯s that?¡± The blind beggar gripped Jules'' forearm and pressed his thumb into the new marking. Jules winced. ¡°Few years ago, that lassie, she stopped by to say goodbye to me. Met a lot of folks in my day, and not one has ever bothered to give me a farewell in this hellscape of a city. Her kindness touched me deeply. It isn¡¯t the same, and it isn¡¯t enough, true, but I hope you will tell her that I wished to tell her goodbye as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let Kat know you were thinking of her.¡± ¡°Thank ye, boy. Take these as a token of my gratitude.¡± He handed Jules a necklace of tacky chakra beads. "Oh, uh, thank you?" The man lingered around. "I''m sure these meant a lot to you?" Jules shifted in discomfort. "Is there anything else?" The old man rubbed his hands together. "Any coin on ye?" "I''m afraid not." "Baha! Ye''ll be on the streets yet, just you watch." He hobbled off into the mist with his cane, waving behind him with his other hand. ¡°And maybe next time we meet, you¡¯ll listen to my fortunes.¡± Jules watched him recede into the mist. The next time we meet¡­ ¡°Always showing up. What¡¯s your read on him, Kaizen?¡± The ghost remained silent. ¡°Oh, wow¡ªThe readings for these beads, they¡¯re off the charts!¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 47 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 48 - man at the garden
JULES
[Item: Shaman Beads. Unknown origins. Master Rank.]
Jules chased after the man through the mist. With every step, the mist grew thicker and denser, until the man was gone. Jules stopped chasing him, and the mist itself slowly receded. Defeated, he returned to Kaizen and Rukia. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything inherently odd about his strength or power,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°Someone could have given it to him in an act of charity, and he didn¡¯t know the value.¡± ¡°Who would gift something so nice!?¡± ¡°I mean, they¡¯re Buddhist beads. Pretty nice folk in my world.¡± Rukia remained on all fours, glaring out into the distance where the blind beggar disappeared. ¡°Idiot,¡± Jules said to Kaizen. ¡°Well, what the hell just happened with Wrath?¡± ¡°Walk me through it.¡± ¡°I opened my eyes in Hell, but it was on the edge of that dagger¡ª¡± ¡°Ohhh shit," Kaizen said. "That¡¯s my bad." ¡°What do you mean, my bad!?" ¡°I mean my bad, OK? Get off my back¡ªI¡¯m not exactly a teacher, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed.¡± ¡°He must have tagged you earlier when you were cycling and focusing on his wavelength. I should have told you how to reset.¡± ¡°And I do that how¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a, uh, ya know, hard reset.¡± Kaizen dragged his thumb across his throat and clicked his tongue. ¡°Great.¡± Jules collapsed and put his head in his hands. ¡°Look, just give me one more day. To clear my head, and find another item to put you in.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait. Trust me, you can do it. It¡¯s time for me to go.¡± Jules unsheathed the dagger to reset himself. ¡°No! You¡¯re fine now. He already jumped from you to the dagger. But we¡¯re definitely not using that again.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Remove Kaizen from Patience''s Altar and Integrate him into your dagger.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Remove Kaizen from Patience''s Altar and Integrate him into a complete stranger''s Shaman Beads.]
Jules looked down at the beads in his hand. ¡°Oh Salvos, please don¡¯t tell me you mean to go in there, in that stranger¡¯s gift? What if it¡¯s a trap!?¡± ¡°What if he hadn¡¯t woken you up?¡± Rukia asked. Jules fumed now, and it took a while for him to calm back down. ¡°Fine." Jules finally conceded. "But only because Rukia¡¯s a solid sense of judgment.¡± Rukia smirked at Kaizen and wagged her tail. Jules repeated the process for the beads, and it went by much faster. Someone¡¯s watching, he thought to both of them. Feels like when The Painter watches me. That stunt must have really drawn his attention. Kaizen and Rukia both reassured him through their shared mental line and urged him to focus. ¡°Alright,¡± Kaizen said when the sun started to set. ¡°Rukia, walk him through the Soul Sacrament.¡± Following Rukia¡¯s instructions, Jules walked up to the Fountain. He used his Conjuration Skill to summon a voidless dagger, much too afraid to use the other one, and cut his hand. A stream of blood fell into the water, disrupting its purity. Instead of the liquids diffusing into one another as he¡¯d expected, the blood all flowed toward the seventh pillar, to Patience. When his blood reached it, the pillar lit up softly. Jules looked around. No one was around, but he still felt like he was being watched. Kaizen disappeared in an instant, then a moment later, he erupted from the beads. ¡°AAAHHH!!!!¡± He stretched his arms out to the rising moons, extending his finger tips to the heavens. He stretched all of his muscles and shadow boxed. ¡°It feels so good to be out of that cramped cell. These Beads really are spacious, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re outside, moron,¡± Jules said. ¡°Besides, that pillar is way bigger than these beads.¡± ¡°I am, and I¡¯m not. Just trust me when I say that place was smothering.¡± ¡°We done here? I¡¯d like to get back.¡± ¡°Yes, we are. Thank you Jules, thank you.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Remove Kaizen from Patience''s Altar and Integrate him into a complete stranger''s Shaman Beads.]
Kaizen turned serious again. Here we go. ¡°Hey, uh, Jules¡­ There is one thing that I didn¡¯t tell you, about this whole Soul Sacrament thing, or whatever.¡± Jules¡¯ eye twitched, and he felt a vein press against the skin of his temple. ¡°And why is that, Kaizen?¡± Jules asked through clenched teeth. ¡°Because I knew you were really not gonna like it.¡± If I didn¡¯t think this dagger was cursed, I¡¯d rip it out. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Soooo, uh¡­¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
PAT OF THE DUNES
The sun will soon set. Better wrap this up with the waif before that old fool gets home. Pat took a seat in the decorative iron-wrought chair. The tropical heat felt amazing to him, made him feel comfortable, like he was at home. Not home. Just the familiarity of the desert air. This salt smell, on the other hand, is rancid. Absolutely repulsive. The bright and beautiful colors of the garden pissed him off further. He ran a hand down his black and gold robes to smooth them out. His surroundings were an Apothecary¡¯s dream world, but Pat was a far cry from that Class. A desperate attempt to organize and structure the world to your liking¡ªWhat a facade. I know beneath all these colors that this woman is black-and-white as they come. He looked back to the house where the woman retreated to make them tea. Stark contrast, Charlotte, how my counterpart was raised. Wide open spaces, a beach waterfront property, even a city skyline. Spoiled. A silver spoon. And such an unforgiving mother. What I would have given for a mother who feared me instead of doling out constant praise, even worshiping my existence. I truly despise him. Pat had bid his time for the stars to align, to finally be assigned this specific mission. The woman clanged around in the kitchen from inside. It¡¯s safe to come out now, Charlotte. Pat looked down at his robes, those elegant black robes lined with gold trim and patterns. One furry brown leg crept out, then another, and so on, until eight in total. The desert tarantula surveyed the garden and blinked each of its six remaining eyes individually. It dropped to the ground and scurried to an ivy-laced trellis. Pat lost sight of it as it climbed to its vantage point. A decent choice. A vibrant woman with light brown hair emerged from the house with a tray of tea and a smile. She sat down across from Pat and offered him a cup. He feigned an affectionate smile and thanked her warmly. Time to start spinning webs. ¡°Oh, please. It¡¯s nothing, really,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but thank you after I fell.¡± Pat sipped his tea. Bitter. ¡°But are you sure you¡¯re OK? Shall I escort you to the doctor?¡± ¡°Oh, heavens no. He¡¯d only send me home.¡± Her smile faded slightly. ¡°Well, surely you have someone home who could help care for you until you¡¯re recovered?¡± She watched the sea forlornly. Wave after wave crashed on the shore. ¡°Unfortunately, no. My husband is out at the moment.¡± ¡°And your children¡­?¡± Pat did his best to look puzzled, innocent, like an ignorant idiot. He maintained it long enough to deflect the defensive look she shot him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to imply anything. You are certainly very youthful, but I just noticed a boy¡¯s bedroom after I helped you up.¡± ¡°Youthful¡­ I was once. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s just me and my husband. For now.¡± She sipped her tea coolly and seemed to collect herself. ¡°And where might you be from?¡± The tarantula completed the foundation for its silk burrow. ¡°Ah, I am from the Verdant Domain!¡± Pat imitated a gentle bow from the southern tribes of the nation; he''d learned it from some country bumpkin he''d interrogated and tortured a few months back. ¡°I am on a voyage to find the Celestial Shores, to bring back some of their famed magic healing sand for my mother.¡± She laughed lightly, but sweetly enough. ¡°What a kind boy you are. And how lucky your mother is.¡± So gullible. You are too easy an opponent. ¡°Oh, come now. Don¡¯t flatter me too much while your husband is away.¡± She blushed, but didn¡¯t take the bait. May have overstepped. Return to playing the fool. ¡°Do you¡­ Forgive my asking, but do you fall often?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± She sipped her tea. ¡°Do you suspect something¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just, you seem to act like it¡¯s no big deal, falling like that, as if you are used to it, is all. My mother..." ¡°Well, I am feeling weaker and more tired lately. But I have plenty to celebrate in life, still." The woman put her hand on her stomach, then quickly withdrew it. "So, the Verdant Domain¡ªand the Celestial Shores¡ªyet you choose to stop in Coralhaven?¡± Don¡¯t change the subject on me, you¡­ Pat strained a wide, sheepish smile, the kind only a buffoon could bear to wear. ¡°Well, to tell you the truth¡­¡± He looked at her while he paused. ¡°I¡¯m broke! So I¡¯m walking the whole way.¡± Pat broke eye contact and pretended to wipe away a tear. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of this area, Shrines and more, but what else am I to do?¡± She reached across the table to caress his hand. ¡°For your mother, yes, I understand, dear. We will give you some Ryoku and food for your journey. Maybe my husband will even lend you some of his travel equipment¡ªAh, there he is now.¡± Pat maintained his composure, though it was a struggle, while he turned to face the man. He looked twenty years older than his wife and haggard. You senile sack of shit, with your stupid fucking beard. That trap should have held you longer. How''d you get here so fast? ¡°Ah, well, a strapping young man having tea with a married woman, I should probably head off¡ª¡± ¡°Nonsense, stay. Dear!¡± She called out to her grim husband. ¡°Come meet our guest.¡± I¡¯m still none the wiser, so Plan B it is. ¡°And please, he¡¯ll think nothing of me having company.¡± I strongly distrust your opinions of your marriage. Spin faster, Charlotte. The husband''s a problem. The tarantula obeyed, as always. The man joined them in the garden. He gripped his bow as he sat down between them. He didn¡¯t introduce himself, and his lock on Pat¡¯s eyes never faltered. I have heard about you. ¡°You are?¡± the man asked. If only you knew. ¡°I fell in the garden,¡± the woman said. The bubbly spirit of her voice was long gone. ¡°And this nice boy, ah, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot your name¡ª¡± ¡°You fell?¡± her husband demanded, but didn''t look away from Pat. ¡°I was walking by. I heard her coughing, then a loud thump, so I ran to her. But she is strong and rebounded well.¡± Charlotte spun a new thread. ¡°So, Sir, are you a Fisherman, a Hunter? Where is your boat?¡± Keep looking at me that way and I¡¯ll have you paralyzed. You continue to play these games, but we all know you will give me the answers. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you go lie down.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, really, I¡ª¡± ¡°Leave, Evelyn. Now.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 48 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Tragedy of Greed'' by BS Snelliott The boy simply known as Greed¡ªas his Clan and heritage was never identified, despite the input of tremendous effort¡ªwas born to a Nomadic Clan family on the outskirts of Hinomura, just after the culmination The 15th War of the Wastes. Having stalemated against The Elementalists, The Nomads had already begun sealing themselves off from the rest of Salvatica. Some claim the Clans knew they¡¯d give some type of communal birth to a Sin. Others assert that The Nomad himself fathered the child, and thus every man, woman, and child was bound to secrecy beyond their own lives for the child. I, of course, do not suspect either to be true, as the Alters The Nomad and Kazuma both left the battlefield to prevent more bloodshed of their people, though The Nomad¡¯s location has never been revealed since before The Fateful Night. Despite the Horror of Sloth, Her Holiness The Iron Maiden learned from her mistakes, and The Iron Maidens captured a Sin for the first time without bloodshed. Yes, it is true, that not even an ounce of blood was spilled during his capture¡ªexcepting of course, in high likelihood, Greed¡¯s own. Between the ages of five and seven, Greed was held captive. No one knows where, and no one knows what was done to him. We can only imagine that The Iron Maiden changed her tactics in studying the Sins, especially armed with the knowledge of their true terror¡ªat such a young age with Sloth¡ªand their Sinful Regeneration ability. Sadly, we as a united people did not learn any information on Greed¡¯s Familiar. It was always suspected that, since we knew about the Virtues¡¯ Familiars, that the Sins would have them, too, especially since a sloth saved¡ªahem¡ªSloth. We were left to wonder for nearly a decade whether Sins carried them or not, until Jules Tideshaper revealed himself as Wrath in Coralhaven late last year, alongside his fox Familiar, Rukia. Should the reader be interested in reading more on Wrath, I will be releasing my newest volume in The Arcanic Series, titled ¡®The Grapes of Wrath,¡¯ which will go in depth into the life and mystery behind Jules Tideshaper, aka Wrath. Opt in now for a First Edition copy! Ch 49 - Blinding Lights
PAT OF THE DUNES
She resented her husband as she stood, that was as clear as the cloudless skies. Pat noticed a slight curve beneath her baggy dress as she stormed off and slammed the door behind her. So that¡¯s it. I probably didn¡¯t even have to make her fall. Pat looked back at the husband, who hadn¡¯t stopped staring at him. What malevolence. I can see how you¡¯re the father of Wrath. The broad proved useless. Let¡¯s see how resilient you are. ¡°You are not the first to come here,¡± Liam said. ¡°And I won¡¯t be the last.¡± The web grew. ¡°But you will leave. Now.¡± ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t think I will. I''m not some obedient housewife. And I have a reputation for completing my missions.¡± Pat crossed a leg over the other and leaned back in his chair. What, not going to defend her? ¡°You won¡¯t get anything from us. We don¡¯t know where he is.¡± Liam pulled his sleeves back and crossed his arms on the table. His forearms were covered in scars and tattoos. Pat studied him, really studied him, for the first time. He looks way too old to be my father. Which direction will I go? Let¡¯s start with the obvious choices. Charlotte continued to spin the final parts of her web, and Pat studied Liam¡¯s face for the slightest change, the slightest hint of a tell. ¡°I know he went to Aquilantis.¡± No reaction. ¡°And then I know he went to Marina Veridia.¡± A lie, but still nothing. The web was finished. Charlotte removed one of her six eyes and placed it down on the threads. Pat leaned in close. ¡°I have heard that he¡¯s killed more people in the last two years than he did that single day here. When it comes to your boy, you have much to be proud of.¡± Just wait for him to trip up. A fly buzzed around the ivy trellis. ¡°Thing is,¡± Liam leaned in, too, ¡°that wasn¡¯t my boy that day.¡± The fly approached the web and then backed off of it. Pat curled his lips into a smile, a real smile for him, wicked and cruel. ¡°Oh, really? Do you have another boy, then?¡± Pat looked at the house, toward Evelyn. Ah, there it is. The first sign of fear in you today. ¡°Because from our standpoint, and I think you know of whom I speak, they¡¯re one and the same.¡± Liam grinned. He leaned in even further and gestured to Pat with his finger to follow suit. Pat obeyed. Just explode, already. I grow tired of waiting. ¡°Get the fuck," Liam uttered slowly, "out of my yard.¡± His eyes and tattoos turned black. Pat stretched back in his chair and yawned. Dark magic, huh? Seems you''re less boring than you appear. Explains why my trap didn''t last. ¡°What is your greatest fear, Liam?¡± The fly buzzed louder now and hovered closer to the web. ¡°Is it that something bad happens to your child?¡± ¡°We would both die for our son.¡± The buzzing grew louder. ¡°Somehow, I doubt that,¡± Pat mocked. BUZZZZZZ. ¡°Or is it¡ªyour greatest fear, that is¡ªsomething bad happening to your¡­children?¡± Liam''s eye twitched. The fly stuck to the web. It thrashed about and tried to escape. Sweet, sweet leverage. Liam bolted to his feet, palms on the table. ¡°What I am most afraid of, is that I¡¯ll go to prison for killing you, right here, right now.¡± The world around them disappeared. The colors of the flowers vanished in an engulfing black void. Swords materialized all around them and floated in the air, pointed at Pat. He slowly rose from his chair and dusted some pollen off his elegant robes. ¡°Now, now, Liam. No need to resort to violence.¡± Can¡¯t take the risk of dying here, so close to my goal. And I may still need them later, so I can¡¯t kill them, either¡­ ¡°I came here for information, and it seems I got what I needed.¡± He looked over at his tarantula, but he couldn¡¯t see her through the darkness. Liam stepped closer to him. The swords closed in as well. ¡°You must know who my employers are, what they¡ª¡± ¡°You fucking coward," Liam spat out. "You pathetic, little, yellow-bellied, spineless¡ªrunning back to your mama¡¯s tit for protection like the child you are?¡± The threats moved closer still. ¡°They may have you dressed up nice, in an oversized robe to mask your frail little body, but shit wrapped in gold is still shit.¡± Oversized robe!? ¡°You would do well to back off¡ª¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious, since I sat down, how they could send someone as young as you. Most have been my age.¡± Where are you going with this? ¡°No one suspects a child. Take your wife for¡ª¡± ¡°Mention her again, and I stab you through the neck, seventeen times at once. And speaking of seventeen, you¡¯re about the same age as my son¡ªthe exact same age, I''d wager." How does he¡ªNo, he only suspects. "I¡¯d love to see how you manage to walk away from this, if you can. Maybe another pillar will turn black tonight." Each word dripped from Liam''s mouth like acid. How can I get out of this? Fight? No, I¡¯d lose and die. Talk my way out? That ship has sailed. The woman, how can I use her¡ª Patience¡¯s entire body froze. His eyes lit up, he felt a rush of power, and he convulsed as if he were having a seizure. He felt the sudden sensations of massive acceleration, followed by a blunt deceleration. He was so dizzy he could vomit, but the rush of adrenaline prevented him from disgracing himself in front of Wrath¡¯s father. Holy. Fuck. Patience gripped a chair before he could fall down. What serendipity. We''re done here, Charlotte. He turned his head slowly back to Liam, who looked horrified. Must be double-thinking his choice, whether he can win or not. Seize the opportunity. ¡°If you seek to attack me, Liam, I wish you¡­¡±
?? Salvos Speed ?? [?8,400 // ?10,000]
He recited the last part of his sentence in Sylvan, the language of Scripts, and activated a Scroll. His Seal lit up, but it was perfectly hidden on his scalp, underneath his thick, long, and dark hair. He closed his eyes to hide the invocation. Hopefully, he takes that as a threat and not an actual attack. Evelyn shouted from beyond the black void. Liam dropped his spells to check his surroundings, as if he should expect a trap. ¡°You should take your dear Evelyn to her doctor,¡± Pat warned. "Wouldn''t want her to have another premie." Liam¡¯s darkness faded away, and he rushed inside, but he stopped at the door. ¡°You better be gone when I come out,¡± Liam said over his shoulder. ¡°Or I¡¯ll show you what wrath truly looks like.¡± Finally, alone again. Pat walked over to the trellis. Charlotte dropped down from her trap onto his shoulder and burrowed into his robes. He looked east, to the city beyond the sea, darkened by the sun setting behind him. The bridges shifted, and the spires glimmered. ¡°Come, Charlotte. Our next stop is Aquilantis.¡±
[Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Interrogate the Tideshapers for information on Wrath.] [Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find a lead on Wrath.] [Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find Wrath in Aquilantis.]
CYRUS
Cy stretched his arms out and yawned on his bed. He cracked his neck, much thicker now than when he''d first arrived to the art studio, and braced himself for another day of hell. Cy glanced at his body in the mirror, now covered in dozens of tattoos. He left the living quarters and stepped out onto the endless tiled and white marble slab. Cy hated this setting more than any of the others. I really don¡¯t like wide open spaces. Just like always, the spatial perspectives inside The Painter¡¯s art supply store made absolutely no sense. Cy shut the door to his spacious room, which from the outside looked like a shed. He had both gone to sleep and woken up in a solemn mood. Jules went out yesterday, which surely meant that Kaizen was planning a move. Don¡¯t have much time left with The Painter. Cy was also worried because, throughout the last few years, it had become painfully obvious that he had fallen behind in the group, though certainly not from a lack of commitment and effort. There was a large power gap between Cy and Envy, and an even larger gap between Envy and Jules. Even with The Painter¡¯s help, their Regeneration has taken them out of my league. But still, at least I don¡¯t have to live with dying every day. Cy rounded the corner of their quarters to the kitchen¡ª Oh Salvos, Salvos please, no. He groaned. Envy cooked breakfast, and Cy hated her food. Still, he grabbed a plate. She could tell he made a face, so she scooped him an extra helping of what Cy could only describe as slop. ¡°I expect you to eat it all to keep up your strength,¡± she said. Envy had grown into a woman, or nearly so, as her birthday was days away. The way she and Jules looked at each other sometimes stirred a little more jealousy in him sometimes. Their relationship''s growing, plus they have their Familiars, not to mention their powers and overall¡­specialness. Meanwhile, all I have is The Painter, and I¡¯m just an accessory to him. Cy sat down next to the Altar of the Alters. That Painter is always the humble one. Reluctantly, he ate. The Painter sat across from him, reading some newspaper. Jules joined them and shoveled food in his face, like always. Cy rarely saw The Painter eat¡ªonly the occasional apple. "Eh, looks like the Harbormasters of Lustris Haven are trying to cripple the Verdant Domain again." He wadded up the paper and tossed it aside, in Jules¡¯ direction. Cy made a habit of watching The Painter, probably too often, so he caught the man pause when he looked at Jules. I haven''t seen him hesitate since the night I met him. An oblivious Jules ate with fewer manners than Rukia did. Cy pretended like he wasn¡¯t observing The Painter¡¯s every move and picked around the only edible pieces of food on his plate, which was being generous. The Painter looked away without saying anything, though Cy felt the tension. Maybe he needs a kick in the right direction. ¡°Nice jewelry, Jules,¡± Cy said. ¡°It¡¯s unlike you to forego the opportunity to punish us with a miserable pun,¡± Whiskers said. Jules looked awkwardly down his face, past crumbs, at the beaded necklace, and hid it inside his shirt. He unfolded the newspaper. Still, The Painter didn¡¯t react. ¡°You look foolish,¡± Envy said. ¡°Where¡¯d that come from? Please tell me Cy¡¯s not making you a walking model for his broke-ass trading company.¡± ¡°Hey! I only deal in staples that the people need.¡± ¡°That¡­ And the finest of luxury goods,¡± Rukia said. ¡°You gotta make money somehow, eh?¡± The Painter remarked¡ªa bit absently, Cy thought. ¡°It looks like it belonged to some destitute vagrant,¡± Envy said with a frown. The Painter shifted slightly. ¡°Dull, worn, charred. Just the kind of product you¡¯d push, actually.¡± Up yours. Quit distracting me. ¡°What do you make of your star pupil¡¯s new style?¡± Cy asked The Painter. Everyone was surprised to find The Painter too flustered to speak, not even bothering to hide his anger. Yeah, something¡¯s definitely off here. The Alter stood, composed again. ¡°Well, it would appear that today is our final day together.¡± Still pretending to be absorbed by the newspaper, Jules turned a page. ¡°So you have been watching me." ¡°Be ready in five." The Painter walked away without looking at any of them. Even Jules put down the newspaper, and the team of five all looked at each other, puzzled. ¡°Julessss¡­.¡± Envy said. ¡°Something to tell us?¡±
[Paint It Black ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Paint It Black ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: You have Leveled Up far surpassing other people your age.]
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 49 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 50 - All Falls Down
CYRUS
¡°Yeah, he did not like that necklace of yours,¡± Cy said. ¡°Stunning observation,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°Kaizen¡¯s inside it!¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°Rukia,¡± Jules snapped. ¡°I figure you three knew why we left last night. It¡¯s time to go, and he clearly knows, but I¡¯m surprised he just realized it now and not last night.¡± ¡°Well, you pissed him off,¡± Cy said. ¡°Best be on our toes today.¡± Jules scraped the rest of his plate into his mouth, and Cy wondered if Jules¡¯ mouth defied the laws of space and physics like their training grounds. They all got dressed and equipped for what could be their last lesson. The three of them lined up before The Painter, with the two Familiars off to the side as usual. ¡°You three have come a long way in two short years¡ª" "I beg your pardon." Whiskers scoffed. "Dang speciesists," Rukia complained. "I am certainly proud of you. But it appears that there are matters of even greater import that I must now attend. I hoped to draw this day out at least another year. But here we are: your final examination." ¡°A final? We¡¯re done already?¡± Cy asked. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to being an Alter. My highest Skill is only Level 29.¡± ¡°Please, you''d be nearing 2nd Rank if you''d Unlock your System already. Think of this as the end of a school year, with more to come. I¡¯m sure Isolda gave you tests each year.¡± Hasn¡¯t mentioned her in over a year. ¡°So, what¡¯s this final test already?¡± Envy asked. ¡°The goal of today is simply to survive.¡±
[New Quest Available: Final Examination #1] [New Reward Available for Final Examination #1: Extended time off from The Painter.] [Final Examination #1 ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Survive.]
"So nothing special," Envy complained. ¡°Just like any other day.¡± ¡°No.¡± The Painter removed a palette from his smock. ¡°Today I will use the power of my Vessel. I¡¯ll push you to your limits, all of you, and I will not aid Cyrus.¡± Oh shit. The Alter pulled a paintbrush from the palette, as if removing a sword from a sheath. ¡°I showed you this Vessel before, during your first lesson, though it was a comparatively dull experience. I think with your current Levels and Skill selections, you should at least learn something today.¡± Cy steeled his resolve.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?7,000 // ?10,000]
He activated a Scroll to form a magical barrier around himself, focused on just the vitals and points of leverage. He felt the others bolster his armor on top of his own power, even from Whiskers. ¡°Thanks, pussycat.¡± Cy felt a slight decline in the power surrounding him. Woof. Or should I say, Meow? The Painter etched markings into the air before them with his paintbrush in black and red ink, but Cy couldn''t translate the Sylvan Runes. The paint dripped down from the air onto the ground. It boiled and bubbled on the marble. A jagged and spiked arm emerged from the acid, then another, and a set of legs. Demons. The Painter summoned more. Each time he finished one, he dipped his paint brush back into the palette to reload it, but Cy didn¡¯t have time to watch the man work. The demons began their assault. The first sprinted for Jules, the second for Envy. The third and fourth went for Jules, and the fifth and sixth for Envy. Finally, the seventh one came for Cy, and he stopped counting there. Their black and crimson crystalline hide served as an armor, and they walked on all fours like rabid dogs. Cy sliced clean through the first one easily enough, then the second. He spun his curved sword around in his hand confidently during the brief respite. ¡°Going to be a group stage fight, so reserve Ryoku¡ª¡± Envy hurled a throwing knife to the side of Cy¡¯s head and felled another monster. ¡°We know, Cy. Shut up and focus on what¡¯s around you.¡± The onslaught continued at an increased pace. Warmups must be over. ¡°How about a friendly contest, who can get the most?¡± Jules asked, though Cy¡ªand surely Envy¡ªknew it was a humble brag.
? Speed ? [?6,000 // ?10,000]
Cy''s Rune coated his sword until the edge turned a bright blue. Two more dogs ran to him. ¡°Three.¡± Cy swung again. "Four!" Another wave came; halfway through that, he heard his friends call out their scores. ¡°Eight!¡± ¡°Thirteen!¡± Already, Jules!? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Dammit, seven¡ªstop hogging them all!¡± As if they''d heard him, three redirected for Cy, all at once. He ducked under the first and swung upward at the second, slicing him in half, but the third''s claws slashed his arm. Cy''s flesh burned, the open cut foamed immediately, and his hand seized up. Cy''s vision blurred and doubled for a moment.
? Blood ? [?5,500 // ?10,000]
Cy pushed the poison out of his wound, along with some of his own blood. Seems effective enough. He danced through the remaining two. ¡°Ten!¡± ¡°Twenty-one.¡± ¡°Thirty-five.¡± The hell? He turned around and saw an entire horde of demons on Jules and Envy, who had also suffered a few injuries. Wonder if they can heal those with Regeneration? He was frustrated and jealous of their powers and the attention they received, but certainly not of the pain they were constantly subjected to. Our fights are usually more well-balanced. Not sure why he¡¯s going so hard on them in this test. Have to trust his judgment for now¡ª Cy side-stepped another dog and cut him from behind, then he ran straight into the chaos. Guts, cracked crystalline hides, foaming blood, and coagulated blood covered the battlefield. After a while, Cy shouted back, ¡°Thirty-six.¡± Cy noticed how well composed both of them still were, especially compared to him. ¡°Way past that,¡± Jules replied. ¡°Sixty-eight,¡± Envy said. Jules and Cy stopped and turned to watch her slay her next enemy. ¡°Nice!¡± the boys yelled together, then resumed their fights. Oh shit. The entire horde shifted their gaze to Cy and bull-rushed him at once. Ten advanced together in the front. ¡°Bring it on.¡± He sprinted to them and rolled down, slicing off four legs in one sweep. He had seven more down before he felt the first tinge of fatigue. The next three put up a good fight, but when they fell, he was surrounded. CRACK! The Ryoku shield covering his back shattered as claws ripped into his back. He dropped to a knee. CRACK! Another foe smashed the shield protecting his face.
? Air ? [?4,800 // ?10,000]
A shockwave pushed the dogs back, but another group filed in to replace them. Shield won''t last much longer¡ªOof! One demon pinned Cy down to the ground. It reached back to cave his head in¡ª Fire¡ªLots of fire. Jules swept his flaming sword around Cy, and the demons that survived backed off. His eyes were aflame, tinted green. Envy rushed over to Cy¡¯s other side, and her eyes also glowed an emerald hue.
? Blood ? [?4,100 // ?10,000]
Cy rose to his feet and pushed out as much poison as he could. Losing blood, can¡¯t do that too many more times. Cy took out two more while Jules and Envy took out a half-dozen each. ¡°Form up, now,¡± he shouted, and the trio formed a small triangle with their backs to each other. ¡°I get it now. We¡¯ve been here two years, and he wants to see something before we split up. You two, don¡¯t lose control.¡± ¡°Kinda hard while defending a weakling like you,¡± Envy mocked. The horde retreated and formed a growing pile, which grew even larger as The Painter summoned more. The monsters ran into each other like a mosh pit until they eventually fused together into one massive figure. ¡°Its hide is thick. Switch to magic,¡± Jules said. ¡°Warmup''s over. The real test begins here.¡± That was the warm up!? ¡°Keep your cool, Jules,¡± Envy warned.
? Ice ? [?2,100 // ?10,000]
¡°Let me direct the magic.¡± Cy formed five massive ice swords above his head, a far cry from the rough crystals two years ago in Coralhaven. The trio launched a projectile assault of elemental magic, mostly of ice and fire. Not a single attack pierced through their opponent¡¯s skin. It spat streams of fire at them, which turned the ground into molten rock. Limiting our paths of attack. Another stream trapped Envy between two molten trails. It leapt onto her and crushed her flat. The smoldering lines converged on her and ignited her corpse. ¡°Salvos¡­¡± ¡°Focus, Cy!¡± Jules tackled him from the side. Cy flew away, and Jules intercepted the demon''s pounding fist, meant for Cy. Jules landed near Envy. Cy''s Ryoku Shield faded to just a thin barrier. Damn, lost his and Kat''s buffs. He kept his eyes on the demon and focused the shield to a much smaller fragment and pushed it away from his body like a ward. It blocked the demon''s next strike, and he launched his ice swords at its eyes.
? Ice ? [?1,100 // ?10,000]
The Painter summoned five more, then ten more, then fifteen, and launched wave after wave to no avail.
? Ice ? [?1,100 // ?10,000]
Nothing formed. Only ?1,100 to spare? That''s barely enough to¡ª Envy woke up screaming in agony. Jules rushed over to rescue her. The demon abandoned Cy for them. Can¡¯t survive like this. He¡¯s going to kill me, and them. They¡¯ll be tortured through this until they find a way out¡ª No, until I find a way out, think! I can¡¯t stop this monster, but¡­ The idea clicked. ¡°Distract it!¡± Cy ordered. ¡°And back me up. Even if you die, keep it up from the grave.¡± His tiny Ryoku Shield expanded outward as Jules and Envy bolstered it. He even felt a surge of power from Whiskers. Cy reshaped it to the point of a spear, something to pierce with all their might at once. Not enough Ryoku to cast this spell. Gotta use the ace up my sleeve. Let''s see how much attention this bastard''s been giving me. Beneath Cy''s shirt, out of sight, ink evaporated off of his forearm.
? Activate ? [?1,090 // ?10,000] ? ? Shadow Step ? ? [Inked Art Consumed.]
Cy sprinted to his target.
? Speed ? [?0 // ?10,000]
"No!" Jules shouted. "You don''t have enough Ryoku, you''ll die!" Cy jumped into the air. He descended on his target and then¡ª The demon''s flames consumed Cy in an inferno. His body dropped to the ground, beside Jules and Envy, without a trace of life. They shrieked and fell to their knees, abandoning all hope. Cy''s smoldering body smoked away to ash. Then, all at once, it disappeared. Cy¡ªthe real Cy, not the doppelganger he¡¯d crafted as their distraction¡ªstruck his Ryoku-Shield-turned-Spearpoint into The Painter¡¯s wrist. The blow annihilated the Alter¡¯s hand and separated him from his Vessel, and the demon vanished immediately. With his remaining hand, The Painter grabbed Cy¡ªquicker than Cy could even see¡ªhalting him in midair. His grim frown reluctantly broke into a wide smile. ¡°Congratulations, Cyrus. You have passed the test.¡±
[Final Examination #1 ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Survive.] [Final Examination #1 ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Final Examination #1 ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Extended time off from The Painter.]
As soon as Cy¡¯s feet touched the ground, he collapsed to his back. ¡°Thank Salvos I don¡¯t have to fight you, too.¡± ¡°No. Not yet at least, eh? But you saw through the assignment.¡± The Painter reattached his hand. Golden lace stitched it back together from some unheard Script. Must be an Inked Art as well. ¡°I¡¯m glad I did. I don¡¯t know that I could have survived any longer." ¡°I had faith, though I did think it would take longer.¡± Dick. The Painter wiggled his fingers and formed a fist with his fully healed hand. Wow. Faster than Jules or Kat. ¡°More like you hoped it would take longer. That was a bullshit task, pressing them hard to release.¡± The Painter¡¯s grin grew even wider. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you targeted me with the horde.¡± ¡°Right again. I didn''t see you invoke that last Script. So, could it be¡­?" ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 50 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 51 - Patiently Waiting
CYRUS
"Yeah," Cy said. "You must not have noticed, but I mastered the Inked Arts months ago." That look¡­ You did notice, didn''t you?
[Pupils of the Inked Arts ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Successfully use your first Inked Art.] [Pupils of the Inked Arts ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Pupils of the Inked Arts ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Practical knowledge of the Inked Arts.]
Cy felt a rush of energy like nothing he¡¯d ever experienced before. All the poison was removed; his scrapes were gone, his bruises were gone, everything healed so fast that it actually gave him a migraine, but even that was gone in a moment. Judging by their gasps, Jules and Kat must have felt the same thing. The marbled white landscape, or hellscape, as Cy saw it, shifted back into the art supply store, and they were all near each other again as the room shrank back into itself. "Cy," Envy said. "Glad to see you''re still alive." "Same." Jules laid down in a bag chair and stared at the ceiling. "Hey don''t worry, Kat," Cy said. "I won''t ever bring up how you cried when you thought I''d died." Too tired to reply, huh? ¡°Forgive me, my dear students, for my sudden aggression. Another player has entered the game.¡± The Painter pointed to Jules¡¯ new beaded necklace. ¡°So my strategy had to change, just as yours did in this match, Cyrus.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bastard,¡± Jules said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a bastard,¡± Envy continued. ¡°Even your mother was a bastard.¡± The Painter''s eyes narrowed sharply. ¡°Be gentle with my mother, Salvos bless her soul.¡± ¡°Never pinned you for the religious type.¡± Cy rolled to his stomach and staggered to his feet. ¡°Only when it comes to family and their souls. Moving on, there was another purpose for today¡¯s demonstration, which ties into your next assignments.¡± ¡°You expect us to do homework after that?¡± Jules asked. ¡°I wanted to exhibit the power which you all lack, more important than your Regeneration. Any guesses?" Not even Cy had an answer. "Vessels, children." ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Envy also stared at the ceiling. ¡°Jules, is this guy serious?¡± ¡°Must be.¡± ¡°This,¡± The Painter showcased his palette, ¡°is my original Vessel, and though I carry a few more, I consider it an extension of myself. You have more or less reached our potential here for Skills. Once you reach Master Rank, you won¡¯t really improve without one of these.¡± ¡°And what about Genius Rank?¡± Cy asked. ¡°I am disappointed, Cyrus, that you¡¯ve not realized it¡¯s impossible to ascend without one.¡± Cy was shocked, enraged even. What am I missing here? We¡¯ve never spoken about this before. ¡°Your training in the Inked Arts is now complete, thanks to dear Cyrus here, the weakest among you. He will instruct the two of you on how to master it. Use it how you will, for whatever you will, whenever you will. My only request is that you be highly selective about whom you choose to pass on this knowledge.¡± ¡°How many have you trained before us three?¡± Cy could tell Jules and Envy weren¡¯t really listening anymore. ¡°Today, I have doubled my disciples.¡± So there are three more out there¡­ ¡°Isolda. Is she one?¡± Another wicked grin. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her yourself, next time you see her. I understand you two owe her something. You¡¯d do well to pay her back.¡±
[New Quest Available: Corporeal Punishment] [New Reward Available for Corporeal Punishment: Information on Isolda and The Painter''s relationship.] [Corporeal Punishment ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Return the Ryoku Crystals you stole from Isolda.] [Corporeal Punishment ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Question Isolda.]
¡°I already paid her back, in Coralhaven,¡± Jules said. I thought you tapped out a while ago, Jules. ¡°But that is enough. I must take my leave, as do you five. You came here, children, and after all our progress and struggles¡­" Cy straightened up a little. "You are still leaving children. But I find faith that you will be on the cusp of adulthood next time we meet, which brings me back to my point." Cy sank into his chair. ¡°You have two assignments. Think of them as field projects before I take you back under my wing to further progress under my esteemed tutelage.¡± Arrogant prick. ¡°First, ruminate over the three questions I asked you two years ago. What are Scripts, what are the main branches of Scripts, and how do you exploit the System? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Second, you must each possess a Vessel¡ªwhich you have each received from a Shrine you''ve captured, just so there¡¯s no cheating. Once this second requirement is complete, I will find you, and we will resume our training. Now, I''ll leave you with one more piece of advice for getting out of sticky situations: Adapt, learn, and mimic.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Envy said. ¡°Did anybody write all that down?¡±
[Quest Reminder: The Painter''s Lessons is still available.] [New Quest Available: Shrine Hunting] [New Reward Available for Shrine Hunting: A Vessel for each Party member.] [New Reward Available for Shrine Hunting: Admittance to The Painter''s next batch of lessons.]
¡°And what if we refuse to join you again?¡± Jules asked. ¡°There¡¯s no if for me. Fuuuck that,¡± Envy said. ¡°There¡¯s also no if for me, either, but the opposite way,¡± Cy said. ¡°A lot can change between now and then. And I¡¯m known to have impeccable¡­timing.¡± The Painter looked at Cy again with that last word. ¡°Siren¡¯s Cove, Lighthouse Point, Marina Veridia, and of course you all know about Coralhaven. Four Shrines remain in Coralith¡ªan extra one in case you fuck up.¡±
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª 4 Quest Objectives ADDED: Capture the Shrine in Siren''s Cove. | Capture the Shrine in Lighthouse Point. | Capture the Shrine in Marina Veridia. | Capture the Shrine in Coralhaven.]
Jules and Kat seem less excited to end training than I expected. ¡°So where does that leave us?¡± Cy asked The Painter. ¡°Where do you want it to leave us? Looking to be free of your promise?¡± ¡°Not even remotely close. But it¡¯s been two years already, and we still have eight left. Not long to fill in the remaining gap.¡± ¡°And yet you are 2nd Rank, closing in on 3rd. If you''d Unlock your System, that is." ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m no fool. I¡¯ve accomplished that because of you. Because I''ve been here. And the last stretch will take the longest, by far.¡± ¡°You must do some of your training with me. Some,¡± he looked at the two Sins, ¡°by yourself. Phases of life, eh?¡± ¡°What happens to you if you don¡¯t succeed?¡± ¡°Excuse me? If I don¡¯t succeed?¡± Cy felt sheepish and embarrassed. ¡°If I don¡¯t succeed¡­¡± The Painter threw his arms in the air and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I must say I¡¯m curious to find out, but,¡± he looked at Whiskers this time, ¡°curiosity did kill the cat.¡± Couldn¡¯t give a more unsatisfying answer, could you? ¡°So these Shrines. What are the rules?¡± Another dark grin, this one greedy. ¡°That info will cost you, ya know.¡± ¡°It turns out that my life is priceless to me. If we¡¯re rushing headfirst into four of these behemoths¡­ What¡¯s your price?¡± ¡°Half of your trading company.¡± Envy and Jules had nearly fused into their couches, but even they lifted and turned their heads to see Cy¡¯s response, as if to say, Oh shit. Cy balked at first, but then he felt a second rush of energy and excitement, though this time it was of pride and accomplishment. What game are we playing now? ¡°One-twentieth.¡± Jules and Envy glanced at each other, then back to The Painter. ¡°A third.¡± For the remainder of negotiations, the two Sins bounced their heads left, right, then left again, as if watching a tennis match. Envy''s characteristic scowl was replaced by shock and awe. ¡°One-fiftieth.¡± ¡°A fourth.¡± ¡°One percent.¡± ¡°Ha! Who taught you to negotiate? One-seventh, final offer, kid.¡± ¡°What would you even need it for?¡± Cy asked. ¡°You would expect me to weaken my own negotiating position?¡± ¡°I expect you to tell me how you¡¯d benefit the company I¡¯ve put my actual blood, sweat, and tears into.¡± ¡°OK, gross,¡± Envy said. Jules placed a finger to her lips and hushed her. For the second time today, The Painter lost his composure, though this time just by the slightest bit. ¡°Are you trying to insult me, your teacher?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to retain control. You may not be the only investor I seek. What if we arranged a loan instead of equity?¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯re already in my debt.¡± Jules ribbed Envy on that one. ¡°If not right this moment, soon.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so confident that I¡¯ll be an Alter, then why would I need two at the same company?¡± ¡°Cyrus, Cyrus. You continue to impress me, despite your circumstances and my better judgment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a compliment, or a well-delivered insult¡­¡± The Painter sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. ¡°I¡¯d like to retract my last statement.¡± Jules and Envy slowly leaned into each other on the couch, their heads touching as sleep and weariness caught up to them. The intrigue of business must have worn off for them. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, if you tell me the rules for the Coralhaven Shrine¡­¡± Cy paused to gauge The Painter¡¯s interest in where he was going. Hooked him. ¡°If you tell me that, then I¡¯ll even consider your offer at a seventh.¡±
PATIENCE, AKA PAT OF THE DUNES
In the early morning light, Patience shoved his way to the front of the pack¡ªmaking sure to step on some of the parents'' toes¡ªand stepped off the crowded ferry onto the large gangway. It¡¯d nearly killed him to have to spend the night in Coralhaven after missing yesterday¡¯s last ferry. Disgusting inn. More like public housing. And now I''m surrounded by such insufferable rubes. Dense in both population and mind. Going incognito is such a miserable experience. I¡¯d much prefer to travel on The Iron Maiden¡¯s dime, that old bag. It''s been a month already since she assigned me this mission, Charlotte, but not nearly long enough since I''ve had to look at her last. Lost in thought, Patience bumped into an old man on the bridge. Ignorant imbecile. It drives me nuts when you people don¡¯t wait your turn. ¡°You know,¡± Patience said, ¡°you¡¯re supposed to let everyone off before you try to board. Makes life easier for everyone.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry laddie, I didn¡¯t see ye there.¡± The old man didn¡¯t even bother to look up. He just clung desperately to the bridge¡¯s railing. The man was too close to him, so Patience took a step back into the other disembarking passengers. Curious enough, he studied the man. You dress like someone about to sell their family heirloom to a pawnshop. And clinging to that rail so desperately. ¡°Next time, watch where you¡¯re going.¡± Patience began to move away, but was startled again when the man looked up, and Patience saw his blindfold for the first time. Oh. I see. ¡°Afraid I can¡¯t.¡± The man''s ring scraped along the metal railing. ¡°Yes, Sir. Please, forgive my ignorance, and allow me to help you.¡± Patience took the man by one arm and guided him one step away from the barrier. ¡°Why thank ye, lad. Weather sure is nice, not a cloud in the sky, hm?¡± His blindfold turned to the sky. As if you could tell. Passengers walked by them and smiled at Patience for having the manners to help an old blind man board the ship. You smell like a fish market. One without ice. He nearly gagged from the putrid and gagging musk of salt. Hurry up, you ancient tortoise. Use that damn cane of yours and keep your ragged tunic off my robes. When no one was looking, he stuck a foot out and tripped the old man, who spun fully around and caught himself on the railing. ¡°My, my, Sonny.¡± The man smiled. ¡°Another child your age tried to knock me down just last night. The youth these days, I swear¡­¡± Youth? My age? A blind man seeing clouds? I haven¡¯t even stepped foot on it yet, and I already hate this city. Patience abandoned the man to walk away, but fuming, he had to get in the last word. ¡°The weather¡¯s always clear when I¡¯m around.¡± The old man howled with laughter as he walked toward the ferry. His ring slid along the metal railing again. Patience grabbed his own ears and tried to tug them off, but composed himself. "Get a haircut, ye damn flower child!" Patience ran a hand through his long black hair, over his hidden Seal. Charlotte''s legs skittered up the inside of his robes, but Patience shoved her back down. The old man never looked back. He''s harmless, Charlotte. Probably some charlatan faking his blindness. Though I''d like to see which shade his blood is, we have a meeting to attend. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 51 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 52 - The Anthem
PATIENCE
Patience stepped foot onto the boardwalk and left behind the impoverished stain of public transportation for good. He surveyed the ships at the Aquilanti docks. Among all the various ships, one white sail fluttered softly in the gentle sea breeze, higher than the rest. Embroidered on it was an iron cage, large enough for one person, and metal spikes facing inward. A single spike dripped red with the blood of Salvos. Subtle. As always, he walked barefoot. The smell of the sea disgusted him and wrinkled his nose, but the heat put him at ease, even in his thick black robes. Compared to the Verdant Domain and Zephyria, Coralith isn¡¯t so bad, if only for the heat. Patience braced himself as he approached the ship. He loathed working with others. Charlotte burrowed deeply into his clothes near his chest to remain hidden. Patience paused at an abomination adjacent to his destination. What the hell in this piece of shit? Rotted hull looks beat to hell. Staunch contrast to the Maiden¡¯s ship, and it¡¯s the only one nearby. Oh, here¡¯s two of the crew. Rough duo. Seems even the sea has swine. The two crewmen halted their work and watched him approach their neighbor. Without permission, Patience stepped aboard and wandered toward the captain¡¯s cabin. No one around, probably all in there. Better put on my mask¡­ Patience swung open the door and strode in with an air of authority. A motley crew of six glared at him. Half of them, large men, stood quickly at the intrusion. Aggressive lot. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this transgression, Zeke?¡± the furthest man said. He was deeply tanned, and old. Two things Patience hated. ¡°Who the hell are you, and who gave you bloody permission to board my holy vessel?¡± Bloody permission, holy vessel¡­ You must be Zeke. ¡°Oh my, gentlemen, please sit down,¡± Patience commanded. ¡°I am Pat of the Dunes. The Iron Maiden sent me¡ª¡± Patience looked at Zeke for emphasis. ¡°¡ªto board Her holy ship.¡± Zeke snarled. Ah, yes. Let the dick-measuring contest begin. ¡°A child like you¡ª¡± Zeke stood at attention. There you go. "¡ªmust be The Spider." Patience didn''t mind the vitriol in Zeke''s voice, not when his title was praised, anyway. ¡°That would be correct. Whoever said notoriety was a curse?¡± Patience poured himself a draught of wine at the captain''s table. ¡°Suffice it to say that she¡¯s sent me to take control.¡± ¡°If that is what The Iron Maiden wants,¡± Zeke said slowly, ¡°then who am I, but a vassal to submit?¡± Vassals and vessels¡ªall disposable. Replaceable. Who are you, indeed? ¡°A vassal, and a servant.¡± Sneer at me all you want, Zeke. Patience drank from the goblet and studied his audience. Zeke, and three other men. Two young women, one standing¡ªlurking, really. The other sitting in the place of honor before the captain¡¯s table? ¡°And what news does she bring?¡± Zeke turned a second goblet upside down on the table with a solid thud. ¡°While you were busy attending more important matters, I''m sure, I located Wrath. He is here. Just under your noses.¡± Everyone balked at the news, all except the seated girl, who beamed. ¡°Thank you for delivering this information. I will take it from here.¡± I am not some banal messenger. ¡°As She has honored me with commanding the Shattered Isles.¡± Patience¡¯s anger betrayed him, frustration and disgust crawled across his lips. ¡°Certainly, Pastor Zeke. You will handle the tactics, but according to my strategy.¡± ¡°Aye, tactics." Zeke crossed his arms. "And dirty work.¡± Suddenly, Patience became cold. His skin itched, burned almost, as if he were lying naked on the ice caps beyond Zephyria. Reminds me of nights in the desert. A test. The Spider did nothing, he just endured it while standing there; he was Patience, after all. The two roughnecks behind Zeke didn¡¯t notice the ordeal, but the others clearly did. Patience made sure to connect eye contact with each of the remaining four, to showcase his resolve, and to see whose eyes glowed, though he failed in that task. The ignorant two men grew impatient and shifted uneasily several times over. Dull, both of them, but at least sharp enough to not speak until spoken to. Whoever initiated the spell eventually lifted it. You have certainly caught my interest, Zeke. I¡¯ll have you show me how you can activate a Script without saying it, or even altering your eyes. Even if I have to force it from you. ¡°There. I hope the investment of your time was worth wasting mine,¡± Patience said. Of course, the two cannon-fodder grunts look confused. ¡°So. This is all you have to show for your command of the Shattered Isles? Thugs and¡ª¡± He looked at the tanned man and seated woman, who he suspected belonged to the neighboring ship. ¡°¡ªMore thugs?¡± One of the imbeciles, the one with the thick neck, stepped forward. Zeke halted him with a single raised hand. ¡°You expect me to entertain my entire forces within my personal quarters?¡± You dare challenge me? ¡°This is just my inner circle. Felix here is our Tracker, our shadow.¡± One of the fools. Lithe and agile, jet black hair to match your outfit. Hasn¡¯t broken that stupid perpetual smile since I walked in. Did you dress yourself at fourteen and say, ''This is good enough?'' Throwing weapons, really? Frail excuse of a man. Expendable. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Ragnar here, he¡¯s our muscle.¡± Zeke motioned to the man who had just stepped forward. He was so tall he had to hunch over below the cabin ceiling. He sat back down on the edge of a small table. Tanned and battle-scarred skin. No weapons. Plain white robe with a simple black belt. This one will be useful for a while. ¡°And, of course, my personal bodyguard.¡± Zeke motioned to the masked woman standing near him. Slim black leather outfit. Mask covering face and hair, though not those piercing purple eyes. ¡°Though with your higher rank, I should leave her in your care.¡± Rank¡ªEntendre intended as an insult? ¡°You should know from my reputation that a guardian is simply unnecessary for me.¡± I¡¯ll not have you entrap and watch me, with some nameless escort at that. ¡°All three are quite familiar with this area. They joined the Iron Maidens two years ago, shortly after Wrath showed his face in Coralhaven. They are loyal and trustworthy.¡± ¡°Very well. I look forward to working together. Now, good hunting to you all.¡± Felix maintained his smile, but Ragnar and Zeke failed to hide their animosity, and their reluctance, at the dismissal. Zeke motioned for them to leave. Felix and the girl show no changes in emotion as they leave. Maybe he¡¯ll be useful after all. The girl, on the other hand, is going to be a constant nuisance to me, I can tell already. She should befall some accident, quickly. Patience glanced toward the door, which they left open, then to Zeke, who furrowed his brows but still rose to shut it. ¡°Now, you two,¡± Patience said to the tanned man, ¡°you don¡¯t quite fit the Iron Maiden mold.¡± The man was weathered, sturdy. His bronzed skin was covered in gold jewelry and gold tattoos. He had gray hair and a black, peppered beard. Patience guessed he was nearing sixty. What struck Patience most about the man was the beautifully adorned captain¡¯s robe that he wore. It bore a pattern that wrought Patience''s envy. I¡¯ll have that robe. ¡°You may not fully grasp the situation," Patience said to the old man, "but we are short on time¡ª¡± ¡°Oi. Boy,¡± the girl said. ¡°Don¡¯t you see the fuckin¡¯ hat on my fuckin'' head?¡± Tricorn hat, with a parrot feather sticking out. Patience acknowledged the parrot sitting on her opposite shoulder for the first time as well. "All I see is a played-out stereotype. Get on with it, then." ¡°Captain Maddie Redwood of the¡ª¡± ¡°A Pirate captain is no true Captain." The parrot squawked at Patience in protest. "How low you have stooped, Zeke, allowing common criminals to step foot into holy matters.¡± The tanned man gripped the back of the chair his captain sat in until it splintered. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the ignorant, Thorn,¡± Maddie said. ¡°I''ve done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law. Pirates we may be, but of a different sort. My crew has turned over a new leaf.¡± ¡°Then my point still stands for your crew.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Church of Salvos founded on the pillar of forgiveness?¡± Pillar. Today has been a day of interesting word choice. ¡°Forgive, but don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Sounds like a bastardization of the gospel to me.¡± The parrot flapped its wings. ¡°But I¡¯m sure Salvos hasn¡¯t forgotten what you¡¯ve done, to get that title of, what was it again¡­ The Dune Buggy?" I will strike you down as well. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Thorn asked. ¡°Zeke,¡± Patience said, ¡°you may go out and sic your dogs on Wrath alongside our Maidens, but forget not the punishment due for those who cross the line of our Holy Maiden, who¡ª¡± ¡°Who in Her righteous resolve,¡± Zeke said, ¡°has already personally approved their employment.¡± ¡°I see.¡± You laid a trap for me. Patience waved a hand at the door. ¡°You may go as well, then. Zeke and I have other matters to discuss.¡± ¡°No,¡± Maddie said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I am only stopping by to negotiate our terms of future employment with Zeke, while we resupply here for another mission.¡± ¡°You are testing my¡ª¡± ¡°After we complete that mission, we will return to join Zeke. That¡¯s Zeke¡ªnot you, and not before.¡± ¡°SQUAWK¡ªNOT YOU! SQUAWK¡ªNOT BEFORE!¡± the parrot repeated. Shut the fuck up. ¡°Why would someone of your¡­elegant stature¡­seek work with The Iron Maiden? It seems like you could have an easier time simply taking what you want.¡± ¡°I have a dream,¡± Maddie said. Patience''s face fell flat. ¡°Pray tell.¡± ¡°Of an early retirement!¡± She grinned ear to ear. Like an idiot. Patience couldn¡¯t comprehend the idea of ever settling, of ever stopping. The world simply offered too much to take. ¡°And it just so happens that The Iron Maiden Herself pays the most. Nothing higher than a Sin¡¯s Bounty. Not even Davy Jones.¡± Thorn released his vice grip on the chair at last and straightened up. ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid that, under light of new circumstances and,¡± Maddie looked at Patience as she spoke, ¡°new management, my rate has now doubled.¡± ¡°No,¡± Patience said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is simply not possible.¡± ¡°I already told you, I don¡¯t work for you. Triple the rate, now.¡± Maddie stood up from her chair and handed Zeke a shell. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you this to communicate with me. If you are willing to take my fee, and if Wrath appears near Siren¡¯s Cove, you be sure to let me know.¡± Zeke shook Maddie''s hand. Why don¡¯t you stare into each other¡¯s eyes a little longer? Maddie left, and Thorn followed behind her. They also left the door wide open. Patience looked out the open door as he spoke loudly. ¡°Only one thing in Siren¡¯s Cove. Don¡¯t count on using her again.¡± He slammed the door, then took Maddie¡¯s former seat of honor. He propped his feet up on Zeke¡¯s captain¡¯s table. ¡°How do you know Wrath is here?¡± Zeke took his seat. Straight, rigid, attentive. Just like any sitting dog should be. ¡°Turns out his parents are talkers, after all.¡± Zeke leaned in. ¡°What are they like?¡± Why do you care? ¡°Old. Frail. Two things I hate.¡± Patience looked Zeke up and down. Zeke pulled himself back to his former rigidity. ¡°I am old, yes. But frail¡­ Well, that doesn¡¯t sound like Liam. I remember him well.¡± ¡°Remember him?¡± ¡°I see you don''t read the dossiers." Zeke scoffed. "I knew he was here, too. Wrath. I sensed it back on that first day I arrived, when we revealed his image. That feeling hasn¡¯t gone away since.¡± Hmmm. ¡°Well, Papa Bear ratted his son out easy enough. Just took the right pressure points." Zeke glared at Patience, not moving, not wavering. Not convinced? "How many men do you really have?" Patience asked. "A dozen won¡¯t suffice. It¡¯s simply not enough fodder after Coralhaven." ¡°We just need to corner him." Zeke broke their staring contest. "And then continue to kill him. Over and over again. Like Greed. ¡± ¡°How¡¯d that turn out?¡± Zeke remained silent. ¡°So your plan is¡­?¡± Zeke smiled. ¡°Leave the tactics to me, remember?¡± ¡°I have no patience for failure,¡± Patience warned him. ¡°A single fuck up, and I take over and give you personal assignments. I¡¯ve heard that the stress of having me as one¡¯s superior has the tendency to shorten one¡¯s life. Now, tell me you understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to see that, boy.¡± I don¡¯t like that gleam in his eye, or that smirk, either. I must continue to play the game with this one, and only show my cards when I¡¯m certain I¡¯ve seen all of his. You need to drop another eye, Charlotte. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 52 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 53 - Fortune Faded
PATIENCE
The crowds of Aquilantis disgusted him, but the work had to be done. If Patience didn¡¯t push Wrath to break his Seal soon, then there was always the chance he would die trying. People brushed their dirty tunics and dresses against his pristine robes, rubbing sweat and grime all other him. If his clothes weren''t Enchanted against dirt and the like, he''d burn the criminals alive. He¡¯d passed thousands of citizens, probably all illiterate, and not a single noteworthy person had crossed his path. Until one finally did. Long brown hair, in a bun that looks even better than mine¡­ He shadowed the man. Covered in tattoos, I mean absolutely covered, head to toe¡ªand no one bats an eye? Odd-colored kimono for a man to wear in Coralith. Patience followed the man to a building in a seedy part of town. The target reached out to open a door, but hesitated. He slowly turned his head over a shoulder. Patience looked away and blended into the crowd as best he could. Charlotte bit a rib¡ªhe winced, but understood he must pursue the man, but when Patience looked back around, the stranger had disappeared. Patience walked up to the window of what looked like an art supply store. Inside, he saw him, his counterpart. Wrath. Patience scurried away before he could be spotted. That¡¯s him, alright. We switched places all those years ago, when I looked in that bowl of water to see who I¡¯d become. He¡¯s matured, like I have, but that¡¯s definitely him. Odd that he looks nothing like the images that idiot Zeke has put out¡­ But I¡¯m absolutely certain of it. That fool. Wrath was under his nose for two years, and it only took The Spider two hours. Patience smiled all the way back to the docks.
[Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find Wrath in Aquilantis.] [Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Capture Wrath.]
JULES
Rukia stood on her two hind legs. She pressed her nose to the window and fogged up the glass. ¡°Ah, yessss!" she shouted. "The weather has finally lifted. It¡¯s gonna be a great day. I can¡¯t wait for some real combat.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Come on back, Ruke. We can¡¯t fight until we pack and set sail.¡± Crazy little fox. ¡°Hey, I heard that.¡± Rukia gnawed on a tuft of fur. Jules and his Familiar reconvened with Cyrus, Katarina, and Whiskers after everyone had finished packing. Four faces were stern and resolute. Rukia panted with enthusiasm. ¡°You all ready?¡± Jules asked. Katarina looked at Cyrus. ¡°All clear,¡± Cyrus said with a nod. ¡°Then let¡¯s head for Marina Veridia,¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°But first, the inn,¡± Katarina said softly. ¡°Right¡ªand then Marina Veridia!¡± They walked out into the blazing sunlight. The others had only left the shop a handful of times more than Jules and Rukia, and it took about a hundred feet for everyone to adjust to the bright light. ¡°Oh Jules, it¡¯s so hot,¡± Rukia panted. She¡¯d slowed down considerably. With ears pinned back, her tongue dragged along the pavement. Jules smiled despite that familiar feeling of being watched. The Painter¡¯s watching us even now, after he¡¯s left. Suppose I better get used to it. The Party traveled through back alleyways toward the inn, still choosing to retain as much cover as possible and avoid crowds. Their heavy bags weighed them down, and their Inventories were all maxed out, mostly with crap Cyrus had insisted they''d need. Rukia paused. Her ears perked up; her tongue returned to her mouth. She growled and ridged her hackles up. ¡°Whiskers¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. I just sensed it, too. We¡¯re being followed.¡± Jules¡¯ chakra beads lit up from beneath his shirt. ¡°Kaizen feels it, too. Is it not The Painter?¡± Jules looked around. Figures at each end of the alley, blocking us both ways. He tried to gauge the number of attackers. ¡°At least three.¡± ¡°Shit, run!¡± Cyrus yelled. ¡°No¡ªstick together,¡± Katarina ordered. They formed a triangle with the two Familiars in the center, their backs to them. A massive shadow overtook them, and they all split up to avoid the giant boulder that crashed down where they stood. ¡°Rukia!¡± Jules shouted. He lost her, but had no time to search. A towering man in a white robe and black belt stalked toward him. Time to fight. The man punched and kicked at Jules, who dodged all but one blow. Jules felt the raw power behind the kick that connected. Higher 2nd Rank, but probably not 3rd. A Monk? Not good, can¡¯t fight in an alley. Jules fled in search of a better battlefield. He looked around for the others, but they were already gone, scrambled. The assailant pursued him at a safe distance. Jules had the advantage of speed, though he wouldn¡¯t last long weighed down by his pack. Once he got to an open area, he turned to fight again and unsheathed his cheap sword. Damn Painter wanted us to craft our own weapons, and this is what we get. Jules sliced and slashed at the assailant, who evaded each one. The Monk resumed his assault, and another punch connected to Jules'' sternum. His attacks seem withdrawn now, like he¡¯s avoiding contact with me. Beads are lighting up again, Kaizen trying to send another message? Jules invoked his Seal.
? Strike ? [?8,900 // ?10,000]
Jules feigned a sword attack, then kicked him hard. The Monk flew through the air and crashed into a market stand. Jules fled again, straight into a trap. His escape route dumped him into a square, where an entire platoon of Guards waited. They engaged him immediately. Two Guards from each side dove at him. Jules spun, grabbed one, and threw him into the other. Spears jabbed in at Jules'' neck and chest. He parried one, then chopped another in two. Several crossbow bolts struck Jules in his legs. These guys certainly aren¡¯t holding back. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Great. The Monk''s back. From beneath his robes, the man pulled out two battle axes. Guessing you aren''t a Monk after all. Shit¡¯s about to get real. The Guards formed an arc around Jules and pinned him between them and the assailant. Two at a time, Guards stepped forward to pierce him with more spears. ¡°Dammit, why is it always spears!?¡± Jules asked one of them. No time to wait for a response, his sword clanged against one of the Monk¡¯s axes. In between axe slashes, Jules parried spearheads and deflected crossbow bolts. The raw power from the Monk¡¯s blows reverberated down to Jules¡¯ bones. They ached, and they screamed. His eyes are glowing. Some type of Script. Dammit, I should have Inked myself before. Not that it''d do much good, Cy is still teaching¡ª ¡°AGGHH!¡± Jules'' sword fell, and his left hand went with it, sliced clean off by an ax. Uncontrollable orange and yellow flames erupted from his eyes. Rage and adrenaline flooded his blood vessels. Even the Monk retreated with the Guards. At least that pushed them back for a moment. No chance they don¡¯t know who I am. Don¡¯t lose control, Kaizen thought. Now¡¯d be a great time to Integrate. Jules received no response. The siege on Wrath continued while citizens ran far and away, screaming for their lives.
CYRUS
Cy sprinted through Aquilantis. Dammit, I lost them all. And this chick''s not missing a beat. I need a new plan.
? Conceal ? ? Tracks ? [?9,500 // ?10,000] ? Craft ? ? Tracks ? [?9,000 // ?10,000]
Cy laid down fake tracks and hid his real ones, but his pursuer wasn''t fooled as they zigzagged through alleyways. Let''s see how she fights. In an open area, he turned to face her. She jabbed a knife at him. He stepped backward and grabbed her wrist, then twisted it away. Using that momentum, she twisted and roundhouse kicked him, but he dropped down below it.
? Earth ? ? Air ? ? Earth ? [?7,500 // ?10,000]
The cobblestone rose around her legs and trapped her. Then a gust of wind knocked her head and body back, and more cobblestone rose up to trap her hands until she was struck in a bridge pose. Cy scaled a wall to flee. CRACK! He looked back. How''d she break free already? I never even heard the Script. Cy flipped down to her and whipped out his curved sword. Before he landed and could strike, there were six of her. After images? Or doppelgangers?
? Smoke ? [?7,000 // ?10,000]
Cy dropped a smokescreen and fled again to reassess. Illusion versus illusion. What would The Painter do, drop the act and fight? No, he¡¯d lock her in a tight space where that wouldn''t matter as much¡ªThere. Cy spotted a bridge, the moving bridge that he always took to the casino. He sprinted toward the middle. Bingo. He leapt onto the bridge¡¯s stone railing. As he jumped off the bridge, he looked back to his pursuer and saw Envy chased by another assailant onto the bridge where he¡¯d just come from. Shit¡ªSorry Kat!
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?4,800 // ?10,000]
The Scroll softened his fall, but he still crashed onto a shop¡¯s awning below. He rolled onto the floating market¡¯s wooden deck, and the makeshift boat rocked and swayed from his impact. The woman landed softly on her feet behind him. Graceful, this chick. Cy slashed at her, but only hit thin wooden pillars, beams, and trusses. Rather than destroying her, he destroyed some poor soul¡¯s livelihood. Sorry guys. Less competition for me, I guess, but I need to close the distance. This chick¡¯s starting to piss me off. Something wrapped tightly around one of his leg and immobilized him. The hell is this, twine? From the market? She drew a dagger and closed in on him. He dodged a swipe to his head and ducked beneath a second. He grabbed her weapon-arm and guided it down to cut the strangling rope. Then, using a move Envy had taught him¡ªhe twisted her arm into herself to stab her neck with her own blade, but he stopped just short. ¡°Lilac?" Her purple eyes betrayed no emotion, not even fear, as she stared back. Cy wrenched the dagger from her hands, tossed it overboard, and yanked her close to him. He grabbed her face mask and pulled down. She placed an open palm on his navel, and Cy hesitated for a moment too long. A shockwave from her hand flung them into the water, in opposite directions. Cy crashed through the surface, unsure which way was up or down. Water filled his lungs as he regained his orientation and swam to the surface. Cy hacked and coughed for air, and threw up some salty water.
? Ice ? [?3,900 // ?10,000]
He froze the water¡¯s surface around him and climbed out, soaked. He spotted Guards at the edge of the bridge and down at the side of the canal. Two arrows struck him with solid thuds.
[?2,900 // ?10,000]
He twisted backward from the force, but he keep freezing water and an escape route. At the other edge of the canal, where no Guards were stationed, Cy jumped onto dry land again. Another arrow connected in his back, and he collapsed.
[?2,400 // ?10,000]
No! I can¡¯t die this soon. Arrows rained on him from afar, but each one missed, though Cy thought they shouldn¡¯t have. Cy¡ªWe have a plan. Jules? Is that you!? ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 53 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Inked Arts'' by Sylvan Publishing House Which brings us to the crux of this entire volume: The Inked Arts. What are they? How are they different from normal Scripts? Why are they an open secret? We will address each of these questions and more: What are The Inked Arts? The Inked Arts are the application of single-use Scripts¡ªnothing more, nothing less. When someone uses an Enchanted Object, it will shatter and expire if the object itself wasn¡¯t Forged (and Forged well, the author might add). But even all Enchanted Objects¡ªexcept for Vessels¡ªeventually corrode and deplete themselves if not maintained by both an Enchanter and a Forger, and our tattoos are no different. The Enchanted Objects, which includes the Ink tattooed on our own skin, slightly erode the Forgery each time it is used. But if an un-Enchanted Object is inscribed with a Rune, that object will be fully consumed when used, and this is where The Inked Arts come into play. How are The Inked Arts different from Scripts? The Scripts we wear draw a little bit of extra Ryoku from our very bodies so they do not fade away, as was proven by Magnus Tharlsson many decades ago. So we may continue to use our tattoos over and over again, as they sap out our life energy by a tiny bit upon each use, in addition to the Ryoku required to invoke the Script itself. But with The Inked Arts, we do not replenish the Script¡¯s adhesive itself, so it fades out of existence. Instead, the Script is fully charged with Ryoku and ready to use at a moment¡¯s notice with just the Activate Rune¡ªso these are the two main differences between the two. Why are The Inked Arts an open secret? Because no sane person is willing to, for starters, learn how to Forge and Enchant Objects and learn how to create true Ink, and for a second count, consume the Ryoku needed to do both that task and fuel the Inked Art so it is ready to use later. Of course, society as a whole does this in their own way, with their Enchanted machinations, but on a wide-scale of cooperation and not just with one person doing it all. Ch 54 - Runaway
ENVY
¡°You little son of a bitch!" Kat shouted at the man in black. "Quit running!¡± He scaled a single story building and ran across the roof. Kat pursued him through the alleyways. He jumped down the opposite side, and she followed him out into a wide open space. She sheathed her dagger and pulled out throwing knives between her knuckles. Ah, shit. WHOOSH! A knife flew past her face, but she dodged it without a scratch. Kat whistled. "Copycat." Seems he¡¯s got more tricks up his sleeves, but he keeps going for kill shots. Dodge this, asshole. She flung three knives at him with one thrust. He raised his black trench coat to absorb the blows, and her throwing knifes clinked to the ground. The hell? Armor that looks like plain clothes? She sprinted toward him to close the distance. Better trap him in close quarters. If he thinks he can kill me, he probably doesn''t know who I am. Keep it that way. Kat hesitated¡ªWhiskers had never spoken in her mind like that before. No one had, not even Jules. The man raised a loaded crossbow, just barely visible underneath his trench coat. The bolt grazed her cheek. Focus, you fool, Whiskers thought. Stop distracting me, you idiot! Kat fled and drew her dagger again. She turned a corner and, safe from his line of sight, opened her shirt and cut herself shallowly from her navel up to between her breasts. Bubbling green acid trickled out with her blood. Regeneration should prioritize that wound. The man in black maintained the gap. Bastard refuses to play my game, eh? Ew. Kat shuddered, reminded of The Painter. Gross. Gross gross gross. Kat avoided more throwing knives while she searched for a better spot to fight. The bridge. As she ran onto it, Cyrus jumped off. A masked woman followed him down below. No time to chase after him. He¡¯ll be fine. Thank Salvos this bridge is moving. She stopped near the center, where Cyrus had jumped. The man approached her cautiously and looked around. Kat sprinted at him before he could gain another advantage, of height or distance. He leapt onto the railing ledge and escaped her grappling attempt at the last moment. Coward. Close combat not gonna cut it. She flung her hair in her face to hide her Seal and stomped her foot. Her eyes and Seal glowed gray.
? Stone ? [?7,800 // ?10,000]
Kat stole a page out of Cy''s book and hopped off the bridge''s ledge. Instead of diving into the water, she flipped around and grabbed some stone monkey bars that¡¯d just formed from her Script. She swung across the remainder of the bridge and watched Cyrus struggle below. Guards approached him from her side. Moron. I need to get one of those bows. Dammit. I hate Archery¡ª A fourth arrow struck Cyrus in the back. Shit, I really hate Archery.
? Air ? [?7,300 // ?10,000]
Her Rune deflected arrows away from Cyrus until she reached the end of the now-docked bridge. You¡¯re on your own again, kid. She dropped down, out of sight of the Guards that had advanced past her, and ran toward the closest Smithy she could recall. At least I have the home field advantage. She knocked someone over in front of the Smithy''s shop, drawing attention, and swiped a bow and quiver from an outdoor rack. Some do-gooder folk cried for the Guards. Kat ran to where she figured Cyrus would emerge. Two Guards blocked her path, and she introduced each one of them to the ground and an arrow to the knee. Kat, we have a plan. Wait, that¡¯s not Whiskers¡­ Jules? W-Wait¡ªJules!? How long have¡ª Get to the docks. Different ship than planned. Kat altered course for the docks and ran to her friends, for her secret identity, and for her life. I hope Jules isn''t in my mind, reading my thoughts. No, don''t think about it. You can''t not think about it, Whiskers thought, while trying to not think about it. If you want a third tail, keep talking, Kat threatened. I''m not speaking, he replied. Great. I needed a distraction. Oh, great¡ªOh, crap. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Mania gripped the city. People ran past her, the opposite way, shrieking and carrying children. Behind the next set of building, cannons and ballista cracked through the air. A massive explosion nearby shook the earth and sent her and everyone around her to the ground. Jules, that still you? Just run, Jules replied. Don¡¯t look back. Whiskers, you better be OK. Chaos surrounded her, as did shouting, more explosions, and even crumbling buildings, but at last she made it to the docks. ¡°OK, which ship!? Oh.¡± She looked up at a sail, which blazed with the number 1, just like her Seal. ¡°Subtle.¡± She hopped aboard and stepped between dozens of men knocked out cold. ¡°Whiskers, Rukia!" Kat ran over and hugged the black cat. Cyrus laid down nearby. He had five arrows in him that emerged from all angles and had already started healing himself. She rubbed her cheek. And all I got was this scratch. ¡°Worry about Cy later," Rukia ordered. "We¡¯re setting sail.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Jules?¡± Kat asked. Cyrus pointed back to the nearest square, and Kat realized why Jules had told her not to look back. Jules towered over a few buildings that blocked her view of his legs, but he stood four or five stories tall. Black flames surrounded him, and he howled at the sky. ¡°Oh no, Jules¡­ You didn¡¯t.¡± Kat collapsed to her knees. "So this is what happened in Coralhaven? Those poor people¡­" ¡°Rukia, power the sails,¡± Cyrus said. He threw a bag at the fox. ¡°That¡¯s all the profit I¡¯ve made, should last awhile.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave without him, Cy!¡± Kat cried. ¡°Rukia¡ªWhat are you doing? How could you?¡± Rukia used the recharged Ryoku Crystals the boys had stolen¡ªstolen twice, once from Isolda, and once from Kat¡ªand the fox didn¡¯t so much as look back for her master when she pushed them off from the docks with her stubby legs. ¡°Look.¡± Cyrus pointed at their recently departed dock, which grew farther and farther away. Kat couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She saw Jules, the real Jules, sprinting at them for dear life, the fear of Salvos in his eyes, butt cheeks fully clenched and bulging bug eyes. Kat¡¯s heart fluttered. ¡°How¡­?¡± No time. ¡°Full speed ahead. Use it all!¡± Kat nocked an arrow and charged up a string of Runes.
? Rope ? ? Hook ? ? Reinforce ? ? Speed ? [?4,900 // ?10,000]
She looked at Aquilantis as they sailed away, as it shrank in the background of her vision, of her life. ¡°Sorry, Pop. I¡¯ll see you again some day.¡± Kat shot the arrow clean through Jules¡¯ chest. She commanded the arrow to splinter out the back side, into a clawed hook, and then she reinforced the structure. Kat watched, slightly amused, as the rope from the deck drug his scrawny ass through the water. She reeled him in as fast as she could. From what she''d heard of him, Kat couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe Jules¡¯ father would be proud of her in this moment. Jules¡¯ body bounced and skipped and flailed on the surface until it finally submerged and stayed under. After a while, Kat dragged his corpse up aboard. She slapped his face to wake him up. "Jules!" Rukia shouted. "You looked just like a tuna! Hey, we got any tuna? I love tuna." "Shut up and sail," Whiskers yelled back. "And don''t fall asleep this time!" Cyrus added. Life returned to him, and Jules coughed and hacked up water. ¡°Jules, you made it," Kat said. "Now what¡¯s next in your brilliant plan?¡± He grabbed her arm for leverage to get up, and accidentally grazed her breast in the motion. Kat resisted the urge to slap him dead again. He looked to the harbor and grabbed her hand in his and aimed their open palms at the docks. ¡°Not all of that was an illusion."
? Fire ? [?1,300 // ?10,000]
The harbor, and the all the ships in it, erupted into flames. Kat fueled Jules'' Script with her own Ryoku, but eventually Jules ran out of his own, and the life in his eyes faded away.
JULES
Jules awoke on the deck and propped himself up on a forearm. He squinted at the sun and put his fist between it and the horizon. It was a perfect fit. Hour til nightfall. ¡°Where?¡± he asked. ¡°Nice of you to finally join us,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Ruke?¡± ¡°Who else could sail this monstrosity?¡± Katarina sat next to him. She studied a map of the Shattered Isles, though he suspected she¡¯d been watching over him for some time. ¡°Are you our Navigator now?¡± ¡°You could have told me the whole plan at once.¡± She rolled up the map and smacked him on the head with it. ¡°Ow!" Jules put an arm out to ward off another attack. "Well, I acted on it as it came to mind, so there wasn¡¯t much time.¡± ¡°She was worried she¡¯d lost you,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°No. I was worried he¡¯d lost himself, is all.¡± ¡°Nope. Just of one of Cy¡¯s illusions.¡± Jules rubbed his temples. ¡°Pretty good for being on the brink of death. How is he?¡± ¡°Chipper as fuck.¡± Cy!? Jules shot up too quickly and groaned from the pain. Cyrus hobbled over to them. He was heavily bandaged, and a makeshift sling supported one arm. A broken piece of the ship served him as a cane. Jules burst out laughing at the sight. ¡°Chipper as fuck? More like you tried to fuck a wood chipper!¡± ¡°Ugh. Men.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± Cyrus said, doubled over. ¡°I don¡¯t want Whiskers to see me cry.¡± ¡°Like ours, that ship has sailed,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°I heard how you went to bed most nights during training.¡± WHACK! Whiskers shot into the air. He soothed his bottom with his front two paws, where Cyrus'' cane had just left a bump. Jules grabbed Katarina¡¯s arm as she got up to leave. He couldn¡¯t look her in the eye. ¡°Kat, I¡¯m sorry." She tilted her head at him. "You didn¡¯t get to say goodbye.¡± She lingered for a moment. Her elbow fit perfectly in his palm. ¡°Today," she said. "I didn¡¯t get to say goodbye today.¡± She gently removed her arm and looked out toward the sea. Jules couldn¡¯t get up to see it, but imagined her eyes rested on Aquilantis. ¡°How¡¯s everyone been holding up?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Sad for Katarina. Traumatized for myself.¡± Whiskers licked a paw, then rubbed his lumpy ass again with a wince. ¡°I¡¯m regretting my Skill choices right now," Katarina said. "I was no match for that guy.¡± Gingerly, Cyrus sat down next to Jules. It took him a full minute. ¡°Ahh, sweet relief. I feel confused, Jules. I hope we weren¡¯t betrayed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m similarly concerned about how the Maidens knew about our whereabouts,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°Please speak plain Common. We know you¡¯re uneducated like the rest of us.¡± Whiskers hissed at Cyrus. ¡°The Painter left with a bad taste in all our mouths. Hate to think it was him.¡± You looked crushed, Cy. ¡°Uh, about that¡­¡± Katarina rolled up her map again. Cyrus thumped his cane in his hand. ¡°Jules,¡± Katarina threatened, ¡°what did you do?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 54 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 55 - Highway Tune
JULES
¡°You know how I didn¡¯t want to wait another day after our final exam to rest before leaving, but you all did? Well, it¡¯s because last night I recovered Kaizen from Patience¡¯s pillar. He knew where I was, where it happened¡ªI know, Kat, I know. I just thought we¡¯d have more time than that.¡± ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t bother to tell us?" ¡°The Painter left just before we did. I figured he was still listening, and that Patience wouldn¡¯t be right on top of¡ª¡± ¡°Damn, Jules. Pretty important information,¡± Cyrus said. Your spirits do seem lifted, though. ¡°Sorry, Jules.¡± ¡°Rukia¡ªCome here!¡± Jules'' strength returned all at once, and he tackled her in a hug. He made sure to give her extra scratchies behind the ears. ¡°I feel guilty." Rukia''s puppy-dog eyes were on full display. "I should have prepared you better.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault first for not saying something. And after that, it¡¯s all our fault. We didn¡¯t prepare for a fight in Aquilantis, naive, as that was. They took us completely off guard, without good weapons, and Kat and I didn¡¯t have Inked Arts, either.¡± ¡°Which we will do tonight,¡± Kat said. Jules agreed with her. "Which you''ll try tonight," Cyrus corrected. "You''re both still lacking in Forging and Enchanting." ¡°So what," Katarina asked, "Cy made a huge image of you wrecking the town? That¡¯s certainly great for our optics.¡± ¡°Pretty much. I used real fire to push people around the paths I wanted them to take, made an explosion here or there¡­¡± ¡°For a moron,¡± Whiskers said, ¡°not a bad plan.¡± That¡¯s her line. ¡°And you,¡± Jules hollered. ¡°You and Rukia have been holding out on us, huh?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Katarina asked. ¡°What,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°you think I took out all these men in the state I¡¯m in?¡± He raised his sling as high as he could, which wasn''t even neck-level. ¡°So, what do we do with them?¡± Jules asked. ¡°We eat their souls. With a side dish of tuna.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be steering?¡± Katarina asked the fox, who stood up proudly on two legs. ¡°I¡¯m an important part of this group¡ªYou need my wisdom and expertise!¡± Katarina rolled her eyes. "Then give us a serious option." Rukia stared at the sky and scratched her chin. Jules pressed on. ¡°If it was them, it seems like the Iron Maidens¡¯ve hit hard times. There were only three attackers. Then they had Guards for another trap, like in the plaza.¡± ¡°I had a Rogue or like maybe a Tracker on me,¡± Katarina said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get close enough to him to do any damage. Like, at all.¡± ¡°I like thought I had, like, a Monk." Jules grinned at Katarina, and she glared back. Yeah, overdid it. "But then he fought me with two axes. He was huge.¡± ¡°Like how big, Jules?¡± Rukia asked excitedly. ¡°Like¡­ at least¡­ seven of you!¡± ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s big, but that¡¯s my Jules, for ya.¡± I know, I know. Jules smiled and rubbed his fist into the top of her head. ¡°Cy, you¡¯re being awfully quiet over there.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± ¡°Probably dreaming about The Painter,¡± Katarina said, ¡°thinking their romance is still on since our betrayer turned out to be our very own leader.¡± ¡°Allegedly,¡± Jules said. ¡°Allegedly,¡± she conceded. ¡°Think mine was an Assassin. She used a lot of Illusion magic, like me.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d say the last two years were a complete waste of my time.¡± Katarina hawked a loogie over the railing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We¡¯ve come a long way. Like Jules said, we were lax, unprepared¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Jules knows that word,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°¡ªand ill-informed.¡± Cyrus glared at Jules. "Some might even say ignorant." Yeesh. Distract and redirect. ¡°Yeah, we wouldn¡¯t have survived that attack the day we all met.¡± ¡°Speak for yourselves,¡± Cyrus said with a laugh. ¡°We are finally out of our bubble,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°It¡¯s best for you all to experience this now before any more false senses of security are blanketed on you.¡± ¡°Heh heh, well I had fun today." Rukia panted. "Yep, sure did.¡± Jules watched Katarina fiddle with her red crystal, rolling it around in her hand. ¡°Not yet, Katarina,¡± Whiskers whispered to her. ¡°I know.¡± And I know what it¡¯s like to leave someone behind, Kat. ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°We are clearly on our own now. The Painter would have already intervened, like last time.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t reach out to Pop for help. Hopefully no one can connect him to me. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve shown my face at the inn.¡± ¡°Yeah and you¡¯ve grown up, girl!¡± Rukia said. ¡°No one would recognize you for that pesky shrimp you were two years ago, what with that whacky hair and¡ª Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Speak for yourself," Katarina snapped. Even Rukia, the Familiar of Wrath, cowered in Katarina''s anger. "But thanks. I guess.¡± ¡°Kaizen is always talking about Envy, Lust, and Greed. We could look for the other two.¡± Katarina shot him a look. ¡°We don¡¯t have any leads on them.¡± OK, shit, sorry. Jealous? ¡°I say we still go after the Vessels. No one knows that¡¯s our current mission.¡± ¡°What makes you so sure of that, Cy?¡± Jules asked. ¡°They knew where we were. I felt like I was being watched when we left the shop, only I thought it was The Painter.¡± No one spoke for a while. ¡°We can stay our original course to Marina Veridia,¡± Katarina said. Didn''t expect you to stick to the Vessels Quest. ¡°But it¡¯s far, and we have limited speed and¡­maneuverability.¡± ¡°I feel personally attacked," Rukia said with a mischievous smile. "And my blood¡¯s already high.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the heart of the Royal Navy, too. Probably shouldn¡¯t go there now,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Coralhaven is still out of the question,¡± Jules said. ¡°After that ambush, I¡¯m feeling less ready than ever. It¡¯d be the first place they¡¯d suspect I''d run to, anyway.¡± ¡°Lighthouse Point is the closest, which probably makes it the most dangerous,¡± Cyrus said. Katarina opened her map. ¡°It¡¯s the closest, but it¡¯s also on the complete other side of Aquilantis.¡± ¡°Shit. Guess that only leaves Siren¡¯s Cove,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Beware the Sirens calling,¡± Jules quoted. ¡°Most tried, most died,¡± Cyrus added. ¡°We¡¯re headed in that direction, so it¡¯s our best bet." Katarina turned to Cyrus. "Did you learn the rules, Cy?¡± He laid back on the deck and looked to the sky. ¡°Only to Coralhaven.¡±
[The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Get information on the Shrine from Cy.]
¡°Well, what are they?¡± Jules leaned in. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re gonna want to find out at the last possible minute.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you just complaining about withholding information?¡± Cyrus laughed until he coughed. ¡°Life¡¯s a bitch, and then you die.¡± Even Katarina laughed at that one. ¡°So, Cap¡¯n?¡± ¡°Siren¡¯s Cove it is!¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°Not you¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, Siren¡¯s Cove,¡± Jules said. He grabbed Rukia''s jowls and she playfully bit at his hand. ¡°Set a course, Ruke. Kat¡¯s your navigator now. Kat, don¡¯t let that fox fall asleep, unless you want to wake up to Lust or Greed trying to pick a fight with us. Cy, we¡¯ve got to figure out what to do with the crew.¡± ¡°Aye aye, captain,¡± Katarina said sarcastically. She walked off with Rukia, and Whiskers followed. ¡°They¡¯re all wrapped up tight, tied together below,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Well, we better go talk to them. Whiskers,¡± Jules called out. ¡°You come with us. I have an idea.¡±
Jules and company trekked up the winding terraced road, across its relentless switchbacks carved into the rocks by Scripts long ago, until they reached the summit and gazed far down the bluff¡¯s side. The citizens of Siren¡¯s Cove tended to live further away from the water than other towns and cities of the Shattered Isles. Resisting the ocean¡¯s call, as they put it, though many have been lost to sea by jumping off these cliffs. Siren¡¯s Cove was one hell of an odd place. Everything was succulent, truly beautiful. Luscious tropical trees covered the cliffs, with beautifully crafted buildings, mostly bright blue and orange, sprinkled in all around. Jules found the architecture appealing enough. Domes, rotundas, arches and marble stairs. But something is off. I feel like either all that stuff doesn¡¯t really belong here, or maybe more like I don¡¯t belong here. Very different from when I came here as a child, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°Jules,¡± Rukia whispered from inside his backpack. ¡°Can I please come out? I hate being stuffed in here.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve been over this. You¡¯ll draw too much attention.¡± ¡°But foxes are native to the mainland sections of¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, bush foxes. Definitely not white snow foxes.¡± Jules sighed away his guilt. Whiskers mewed loudly as he slinked across the street, as if to taunt her. ¡°Oh,¡± Rukia mumbled from the pack. ¡°I¡¯ll get you, you son of a¡­" Cyrus also stared out at the scenery. ¡°Alright lover-boys,¡± Katarina called out from higher up. ¡°Enough daydreaming. Next stop is a Blacksmith.¡± ¡°No way," Cyrus said. "First stop is a pint." ¡°No, the first stop is a bed," Jules said. "I haven¡¯t slept in two days." ¡°We should go to a restaurant first." Rukia clawed between zippers and popped her head out. "I¡¯m hungry for some real meat." ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not tired, Ruke." Jules crammed her back down into the bottomless depths of the pack. "Oh, wait¡ªthat¡¯s right! You fell asleep again on duty last night.¡± "If you''d caught me some fish," she mumbled, "might''ve been a different story. I''m paw-sitively famished." Whiskers hissed. ¡°Our first stop should be an insane asylum, so I can drop you all off." Grouchy pussy today. Understandable, since you didn''t sleep. Katarina rolled her eyes. ¡°No, we need better weapons. Our arms are hanging by their last threads." ¡°She means that literally for you, Cyrus,¡± Whiskers said. Cyrus flipped the cat off with his sling-less arm, showing off just how much it had healed overnight. ¡°We¡¯ll put it to a vote. I vote for an inn, because we can do all of those things at once. Except Kat¡¯s thing, which I don''t care about, because I can actually craft a good sword. Whiskers can buy a round and talk to the Innkeep about all his problems and woes. Their Class doubles as Therapists these days, anyway. You can finally get the help you need, Whiskers.¡± ¡°We can ask the Innkeep about the Shrine, too," Jules said. "At least get a head start on what weapons we should get in the first place. No¡ªcome on, Kat, we are safe here.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Katarina crossed her arms. ¡°We¡¯re safe enough. But¡ªugh¡ªfine. You¡¯re paying for my meal.¡± ¡°...But we always pay for your meal,¡± Cyrus said.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Learn about the Siren''s Cove Shrine.]
¡°Oh Salvos, I know you three," the woman shouted. "The prophets have foretold your arrival!" Uh¡­ This was a mistake. Surely she doesn''t mean¡ª "Yes, dear, I know exactly who you are!" She addressed the rest of the inn''s patrons. "I need absolutely everyone¡¯s attention right now!"
RUKIA''S CORNER (BONUS)
Welcome to Rukia''s Corner! The first of several bonus sections from Rukia¡¯s¡ªpotentially very unreliable¡ªpoint of view. Enjoy! ¡°Sweet Salvos, that is a beautiful fox!¡± the Popeye-Sailor-ass-looking-motherfucker said to me¡ªI mean¡ªto Rukia. ¡°What soft fur¡ªand those beautiful eyes!¡± another one adored her. Yes, take it all in boys. Feast your eyes, before The Stormfront shuts them. ¡°Meow.¡± A scrawny black kitten stalked over along the boardwalk to their ship on the Aquilantis docks. ¡°Hey¡ªWatch out for the bad omen!¡± one of the Sailors said. Another threw a tomato at the cat, and rightfully so. ¡°MRROWR!¡± ¡°Hey, Whiskers!¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°You¡¯re stealing the limelight. Back off.¡± ¡°D-did that fox just¡­talk?¡± Whoopsies. ¡°It¡¯s a Familiar¡ªThere must be a Sin nearby!¡± ¡°Rukia, you¡ª¡± ¡°Shh, shhh¡­¡± Rukia put a claw up to Whiskers¡¯ lips. ¡°Let me show you the style that¡¯s been passed down my family for, uh¡­¡± Not generations, that doesn¡¯t quite fit. The Sailors flung more food at them. Millennia? No, not that either. They went and fetched their weapons. ¡°Rukia, they¡¯re¡ª¡± She whipped around in a flash, silencing the coward with just her aura. ¡°I said let me think¡ªIterations! That¡¯s the word I was looking for, yeah.¡± She cracked her knuckles. ¡°Allow me to show you the Wu-Fang Style.¡± A man sprinted to her with a spear; others loaded crossbows and regular, slow-as-molasses bows. Rukia looked back at Whiskers. The camera zoomed in on her gorgeous and glamorous face in slow motion¡ªshe became its entire focus; her eyes flashed. ¡°What is this? Amateur hour?¡± Man, I am so cool. She spun around, climbed up the spear shaft, and roundhouse kicked its wielder. She snapped at a crossbow bolt midair, and crunched it in two. An arrow hurtled toward her, and she spun at least seventeen times in the air to dodge it, then landed down on the deck in a power pose. She glanced up at her assailants. One wet his pants. The other cried for his mother. ¡°Wu-Fang Style #1: Bring Da Ruckus.¡± She ignited in flames, and darted through every last Sailor. She landed next to Whiskers¡ªin that super cool pose again¡ªand he stared at her in awe, his mouth gaping wide. ¡°Rukia¡­I had no idea you could¡­¡± She rose slowly and flexed. ¡°Yeah, I know¡ªHey look!¡± Rukia sat down on all fours again and wagged her tail. Act natural. ¡°It¡¯s Cy!¡± ¡°What the¡ªDid you two do this!?¡± Cyrus shouted. "Hey, why are you full of arrows?" ¡°That is not at all how it happened!¡± ¡°Shut up, cat! This isn¡¯t Whisker¡¯s Corner¡ªIt¡¯s Rukia¡¯s Corner!¡± SMACK!! ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 55 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 56 - Shakedown Street
JULES
Dozens of hardy old men turned to face Jules, Cyrus, and Katarina. Whiskers snuck off, out of sight. The Innkeep was at least forty-five years old, but that didn¡¯t stop her from hopping up on the bar to address the inn. She towered high over Jules and Cyrus now, with a mini keg cradled in her arms and bosom like a newborn. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you all to our newest, our most honorable guests¡ªThe Future Capturers of the Siren¡¯s Cove Shrine!¡± Oh. Nevermind. Every drunken man¡ªfor they were all men, and there were a lot of them, and they were drunk, all of them, in the middle of the morning¡ªpounded their mugs and steins on hardy wooden tables and cheered for the three nervous fools. Beer suds and foam sloshed around the large room. Katarina shied away to a corner, slightly hidden from the rest of the room, and Jules followed her to get out of the limelight they so desperately tried to avoid everywhere they went. Cyrus took a bow to his uncontested crowd, then joined them. The Innkeep came by to take their food orders. ¡°I¡¯ll take the finest batch of your¡ªer, finest¡ªkiwis, please,¡± Cyrus said before she¡¯d finished her own sentence. ¡°Whatever sushi you have and six rice balls,¡± Katarina demanded with a slap on the table. ¡°Uh, we don¡¯t serve that here,¡± the Innkeep said. ¡°Wantons? Fine. Then thirty of them.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Sure. Thirty. OK.¡± ¡°And a bowl of milk.¡± ¡°Riiiight¡­" The Innkeep''s eyes narrowed. "And for you, hun?¡± ¡°You got oysters?¡± Jules asked "Does the Priest on High shit in Solstice Keep?" Uh, maybe? ¡°Oh please, Salvos, no. Not oysters.¡± Cyrus and Katarina both pleaded. ¡°Fine," Jules conceded. "What meat do you have?¡± The Innkeep listed off several options. ¡°Yeah, one of each of those. Oh, and do you have squirrel?¡± The Innkeep paused with a blank stare. She blinked once, very slowly. ¡°On second thought, forget the squirrel.¡± Jules shifted around in his seat to muffle Rukia¡¯s angry mumblings. After a while, she returned with the food, which they scarfed down as she chatted them up. Why is she still speaking to us? ¡°So, you adventurers looking to prepare yourself for the Shrine?¡± Ah, there¡¯s the rub. A sales pitch. Jules and Cyrus glanced at each other. ¡°Why yes, now that you mention it.¡± Katarina''s entire tone changed. You can speak properly, but the way you¡¯re eating isn¡¯t fooling anyone. ¡°We are headed to a Blacksmith next. Among some other stores we need to visit.¡± The Innkeep¡¯s eyes lit up, but not from a Script. ¡°Oh, well you¡¯re in luck! We have good relations with quite a few stores. Just tell them we sent ya," she winked, "and you¡¯ll get a special discount. If you¡¯re interested, that is.¡± ¡°I think¡ª¡± Jules and Cyrus both began. ¡°Yes, we absolutely are.¡± Both boys sighed. This is not gonna go well. ¡°There¡¯s the Apothecary, Poseidon¡¯s Pharmacy; the Blacksmith, The Master¡¯s Anvil; and the Armorer, The Armorer¡¯s Anvil¡ªthey¡¯re owned by the same family¡ªand, of course, The Farrier¡¯s Forger and Enchanter¡¯s Cove. Let¡¯s see, we''ve also got The Rune Master, and of course The Siren''s One-Stop Shoppe, for everything else you might need.¡± ¡°Is there an art shop nearby?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Why on earth would you want to go there? Well, I mean, I suppose a souvenir shop that sells postcards and the like could have what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention! Another group of youngsters like yourselves came in just last night. They went out today, too, to prepare for the Shrine. Seemed like a tough lot! Of course, they had that older man with them, and a loud bird, but anyway, you better act quickly before they capture the Shrine before you!¡± ¡°Holy shit¡ªyou guys!" Katarina shoveled food even faster. You are so oblivious. "Thank you, kind lady, Ma¡¯am. We¡¯ll hit all of them up today.¡± The Innkeep walked away with a wide smile. Jules and Cyrus exchanged another look. ¡°Sound like tourist traps to me,¡± Jules said. ¡°And a shakedown,¡± Cyrus added. ¡°You guhs weady?¡± Katarina asked, her mouth packed so much Jules wondered how she could possibly chew. Must not have heard us over the food. As they left, Jules asked the Innkeep for two rooms for the night. "Payment upfront," she requested. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "What about a tab?" Jules asked. "I''m sure we''ll drink a lot tonight." "Do you have proof of funds?" Jules flashed a Ryoku Crystal for her. The Innkeep''s eyes gleamed brighter than the jewel. "Why of course¡ªI''ll see you back tonight, good hunting!" It was still early, and people bustled by the gang as they strolled through the street. ¡°Don¡¯t even know why we¡¯re bothering to shop,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We don¡¯t even have enough money. Figured we¡¯d have dined and dashed that inn. We¡¯re not going back, right? Right?¡± Jules laughed. ¡°Well, the four of us are really grateful for your sacrifice, Cy. We actually have a surprise for you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Rukia piped up. ¡°We used all our Ryoku reserves before tapping into your crystals, then we refilled them throughout the night." ¡°We? You were asleep¡ªAnd why aren¡¯t you in my backpack!? Get back in!¡± Rukia kicked and bit Jules'' hand as he crammed her in. Cyrus stopped walking. ¡°You guys¡­¡± No way he¡¯s about to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t get us wrong, you idiot,¡± Katarina said. ¡°You¡¯re still down 80%.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to matter to Cyrus. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get you back. Some day." Jules pointed to a storefront. "Look. Here¡¯s our first scam, I mean shop, Poseidon¡¯s Pharmacy. Couldn¡¯t pick a cornier name if you tried.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so convenient. All those shops she mentioned are in a line down this street!¡± ¡°And only four doors down from the inn,¡± Cyrus muttered. Jules looked at Whiskers, who knowingly shook his head. They walked into the cramped shop and rubbed shoulders with other patrons. They''d all try to do the awkward dance, shuffling left and right, but still bumped into each other. ¡°Lot of people coming out today to try Alchemy, it seems,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Definitely don¡¯t look like the Shrine types, either.¡± Jules and Cyrus looked at some tools like mortars and pestles, alembics, calcinators, and retorts. ¡°We should get the Master set and¡ª¡± ¡°No, Jules, look at the prices. And,¡± Cyrus looked left and right. ¡°These are shite quality. Get the cheapest ones so we actually have something, and then we can rely on our own Skills and replace them later.¡± Cyrus gathered some ingredients for Ryoku Restoration potions: white cap, taproot, creep clusters, red cliff flowers, and grass pods. ¡°Mix these babies together any way and you can get some good decoctions.¡± Jules bought some pre-made potions for his teammates: Cure Disease¡ªmostly for Cyrus¡ªtwo Resist Fire potions¡ªmostly for Cyrus¡ªand a potion ingredient list for Resist Fire¡ªmostly for Cyrus.
[Resist Fire Potion Recipe: Any combination of: Fly Amanita, Snowberries, Dragon¡¯s Tongue, optional booster: Fire Salts]
Katarina bought a few poisons for her bow, and a recipe list for making future poisons.
[Novice Poison Recipe: Any combination of: Imp Stool, Mora Tapinella, Orange Dartwing, Slaughterfish Loot (any)]
They brought all of their loot to the clerk¡¯s table and paid for the goods. As they left to go next door, Cyrus groaned. ¡°What a rip off¡­¡± ¡°Alright boys, time for the highlight of the day already.¡± Kat¡¯s acting as excited as a kid on Yuletide. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what they have in here!¡± She ran inside The Master¡¯s Anvil blacksmith shop. Jules was a bit impressed, if only by the organized setup. Katarina, on the other hand, was clearly blown away and dazzled by the sights. Jules missed Smitty back in Coralhaven, but they certainly had everything on display here. Katanas, great swords, great axes, straight swords, curved swords, whips, chains, cat-of-nine-tails¡ª Wait, that¡¯s a bit odd¡­ Anyway. ¡ªDaggers, throwing knives, Windja stars, bows and arrows, crossbows and bolts. They even had claw hooks here. Before looking at the prices, Katarina had already started pawning off her bow. Cyrus ribbed Jules, who caught on. "You, uh, you sure this is¡­yours?" the clerk asked. Jules hid a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t know why you¡¯re laughing. It¡¯s your money she¡¯s blowing.¡± Cyrus paused, outraged, stopped the deal, and educated Katarina. ¡°Look, you¡¯re seeing the most expensive stuff on display. Ask for the prices first, then see what we can afford.¡± He walked away and whispered, ¡°Idiot¡­¡± Whiskers hissed at him. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s her line,¡± Jules said. He inspected the barrels of katanas, well out of the line of display, and tried out a few in his hands. He finally rested on one that felt decent¡ªenough¡ªand was a decent¡ªenough¡ªprice. He looped the sheath through his belt. It felt decent¡ªenough. He and Cyrus traded their swords in for newer ones, but Katarina didn¡¯t trade her (stolen) bow in for another one, and she didn¡¯t buy any arrows. She did restock some throwing knives, and she deliberated way too long over buying a Windja star. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s even certified with their Faction¡¯s crest and everything.¡± She ultimately decided against it because of the outrageous price. She did buy some claw hooks, though. "You won''t mention that¡­bow¡­to anyone, right?" Katarina asked the clerk. The counter''s Ryoku Crystal flushed with an influx of purple. "What bow?" he asked. Cyrus griped again when they exited the store. ¡°What a rip off¡­¡± Jules laughed to himself. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time negotiating here, what¡¯s up? Losing your touch?" "They know I need it and just smile back, without a word." ¡°Gotta admit,¡± Katarina said, ¡°it''s fun seeing you get pulverized in Mercantile.¡± ¡°I almost enjoy it,¡± Jules added. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Kat. That Windja star was obviously forged, and not the good kind of Forged.¡± ¡°Go kick rocks. Ah, next door again, I¡¯m starting to like this town.¡± Is Kat¡­skipping? She ran into The Armorer¡¯s Anvil without them. Cyrus shook his head and moped inside. ¡°Whoah.¡± Jules and Cyrus checked out the men¡¯s section, and both liked what they saw, while Katarina ran off to the other side. Jules found a tough, but light, chain mail cuirass. He absolutely hated the way it made him look¡ªlike a total scrub¡ªbut it had the best price-to-armor ratio out there. Jules ran his selection past Cyrus, who praised his decision-making. ¡°You¡¯re getting the hang of this, Jules.¡± Cyrus leaned in to whisper. ¡°Plus, not like you need a full set of armor, anyway.¡± He pulled back with a wink.
[Pang! Mercantile increased to Level 11.]
¡°What about this?¡± Cyrus asked. Cyrus showed him an Enchanted necklace that amplifies magic armor.
[Item: Family Heirloom. Enchantment (1/1): Magical Armor Buff, +X% (equal to user''s mastery of equipped Magical Armor Scripts).]
¡°Wow, that seems like an extremely convenient find, as if the System knew you were coming, or what you¡¯re Leveling Up.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like it¡¯s tracking my every move. It¡¯s like the more I think about something, then BAM it suddenly appears to me, and on sale.¡± ¡°Huh. Alright, let¡¯s go check on Kat.¡± A stranger approached them. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll take those two if you¡¯re not gonna buy them. I¡¯ve been needing to beef up my armor.¡± Both boys yanked back their selections and eyed the intruder with murderous intent. ¡°No, these are ours!¡± The Armorer himself came over to them. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase these items, but these, these miscreants, won¡¯t let me,¡± the intruder said. ¡°Well too bad. They¡¯re in our hands now until we buy them,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Well, are you willing to buy them now?¡± the Armorer asked. ¡°Uh, we still have more to buy, got another Party Member here¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid if you don¡¯t buy them now, I have to let him purchase them. Sorry, those are the rules.¡± The Armorer pointed to a sign.
[The first customer to buy an item shall receive possession of it.]
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 56 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 57 - Sharp Dressed Man
JULES
¡°But I wanted to negotiate more,¡± Cyrus said. The Armorer pointed to another sign, just below the first.
[No negotiating. All prices are final.]
Cyrus muttered something about a bullshit rule, Jules couldn¡¯t make it all out, but he still forked over his Ryoku Crystal for the transaction. The Armorer smiled grandly and handed them their goods. Katarina came back around to them. ¡°Alright, this place is junk. Let¡¯s go next door and buy some¡ªWait, what did you two get?¡± Jules and Cyrus showcased their Items, like the idiots they were. ¡°Ugh, you morons. I told you we needed Enchanted clothing.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what I just got¡­¡± Cyrus protested. ¡°No, real clothes! Like that creepy guy from¡ª¡± Katarina paused and looked around at the two strangers. ¡°Ugh! We need to Forge and Enchant our clothes.¡± Jules and Cyrus looked down at their purchases, embarrassed. ¡°We¡¯d like to return these,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, lad,¡± the Armorer said and pointed to a third sign, below the second.
[All sales are final.]
Cyrus cursed the Armorer''s entire family. ¡°Fine, here, if you want them so badly,¡± Cyrus said to the intruder, ¡°you can have them, 10% off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, but thanks, though.¡± The intruder walked behind the counter. ¡°Got a fresh load out back. Go ahead and stock up,¡± the Armorer said to the man, who must have been his employee. Jules was infuriated, but couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his friend all the way next door, a building shared by both The Farrier¡¯s Forge and The Enchanter¡¯s Cove. ¡°What a freaking rip off,¡± Cyrus said. Jules walked up to a man sitting at a sewing machine. He had a large assortment of fabric behind him and his portion of the shop. The man had a permanent grin stamped on his face, and his eyes were hidden behind the gleam of his glasses. ¡°Hello, good Sir,¡± Jules said. Try negotiating with politeness this time. ¡°Good morn, young master. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± he asked, still hiding behind those glasses. Eerie. ¡°Lemme cut to the chase, geezer,¡± Katarina interrupted. ¡°We need armor. Tough armor. But we need to be nimble and able to move in combat, so we want Enchanted, Forged clothing. What are you,¡± she poked him in the chest, ¡°gonna do about that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­" The white sheen of his glasses did not falter. "I see. I can help you with this. I am but a simple Tailor as the Class I chose¡ª¡± Katarina snapped at her friends. ¡°Next! We¡¯re looking for a Forger. Let¡¯s go, boys,¡± ¡°But I am also a skilled Forger, an official member of the Faction.¡± Katarina studied him. ¡°My father¡¯s a Master Forger, so I¡¯ll know the quality. You¡¯re gonna make it for me, then I¡¯ll decide if we¡¯re gonna buy it or not.¡± ¡°Fair enough, but I will give you a price upfront, and you will not negotiate it. Take it or leave it.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Katarina spat in her hand, and The Tailor shook it without hesitation. ¡°Challenge accepted." He titled his head forward, and light pierced his glasses to reveal two kind but focused eyes, enraptured in the deal. "Now, what does the lady require?¡± ¡°Form-fitting black bottom layer, two pieces, pants and shirt. With a white crop top. I want a green jacket to coordinate with my eyes, but that I can also wear down as a skirt. I want the jacket to protect me against,¡± Jules felt her eyes dart toward him, though she didn¡¯t move her head, ¡°the elements, and the rest to provide Light Armor protection. Black boots to match, and spiked metal bracelets and armlets.¡± She said it all in one breath, and The Tailor furiously scribbled notes. He finished the last bit of information with a long slash to the side, well off the paper. The gleam returned. ¡°I simply love a lady who knows exactly what she wants. Next?¡± ¡°Uh, an outfit. Blue and white?¡± Jules said. For the first time, The Tailor¡¯s smirk disappeared. ¡°Could you be a bit more specific, good Sir?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Jules gulped. ¡°A mix of a kimono and robes up top. Uh, baggy pants in the thighs but they tighten down on my shins. I like sandals?" ¡°Anything else?¡± The Tailor didn''t bother to take notes on Jules'' order. Jules scratched his head. ¡°It needs to cover my chest because¡ªI just hit my System Unlock Day,¡± a lie, ¡°and uh, I don¡¯t quite have chest hair yet.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really self-conscious,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Just please help him out.¡± ¡°Quite so. And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgment on what you think I¡¯d look best in. But make it black and white.¡± The Tailor grinned again. ¡°You flatter me. Now, go over to the Enchantress. Tell her what you¡¯d like each piece to be Scripted as. Just know our deals are separate, so keep that in mind.¡± The group moved over across the store to find a very cheerful and joyful lady. ¡°I see you¡¯ve met Clay,¡± she teased. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s a bit of a head-case, but one of the few professionals in this town. Now, what can I do you for?¡± They went over a wide assortment of options before deciding. Cyrus and Katarina chose to focus on Elemental, Piercing, and Blade protection. The former took a Magic Armor classification, the latter took Light Armor. Jules just took a focus on Piercing¡ªNo more bloody spears¡ªand beyond that, Mixed Armor bolstering. They watched the Tailor weave the final fabric for Cyrus'' order. He¡¯s a Master! He infused his creations with various Tomes and Scrolls beyond even Cyrus'' knowledge. The room would light up sharply, then quickly fade away from his tattoos and eyes. The group transported each piece delicately to the Enchantress, who literally hammered Scripts into their clothing. ¡°Certainly is one way to do it,¡± Jules said. They''re normally written in Ink. She responded between grunts. ¡°Yes, my family was full of Armorers, so when I decided to re-Class as an Enchantress, well, some things die hard. Think you¡¯ll find my work to be solid, though.¡± Jules and Cyrus smiled devilishly at each other. They knew, deep down they knew, that most of what they¡¯d bought today was utter crap that wouldn''t last past this first Shrine. But this stuff? This stuff? This is gold. The time finally came to pay and try on their new outfits. Jules was blown away by not just how good he looked, but by everyone in his Party.
[Item: Tailored Clothing. Enchantment (1/4): Piercing Resistance Buff, +25%. Enchantment (2/4): Mixed Armor Buff, +30%. Two Enchantment Slots still available.]
Sharp, stylish, stretchy. What more could you want? ¡°I could do the splits in these pants if I wanted to." ¡°But can you?¡± Katarina walked away. ¡°Thanks. This was truly worth our time.¡± Outside, Jules and Cyrus inspected their clothes, tugging on their sleeves and such. Cy seems satisfied for the first time today. ¡°What a freaking rip off,¡± Katarina said. ¡°My father could have made clothes ten times better than this garbage.¡± Cyrus looked himself up and down in the storefront glass. Confidence receded from his face. ¡°Must be nice to have parents¡­¡± She ignored him. "Though that Tailor did nail my style." They continued on to The Rune Master. ¡°Finally, a store with a good name,¡± Jules said. They walked down the aisles containing stone tableaus, etched with Scripts, and inspected each one. They realized there was not a single Rune they didn¡¯t all already know from their time with The Painter. They skipped to the Scrolls, where they didn¡¯t find anything that would be of any immediate use to them, or in the long term. ¡°Well, he said we¡¯d better stick to Runes, anyway,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°And there are no Tomes here, so you can¡¯t get a sneak peek for what¡¯s to come at 3rd Rank,¡± Jules said. They left empty-handed. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, there¡¯s probably another one five doors down.¡± ¡°Place was a rip off anyway¡­¡± They walked into The Siren¡¯s One-Stop Shoppe, a general store. Katarina took one step in and turned around. ¡°Now this is a tourist trap." ¡°Now she realizes,¡± Jules said to Cyrus. Cyrus dragged her back in by her new spiky collar. They split off to buy tents and sleep sacks. They¡¯d probably be spending a lot of nights away from inns in the near future, as their notoriety would surely spread throughout the nations, or at least that¡¯s what they said to each other. Jules grabbed Whiskers by his nape and pulled him in an opposite direction to buy food and water reserves. ¡°Wow, this is food, I guess.¡± Jules rolled around a can of terrible emergency rations. ¡°Spinach, apple, and salmon. What a combination.¡± "Any tuna? Huh?" Rukia asked. "Any. Tuna." ¡°Doomsday preppers,¡± Whiskers whispered on Jules¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Hey, watch who you¡¯re talking to.¡± Jules lingered in the food aisle. ¡°Jules, what is it you really seek?¡± Stop talking like that. ¡°Well, I was, uh, hoping you could help me find something.¡± Whiskers showed his fangs. ¡°For you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that.¡± Jules looked around and saw the other two at the far end of the store. ¡°Kat and I haven¡¯t celebrated our birthdays in a few years, and we have a big one coming up¡ª¡± ¡°Is this for the two of you, or just one?" ¡°Just¡ªwhat¡¯s her favorite cake flavor?¡± Jules took a sip of water. His throat felt suddenly dry. ¡°I think her favorite cake is one that you jump out of.¡± Jules spat out his water. Some other shoppers looked at him, disgusted, and moved away. Whiskers hopped down, walked in front of a strawberry cake, and sat down in front of it. Jules grabbed it. ¡°You better not be messing with me.¡± Whiskers purred, so Jules bought it and the rest of his goods secretly. He shoved the cake into the deepest crevices of his backpack''s Inventory. Then he thought about Rukia, and how hungry she was. He shifted the cake to his personal Inventory. They all walked out of the store, fully stocked for a long adventure in the wild. ¡°What all did you get, Jules?¡± Katarina asked. ¡°Huh?" Jules asked nervously. "Oh¡ªUh, what a rip off." Cyrus went to a souvenir shop alone, and the others hung around outside in the wonderful sunshine. Jules tried not to be awkward, which might have made it awkward. Thank Salvos, Cy is back. ¡°Lemme guess,¡± Jules said. "What a rip¡ª" ¡°You know what? Not bad prices, actually,¡± Cyrus said, pleased. Katarina grunted. "Alright. Tonight, we''re gonna make some Inked Arts. We''ll start with Runes on paper, but we need to Forge Ink, then Enchant it." "Why do we need Ink?" Katarina asked. "If we don''t use Ink, it rips off your flesh when you equip it." Jules and Katarina looked at each other. "Oh, right. Just Ink for me, then." ¡°What now?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Can we please please please eat again?¡± Rukia mumbled. ¡°I think we¡¯ve prepared enough. Should we hit the Shrine?¡± Cyrus asked. Katarina looked at Jules. ¡°I think we all need a good night¡¯s rest, for once," he said. "We attack at dawn.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 57 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 58 - I Drink Alone
JULES
Rukia, Cyrus, and Whiskers all stayed back in the room to catch up on some long needed rest. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Rukia is sleeping, to be honest," Jules said. "Sure got plenty of rest last night.¡± ¡°Whiskers dragged her back. I thought it was a bit odd, but they do have plenty to bond over,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Just like us.¡± Katarina looked at him curiously, almost softly, for once. They drank from their massive, overly ornate steins. He eyed hers and its carved impression of a goddess. ¡°You should have gotten an outfit like hers today.¡± ¡°Pfftt. In your dreams. Then again, maybe I shouldn¡¯t say that. Wipe that stupid grin off your face. Your mug-guy looks like he¡¯s the god of bodybuilding. Maybe you should switch up your Skill set.¡± ¡°These little carvings in the mugs, the beer that''s mostly foam¡­ This town, man.¡± ¡°This town is mostly foam," she agreed. ¡°Exactly. I visited here with my parents, long, long ago. The only trip we ever took.¡± Jules wiped foam from his lips. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your mom let you leave.¡± ¡°It was way before the Shrine. She¡¯d never let me go otherwise. But this town was nice. More like Coralhaven back then. Fun local legends, yada yada.¡± They drank some more, while a nearby group grew rowdy. ¡°I wonder what Coralhaven is like now, if it¡¯s commercialized, too, or¡­¡± ¡°Or what?" Katarina leaned in and smiled. "A ghost town? I wonder what Aquilantis will be like after our little stunt.¡± ¡°Cheers to the Siren¡¯s Cove Shrine Capturers!¡± Can''t even have a beer in peace. Jules turned to study their competition. They were cheered on by the locals, but received darts of jealous looks from the other tourists. ¡°SQUAWK¡ªSIREN¡¯S COVE!¡± the parrot shrieked. ¡°SQUAWK¡ªSHRINE CAPTURERS!!¡± ¡°Must be that group the Innkeep mentioned this morning.¡± He didn¡¯t turn back around, but rather took in their features. A young man, or a boy. Simple, childish looking, not really noteworthy. A young man, truly a man, mid twenties. Looks like he grew up on the sea. An old man. Nice jacket, Gramps. ¡°We better beat them to it,¡± Katarina said. ¡°They look serious, the only other group I¡¯ve seen that I can say that about.¡± Young woman, strong presence. Captain¡¯s hat, and a parrot. ¡°I¡¯d hate to see more people die¡ªJules, are you even listening to me?¡± Jules pointed to the only woman in the group. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡°I know her from somewhere.¡± He drank some more foam beer. ¡°You know a lot of women from somewhere?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jules turned around to face her rigid face. ¡°Hey now, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Why, should I be?¡± ¡°Why are you getting defensive, Kat? Like you¡¯re getting mad at me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad, are you mad?¡± Katarina downed what was left in her stein, slammed it on the table, and left him. ¡°Ugh.¡± Jules'' eyes widened. They darted side-to-side. Left, right, pause. Left, right, pause. He slouched down. When he felt it was safe to move again, he moved his head inch-by-inch in her direction. She¡¯s really gone. What just happened? Jules downed his drink. After a while, he finished Katarina''s, too. ¡°And anyone who says anyfing differ-rent, I¡¯ll challenge ¡®em here and now!¡± Oh, the pretty captain-lady. Her face is red. Hmm. My face is warm. ¡°No one brave enough to face our captain, then?¡± the man in his twenties asked. ¡°Bunch of grown men, afraid of a little girl?¡± the man-child shouted. So brave. He¡¯s wasted. The old man cleared his throat. Hmmm¡­ Jules leaned forward on one arm. It slipped off the table and jostled him. Well, the night¡¯s still young. He stood up so fast that even the people shopping next door could have heard his chair scoot across the floorboards. ¡°Hey!¡± Jules pointed at them, or at least in their general direction. ¡°I heard you over there, talking that shit!¡± ¡°Aye." The woman rose slowly from her chair. "And what of it, boy?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a challenge you want, just name the terms, and I¡¯ll accept it.¡± The old man glared at Jules. Gulp. The girl smiled, welcoming him to try. ¡°Agatha¡ªBring us a keg!¡± The patrons erupted in cheers once more, both locals and tourists alike.
¡°Say that again." John the Pirate slammed his mug down on the table and glared at Jules¡ªall four of them did. "Say that one more time, and see what happens.¡± Jules'' hand still held his stein steadily, though it was now covered in someone else''s foam. He stared back at John the Pirate. He looked to the left of him, at August the Pirate, the stoic one who really likes fish. Then to John¡¯s right, Maddie, the captain-parrot-lady, and that really really old guy known as Thor. Now back to John the Man-Child. ¡°I said it once, I¡¯ll say it again.¡± Jules leaned in to him, feeling completely unthreatened¡ªwhat a joke¡ªthen he gave them all the nastiest look he could muster. ¡°Mermaids aren¡¯t real.¡± John shot out of his seat, and the other three burst out laughing. With one massive hand, September the Pirate shoved John back down. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Aye, he¡¯s one of us,¡± Maddie shouted. ¡°Another round!¡± Mighty Thor lifted up the keg with his brawny muscles and poured them all another filling. Jules drank heavily, blissfully. ¡°Ah, no foam. You really know how to pour, Thor!¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s Thorn.¡± Regardless, the old bastard smiled anyway. ¡°And Agatha knows how to pour, as well. Just take a glance at the locals¡¯ mugs. Wiser than we think.¡± Jules stared at him, confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Agatha?¡± Jules shook his head as he asked. ¡°The Innkeep, you idiot.¡± Oh. Well OK then. "Sorry about my man''s manners." Maddie pointed her mug to the slop Mermaid-Boy left on Jules'' hand and stein. "Spilled beer." ¡°Hiccup. Listen¡ªyou guys, you fucking guys¡ªand gals, I know, Maddie, I know. You¡¯re good guys. Right? Right.¡± Jules leaned back in his chair with an air of confidence. ¡°You should probably join my Party.¡± ¡°I was born a leader, Julisha." Hahahaha, she said that stupid-ass name again. Aliases, I swear. ¡°You couldn¡¯t stand me.¡± ¡°Tell you the truth, Parrot-woman, I couldn¡¯t stand myself right now.¡± ¡°Ha! Both of those are true.¡± Jules leaned in and pointed at November. ¡°See, I knew I¡¯d get you to smile.¡± December shook his head in good humor and wiped away a foam mustache. ¡°So, like, what? You like big fish? That''s your thing?" Maddie and Thor almost fell from their chairs, howling with laughter. Salvos damn, I¡¯m on fire right now. ¡°If you mean Leviathans, the greatest creatures of the sea, then yes.¡± Jules put his hands up in defense. ¡°Whoah, sorry. Stoic¡¯s back. Well¡ªYeah, I¡¯m pretty sure they exist. And I¡¯m not just saying that because you¡¯re mad.¡± ¡°They do,¡± January the Very Stoic Pirate said very stoically. ¡°With my captain¡¯s help, I¡¯ll find one some day.¡± ¡°Hey, maybe two¡ªwho knows? Seems like you¡¯re quite the Maddie, leader. Thor, stop laughing, you¡¯re shaking my table. Oh, what did I say? Anyway, I get where your crew of these two are at¡ªbut this guy must be your great-grandpa or something.¡± ¡°Easy boy, or I¡¯ll spike your mead with something stronger.¡± ¡°Watch out, killer,¡± Maddie said. ¡°He¡¯s my most trusted Thornman, crew is. What? What did I say?¡± ¡°But so where¡¯s your head at? Why lead a Thor in the first place?" Old Man Gramps shook his head. "Wowww, that was a long pause. Didn¡¯t figure you the dramatic type. You must be after something, all of us are.¡± Maddie eased up, leaned back in her chair, and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m in search of an early retirement!¡± February and John the Two Very Different Pirates cheered her on. Julisha slammed his drink on the table. ¡°A marvelous goal! Splendid! Worthy of all the¡ªthe¡ªmy heavens, Sir. That coat¡ª¡± Jules reached for Thor¡¯s jacket, but grandpa angrily smacked his hand away. ¡°Eh, sorry. It¡¯s just that¡¯s a very nice coat.¡± ¡°Maddie is the youngest Captain you¡¯ll find on the line,¡± Great-Grandpa Thor bragged. ¡°She¡¯s already led us to great fortune in a short amount of time.¡± Jules wobbled to his feet. ¡°A Captain worthy of a toast,¡± he raised his glass yet again, ¡°deserves a worthy toast!¡± Jules felt the flush and heat of his cheeks. Just glad they¡¯re not my eyes. Thor also rose to his feet. ¡°To my granddaughter!¡± Whoah, that¡¯s cool. I started this.
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 11.]
¡°To Leviathans!¡± March the Pirate stood up as well. Wow, there¡¯s a lot of us standing now. ¡°To Mermaids!¡± You blew it. The whole thing sucks now, John. It sucks. ¡°To Thorn, August, and John¡ªMay we find fame and fortune everlasting!¡± Maddie and the others all looked to Jules to cap it off. ¡°To¡ª¡± Never dying? The Apocalypse? Arcanics? ¡°Hiccup!¡± ¡°HERE! HERE!¡±
¡°Wazzit?¡± Jules woke up to Cyrus shaking him. He sat up, much too quickly. A gnarly headache pounded him back into his pillow, his thin pillow. Even the pre-dawn twilight proved too much for his eyes to handle. He groaned, but finally opened his eyes to see Cyrus smiling at him. Gonna be one hell of a morning. ¡°You certainly had a late one, Jules.¡± Cyrus looked over to Katarina¡¯s room. ¡°What did you two get up to last night?¡± Cyrus leapt back to dodge a throwing knife that came through the walls, the thin walls. Jules practically had to fall out of bed to get out. Gonna be one hell of a day. Besides Jules, they walked a straight line to what the townies called The Parade Walk. It began at the very edge of the city limits, beneath a massive archway decorated in gold and silver. A red carpet rolled out from the archway and into the woods. This is the path to the Shrine? What a circus. Banners dedicated to all sorts of sea deities, and of course the occasional advert for a specific shoppe, lined the walkway. ¡°Anyone else noticing how the further along we get, the more spaced out these things are?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Not sure if Jules is noticing much of anything right now,¡± Katarina said, ¡°but they are also more combat-related the further we go.¡± Jules groaned. ¡°I am noticing a slight sense of aggression in your tone.¡± They finally came to a sign urging caution, and proceeded to more caution signs that quickly transitioned into danger signs, and then signs that read ¡°Danger Danger Danger.¡± Finally, they ran into a group of three Guards. ¡°Oi, halt,¡± Guard One said. ¡°Ain''t no one¡¯s prohibited past this station.¡± ¡°He means to say everyone¡¯s prohibited past this station,¡± Guard Two said. ¡°Right I did, then.¡± I am too hungover for this shit. ¡°Listen,¡± Katarina said, ¡°we are going to capture that Shrine, and you¡¯re gonna let us pass.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be the Heroes of Siren¡¯s Cove,¡± Cyrus said. All three Guards bursted out laughing. ¡°Children like you?¡± Guard Two said. A soft melody began to play in the background. ¡°Besides, no one who captures this Shrine never gonna be called no Hero to Siren¡¯s Cove,¡± Guard Three said. ¡°Tell ya¡¯s what," Guard One said. "Everyone¡¯s gotta pass a test to get by, so if you pass the test you can proceeds.¡± All three Guards laughed again. ¡°What¡¯s the test?¡± Jules asked, a bit aggressively. He sensed angry looks from Cyrus, Katarina, Whiskers, and even Rukia from his backpack. Why the hell is this woman singing so early? Guard One opened his palm. ¡°Har har har¡ªTake this coin from me and¡ª¡± Jules flashed forward and swiped the gold coin from his hand. He bit it to test it out, then threw it on the ground. ¡°Of course it¡¯s fake!¡± Guard One looked to his fellows for help. ¡°Uh, theys passed the test, Sam.¡± ¡°Unfortunately there ain¡¯t no childrens allowed,¡± Guard Three said. ¡°Against the local laws. Island Elder can¡¯t be having no more dead children.¡± ¡°But I passed the test.¡± This singer needs to shut the fuck up. ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me, boy. Don¡¯t want to hear any¡­¡± Everyone looked off toward the Shrine. The music grew louder, the woman¡¯s song clearer. ¡°Beautiful,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°So pure,¡± Jules said. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Katarina whispered. They all walked toward the sounds and forgot their argument. The Shrine was as beautiful as the song. A lovely red torii gate, with silver and gold etchings on the solid, sturdy wood. Sure, it¡¯s covered in bats and harpies and their nests¡ªsmells a bit like dung¡ªbut it¡¯s so gorgeous¡­ Those look like really sharp fangs. Vampire bats? Why don''t you have fangs that big, Rukia? A harpy, four feet tall, with wings eight feet wide, crashed down in front of them. ¡°Hello,¡± one of the Guards said. The other two waved at her. No one fought it. When the song stopped and Jules finally came to again, they were surrounded. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 58 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Wrath'' by B.S. Snelliott The Sack of Coralhaven Wrath earned his first true Bounty, and revealed his identity, thank Salvos, in the small fishing village of Coralhaven, located in the western parts of The Shattered Isles of Coralith, when he and a young orphan child teamed up with The Fallen Alter Pirate, Davy Jones. Wrath personally tried to capture the Shrine of Coralhaven, which had just appeared, but of course subsequently failed, and in his rage, killed and maimed more than 100 innocent souls. Still not satisfied with his mediocrity, he went into town and stole a valuable (but cryptically un-named) Rune form The Navigators themselves, and, as sources have reported, terrorized and tortured a man in front of his peers until he soiled himself, and then made the man stay in it for fear of death. It is alleged that his fox Familiar, Rukia, as she is called, personally snuffed out the lives of dozens of Coralith¡¯s finest Soldiers. The Siege of Aquilantis For reasons unknown, Wrath appeared suddenly in Aquilantis, two years after the Sack of Coralhaven¡ªand the author should note that the reader find it strange that he appear here, presumably hiding there, after the Iron Maidens quadrupled their occupation of the city, but I digress¡­ Fortunately, Wrath¡¯s mediocrity has prevailed again, and no lives were taken during the all-out assault, where he grew to the size of nearly five-hundred feet, reports have claimed, and tried to flatten the city¡¯s magnificent spires to the ground. The orphan accomplice from Coralhaven was also spotted, as well as a young woman who appears to be his concubine or paramour, or perhaps some deeply anti-social teenager. WRATH IS STILL AT LARGE¡ªSUBSCRIBE FOR A MEASLY SUM OF ?1,000 PER MONTH TO RECEIVE AUTOMATIC UPDATES TO THIS VOLUME WHEN NEW INFORMATION ON WRATH COMES TO LIGHT. SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE GOOD FOR A SINGLE VOLUME ONLY, TRACKED BY SERIAL NUMBER, AND NON-TRANSFERRABLE, AND CANCELABLE ONLY AFTER 7 MONTHS. Ch 59 - Thunderstruck
JULES
Chaos ensued. Jules went after the lone harpy in front of them. Cyrus and Katarina attacked the largest two bats. The Guards did nothing, and Whiskers cowered between them all in the battle. Jules slashed at the winged beast and exchanged a gash to the face. His friends made easy work of the first two bats and attacked more. The harpy flew for two of the Guards and grabbed them in her talons, and another large bat took off with the third. The beasts pulled them into the Shrine¡¯s shimmering gate. The Party made easy work of the remaining monsters, and their carcasses littered the ground. ¡°Does anyone know how we got here?¡± Whiskers asked. ¡°I heard music,¡± Jules said. ¡°Beautiful music,¡± Cyrus added. ¡°It was alright,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Well. Guess we ought to go save them?¡± Jules asked. ¡°We can empty their pockets for the trouble,¡± Katarina said. ¡°So what do we do, just walk through it?¡±Jules asked. Rukia peeked her head out and whispered something to Whiskers. ¡°No, no, Jules. You either get pulled in or you have to say the password. Stand back.¡± Cyrus cracked his knuckles and took a wide stance. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!" Nothing happened. Cyrus shrank into himself. "Damn That Painter¡­ He tricked me.¡± ¡°Step aside, you fool.¡± Whiskers sat before the massive gate. ¡°Open Sesame!¡± Again, nothing happened. Rukia fell out of the backpack, cackling madly. ¡°Told you I¡¯d get you back when we first got here, you son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Damn little Fox¡­¡± Whiskers scurried away behind Katarina. Jules approached the gate. ¡°Yeah, pretty sure we just walk through it¡ª¡± ¡°Jules, wait¡ªthe rules,¡± Katarina said. ¡°We can¡¯t know them until we enter.¡± Jules ran through the gate. He started to fall, and kept falling, falling, falling. Air rushed past him, throwing his long, tousled hair all about. His eyes watered and stung while his stomach churned. A message appeared before his eyes in Sylvan Runes, some of which he didn''t know. A shrill voice read the text aloud in Common.
?? Shrine Rule: Only one Member of your Party is allowed to capture the Shrine. The Vessel shall belong to that Party Member. All other Members of their Party will be left behind, trapped here forever. ?? [Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Learn about the Siren''s Cove Shrine.]
¡°Oh shit.¡± Jules slammed facedown onto wet ground. Before he got up, he knew he was all alone; Rukia had fallen from his pack before entering. He slowly rolled onto his back, then arched up as the cold water spread. Dammit, that was a mistake. Now I¡¯m soaked front to back. He smelled the salt in the air. The harsh sun beat down on him. Not a cloud in the sky. Or at least the part of it I can see. The rest of his vision was blocked by massive stone walls all around him. He heard a soft song off in the distance. Beware the Siren¡¯s calling¡­ Guess I better go follow it. Jules walked through the massive labyrinth, around a few corners. It wasn¡¯t long before he heard chaos nearby, but for some reason he didn¡¯t care. He just had to follow that song. He wound through the maze, with no idea where he¡¯d been or how many times he¡¯d repeated a corner. He simply wandered. Jules'' only benchmark was that if the song got louder, he was going the right way. She sang in a language he couldn¡¯t understand. Not Common, not Sylvan. What, then? But he felt the emotion behind it, the highs and the lows. He even knew what she sang about, or so he thought. Something about hope. Hope for a power to control destiny, or is it fate? Hope to stop the Apocalypse, to protect myself? And Envy. ¡­Envy? No, Kat. The song faded, so he ran quicker, desperate to cling onto it. He heard others shouting again and yelled at them to shut up. He rounded another corner and crashed into its back. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The monster reared its hideous head a full 180 degrees from its neck. It was an ugly, rounded beast, with webbed feet and hands, a long whipping tongue like a tail, or a flail. Tears streamed down its face. Grave Hag. Jules sprinted away from it, damn the song to hell. The murderous, rotten stench of it punctured his nostrils, and the sensation alone overtook the smell of saltwater and the song. Its tongue lashed out at him and smacked him a few times. Each hit ripped strips of flesh clean off of him. He passed another corner and ran into the opening. The hag followed him out just one step. It took one look at him in the open and fled in the opposite direction. ¡°Ha, you coward.¡± Jules turned around and understood why it had taken flight. Hundreds of harpies crept from their nests and roosts. The smell was even worse than the Grave Hag¡ªdeath, rot, feces, damp molted feathers sizzling in the sun. They swarmed and shrieked. It really pissed off Jules. ¡°You bastards are in the way of me and whoever the hell is singing that song!¡± The music reverberated in his skull, dug deep into his mind, turned into more of a frequency, of a sound. This Sound¡­ The harpies swarmed together like a vicious tornado and closed in on him, all alone. Gray flames erupted from his eyes.
ENVY
Kat shrieked for bloody murder as she fell. Her hair flailed around in the wind behind her as she fell face-first and occasionally in her eyes. She looked around desperately for something to hold, to grab onto, to slow her down, to help, to do anything¡ªAnd then she saw her savior. A stern-faced Rukia from on high pummeled right toward her. Rukia drew her four little limbs in to her sides, like some aerodynamic circus freak barreling straight out of a cannon. Kat turned her body around midair. The wind bent her into a U-shape, and she caught Rukia right in her gut. They grabbed hands and flopped out to their stomachs again and spun around in a circle, crying with each other and screaming. Never seen Rukia like this. This must be it. This is how I die, the stupidest way an immortal, unkillable thing finally kicks the¡ª SMACK! They both belly-flopped into a puddle of mud. Kat rolled around a bit, holding her abs and ribs. Rukia got to her feet quickly. ¡°Yeah¡ªGirl power!¡± Rukia flexed her scrawny arms in different poses. I wish¡­ I wish I had died¡­ Kat finally got to her feet and dusted herself off as she looked at the impending stone walls. ¡°Did you see anyone else?¡± ¡°Uh, you mean like her?¡± Rukia pointed behind her. Kat turned and saw the Grave Hag. It tilted its head at them, then whipped its tongue out and shrieked a battle cry. The girls shrieked themselves and ran away. The poisonous, barbed tongue lashed Kat and Rukia a few times, but they ran faster still. Dammit, I should have made that Resist Poison Potion last night! They rounded corner after corner, and ran past an entry to a wide, open space, but they blazed on around more of the maze''s intersections. After they gained some distance, Kat stopped at the end of a mid-length run of the labyrinth. She knelt down and spread her arms out wide. When the Water Hag came into view, Rukia howled in terror.
? Thunder ? [?9,200 // ?10,000]
Kat clapped her hands together, and a sonic boom blasted the Hag¡¯s ears. Stunned, it screeched and ran away the way it came. Kat thought it was crying as it ran away, but they ran to a safer distance before they stopped to catch their breath. The background melody slowly ramped up. Rukia must have heard it, too, because she perked up. ¡°Kaizen?¡± the fox called out. She sat, wagged her tail, and panted. ¡°What, do you hear him?¡± Kat asked. Rukia¡¯s pupils grew huge. ¡°Yeah, he said there¡¯s hundreds, no, thousands, of balls and squirrels¡ªthis way!¡± She darted off. Kat called out after her and followed. Not long after, Kat halted in her tracks. The song was clear as day, and she understood it. It was meant for her. So you¡¯re saying that if I just find them, my parents and Whiskers, they¡¯ll embrace me? That¡¯s all I had to do this whole time? She wanted to drop to her knees, in the simplicity of it all, the disbelief, but she ran after Rukia, toward the song. Everything they both wanted was around that corner¡ª Rukia was right. There were hundreds, no, thousands of them, all different sizes. But they weren¡¯t balls, or squirrels. Bats. Giant bats. Some swarmed together, others hung upside down. More and more left their nests to take flight in the skies. A small group approached them first. Rukia flew through them like a bolt of lightning. She sliced them apart at least a dozen at a time. Kat could barely keep up with her. ¡°Kat! Look at all these balls!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, Rukia. Get them all.¡± Kat marched through the encircling bats, both grounded and flying. She knew they were monsters, but she didn¡¯t provoke them and they didn¡¯t attack her. A pair of exceptionally giant bats guarded their two babies. Mom, Dad, Whiskers¡­ And me. Kat approached them. One of the parents shielded their young with a wing. Kat reached out. She got too close, and they attacked. Kat defended herself, but didn¡¯t fight back. Jules landed in front of her, his eyes clearer than the blue sky. She thought for a second that he had wings, but that was crazy, because Jules didn¡¯t have wings, and she didn¡¯t see them anymore, anyway. He just had really long arms, almost down to hit feet, and his fingernails were filed to points. ¡°They¡¯re not real, Envy.¡± "Of course they are," Kat insisted. Jules grabbed one of the parents'' faces and pried open its jowls. Rows of fangs lined its mouth. "Stop it, Jules¡ª" Jules ripped its head off, then slayed the other parent by thrusting his hand-and-claws through its chest. Kat tried to stop him, but she was too powerless, she couldn¡¯t fight back. She fell to her knees. Jules went for the children¡ªfor Whiskers, and then for her¡ªor at least the bat that represented her in the song. ¡°Jules! How could you!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, either." What? ¡°Real, I mean.¡± Wings erupted from his back and the illusion disappeared. The Siren gripped her in its thick talons and flew off, claiming its first victim. Before she passed out, Kat saw Rukia, abandoned and alone with the growing swarm. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 59 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 60 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
CYRUS
Cy crashed on his back and formed a crater in the wet ground like a meteorite. He laid in a loose fetal position. Oof. Bad start. Whiskers landed gracefully on Cy''s stomach and knocked out what little air remained in his lungs. "Get. Off." They took a moment to recover and study the Shrine''s labyrinthian walls. Didn''t take any damage, and my Ryoku''s maxed out? And my arm actually feels fully healed, now. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± Cy asked. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty rough rule they gave us.¡± ¡°Well, naturally, I think Katarina should be the one allowed to leave.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m shocked to hear you feel that way. What? I mean, given how you treat her all the time.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Whiskers said, his high voice thick with scorn. The hell did I do? ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°What I have done to her is nothing compared to what you have.¡± Whiskers walked ahead of Cy with his tail high in the air so Cy could see his furry ass. What does he mean what I¡¯ve done to her? ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying¡ªyou¡¯re her Familiar. You could be nicer to her, is all. She wants your attention, and you give more of it to Jules¡ª¡± ¡°At least I¡¯ve never killed her. And I never will.¡± Oh¡­ Guess the gloves are off now that you and I are finally alone. Cy perked up. ¡°Is that screaming?¡± Cy whispered. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s getting closer. Let¡¯s go follow!¡± ¡°You idiot, that¡¯s Rukia and Katarina. Don¡¯t you recognize her voice?¡± Whiskers lowered his belly to the ground and curled up into himself a little. Cy ran around the corner and left the feline behind. He got closer and closer to the screaming, but stopped in his tracks when the song began. The melody contorted and shifted his desires. It built up the crescendo of a tragedy. It caused him to long for something, some missing piece, though he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. But what was it again? The song promised him things he¡¯d long forgotten. Ah, of course¡ªthe hopes of meeting my parents.
[Quest Reminder: SSoaSS is still available.]
At the first thought of his parents, Cy instinctively resisted the song¡¯s pull. He used his full mental strength to push the music from his mind, to tune it out, and continued his search for Rukia and Envy. I have to find them, keep going. The song had transitioned into something else entirely, from a tragedy into a hero¡¯s journey. Who am I looking for again? Who am I chasing? His mind filled with two silhouettes. No, not my parents. The silhouettes merged into one, then details of a man''s face clarified in his mind. That''s right. Magnus Tharlsson, the Alter.
[New Quest Available: Alternate History] [New Reward Available for Alternate History: Insights into becoming an Alter.] [Alternate History ¡ª 3 Quest Objectives ADDED: Uncover the secrets of Magnus Tharlsson. | Uncover the secrets of The Painter. | Uncover the secrets of Davy Jones.]
Cy stopped again, resisted again. ¡°Whiskers. Do you hear that song?¡± ¡°Thank Salvos you stopped,¡± Whiskers panted. ¡°No. Are you going crazy on me? It seems like you¡¯re going crazy on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful song, but I don¡¯t know. I feel like I can¡¯t trust it.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªWhat¡¯s that?¡± Whiskers¡¯ sharp, vertical pupils grew wider and rounder. ¡°You hear it, too?¡± Cyrus asked excitedly. ¡°The song about Magnus?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t hear a song.¡± Whiskers'' nostrils flared out. They were soaked. ¡°So strong. I smell¡­ No, it couldn¡¯t be, could it?¡± Tails lifted even higher, he stalked away from Cy. ¡°Smell what?¡± Whiskers whipped around. His veins seemed to pop out through his fur. ¡°Catnip.¡± Whiskers leapt high onto a wall to sniff out his prey. He turned around to survey the walls¡ª Whiskers jumped off all fours, high into the air. His fur frizzed out, and his eyes popped from his skull. He landed back on the ground by Cy¡¯s feet, and he booked it in the opposite direction from whatever had spooked him. That pussy ran so fast that its ass was practically in his shoulders with each stride. A Grave Hag stumbled across the bend. Finally, a proper fight. Cy dug his feet into the mud. The Hag lashed out its tongue, which Cy easily dodged once. The second time, he sliced it clean off with his sword. The Hag scratched and clawed at its mouth. Cy rushed in and beheaded the creature in one swipe.
[Pang! Curved Swords increased to Level 29.]
When Cy cleaned the thick, black blood from his blade, the song resumed. This time, it echoed through the walls. Cy followed it, in the opposite direction Whiskers had fled. He stumbled after only a few steps and lost his footing. He looked down and realized he was shin deep in water. When did that happen? He eventually came to an open area. Up high on a pedestal, with two curved staircases leading up to it from opposite ends of the maze walls, stood the singer, like a minstrel singing at a church choir. Eyes closed, it clasped its hands in some form of prayer. Envy laid on a stone tablet behind the singing Siren. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I was right not to trust it, and my instincts still carried me to the source. Now that I¡¯m warmed up from that Water Hag¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± Cy shouted to the monster, ¡°why don¡¯t you shut the fuck up? That song doesn¡¯t work on me as well as you¡¯d hoped. I am a master of illusion, after all.¡± It ceased its song and snarled at him. ¡°And unlike these idiots, I actually know what I want. It¡¯s crystal clear, in my mind, every day. And no one¡ª¡± The Siren growled sharply, almost like a hiss, that continued through Cy¡¯s speech. ¡°¡ªcan give it to me except for myself. And right now, you¡¯re just the next thing in my way to achieving¡ª" CRACK!! "Oh shit. Come on!" A dark figure emerged at the far end of the clearing from a hole in the maze''s wall. Stone crumbled when it put its hands on the structure, and fire engulfed the enraged lunatic. It howled wildly at the sky, and then at Cy. ¡°Hey, Jules.¡± Cy sighed.
Cy dodged his friend''s fireball. The sheer heat of Jules¡¯ flames evaporated the water¡¯s surface, which now rose to Cy¡¯s waist. This pool is really slowing me down, but doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping Jules¡ªor Wrath.
? Water ? [?7,500 // ?10,000] [Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 30.]
Cy invoked his most trustworthy Rune and flanked Jules with a mini tsunami. He launched wave after wave at him, using the resulting tide to push himself further away from the berserker. Every time he doused the flames, they¡¯d just reignite. Damn, where does this fire come from!? ¡°Wake up, Jules¡ªNone of this is real!¡± Cy dodged another fireball from Jules. ¡°Shut up¡ªI can¡¯t hear it when you speak!¡± Jules punched the air far from Cy, and each one launched a new fireball for him to avoid. At least you can still talk. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid song, you moron.¡± Cy looked up towards the pedestal at the Siren, who had resumed its song. Just need to kill that thing and¡ª ¡°Shit!¡± Cy dove below the water to avoid the column of fire Jules shot out from his palm. ¡°Stop talking, you¡¯re muffling the Sound.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your friend, Jules. You¡¯re being weak¡ª¡± ¡°You made me weak.¡± Jules lit his new katana on fire. ¡°You¡¯re holding us back. You¡¯re the one. I¡¯ll kill you before you rot us any further." The gray flames darkened. Not quite black yet, still some time. I wonder if that old bat knows he¡¯s a Sin, if it even knows what Sins are. If it knows Kat¡¯s one, too. Man, that Siren certainly chose the right one to sway. Cy swept his blade upward and parried Jules¡¯ katana. The heat and flames singed his arm hair. Cy invoked a few Runes while he attempted to push back Jules.
? Fire ? [?7,400 // ?10,000] ? Body ? ? Cold ? [?6,200 // ?10,000] ? Resist ? ? Fire ? [?5,000 // ?10,000]
The first Script cauterized Cy''s wounds. The last one served as a fire retardant against Jules, and the middle served as a flexible bridge between both spells. Cooling his body helped Cy heal faster, but also withstand the heat more as well. With each strike, Jules put in more power, until the fire started to flicker traces of black flames. Sorry mate, you¡¯re gonna have to die. Good thing I bought those potions. He invoked another flurry of Runes, to combine however he saw fit.
? Metal ? ? Arm ? ? Lightning ? ? Speed ? ? Strike ? [?1,200 // ?10,000]
Cy¡¯s tattoos lit up all sorts of colors through his black and white robes. His eyes turned black to reflect Jules'' resolve. Cy¡¯s Script absorbed all the surrounding metallic ions in the water, from the stone walls, Jules¡¯ sword, and even a little from his own blood. He stabilized them in an instant around his right arm. With inadequate time to solidify his arm in metal as he preferred to do in training, it was enough to both support his bones and generate a static shock as the Ryoku guided his arm to Jules¡¯ neck at a supersonic speed. Jules lifted his katana just in time to prevent the kill-shot, but the sheer force of Cy''s blow, combined with a spark of the lightning magic, sent him skipping across the water to the far end. His path left behind a trail of steam in his wake.
[Pang! Transmutation increased to Level 29.]
Go back to where you came from, you bastard. Half of Jules¡¯ katana blade spun wildly through the air and plopped into the water between them. ¡°That¡¯s Siren¡¯s Cove steel for ya.¡± Cy smiled. Man, that was such a cool line. He looked around, realized none of his friends had heard it, and frowned. ¡°I swear, Auggie!¡± a strange voice called out beyond the labyrinth walls. ¡°I hear Merfolk, just this way.¡± At least two. Cy bit the cork off of a Ryoku Restoration Potion and chugged it.
[Ryoku Restoration Potion taking effect now.] [?1,201 // ?10,000]
Just need a few minutes for this to take hold¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s the Leviathan¡¯s Song. And don¡¯t call me that.¡± You must be Auggie. Cy averted his eyes to the approaching voices, but didn¡¯t dare turn his body from Jules. ¡°You¡¯re both idiots.¡± A third voice. Deeper. Older. ¡°The roar of cannons draws near.¡± ¡°I hear the endless jingle of a mountain of gold coins.¡± A woman¡¯s voice. Sounds kinda¡­ Focus, you idiot. The Siren¡ªShe looks concerned. Might be extending her powers, singing to this many people. Wonder what Rank she is? Four figures emerged from the encircling maze, near where half of Jules¡¯ katana blade landed. They don¡¯t seem to notice the water yet, either. ¡°Oi!¡± The woman called out to Cy. ¡°Did you kill those Guards?¡± Cy pointed to the Siren. ¡°Think you¡¯re looking for her.¡± The Siren in turn pointed a long, bony finger to Jules, who had gotten up in the confusion. ¡°What¡¯s it to you, Maddie?¡± Who!? ¡°Hold on now," Maddie shouted. "You¡¯re the lad from last night! What was it¡­ Julisha?¡± Cy suppressed a throaty laugh. ¡°Got us all drunk just so you could beat us to the punch, eh? Dirty rascal.¡± They seem chummy. Maddie took two steps toward Jules, but the old man raised a hand to her to stop. She obeyed immediately. ¡°Hold fast, Maddie.¡± He must be their leader. ¡°If you four don¡¯t mind, we''re in the middle of something,¡± Cy said. He tightened his sword grip. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡ªJulisha, did you kill those men? Really?¡± Better watch yourself, girl. Dark gray flames assimilated once more. The fire burned so harshly, it incinerated part of his shirt, and the Seal on Jules'' chest laid barren, exposed. ¡°Thorn,¡± Maddie gasped. Cy waded toward his newest threats. ¡°I see it," Thorn said. "He must be our next assignment.¡± ¡°Auggie,¡± the first voice said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It appears to be my lucky day, John,¡± Maddie said. ¡°A Vessel and a ?500,000 bounty, all at once.¡± How do they know who Jules is? And why do I feel like I know her from somewhere? ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Jules said. ¡°Working for the Maidens.¡± ¡°Girl¡¯s gotta eat.¡± Maddie drew her sword. ¡°Then you better have a plan to take me alive.¡± ¡°Actually, I had something much different planned for you.¡±
[Ryoku Restoration Potion effect completed.] [?10,000 // ?10,000]
Ah, just in time. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 60 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 61 - Third Eye
CYRUS
A few paces from Maddie now, Cy shouted at her. ¡°You have the wrong target! He¡¯s under the Siren¡¯s control, we have to¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Thorn unleashed a series of thrusts at Cy. Damn, got too close. Thorn studied Cy after he blocked every one of the cutlass'' attacks. ¡°Captain Maddie Redwood takes orders from no one.¡± Captain. Cutlass¡­ Definitely Pirates. The Pirate named Auggie launched a wave at Jules that doused his flames and swept him away. Auggie waded through the water and drew his sword. Jules swung wildly. All offense, no defense, and with only half a weapon. He took blows freely and Regenerated the wounds. Auggie fell back after one particularly nasty gash to his chest, and Maddie replaced him. This chick, she¡¯s anticipating Jules'' attacks. Cy studied her combat technique; she¡¯d thrust or slash her cutlass at Jules once for every ten times he attacked her. Master of evasion. The man belonging to the first voice approached Jules with a weapon that was a mix of a halberd and a spear, but he kept his distance. Auggie joined back in with Maddie up close. Might as well let them wear him down while I figure out their weak points. Sorry Jules. She pushes and pulls her team back to keep you locked down, but how does she see everything so clearly? ¡°Auggie, fall! John, strike,¡± Maddie ordered. ¡°That¡¯s right, men, I will always lead you to glory and victory!¡± She¡¯s enjoying this. "SQUAWK¡ªGLORY!" Cy glanced at the sky, his concentration broken. ¡°Your focus should be on me,¡± Thorn warned. Cy blocked his first strike and parried the second.
? Water ? [?9,300 // ?10,000] [Pang! Parry increased to Level 22.]
The Rune pushed Thorn up above him in a wave to avoid the third strike. He didn''t hear Thorn''s Script, but saw the man''s eyes glow. Thorn pressed himself and the wave back down to the flooded ground. As Thorn attacked, Cy raised columns of water in front of himself to slow each strike.
[?8,200 // ?10,000]
Thorn shot blasts of wind from his blade with every swing, which allowed him to push through the obstructions. A few gusts split Cy¡¯s skin, but most were absorbed by his new armor. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you all have the wrong enemy! That Siren is the Shrine¡¯s Boss.¡± ¡°That man is exactly who we are looking for.¡± Thorn burst through a thick column of water. His sword missed Cy''s ear by fractions of an inch. ¡°The Siren¡¯s controlling him, and has our friend captive.¡± Cy jumped back and held out his sword far to the side. Defenseless, he placed his full trust in the man¡¯s rationale. ¡°Just look at her.¡± Thorn glared at him. He side-eyed the monster on the pedestal, then turned his head to properly inspect it. ¡°A woman? Maddie!¡± he shouted to his Captain. She broke away from her fight to investigate Thorn¡¯s concern. ¡°A damsel, in distress? Not on my watch. Boys, focus on the woman! Thorn, you know what to do." ¡°Go for the Siren, lad.¡± Without looking back at Cy, Thorn abandoned him to intercept an uncontested Jules.
[Pang! Persuasion increased to Level 22.]
Cy spotted Rukia and Whiskers. They walked, or more so stumbled, along the ledge of a wall. Are those idiots drunk? Ah, hell. ¡°Don¡¯t die, old man,¡± Cy said out of Thorn¡¯s earshot. He was grateful for any level of trust shown in combat. Pirates are taking that set of stairs. I could take the other set, but that Siren will have an advantage on me from the air. Better bring the fight to it, in its domain. Cy planned his path of ascension. This''ll cost a lot of Ryoku. Wish I knew the Scroll for this one.
? Foot ? ? Water ? ?Freeze ? ? Air ? ? Jump ? ? Disk ? ? Fire ? [?6,900 // ?10,000]
A massive stream of water erupted from the center of the arena like a geyser. Cy lifted himself off the ground in a sort of reverse whirlpool, then stepped onto air. With each footstep, Cy crafted an icy platform from the moisture in the atmosphere. When he was close enough, the Siren shifted her focus from Maddie¡¯s group to him. Cy bounced platform to platform and blasted gusts of wind at the monster. Though he didn¡¯t harm her, he managed to push it back. It spun around out of his line of sight and glided around to flank him. Cy twisted to engage with it, but it screeched a sonic blast, straight to his chest.
[?6,400 // ?10,000]
His ears rang, he lost which way was up, and gravity took him. Water rose up and caught him like a helping hand and lowered him back down.
[?6,000 // ?10,000]
Damn, back to square one. The Siren rushed him; it spun in the air and charged at him like an arrow, its thick horns at the apex of its wings primed to pierce him.
? Slow ? ? Speed ? [?5,100 // ?10,000] Stolen novel; please report.
Cy slowed the beast''s acceleration for the brief moment of collision, and bolstered his own speed at the same time. He caught the beast and halted its spinning momentum just as the Script wore off. He pushed back and tried to slam it into the water, but it broke free and unfurled its wings. In one motion, it kicked Cy''s chest with powerful, taloned feet and flapped its wings. Don¡¯t give it space¡ª
? Air ? [?4,600 // ?10,000]
Cy condensed the air between them. A powerful vacuum pushed them together, but the water pressure surrounding Cy''s legs kept him firmly in place. Water splashed all around him. Unable to see, he struck blindly with his sword and pierced a wing. The Siren shrieked, their faces just inches away.
? Solid ? ? Blood ? [?4,500 // ?10,000]
Cy coagulated fresh blood dripping from his ears and formed earplugs. The world went silent, apart from the constant internal ringing. The Siren struggled to take flight and flee. Cy felt each gust much more distinctly than before. Lose one sense, another gets stronger¡­ Who told me that? Cy leapt across his remaining platforms. He thrust his sword several times, but missed each time. Because he could feel the wind change slightly, he could dodge most of its attacks. A stalemate. Need a different approach. He noticed Maddie¡¯s group ascend the final set of stairs, and from the opposite set of steps, Whiskers also approached Envy. Yeah, that¡¯ll work. Dodge. Thrust. Thrust. Dodge. Leap. Cy created enough distance. The Siren swept down on him and he hurled his curved sword through the air. It spun through its trajectory right towards the Siren and¡ª Missed. Cy allowed his face to betray his fear. He dodged a few more swiping claws, but the Siren came face-to-face with him. It smirked, knowing it¡¯d won, and sucked in air for one final shriek at his skull, what would surely kill him. Cy closed his eyes and waited, hoping they wouldn''t supersonically burst from their sockets. SHLUNK! Its head came clean off, and Cy¡¯s boomerang of a sword splashed into the water below him. Both Cy and the headless corpse plunged in shortly afterwards.
[Pang! Curved Swords increased to Level 30.]
Cy looked at the pedestal and saw Whiskers waking up Envy. Then he looked at the Siren, what remained of her. That was when the Djinn emerged from the Shrine Boss'' body.
JULES
Thor? Jules reflexively parried the man¡¯s cutlass, his training habits so engrained, even though he''d just come to. The song stopped a while back, but its effects finally receded¡ªJules was awake again. SPLISH! SPLASH! ¡°What are you doing, Thor?" Jules shouted. "Why are we fighting?¡± Thor snarled back at him. WHOOSH! A massive gust of wind, sprinkled with purple and cerulean dust, swirled all around them. It spiraled violently like a tornado for just a moment, before it calmed and settled, midair. All eyes went to the Djinn.
? ? Which one of you would claim this Vessel? ? ?
Its voice shook the stone labyrinth walls. At least twenty feet tall, its translucent skin shined just like a Ryoku Crystal''s deep indigo and violet. It wore a pointed beard, and its jet black hair was tied back in a crude knot top. Golden jewelry covered its neck and arms. Below the navel, its body fizzled into a stream of mist that emerged from the Siren¡¯s corpse. Black mascara covered two of its eyes, but not the third. The third eye in the center of its forehead remained closed. It spoke again after receiving no response.
? ? Only one in your Party may escape. ? ?
Its two open eyes locked on Maddie, up on the pedestal. Why is she with Kat?
? ? Claim your prize, at the expense of all else. ? ?
¡°No thanks, mate,¡± Maddie hollered. ¡°If that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be, I think we¡¯re all good here. My crew and I will leave together.¡±
? ? I¡¯m afraid it does not work that way, child. ? ?
It titled its head at her for a moment. Underneath the eyelid, the third eye rolled around.
? ? Forgive my disrespect, Wise One. I did not recognize you. ? ?
The Djinn bowed, one hand to his heart, the other extended out far to the side. ¡°Wise One?¡± Jules whispered. Thorn jerked his head to Jules, then back to the floating Djinn. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a shame, then," Maddie shook her head with a fearless grin, "that the Captain goes down with the ship." Jules projected his thoughts to his Party. I¡¯m back, guys. Anyone have a plan? Spectacular, Cyrus responded. What the hell is going on? Katarina asked him. None of his friends could communicate with each other¡ªJules'' Telepathy was a one-way street with him alone. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you have the Vessel,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°It¡¯s gonna have to go to one of us.¡± ¡°Regardless of what she says,¡± Thorn said, ¡°this Vessel is our Captain¡¯s. We can fight you and your demon here¡ªand probably die trying¡ªwhich will only make the decision easier for her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that option,¡± Katarina said. Maddie laughed and slapped Katarina on the back, to her apparent shock. ¡°That much we can agree on.¡± ¡°Seeing as he can¡¯t die," Thorn pointed his cutlass at Jules, "we¡¯ll hold him back while you escape, Madeline." ¡°Watch yourself, Thorn,¡± Maddie said. ¡°Don¡¯t give orders in my stead.¡± "Wait," Jules said in disbelief. "Your name''s Thorn!?" ¡°My dear.¡± Thorn twirled the cutlass in his hand. ¡°You have a much higher calling than any of us sinners. Above all, you must survive this Shrine.¡± He struck without orders. Jules struggled to block each blow, realizing a little too late that his crappy weapon was broken. Damn Siren''s Cove steel, only a foot long now. His earlier fire Scripts nearly depleted his Ryoku reserves and encumbered him, plus he still had to Regenerate his wounds, which involuntarily drained more Ryoku. A blessing and a curse. I''m too slow and ill-equipped, not to mention disoriented. Jules pushed back until he gained some ground. Though he wielded a sword, he utilized thrusting dagger techniques, since that was effectively what he had now. ¡°I¡¯ll not lose to some Sin!¡± Thorn''s tattoos lit up white, his eyes a brilliant gold.
? ? Burden and Shatter the Path ? ?
Jules felt heavy. His Seal burned. Each of Thorn''s strikes broke down Jules'' stance and stamina. The hell is this Script!? ¡°Jules," Cyrus shouted. "He¡¯s using a mix of Light and Holy magic!¡± Of course he is. Jules ignited his Seal.
?? Darkness Engulf Me ?? [?1,500 // ?10,000]
He''d only used the Scroll once, during training, and The Painter cautioned him against using it again, but Jules felt the spell''s familiarity, liked he''d used it before. Somehow, it felt innate to his soul. Dark mist coated what remained of Jules'' katana. He blocked another strike from Thorn and felt his encumbrance lifted. Good, Dark Magic is resisting the Light and Holy, and my legs are back in working order.
[Pang! Dark Magic increased to Level 11.]
¡°What''re you doing?¡± Jules called to Cyrus, who ran toward the Djinn. Thorn doubled down on his assault, and Jules tuned out whatever response his friend gave him.
?? Radiant Star ??
Light from Thorn¡¯s cutlass blinded Jules, who closed his eyes. Spent plenty of time fighting in the dark. Jules focused on the sounds of his opponent, of the splashing water, and relied on Thorn''s repetitive attack pattern.
?? Spellbinding Circle ??
Jules shifted his right leg to attack, but it didn''t move. He glanced down at it. A transmutation circle? He adjusted his defense to compensate, but then the circle shifted to his left leg. A fresh wound to his left shoulder sprayed blood. The circle vanished again and reappeared on his sword arm. Thorn''s blade sped to Jules'' throat. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 61 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 62 - Ballroom Blitz
JULES
?? Ryoku Shield ?? [?1,000 // ?10,000]
A crude shield blocked the strike against Jules'' throat.
?? Shackles of the Earth Bind You ??
Stone chains erupted from the labyrinth walls and ensnared both Jules¡¯ wrists, and the transmutation circle settled back to his right leg. Jules focused his Ryoku Shield to an edge and shattered the chains on his sword hand. He went to slice his other hand''s chains with his sword¡ª
?? Noose of the Gallows Pole ??
A noose of brilliant golden threads fell down from the heavens. Its open loop halted just around his neck. It tightened, and Jules swam his free arm up through it. The chains and noose, wrapped around one side of neck and the opposite armpit, trapped him in place. Shit! Ten feet away, Thorn held his cutlass to one side. Why isn''t he attacking? Thorn''s other palm, extended out toward Jules in a stranglehold, trembled. Oh, you''re using all your energy to restrain me. Didn¡¯t want to use these yet, but the time was gonna come¡­ With his only free limb, Jules fished his hand into his breast pocket and withdrew two sheets of Inked paper. He flung them in the air. Both watched as they drifted down on either side and touched the waist-high pool.
? Activate ? [?990 // ?10,000]
The inscribed Water Runes evaporated and burned the paper, and the Inked Arts released. The pool surged away from them and flushed Thorn along with it. The water didn¡¯t stop just around them¡ªthe entire labyrinth interior cleared up, and the waves formed an even higher barrier above the maze''s stone walls. Jules found himself in an all-too-familiar setting. Another shitty, makeshift arena. But the best part? That little stunt barely cost me any Ryoku. Jules broke Thorn''s chains and noose in the chaos. Thorn burst forth from his liquid prison into the arena''s edge. Jules fetched a fresh, thick stack of Inked Arts with his armor. With no more water between them, they ran to each other.
? Activate ? [?940 // ?10,000]
With each block of his stubby blade, Jules tossed out another sheet at their feet. Jules¡¯ parrying was unmatched compared to his two friends, and he¡¯d gained some strength back from the Runes he tossed out¡ªeach sheet was inscribed with some type of combat Rune; Speed, Block, Slash, Parry¡ªand Old Man Thorn was once again no longer a match for Jules. Still, Thorn refused to let off his assault. Must be low on Ryoku, now¡¯s the time to strike. On Thorn¡¯s next thrust, Jules slid his cracked blade into the side of the cutlass¡¯ handle and wrenched it from Thorn¡¯s grip. Jules pressed his cragged blade¡¯s edge to Thorn¡¯s throat. Jules'' eyes emitted green flames.
[Pang! Daggers increased to Level 19.]
¡°Do it then.¡± If he felt fear, Thorn''s eyes betrayed none. You''re a steely one. ¡°No.¡±
CYRUS
¡°My dear.¡± Thorn twirled the cutlass in his hand. ¡°You have a much higher calling than any of us sinners. Above all, you must survive this Shrine.¡± Thorn charged Jules. Before Cy could intervene, Auggie crashed into him with a wave. When the hell did he get back down here? Both of their eyes and tattoos lit up.
? Water ?
? Water ? [?3,400 // ?10,000]
The pirate whipped Cy around in the pool, overpowering even Cy¡¯s control of a Water Rune.
? Freeze ? [?3,000 // ?10,000]
Cy shot up spikes of ice from the pool to block Auggie¡¯s attacks. He was constantly disoriented from the waves'' movement, and his battle with the Siren had given him a minor feeling of vertigo on top of it. He¡¯s got the advantage of water. Need to trap him somehow. Cy reached inside his breast pocket for his paper. ¡°Salvos dammit,¡± he cursed, and let the pamphlets flutter into the wind. They were soaked from the water, the Ink ruined. Useless now. Blinding gold light halted both Cy and Auggie. He turned to Jules and Thorn. Light, and¡­ ¡°Jules," Cyrus shouted. "He¡¯s using a mix of Light and Holy magic!¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
? Ice ? [?2,700 // ?10,000]
Cy hurled ice spikes and shards around himself furiously, seemingly in no coherent direction. A few struck Auggie, who backed off after each wound. Must hate getting hit. Better use that against him. A surging tidal wave pushed him and Auggie to the edge of the arena. Cy remained on solid ground, and his opponent struggled underwater above a stone wall near the water¡¯s edge. OK, that must have been Jules. Damn, Thorn had him really tied up. A desperate Auggie tried to swim out of the towering water column.
? Ice ? [?1,400 // ?10,000]
Cy formed five ice swords above him and launched them, and all five sublimed to steam midway. Behind the clearing vapor, Auggie knelt in the mud, coughing up water. His eyes turned a deep blue.
?? Leviathan¡¯s Roar ??
¡°Shit." A Scroll. Auggie sprinted to him and swung his sword with enhanced speed and fluidity. Cy still blocked it, but the impact flung him across the makeshift arena. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Cy rolled onto his knees and got up. Mud covered his new clothes. That strike had the weight of a thousand pounds behind it. What the hell is that Scroll? Can''t be his Ryoku driving it? He''s not that powerful, right? The Pirate continued his assault, but this time Cy reinforced each block with his Enchanted necklace. Thank Salvos for that crook''s no return policy. Auggie''s second strike sent Cy flying again. Even though the water was gone, Cy barely stayed afloat. Fuck it. ¡°How are you this strong?¡± Cy asked between blows. A few more connected, each with lesser impact. ¡°Our Captain leads, and we follow.¡± A few more. ¡°Know why? She always leads us to glory and¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ve heard, several times.¡± ¡°And this Script was a gift from her¡ª¡± He¡¯s powering up for a serious blow. ¡°¡ªto me!¡± Cy dodged the vertical slash, but only because Auggie telegraphed it. The crushing strike left an impact crater behind. The water wall shimmered and shifted behind the man. Cy scanned the rest of the interior''s water barrier. Nowhere else did it waver like here. So that¡¯s it, drawing weight and pressure from the water. Brilliant. Using water¡­ That actually gives me an idea.
?? Leviathan''s Roar ??
? Ice ? [?1,100 // ?10,000]
Cy drew water from the walls and blasted Auggie with a torrent of crude shards and spears of ice. Unfazed, Auggie focused his Scroll on the assault. In one sweep, he deflected everything. The frenzied Pirate prepared for another crushing blow and drew back his cutlass.
?? Leviathan''s¡ª ??
? Assimilate ? [?700 // ?10,000]
As if magnetized, every shard of ice shot toward Auggie. The pirate swung his blade too late. He froze mid-swing, like an ice sculpture.
ENVY
Kat knelt in front of the three Pirates, not quite at their mercy, but not at their pleasure, either. Thorn just attacked Jules¡ª "John, Auggie," Maddie order. "Aid Thorn." Auggie leapt off the Siren''s platform without a word, and plunged to the water below. John, he took the stairs. Maddie approached Kat and crossed her arms. From the ground, Kat twisted and contorted her body to roundhouse kick Maddie in the chest, but all she struck was air, and she landed on her feet. Maddie reappeared at her side in a flash. ¡°You know,¡± Maddie whispered in Kat¡¯s ear, ¡°I really don¡¯t like fighting women. Especially damsels in distress.¡± She flashed a spellbinding smile. ¡°Well, Maggie. Tough shit.¡± Kat thrust back an elbow, which just grazed a cheek. "So it goes." Maddie struck back¡ªpunching, kicking, grabbing, twisting, flipping, whatever¡ªit was all fair, except neither one of them grabbed each other¡¯s hair. How does she dodge so effectively? She either blocks or I just graze her. It¡¯s like she sees it coming. But how? Kat''s Seal and eyes lit up purple.
? Summon ? ? Arrow ? [?3,200 // ?10,000]
Kat grabbed Maddie¡¯s arm, pushed them away from each other, and drew her bow. Arrows rushed into existence, formed from the Void, and Kat loosed a dozen of them at once. Maddie unsheathed her cutlass and deflected them all in a single sweep. The Captain grinned; Kat returned a reluctant smile. ¡°You certainly think highly of yourself, Maggie.¡± Behind Maddie, Whiskers high-tailed it down a staircase. ¡°How is it you¡¯re so strong?¡± Maddie asked. The question took Kat by surprise. I feel like I''m losing this fight. "I could ask the same of you." Maddie laughed. ¡°I had to be. No parents to guide me. It was all up to me to make it or break it.¡± Ugh. Common ground with an enemy. Disgusting. Why me? ¡°But you¡­ You survived that Siren. Unharmed." What¡¯s she getting at? "I just suspect I¡¯m not fighting you at your full strength, is all. It feels dishonorable.¡± ¡°Just my friends looking out for me, I guess.¡± Maddie looked over to Jules'' and Thorn''s fight. ¡°Demon of a friend.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± Kat rose from the kneeling position she¡¯d shot her bow from. ¡°What¡¯s your highest Skill Level? I''m curious.¡± ¡°Low.¡± Maddie faced Kat again. ¡°It¡¯s just that when it comes to training, I¡¯m very¡­industrious. I always keep moving¡ª" Kat twisted her body just in time. The point of Maddie¡¯s cutlass grazed past her ear, but some of her hair wasn¡¯t so lucky. CRACK!! The aftershock of Maddie¡¯s supersonic speed clapped like thunder. Fury overtook Kat''s fear. Her eyes widened; she felt the tears coming as she covered her ear. ¡°You went for my hair? My fucking hair!? I thought we fought with honor¡ªan unspoken rule!? You are dead, Maddie." "Ah, so you do know my name." The tricorn hat''s shadow shaded Maddie¡¯s eyes, but not her unwavering smile. Kat slammed her bow to the ground and drew her daggers. Gotta keep her close. Not sure if I¡¯d get so lucky next time, can¡¯t let her gain that much speed. A flurry of strikes later, and Maddie¡¯s jacket, arms, and face bore an assortment of shallow and deep gashes. The cutlass pierced Kat once in the stomach. She covered her wound with her jacket to hide her Regeneration. Fueled by anger, she pressed in again with her daggers. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and¡ª Kat flipped a dagger upside down and uppercut the pommel into Maddie¡¯s face. ¡ªStrike! Maddie disengaged and rubbed her chin. She spat out some blood. First time I¡¯ve seen her get mad. That look is almost hateful. Maddie touched the top of her tricorn. ¡°Please, if you¡¯d watch the hat.¡± "No. Hair and hats are fair game now." Maddie removed her hat and flung it off the pedestal. Her composure¡¯s already returned. Kat threw both daggers at Maddie and tackled her. The women grappled on the ground. Kat had the clear advantage just from a clothing standpoint. Hers was light and form fitting, while Maddie¡¯s was rigid and airy, definitely not fit for this type of fight, and Kat trapped Maddie in a shoulder lock. ¡°Egh¡ªWon¡¯t leave alive," Maddie shouted through gasps. "Abandon him." Kat kicked Maddie with her heel. ¡°Never. I can¡¯t leave those idiots¡¯ sides. I won¡¯t.¡± Maddie broke free from the joint lock. In one smooth motion, she rolled to her feet and stomped on her sword. It flipped it back to her hand. Damn, I gotta try that. Maddie charged Kat, who took the blow so she could get in close again. The sword pierced the other side of Kat''s stomach. "Why?" Maddie''s eyes widened, inches from Kat''s. "Why would you sacrifice yourself, and for a Sin?" Kat smiled. Blood trickled from her open lips.
? Summon ? ? Daggers ? [?2,600 // ?10,000]
Two daggers formed an X-shape at Maddie¡¯s throat. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 62 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 63 - Ramble On
JULES
¡°Do it!¡± Thorn repeated. ¡°You¡¯d sacrifice yourself for her?¡± Jules asked. Thorn pressed his throat into the blade. ¡°We all would, boy.¡± They¡¯re working with the Iron Maidens, but surely a group of Pirates aren¡¯t also zealots. ¡°There must be a better way.¡± Jules maintained his positioning over Thorn. ¡°You heard the Djinn. I¡¯m probably the only one here who¡¯s been inside a Shrine before, and their laws are ironclad.¡± Jules looked up at the purple figure who towered above them. "These Djinns, are they evil?¡± ¡°You know any good ones?¡± ¡°Why would he want to tear us apart like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for us to know the Djinns¡¯ wisdom.¡± ¡°I disagree." Something¡¯s not right. With this Djinn, this Shrine, the Siren¡­this whole town. Jules looked around. "We¡¯re in a maze. The whole point of this place is to solve a puzzle, or something. Like the point is to split us up, make us not think clearly, get caught up in the moment. To look out for only ourselves, and not each other. Like this whole damn town. They bolster you up, only to prevent you from actually trying the Shrine at the last minute¡­¡± ¡°Please. I¡¯d rather you killed me than listen to you ramble.¡± ¡°Like the Siren," Jules ignored him. "You hear the lyrics, but you don¡¯t understand the message. The words¡­¡± Thorn sighed dramatically. The Djinn only mentioned the Party. And Thorn said he¡¯d been in a Shrine before. ¡°That coat. It¡¯s a Vessel.¡± Thorn snarled, but spoke with reluctance. ¡°It is. If you think I¡¯ll tell you what it does, you can fu¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what it does. I want to know what happened after you claimed it.¡± The answer stunned him. Thorn must have realized where Jules was going with this, and conceded to let Jules announce it. ¡°Everyone,¡± Jules cried out. ¡°Stop! We found a way out.¡± Jules looked around the battlefield for the first time and was pleasantly shocked by his team. Cyrus had an enemy frozen, Katarina had hers between two blades, and Rukia and Whiskers¡­somehow had knocked out John the Pirate. Jules looked down at his own weapon, which drew blood from Thorn¡¯s neck. He rescinded it with a sheepish smile. ¡°It looks like we actually won. But none of us want to kill any of you¡ª¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Rukia shouted. She hopped on all fours and grew beefy, thick muscles. She erupted into flames and bared her fangs. Bloodlust filled her eyes. John shielded his eyes. ¡°Ahhh!¡± SPLASH! Cyrus dropped a water wall on her. It doused her flames and swept her away. ¡°Uh, thanks Cy. Anyway, thanks to Thorn¡¯s experience, I solved this puzzle.¡± Jules gestured at the labyrinth. ¡°This is a maze, after all.¡± ¡°So which one of you gets to claim the Vessel, then?¡± Maddie asked. ¡°It¡¯s my idea, so I vote Cy.¡± ¡°You¡¯d let the girl die?" Maddie shouted. ¡°No, I would never.¡± Whiskers hissed at Jules and wobbled toward Katarina. ¡°Oh." Maddie eyed the stumbling cat as she spoke. "Of course not. No deal.¡± ¡°Gotta be kidding me,¡± Cyrus said. Katarina drew some blood from Maddie¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly in a bargaining position.¡± ¡°No one has to die,¡± Jules said. ¡°What, as if you¡¯re really going to kill me? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that rotten.¡± Maddie winked at Katarina. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s me, or it¡¯s no one.¡± ¡°You¡¯d let your crew die like that?¡± Jules bluffed, but still had to see her reasoning. ¡°Crew,¡± she shouted. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Thorn and August said. "Uh, well, I haven¡¯t exactly met a Mermaid yet¡ª" ¡°You insufferable fool,¡± Maddie whispered. ¡°We beat the Boss,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°And then we kicked your asses,¡± Katarina added. ¡°And I figured out the puzzle, so everyone can live. It¡¯s clear that we are the stronger group.¡± Jules relayed his plan. ¡°It¡¯s clear that you haven¡¯t thought this through to the end, have you?¡± Maddie asked Jules. Of course I have. I just hoped you wouldn¡¯t. ¡°We all survive, then what? We fight again, on the outside?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t be opposed to that idea,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Seeing how it turned out the first time.¡± Maddie laughed. ¡°We have you trapped. Do you think I¡¯d take my entire crew into a Shrine? No, I only brought¡ª¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Katarina said. She pointed to John. ¡°No way I¡¯m gonna believe what you¡¯re about to say, that that kid is the cream of your crop.¡± Maddie seemed unfazed. ¡°You still haven¡¯t seen Thorn¡¯s Vessel. And, now that I¡¯m aware of the newer stakes, I¡¯m thinking I can try a little harder against you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Katarina asked. ¡°Men, we have two bounties on our hands. This one¡¯s a Sin, too.¡± Shit. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Ohhh shit.¡± "MRROWRRR!!" Thorn lit up. His coat¡¯s gold outlines shined brightly, though nothing happened. Yet. Jules looked fearlessly at the old man. ¡°Please, Thorn, please. Don¡¯t do anything stupid. We shared drinks last night, and I¡¯ll not forget that.¡± ¡°Seems we¡¯re at a bit of a stalemate, then.¡± Cyrus tapped the ice sculpture of August. ¡°You should know, we¡¯re part of a bigger team.¡± Maddie slowly pushed away Katarina¡¯s blades and arms. ¡°I wish to speak to your leader, Julisha, alone.¡± The girls came down from the pedestal. Katarina joined Whiskers, and then Jules and Maddie approached each other in the center. Maddie stopped an inch or two out of kicking distance. ¡°Since the ruse has faded, my real name is Jules. Jules Tideshaper.¡± Maddie folded her arms and sagged to one side. What¡¯s she waiting for? The parrot landed on her shoulder. Jules studied them for a moment, and then he got it. A thin smile crept across his face, and he clicked his tongue. Jules laughed, a good, hearty, long laugh. ¡°Give us a head start," he said. "Oh Wise One.¡± "Smart man." Maddie beamed back at him. "One day.¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Two.¡± Jules¡¯ friends shouted in protest, but he reached out for a handshake. Maddie took it. He pulled her in close and whispered in her ear. ¡°My offer from last night stands for you and your crew. Think about it. I have a feeling we will meet each other again, and soon, Captain Maddie Redwood. I¡¯m not sure when, I¡¯m not sure where, but you and I¡ªand our comrades¡ªwe''ll all be stronger.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She turned in toward him. He felt her breath on his cheeks. ¡°Of mind, resolve¡­" Maddie looked him up and down. "And body. Goodbye for now, Wrath.¡± He gripped her harder as she moved to walk away. He whispered even more softly. ¡°Jules. My name is Jules. Some day, I¡¯d like to learn yours, too.¡± He released her and left her speechless as he walked away. ¡°Cy, unfreeze that man. Rukia, Whiskers, leave the daydreamer alone.¡± The two drunken Familiars protested, but stopped terrorizing John. ¡°And you, Thorn. Time to abandon ship.¡± Thorn spat to the side. ¡°For but a moment.¡± Jules received Notifications from them to join his Party. One, two, three. OK¡ª ¡°Alright, I¡¯m claiming the Vessel now,¡± Maddie said. She reached up towards the Djinn from just below it. ¡°Better accept them all!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Jules opened his Menu. Click click click click! He accepted them so fast he didn¡¯t notice the fourth one pop up. Maddie touched the Djinn, and the world ripped away to white. Everything disappeared, and Jules fell into a vortex.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Capture the Shrine in Siren''s Cove.]
Jules and his friends sprinted through the forest outskirts. Trees blazed past them in blurs thanks to their Rune-powered legs that whisked them away as fast as possible. Rukia and Whiskers flopped about in the wind; they clung on to their Sins for dear life. Drunk lushes couldn¡¯t keep up on their own and now they¡¯re slowing us down even more. Better start the clock. He pulled up his Menu and started a countdown for 48 hours and shaved off a few minutes for how long they¡¯d been running. ¡°Did you boot them, Jules?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Boot who?¡± ¡°You moron,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Boot those rat motherfuckers from our Party¡ªNow!¡± ¡°Crap.¡± Jules scrolled through his Menu and found three familiar faces and names. His face dropped at the fourth. Yep, thought so. He hurriedly studied Thorn, August, and John¡¯s profiles before kicking them to the curb. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you still on that screen!?¡± Jules winced. You sound like those harpies, Kat. ¡°Getting intel on these guys¡­¡± Jules glanced through Salty Pete¡¯s info. His profile picture, it¡¯s so cute, adorable even. ¡°Hurry, before they do the same!¡± Jules took it all in.
[STATS ¡ª Peter, aka Salty Pete. Race: Parrot. Rank: UNRANKED ¡ª Under 18. Class: LOCKED ¡ª Insufficient Skills. Skill Slots: Unavailable.]
Jules hurriedly clicked the red X mark over the parrot¡¯s face and kicked him out of their Party, too. ¡°OK, Kat. They¡¯re goners.¡± ¡°And so are we.¡± The forest thickened as they took a longer, safer route back. Rukia and Whiskers flapped in the wind with each step. They cried relentlessly and left behind a trail of slobber. ¡°I wonder what that Vessel was,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you gave it away!¡± ¡°I trust you, Jules," Katarina said, "but we¡¯re all gonna have a serious conversation soon.¡± ¡°When this place is far behind us,¡± Jules said. They¡¯d left the inn fully packed and ready to go this morning, so they headed straight for their docked ship, where they were greeted by a jolly group of merry, brainwashed men, the ones they''d kidnapped from Aquilantis. ¡°Welcome back, oh Holy¡ª¡± ¡°Save it,¡± Cyrus snapped. ¡°Set sail immediately.¡± ¡°Every OK?¡± the Sailor asked. ¡°Will be, if we¡¯re out of the bay in five.¡± The Sailor saluted Cyrus and ran off to prepare the ship. ¡°Cy¡­¡± He ignored Jules and unpacked his soaking bag on the deck. ¡°Cy. We said we¡¯d let them go here. They¡¯ve got lives, families¡ª¡± "And one final job to do. I¡¯ll kick them off after they¡¯ve readied the sails. You''ve got your own job to do. Tie them up." A few chaotic minutes later, Cyrus addressed the group of Sailors, whose ship they¡¯d commandeered in Aquilantis. ¡°Men, it brings me great sorrow to inform you that our next destination is too dangerous to carry on with you." ¡°Nooo!¡± several men cried out. ¡°We love you all!¡± ¡°Sweet Salvos, listen,¡± Cyrus rubbed his forehead. ¡°In the battle of the Immortals, we Virtues must defeat the evil Sins! None of you will survive the long journey to Shinsora. You must go. We simply cannot allow such a tragedy to befall you, and¡­¡± ¡°Tarnish our good reputation,¡± Katarina said flatly. ¡°What about the little devils you captured?¡± a man shouted out. Katarina snapped her fingers. Jules hoisted up Whiskers and Rukia, hogtied together by a single rope. He strung them up by the mainmast. ¡°Have no fear, men,¡± Jules bellowed, ¡°for they are secured!¡± The men booed the Familiars. ¡°Damn cat and fox tried to steal our ship!¡± "And they kicked our asses!" "Let us have a piece of ''em!" ¡°They are safer with us than anywhere else, so leave them be,¡± Cyrus ordered. The men groaned but eventually agreed. Jules set sail, and the ship departed. ¡°Farewell, men! Thank you for donating your ship to The Mighty Cause!¡± ¡°Long live the Virtues! Salvos save the Virtues!¡± The men repeated the chant, long after they were beyond ear shot. "Man. We should''a just killed those guys," Rukia said as she spun around, ass-to-ass with Whiskers, suspended beneath the mast.
RUKIA''S CORNER (BONUS)
Rukia reflects on how she bested John the Pirate in the Siren''s Cove Shrine Rukia staggered, still drunk from playing ball. So much ball. Was it too much ball? No, I don¡¯t know there¡¯s such a thing as too much ball. Anyway, I¡¯m just happy I drew the long stick for once, fighting this loser. She had Mermaidboy, as she called him, trapped against some weird wall of water. How''d this even get here? He was covered head to toe in scratches from her sharp, and vicious, and deadly, and lethal, and deadly-but-also-beautiful-yet-deadly claws, claws that could chop clean through this boy, claws that could chop down a tree, knock down an entire skyscraper, if only she wanted to¡ªand only if they existed in this world¡ªclaws that could¡ª Mermaidboy jabbed his spear at her. She thought about cursing him out, but chose to laugh in disdain instead. Yeah, that made me look cooler. ¡°You fool! I¡¯m immune to spears, you should¡ªOw ow ouchy. Hey!¡± That damn parrot swooped in on me again. I keep forgetting about him. Just think of him as another ball¡­ She stood on her hind legs and pointed at the squawking nuisance, though she was drunk, and it was hard to point accurately, and he kept moving around, Salvos-dammit. Her eyes glowed crimson red. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the Stormfront!¡± The parrot darted away, fear clearly in its beady little bastard eyes. ¡°Coward,¡± all three of them said. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­You were right to fear me¡ª¡± Wait, three voices? Rukia whipped around. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it fears me.¡± The black cat walked up slowly and stealthily to them. He alternated between purrs and hisses, then he wobbled and rolled an ankle. "Oh, for heaven''s sakes!" it cried. Sniff sniff. Ah, catnip. Not the first I''ve known to fall to the false allure of drugs, to vices likes gambling, money, fame, balls¡ªno, balls are fine, I can quit whenever I want¡ª ¡°Ahhh!¡± Mermaidboy went into a spear-stabbing frenzy. Whiskers and I disbursed¡ªUh, I mean, Whiskers and Rukia disbursed¡ªand then scrambled back in to attack him from opposite sides. Their drunkenness had really set in as both kept constantly missing him. Mermaidboy kicked them both, and Rukia rolled away, hurt, badly bruised, beaten, struggling, gasping, now near death¡ªOh no, oh Jules, oh no Jules, I¡¯m dying, I¡¯m ugggghhhhh dying¡­ ¡°It¡¯s time we reveal it to them all,¡± Catnip said ominously. Rukia gasped. ¡°No¡ªSurely you don¡¯t mean¡­ Our secret style?!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in no state to fight without it¡ªthe revered, the sacred, the secret¡­¡± Whiskers trailed off for her to join in. ¡°WU FANG STYLE!¡± they shouted in harmony and leapt into kung fu stances. Oh, yes, fear me. Rukia saw the terror in Mermaidboy¡¯s eyes at their sharp fangs and pointy claws. ¡°Rukia, Wu Fang Style #2¡ªFusion Dance!¡± An excellent choice, even coming a cat. So glad I taught you the ways of this incredibly difficult style in just a day or two. They crab-walked and circled their arms toward each other, then flung their arms away from the other. They tilted back into each other and touched the points of their claws together, and then¡ª ¡°Look¡ªA mermaid!¡± Catnip shouted. Merman looked away, distracted, and both Catnip and Rukia kicked him in the family jewels, in true, fused unison, and he fell over in slow motion. Droplets of water fell from the sky, like shining diamonds, like the flashes of cameras recording history of a victorious underdog champion Ah, TKO. Utter bliss¡­ "Once again, fox, you are full of yourself. You flat-out denied me when I asked you to show me the Wu Fang Style¡ª" "Aha! So you admit that it exists! And therefore admit that''s how it really went down!" "What? No, I didn''t... I didn''t!!" ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 63 (EVEN MORE) BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Highest Rank'' by The Sylvan Publishing House An interview with Davy Jones, Alter (Sylvan Publishing House) So why did you issue those challenges out to your fellow Alters, Kazuma and The Nomad? (Davy Jones, the Alter Pirate) Oh, ho! I can see your writing there as the quill flies across the page. First one in years to not address me as ¡°The Fallen Alter Pirate¡± or some shite like that. You have my graces. Rightly so, but please, the question? Fuck all, those men? Pah! Neither one of them can finish the other off in those damned Wars of the Wastes. Thought I¡¯d take ¡®em both out and see what¡¯d happen next. Lotta people''d be happy with me, I reckon. Then again, exact same folk''d probably be pissed for killing their leader, and all... Why would you want to take out other Alters? Do you all not have some sort of, I don¡¯t know, unspoken air of respect for each other? Haha! Hahahahahaha! Well, it would appear not. Haha! Aaaahahaha¡ªcough cough¡ªblegh¡ªhahahaha! Well, moving on to¡ª Hold on laddie¡ªI¡¯ll answer ye question. Seven Alters? That¡¯s just too damn many. Time to cull the herd, and The Nomad and Kazuma are just the middle of my list. But Cat of Ninetails? He¡¯s at the bottom, one tough bastard, that one, and deserves a lot¡ªwhat¡¯d you call it? Unspoken air of respect. Since you¡¯re being so candid about your fellow Alters, I was wondering if you¡¯d share your thoughts The Iron Maiden? I know she¡¯s not an Alter, but she has become something of a phenomenon in the past year or so. Oi, bit of a cunt, that one, isn¡¯t she? ¡­Care to elaborate on that position? Nah. Think me mind¡¯s been said. Ch 64 - Sail
JULES
An untied and unkempt Rukia manned the sails, and though they hadn¡¯t necessarily gone in a straight line, they were at least far enough away from the port to feel somewhat safe. Jules sat down on the deck with the others. ¡°Finally, we leave a place without causing a scene.¡± The other three looked at Jules like he was an idiot. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. This city is about to be decimated.¡± ¡°Katarina," Whiskers said, "please give the man a break, however foolish he may be." ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we will,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I fought bravely, and I¡¯m proud of myself. I single-handedly beat that Boss. Single-handed! Dammit, Jules¡ªOur one fuck-up is already burned. Time to ¡®fess up, why¡¯d you give those scummy Pirates our Vessel? My Vessel?" ¡°That¡¯s it, Cy,¡± Jules said. ¡°Let it all out. Let the anger flow through you.¡± ¡°You asshole. Wipe that grin off your face. Or I will.¡± ¡°How are you feeling, Kat?¡± Jules asked. Addressing Katarina¡¯s feelings was more important to him right now because he felt so confident in his decision that he didn¡¯t need to argue it. "Jules!" Cyrus yelled. ¡°Not good¡­¡± She hugged her knees. "Jules!" ¡°Sucks," Jules said. "Being found out, doesn¡¯t it?¡± "Jules¡ªOh." Cyrus shut up. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m scared. I feel¡­ Somewhat belittled by her, too. And I¡¯m mad at you¡ª¡± ¡°Sad." Whiskers waddled over to her but fell flat on his side. "She feels sad.¡± ¡°You drunk,¡± Jules said. Whiskers didn¡¯t even try to get back up. ¡°Are you sad about the song?¡± Katarina tensed up. She scrunched her jacket-as-a-skirt, which was ripped up in too many places to count. The acid stopped bubbling out of her wounds. Whiskers'' ribcage heaved with sobs. Cyrus shook his head and looked out at the horizon. ¡°Yeah, song got me too," Jules said. "A ballad about simpler days, long past. But also of the future.¡± Jules smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m worried for you, too, Kat.¡± ¡°She said if I¡­¡± Katarina wiped away tears. ¡°If I look for my parents, if I can just find them, then¡ªAh, nevermind. Forget it.¡± ¡°She told me I could control my destiny. Stop the Apocalypse, protect myself¡­ And you, too, Kat.¡± ¡°Mine was about seeing my parents again, and some other crap about Magnus Tharlsson.¡± "Mine was about balls. Huge balls." Rukia strolled over to the group, laughing at nothing and everything. "And squirrels¡ªand Kaizen spoke to me, not Jules. He never plays with me¡­¡± Her laughter transitioned to whimpers, then uncontrollable sobbing. ¡°I never heard a song. I don¡¯t desire anything, I have all that I need.¡± Katarina smiled at her cat and shed more tears. ¡°But then I did smell catnip¡­¡± Katarina laughed, then Whiskers laughed, and pretty soon they were all a team again, laughing, even Rukia through her occasional sobs. ¡°Jules,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting too long. Us, I mean.¡± ¡°Right, so last night¡­¡± Jules made himself comfortable. They had a long talk ahead of them. ¡°Last night, I told you I recognized her¡ª¡± ¡°You certainly did. You¡¯ve made it clear you want me to know that.¡± ¡°Uh¡ªright.¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I felt like I recognized her, too.¡± Katarina rolled her eyes. ¡°When we stood before each other, there at the end, she posed like that. On purpose¡ª" "Oh sweet Salvos," Katarina muttered. "Because she certainly remembered me, though I¡¯m not sure when it clicked for her." ¡°I don¡¯t care, Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°I still can¡¯t remember, so just tell me.¡± ¡°When we fled Coralhaven, we saw her. She was riding The Flying Dutchman.¡± A pause was followed by a shrill whistle from Cyrus. He leaned back, fingers laced behind his head. Katarina giggled to herself. ¡°Yep. Thought you¡¯d all understand. Was she bluffing about them being nearby? I don¡¯t know, but the risk was not worth the reward to me. Not even for a Vessel.¡± ¡°Do you still think she¡¯s in league with the Iron Maidens, then?¡± Katarina asked. "Davy Jones has been pretty public with his opinion of them." ¡°She talked an awful lot about Bounties, so she has to be," Cyrus said. "Though I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all about the money with her. Wasn¡¯t shocked about Jules, either. Must have known he was around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain she¡¯d remember us. People don¡¯t get close to The Dutchman and live to tell about it. Though she probably figured out one of us was Wrath much, much later, after they¡¯d sacked the town and left.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on here,¡± Katarina said. ¡°But it¡¯s all tied together. Did you all see that parrot?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Yeah, but parrots follow Pirates around all the time,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°It¡¯s a whole thing.¡± ¡°Awfully odd animal following an even odder girl¡­¡± ¡°Jules, you partied with them last night. Did you learn anything?¡± Cyrus asked. "Nothing of use¡­last night." Am I overthinking this? "Seriously¡ªnone of you guys have anything else to say about Maddie!?" "I mean, she could be Arcanic." "Jules, you sound like a creep¡ª" Katarina shot up. "What''d you just say, Cy?" "Weird animal, your age, the Djinn called her Wise One¡­ You don''t find any of that odd?" "Her parrot spoke last night, between squawks, and his name showed up in the Party list. Salty Pete. Hey Kat, did you hurt her?" Jules asked. "Yeah, so what?" she snapped. "Uh, did she Regenerate?" Katarina blinked a few times. "I didn''t pay attention." "Well," Cyrus continued, "I don''t know what to think. She''s probably not a Sin, if she''s working with the Maidens, but if she''s a Virtue, her Familiar shouldn''t be able to talk. Then again, the Djinn only addressed her as Wise One, and not you two." "But we didn''t speak to him." Could she be Lust? Or Greed? "If we run into her again¡­" Jules couldn''t bring himself to finish his sentence, and no one else finished his train of thought. He was certain they understood. We see if she can Regenerate. ¡°Enough obsessing over Maddie,¡± Katarina said. "We need to fly fast and then get off the water. It¡¯s safe to assume they have the advantage out on the open sea, not to mention our pilot is a drunk.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, I feel great.¡± Whiskers rolled from his side to his back, four legs spread-eagle for all to bear witness. ¡°Wasn¡¯t even remotely talking about you.¡± ¡°So these Shrine rules can be brutal,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Makes me think we should go in solo from now on, in case there¡¯s no lucky loophole,¡± Jules said. Katarina straightened up. ¡°No, we need each other¡¯s support. I wouldn¡¯t have made it out of there without you all, especially Rukia in the beginning.¡± ¡°Thank you so very much Envy,¡± Rukia said with tears in her little eyes. ¡°I just want some recognition and to play ball and I got to do both today in one day, in a single day, oh what a great day¡­¡± She bawled in both longing sorrow and joy. ¡°It is a huge risk, I agree,¡± Cyrus continued. ¡°And we only have three left, so we can¡¯t afford anymore mistakes. Or thieving Pirates.¡± ¡°We can always go international,¡± Jules said. ¡°Obsidia, Zephyria¡­ The Verdant Domain has tons of Shrines.¡± ¡°We can, but we shouldn¡¯t.¡± Cyrus gazed at the open sky. ¡°The Painter made it clear he wanted us to capture Coralith¡¯s Shrines, so that¡¯s what we should do. No more mistakes. Just look at your Quest log." ¡°Then tell me what the Coralhaven rules are.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± Jules stood up. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Cyrus shifted his gaze to Jules. Why are you mad at me? ¡°I can¡¯t tell you until you¡¯re ready to enter it.¡± Jules clenched his fists. ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± When she didn¡¯t get an answer, Katarina snapped her fingers at Jules. ¡°Oh Great Leader? I vote we ditch the sea, ASAP.¡± Jules grumbled to himself. ¡°We¡¯re faster on ship than land,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°But they probably have a better ship,¡± Katarina said. ¡°And a better crew, at least in sailing.¡± ¡°Plus, they have two Vessels now. At least," Jules said, composed again. ¡°So we really don¡¯t want another run-in.¡± ¡°Two!?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°Yeah, Cy... Thorn had intel on capturing a Shrine and got a Vessel¡ªThat was literally the crux of the plan?¡± Cyrus thumped his head against the deck. "Honestly I didn''t listen. I just trusted you and kept an eye on the Djinn." ¡°Well, our only choices are to land in some uninhabited area, or go home.¡± ¡°No,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Jules¡­¡± ¡°Kat, don¡¯t be so nice to him. He just said we needed to lay low.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just go in and out,¡± Jules said. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t lie to me. That¡¯s impossible to do for us. There¡¯s too much baggage there to dip in and out like that, and you know it.¡± ¡°But Cy, they have two Vessels. Are they hunting for more? We can¡¯t wait, it could be captured, and it¡¯s clear that I need this one¡ª¡± Kaizen appeared on the swaying deck with them. ¡°And where the hell have you been?¡± Jules asked him. Kaizen looked away, indignantly. ¡°Rukia summoned me. You haven¡¯t, so I couldn¡¯t show myself.¡± Oh. Right. ¡°Jules, you are not ready. Rukia must agree, since she pulled me out of my¡ªyawn¡ªspacious new apartment.¡± ¡°Were you asleep!?¡± Kaizen blinked his eyes quickly. ¡°So, uh, about Coralhaven¡ªAre you a complete idiot, Jules?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject on me¡ª¡± ¡°What happens if you lose control again?¡± Kaizen asked bluntly. Cyrus shifted. ¡°What¡¯s your plan for that moment?¡± ¡°Get my friends here to kill me again and reset.¡± ¡°ERGH! Wrong answer. The correct answer was: Oh, but Kaizen, I¡¯ve completed my training and I won¡¯t lose control¡ªExcept you haven¡¯t, so the right thing to do is continue your training.¡±
[Quest Reminder: Seeketh Patience is still available.]
¡°They¡¯ve completed theirs. They know how to stop me.¡± This time Katarina shifted uneasily. ¡°They¡¯ve only fought Jules Tideshaper, a weak, arrogant little punk. They¡¯ve never fought Wrath. What happens when they don¡¯t stop you¡ªnot if they can¡¯t, because they won¡¯t¡ªYou kill them?¡± Jules was silent. ¡°He can¡¯t kill me¡­¡± Katarina said. Jules appreciated her coming to his defense, but her comment somehow made him feel worse, which pissed him off even more. ¡°And I can¡¯t complete your training if I don¡¯t have a Vessel to host you in, and the power to Integrate with you. It¡¯s a full-circle debate.¡± ¡°Hmm, a real Catch-22,¡± Rukia said. ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing, something from another world¡­ I think.¡± She splooted back out. ¡°The point is, you are useless unless I can use your power.¡± Rage flashed across Kaizen¡¯s face. ¡°No. You have my wisdom now, if you would take your eyes off of power for just one minute¡ª¡± ¡°Kaizen, it¡¯s set. I¡¯m the leader, and I¡¯m setting our course for Coralhaven.¡± Katarina sighed. Cyrus banged the back of his head on a post. They agree with the logic, and since Kaizen is always withholding information, we can¡¯t really know how this will go. ¡°We will land a bit away, and I will go visit my home. All are welcome to join, after I¡¯ve met with my parents, by myself, alone.¡± Jules looked at Rukia, though she probably didn''t even notice. ¡°No,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can go back there. And after that Siren¡¯s song, I feel called to the orphanage again. I¡¯ll go there and find out everything Patty knows.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m one to talk,¡± Jules said, ¡°but that sounds incredibly dangerous.¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯m a master of disguise. Kat, I could use your help, though.¡± What would Kat do at the orphanage? Wonder if she¡¯ll choose that over meeting my family. ¡°No one knows who I am in Coralhaven,¡± she said. ¡°And after recent events, I¡¯d like to keep it that way. I can be your decoy, Cy.¡± Her decision stung, but Jules understood. ¡°You and Whiskers would be excellent scouts for us, to see if we¡¯re safe or not. But then, when that¡¯s all over with, I will hit the Shrine. Alone. I¡¯ll leave Kaizen and Rukia¡¯s care to you all.¡± ¡°Foolish child.¡± Kaizen¡¯s voice was thick with vitriol. He disappeared into Jules¡¯ Shaman Beads. I am sorry, Kaizen. Truly. But it must be done. We''re out of options. ¡°One day sailing. One day on land. Then it¡¯s back to hiding under rocks. This will be a quick trip.¡± Rukia left the deck to man the sails again. Cyrus went below deck to plot his approach to the orphanage, and Ole Patty. Jules sat down to meditate, but his mind flooded with anxiety about his family reunion. ¡°I¡¯m jealous of you, ya know?¡± Katarina said. Jules laughed. ¡°Of course you are. Jealousy is what defines you, right?¡± She stared back at him. She apparently failed to get the joke, or at least the well-intentioned message underneath it. ¡°I know you miss him. I never thought I¡¯d see my family again, but here we are. You¡¯ll see yours again, some day.¡± She awkwardly patted his shoulder, then walked away. Oh shit! Jules whirled around to face her. She turned back to him, too. Jules couldn¡¯t tell what emotion that was on her face, like she wanted something. ¡°Kat¡ªWe forgot to pay our tab at the inn.¡± Her face slowly dropped, then she smiled again. ¡°Life of an outlaw.¡±
[Bounty Increased by ?250,000 for crimes committed in Aquilantis.] [Bounty Increased by ?20,890 for crimes committed in Siren''s Cove.]
I drank how much!? ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 64 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 65 - Homecoming
JULES
The perimeter¡¯s been breached. About time they should be returning. They seem safe. Jules hurried to the stern. Through a telescope, he scanned the hills of the area that tripped. Finally, he relaxed. Katarina and Whiskers¡¯ heads bounced just behind a hill until their entire bodies came into full view. Jules lingered on Katarina for a while longer before he surveyed the shore they¡¯d anchored on last night. Everything¡¯s going according to plan. They¡¯d landed about a mile west of Jules¡¯ home late last night, on the western edge of Coralhaven so that they could remain hidden. He woke up Cyrus in the ship''s sleeping quarters. When he came back up, Jules found her shimmying up the anchor¡¯s chain line. Whiskers strutted on top of it. "Finally sobered up, I see," Jules said to the cat. Whiskers licked a paw indignantly. ¡°Everything looks good,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Your home, the town, the port. Nothing unusual as far as I¡¯m concerned. I¡¯m actually surprised with how little military presence there is here, especially after Aquilantis.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks for sacrificing your morning for me,¡± Jules said. ¡°You three better have been busy.¡± Grumpy mood. ¡°Yeah, we laid out Inked Arts of hair-line perimeter triggers all around us, and Cy managed to hide the ship in a type of mirage, though it took a lot of Ryoku and he had to sleep." ¡°Well it was a shit job, because I could see it a mile away.¡± ¡°Yeah, you were supposed to.¡± Jules shook his head. ¡°Anyway, your dad wasn¡¯t at home but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Jules asked. Katarina blushed and looked away. ¡°OK, you¡¯re acting strange.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just saw your mom, is all.¡± Great. Cyrus climbed out of the cabin. He blinked his eyes in the harsh sun. ¡°Did you check the orphanage?¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s finally awake,¡± Jules said. ¡°I thought you were hard at work while we were out?¡± Katarina asked. Cyrus yawned. Probably to piss her off. ¡°Oh, man. Well, I worked all last night. Had to catch up on some sleep. So?¡± ¡°Ugh. Yes, kids were playing in the yard. No one around looked like they shouldn¡¯t have been there.¡± ¡°Except for us,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°We certainly stood out.¡± ¡°Relax Jules, don¡¯t give me that look. Whiskers exaggerates. No one suspected us of anything. And no one followed me anywhere, most of all back here.¡± ¡°Well, thanks for that,¡± Cyrus said. Jules and Cyrus embraced in a bear hug. Could be the last time I see any of you all, but best not to think about that. Jules messed up the fur on Whiskers¡¯ head, then he left the docked ship with the girls. They trekked through the woods and into the deep forest for about an hour, or, as Rukia preferred to put it, stalked their prey relentlessly for the better part of a day. Jules and Katarina didn¡¯t speak much the entire time, even though they walked side-by-side. Rukia, on the other hand, sure tried to chat everyone up. ¡°Halt,¡± Rukia raised a makeshift fist. They were a far way out from town, and an even further distance from the inland Shrine. They were on the outskirts, completely isolated, which gave Jules a pit in his stomach. Rukia scanned around. ¡°We have a confirmed visual on the target. Just down there. I can smell him.¡± So no visual. Jules knelt down and embraced Rukia, too. ¡°Thanks, girl. I¡¯ll see you again, real soon.¡± She licked his face in one big, wet fox kiss, then scurried off down the hill. Katarina cleared her throat. What, you want a kiss, too? Jules smiled at his own joke. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like a good time to smile,¡± she said. ¡°And yet I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°You are an idiot. Don¡¯t die.¡± She walked away to hide behind a tree so she wouldn¡¯t be spotted. Rukia sprinted past Jules, gave him a thumbs up, and joined Katarina in hiding, though half of her body hung out in the open. Jules motioned for her to get back. She just waved back at him. ¡°See you soon, Little One,¡± he whispered. A man approached, his head rising just over a hill, bow drawn, hunting and stalking prey. He froze when he spotted his son. Jules tensed up, too. You look so old. Time hasn¡¯t been good to you, has it? Jules noticed a few new scars on his father¡¯s face and exposed forearms. He knew they were only the tip of the iceberg. Tears filled Liam¡¯s eyes as he approached. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Jules,¡± he said. ¡°Is that really you?¡± ¡°Hey, Dad. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± Liam dropped his hunting bow and ax and ran to embrace his son in a warm hug. Jules caught him look off in the distance, toward the other two. ¡°Yeah, I had Rukia fetch you for me. I figured you¡¯d hesitate to attack game, to make a plan of action¡ª¡± ¡°But what?¡± Liam playfully shoved his son away, his hands on the boy¡¯s shoulders still. ¡°I¡¯d kill someone sneaking up on me on sight?¡± ¡°Yeah, absolutely.¡± They both laughed. ¡°Well, is she coming over or what?¡± Liam glanced over at Rukia''s exposed ass. ¡°Sorry, Dad. But no. She has another mission.¡± His father''s smile faded away. ¡°A mission, huh?¡± He grunted. Liam looked at his son¡¯s face, touched a cheek. ¡°My, how you¡¯ve grown up. You look so much older now. My boy¡­¡± ¡°I could say the same for you.¡± Jules gave a fleeting smile. ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing." Liam dropped his arms and looked down the hill. "Just natural aging, Jules. Time comes for all of us, eventually.¡± We¡¯ll see about that, for me. Liam aged at least a decade for each year that had passed. His hair receded and shifted from gray to white. Wrinkles surrounded the bags under his eyes. His clothes were in disrepair, something Jules had never before witnessed when it came to his father. The man who stood before him was a far cry from whom Jules had left. ¡°You¡¯ve grown, Jules. Though I¡¯m still taller than you.¡± ¡°Ha, for now. I¡¯ve just started a growth spurt.¡± Liam withdrew into a boxing stance. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how it is? Then show me what ya got. Come on now, don¡¯t be shy.¡± Liam shadowboxed around his son. Jules rolled his eyes and laughed. Still the same old man, though. ¡°Trust me. You don¡¯t want to tangle with me.¡± Liam rubbed Jules¡¯ hair and messed it up, much to his annoyance. Still asserting dominance, I see. ¡°Hey, you have a birthday coming up some time soon, don¡¯t you? When was it again¡­ Let¡¯s see, next week?¡± ¡°Very funny. I owe you a few happy belated birthdays as well.¡± ¡°Ohhhh, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s tomorrow. I almost forgot!¡± Another fleeting smile passed as Jules held back his emotions. Quick operation. In, then out. ¡°Must have had a good reason to come back home, Jules.¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯m on a mission of sorts. A solo mission this time. We can talk about it at home. I heard Evelyn is home, so I, uh¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, you heard?¡± ¡°Oh, I have another scout, like Rukia was for you. She checked the whole town to make sure everything was¡­safe for me to visit.¡± Oh Salvos, stupid slip. I know that foolish grin. Liam wrapped an arm around Jules and brought them in closer, almost nose-to-nose, his eyes primal, focused, and wild. ¡°She¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, not you, too, Dad.¡± Jules shoved away his old man, who cackled maniacally. ¡°Give me a break.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I have something to tell you, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam leaned in and whispered into Jules¡¯ ear. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!?¡±
Wow. Evelyn seems so happy. Not to see me, of course, but she doesn¡¯t look depressed anymore. Though that could change by tonight. She¡¯s gained some weight, healthy weight, and is actually wearing clothes with colors again. She seems like¡­she''s glowing. Evelyn gave her husband one hell of a dirty look and left them sitting around the iron wrought table in the garden. Jules looked around nervously. ¡°I see you¡¯ve added an ivy trellis to¡ª¡± ¡°WAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± Jules froze and looked down, terrified. He was completely unsure of what to do, how to handle it. He''d never had training in this and was completely caught off guard. Should I give it back to Evelyn? Dad? Do I keep it? ¡°AAAHHH AAAHHH AAAAHAHAHAHAHAH!¡± Jules bounced her on his knee, cooed her, and eventually she stopped crying and opened her eyes. She grabbed Jules¡¯ finger and giggled.
[Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 2.] [Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 3.]
Jules felt bonded to his baby sister immediately in that moment, but the joy was quickly overtaken by sadness and guilt. ¡°One week old, imagine that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Is she¡­¡± Jules'' voice faltered. "Normal?" ¡°Oh no, she¡¯s just like you,¡± Liam said. Jules'' heart dropped. ¡°She''s a premie! Tiny little early baby, just like you were. So we have to be extra gentle with our wittle bay-bee¡ª¡± ¡°OK, enough of that,¡± Jules said. ¡°She¡¯s nothing like you.¡± Evelyn returned to the garden from their house. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Dad¡¯s tone. So stern. There¡¯s no more give-or-take in his, his defense of me anymore. ¡°What? That¡¯s what he was asking, so I answered his question. No point in hiding it. I''m not babying two children.¡± The comments stung, but relieved Jules at the same time. ¡°How¡­?¡± The hell did you two have another kid!? ¡°We¡¯ve been trying for a while before¡­ Everything,¡± Liam said. ¡°That medicine I had you fetch all those years ago, well, I didn¡¯t know what it was, but eventually it worked.¡± How could they still have a relationship after how things ended with me? Jules felt betrayed. Evelyn pulled down a sleeve to hide a scar. Then again, I¡¯m sure they endured some hard times together. ¡°We had you at nineteen and twenty, so we ain''t no spring chickens anymore. It was tough for Evelyn. For us, several times. Anyway, it finally worked. A miracle baby. Just like you.¡± Evelyn must have bitten her tongue. Jules was confused. Don¡¯t know what I should ask her. I¡¯ve never been around a baby before. ¡°How are you doing, Evelyn? With it being so recent and all.¡± Jules felt like that was the right question to ask. ¡°Happy and needed.¡± Azura cried again in Jules¡¯ arms.
[Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 4.]
He thought Evelyn¡¯s icy gaze might cause collateral damage, so he handed his sister back to Evelyn. She wrapped Azura underneath her clothes to nurse her. Jules felt more pain, and more jealousy, that she had refused to nurse him, that she didn¡¯t care for him as a baby. That¡¯s an awkward thought. Anyway, I¡¯m happy Azura''s life will be different. ¡°So, Jules. Before we get to your mission, I¡¯ve gotta ask. Are you staying for your System Unlock Day?¡± ¡°Liam,¡± Evelyn said. Figured she¡¯d have forgotten about tomorrow. ¡°Lemme guess,¡± Jules said. ¡°You promised you¡¯d be nice the next time I came, and you promised that I wouldn¡¯t stay.¡± Evelyn¡¯s righteous, indignant expression and Liam¡¯s face, flush with guilt, answered his question. Jules laughed. He really didn¡¯t expect much, but was surprised when the baby laughed with him. Man, you are advancing quickly, aren''t you, little one? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, because no, I¡¯m not staying. I¡¯ll leave within the hour.¡± ¡°A quick mission, is it?¡± Liam asked. You already know, don''t you? ¡°In and out. Gone by sundown tomorrow.¡± He felt Evelyn¡¯s relief. Why did I come here again? ¡°So, you two. One thing I wanted to ask you about was¡­¡± What happened? Were you tortured? How did you come back? You clearly didn¡¯t say anything, so I appreciate that. ¡°What, uh¡ªHow are you?¡± Liam smiled, Evelyn frowned. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 65 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 66 - Home Sweet Home
JULES
¡°We¡¯re poor,¡± Evelyn stated matter-of-factly, and without judgment for once, despite the statement itself. ¡°No one buys from my garden, no one buys Liam¡¯s game. It¡¯s been tough, Jules. It¡¯s been tough.¡± Two years ago, Jules would have felt guilty. But now, after all he¡¯d been through, he didn¡¯t feel this specific thread of guilt. Murdering your friend over and over again brought about its own type of steely resolve. There was nothing here in his control, and he¡¯d endured far worse than his own mother¡¯s hatred by now. ¡°We are fine, Evelyn. We provide for ourselves. Some people trade with me still¡ª¡± ¡°For outrageous sums.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a risk to them. They¡¯d become pariahs¡ª¡± ¡°Just like us.¡± Evelyn rocked Azura. ¡°We mostly just keep to ourselves, though your sister here is certainly a wonderful addition. Yes she is, oh yes she is!¡± Liam baby-talked some more, now that she''d finished nursing. ¡°I can handle it, Dad. The truth.¡± Liam froze. ¡°We have no Ryoku saved up,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Everything goes to our traps, to feed us, and to keep us safe.¡± From who? ¡°And now that will all have to go to keeping Azura healthy.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. We¡¯re surviving, just like last time. Don¡¯t worry about us, Jules. I know how to provide for my family, and Evelyn can grow and make medicine. But enough about us. What¡¯s your plan from here? And where have you been?¡± ¡°Dad, I said I wanted to hear all of it. What did they do to you two? Don¡¯t hold back, please.¡± Jules glanced at his father¡¯s scars again and noticed that Evelyn didn¡¯t seem to have any more exposed. Liam put his head in his hands. ¡°I won¡¯t relive it by saying it, Liam.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be tough, but it¡¯s best to lay it all out. I want to know, selfishly, but I also need to know, to figure out who I¡¯m dealing with.¡± Jules locked eyes with Azura. "Who we are dealing with." ¡°Fine, Jules. Fine.¡± Liam¡¯s voice was harsh. Father locked eyes with son. ¡°We were arrested immediately after the Sack. We were held prisoners for a while, separately. They questioned us. We told them nothing. We were released.¡± Jules sighed. I know that¡¯s not all. ¡°Evelyn?¡± She returned an icy stare. ¡°Mom. Please tell me, because he won¡¯t.¡± Figure you won¡¯t pass up an opportunity to inflict more pain on me. She responded without batting an eye or even blinking. ¡°We were imprisoned for six months and tortured daily. They didn¡¯t believe our Binding Vow was real, or maybe they thought we¡¯d done a poor job of establishing it. Either way, they ensured there were no loopholes. They were thorough, but they were wrong. Our Vow is ironclad. We were released, and then¡ª¡± ¡°We still get visitors, every once in a while. In fact, just last week, one came and sat down in that exact chair, Jules.¡± Jules looked at his chair and shifted his weight uneasily. He felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden. ¡°Such a nice young boy, too.¡± ¡°Nice doesn¡¯t begin to describe it.¡± Liam ignored his wife and focused on Jules. He¡¯s more serious now, like he wants to say something? ¡°He certainly was a boy, though. Right about your age.¡± Surely he couldn¡¯t mean¡ªTwo Arcanics in twenty-four hours!? ¡°Anyway, pariahs. That¡¯s what we are in this town. In this nation, in this world. They tried to get us to move out after we were released, but your father refused. They¡¯d taped off the house and everything.¡± ¡°But we refused, time and time again. Just like we will continue to do. The Island Elder is scared to force us out, for obvious reasons." ¡°And what reasoning would that be?¡± Jules asked with a stupid grin. ¡°Ha! Not you, Son. I told him, in the confidence of a private audience in his bedchambers, that I¡¯d personally kill his entire fucking family.¡± He said it with a stupid look, too, so Jules laughed, but he slowly wondered how serious his dad was being. Azura joined in their merry laughter, though Evelyn, of course, did not. ¡°So then they threw up the monument to guilt us out, and a memorial of all the dead from that day.¡± Ouch. ¡°Was that all me, or¡ªWhat about Davy Jones and his Pirates?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. The lesser recognized, often forgotten part of the Sack of Coralhaven. The part of one man''s free will, unlike yours. Well, everyone figured he took you with him. You did sail out directly toward him. And we left behind no witnesses.¡± ¡°So what''d he do? I never heard.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°It was all over the papers. How could you not?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t exactly been out in the open, Evelyn.¡± ¡°Easy, you two. It was a quick in-and-out mission, like yours, that you keep dancing around. They jammed the city¡¯s comms so nothing could get out for a day or two, I forget.¡± ¡°Doubt our missions are connected, though,¡± Jules said. He felt like he had to give even Liam that clarification. ¡°Anyway, from my standpoint, it was the perfect timing. Davy Jones and The Dutchman kept the military from pursuing you, seeing as they had a great battle themselves.¡± ¡°Though you certainly caused more deaths.¡± Liam shut her up with one look. ¡°I think they stole something from the Navigators, though no one is sure what. They never said. But when we read between the lines, your mother and I, the Maidens definitely think the two incidents are related, and that Jones worked with you.¡± ¡°Or for you," Evelyn said. ¡°Though none of this is clear from public record. It¡¯s what we gathered by piecing together the questions from interrogations.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Jules sat for a moment and tried to connect the dots. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why that would be. What of Isolda?¡± Evelyn scoffed. ¡°She was imprisoned.¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Yes, to this very day.¡± Not sure if I should tell them how Isolda is involved in all of this. ¡°That¡¯s enough of the past, Jules. I suppose I should ask, how have you been?¡± Jules was utterly shocked by the display of motherly affection that suddenly expanded past Azura. ¡°Ah, well. Speaking of Isolda¡­¡± I¡¯ll just keep it surface level. ¡°We did find, uh¡ª¡± don¡¯t mention The Painter, either. ¡°¡ªThe Author that she told us about. We trained with him for almost the entire two years.¡± ¡°In Aquilantis?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about Kaizen, and Patience?¡± Jules winced at the name. ¡°I found the former, and I think the latter found me. That¡¯s why we left. The Iron Maidens found us. Ambushed us, really.¡± ¡°I see. You were there for a long time. You mentioned you have a new Scout on your team?¡± ¡°Did you meet the other Sin you so badly wanted to find?¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn grunted in response. It was an instinctual lie. But a good idea regardless. Evelyn¡¯s Vow only keeps me safe. Can¡¯t expect her to not buckle under the pressure to expose another Sin if given the choice. She might revel in it, actually. I knew her kindness wouldn¡¯t last long. ¡°So, who did you find?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Just someone else, training with The¡ªAuthor, of those books. He sent us on some missions, a type of field eval¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Jules. Do you trust her, this new person in your life?¡± More than you could ever know. ¡°She¡¯ll do, for now. She¡¯s highly Skilled, and we need someone like that.¡± ¡°Does she know who you really are?¡± Evelyn asked. Fuck it. ¡°Of course she does. And she accepts it, which is more than what I can say about you.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t have this child¡­¡± You¡¯d what? ¡°Evelyn, no more warnings. This is life or death.¡± Liam looked at Azura. ¡°For all of us.¡± You are an idiot for staying with her, and even more so for having a second child. ¡°So Jules, that mission.¡± ¡°Right. We were sent out to capture three Shrines in Coralith.¡± Evelyn gasped, then pouted. Possibly at her own reaction. ¡°Guessing the third is for Cy? I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t mentioned him yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t asked, honestly.¡± Liam ripped a stalk from a nearby overhanging branch and twirled it in his fingers. ¡°Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t fear for his life.¡± Jules smiled, to Liam¡¯s confusion. We truly are like brothers in your eyes. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Stronger. In fact¡­¡± He reveled in their growing attention, even if it was Cyrus¡¯ spotlight. ¡°He pretty much single-handedly captured the Siren¡¯s Cove Shrine.¡± Evelyn shot up halfway, then sat back down, remembering she held a swaddled baby in her arms. ¡°No way,¡± Liam said with a shit-eating grin. ¡°We would have heard about it,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°And you will. We just did it yesterday. However, the Vessel was stolen by a group of Pirates.¡± Best to keep my theories of Maddie to myself, as well. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Well, it happened. He decapitated a Siren, and then a Djinn appeared.¡± Jules met with silent confusion. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re here to capture the Shrine. I am, actually. Cy has other plans.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not coming to visit?¡± Evelyn asked. Jules looked off at the horizon, as Cyrus often did. He saw the glimmering spires of Aquilantis in the background. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. He thought it might be too difficult.¡± Evelyn looked sad, disappointed even; Liam, understanding. ¡°Has anyone gone in the Shrine these past few years?¡± ¡°Not many,¡± Liam said. ¡°It pulls people in, so no one really gets close to it anymore. Obviously, no one has escaped it.¡± ¡°A lot of people went missing after that day,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Probably sucked in during the chaos. But I want to hear more about Cy. How is he?¡± Yeah, of course you do. ¡°He¡¯s great. We celebrated his 18th birthday, but he pushed off his System Unlock Day for¡ª" Us. ¡°Me. He''s nearing 3rd Rank.¡± ¡°Third Rank!?¡± they shouted in unison. Jules laughed at them. A bit generous on the Skill gap between 2nd and 3rd, but technically, yes, he''s approaching it. ¡°Our training was absolutely brutal. I must have died once a day for the past few years¡­¡± Jules cleared his throat. He¡¯d over shared. Liam¡¯s eyes watered, Azura cooed, and Evelyn remained an ice queen as always. ¡°Has he selected a Class?¡± she asked. ¡°And what about you?¡± Liam eyed his wife with insinuation. "Do you know what you¡¯ll go for tomorrow?¡± Her face. No way she forgot. Already? We just mentioned it. ¡°Probably Shaman, but we don''t really care right now, not until after we capture¡ª" ¡°Jules.¡± Liam wagged a fatherly finger at his face. ¡°You need to select a Class. It determines where you¡¯ll go in life¡ª¡± ¡°Not for me, it won¡¯t. Not for us. We just survive. Whatever it takes. Our Skills are high across the board.¡± Liam huffed and puffed with an older generation¡¯s disapproval of the new one. ¡°Well, at least you listened to my survival lessons.¡± ¡°You have no idea, Dad.¡± ¡°After everything that happened, the adoption papers were canceled. They labeled him a criminal.¡± Evelyn''s comment gave Jules whiplash. ¡°Despite your best efforts to prove otherwise, Jules. But they saw through your ploy.¡± Jules let the guilt and sadness flow through him. He entered a meditative state to return to neutral. ¡°Well, tell Cy that I have missed him.¡± Jules made direct eye contact with Evelyn. ¡°But you haven¡¯t missed me, have you?¡± ¡°Have you missed me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure¡ª¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Liam said. ¡°What? I¡¯m not really sure if I ever really had her to begin with. And how can I miss someone who was never really there?" ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Evelyn demanded. Jules looked at Azura. ¡°I never had you like she does.¡± ¡°I wonder why that is,¡± she said slowly. ¡°I will never understand how you can hate your own child.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a child. You¡¯re not human. You are a monster. A demon.¡± ¡°And what does that make you? Surely a monster is born from another monster, and Dad certainly isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You have no idea what your father is really like, you¡ª¡± Liam slammed his fist down on the iron table. It cracked down the middle in a jagged line. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 66 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 67 - The Boys are Back In Town
JULES
¡°You will watch how you speak to our son.¡± ¡°There. You see what I mean? Besides, he¡¯s your son. I never wanted him.¡± ¡°And I deserved more than you,¡± Jules said. ¡°These past two years without you have been the happiest of my life. And the last week? Happier still. Blissful.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes erupted in orange flames. Azura cried at the same instance. Jules composed himself again. Great, even more to feel guilty about. Is she crying because of me? Evelyn rose. ¡°Jules. I was given a second chance at life, and it doesn¡¯t involve you. Please, do not ruin it for me. Please, just¡­ Just leave me alone.¡± Jules cycled his emotions in his meditative state, if only for his sister. The flames dissipated. He stood as well. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s time I leave, anyway. But I have one last thing to say, and the price for leaving you alone is that you will listen to it." Evelyn nodded. "Get on with it." ¡°In the past two years, I¡¯ve been burned alive, poisoned, had every limb severed from my body, I¡¯ve been punctured through every single organ, decapitated, cut in half and left bleeding out for an hour. I¡¯ve had my skin eviscerated and dissected from myself, and so much more. And that punishment was easier than living with you, Evelyn. I would rather go back to that lifestyle than my own childhood." He stared into her eyes until she looked away. "Goodbye.¡± He approached her and reached out, not to her, but to stroke Azura''s chubby little cheek. Evelyn recoiled and swung her baby to safety, away from him. ¡°It was great meeting you, Azura. But I¡¯m afraid that¡­" Jules sighed. "We will not see each other again. Just know that I¡ªI love you, and I wish I could have gotten to know you better.¡± Liam stood. Jules walked past him. ¡°Goodbye, Father. I love you, too. Take care of yourselves.¡± Liam chased after Jules through the garden and past it. He had two more things he urgently needed to tell Jules.
CYRUS
Through profuse labor, Cy finally prepared his intricate disguise¡ªa stereotypical tourist. Right before she and Jules left, Envy reported how Coralhaven seemed overrun by travelers and sightseers, so Cy figured he¡¯d blend in right in plain sight. Floral patterned shirt, socks with the sandals. One illustrious mustache. And a pair of hideously colored pastel shorts with no practical pockets. Chef¡¯s kiss. Cy sat down to prepare the day''s set of Inked Arts. He began by Forging Ink, mixing regular quill ink with a broken-off shard of his Ryoku Crystal. With that same regular ink, he wrote down the Activate Rune on paper. He Enchanted the Ink with that Rune, infusing even more Ryoku into the mixture. Very carefully, he wrote the Runes he''d need on his body¡ªupside down and backwards, so his friends would still be able to read them. Writing down the Inked Arts took more time than crafting the Ink. By the time he finished, he realized his mistake. Wait a minute. I can just write these upside down next time¡­ Anyway, the Inked Arts truly are amazing. Chef¡¯s kiss. The perimeter alarm triggered again, so he headed back up to inspect it. Cy had added a few more features in order to track someone¡¯s movements beyond the line, and he lifted the telescope up to exactly the place where Envy and Rukia¡¯s heads popped up. Success on a new Script''s first attempt. Marvelous. Beautiful. Oh my Salvos¡ª Chef¡¯s kiss. Envy crossed her arms on deck and looked him up and down. ¡°What in the actual fuck are you wearing?" ¡°Uh¡ªWhat do you mean?¡± Cy spiraled down into embarrassment. The shadows around him grew longer and darker. ¡°You look like an absolute¡ªYou know what? I don¡¯t even have the vocabulary to properly insult you today. And why are you leaving behind your Armored clothing? Your Ink is bleeding through your shirt. And you didn''t rub that zinc in your nose all the way.¡± Envy headed down to the living quarters. ¡°By the way, that stupid alarm system you set up alerts whoever crosses it. I felt you tracking me all the way back. Pretty creepy, if you ask me.¡± Cy shrank into the deck¡¯s floorboards. Whiskers pounced on his stomach. ¡°Not now, pussycat.¡± Whiskers blew a chef¡¯s kiss to the sky and scurried away. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Envy returned from below deck. ¡°What are you lazing about for? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Cy jumped to his feet. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°Good. It was¡­¡± Well you look sad. ¡°A beautiful reunion,¡± Rukia shouted. ¡°I can still feel Jules¡¯ joy.¡± ¡°Great, mission accomplished. Now let¡¯s get to ours. What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to change first?¡± Envy asked. Cy grumbled and muttered to himself. He shoved Rukia into his backpack and a reluctant Whiskers into Envy¡¯s. ¡°I don¡¯t need to go in here, I¡¯m not loud like the imbecile fox¡ª¡± ¡°First of all, we need to blend in, so your two tails are going into the pack. Second, never question a master of illusion and disguise. I look great. Let¡¯s go. Rukia, you got Kaizen¡¯s beads?¡± Rukia mumbled an affirmative from the bag and shook the beads for good measure. ¡°Good.¡± They walked mostly in silence, and soon they were well within the hustle and bustle of Coralhaven. Cy recognized many faces in the crowd, but just like before the Sack, no one paid him much attention. That is, after they looked him up and down and turned their head in disgust. Par for the course. Can¡¯t believe I ever moved away from this place. The bells rang on their way in, which made them both nervous for a moment, but Cy assured her that he thought they were for a gathering and not an alarm going off. Sure enough, another Fall Ceremony was taking place in the plaza. ¡°Wow. This place has certainly changed since I last, uh, visited.¡± Cy wiggled his eyebrows at Envy. Play the role, in case anyone¡¯s eavesdropping. ¡°What, do you mean a ton of people look like you now?¡± ¡°Yeah, actually.¡± The place was crawling with tourists. And not just wanna-be-Shrine-capturer tourists from Siren¡¯s Cove, but more like I''ve-never-been-in-danger-in-my-life-and-have-a-false-sense-of-security-and-wanna-see-the-hometown-of-Wrath tourists, which if you can believe it is an even less combat-fit group of people. Either way, visitors weren¡¯t here to challenge the Shrine, and they certainly weren¡¯t here to act like they were, to make themselves feel worthy and superior. They were simply here to be nosy, to take an Apocalyptic prophecy and turn it into a good time. The economy shifted in this direction, too. Some of the signs he read, hanging in shop windows, disgusted Cy.
[Wrath shopped here regularly!] [Wrath''s favorite Blacksmith!]
There were more, some of which Cy knew were true, and others which were outright lies. Not sure which one¡¯s bother me more. Damn honeypots. Cy led Envy through the plaza to join the gathering Ceremony crowd. This time, multiple candidates waited to receive their first Tomes, and the 4th Rank Inker had returned. ¡°Ramped up their arsenal, it seems. Guess in case he were to ever come back, eh?¡± Cy said with a sly grin and an elbow jab. Envy looked past Cy, clearly not entertained. ¡°Cy, look.¡± Envy pointed at a massive monolithic black slab. Is that a¡­ Shit, it is. They walked over to it. Most of the words were elegantly etched in a white carving. "The Sack of Coralhaven," Cy read, "by Wrath and Davy Jones¡­" Thirty-seven names, etched in white, composed one single column. A second column had six names etched in red. Cy read through all the names, solemnly. Victims of Davy Jones, written in white, memorialized who had died in town that day. The red names, on the other hand, Inked in blood, were the¡ªalleged¡ªperpetrators.
Wrath, aka Jules Tideshaper of Coralhaven, one of the Seven Deadly Sins A. ¡°Liam¡± Tideshaper of Coralhaven, disgraced father of Wrath Evelyn Tideshaper of Coralhaven, disgraced mother of Wrath Davy Jones, the Fallen Alter Pirate of multiple disgraces, and his crew, unknown Isolda Runeheart of the Shattered Isles, disgraced teacher of Wrath Cyrus, of no Surname or known origin, disgraced orphan and betrayer of his own kind
¡°Wowwww,¡± Envy said. ¡°Even your teacher got billed a higher credit than you.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Cy snapped. He looked around. Asshole. He was sad enough to be on the damn thing, but to read his bylines like that, how insulting they were¡ªhe truly did feel disgraced, though for a different reason. ¡°Isolda. What happened to you?¡± Cy grabbed Envy¡¯s arm and dragged her through the crowd until they were near the front of the stage. He looked around for students, and when he finally found them, he didn¡¯t recognize their teacher. Where could she be? People left and right stared at them in disbelief and they bumped shoulders. ¡°Step-brother," Katarina called him by his alias, "what are you doing?¡± ¡°The day that we¡ªer, it¡¯s rumored that the day of the accident, Wrath and his friend met up with their teacher, right here, before going to the Shrine. I just hoped I might see one of them in the crowd, I guess.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Because you really are a stupid tourist.¡± Wow, you sound like a robot. Never try acting. ¡°Laying it on a little thick,¡± they whispered to each other at the same time. ¡°Come on.¡± Cy gestured to the crowd. ¡°They¡¯re just waiting on the Tomes now. The shops should be open again, and we don¡¯t have much time to waste on¡­ Hope.¡± Their first stop, naturally, was the kiwi stand Cy had enjoyed two years ago. Even Envy had to admit that they were pretty phenomenal, if not a bit too furry. ¡°Coralhaven is the ideal climate for their optimal growth. For instance, did you know that the volcanic ash in our soil¡ª¡± ¡°I don''t care. What¡¯s next?¡± Cy stole the remainder of her sliced kiwi and shoved it in his face. ¡°Next stop is the Forger, to mend our clothes. Hey, you could insult him, too, since you''re feeling so feisty.¡± Jules had kept his clothes, forgoing the renewal process since he¡¯d need everything available to him for the Shrine, so Cy and Envy just dropped off their own armor. The Forger, whom Cy actually didn¡¯t recognize since he only hung around Smitty''s shop, was also a Tailor who specialized in Forged clothing. The man complimented them on the power of the Enchantments, and the excellent job on the Forgeries. ¡°Judging by the state of these clothes, you two must be brave adventurers. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be Fighters or Scholars, would you?¡± He eyed Cy suspiciously, and Cy realized his current disguise did not compliment his tattered clothing. ¡°Nope, we¡¯re just a couple of misfits,¡± Envy said. She shuffled through racks of fabric. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame, because a wound like this,¡± he held up Envy¡¯s undershirt and pointed to the spot where she¡¯d been stabbed in the stomach by Maddie, ¡°would take out any Fighter or Scholar I know. They¡¯re missing out, not having you two. Anyway, these¡¯ll be ready in a few days.¡± Cy resisted the urge to look at Envy. This guy¡¯s attention to detail made Cy nervous, but still, they needed his Skills. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you triple to have them ready today.¡± The Forger''s eyes lit up. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Not today, but you make it tomorrow at noon, you¡¯ve got yourself a deal.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 67 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 68 - The Room Where It Happens
CYRUS
¡°Ugh, fine.¡± Envy walked out and snapped high above her head for Cy to follow, like a dog. Their third stop was the Apothecary, which bore a sign that boasted Wrath had frequently shopped there. Cy couldn¡¯t believe it, but Sal, their Apothecary friend from a life long past, had already received his first Tome. Looks like it came at a cost, though. The life¡¯s been sapped out of his eyes and left behind bags. Cy engaged in conversation for a little while, but had to cut it short for his own sanity. I probably need to stop staring. I think I¡¯m creeping him out. Crazy how people can take separate paths in life and don''t even recognize each other in such a short time. Cy and Envy restocked their Fire Resistance Potions and Ryoku Recovery Potions, and ingredients for each. Their last shopping stop was The Halberd. Cy learned from seeing Sal that he¡¯d better be in-and-out of this shop quickly. He was sad to see them both again, Smitty and Hal, and lie to them about being someone else, but he was happy to see that they didn¡¯t have any sign about knowing Wrath, or Wrath having shopped there, or anything involving Jules, really. Hal''s always been a decent guy. And even though Smitty''s a tough bastard, in his own way, he''s still a class act. ¡°Welcome,¡± Smitty said. ¡°We make the best armor and weapons here, mate. What can we do for ye?¡± ¡°Can you upgrade this sword?¡± Cy handed him his curved blade. The Blacksmith inspected it. ¡°Pig covered in lipstick¡¯s still a pig. You¡¯d be better off buying a completely different weapon, laddie.¡¯ ¡°What about this bow?¡± Envy asked. The Blacksmith muttered to himself but reluctantly took it from her to inspect. He turned it over and about, really taking his time. ¡°Oh, well, didn¡¯t get these in the same place, did ye?" Smitty gave Envy a look. Once again you hand a Blacksmith a stolen bow¡­ "Can upgrade it slightly, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°I hate Archery, so I don¡¯t want it. But I¡¯m the team¡¯s archer, so sure. Whatever.¡± ¡°Hm. Interesting weapon, this. Can tell you¡¯ve used it a lot from the wear on the string groove. But there¡¯s not a similar amount of wear on the arrow rest shelf.¡±
? Summon ? ? Arrow ?
Envy raised her hand and summoned an ethereal arrow from the void. What the hell are you doing? She let it dissolve away. The old man cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. He took the bow to the back and returned with a large mallet. He tossed the bow haphazardly on a large, open workbench, then he raised the Enchanted tool.
?? Flesh of Me Bones, Fruits of Me Labor ??
His entire body lit up with tattoos, and his eyes glowed brown like the weapon¡¯s wood. He smashed down once on the bow, and his work was complete. ¡°Here ye go, lassie.¡± He handed her the bow, along with a folded note, then scowled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use this bow for long. You have a natural talent. Learn the Script on that note, and you¡¯ll be able to summon whatever weapons you want.¡± Envy bowed and took the items. ¡°Thank you, Sir. Um, how much does he owe you?¡± Me!? ¡°Well, it was going to be on the house, on account''a that Script ye got. But if he¡¯s paying¡­¡± ¡°I am not paying for her!¡± Envy furrowed her brow. Smitty looked back and forth between them and laughed heartily. ¡°Ah, young marital problems, izzit?¡± The hell it is! ¡­But let¡¯s see where this goes. ¡°Listen. I fought in the 15th War of the Wastes¡ª¡± ¡°I never knew that.¡± Shit, I slipped up. ¡°And why the hell would you? Anyway, I fought alongside a man who summoned all his weapons. We was thick as thieves. One day he left me with this Script, said to pass it down to someone who reminded me of him. Then he moved on, never saw him again.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s depressing,¡± Envy said. Cy nudged her shoulder. Show some compassion. And gratitude. ¡°K, well, thanks, old man. I¡¯ll do my best to learn it.¡± She walked out of the store and snapped after Cy. ¡°Lad. You got your work cut out for you,¡± Smitty said through a toothy grin. You haven''t changed at all. ¡°Just gimme a new sword, man¡­¡± Cy found Envy on the street, studying the Script. Wonder which one it is? ¡°Is it a Scroll? Or is it a Tome?¡± Cy asked. Envy rolled her eyes and handed it to him. ¡°It¡¯s just a stylized Rune of Summon. No wonder it was free.¡± Cy looked back at the store, puzzled. ¡°Ju¡ªI mean, our mutual friend and I have known Smitty for a long time. I think you¡¯d better keep it. That man, he doesn¡¯t believe in fluff. And he certainly doesn¡¯t believe in free goods.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°How did you manage to pay for all of this, anyway?" Envy asked. "I thought we spent everything we had in Siren¡¯s Cove.¡± ¡°You mean you spent it all in Siren''s¡ªOh no!¡± Cy shouted. His face dropped in horror. Envy stood to her feet, ready for action. ¡°What? What!?¡± I''ve betrayed my kind¡ªmy people, my fellow entrepreneurs. ¡°We forgot to pay our tab at the inn!¡±
[Bounty Increased by ?5,900.]
¡°Moron, Julisha already said that.¡± She sat back down on the bench. Cy smiled again, already over their dine and dash escapades. ¡°You all surprised me last time, so I thought I¡¯d do the same.¡± He looked around cautiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then leaned in. Feels kinda odd to be this close to her. ¡°I looted the Siren¡¯s body before anyone noticed, during the chaos and after I froze that chump. I left the Vessel behind because we didn¡¯t have a plan yet, but¡ªWe''re rich again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Envy jumped up with his arms outreached to the heavens. They reveled in the glory together, dancing hand-in-hand around an imaginary circle. ¡°But, after paying the Forger, we¡¯ll be broke again by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Idiot¡­¡± Envy was defeated once more. ¡°Where to next?¡± Cy gazed over to the edge of town. ¡°Now for our mission.¡± Cy felt like gaining some street credit, so he wound Envy through the seedier parts of town before they ended at the seediest of all, the orphanage. ¡°That was a long route to get here,¡± Envy said. ¡°I think I know your town better than you do.¡± Oh yeah, she¡¯s already been here today¡­ ¡°Hey, Mister!¡± A young boy around eight ran up to them. ¡°Do you want to play with us, Mister?¡± Alan. It¡¯s been a long time. You¡¯ve grown up so much, still snot-nosed, though. Some things never change. Cyrus rubbed Alan¡¯s spiky hair. ¡°Hey, kid. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Alan, Sir.¡± ¡°Heh, Alan. That¡¯s a good name.¡± Cy felt Envy study his face, to see a softer side of him for once. He wondered what she¡¯d think of that. ¡°Mister, are you here to adopt one of us?¡± Two more orphans walked over. Reece and Keegan. Cy dropped down to one knee to get eye level with them. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, kiddos. I¡¯m looking for that Mean Ole Patty. Have you seen her?¡± The kids lightened up at the insult and flashed smiles with missing and half-grown teeth. He''d gained their trust with one simple phrase. ¡°No, she¡¯s gone,¡± Alan said. ¡°Shocking.¡± ¡°I told you, Reece,¡± Keegan said. ¡°No one wants us. This place is cursed.¡± ¡°What do you mean, cursed?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard, Mister?¡± Keegan asked. ¡°Our big brother Cyrus helped out Wrath. Now no one wants any of us.¡± Brainwashed by that old bitch. ¡°Who¡¯s this Cyrus kid you mentioned? Is he your all¡¯s age?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a tourist and you don¡¯t know who Cyrus is?¡± Keegan asked. Cy felt stupid. But also slightly notorious. ¡°He was our big brother. At the orphanage, anyway. We loved him. He was the oldest and our hero. He would always play¡ª" ¡°He betrayed us. All of us,¡± Reece said. Ow. Kids are brutally honest. ¡°Nuh-uh, that¡¯s not true,¡± young Alan shouted. ¡°The Hydromages and Navs said so.¡± ¡°But Patty and the Iron Maidens said that was a lie, that he wanted to eat us all alive with Wrath.¡± Reece, Reece. Cy sighed. ¡°Sorry, Sir,¡± Keegan said. I recognize that fear. ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to upset you. Please don¡¯t tell Patricia¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell that old bat shit!" Cy snapped. The boys stood aghast. "That woman lies through her teeth, and I mean that literally, they ooze out of her mouth between her missing molars, like worms from a corpse. Don¡¯t believe a single word she says.¡± Alan and Keegan giggled. ¡°Hey Mister, do you know Patty or something?¡± Reece asked. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do. Wish I didn¡¯t, but unfortunately¡ª¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± ¡°Hush Alan,¡± Reece said. ¡°Be careful of what you say.¡± Good to see that Reece has taken up my mantle. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m here to show Patty a thing or two. Whatever you say is safe with me.¡± Reece remained unsure, Keegan uneasy. ¡°Patty took it out on all of us when Cy left,¡± Alan said. ¡°You mean when he abandoned us,¡± Reece said. ¡°It was a rough few months¡­¡± Ah, Keegan. ¡°He really dicked us over.¡± Whoah dude! ¡°I wouldn¡¯t blame someone else for what Patty does, but that¡¯s just me. Anyway, speak of the devil. There she is.¡± They all looked in one direction. Five heart rates increased. ¡°Kat, why don¡¯t you stay back and play with the children some more?¡± ¡°Uh, what? Are you sure?¡± Cy laughed. She has never played with kids in her life, has she? ¡°I am. And whatever happens, don¡¯t let anyone in. Including you.¡± ¡°Ok¡­ Just don¡¯t cause any scenes.¡± The boys grabbed her sleeves and pants with innocent smiles. Envy reluctantly smiled back, and they whisked her away to the overrun courtyard, around the water flywheel. Cy stared at the flywheel for a split second. Hard to start, but once it''s going¡­ Hard to stop. He hurried over to intercept a disgruntled Patricia. Holy shit, she just actually growled at me. ¡°Um, excuse me, Miss?¡± Saying that term about her made his skin crawl. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Cy looked back to Envy and the kids. Envy gave him a thumbs up. Patty eyed Cy up and down. ¡°I was wondering¡ª¡± ¡°You want a tour, too?¡± Cy blinked. ¡­A tour? Anger flashed across his face that he couldn¡¯t hide. Patty must have sensed it, because she recoiled slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t give tours to creeps and shoobies like you. Either buy a brat, or scram.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you quadruple the amount.¡± A greedy grin spread across her face. Money always talks with you. Despicable, but hey, there are those missing teeth. She actually demanded the Ryoku from him upfront, so Cy had to pay her an insane sum. Once they were inside, she walked him to the orphans¡¯ room. Patty gestured around lazily. ¡°Bed. Nightstand. Pillow. Window. This is where the boy slept. If you want the room all to yourself, you can have it for 15 minutes.¡± What in the actual fuck? ¡°No? Then it¡¯s time to¡ª¡±
? Silence ? ? Shroud ? ? Reveal ? [?6,200 // ?10,000]
He released the Scripts that altered his face and voice, and then insulated the room from anyone else hearing what came out of it. A few of the Inked Arts on his stomach singed off. Compliments to The Painter. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 68 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Wars'' by The Sylvan Publishing House 16th War of the Wastes Hidden behind the veil of religious and political subterfuge, I assure you, dear reader, that the War of the Wastes did not end on the 15th attempt. For that matter, it also didn¡¯t finish on it¡¯s 16th attempt¡ªwhich culminated in the capture of none other than Greed himself¡ªand is still ongoing to this very day. At least directly, the Alters Kazuma and The Nomad had no direct involvement in the 16th iteration, though they certainly lurked in the shadows. All information regarding this war was suppressed, and most children today do not learn about it, unless they happen to fall into the noble Elementalist lineage, or any Nomadic Clan, of course. After Greed escaped¡ªlikely with the aid of The Nomad, though he is widely believed to have abandoned his people¡ªthe Nomadic Clans doubled down on their isolation policy. Hinomura didn¡¯t even trade with the rest of The Verdant Domain for a grueling nine months. All in all, it makes the author wonder whether The Church of Salvos, and the Iron Maiden Herself, had any implications within the 16th War, which is denied by both the Elementalist and the Nomadic Clans alike¡­at least, to any outsiders. CH 69 - Summer of 69
CYRUS
¡°Then it''s time to what¡ªScram?¡± Cy cherished the fear on her face. Her expression shifted from shock to terror to rage to the threat of violence, which humored Cy. ¡°You little shit." Patty clutched her fake pearl necklace. "They¡¯ll catch you.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, for you, that is, I caught you first. Juuust like the little rat you are. All it took was a little cheese.¡±
? Ensnare ? [?6,800 // ?10,000]
Just like she¡¯d done to him a few times over the years, Cy used a Script to rip the threads of some of the bedsheets into ropes that tied her down on a chair. She spat in his face. Cy wiped it off, then dramatically dragged a chair toward her. It screeched shrilly, and he made sure to do it slowly, to showcase he didn¡¯t care about any escaping sounds. ¡°I would love for you to make this harder for yourself, I really would, but I¡¯m short on time, as well as patience.¡± ¡°Go to Hell.¡± Cy glanced around the room. ¡°Already been there, but I decided to come back, anyway. You know, I¡¯ve always wanted to understand, why were you so terrible to us?¡± ¡°Kill me and get it over with. Just don¡¯t eat me alive.¡± ¡°Ha! You actually eat your own horseshit? You never cease to amaze me. Why did you take it out on the kids, though?¡± ¡°The hell are you hollering about?¡± ¡°The kids, Patty,¡± Cy shouted. ¡°Why¡¯d you take out your anger on them after I¡­left?¡± Patty spat at him a second time. ¡°Monster.¡± ¡°No, you are the monster. I want to be an Alter because of people like you, to change the world for the better." ¡°Hahaha. And how¡¯s that going for you?¡± Cy cracked his knuckles and neck. ¡°Pretty good, if I¡¯m telling the truth. But I didn¡¯t come to brag. I want to know, where am I from?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cy became extremely annoyed at how dumb she was acting. Or how dumb she just¡­is. ¡°As in, where was I born? Where are my parents from? Are the lights on in there?¡± He snapped in her face. ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you anything, Sin-worshiper." ¡°I know you have at least an idea, so please, just tell me, because right now," Cy squeezed his hand, and the restraints tugged on her, "I¡¯m asking nicely.¡± ¡°Ngh¡ªYour parents didn¡¯t drop you off. They had someone else drop you off, without a message, even. No one has ever loved you, you¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± It took everything in him to not smack her.
? Truth ? [?5,000 // ?10,000]
Patricia¡¯s eyes glazed over. A mist formed around her head. ¡°That¡¯s illegal,¡± she mumbled. ¡°You think I care? What¡¯s a few more broken laws on my reputation? Who are my parents, and where are they from?¡± ¡°Yes. The more you break, the more you slide, just look at me. Your parents, they were people who didn¡¯t love you, and I don¡¯t know.¡± Blast it. That¡¯s the weakness of using just the Truth Rune. It tells her version of the truth. If only I knew that Truth Serum Tome, but that''s locked up tight. Divert her attention, then return to it. ¡°What happened to Isolda?¡± ¡°She got what she deserved.¡± ¡°Which is¡­?¡± ¡°Prison.¡± Cy muttered to himself. ¡°Which prison is she in?¡± ¡°Here, dumbass. Right under your nose.¡± "Literally?" "No, but you can literally go fuck yourself." Damn Rune. ¡°OK, thanks. Was that so hard? "Not for me, no." "Think I¡¯ve asked all the questions I¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Ha! Giving up so easily. I always knew you were weak.¡± Patty flashed her beautiful, crooked, under bite smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done. I¡¯m just done asking.¡± Here goes another illegal Rune.
? Memory ? [?3,200 // ?10,000]
Patricia convulsed in her restraints. Her eyes lit up and projected scattered images of her memories. Though he was an arm¡¯s length away, when he looked in her eyes, he could see them playing as if they had happened to him. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°Salvos-damned Prophets,¡± she shouted at all the kids in the room. ¡°Scaring all us hardworking folk, making us join their congregation for protection. Damn racket, what it is.¡± Cy recognized a few children, all older than him today, but all much younger than he remembered them. ¡°They say tonight¡¯s the night it¡¯s supposed to happen, though,¡± a child said innocently enough. ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking to you, so shut up. Nothing¡¯s going to happen tonight. Get back to your chores. Dinner won¡¯t serve itself." Three figures appeared in a doorway. The memory blurs here, Cy thought. She must have been emotional. That''s unlike Patty¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to take on another child. Not tonight. It¡¯s a bad omen.¡± You flip-flopping bitch. And smoking a cigarette right in front of the children!? ¡°You must take him,¡± one of the men said. ¡°This is where his parents said he should be.¡± ¡°Fuck his parents, and fuck you, telling me what to¡ª¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up Memory went fuzzy again¡­ ¡°Take this Ryoku as compensation,¡± the man said. He walked away. Patty looked down, and through her eyes, Cy saw a baby, around one-year-old. ¡°Wait.¡± The man faced her. A hazy Faction crest rested on his chest. ¡°What¡¯s the brat¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Who cares?¡± ¡°...Cyrus. His name will be Cyrus, then.¡± Patricia raised her hand to stroke his cheek, but hesitated and abandoned the notion. The mysterious man frowned, then he walked out. He wore the same crest on the back of his cloak, but it too was fuzzy. He was gone. Blurred out by a Script? Or did she just forget? ¡°Boy,¡± Patty ordered. ¡°Come take this brat. Give him a bath and change his diaper.¡± Baby Cyrus wailed. ¡°Shut up, kid. This stint will end in seventeen years. Try to enjoy yourself until then.¡± Patty sat there, alone, for a minute. She grabbed pen and paper and drew out the crest. For her own memories¡­? When she finished, Cy saw it clearly for the first time: the Faction crest of The Etherealists.
Cy pulled back from the memory and released his spell. Patricia¡¯s eyes watered.
[New Reward Available for SSoaSS: Familial knowledge.] [SSoaSS ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Investigate the Etherealists.]
Cy breathed heavily. All along, this Quest was¡­for my family? ¡°Now that you know I was right, what next?¡± she asked. Cy released the Ensnare Rune. She clutched and rubbed her wrists'' tension marks. She gave him a certain look, one he¡¯d seen before, but amplified. As soon as I turn my back, she¡¯d kill me. Or try to, anyway. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they blacklisted you.¡± ¡°What?" The Etherealists? "Who?¡± ¡°Heh. The Scholars struck your name out. Permanently.¡± Cy despised that toothy grin. ¡°Tell ya what, Cyrus. After this little stunt, let¡¯s just call it even.¡± No.
? Memory ? [?1,400 // ?10,000]
Patricia¡¯s head jerked back again. "Oh, ho! Gonna erase this from my mind?" Cy searched for the worst moments of her life.
? Repeat ? [?800 // ?10,000]
Patricia crashed to the floor and scooted back to the wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked herself, muttering. Cy removed all the alcohol in his Inventory and left it beside her. ¡°Shut up, Patty. This stint will end in seventeen hours. Try to enjoy yourself until then.¡± Cy took one last look around his old bedroom, then left her and walked outside. Envy still played with the kids. She even smiled and laughed. ¡°Cy¡­ If you wanna talk about it¡­¡± Cy paused. He looked off at the horizon. ¡°No, Rukia. I don¡¯t think I will.¡± She¡¯d been quietly refrained in his backpack for some time. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate if you didn¡¯t mention this to anyone, but I won¡¯t blame you if you do. I crossed a line in there. A few, hard lines. But I don¡¯t regret it. Just look at how happy those kids are that someone is actually caring for them.¡± Rukia remained silent. Cy joined up with Envy. She stared at him and failed to catch a ball one of the boys had thrown at her. ¡°What did you do?¡± she asked. You can read my face that easily, huh? Cy knelt down again. ¡°Hey, kids. Better go and play somewhere else, and leave Old Batty to herself.¡± The kids giggled at their house-mother¡¯s new nickname, and scrammed. Cy rose to answer Envy. ¡°Something highly illegal.¡± ¡°Cy, you didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Of course not. She¡¯ll come around. I got what I needed, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve got one more stop to make.¡±
¡°Psst, Isolda,¡± Cy whispered. No answer. ¡°Hey, Isolda!¡± He threw a rock in the dark cell. ¡°Who the hell¡¯s there?¡± Her voice was groggy, disoriented. ¡°I brought you food.¡± A hand swiped the food from his own, and he heard the chomping sounds of someone who¡¯d been starving. She finally came into view. Her hair was disheveled, eyes empty, face gaunt, skin loosely clinging to bone. But it''s Isolda, alright. ¡°More. Do you have more? Real food?¡± She backed up quickly, terrorized by his face. ¡°A trap! Please, Salvos, no!¡± Salvos? Cy narrowed his eyes. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°W-who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Cy. Your favorite student.¡± ¡°Cy¡­ The Cyrus?¡± Something¡¯s off. ¡°Help, Guards, Cyrus is here!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t hear you,¡± Cy said, no longer whispering. ¡°I used a Silence Rune.¡± Turns out I really needed it for you. She¡¯s insane. ¡°We met him.¡± ¡°W-who?¡± ¡°Your old teacher.¡± ¡°From my schooldays?¡± Her voice was shaky now, shrill and fragile. ¡°No, The Painter.¡± ¡°Who?¡± This isn¡¯t going anywhere. I could use those illegal Runes again, but¡­ Isolda didn¡¯t really do anything wrong. To me, to us, at least. ¡°Isolda, how¡¯d they catch you? I thought you were the one freezing everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ I did. That was me. That¡¯s what they told me¡­¡± She shivered and crossed her arms like some drug addict. ¡°Do you remember anything about that day, the Sack?¡± Isolda crawled away from him like a demon. She put her hands to her face. ¡°Stop, stop! I don¡¯t know anything, anything, I already told them all.¡± Gone bat shit crazy. Cy stuck his face between the jail cell bars. ¡°Try to remember. You told me and Jules to go meet someone. You knew him more than you let on, plus someone else you were friends with¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it wasn¡¯t me, I told them, again and again, but they left me here, the Inquisitors, they visited me and oh Salvos please please help me I told them everything¡­¡± Inquisitors? No way¡­
? Reveal ? [?3,800 // ?10,000]
The cell block lit up with Cy''s blinding white light. The features of Isolda¡¯s face faded away and were replaced by another woman entirely. I was right. This isn¡¯t Isolda. The woman looked at her hands and felt her face and much shorter hair. She was amazed. She was terrified. She was exonerated. ¡°I believe you," he said. ¡°Thank you, oh thank you, please please¡ªWill they believe me now?¡± Shit. I''ve said too much to her. Will she remember? I can¡¯t leave her here, but I can¡¯t take her with me, either. The Guards will find her, but what will she say to them then?
? Memor¡ª ?
Cy recalled the Rune immediately. I don¡¯t want to use that Rune on her. I won¡¯t. She¡¯s already been wronged enough. Her cries for help surmounted, but Cy and his friends were on a mission, a dangerous one. He needed a temporary solution, one that could resolve itself by the time Coralhaven was far behind them. He thought about The Painter, and how''d he''d saved Cy many times, at the edge of death.
? Rest and Heal ? [?1,200 // ?10,000]
Her desperate pleas and cries stopped.
[Corporeal Punishment ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find Isolda.]
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 69 nice! ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 70 - My Way Home
JULES
Jules decided on a slower route through the forest to mull over everything he¡¯d just learned from his father, not to mention experienced with Evelyn. The sky darkened, though it was only noon. Clouds pushed in from the southeast. It had to have been Patience. Who else could it have been? And the way Dad described him. That sounds exactly like the person I dreamt of two years ago. Did I dream? Or did we switch places for a moment?
[Virtue Signaling ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Follow up on your hunch about Patience.]
He looked at his hand and thought about how tiny Azura''s were. On top of all that, a big brother? Me? I never imagined it since Cy¡¯s older. Not that I¡¯ll really get to experience it. He put his hand back down. I hope she doesn¡¯t grow up to hate me. I¡¯d hate me, though. Probably. And of course Evelyn will be in her ear. The Seal on his chest burned lightly. All that torture they endured for me. All the torture I endured for me, and them, and everyone I care about, and even everyone I don¡¯t know, just to stop the Apocalypse that I¡¯m supposed to cause. Bullshit. It¡¯s all bullshit. One thing is clear, though. I¡¯d better find a way to do it alone, just like this Shrine, so no one else is affected by this curse of mine. But enough. Don¡¯t think about it anymore. I still have a mission to complete. Jules took a deep breath and entered his meditative state. It¡¯d be best not to enter the Shrine with high emotions, so he attempted to calm his nerves to maintain control. He searched for his core wavelength, a distinct humming pattern, and tuned into that. The clouds will provide good cover to sneak in. Looks like it''ll rain soon, so that¡¯ll muffle my sounds, too. He followed his hunting trail from two years ago. He remembered it like it was yesterday. He wound through their wolf-stalking trail, to the side trail that Jules and Cy stalked the Warg down later that same night. Finally, he arrived at the ravine that hadn¡¯t existed before the Shrine. It was now overgrown with beautiful plants and flowers, and even some smaller trees had grown enough to bloom fruit. Odd sight, for somewhere soaked in so much blood. As he approached the sharp bend that led directly to the Shrine, he heard his first signs of life¡ªand people, at that. Jules snuck through the underbrush to scope them out. There were just a handful of Coralhaven Guards scattered about a camp, mixed in with one representative of the Hydromages, the Royal Navy, and the Navigators each. Political representation, I guess. They all seem lax, like they¡¯ve grown complacent over the years. Jules wished he could have relaxed as well, but that life wasn¡¯t for him. He eavesdropped on them and learned some more about the monuments Evelyn mentioned, the ones that honored the dead. They have a memorial site out here?
[New Quest Available: Desecrate Through Reverence] [New Reward Available for Desecrate Through Reverence: Either peace and serenity, or darkness and despair.] [Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Visit the Sack of Coralhaven Memorial site and pay your respects.]
The Shrine can wait. I feel like I should visit this place first. Jules rambled through the woods for a while until he saw it. The memorial was a large, black, monolithic slab. Dread filled him. He thought he¡¯d be sick, but he owed it to the fallen to at least read their names once. The names of the dead were etched in a beautiful white font. Definitely the work of a Master Sculptor. Jules looked over the five columns that listed off the 127 names. The hair on his arms raised. These were just from his work. Surely there were more losses from Davy Jones, down in the city. That¡¯s a lot of people. A lot of broken families, dreams, hopes¡­ Jules read every single one of the 127 names aloud. And then he vomited. His barf splashed all over the base of the memorial, which filled him with even greater guilt, so much so that he vomited again. He fell to his knees before the black site and looked up at it tower over him. He wished it would fall and flatten him to the ground. An eerie feeling crossed his mind. This is just the base. The base of the mountain of corpses that I will pile up. But if I want to keep everyone else from dying¡­ Jules stood and let the rain splash on his face, wiping away both his sins and stomach acid. He hoped it would pour tonight, a torrential downpour, and wipe away every trace of him ever desecrating this holy site.
[Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Visit the Sack of Coralhaven Memorial site and pay your respects.] This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Peace and serenity granted.] [Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Darkness and despair granted.] [ERROR: Desecrate Through Reverence unable to be COMPLETED. Quest is still available.]
Without looking back, he walked away, toward the Shrine. Once he approached the massive ravine bend again, a pack of wolves crept out from the bushes. ¡°Ah, finally got the courage to show your faces. You¡¯ve been stalking me for some time.¡± Even with his broken katana, Jules disposed of them all quickly and efficiently¡ªfor their sakes, more than his. He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve come such a long way in such a short time.¡± The Warg appeared when the last wolf¡¯s final squeal faded away. It looked older now, wiser. Much more than two years¡¯ worth of time, just like Liam. Its mane was thicker, its body fuller with muscles, and its antlers had multiplied in points. Piercing crimson orbs replaced its former soft gaze of hazel eyes.
CYRUS
Cy woke up and yawned. He¡¯d expected to have had terrible dreams about yesterday¡¯s events in town, but he slept solidly, with no nightmares. The sun was fairly high by now; they¡¯d stayed up late last night waiting. Maybe he¡¯s back. He got up slowly and joined the others on the deck. Rukia, Envy, and Whiskers ate breakfast. ¡°Jules still gone?¡± he asked them. ¡°Not a single sign of him,¡± Envy said. She cooled her spoon, then sipped it. ¡°He¡¯s OK. He¡¯s struggling a lot, but he¡¯s OK,¡± Rukia said. She mimicked Envy, but botched it and spilled the hot liquid all over herself. ¡°Damn opposable thumbs¡­¡± ¡°Man,¡± Cy said. ¡°The weather sure cleared up fast. Last night¡¯s what I¡¯d call a torrential downpour.¡± Cy bolted up up. The rest followed suit a half-second later. Perimeter trip. ¡°That¡¯s not Jules,¡± Rukia said. ¡°But¡ªNo, wait!¡±
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?9,000 // ?10,000]
Cy grabbed his new sword and slid down the chains with Ryoku-reinforced feet, still barefoot in his pajamas. He sprinted to confront the intruder; he saw a figure, a man¡ªCy drew his sword and¡ª "Cyrus?" ¡°Liam!?¡± ¡°I brought breakfast!¡± Liam raised a cluster of dead rabbits. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liam, I¡­¡± Cy sheathed his sword, and they embraced in a hug. ¡°I know, Cy. I know. Jules told me you had your own mission.¡± Liam pulled back from the embrace. ¡°I hope it went well.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you even find us out here?¡± ¡°Seriously? I¡¯m the best Gamesman you know. Now, where¡¯s Rukia? And this Scout of yours?¡± ¡°Oh¡­" Cy understood what Liam¡¯s raised eyebrow meant. "Right this way, good Sir.¡± Cy bowed deeply and waved his arms toward the imagined red carpet that led straight to Envy. When they got to the deck, Rukia charged at them. She dashed past Cy and stole all of Liam¡¯s rabbits in one swiping bite. She mumbled some incoherent greeting to Liam. ¡°Liam, this is Katarina,¡± Cy said. ¡°Kat, this is Liam, Jules¡¯ father.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Tideshaper.¡± Envy bowed deeply. ¡°It is nice to meet you.¡± Whiskers purred a greeting. ¡°Oh, and this is Whiskers,¡± Cy pointed out. ¡°Why, hello, Katarina. I hear you¡¯ve been good to my son.¡± Keep holding back that stupid face and you¡¯ll have a heart attack. ¡°And Cy, I thought you hated cats.¡± ¡°He certainly does, Mr. Tideshaper.¡± Liam jumped back defensively. ¡°A talking cat!?¡± Whiskers slowly slid away, out of sight and out of frame, embarrassed. ¡°Jules didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Uh, no. No, he did not. In fact, he outright lied about you." ¡°Good,¡± Envy said. Surprised how well she¡¯s taking this. ¡°Good¡­?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes, good. I¡¯m glad he doesn¡¯t see me as just a Sin.¡± Don¡¯t gimme that look. She sipped her tea. ¡°And my identity was just blown in Siren¡¯s Cove for the first time, and I¡¯m still working through that. I suppose it¡¯s not bad for you to know. But I won¡¯t tell you which one I am.¡± ¡°She¡¯s Envy.¡± She smacked Cy on the head with the frying pan full of sizzling eggs and sausage. ¡°Ahhh! Did you have to hit me with the food side!? Heal! Heal, Heal! Dammit¡ª"
? Heal ? [?8,500 // ?10,000]
¡°Well, your secret¡¯s safe with me,¡± Liam said. ¡°I won¡¯t even tell my wife.¡± OK. Great. Fine. No one bother to help me. Alright. OK. ¡°Thank Salvos for that.¡± Envy froze. Her cheeks flushed and eyes widened at what just escaped her lips. Karma''s a bitch. Then she spat out her tea, which she¡¯d held up to her mouth too long in her hesitation. I rest my case. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to insinuate anything¡­¡± Liam snorted a single laugh. ¡°It¡¯s OK, really. After the reunion my family just had, even I agree with the sentiment. If only just a little. So, no sign of Jules here. He still gone?" ¡°Yep,¡± Cy said. ¡°He didn¡¯t come back last night.¡± Rukia shouted something incoherently in response. ¡°That¡¯s fox for, We think he¡¯s still in the Shrine.¡± ¡°Long as he¡¯s still alive¡­ Am I right?¡± Liam winked at Envy. Salvos save us all. ¡°Man, the weather sure cleared up quick?¡± ¡°You already said that, moron,¡± Envy said. ¡°I think I like you already,¡± Liam said. Rukia bolted up. She sniffed the air. Sniffed again. She spat rabbit from her mouth and hawked out chunks of fur and blood and guts as she spoke. ¡°That smell. He¡¯s here. And he''s with more¡­recognizable scents.¡± ¡°Who!?¡± they all asked. Rukia looked at Liam. ¡°Zeke.¡± Liam¡¯s face dropped, along with the others¡¯. ¡°You remember Zeke?¡± Liam asked Rukia. ¡°You know Zeke?¡± Cy asked Liam. Kaizen emerged from the beads around Rukia''s neck. "The hell is Zeke?" he asked everyone. ¡°He tried to kill us when Jules was born¡ªWait, you know him, too¡ªWait, Kaizen!?" "Good Morning to you, Father of Wrath." Kaizen beamed at Liam. "You did a fine job of raising our boy, like the way¡ª" ¡°That bastard Zeke tried to kill us when we got to Aquilantis," Cy said. "You were freaking there, Kaizen! But then The Painter saved us." ¡°The who?¡± Liam asked. Jules must have left a lot out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Envy said. ¡°Get ready for a fight.¡± ¡°How¡¯d they find us so fast?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Must have been Ratfucker Maggie,¡± Envy said. ¡°Who¡¯s Maggie, and why does she¡ªNope, nevermind," Liam said. "Zeke. He¡¯s a leader by now in the Iron Maidens, isn¡¯t he?¡± "More like middle management," Envy said. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Zeke joined the cult when they were just a startup, before you all¡ªwell, Kat and Jules, anyway¡ªwere born. Some kid visited me last week. Worked for the Maidens. Jules sat in the same spot. That brat left in a hurry, but¡ª¡± ¡°He set up a trap at your house and you didn¡¯t even know? And you call yourself a Gamesman!?¡± ¡°Shit! I checked everywhere. But I told this to Jules yesterday¡ªI think that kid is a Virtue.¡± Envy dropped what she was doing. ¡°What the fuuuck?¡± She pointed out to sea. A ship had rounded the corner surrounding their ship. Whiskers moved in slowly on some of the scraps of rabbit that had fled Rukia''s mouth. ¡°Get ready to fight, kids,¡± Liam said. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 70 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 71 - Woods
CYRUS
¡°We don¡¯t have our armor," Cy said. "It¡¯s all getting repaired right now.¡± ¡°At least we prepped some Ink before,¡± Envy said. ¡°Ink, what are you talking about?¡± Liam asked. ¡°We¡¯ll explain on the way,¡± she said. ¡°For now, pack up and ditch this ship,¡± Cy said. ¡°We¡¯re better off fighting in the woods.¡± ¡°How many are we fighting, and who else is here besides Zeke?¡± Liam asked. The encroaching ship sounded its horn. ¡°Damn,¡± Cy shouted. ¡°I was glad they didn¡¯t have any military with them¡ª¡± ¡°The arrogant bastards,¡± Envy muttered. ¡°¡ªBut that might attract them now.¡± The team scrambled to pack. They put out the breakfast campfire, so they¡¯d still have a ship to come back to, and fled their little reunion. Cy, Rukia, Liam, and Envy were all ready to fight. Whiskers was ready to run. They jumped down to the shoreline below just as a cannonball smashed into the hull. Everyone landed in the sand except Whiskers, who fell into the water. He jumped out and shook himself off. Whiskers and Cy made eye contact. Dammit, this is no time for puns. Liam scooped up the black cat as he ran by. ¡°That¡¯s one wet pussy!¡± Liam exclaimed. You son of a bitch. ¡°How in the hell did they see our ship? I worked hard on this disguise,¡± Cy shouted. The group stopped to look him up and down in his tourist outfit, then continued on. ¡°We¡¯re talking about Zeke,¡± Liam said. ¡°And a Virtue. He could see through anything. Er, probably¡­¡± Cannonballs exploded the land around them and showered them in dirt. ¡°We need to get beyond these hills, out of their sight and trajectory.¡± ¡°We need to get to the Shrine and fetch Jules,¡± Envy said. ¡°No,¡± Rukia, Liam, and Cy all said. ¡°He has his own mission.¡± ¡°And we''ve got our own fight.¡± ¡°We can''t get in now, anyway.¡± ¡°Wow, OK, I get it,¡± Envy said. She pulled out her newly upgraded bow. ¡°Oh, now I realllly like you,¡± Liam said. ¡°Can it, you creepy old man, and book it!¡± ¡°Creepy¡­?¡± They sprinted for their lives, past the first hill, and only stopped at the peak of the second. Out of cannon sight, plus we still have a vantage point. ¡°Liam, you sure you¡¯re up to the task?" Cyrus asked. "If it¡¯s the same people from Aquilantis, it¡¯s a tough crowd.¡± ¡°Can it, child. I was a 3rd Rank when you were still shitting your pants.¡± So you are a Master¡­ ¡°That could have been just two days ago,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that comment when you¡¯re trapped between two Maidens.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a situation I¡¯d like to be saved from.¡± ¡°Gross.¡± ¡°I think I like the cat, too.¡± ¡°Creepy.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Cy said. He saw their enemies come over the hill. ¡°Only four?¡± Liam asked. ¡°What do they take us for, a bunch of p¡ª¡± ¡°Watch your tongue,¡± Whiskers threatened. ¡°Time to get serious, you idiots." ¡°So these guys are tough, right?¡± ¡°One of them¡¯s a chick,¡± Envy said. ¡°Oh, I see that now. Looks like Cy¡¯s type.¡± You have no idea. ¡°Shut up, Liam. She¡¯s mine, though.¡± ¡°That creep in black¡¯s all mine,¡± Envy said. Liam sighed. ¡°Zeke is mine. Animals, you take the other one. Well, I had fun with you all, but joke time is over. It¡¯s time for a motivational speech.¡± The Iron Maidens approached. A masked woman, a creepy man in black, an ax-wielding monk, and Zeke, who brandished a massive warhammer. ¡°Fight well and fight hard. I have a wife to go home to. Kat and Rukia, you don¡¯t want to keep Jules waiting. Cat, Whiskers, uh, just stay in the back. And Cy¡­ You have a baby sister that you need to meet. NOW FIGHT!!¡± What!? Liam charged ahead. It finally happened? I knew she was trying, but¡­ Wow. A sister.
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Kat sprinted behind Liam. They both shouted for, demanded, bloodshed. Creepy-guy-in-black leapt far away from his comrades to draw her away from them. He launched more throwing knives at her, four at a time. She dodged most, but let a few graze her so she could avoid the next batch hitting more vital spots. He''s trying to bait me in.
? Activate ? [?9,900 // ?10,000]
She activated an Inked Art that burned her abs, so her Regeneration wouldn''t show. Ah, this is a much better method than last time.
? Summon ? ? Arrow ? [?9,400 // ?10,000]
A cluster of arrows formed in her left hand. The man in black reversed his momentum and charged toward her. Got you. She dropped the arrows, closed the distance on him, and slammed her bow into his chest. No more home field advantage. I can¡¯t let him gain distance like last time. Kat landed on top of him, but he flipped her off. She landed gracefully, balanced on one arm and two spread feet. He pulled out curved daggers, horrible things with multiple arched blade tips emanating from its central blade. If he stabs me with that, I''m better off leaving it in. The man hurled the blades at her, and they spun through the air in curved patterns. She dodged both of them, but they continued to chase her in swift, tight loops, never touching the ground. He threw more. Each one made her path of remaining clearance more difficult to maintain. She thought about Cy¡¯s battle with the Siren. I wonder if they¡¯ll hit him? Her bow clanged to the ground, and she ran toward him as best she could. She dove into somersaults, flipped back to her feet, spun in the air, but it didn¡¯t matter. She couldn¡¯t approach him because his movement was too free. Ugh. He''s trying to kill me, so they must not know. I might live to regret calling Maddie a rat fucker. Time to play aggressive defense. Kat ducked and barely dodged a spinning dagger. Alright, now I¡¯m pissed off. Just close the distance already, Katarina, Whiskers thought. This is exhausting to watch. Kat swatted him from her mind.
? ? Quick Step ? ? [?7,300 // ?10,000]
She moved so fast that a vacuum trailed behind her. It pulled in the surrounding air and the weapons. Kat stopped just in front of her opponent and flipped over him, leaving the weapons to track straight through their master. She dodged one that approached her from behind¡ªIt was the only one to get by. His body thumped to the ground behind her. The second dagger dropped out of the sky as well. ¡°One down.¡± Kat turned to the battlefield. "Oh crap."
JULES
¡°Unlike these wolves, and unlike the Guards and the military, you haven¡¯t been lax in any of that time, have you? You¡¯ve grown stronger. Almost as if in lock-step with me." Jules laughed. "I must be crazy, talking to a Warg¡ª¡± It rushed him, and they collided. Jules grabbed its lowered antlers and wrestled with it. They pushed each other around to gain some leverage, any leverage. With each yank of its head, Jules felt the beast grow stronger. Or am I getting weaker? He finally pushed the Warg off of him, and they reengaged. It adapted to Jules¡¯ attempts to fling it on its side, and as Jules constantly tried new moves, it adjusted to them, and the beast resisted more and more with each attempt. ¡°Enough. If you want a fight, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Jules pushed the antlers down to get the Warg to shift its force upward. It obeyed. He used that momentum to lift the beast off its four feet and flipped it in the air over himself. Jules drew out the old hunting ax his father had given him that morning. The Warg pounced on him, and its sharp wolfish claws tried to rip off any flesh they could connect to. Jules braced against it with his free arm and then slashed at it with the ax. The fight went on for just a short while longer, until Jules had it down on the ground, defeated, though Jules felt weak himself. Jules raised his ax for the killing blow, but then he thought of the memorial. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t kill this majestic beast. Maybe he¡¯d live and let live¡­ Jules approached the Shrine instead, and even there, he hesitated. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t go in here. I could abandon this whole mission. Go far away, live a peaceful life or something. Maybe then nothing would happen. I might be causing all of this in the first place if I go in there. For the first time since he¡¯d promised Kaizen to stop the Apocalypse, Jules doubted himself. Jules¡¯ Seal lit up. The Warg howled behind him. Jules whipped around. A stream of energy peeled away from his body. It¡¯s sapping my energy and¡ªevolving? Its gray fur turned darker to charcoal, then to black. Brilliant cerulean tattoos of celestial designs illuminated its body and face. It was on its feet again and charged at Jules, who braced himself to catch it. The Warg, or whatever it had now become, knocked them both back beyond the shimmering veil of the Shrine¡¯s gate, and into the vortex void beyond.
[The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Get information on the Shrine from Cy.] [The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Find out the Shrine''s rules.]
Jules crashed onto the wet ground. Still dazed, he looked around. He expected to find another maze, but instead, he found a massive forest with seemingly no end. Every direction he looked, there was eventually a tree, whether five feet away or a thousand yards, it didn¡¯t matter. Massive and matured, they towered over him. These seem familiar somehow¡ª The Warg! He searched for any sign of the beast and found none, so he relaxed. Must have been separated like the Siren''s Cove Shrine. Jules inspected his Seal, which seemed to have darkened. The pain was gone, and it wouldn¡¯t activate, no matter how hard or what he tried. Great. It wasn¡¯t just getting stronger, I was getting weaker. ¡°What are the rules to this place?¡± Jules shouted to the sky. The rain picked up sharply, and soon it poured. ¡°Dammit.¡± Thunder clapped around him every few minutes. He wandered aimlessly for hours, drenched for what must have been the entire night. He grew weak, tired, hungry, and even thirsty, despite all the rain. His feet had blistered hours ago. Just as the sun dawned, Jules saw the edge of the forest. He emerged from the last tree into what he initially thought was a large clearing from far away. Now, however, he realized it was a massive lake. His heart skipped a beat. Black water. I¡¯ve been here before, time and time again. The shoreline was littered with corpses. Upon an inspection that he quickly quit, he saw dozens of uniformed men wearing the crests of the Hydromages, Royal Navy, and Navigators Factions. These men must have been victims of¡­ Wrath. Or men that got pulled into the Shrine during the skirmish. Could be both. A way off in the distance, the Warg lapped up black water. Its tattoos and lights were now crimson to match its eyes, and the coloring appeared to darken with each drink. If that water was the source of its power, there was plenty available. ¡°You,¡± Jules shouted. ¡°Give me back my power!" This time, Jules charged it with his brandished ax. If the beast overpowered him and killed him, so be it. He¡¯d just Regenerate and fight again. The Warg huffed at him, clearly aggravated from having its drink interrupted, but rushed him, too. They connected, and a flash of lightning struck them and blasted them both back. A second bolt hit the water nearby. It left behind two twin golden doors that hovered on the surface. The Warg rushed to the doors.
[Quest Reminder: Shut the Damn Door is still available.]
¡°No¡ªDon¡¯t open those doors!¡± Instinctively, Jules blasted it with a stream of red fire.
[?5,700 // ?10,000]
The Warg recoiled. It stood on its two hind legs and kicked the air with its front two. The beast howled, and the other monster shrieked from the trees behind Jules. ¡°So. You must be the Shrine''s Boss.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 71 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 72 - Lost In The World
CYRUS
Wow. A sister¡­ Liam charged for Zeke, but the ax-wielding monk intervened. ¡°Where¡¯s that damn fox?¡± Liam shouted. Whiskers and Rukia retreated behind some trees. Cy wasn¡¯t mad, he¡¯d expected it. Whiskers couldn¡¯t fight real opponents, and while Rukia could¡ªWell, she shouldn¡¯t. Not until Jules is out. She¡¯s the last one we need captured, but holy cow. Liam is incredible! Liam deftly avoided every string of attack the monk threw at him, and¡ªbased on Jules¡¯ report of his fighting style and weapons¡ªthe Monk had some upgraded weapons, to boot. His axes were composed of ebony and tied to throwing chains. And all Liam has is his huntsman¡¯s ax and bow¡ª Cy back stepped quickly. A dagger swiped past his throat. The masked assassin was on him now. Keep your eyes on the prize. And what a prize she is. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you anymore,¡± Cy said. She responded with a flurry of attacks. ¡°Will you please stop it!?¡± She picked up the pace. ¡°We spent a lot of time¡ª¡± His cheek sliced open, and blood sprayed, then trickled out. She spoke for the first time.
? Smoke ?
She surrounded him in a thick haze, and they fought blindly. I hate the dark. I¡¯d rather shine a light on everything. Damn, she keeps getting faster. Cy just relied on hearing her attacks and took evasive action when he heard her blade sing through the air. He tried to back up in one straight line but had to zigzag left and right. It pissed him off how much damage he¡¯d taken in that smokescreen.
[?7,500 // ?10,000]
Stop her movement. That Pirate used the pressure of the water column to hit hard. How can I apply that to the smoke? He waited until he saw her, then grabbed her arm and locked her in tight.
? Air ? [?7,000 // ?10,000]
She yanked back, but it was too late for her. He''d already tagged her. The smoke clung to her like shit to all those harpies in Siren''s Cove. She attacked wildly, almost desperately. Cy backed up and snuck a glimpse at his teammates. Kat''s struggling with¡­boomerangs? And is Liam using Dark magic? Huntsman ax shrouded in black mist, Liam pushed the Monk back closer to Zeke. Cy¡¯s masked opponent flailed her dagger around still, but she had clearly slowed down. Better finish this before she suffocates.
? ? Binding Thread ? ? [?5,800 // ?10,000]
The body inside the whirlwind stopped suddenly, then so did the mini tornado of smoke that swirled around her. Cy cleared it away so she could breathe again. Gold twine, manifested by his Ryoku, ensnared her hands to her hips and locked her ankles together. She fell to her knees. Cy drew his sword from its sheath. ¡°Yield.¡± She remained silent and looked at him with lifeless eyes. ¡°Well, I did ask.¡± He swung his sword back and hit its flat side against her head. She flopped to the ground, unconscious. One down. Kat¡¯s still struggling, Liam is¡ª Oh crap. Liam leapt into the air and delivered a jumping slash attack to the Monk. His black-mist ax carved a massive gash into the man from his temple down to the opposite hip. The man collapsed. Two down. Delayed blood erupted from the Monk. ¡°Hello, Liam. Long time no see.¡± ¡°Zeke.¡± Liam and Zeke circled each other. Better stay back until he¡ªunless he¡ªneeds me. This is personal. Liam lunged at Zeke with his ax. Zeke sidestepped and spun his warhammer around from its resting place on his back in one motion. It slammed in Liam¡¯s back and sent him rolling forward a dozen yards. Cy winced and ran to him. I gave you a chance, old man. Liam rose to his feet. Shattered remnants of a Ryoku Shield floated behind his back. Oh. Phew. ¡°I hope your boy is OK, so I can personally thank him for what he did eighteen years ago,¡± Zeke said. ¡°And I¡¯d like to thank your boy, too. The dog you sent after me a week ago.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Pat. The Spider, they call him. You know, Liam, I¡¯ve been wondering, so please illuminate me. How did he manage to get you to talk?¡± ¡°Talk! Is that what he told you?¡± They stared each other down. Zeke grunted and slammed his hammer into the ground. A temporary ceasefire? ¡°I don¡¯t hold you in high regard, Liam. I never liked the Tideshapers, as I¡¯m sure you can relate. But when it comes to loyalty to your chosen family¡­ Well, that is one trait about you I can admire.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem shocked to be lied to.¡± What the hell are they talking about? ¡°I work for the Maidens, Liam. Deceit is more commonplace than food. I¡¯m surprised you let this one live. Unless I¡¯ve just sent you deserters all these years.¡± Liam laughed into the sky. "Oh Zeke. I fucking hate you. I¡¯ve always hated you." ¡°Seems we both had our suspicions then, about my boy. By the way¡­¡± Zeke picked up his warhammer and looked back toward Coralhaven. ¡°He should be halfway to your home by now. To Wrath.¡± Oh shit, the baby. ¡°Go, Liam!¡± Cy shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve got him.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liam turned to Cy, who had never seen that old man express more fear. Not even when I found out about Jules. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be back!¡± Liam fled for his family. Zeke turned his attention to Cy.
JULES
The Leshen lumbered over to him slowly. Its lanky body was composed of wooden bones that jutted out occasionally and was covered in mossy and fungus-like flesh. Ornate stone armor adorned its arms, chest, and possibly face, Jules wasn¡¯t sure. But the mask, or the skull, along with its ears and rack, matched that of a stag. Its body was humanoid below the neck. Vines twisted around its body constantly, coming and going from the surrounding trees as it approached Jules. Its fingers were laced with claws sharper than even the Warg¡¯s. You two could be long-lost cousins. The Warg head butted its rack against the golden doors. Its body still smoldered from Jules¡¯ attack. Jules looked left and right at both his opponents. Decision time, but which one first? The Warg head-butted the doors again, and the Leshen swiped at Jules. OK. Easy choice. The Lesh reached for Jules again. It stood twice Jules¡¯ height, but had at least three times his reach. Jules twisted around the outstretched hand and escaped its clutch, but he felt slow. ¡°Bring it on, you son of a bitch!¡± Jules ducked beneath another swipe and uppercut its head with his ax. Resilient, the monster barely recoiled or moved back. It clapped him between its palms. Jules stopped it from crushing his ribcage by emitting a Ryoku Shield from an Inked Art.
? Activate ? [?5,690 // ?10,000]
Glad Cy put those on me. So he''s got superhuman strength while mine is dwindling, great. But he''s made out of wood, so¡­
? Fire ? [?3,690 // ?10,000]
Jules invoked the Rune this time, as he never thought he¡¯d need an Inked Art for it. His hand and huntsman ax caught fire. Jules winced at the fire, which burned him for the first time in his life. Jules pushed past the pain and hacked and slashed the beast and its moving vines until finally, after ten blows, he sliced a forearm nearly in two. The Leshen shrieked in protest, and the sonic boom pushed Jules back. Vines crept down from a neighboring tree and built back the pseudo-bone structure and rough musculature. Moss and fungus spread over top of it. Shit, it can Regenerate. This is a problem. But even I have my limitations to Regeneration, so let¡¯s see how fast he¡¯s capable of doing it. Plus, that tree is withering away. He looked around the forest. Though there might as well be an infinite amount of them.
? Activate ? [?3,680 // ?10,000]
Jules burned a few more Inked Arts off his skin to reinforce his bones and increase his speed. He quick stepped toward its legs and chopped at its ankles. Vines ensnared Jules'' arms and legs.
? Air ? [?3,080 // ?10,000]
A thin strip of wind sliced him free. Jules hacked and slashed again. One ankle¡ªtwo! The Leshen fell to the ground, and Jules hacked off an arm. Its shriek didn¡¯t push Jules back this time, as Jules repurposed the Air Rune to create a small vacuum between them, so the sound dissipated at the buffer. Jules had it on its back now. Crush its skull, and it¡¯s all over. Vines ripped the blazing ax from Jules¡¯ hand just before he connected, and his bare hands pounded into the stone skull. Ow. Jules shoved his hands through its empty eye sockets and invoked his Fire Rune again. I¡¯ll burn your brains from the inside out! The Leshen¡¯s body ignited as the perfect kindling, but it rose up so quickly that Jules jumped back to retreat. How? The vines. Crawling lines suspended the Leshen up from on high. It thrashed about, still ablaze, but the trees commanded its movements like a marionette. Jules popped a Restore Ryoku Potion that Cy forced him to pack.
[Ryoku Restoration Potion taking effect now.] [?3,081 // ?10,000]
Starting to think that asshole knew more about these rules than he led on. Jules felt an influx of strength and stamina, but his wounds remained unhealed. The potion was his last available resource, as he¡¯d literally burned through all of his Inked Arts. Less than half of his Ryoku pool remained. Everything relied on Jules¡¯ Skills now. But will it be enough? The Shrine boss seemed to levitate over to him. The vines still attached to it burned away but were quickly replaced by others, to both Regenerate it and to animate it. CRASH! CRASH! All around, trees withered and died. The vines finally dropped the Leshen to the ground. Embers erupted from its eyes and the monster turned primal, feral, like it was full of rage, and the fire turned black. No, not rage¡ª Wrath. Jules looked back to the golden doors. They''re still closed, at least. He allowed himself a sigh of relief, but caught the Warg¡¯s attention again. It stamped its front paw to the ground and ran to Jules, still a ways off. The Leshen stood up again¡ªits black flames seemed to let it Regenerate itself despite the fire. Let the final bout begin. They formed a pincer movement, and this time Jules was the prey. ¡°LET ME IN.¡± The message emanated from the Leshen, but Jules knew that the voice came from somewhere, someone, far beyond it. Jules prepared to get trucked. ¡°Not gonna do that.¡± ¡°OPEN THE DOOR, JULES.¡±
CYRUS
¡°Not gonna chase after him, you coward?¡± Cy asked. ¡°I thought this fight was personal.¡± ¡°I never underestimate my opponents. Not in the last eighteen years, anyway. Come, boy. Let¡¯s see what evils Wrath has taught you.¡± ¡°Cy, wait,¡± Envy shouted. He ignored her. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was fighting or not, but he wouldn¡¯t underestimate Zeke, either. This¡¯ll be over in one strike. Cy charged toward him, then leapt into the air. He spun around in the air to deliver a single, crushing blow. Zeke ripped his warhammer up with one arm and blocked the attack. Zeke¡¯s smile was as relentless as his defense. Cy flipped to Zeke¡¯s back and slashed, but was blocked by a Ryoku Shield similar to Liam¡¯s. Zeke spun and crushed Cy¡¯s own wards in a single blow. He flew through the air, then landed into a dozen rolls.
[?4,800 // ?10,000]
¡°Kat, grab Rukia and get out of here!¡±
? Ice ? [?3,800 // ?10,000]
Cy crafted ten massive ice swords above his head. Thought this guy was bluffing so he didn''t have to fight Liam¡­ How foolish that was. ¡°He has too many Enchantments,¡± Kat shouted back. Zeke leapt into the air and brought his warhammer straight down on Cy, who rolled to the side just in time. The impact left a small crater in the ground. Cy powered his curved sword with all the Inked Arts on his body and unleashed a flurry of attacks with all eleven of his swords. Zeke either blocked the ice swords or his force field absorbed the blows. Shards of ice littered the ground. Nothing affected him. Zeke kicked Cy¡¯s chest to push him off balance, then delivered a spinning power attack. Cy managed to weave his sword between the hammer and his ribs, likely saving his life. Still, he broke one, maybe five ribs.
[?700 // ?10,000]
A blur flashed by. Cy blinked once. The sky¡­ I¡¯m on my back? He sat up despite the piercing pain. Envy ran to him. Three steps away, she collapsed. Her eyes closed softly and slowly. A thick, black needle emerged from her neck. Behind Envy, the masked assassin limped toward him. He looked up the hill. Good, at least the pets are gone. Come save us¡­ Later. Cy looked the woman in the eyes, hoping for a mercy similar to what he''d given her, but he wouldn¡¯t dare beg. She blew a dart into his neck, too. Thank you¡­ Cy fell asleep. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 72 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 73 - Gallows Pole
JULES
Jules didn¡¯t have enough strength to dodge or stop the Warg¡¯s impact. It pushed him back, straight into the lesh, who wrapped one hand around Jules¡¯ entire torso and flung him through the air.
[Ryoku Restoration Potion effect completed.] [?10,000 // ?10,000] ? Air ? ? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?8,600 // ?10,000]
The Scripts lessened his impact with a tree, to some degree.
? Summon ? ? Arrows ? [?7,900 // ?10,000]
He drew his father¡¯s bow and conjured a quiver¡¯s worth of arrows. Jules loosed them, five at a time, and tried to strike each opponent with each round. He ran to better cover. Jules weaved through trees to avoid the Warg, but vines ensnared his feet and tripped him. The Warg trampled Jules, and a stone-covered arm bludgeoned him. Holy shit, I might not survive this. Why can¡¯t I Regenerate? ¡°KAIZEN DIDN¡¯T WARN YOU?¡± The Leshen and the Warg halted their assaults, as if their puppeteers hesitated. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you controlling them?¡± ¡°YESSS¡­AND NO.¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t Kaizen tell me?¡± Jules maintained a defensive stance, unwilling to put trust in Wrath''s ceasefire. ¡°IF YOU GO INTO A SHRINE FOR A PIECE OF THE SOUND, YOU FORFEIT YOUR ARCANIC POWERS.¡± He can¡¯t be serious. ¡°That¡¯s certainly some bullshit.¡± Kaizen did warn me, and I didn¡¯t listen. I practically shut him away¡­But he would have told me if he knew. ¡°CHECKS AND BALANCESSS. ONLY THE WORTHY MAY BRANDISH THE SOUND.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, Wrath.¡± ¡°HA! IT IS NOT MY DOING. THE SOUND HAS A WILL OF HIS OWN. HOWEVER, I WILL MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU, TO SURVIVE.¡± ¡°No thanks, I¡¯d rather not kill everyone again.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes emitted green flames. He noticed they didn''t draw any Ryoku. ¡°OH? WE SHALL SEE.¡± The monsters resumed their attacks. Wrath spoke through the Leshen with each strike. ¡°YOU NEED ME, JULES.¡± The Leshen swept a claw in through its entire range of motion. Dozens of trees crashed to the ground. Jules managed to avoid it and another sideswipe from the Warg. ¡°I hate you. I¡ª¡± ¡°YOU HATE YOURSELF.¡± Fiery vines shot from the Lesh¡¯s palm. They wrapped around Jules and scalded his skin and the viscera beneath.
[?7,600 // ?10,000]
¡°IF YOU WISH TO SAVE THEM, ACCEPT MY OFFER.¡± The Leshen, or Wrath through it, flung Jules around in an arc with its vines. He crashed to the hard ground.
[?6,800 // ?10,000]
¡°Agh!¡± Jules ripped away the vines. His flames turned dark green, almost gray. ¡°I hope you¡¯re in there, because I¡¯m going to kill you myself.¡± The Warg erupted in fire as well, into an uncontrollable blaze that caught everything around it in crimson flames. ¡°WHY MUST YOU ALL BE LIKE THIS? RISKING EVERYTHING FOR PRIDE.¡± Jules unsheathed his broken katana. He rolled under the sprinting Warg and cut open its stomach, end to end. Its flames scalded Jules'' face, but the beast howled in pain and collapsed, though it appeared to cauterize the wound quickly. ¡°HE STOLE YOUR POWER¡­ OUR POWER. I CAN HELP YOU GET IT BACK. FOR A PRICE.¡± The Leshen ripped off its stone armor bracers and flung them at Jules. They both missed, and one cratered into the ground, the other stuck halfway through a tree beside Jules. ¡°I can win this alone. All of it!¡± Jules hastily carved a Script into the surface of the stone with his blade. It was a shoddy job to a shoddy effect, but he decomposed the stone¡¯s Ryoku into a rough shield for himself. It evaporated and reconstituted itself in around his arm. ¡°NO ONE EVER ACHIEVED GREAT FEATS ALONE.¡± The Leshen punched straight into the shield and pushed Jules back. His feet carved a path into the dirt. ¡°Watch me.¡± The Warg was back on all four feet again. ¡°I ALREADY HAVE. YOU ARE INSUFFICIENT.¡± The Leshen removed its stone chest plate. Gripping it with two hands, he thrust the sharpened bottom point downward, onto Jules¡ªbut he dove straight for its exposed chest and pushed all of his green flames into the monster. The colors of the flames fused together. Fight fire with fire, you piece of¡ªshit. The monster went berserk and swung its chest plate wildly into Jules, who flew through the air and landed, impaled, on the Warg¡¯s antlers.
[?2,800 // ?10,000]
It thrashed and flung him off. Jules crashed to the ground again, disoriented. Hot, sticky blood pooled around him. He dipped a finger in, then wiped it across his katana. He infused some Ryoku into it.
[?1,900 // ?10,000]
¡°DO NOT DIE HERE. THERE IS MUCH YET TO BE DONE.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Jules groaned. His bones and organs ached, but he was determined to go out swinging. If that was it, well, so be it. ¡°FOOLISH. IF YOU DIE HERE, THEY DIE.¡± Jules¡¯ mind filled with images of Cyrus and Katarina taken captive by Zeke. No, he¡¯s lying, just trying to convince me to give him control. There¡¯s another way, somewhere¡­ ¡°NO. THERE IS ONLY ONE CHOICE FOR YOU.¡± Jules looked around desperately. He was practically in a clearing, the trees all around him had withered away. ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± Jules reserved the slightest remnant of Ryoku, then invoked a Rune.
? FIRE ? [?900 // ?10,000]
Jules ignited himself into an erupting fireball that encapsulated the surrounding glades.
CYRUS
Rough iron shackles cut through Cy¡¯s wrist as he tried to wrench out his fists. The fetters connected his hands to heavy chains, on another set of shackles around each ankle. The short chains restricted his movement. Definitely the work of the Bounty Hunters. These are Enchanted to prevent me from using any Scripts. Wonder if that applies to the Inked Arts as well? He looked down at his tourist disguise, which suddenly felt really stupid. There¡¯s an actual chance I might be executed in a floral print shirt. No, don¡¯t think like that. Jules is coming. Jules will come. I hope they didn¡¯t strip search us while we were unconscious. The Monk dragged Envy to the stone wall beside Cy. She wore the same chains. What about her Seal? Is that blocked too? ¡°Nasty scar you go there.¡± Cy nodded to the Monk''s chest. The brute punched Cy in the gut. He wheezed. The Monk¡¯s injury had been hastily healed, which would surely scar him for life. ¡°How¡¯s your friend doing?¡± Envy asked. The Monk backhanded her across the face so hard she spat out blood. ¡°His name is Felix. He will make it through. He always does.¡± "You better leave those¡ªhack¡ªdaggers in him. Nasty work." The Monk halted his second strike from the sudden noise. Outside, on the other side of the stone walls, a crowd erupted into applause and cheers. Cy had never been back here before, but he suspected they were in the hallway that led to the plaza¡¯s stage. Iron boots clanked on cobblestone and preceded Zeke¡¯s approach. ¡°You.¡± Zeke ignored Cy and inspected Envy¡¯s bloodied lip. ¡°What¡¯s this, Ragnar?¡± ¡°Spoke ill of Felix.¡± ¡°Do not tarnish the merchandise, please.¡± Zeke knelt down close to them and was still nearly eye level. ¡°Now, which one of you is the closest to Wrath?¡± Cy glared at his newest mortal enemy. Envy launched a bloody loogie at the bastard''s cheek. ¡°Hmph. The Maiden washes away your Sinful nature with her holiness.¡± Zeke patiently removed a lovely white cloth from his sash and wiped his face. He tossed the soiled cloth to the ground. ¡°Ragnar, we start with the girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kay.¡± Cy addressed her by an alias. ¡°He¡¯ll come. He¡¯ll make it on time.¡± "Where is The Spider?" Ragnar asked. "Still searching for Wrath?¡± ¡°Said he had some correspondence to make, directly with the Iron Maiden herself. Not sure why she¡¯d call him at such a crucial time like this, when Wrath isn¡¯t yet in our grasp, but¡­¡± Ragnar grunted a response. ¡°Superiority complex. Thought we didn¡¯t bring the military in because we had him nearby for the trap.¡± ¡°She has made him our superior, and you would do well to remember the chain of command. Now, take them to the stage. We have a show to put on.¡± Cy and Envy stumbled as Ragnar shoved them up the stairs, toward the stage. It required intense concentration not to trip in front of the crowd and further embarrass himself. They shuffled onto the wooden platform. A hangman¡¯s noose was set up next to an executioner¡¯s block. Shit. Now¡¯s a perfect time, Jules. ¡°Cy¡­" Envy trailed off. ¡°He¡¯s on his way, trust me. Trust him.¡± Cy was bluffing. It was a lie, and they both knew it. Cy knew Envy was worried for herself, sure, but more so for Cy. He was grateful that she had subtly volunteered to go first. Just in case. But it won¡¯t matter, he¡¯ll show up. Cy surveyed the crowd, full of people he¡¯d known in a past life. Only two stuck out to him, and their presence made the moment even worse, made the reality of it all really set in. Bookstacker, the Scholars Guild Recruiter who¡¯d denied him, and whom Cy¡¯d defeated and humiliated during the Sack, sneered and threw rotten food at him. ¡°Hey, you,¡± Cy shouted. ¡°Now is that upholding the principles of the Scholars?¡± ''Bookstacker scoffed. And then there was Patricia. She glared at him with her signature permanent frown. He was surprised she didn¡¯t sneer as well, but she had somehow found a novel way to inflict psychological trauma upon him. She brought all the other kids to watch. Cy¡¯s heart raced, and he was nervous for the first time. The Island Elder walked to the podium, but Zeke blocked him. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Elder.¡± Zeke addressed the crowd. ¡°Attention, residents of Coralhaven! At long last, we bring you justice, if not just some small portion of it. These two conspirators before you are servants of the one you knew as Jules Tideshaper, whom all of Salvatica now knows as Wrath.¡± The crowd jeered and demanded no mercy, no quarter. Cy and his Party were slandered, called murderers, friends of Sinners. Zeke commanded their silence. ¡°We have reason to believe that Wrath has returned to Coralhaven. He returned with his servants, but abandoned even them to death¡ªthough this should not surprise us¡ªin order to save his own demonic hide. Now, the time for mercy has passed. We cannot allow these two base criminals, these evil spirits, to crawl back to their master should they somehow escape. First, we have the girl who appears to be his whore.¡± Ragnar thrust her to the forefront of the stage. The crowd booed and hurled rotten food and obscenities at her. They demanded her head. Cy felt deeply for Envy in that moment, the humiliation and impartiality of it all. If only they knew. Cy looked away to save what remained of her honor. ¡°The Iron Maiden herself has decreed her death shall commence immediately, without trial. The blood is already on her hands, quite literally, as she nearly felled one of my brothers-in-arms.¡± ¡°Death to the infidels!¡± ¡°Next, we have someone whom you all recognize. He betrayed your trust, he killed your brothers and your sisters, your mothers and fathers, your sons, your daughters.¡± Someone kicked Cy to his knees. He turned around to find the masked assassin. Her presence stung more than the physical pain. ¡°Cyrus, of no Surname, an urchin of the streets to his very end. We shall execute him today as well, without trial, by decree of Her Holiness.¡± ¡°Long live the Iron Maiden!¡± ¡°Justice!¡± ¡°Now, onto the show. Ragnar, the girl.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Ragnar hoisted Envy over his shoulder. She thrashed and kicked, spat and bit. He flopped her¡ªnot gently¡ªinto position on the executioner¡¯s block. He shoved her head down so that her neck fit into the supple arc curved into the stone block. Cy gazed at the basket beneath it, the basket whose sole job was to collect her head. It paralyzed her, and she stopped resisting. She and Cy shared unbroken eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Kat.¡± He¡¯d forgotten her alias by now. ¡°I¡¯m here with you now, and he¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Cy reached out an arm. Envy was a brick wall of emotions, but then she shed a single tear, and Cy knew it wasn¡¯t for herself. Neither one blinked. Zeke approached the block. He brandished a black executioner¡¯s ax. It looked evil. He looked evil. The blade was massive, heavily weighted to ensure a quick and merciful kill. The crowd drowned out Cy¡¯s shouts. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Kat! He¡¯ll be here. In three¡­two..one¡­¡± Their unflinching eye contact ended. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, which fell, severed. Her expression nearly killed Cy, the terror on her face, which plummeted in slow motion, an expression frozen across her features from the nerve damage. PLOP! Envy finally landed in the basket. Despite the crowd¡¯s roar, he heard the gushing blood and wet sounds of the entire death sentence. And he was next. Cy lost his composure. For Envy, for Jules, for himself. He¡¯d never felt more vulnerable. He fell to all fours, a tear in each eye, but still, he couldn¡¯t look away from the basket, from Envy¡¯s neck squirting blood as her heart slowed to its final beats. I am so sorry, Kat. ¡°Get him up. Bring him to me.¡± The assassin obeyed the order. She grabbed him from behind and dead lifted him up onto his dead legs. She struggled to drag him over to the block. Bookstackers'' sneer widened. Patricia¡¯s frown deepened. Fuck you. Cy head-butted the masked woman. She wrapped her arms around him in a chokehold. His brain screamed for blood; he thrashed some more. "Please don''t do this!" He tried to shout but could barely gurgle. "Please, S¡ª" Cy locked eyes with a man that split through the crowd. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 73 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by B.S. Snelliott The Bounty Hunters An elusive Faction (or Guild, even your illustrious author is not quite sure how far their tendrils reach), the Bounty Hunters are a¡ªpotentially fake¡ªgroup of highly skilled Fighters and Scholars that¡ªahem¡ªsimply put, go out and kidnap others. It is rumored that they have Enchantments that can restrict someone¡¯s usage of Ryoku when bound by them. It is further rumored that leaders of certain Factions hire the Bounty Hunters to kidnap members of other Factions¡ªand get this¡ªthat the human themselves are not the target, but the Faction-specific and highly coveted Scripts they possess are. Surely a conspiracy theory, and nothing more, but we found it appropriate to cover them in this volume. Ch 74 - Delusions of Savior
JULES
The black flames may help the Leshen Regenerate, but it can¡¯t Regenerate without trees around. The Warg is another problem, though. Jules used the final ace up his sleeve. While the inferno raged and spread chaos all around, Jules sheathed his katana. He knocked back the sword and the sheath in place of an arrow. Jules shot it at the Warg, and just before it struck, he activated the Inked Art at the base of the blade, etched in his own blood.
? Activate ? ? Fragment ? [?890 // ?10,000]
The blade shattered through the sheathe and created a shrapnel-like impact on the beast. Jules jumped on top of the distracted Leshen and ripped the stone skull off its face, though it was less of a face and more a collection of vines and fungus like the rest of its body. ¡°GO FOR THE ANTLERS, JULESSSS¡­¡± Jules grabbed one of its antlers and yanked as hard as he could¡ªIt snapped after ripping off an entire side from the monster¡¯s head. The black flames died out, and at last it was dead. The rush of all his power flooded into him for but an instant. No, even more. Significantly more¡­the power of hundreds, maybe thousands of me. The antlers burned away the moss and fungus around the antler until the wooden bone structure underneath was all that remained, in the shape of a rough wooden sword.
[Item: A wooden stick.]
Darkness spread from Jules'' pupils to the edges of his eyes until his eyes were blacker than Ink. Time froze, and a vision appeared before him. A frail, sickly woman. White robes, tattered at the edges. Long wisps of thread that fall far below her hands, like thread from a spider¡¯s web. Thin, sickly gray skin. Can¡¯t see her face, covered by a white hood. Looking up. At me? Eyes opened¡ªpure black. Nothing behind them. No life, no hopes. No dreams¡­ Jules returned to the Shrine. A dream within a dream? Jules clenched the Vessel in his right hand. He felt none of the surging power from before. It had all faded away, and his eyes felt normal again. The Leshen smoldered to black ash. ¡°THE WARG STILL HAS OUR POWER. YOU CANNOT USE THE SOUND UNTIL IT IS RETURNED.¡± The voice came from inside his own head now, rather than the Leshen. ¡°How do I do that?¡± And why the Hell am I trusting you? ¡°GIVE ME CONTROL, AND I WILL SHOW YOU.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll just kill it.¡± The Warg rose, healed enough from the shrapnel attack. ¡°THAT WILL PROVE DIFFICULT, AND YOU ARE SHORT ON TIME.¡± Jules was weak. He knew it, the Warg knew it. Wrath certainly knew it. Everything depended on one last exchange. The Warg circled him slowly. Wrath showed Jules further visions. Of his friends and father fighting the Iron Maidens, three-on-four. Of Liam, barging through his childhood home, hugging his wife and newborn. Of Cyrus and Katarina losing their battles. Of the same two, now standing before an executioner¡¯s ax. Of Liam, running away from his friends in need. Of betrayal, of fury. Of Zeke, lifting an executioner¡¯s ax high in the air. ¡­Of wrath. Jules closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were flooded black once more. "Tell me what to do." ¡°IT IS SIMPLE. JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND LET ME IN.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way?¡± Jules received no response. ¡°I want you to know, Wrath, that one day I will use the Sound and kill you with your own weapon.¡± Jules realized he spoke to no one. Wrath had already retreated from his mind, and now waited, in earnest, behind those doors. He ran to them. The Warg chased him. The sprint took forever. He saw his entire life flash before his eyes, the costs of failure, and the costs sacrificed for the future. Save them. At all costs. Jules pushed open the door just as the Warg crashed into him. Waiting on the other side for them stood the demon, its serrated teeth lined in a smile. Jules crashed to the cobblestone floor of the jail cell. Wrath raised an index finger and halted the Warg in its tracks. Black flames sapped away from it into Wrath¡¯s finger, and then into Wrath himself. The beast disintegrated. Jules looked up at the demon, at his mercy. ¡°You promised to save them.¡± ¡°I DID.¡± The whirlwind vortex sucked in both Jules and Wrath, destined for Coralhaven.
[Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Do not open the door.] This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
CYRUS
Black eyes¡­ Jules? The crowd hushed and jumped back from the approaching figure shrouded in darkness and battle-tattered clothes. With his rough wooden sword, he gently brushed people out of his path as he wedged through the crowd. His eyes were coal black, all the way throughout, and wide with the thrill of battle, of adrenaline. Wider than that was his bloodthirsty smile that implied a singular focus: to kill. The edges of his eyes were tinged with small black flames. No¡­ That¡¯s Jules¡¯ body. But it¡¯s not Jules. "Wrath has returned." Cy''s whisper turned to a shout. ¡°Rukia, Kaizen¡ªJules is lost!¡± Cy didn¡¯t know where they were, if they were still with Whiskers, if they could even do anything, but he had to try, to do something. He gripped the assassin¡¯s arm. ¡°Please, we need to leave¡ªThat¡¯s not Jules anymore. He¡¯s awake!¡± Zeke turned to Wrath and smiled. ¡°Like a moth to a flame.¡± Bad analogy, you idiot. ¡°Guards, Maidens¡ªSurround him!¡± The masked assassin tossed Cy beside Zeke. She and Ragnar leapt off the stage to intercept Jules, Wrath. Dozens of people in the crowd thrust off cloaks, revealing themselves as Guards and what little military personnel were still stationed in Coralhaven. Residents and tourists fled desperately as the Soldiers closed in on him. People fell and were trampled; the sounds of men, women, and children screaming sent shivers down Cy''s spine. Not once did Wrath halt or even slow his approach to acknowledge them. Instead, Wrath pointed at the stage. ¡°I have come to kill you. Anyone who gets in my way will be granted a most glorious death.¡± The assault force charged Wrath, who disappeared in a flash. He reappeared above Cy and Zeke. The wooden sword ignited into black flames, and Wrath crashed down on them. Zeke dropped the executioner''s ax and drew his warhammer. Golden tendrils sparked from the weapons'' impact. Wherever the sparks touched Wrath, they seared away his flesh instantly. Wrath leapt back to Regenerate, faster than Jules was ever capable of. He and Zeke circled each other on stage. ¡°Holy Magic? You shall perish first.¡± Their weapons slammed into each other again. More sparks flew, and only Wrath was damaged in the exchange. He¡¯s enjoying this, like he¡¯s unfazed by the pain. Or so it seems. Zeke connected blow after blow to Wrath¡¯s chest. He caved in the demon¡¯s lungs and heart, but Wrath straightened up with a smile. He¡¯s toying with him... Zeke slammed his warhammer from straight overhead in a powerful blow. Wrath batted it aside, one-handed with a wooden stick, as if he swatted a fly. With his other hand, Wrath placed his palm on Zeke¡¯s forehead. Wrath¡¯s hand melted away. He inspected the liquified mess. ¡°Holy Oil as well?¡± Zeke swiped his hammer horizontally to implode Wrath¡¯s head, but the blow just turned the demon¡¯s head to the side, though it scalded his skin until bone and viscera peeked through. ¡°You are well prepared. Tell me, Pastor¡­ Have you met one of the Magi?¡± The Magi? Zeke swung again. Wrath halted it with a bare hand that again melted away. ¡°Hmm. Perhaps not.¡± A projectile assault from below the stage shot Wrath in the back. He whipped his sword around, and a trail of black fire swept through them. The wildfire engulfed everything it touched. The inferno refused to die down and spread toward Cy. Cy retreated; he crawled backward as far and as quickly as he could. He bumped into the basket that contained Envy¡¯s head. She stared at him blankly. ¡°Oh, Kat. I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Are you really¡­?¡± He looked at the abandoned executioner''s ax, and at the damage that Zeke''s warhammer did to Wrath, to Jules'' body. Please, Kat¡­ Color returned to Envy''s face, and the severed head winked at him. "Cy¡ªrun,¡± she wheezed. The color faded to white again. ¡°Survive, Kat. I¡¯ll come back for you.¡± Cy rolled off the edge of the stage opposite of Jules. No, Wrath. A group of men on stage fought¡ªor tried to fight¡ªWrath. Cy hopped to his feet and hobbled away. He desperately tried to find a stray weapon to break his chains. People were flung through the air in any direction, all of them on fire. One of them dropped a sword between Cy and his captors, Ragnar and the assassin. Ragnar must have failed to notice as he rushed onto the stage. But the assassin crept toward the sword. Cy leapt onto it, but her foot rested on the blade. ¡°Eye for an eye,¡± he said. ¡°I spared your life. Now return me the favor.¡± They glared at each other, unbroken. She dug her heel into the blade harder, but then she collapsed to the ground, with Ragnar on top of her. In the confusion, Cy wrenched away the sword and sliced the chains first, to free his mobility, though his magic was still restricted by the shackles. He tried to activate an Inked Art to no effect. ¡°Salvos dammit all¡­¡± Wrath fought at least forty people, with Zeke in the midst of it all. Wrath¡¯s fiery sword connected with damn near all of them, and each one fell to the ground to writhe in agony. He¡¯s torturing them. A glorious death, eh? The assassin struggled to push an unconscious, fiery Ragnar off herself to escape the spreading flames. She looked at him in desperation. ¡°On your own, now.¡± Cy fled to an alleyway. Gotta find safety. But is anywhere safe?! I need to find Rukia. Or Liam. Do I run back to the house? What if they¡¯re still in town, though? Shit, what do I do? ¡°Citizens of Coralhaven!" Zeke spoke to the town, his voice bolstered by a Script. "The time to fight is now! Without the full might of this town, Wrath will kill us all. If you have ever wanted peace in Salvatica, now is the time to join the battle of good and evil!¡± As Cy continued his escape, more and more people ran the opposite way, back to the plaza. Mostly men at first, then some older boys, and eventually women. Keegan and Reece, from the orphanage, ran past him, but Cy had to let them go. They¡¯ve made their choice, and I¡¯ve made mine. He scaled the exterior of the Apothecary, the second-highest building in town, beside the bell-tower, which was too close to the chaos. Once up high, he surveyed the town for any sign of a white fox, a black cat, or an old man. Nothing. Hundreds of people rushed towards the plaza from all directions. Fools, the plaza is in flames. This is going bad, really bad. Even Kat is going to be stuck there for a while. Zeke continued his ranged pleas for help, but his voice was replaced by another. It gave Cy the chills. It was cruel, yet noble. ¡°Capture the Tideshapers, Liam and Evelyn. They carry a baby girl. Do not let them escape.¡± "YOU BASTARD!" Jules'' voice echoed and reverberated all throughout town, and likely into the hills. A single second passed. Then the black flames receded back to a single point in what sounded like a clap of thunder. The silence that followed made Cy¡¯s ears ring. Good. They must have killed him. Easier to stop them from kidnapping him than to stop Wrath from rampaging through town. A bolt of black lightning erupted in the plaza. No, from the plaza. That bolt shot up to the sky, but how?
ENVY
Kat¡¯s eyelids ripped open. Phantom limb pain spread throughout her entire body again, from the neck down. Stars filled her immovable gaze. She tried to gasp, tried to shout, but her lungs and neck were still several feet away. Vision faded to black once more. Starting to¡­lose count¡­ Eyes rolled back into her head, and she died within ten seconds of revival. Kat returned in a few minutes, only to repeat the cycle. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 74 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 75 - RAINING BLOOD
CYRUS
The sky turned red, crimson red. Clouds radiated out from where the bolt struck. The sky seems separated, like it split at that point¡­ Reminds me of The Flying Dutchman rising from the sea. Oh crap. Cy realized he stood on a giant metal rooftop. Time to get down. He scaled down as quickly as he could without the aid of Ryoku. By now, the clouds surpassed his field of view. Don''t think he''s dead, so the plan still stands. He ran toward Jules¡¯ home. CR-CRACK!! Thunder erupted from the clouds. Bolts of lightning struck and crumbled a building. Yells came from every direction, and it started to rain. The rain grew strong quickly¡ªred drops that stung at first, then pierced his nerves, and finally melted his skin. ¡°AHHH!!¡±
[?2,200 // ?10,000]
Cy dove through the nearest door and into shelter. He laid in the prison¡¯s empty lobby. Bloodcurdling shrieks of pain, not fear, sounded all around outside. People ran past him, their bodies oozing with blood from open sores. Acid? Poison? What the hell, Jules? What the fuck!? Cy glanced at his own wounds. All of his exposed skin was slightly bloodied. He¡¯d make it inside just in time. It melted even the chains¡ªWait, the chains? A terrible idea dawned on him. The Smithy is too far away, which leaves me with no choice. He ran to the edge of the rain, sat down, shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, then stuck his feet out into the rain. He howled, but kept his legs as steady as he could through their convulsions.
[?1,700 // ?10,000]
The agonizing pain spread all over immediately, even parts of him that weren¡¯t wet. Quickly, he withdrew his feet and slammed the shackles on the stone floor until they cracked. He ripped them off, and the acid covering the shackles now burned his hands.
[?1,200 // ?10,000]
"Fuck fuck fuck!" He repeated the process for his hand restraints.
[?700 // ?10,000] ? Activate ? [?690 // ?10,000]
When finally freed, he activated an Inked Art healing Script. It took effect while he cowered in the fetal position on the floor. He stood again once he was sufficiently healed. The pain remained, but at least he could move his muscles and tendons again. A droplet fell onto his shoulder from the ceiling. He looked up and realized that the building was melting from the top side, too. There is no way I can make it to Jules¡¯ house now.
[?8,690 // ?10,000]
Thank Salvos that Healing Inked Art finished. Finally a brief¡ª Someone burst through the window and crashed to the ground beside him. Cy cloaked himself in magic armor.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?6,190 // ?10,000]
He was afraid to touch her as her own leather armor was wet from the acid. She rose slowly and gently, clearly injured. The acid had melted part of her mask off, and Cy finally saw her face, exposed to the world. ¡°Hello, Selene.¡± They¡¯d had one hell of a friendship since he first saw her in Aquilantis, at the plaza when they met The Painter. She¡¯d been at the Hydromage tryouts, and he¡¯d seen her plenty of times since during his days off at the casino. He¡¯d relied on her to count cards, and he¡¯d paid her heavily to do so as his insider help. They¡¯d shared plenty of drinks together after her shifts. And then she¡¯d tried to kill him a few times. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± Selene said, after studying his face for a while. ¡°It didn¡¯t take me long. Soon as I smelled lilac on the floating markets, I knew." ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry it came to this, Cy." ¡°You sound so sincere. How long have you been working for the Maidens?¡± Selene tilted her head. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a story that you want to hear," she said. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Did you know about Jules at the beach, at tryouts?¡± ¡°No. A mistake for which I was severely punished last week.¡± ¡°After you allowed us to escape?¡± Hope that stings. ¡°For which I received a second punishment.¡± ¡°So what now, Selene? Do we fight until one of us kills the other? Or do we wait until the rain kills us both?¡± ¡°I have no choice but to bring you to justice.¡± ¡°You always have a choice.¡± ¡°I never have.¡± She attacked him. Cy avoided contact as much as possible. Tough as he was, the acid rain terrified him. Besides that, his body wasn¡¯t fully responsive. His speed was impaired, his Ryoku low. They fought with their fists, and their legs, and their elbows, and their knees. Cy used his Ryoku Shield to deliver his blows and protect his body. She remained relentless, and he had a serious disadvantage. What the hell kind of armor is that? Selene finally grabbed his arm and twisted him around. She pulled him close to her, as if to whisper into his ear. Cy braced himself for the searing pain of the acid, but it never came. He felt the water dampen his clothes, but still, nothing. In his hesitation, she removed a dagger and stabbed it through his heart.
[?1 // ?10,000]
Cy¡¯s eyes widened and filled with red at the edges. He wheezed in and expected blood to fill his lungs. Cy reached out a shaky hand. He grazed her hand, her arm, her breasts, and then her face. His breath quickened; his eyes darted all around. His fingers twitched on her cheek. Cy thought of becoming an Alter, and nothing else. ¡°Shhh. Relax.¡± Selene eased him onto the floor and continued to shush him. ¡°Don''t be so dramatic. This blade is Enchanted. It won¡¯t kill you¡ªuntil you pull it out, so don¡¯t. Fucking. Do that.¡± She dragged him by the legs out of the lobby, into one of the stone-encapsulated cells. Cy couldn¡¯t speak, only gasp. ¡°I have only ever used this type of blade to frame someone. So whoever removed it would be covered in blood, so the time of death corresponds to when they arrived on the scene, so someone can walk in when the other cries for help, only to see my target dying¡­ There are a lot of good uses for it.¡± She spoke clinically, as if such violence were typical. Selene hoisted Cy up onto a stone bed and laid down next to him. She looked exhausted. ¡°Please,¡± Cy groaned. ¡°I have to save my friends. What are you¡ªWhat are you even doing?¡± She ran a gentle hand across his cheek. She nuzzled her head into his neck. He wanted to kill her. Lilac filled his nostrils. ¡°Bringing you to justice. You¡¯re in prison, so my job¡¯s complete.¡± What the hell? ¡°You¡¯ve gotta find the loophole, Cy.¡± Cy laughed, but stopped himself when he felt the discomfort of the blade. His desire to kill her faded away. He used to always tell her to find a loophole during their gambling schemes. ¡°No, Selene. I have to go. I have to save them all.¡± Selene closed her eyes and sighed. She left their shared bed, walked away, and stopped at the cell door. ¡°There¡¯s no one left to save, Cy. Everyone¡¯s already dead.¡± She left the cell door open. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave until the rain has stopped.¡± The smell of lilac faded. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°If you want to live, then have a Genius Healer remove that dagger for you. I didn''t Enchant it¡ªit''s well beyond my Skillset. Goodbye, Cyrus.¡±
?? Rest and Heal ??
Cy tried to get up, but the weight of his eyelids pressed his whole body flat.
ENVY
Kat¡¯s eyelids ripped open. Phantom limb pain spread throughout her entire body again, from the neck down. Stars filled half of her immovable gaze, the other half, what remained of the basket. Wait¡ªI¡¯ve moved? She would have gasped if she had lungs. Her eyes darted around. A dark figure moved nearby. Kat died again. A few minutes passed, and she repeated the cycle.
JULES
Jules awoke, naked. The sun set behind him. He found himself sitting with his back against a tree, his knees raised and feet crossed, and the Sound of Fury, or part of it at least, rested between his hands and feet. His entire skull throbbed, and most of his vision was filled with black and white spots that made it hard to focus on any single thing around him. The Hell am I? Am how''d I get here? No matter where he looked, nothing seemed familiar, and he saw no other sign of life. Not even animals. Where are my friends? Jules stood up, naked and vulnerable. He quickly became dizzy and fell back down, unsure of which way was up and which was down. ¡°Siren¡¯s Cove?¡± Jules looked around. No, we left there already. Those trees over there, gotta be Coralhaven. Plus, I have the Sound¡ª
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Capture the Shrine in Coralhaven.] [The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Capture the Shrine.] [The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [The Shrine of Coralhaven ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Unknown Vessel.] [Item: The Sound of Fury. Unknown origins. Genius Rank. Level 1.] [The Sound and the Fury ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find the missing piece in Coralhaven.] [The Sound and the Fury ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Get a lead on the other missing pieces.] [The Sound and the Fury ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Train with Kaizen to learn how to wield the Sound of Fury.]
That''s right, I pulled the Sound from that Leshen''s antlers. What happened after that¡­? I guess the vortex spat me out back here.
? Conjure ? ? Clothing ? [?4,200 // ?10,000]
Ethereal purple clothes covered Jules¡¯ frame. But since they were ethereal, he still felt exposed. I need to find real clothes. Jules wandered aimlessly in the growing dark, stumbling and tripping many times over. Slowly, his memories returned. I saw the monument, I entered the Shrine, I fought the Leshen. But wasn''t there something else there? Jules tripped over a branch and tumbled down a slope into thorny brush. Far too tired, he made no effort to deafen the sounds. ¡°Oh, Juuuuules?¡± Jules knew the voice¡ªbut from where? He crouched in the prickly bushes, which opened both old and new wounds. A white fox scurried by, then tackled him. ¡°Oh¡ªJules!¡± ¡°Hey, Rukia! I thought I recognized your voice. Why do you sound different? What?¡± Rukia replied with droopy, puppy dog eyes. ¡°OK, seriously. What¡¯s the problem, Ruke?¡± ¡°Oh, Jules¡­¡±
ENVY
Kat¡¯s eyelids ripped open. Real pain spread throughout every limb, from the neck down. The dark figure moved again. Her heart hadn¡¯t started working yet, so she died again. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 75 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 76 - Home
ENVY
Kat opened her eyes slowly. Whiskers sat on her chest. She felt his weight. He purred, and she rubbed his head and cried. ¡°Thank you,¡± she repeated again and again. ¡°Katarina,¡± he said softly. ¡°I am sorry it took me so long. I was¡­ with Rukia and Kaizen.¡± Kat sat up quickly, too quickly. Whiskers hopped off her and landed on all fours. Her neck wound, which hadn''t fully healed yet, bled. Dark green acid boiled out while she Regenerated. All of her attention for the past few hours had been consumed by her living nightmare. She could now think about what had caused it. ¡°Jules.¡± ¡°He is¡­ safe,¡± Whiskers said. Kat studied his expression for any clues to Jules¡¯ wellbeing, or the state of the town, or¡ª ¡°Cy!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not know. But I wouldn''t dare doubt he weaseled his way into surviving somehow. A cockroach, that one.¡± She looked around. Bodies everywhere. No. These can only be described as¡­remains. Kat wobbled to her feet. Her synapses hadn¡¯t fully healed yet, and she crashed to her knees more than once. Bones laid all around her on the podium. Scorched bones, melted bones, and pools of coagulating blood surrounded her. No one had survived Wrath¡¯s fury. He burned everything. ¡°The rain.¡± Kat remembered a period of her endless death cycle, near the beginning. She would awake to a terrible sight, red rain that burned her flesh off. Luckily for her, it would only last a few seconds before her brain was starved of oxygen. Best to not think about it. ¡°We need to look for Cy," Whiskers said. ¡°And Jules?¡± Whiskers looked away from her. ¡°He is in Rukia and Kaizen¡¯s hands now. They requested that we¡­ Leave him be for now.¡± "Whiskers¡­" What are you hiding from me? She found it best to leave the matter alone for now. She looked her Familiar over. ¡°Your tails¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Katarina. But I am fine.¡± Whiskers whipped his fluffy tails around. All three of them. ¡°You didn¡¯t make it out any better than I did¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. I only died once.¡± ¡°I am sorry." Kat stood on her own two feet again. "Now it''ll be harder for you to blend in.¡± ¡°That ship has sailed. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll all be notorious after today.¡± Kat wiped away a single tear. I can handle dying, but Whiskers¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You¡¯re not the only one who can die for this team.¡± Kat reached out an arm. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go find Cy.¡± Whiskers jumped onto her arm and climbed to her shoulder. This feels¡­nice. A warm smile crept across Kat''s face. The moment was ruined, completely shattered, when she looked down and saw a group of children, their charred ashes etched into the ground, curled up into the fetal position.
JULES
Rukia licked his face. Jules couldn¡¯t remember what he¡¯d done to feel this way, but he felt guilty, like he shouldn¡¯t be happy right now or enjoying this moment. Kaizen, manifested by Rukia, floated in the air between the trees, sitting with legs crossed. ¡°Jules, what do you remember?¡± Judging by that look, must be bad. ¡°I came here to capture the Shrine. I remember that much.¡± ¡°What happened inside it? What did you agree to¡ª¡± ¡°Kaizen,¡± Rukia warned. Jules studied them both. ¡°The Warg¡­I forgot about him. And then I slayed a Leshen. I ripped a sword from its antlers. But I still had to fight the Warg¡ª¡± Jules'' memory flooded back. I made a deal with Wrath.
[Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Find a way to shut the door again.] This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Beyond that, everything remained hazy and obscure. Jules glanced around at the forest. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake up here by accident, did I?¡± ¡°No.¡± It was the way Kaizen said it that stung Jules. The harsh tone, the shortness of the sentence. As if there was a lot more to say, but that was all the samurai could say without exploding. ¡°I was going to die. Really die.¡± Jules glared at Kaizen, but held his tongue. ¡°So I agreed to give him control if he¡¯d save my friends.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kaizen looked at the stars. No shooting stars tonight, you bastard. ¡°Jules,¡± Rukia said. Jules just looked at her. He couldn''t speak. He could only wait to hear about the fallout. Her expression didn¡¯t help him. There was no blame, no judgment, just sadness, though Jules wasn¡¯t sure who she felt for. Surely not me. ¡°Was it¡­ Was it worse than last time?¡± Jules asked. Rukia nestled her head into Jules'' laps. ¡°Yes,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°You gave him full control. He saved your friends, so I hope it was worth it.¡± Jules felt relief. Then he felt guilty for that, too. His heart raced and his stomach dropped. ¡°I wish I had died in that Shrine.¡± Rukia whimpered. Kaizen remained silent for a while, then spoke again. ¡°Jules. What¡¯s done is done. You can¡¯t go back and change what you¡¯ve done any more than I can. I won¡¯t sit here and lecture and judge you. I won¡¯t tell you this was or wasn¡¯t your fault¡ª¡± ¡°But it is.¡± Jules wished they¡¯d lay into him, that they¡¯d deal him the punishment he deserved. ¡°Only you can decide that. And your opinion on the matter will change with time.¡± Kaizen averted his stargazing to look at Jules again. ¡°And that opinion will change many times over.¡± Why do I feel like that''s happening to you, right now? Regretting something you''ve been at peace with? ¡°However, you made the choice. Now, we need to move forward with the wisdom of that experience.¡± Jules sat and wondered about all the people he might have killed. Smitty. Hal. Sal¡­ Oh, Salvos¡ª ¡°My family? What about my family?¡± ¡°Jules,¡± Rukia whispered. Jules finally realized where he was¡ªjust a short walk from his house. I must have¡­Wrath, that is, must have been going to them. Are they safe? Have I already been there? Jules shot up. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± Kaizen dropped down from his levitation and put his feet firmly on the ground. It was the first time Jules had ever seen his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should go back there. I think we should head for the ship.¡± Jules ran toward his home, straight through Kaizen''s ethereal body.
CYRUS
Cy awoke to someone yelling his name. His crusty eyelids stuck together and felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. Eyes open or shut, he saw the same thing¡ªdarkness. ¡°Jules?¡± Cy lifted himself up slowly. He felt some type of large pressure in his chest, like an elephant sat on it. Am I having a heart attack? Instinctively, he reached for his chest. He froze when he felt the cold metal handle of the dagger. Do not. Touch it. Cy moved his hand away, as slowly and purposefully as he could muster. Through slow, shallow breaths, he experimented with how much he could inflate his diaphragm without disturbing the blade. About half capacity is my absolute limit, just to be safe. He stood up and hit his head on a rough stone. ¡°Agghh!¡± He sat down hurriedly and controlled his breathing. ¡°Shit shit shit!¡± Another shallow breath to calm the nerves¡­
? Light ? [?3,200 // ?10,000]
The stone jail cell lit up. The front half, including the gate, was closed off by the caved-in ceiling, composed of all rock. One boulder looks safe enough to move.
? Force ? [?1,900 // ?10,000]
The Rune applied leveraged pressure against one side of the boulder. It rolled toward Cy and¡ª CRACK!! A larger stone collapsed behind the boulder and brought down parts of the ceiling with it. Light poured in from the evening night sky, and Cy looked into the cell adjacent to his own. Its ceiling had also caved in, but the rocks had shattered and left the cell open to the night air. And the rain. Cy inspected the corpse. He vomited. Whoever Isolda had incarcerated in her place, who Cy had hoped would be freed the next time the Guards checked on her¡ª No. Don¡¯t think about it. Cy averted his gaze from the falsely accused, the falsely imprisoned. Crawling through this hole without shifting the blade in his heart would be difficult enough¡ªhe didn''t want to be further weighed down by guilt. The ledge of the rock he planned to climb out with was wet. Fuck fuck fuck. OK¡ª One. Two. Three¡ª He grazed the wet surface with a fingertip, then sighed with relief. Nothing. "Cy!?" they called again. Cy clambered out of the jail. ¡°Kat?¡± Cy shouted back. ¡°That you? I¡¯m over here!¡± He was filled with more relief that someone else had survived. Someone who doesn¡¯t want to kill me. He sat down and leaned against the stone. ¡°Cy,¡± Envy cried. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you¡ªOh, Salvos!¡± She covered her mouth. Her gaze fixed on the jagged dagger. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Kat. I¡¯m OK. It¡¯s Enchanted. Selene said it would only harm me when removed, so¡ªNo, listen! Don¡¯t touch it.¡± ¡°OK, OK! And Selene¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. The purple-haired chick we met at the Hydromage Tryouts. She¡¯s been working with the Iron Maidens. She''s who I¡¯ve been fighting. She¡ªdon¡¯t give me that look¡ªShe saved me, I guess. In the end. Well, actually I''m not sure¡­" ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alive!" Envy enwrapped him in a side hug, careful to avoid the dagger. ¡°As am I,¡± Whiskers said. Cy laughed. ¡°You look different. Get a fur-cut or something?¡± Whiskers furrowed his brows. His irises turned sharp and narrow. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for humor, Cyrus.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Cy thought about getting up, but figured a few more minutes wouldn''t hurt. ¡°And Jules?¡± ¡°Jules is Jules again,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°Rukia has assured me.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Envy and Whiskers looked at each other. ¡°Close by,¡± Envy said. ¡°We''re supposed to meet them on the ship.¡± ¡°Our ship? Think there¡¯s anything left?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Whiskers said. Cy grunted, then he stood up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. I can rest there.¡± He walked away. ¡°Cy,¡± Envy whispered. ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t¡ª" "Smitty¡­" The rain melted most buildings to the ground. Only those made of stone survived. A few streets over, half of The Halberd remained standing, the other half reduced to rubble. One body lingered by the Forge, turned to ash. "Hal¡­" Never even thought to question if Smitty was your real name¡­ Cy turned to the sky, for the Apothecary and the bell tower, but nothing remained. Everything was reduced to ash. "You¡¯d better let us lead the way.¡± Envy touched Cy''s elbow. ¡°Oh.¡± Cy looked around at what little remained of his hometown. ¡°Right.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 76 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 77 - Hey Mama
JULES
Jules sprinted through the smoldering garden, past the crumpled trellis, and towards the dilapidated remains of what used to be his home. He shoveled stones and planks away from the debris, desperate to find someone, anyone, in the wreckage. ¡°Jules¡­¡± ¡°Evelyn!¡± Jules cleared a pile of rubble and found her, her lower body crushed by a massive beam. Jules heaved against it, to no avail. ¡°Jules, are you alright?¡± Evelyn asked while he struggled. ¡°Don¡¯t move¡ªI¡¯ll save you.¡± Jules squatted down and reverse gripped the beam. He dead lifted straight up until his fingers started to rip skin and break bone. Green fire erupted from his eyes and he finally lifted the pillar off of her and dropped it beyond her feet. His hands steamed while they Regenerated.
[?5,200 // ?10,000]
¡°It¡¯s too late, Jules. My body¡­" She smiled at him. Tears filled Jules¡¯ eyes. "It¡¯s been too long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Evelyn.¡± He knelt down next to her. The hate he¡¯d felt just a day ago faded away. ¡°Dad? Azura?¡± She grabbed his hand in hers. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Jules. They left when that boy spoke to everyone about capturing us. That boy¡­ Oh, Jules. I was such a fool to trust him. I¡¯ve been a fool about a lot of things.¡± Tears streamed down her beaten face. Jules tried to swallow the lump in his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jules repeated. ¡°No, Jules. You have nothing to apologize for. It¡¯s been all me the entire time. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jules cried into her hand. ¡°You know, I was proud of you yesterday, for standing up for yourself to me. For giving it to me straight. You¡¯ve become strong. Without my help.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Why now? ¡°I¡¯ve been terrible. I should have loved you more.¡± ¡°No, Evelyn. You were right. I did all this, I destroyed the town, I¡ª¡± ¡°No, Jules. I did." Evelyn averted her teary eyes. She drew a deep breath and turned back to face her deepest fears. "You don¡¯t get to take the blame this time. The source of your wrath¡ªIs it inherent to you, or does it come from my mistreatment of you? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done for the past two years,¡± she cried more at that admission, ¡°but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing in comparison to what I put you through.¡± ¡°Evelyn, I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Son. I forgive you for what you said to me yesterday. It was well deserved, and I shouldn¡¯t even have to forgive you for it. It was true. But I don¡¯t want you to carry that around in your heart.¡± She reached her other hand out and embraced his with both of hers. ¡°Liam, he told me about Cy and your friend, the other Sin¡ªthe girl, I mean.¡± She laughed at herself with a soft smile. ¡°Brainwashed until the end.¡± ¡°I never wanted to do this to you, to anyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK, Jules. There¡¯s something larger at play here. I¡¯ve realized that now, a little too late. It¡¯s beyond my capacity to understand, but¡­ At least I didn¡¯t die before I could give you what you need.¡± Jules¡¯ heart raced. All he could do was stare off into space. ¡°You were right,¡± she said, ¡°and I was wrong. The way I raised you was despicable, and I¡­ It¡¯s selfish of me to say, or ask, but I hope it¡¯s not how you remember me. I hope that you remember me in this moment, apologizing to you. Because I truly love you, Jules. Just know that, whatever happened today, I carry the burden of it all, as it drags me down to Hell, where I belong.¡± ¡°Please." Jules squeezed her hands and choked up. "Don¡¯t leave me.¡± Not after we¡¯ve started to make amends. ¡°Jules.¡± She coughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. But please, I know I shouldn¡¯t ask for this, but please, just¡­ Just stay with me a while. Until¡ªuntil it¡¯s time.¡± She ran her fingers across his cheek and tousled his hair. Jules felt empty inside. He felt the joy of this moment, drowned out by the same moment¡¯s sorrow. ¡°My son. My beautiful son¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I¡ª¡± She put a finger to his lips and hushed him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. In this of all moments. I don¡¯t deserve it. Hearing you call me that is enough for me. But Jules, listen to me. I am beyond saving, so I will break my Binding Vow for you.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes widened and filled with tears. ¡°We¡ªyou¡ªare from the Serene Archipelago.¡± The Binding Vow''s mark, a tattoo on the bottom of her tongue, lit up her entire mouth gold as she spoke. What¡­? If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Yes, we couldn¡¯t even break our Vow to you, Jules." From its origin, the gold light turned black. It radiated and spread out slowly. Jules had never seen it happen before, but knew what it meant. "When you are ready, Jules, and when it¡¯s time to face your destiny, find your grandfather. My father. His name is Noah Canaan. But whatever you do, Jules¡ªStay aware from the Tideshapers. Liam defected from them, long before you were born, for good reason." ¡°Dad abandoned his own family?¡± ¡°Yes, Jules, your father, he¡­ He was¡­¡± Her mouth was nearly all black. "He was what!?" "Was¡­" The golden light from Evelyn¡¯s Binding Vow faded, along with her life, away to darkness. ¡°Mom. Mom? Mom!¡± Jules rocked her head in his arms.
[New Quest Available: Maternal Instincts] [New Reward Available for Maternal Instincts: Familial knowledge.] [Maternal Instincts ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: When you are ready to face your destiny, find your grandfather, Noah Canaan.] [New Quest Available: Paternal Problems] [New Reward Available for Paternal Problems: Familial knowledge.] [Paternal Problems ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Listen to Evelyn and avoid the Tideshapers.] [Paternal Problems ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Disobey Evelyn and find the Tideshapers.]
CYRUS
It was well past midnight when Cy felt his perimeter system trip again. ¡°Kat. It¡¯s Jules,¡± he said. No one and nothing else could have tripped his sensors. Everything else was dead. No animals, no villagers, no sign of the Iron Maidens¡­ When they made their way down to the beach, they saw him, safe at last. Jules carried someone, a feminine figure, slumped across his arms. Limp limbs hung low and swayed with each step. Selene!? Cy sprinted to his friend. Just as Jules fell to his knees, Cy grabbed the body in his own arms. She bumped up against the dagger hilt, and he winced. Not Selene¡ªEvelyn. Her eyes are closed. Not good. Cy waited to feel her take a breath, but none came. ¡°Jules¡­¡± Envy rushed in behind Cy and wrapped her arms around Jules¡¯ neck. ¡°Thank Salvos, you''re OK,¡± she shouted in Jules¡¯ ear. Jules just stared straight ahead without acknowledging any of them. Rukia hung just behind them all. Just as I suspected. He still isn¡¯t back. Not fully. Cy looked down at Evelyn again. He was happy this wasn''t Selene, given Evelyn''s state, but also longed for the assassin to be around. Black and white. Not sure that''s how the world operates anymore. But one thing I am sure about¡ªhe glanced at Jules and Envy¡ªis that I need to step up right now. ¡°Kat, get Jules and Rukia aboard," Cy ordered. "We set sail soon." Envy returned a dirty look, but obeyed the command. Jules avoided answering any of their questions the entire trip up to the deck. Whiskers and Rukia at least seemed happy to see each other. Odd that they haven¡¯t spoken yet, though.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Capture the Shrine in Coralhaven.]
Cy surveyed the ship for a fifth time while he waited for Jules to snap out of it. This far out, the damning rain barely affected their ship, but the Iron Maidens had put a few holes in her before their battle on the rolling hills. The mast wouldn''t last long, and each sail had dozens of holes. A cannonball had ripped a massive gash in the hull. Even the smallest storm at sea would result in a capsize. ¡°Rukia, ready the ship,¡± he ordered. ¡°Where to?¡± she asked, a little too pleasantly. Salvos, it¡¯s like she enjoys the chaos. Cy glanced at Jules, who sat beside Envy and the small fire she''d made for him. Evelyn lied motionless to the side. A blanket covered her body. ¡°Not sure yet. But have her ready.¡± ¡°Aye aye!¡± Rukia scurried away. Cy took as deep a breath as the dagger would allow. This won¡¯t be fun, but we need to set a course before anyone comes for us. We¡¯ve already lost a ton of time. He sat with the others, between them and Evelyn, so she''d be out of sight. Cy placed his emotions in a box for now. ¡°Jules¡­¡± Cy said. Jules stared at the flickering flames of the fire. ¡°Listen. This is going to be tougher for me than¡ªthan killing you during training, but we are on a time crunch. We need to share information with each other so we can choose the wisest course.¡± Ah, fuck. ¡°Come on, Jules!¡± Jules looked up at him finally. He bore the expression of someone who didn¡¯t care whether he lived or died anymore. At least he¡¯s paying attention. Envy rubbed Jules¡¯ back and gave Cy another stare that made him feel like a heartless bastard. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened after the Shrine,¡± Jules said. He looked at Evelyn. ¡°I remember visiting my family, before. I left¡­on poor terms. Mom told me to leave and never come back. Then I made my way to the Shrine.¡± So you entered the Shrine in a poor emotional state, great. ¡°Dad and Azura¡ª¡± Jules choked up and paused. ¡°I saw the memorial in the forest. I saw the Warg, we went into the Shrine. I fought him, then I fought a Leshen. I was dying, and Wrath offered me a deal.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you were dying?¡± Cy studied his face. ¡°My power was stripped." "The Painter didn''t mention that¡­" He just said you had to go in alone. "I don¡¯t know if I would have died or been stuck in the Shrine, but I was about to die. I was dying.¡± ¡°So were we,¡± Envy said softly. ¡°Yes. I know," Jules said. "He showed me. So I took the deal.¡± Un-fucking-believable. Cy focused on his breathing to calm himself down, for his sake and theirs. ¡°I left the Shrine with him, then I woke up in the forest. Rukia and Kaizen found me.¡± ¡°How could he have taken your powers?¡± ¡°Cy, is that important right now?¡± Envy asked. ¡°It is. Kaizen might have an answer,¡± Jules said. He stared at the flames again. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. I don¡¯t want to know the details. But they¡­filled me in. I went home, I saw Eve¡ªMom. She didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°What about¡­?¡± Envy asked. ¡°My mother was alone.¡± ¡°How was that, saying goodbye?¡± Envy rubbed his back and leaned in closer to him. ¡°A story for another time.¡± Losing his power? Shit. Though I assume he has it back now, since he¡¯s fully healed. Should we keep hunting Shrines? Kat and I still need them. But now Wrath is a way bigger problem than I honestly ever thought he¡¯d be. ¡°Cy¡ªWhat¡¯s that?¡± Jules asked. Glad you finally noticed. ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Enchanted blade," Whiskers said. "If he removes it, he dies." ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice it earlier.¡± Jules buried his head in his hands. Patience, Cy, patience. Not everyone is as rational as you are right now. ¡°It¡¯s OK. And thank you for your report. I know that wasn¡¯t easy. But I need you to listen to ours now, OK?¡± Jules remained silent. ¡°We went to Coralhaven and found out a lot. First, a lead on where I¡¯m from.¡± Cy and Envy locked eyes. He shook his head. Not gonna go into how I got that info now. ¡°Second, Isolda was taken prisoner, but it, uh, wasn¡¯t her. And her double is¡­¡± Dead. ¡°We came back and waited for you all night. Rukia assured us you were¡­safe. Liam visited us in the morning. He met Kat and Whiskers and knows who she is¡ª¡± ¡°Knew,¡± Jules corrected. "They knew." ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 77 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 78 - Choices (Yup)
CYRUS
The wind whirled around for a while. ¡°Then Zeke and his minions attacked. We had them beat, but Zeke threatened your mom and sister¡ªyeah, Liam told us. I guess the best way to put it is we lost without Liam. I left Selene alive, so it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry, Kat.¡± ¡°If you''d have just killed her¡ª¡± ¡°No one is to blame but me,¡± Jules interrupted Envy. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of blame to go around, Jules," Cy said. "Zeke for one, because he¡ª¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Envy said. ¡°Skip that part.¡± Jules isn¡¯t even reacting to that? He sighed. ¡°Well, Kat told me to run, so I did. That¡¯s when¡­ It really started.¡± Jules looked up at them both. ¡°What you all witnessed was the Blood of Wrath.¡± Kaizen approached the group, along with Rukia. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready, Cy,¡± the fox said. ¡°Wrath''s time in Hell has turned his blood into a poisonous, toxic, and noxious acid. It consumes whatever it touches that''s of lesser fury and hatred." ¡°Wait,¡± Cy said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true. Selene survived it, that rain. Her armor seemed to resist it, or even purify it. I¡¯m not sure if her hatred is greater, or if some type of Holy magic can counteract it.¡± ¡°Zeke was covered in Holy Enchantments and faired the battle with Jules better than most,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°He has a blood feud, though.¡± Kaizen looked at Rukia, who tucked her tail. In shame? ¡°Wait, Whiskers,¡± Cy said. ¡°Why do you have three tails?¡± ¡°Each time I die, I grow another one.¡± Wow. So I¡¯m the only one who survived. ¡°When was the first time you died?¡± Rukia asked. Oh, maybe Rukia survived, too. ¡°The night Katarina was born. Also a story for another time.¡± The cat glanced at Envy. ¡°Jules. Katarina endured death over and over again¡ª¡± ¡°I said enough, Whiskers!¡± The cat cocked his head away from Envy and licked a paw. ¡°Anyway,¡± Cy continued, ¡°Selene stabbed me with this dagger. She told me to only have a Healer remove it. And a 4th Rank at that." ¡°Is it affecting you currently?¡± Kaizen asked. The samurai scratched his chin and studied the weapon closely. ¡°It¡¯s having bad effects on restoring my Ryoku. Everything is slow, including me and my breathing. It constantly drains me, but I¡¯m gaining one Ryoku every few minutes, so at least it¡¯s a positive sum.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kaizen took a seat with them by the fire. Rukia joined in his lap. ¡°After Kat got me, we came back here. She¡­retrieved our armor beforehand." Not gonna bite on that, either. "Listen, the only way we can continue to defend ourselves is with more Vessels,¡± Cy said bluntly. ¡°Not yet, Cy,¡± Kaizen said. Cy filled with rage. ¡°Jules. How are you?¡± Oh, right. He calmed a little. ¡°You have no idea.¡± Kaizen¡¯s expression made Cy suspect otherwise. ¡°I mean physically. There must be repercussions to that battle.¡± Jules opened his shirt and exposed his Seal to them all. It was outlined in a black heptagram. Small dark veins stretched inwards, as if to fill the void with darkness. ¡°He¡¯s trying to work his way back in,¡± Jules said. He covered himself back up. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to stop him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing exactly what he wants,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°He wants you to give up. It¡¯s easier to possess you when you¡¯re in a highly emotional state.¡± Jules ran his hands through his hair. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and pressed his face in, as if to relieve a migraine. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Little One,¡± Rukia said. ¡°You resisted him in the end. You negotiated a deal to save your friends. It¡¯s tough, Jules, but you are handling it well.¡± Jules looked up at his Familiar. ¡°I don¡¯t remember telling you any of that.¡± Kaizen and Rukia exchanged some silent message. ¡°She is your Familiar, Jules," Kaizen said. "She knows everything about you.¡± ¡°I want to run away, too,¡± Envy said. You gotta be kidding me. She angled her body away from Jules. ¡°But I want to stay. I¡¯m terrified to do either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Katarina. For what happened to you.¡± Cy was surprised to hear Whiskers say it and not Jules. The cat cuddled in her lap. ¡°Our only choice is to move forward,¡± Cy said. Somebody, please, back me up. ¡°The only chance we have to stop our growing list of enemies is to get stronger.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Kaizen said. Finally. ¡°Then we set sail.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Envy asked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°The next Vessel, which we need to decide on. Right now.¡± ¡°First, we need to find someone to remove that dagger,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°We can,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°No. I don¡¯t feel like dying today. None of us are in the right state, even myself included. One mistake, I bleed out. Done.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust us?¡± Whiskers asked. His eyes gleamed. ¡°Of course I do. But timing is everything.¡± With that word¡ªtiming¡ªCy thought of The Painter. ¡°I need to be there to support Kat and Jules, because the reality is that this could happen to Kat, too, so we need to prepare for that.¡± ¡°It cannot.¡± What? ¡°Whiskers is right,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°Only Wrath exists beyond the Cycles. The rest¡­¡± He gazed up at the stars. ¡°Why is Wrath the only one?¡± Envy asked. Kaizen remained silent. ¡°I need to help Jules, too, so snap out of it, you ghost of a moron.¡± "Don''t you mean moron of a ghost?" Kaizen smiled at her. "I apologize¡ªYou just really remind me of my Envy, sometimes." ¡°I need the next Vessel,¡± Cy said. ¡°To catch up to you two in strength. We set sail for Lighthouse Point.¡± ¡°Zeke and Selene might be waiting for us there,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°If she withstood the rain, then it¡¯s likely his Enchantments could do the same.¡± ¡°We are weak,¡± Envy said. ¡°But they¡¯ve got to be weak themselves, or they would have found us already. I need to leave Coralhaven with you all." She traced her left ear. "But I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m going to continue beyond that¡­¡± Are you insane!? ¡°You¡¯d abandon us? Now!?¡± ¡°I want to keep fighting, Cy, but I just¡­don¡¯t know anymore. I feel like all is lost.¡± ¡°Katarina, going with the flow and delaying decisions is no way to act¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it right now,¡± Envy shouted at Whiskers. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You can¡¯t understand.¡± She got up to leave, but Jules grabbed her arm, faster than Cy had ever seen him move. ¡°I understand, Kat. I won¡¯t judge you if you leave.¡± Envy wrenched away from his grip and stomped away from the fire. Whiskers hissed at her over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d like to run away, too,¡± Jules said. ¡°Far away, to another continent. Where no one can find me. Where I can¡¯t hurt anyone else.¡± ¡°You need to train with me to use the Sound.¡± Kaizen crossed his arms. ¡°Damn thing got us here in the first place. It¡¯s better off sinking to the bottom of the sea.¡± Cy knew that, even though they were on a boat, it was an empty threat. At least I hope it is. ¡°Jules, I¡¯ll give you some time. I know this is a lot to carry, like you have the whole weight of the world on your shoulders, and that this keeps happening to you, but I need you to snap out of it soon, and forge ahead with me. So, you two.¡± Cy addressed the Sins. ¡°Do whatever it is that you need to do to contribute to the team again. Rukia, Whiskers, your time for support is here. That should be your only goal, each of you. I will fix this shitty ship, I will sail through the entire fucking night and morning, I will land us in Lighthouse Point, and I will capture that Salvos-forsaken Shrine. ¡°In the meantime, Kat, you decide if you¡¯re gonna stay with us. After everything that¡¯s happened with us, your world has been turned upside down. I will respect your decision, so long as you actually make one.¡± The cool land breeze whistled through them all. ¡°Jules, you don¡¯t have a choice. The sooner you realize that, the better. When we land, you start your training. First focus on preventing Wrath from taking over, then on how to put Zeke in the fucking ground. In the meantime, I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Cy¡¯s chest throbbed and burned from his tirade. The blade¡¯s edge shifted with each word. He left his broken crew, scattered and fragmented on the deck.
Two days passed, and the sun rose again. Cy ate beside his crew, though not entirely with them. When they¡¯d landed the morning prior, Cy rode his adrenaline as far as it¡¯d take him, which lasted just a few hours more. He scoped out the area they¡¯d landed, and a path that led to the Shrine. When he¡¯d had enough, he sent Kaizen out on a reconnaissance mission. Then he slept for eighteen hours straight. After a brief report from Kaizen, and a large breakfast to catch up on his Ryoku, Cy bid his farewells and departed for the long trek to the Shrine, alone. With no Familiar by his side to talk things through, he walked and thought to himself; he always did his best reasoning while walking. Jules is still withdrawn. Avoiding me, avoiding us all, but especially ignoring his training. Kat¡¯s pissed at me, which I can understand, but at least she''s speaking to me. Maybe I should have gone a little easier on Jules back in Coralhaven? Cy shuddered at the thought of his hometown. The shock and desperation of escape, of safety, had worn off, and the sheer horror of his lived nightmare set in. Shake it off. Better not dwell on it when heading into a Shrine. Look where that got Jules. But still, I wish I wasn¡¯t going in alone. I¡¯m disappointed Kat stayed behind, but I have to respect her decision. Maybe I should have pushed her more, though. No. No. This is part of my path to becoming an Alter, not theirs. I must do this on my own. Along his long journey, Cy took in the sights of the island. Lighthouse Point was home to the Salvatica''s largest lighthouse, which provided foresight to ships throughout all the Shattered Isles. No matter where Cy stood on this island, he saw it towering over him. Its light even breached the isle of Shinsora, far to the southwest, and several other shores of the Verdant Domain. Cy marveled at it. A static beacon of light, of direction. Firm and rigid, unwavering¡­ But it also moves to shine a light on all, and not just one small place. Cy thought about the orphanage he grew up in, about the Tideshapers¡¯ home, and about the spires of Aquilantis. Not sure why''d I think of those now. The path brought him up high on a cliff that looked down into the small city. People bustled around, and he wondered who were the types of people that worked and lived in a place called Lighthouse Point, whose sole purpose seemed to provide others with guidance and direction. His gaze fell on one building, which boasted a bronze statue of judicial scales on its front facade. Doubt there''re any casinos here. He enjoyed the cool sea breeze that swept through his hair. For some reason, he thought this would be the last moment of peace that he¡¯d enjoy for a while. At last, Cy arrived at the Shrine. No one was around, which surprised him. Stark contrast to the spectacles of the other''s I''ve seen, but Kaizen did claim no one came to visit it during his entire watch, and I guess the type of people that live here have enough purpose as is. The Shrine stood three times Cy¡¯s height. The familiar red sheen covered the round pillars that raised its gate up high. There was no waving veil at this Shrine. Cy saw straight through to the other side. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 78 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by B.S. Snelliott The Etherealists The Etherealists, headquartered in Whispering Pines, are the sole and sworn defenders of The Ethereal Rift, down at the southernmost tip of all Salvatica. Not much is known about what they actually do, or who they actually are (outside of Whispering Pines, of course), but it is for certain that they do not allow anyone near The Ethereal Rift without intense and serious vetting (which, by the way, if any Etherealist leaders are perchance reading this, I am still awaiting my visa approval for my trip. My Zephyr tickets and lodging were non-refundable, so an expedition of the documents would be appreciated). One rumor that has floated about Salvatica for years, likely centuries and generations, is that the Ethereal Rift itself is one large Shrine. Until your illustrious author has seen the majestic site with his own eyes, he will not be either to confirm or deny these claims¡­ The Shinsorai The Shinsorai are a Faction comprised of pure-blood families form Shinsora in The Verdant Domain. They are currently regarded as the strongest standing army in all of Salvatica, though they are also the furthest away from any foreign countries, and the most isolated, and largely just protect their own city-state-island of Shinsora, but alas, their legends and lore are a feast for the eyes. Their forces are broken into two main branches, with the Spellswords adept in katanas and Earth magic, and the Rogues adept in Illusion magic, Stealth, and mysterious close combat Skills. Ch 79 - Judgement Day
ENVY
The needle poked her finger, and Kat winced. A small droplet of blood coalesced on her fingertip. The usual green acid bubbled out as well. She placed her finger in her mouth and sucked off all the blood, then she removed it to study the wound. There was no sign of any damage done; she''d already fulled healed. Some blood, however, remained on her fingertip. Kat glanced at Jules. Still moping. She looked the opposite direction, where Cy had just left a few minutes ago. He walked along a narrow path and never looked back at her. The sun rose just above his head. Still an absent-minded ass. Which one of you do I like the least right now? She went to wipe the blood off on Jules'' white shirt she was currently mending. Tempting, but I better not. Whiskers purred beside her. ¡°You know,¡± Kat said to her Familiar, ¡°it¡¯s so sexist that I have to Tailor the clothes.¡± ¡°Katarina, you are the best Forger in the group¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, obviously. But that doesn¡¯t make me a Tailor.¡± Whiskers fanned out his three tails. ¡°Don''t give me your physical comedy crap." ¡°The truth is, we need a larger Party with a variety of crafting Skills," Whiskers said. "We''re only going to become greater outlaws as time passes. Going into cities and having Tradies repair our armor and weapons will become increasingly more challenging.¡± Kat unrolled her jacket and put it on. They were on a tropical island, but she couldn¡¯t help but shake and shiver lately. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°you assume we are staying with them?¡± ¡°I am here for you, my dear Katarina. But I cannot make a decision for you. Tell me what¡¯s on your mind, child.¡± Kat threw aside Jules¡¯ armor. ¡°I am listless, directionless. I feel like I have no guiding light¡­ I guess I miss Pop. I miss his advice.¡± ¡°He is not here. I am. Now speak, what is it you want?¡± Kat crossed her legs and leaned forward, attentively. ¡°I just want a normal life. I don¡¯t want to worry about fighting all the time. It¡¯s been every day now for years. And I don¡¯t want to lose control like Jules. You and Kaizen say there¡¯s no Envy out there waiting to possess me, but I find that hard to believe. I¡¯d rather not end in madness." She studied Whiskers to see if he''d betray any hint of that being true. She continued after she failed to discern anything. ¡°I want my dad. I want to know what happened to my birth parents. I want to stop the Apocalypse. I want to kill Zeke. With my bare hands. Or a sharpened ax. Or a dull ax, covered in rust. I just want a goal in life, like everyone else, and most of all, I want Jules to come back to the world of the living.¡± Whiskers sat patiently and listened to it all. ¡°OK. Let¡¯s start with that last one. But first, what do you need?¡± Kat glared at him. ¡°I need you to show me some Salvos-damned compassion. To me. Even every once in a while.¡± Whiskers tilted an indignant chin upward. ¡°It appears I¡¯ve been going too lax on you, then,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a brief respite from my duties this week, yet you still throw it in my face. What do you call this, what I am doing now?" ¡°Your duties?¡± ¡°I am charged with making you endure envy and jealousy, so it does not overcome you. Consume you. Other Familiars¡ª¡± Whiskers glared at Rukia. "¡ªAre not so aligned. It is a difficult task." ¡°Really? That¡¯s surprising, because you are very, very good at it.¡± ¡°I meant it¡¯s difficult for me.¡± Their green eyes stared deeply into each others¡¯. ¡°You are easy to rile up. I admit, it is occasionally fun, but it is not easy for me to treat you the way I must.¡± Kat scoffed. Mangy little bastard. ¡°It is the duty with which I was charged,¡± he repeated. ¡°It is not easy, but I am honored to do it.¡± More cryptic, empty words from you. Kat paused to study his three tails. You did stay by my side, as much as you could, though. ¡°Right. Moving on. I need a goal, is what I need.¡± ¡°I thought you just wanted one.¡± ¡°I need someone to help me¡ª¡± ¡°You have friends. And me.¡± Kat balked. ¡°We are not friends?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say we are more than friends, Katarina, which is why I distinguished it.¡± Oh. ¡°I want to find myself, Whiskers.¡± ¡°We lived in a bubble for eighteen years. You are just now finding yourself through hardships. Your time is coming soon.¡± ¡°Why do you seem so confident in your identity, then?¡± ¡°I am¡­old. And because of that, wise. Do not laugh at me, child. Specific knowledge doesn¡¯t transfer through Cycles, but the wisdom remains.¡± Kat hugged her knees. It¡¯s not fair that everyone already knows what they want, and how to get it, and who they are. ¡°I still need a goal¡­¡± ¡°Do you not have one?¡± Whiskers asked. He looked over at Jules. ¡°Cy is off fighting windmills, while Jules fights demons and you fight your own great expectations. You are all fighting yourselves¡ªby yourselves.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± Whiskers hissed in his impatience. ¡°You want one large, overarching goal, but what you need are smaller goals, until you¡¯ve figured out what you want. Which for you will be difficult, considering your Sinful nature. Discerning truth through the fog that others leave behind for you.¡± ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t know what I want for myself?¡± ¡°Yes, clearly.¡± Kat glared at him for a second, then she hissed back. He jumped in the air with an arched back and all his fur on end. ¡°Snap out of it, Katarina!¡± he shouted at her. ¡°You died, you came back to life. So did I. You defeated your opponent single-handedly, and with grace, before that. Cy made a choice to keep his idiot girlfriend alive, and that put you in a very poor situation, but Jules decided to save you, and look at what he chose to sacrifice. Only Maddie and her crew know who you are, or else you wouldn¡¯t have been beheaded and left for dead. And if she didn¡¯t tell Zeke before, I doubt she will by now, as the punishment for being able to prevent Coralhaven, but turning a blind eye, would be immense. So why are you sad, really?¡± ¡°You are such an asshole.¡± ¡°I am trying to illuminate you. I don¡¯t judge you. I truly don¡¯t. I am peeling back the onion, so I ask again, why are you sad, Green Eyes?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what I want!¡± Kat wanted to slap Whisker¡¯s self-righteous grin off his face. ¡°But you just told me what you wanted. More than anything, I think is how you phrased it. Again, you¡¯re just in your own way.¡± Why am I like this? Kat looked at Jules, then stood up. ¡°Hold your horses, Katarina. Don¡¯t seem so desperate, for Salvos¡¯ sake.¡± Kat rolled her eyes. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°He needs you. Make no mistake.¡± Whiskers shifted his gaze to Rukia and Kaizen. ¡°But he needs them, too, and just them. Say what you need. Do what you must. Then leave him alone.¡± Kat stormed off. ¡°Do I have your blessing now?¡± ¡°Always,¡± Whiskers whispered. ¡°Not that it matters, apparently¡­¡± Kat stopped and turned around to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She marched toward Jules. Kat heard Whiskers think back to her, My sweet, sweet Katarina¡­ ¡°Hey, idiot!¡± Jules didn¡¯t respond. Might''ve gone in too strong. ¡°Jules¡­can we talk?¡± Silence. K, cool. ¡°I¡¯m gonna sit down.¡± She sat down. More silence. ¡°I want you to know that I¡¯m here for you. We¡¯re a team, we¡¯re friends, we¡¯re¡ªmore than that, I think.¡± Jules shifted his body, so he wasn¡¯t angled toward any of them. ¡°You¡¯ve given up on me? Already? Given up on the world? Hey¡ªI¡¯m talking to you!¡± ¡°Go. Away.¡± The fury of Salvos engulfed her, beyond that of Wrath himself. She shoved a shoulder back, so he faced her again. ¡°What you did to me back there¡ªYou don¡¯t get to ignore me,¡± she snapped. Jules¡¯ eyes widened, his terse lips separated briefly in awe before his new perma-frown returned, and he looked back down. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t talk to you.¡± SMACK! Jules rubbed his cheek and looked at her, bewilderment in his eyes. She slapped his other cheek, about five times harder. Jules stretched out his jaw in every direction. The blood from Kat''s finger stained Jules¡¯ cheeks, which he smeared as he stretched and rubbed his face. ¡°Now we¡¯re even,¡± she said with listless eyes. ¡°One smack for each agonizing death you put me through.¡± Jules turned the other cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t stop at two. It rained for a long time. You told me there were more than two.¡± ¡°You''re an idiot.¡± She resisted the urge to slap him again. ¡°If I say two times, it''s because I mean two times. The rain killed me once when it fell from the sky. Then it kept me from reviving until it had mostly gone away. The last few drops of it killed me again¡ª¡± ¡°You would have died hundreds of times, Kat.¡± ¡°I died eighty-seven times that day, Jules. Your rain actually kept me from doubling it. Cy and I did the math. The other eighty-five times were courtesy of Zeke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was a terrible second revival¡ª¡± ¡°Jules. I¡ªLook at me, dammit." Kat¡¯s eyes welled with tears. Jules¡¯ remained dry. "I forgive you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry Kat. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I forgive you, but only for killing me. You have something else to apologize for.¡± You don¡¯t even remember what it is, do you? Ha! And here I thought¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot. You made me a promise and you¡¯re two days late. I¡¯ve been waiting, and¡ª" "A lady doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting," Whiskers added. "Nor does a lady slap her courtier, either, but¡ª" Envy leered at the cat, and he scurried away. Jules sighed and looked to the sky. ¡°Do it alone. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± A lady does not slap her courtier. A lady does not slap her¡­ ¡°So that¡¯s how much I mean to you? We¡¯re going to Unlock our Systems. Now. Together.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And why the hell not?¡± He was silent, and Kat gave him the space to take it all in. ¡°Are you gonna force my hand? A promise is a promise, Jules.¡± After a while, Jules broke into bitter laughter. ¡°Finally, you crack a smile.¡± ¡°Nobody can win against you, can they?¡± Jules stood up. ¡°Thanks, Kat. Really, thank you.¡± Of course, Jules. ¡°Fine, whatever, who cares? Are you ready?¡± ¡°No. Not right now.¡± ¡°You asshole!¡± Kat jammed her finger into his chest. ¡°Are you screwing with me?¡± Now, of all times? Jules grabbed her hand and wagged it back and forth with another smile. She tried to yank it back, but he didn''t let go. Is he toying with me? ¡°Cy¡¯s still gone.¡± Kat paused, then smiled back. ¡°That¡¯s a fair ask.¡± ¡°Honestly, Kat. I didn¡¯t know you could be so selfish.¡± Kat frowned, and her eyelids dropped halfway down. ¡°Don¡¯t press your luck, kid.¡± With a faint grin, Jules sat back down. He¡¯s back to team mode. Mission accomplished. ¡°Happy Birthday, Kat.¡± ¡°Belated. But Happy Birthday to you, too, Jules. We made it to adulthood.¡± They played with the grass for a while. Kat let the wind take some from her hands and blow into Jules¡¯ face. She blushed. Jules ripped out a patch of grass and tossed it in her face. One eye twitched in annoyance. ¡°Thanks, Kat. I know¡­ I know Cy had to step up to be the leader. And be stoic and make survival decisions, and all that crap. He was just so¡­clinical about it all.¡± Jules'' smile faded. ¡°Yeah, I know. Cy''s a dick. It was necessary, though.¡± ¡°I already felt dehumanized. I guess I just needed to be treated like a person again. Not a demon, or a burden to be managed. I appreciate you holding me to a promise. I don¡¯t know why, but it made me feel real again. Like a person, and not an Arcanic, or¡­" Jules glanced over at Evelyn''s remains. ¡°Good. You know, Jules. We can¡¯t wait around forever for you to make a move.¡± We? Whiskers thought. Or you specifically? I said can it, fur ball! Jules sighed. ¡°OK, get up,¡± she ordered. When he didn¡¯t, she forced him up and dusted him off. ¡°You will go do¡­anything. Anything at all. Walk the beach for all I care. Go visit with your mom. Just do something. Right now.¡± Jules looked into her emerald green eyes. ¡°OK. I will. What will you do?¡± Kat looked back towards the hills, towards the Shrine. ¡°I¡¯m going to help Cy. When I come back, I want you focused. I need you focused. I need¡­you. Back. With me, with us.¡± She walked away. Jules grabbed her arm. ¡°Kat¡­¡± She wanted affection, needed it. ¡°When you get back, I have something for you. Something special. It¡¯s a day or two late, but¡­¡± ¡°Better late than never.¡± Kat left him on the cliff side.
It was a long walk to the Shrine, at least an hour. Kat thought about Jules the entire way, about what his surprise could be. She approached the Shrine¡¯s gate, which was vacant with not sign of Cyrus. ¡°Whiskers. Stay here and wait for us.¡± ¡°No. I will¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. I need to do this on my own, just like he did, just like Jules must.¡± ¡°Katarina¡­¡± ¡°You have helped me as a friend. I¡¯ve just helped Jules as a friend. Now I must do the same for Cy, and blah blah blah.¡± I''m not built for this kind of emotional labor. Whiskers grunted, but she felt his pride for her through their shared channel. Growing up, aren''t I? she asked. I wouldn''t call it that, he replied. But some might, he conceded. Kat walked through the gate without waiting for Whiskers¡¯ answer. She fell through the vortex void and crashed into the courtroom¡¯s audience benches. No Shrine rules? She winced and sat upright. Djinns were everywhere¡ª No, the same Djinn. The walls were lined with smoke and mirrors. Kat saw Cy at the front, on trial. ¡°Cy¡­what the hell is going on?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 79 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 80 - The Trial
CYRUS
I¡¯m ready. Ready to sacrifice it all in order to capture this Shrine, to get one step closer to my goal. Cy¡¯s Ryoku pool should have filled up exactly according to his mental math. Cy closed his eyes and took in as deep of a shallow breath as the dagger in his heart would allow. He pulled up his Menu.
[?9,290 // ?10,000]
Why didn''t it fill? Did I forget to carry the remainder? Ah, hell. Whatever. Cy walked through the gate. The world around him turned black on the other side, and Cy fell into the vortex void.
[Shrine Rule: The relative importance of your sacrifice will correspond to your Vessel¡¯s power and overall potential.]
Cy crashed down into a sturdy chair. The wind was knocked out of him, but he resisted the urge to gulp down air. Instead, he slowly filled his lungs with air. His heart raced, desperate for oxygen, but he calmed himself down and controlled his breathing. Better have a look around. He sat in a wooden chair before a long wooden table. To his right was another setup exactly like his, though no one sat in the chair. On his left resided two rows of benches, one staggered behind the other. In front of him sat an ornate wooden desk, raised up higher than all the rest. Its chair was also empty, and bronze judicial scales hung on the wall behind it. Shackles ensnared Cy''s wrists and ankles. They bound him to his chair. A metal restraint, like from a psych ward, wrapped around his temple and pushed it back against the rigid seat back. This moment brought him right back to the executioner¡¯s stand in Coralhaven. He broke out in a sweat. Feeling claustrophobic, Cy thrashed around to escape. A Djinn appeared at the judge¡¯s presiding table on high. Cy looked directly into the third eye. Rolls of curled hair flowed off its head like a wig.
?? Cyrus of no Surname, you stand on trial, accused of sacrificing those around you to achieve your own ambitions. ??
¡®Stand¡¯ on trial, now that¡¯s a cute¡ª
? Silence! ?
The Djinn slammed his gavel on the desk. Cy averted his gaze.
? ?A jury of your peers have been summoned to judge your misdeeds. ? ?
Four doppelgangers of the Djinn appeared on the stacked benches to Cy¡¯s left side, three on the bottom row, one on the top. Each Djinn¡¯s body trailed off into a tail of smoke. ¡°But I haven¡¯t sacrificed anyone! I never killed anyone to get ahead in¡ª¡±
? ? I warned you, silence. ? ?
The Djinn said slowly. A zipper ripped across Cy''s lips and sealed them. The judge waved its hand around in the air.
? ? Show him of what he stands accused. ? ?
Another Djinn, another doppelganger, appeared at the stand to the right of Cy. You must be the prosecutor. All the Djinn''s tails trailed off. It seemed like they each terminated in a singular point near the Judge''s tail. A fine mist grew from that singularity and filled the courtroom. Cy found himself in the midst of a funhouse maze, where mirrors lined every wall. Haze enveloped it, just like the courtroom. Another labyrinth. Great. Cy stood before a mirror. The shackles still trailed around him, and the metal band pressed against his head, but he could walk, so he walked, unsure of what else to do. Everywhere he went, he saw reflections of himself. Looks innocent enough to me. He wound through the maze for some time until he rounded a corner and met with his first count. A young child hid behind a doorway and peeked into another room in horror. Another child took a stern beating from Patty back at the orphanage. Cy recognized the memory immediately. I''d done something wrong, but he took the blame. I remember that, but what did I do? And why did he claim credit, so I could still go to school, or something? What was his name again? ¡°It was his idea to take the blame¡ªand I did that later on for other kids.¡± It''s kind of a rite of passage¡­ The visions vanished and Cy saw himself, at least his current age, again. So he continued his path until he crossed another vision. Slightly older than the previous memory''s reflection, Cy celebrated with Jules and Jules'' parents. Liam threw down a stack of papers on their dining table. Evelyn smiled and admired Cy. The visions shifted to the orphanage, of a dozen little kids sitting in silence and sadness. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Everyone wants to be adopted¡­¡± Cy walked away. Now he was older, sixteen or seventeen. He played with a wooden crest of the Scholars Guild in his hands. He flipped the crest over to the backside where he¡¯d inscribed the Rune for Alter with a knife. A child approached him, a younger Cy. The teenager got up and walked down a dirt path, hand-in-hand with the boy. A demon approached them and promised the older Cy visions of false power. Without looking back, the older Cy let go of his younger self¡¯s hand and followed the demon. ¡°I am still on the path to becoming an Alter,¡± Cy protested. I never abandoned my younger self.
? ? If you never join the Scholars, how are you to become an Alter? ? ?
Cy spun around, but didn''t see the Djinn anywhere. Cy stormed away from the scene and farther into the maze. He stopped when he saw the demon again. He understood who it was, when another version of himself fled Coralhaven on a boat with the monster. ¡°This was when we left¡­" The first time. Cy was tied down to the boat with chains.
? ? You gave up your own freedom to protect your¡­friend. ? ?
¡°Am I guilty of supporting and¡ªand of saving my friend?¡± He received no reply and wandered again. Next, he saw Jules and Envy in the basement of Pop''s inn. This time, they were ensnared in chains. Cy picked up The Painter¡¯s Vessel, his palette. Oh, come on, that''s a stretch. ¡°That was the best route for us, even they agreed! And it made us stronger than we ever thought possible.¡± The metal band jerked his head to another mirror, where Cy killed Jules and Envy in all sorts of brutal and novel ways. He tried to look away, but the band wouldn¡¯t give. He shut his eyes.
? ? Why can''t you look upon your actions? ? ?
¡°But, we had to¡­¡± Right? The band released Cy, and he walked around a few more corners to a dead end. Selene sat in a blacked out room. He recognized a few of the security guards from the casino. They beat her and beat her. She never gave in. ¡°We knew the risks, but we¡­¡± Cy trailed off, unable to finish the thought¡ªmade a lot of money. Maybe that¡¯s why she hates me so much. That must have been after the last time I saw her there. Am I¡ªIs this really¡­ Cy turned around, desperate for a new path, only to find two more dead ends, each with another vision of Selene. Both times, he fought her. Once in Aquilantis, and once in Coralhaven, and both times he spared her life when he had a clean shot. And both times he put his friends in danger. ¡°I thought murder, not mercy, was a crime?" Cy wasn¡¯t sure which way was up or down, or left or right in the haze. He staggered through it, eager to find an exit, but the next vision disturbed him the most so far. The memory was from just a few days ago when he tortured Patty. He looked away, which the metal band, much to his shock, allowed. ¡°Guilty of that one. I have no defense." No remorse, either. The band snapped him back around. Cy watched Patricia agonize over her worst memories for several hours. By the end, he nearly hated himself. The Djinn never showed him the ending, when the Script had ended, so the last moments he saw were of her sobbing into the floorboard, pleading for the pain to stop. Cy himself pleaded for this moment to stop. And then he realized that he was in a similar state to her in that vision. What happened to you, Patty? What memory could have done that to you? He breathed heavily despite the dagger. The pain and discomfort of it felt good, almost righteous, deserving in its own way. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re caught up to today. If that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got¡ª¡±
? ? We are nowhere near finished, Cyrus of no Surname. Behold. ? ?
Cy saw a woman he didn¡¯t immediately recognize. She laid down, wept onto a cold stone floor, and decreed her innocence, over and over. Isolda¡¯s double¡­
? ? She could have escaped Coralhaven, from its cataclysm. But instead, she was melted to death by the friend you keep saving. ? ?
The smoke and fog around Cy grew denser. I¡¯m not supposed to sacrifice him, like in earlier visions of killing him in training, but now saving him is a bad thing? What is going on? ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her, that woman,¡± Cy said flatly. "I didn''t put her there, either."
? ? But she was innocent, and you left her to rot in her final moments, though she knew she was exonerated. All for the safety of yourselves. ? ?
¡°At least she knew she wasn¡¯t crazy. Better than I can say right now."
? ? And you find that merciful? ? ?
Cy waved away the smoke. ¡°What else you got?¡± The Djinn laughed. Cy headed back into the maze. He came to a wider area, lined with mirrors all around him that reflected his current self. Dead children replaced his many reflections in panoramic view. Cy tried to look away from his fellow orphans¡ªchildren he¡¯d grown up with, some that he¡¯d just recently spoken to and seen in the crowd at his execution¡ªbut the metal band forced him to see it all. ¡°Do you still think Wrath is worth saving?¡± Cy shut his eyes finally. The last act of free will I have.
? ? Ah, yes. Turn a blind eye. What is your defense, Cyrus, of¡ª ? ?
¡°Awful. It¡¯s awful. I¡¯ve seen enough. But¡­ What¡¯s the price of the whole world? All of their lives, too? Is the exchange fair?¡±
? ? Open your eyes, ye who stand accused! ? ?
Cy obeyed in fear. The children were replaced with the rest of Coralhaven. Crows circled the sky. Vultures circled the ground. Men, women, children, babies¡­ Patricia. Smitty. Hal. Sal. Evelyn and Liam¡­ A baby girl Cy had never met before. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me! Why am I on trial for that?¡± Surely this will end¡­ One final vision filled the room¡¯s mirrors. At one end sat Envy. At the far other end sat Jules. Both were completely broken down and without support. Cy grew angry, annoyed. ¡°Everything I do is wrong¡ªI needed to get them to safety!¡± He looked around the smoke and mirrors to try to find a way out. This trial has run circular. It¡¯s going nowhere. ¡°I didn¡¯t cause that disaster. Neither did Jules.¡± He walked out of the room and back into the maze.
? ? Selene took you hostage, you and your¡­friend, Envy. Is that on Jules, too? ? ?
Cy took a left turn. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s on her. I tried to save her.¡± He took a right turn.
?? You try to save everyone, don¡¯t you? ? ?
Another right. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Straight ahead.
? ? Where do the sacrifices end, Cyrus? ? ?
He followed a slight bend to the hallway. ¡°To save the entire world, I¡¯d sacrifice it all.¡± Cy ran into a dead end. Instead of seeing another vision, his current reflection stared back at him. Judgmental son of a bitch. Cy punched and shattered the mirror and found himself in the courtroom again, with a bloodied hand.
? ? The jury will begin their deliberation in but a moment¡¯s time. Please, take your seat. ? ?
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 80 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 81 - Madhouse
CYRUS
Cy took one step forward to resume his seat, but was swept away and slammed into it. A restless left leg bounced up and down while he waited. Damn, there¡¯s no way out of this. He sits as my judge, jury, prosecutor¡­and executioner. Wait¡ª ¡°There¡¯s no lawyer provided to me?¡±
? ? No. We were afraid that they¡¯d be sacrificed in your wake, as well. ? ?
Jackass.
? ? Behold your counts. Destroying dreams, hopes, innocence, and families. Negligence. Manslaughter. Murder. And Treason. ? ?
¡°That¡¯s outrageous,¡± Cy cried. ¡°Everything had to be done for the betterment of mankind, for the Apocalypse. What would you have me do? What would you do¡ªAnd who did I murder!?¡±
? ? We judge your deeds, not your intent, in this court of law. ? ?
¡°But do the ends not justify the means?¡±
? ? Where will it all end, Cyrus of no Surname? ? ?
¡°I have a last fucking name! And I will find out what it is, even it costs me¡ª¡± A greedy smile spread across the Djinn¡¯s lips.
? ? Please, go on. ? ?
Cy muttered curses under his breath. If he could have, he would have slouched down in the chair.
? ? If that is the case, then the time has come to make your next sacrifice, for the greater good, as you put it. It seems that you stand resolute in stopping the Apocalypse at all costs, or maybe becoming an Alter at all costs, or maybe finding out your familial name at all costs. It grows tiresome to keep track of it all. ? ?
The Djinn waved his hands around in the air again, grabbed a stack of papers and straightened them out on his desk.
? ? It would appear to this court that you must achieve the power of an Alter to aid your friends, and to do so you must use a Vessel of equivalent power to them. Is it not so? ? ?
The Djinn looked down its glasses and nose at Cy. ¡°Yes. Fine. Tell me what needs to be done." Cy crossed his arms. "I¡¯ll let you know if I can face the consequences or not.¡±
? ? Ah, forfeiting so easily? ? ?
¡°I¡¯ll make the right decision. I¡¯ll do whatever needs to be done to protect this world.¡±
? ? How righteous and high-minded you''ve become. Ego is a dangerous thing. ? ?
¡°Get on with it, you purple bastard.¡± The Djinn smiled again, and someone crashed into the empty audience behind Cy. The metal band wouldn¡¯t let him turn to see who it was. Shit, this isn¡¯t a maze¡ªIt¡¯s a trap. He got me.
? ? Ah, just in time. ? ?
The Djinn presiding as judge spread his arms wide to welcome their new guest.
? ? Now, will you make the sacrifice? ? ?
¡°Not without knowing who it is.¡± ¡°Cy¡­ What the Hell is going on?¡± Fuck. ¡°Hey¡ªIt¡¯s all good, just relax.¡± ¡°Why are you tied up?¡± ¡°This Djinn¡¯s been torturing me for a while, but I¡¯m about to show him who''s boss."
? ? The jury approaches their verdict. You must act swiftly, before the tides turn against you. ? ?
The Djinn leaned in. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
? ? Now, will you harness their power? ? ?
Cy spat at the judge. ¡°Fuck you. How''s that?"
? ? It could be all yours, inside my Vessel. Just say the word. You envy it, ironically enough. ? ?
¡°You can¡¯t be seriously thinking about this, right? Cy, you idiot!¡± ¡°Of course not, Kat. Let me think of a way out of this.¡± The courtroom walls turned into mirrors, and Cy¡¯s eyes filled with the Djinn¡¯s visions of his Vessel. Ultimate power, Regeneration, Ryoku Amplification. Limitless, raw power. Perhaps even immortality¡­ Cy let the fantasy flow through him, entice him, tempt him. It¡¯s true. I want that power more than anything. I think that¡¯s what I¡¯ve really been after this whole time.
? ? Think of how you could help Wrath. The world, even. ? ?
No, that¡¯s just jealousy. That¡¯s desire for power, avarice talking. I don¡¯t deserve it¡­ And I can¡¯t, not Kat. Right? No one in our Party is worth that sacrifice¡­ But what if someone from outside¡ª No. I can¡¯t do that in cold blood. Battle is one thing. And I should learn from Isolda¡¯s double. There must be another way. How do I get out of this?
? ? You claimed yourself, many times over, that your Party needs the power of Vessels to face your destinies, individually and collectively. After all the sacrifices you¡¯ve piled up to this point, you¡¯d back down from them now? ? ?
Stop. Talking.
? ? So they are all worthless? Everything you shattered, everything you ruined, they mean nothing to you in the end? ? ?
CLANG! The bronze scales tipped to one side.
? ? Alas. The time has come. The jury has reached their verdict. ? ?
Only get one choice. Sacrifice her or let them find me guilty? What is best? No¡ªWhat is right? Kat is innocent. All she¡¯s done is nothing compared to me. She¡¯s the one constantly taking the hit. And she showed up, after all, to support me. We need Vessels, though¡­ And if I sacrifice Envy¡ªKat, then we¡¯re down a member. A strong member. But we¡¯d have two Vessels and can skip the last one. We wouldn¡¯t have to slip into Marina Veridia, with its military base¡ª Oh. It became a simple choice at that moment. One less Vessel to get in the most dangerous place for us now. This is it, the most pragmatic option. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a verdict. I¡¯ve chosen my sacrifice. Kat¡­ I truly am sorry.¡± ¡°Cy, no!¡± Envy shouted.
? ? You decided to sacrifice the girl? ? ?
¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Cy said, in one final ode to Envy. ¡°I sacrifice myself, you bastard.¡± ¡°Cy!?¡± ¡°Quiet, Kat. This isn¡¯t your choice.¡± ¡°But why!?¡± she begged.
? ? Yes, what do you gain? ? ?
The Djinn sounded annoyed, disappointed even. ¡°Peace of mind. And the satisfaction of giving you the middle finger.¡± The Djinn furrowed its brows in disgust. ¡°If it¡¯s me or her to live, she¡¯s the obvious choice. The team will be a man down, but with my heart and conviction¡ªand my steely resolve¡ªin a Vessel at Kat¡¯s command, the team is still just as strong.¡± ¡°Cy¡ª¡± ¡°Jules is in no state to fight, Kat. He can¡¯t handle Marina Veridia, where everyone is probably waiting for us after Coralhaven. This way, you each have your own Vessel to fulfill The Painter¡¯s assignment.¡± ¡°What are you doing, you moron!? Let me go! Let me escape this Hell on¡ª¡± ¡°Can¡¯t, Kat. Our relationship, or bond. What we¡¯ve been through. I¡¯d never sacrifice it, never destroy it. Just like I¡¯d never take your relationship away from Whiskers, or from Jules, or your Pop. I, on the other hand, have no one but you four. Not even The Painter values me." ¡°How do you expect us to go on without you?¡± Envy said through sobs. ¡°I¡¯ll still be with you, in your Vessel, to use at your command. You know, it''s funny¡ªI never thought we''d be partners." ¡°Cy, I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kat. Tell Jules I¡¯m sorry, too. My road ends here. Wish I could have taken it with you all a bit further.¡±
? ? So your sacrifice is¡­? ? ?
¡°My heart and soul.¡± The Djinn scoffed at him.
? ? Only one is required. ? ?
The Djinn approached Cy from the bench. It reached into his chest and ripped out Cy¡¯s heart. Envy shrieked, and Cy felt no pain. Cy slunk down into his chair. He heard his heart beat form outside of his chest, clutched in the Djinn''s indigo hand.
? ? Ahh, what is this? ? ?
The Djinn noticed the dagger emerging from Cy''s heart for the first time. It removed the blade from Cy''s heart and inspected them both, weighing each in a separate hand. Pain surged through Cy. He collapsed as he bled out. His vision faded slowly. The Djinn transmuted Cy¡¯s heart into a sword and discarded Selene''s Enchanted dagger.
? ? You have sacrificed yourself, so this Vessel shall remove other¡¯s sacrifices as well. ? ?
Envy screamed and ran to him. Cy¡¯s vision faded to black around the edges. He could only see a single point, of both the Djinn and the sword.
? ? Allow they servant the honor of showing its master how this works. ? ?
Cy moved his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn''t speak, could only think. Use it well, Kat¡ªUse me well. Djinn and Vessel approached him. Darkness enveloped Cy''s whole world.
When he came to, Envy cradled his head in her lap. She sobbed when Whiskers'' ugly mug came into view and titled to the side out of curiosity. Cy grabbed his chest out of instinct¡ªthe dagger was gone, and so was any sign of a wound. "Kat." Cy coughed, and still expected to cough up blood, but none came. "What happened? Are we..." Cy glanced around. They were back outside the Shrine, which had deactivated upon capture. Envy strangled him like she wanted to kill him, she hugged him so tightly. He finally escaped her clutches and sat up, and felt the heavy weight of a long-sword in his lap. "Cy¡ªI thought you were dead! Oh, Sweet Salvos..." Cy blocked another murderous hug. His mind flashed back to the Shrine, to the Djinn. He''d removed the dagger, and Cy''s heart along with it. But he didn''t show Envy how to use the Vessel. No. He showed me how to use it. The Djinn stabbed the sword in Cy''s heart, and then his chest, and his Vessel¡ªTensa, the Djinn called it¡ªhad removed Cy''s sacrifice. He relaxed and laid his head back down to Envy''s lap, and thought about all the ways he could¡ªand couldn''t¡ªuse his new Vessel. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 81 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 82 - Sacrifice
JULES
Jules¡¯ back leaned against the tree. He looked out past the cliff that fell sharply before him. Evelyn laid six feet in front of and underneath him, Cy about six miles behind him, and Katarina somewhere in between. Clouds approached them from the north and darkened the sky. The lighthouse is still out. Guess it¡¯s darkest just before the light, but who will guide everyone in the coming storm? Rukia rested next to him. She licked and chewed at her paws to remove sand from the beach they¡¯d just walked below the cliffs. I know Ruke''s giving me space, but that gnawing sound is driving me insane. Still, I know she¡¯d rather play right now. One more thing to feel guilty about, I suppose.
[Quest Reminder: Go Long! is still available.]
His eyes glazed over as he gazed at the fresh mound of dirt in front of him. What do I do now, Mom? The wind picked up and blew his hair and leaves about, as if she replied, Just let it all go. ¡°I killed them all, Rukia,¡± Jules said. ¡°Every single one of them. People I hated, but also people I loved.¡± Rukia placed her paws down and perked up. ¡°Oh, Jules. It¡¯s OK. I slaughtered your entire home village except for one person, and of course he¡¯s the guy out on a vengeance kick.¡± Jules stared at her, wide-eyed. ¡°Er," she continued. "What I mean to say is, you really didn¡¯t mean to, Jules. You had no other choice. Whereas I did!¡± Rukia tilted her head and smiled at him, then resumed gnawing her paws. ¡°No offense, Rukia¡­but how could you do that?¡± Jules couldn¡¯t help but notice her sharp, though little, fangs. ¡°You see, Jules. Whether subconsciously or not, you are acknowledging the difference between our two acts. I acted out of fear and rage. But I also acted out of protection, and out of the wisdom of a thousand lives lived, which you do not possess¡ªuh, have. Sorry, poor choice of words. But I know that you would have had Greed and Sloth¡¯s fate if I didn¡¯t intervene.¡± Jules raised his brows. ¡°How could you have known that?¡± ¡°I saw pitchforks, torches¡­ You¡¯ve been trapped before at birth. Probably a few times. It¡¯s just the odds of countless iterations." She stopped her Salvos-damned gnawing and pinned her ears back in shame. "Those were terrible Cycles, Jules. I don¡¯t have the hard memories to support them, but the underlying anxiety is there.¡± ¡°So, self-preservation? Self defense? That¡¯s your excuse?¡± She slammed a paw down, then stood on all fours. ¡°No, it¡¯s not my excuse. It¡¯s inexcusable. But it is my reasoning. They were actively seeking to kill you, and when they would have eventually found out they couldn¡¯t, they¡¯d''ve trapped you, tortured you¡­ I made my choice, but only after they made theirs.¡± ¡°So how do you, uh, not linger on it, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I did, the first few times it happened in different Cycles. But it¡¯s so common for me now¡­ Don¡¯t forget. I am the Stormfront.¡± ¡°Right. I''m not entirely sure what that¡ª¡± A streak of lightning cracked out at sea, away from the clouds. She looked at him coolly, so coolly. Whoah¡­ ¡°But you¡¯re just a harmless little fur ball.¡± ¡°Because you haven¡¯t trained hard enough. Yourself, or me. You¡¯re in for a surprise once you¡¯ve fully assembled the Sound.¡± Fully assembled the Sound¡­?
[Quest Reminder: Seeketh Patience is still available.]
¡°Do you ever hate yourself?¡± Jules asked Rukia. ¡°I could never hate you, Jules.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked¡ª¡± ¡°Sure wasn''t. But it¡¯s what you meant.¡± Stern, but fair. ¡°But do you hate yourself for what you¡¯ve done? What you have to do?¡± ¡°You never have to do anything. No matter the choice, there is a consequence to someone that you will have to live with.¡± Jules chewed on that thought for a while. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy path, Jules. Not one you would choose, though it was chosen for you.¡± Jules looked back toward the Shrine, out of sight. ¡°A path better walked alone, probably.¡± ¡°If you go alone, that road will swallow you. Plus, I''m too sneaky¡ªI''d follow and you wouldn''t know." I doubt that. Jules thought about his final hunting trip with his father and Cy, and how many times he''d caught a glimpse of her. Then again, the Warg was already out. Maybe she was tailing me for a while, without me knowing it¡­ But the intrusive thoughts returned. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Everyone was right.¡± Jules shook his head. ¡°I am a monster. I¡¯m not as strong as I thought. I¡¯ll lose control again. I already feel him pushing.¡± Jules peeled back his shirt. The heptagram around his Seal had filled in some more over the last few days. ¡°Don¡¯t watch a cake bake, Jules.¡± She gnawed especially hard on a toe, with one eye open, one shut. ¡°I can see a huge difference since last night, though. What happens when this fills in, Ruke?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s back up, Jules. You made a lot of statements that I don¡¯t quite agree with, just a second ago. First of all¡ªwho¡¯s right? What¡¯s a monster? How strong are you? And will you lose control again?¡± Jules tried to keep up, but noticed she skipped his main concern. Honestly, I''m impressed she kept that much straight. ¡°What about the last one? The question I asked?¡± Rukia gazed into his eyes before answering. ¡°It¡¯s a pointless question, Jules. That tattoo won¡¯t fill in. And d''ya know why?¡± Jules couldn¡¯t answer. He shifted his weight and focused on Evelyn''s grave again. ¡°Because if it fills in,¡± she resumed grooming herself, ¡°then you will have lost control, proven yourself weak, become a monster, and proven everyone right about you.¡± Salvos-damn fox. Jules studied the Sound, which leaned against the same tree as him. Rough edges, but also smooth ones, just like someone else I know. ¡°Thank you, Rukia." ¡°You need friends, Jules. So don¡¯t walk the path alone. You have me and Kaizen for starters, but even I wasn¡¯t enough for him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure Kaizen is a friend. He lied to me about something heavy.¡± ¡°That why you''ve kept him in prison? He didn¡¯t lie. He just withheld information.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­" A shadow grew over Rukia, and Jules leaned over to her. ¡°Wait¡ªDid you know all that info, too?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t delay your training any longer¡ªThe clock¡¯s ticking! You should ask him yourself.¡± Sly little fox¡­
? Summon ? ? Giant ? ? Dickhead ?
"No!" Rukia shouted. "Be careful what you Conjure!" Jules cancelled the invocation just in time.
? Summon ? [?9,990 // ?10,000]
Jules manifested Kaizen from the chakra beads next to Rukia¡¯s collar. Kaizen appeared stern, disappointed, angry even. Jules responded in kind. About to be a bloodbath. ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Kaizen asked. ¡°You did.¡± ¡°What did I tell you that was false?¡± Jules wracked his memory for an example, any example, but came up short. ¡°I said you weren¡¯t ready, did I not?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just withholding information from me, letting me fail? Look where it got me.¡± ¡°I warned you, Jules. You forced me back into my shell¡ª¡± ¡°Why not try harder, Kaizen!? For something so serious¡ªIs it against the rules?¡± Got him there. Wrath told me he could have told me. Catch him in this lie, and go from there. ¡°No. It is not against the rules. I simply chose not to tell you.¡± ¡°Why the hell not!?¡± Orange flames erupted from Jules'' eyes. ¡°You ignored me and put me away. You didn¡¯t probe for more information, didn¡¯t try to hear my side¡ª¡± ¡°And look what happened! You punished me for being childish¡ªwhich, by the way, I pretty much still am!" "You don''t get to be a fucking child!!" Bolts of lightning struck out at sea when Kaizen shouted. Birds fled from the surrounding trees. Kaizen took a few deep breaths. "You don¡¯t have the luxury of childhood, Jules. Besides that, I am showing you¡ª¡± ¡°You let me massacre my entire hometown.¡± ¡°So you could understand the stakes.¡± Jules dropped to his knees. The flames around his eyes extinguished. ¡°Did you know this was going to happen? Is this one of those pieces of history that repeats itself?¡± Did he know? Does he regret it now? Is it more the rules, or his own stubbornness? How can I trust him if he doesn¡¯t speak to me? ¡°Jules, no living incarnation of Wrath has ever taken Wrath¡¯s Deal." Kaizen shook his head and looked away. Rukia gave Kaizen an odd look. "For who knows how long¡ªan eternity? Now you¡¯ve come along. I never expected you to take it. But you made that choice, not me. You don''t even know the box you have opened." ¡°I had no choice but to take it. I was ill-prepared for that Shrine. I couldn¡¯t escape it any other way, and Cy was going to be killed, Kat tortured forever, and¡­¡± Jules looked to Rukia, not for support, but because he worried about her future, too. ¡°Again, I warned you not to enter the Shrine. I said you weren¡¯t ready for it. Because you weren¡¯t, no matter how well-informed you were entering it. We each made our own decision. And looking at the whole picture of what happened¡­ It¡¯s not your fault, Jules. But it¡¯s not mine, either. Not entirely. There are too many complexities at play to assign blame to any one individual." Kaizen picked up the Sound. "Even Wrath.¡± Jules looked at Kaizen in disbelief. Even Wrath? Even Wrath!? "I¡¯ll share the blame with you, asshole. But if I was better prepared, I could have come out as myself¡ªnot possessed by Wrath.¡± ¡°No. You are wrong. There is no alternate history where you retrieved this piece of the Sound that day, peacefully. Relative to Wrath''s incarnations who came before you, Jules, you are not that special.¡± Ouch. ¡°You are being an asshole¡ª¡± ¡°And you are behaving like a child!¡± Kaizen shouted. ¡°You are an adult now. Officially. It''s time to grow up.¡± ¡°Kaizen,¡± Rukia threatened, her voice thick with maternal instinct. Thunder cracked in distance. ¡°No, Rukia. He is weak-willed.¡± Kaizen shifted his attention back to Jules. Black flames erupted from Kaizen¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am here to forge and form you, to mold you into a weapon that can bring down Wrath, Death, Destiny, Fate¡ªthis entire fucking circus of clowns.¡± Black flames tempered to green. ¡°But I am also here to help guide you, to help you take the path you want to take, as my mentor allowed me. I will be here for you, I will help you talk through things, I will help you fight through battles." Sure doesn''t seem that way. ¡°But one thing I will not do, Jules, is reveal anything to you until I think you¡¯re both ready and worthy of knowing it. And I am no babysitter.¡± Jules took the lashing sitting down. It was a good dressing down, he knew, and he also knew he deserved it. Definitely won''t get lectured by my parents anymore. He closed his eyes, meditated, and let his emotions roll through him. He couldn''t shake his anger at Kaizen, his fury for Wrath, for Death, for Fate¡ªFor whoever the fuck. But it helped to focus. ¡°I have two lessons for today,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°The first will make me sound like a callous bastard, but it¡¯s a lesson you need right now. Jules, stand up when I instruct you.¡± Jules obeyed. ¡°In all tragedies,¡± Kaizen continued, ¡°you must find and then focus on the silver lining." Rukia shook her body, then her head, and stepped away. I''m not with him, she repeated in Jules'' mind. "You can¡¯t change the past. You can only try to improve the future. When your mission is complete, you may grieve. Until then, you forge ahead.¡± I''m not with him, Rukia continued. ¡°You got the callous bastard part right.¡± Kaizen allowed Jules the time to think the lesson over before pressing on. What a terrible thing to say. No healthy way to live life. But¡­ If I''m supposed to kill Death, then I must be the savior of the world, so maybe he¡¯s right. He¡¯s been in this position before, so do I take this wisdom, too? It makes sense, in a pragmatic, sociopathic way. But it doesn¡¯t feel right. Should I delay my grief? Jules looked at the grave. What harm would that cause me in the long run? ¡°Good,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°Think about that more, but later. Your second lesson begins now. You¡¯re going to learn how to use that silver lining you received from this tragedy. I¡¯m going to teach you how to use the Sound.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 82 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 83 - Sacrifices
JULES
Jules cleared his head. I¡¯ll compartmentalize for now. Focus on the task at hand, then return to it later. When there¡¯s¡­time. ¡°First, a brief history lesson. The Sound was Wrath¡¯s weapon in his real world, before he was sent to Hell. It¡¯s infused with his fury and will, and has since been used as a weapon by all of his incarnations. It is always divided into three pieces¡ª¡± ¡°Why three?¡± A vein popped on Kaizen¡¯s forehead. ¡°Right, go on¡­¡± ¡°Not every version of Wrath has retrieved all three. Some have been trapped, some have died, some ignored it altogether.¡± Kaizen stopped, and Jules felt like he could speak again. ¡°How did they die?¡± ¡°The Sound can kill you.¡± Jules would have dropped the Vessel had he held it. He feared death again. ¡°Not so much kill you, as Wrath overtakes your soul¡­ But, uh, then you perish in Hell. For, forever.¡± Kaizen scratched his head. Jules¡¯ eyes might have left their sockets. ¡°Or until someone breaks this never-ending Cycle.¡± Kaizen pointed the Sound at Jules. "Am I right!?" ¡°Right¡­Sounds safe to use.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for terrible puns. Be serious." Jules rolled his eyes. Wasn''t my intent¡­ "The Sound will bolster your control over Wrath, and your Spirit Integration with Rukia and me.¡± ¡°How does wielding his weapon help me control Wrath better? Seems like it¡¯d give him an advantage." ¡°By mastering the Sound, you are mastering Wrath¡¯s will. When you¡¯ve assimilated all three pieces of it¡­ Well, safe to say that he¡¯ll never possess you again. Unless you want him to.¡± ¡°...Right. Which I''d never do¡­But if I did, why would I want to do that again?¡± Rukia and Kaizen looked at each other and ignored him. ¡°Right,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°So start off Integrating me into the Sound, then we will proceed to Integrating me into your body.¡± Why Integrate him into me? This training is for the Sound, so what advantage would that have? ¡°When we Integrate, can I use your knowledge and skills of the Sound?¡± Kaizen smiled for the first time. Jules frowned. ¡°So then, if Wrath takes me over, he can use his knowledge and skills?¡± Kaizen nodded. "Now you''re thinking." ¡°So¡­ Could I one day learn how to make it rain blood?¡± ¡°From a lacerated sky?¡± Kaizen asked. ¡°Bleeding its horror!?¡± Rukia perked up with a smile. ¡°Creating my¡ªWell, yeah, something like that,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°When I tried Integrating you into an object, Wrath took it over. So what about Integrating you into me? Seems like a greater risk there.¡± ¡°Absolutely. If you let Wrath in instead of me, he¡¯ll probably kill your friends.¡± Jules recoiled in shock. ¡°Why the hell would he do that!?¡± Kaizen paused. ¡°They are your liability¡ªwell, his¡ªand you forced him into a contract to save them. He¡¯s known to hold grudges.¡± But can he kill Kat? ¡°So why risk it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to hear other options, Jules.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± Rukia said. ¡°Throw me a ball¡ª¡± ¡°Am I ready for this, Kaizen?¡± They ignored her. ¡°You''re becoming a fast learner. Yes, I think you are ready, which is why I brought it up.¡± Yeah, but also if I don¡¯t learn it¡­ Jules scratched the heptagram. The clock is ticking. Kaizen handed Jules the Sound and walked him through the entire process. Jules powered up the Sound and began his meditation cycles. ¡°Right. Now, overlap my soul on its imprint.¡± Jules lined them up for a perfect match on his first try. He pressed Kaizen down into the Sound, but felt Wrath¡¯s wavelengths nearby, and immediately pulled away. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Why did you quit?¡± ¡°I felt him¡­ I figured better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, let¡¯s try¡ª¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Rukia shot up and sniffed the air. ¡°Those Pirates. Close. The breeze pushed their scent downwind¡ªI¡¯m sorry I just noticed it.¡± Jules disengaged the Sound before any spies could see it action. He sheathed it in his belt and crammed Kaizen back in Rukia¡¯s Shaman Beads. Sorry, Kaizen. She might be able to see you. Maddie approached him from the hillside. It was just the four of them now, two Arcanics and their Familiars. Maddie clasped some silver object in her hands, and Salty Pete rested on her shoulder. ¡°Hello again, Wrath,¡± Maddie said with a wry grin. ¡°Ahoy." ¡°You¡¯ve given me quite a few scares over the last week.¡± ¡°SQUAWK! SCARES!¡± ¡°Did you lead them to us again?¡± Jules'' eyes darted around. He didn¡¯t dare turn his head and focus away from her. I¡¯m all alone. Kat should be in the Shrine by now. ¡°Well now, that hurts my feelings, Wrath. I didn¡¯t rat you out.¡± ¡°RAAAT! WRAAATH!¡± ¡°Are you sure Salty Pete here didn¡¯t say it for you?¡± Maddie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°When I say I didn¡¯t, Jules, I mean I didn¡¯t. I mean Salty Pete here didn¡¯t. I mean Thorn didn¡¯t, Auggie didn¡¯t. I even mean that John¡¯s forbidden from telling it to a fuckin'' Mermaid, if it''s the only way she''d sleep with him. Is that clear?¡± You really remind me of someone right now. ¡°Then color me confused. They were onto us a day after our departure.¡± ¡°The Spider caught you in his web. You were careless, apparently. I simply reported that I saw you in Siren¡¯s Cove, and that you¡¯d escaped¡ªafter our time limit expired.¡± Jules relaxed, slightly. ¡°You know, I was pretty confused myself, leaving the Cove. Heard a tale that a bunch of Virtues were in town. Capturing the Shrine, chasing down a Sin. Thought to meself¡ªOi, me cover¡¯s blown and all, until I looked into it and¡ªHey. Don¡¯t laugh at me, Jules. It¡¯s unseemly right now.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry, Maddie. Cy convinced those Sailors we were Virtues in Aquilantis. We couldn¡¯t take them with us after running into you all, so we kicked them out. He''d already told them we were hunting down Sins." Jules glanced at Rukia. "But despite all that, I appreciate your silence. Now, is that a trait of yours I can rely on indefinitely, or¡­¡± ¡°...Or at a price, perhaps? Is that what you were going to ask, Jules? You''re trying to bribe me?" ¡°What do you want, Maddie?¡± "Oh, I''m not sure anymore.¡± Maddie walked around Jules in a tight semicircle. What game are you playing? When she¡¯d walked around half the circumference of her imaginary circle, she raised up the silver object in her hand. She inspected it, then sighed. ¡°Damn thing. Tell me, Wrath. Just what the fuck happened in Coralhaven?¡± ¡°Just how long have you been following me?¡± Jules asked. Maddie displayed the object for him to admire: a silver compass. ¡°Mm. Pretty.¡± ¡°I suppose I owe you for giving me this gift. It¡¯s the Vessel from Siren''s Cove, a compass that has pointed to you since I first received it.¡± You mean stole it. ¡°Are you alone? Truly alone, I mean.¡± Anxiety crept in. ¡°It¡¯s just me, you, and our little pets, here. My crew¡ªand just my crew¡ªare nearby." Maddie looked at her fingernails. "They¡­reluctantly stayed behind.¡± "Something tells me rope was involved." Maddie laughed. ¡°Persuasion was necessary." ¡°Ah, so the clock¡¯s ticking, then. Funny, everyone keeps reminding me of that.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Your mates took my friends hostage. Decapitated one.¡± Maddie looked around them. She seemed nervous to Jules, like she just realized what it meant for Jules to really be alone right now. ¡°It¡¯s OK. They hurt the right one. For us, anyway. I went into the Coralhaven Shrine alone. I¡ª¡± Was stripped mortal, and feared death for the first time. ¡°¡ªI captured it, but at a great cost. Something about that Shrine specifically enraged Wrath. He took control of me and¡­" Jules looked up at the darkening clouds. "Well, you saw." ¡°Right. OK." Maddie clicked her tongue. "Well, I¡¯m honestly not sure if I¡¯m here to kill you or not. I do have enough wisdom to hear you out, and trust my gut feeling, which¡ª¡± ¡°So much wisdom, Maddie. And at such a young age." Salty Pete flapped his wings at Jules. "Anyway, that was Wrath that destroyed Coralhaven, not me. I¡¯m looking for a way to tame¡ª¡± ¡°The Decimation of Coralhaven. That¡¯s what they¡¯re calling it already. It¡¯s important to know the stakes. You''ve got a new Bounty, by the way, and I''m still looking for me early retirement."
[Bounty Increased by ?2,500,000 for crimes committed in Coralhaven. Total Bounty is now ?3,270,890.]
Sweet Salvos. "So, if you fail? To tame it?¡±
[Rukia''s Bounty Increased by ?250,000 for crimes committed in Coralhaven. Total Bounty is now ?500,000.]
What the fuck!? Rukia shouted in his mind. That''s all I get!? It was practically all me!! They valued me at half before, but now I''m 90% off like some cheap¡ª Can it, fox.
[Pang! Telepathy increased to Level 22.]
Maddie snapped her fingers at him. "Hey, I''m talking to you!" Jules rubbed his face and cleared his throat. ¡°We are getting stronger as a group. As a¡­backup plan.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Maddie nodded her head for a while and popped her neck. ¡°So what now, Maddie? Do we fight? Will you report me to the Iron Maidens? Our forty-eight hours expired a while back." ¡°QUIET! QUIET!¡± Salty Pete took flight and circled overhead. Rukia wiggled her butt and dropped low, in a position to leap and swipe him out of the sky. ¡°Yes, please. I need to think. You are still a Sin, at the end of the day. Friends though we may be¡­¡± Friends, huh? Time to play all my cards, then. Jules reached his hands out to be handcuffed. ¡°I suppose it is your sworn duty to take me in¡­¡± Maddie perked up. ¡°I¡¯ve signed no contract with Zeke. Yet." ¡°Ha! You''re funny, I don¡¯t remember signing any either, now that you mention it.¡± Maddie shifted a shoulder toward him, as if to become a smaller target. She looked him up and down and placed a hand on her cutlass'' pommel. ¡°Say it, then. What you¡¯ve been dying to since the Cove." ¡°Salty Pete, you have been an excellent coverup. Virtue''s Familiars can¡¯t speak. But¡­you¡¯re not a Sin, are you Maddie?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 83 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''Factions of Salvatica'' by B.S. Snelliott The Church of Salvos The main religion of all Salvatica, outside of course the savage lands of the pagans in the Verdant Expanse, is, of course, The Church of Salvos. The Church provides spiritual guidance and leadership for all of Salvatica¡¯s citizens, and of course its Prophets predicted The Fateful Night. The Priest on High leads the Church in all of its affairs, from the vibrant and holy city of Solstice Keep in Obsidia. Ch 84 - Come Together
JULES
Maddie licked her smiling teeth and avoided eye contact. A lifetime of hiding, revealed. I know how that feels. Her smile vanished quickly enough. ¡°Aye. It is my duty. Though I don¡¯t know why. And when I¡¯m with you, I suspect that it shouldn¡¯t be.¡± She looked him up and down again, though he felt it was in an entirely different context than before. Jules shifted uneasily. ¡°No one has ever suspected a thing, not even my crew, until you. Our Familiars gain all aspects of their animal hosts, so yes, mine can talk. But no, I cannot Regenerate.¡± ¡°I told you last week, didn¡¯t I? That I¡¯d love to learn your name some time.¡± Lay it on thick. ¡°Dream on, lover-boy.¡± Jules chuckled. ¡°So, you obviously came to feel me out. But that was only the first objective. Why¡¯d you really come here?¡± She watched the clouds roll in. ¡°Zeke is up to something besides capturing you. It¡¯s only a hunch. I have no evidence. But when I¡¯m near him, I¡¯m filled with dread.¡± ¡°So, you want us to help you?¡± Will you join our Party after all? ¡°I fear many great threats, Jules. One stands before me now, someone who I have only seen fight when he¡¯s lost control¡­ On top of that, one of the greatest threats a Captain faces is a mutinous crew mate who can¡¯t keep in line and follow orders.¡± Which one of her crew is she¡ªOh. Right. ¡°I¡¯m definitely more of a leader than a follower, Maddie. And I¡¯m not your crew mate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an analogy, you idiot. I love being rich and wealthy, and I need to know, should we share a battlefield¡ªAre you an asset, or a liability?¡± ¡°Liability,¡± Jules said without hesitation. ¡°I have a proven track record at this point.¡± Maddie ripped her cutlass from its scabbard. ¡°Then survive my attack while maintaining control, and I¡¯ll fight Zeke with you.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not prepared¡ª¡± An aura exploded around Maddie. Salty Pete flew even higher. ¡°I¡¯ve put my heart and soul into this sword. I¡¯ll not hold back¡ªThis is a single attack, Jules.¡± Jules braced himself. I¡¯m not ready, I won¡¯t die, but will this fight accelerate Wrath''s return? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, time seemed to slow down. The patterns of both the Sound and Kaizen appeared in his mind. He pressed them together and panicked again. Wrath will come¡ª No, I can do this. I can gain another ally, another friend to walk this road with. Jules slotted Kaizen¡¯s soul into his Vessel. Maddie lunged at him with supersonic speed. She thrust once for his throat. Jules deflected her cutlass upwards and to the left with just the bottom of the Sound¡¯s wooden hilt. They locked eyes in that moment, hers, wide, and his, narrowed and focused. She cracked a smile just as her cutlass shattered. She stood before him, and the clap of the sound barrier finally caught up to Jules¡¯ ears. Maddie¡¯s eyes shifted into a different shape, a look Jules was unfamiliar with. She looks¡­hungry? ¡°It seems you''ve shattered my soul¡­and my heart. Let¡¯s make a deal, Jules Tideshaper.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s come together, Maddie, and fight Zeke as one.¡± ¡°Careful, Jules, or I¡¯ll hold you to your words.¡±
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Master Object Integration.] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Master Body Integration.]
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Capture the Shrine in Lighthouse Point.]
Jules gripped the wooden hilt of the Sound until his knuckles cracked. The white hot tint of its wooden edge warmed him in spite of the cool evening breeze. His opponent sheathed their sword and rested a hand on its hilt. With both hands, Jules raised his Vessel high over his head. Jules'' opponent lunged and ripped their sword, their new Vessel, from its sheath and sliced up, diagonally. Jules slammed his own sword straight down onto the metal edge. Bright lights sparked on contact, which pushed them away from each other. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Jules¡¯ sandals dug a trail in the dirt. Cyrus flew backward and landed on his ass. Jules smirked; Cyrus kicked the nearest tree with a curse, then slashed straight through the tree with his Vessel. Nothing happened. ¡°Alright, Kaizen, you can come back out.¡± The Sound turned back to a dull, wooden sword, and Kaizen¡¯s ghastly body appeared before Jules and the others. He studied his Vessel. Rough and plain, kind of like my Skills right now. No one would ever pick this stick up from a pile. Still, it¡¯s been effective against Cy and his Vessel so far. ¡°This birthday party is horseshit.¡± Cy fell back onto a stump with a plate of pink food. He glared at Katarina. ¡°And I said I didn¡¯t want salmon. I said it five times!¡± In less than a second, she traversed the dozen yards between them and towered over Cyrus. Jules thought clouds formed around her head. ¡°You¡¯ll be thankful for what you get,¡± Katarina said slowly. Cyrus blew her a kiss back. ¡°Relax, it, uh, looks great.¡± She didn¡¯t budge. Without blinking, Cyrus shoved the entire salmon in his mouth. The tailbone bobbed up and down while he chewed. He mumbled something and gave a thumbs up. Katarina backed off. By the time they finished dinner, Whiskers and Cyrus were drunk on mead. Again. Jules had to avert his gaze from them, because every time he¡¯d look at them, his mouth watered. He wanted to join in like he and Rukia had the last few nights. Even Katarina had joined in once. But tonight is a special occasion. Cy can Class up drunk if he wants. Jules removed the strawberry birthday cake he¡¯d gotten Katarina in Siren''s Cove from his Inventory and placed it on the ground. He broke into a sudden sweat. ¡°Jules, it¡¯s¡­¡± Katarina tried not to smile. Jules'' cheeks flushed with heat. ¡°My favorite flavor.¡± Jules sighed. ¡°Thanks, Kat. I guess I¡¯ve had it in my Inventory too long and it sorta melted.¡± Guess it''s been on fire since then. A few times. Jules¡¯ neck hair stood on end. He felt the ghost behind him, close. Too close. Jules turned his head to the right. He was nearly cheek-to-cheek with Kaizen, who wrapped his left hand on Jules¡¯ left shoulder. ¡°Jules¡­" Kaizen whispered. "Is that strawberry?¡± He didn¡¯t close his mouth when he finished speaking. ¡°Uh, yeah dude." Jules shrugged his shoulder. "Do you mind?¡± Kaizen side-eyed Whiskers and Cyrus, who were busy hopping around and playing off-beat Happy Birthday song on invisible flutes like complete imbeciles. ¡°Rukia, six pieces please. Equal pieces.¡± Kaizen winked at the fox. Six? ¡°Order up!¡± Rukia carved six pieces. Five were equal slices. The sixth claimed half of the cake. When Rukia handed over her slice, Katarina''s eye twitched. Jules looked at Rukia, then down to his thin, meager slice, and back up at Rukia again. She smiled and panted back. Whiskers and Cy took their slices gleefully, without noticing anything. They sang to Jules and Katarina. ¡°...You look like a fuh-ox¡­and you smell like one, too!¡± Jules and Katarina rolled their eyes at each other, but laughed. Everyone dug into their cake. ¡°Jules.¡± Everyone turned to Kaizen. His frown reached the ground. He placed a hand on his chin in deep contemplation. ¡°You have mastered the first form of Spirit Integration, placing me into the Sound. It is high time for me to showcase another form.¡± Jules lowered his plate and sighed. So much for relaxation. ¡°OK.¡± ¡°Observe.¡± They observed. ¡°I will now Spirit Integrate with Rukia¡ªObserve.¡± They continued to observe. Why is he sweating?
? Integrate ? [?1,000 // ?10,000]
Hey, why''d that take my Ryoku!?
[Pang! Conjuration increased to Level 30.]
¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Whatever. I''ll take it. Kaizen dissipated into ash before them, and Rukia absorbed his essence with eyes closed. When all the dust settled, the fox''s eyes peeled open. They were the only thing about her that changed, and red, crimson flames danced and sparkled inside her irises. The two of them spoke as one. ¡°This is Spirit Integration Technique #5: placing your Avatar into your Familiar."
[Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Master Spirit Integration Technique #5 (Avatar into Familiar).]
¡°Whoah,¡± Cyrus whispered. Jules dropped his plate and his jaw. ¡°You¡¯ve been able to do this the whole time!?" Rukia¡ªor Kaizen, more likely¡ªlunged at the sixth slice of cake¡ªthough it was more like an entire cake itself¡ªand devoured it. They gnawed at it, their jaw moving straight up and down since foxes can¡¯t chew side to side. They chomped at it with their head sideways, only able to see the cake with one enlarged eye, while the other looked straight up at the starry night. Frosting frothed at their jowls. Bits of cake stuck in their wet nose. A candle lodged itself in an ear somehow. Their attack was swift, efficient, and effective, if not a complete, slobbery mess. The pure carnage ended in mere seconds, before anyone could even react to defend. No one said a word. So¡­ Fast¡­ Rukia and Kaizen¡ªor as they preferred to be called, Kraizin¡ªsat on their hind legs, their head angled up to the sky. They licked and licked and licked their nose. Each scrape attempted to reach new heights, to eradicate every last morsel of that strawberry cake. But they couldn¡¯t. They fell to their side to get a better angle. Jules'' skin crawled from the relentless slapping and slurping and gurgling sounds. The beast rolled onto its back now and slammed its head into the ground to obtain further leverage, to capture a large piece of icing stuck between its ears. Jules covered his ears. This had to stop. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he wanted to rip off his ears. Legs flailed about, upside down, and danced to the alternating snarls, snaps, and gnashing teeth. ¡°Enough!!!¡± Jules shouted. The writhing beast froze, then jerked itself around, clumsily, back to its belly and four paws. It tucked its tail and pinched its ears to its neck. ¡°Bad fox! Bad!" Jules chased them around the campfire and used the Sound as a disciplinary stick. Katarina laughed herself out of her chair. The two drunks cheered and jeered. Finally, Jules scooped them up¡ªthe little shits¡ªand hoisted them in the air by the nape and scolded them further. Their limbs, ears, and tail all drooped down; their narrow eyes rounded and grew, and grew, and grew into watery puppy dog eyes. ¡°I hope you¡¯re happy.¡± Jules placed them down on the ground. Kaizen dis-Integrated from Rukia. Both belched. Cyrus stripped down to just his underwear and boots and scooped up Whiskers. ¡°Look! Puss ¡®n¡¯ Boots!¡± Rukia chased them around in the campfire to get their final scraps of cake, which they clung onto. Katarina reached out a precisely timed leg and tripped all three to the ground. They sang more songs and enjoyed their final night of peace for quite some time. ¡°So Kaizen,¡± Jules said. ¡°You¡¯ve really been able to do that this whole time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kaizen answered from his back. Real food, especially so high in sugar, had made his stomach ceaselessly rumble. ¡°We actually did it back at your birth site. I had Rukia Integrate with me, which was against the rules, and that¡¯s why I was incarcerated.¡± ¡°...But that won¡¯t happen when you Integrate with Rukia. Right? Right?¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 84 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* AUTHORS ANNOUNCEMENT -- Reorg of Chapters 78–84 Hello, fellow Friends of Sinners! I got some great feedback on this Lighthouse Point arc that I had to act on. With all the POV splits between Chapters 78 and 84, even I''m wondering what the hell I was smoking. But I can tell you what it probably was¡ªone too many Ghost energy drinks when I was loading everything into Royal Road drafts, and I decided to get way too cute crazy with it, and as a result, absolutely none of this made sense. I wrote the scenes start to finish from each characters'' POV and decided to cut them together and it sucked. I really, really apologize if you read through it and got confused. I don''t want anyone to feel like I''m wasting their time¡ªand I''ve definitely learned my lesson going forward. The climax to Volume 1 has all of the primary characters'' POVs, and I will adjust those to flow smoothly like I hope I fixed here in Lighthouse Point. I made the following adjustments, in case you want to re-read through it, or read it a first time if you dropped it. (Note that I only rewrote a small part, the rest is just organized in a much better way) Chapter 78 (CY) ¡ª Nothing changed, but this is where the arc starts, so if you want to go back, they arrive at Lighthouse Point after the double line/scene break like 2/3 or 3/4 through the chapter. Cy gets to the Shrine. (Before the line break is the end of the Coralhaven arc) Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Chapter 79 (ENVY) ¡ª All of Kat''s POV. She arrives after Cy goes through the Shrine (at this point he''s probably been in for 1.5¨C2 hours, but... Chapter 80 (CY) ¡ª ...Cy actually enters the Shrine here. (I just wanted to get Kat''s stuff all together, so there is still one time lapse element here.) Chapter 81 (CY) ¡ª Cy''s final chapter in this arc. I did add "new" lines for Cy at the end of this chapter. It was going to come out at Chapter 85, but it makes more sense to place it at the end of his section. Chapter 82 ¨C 84 (JULES)¡ª All of Jules'' POV on Lighthouse Point, up to what''s been posted on Royal Road so far (Chapter 84, as 85 drops tomorrow). I''m a big KU boi because I can''t stand the wait and have to read a book all at once (seriously, how do you all do it!?). I think that also played a big (but definitely lesser) part here and is a perspective I''m going to shift for you all moving forward. Even with ongoing manga I have to wait until a major arc is finished and then binge (like Seraph of the End¡ªchef''s kiss). Cliffhangers really only affect my reading at the end of books (which is fine because it''s a complete story in itself), but when they''re in the book I can just turn the page, and I need to think more about the wait in between days of chapters (which you think would be obvious, but alas...) Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble, and most importantly, for reading my series. I am learning and trying to apply all those lessons to make this a better experience for you all! PS I don''t think I ever said if the draft of Volume 2 is finished, but it is, and I am editing it! Ch 85 - System Unlock (TM)
JULES
¡°Yes. But I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± Oh Salvos. What now? ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can only do it twice on my own. And I have now used both times." ¡°You what!?¡± Everyone shouted at him. ¡°I am but a man, a sinful man," he tried to defend himself. "I have needs¡­" ¡°Gross,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Bah, not like that. My mother used to make strawberry cake¡­¡± ¡°Well, I hope it was worth it,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, it was,¡± Rukia and Kaizen said together. Rukia laid on her back with her paws in the air. Jules laughed. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Well, shall we?¡± Jules stood. Katarina followed suit, and Cyrus stumbled to his feet as well. ¡°Good luck, boys,¡± Katarina said. They all invoked the System Command together.
? ? System Unlock ? ?
Time froze. Or at least I think it did. No one else is moving.
[Welcome to the System Unlock process. Congratulations on achieving this milestone! Not all of your kind have been fortunate enough to make it.] [You highest Skill is: Conjuration, Level 30. Therefore, you have Unlocked at 1st Rank, giving you 3 Open Skill Slots.] [Your Open Skills Slots are: Skill Slot 1: Conjuration, Level 30. Skill Slot 2: Blades, Level 30. (Wow, you are certainly an overachiever.) Skill Slot 3: Elemental Control, Level 27.] [Based off of your current Skill Slots, the System has assigned you the fundamental Conjurer Class. Unlock an intermediate Class at 2nd Rank.] [Your Race has been adjusted to: Arcanic (Sealed). The System requests that you kindly do not open your Seal.] [Your Ryoku Pool has been Uncapped from ?10,000 for an Unranked Novice. Based off of your current Skill Slots, your current Ryoku Pool is now: ?174,501.] [The System advises that you focus on Runes tailored to your chosen Class. You may now join basic Factions at low-level positions.] [This completes the System Unlock process.]
Jules and everyone else could move again. It didn''t seem like any time had passed, based off of Kaizen''s reaction. "Welllllll????" the moronic ghost asked. ¡°Well, that certainly wasn¡¯t what I expected¡­But I''m now 17 times stronger!¡± But that comment about Seals leaves me with even more questions¡­ Kat looks nervous. Must have seen it, too. Cy looks happy, though. "SECOND RANK!!!" he bellowed to the stars and dropped down on his back, arms spread out wide. Yeah¡­I''m happy for you, Cy, but we already knew what Rank we''d be based off our Skills¡­ "Kat, did you get a message about your Seal?" "Yes." She ran a hand along her ear. "What are these Seals even for?" "Huh?" Cyrus asked. Jules looked at Kaizen. Kaizen and Rukia looked at each other. "You got this one," they said as one. "Hmph. Your Seals are an important piece of the Apocalyptic puzzle. I''m afraid that''s all I can say regarding the matter." Whiskers stood elegantly, looking at the stars. Then his drunken ass wobbled and fell to the ground.
[Start the Apocalypse ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Learn more about your Seals. (The System requests that you kindly don''t).] [New Reward Available for Start the Apocalypse: Fulfilling your destiny.]
Kat walked off and stood near the cliff. ¡°Well, congratulations, Cy,¡± Jules said. Cyrus stared straight back at him. ¡°You can gloat. It''s fine.¡± Cyrus¡¯ smile spread from ear-to-ear, then he looked to the sea. ¡°Seems I¡¯m one step closer to becoming an Alter.¡± Jules pulled himself together and slugged Cyrus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky on us.¡± Cyrus nodded towards Katarina. ¡°You better go check on her.¡± ¡°I think we''d better go check on her.¡± Jules extended an arm. Cyrus accepted the invitation, and Jules dragged him to his feet. They each wrapped an arm around Katarina¡¯s shoulder and squeezed themselves together into one unit. They¡¯d all grown in their two years together, but she was still at least a head shorter than both of them. ¡°It¡¯ll be OK, Kat,¡± Jules promised. ¡°Swear.¡± ¡°On my life.¡± ¡°On our lives,¡± Cyrus added. Together, they watched the clouds pass by the moon. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Jules opened his eyes, then immediately shut them. The sunlight burned his vision. He leaned up, but a weight on his chest pressed it back down. Someone groaned next to his face. He blinked a few times. ¡°Kat. Hey, Kat. Wake up.¡± She let out a sharp, short grunt. Guess we all fell asleep under the stars. Her head and a hand rested on his chest, and she curled against him in the cool air. He laid there for a moment longer, then shook her gently. ¡°Nnngghh?¡± Katarina lifted her head to face his. A line of drool fell down from her open mouth. She looked as if her eyes were glued shut, and her hair was a tangled mess. Katarina wiped her mouth dry and rubbed her eyes. Jules laughed and stretched. Cyrus snored alone in his tent, and Rukia and Whiskers snored together in another. Jules helped Katarina to her feet. ¡°Morning." ¡°Morning,¡± she replied. ¡°We better get ready.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± They woke up the others. The boys packed everything up while Katarina finished mending their armor. Jules noticed she muttered the whole time. Rukia and Whiskers returned from preparing their ship for departure. ¡°The day¡¯s here. How¡¯s everyone feeling?¡± Jules asked. ¡°Nervous,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Why?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°You have us around, and our Vessels¡ª¡± Whiskers slashed his hand and drew blood. Cyrus rubbed his hand to soothe it. ¡°I¡¯m most nervous that I have to go in alone," she said. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, Oh. That¡¯s a heavy expectation, and a lot of weight to put on a girl.¡± ¡°A young woman,¡± Whiskers corrected her. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me. That comes with its own list of heavy expectations.¡± ¡°You could stay back and keep mending our clothes¡ª¡± Both Rukia and Whiskers flew through the air and punched Cyrus in the face. ¡°Ow!¡± Katarina glared at Cyrus and ripped his shirt, just slightly. ¡°I sense a little jealousy coming from you, too,¡± Jules said. Katarina¡¯s impenetrable frown was immune to his charm. ¡°You¡¯re certainly chipper today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve limited the time I can spend grieving. For now, I¡¯m only letting myself grieve my family and no one else. They¡¯ll come later. But today isn¡¯t a day for grief.¡± Jules gazed past the sea to the northeast, where Marina Veridia laid. I''m nervous, too.
[Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Return to Coralhaven to pay respects for the Decimation.]
Oh fuck off. Rukia snarled. ¡°I¡¯m ready to kill some cultists.¡± ¡°Sure, OK. Just maybe don¡¯t say that so loudly,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°What? I¡¯m proud of Jules for completing his training. I gave him all my focus and attention. Now it¡¯s time to hunt. See, it goes like this¡­" "Oh, here we go." They all groaned. ¡°¡­First, I¡¯m gonna catch his scent, right? Then I¡¯ll close in on him, all slow-like, and trap him somewhere he can¡¯t escape, right? Right. Then, next, what I¡¯m gonna do after that, see, is pounce on his shoulder, then, then I¡¯ll bare my fangs, and¡­¡± Rukia continued in great detail how she¡¯d kill Zeke. By the end of her tirade, her eyes were captured in a self-hypnosis daydream, and slobber dribbled down her panting mouth. ¡°Hey, no one believes you more than me," Jules said, to get her to shut up. "Right. Kaizen?¡± Kaizen materialized. ¡°I have faith. How are you feeling, Cy? You seem more confident than yesterday.¡± Cyrus pounded his chest. ¡°I am severely hungover. But I am also still carrying the weight of what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to unburden yourself before battle,¡± Kaizen said. "Gross." ¡°There¡¯s not much to talk about," Cyrus said. "Just the overwhelming guilt of my sacrifices, and yada yada. I¡¯m just happy I didn¡¯t trade in Kat for a newer model.¡±Cyrus brandished his new Vessel, a beautiful, curved katana. Katarina ripped his shirt again. ¡°Though I probably should have,¡± Cyrus muttered. RIP! ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll carry the burden of these responsibilities into battle with me to make them worthwhile.¡± ¡°Just be sure to watch out for more daggers in your heart,¡± Whiskers said. He reached out a low paw to Katarina, and she slapped it in approval. ¡°It¡¯s weird to finally head to Marina Veridia,¡± Jules said. ¡°Yeah, we got a bit sidetracked after leaving The Painter¡¯s, didn''t we?" ¡°You idiots are excited? I swear¡­ You keep forgetting that this place is the military hub of Southern Coralith.¡± Jules and Cyrus smiled at each other. ¡°We don¡¯t keep forgetting, Kat. I think it excites us more.¡± ¡°You are stupid, your friend is stupid, your plan is stupid. We are destined to fail¡­¡± ¡°And yet here you are.¡± Jules smiled at her. ¡°We are going in blind yet again,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°And Katarina will probably be isolated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather not go into another Shrine with you again.¡± ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t hesitate.¡± ¡°It was the way you said it. You tricked me!¡± ¡°What, now you¡¯re faulting me for having a little dramatic flair?¡± ¡°Whatever. You need to stay back and beat that chick¡¯s ass.¡± Well, that certainly ended the conversation. ¡°You¡¯ll have to fight her, Cy,¡± Jules said. ¡°If anyone can weasel their way out of Coralhaven, it was her.¡± ¡°And¡­ Zeke¡­¡± Rukia¡¯s eyes glazed over. ¡°And you,¡± Cyrus said to Jules, ¡°have to take Zeke. Ragnar and Felix are gone, according to Maddie.¡± ¡°That just leaves Patience, or whoever. That should also be my fight, given our connection, but Kat, you might need to step in on that one.¡± ¡°And if there''re reinforcements?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t think the Iron Maiden herself will show up, do you?¡± Cyrus asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± Everyone turned their attention to Kaizen. He leveled his gaze at each one of them, and no one said anything. If he¡¯d had more to say, he would have. Is she a repeated piece of history, too? ¡°We will handle reinforcements as they come,¡± Jules said. ¡°Speaking of,¡± Katarina wrinkled her nose. ¡°Maddie makes me nervous. I still don¡¯t trust her. Plus, she has a Vessel now.¡± ¡°My Vessel¡­¡± ¡°You already have one,¡± Katarina snapped at Cyrus. ¡°She¡¯ll distract Zeke with our mutual friend¡ª¡± ¡°Not our friend,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Stop saying that, Jules. And Maddie still wants your Bounty. Our Bounty, so watch your back. We''re only using each other as stepping stones to Zeke.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not forgotten who is and isn¡¯t in our Party, but I appreciate your concern.¡± Katarina rolled her eyes at him. ¡°August and John will be there¡ª¡± Rukia and Whiskers snickered. ¡°¡ªfor whatever that¡¯s worth, but Thorn is a Vessel-user, too.¡± ¡°Kat and Maddie have a thing,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°so leave them to each other. Same for me and August, and you and Thorn. If it devolves into a fight, they¡¯ll want to even the scores.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Katarina crossed her arms. Jules peeled back his shirt and inspected his Seal. Only getting worse. ¡°Kaizen and I have a plan for Wrath as well. So expect something big in the middle of the chaos.¡± ¡°A hint would be nice,¡± Katarina said. Cyrus shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to jinx it. You¡¯ll have to see it for yourself.¡± ¡°One more time, review your plan,¡± Kaizen said. ¡°Our friends arrive first to take the heat off of us. We enter concealed in the fog. We anchor below the Shrine and climb up. We pincer Zeke with Maddie, then Kat hits the Shrine during the chaos. If we haven¡¯t won by then, her Vessel will help us nail the coffin shut.¡± ¡°Um, Jules¡­¡± Rukia poked her index fingers together. ¡°You forgot to mention the part where I get to rip out Zeke¡¯s throat¡­¡± Jules sighed. I knew this would come up again. It¡¯s been our greatest point of contention. ¡°No, Rukia. We hogtie his ass up and question him first. Then you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°He will kill us the first chance he gets, Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Well, me, anyway.¡± ¡°And then he¡¯ll imprison us somehow,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Once he sees me again, he¡¯ll know what I am. Who I am.¡± ¡°He tried to kill you and your family, Jules.¡± ¡°These circumstances go beyond a blood feud. Cy, Kat¡ª¡± ¡°I agree with them,¡± Kaizen said. Jules¡¯ shoulders dropped, and he looked up at the sky. Kaizen hadn¡¯t joined in their previous debates about Zeke¡¯s fate over the last few days. ¡°Zeke is a liability we cannot allow to exist.¡± ¡°I think it is wisest to learn more from him first,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°And then we kill him. Violently.¡± Thank you. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking snake,¡± Cyrus shouted. ¡°He''ll slither through our clutches,¡± Katarina said, ¡°and be an even bigger threat after he¡¯s learned more about our group, and Kaizen, which no one knows about still.¡± ¡°Probably. Oh, don¡¯t look at me that way, Envy. I¡¯m just being fair.¡± Even the ghost fears Kat¡¯s icy stare. ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote,¡± Cyrus said. Ha! ¡°No, it¡¯s a final moment decision.¡± ¡°Just because you know you¡¯ll lose.¡± Obviously. ¡°No, because I¡¯m the leader, and I have the blood feud.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one, Jules.¡± Rukia pouted. ¡°I failed to get him once before¡­¡± ¡°I will decide what to do with him once I¡¯ve defeated him.¡± ¡°Jules¡­ You can kill a man in battle, but I don¡¯t think you can kill him in cold blood,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°We''ll see, Cy. Now come on, all of you. We have a boat to catch. Rukia, set sail.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 85 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 86 - Heart-Shaped Box
PATIENCE
Twilight enveloped Marina Veridia. The deck''s wooden floorboards creaked beneath each hurried step. Unbelievable. Unforgivable. Patience swung open the door to the captain¡¯s private quarters. A man in a black surgical mask and robes looked up from the pair of cadavers he worked on. Just like the fluttering sail above them, the man¡¯s robes bore the crest of the Iron Maidens Faction. Patience scrunched up his face and looked down his nose at the man. ¡°I presume you are the¡­Medic.¡± The Medic studied Patience for a brief moment, then resumed his work. Must have recognized me immediately. Patience crossed the threshold into the room and slammed the door behind him. The Medic poked and prodded the corpses to no reaction. Every so often, he scribbled a note on his clipboard. The bodies were burnt, scabbed, and rotted. The stench was so awful that there was a massive Script written on the ceiling that permanently ceased all nose functions, even breathing, when someone entered the room. But not outside. The noxious odor caught Patience¡¯s attention in the first place. He''d peered into the quarters through one of Charlotte¡¯s eight eyes, which the Familiar hid during the chaos of Coralhaven. Seven eyes now, I suppose. After you lost one in Coralhaven. Patience walked around the bodies and inspected them. He¡¯d forgotten their names, but so it goes. In all my years serving this bitch, I''ve uncovered every secret but one. I knew there was another left to discover, but you held it under lock and key well. Until now, you old bat. So this is what you¡¯ve been¡­researching. Still, what exactly is this man doing? The door opened behind him. By the sound of it, a heavy man took just one step inside. ¡°To what pleasure do I owe this unannounced visit to my private chambers?¡± Zeke demanded. Patience turned to face him. Zeke studied the cadavers, then Patience. What an odd way to put it. ¡°As the head of this challenging campaign, it is important for me to know all affairs of those beneath me.¡± Zeke grunted. ¡°Is it now?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your other dog, the bitch?¡± Zeke narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Yes, will you strike me? Or will you obey the chain of command, like the two mutts lying dead on these tables? ¡°She is nearby.¡± Woof. Woof. ¡°Walk with me to the deck.¡± ¡°Is that an order, Pastor?¡± Zeke eyed the Medic nervously. He didn¡¯t stop to acknowledge either one of them. Does this Medic outrank me? ¡°No. It is but a mere request from¡ª¡± ¡°Fine, Zeke.¡± Boring. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this hellhole that you call your quarters.¡± It¡¯s time to remind you what¡¯s at stake should you fail me again. This time, Zeke shut the door when they left. ¡°Let us first address your complete and utter defeat in Coralhaven." ¡°We are lucky,¡± Zeke said slowly, ¡°to be alive. All of us.¡± ¡°Not quite all.¡± I wish you¡¯d quite literally bite your tongue. ¡°The sheer mountain of casualties you left behind has made us look like a gang of fools, running about and grabbing our own pricks. It¡¯s set us back in the eyes of the public opinion, one of our greatest assets.¡± ¡°I agree. The aftermath has left us looking like¡­school children.¡± Patience¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°At least in the eyes of Her Holiness, the Iron Maiden. But I disagree with your perspective on the court of public opinion. I think this bolstered our position with them, now that they see the level of tragedy ready to befall them at any moment. Especially since our illustrious Virtues are nowhere to be seen during these dark hours.¡± Charlotte, your venom, please. Just in case. ¡°The Iron Maiden¡ª¡± ¡°Her Holiness, the Iron Maiden.¡± Zeke walked ahead. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Patience waved his hand in the air. ¡°She will see to our punishments herself, Zeke. Your one and only fuckup I have so gracefully awarded you has been burnt to ash. This ship and all its operations are under my direct control, effective immediately.¡± Zeke turned on his heel and towered over Patience. ¡°I accept my punishment due from the Maiden, and I accept the responsibility of having failed Her. You would do well to do the same, boy.¡± ¡°How dare you! I left the operation in your hands, and you venture to accuse me of failure¡ª¡± ¡°You abandoned your fucking post!¡± Zeke shouted down at him. ¡°You left us for dead, you base coward!¡± Zeke grabbed Patience¡¯s shirt and yanked upward from the pants. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?" Zeke untucked Patience¡¯s shirt and lifted it high. ¡°Seeing which shade o¡¯ yellow your belly is, boy!¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Patience swatted Zeke¡¯s hands away in one strike. Zeke¡¯s mouth gaped open, and his eyes widened. I am much stronger than you suspect, you limp-dicked cretin. I Unlocked near 3rd Rank, so help me Salvos. ¡°I was summoned by The Iron Maiden herself.¡± ¡°A lie. And not your first one told.¡± What else have you learned that you should not? ¡°Careful, Pastor. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will crack your skull open on a pike.¡± ¡°The Iron Maidens is no place for cowards or deserters. We might have won with The Spider.¡± I¡¯ll wipe that smug look off your face with a brine brush. ¡°Given the state of your comrades, I am curious as to how exactly you escaped alive, Pastor Zeke.¡± Zeke leaned in so close to Patience that he smelled what he¡¯d had for dinner. Anchovies, despicable commoner. ¡°You dare accuse me of deserting?¡± I do. ¡°I am covered in Holy Artifacts that protect me, from The Maiden her¡ª¡± ¡°Artifacts you should spread around.¡± ¡°I have.¡± Zeke smiled and darkness swept past his eyes. ¡°To Ragnar and Felix and Selene.¡± Ah, those were the mutts'' names. ¡°Bitterness doesn¡¯t suit a man of the faith. And what use could Ragnar and Felix have for them now, of all times?¡± Patience wanted so badly to spit in the man¡¯s face. But I¡¯m too close. It¡¯d only hit a small portion, and I¡¯d prefer to spread it all over his oily face. ¡°Better them than you.¡± You son of a swine whore. I need those Artifacts¡ªto protect myself.
I WILL PROTECT YOU.
Patience flinched. I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear from you tonight. ¡°Focus, dammit.¡± Zeke shook Patience by his shoulders. ¡°Their armor resisted the fire and rain, but they are on the verge of life and death.¡± ¡°Who is on the verge of life?¡± Certainly not death. ¡°They fought for their lives. And they fight still.¡± Black magic? ¡°We must all fight for our lives, against the Arcanics!¡± Ah. And here I was, thinking we fought only the Sins. Are you still there, Voice? ¡°I ask again¡ªWhere were you when your brethren bled?¡± ¡°I was away. When I discovered what was happening, I had no defense against it. Unlike you. Now, I am not just some pawn in this game, I am a valuable asset¡ª¡± "Yet you are still just a piece on the board." Patience licked his lips in lieu of spitting. ¡°So ye fled.¡± ¡°While you¡¯ve damaged your pride and your¡ªyour reputation.¡± Zeke pulled Patience in closer to his foul breath. He pulled back the mangled hair that covered his face and then peeled back an eye patch beneath it. A massive gash crossed through the empty socket. ¡°I lost more than my pride, boy.¡± Funny. All I see is a fool who¡¯s lost sight of his goals. You may have embarrassed me and ridiculed me, and to my face, at that. But you are somehow weaker. Yes, a fragile shell of man. You are terrified of what you fight, and only now do you finally realize that, at this level, we gamble with our lives. ¡°You are emotional and battle fatigued. I shall forgive this insubordination, and this attack on my character, just this once. Now, enlighten me about your plans and preparations, so I may adjust them accordingly.¡± Zeke sneered and left his eyepatch up. The image of the facial void seared into Patience¡¯s memory. The battlefield was no welcome place to Patience. ¡°Redwood returns to our service. She spotted our target on Lighthouse Point¡ª¡± ¡°Call her back immediately. Tell her to disengage.¡± ¡°We have. The boy is Shrine hunting, she says. So our current station is the perfect place for an ambush.¡± Station? More like hideout. ¡°And an obvious one.¡± ¡°Maddie assures us this is his next destination.¡± ¡°And his comrades?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± Zeke pulled away his smug face. ¡°Oh, of course you didn¡¯t. We executed the girl. Selene imprisoned the boy during the rain. We found his body, though it was ruined.¡± Patience¡¯s blood boiled at the insult. ¡°Just desserts for the friends of sinners. So Wrath is alone.¡± ¡°No. Maddie confirmed sight of the fox.¡± ¡°And all three branches of the military here serve us?¡± ¡°Yes. Many victims of the Sack of Coralhaven enlisted in each Faction.¡± You¡¯ve finally done something worthwhile. Patience glanced up at the white cliffs high above the port. ¡°We maintain the high ground, then. Luck favors us with the Shrine¡¯s location.¡± ¡°Yes. And how convenient that they lie at the Fountain of the Virtues.¡± Twice now you''ve mentioned the Virtues. ¡°Let us now discuss Jules.¡± Patience turned red. The insolence¡ª That is my topic to bring up. ¡°Yes, we shall. I will allow his approach into the bay. Then we surround him.¡± Zeke remained silent. Making me ask. ¡°It should go without saying that we need to avoid a catastrophe like the last three times he¡¯s been cornered.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s left to kill this time?¡± Zeke said with a smile. ¡°Maddie said he was all alone. The only way to draw him out is to threaten one of the host¡¯s¡­so-called loved ones.¡± Only one eye, and such short-sightedness. I¡¯m beginning to wonder if The Iron Maiden is truly someone to fear. ¡°We possess the full might of the Coralith military, plus our own reinforcements. ¡°I see,¡± Patience said. Surely this isn''t a stalemate. That plan is simply not enough. I know it, and even this idiot isn¡¯t too stupid to not acknowledge that fact. You must be counting on Wrath to show up. What do you have lying in wait? Are you still there, Voice? ¡°I recommend that, to keep our master strategist safe,¡± Zeke said, ¡°that you pull back from the front lines and take up a more¡­secure position during the battle.¡± Trying to remove another piece from the board.
PRIDE CRIPPLES YOU. ACCEPT THE BAIT.
Patience¡¯s entire face twitched for a few seconds. He couldn¡¯t fight the voice in his head, and he needed Zeke, so he wouldn¡¯t bash his skull in. Luckily, the watch dog thinks he¡¯s the one who¡¯s affected me like this. ¡°I will watch and give orders from on high.¡± Patience obeyed the order, though not Zeke¡¯s. The Pastor laughed. ¡°Of course you will. We must address one other thing, Sir.¡± ¡°Proceed.¡± ¡°I had a recent audience with The Maiden. She did not corroborate your telling of events.¡± ¡°You would do well to approach me from the front and not sneak behind my¡ª" ¡°Furthermore, Liam didn¡¯t disclose Jules¡¯ location to you.¡± At that moment, tables turned. Patience''s heart raced. His arms buzzed. His legs were ready to take flight. No. I am The Spider. I am the hunter who catches prey in my web of lies, not the other way around. ¡°How I get my information is none of your business.¡± Zeke¡¯s lips curled up and almost touched his empty eye socket. ¡°Strong words for someone so young. Tell me, how old are you? Are you a man yet? What, nothing to say? You speak with the arrogance of someone who just Unlocked.¡± Do I fight? Do I run?
YOU WILL DO NEITHER. TAKE YOUR LASHING, FOOLISH CHILD. PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR DEEDS IN CORALHAVEN.
My deeds? What did I do wrong¡ªI did everything you told me to. ¡°Now, The Maiden mentioned you had a package you were to deliver to me. Weeks ago¡­¡± Patience studied Zeke¡¯s face. His gaze stopped on a vertical cheek scar. There. Right there. I will split that wound open again when I plunge my blade into your skull. He reached into his Inventory, then handed Zeke the black box. The Voice growled and cursed the box.
DISGRACEFUL! YOU''VE BEEN ENCUMBERED BY THIS MEDALLION THIS ENTIRE TIME? THIS IS DEATH''S DOING.
Fury and hatred swept through Patience so swiftly he almost fell to a knee. ¡°Thank you," Zeke said. "Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have further preparations to arrange for your battle.¡± Patience resisted the urge to close that smile for good. He daydreamed of killing the man, and that would suffice. For now. ¡°Aye. You are dismissed, Pastor Zeke.¡± Patience walked away. He paid close attention to his cadence, to appear as natural as possible, less he be thought a coward. A cold chill wrapped around him. A black mist, low to the ground, followed it. Ah. So you already opened the box¡­ ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 86 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 87 - Davy Jones
ENVY
Meanwhile, back in Lighthouse Point¡­
[Welcome to the System Unlock process. Congratulations on achieving this milestone! Not all of your kind have been fortunate enough to make it.]
That''s creepy. I guess The System''s referring to Charity?
[You highest Skill is: Daggers, Level 30. Therefore, you have Unlocked at 1st Rank, giving you 3 Open Skill Slots.] [Your Open Skills Slots are: Skill Slot 1: Daggers, Level 30. Skill Slot 2: Tailoring, Level 26. Skill Slot 3: Restoration, Level 25.] [Based off of your current Skill Slots, the System has assigned you the fundamental Scout Class. Unlock an intermediate Class at 2nd Rank.]
I guess I shouldn''t be shocked.
[Your Race has been adjusted to: Arcanic (Sealed). The System requests that you kindly do not open your Seal.]
¡­What?
[Your Ryoku Pool has been Uncapped from ?10,000 for an Unranked Novice. Based off of your current Skill Slots, your current Ryoku Pool is now: ?151,869.]
Fifteen times stronger!? What!?
[The System advises that you focus on Runes tailored to your chosen Class. You may now join basic Factions at lower-level positions.] [This completes the System Unlock process.]
CYRUS
Meanwhile, back in Lighthouse Point¡­
[The Boy Who Would Be Alter ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Reach Level 34 in a single Skill before your System Unlock Day.] [Welcome to the System Unlock process. Congratulations on achieving this milestone!] [You highest Skill is: Elemental Control, Level 35. Therefore, you have Unlocked at 2nd Rank, giving you 5 Open Skill Slots.]
Oh come on baby, here we go!
[Your Open Skills Slots are: Skill Slot 1: Elemental Control, Level 30. Skill Slot 2: Curved Swords, Level 30. Skill Slot 3: Transmutation, Level 29. Skill Slot 4: Mercantile, Level 27. Skill Slot 5: Enchanting, Level 25.] [Based off of your current Skill Slots, the System has assigned you the intermediate Crusading Mage Class. Unlock a second fundamental Class at 3rd Rank.] [Your Ryoku Pool has been Uncapped from ?10,000 for an Unranked Novice. Based off of your current Skill Slots, your current Ryoku Pool is now: ?298,080.]
Oh Salvos. Oh Sweet Salvos. I think I''m gonna have a heart attack.
[The System advises that you focus on Scrolls tailored to your chosen Class. You may now join any Faction at any non-leadership positions.]
Except for the only one that matters¡­ But this is a victory, Cy. A sweet, sweet victorious day¡­
[This completes the System Unlock process.]
"SECOND RANK!!!" he bellowed to the stars and dropped down on his back, arms spread out wide.
JULES
A strong eastward breeze swept past the barren masts under clear skies. Jules looked behind them, to the west, for the first time since they left Lighthouse Point. Three. Two. One. The bottom of the sun kissed the shimmering waves''s surface far off in the distance. Now. ¡°Rukia,¡± he shouted to the fox, to his entire team. ¡°Sails up!¡± Ropes slithered all around him. Sails unfurled from on high and flapped taut when the wind cracked them open. Their patchwork ship bolted toward Marina Veridia''s bay. ¡°Cy¡ª¡± ¡°Already on it.¡±
? Activate ? ?? Light-Bending Mirage ??
Cyrus slammed his fist into the deck and activated a massive Inked Art they''d all placed on the ship while still in Lighthouse Point. The illusion scattered and refracted light around the ship, so that the waiting forces in Veridia''s bay could only see waving lines of the sea. Hidden both by the Script and the blinding sun behind them, they hurtled toward the Shrine''s cliff Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°We''ve got thirty minutes," Cyrus shouted. "But we¡¯re in luck, it seems the weather will be clear all night." ¡°That seems to be a bad omen lately,¡± Jules said. ¡°Where''s the smokescreen?¡± Katarina squinted one eye through a looking glass. "The mist should be here already." ¡°He¡¯ll come,¡± Jules said. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. Now¡ªweapons?¡± ¡°Check.¡± "Check." ¡°Inked Arts?¡± ¡°Check." "Check.¡± ¡°Armor?¡± ¡°Check.¡± ¡°Few rips, but check,¡± Cyrus joked. Katarina couldn''t hide her smirk. ¡°Pussy?¡± Katarina slapped an unsuspecting Cyrus, who collapsed to the deck. Whiskers leapt up on him and drew out his claws. ¡°Check-mate.¡± ¡°Better focus, Cy.¡± Jules reached out a hand to pick him up. ¡°If you joke, you die. If you die¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t come back.¡± Cyrus grabbed Jules¡¯ hand and got back to his feet. ¡°I get it. Look¡ªthere she is.¡± The city was massive, at least half the size of Aquilantis and filled with countless canals that originated from the sea. The many waterways were lined with walkways and bridges high above them, but rocky beaches surrounded the ports and the cliffs. One central port hosted ships with massive sails that boasted their Factions¡¯ crests. The Hydromages, the Royal Navy. The Navigators and the Iron Maidens. But no skull and bones. ¡°No sign of Maddie.¡± Katarina chewed her lip. ¡°Jules, if this is a trap¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to trust her, Kat.¡± Jules jammed his finger into their map, at the cliffs closest to the inner city. ¡°There it is, the Shrine.¡± ¡°Target acquired,¡± Rukia shouted from the sails. She flipped down the mast and ropes and then took the helm. ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± They surged into the bay. Where are they¡­? Parts of the ship¡¯s mirage disguise shimmered and faded away. It reminded Jules of a piece of paper burning away, revealing what lies underneath. Then the weather turned for the worse. Thank Salvos. A storm emanated from a singular point ahead, between their current position and destination. Bells clanged from one watch tower, then three more, and soon the entire town¡¯s arsenal of alarms rang and rang. ¡°Told you so,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Shit,¡± Jules shouted. ¡°They¡¯re late. Next objective: evasive and defensive action until they decide to grace us with their presence.¡± The first cannons erupted. Jules heard the high-pitched whine of their trajectory before they splashed into the water portside. ¡°Rukia, open her up! With the power of her own Ryoku, now uncapped alongside Jules'' own Ryoku Pool, Rukia shifted and tilted them side-to-side to evade the cannons and other projectiles. Massive, iron javelin ballista zinged past the ship. A wall of torrential rain approached them from the side. Good, they''re finally here. Cyrus shouted something Jules couldn''t understand. Cyrus'' Ryoku Shield enveloped the deck, just enough to protect the crew. Arrows rained down around them, but not on them, and littered the floorboards outside their Scripted barrier. The mages¡¯ assault followed. Icy spears fell short and long of the ship, though a few pierced through the sails and struck the deck. A massive surge in the waves came next. From the stern, a wave picked them up and thrust them in toward the port. ¡°That better be our guy and not the military!¡± Cyrus hung onto a railing for dear life; water whipped about his face DUN! DUN! DUN-DUN! ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Jules shouted. Splashing water roared all around him and deafened his ears. ¡°Kamikaze whales and dolphins,¡± Rukia said, matter-of-factly. ¡°The hell¡¯s a kamikaze!?¡± Katarina shouted. The ship reached the peak of a wave and titled nearly straight down to descend it. ¡°Nothing, something from a past life ¡ª¡± CRASH! A wall of water slapped Jules¡¯ entire body. His eyes and nose and throat and lungs burned from the salt water. What the¡ª Jules swung his sword at the Drowner. It shrieked before Jules cut off its head. A dozen more Kappas and Drowners surrounded them. ¡°We¡¯ve been boarded!¡± Water poured from the sides of the ship, once again upright. A white streak darted past him through the air. The beasts fell to the ground, one-by-one. Some fled and jumped overboard, the others died. Damn, Rukia''s already crazed with bloodlust. It''''ll be hard to contain her from here on out, Kaizen thought. Brace yourself. You could have warned us about that part!? Three cannonballs blew through the different levels of their ship. Lightning struck nearby, at the radial center of the storm¡ªand then there appeared to be a brief ceasefire. Even the waves halted, and the shoreline grew still. ¡°Look who decided to show up,¡± Katarina said. She laid on her back, soaked, and gripped a post for dear life. ¡°Could have come a bit sooner," Cyrus said. "Ship''s damn-near inoperable now, and poor Whiskers here almost lost another life." Rukia stood on her hind legs and howled at the moon, which began to shine through the receding sunlight. ¡°¡­And our pilot''s gone berserk.¡± Whiskers sat on the deck. He blinked slowly. Water dripped from his drenched fur coat. His eyes were half-covered by tufts of clumped fur. ¡°If you say it,¡± Whiskers threatened Cyrus, ¡°I will kill you.¡± The Flying Dutchman¡¯s bow erupted from the water¡¯s surface. It balanced itself straight upward for a moment, then crashed down, upright. Its bow angled toward their ship. Black sails swept down its black mast. Jules and his Party shouted at the ship¡ªthey cursed it and made obscene gestures for being late. ¡°They¡¯re close," Jules said. "Too close." The military resumed their assault and focused most of their artillery on The Flying Dutchman. Columns of water erupted from the sea to intercept the strikes. Like a Leviathan¡¯s blowhole. I hope August is watching. The bell tower alarms tripled their pace. ¡°Is it just me,¡± Whiskers said, ¡°or is The Dutchman about to collide with us?¡± The black ship raced toward them, and finally, for the first time, they saw him. Davy Jones¡­ Cyrus¡¯ jaw dropped. Jones was a pirate, clear as day. His black beard fell into long braids that seemed to shimmer and move, like tentacles with a mind of their own, their ends tied with tiny peg-legs. He wore a small tricorn hat with a plain skull and bones branded into it. His clothes were simple, just a white shirt, open at the chest, and beige breeches, all stained by the ocean¡¯s salt. Davy Jones drew closer to them and appeared larger than life. ¡°Jules¡­¡± ¡°Hold steady.¡± The Flying Dutchman screeched to a halt about twenty feet away. It must have taken an infinite pool of Ryoku to stop the momentum of not just the ship, but the water around it. But if I''ve got nearly ?200,000 Ryoku, there''s not telling how much an Alter has¡­ Davy Jones and Jules locked eyes. ¡°You there¡ªboy,¡± the Alter Pirate hollered. ¡°Be ye Wrath?¡± ¡°This makes twice now that you¡¯ve saved my hide. I¡¯m in your debt.¡± ¡°Oh ho! I''ll not help some miserable old cunt for the hell of it." Mouth on this one. "Like last time, I¡¯ve me own reasons for coming here, laddie.¡± ¡°And for being late, I¡¯m sure,¡± Katarina said. ¡°We¡¯d better make it worth each other¡¯s while,¡± Cyrus said. Jules noticed the intensity of Cyrus¡¯ gaze, as if nothing else around him mattered but the Alter. Jones eyed Katarina and Cyrus suspiciously. His gaze froze on the sword on Cyrus¡¯ back. ¡°Aye. What did the little lass tell you?¡± Jones asked Jules. Columns of water continued to intercept all attacks. And soak them. But not Jones. Jules smiled. ¡°That this¡¯d be a fight for the history books.¡± ¡°Oh ho ho! Right she is as always, that little she-devil. Well, I promised her to distract and nothing more. Seems my part¡¯s been played.¡± ¡°Jules¡­¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Let the chaos¡­ Begin!¡± ¡°Make some distance,¡± Katarina shouted. ¡°Now, Jules!¡± ¡°Rukia, pull off!¡± Their boat shifted portside forty-five degrees.
?? Release the Kraken! ??
Jones¡¯ voice was heard over all else, the thundering roar of cannons, the endless splashing of waves. Jones already blocked their path to the cliffside, but on the other side of even The Dutchman, another wildcard appeared, when a squid-like head erupted from the sea. At least three stories tall, the Kraken slapped its tentacles on the water. Its beak snapped with such force, it could be heard even underwater, and its eyes were bigger than Rukia''s entire body. Its shriek forced everyone but Jones to cover their ears, even the Alter Pirates¡¯ crew who had risen to their bow¡¯s railing. Once again, the military had a new target. Rukia accelerated them toward the port. It was the right move given their new circumstances, so Jules didn''t argue with her decision, but their progress was quickly stunted, when a riptide pulled them back toward The Dutchman and the Kraken. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 87 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 88 - Fight For Your Right
JULES
¡°Jules¡ªHe¡¯s pushing us back!¡± Rukia spun the helm¡¯s wheel around to break free. ¡°Men,¡± Jones said. ¡°Pillage and plunder, plunder and pillage! Sow chaos, and we shall succeed yet again!¡± The Pirate crew roared their battle cries. Jules could only see a few, but from the sound, there must have been hundreds of men aboard. ¡°Aye, now Wrath. Take me men ashore. They¡¯ll cause a scene for you to slip on by.¡± Jones winked one of his blue eyes. ¡°Jules, don¡¯t trust this guy,¡± Katarina said. ¡°This is the third wrench he¡¯s thrown in.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got no choice,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°He¡¯s an Alter. He¡¯d rip our ship to driftwood in an instant.¡± ¡°Cy¡¯s right, Kat.¡± Jules addressed the Alter Pirate. ¡°Fine, send who you can spare. We sail for the cliffs.¡± Men swung from ropes and toppled onto each other aboard their new ship. The grimy and rough Pirates eyed Jules'' Party like meat or game, and Katarina in a totally different way. ¡°Aye, laddie. I think it¡¯d be better for you to land on the beaches by the docks, that I do.¡± Jules gritted his teeth. ¡°Best for who?¡± ¡°Best for whom, Wrath. Best for whom.¡± The Flying Dutchman shifted starboard and accelerated towards the cliffs. "What a dick!" The riptide reversed and pushed Jules¡¯ ship straight toward the docks. The siege resumed and Jones protected only his ship from assault. ¡°Oi,¡± Jones yelled through the chaos, ¡°I think ye¡¯ll find me men have a mind of their own! Har har har¡ªFight well!¡± ¡°To the docks!¡± Jones¡¯ crew banged their weapons on the ship¡¯s rails. ¡°We have our own mission,¡± Jules warned them. The Pirates repeated their battle cries, and the tide thrust them further from the cliffs. They dispersed and shot arrows at shore. They climbed the ropes and sails for better vantage points. Jules and Cyrus tried to stop them without effect. Katarina sighed and sat down. One of the men grabbed her arm. She quickly locked up his arm, gave it a new joint, and threw him overboard. None of them fucked with her after that. Instead, they focused on commandeering the ship. They damaged the rudder and the hull. The sails were filled with holes now¡ªwell, even more after Coralhaven¡ªand the hull with leaks. Even Rukia abandoned her post to fight some of the men, so they commandeered the wheel. Both groups interfered with the other, directing and redirecting the ship, until they were set on a clear crash-course with one of the many rocky beaches. A sudden deceleration thrust everyone to the ground. Jules and his friends rose up quickly to avoid the fiery arrows that rained down on them. Heavy javelins pierced through multiple floors of the ship. Jones¡¯ voice echoed through all of Marina Veridia. ¡°Nowhere left to run now, men! If yer lucky, we all succeed tonight. Burn the boats behind ye!¡± The Pirates cheered their captain and abandoned the ship for the beach. The fires spread across the deck. Cyrus stomped out a smaller one. ¡°Jules, Kat, help me stop the flames!¡± Jules could intake all the fire in a few seconds, but¡­ ¡°No, Cy. It¡¯s beyond saving.¡± The main sail crashed down from its mast. ¡°New plan until we reach the Shrine: adapt and survive.¡±
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Adapt and survive to Capture the Shrine of Marina Veridia.]
Jules leapt down onto the beach, and his friends followed his lead. He addressed them and the Pirates. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left behind us anymore, only forward. Now, men¡ªCharge!¡± He thrust his wooden sword into the sky toward the inner city. The Pirates, and the rest of his Party, just stared at him. ¡°Well, it was worth a shot¡­Let¡¯s just go.¡± The motley crew ran toward stairs and bridges. A Hydromage platoon rushed from the opposite end to meet them. Another approached them on the beach and reached them first. They fought in the sand. Blades and shields and blunt weapons collided. In the confusion of battle, Jules soon lost his sense of direction and which way the sea was. He fell one Hydromage who wielded ice axes, another who shot lightning bolts at him. A defective group of Pirates attacked Jules and Cyrus from behind. ¡°Nice Vessels you got there. Afraid we¡¯ll have to take them.¡± Cyrus disposed of them all with his curved sword. His Vessel still clung to his back in its sheath. ¡°Hey, those Sins are attacking our men!¡± a Pirate shouted. Jules sighed. This is going to be a long night. Now it was three teams all against each other, instead of two-on-one. ¡°We need to get off this beach.¡± He and his friends pushed through the crowd of Pirates ascending the stairs. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°The docks,¡± Whiskers said. He carried a rolled up map in his mouth. ¡°Keep your distance, Whiskers. You¡¯ll be our shot-caller and strategist, so stay out of the combat.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Whiskers pounced away, far away, and scaled buildings and walls. ¡°Alright, to the docks,¡± Jules ordered. Nearby Pirates cheered and followed his orders. They rushed ahead of them. ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± Cyrus asked. The docks were set up like a ravine, so they could easily be attacked from above, on each side. We¡¯re sitting ducks out here¡­ Jules took cover behind whatever buildings and structures were available. Sometimes he hid behind Pirates and Soldiers, using them as shields from stray arrows and javelins. They progressed forward one sprint-to-cover at a time. Jules ran up to a large group of Pirates hiding behind a wall. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Boss,¡± one said to him. ¡°An ambush ahead.¡± Oh, now I''m your boss!? Marina Veridia was split into three leveled tiers. They were on the bottom one, and the Shrine was at the top. Jules peeked his head around the corner of the wall. Beyond it, a street led up to the second tier where an entire company of a hundred Soldiers waited for them. Beyond even that, the massive sets of stairs climbed to the highest points of the city.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª 3 Quest Objectives ADDED: Ascend the first tier of Marina Veridia. | Ascend the second tier of Marina Veridia. | Ascend the third tier of Marina Veridia.]
Jules returned to cover and took a deep breath. Katarina and Cyrus steeled themselves too. ¡°One.¡± Katarina removed her bow from her back and knocked an arrow. ¡°Two.¡± Cyrus rubbed his hand across his curved sword¡¯s blade to clean it. Jules squeezed the wooden Sound. ¡°Go right¡ªThree!¡± The trio and Rukia sprinted out of cover. They ran along the street in staggered zigzag lines. Jules dodged an ice spear and a javelin. He deflected a few arrows with the Sound. ¡°I never knew you Pirates were such cowards,¡± Cyrus yelled from behind.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ascend the first tier of Marina Veridia.]
No time to look back. Jules sprinted up to the second tier level and continued right. He heard a stampede approach. Cyrus, Katarina, and Rukia maintained Jules¡¯ flank, and they all crashed headfirst into the enemy lines. Pirates spread out across the line and behind them, which pushed Jules and company into the Soldiers. Jules was unsure where the next strike would come from, in front or back. From foe or¡ªpossibly¡ªfriend. As long as it doesn¡¯t come from within. Jules focused his anger and frustration inward and tempered it. Yellow flames erupted at his eyes. ¡°Cy. Shields up,¡± he warned.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
Better to let it all out than keep it festering inside.
? Fire ? [?124,500 // ?174,501]
Jules released his inner wrath in an explosion of flames that pushed everyone near him back. Jules, an entire battalion is approaching from the left. You need to retreat. Thanks Whiskers. Kinda busy, though. The surrounding men stared at Jules, frozen with jaws dropped and wide eyes. That¡¯s right, fear me. It¡¯ll make everything easier. Over a dozen people, including Cyrus and Katarina, were stranded on the ground from his explosion. A smoldering Rukia stood grinning on all fours, her eyes widened with bloodlust. ¡°Back-to-back,¡± Jules ordered. Katarina and Cyrus got up and took their formation. Jules and Cyrus faced the military, and Katarina and Rukia faced the Pirates. The Soldiers created a shield formation and stabbed between them with spears. Jules and Cyrus¡¯ swords couldn¡¯t penetrate the defense, but Jules fueled the Sound¡¯s edge with his anger, and its heat bought them some distance.
[?94,500 // ?174,501]
¡°Glad I got that Piercing Damage buff,¡± Jules said. ¡°I envy you.¡± Cyrus sliced a spearhead off of its shaft. ¡°Watch it.¡± Jules heard Katarina¡¯s daggers slice through skin. The girls warded off the Pirate¡¯s swords and pikes with ease, but more and more kept defecting from their alliance and joining in on the fight. Jules grabbed a spear shaft and pulled a man to him. He slammed the bottom of the Sound¡¯s grip into the man¡¯s head and knocked him out. ¡°Let the bodies hit¡ª" ¡°No more magic, Cy," Jules ordered. "Save your Ryoku.¡± Jules intercepted another spear, but this Soldier was smart enough to let go before Jules yanked it, so Jules returned it to the man¡ªin his chest. Seems like they¡¯re doing fine back there. Jules¡¯ neck and back kept getting sprayed with blood. ¡°You¡ªidiot¡ªPirates¡ªshould have¡ªfocused¡ªon¡ªthe military!¡± Rukia chomped loudly on some man who screamed bloody murder. Jules heard her hop from Pirate to Pirate. ¡°Jules,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Look who it is.¡± Straight ahead of them, Bootstrapper, the Scholar and Hydromage Recruiter from Coralhaven, approached them with Fin Rivers, the Hydromage Druid they¡¯d witnessed receive his first Tome¡ªthe man Jules had fought during the Sack. And the man Cy almost killed in cold blood. The duo gently brushed their comrades out of their way. I¡¯m sure I killed your families¡ª Jules pushed away his guilt. Not me. Wrath. ¡°Are you sure you want to fight us?" Jules asked them "I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ''Straps looked around at the piling bodies. ¡°Don¡¯t appear that way.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Your guys started it.¡± ¡°Corpses follow you, do they not?¡± The Druid¡¯s eyes lit up.
? ? Aspect of the Beast ? ?
The bear''s head the Druid wore as a hood sublimed to mist. His muscles bulged and took on the bear''s strength. The Druid ran to Jules, who broke formation to meet him. Jules caught the Druid¡¯s punch and shoved him back into his comrades. Bootstrapper crafted an ice sword and lunged at Cyrus, who cracked it after a few parries. He slashed at Cyrus with an empty hand. Halfway through the move, he formed another sword. ¡°Cy!¡± Jules shouted. Cyrus twisted around and blocked the strike with the Vessel on his back. Again, the sword shattered. He twirled his curved sword around in his hands and faced the man again. ¡°Alright, ''Straps. You¡¯ve made your stance clear.¡± Bootstrapper thrust a third sword at Cyrus, who launched his open palm straight at the sword¡¯s tip. What should have impaled Cyrus shattered to dust. Cyrus didn¡¯t stop moving forward. He snagged Bootstrapper''s ear and jerked it to him, then whispered.
? Silence ?
The Recruiter invoked his Script again, but nothing happened. The man couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°You¡¯re not our targets today, either one of you. Run while you can.¡± The Hydromage¡¯s comrades grabbed him from behind and shuffled him back through the lines. Though he struggled, the man was soon lost in the sea of people. The battalion is arriving, Whiskers warned. ¡°Shit. Time to rout them together,¡± Jules said. ¡°We need it back to a three-way." "A what now?" Katarina asked. "A one-v-one-v-one." ¡°On it,¡± Cyrus said.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
The Shield appeared to their right and widened out like a wedge. The force crushed Pirates and Soldiers into their own ranks. The Shield moved right, and the Party chased after it. The wedge bulldozed people out of their way. Behind them, Jules saw Pirates begin to engage with the military again. They reached the edge of an open plaza. Cyrus repurposed the wedge into Ryoku Shields for them. Good, not wasting any energy. ¡°Psst, up here.¡± Whiskers sat on a wall high above them and draped one of his three tails over the ledge. ¡°The military outnumbers them ten-to-one, but Jones¡¯ men will likely hold their own. Continue this way¡ªUh, Jules?¡± ¡°Look who showed up.¡± Katarina scowled. A new group split through the military ranks, and then eventually the Pirates¡¯ ranks as well. Maddie. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 88 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Sins of Wrath'' by B.S. Snelliott The Decimation of Coralhaven It brings me great sorrow to inform you that Wrath has struck again (and we suspect he shall strike again, so please make sure you subscribe to stay informed!) and thousands have been killed at his hands, back in his hometown of Coralhaven. We are still waiting to find out more information, but all reports are indicating that Coralhaven proper has been obliterated¡ªleveled to the ground¡ªand there have been no survivors found. A contingency of Iron Maidens are on their way there now as we speak. WRATH IS STILL AT LARGE¡ªSUBSCRIBE FOR A MEASLY SUM OF ?1,000 PER MONTH TO RECEIVE AUTOMATIC UPDATES TO THIS VOLUME WHEN NEW INFORMATION ON WRATH COMES TO LIGHT. SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE GOOD FOR A SINGLE VOLUME ONLY, TRACKED BY SERIAL NUMBER, AND NON-TRANSFERRABLE, AND CANCELABLE ONLY AFTER 7 MONTHS. Ch 89 - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
JULES
¡°The plan¡¯s back on track,¡± Jules said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± Katarina hollered. ¡°Never expected you¡¯d take the beach for your entrance, Sin.¡± ¡°Jones is a madman with a will of his own," Jules said. "Not my ideal starting point.¡± ¡°Alas, men!¡± Maddie addressed both the Soldiers and the Pirates. ¡°This is a personal matter. Interfere if you have a death wish.¡± Most of the men looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They all fear you. The military and pirates were apparently content enough to battle each other, and they left the Arcanics and their crews alone. Rukia raised her claws into the air. ¡°Ding ding ding! Round two begins!¡± The two teams split up, just as planned. Thorn approached Jules, his cutlass already drawn. He took a defensive stance with the blade straight up. Jules gripped the Sound with both hands. ¡°Gonna tell me what that Vessel of yours does?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to find out for myself.¡± ¡°Hardly. It¡¯s the final ace up my sleeve.¡± Good, I thought I''d have to face it now. Jules sheathed the Sound through his sash belt. Thorn remained as still as a statue. ¡°We¡¯ll have to let our fists do the talking, then.¡± Thorn chucked his sword at Jules. It spun way past him¡ªtoward the Shrine, but still a long way from it. ¡°Drats. I missed. Looks like we¡¯ll finally have a fair fight, though.¡± Thorn lunged at Jules, and they boxed. Thorn didn¡¯t hold back his punches, and Jules found himself more on the defensive side of the fight. Jules blocked an uppercut then ducked under a straight cross¡ªhe wrapped his arms around Thorn¡¯s extended arm and twisted. Thorn resisted the throw and pushed Jules off-balance. He tripped Jules, but Jules wormed his legs around Thorn¡¯s arm. Thorn raised Jules into the air with that single arm. Veins popped from his neck and bloodshot eyes¡ªthen his Vessel jacket lit up. Shit! Jules released the arm and¡ª ¡°Just kidding.¡± Thorn withdrew his arm and punched a midair Jules square in the chest. Jules flew over the wall Whiskers had fled from long ago.
[?92,000 // ?174,501]
Thanks, Thorn¡­ I guess. Jules scrambled to his feet and ran toward the Shrine. Thorn caught up to him near the road to the third tier of Marina Veridia, where his own cutlass had pierced the ground earlier. ¡°You dick! You tricked me.¡± Is he trying to weaken me, in case Maddie and I come to blows? Thorn roared with laughter. Jules tossed the Sound down with Thorn¡¯s weapon. Let''s see how good your Hand-to-Hand really is. They collided in a clench. Each wrapped their hands around the others¡¯ head and dug their elbows into the others¡¯ shoulders. They yanked each other left and right. Jules swam one arm under Thorn¡¯s, wrenched it free, and grabbed it. Thorn twisted Jules¡¯ wrist and pushed him to the ground, where they wrestled. Jules broke free and locked down Thorn, and vice versa. Neither one used Ryoku. They just relied on Skill and the power of pride. Jules took Thorn¡¯s back and snaked in a choke. Thorn power-lifted them both straight into the air and tried to shake him off. ¡°Stalemate,¡± Thorn said.
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 25.]
¡°It would appear that way.¡± Jules was close to choking him out, but all the old geezer had to do was sacrifice-throw Jules to the ground. And probably break my back. He leapt off of Thorn. ¡°Shall we move on to the next phase?¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± Thorn ripped his cutlass from the dirt it¡¯d stabbed. Jules retrieved his Vessel. They slashed and sliced at each other, careful to make sure nothing connected to their bodies. I¡¯m not sure how far we should take this farce without raising suspicions¡­ Jules made his attacks look flashy enough, and he got close to Thorn¡¯s blade a few times for show. He also studied the old man¡¯s patterns and fighting style. He suspected they¡¯d have a real fight soon enough.
ENVY Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The shallow wound still drew Kat''s blood, which mixed with boiling acid. Her Regeneration healed the scratch immediately.
[?144,369 // ?151,869]
¡°I heard that you died.¡± Maddie wiped her blade clean with a smirk. Kat rubbed the blood all around her cheek. ¡°I heard that you can die.¡± Maddie thrust at Kat again, and Kat caught Maddie''s blade between her two daggers, crossed in an X-formation. This bitch is really going for it. I thought this was supposed to be a display of force only? Maddie never relented in her smile or her assault. She continuously pushed Kat back through the city. Katarina, Whiskers thought, she is leading you the correct way. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, or your plan,¡± Kat said. ¡°Let me go to the Shrine. Now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my dear. Appearance is everything.¡± Kat wedged her blades into the cutlass¡¯ guard, then twisted to wrench it free. Maddie released her grip, and the sword spun through the air. She caught it with her other hand and swung at Kat¡¯s temple. Kat raised a dagger up just in time to deflect, but her own weapon¡¯s hilt and guard crushed her face on the impact. ¡°You make a show difficult, you fool,¡± Maddie said. ¡°And Wrath already tried that move on me¡ªI won''t fall for it again. Now, en garde!¡± Kat spit blood out beside them and then rushed at Maddie.
CYRUS
Apparently, this guy didn¡¯t get the memo. He¡¯s out for blood, or revenge, or¡­ ¡°Hey, are you¡­¡± Cy said. He motioned a time-out from the fight. ¡°Are you trying to save face in front of your Captain?¡±
? Speed ?
August released a five-strike combo, and Cy considered himself lucky to only get three scratches. No magic, conserve Ryoku, conserve Ryoku¡­ ¡°Dammit man, you want a fight, I can give you one!" ¡°The water''s my domain, and you''re surrounded by it.¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± Cy whispered. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to go easy.¡± ¡°No. That agreement was between our Captains. Not us.¡± Uh oh.
? ? Leviathan''s Roar ? ?
Time to run away from the water. Cy blocked a lighter attack with his curved sword. He¡¯s too far from the beach, though. I don¡¯t need to block so hard. The second strike hit. Light as well. Cy blocked it with less effort. This¡¯ll be easy. The third strike hit like a tsunami and shattered Cy''s residual Ryoku Shield, which saved his upper left arm from severance. ¡°Damn.¡± What was it That Damn Painter said? Adapt, learn, mimic? So much for no more magic.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?140,570 // ?298,080]
Two more heavy blows, then another light one. Cy blocked each attack as if it would be hard, but on the next light attack, Cy experimented with throttling down his blocking strength. If he can do it offensively, it should work the other way around, too, right? Light, light, hard, hard, hard, hard, light¡ªwhat¡¯s the pattern here? Light, light¡ª This one will be hard¡ª Light, light, damn. August smiled and pulled back. ¡°What game are you playing?¡± The next ones will be tough, I¡¯m sure of it. They always come in a series, but it¡¯s hard to tell how long each one lasts, when the switch will come. Cy waited for the next light attack. It came, and he took the offensive, but August¡¯s speed was enhanced and he evaded Cy¡¯s swings. Light on his feet, too? Wait¡­ Weight? Cy blocked another heavy blow with both hands on his sword hilt. His Ryoku Shield absorbed another bone-crushing blow. They both hung there for a moment, locked face-to-face, and Cy felt the attack''s force fade away. The hell? I need to find a way to use his momentum against him. I¡¯ve adapted, now time to learn. Their blades danced through the city, and while he bought time to strategize, Cy made sure to push back in the direction of the Shrine. Right, now it¡¯s time to test a theory. After a string of light attacks, Cy grabbed August¡¯s arm and dragged him back, away from the ocean behind him. The Pirate grew heavier by the moment. Beyond his opponent, Cy spotted and learned the secret. Don¡¯t give it away. Surprise him with it. Cy retreated from the heavy August, and then when he turned lighter, Cy mimicked the Scroll.
? ? Leviathan''s Roar ? ? [?132,070 // ?298,080]
It lacked the finesse and power of an Inked Art or a tattoo, only being invoked through spoken word, and his first strike was clumsy, too fast, and too wild. His second slash was too slow, and August cracked the last of his Ryoku Shield. Their swords met on the third strike, and Cy saw the fear in August¡¯s eyes. They disengaged and waited. The power surge fled Cy; his Script fully dispelled. When the tide fully receded, Cy leapt back, then rushed August again.
? ? Leviathan''s Roar ? ? [?120,820 // ?298,080]
The added weight of the fully high tide rushed through Cy. He crushed August to the ground and¡ª CRACK! ¡ªshattered his cutlass. Cy inspected his own sword. Unable to completely withstand the force of the attack, a long, thin crack split down the middle of its blade, but it remained in one piece. Might be worth getting that Scroll tattooed. Maybe then my weapon will last. August heaved on the ground. He tried to stand and failed. Should be safe enough. Cy abandoned his opponent. Maddie and Thorn fought his friends close by, and Rukia sat on John¡¯s chest. Are they¡­chatting it up? Cy¡¯s neck hair stood on end. He shivered at the influx of cold, clammy air sweeping past. Cy felt watched; he felt like¡­ Like I''m in the presence of something impossible, or forbidden. He turned to face his newest threat. Three figures loomed in the growing twilight. ¡°Great," Cy said. "It¡¯s you.¡± Selene approached with two robed rogues trailing behind her. Her mask was gone, but white sheets shrouded the other two''s faces. ¡°Maddie,¡± Selene ordered. ¡°You may stand down. Your services are needed to cull¡­your kind.¡± Your kind? Surely she means the Pirates. ¡°Oi, cunt!¡± Wow. Maddie¡¯s leaning hard into this role-play. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯ve got a bone to pick here?¡± ¡°We must all know our places, and ours is not one of decision-making. Go, or your reward will be nullified by The Maiden Herself.¡± Maddie eyed Envy. Thorn eyed Jules. Maddie spit in Selene¡¯s direction and stormed past the men in robes. Eyes covered by drapes, their heads followed her path. ¡°Black fuckin'' magic. Beginning to wonder what¡¯s so Holy about Her Royal Majesty, The¡ª¡± One of the rogues roared. The other shrieked. Everyone covered their ears, even Selene. Maddie turned to face them, disgusted. ¡°You¡¯d do well,¡± Selene said, ¡°not to speak ill of The Maiden in front of her¡­¡± Selene looked at the robed men. ¡°Most trusted ambassadors. Now leave, and detain the Pirates. That¡¯s an order.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 89 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 90 - Can I Play With Madness
JULES
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ascend the second tier of Marina Veridia.]
Jules stared up into Thorn¡¯s eyes, a full head higher up. The old man broke their gaze first and walked away. Damn, I was counting on Maddie taking us all the way up to the Shrine. At this rate, the military will close in on us from the side. ¡°It¡¯s rude to interrupt a fight between rivals,¡± Jules said to Selene. ¡°Rivals,¡± she repeated. ¡°Is that what you are?¡± Surely she doesn¡¯t suspect anything. ¡°Who are these new chaps you brought along?¡± Cyrus asked. Jules was grateful for the change of topic. ¡°Couple of creeps,¡± Katarina said. ¡°They are no strangers to you. You and Wrath damaged them heavily, but The Iron Maiden has restored them to their former¡ªglory.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I do. Just like you,¡± Selene looked from Jules to Katarina, ¡°she has the power to revive the dead.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°No one can do that but the Sins.¡± ¡°Dead is dead,¡± Katarina whispered. ¡°Suit yourselves, it makes no difference. If you prefer to deny their existence, then you can lose this fight to dead men. Ragnar, Felix¡ªAttack.¡± Ragnar let out a furious, deep roar, and the group split up again. Felix fought with Katarina, Selene engaged Cyrus, and Rukia ran off during the confusion. I¡¯m going to find Zeke¡¯s scent, Rukia told Jules, who didn¡¯t have time to respond¡ªRagnar was already on him. Jules leaned into his meditative state and slowed down the battle. He sensed Ragnar¡¯s movements and predicted his attacks. But something¡¯s missing. I see the strikes, but they seem off somehow¡­ Ragnar¡¯s punches and kicks got him nowhere. He stopped and reached both his arms out low to his sides. From the void, Ragnar summoned two golden axes¡ªwithout an invocation. They were terribly shaped, with intimidating curves and serrated edges, and uneven in length to each other. Great, the change in length will make him harder to predict. And shining gold? Probably Holy Magic, though they look demonic enough. Ragnar hacked and slashed away. Jules studied the patterns and effects of the summoned weapons. He ducked and dodged around the blades without getting grazed or blocking the attacks. Not sure if even the Sound can block Holy affinity or not. But I need to fight him without the Sound anyway and save everything for Zeke. I can summon another weapon, or try reasoning with him. Maybe I can turn him around. ¡°Ragnar, trust me. You need to stop this fight.¡± The Monk roared in protest. He barked and then he groaned. Spectacular, you can¡¯t talk. ¡°I¡¯m serious¡ªHoly damage will accelerate Wrath¡¯s arrival, and I¡¯d rather not be around so many people when that happens.¡± That''s a bluff. I hope. Ragnar leapt and crashed his axes into the ground where Jules had just stood. He missed a spinning attack and obliterated a wooden cart. He bashed into a marble column and the railing of a staircase and destroyed them, too. The top half of the column fell onto the monster, who bench pressed it off in a fit of rage. He''s gone berserk, traded in rationale for speed and strength. Ragnar mumbled incoherent words. Jules wasn¡¯t sure if Ragnar¡¯s snarl was out of hatred for him or out of frustration at not being able to speak. Summons it is.
? Activate ? [?91,990 // ?174,501]
Jules activated one of his Inked Arts and summoned a straight sword from the void. It glowed with white light all over. ¡°Wake up! The Monk I fought was a bigoted zealot, but at least he fought with pride and honor, not like some mindless puppet that doesn¡¯t care about his own life.¡± ¡°Kahh dee¡­¡± Ragnar groaned. Jules parried one ax and blocked the second. ¡°Killed me¡­father, left Ragnar¡­Death¡¯s door.¡± There you go, big guy. Let it all out. Jules blocked a dual-ax attack and slashed Ragnar¡¯s stomach. Whatever effect it had, the Monk¡¯s flowing white robes hid. ¡°Demon took¡ªlook like¡­you.¡± Ragnar spun around like a tornado. With each spin, Jules blocked or parried both axes separately. Time slowed as a serrated ax edge clipped a patch of Jules¡¯ hair. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Death saved¡­ Grant life.¡± He most definitely did not. Jules'' body buzzed; his blood vessels flushed with adrenaline and rage. With the bottom of his boot, Jules kicked Ragnar square in the chest. Ragnar stumbled back a step, and Jules thrust his conjured sword into the man¡¯s chest, high enough into the shoulders to avoid a killing blow. ¡°Now must kill¡­Wrath¡­ Now kill Wrath!¡± Jules¡¯ face dropped, but not from the threat. His attack should have ended the fight. Ragnar should have fallen to the ground. Jules retreated. You are lost. I don¡¯t know how, or where. But the only kindness I can show you is a mercy killing. ¡°I am sorry, Ragnar.¡± Ragnar sprinted to Jules. He chopped overhead at Jules, one ax at a time. Jules sliced his sword through Ragnar¡¯s left wrist. One weapon disarmed. Jules ducked and spun around. He swung his sword upward and¡ª Connected again. Ragnar¡¯s right arm flew away through the air. The Monk collapsed to the ground on his back. Jules¡¯ attack had sliced through the robes, too, from hip to shoulder. Jules inspected his opponent and gagged. He contained himself from vomiting and swallowed it back down. What the fuck? Liam¡¯s scar from Coralhaven and Jules¡¯ new wound on Ragnar formed a giant X across his torso. Liam¡¯s cut extended up to the Monk¡¯s face¡­which had started its decay. This is a week-old cadaver. But what gave Jules the most pause were his eyes. All three of them. The two human eyes were closed. Stitched shut, actually. Inscribed on Ragnar''s forehead sat the Sight Rune. Whoever outlined it did so in the style of a Djinn¡¯s third eye, and in the same place. Gold light sparked from Ragnar¡¯s wounds. The light was most dense around his new stub of a limb. The wounds healed themselves, though the patchwork job appeared rough. He arose again. ¡°So you can heal yourself.¡± Is this some type of trick? It may not be Regeneration, and he¡­ He isn¡¯t revived. Not really. ¡°There¡¯s no way you could imitate our powers, right?¡± You sound a bit like Pride right now, Jules. Jules sensed Rukia; he smelled the scent that filled her nostrils. I¡¯ve found Zeke. Hurry up and dispose of this one. Jules realized he and Ragnar were the only two left where they¡¯d started fighting. With a sparking stump for an arm and now wearing only pants, Ragnar tackled Jules. They fell to the ground and grappled. ¡°AGGHH!!¡± Jules shouted. The contact of their skin burned his flesh. He face scrunched in agonizing pain. It was clarifying, almost purifying in a way. Jules gritted his teeth and grabbed Ragnar¡¯s lone arm with both of his, then kicked the man off of him. Jules rolled to his feet and retreated to a safer distance.
[?81,990 // ?174,501]
Jules wiped the snot and tears from his face and spat out a tooth. Damn, bit down too hard. Jules¡¯ Seal pulsed, and the blackness crept in the slightest bit. Great, that wasn''t a bluff. That Holy magic really is speeding up the clock. This needs to end soon. Ragnar stalked over to his dismembered arm and reattached it. Gold sparks welded it together. Could be Regeneration after all. The monster retrieved its axes and slammed them together. They fused into one hefty battle ax, at least seven feet long. He dragged it along the ground toward Jules, and the blade carved a deep line in the cobblestone street. In one swift attack, Ragnar sliced Jules¡¯ torso in a familiar line¡ªfrom his left hip up to his right shoulder. Jules flew through the air. He thought he might pass out before he hit the ground.
[?46,990 // ?174,501]
CYRUS
¡°Your new outfit suits you even better,¡± Cy said. Damn, it¡¯s hard not to look. ¡°My last armor set was rendered useless thanks to your friend.¡± Selene drew two daggers. "It was expensive. Know anyone rich enough to replace it?" Afraid I''m broke again. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering which one of your friends gave it to you. Something capable enough to defend against Wrath¡¯s rain, surely didn¡¯t come from Zeke.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve been wondering where my dagger went. That was a gift, too, you know. Also expensive.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know where it is. Lost to space and time, I suppose.¡± ¡°I see. No scar. You didn¡¯t listen to my advice about a Medic." Selene circled Cy. "So how?¡± ¡°It¡¯s trapped in a Shrine somewhere, with a Djinn.¡± Selene nodded to the sword on his back. ¡°Lighthouse Point.¡± She glanced in the general direction of Maddie and her crew. ¡°If you¡¯re planning to kill me, then why are you so curious?¡± ¡°I¡¯d just like to know where my new Vessel came from.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands.¡± ¡°That''s the plan. Though your hands would still be warm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you." Cy stretched his hands to the heavens then ran them through his hair. ¡°Why''d¡¯ you save me, Selene?¡± She glanced around. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I imprisoned and left you behind to die in that cell. I figured you didn¡¯t have the patience to leave that dagger in.¡± ¡°Interesting word choice.¡± Does she know? They walked around their imaginary circle. She¡¯s quiet, maybe not. But she doesn¡¯t seem shocked, or even curious. They could be on to him, too. ¡°Speaking of death, how are your friends still alive?¡± ¡°Because you guys suck at your jobs.¡± Join the club. ¡°Zeke will not show any mercy, to anyone. Especially a Sin.¡± ¡°He certainly hasn¡¯t shown you any. What was your punishment for Coralhaven?¡± ¡°He deemed it best to delay punishment until after this victory. But we must all face Her judgment upon capturing Wrath.¡± She hasn¡¯t mentioned Kat. There may be a way out of this for her in a worse case scenario¡ª No. We are going to win this. Good vibes only. ¡°What does Zeke have on you?¡± ¡°You have to be more specific, dear.¡± Toying with me. ¡°He¡¯s got some type of control over you, I just haven¡¯t figured it out. Yet.¡± ¡°Not him. Not directly.¡± She winced, though she tried to hide it. Words aren¡¯t getting me anywhere tonight. ¡°But whatever his order is, I must obey. This time, I am strictly bid to kill¡ª¡± Cy charged and swung at her. He used enough force to prevent a counterstrike, but slow enough so she could block his attacks. I''ll solve this puzzle tonight. No more sacrifices for the greater good. Selene nicked him a few times with her daggers. The Holy Magic had no apparent effect on Cy. If anything, it invigorated him. Adrenaline¡¯s pumping now. She furrowed her brows, then tossed the two golden daggers aside. ¡°Ha! You thought I was a Sin, too!?¡± ¡°It crossed my mind.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m so powerful, right?¡± Selene grunted. ¡°Men.¡± ¡°Careful, you''re reminding me of someone I actually like.¡± With a sneer, Selene drew two more daggers and attacked. Cy held back his own strength; he feared killing or maiming her, but he also worried about breaking his curved sword, which clung to its last leg. He studied her moves, but studied her body more closely. Only one reason she¡¯d be following orders so desperately. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 90 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 91 - Smells Like Teen Spirit
CYRUS
Selene stabbed his upper arm. They locked eyes and she ripped it out. The pain started when the blade exited his arm, then Selene invoked a Rune.
? Bleed ?
? Pressure ? ? Heal ? [?113,820 // ?298,080]
Cy responded with two Runes of his own. One countered the wound by forcing pressure down along the rips in his blood vessels, and the other mended tissue back together. She stabbed him in the other arm and invoked another Rune before removing it.
? Venom ?
? Pressure ? [?105,320 // ?298,080]
Cy reversed the direction of the pressure this time. When Selene removed the blade, blood sprayed out into her face. She backed away and coughed and smeared the venomous blood away from her eyes and mouth. ¡°That one¡¯s courtesy of The Painter. When your blood is poisoned, it¡¯s best to remove it immediately.¡±
? Slow ?
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?97,320 // ?298,080]
Cy¡¯s new Ryoku shields prevented Selene¡¯s daggers from piercing his skin. To preserve his Ryoku, he made them small enough to block a point of contact and shifted them around his body.
? Encumber ?
Cy slowed down further by his own weight¡ª
? Air ? [?96,420 // ?298,080]
¡ªSo he pushed her back.
? Ensnare ?
Oh, she¡¯s pissed now, but predictable. Cy couldn¡¯t move his limbs now, nor could he move his Ryoku Shields around his body. Golden rope tied him down. "Ya know¡­"
? Blind ?
Damn, can¡¯t avoid these attacks, I¡¯ll just have to trust in her overconfidence¡ª She stabbed him with her daggers, and left them buried in his flesh. Four, maybe five. The Runes that bound him expired, and Cy could move again, though the blades continued to restrict his options. "My, Cy. You look like a dinosaur, the way those blades stick out of your back." Think, Cy, think! Dinosaurs¡­ Come on, this is your one shot. Spikes¡­ The only one you''ll get during this fight. Roar¡­ No, not good enough. Horns¡­ That''s it! "I guess fighting you makes me horn¡ª" ¡°That sword on your back. It¡¯s your Vessel, no?¡± Maybe it''s for the better I didn''t say that out loud¡­ ¡­We already established this is my Vessel, so she definitely stopped me¡­ Cy calculated his next moves. He searched for a way to get them both out of this situation. If I take these Enchanted blades out, I can survive. None of these wounds are as fatal as last time. Plus I¡¯ve got my ace up my sleeve. But if I stab her in the heart with one of these, I can¡¯t trust that she¡¯ll leave it in long enough¡­ I need to learn more, first. I need to see it. ¡°You think you still have me beat?¡± Selene asked. Her eyes were crazed with scorn. ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on me." ¡°I''m just trying to catch a glimpse of it, before you try to grab my real sword.¡± ¡°Use it on me,¡± she demanded. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m about to.¡± Wait for it. Wait for it¡­ It''s coming¡­ Now!
? ? Leviathan''s Roar ? ? [?85,920 // ?298,080]
Cy used the forward tide''s momentum to crash into her. His curved sword slammed into her next set of daggers. Steel cracked against steel.
ENVY
Felix charged Kat like a bull out of hell. She stepped aside and he crashed into a lamp post. Thought I¡¯d mortally wounded this guy already? The Painter''s training really was useless. ¡°How can you stand and fight after such a short time?¡± Felix shrieked again, and Kat covered her ears. Felix reached into his white robes and removed his weapon, a scythe blade attached to a chain. He whirled it above his head and slammed it down on her. Kat managed to dodge it a few times before the blade etched its path along her back. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[?126,369 // ?151,869]
She collapsed from the staggering Holy damage. Kat spat at Felix and roared her own battle cry. She leaned to the left to dodge it, then leapt back to avoid another blow. On the third strike she lunged forward and grabbed the chain. The chain burned her palm, and in her hesitation, the blade swung back on its new fulcrum and stabbed her shoulder blade.
[?107,369 // ?151,869]
She whipped the chain away and freed the scythe from her back. Both hands melted with third degree burns, but she sprinted at Felix to render his weapon useless at close range.
[?102,369 // ?151,869]
With both hands, Kat grabbed his upper arm through his robes and flipped on top of him. In one fluid motion, she unsheathed two daggers and sliced an X-pattern that chopped off his arm. She kicked off of him and flipped back to her feet, and Felix fell to the ground.
[Pang! Daggers increased to Level 31.] [?4,209 granted for Leveling Up an Open Skill Slot. ?106,578 // ?156,078 now available,]
Meh, maybe That Bastard''s training wasn''t useless after all. Kat''s blood mixed with Regenerative acid and the blistering oils of her wound, making it difficult to maintain her weapon grip. Why doesn¡¯t he react? She couldn¡¯t read his face behind the white headdress that draped over his face. And there''s no sign of blood. Felix shoved his limb back onto himself. Gold sparks stitched him together. Fucking Hell. Regeneration? No, probably something else. I don¡¯t stitch back, I mend myself together.
? Summon ? ? Bow ? ? Arrows ? [?105,578 // ?156,078]
Kat summoned a purple bow from the void and shot Felix in the face, then leapt onto him. She ripped off his mask and saw his desecrated face. Not just from me, but defied by others, too. Kat studied his Inked third eye nervously. Golden light sparked around the arrow in Felix¡¯s face. Kat ripped off his robes. She stood up and took a few steps back. Golden-laced seams and stitches held Felix together all over. And what is that? A faint silver line stretching out¡ª Felix launched a cluster of throwing knives at Kat. Like in Coralhaven, the weapons tracked her through the air. Felix threw another batch. They swarmed Kat like mosquitos and nicked her all over, but only went deep enough to draw blood. And cause pain, lots of pain. Green acid bubbled out all over her skin. Kat fell to one knee and raised an arm to cover her face. Holy oil? Were they expecting me? Or maybe these were for Jules. Either way, they know now.
[Bounty Increased by ?1,250,000 for crimes committed in Coralhaven and Aquilantis (As well as being a suspected Sin). Total Bounty is now ?1,250,000, plus ?250,000 for your unknown Familiar.]
NOT RIGHT NOW I''M BUSY!! Kat sprinted to him so his own weapons would stab him, like last time. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! She succeeded, though Felix displayed no agony or resistance to being struck. ¡°Fucking¡ªAhh! Let¡¯s see if you can fight without a head.¡± She lunged into him and slid her dagger through his throat. To gain leverage, she wrapped her free arm around his neck. She shouted and recoiled in pain, and was clipped by even more throwing knives.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? [?90,578 // 156,078]
Kat retreated and let her Shield handle the knives for now. Even his body can scorch me. I need to let Jules know this, but everyone else is far away now. ¡°What type of magic is this?¡± Felix ripped out the dagger in his throat. Gold seams sewed his neck back together. How he fought before, this isn¡¯t his style, not fully. It¡¯s like it¡¯s tainted by someone else. From the corner of her eye, Kat noticed them again. Those silver rays of light. Looks like they shoot out of Felix. Oh. That¡¯s how.
JULES
In one swift attack, Ragnar sliced Jules¡¯ torso in a familiar line¡ªfrom his left hip up to his right shoulder. Jules flew through the air. He thought he might pass out before he hit the ground.
[?46,990 // ?174,501]
Jules crashed to the ground. He blinked his eyes, and his field of vision moved and blurred in every direction. He couldn¡¯t move his limbs or head. Even his fingers felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. He didn¡¯t know if he laid on his back or his side, or even which side. The only thing he could be sure of was that Ragnar approached, because once again the battle ax¡¯s blade carved into the cobblestone as it inched closer.
? Activate ? ? Heal ?
Jules burned through all of his Healing Inked Arts that he¡¯d prepared in case his Regeneration wouldn¡¯t be enough in combat¡­or if it was taken away. His lungs filled with air again and vision focused. Jules staggered as he rose to his feet.
[?126,910 // ?174,501]
This scar¡­ It isn¡¯t healing up. What the hell is going on with these guys? Jules¡­ You alright? Rukia asked. He¡¯s done something to me. Scar won¡¯t heal. I''ve healed Holy damage in the past, this is next level. Can you continue to fight him? Do I have a choice!? You got any advice? I¡¯m on Zeke¡¯s scent, reach out to your friends. Damn fox. I¡¯m still here¡­ Jules raised up his palm and invoked his Seal.
? Stop ? [?119,410 // ?10,000]
The sound of scraping metal halted, and so did Ragnar, though it wouldn¡¯t last long. Can you all hear me? Jules asked. They all responded at once. Of course I can, Whiskers replied. Kinda busy, Jules, from Cyrus.
[Pang! Telepathy increased to Level 23.]
Don¡¯t touch their skin, Katarina warned. Yeah, this guy is pissing me off, Jules thought. Kat, I can¡¯t heal their Holy damage. Selene tried Holy on me, didn''t both me¡ªSeriously, kinda busy. Shut up, Cy. Kat, have you found a way to stop Felix? I¡¯m at a loss here. No, but they aren¡¯t alive. They aren¡¯t zombies either. More like puppets. Who¡¯s controlling them, then? I¡¯m not sure who¡¯s controlling her, but something¡¯s wrong, Cy thought. What? Jules asked What, what? Katarina snapped. Sorry, I¡¯m talking to Cy, too. I forgot you can¡¯t cross over thoughts. Better fix that bug. Katarina and I can share thoughts with you together, Whiskers thought. Jules, I know how you are, but at this point, killing them would be mercy. Believe me, I have already tried to kill him. I¡¯m near the Fountain, where are you all? I¡¯ve edged closer to the Shrine. I don¡¯t think Felix knows what I¡¯m after. We¡¯re getting close to the cliffside. Selene¡¯s isolating me on purpose. I am near Katarina. The military has routed around the Pirates. Any sign of Maddie? Afraid not, Katarina, I lost her in the scuffle. I FOUND HIM, JULES! MURDER MURDER MURDER, KILL KILL KILL! Rukia¡ªWait! COME TO ME, JULES! What the hell is going on!? Ragnar dragged one foot toward Jules. Dammit, I¡¯m taking Ragnar with me, Rukia. Tell Kat she¡¯s on her own. I can¡¯t split from Selene right now. Is anyone coming with me? Afraid not, Kat. Make a run for it. Maybe he won¡¯t chase after you. Haha¡ªWhat¡¯d she say? She pissed at me? Hoping these puppet strings don¡¯t follow him in if he does. He¡¯s got like a homing beacon on me. Puppet strings? Jules watched Ragnar inch his other foot forward. He scanned around for strings. Got it. Cy, watch the military and Jones from up there¡ªhe''s still a wildcard. And Ragnar? Rukia, I¡¯m pawning off Ragnar to you. No, Zeke¡¯s mine, Jules. I¡¯ll finish what I started. Whiskers, come with me. I need you. Yes, Katarina. Kill that bastard Jules, Katarina and Cyrus thought together. If it comes to it, I will. Cy, Whiskers is leaving his watch for the Shrine. Great. Kat was pissed at me then, if she took him. Tell that fool not to die. Seconded, but call him an idiot. Cy, if you die, they¡¯re gonna kill you. Again, great. Again, kinda busy. See ya.
[Pang! Telepathy increased to Level 24.]
Alright team¡ªBreak! Everyone was already gone. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 91 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 92 - Underdressed
ENVY
I am so pissed at Cy. Leaving me all alone, that bastard. A flying knife sunk straight into Kat¡¯s shoulder blade from behind. She winced and hesitated to yank it, afraid to burn her hands.
[?76,578 // 156,078]
It''ll poison me if it stays in, though. I hate to think what that¡¯d look like. Kat ripped out the blade and sprinted away. Her fingertips and palms seared with pain, like she had just taken out a pot from the oven barehanded. In the corner of her eye, Whiskers sat perched on the Shrine¡¯s top arch. As she climbed the staircase, she didn¡¯t see the heads of any Soldiers or Cultists or Pirates or anyone else. Why is this place empty? She ascended the final steps, three at a time, and reached the third tier of Marina Veridia. Bodies of defeated and mostly unconscious Iron Maiden reinforcements laid scattered all around.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ascend the third tier of Marina Veridia.]
Worry not, dear Katarina. It is safe here. ¡°Wow, Whiskers,¡± she shouted back at the cat. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had it in you. How¡¯d you manage?¡± ¡°Pay attention, fool!¡± Felix lunged at Kat and grabbed her arm, bare skin to bare skin. Kat placed her free hand on the puppet¡¯s shoulder, which helped her twist her other arm free of his grasp. She ignored the pain and kicked him to the ground. The outline of Felix¡¯s rotted handprint burned an imprint on Kat¡¯s forearm.
[?46,578 // 156,078]
Kat sprinted for the Shrine. Whiskers rose when she approached, ready to drop down on her and enter together, but Kat couldn''t wait and dove through the gate by herself. Down, down, down she fell into the void alone. Buildings came into view beneath her, and she continued to accelerate. Kat spread out her arms and legs out to slow down¡ªshe even spread her jacket, but she failed to decelerate. Kat crashed through the roof of a building and landed in a pile of rubble on the concrete floor. ¡°AAGGHH!! No no, please, Salvos no¡­¡±
[?7,578 // 156,078]
Kat writhed and shouted and whimpered in pain for some time. She shifted a compound fracture in her femur back in place and focused all of her Regeneration''s focus on it, prioritizing it even over her ribs, which had cracked and made breathing a complication of its own. The Holy damage she''d endured slowed her Regeneration in general, and on top of that, she could only heal the injuries she sustained from landing in the Shrine, and not from her fight with Felix. When Kat¡¯s femur had healed well enough that she could move it, she curled up into a fetal position, still cradled by surrounding rocks and building materials. Her ribs healed next. Then her broken fingers, and next her cracked teeth. After some time, she was whole again, except for Felix''s lingering burn marks. How long have I been here? Under normal circumstances I could heal this in forty, fifty minutes, but I think it¡¯s been several hours¡­ Kat uncurled herself shifted to her butt, then stumbled to her feet. Her leg was fully healed, though still tender, and she focused on her ribs next. Better to have mobility and stability. I can move through chest pains, but even if I can breathe, a broken leg is a broken leg. ¡°Hello? Whiskers, Djinn? Anybody?¡± Nobody responded, including Felix. I¡¯ll take that win, though it feels hollow. The dilapidated warehouse she found herself in leaked from its rusted roof, which now boasted a massive Kat-shaped hole in it. Rotted wooden pillars and beams barely kept the shit-hole standing. Sand and dirt covered parts of the floor. Weeds grew from the cracks in the concrete, and ivy laced up the inside of the walls. Fungus grew everywhere too. Kat could smell it surrounding her as she breathed it in. Hope that''s not poisonous. Empty vials of drugs and needles littered the floor, but Kat realized this was not a home for the homeless. This is a¡­ Oh Salvos. This place is like one giant bathroom. She turned away and vomited onto the only table in the entire space. Her arms braced against the rough wooden surface. Claw marks carved into the table blended into what looked like a massive bite mark that had removed one of the its corners. Kat¡¯s barf pooled inside the claw marks. ¡°This has got to be the shittiest Shrine of all time.¡± A lone note, now stained and wet, rested on the table. It was the only evidence of someone else having ever been here¡ªbesides the drug paraphernalia. Its handwriting was hideous and full of misspellings.
[Shrine Rule: CHOOOSE ONE. ONLY GET ONE TRY. ONLY CORECT CHOICE LETS YOU LEEVE.]
¡°Great. Just my luck. Even the Djinn who wrote this is an illiterate¡ª¡± CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Kat spun about, but the sounds erupted all around. Each crash brought down another table that fell from the sky¡ªand down through the roof¡ªonto the concrete floor. Some landed upright, some sideways, others upside down. Most crumbled and splintered in two when they struck the ground. Kat listlessly gazed at the scene. Her eyelids covered more than half of her eyes. Her shoulders dropped as she took in the marvelous spectacle. ¡°Splendid. This would happen to me. Now where the hell are the Vessels?¡± Items rained down from the sky, and more holes punctured the roof. Most of the objects didn¡¯t land anywhere near tables. They preferred landing amongst the mushrooms and needles and waste. Somehow, Kat¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°OK. Now how do I know which¡ª¡± Another shower peppered down, this time of name placards with item descriptions on them. Kat¡¯s spirit dropped with the placards. In some places, a Vessel would have two placards, in others, none. This is starting to feel personal. ¡°Not making it easy for me, you bastard. Anything else?¡± CR-CRACK! Thunder clapped above. Rain poured through the dozens of new holes in the roof. Streams of water mixed in with the mess. Kat noticed a few of the name placards landed on the edge of the roof and hadn¡¯t fallen down. Kat¡¯s eyes twitched, and her frown reached a personal record. ¡°This is fine,¡± she said slowly. Kat took one step forward, toward the closest Vessel and placard. Cold water splashed between her toes. ¡°Fucking Hell, really!? You took away my shoes, too?¡± Kat tip-toed across the ground to avoid the cold, the grime, and the needles. This is clearly a test. Like the opposite of finding a needle in a haystack. Like finding a piece of hay in a needle-stack. She surveyed the Vessels around her and took note of the more enticing options. Kat crossed those off her list immediately. ¡°I¡¯m certain you''d want me to pick the worst item here,¡± she said to the sky. ¡°Should be easy enough.¡± I should organize the placards. It¡¯d be best to avoid moving the objects. With my luck, the Djinn would mistake me moving a Vessel for choosing it. And if Kaizen was wrong about me, it may not be a Djinn in here¡­ This would be the first one I find. Kat crossed her arms and squatted down to study the silver compass. ¡°Judging from Jules'' report, this has got to be what Maddie stole from us in Siren¡¯s Cove.¡± Already taken, so probably not a good fit. Though it does seem a bit useless¡­ She moved on to the next Vessel and placard set. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°A blind man¡¯s cane. I hope I don¡¯t lose my eyesight here. That¡¯d be fitting, though.¡± Next, Kat knelt down by a placard-less mirror. She hated the reflection she saw and quickly looked away. The distorted reflection was hideous, monstrous even, and gave her a strong sense of body dysmorphia. She was covered in green reptilian eyes, scales, and horns. I wish that had landed facedown. Hopefully I don¡¯t have to look at that all the damn time. ¡°Armor cuirass¡ªBoring. Hm, a blindfold¡­¡± OK, I really hope I don¡¯t go blind in here. The next item intrigued her the most so far, an hourglass on its side. ¡°The Sands of Time,¡± she read from the placard. Despite gravity, the sand still moved from one end of the bridge to the other. The next item frightened her so much she didn¡¯t dare read its name aloud. The Grim Reaper¡­ This looks like a weapon of death itself. She shied away to the next Vessel and tried to clear her mind and slow her heart rate. Besides, Felix is fighting with a scythe. On a chain. How original. ¡°The Jagged Crown. Eh, royalty¡¯s not for me. Next.¡± The next few Vessels landed in a group, and though the placards were impossible to match, each was its own distinct mask. ¡°Metal mask: creepy. Demon mask: creepy. Oni mask: still creepy¡­ But these fox and cat masks¡­ Adorable.¡± She paused on the last two masks. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but for some reason, this one pisses me off.¡± She resisted the urge to kick the raven mask, but almost picked up the raccoon. ¡°This feeling¡­¡± Wait. Do I have a thing for raccoons? No way. Foxes, yeah, definitely. But raccoons? No way. She forced herself to move on. ¡°The Ax of Cold, now this, this is nice.¡± She walked past a glass eye that sat in a puddle of filth. Ew, and creepy. Kat found a stray placard and picked it up. ¡°The Night Veil. Sounds plain enough, probably for me.¡± When she matched the placard to the Vessel, chills ran down her spine. Intense rage and anger filled her body with adrenaline as she got closer to the black scarf-looking thing. She hated it and wanted to destroy it, along with the other Vessels, so she moved away, but that undermining tinge of anger lingered with her. ¡°I doubt these are for me, as I don¡¯t use much Magic.¡± A dozen or so crude wooden crests or badges, each carved with mystic Runes, laid scattered about. They looked like they were carved with claws. Or fangs. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what any of these mean, but I should be able to pick them up quickly with my Skills. But for some reason, I bet Cy would like that one.¡± But still, this is my Shrine. ¡°The Sound of Fury¡ªHa!¡± Bitter humor transitioned to plain bitterness. Why would this place keep offering me Vessels that are already claimed? Her brow furrowed. ¡°Tensa.¡± Agh, this is Cy¡¯s katana. Moving on. Wait, these are like Jules¡¯... Kat searched all around for its placard. Must be on the roof. Who did Jules say he got these from? I¡¯m not sure he ever said. I¡¯ll have to ask him about it. She left the chakra beads untouched. ¡°All of the good ones are taken,¡± she muttered. A sheath, seems pretty useless, probably a good choice for me. A palette¡ªUgh, obviously not mine. The hell is this thing? It was made of iron or steel in the shape of a cherry blossom. It had a large rectangular hole in the center of it, like some sort of massive coin. Seems truly useless, likely the best option. OK, now that coat is definitely Thorn''s. Maybe I should take it, get some revenge¡­ I wonder if it would steal his, or if there''d be two? And here''s a random placard, with nothing around. "Restock, huh?" Kat leaned against the table and considered her choices. Of the ones I know aren¡¯t taken, only the ax seems kinda cool. I wonder what it would be like to wield a powerful ax? The Painter only gave us Apprentice Rank weapons. She limited her choices further. The cane, the blindfold, the eye, and the thing that looked like a coin. The first three have obvious setbacks, and I¡¯m not sure what the coin does, so I guess that should be scratched off. I¡¯d imagine I need some sort of immediate negative effect for it to be mine. These remaining three have an obvious theme. ¡°What do you expect me to do,¡± she shouted, ¡°sacrifice a part of myself?¡± She leaned against the original, central table. The downpour had cleansed it of her vomit by now. ¡°Why can¡¯t I have an easy choice like the others?¡± And of course I¡¯m the only one who can fuck things up. And no help¡ªEven Jules had help from Wrath. She kicked the table away and split it in half. ¡°AHHHH!!¡± The shout came from above and grew louder. A black blur crashed onto the floor where the table previously stood. Whiskers gasped heavily through broken ribs. ¡°Uaaghghaghgh.¡± He writhed inside a tiny impact crater. ¡°Whiskers!¡± Kat scooped him up and hugged him, much to the cat¡¯s dismay. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± Whiskers yelled incoherently. Kat pressed her palm to him to heal him faster with her own Ryoku. She''d recovered a massive amount while here, but used about a quarter of what she had.
[?82,578 // ?156,078]
¡°Kat, he¡¯s coming!¡± Whiskers shouted. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Felix was right behind me¡ª¡± Kat leapt back, drew a dagger in one hand, and cradled Whiskers tightly, protectively in the other. Nothing happened. ¡°Uh, you sure?¡± SMACK! Felix splattered on the ground beside them. His body split apart at the golden seams. He didn¡¯t groan or writhe like they did, and didn''t make a crater. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be a problem now¡ªAh, shit." Without a sound, Felix rose up and reassembled himself. "Go heal.¡± Kat chucked her pussy aside. ¡°MRRROWW!¡± Felix chased around a weak Kat. She was careful not to touch him or any of the Vessels surrounding her. ¡°Ooooh¡­ What¡¯s this we have here?¡± Whiskers inspected the cat mask. ¡°No!¡± Kat shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything. The Shrine might take that as my choice.¡± ¡°Your choice?¡± Kat gasped¡ªanother knife stabbed her. She winced as she jumped around the warehouse.
[?79,578 // ?156,078]
¡°Only get one choice to pick the right Vessel.¡± ¡°Did you try the worst one?¡± ¡°YES I THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT THERE ARE THREE EQUALLY SHITTY OPTIONS YOU ANNOYING LITTLE¡ª¡± Felix brandished his scythe-and-chain again. Kat drew another dagger, but both of her weapons turned to sand and slipped through her fingertips¡ªfive of which were sliced off by Felix¡¯s weapon. She howled. Pain burned deep down to her wrists, like a fast-acting venom, but it halted there.
[?74,578 // ?156,078]
Fuck, that knife¡¯s going to be hard to remove now, should have done it¡ª ¡°Katarina, what are you wearing?¡± Kat looked down and saw a rucksack tunic in place of her Tailor-Forged armor. The scythe tip whistled toward her.
? Air ?
Kat crossed her hands to invoke the Rune and push Felix back, but nothing happened. The subtle nudge of a System Notification distracted her, and she took another blow. She crashed to the ground and nimbly avoided landing on the Sound of Fury. She opened the Notification.
[Your Skills are Locked.] [?64,578 // ?156,078]
OF COURSE THEY FUCKING ARE! Even the System here puts in the least amount of effort. The temptation to grab the Sound and defend herself clouded Kat''s mind. Instead, she leapt back to the hourglass. If I could turn back time, I could stop the damage¡ªI could even change the fate of the battle, avoid landing on the beach¡­ She dodged the scythe blade again. She ran barefoot and stepped on used needles and soiled ground, just to stay alive and out of range. Her wounds and the needles stuck in her feet slowed her down, and the unsanitary water contaminated and seared her open sores. Full of rage, her hair floated off of her shoulders, and her eyes turned a fierce emerald green. The Ax of Cold, I bet this¡¯d slow that fucker down. She dove for it. ¡°No!¡± Whiskers shouted. She landed beside it. Her hand hovered over it, but Whisker¡¯s paw hovered above another Vessel. ¡°I¡¯ll grab this mask before you touch that ax, Kat. I swear.¡± More anger filled her, and another attack landed. Kat shrieked and rolled away from the ax. The scythe¡¯s chains ensnared her and burned her through the flimsy tunic.
[?39,578 // ?156,078]
¡°Katarina!¡± ¡°Damn you, Whiskers!¡± She looked up, devoid of hope, and gazed at the sky through the roof¡¯s many holes. She saw the Black Veil at the edge of her periphery. That thing, it triggered my anger in the first place. What the hell is it? She had to know. Kat reached out for it, anything to escape the pain, to end the madness here, even if it caused her death¡ª Whiskers dashed to her and sliced off all but one of her remaining fingers.
[?35,578 // ?156,078]
Kat thrashed about. She tried to hold her wound, but just crammed her other stubby palm into it. Only one finger left. I wish it was a middle one you¡ª Whiskers spun around like a tornado and slashed his vicious claws through the chains that bound her. The Holy damage faded away, and her pain relieved slightly, though the lingering effects that prevented her Regeneration remained. ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± Kat paused when she saw Whiskers¡ªher Familiar, her guide, her sworn guardian. His own front paws had melted half away. Clumps of missing fur exposed scabbed and boiling skin beneath. The charred smell of burnt hair filled the air. That fearless son of a bitch limped over to Felix, to defend Kat to the very end. ¡°Whiskers¡ªNo!¡± Kat hobbled to her feet but slipped back down to the pain. One achilles heel was ripped, and her opposite thigh couldn¡¯t support her weight. When she collapsed, her line of sight filled with her three final options: the cane, the eye, and the blindfold. She felt Whiskers take blow after blow from Felix. No! I''m sure he can¡¯t Regenerate now, either¡ª ¡°Kat, I can¡¯t keep this up for long. However, I will die trying!¡± But you¡¯d rather not, right¡ªMake the choice. Kat dragged herself over to the Vessels with an elbow. Cane, blindfold. Reminds me of someone I know¡­ The old man¡¯s words filled her mind, a passing comment from their last night together, when they were beyond drunk, after they¡¯d howled at the moon for the dozenth time: Don¡¯t envy their lives. Or mine, for that matter. If Jules¡¯ and Cy¡¯s, and Thorn¡¯s and Maddie¡¯s Vessels are here, then could these be¡­ No way. That can¡¯t be. A three-legged Whiskers darted through the air, but was struck by the scythe again. He landed on all threes, inches from the mirror. If those are Vessels, then, does he choose to live in anonymity? Why wouldn¡¯t he want the world to see his power? Everyone¡¯s looked down on him their whole lives. Including me at one point. I thought the purpose of power was to be known, to flash it around. But if he¡¯s right and I¡¯m wrong, then the choice is easy. I¡¯ll hide it in plain sight. Kat grabbed the glass eye. When the nubs of her fingers touched it, blinding light exploded from it and pushed everything around her backward, except Whiskers, who gravitated and accelerated back to her.
[You chose correctly. Hooray. You know what must now be done.]
Kat thought back to Cy¡¯s Shrine, and what he''d endured to gain his power. I¡¯m certain it was similar for Jules, considering how Coralhaven went. Did Maddie have to do something similar. And the blind beggar¡­? She took a deep breath and accepted her fate. She held back a cry, and with her lone finger left intact, she dug out her left eye. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 92 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 93 - Angry Again
JULES
The sun has set. Jules clambered up the staircase, and he finally reached the third tier of Marina Veridia.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ascend the third tier of Marina Veridia.]
Dozens of men laid strewn around the ground. Some groaned in their misery, others begged for their lives. Whiskers¡¯ three tails hung down from on top of the Shrine. The cat tenderly licked his claws. They made eye contact, and the black cat pointed toward a final set of stairs. Right, I feel Rukia just on the other side. Jules ascended the final flight. When he reached the summit, he paused and looked back at the Shrine. Ragnar was far enough behind him to spare a moment. In front of him, Katarina and Felix fought at the Shrine. Katarina dove through its gate. She¡¯s in, Cy. Whiskers flung himself in right after her, and Felix disappeared through the gate as well. Jules¡¯ new wound burned. With company. Jules faced the Fountain of the Virtues, which were sculpted nearly identically to the Fountain in Aquilantis. Marina Veridia¡¯s also sat high up on a cliff and overlooked the eastern sea and sunrise. Zeke knelt before one of the Virtues'' altars, at the end, labeled with the numeral 1. Kindness. Rukia growled at the Pastor''s side. She bounced up and down on all fours and barked like a dog. Probably cussing him out in some other-worldly language. Zeke drew a deep breath. He unclipped his warhammer''s shaft from his back sling. It fell straight down to the ground, upright and perfectly balanced. One knee lifted off the ground, and he arose. Zeke faced Jules. He towered over Jules and rested his hands on the pommel of his hammer. The Pastor was confident, arrogant even. An air of aristocracy graced the holy site. What a fucking douchebag. Ragnar caught up, and Zeke raised a hand. Ragnar looked curiously at Zeke. It''s like he''s never been issued an order before. Zeke''s eyes traced from Jules'' shoulder to his hip, studying the wound. ¡°Zeke,¡± Jules greeted him. Zeke nodded back. ¡°That will be all, Ragnar. Felix will handle the other Sin. You are to aid Selene with the traitor.¡± ¡°Blood. Feud.¡± ¡°Not bigger than mine, Ragnar! Selene is alone with the boy who lived. Go. Back. Her. Up.¡± ¡°You no Ragnar puppeteer.¡± What the hell is going on here? If Zeke¡¯s not controlling them¡­ ¡°That boy might be a Sin, too, for all we know. We could capture three in one night, all at once.¡± Ragnar snarled back at Zeke. ¡°Your Holiness.¡± Of course. Kat was right. She didn¡¯t come, but The Maiden is here. Ragnar, or the Iron Maiden herself, pointed at Jules. ¡°Capture. All cost. All. Cost." Zeke showcased the black medallion he wore. ¡°My charge is understood, Ma¡¯am.¡± Jules¡¯ Seal could have given him a heart attack. He dropped to his knees and lost some of his vision. Is this his doing? Hers? His two enemies looked at him cautiously, as if this were some ploy of Jules''.
? Stop ?
Zeke and Ragnar and even Rukia froze. No¡ª No! I thought I had more time? The clock hasn¡¯t run out yet¡­ From the peripherals inward, Jules¡¯ vision turned black, like a whirlpool swirling around and around. That Holy damage accelerated him more than I thought? Jules could still move. He inspected his Seal. It¡¯s not filled in, there¡¯s still time, right?
HELLO, JULES¡­
"Dammit, what do you want!?"
WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED.
"To control my body and¡ª"
TO KILL DEATH.
"And in order to do that, you have to take it from me." Jules felt Wrath¡¯s demonic smile spread. He also felt Rukia and Zeke and Ragnar''s gazes, watching him, listening to him.
I DO NOT WISH TO TAKE IT FROM YOU. I WANT YOU TO GIFT IT TO ME. TO LOAN IT, PERHAPS?
Not gonna happen again.
HEH HEH¡­ WE SHALL SEE.
Jules tried to summon Kaizen, but his body grew heavier and heavier and soon he couldn¡¯t move, like the others. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m about to bash these bastards¡¯ heads in. Should be good for you, too.
I WOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT YOUR STRATEGY, JULES.
Jules¡¯ hair stood on end. Why''s that?
BECAUSE I OFFER YOU ANOTHER DEAL. YOU CAN TAKE IT OR¡ª
Yeah. Don¡¯t care, not taking it.
YOU REQUIRE INCENTIVE. I UNDERSTAND. JUST LIKE THE SHRINE, I WILL WITHHOLD ALL OF MY POWERS FROM YOU.
You¡¯re going to steal my powers!? Jules tried to contain his next thoughts to himself. That bastard, that arrogant prick. In the final hour, after all it took to get here? I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to take control of me?
DO NOT BE FOOLISH, JULES. THE POWER YOU CREDIT TO YOURSELF IS RIGHTFULLY MINE, BY BIRTHRIGHT. IT COMES FROM ME, IT IS ME. WITHOUT WRATH, YOU¡¯D BE JUST ANOTHER HUMAN, AN ANT READY TO BE SMASHED BY THE TIDES OF FATE. OBSERVE¡­
I may be an ant to you, but you''re a cockroach. What do you gain from this? You can¡¯t survive without me.
MY WRATH ENDURES BEYOND YOU. I AM PATIENT, AND I HAVE TIME ON MY SIDE. I FIND MYSELF GROWING TIRED OF YOU. BUT I NEED NOT REMIND YOU THAT TIME IS NOT YOUR ALLY TONIGHT. AGAIN, YOU HAVE ABANDONED YOUR FRIENDS TO DANGER AND PERIL. WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Jules bought time. Depends on what the deal is. He knew he wouldn¡¯t take another deal, but he had to figure out a new strategy to fight, without Regeneration at the very least. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
FULLY INTEGRATE WITH WRATH, AND REGAIN MY POWER.
[Wrath Reincarnated ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Regain your power by fully Integrating with Wrath.]
Jules let his rage run through his blood. His blood pressure and heart spiked. I''ll show you my power, my wrath. Jules harvested all of that underlying anger to break through Wrath¡¯s spell and manifest Kaizen. About two-thirds of the ghost were missing. The remnants wavered and bits began to dissolve, back to the void. Jules fed Kaizen his Ryoku to no effect. He looked to Rukia, for help, but she was still frozen.
HEH HEH¡­
? Integrate ? Jules lined up Kaizen¡¯s soul with the Sound and crammed him into a Weapon Spirit Integration, but again, nothing happened. ¡°You waste time,¡± Kaizen said. He looked at Jules as if he too would soon be a ghost. ¡°Wrath never lies. You¡¯ve borrowed his powers, I¡¯ve borrowed his powers, but they are his. Even your ability to see me stems from him.¡± Jules¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°How can I fight without you and Rukia and the Sound?¡± Kaizen turned back to Rukia. Her face twitched and contorted, whereas Zeke and Ragnar hadn''t even blinked. ¡°The Sound is Wrath¡¯s weapon, yes. But it wasn''t him who forged it. He¡­took it. And I wouldn''t count the fox out yet. She¡¯s our Familiar, true. But perhaps she was never his.¡± Only part of Kaizen¡¯s head and his left chest¡ªhis heart with the Seal over it¡ªremained. ¡°Don¡¯t give up, Jules. Don¡¯t give in. Trust in Rukia, and trust in the Sound.¡± Rukia shook like a wet dog and broke free of the spell. ¡°Kaizen!¡± ¡°Trust yourself, Little One.¡± Kaizen¡¯s eyes blinked back at the edge of the void. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to kill Zeke.¡± ¡°Kaizen!¡± Jules reached out. ¡°Where do we find you again?¡± He was already gone. ¡°We¡¯re on our own now, Jules.¡± ¡°How do we stop the Apocalypse without Kaizen!? Hell, how do we make it past tonight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK, we can retrieve him from the same spot we found him. But for now¡­¡± Rukia pranced over to Zeke¡¯s boot and lifted a leg high into the air and relieved herself. ¡°We must fight.¡±
HOW WILL YOU FARE WHEN I¡¯VE STRIPPED EVERYTHING FROM YOU? GOOD LUCK, JULES TIDESHAPER¡­
Zeke clutched his throat and gasped for air, as if he hadn¡¯t breathed that entire time. Ragnar watched the Pastor, disgusted, as if the need for air were some weakness, then looked at the sky. ¡°Interference from a higher plane.¡± Ragnar spoke clearly, in a different voice entirely. ¡°I¡¯ve assessed the situation, you are correct. We will handle Selene and the boy.¡± Puppet and puppeteer left them without looking back. ¡°Forget not to take Communion." ¡°In due time.¡± Zeke brandished his warhammer. ¡°But first, I have loose ends that need closure.¡± ¡°Delay not," Ragnar barked. "The full moon must be out from the clouds.¡± The puppet hopped off the side of the cliff. Rukia growled at Zeke from Jules¡¯ heels. She was ready to obey his every command. Zeke studied them while Jules took stock of himself. Regeneration really was killed. My Ryoku stands in place, and I don¡¯t have another way to replenish it now. There is one silver lining, though, and Zeke should be obvious to it¡­ ¡°Long ago,¡± Zeke said, ¡°when you were born, you killed my entire town. Massacred them. Everyone I ever knew. My parents, my wife, my children. In her own way¡­ Your mother." ¡°I never killed anyone.¡± Zeke scoffed. ¡°They just fell by themselves, then?¡± ¡°Uh actually, yeah so ya see, that was me and Kaizen. We killed everyone. I had special fun in killing your¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Birds scrambled out of the surrounding arbor. ¡°I knew it was you, Wrath. I knew you would be born a Sin. To that family.¡± ¡°Sounds like you certainly wanted it.¡± Jules tested the Sound. How much energy can I put in you? Will Rukia¡¯s soul cram in here? It felt odd to him, more distant somehow, unfamiliar. ¡°You know, your father, he nearly killed me once¡ª¡± ¡°When, last week?¡± ¡°Quiet boy, and let me learn you your family history. We were young men back then, just past our System Unlock Days.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about my father, not truly.¡± And don¡¯t speak ill of the dead. ¡°I know that you killed him,¡± Zeke sang the words in a tune. Jules swallowed hard, then locked his sorrow and guilt away. ¡°I know more about that man than you¡¯d ever want to know.¡± Alright, I''ll bite. Have to, really. I need to work a new plan. ¡°Who were the Tideshapers?¡± Zeke studied Jules¡¯ face. Jules felt new cracks around the Sound¡¯s spiritual edges. Rukia and the Sound should be enough to defeat you. Zeke burst into laughter. ¡°Evelyn, sweet Evelyn.¡± How¡¯d he know she told me? ¡°Ah, that look on your face, boy¡­ Liam would never have mentioned his family. Hated them with a passion, and rightfully so. Your lot makes blood feuds with you wherever you go. With the Canaans, for instance.¡±
[Maternal Instincts ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Figure out why your family lines feuded with each other.] [Paternal Problems ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Figure out why your family lines feuded with each other.]
"Why? What''s so bad about the Tideshapers?" "You can ask your father yourself, after I send you to Hell." ¡°Well this is going nowhere. Clearly you don¡¯t know anything about them, or you won¡¯t say what you do know. What¡¯s your endgame here, why are you hunting me? You obviously can¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡°Oh, but I can. Allow me to demonstrate.¡± Zeke gazed at the stars. They twinkled beside the moon, still shrouded by clouds. ¡°Ah. Afraid we must wait a moment longer.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t stop there, with the Sins, does it? You plan to expand¡­outward.¡± Zeke raised an eyebrow. ¡°That is quite the accusation.¡± ¡°You seem nervous. Is it because one of them is watching us, right now, in your midst?¡± Zeke took one step forward. ¡°I¡¯m not so easily intimidated, Zeke. What does she want with the Virtues? The so-called protectors of the world?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her yourself.¡± His smile was grim. ¡°Is she here¡ªtoday?¡± ¡°Never leaves Sylvan Hollow, that one." Jules couldn''t hide his smile. Giving me information on a silver platter already. Your interrogation shouldn''t take long. "But that¡¯s OK, because you¡¯ll arrive there shortly. In separate deliveries." ¡°So she¡¯s directing her zombies from all the way over there? She must be one hell of an Alter, being hundreds of miles away¡ªAh, your face. So she is an Alter." If Zeke¡¯s warhammer were a neck, he¡¯d have strangled it by now. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about that hammer harming me¡­too badly, anyway. ¡°Burn in Hell, Sin.¡± You have no idea. Zeke swept his warhammer up and heaved it down. Holy magic sparked at its impact like lightning. Jules avoided the blunt weapon, but charged bolts shocked him. Jules writhed in pain to trick Zeke, though they had little effect. Zeke activated more of his Holy Enchantments to restrain Jules. His shoulder plates and cuirass lit up.
? ? Transmutation Circle ? ?
A golden transmutation circle ensnared Jules.
? ? Tempered Glass ? ? [?109,910 // ?174,501]
Zeke''s spell turned to glass and shattered into shards around Jules. Zeke hesitated. Wrath was kind enough to strip me of his weaknesses, too. Jules smacked the Sound against Zeke¡¯s temple. It had no more effect on him than a regular wooden sword. Zeke smiled again. ¡°What wickedness are you up to?¡± ¡°Honestly, I have no idea.¡±
? Fire ? [?94,910 // ?174,501]
? ? Iron Maiden Envelop Me ? ?
Jules blasted a stream of flames at Zeke¡¯s face. Zeke''s Scroll summoned a latticework of iron spikes that blocked the attack¡ªsome of it, anyway. He pushed the makeshift shield forward to Jules¡¯ palm, to terminate its source. Zeke¡¯s snarl was marbled by scorched skin. Jules knew the sensation of burning alive, but Zeke didn''t even acknowledge the pain. ¡°You¡¯re one tough bastard,¡± Jules admitted. ¡°And you are full of surprises.¡± Zeke looked to the clouds again. Not sure what happens when the moon comes out, but I need a new weapon. Zeke swept his war hammer at Jules, who leapt back. Jules blocked another sideswipe attack¡ªand the Sound cracked in half on impact. ¡°Dammit¡ªRukia!?¡± Conserve your Ryoku, Little One, she advised. Your fight hasn¡¯t started yet. Feel him out. Jules retreated a few steps. ¡°Some specifics would be nice.¡± ¡°My, my, my. What do we have here?¡± Jules and Zeke turned to face the unknown. Maddie. Are we allies again, or enemies? Maddie approached the Fountain of the Virtues. Thorn, August, and even John followed in her shadow. She stopped to inspect an altar. Second from the edge? Better feel her out. ¡°I see you¡¯re just in time to join the fight.¡± ¡°Aye, and just in time,¡± Zeke said. ¡°He was beginning to challenge me.¡± Jules eyed Thorn, then Maddie, who turned to face him. Which side will you choose? Maddie drew her cutlass again. Her compass was nowhere in sight. Is she going in blindly? ¡°Prepare yourself for conquest¡ª¡± Who are you choosing, dammit. ¡°¡ªWrath.¡± Shit. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 93 BONUS CONTENT BELOW ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Books of Salvatica Excerpts from ''The Highest Rank'' by The Sylvan Publishing House The Iron Maiden, in Her Own Words (Sylvan Publishing House) So how exactly would you describe yourself, then? (Her Holiness The Iron Maiden) I am but an iron will on Her maiden voyage. I see, I see. Hmm, yes. Any more on that? No. You know this is an interview, right? We need not be greedy with our media; we need not become a glutton on words. So¡­ You¡¯ve risen through the ranks of The Church quite quickly in the last year. You are even branching out into your own Faction, a difficult feat, I am sure¡ªBut what accomplishment are you most proud of? I seek Humility in all things. Hmm, yes. And what would you do with her, when you¡¯ve found her? ¡­ Humility, I mean. The Virtue. We seek the Virtues in our hearts, and the Sins out in this world, that we may eradicate them. OK. Well, this has been illuminating¡­ Thank you for your time, I think that¡¯s all the questions I have for today. Ch 94 - Landslide
CYRUS
Jules¡¯ voice filled Cy¡¯s mind. If it comes to it, I will. Cy, Whiskers is leaving his watch for the Shrine. The blinding effects of Selene¡¯s Script expired, and Cy''s peripheral vision returned. He stood atop the third tier of Marina Veridia, at the highest peaks of its cliffs on this side of the port.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ascend the third tier of Marina Veridia.]
Great, Cy conveyed to Jules. Kat was pissed at me then, if she took him. The battle at sea waged on with The Flying Dutchman taking on¡­about a third of the entire Coralith military. Again, Cy froze in pure awe before the power of an Alter. Cy, if you die, they¡¯re gonna kill you. Selene approached Cy and trapped him between herself and the cliffs. Cy peered down and saw the cliff terrace out a few times to a rocky beach, far below. Cy invoked a Script, which had no immediate effect, but his eyes remained lit a pastel violet color.
? ? Bait and Switch ? ? [?72,920 // ?298,080]
Again, great. Again, kinda busy. See you all. Cy shut his mind off from Jules. ¡°Man,¡± Cy whistled down the precipice. ¡°Good thing we landed near the docks. That would have been a bitch to scale.¡± ¡°You finished running?¡± Selene asked. Cy looked left. He looked right. He stepped back until he was just inches from falling backward. ¡°I guess so. There¡¯s nowhere else to run.¡± ¡°I never figured you for a coward, Cyrus.¡± She took two steps toward him. ¡°Please, call me Cy. And I¡¯m not stuck here with you¡­ You¡¯re stuck here with me.¡± The light from Cy¡¯s eyes dimmed and extinguished; his Scroll activated. Selene wobbled on the ledge, and Cy stood in her previous position. Her foot slipped, and a rock tumbled down the bluff. Cy lunged to her. Selene slashed at Cy with dual-wielded daggers. He deflected and parried her blows with ease¡ªshe could only move two feet in any direction at a time without falling down, but each strike worried him more and more. How long will this crap steel last? Far below, the Kraken breached and shrieked a bloodcurdling cry. Its rubbery body slapped onto a military vessel below. Black mist settled on the rocky beach below. Davy Jones¡­ ¡°So, you gonna tell me?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Stop treating me like a child and fight me.¡± OK. With a quick flick of his sword, he disarmed her of both weapons. She drew two more and attacked much faster than before. No, you stay in time-out until I say so. He disarmed two more, and she drew two more. Cy swatted one down the cliffside, and Selene plunged the second into a pectoral. ¡°Where is it?¡± he snapped. ¡°Where is what?¡± Selene left another dagger sticking out of him and drew two more. ¡°Your Binding Vow.¡± Damn face won''t crack¡ªyet. Cy swung his sword at her left arm. ¡°Here?¡± He could have cut off her arm but barely scratched through her black leather armor. Her ripped sleeve remained in place because the armor was so form-fitting. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s awfully hard to get you out of these clothes.¡± Selene thrust at his throat. ¡°Why did you get it?¡± ¡°Wrong question.¡± Whoah, she actually gave me some kind of answer, and judging by her face, she¡¯s shocked she said it, too. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t why be the most important aspect of a Binding Vow?¡± Selene executed a four-piece combo¡ªa thrust straight ahead, to an upward slice, a slash down diagonally to the left, then straight across to the right. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. If not why, then¡­? She repeated the combo several times. Cy never gave her an inch of ground to gain and kept her on the ledge. ¡°When did you get it?¡± Selene executed the same combo again. Cy watched, confused, until he realized she etched a number¡ªbackward, though not from her perspective. ¡°You were four!?¡± Selene withdrew her assault. Probably can¡¯t talk about it as a condition. But you are finding loopholes to communicate it. Salvos, do I love a loophole. Cy switched his sword to his left hand and showcased his open right palm. Selene¡¯s eyes widened at his own Binding Vow. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. I got this one when I was seventeen.¡± She turned herself at an angle, so she didn¡¯t face the Vow directly. Why does this scare her? Selene jerked her head again. ¡°Move,¡± she warned. A shadow rose from Selene''s feet up to her head.
? Sight ? [?67,720 // ?298,080]
The Rune gave Cy an omnipotent view of his surroundings for a tenth of a second¡ªthat was as much as he¡¯d mastered. Ragnar fell from the sky behind him, his wicked battle ax drawn overhead. Hm. Only one way to go¡ª Cy leapt past Selene, off the cliff. He heard the impact explode above. Salvos-damned earthquake up there. Gotta trust he didn¡¯t harm his comrade.
? Air ? [?66,820 // ?298,080]
A column of air surged past Cy''s face and decelerated his descent. He rolled into a break-fall on the second tier cliff.
[ERROR: Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective INCOMPLETED: Ascend the third tier of Marina Veridia.]
Much narrower, shit. And it drops another level. This isn¡¯t¡ª Cy pushed off the ground with all his might and tumbled to the side. A massive boulder crashed down where he''d laid. He jumped back toward it¡ª Ragnar slammed his battle ax down into the ground again. Damn, he hid behind that rock as he jumped down. Selene gracefully slid down the rocky descent. A cloud of dust dragged along her boots and hook-clawed hand. ¡°Two-on-one. Great.¡± Selene hurled more daggers at him. Cy flipped through the air and contorted his body in new and uncomfortable ways to avoid them. "The hell do all these come from!?" Selene¡¯s barrage pushed him back to Ragnar, who swung at Cy. Cy blocked it, with one hand on his curved sword¡¯s grip, the other on the back of the blade. He didn¡¯t absorb any of the Holy damage like the others, and Ragnar''s eyes widened. Cy blocked another blow, dodged a second, blocked a third, but each connection reverberated through his bones until an overhead power attack cracked Cy¡¯s blade in half. Cy raised a hand and invoked a Rune.
? Fragment ? [?65,820 // ?298,080]
The spinning broken-off shard of steel exploded into shrapnel and struck Ragnar¡¯s face. A dagger pierced Cy¡¯s exposed upper arm in the confusion. Dammit. Cy rolled to the ledge. Ragnar roared. He surrounded himself with an aura of Ryoku and infused it all into his battle ax. Shit. Cy chucked the remnant of his sword at Selene to slow her pursuit. Ragnar swung horizontally to knock him off the cliff, but Cy squatted down low instead. He braced one hand on the ground and turned his body sideways. The ax head and shaft swept past him, just over his torso. Cy wrapped his legs around Ragnar¡¯s arm and secured an arm-bar. With one hand still on the ground for leverage, he jerked back and carried their momentum over the cliff. That Hand-to-Hand worked out¡ª
[Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 23.] [Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 24.]
Holy¡ªI wish Jules could see this! They hurtled down towards the rocky beach below. Cy unsheathed his katana Vessel, Tensa, and sliced off Ragnar''s locked arm.
? Ice ? [?62,720 // ?298,080]
Cy kicked off of Ragnar and stabbed his Vessel into a rising column of ice. He let the friction and drag slow his descent to a sharp halt. Ragnar splattered into several pieces on the beach below. Cy regained his bearings and abandoned the ice column for the rock wall. He slid down it towards his enemy. Gold lace stitched the puppet back together. Cy severed the same arm a second time, then the other. Damn Regeneration¡ªWait, are those strings? Cy removed a leg and spun around in a whirlwind. His blade swept over Ragnar¡¯s head and cut the invisible strings that suspended him. Ragnar crumpled down in the sand. No longer a puppet, but a pile of assorted extremities and a disfigured and defiled corpse. The Sight Rune over his third eye dimmed out and faded away.
[ERROR: Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective INCOMPLETED: Ascend the second tier of Marina Veridia.]
Selene ran to Ragnar but halted short. Her face and jaw dropped. ¡°Ragnar,¡± she whispered. She glared at Cy, like she wanted to kill him. Normally she¡¯s expressionless, disinterested. Sometimes guilty, but now she looks¡­betrayed? Cy took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m gonna find that Vow one way or another. Though, I gotta admit¡ª¡± Cy twirled his Vessel¡¯s grip around in his hand, and Selene drew two fresh daggers. He slashed ruthlessly at her chest, then her arms. He sliced through her leather armor, exposing one thin strip of skin at a time. Occasionally a few slices combined at an angle and a piece of the armor flapped down or fell off. ¡°¡ªI kinda hope it takes a while.¡± Cy focused too much on offense and his search, and Selene ripped apart his armor as well. They stripped each other near the water, on the beach, one piece of rough cloth and leather at a time. Soon, the remainder of their clothing clung on in tatters. Cy finally saw it. ¡°You tried to hide it, blocking it with your right arm. But now it¡¯s laid bare for the world to see.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± All that remained of Cy¡¯s clothing were his billowing pants. His upper robe and shirt were shredded and draped down over his legs, his entire torso exposed. Cy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She would be pissed at him, no doubt, and he didn¡¯t know if her wound would ever fully heal. But I¡¯m about to set you free. A massive wave from behind soaked him. Salt burned his eyes. The Kraken shrieked for blood. Cy recalled the gift he''d received from The System on day he met Selene and opened his eyes wide. Oh, fuck. ¡°Ahoy there, laddie! Seems me ''Ole Bessie taken a likin'' to ye, on account o¡¯ that Trophy there on yer back.¡± Cy looked from Davy Jones to Selene. ¡°Run,¡± he warned her. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 94 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 95 - 2 Minutes to Midnight
JULES
WHY DO YOU WAIT? STRIKE YOUR FOES WHILE THEY ARE WEAK.
Shut up. Jules and Thorn locked eyes again and rolled them. "This is taking too long," Jules mouthed to the old geezer. Rukia crushed John in a bout of rock paper scissors behind Maddie''s back. ¡°No, Maddie,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You are under our employment and therefore our command¡ª¡± ¡°I complete my missions how I see fit. If I let you capture him, I forfeit half the Bounty, and what a Bounty she is.¡± Should I mention he¡¯s out for Virtues, too? It¡¯d be too obvious now, wait for the right moment. ¡°If you wish, you can answer to The Maiden for insubordination.¡± ¡°Like I give a damn about Her outlook on things.¡± ¡°Treasonous words,¡± Zeke cautioned. ¡°I have a bone to pick with this one. Let me duel him, one-on-one. If I fail, then you¡ª¡± ¡°You think you have more a right to him than me? Me!? He destroyed my home, killed my family and everyone I grew up with." ¡°Again," Rukia halted her winning streak, "that was my pleasure." John took advantage of the moment, while Rukia''s hand was locked in a fist, and through out an open hand. "Dammit! Bastard Pastor cost me a round¡­" Zeke twitched. ¡°Their bounties are ours.¡± Maddie approached Zeke. She glared up at him, he looked down on her. Thorn and the rest of their crew drew their blades. A strange expression crossed Zeke¡¯s face. Does he suspect her, too? Does he fear her¡ªor both? Zeke looked at the shrouded moon. ¡°Five minutes. Then I take over." ¡°Aye, if that¡¯s the best you can do. I''m paid in full¡ªtriple, because that bastard Spider¡ªif I defeat him here.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t, so I agree to your terms.¡± Maddie scoffed and approached Jules. She muttered curses about Zeke and his mother, then drew her blade. She charged Jules and pushed him away from Zeke¡¯s earshot. Rukia held her ground to separate the two groups. Only John seemed afraid of her. Wary that it might further shatter after breaking in two, Jules reinforced the Sound with a Ryoku Shield.
[?90,910 // ?174,501]
¡°What have you learned, Wrath?¡± Maddie asked when they were far enough away. ¡°She is after all Arcanics¡ªYou¡¯re really not holding back these attacks, are you?¡± ¡°Virtues included?¡± Jules parried a thrust and deflected two slashes. "Familiars, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have.¡± Block, deflect, duck. Jules kicked her in the chest to knock her back. She dusted off her billowing frills. ¡°I knew that much already. What a shame, Jules.¡± Jules, not Wrath. That¡¯s an invitation. I can still turn her back to my side. Maddie stopped her assault and allowed him distance. ¡°I respect you, so I give you this courtesy¡ªPlaytime is over.¡± ¡°Maddie, they¡¯re coming for all of us¡­Salty Pete, Rukia.¡± ¡°And yet you haven¡¯t defeated him.¡± Jules¡¯ eye twitched. He thrust the broken Sound, which was now the length between a dagger and short sword, at her face. ¡°Wrath took¡ª¡± Jules cut himself off. Better not say anything that could be used against me. Zeke is better off ignorant. Maddie frowned. ¡°Our friendship ends here and now." Jules squeezed the Sound. All our shared trauma is out the fucking window? Maddie closed in on him in a sweep and flurry of attacks. High, low, below-the-belt, arm, head¡ªnothing was off limits now. Jules¡¯ anger and betrayal tempered his battle prowess, and he halted each strike. Every one of her attacks enraged him further. Jules slid under a slash and snuck past her defenses. The Sound connected with her cheek and sparked a massive explosion that flung her back. Once again, the Sound was aflame, this time with dark, crimson red fire. Maddie landed all the way near Zeke and her crew. Zeke gazed down on her crumpled body. "Your time has expired.¡± Maddie got up and spat blood at his boots. ¡°Men, attack!¡±
YOU LOOK IN NEED OF AN ALLY. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Rukia intercepted John right away. He hurled his spear at her desperately. August¡¯s tattoos and eyes lit up, and he invoked a Script that conjured a water spout, like a tornado. The twister scraped and ripped Jules'' flesh in a flash. Where''s all that water even coming from? Need to stop it at the source before it douses the Sound.
? Activate ? [?90,900 // ?174,501]
Jules burned an Inked Art to blow the twister away into mist. Boots scuffed behind him. He twisted himself down and around to face Thorn. How''d he sneak up on me? The cutlass flew past Jules'' hair, and he elbowed Thorn in the jaw. The resonating crack didn¡¯t slow the old man down. Thorn in my side¡­ Thorn thrust his cutlass at Jules with supersonic speed. Jules kept up with the man and blocked each strike as he saw it, but the sound cracks after each strike confused him, and each attack hit him in three places at once. Droplets of Jules¡¯ blood stained the mist around him and mixed with the twister. Is this Thorn''s Vessel, or a Script? Raw Skill? Maddie closed in on Jules¡¯ left. She maintained the forefront of the assault and targeted Jules¡¯ chest and arms. Thorn continued his powered thrusts between Maddie¡¯s slashes. The water spout reformed and sped toward him again. They work well together as a team. Except John, of course. Zeke approached on the right, opposite of Maddie, and now Jules fought three fronts at once while August chucked water spouts and ice spears at him from afar. Jules was soaked from the mixture of water spouts and his own blood. Only his defensive Skills and the Sound¡¯s flame kept him alive as minor injuries piled on. Zeke heaved his hammer down. Jules dodged to the side, and Thorn blocked Zeke''s wild strike from hitting Maddie. He¡¯s not fighting me, he¡¯s watching Maddie¡ª
YOU BORE ME, JULES TIDESHAPER.
How are you doing, Jules? Rukia asked. Maddie¡¯s cutlass ripped through Jules¡¯ right pectoral muscle. Dying, help me. Finish Mermaidboy off and¡ª Use me. Thorn stabbed through Jules¡¯ left upper arm. How? Spirit Integration. Zeke¡¯s hammer cracked down onto Jules¡¯ hands, gripping the Sound. Fury and rage welled up inside Jules. Into my body!? No, the Sound. Haven¡¯t¡ªugh¡ªtried that before. Now seems like an appropriate time. Risky. Jules felt the absence of his powers¡ªno fire erupted at his eyes, no searing sensation of his Seal. Then don¡¯t muck it up, Julesie. Thorn stabbed Jules in the arm again. ¡°Agghh!¡± Jules fell to his knees.
? Pressure ? [?82,900 // ?174,501]
Jules blasted away all of his opponents. Another Inked Art burned. In those few precious moments afforded him, Jules concentrated on Rukia and the Sound. He lined up the patterns and laid down their meshes on top of each other. Only three wavelengths. No sign of Kaizen or Wrath. Jules pressed down Rukia¡¯s soul into the Sound of Fury. His vision went black from the staggering amount of Ryoku it required.
? Integrate ? [?52,900 // ?174,501]
A blinding light erupted around him, and Jules held a sword of white ashen wood. The broken Sound of Fury again extended to its full length and smoldered beneath contained, white flames. It spoke to him with a much deeper version of Rukia¡¯s voice. I sealed your wounds. Interesting choice of words. Best I can do for now. Focus our energy on combat. ¡°Our energy. Right.¡± Zeke, Maddie, Thorn, and August stood on their feet again. John was knocked out, likely from Rukia. August stayed behind while the other three charged Jules. Try out our new speed on August. When his opponents were close, Jules dashed behind them all in an instant and struck down August first. ¡°Easy,¡± Jules said. Adrenaline and speed shot his confidence high, perhaps too high. Thorn¡¯s eyes lit up. Time for your Vessel? Rukia jerked the Sound up just in time. Maddie crashed into them. Their weapons shook as they tried to push the other one back. Pay attention, Thorn used a spell to push her forward. Yes, Ma¡¯am. Jules increased the Sound''s heat and flicked Maddie¡¯s cutlass away. He struck her in the head with the butt of his hilt. Maddie staggered back a step, and Jules slashed at her stomach. Maddie had no time to raise her sword, and Jules¡¯ strike connected. Thorn was upon him¡ªbefore him. Jules'' pupils expanded out to the edges of his irises. The point of Thorn¡¯s sword was almost invisible, it was so perfectly straight, like a piece of paper held up just right. The blade accelerated at Jules'' face. The Sound fueled Jules, and he grabbed Thorn''s blade with a bare hand, inches from his eye. He squeezed until the metal deformed and twisted it out of the old man¡¯s grip. Jules swung the Sound, bent Thorn in half, and launched that geezer into the air. Thorn rolled a few times on the ground and stopped, knocked out. So this is your power, Rukia¡­ No. This is our power. Look, Jules. I smell fear. Sweat poured down Zeke¡¯s brow. No, not fear. He looks¡­reluctant.
TRUST ME, JULES. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DISCOVER WHY HE HESITATES.
A sliver of the full moon peeked out behind the clouds. Jules, kill him now! With a mind of its own, the Sound pulled Jules toward Zeke¡ª Jules collapsed forward to the ground. Pain erupted across his back. He rolled over and saw the second shower rain down on him¡ªof arrows and magic projectiles. Jules raised up the Sound and emitted a heat wave that melted anything that could have fallen remotely near him.
[?48,400 // ?174,501]
¡°Damn military. I forgot Whiskers is in the Shrine.¡± Jules ripped out arrows from his back, from wounds that wouldn''t heal. Jones'' Pirates ascended the steps to the Fountain. They were chased by Soldiers from two different sides. Jules deflected whatever weaponry flew his way. All three Factions¡ªthe Hydromages, the Navigators, and the Royal Navy¡ªsurrounded him and the Pirates¡ªAnd who knows whose side they¡¯re on. Chaos engulfed the Fountain. Blades sparked, arrows rushed through the air. People fell left and right. "Halt!" The voice boomed over all else, like it had near the Fountain of the Virtues in Aquilantis. Jules whipped around, to face Pastor Zeke. The fighting around him slowed to a stall, and everyone''s faces, shrouded in darkness to start, illuminated under the moonlight. ¡°It has come to the final hour. I hoped not to use it. I truly, honestly did¡­¡± Zeke gazed at all the men who surrounded him. He studied each of their faces individually for a while until he gave up and scanned what remained. His face dropped, his frown deepened, his eyebrows curled in pity. Rukia¡­ Why does he look like a man sending sheep to the slaughter? ¡°Alas, it is past time that I must take Communion.¡± Zeke yanked the black medallion from his neck and ripped its chain. He pressed the crude and jagged metal into his forehead until it drew blood, then he closed his eyes and looked at the moon.
? ? Black Sacrament ? ?
Dark mist surrounded Zeke and swirled around him until it was so thick that he was lost to the naked eye. The full moon''s light faded away, and the mist grew darker, until the night could have been a new moon.
SO, JULES¡­ HOW ABOUT THAT DEAL?
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 95 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 96 - The Ocean
CYRUS
Cy and Selene dropped to their knees and covered their ears until the Kraken stopped its primal shriek. The cool breeze swept sand past Cy¡¯s feet and in between his toes. A trickle of blood oozed from one of his ears. Davy Jones smiled back, his rotted and wooden teeth shining through. His eyes bulged, laced with thick blood vessels. The tentacles of his beard waved at Cy. Out at sea, The Flying Dutchman continued to thrust up columns of water to intercept cannon fire and the like. His green eyes met Cy''s level gaze. ¡°Figured you¡¯d be on The Dutchman still,¡± Cy said. ¡°Aye, and ye¡¯d be wrong for figurin¡¯ it, boy. She¡¯s my biggest decoy¡ª¡± The Kraken¡¯s roar swept Jones¡¯ matted hair in one direction. ¡°Oh, ho! Next to ¡®Ole Bessie, of course.¡± ¡°I take it she doesn¡¯t like my Trophy.¡± ¡°That she does not. Could''a been one of her runts, she reckons. But she¡¯s not been to Aquilantis in some time now.¡± How does he know where I got this? He is an Alter, but still¡­ ¡°So, who might we have here? A formal assassin versus¡­a new Vessel user.¡± He¡¯s sure taking his time with her. Does he see something I don¡¯t? Is he just a pervert? ¡°Oh ho ho!¡± Jones doubled over laughing. He grabbed his stomach and lifted a hand up for them to stop. Cy glanced at Selene from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Oh, oh ho, Little Lassie.¡± Jones recovered his senses. ¡°You hid it well from him, but now it¡¯s time to spoil yer fun. Ya see, I¡¯m an agent of chaos.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he talking about, Selene?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Vessel of her own.¡± Cy scanned her up and down. The daggers? No, they keep coming from¡­ ¡°Your armor.¡± Selene cracked her neck. ¡°So that¡¯s where those daggers kept coming from.¡± ¡°Aye, she have a resupplyin¡¯ tool.¡± Cy turned back to the monster. The Kraken floated steady in the water. Its tentacles just waved about, like Jones'' beard, without purpose. Waiting on her master¡¯s orders? ¡°Good to know. I suppose I should thank you, but I¡¯m more curious as to what the Agent of Chaos wants on this beach.¡± ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere. And it¡¯s not what I want, lad¡ªWhat do you want?¡± ¡°Well, I sure as shit don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± ¡°Pah! Course not. There¡¯s a fight naught winnable." ¡°So what then?¡± Selene asked. ¡°I¡¯ve completed my mission.¡± Jones spoke low and without color. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to do business.¡± Cy clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have anything to sell at the moment.¡± ¡°Oh no, lad.¡± Jones¡¯ smile returned. ¡°I¡¯m an Info Broker.¡± Info Broker, huh? Just like The Painter¡­ ¡°For instance, I understand you''re a would-be-Alter.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Jones spread his arms out wide. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to see you in action.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a little busy, so if you wouldn¡¯t mind controlling your beast¡ª¡± Jones cackled like a maniac. ¡°Now there¡¯s a fight I can¡¯t win. She¡¯s no Familiar to me, boy. Asides that, I wouldn''t if I could.¡± ¡°Great, thanks. Selene, it seems we need to put our fight on pause.¡± Selene glared at Cy. Her eyebrows met at the bridge of her nose. She grabbed her barren left arm and tried to cover it up. OK, probably shouldn¡¯t count on teaming up. ¡°Today¡¯s full o¡¯ excitement and news. Think I¡¯ll have me some popcorn, just fer the occasion.¡± Jones¡¯ eyes lit up a tan shade. Sand moved around the beach and formed a chair and an umbrella. He even formed a fruity cocktail drink, which materialized to real liquid and glass, with its own mini-umbrella. ¡°The sun¡¯s already set,¡± Selene said flatly. ¡°Har har! Right you are, lass. But this umbrella be fer the moonlight.¡± Jones tilted his chin up to Selene. ¡°And don¡¯t think I forgot about little ¡®ole you. I gave the Alter-boy a tip, now here¡¯s yers.¡± Jones'' face and Pirate act both dropped again. ¡°That Vessel of his? It''ll break your Vow." Jones leaned back in his sun chair, kicked up his feet, and slurped his drink through its bendy straw. ¡°Look out, kiddos. Here she comes.¡± The Kraken rushed the beach and swung its tentacles at them. Cy dodged one, then dove and rolled in the wet sand to avoid another. Can¡¯t control it my ass! Selene leapt from tentacle to tentacle in an attempt to scale the beast. A stray tentacle even slapped at Jones, but an invisible barrier blocked it. ¡°Ho ho! Bessie, you wily ''ole coot.¡± He slurped again. Cy kept an eye on both his opponents, but tracking six flailing tentacles proved a difficult task in itself. Selene crept up behind him and sunk another knife in his back. WHAM! A wrecking ball of a tentacle slapped Selene out of the sky and onto the sand. ¡°Selene, please¡ª¡± Cy ducked down low, then jumped up high. ¡°We need to work together¡ª¡± He dove again. ¡°Like in Aquilantis.¡± ¡°But way bigger.¡± Good. She¡¯s talking again. ¡°But we¡¯re stronger, too.¡± Cy sheathed his Vessel on his back. Useless in this fight. ¡°Got any spare arms?¡± ¡°Very funny.¡± Selene swung from one tentacle to another. ¡°Seriously¡ªI need a weapon!¡± ¡°Here.¡± Cy winced. I hate you. A new dagger stuck out from his lower stomach, though it wasn¡¯t deep. He yanked it out, and they fought the beast uphill, further away from Jones. Cy stood near the edge of a small bluff, about ten feet above the water. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Cy looked over the ledge. Damn, how far do I gotta fall tonight!? The Kraken sprayed Cy with thick black ink. His wounds stung from contamination, and his vision clouded. The rocky shore became a slippery slope. SMACK! Cy landed face first into clumpy sand. He spat it from his mouth and wipedaway the the inky mixture from his face. ¡°Tarred and feathered!¡± Jones jeered and cackled on the sidelines. The Kraken emitted a unique noise that again brought Cy and Selene to their knees, covering their ears. ¡°Didn''t I mention? I taught ''er Sylvan.¡± The Hell? Drowners and Kappas emerged from the water and tracked their prey. ¡°An Animal Control Tome,¡± Cy warned Selene. "Fuck Tomes!" Jones protested. "Thought I taught you better than that, Bessie!" ¡°Fine, here.¡± Selene tossed Cy another dagger. This is plain and¡­not Enchanted!? What a piece of crap. ¡°Right. Thanks.¡± Cy cut down the closest Drowner, then stabbed a Kappa through the throat. It got stuck in the Kappa''s shell on the other side of its wound¡ªCy yanked once, then gave up. He roundhouse-kicked it to its back. ¡°Anything bigger!?" ¡°You mean like the size of your Vessel?" Cute. ¡°Seconded,¡± Jones yelled. ¡°Assholes.¡± My Vessel doesn¡¯t work like that.
? Ice ? ? Sand ? ? Sword ? [?56,620 // ?298,080]
A temporary curved sword forged into his hands. Cy ignored Selene for now, she could handle herself. He focused on the beasts in front of him and the Kraken¡¯s tentacles. The sword flowed like a whip with each swing, like controllable liquid sand.
[Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 36.] [Pang! Curved Swords increased to Level 31.] [Pang! Transmutation increased to Level 30.] [?13,179 granted for Leveling Up multiple Open Skill Slots. ?69,799 // ?311,259 now available,]
Ohh fuuuuuck yeah! Cy sliced through the Drowners and pierced his weapon through the Kappa¡¯s natural armor. The sword even cut through the top layer of the Kraken¡¯s rubbery skin, though that was surely just like a scrape to Cy''s own. Not enough for the main target. And I¡¯m down to half my armor. I was foolish to let her deteriorate it so much. Three tentacles targeted him and slapped the ground from straight above. ¡°Har¡ªWhack-a-mole!¡±
? Air ? [?67,799 // ?311,259]
Cy swept back the remaining Kappas off the bluff then rolled away from a slap.
? Earth ? ? Sand ? ? Water ? [?60,299 // ?311,259]
Quicksand sunk the Drowners and trapped them from the neck down. Cy dove away from another tentacle, which smashed the Drowner¡¯s skulls like pumpkins.
? Water ? [?45,299 // ?311,259]
Cy used a large chunk of Ryoku to create a wave that pushed back the Kraken away from him. He enjoyed a brief moment of respite, then whipped his sword around to clear the battlefield, including a few beasts Selene fought. ¡°Well done, boy¡ªbut ye overlooked one thing.¡± A massive wave hurtled toward them all. Shit. ¡°Equal and opposite reactions, Cyrus.¡± ¡°What are you, my teacher!?¡± Jones¡¯ blue eyes sparkled, and Cy hesitated. Wait a second¡ª The wave rushed in, up to Cy and Selene¡¯s chests. Jones created an invisible moat around himself. Then the tide swept Cy and Selene out to sea, toward the Kraken. A riptide forced Cy underwater. The monster snapped its beak at him below the surface and shot out more ink to muddle Cy¡¯s vision.
[ERROR: Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective INCOMPLETED: Ascend the first tier of Marina Veridia.]
Salvos damn the System¡­ All the Inked Arts Cy had reserved for the battle washed away, and he couldn¡¯t invoke any Runes while underwater, unable to speak. The forces of nature swept Cy to the Kraken¡¯s mouth in a vacuum. He swam away as hard as he could, but the dozen or so daggers protruding from his body slowed him down too much. His lungs begged for air. The snapping sounds, though dulled in the water, grew louder, mere feet away. Cy wasn¡¯t sure who was first to arrive, but he found both himself and Selene in the belly of the beast. His vision began to fade to black, not from the ink, but from a lack of oxygen. He coughed. Precious air bubbled from his mouth. His chest and lungs collapsed, filled with water. Selene frantically swam through the mirky ink to the stomach¡¯s lining and stabbed it. FWOOOSH! The Kraken expelled water from its stomach in an attempt to take Selene with it. Cy saw two Selene¡¯s and four arms. With his last bit of energy his reached out and grabbed one of those arms. The stomach emptied, and they tumbled down from gravity. The Kraken must have turned itself back upright, because they toppled back down again. Cy hammered clenched fists into his own diaphragm until he heaved and puked out water. He rolled onto his back and gasped for air. ¡°It breached,¡± Selene said. ¡°She,¡± Cy said between pants. Trapped in the belly of the beast. With a defensive Vessel, no weapons, a lunatic assassin, and¡ªif we get out¡ªanother lunatic, waiting to fight us. Cy rolled over on all fours, then stood. But first¡­ "We have to get past that beak." Selene¡¯s Binding Vow¡¯s design was massive, beautiful even. Intricate gold traces outlined a black-filled void. Pops of crimson accentuated the gold outlines. ¡°Your arm¡­¡± It was completely barren, stripped of her armor. ¡°Did the beak get it?¡± Selene drew two new daggers from behind her hips. "Don''t act like we are friends.¡± Selene charged Cy inside the Kraken¡¯s belly. He redirected her momentum and pushed her aside. His bare feet swelled up. Stomach acid¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem to affect her where she¡¯s covered in her armor Vessel, what little remains. ¡°I have to kill you, Cy. I can¡¯t stop.¡± Can¡¯t get past this fucker¡¯s beak, can¡¯t go out the back way¡ªgross. I could take her Vessel and survive, but then she¡¯d die. With some difficulty, Cy drew his Vessel again. These daggers are taking their toll. Ah, there¡¯s an idea. Selene lunged at him, for the final time. Cy took both daggers to his chest. His expressionless eyes gazed into hers, which were wide in shock and horror. Hopefully guilt, too. Cy grabbed Selene''s left arm and raised it. For once, she didn¡¯t resist. They just locked eyes. With his Vessel, Cyrus hacked off her arm, just below her shoulder joint, at the root of her Binding Vow. Blood sprayed out and misted the Kraken''s stomach. Selene collapsed and writhed around in pain. That should distract her long enough. Cy removed a dagger in his shoulder. Its Enchantment activated, and blood spurted from the wound. With that same dagger, he sliced a long gash in the Kraken''s stomach lining where he thought the heart would be. ¡°The Painter¡¯s anatomy lessons came in handy after all, eh?¡± ¡°My arm¡ªCy, my arm¡­¡± Selene sobbed and rolled side-to-side, in and out of the fetal position. Carefully, with extreme precision, Cy pierced his chest with his own Vessel, just below an Enchanted dagger. He removed the Enchanted blade¡ªand felt his heart stop¡ªthen removed his Vessel''s blade. The wound healed up instantly. Cy stabbed the open wound in his shoulder and then repeated the process on another dagger. Selene watched, crying and shrieking. ¡°W-what¡­ What are you doing?¡± she cried. Cy threw the daggers into the Kraken¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s OK. Just breathe. Look at your shoulder.¡± It terminated in a bloodless stump and had already healed. Cy removed the remainder of the dozen-or-so daggers. His Vessel healed up the last of his wounds, and he walked over to Selene. She scooted away from him, eyes wide in fear. He knelt down to her, his face still stoic and calm. He extended a hand. ¡°Do you still want to kill me?¡± She slapped his hand away with her right. ¡°Yes.¡± Cy laughed. Wrong question. ¡°Do you still have to kill me?¡± He kept his hand out for her. Selene looked around, confused, puzzled. Her eyes looked left to right. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°My Vessel, Tensa, heals when it cuts instead of dealing damage. I thought it might sever your bond with your Binding Vow¡ªand just for the record, I thought about it before that mangy bastard out there did." Selene¡¯s face dropped. She looked peaceful, even grateful to Cy for a moment, but that soon returned to rage. You don¡¯t know what I stood to gain from that Vow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little too late for that now. But if you want to live, live freely, then take my hand. I¡¯m going to remove those daggers now.¡± He nodded back to the beating heart, filled with all the Enchanted blades. She glared at him, then looked at her severed limb, lying a few feet away, and studied its tattoos, which began to fade away. Selene grabbed his hand without looking at him.
? Shatter ? [?38,299 // ?311,259]
Blood streamed out of the beast''s heart alongside the daggers. The Kraken shrieked outside. Its stomach gushed with blood, and it vomited them out onto the beach. They crashed on top of each other in the filth, mixed in with sand, saltwater, ink, and ichor. The Alter Pirate stood before them. The little slice of paradise he''d conjured in the sand had washed away without a trace. Cy stood; he¡¯d let Selene adjust to her newfound freedom, but he needed a way to get out of this next fight. ¡°You killed me favorite pet.¡± ¡°Live and let live.¡± ¡°Aye, so the fookin'' saying goes. Fond of another one, meself¡ªKill or be killed.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 96 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 97 - Painkiller
JULES
The black mist swirled around Zeke, still shrouded in its darkness. It completed one revolution, then a second, much faster, and another, faster still, and another. Jules grew heavier with each rotation. Wind rushed from Zeke and the swirling column of mist, which towered ever higher. He lifted an arm to protect his eyes from stray dust and debris. Zeke repeated some chant, some invocation or Script, from within. Each chant withdrew more of the full moon''s light. Jules¡¯ clothes flapped in the wind, and the column of mist spun around like a tornado. Soldiers, Sailors, and Pirates alike fell to their knees or collapsed flat to the ground. Maddie and Thorn¡¯s unconscious bodies dragged along the ground, inch-by-inch, away from the storm¡¯s force. All at once, the wind halted, and the mist drifted down to the ground. Jules¡¯ body felt light again, though the strain of remaining upright had drained some stamina. One other figure, shrouded in dark gray, remained standing through the gale. Zeke¡­? Its cheeks were hollowed out and gaunt. Like everything else, his skin had turned gray and paltry. The robes he had worn were now weathered away and frayed at the edges. A wispy cloak shrouded Zeke¡¯s much thinner frame, and a wicked third eye replaced the medallion that fused into his forehead. Its sharp iris narrowed and looked around, first at Jules, then to Maddie, and back to Jules. Rukia, that eye has a mind of its own. ¡°Zeke,¡± Jules whispered. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°Zeke is¡­no more.¡± Zeke''s voice overlayed with at least a few others when it spoke. ¡°Then who the hell is left? Another puppet of the Iron Maiden?¡± ¡°In fact, the opposite. The Iron Maiden Herself deemed us worthy of the Black Sacrament, so she had one Forged for usss¡­ Oh, the irony of a Virtue personally handing it over to us.¡± The surrounding crowd looked on in horror. Even Jones¡¯ men looked afraid, but no one dared stand or even move. ¡°You¡¯re not here for just me and Envy, are you?¡± Sorry Kat. You¡¯ve been made either way. Silence filled the air. Dammit, Maddie. Wake up. ¡°You want the Virtues as well, but for what?¡± ¡°Our charge goes far beyond the Sins, to all Arcanics. Sins. Virtues. Familiars. The others¡­¡± The others? ¡°I¡¯ll ask again, if you¡¯re not Zeke, then who are you?¡± Jules reinvigorated the Sound of Fury with Rukia¡¯s white embers. ¡°We have become purifiers of the world, an elite few who have sacrificed our very souls to stamp out your kind.¡± Us? So there''s more. ¡°You¡¯re no messiah, Zeke.¡± ¡°Not Zeke!¡± The shrillness of its shriek sent a tremor throughout Jules. ¡°We have become one with the Judas Priests, the inner sect of the Iron Maidens. Her ultimate purpose.¡±
DISGRACEFUL, A VIOLATION OF OUR TERMS SET FORTH. I AM TEMPTED TO FORGO OUR DEAL AND KILL HIM MYSELF.
By all means, please. ¡°Now,¡± the Judas Priest raised his hands to the new moon, ¡°I complete the offer!¡± The Priest peeled away scaly skin from its chest and exposed a shallow heart that beat too slowly for any living man. It ripped it from itself, and the heart faded from gray to black, as its very life was sucked out of it. Its hair thinned, and along with its skin and two original eyes, turned an eerie shade of gray. The cloak split at the seams until it clung tattered and frayed and flapped in the wind, moving around like the mist itself, which settled down onto his frail skin and solidified as armor. The golden sheen of the Holy Enchanted weapons dulled to matte black. A mask materialized over the lower half of the monster''s face, and a wide-brimmed hat expanded out and covered its eyes¡ªall three of them. The ghoul dropped to his knees. Its spine contorted until four ghostly arms pierced the sky, like a spider emerging from an egg. Rukia¡ªany advice? Kill him. Great pep talk. Strike while the iron¡¯s hot, and while he only has one weapon. Jules listened and sliced off two of the Priest''s new limbs, who didn¡¯t bother to defend itself. Zeke¡¯s body became translucent, ethereal, and the limbs mended back together. The glossy sheen of a Ryoku Shield engulfed it, and the translucence faded to opaqueness. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The Judas Priest slammed his black warhammer at Jules. It crushed the ground wherever it struck, and he swung it with the speed of a knife or dagger. With Rukia¡¯s strength, Jules dodged the attacks, but his opponent¡¯s speed would become an issue as their cumulative Ryoku Pool drained. Zeke stopped his assault and approached a group of Royal Navy men who cowered from him. He ripped weapons from their hands with each of his¡ªpikes, swords, bows. He tested out his new arms and the weapons on their owners. They all collapsed into pools of their own blood. ¡°These will do.¡± The Priest spun around like a tornado at Jules. Jules blocked what strikes he could and took strategic hits from others if it meant he could avoid a second, deadlier blow.
? Fire ? [?33,400 // ?174,501]
Jules and the Sound erupted in an inferno of yellow flames. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you burn from the inside out.¡± He unleashed a flurry of attacks he¡¯d mastered from Kaizen. In a single attack, Jules struck Zeke nine times, two of which Zeke blocked. The Priest''s body burned, but it weapon absorbed most of the fire, into a swirling vortex at the war hammer''s center. Dark Magic. He can absorb your blows into the void. Jules¡ª An uppercut from the warhammer launched Jules into the air.
[?23,400 // ?174,501]
He saw the battlefield laid out, its threats everywhere. Jules landed beside Maddie, Thorn, and August, who tended to his crew. August looked into his eyes. ¡°You''re the only one brave enough to move,¡± Jules said. August¡¯s eyes turned blue.
? Water ?
A column of high-pressured water struck the Judas Priest from the side. That water again¡­ The ghoul ignored the attack and slammed all of his weapons into Jules at once. Jules lifted the Sound and emitted another inferno to block him. Zeke pressed down hard. Jules¡¯ arms trembled. CRACK! The Sound broke again. The Vessel ejected Rukia, and the shockwave pushed Zeke back a few steps. Jules didn¡¯t see where she landed, but he sensed Rukia''s was severely injured.
[?8,400 // ?174,501]
Jules scrambled away on his back and bumped into August. Fear filled both their eyes. What do I do now?
TAKE THE DEAL.
The Priest tossed aside all of its weapons¡ªeven his warhammer¡ªexcept for one deceased Soldier¡¯s great sword. Four of its hands grasped the entirety of the hilt; its other two hands grasped the bare blade just above. It staggered over to Jules and pointed the blade at Jules¡¯ heart, at his Seal.
? ? Leviathan¡¯s Roar ? ?
August leapt between them and stunted the attack with a column of high-pressured water. Where is all that water coming from? The sword penetrated deeper inside August''s barrier¡ª The Fountain! Jules locked eyes with Patience¡¯s Altar. I can get him from any of those. He abandoned August for the Fountain. Jules hurtled over a retaining wall and stabbed the splintered end of the Sound into his palm. Blood dripped down, he reached out for the Altar and¡ª The Judas Priest gripped him from behind and slammed Jules into Patience¡¯s Altar. It grabbed Jules like a rock and crushed the monument with his body. It crumbled on the fourth slam, and the Priest moved on to the next Altar.
[?3,400 // ?174,501]
¡°You fucking bastard!¡± A cutlass pierced where the Judas Priest''s heart should have been. A massive sonic boom followed Maddie''s strike. Jules took the opening. He fumbled around for a piece of broken marble, anything to get Kaizen back. His fingertips grazed against a rock, but the ghoul stomped a boot on Jules¡¯ hand. It dragged its foot along the ground and knocked away the other remnants of Patience¡¯s Altar, and raised that great sword again. The Priest chopped off Jules¡¯ left hand. The next thing he knew, five hands suspended Jules in the air. The Priest flayed Jules'' flesh and used Dark Magic to torture him and amplify the pain. The monster healed Jules¡¯ body back and continued to torment him. Jules howled like a wounded animal and shrieked like the Sirens of the Cove. Maddie laid crumbled before one of the smashed Altars. She watched Jules¡¯ torture in horror. This is¡­ What lies ahead for you, too. The Priest removed Jules'' sword arm next. ¡°AAGGHH!!¡± Jules flailed around, still stuck between the grip of five arms, like an ant caught in a web. The Judas Priest moved around the edges of the crowd while he worked, to showcase a Sinners final judgment. No one stepped forward to stop it. No one stepped in to join it. The infighting had stopped. Everyone remained perfectly still, gripped by sheer terror. After some time, Jules became numb to the pain. All he could feel were the underlying reverberations of torture and hopelessness. The Priest arranged Jules¡¯ body like a puppet, then forced him to kneel, execution-style. ¡°The Sinsss curse is you cannot die¡­ So we will decapitate you and stunt your Regeneration while we kill your friends and family, like you made us witnessss¡­¡± Jules¡¯ neck flopped back in agony. He gazed at the moon. What was once so full of light, has fallen to darkness. ¡°That is the gift we give to you, Wrath. Afterward, the Iron Maiden herself has other plans for you. Eternal torture, for one.¡± Poor bastard doesn¡¯t know. He¡¯s about to really kill me, here and now. Shame, I would have liked to have seen it, I think. The edge of the Apocalypse, how I¡¯d stop it. Maybe that does make me a sinner¡­a Sin. Time halted. It wasn¡¯t like last time, where Jules froze. This time, time had halted. Cy? The Painter? Rough metal grated against more rough metal. Heavy iron boots clanked behind him. Sweltering heat opened Jules'' pores. No. Not you. Not now. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to anything¡­" Wrath stomped past Jules and stopped in front of what used to be Zeke. He tilted his head side to side as he studied the Judas Priest. ¡°HMM. A BUG¡­ OR A FEATURE? EITHER WAY, DEATH SNUCK THIS BLACK SACRAMENT INTO THIS CYCLE.¡± ¡°Just let me die already.¡± Every breath strained Jules. ¡°The Apocalypse will end.¡± Wrath spat at Zeke''s boots. ¡°FOOLISH CHILD. YOU FIGHT DEATH HIMSELF, IF NOT A LESSER VERSION OF HIM. HE HAS BROKEN THE RULES. A NEW GAME IS PLAYED." Jules hung his head low. Salvos, please¡ªMake it stop. ¡°So what happens if that¡¯s him¡ªDeath?¡± ¡°MASS DESTRUCTION. I WILL GUIDE YOU, JULES. BEFORE YOU DECLINE, ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.¡± ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 97 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 98 - The Door
JULES
? ? Soul Impaler ? ?
A wicked blade shot from one of Wrath''s gauntlets. He stabbed Jules through the gut with it, and Jules'' soul ripped away from his body. What he expected to bring surmounting pain brought only peace and clarity. Wrath summoned a point of blinding light and disappeared through it without a word. Jules lingered and surveyed the battlefield. Cy and Kat are gone. Rukia¡¯s hurt, probably dying. Thorn''s holding back Maddie. Jules laughed. Not that she could¡¯ve done anything. He looked at Zeke. A faint, thin line of light extended from the Judas Priest¡¯s shoulder. Jules inspected his own body. His face was smeared with blood and sweat. He looked as good as he smelled. What a cruel world. Jules staggered over to the portal. Along the way, he stumbled on a rock. Fucking piece of shit. He picked it up to throw it, but stopped himself. Instead, he carried it through the light. ¡°The hell is this?¡± Jules muttered on the other side. ¡°POOR CHOICE OF WORDS. THIS¡­" Wrath spread his arms wide. An expansive white world enveloped them. In every direction, there was nothing except white marble tile. "¡­IS PURGATORY.¡± Jules sighed. He knew Wrath had brought him here for one reason. ¡°I expected the jail cell.¡± ¡°YOU HAVE NOT YET PERMITTED MY ENTRANCE THERE.¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t, seeing as how I¡¯m about to die.¡± ¡°YOU WOULD ABANDON YOUR FRIENDS SO EASILY?¡± ¡°A few of them abandoned me, it seems.¡± Wrath scoffed. ¡°Maddie turned tail to the bastards who want to kill her. Kaizen yet again could have prepared me for¡ª¡± ¡°NOT EVEN I COMPREHENDED THESE NEW STAKES." ¡°And the others aren¡¯t here¡ªor there. They had their own battles to face, and I stood before Zeke alone.¡± Wrath erupted into black flames. ¡°AND WHAT OF RUKIA!?¡± His crimson eyes pierced Jules¡¯ soul through the darkness. Jules shivered. It was the first time Jules had ever heard Wrath shout. He looked away, downward. Jules could face Wrath¡¯s fury, but not him being right. Not about Rukia. But he is right. I abandoned her. I let her down. Jules drew in a deep breath. The pain was completely absent here. I let them all down. I¡¯ll fall into the Judas Priest¡¯s hands, and soon Kat and Maddie will follow. ¡°Cy, Whiskers¡­even Salty Pete won¡¯t make it out of this either.¡± "IT MUST BE SO FREEING¡­" Wrath looked away from Jules, his nose upturned from a foul stench. Jules¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°What?¡± he snapped. ¡°THE LUXURY OF SO THOROUGHLY ACCEPTING FAILURE. OF QUITTING, WITHOUT TRYING.¡± ¡°Failure? Failure!? How was I ever supposed to win!?¡± Jules'' furrowed brow released, and his face softened up. ¡°I guess¡ªI guess I did fail, didn''t I?" ¡°INADEQUACY SUITS YOUR INFERIORITY.¡± Jules¡¯ heart raced. Shock and the realization, the internalization, of his imminent failure gripped his heart. Not even imminent; it''s already sealed by Fate. ¡°I was taken by surprise, I couldn¡¯t have planned for it. I was¡ª¡± Alone. Jules stopped himself before betraying Rukia again. We were alone, he corrected himself. His breath quickened. Jules¡¯ family, his friends, even his Familiar who shared his mind and heart, would never understand how he felt, the pressure that was put on him by others. By society, his family, Salvos, Wrath, fate or destiny or whoever. The thought of such isolation enraged him. ¡°Damn destiny. Damn whoever made me a Sin, and Wrath, at that.¡± Wrath studied Jules again. ¡°I hate it, I hate my life! The family feuds, my own family dynamics of hatred and abuse, which apparently goes way back! And you¡ªI fucking hate you.¡± ¡°THEN IT IS A TRAGEDY YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE CHANCE TO KILL ME. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Kill you?¡± The thought thrilled Jules. Vengeance clouded his judgment, on Wrath, on Zeke, on fate. ¡°Fight me here, then. Now.¡± ¡°IT WOULD NOT BE A FAIR FIGHT.¡± ¡°The Hell it wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS HERE. THEY¡­ MATTER.¡± Jules clenched his fists. The Sound was no longer in his grip; he''d left it behind. ¡°You bastard. You killed everyone I ever knew and loved.¡± ¡°NO QUITE EVERYONE.¡± Jules laughed like a madman. He couldn¡¯t believe how low Wrath would stoop. ¡°And if I give you control here, you¡¯ll kill the rest.¡± "WHEN I HAVE TAKEN CONTROL, YOU WILL HAVE WON." ¡°At what cost!?¡± ¡°PEACE REQUIRES SACRIFICE.¡± ¡°Does it? For whom? Seems pretty fucking contradictory to me.¡± Wrath titled his head. ¡°What the Hell would a demon know about peace, anyway?¡± ¡°WATCH YOUR TONGUE. YOUR FOES USE DARK MAGIC TO TEAR YOU APART.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Holy Magic, you idiot.¡± Jules thought about Katarina, of how much he missed her, but he pushed the thought aside. Not even she could relieve his wrath. Serrated teeth spread wide into a smile. ¡°DARK. HOLY. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE, I WONDER? THEY ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN, JULES TIDESHAPER.¡± Jules maintained just enough control to not attack. ¡°YOU FACE AN INSTRUMENT OF DEATH. IF THEY HAVE BROKEN THE RULES, THEN I MAY INTERVENE." ¡°Who the fuck is they?¡± Wrath grunted, then frowned. ¡°Even if I Integrated with you, they have an arsenal of Holy Enchantments waiting for you." ¡°I AM NOT SO FRAIL. YOU THINK THEY PHASED ME IN CORALHAVEN?¡± Jules paused to think about it, which he hadn''t done before. Then again, he hadn¡¯t been aware of anything that happened. And the thought of Coralhaven escaping those wormy lips lit Jules¡¯ eyes on fire. ¡°YOU CONTINUE TO ACT LIKE YOU HAVE A CHOICE. WHY IS THAT?¡± ¡°Because fuck you, that¡¯s why. Cy and Kat are still alive.¡± ¡°SO YOU THINK. YOUR SWINE FRIEND¡ªTHE VIRTUE¡ªHAS TURNED COAT ON YOU. EVEN KAIZEN HAS ABANDONED YOU. AND WORSE STILL, YOU LEFT MY DEAR RUKIA DYING. DID YOU NOT SEE HER TORTURED?¡± Wrath appeared to grow three times larger in Jules¡¯ eyes. ¡°If you hate me so much, despise my weakness, then why do you care so much if I fail?¡± ¡°MY PUNISHMENT IS ARDUOUS BETWEEN MY ATTEMPTS TO DEFEAT DEATH. PERHAPS MY PATIENCE GROWS THIN AFTER ALL." ¡°Good. Then I can die happy.¡± Jules crossed his arms and turned away. It didn¡¯t take long for him to feel embarrassed, like a pouting child who didn''t get their way. Could I really abandon Rukia and them all to die? It¡¯s not like it ends with my death¡­and only I can die right now. And can I in good conscious pass along this curse to someone else, in the next Cycle? Anger faded to guilt, and then guilt to obligation. And then to curiosity. ¡°What is it with you two¡ªyou and Death?¡± ¡°A STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME.¡± ¡°If you and Kaizen were more straightforward, this would all go a lot more smoothly, and you could kill Death sooner.¡± Wrath laughed. ¡°WE HAVE TRIED THAT ROUTE.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°MYSELF AND MANY OTHER VERSIONS OF ME. IT ALWAYS ENDS THE SAME.¡± ¡°Versions of you¡­ So then, they were Wrath?¡± Wrath ignored the question. ¡°And I am Wrath?¡± A glint of light passed through the demon¡¯s eyes. ¡°OF COURSE YOU ARE. ENOUGH INANE QUESTIONS.¡± ¡°Then why were you able to strip my powers?¡± ¡°YOUR POWERS¡ªHA! I AM THE PROGENITOR, JULES. THE SINGULARITY. ALL OF YOUR PREDECESSORS¡¯ STRENGTH HAS COME FROM ME.¡± There¡¯s gotta be a way out of this. ¡°And where does your strength come from?¡± ¡°PRIMARILY, HELL.¡± ¡°Kaizen. He was Wrath, too?¡± ¡°YES. AND THE ONE BEFORE HIM, TOO.¡± ¡°Who was he, before Kaizen?¡± Wrath¡¯s smile returned. ¡°YOU AND YOUR PREDECESSOR HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS WHEN¡ª¡± ¡°And Rukia¡ªShe¡¯s Wrath?¡± The demon¡¯s smile faded. Jules sensed a little judgment in his eyes, like Wrath felt he spoke to some dumb little kid. ¡°NO.¡± ¡°I see¡­ That makes sense, since she kept her powers.¡± Wrath eyed Jules suspiciously.
[Quest Reminder: Wrath Reincarnated is still available.]
¡°Well. I won¡¯t let Rukia die.¡± A hint of relief passed Wrath¡¯s face. ¡°SHE DESERVES OUR PROTECTION.¡± ¡°Remind me of the deal again, what are the terms?¡± ¡°FULLY INTEGRATE WITH WRATH, AND I WILL RESTORE YOUR ARCANIC POWERS.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how that played out last time, so I¡¯d like to maintain control.¡± ¡°IF YOU CAN OVERPOWER ME, THEN YOU WOULD. THE STRONGEST WILL WINS ALL.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re restricted to my current power, then why can¡¯t I? You''d be limited to my Rank and Skills, right?" ¡°IGNORANCE HINDERS YOU. I HAVE ETERNITIES OF WISDOM AT MY GRASP. YOU MUST SIMPLY ASK FOR IT, AND IT¡¯S ALL YOURS.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re only restricted to my physical powers¡­ What will you do when you possess me? I know you¡¯ll win our little fight. But after that." ¡°I¡¯LL KILL THE JUDAS PRIEST, AS A MESSAGE. MAYBE THE VIRTUE, FOR POSTERITY. THEN I¡¯LL RAZE THE EARTH UNTIL DEATH HIMSELF HAS PERISHED.¡± ¡°Who is that, by the way?¡± Wrath paused. ¡°THE FOURTH HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. I SEE FROM YOUR FACE¡­ KAIZEN HAS NOT INFORMED YOU OF THEIR EXISTENCE, YET.¡±
[Start the Apocalypse ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Learn more about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. (The System asks that you kindly do not.)]
¡°The Four Horsemen¡­ Is Zeke one? Or the Iron Maiden?¡± Wrath cackled in response. ¡°YOU ARE A LITTLE BLACK SHEEP, LOST IN THE DARK. WAITING FOR YOUR SHEPHERD TO SAVE YOU.¡± Arrogant prick. ¡°Do I know him, Death?¡± Somehow, Wrath looked sad to Jules, as if he were capable of empathy. ¡°YOU HAVE NO IDEA. ENOUGH. I TOLD YOU MY PATIENCE DWINDLES. WHAT WILL YOU DO, JULES TIDESHAPER?¡± Jules sighed. I¡¯m gonna trust Cy on this one. Gotta force his cards on the table. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certain of one thing: You are truly a psychopath. So¡­ I¡¯m gonna return to the world of the living as myself. I have this self-destruct Inked Art, and I¡¯ll take Zeke out with me. My friends can live on, and your vassal will be gone forever.¡± Wrath glared back. ¡°FOOL. YOUR FRIENDS WILL PERISH TO THE NEXT JUDAS PRIEST.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat history.¡± Wrath¡¯s eyes widened. Got you, bitch. ¡°On second thought, if you were to restore my powers to me permanently¡­¡± ¡°I TOLD YOU I WOULD RESTORE YOUR POWERS, AND I WILL.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t specify. You just said you¡¯d restore them, which means you might or might not take them away again, when I eventually overpower you." Kaizen said you never lie, so I''ve gotta go for it. ¡°If I take this new deal, I want my powers restored permanently. Even in Shrines.¡± That¡¯s one wicked smile. ¡°YOU HAVE MY WORD THAT I WILL NOT WITHDRAW YOUR POWERS AGAIN. BUT I SHALL REMIND YOU THAT THE SOUND HAS A WILL OF ITS OWN, AND IF IT DECIDES TO STRIP YOU OF ITS POWER, YOU SHALL BE NAKED ONCE MORE.¡± ¡°As creepy as that sounds, I suppose I can¡¯t get around it.¡± Wrath flicked his hand in the air. The jail cell door appeared beside him. ¡°THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, IS OPEN THIS DOOR AND LET ME IN.¡± "Words¡­ You mentioned they''re important here. Are they binding? Automatically?" ¡°IN HOLY SPACES LIKE THIS, A PROMISE IS WEIGHTED AGAINST YOUR LIFE.¡± ¡°Then I accept the deal." Phew. Glad that''s over, but... Jules steeled himself for his next question''s consequences. "Now that we¡¯re at the closing table¡ªWill I ever overpower you?¡± ¡°PERHAPS. BUT NOT TODAY.¡± ¡°Thank Salvos. Seems I¡¯ve made the right choice. The only choice.¡± Jules sighed with relief, then actually smiled. He reached for the door. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 98 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 99 - Eye of the Tiger / Its a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N Roll)
ENVY
Snot and tears streamed down Kat¡¯s cheeks and chin. The Shrine¡¯s vortex swept her and Whiskers away. Kat thought she caught Felix in the corner of her remaining eye, but she couldn¡¯t find up or down as they swirled through the Void.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Capture the Shrine in Marina Veridia.] [Shrine Hunting ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Shrine Hunting ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: A Vessel for each Party member.] [Shrine Hunting ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Admittance to The Painter''s next batch of lessons.]
The pain was unreal. Raw and exposed nerve endings in her eye socket further inflamed with her tears, which initiated cycle of even more tears, and more pain. Desperately they Regenerated.
[?35,578 // ?1256,078]
Thank Salvos I can at least heal this wound. But things felt¡­different as her optic nerve encapsulated her glass eye, and her body identified it as a foreign object. Will it take? The vortex spat them outside the Shrine¡¯s gate, and the two of them rolled into a heap, Kat on top of a mumbling Whiskers. She looked at her Familiar and saw him through both old eyes and new. He seemed somehow odd to her, in a varied perspective. His own Regeneration had begun on a nubby fourth leg. Whiskers hissed, though not at her. ¡°Katarina, we are surrounded.¡± Kat scooped him up and hopped to her feet. Military, Pirates, and Iron Maidens surrounded her. An ambush? No, no one is paying any attention to us¡­ She followed their collective gaze. ¡°Whiskers. Is that a samurai fighting a demon?¡± ¡°Yes, Katarina. It is." ¡°...Did we come back to the right world?¡± ¡°Look closer, child,¡± Whiskers said. Behind the battle, Thorn held back Maddie. After a closer inspection, Kat saw a ghostly orb glowing inside the samurai, and strings attached to the demon he fought. So that¡¯s Jules? And¡­Zeke? Darkness absorbed light behind her, but only Kat¡¯s glass eye registered it. Someone stumbled behind her and groaned. She spun around to face Felix. The Shrine had spat him out the opposite direction. As clear as day, Kat saw sets of strings extend from all over Felix¡¯s body into the sky. Dozens, if not a hundred. ¡°I¡¯ve got this one, Whiskers. Alone.¡± He hobbled off to the side. Felix threw tracking knives at her, but, after Regenerating enough on her journey back from the Shrine, Kat dodged them all this time. The knives hit a group of Soldiers nearby. No one paid them any mind as they writhed on the ground, attempting to remove them. The scythe head whipped and arced around her. She ducked down below, but the scythe changed trajectory midair and zigzagged itself into her back. The impact thrust Kat face-first onto the ground before Felix. The puppet recalled his Holy weapon back to his hand. Kat glared at the weapon. Strings on that, too. ¡°Dammit. I wish I had something like that right now¡ª¡± An ethereal replica of the scythe-and-chain materialized in Kat¡¯s hand, purple and translucent. Its Holy affinity burned her hand instantly, and she dropped it. It clattered on the ground then evaporated. Kat¡¯s palm was black and stiff. The hell was that? A chain wrapped around her left arm and brought her to her knees.
[?11,578 // ?156,078]
¡°Aaggh!¡± She was desperate. She slammed her eyes shut with all her might. ¡°Give me a sword! I want a sword!¡± Nothing happened. Shit, what did I say before? ¡°I wish I had a sword!¡± Nothing still. Pain and Holy damage immobilized Kat from the chain. Felix ratcheted his chain in and drew closer. A green recruit holding a sword cowered nearby. ¡°Envy!¡± Whiskers shouted. Envy? He never calls me that¡­ She focused on the man¡¯s sword. ¡°I wish I had a sword like his.¡± A translucent purple sword materialized in her right hand. She rolled into the chain and sliced clean through it. The Holy damage effects of the chain dampened until they faded away. The Holy damage remained branded all about her, but Kat¡¯s Regeneration resumed around her eye socket. I think I get it now. Focus on the scythe¡­ ¡°I wish my sword could affect him like his scythe hurts me.¡± A void-less black aura danced along the blade''s edge. Dark Magic? Kat flung the sword through the air like a spinning disk at his neck. Felix ducked low, and the black blade chopped the threads that connected him to his puppet master above. Felix collapsed to the ground, lifeless, finally laid to rest as just a corpse. The Sight Rune faded away from his forehead. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She dropped to her knees. Kat breathed heavily and deeply as she let the pain flow through her left arm. Like her resolve, it was unwavering. Gotta ignore it for now, best I can. Kat rose up and retrieved her temporal sword, then she and Whiskers returned to the battlefield. ¡°Maddie,¡± Kat called out. ¡°The Hell is this!?¡± Thorn held Maddie back in a seated chokehold. Maddie thrashed about to escape and fight. Who, Kat wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Thorn barked. He studied Kat''s eyes. Must not be able to tell it¡¯s fake. ¡°I survived. Maddie, are you OK?¡± Because you look like shit. Maddie¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Her flushed face was as red as her eyes. Kat addressed Thorn. ¡°What crawled up her ass? And is that¡­?¡± ¡°Zeke auctioned his soul to the devil, though he claims he''s now an angel. It¡¯s driven Maddie¡­ Well, mad.¡± ¡°And Jules?¡± ¡°He lost. Miserably. But somehow he came back¡­different.¡± ¡°Katarina,¡± Whiskers said. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best if we go elsewhere¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, Maddie.¡± Kat snapped her fingers in the feral Captain¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Maddie turned from Zeke to face Kat slowly. Her breath quickened and eyes narrowed as she turned, focused on a new target. ¡°Uh oh.¡± ¡°Attack her!¡± Maddie ordered. She lunged forward at Kat. Still restraining her, Thorn moved with her, but he would soon lose that battle. August and John looked at each other. ¡°Why?¡± August asked. Maddie lifted Thorn off his feet and flipped him over her shoulder. ¡°Because she¡¯s a fucking Sin,¡± Maddie spat. Thorn groaned from his back. Kat¡¯s glass eye twitched and revealed gold dust floating around Maddie¡¯s left ankle. ¡°Let¡¯s settle the score.¡± Kat rolled up her sleeves. Kat and Maddie collided. The cutlass banged and clanged away, and Kat¡¯s ethereal sword made dull echoes with each strike. Maddie¡¯s eyes lit up blood red. She frothed at the mouth through her invocation.
? ? Unblockable Strike ? ?
Kat leapt back through instinct. ¡°I wish I could use that Script¡ª¡± Their blades collided once more and shattered against each other. A gust of wind surrounded them from the impact. Kat fell back, and so did Maddie. Blood trailed away from a gash near Maddie¡¯s breast, and her tricorn hat fell off her head in two pieces. Kat landed on her ass and noticed she wasn¡¯t holding her sword anymore. My arm!? It fell on its own to the side. ¡°I wish I had an arm again.¡± Nothing. ¡°I wish I had my right arm like hers.¡± Still, nothing. Maddie picked up one-half of her hat. A dark aura resonated around her. ¡°Maddie,¡± Thorn ordered. ¡°Come back to us!¡± Kat charged Maddie. Kat¡¯s arm was useless now, but she feigned a left hook, so Maddie raised her fists to her head. Kat took the opening and head butt Maddie in her fresh chest wound. Kat landed face-first into Maddie''s chest. The Captain punched Kat, clapped her ears, and clawed at her face. Bitch¡¯s even grabbing my hair. ¡°Wake up, you idiot! Jules needs our help¡ª¡± Maddie shrieked in Kat''s face and added kicks to her assault, still on her back with Kat on top. ¡°Is your mind so weak and easily swayed? Ow¡ªwatch the hair! Your crew will die, your friends will die.¡± Maddie clawed Kat¡¯s eyes. ¡°Zeke knows about you now¡ªHe won¡¯t stop at me and Jules, surely you¡¯ve realized¡ªHey!¡± Maddie scratched Kat¡¯s left ear, at Kat''s Seal. Kat grabbed Maddie''s hair, twisted her head and head-butted her nose. She heard the loud crunch and felt it cave in. Her Seal. ¡°Thorn,¡± Kat called out. ¡°Where is it!?¡± Maddie gripped Kat and flipped her around. ¡°Where''s what?¡± Maddie took Kat¡¯s back, and she slipped in a rear-naked chokehold. ¡°Her fucking Seal you fucking idiot!¡± Thorn frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking¡ª¡± ¡°TELL ME RIGHT NOW SALVOSDAMN YOU!¡± Maddie¡¯s arm tightened around Kat''s carotid arteries. She¡¯d be asleep in seconds. Thorn sighed. ¡°Always keep moving¡­ It¡¯s on her left ankle.¡± Ah, the dust. And Pirate boots, perfect disguise. With both of her own feet, Kat peeled off Maddie¡¯s left boot, then slammed her left heel into Maddie¡¯s ankle. Maddie¡¯s grip loosened just enough for Kat to slip her only arm through the choke. She shot up and flipped Maddie onto her back. She pinned down Maddie¡¯s left leg and placed her palm on the naked Seal that bore the numeral 6. ¡°Sorry, Maddie.¡± Kat closed her eyes.
? Ice ? [?1,400 // ?156,078]
Kat drew the water from her own blood and pierced a small spear through Maddie¡¯s Seal. A shockwave blasted Kat off of Maddie, who howled in pain, gripping her ankle and writhing around.
CYRUS
Cy gripped his sword. Unsure of how it¡¯ll help me here, but what other choice do I have? Jones looked back at Bessie, then at Selene, and then at Cy, but his gaze finally rested on the new moon. ¡°¡®Fraid I¡¯ve seen all I need to see¡­here,¡± Jones said. ¡°Our time has come to an end.¡± Cy brandished an open palm, where his own Binding Vow was set in flesh and blood. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid I have a few more promises to fulfill.¡± ¡°The boy-who-would-be-Alter¡­¡± The tentacles of Jones¡¯ beard ceased moving and dangled down. ¡°Shall we start?¡± Cy asked. ¡°Oh ho! Heaven¡¯s no, boy.¡± Jones pointed to the sky. ¡°Or perhaps I should say Hell no. Not sure which, yet.¡± Cy gazed at the sky. It¡¯s just stars and a few clouds? He didn¡¯t see anything particularly noteworthy. ¡°You don¡¯t feel that, boy?¡± Cy noticed the black mist around them, it was faint, but emitted an eerie sensation. No¡­ ¡°Wrath!?¡± ¡°Something much worse ''n that bastard. Appears I''ve more to see, though elsewhere. We are not opponents¡ªtoday.¡± ¡°Rivals, then?¡± Cy bluffed. Jones laughed at Cy like a toddler pushing their boundaries. His voice and tone shifted entirely. ¡°Rivals, eh? We are more than that¡ªwe are partners, Cyrus. Be seeing you.¡± The Alter Pirate vanished. He sighed. Tension released across his shoulders, then his neck, and through his entire body. Cy dropped to his knees. ¡°Thank fucking Salvos.¡± Cy returned to Selene. She panted. Cy touched the back of his hand to her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re really hot, Selene.¡± She slapped his hand away. He looked up toward the terraced cliffs. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jules is up there, fighting. But what could be worse than Wrath?¡± THUD! CRASH! CRACK! Large chunks and small fragments of white stone rained down on them from above. Cy blocked them all with a Ryoku Shield.
[?28,299 // ?311,259]
When the torrential rockslide was over, one lone stone of white marble rolled down the cliff slowly. It stopped just before Cy¡¯s feet. He gazed up the cliff. It was a long way back to the top.
[Shrine Hunting ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED]
Cy double-checked the message, to make sure there was no mistaking it, then he braced himself. Men stampeded past him. They jerked him side to side as they collided with Selene, who he¡¯d slung over his shoulders. Deserters? The stream didn¡¯t stop, and Cy had to wedge his way through the crowd. He ascended the staircase to the Shrine. It¡¯s deactivated¡ªKat captured it. Thank Salvos. He swam his way through more men and climbed the staircase to the Fountain of the Virtues, where the battle raged. Soldiers and Pirates alike fell off the side of the stairs in the desperate chaos. ¡°Kat!¡± She didn¡¯t hear him over the shrieks and howls. Bodies littered the ground, and more people collapsed by the second. Kat lost an arm? And¡ªShit, is that Zeke!? Is that who Jones meant? ¡°Whiskers¡ªKat!¡± he called again when he was closer. ¡°Where¡¯s Rukia?¡± Whiskers pointed to Jules. Kat rushed Cy for a hug, and he nearly dropped Selene. Cy looked at Jules. Sweet Salvos¡­ That''s not Jules anymore. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 99 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Ch 100 (1/2) - Black Sabbath
JULES
Jules grabbed the jail cell¡¯s handle. He paused and looked at Wrath. The demon smiled at him. Jules smiled back. Then he raised the white stone in his hand. His blood was smeared all over it. "I''m sure you''ve seen Rukia''s Holy Sacrament?" Wrath¡¯s smile faded. Jules squatted down low, until his quads were perfectly parallel with the ground. He lifted his chin¡ªand then both of his middle fingers. One hand still clung on to a piece of rubble from Patience''s Altar. "FUCK!!!" Jules bellowed. "YOU!!!" Maintaining eye contact with Wrath, Jules pulled the handle. ¡°That was one hell of a gamble, kid.¡± On the other side of the door, Kaizen leaned against the threshold with arms crossed and cheeky grin. ¡°Gotta find the loophole." "Right." Kaizen glanced at Wrath, looked him up and down, and flicked his chin up. "Sup, man?" Wrath betrayed nothing. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding a lot from me," Jules said. "Still.¡± "I have.¡± Kaizen didn''t straighten up or change his posture at all, as if to say, what''re you gonna do about it, kid? ¡°We¡¯ll have a conversation later. A long one. I expect answers, but I also expect you¡¯ll hide more answers than you give.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Wrath grunted. ¡°But for now, have you seen the newest stakes?¡± Jules asked. ¡°I saw.¡± ¡°Are you ready to fight?¡± "I am." Kaizen pushed off the door with his shoulder and wrapped an arm around Jules. "Ready to kill." Jules looked back to Wrath. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go back now, please.¡± Kaizen turned and whistled to himself. ¡°Deal¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°CUNNING. YOU SHOW PROMISE, JULES TIDESHAPER.¡± Blinding light emitted from the jail cell. Jules shielded his eyes. When he opened them, he was back in Marina Veridia, on his knees in front of the Judas Priest Zeke and gazing at the moon again. He didn¡¯t hesitate.
? Integrate ? [-?71,600 // ?174,501 ERROR ERROR ERROR]
Jules and Kaizen merged into one. Jules¡¯ shorter auburn hair grew out somewhere between his and Kaizen¡¯s longer hair. Their radiated a piercing, cold blue. White samurai armor draped over Jules¡¯ frame. Muscles engulfed his torso and three remaining limbs, though his entire sword arm still missing, along with his left hand. Jules felt the sensation of a different type of energy, familiar, slightly painful, but refreshing at the same time. Kaizen''s chi rushed into Jules and refreshed a significant portion of his Ryoku Pool.
[?121,500 // ?174,501 ERROR RESOLVED]
Zeke lowered his sword down to Jules¡¯ neck. He stared into the Judas Priest¡¯s white and hollowed eyes. Black and white flames burst from all around Jules in an inferno. It pushed the self-proclaimed angel and his weapons away. Jules shoved his left arm down to his severed hand and mended it through rising steam. As soon as it was the least bit movable, he reattached his sword arm. ¡°How long will this take to mend?¡± Kaizen asked the question, and Jules replied from the same mouth, as if answering himself aloud. ¡°Faster than usual, though it¡¯s hard to tell. Two minutes, three.¡± ¡°Ah, I see." Jules felt Kaizen¡¯s disappointment. "I¡¯d hoped to play with our new toy a little longer than that.¡± The Judas Priest ravaged the men he¡¯d landed amongst for their armaments. He invigorated the weapons with Holy energy, and they turned matte black like his warhammer. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got, Kaizen.¡± ¡°Give me full control and witness¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ha, smart kid. Better safe than sorry!¡± Shrouded in white flames, Kaizen launched himself to the Priest and kicked him in the chest. They folded the ghoul in half. Jules braced himself for pain that never came. ¡°I¡¯ve mastered Holy magic, Jules. He¡¯s too weak to harm us.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned.¡± ¡°Careful what you say¡ªI¡¯ve mastered Dark energy, too.¡± White flames darkened and shifted to black. The angel slashed and attacked with all his weapons at once. Jules and Kaizen dodged a great sword and ducked under an ax. They blocked some type of club and disarmed the Priest of a claymore, but a pike grazed their side. It''s tough to move as one¡­ Their fight took them through the crowd. Some bystanders were burnt and ran around on fire, others were flattened to the ground¡ªbut Jules and Kaizen were able to recover the Sound of Fury in the chaos. Peace requires sacrifice¡­ This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
? ? Flames of Hell ? ? [?46,500 // ?174,501]
Jules'' Seal seared them, and Kaizen launched a stream of black fire from his palm at the Judas Priest, who deflected a portion of it off to the side and onto more screaming men. The angel absorbed the remaining fire into his Third Eye. ¡°That medallion, Jules." ¡°Left hand healed.¡± They shifted the Sound to their left hand and could now block Zeke¡¯s attacks, instead of just dodging blows. ¡°Jules, time to integrate with Rukia.¡± ¡°Into the body!? I''m at capacity with you¡ª¡± ¡°No, you idiot, into the Sound.¡± ¡°I still feel Wrath.¡± Their eye twitched in annoyance. ¡°Then be careful, kiddo.¡± ¡°Who do you speak to, demon?¡± the Judas Priest cried. Kaizen blocked the warhammer with the Sound, but it sent them rolling away. Rukia¡ªGet ready. Ohhh, Jules¡­ It hurts¡­ "Can it, fox¡ªI know when you''re in real pain!" Tee hee. Can''t fool Kaizen. Does hurt though¡­ Jules tried to align a semi-wounded Rukia with the Sound while Kaizen got their shared body to its feet. Alright, don''t let Wrath in, and don''t let Kaizen take control¡ª The Judas Priest jump-attacked them from on high. One, two, three, fourteen strikes followed, and Kaizen deftly deflected or blocked each one, even with his off-hand. ¡°Right arm done.¡± ¡°Now, Jules!¡± Jules hesitated. If I fail now¡ªKatarina and Cyrus skirmished in the crowd, back in action¡ªthey die. In that moment, Wrath¡¯s presence washed away.
? Integrate ? [?16,500 // ?174,501]
Rukia, still semi-wounded, disintegrated and flowed into the Sound again. Jules felt her sigh of relief¡ªan end to her mild agony. Kaizen spun and slashed at the Priest¡¯s stomach. Though the Sound was still just a stick of wood, the connection smacked like a clap of thunder. The ghoul dropped all of his weapons and hurdled through the crowd, who still watched in awe. As if they¡¯re trapped. ¡°The Sound¡¯s not working properly¡ª¡± ¡°We have another problem, Jules.¡± Judas Priest Zeke was back on his feet. "So this is the true power of the Sins¡­ It''s seems we''ve been too lax." Its six arms and hands were spread out in some ritualistic pose, and the Third Eye shined bright with the stolen moonlight.
? ? Black Sabbath ? ?
Screams erupted from the military, and then the Pirates, until the cries and pleas for help reached Cyrus and Katarina. Some men fled, others trampled and stampeded over their brethren, a few fell to the ground, lifeless. Hydromage, Iron Maidens, Navigators, Jones¡¯ Pirates, the Royal Navy¡ªit didn¡¯t matter their Faction of their master. They were all lambs for the slaughter. One-in-ten men fell, then three-in-ten, and the bodycount climbed higher.
CYRUS
¡°What is going on!?¡± Cy laid Selene on the ground and pulled her and Envy in close to him. ¡°The Soul Harvest¡­¡± Whiskers whispered. ¡°Get over here¡ªnow!¡± Cy shouted. Whiskers ran to Cy but was trampled underfoot. ? ? Move your ass! ? ? [?27,399 // ?298,080] Whiskers flew through the air, and Cy caught his bum midair. "MMRRWOOWR!" ¡°Thorn¡ªMaddie!¡± Cy called. He met Thorn¡¯s eyes; they turned gold, and so did his jacket. ¡°Thorn, no!¡± Maddie reached out for the old man. ¡°It¡¯s the only way, Dear. My time has finally come.¡± Maddie struggled against Thorn''s grip and punched him. Gold tendrils shot from Thorn¡¯s Vessel and enveloped Maddie and her crew in a warm, protective blanket. His back was still exposed, outside the barrier. ¡°Thorn, you bastard!¡± Maddie sobbed into his chest and beat it with her fists. August and John wrenched her away from Thorn. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Envy shouted. ¡°His Vessel¡­¡± Cy looked at Selene. ¡°It must be like mine, one of protection.¡± Cy covered Whisker¡¯s eyes, and he and Envy watched in horror as Thorn¡¯s body withered away, but not like all the others. His flesh didn¡¯t turn pale and dry like theirs, his life aura didn¡¯t steam away; no, his body dissolved into the golden energy of his blanket that shrouded his comrades. Thorn fell to one knee, his muscles decayed. The golden light stopped, and then his body crumpled away like all the others. His soul left his body and headed for Zeke. Maddie shouted and tried to claw her way between her crewmates. Salty Pete landed by her and squawked in grief. Selene¡¯s soul began to lift from her body as well. Cy acted fast. He pulled her close to him and sandwiched her and Whiskers between himself and Envy. ¡°Cy, what''re you¡ª¡± ¡°Hope this works, Kat!¡± Cy skewered them with Tensa through each of their chests.
JULES
Kat and Cy are OK ¡ª and with Selene? No, no time. Maddie and¡­oh no. Thorn. Rage fueled Jules, refreshed him. Judas Priest Zeke stopped his invocation. The Soul Sacrifice was complete. Now it was a true battlefield, littered with corpses and rot. The Priest¡¯s four extra arms receded back into him. He removed his hat and his cloak. His metal mask remained, and so did the Third Eye. Jules spoke first. ¡°I will kill you.¡±
? ? You will try. ? ?
That voice doesn''t sound good¡­ Blades shifted out from Zeke¡¯s gauntlets underneath his palms. They sprinted at each other, each with greater speed than before. They hacked and slashed at each other, and Zeke¡¯s amplified Holy damage hurt Jules again. ¡°Kaizen¡ª¡± ¡°Right.¡± A tornado of black and white flames spun around the Sound, and Kaizen pierced the Priest¡¯s left shoulder. The Sound shredded through Zeke¡¯s entire arm. The resulting dust shifted back to Zeke and reformed the arm, which attacked again. Cyrus ran toward them. Jules repositioned himself so that Zeke was between them. ¡°Push!¡± Jules commanded it, and they obeyed. The Sound erupted in Rukia¡¯s white flames and shoved Zeke backwards. He stabbed Jules in the heart, and Jules felt his life slip away and his arm wither. He gripped Zeke¡¯s neck and pulled the Priest and the blade in closer. Jules thrust the Sound into Zeke¡¯s heart¡ªor where it had been¡ªand his eyes lit up a bright, purifying white.
? Wrath ?
For the first time in his life¡ªnot for some mere Rune or complicated Script¡ªJules activated his Seal, like it was always meant to be used. The black ink that filled the heptagram on Jules¡¯ chest turned bright white.
[No Ryoku Consumed.]
Zeke¡¯s own wrath flooded Jules¡¯ mind. All of his rage, his unyielding fury and hatred and vengeance and zeal and righteousness¡ªall of it fled the Priest¡¯s body. Jules contained it, he purified it and he absorbed all of that wrath into his Vessel, which he ripped out of Zeke. The metal mask cracked, then fell. The Third Eye sagged down his forehead, until it dropped down around his neck as the medallion again. Zeke¡¯s face returned to his ghastly body, and Jules saw the regret in Zeke¡¯s eyes, his humanity restored. "Jules." Jules hesitated. Kaizen tried to pull back, but Jules held fast. Zeke pressed his blade into Jules¡¯ Seal¡ª But he stopped just skin deep. He withdrew his weapon and let his arm flop down. Zeke and the Judas Priest were defeated. "Now, Cy." Cyrus obeyed Jules'' order and plunged his Vessel through Zeke¡¯s back. Tensa''s blade emerged from Zeke''s chest and pierced through the black medallion. It fractured into three pieces and fell to the ground. Blood trickled from Zeke¡¯s mouth. ¡°Do it, Jules.¡± Cy held Zeke and his sword in place. They locked eyes. Do it, Kaizen urged. Kill him kill him slice his fucking head off¡ª ¡°No.¡± ¡°Jules!" Cyrus pushed Tensa''s tip through Jules'' chest as well, as a warning. ¡°Zeke, I have a few questions to ask you.¡± It all happened in slow motion. Zeke¡¯s eyes went cross before his head fully separated from the neck. The lifeless mouth bit its own tongue as the decapitated head flew through the air. It spun around and around and around until it struck the ground and rolled a dozen feet. ¡°NOOO!!!¡± Jules dropped to his knees. He watched Zeke¡¯s wobble into a resting position. His body, whatever remained of it below those gray robes and armor, dissipated from existence like flowing ash, along with his head. Only the fractured medallion remained. Jules gazed up at the executioner. ¡°We won, Jules,¡± she said. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 100 PART 1 OF 2 ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* VOUME 1 FINALE -- Ch 100 (2/2) - Unwritten
JULES
[Wrath Reincarnated ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Speak with Wrath directly.] [Wrath Reincarnated ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Regain your power by fully Integrating with Wrath.] [Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find a way to shut the door again.] [Shut the Damn Door ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Now keep it shut!] [Seeketh Patience ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Mastery Body Integration.]
The sun rose in the east, and another day dawned. Storms approached from the south, but the skies above Marina Veridia remained clear. Rukia weaved between Jules¡¯ legs as they strolled past the barren Shrine with their Party. Jules shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you captured this Shrine on your own.¡± He knew all too well how isolating Shrines could be. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I had some help.¡± Whiskers rode Katarina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the only one of us who conquered theirs solo, Jules.¡± Cyrus walked alone. ¡°Even I had help¡­from an unexpected source.¡± Jules gazed up towards the Fountain of the Virtues. They climbed the stairs to the final summit and surveyed the battlefield. Bones, decaying flesh, ash¡ªthe smell of death filled the air. ¡°For once, I didn¡¯t cause this.¡± Not that it brings any peace.
[Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Pay your respects to those fallen in the Battle for Marina Veridia.]
Uniformed Soldiers carried their dead brethren, but stopped to stare at the Party as they walked by. Their faces, mixed with pure hatred, but also gratitude. Which I think generates even more hate. ¡°I don¡¯t like being here,¡± Katarina said. ¡°Agreed.¡± Whiskers flicked his three bushy tails. ¡°They won¡¯t say anything,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Only those who ran survived. They owe us their lives, in some small way.¡± ¡°Nah, they all fear me.¡± Rukia swaggered along the Fountain to their destination. August and John stood behind Maddie. Salty Pete rested on her shoulder. They¡¯d laid Thorns'' remains in front of a shattered Altar, in front of the numeral 6. Maddie wore his Vessel, his coat, and began a eulogy. ¡°You were always a thorn in our sides. But you forged me into the woman I am today. You broke down my crew, and myself, then rebuilt us into the Pirates we are today. Your absence will be¡­inescapable. You may have been my grandfather by blood and by law¡­¡± She wiped away a single tear. ¡°But in my heart, you were my father.¡± Katarina looked away. ¡°To Thorn,¡± August shouted. ¡°To Thorn,¡± John said. "SQUAWK! THORN!" ¡°To Thorn,¡± Jules said. Maddie turned to face them. Here we go.
[Desecrate Through Reverence ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Pay your respects to those fallen in the Battle for Marina Veridia.]
They¡¯d parted last night on poor terms, urged by their friends to separate and sleep on it. Not that sleep came. But both still bowed their heads low in respect. The others repeated the toast to a life well lived. Maddie activated her new Vessel. Golden tendrils extended out and enwrapped the remains of both Thorn and the shattered Altar. They fused into one, restored the marble to its prior glory, and entombed Thorn and his legacy within it, within her. ¡°Wrath." ¡°Diligence.¡± ¡°Aye." A reluctant smile crept across Maddie''s face. "So the whole world will soon know.¡±
[Virtue Signaling ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find Diligence.]
¡°Anonymity suits you," Jules joked. "Perhaps Commander Krakenbane will forget to mention you in his report.¡± ¡°Ha! Seems he helped you well enough, giving your free reign of the town.¡± ¡°For just a few hours more. I did save the day. With some help, of course.¡± He looked back to his friends. ¡°As for Zeke¡ª¡± ¡°I will not regret my decision.¡± You mean your judgment. Diligence directed her attention to her Altar at the Fountain. ¡°I understand. It was inevitable. I just wanted information first." If Zeke killed my father, I wouldn''t have waited, either. "Spilled beer.¡± ¡°It was the right choice. Though I admit, the timing may have been wrong.¡± ¡°Better to kill him before he could snake his way out,¡± Cy said. Maddie stared into Jules¡¯ eyes again. ¡°Aye.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be the last Judas Priest. We know a little about them, but not enough. Next time, we think before we act.¡± ¡°We? Still jabbering on about joining your crew?¡± Jules laughed. ¡°No. I know better than that. You have your own journey to follow.¡± ¡°Aye, me and my men will follow my compass to riches and an early retirement. But first, a trip home would do well.¡± ¡°And where might that be?¡± Now there''s that devilish smile of yours. ¡°Anonymity suits me, remember? But¡ªmy dear Katarina saved me from madness, and you defeated our common enemy. We will grant you one free voyage, wherever you¡¯d like to go, whenever you¡¯d like to go, even if it be the ends of the earth. Redwoods don¡¯t like their kind being in debt.¡±
[New Quest Available: A Redwood''s Debt] [New Reward Available for A Redwood''s Debt: A free ride anywhere in Salvatica¡­That a boat can get to.] [A Redwood''s Debt ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Ask Diligence for a ride.]
"I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll take you up on that offer. One day.¡± ¡°Envy¡ªKatarina. I have a gift for you.¡± Katarina perked up. Maddie fumbled around inside Thorn¡¯s jacket; it was much too large on her frame. With a flirtatious grin, she handed Katarina an eye patch. ¡°Something to remember me by.¡± Katarina¡¯s face fell flat. ¡°Gee. Thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you. For saving my soul.¡± Maddie leaned in close to her. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder who the real demons are.¡± She stepped back. ¡°Alright, men¡ª¡± ¡°One final thing, Maddie.¡± Jules handed her a piece of the fractured Black Sacrament. ¡°Guard it with your life. And don¡¯t let it control you again.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She raised the medallion shard and studied it. ¡°Looks like one-third to me.¡± ¡°I have the second piece,¡± Jules said. Maddie looked to Katarina. ¡°Our mutual acquaintance demanded the third as payment,¡± Cy said. ¡°So I gave it to the Alter Pirate.¡± A breeze swept by.
[New Quest Available: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath] [New Reward Available for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: Stop the Iron Maiden and her Black Sacrament.] [Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Ask other Arcanics for any information they have on the Iron Maiden.]
¡°Davy Jones,¡± Maddie whispered. ¡°Spread the word, Maddie,¡± Jules said. ¡°To any Virtues that you meet, about what¡¯s coming for them. But be selective. I don¡¯t think Patience should be trusted.¡± ¡°Oi. Bit of a cunt, that one." ¡°You¡¯ve met him!?¡± Jules leaned in. ¡°He is Zeke¡¯s superior¡ªHa! Was. Doubt he¡¯ll be a member of the Iron Maidens for much longer. Afraid I don''t know much else, except I''m sure he''s got a small¡ª" This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I see¡­ Well, serves him right.¡± They clasped each others¡¯ hands.
[Virtue Signaling ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Follow up on your hunch about Patience.]
¡°Good luck,¡± they said together. She walked away and snapped her fingers over her shoulders. ¡°Come on, boys.¡± Maddie left them with one final glance over her shoulder, a sly look at Katarina. Katarina¡¯s face flushed red in anger and jealousy. ¡°She stole my line.¡± Jules inspected the Altar of Patience, the only one that remained damaged. Hope it stays that way. Can we pee on it? Rukia asked. She squatted down and tilted her head at him. No! Bad fox! Ah man¡­ ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Jules asked Katarina. ¡°My right arm reattached well enough. I¡¯m having vision problems, but it¡¯s adjusting.¡± ¡°And your hand?¡± Katarina twisted her left palm around. No improvement. The Holy damage really stunted its Regeneration. Jules shifted his gaze. During his Integration, Kaizen¡¯s mastery of Holy and Dark energies had fully healed him. We need to find a way to do the same for Kat. ¡°Well. I¡¯m fine,¡± Cyrus said. ¡°Physically, anyway.¡± ¡°And emotionally?¡± Whiskers wagged his tail playfully. These two seem to be getting along better. ¡°I¡¯m¡­confused. About right and wrong and¡ª¡± ¡°Well I feel great!¡± Rukia shook her stubby tail around. They all laughed lightly. Thanks for breaking the ice, Little One. ¡°Of course you do.¡± Jules pet her between the ears. Kaizen was back at home in the Shaman Beads around her neck. ¡°I still have three tails, so that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°What¡¯s next, Cap''n?¡± Rukia and the others looked to Jules. ¡°Team?¡± he asked them. ¡°Stop the Apocalypse,¡± Katarina said. ¡°To the Verdant Domain. We have A Painter to find.¡± ¡°Good. We head for Shinsora.¡± They all tilted their heads at him. ¡°Jules,¡± Cy shook his head, ¡°you can¡¯t join the Shinsorai. I mean they wouldn''t accept you before, but now¡­¡± ¡°Krakenbane sent me a dispatch this morning. A lead on Lust.¡±
[Inner Vices ¡ª Quest Objective UDPATED: Find Lust in Shinsora.]
¡°And how will we get there? Our ship was obliterated.¡± You¡¯re just jealous, Kat. ¡°We can take up Maddie¡¯s offer.¡± ¡°No, Cy. I have a much better idea.¡± Jules jerked his neck back to the port, down the high and winding terraces of Marina Veridia. Of all the ships that remained, only one survived the turmoil. Its white sails waved in the wind. Plastered all over them was the crest of the Iron Maidens. Cyrus laughed. ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± Katarina and Whiskers said together. ¡°Oooh, traveling in style, Jules!¡± ¡°You are crazy, Jules.¡± Cyrus shook his head. ¡°We take off in one hour. Go do what you need to do.¡± They all knew he spoke directly to Cyrus. ¡°Fine," he sighed. "See you at the docks.¡± Cyrus marched away. ¡°Jules¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Kat?¡± Rukia and Whiskers glanced at each other. They slowly backed away and left them alone. ¡°Those beads that Kaizen lives in¡­ You never said who gave them to you.¡± Ohhh, right. A lot¡¯s been going on since then. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kat¡ªyour old friend, the blind beggar. He stumbled into me at the right time. You know, he seems to do that a lot.¡± Katarina pointed to an escaping Rukia, who shot up straight and quit moving away. ¡°That¡¯s a Vessel, Jules. I saw it in my Shrine.¡± Rukia inched away. ¡°A Vessel¡­¡± ¡°And I think he has two more.¡± Jules whistled. ¡°Three Vessels, huh.¡± ¡°You seem surprised.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°He stopped me from being possessed by Wrath. Then he left Aquilantis. By the way¡ªhe wanted me to tell you that he wished he could have said goodbye to you.¡± ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Another breeze passed by. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to buy some provisions for our trip. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Jules watched her leave for quite some time. He felt someone staring at him and turned to see Rukia glaring. ¡°Jules¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Little One?¡± ¡°That was anticlimactic.¡± Jules snorted under his breath. ¡°Today is no day for celebration. Old man, come out. We¡¯ve got a lot to discuss.¡± Kaizen emerged from Rukia¡¯s beads. ¡°You know, I¡¯m only thirty-five.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about twice my age.¡± Jules reached into his Inventory and removed a toy ball. He chucked it off the cliff. Rukia darted after it at supersonic speed, her ears tucked back and eyes bulging. ¡°That mean I¡¯m at the halfway mark?¡± ¡°I would say that depends on quite a lot, Jules.¡± ¡°Who is Death?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Death. I¡¯m afraid that also depends.¡± ¡°On what, Kaizen?¡± Jules snapped. Kaizen gazed at him with soft eyes, understanding eyes. Patronizing eyes. It pissed off Jules even more. ¡°On how things play out this time.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t talk to me about your previous incarnation. Neither would Wrath.¡± Rukia returned with the slobbery ball. Jules lobbed it down again, and she was gone. ¡°Ask the question, kiddo.¡± "Is¡­" Jules shook drool from his hand and wiped it clean. He looked out to the rising sun. ¡°Is it you?¡± Kaizen sighed. Rukia returned for a third trip. ¡°Tell you what, Jules. When you find all three pieces of the Sound, I will answer that specific question.¡± When I''ve assembled a weapon of mass destruction¡­ Jules gritted his teeth and bared it. Rukia returned with the ball, exhausted. He knelt down to scratch her, and she panted in his face. Her eyes were barely open, staring directly into the sun, in pure, childlike bliss.
[Go Long! ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Play ball with Rukia.] [Go Long! ¡ª QUEST COMPLETED] [Go Long! ¡ª REWARD GRANTED: Rukia''s undying affection.]
¡°It¡¯s a deal, then,¡± Jules said.
[The Sound and the Fury ¡ª Reward ADDED: Kaizen will answer your question about Death.]
CYRUS
¡°Oh ho ho! Ahoy, matey!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get all friendly with me,¡± Cy said to the Alter Pirate. He was sure they¡¯d have had a death match by now and didn¡¯t trust him as far as he could throw him. ¡°Relax, me boy! It¡¯s a day of celebration. We all achieved what we were searching for, in''a end.¡± ¡°Not me. I still have questions.¡± Jones turned serious. ¡°So you¡¯re an Info Broker, too?¡± Jones just grinned back. ¡°And you know my teacher Isolda?¡± ¡°Intimately, me boy.¡± Jones tilted his head to the side with a wink. ¡°She wasn¡¯t in Coralhaven. Someone else served time in her place.¡± Cy paused to read Jones¡¯ face, but he betrayed nothing. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°At the moment¡­¡± Jones lifted his chin and rolled his eyes around in every direction. ¡°Nowhere! Har har¡ª¡± ¡°This Nowhere, is it safe?¡±
[Corporeal Punishment ¡ª Quest Objective Updated: Find Isolda in Nowhere.]
¡°Aye, lad, she¡¯s safe.¡± Jones looked away. Annoyed, or bored? ¡°And Selene?¡± ¡°...Oh. Yes. The little lass.¡± His face dropped. ¡°She¡¯s joining me crew, as it turns.¡± Cy froze in place. ¡°But I¡­¡± Saved her life. ¡°Chopped off her fookin'' arm? Them the words you was lookin¡¯ to say?¡± Cy turned, irritated. Well, yeah, but no. ¡°She couldn¡¯t say goodbye. But she did want me to tell you that she¡¯s sorry that she couldn¡¯t. Now I say that aloud, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m supposed to say goodbye to you for her, or if she wants ye to just plain fuck off. Hm¡­¡± Jones scratched his beard and deliberated over it. ¡°Tell her that I¡¯m sorry, too. I hope to see her again someday.¡± Jones grunted. ¡°Perhaps ye will. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you ever heard of the Magi?¡± They locked eyes, not blinking for what seemed like ages to Cy. ¡°That info will cost you, son. More¡¯n yer willin'' to part with, from what I gather.¡± ¡°Well. I am broke again.¡± Jones narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not Ryoku I speak of.¡± He slapped Cy¡¯s back. ¡°But cheer up! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your business afloat again in no time!¡±
[New Quest Available: The Labyrinth of Magic] [New Reward Available for The Labyrinth of Magic: ???] [The Labyrinth of Magic ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Ask around about the Magi.] Uh huh. ¡°One last thing. Do you have any advice on becoming an Alter?¡±
"When you can tell me why 4th Rankers revert back to Runes¡­" Jones tousled Cy''s hair. "Ye''ll have answered yer own question." You three are always full of surprises¡­
[Alternate History ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Follow up on your suspicions of Davy Jones with The Painter.]
¡°Interesting. Thanks. Well, it¡¯s time for me to take off.¡± Jones¡¯ grin faded, like he was disappointed and expected more. ¡°Ah," Cyrus added, "I suppose I¡¯ll be seeing you in the Verdant Domain. Cheers, eh?¡± Cy turned and walked away. The grin had returned to Jones¡¯ face, Cy could hear it in the words that followed. ¡°The-boy-who-would-be-Alter¡­¡±
PATIENCE
Patience strolled through the streets of battle-torn Marina Veridia like he was at a parade. The bodies, the bones, the despair¡ªeverything was a sight to behold. The only thing that bothered him was the stench. That, and my fucking Altar that fucking imbecile Zeke fucking destroyed. He walked past the ashen outline of Zeke¡¯s remains. His head was over here, and his body over there, just the way Patience liked it. He spat on the black imprint, then walked to his crushed Altar. A hazy demon emerged from it and smiled like the arrogant bastard he was. No one was around to hear Patience speak, and no one else could see his visions of the monster, anyway. ¡°REPORT.¡± ¡°I had some yes-man deliver the message to Jules this morning. They recently departed for Lust.¡± ¡°AND?¡± Patience didn¡¯t dare roll his eyes. ¡°Charlotte¡¯s been busy all week setting up the trap. It should go off soon. I should be long-gone by¡ª" ¡°YOU MUST STAY. NO WITNESSES TO THE BLACK SACRAMENT ARE PERMITTED TO SURVIVE.¡± ¡°Except for me, right?¡± Silence. Patience popped his neck. ¡°This is taking much longer than we anticipated.¡± ¡°WE?" Wrath laughed. "YOU MUST HAVE PATIENCE, BOY.¡± Patience snarled. Arrogant old fool, tells me about Patience? "JULES NEEDS BUT TWO MORE PIECES OF THE SOUND. THEN HIS SEAL WILL OPEN, AND YOU SHALL GAIN WHAT YOU SEEK." ¡°And finally be blessed as a Virtue.¡± Wrath laughed again. ¡°FOOL. IT IS A CURSE HANDED TO YOU, FOR FAILING YOUR MISSION.¡± ¡°Fuck my task, and fuck Destiny or Fate or whoever needs a good fucking. I have my own ambitions.¡± ¡°YOU ARE ALL THE SAME.¡± ¡°Save me your coded speeches. I have work to do. Is that all?¡± ¡°FAR FROM IT.¡± Wrath grinned and faded away.
[Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Capture Wrath] [Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Help Wrath gather the remaining pieces of the Sound of Fury.] [New Quest Available: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath]
KAIZEN
Kaizen floated with his eyes closed and meditated. His levitating legs crossed in the purple void of the Shaman Beads around Rukia¡¯s neck. They¡¯d taken sail not long ago. Kaizen thought about which path Fate would follow this time around. He thought about Envy, about Lust, and about Greed. Then he heard a soft knock. He opened his eyes; he expected the visitor. The jail cell door appeared before him, and he opened it right up. ¡°YOU CHOSE WELL, KAIZEN.¡± ¡°Hello, old friend.¡± Kaizen welcomed the monstrous demon in. "But you and I both know, that is one choice I am not guilty of making." ¡°OUR PLAN GOES SMOOTHLY.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use that word, but Jules has done well so far. He has even taken the Decimation better than I did." ¡°WILL YOU TELL THE BOY?¡± Kaizen knew the question he asked. ¡°Tell him what, Wrath?¡± The demon stared back in silence. ¡°No. Jules is a smart kid. He''s already tugged on the thread." ¡°HOW WILL HE TAKE YOUR INEVITABLE BETRAYAL?¡± ¡°Only time will tell. Hopefully better than I did, there at the end." ¡°HM. PATIENCE IN YOUR WRATH. YOU ARE LEARNING.¡± ¡°Wisdom takes time, and I¡¯ve had plenty of it. I have also had an," Kaizen bowed slightly, "experienced teacher. You won¡¯t betray him, will you?¡± Wrath grew in size. ¡°I AM THE SINGULARITY OF TRUST. I NEVER BETRAY. ESPECIALLY MY OWN." ¡°Bold words for someone who leveled Jules'' hometown. Twice.¡± ¡°YOU ARE NOT BLIND TO THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER LIKE THE REST.¡± ¡°How right you are.¡± ¡°AND WHAT DECISION HAVE YOU COME TO, REGARDING¡ª¡± "When the time comes, my old friend, I will allow him to take the Sound of Fury from us." "AND LET DEATH CLAIM YOU?" Kaizen returned to his meditations. The demon lingered. ¡°I¡­SEE. I WISH YOU GOOD FORTUNE, KAIZEN.¡± Wrath vanished from the plane. Thank you, master. I''ll need it. We''ll all need it. ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* 100 VOLUME 1 - ENVY, FIN ******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* VOLUME 2 BEGINS!!!! Recap of Vol 1 Kaizen arrives at the Altar of the Gods with his allies: Envy, Lust, and Greed¡ªand of course, Rukia. He chooses not to Integrate with Wrath, and loses it all when he faces up against the Four Horsemen alone. Death ultimately kills everyone and initiates the Rebirth Cycle, and a new set of Sins and Virtues are chosen, many, many years from now. In the meantime, Kaizen wakes up in the prison cell of his nightmares, and ultimately makes The Deal with Wrath, who welcomes him into Hell and shows him the true meaning of the Rebirth Cycles, and the truth he''s sought so long to find. One day, Kaizen hopes to free his friends from Purgatory. After some time, Kaizen returns to Rukia, who have both arrived on a new planet, on a continent called Salvatica. Jules, the newest reincarnation of Wrath, is born to Evelyn and Liam Tideshaper, who must flee their home when they are hunted down by the cultists who foretold the Sins'' arrival that very same night... Kaizen and Rukia save Jules and his family at a serious cost¡ªboth go MIA for nearly two decades. Rukia missed her chance to kill Pastor Zeke at this point, though she had no way of knowing how that would affect Jules years from now. No one is really sure wtf Rukia was up to during all of these years.
Jules Tideshaper and his friend Cyrus are hunting with Liam when a Warg comes across their way, as well as a hidden Rukia in the bushes. Shortly after, a Shrine arises in Coralhaven, and Cy learns of Jules'' Sinful nature. Jules learns that his teacher, Isolda, also has suspicions of his identity. When Jules and company agree to approach her, their plans go awry quickly. The Shrine''s Boss emerges and begins killing everyone around, including Jules, who becomes possessed by Wrath. Soon, all of Coralhaven knows about his identity, and Cy helps rescue Jules from both possession and captivity. With a little bit of help from Isolda and Liam, Jules and Cy escape Coralhaven alongside Rukia, and have their first, brief run-in with the Alter Pirate, Davy Jones, as well as Maddie. Foolishly, the boys trust Rukia to captain their ship overnight, when they run into Katarina Waverunner, who they quickly learn is Envy, and her Familiar, Whiskers. They quickly meet her adoptive father and venture out into Aquilantis and run into Pastor Zeke, who learns of Jules'' identity. Ragnar, Felix, and Selene are all the crowd. The Painter saves the gang from captivity, and leaves behind a message for them to find them as a sort of recruiting challenge. Cy eventually convinces The Painter to train them as well, and they attend Hydromage Tryouts to test his abilities, which is where Cy first truly runs into Selene. Cy and The Painter make a Binding Vow, wherein the Alter promises to train Cy to become an Alter, and Cy promises to get him the forbidden Time Rune afterward, in a time limit of 10 years. Kat says goodbye to her father, who gives her a red crystal necklace she can use one time to communicate with him. Jules and co. train with The Painter for two years, and during the meantime, Rukia (and loosely Kaizen) train Jules on how to meditate and line up their souls for future Integration. During this time, Cy gets really rich for the first time in a gambling scheme with Selene (sadly he continually loses all of his money because his friends are complete morons). The Blind Beggar saves Jules from certain possession in Aquilantis, and as a result, Jules is able to remove Kaizen from Patience''s altar, which incidentally gives Patience Jules'' location while he is interrogating his parents back in Coralhaven. The bastard puts a spell on Evelyn to force her into labor and give premature birth to Azura, Jules'' little sister. The following morning, The Painter is in a foul mood and says he must take his leave. He issues one final examination to them, wherein Cy is able to showcase The Painter''s ultimate lessons in the Inked Arts. Around the same time, Patience meets with Pastor Zeke, the other Iron Maiden followers, and Maddie and her crew, and informs them he knows Wrath is there in Aquilantis, under their noses. Maddie departs for Siren''s Cove. The Painter takes his leave, but leaves them with one more assignment: Capture Shrines in Coralith. Just as Jules and the others depart Aquilantis to see Pop, they are attacked by Iron Maiden Hunters. Jules fights Ragnar, Kat fights Felix, and Cy fights a masked Selene. Eventually they escape the town after¡ªallegedly¡ªdestroying it, and decide to flee for Siren''s Cove and capture their first Shrine. Cy almost singlehandedly captures it, but Maddie and her crew step in at the last moment. After a lot of infighting and suspicion, Jules relinquishes the Shrine to Maddie and they make their escape, while Maddie claimed the Vessel. Jules learns of Salty Pete and Maddie''s connection to Davy Jones, and they begin to suspect she is an Arcanic, whether Sin or Virtue. Jules forces them all to return to Coralhaven, where shit goes down. Jules dives off on his own adventure, to visit his family and capture his Shrine alone. He reunites with his father, meets his baby sister for the first time, and has an all-out fight with his mother, Evelyn. He leaves for the Shrine, and enters alone. Inside, he fights the Warg and Shrine Boss, a Leshen. Wrath attempts to make deal after deal with Jules, who finally agrees so he can escape with his life. Jules receives the first piece of the Sound of Fury at the cost of control over his body. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Cy does some digging into his past, ultimately torturing his orphanage house-mother in the process, and learns he has some tie to The Etherealist Faction. Eventually he and Kat meet up with Liam, but their reunion is interrupted by the Iron Maidens. Cy bests Selene, Kat defeats Felix, and Liam takes out Ragnar, but Zeke threatens his family, insinuating Patience is on his way to capture them now. Because Liam abandons them, Cy and Kat are taken hostage by Zeke and co. They are tried in front of the Coralhaven populace, and Kat is beheaded. Just before Cy is executed, Jules arrives in the crowd, possessed by Wrath, but in possession of the Sound of Fury. Jules fights the entire horde of Iron Maiden Hunters, and ultimately destroys Coralhaven in the process. Cy retreats and fights Selene one last time, and she stabs him in the heart with an Enchanted blade. She puts him to sleep in a jail cell, having found a loophole in her mission to "deliver him to justice." When Cy awakes, he discovers that the woman who was falsely imprisoned as Isolda has died because he never freed her. He reunites with Kat and they go wait for Jules on the ship. (Also, at some point before, Wrath mentioned the term Magi to Pastor Zeke.) Jules awakens in the forest after Wrath went on a total rampage upon Patience threatening his sister''s life. He returns home and finds Evelyn dying, and he tries to save her. Ultimately she asks for his forgiveness, and they make amends before she passes away. Jules brings her back to the ship, completely broken and shattered. Kat is also struggling with having died so many violent deaths, so Cy takes charge and takes them to Lighthouse Point to capture the next Shrine. Kat tries to bring Jules back around, and succeeds to the point where he has to take responsibility for his mental health. Cy goes in the Shrine alone and endures a trial on all the wrong things he''s done in his life. Kat eventually joins him, and he has to choose between sacrificing himself or her. He obviously chooses to sacrifice himself, and the Djinn takes his heart. In the process, Cy learns that his Vessel is able to reverse sacrifices made by anyone the blade touches, and he is restored to life without Selene''s Enchanted dagger in his heart. He has also gained his own, albeit very limited, form of Regeneration from his Vessel, but he can still die. If you ask him, he''d rather have an offensive Vessel, but it''ll do. Meanwhile, Jules trains with Kaizen on Integration with both his body and the Sound of Fury when Maddie arrives suddenly. They ultimately agree to team up to find out what The Iron Maiden is up to with Zeke, and Jules and co set their course for Marina Veridia, but not before a belated birthday celebration where they all unlock their Systems together, and at least 10x their Ryoku pools. Cy blows past them all and achieves Rank 2, while Jules and Kat are just at the cusp, trapped in Rank 1. Maddie gets with Davy Jones and plans a sneak attack on Marina Veridia and the Iron Maidens while Patience meets with Zeke. He learns that The Iron Maiden is reanimating dead bodies, and has gifted Zeke some dark item. When Jules and co land on Marina Veridia soil, Davy Jones has delivered them the chaos they need to infiltrate, although it was nothing like they''d planned for. Jules and Cy run into two Soldiers they''d met and fought with back in Coralhaven, and keep pressing through to the Shrine. Eventually Maddie arrives, and they stage fights that take them all closer to their goal, until Selene and undead Ragnar and Felix arrive. Selene and Cy go off to fight, while Ragnar drives Jules closer to Zeke. Kat runs into the Shrine, and Felix follows. She is given choices between many different Vessels, and ultimately chooses to gouge her eyes out and put a new one in and defeats Felix. Meanwhile, Cy and Selene fight until Ragnar joins them, and Cy''s Vessel proves capable of severing The Iron Maiden''s ties to the zombie. Cy learns that Selene is bound by some Binding Vow that compels her to do someone''s dirty work, and he severs her arms with Tensa, his Vessel, and relieves her of her obligation. Together, they take out Davy Jones'' Kraken, and Cy narrowly avoids a fight with the Alter. Jules and Zeke talk until they are interrupted by Maddie and crew. Unsatisfied with what Jules has uncovered, Maddie takes the safer bet and fights Jules. Jules fights the pirates and Zeke, ultimately Integrating with Rukia and Kaizen before Wrath withholds his powers, desperate to make a deal because Death is afoot. Zeke eventually takes communion in the form of The Black Sacrament, and sells his soul for collective power as a Judas Priest. Just before Jules dies, Wrath freezes time and gives Jules one more chance to "Integrate with Wrath." Jules listens as an idea forms in his mind. Eventually, he finds the loophole and Integrates with Kaizen, who is Wrath, and his powers are restored. Jules faces Zeke, who initiates the Soul Sacrifice, killing thousands of people around, including Thorn Redwood. Maddie loses her mind, and Kat has to bring her back from madness. Cy arrives with an unconscious Selene and joins the fray. Jules is able to defeat Zeke, and using his Seal, rids Zeke of all his Wrath and returns him to a human from his ghoul form. Everyone tells Jules to kill him, but Jules wants to find out as much information as he can about The Iron Maiden, The Black Sacrament, and Death as possible first¡ªbut stricken by her own wrath and grief, Maddie decapitates Zeke and closes that door forever. The following day, Jules reveals that Commander Krakenbane gave Jules and his friends immunity for a time, as they saved the day. He also gives him a lead on Lust in Shinsora. Jules and co. pay their respects to Thorn with Maddie and learn that she is the 6th Virtue, Diligence. They make amends and agree to help each other in the future. She takes one fragment of the broken Black Sacrament, as well as Jules and Davy Jones. Cy seeks out Jones before they leave, asking him questions about Selene, Isolda, becoming an Alter, and the Magi. The Alter replies in such a way that sparks a curious theory in Cy''s mind, but he holds off on saying anything about it for now. Selene joins Jones'' crew, and they go their separate ways. Jules and co set off for Shinsora, unaware that one of Charlotte''s spider eyes was already left behind for Zeke in their cabin. It is revealed that Patience meets with Wrath, and that they have been plotting together for some time. Patience is tasked with helping Jules open his Seal, so that Patience can gain his ultimate goal. Shortly after, Kaizen and Wrath meet up again as old friends and conspire how to end the Cycle with Jules. Ch 101 - Same Old Song and Dance
PATIENCE
Patience stood near the cliff''s ledge of war-torn Marina Veridia. Both oppressors demanded his attention at once, though one didn''t know about the other. At least I hope so. "Do you recall what I told you when we first met?" Patience''s lip curled upward, and he swirled his tongue around inside his dry mouth, biding his time. Of course I remember, you petulant fucking sow. Her sanctimonious voice rose from a charred and blackened corpse in front of Patience. The body belonged to some Iron Maiden fledgling, likely a Hunter, caught in Judas Priest Zeke''s Soul Sacrifice, some poor soul who''d tried to flee the chaos and torment and probably tried to leap off the cliff in some imagined form of desperate salvation. Weak bastard couldn''t save himself. Pat glanced out at sea, where a small ship headed west; its sails boasted the crest of The Iron Maidens Faction. The cost of¡ª "Failure comes at the price of your life." Patience''s blood pressure and heart rate spiked. He glared at the corpse. Surely this old bat can''t read my mind, not while I''m hundreds of miles away. "I remember the words." Icy wind swept Patience''s long, black hair all about. "Do you, truly? You were but a child when I told you. Perhaps you were too young to take its meaning to heart." "When I dedicated my service to the cause¡ªand You¡ªI knew what I signed up for." "Then are you ready to pay your debts?" "Always. But, if I may ask, what exactly did I fail? I cornered Wrath and delivered him to you and Pastor Zeke, as was required of me." You were the one who failed. "Your reputation has emboldened you to stupid pride. Do you think you don''t share in Our failure of this mission?" "Perhaps We should not see it as a failure¡ªas that would come at the price of Our lives, I''m sure You remember¡ªbut instead as a successful recon mission. We certainly learned a lot about Wrath." The voice remained silent. I wonder if She''s suffering of Her own wrath right now. I''ll not have my life ripped away from me so soon. Especially when the entire plan wasn''t revealed to me. "We also learned certain¡­weak points regarding the Black Sacrament." "The Spider, calculated as always. We shall view Marina Veridia as an advancement of enemy intelligence. However, the public has become aware of something they should remain ignorant of." "A failure of Pastor Zeke''s, to be sure." If You think I''ll take the blame for such a low-rent supposed leader, then maybe I should¡ª "Silence. You let Wrath slip through your fingers for a third time. Furthermore, you have nothing to show for the loss. Re-education seems appropriate." No! Anything but that. I''ll not endure what Greed and Sloth did, just to have some pompous book written about me with some stupid fucking euphemism attached to it.
DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE REMOVED FROM THE BOARD SO EASILY, DEAR PATIENCE.
Patience''s other oppressor had finally joined in. Quiet, you fool.
"THE PANIC OF PATIENCE" IS WHAT THEY WOULD CALL CALL IT.
Oh, fuck off. "Imprisonment doesn''t suit me. Perhaps another mission would benefit Our holy cause more." "Hmm, I am in need of a tidy house, so perhaps a reassignment seems appropriate." A demotion!? After all I just went through!? No¡ªNo, fight back. "I can clean up after You." After Your failure. "I will need more information on this Black Sacrament though, in order to do a thorough job." "Silence! You must rid it of your memory as well, along with all of the living." I see. No re-education needed here. Just a massacre.
WITH YOU INCLUDED. DO YOU FORGET YOUR LEVERAGE?
Surely you don''t mean¡­? "Fix the problem, then return to Sylvan Hollow." No other option, I suppose. "You think too little of me. I didn''t walk away from the battle empty-handed." I wish I could see Her ignorant face right now. "I got a lead on Lust from Wrath himself." The icy wind cut through once more, then faded away. The sunlight warmed Patience''s bones once more. "My greatest disciple, Pat of the Dunes. Why not mention this before? I fear I have been too harsh on you. You have a new assignment." "Forgive me, I am always caught up in Your glory and power when We meet."
YOU BASELESS COWARD. YOU DOG.
"I shall set sail for Shinsora immediately, then." "No, Pat. Both missions fall to you, and remember¡ªThe cost of failure comes at the price of your life. Now, extinguish all remnants of my presence. We shall speak again soon."
[Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Clean up all loose ends in Marina Veridia who witnessed the Black Sacrament.]
Just like that, The Iron Maiden has fled Marina Veridia, a failure. Good thing we already planned for a clean up. Eh, Voice?
WE? HA! FOOLISH CHILD. IF YOU REFUSE TO STAND UP TO HER NOW, HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO FACE HER WHEN DESTINY DEMANDS IT?
I have a plan, but I need to learn more about the Black Sacrament first. Charlotte, it''s time. Patience reached out to his desert tarantula Familiar. They''d been stationed in Marina Veridia for a week, and she''d spun her webs all around; she''d also left behind one of her five remaining eyes inside Pastor Zeke''s cabin, which was now led by an entirely different crew.
YOU HAVE LED JULES TIDESHAPER TO LUST. NOW IT IS TIME FOR YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT¡­
[Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Lead Wrath to Lust in Shinsora.] [Master of Puppets ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Capture Lust in Shinsora.] [New Quest Available: Mouse Trap] [New Reward Available for Mouse Trap: A new gun for hire.] [Mouse Trap ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Hire the Desert Mouse.]
Before I find him, I need to talk to them. The Shinsorai won''t be an easy fight.
[Mouse Trap ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Ask the Harbormasters for the Desert Mouse''s location.]
"It seems the work just keeps piling on, doesn''t it?"
SERAPHINA
Nightfall engulfed her wondrous city of Shinsora in darkness. Blazing torches lined the streets and buildings and attempted to fight off the gloom, but shadows danced all around with the flickering lights. Sera had been born into the shadows, and raised in them, but tomorrow, she''d take her first true step into them. Ravens surrounded her as she snuck through an alleyway, flying high and cawing into the night air. Banners lined the streets beside the flames. The Shinsorai''s premier festival began at dawn, and no one dared walk the streets tonight. Even the Guards had lowered their staff to a bare minimum. Perfect night for a heist. Her grappling hook secured along the roof''s edge, and she scaled up the temple''s side. Once on top, she scanned around the massive castle. Only a few Samurai and Ninja patrolling outside. Hopefully even fewer inside. Though it does feel like someone''s watching me¡­
[Pang! Stealth increased to Level 20.] ? Reinforced ? ? Thread ?
A steel rope shot from her palm toward one of the castle''s ramparts, and she tied the other end around the temple''s spire. Sera adjusted the mask about her face, then descended down her makeshift zip line. When she got to the other side, she pulled the thread back into her palm, and still felt that feeling of being followed, so she crept through a door to the castle. Just inside the room, she opened a false panel wall and entered a secret passageway, like she''d done dozens, if not a hundred times before. As she descended down into the underground tunnel, she left behind a trap for her pursuer along a rough stone wall at the tunnel''s thinnest part.
? Binding ? ? Rope ?
No way he''ll get around that one. Sera continued through the tunnel until she was underneath the barracks. She scaled the wall and lifted a thatch hatch which screeched as it opened. Fucking Luca didn''t oil it last time! "What was that sound?" a Guard asked. His footsteps drew closer, and the floor creaked beneath him. Sera saw him through small cracks in the false wall, headed right to her.
? Shatter ?
Far away in the opposite direction she was headed, a vase fell to the ground with a loud smash. The Guard mumbled and left to inspect it. Sera unlatched the false wall and entered the hallway, then hung the hidden entryway back up. She sprinted through a corridor that led to the armory. The Ninja-like armor caught her attention immediately, as it always did, but it was too obvious a choice for her. She approached the Samurai armor instead, but still admired it. A mounted katana hung horizontally above it. She reached for the sword first¡ª "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Caught red-handed." Sera spun around, embarrassed, shocked, her blood boiling. "What are you doing, Seraphina?" "Taking the First Step, Luca. What else does it look like?" She took the katana and Samurai armor into her Inventory and walked around in an arc toward the corridor; he followed in the opposite direction, toward the remaining Ninja armor set that originally caught her eye.
[New Quest Available: Step into the Shadows] [New Reward Available for Step into the Shadows: Join the Shinsorai Faction] [Step into the Shadows ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Complete "The First Step into the Shadows"]
"You are too predictable," Luca said. "How''d you get past my trap?" "You mean the same one you always use? It''s tripped me up enough times to know how to get past it." Yeah, literally tripped you up. "So you really are planning on Stepping into the Shadows'' Path tomorrow? This hasn''t all been some fantasy of yours?" Sera stopped at the corridor. The secret passageway lied just around the corner. "Luca, please¡­ Don''t tell Mom and Dad." "They''ve already warned you not to do this," her brother replied. "Too many times to count." "Screw them, and screw the old ways. With respect, of course." Luca laughed. "Naturally. But what about our ancestors? Screw them, too? And their honor?" "I see it as the opposite. Proving my salt in a world of¡ª" "Men," Luca said. "You know women are forbidden to join the Shinsorai. And you know why." "No, I don''t." "What, you expect us to allow foreigners in, next?" Yeah, actually. How do I bribe you¡­ This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Luca, listen¡ª" "Musashi will be there tomorrow himself." Luca''s trying to pause for effect, as if that''d sway me. "You don''t think he''ll see through your little act?" I''m counting on it. Looks like I inherited all the brains, dear brother. "And what about the closing ceremony? You''re supposed to ride on the¡ª" "What do you want, Luca? You know I''ve always valued your¡­discretion." "I hear voices in here!" A Shinsorai Guard marched through the hallway behind Sera. Luca bore a greedy smile. Damn, he''s got me trapped now. Sera hastily pulled down her mask to reveal her face. Two Guards entered the armory. "Hey! Lord Jiro''s sword and armor are gone¡ª" "Takeshi, Kenzo," Sera greeted them. "Oh, it''s just the Raventree heirs," a third Guard said after entering the room. "Why are you two in your father''s study this late?" Study, huh? Everyone looked around at each other suspiciously. "Funny you should ask¡ª" "Please don''t tell my father," Luca interrupted Sera. "I was about to¡­borrow his Shinsorai set. Sera here, she was going to help me train before tomorrow''s events, so I could get a real taste of it all." Sera relaxed her tense shoulders. "I know I can''t do it until next year, but there''s no better time than the present." "Right you are, Sire," Kenzo said. "There''s a heavy weight upon your shoulders, that''s for certain." "Starting out young. You''ll bring honor to us all." Takeshi bowed slightly at Luca. "Hmmm," the third Guard grumbled. Asahi is still suspicious, as always. Gotta find a way to get him off our backs. "I suppose I can wait to tell him until tomorrow. After the ceremonies." "Luca and I will be in your debt. Thank you very much." Asahi grunted in response. Immune to bribes, this one. But he doesn''t want to cross our father. "Well, you two better clear out. Time to get some sleep before tomorrow. You''ll learn more by watching than by playing with Miss Raventree, here." Prick. "Of course, come on Sera." Luca grabbed Sera''s arm and dragged her away. I wonder what this is gonna cost me¡­
PATIENCE
[Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Clean up all loose ends in Marina Veridia who witnessed the Black Sacrament.]
Patience stormed through the wide and crowded streets of Lustris Haven, the nation of Coralith''s capital city. With nearly every stride, he bumped shoulders and shoved people aside. Fucking Gilded Tide Festival, of all days. A waste of time. I should already be there. I hate this city. Everyone around him cheered and drank and reveled together, strangers and friends alike. A lady tried to place a beaded necklace around Patience''s neck¡ªhe ripped it from her hands, and beads scattered all along the cobblestone road. Overhead, The Fleet''s zephyrs floated in the sky and cast a shadow over him. I hate zephyrs. Finally, he marched up the long marble steps to the Harbormasters overly ornate and pristine headquarters, composed of granite and engraved with jewels. Patience pushed open two massive doors made of solid gold. He spat at the entryway. I hate the Harbormasters. Patience strolled through like he owned the place. Guards tried to stop him, but he just flashed his Iron Maiden crest, and, without looking them in the eyes or even a word, they allowed him through each checkpoint through the building. He followed a red carpet all the way to the doors to what the Viktoria family had dubbed the War Room. Patience stopped before the closed doors and took a deep breath. He dusted the common rabble off of his robes, and re-tied his long hair back into a tight bun. But what I hate most of all is begging for help. He heard them laugh on the other side of the doors. "Allow me, Sir¡ª" Pat ignored the Guard and burst into the War Room. At the closer end of a long table that could seat forty, only two men sat. They both turned in their chairs to face Patience with wide and greedy smiles. They already smell the blood. "Thank you, Teacher," the younger man said to the older. "We will resume another time. Greetings, young Maiden. I see you¡­found your own way in." Great, the Viktoria brat. Couldn''t even send Lucius in himself to negotiate? "Lucien. I''m afraid I am short of time, today. As it would seem your father, The Harbormaster, is as well." "You''re in good hands with me." Lucien leaned back in his chair. Nepotistic shit head. Can''t believe they placed him above his siblings. Or cousins. Or fifth-cousins. Or literally anyone else outside, partying on the streets. The other man rose from his seat; Lucien quickly followed suit. "Welcome to the Harbormasters," the older man said. "We''ve been expecting you. I''ve heard whispers of a spectacle in Marina Veridia." How could he have already heard? It just happened yesterday, and there were no survivors¡­ Fucking Alters. "Hello, Mr. Cat," Patience said. "May I call you Mr. Cat?" "Oh, please!" The Alter leaned in to shake Patience''s hand. His green eye was full of malice, but his blue eye seemed to put Patience as ease somehow. "Only my friends call me that. Everyone else calls me by my full name." Are you there, Voice? There was no answer. I hope you''re watching this one. "Lucien Viktoria." Patience nodded slightly at the man-child, but wouldn''t stoop so low as to shake his hand. "Would you please make the introductions¡­?" Let''s see if you are considered the Cat''s friend. Lucien looked from each man to the other, then cleared his throat. Ah, you finally get it. "Pat of the Dunes, allow me to introduce to our outside adviser¡ª" You mean your leader. "Though he certainly needs no introduction¡ªThe Cat of Ninetails." By that grin, the Cat likely saw the point of this little exercise. Perhaps it is better that the Habormaster himself stayed away. "Lucien," Patience said. "Please do not forget the man''s title of Alter, next time. But it begs the question, if the Viktorias aren''t close enough to you to be considered friends, who possibly could be?" Could it be the other Faction you''re rumored to be associated with? "My dear Spider," The Cat of Ninetails'' voice turned thick and harsh, "Lucien is one of my most esteemed pupils. A first-name basis would be inappropriate. I''m sure you wouldn''t address Her Holiness as Ms. Iron, now would you?" "Oh no, never," Pat said. Lucien stifled a laugh. "I''d have a much more colorful moniker." Lucien''s face dropped. "So, back to Marina Veridia," The Cat of Ninetails continued. "What was Wrath like? There was also a rumor of another." "Wrath is strong, fierce, and merciless. Though he can be," Patience glanced at Lucien, "a bit impatient." "And is that something that you lack?" The Cat of Ninetails placed a hand on Lucien''s shoulder. Probably to preemptively shut him up. "Patience, I mean." Fucking Alters. "Certainly not in this moment." Pleasantries are over, boys. Lucien motioned to the table, and the three of them sat down, Patience on the side opposite of Lucien, and the Cat of Ninetails at the head between them. Hm, a buffer and mediator, or the true leader here? Best to play them both. "So, why request an audience with us?" Lucien asked. "Does The Iron Maiden need our help so soon?" "So soon?" The Alter smiled like an actual cat. "It''s a little too late, if you ask me." "I am following up on another¡­thread," Patience said. "Of the Iron Maiden''s will, of course. And I need your help. Two-fold." "Spill it, then. Both of them first, before negotiations." It appears you aren''t a complete idiot, Lucien, kneecapping my leverage like that. "I need ships to sack Shinsora. And I need to find the Desert Mouse." "The Mouse!?" Lucien shouted. Patience''s eye twitched at the disrespect. The Alter watched his protege, flailing in action, in silence. "What would a Spider want with vermin?" Push him to anger. "I''d prefer to speak with the man who knows his whereabouts, not his lapdog." "That''s a poor start to negotiations, especially in a place you lack leverage," Lucien snapped back. "I need the Desert Mouse¡ªif you''d please address him by his proper and full name¡ªfor an extract mission. Speaking of names, you''d do well to address me by my proper title as well, The Spider." The Cat of Ninetails chuckled at the hypocrisy. What, at least I asked you. "Right," Lucien said. "Quite the price tag for that information." "You''d let this fool broker for you?" Patience asked the Alter. "What''s this about Shinsora?" The Cat of Ninetails changed the subject entirely. Doesn''t he care about the Desert Mouse? Bit of a history with those two. "Her eyes are set on the island," Patience said. "Ah, yes, the column of light," the Cat of Ninetails mused. How transparent of me. "So it needs¡­purification?" He implies a Sin. While true, if only you knew the newer stakes for those like me. "I''m afraid I''m not at liberty to say¡ª" "Of course not." Lucien waved a hand through the air. "But you will anyway. You know, the Gilded Tide is ongoing outside as we speak¡ªa wondrous, marvelous spectacle, with live music and dance troupe performances. but¡ªI think I''d actually rather listen to you sing and dance in here, right now." I wonder if the Cat would allow me to kill you in here, right now. He''d have to execute me immediately afterward, but he could stop me from doing it in the first place. But would he? Or would he let it slide? Ah, temptation. "Careful, Lucien, lest you push our guest too far." A glint of light passed by the Alter''s unevenly colored eyes. "Of course. Anyway, if The Iron Maiden has Her sights on it, there must be a Sin." Slow to the punch as always. "Hold your tongue," teacher warned student. The Cat of Ninetails leaned in to Patience. "I''ve heard tales¡ªforgive me, I should say rumors, haunting rumors¡ªthat after Marina Veridia¡­ Well, let''s just say, there could be a Virtue in Shinsora." Fucking info brokers. Let''s play, then. "Rumors spread like wildfire, causing damage to all who touch them." You better watch your back, speaking about Her like that. "I will tell you what lies in Shinsora." Patience paused for Lucien to fall into the trap. The Alter looked at Lucien. Patience understood it was a teaching moment, and wondered if the boy realized it, too. "For a price? Fine." Realize it, he did not. "We will send fourteen ships to Shinsora under some trading guise." The Cat of Ninetails shook his head. Caught your star pupil in my web. Perhaps you should leave politics to the fools, Alter. "Twenty-eight," Patience demanded. "Deal." Patience smiled widely. "You fool," the Alter scolded his student. "What?" Lucien looked at Patience with a deepening frown and narrowed eyes. "A Sin lies in Shinsora." "Yes, we already suspected that, but who¡ªAh. I see." Lucien looked at the Cat of Ninetails. "You could have warned me." "Pain is the best teacher, child. Now, continue negotiations with newly earned wisdom." "So who is it?" Lucien asked. "And who was the other Sin at Marina Veridia?" I may live to regret insulting you one day. I see you improving before my very eyes. You must be so proud, Alter. "I can only disclose one of those, but I will let you choose, in exchange for the Desert Mouse." "It makes the most sense to know who was with Wrath, as we''ll all know who''s in Shinsora soon enough." I retract my last statement. What a fool; no one will ever see her but me. Patience flashed a greedy smile. "That was¡ª"
? Silence ?
"What, Mr. Cat got your tongue?" Patience glared at the Alter restraining him. "While I''d like to allow my pupil the chance to learn from his own mistakes, I have learned from my own. I will not forfeit this information for his education. Who resides in Shinsora?"
? Release ?
Patience cracked his neck, side-to-side. Lucien straightened up in his seat. Forceful Script in a private negotiation, how cowardly. "You may be my teacher, but I am the Harbormaster representative here, with the highest rank. We will talk about this later, Alter." "Highest Rank? Interesting choice of words, boy," the Cat of Ninetails quipped. "We certainly will." "The Desert Mouse first, if you will," Patience said. After that stunt, I don''t trust that you''d tell me. The Alter laughed. "He''s outside Hinomura as we speak. I will arrange a zephyr for you. I know how fond you are of those." How do you know¡­?
[Mouse Trap ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Ask the Harbormasters for the Desert Mouse''s location.]
"Very well." Patience yawned and stretched his arms out wide. When he returned his hands to his lap, he reached under the table. Better drop another eye here, Charlotte. I sense there is much said behind these closed doors with such loose lips. Patience studied Lucien while his Familiar quickly worked. Then, he stood up and walked to the door. "Anything else I should know? Specifically where to find him? Better directions would be nice¡ªtake a left at this dune, a right at the oasis?" "No." A wicked grin spread across the Cat of Ninetails'' face. Lucien eyed his teacher cautiously. Seems the rumors of his alignment with the Assassin''s Guild are true. Perhaps those are your true friends, on a first-name basis, after all. "I''ll assign you an escort to show you the way." Ah, of course. I won''t find him¡ªhe''ll find me. Another of Kazuma''s lambs to the slaughter, it seems. So it goes. Patience continued for the door, waiting for Lucien to react. "What about our end?" Lucien rose from his chair. "Patience, dear boy. You must have Patience. I''ve not left your chambers yet." I just want to get as far away from that Alter as possible before telling him. "You will find Lust in Shinsora. I have word that Wrath and¡ªthe other Sin," Patience winked at Lucien, "are headed there now, too. Rendezvous in five days."
JULES
Overcast skies floated high above them on the open sea. "Phew!" Jules sighed and crashed onto the deck beside his motley crew. "So Lust is in Shinsora, and the island itself is just in sight." "I can''t believe we''ve already encountered three Arcanics," Cyrus said. Three? I only count one. "Are you counting me and Kat in that number!?" Jules asked. "No¡ªuh, yeah, kinda." Katarina glared at Cyrus through half-opened eyes while he scratched his chin like the moron she thought he was. "Uh, Kat, Maddie, and Patience, though we haven''t really met him yet." "You''re counting me but not you''re best friend? Thanks. I feel so included." "No¡ªKat, it''s not like that!" She ripped Cyrus'' shirt that she was Tailoring. "How many times are you gonna do that!?" "One thing''s bugging me still," she said. "Why didn''t Krakenbane do anything about Lust? It feels like a trap is coming, like it''s right before my eyes." "He was likely headed to do something about it," Whiskers said. "But after Coralhaven¡­" Jules looked off at the sunset. "Yep. After Coralhaven." "Time to don our armor and change the sails. Can''t let anyone see our faces, or those crests." Cyrus pointed to the Iron Maiden''s Faction emblem, which took up most of each sail. "It''s super creepy being on The Iron Bitch''s ship," Katarina said, "after watching her control dead men, and the Black Sacrament¡­ What''s the plan for when we land, Jules?" "Search for Lust. We take every lead we can get and follow it to its end. Avoid any and all cultists." "Hey, summon our resident freeloader," Cyrus said. "I wanna ask him something."
? Summon ?
The ghost appeared, stretching and rubbing his eyes. "Kaizen, do you know who the Magi are?" Cyrus asked. Kaizen stopped mid-yawn. "The who¡­? How did you learn that name!?" Ok, that''s weird. Cyrus jerked his thumb to Jules. "This idiot, when he was possessed in Coralhaven, asked Zeke if he''d met the Magi. I asked Davy Jones, and he seemed to have an idea." Everyone, not just Katarina, glared at Kaizen through half-open eyes. They inched closer to him, except Whiskers and Rukia, and cornered him. "And we''re suspecting you must know something, too." "Well now," Kaizen said. "That''s one of those rules¡ªI can''t even say the word you just called them! Uh, yet." "Riiiiiight. So what''ll happen, exactly, if you break that rule?" Katarina cracked her knuckles, Jules his neck, and Cyrus his back. "Uh¡­ We can find out. If you''d like." Jules, Cyrus, and Katarina all collapsed to the ground, completely defeated by the ghost. Damn, he called our bluff. "How''s your Seal, Jules?" Kaizen asked. "That heptagram''s still filling in?" Changing the subject already. Guess it really can''t be helped. Yet. "It''s not filled black anymore, but it''s still there. And my Seal is lit up red now." "Hey, guys¡­" Katarina showed them her Seal, which was also outlined in a heptagram, with green lines outlining her numeral for 1. "Is that because of the damage you took from Felix?" Jules asked. "I don''t know. That wound has barely healed, and I don''t think it''s going to ever fully recover, even with Regeneration. But I didn''t notice my Seal changing before then." "One thing''s for sure," Whiskers said, "we need to find a way to cure this curse of hers, not to mention her eye." "Damn cat¡ªquiet!" Katarina rubbed her eye, or the Vessel that had replaced it. "It''s getting better. It''s almost fully taken. Don''t worry about me." "Riiiiight," Cyrus said. "OK. I''ll let you come to terms with it first. I give it three more days." I''ll change the topic for you. "We need to start focusing on our Classes now, even while looking for Lust. I''m glad we focused on Skills first, though. We got the chance to Level a ton into the 30s and 20s. Our Ryoku is insane for 1st Ranks." "Speak for yourselves." Cyrus kicked his legs out and and rested his hands behind his head. "You all need to reach 2nd Rank, ASAP. Then maybe you can be as strong as me¡ªI mean, I''m at two times Kat''s Ryoku pool." "Maybe you want to die today." "Yeah, Kat and I need to pick up fifth Skills. We''ve really got our fourth ones lined up." "Not to mention we can join Factions now," Cyrus said. "I''ll be up in the Etherealist''s business in no time!" "I don''t think they let idiots sign up." "Come on, Kat¡ªIt''s fun to dream!" Jules said. "We know you want to join the Forgers. And I''ve always wanted to join the Shinsorai and the Arcanians." "In your dreams," Whiskers added. "None of you will ever join those Factions." "Stuff it!" "Can it!" "Freaking buzzkill!" "Cats suck, foxes rules!" "Who let this sourpuss on our ship!" Whiskers'' eyes twitched. "Crafting. I''ve said this a dozen times. You all are going to be out on your own as outlaws for a long time, and you need to rely on each other to craft equipment and improve it."
[Bounty Increased by ?4,200,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?5,670,890.] [Rukia''s Bounty Increased by ?500,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?1,000,000.] [Katarina''s Bounty Increased by ?1,000,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?2,250,000.] [Whiskers'' Bounty Increased by ?500,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?750,000.] [Cyrus'' Bounty Increased by ?100,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?155,900.]
"Ohhhh shit," they all collectively said, though Cyrus seemed more pissed off than concerned. Ch 102 - Step into the Shadows
SERAPHINA
The sun''s rays peeked beyond the eastern horizon, out from the nation of Coralith. Soon it would rise and cast shadows over all of Shinsora¡ªand then, the ceremony would begin. A massive crowd had already gathered and lined the beautiful streets. Every vendor had already opened shop. People all around wore oni and fox masks and met up with friends and loved one under blooming cherry blossom trees. The rush of excitement filled the air, alongside the eminent threat of death, as dozens of men wouldn''t make it past morning.
[Pang! Heavy Armor increased to Level 10.]
Her heavy armor set, or rather her father''s armor, clanked against itself as she walked down the street. Salvos himself knows I hate Heavy Armor. I''d much rather have Odessa''s Ninja armor, but Father is a Samurai, so what can a girl do? She marched up to the Clerk''s table and cleared her throat as gutturally as she could manage. The man glanced at her up and down, then straightened up. Sera had done her best to cover any traces of the armor belonging to Lord Jiro, but she couldn''t hide how well-made it looked. At worst, she''d look like the son of some high-level noble. "Welcome, Son," the Clerk said. She winced under her helmet. "Sign on this line, certifying that you are willing to die for the honor of our city-state and your family''s." Sweet Salvos. This is stupid. I''m so stupid. This is too risky; this is¡ª A cold wave swept through her and froze her to the bone. A chill ran through her spine as terror gripped her, and she saw a similar effect on the Clerk''s face. His eyes widened, though his face didn''t move elsewhere. Slowly, inch-by-inch, Sera turned around. She knew it was him, by the effect he''d had on her, and everyone else she saw was frozen in their tracks as well. The man strolled through the sign-up camp and wore simple Samurai armor and five swords. One katana and wakizashi on each hip four a total of four, and a fifth massive odachi strapped to his back. Sera and the man stared each other down through face-concealing helmets¡ªhers, a typical Samurai mask that revealed only her eyes, and his, a contorted demon mask that covered up his entire face. She drew one deep breath. Hello, Musashi. Musashi finally averted his gaze and appeared to look over her shoulder. Sera turned back to the paralyzed Clerk. She grunted at him, not daring to speak, and signed her name in blood to participate in the ceremony. Another man at her side did the same, in lock step. Hm, this Samurai is the only other person besides me that can still move in Musashi''s presence. Hopefully I won''t have to duel him at the end¡­ "Ninja over there. Samurai over there," Musashi ordered. His voice could have carried across the entire island. "Demonstrate your Skills with honor. Those accepted into this year''s regiment will move on to Final Examinations, and those denied will be sent home with heads held high¡ªand still attached to their shoulders¡ªto return each year until they qualify for Final Examinations. Begin!" Holy fucking shit. Today I become a Shinsorai. Sera walked over to her group. "The fuck''re you doing?" the Recruiter demanded. "Samurai over there." Shit. Sera cleared her throat again and lowered her voice. "I am a Ninja, but this is my family''s most honorable armor, and they wished for me to wear it despite my¡­deviation from tradition." As in¡ª "You mean a Ninja from a Samurai household?" Uh, no, not quite. "Yeah, sure. I mean¡ªYes, Sir!" "Right you are, and more power to you. Damn Samurai are nothing without the Ninja. Nothing! The name''s Daiki, now, Smoke Runes, over there. Keep it close to you and don''t interfere with the others. Go." Sera walked over to a maze set up for the day. Other participants entered, and some exited. "Next!"
? Smoke ? ? Sight ?
A dark smog concealed Sera, and she entered the maze. She kept it close to herself and used her Sight Rune to see through it, until she exited the maze. A few others failed, as their smoke bled through the walls, or they got lost in the maze due to their own smoke. Getting sent home already? A shame. "Doppelgangers. Go!"
? Multiply ?
A few dozen Sera copycats split from her real body. Recruiter Daiki walked over, drew his bow, and knocked an arrow. "Tend to the chores we''ve assigned, and dodged these." His eyes glowed and he aimed at her¡ªand not her doppelgangers¡ªand shot an arrow. Sera dodged it, while her copies attended to basic tasks, like cooking and sharpening blades. The trial went on for ten minutes until an idea sparked. This isn''t an endurance test¡­
? Multiply ?
Another batch of doppelgangers erupted from Sera. She had all of them mosh together, alongside an original batch copycat that was making a potion.
? Dissolve ?
The newest batch of doppelgangers receded back into her body, and Recruiter Daiki shot an arrow at her. The arrow went clear through the illusion, and the real Sera waved from the alembic. "Passed! Move on down the line to Invisibility," Daiki said. Next, she was charged with wading through a pool of of water while masking herself. Before she went, she witnessed a few contestants get shot with arrows, failing their task. Invisibility doesn''t get rid of the missing water a body displaces¡­ Next in line, she uttered a few Runes and dove into the water.
? Smoke ? ? Sight ? ? Multiply ? ? Conceal ?
Before she struck the water, a cloud of smoke surrounded her. When she entered the pool, doppelgangers split from her body, and each one turned invisible and raced to the other side. Arrows pierced all around her, but she escaped to the other side unharmed. "Passed! Your next assignment is to pickpocket something from a family member who has come to watch you." Crap, I don''t know if any of them are even here. The other recruits who had passed their latest test dashed away and disappeared. Won''t be left in the dust! Sera disappeared as well and searched around for some time, desperate to find any relative, until she finally found one sitting under a cherry blossom tree, in disguise. Oh Salvos, of course she''s the only one to come. Well, better show her how good of a teacher she is. Hidden by a Concealment Rune, Sera reached inside a pocket and grabbed a dagger¡ªbut Odessa gripped her wrist. "And what in Salvos'' name do you think you''re doing, my dear Sera?" Just like that, Odessa''s dagger was back in her hand. "Finishing what you started six decades ago." Sera swiped it back. "Pah! I tainted the family name." Odessa smacked Sera''s face with a newspaper. When Sera looked down, the newspaper had replaced the dagger in her hands. "But you will ruin it." "I think you and I both know I already have." Sera swiped a jade hair pin from Odessa''s hair. "Oh no, dear. Not that. Never that. That is something out of your control, versus what is." Odessa wrenched Sera''s hand behind her back and took her pin. "Such as throwing your resentment and angst into the face of the culture that raised you."
? Entrap ?
"I''m shocked to hear you say that." Sera''s hands dragged up to their opposite shoulders. Straight jacket''s a new technique. Think I''ll steal it. "Not as shocked as I am to see you here, today, my dear." So you knew? "Dammit, Luca." Ah, her face. She didn''t know, and I just gave that away. Sorry, Luca¡­ "That''ll be another enticing conversation for me today," Odessa said. "I tell you¡ªold age is still full of misadventure." Sera broke through the Script and swiped the dagger again. "Why don''t you support me¡ª" Odessa repeated her Script, and this time Sera''s legs locked up, as well. "My dear, I only sought to break some traditions. Not all of them. The honor of permission is still near and dear to my heart. Like you are." You can''t mean¡­ Sera broke the Script again, though she could tell Odessa allowed her to this time. They''d garnered quite the crowd by now, and even so, Sera knelt before her and touched her helmet to the ground. "I am sorry, Elder. Do I have your permission to honor our family and take The First Step?" Odessa waved her hand around. "Of course, child. But only if you can take back my dagger¡ª" "You mean this one?" Sera held it up. "You let your guard down, Grandmother." Odessa''s eyes grew wide. She swiped the air, but Sera had already slipped into the shadows. From afar, she saw the pride in her grandmother''s eyes. Sera returned to Recruiter Daiki and handed him the dagger. "This crest." The Recruiter smacked his lips and glared at her. "I know you." Her heart skipped a beat. Do I threaten him back? "Say one word and¡ª" "What? Cause a scene, and disgrace your family? Is that what you were going to say? Well, I''d have a formidable opponent in your father for the rest of my life. No¡­ No. I think I''ll allow you to move on to the Final Examination, so you may die here, and prove yourself, and your little cause, wrong." You son of a bitch. "What are the odds that I get to duel you later this morning?" "Move on to close quarters combat. Don''t fuck it up. You''ve already passed."
PATIENCE
Patience gazed down from on high, as was his right. Despite its towering and jagged spires, the city lied far below them. Dunes shifted all around it, causing markets to disappear and reappear elsewhere, every day. Always a hassle, but how I have missed the desert. "Fucking savages," the man next to him said. Patience stared blankly at the man the Cat of Ninetails had sent as an escort. "What ignorance makes you think this way?" Patience demanded. The man stuttered and couldn''t form a coherent string of words. "No one can protect you from the desert. It claims all that it sets its eyes on. You''d do well to remember that." The man grunted. "Well, fuck Hinomura, fuck the Nomads, and fuck The Nomad, far as I''m concerned." "Yes, there you go. You found your words again, if not mostly just one." "Don''t forget, Spider. You may work for the Maiden, but I work for the Cat of¡ª" "Pilot, please lower us directly into the city." "W-What!? I thought we were going past The Verdant Domain, to Obsidia!?"
? Silence ?
The man''s voice once again evaded him. Minutes later, Patience stepped out of the zephyr onto the sand, which also whipped about in the air. Completely ignoring the growing crowd, he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply through his nose. The dry air almost instantly relieved him of some congestion he''d gained during his last two stops, Lustris Haven and Marina Veridia. It feels so good to be back. "Ain''t seen a zephyr in decades," a man, much too close to Patience, said. I''m sure you haven''t. Not since the 16th War, anyway. A hundred men and women had already gathered around in a tight arc that grew by the second. "I assure you, I loathe zephyrs more than you do." Patience snapped his fingers over a shoulder. The pilot and his crew dragged out a chained man and tossed him into the sand face-first. He thrashed about, coughed, and inhaled more sand with every breath. Patience grabbed the end of the chain and dragged the man to the crowd, carving a thin trail that receded away like the dunes. "The Spider arrives with a gift. Tell the Desert Mouse that I will be waiting for him in the outskirts." "I wish you would stay silent, you insufferable fool." The man thrashed about in the sand, seemingly desperate to tell Patience something of the utmost importance. "Fine, you may speak. But if I don''t like what you have to say, I''ll actually take your tongue out." The man gasped when the Script was rescinded. "He''s¡ªHe''ll kill us both! Any sign of an Elementalist, and the Nomads are supposed to kill on sight!" "Yes. I believe that''s the point." The man went silent again and stared into Patience''s cold eyes. "Good, you understand. Now, you may work for the Cat of Ninetails¡­" Patience glanced around. Swords appeared all around, as Nomads rose from the dunes. "¡­But I work for myself." "You fucking bastard, you soulless, lifeless bastard¡­" Don''t cry. Not yet. We aren''t to the fun part. "My, my," Patience continued. "I see sheep everywhere, but no mouse. Why do you hide from your dearest, oldest friend?" Patience felt it before he saw it. He spun around, drew his rapier, and parried the scimitar''s slash. The force of the redirected attack removed the imprisoned Elementalist''s arm from his shoulder. Patience and assailant looked into each other''s eyes for what felt like an eternity, before gravity pulled the man down to the sand. "Straight to your Vessel, I see," Patience said. He studied its wielder, who had changed little in the past few years. Still wears the cloth robes and mask like the rest. But more colorful, in your own way. Black hair still much shorter than mine, though you are certainly trying to catch up to me, as always. A few new trinkets added to your collection. Eyes are still amber; a good sign given your preferred company. And what''s this, another¡ªOh Salvos, man would you shut the fuck up?
? Silence ?
The writhing Elementalist quieted down again. "You''ve improved. A few years ago, that would have killed you." "I am Pat of the Dunes, after all." "I''m all too familiar." Patience winced at the word. "So the Cat brings a rat to my doorstep." How perceptive of you. "Friends¡ªThat what we are now?" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "I prefer rivals, if you insist on accuracy." Patience looked at the severed arm. "Which I see has grown dull." The assailant sheathed his sword, and the other Nomads followed. "I prefer sworn enemies, of the blood feud type, given your present company." "Please. We''ve had quite the few misadventures together. Thought we would have built more trust than a sneak attack." "After you stabbed me in the back all those years ago? Lucky wisdom guided me, and not revenge." He looked at the Elementalist, who slowly kicked himself around in a circle of sandy blood. Or is that bloody sand? "To what do I owe this displeasure?" "I have a contract¡ª" "Ah, fuck off! I know who your employer is. She garners no sympathy in the desert. Men¡ª" "I am on my way to becoming a free agent. After Marina Veridia, the tides have changed." The swirling wind halted, and the sand dunes quit shifting around. "No waves here. Nor riptides, in my world at least¡ªyou know, the one you abandoned?. Now you and yours¡­" Patience remained silent. "I always knew That Bitch was up to something else, using Sins as pawns in a larger game." "She was always a stepping stone for a higher calling," Patience said. The Elementalist arched his back, further than it should be able to, and tried to drown himself in the sand. "Fuck''s sake¡­"
? Heal ?
"The fearsome Desert Mouse strikes again. I didn''t know mercy was in your playbook." "Mercy by itself is not. Mercy killings, on the other hand¡­" The Desert Mouse approached the fallen Elementalist. Patience stepped between them. "Hold fast, Jafar of the Ishida Clan." "Left that name behind a loooong time ago, but you already knew that. It''s Jafar of the Nomadic Clans, now." You''d claim all of them? How fitting. "I see the pleasantries are over, so I''ll get straight to it. Wrath is a wildcard that must be snuffed out." "The hell do I care what Wrath does? He''s never come to the desert." We''ve already caught him in our web, Charlotte. "He is on his way to rendezvous with one of Kazuma''s agents, tucked away deep within the Shinsorai." Jafar glared at him. I have your attention, now. The Nomads lowered their weapons, just slightly. "The 17th War is coming, Jafar. Will you turn a blind eye, or snuff it out before it starts?" "Speak, since you''re dying to get to the bloody point." Impatient ass. "Wrath seeks to open his Seal." Time for the final thread. "If he does, and he goes unchecked, then your side will stand no chance." A greedy smile spread across Jafar''s lips. Caught you. Now wrap him up tight, Charlotte. "All that power. Be a shame if someone else got ahold of it." Precisely. "Which is why I need you to help me kidnap the girl, and lure Wrath to the right spot. Our mutual acquaintance will take care of the rest." "I know loyalty''s not your thing, so I have to ask¡ªthis girl, she like you?" "She most certainly is not. When Wrath has opened his Seal, and fallen into our custody, you may have the girl, but not until then." "I''d rather have something else, though I''ll certainly take all I can get." I bet you will. Jafar pressed his foot to the Elementalist and rolled him onto his back. "Bet the girl will know more than you." "So, do you agree?" "One last thing that bothers me. Doesn''t sound like you''re a free agent, yet. I must be missing something." Foolish of me. You saw through that piece. "Once Wrath has opened his Seal, I will be free to dispose of any and all loose threads." Jafar rolled his head all around. I despise the way he mulls things over. "Will this girl lead me to Kazuma directly?" "There''s only one way to find out." "Ha! Fuck you, Pat." Jafar spat off to the side. "Men, take this fool prisoner." What!? Where did I fail? The Nomads gathered around the Elementalist and dragged him away. Relief filled Patience. You enjoyed watching me squirm there, didn''t you? Jafar approached Patience and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into close to his face. "So when do we take flight? Ya know, I''ve always wanted to ride in a zephyr." "Are any of your friends coming with you?" "Oh, just one¡­"
[Mouse Trap ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Hire the Desert Mouse.] [Mouse Trap ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Capture Wrath with the help of the Desert Mouse.]
JULES
The sun had just risen, and the streets of Shinsora were more alive than Jules ever knew a city could be. People greeted each other left and right. They''d bow slightly, exchange gifts, smile and compliment each other, then stroll down the streets, arm-in-arm. Everyone and everything was so clean and well put together. It was the most immaculate city Jules had ever seen¡ªit expanded way past what he ever dreamed possible of a society. People would even nod at incoming traffic and get out of their way, no matter how big or small someone was, hold old or how young. And everyone was quiet, so quiet, no one yelled or got rowdy, despite whatever festival was about to start Holy cow. Holy crap. Holy Salvos Himself¡ªEverything here is so¡­clean! "Julisha, you''re walkin'' too slow!" Katarina turned around and smacked his wide open jaw. "Hurry up¡ªwe need to go this way!" Cyrus, face consumed by a map, pointed out into the crowd, and a man had to duck under his extended arm. "No, you moron, the plaza is this way!" Katarina yanked Jules and they bumped into a young couple. "But the biggest bar on the island is over here!" People stared at them in horror as they passed by. "You and Whiskers got drunk enough last night!" This time, people actually stopped in their tracks to stare. "Oh my Salvos¡ªyou guys!" Jules ran through the crowd over to a banner. "Today is the Shinsorai''s annual tradition of The Shadow''s Path!" "The what?" "Who cares!?" "New Shinsorai recruits are going to take The First Step into the Shadows today!"
[New Quest Available: Step into the Shadows] [New Reward Available for Step into the Shadows: Join the Shinsorai Faction.] [Step into the Shadows ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Complete ¡°The First Step into the Shadows¡±]
"Uh huh." Cyrus put his hand to his chin. "I need to find an Etherealist outpost. They could be connected!" Oh yeah, you get it. "How are they connected, dammit!?" Katarina shouted. "We need to focus on our mission, our sole mission, remember?" We need to get off the streets, Whiskers thought to Jules, Katarina, and Rukia¡ªbut not Cyrus. We are causing quite the scene. Jules sensed Whiskers feeling self-conscious about his three tails. Get me outta this fucking backpack right now!!!! "Cyrus, we''re getting some privacy." Jules yanked him away by the collar, and everyone stopped to stare at them as they shuffled through the crowd. "We need to go this way¡ª" "No, I''m right!" "No I am!" "No, I am!" "No, me!" "GET BACK IN THE BACKPACK RUKIA!" "If we can''t agree," Jules said, "then why don''t we just split up?" "Fine!" "Fine!" "Fine!" "I hate you and this stupid backpack!" Katarina stormed off with Whiskers close behind. "Cy, take the fox," Jules said. "What?" Cyrus demanded. "What!?! Are you serious, Jules!? You''d abandon me??" Rukia whined. "I''ve got something I need to do on my own." Jules pet her head gently. "Oh, OK, well in that case, have fun, Julesie!" "Don''t look at me like that, Cy. As if you aren''t." "Fair point. Be safe." Cyrus grabbed the backpack and walked away. Jules walked through the aisles of a store and mumbled to himself. "Tell me to be safe? Me? I''m the strongest on the team!" The shop owner looked at him like he was crazy. "What? I''d like to buy all this Shinsorai¡ªuh¡ªmemorabilia, please." "Right," the shopkeep said. "Think you''ll sign up for The Shadows? Not the first, I''ll tell you that. I''m not supposed to sell gaidjinns this stuff today. Too many sneak in and¡ª" "What''d you just call me!? And of course I''m gonna go try out." "Sorry, you''d have a better chance of finding the Tree of Wishes, kid. No sale." "¡­I''ll triple your price." "Quintuple." "Quadruple." "Deal." Worth it. Jules ran into an empty alleyway and changed into his newest set of armor and equipped the Shinsorai katana. His new helm masked his face and just let his eyes peek through so he could remain incognito. He wound his way through town until he reached a sign up table. "Hey, I''d like to sign up." A cold wind rushed by that froze Jules'' heart. A heavy pressure, thick with seemingly limitless Ryoku, weighed down on him. He looked up from the Clerk and saw the Alter¡ªMusashi¡ªand admired him. Alters everywhere I go, I swear. I hope Cy stay clear of here¡­ He turned back around to the Clerk and noticed he was still frozen. The person to his left turned around and signed their name and shoved it in the Clerks'' face. Hm, looks like you''re the only other one who can move. Better look out for you. "Welcome to the elite Samurai division of the Shinsorai. Today, we will determine your basic level of competency in Katanas, Archery, and Earth magic. Those of you accepted will move on to the Final Examination, also known as the Death Match¡ª" Uh, what?!? "¡ªAnd those of you who fail will be conscripted by the Binding Vow you just signed to show up again next year, after extensive training. It is not a dishonor, so think nothing of it. You have already dedicated your lives to the Shinsorai, and will meet an honorable death, regardless." How did I miss that part!? With no time to think, the Recruiters corralled Jules into a training ground with other green recruits to showcase their Skills with katanas. First was a single-wielded blade with a shield, for safety reasons. Why does safety matter again, if we have to kill each other later!? A smaller recruit approached Jules, and with a single strike, Jules crushed his shield to bits. He looked around and noticed that no one else around him would be much better. "Hey, where are the higher Ranked guys?" Jules asked his Recruiter, who jerked his head over to the sidelines. "Nobles''re over there. And if you had to ask, you ain''t one. Continue with this lot." Jules grumbled to himself and stormed off. Next was a single-wielded sword, one-handed and without shields, and Jules disarmed his opponents one after the other. This is not what I imagined¡­ They moved on to two-handing single-wielded swords, but all the other recruits cowered away from him. The Recruiter growled at them all and picked up a dull blade to spar him. They parried and deflected each other''s strikes, neither one able to land a blow. "Now this is what I''m talking about!" Jules exclaimed. "You can move on to the Nobles. I like what I see, you could show great promise with some structured training. Name''s Recuiter Aki." "Thank you¡ªI truly appre¡ª" "Ha! Don''t thank me yet. Them lads won''t be happy to see you, but the Shinsorai as a whole will be. Now, hustle!" Jules hauled ass over to the Nobles, who all tilted their heads at him upon his arrival. Looks like they''re dual-wielding, and I only have one sword¡­
? Summon ? ? Sword ?
Jules conjured a purple, ethereal sword in his left hand. The surrounding recruits balked, shook their heads, and continued sparring with themselves. Jules noticed Recruiter Aki run his hand down his face, likely in embarrassment. Sorry man, didn''t mean to catch you flak. Guess summoning weapons is faux pas here. Jules dropped his weapon to the ground, and it evaporated away. He picked up another sword from a stand and walked up to two recruits who''d just finished their sparring. "Anyone wanna go again?" "Let''s see what you''ve got, Prole." Gaidjinn and Prole? At least it''s not demon or Sin¡­ Jules blocked one strike, then the second, but the third connected to his abs. Before they could erupt, he felt sparks ignite around his eyes, and concentrated to contain them¡ªand was promptly struck a second time in the shoulder. Pissed off, he dropped both swords and grabbed both man''s blades on his next attack with just his gauntlets on, then wrenched them from his opponent''s hands. "Dishonorable." "I''m not used to fighting with two swords." "It''s not my fault you didn''t study the curriculum." Hm, that would have been nice. "Let''s see how you fare at Archery." The boys gathered around Jules at the firing range, and one of them handed him a Shinsorai bow. He thought he heard some stifled laughter in the back of the pack. Yeah, I''m too smart for this. It''s probably broken or sabotaged. Jules tossed the bow to the ground and summoned his own bow, then shot the bullseye, shot after shot, splitting his own ethereal arrows. He noted all the boys looking at each other as he walked away to the Earth magic staging area, where he has to form columns, walls, spikes, and tiny ornate monuments in Shinsorai architectural design. Only the last task tripped him up. Yeah, screw this, too. I just wanna fight with swords, man.
? ? Stoned Flesh ? ?
Jules whipped around to witness a Scroll he''d never heard of before. One of the recruits armor was now covered in chunks of levitating rocks and clumps of earth that intercepted arrows shot at him. He rushed over to the boy. "Hey, can I learn that?" "Uh, sure, but why haven''t you already learned this one?" Oh, must be part of that curriculum. "I just like to smash things with swords. I spent my time Leveling Up Blades and Hand-to-Hand." They got to work, and within a few minutes, Jules became proficient with the Script. "You''re clearly not a Noble, but your Skills are impressive. Where did you train?" "Who cares where some Prole trained?" Another recruit approached them, eyes and tattoos aglow. Great.
? ? Vines of the Earth, Ensnare ? ?
Vines ripped out from the ground and surrounding trees. They laced over Jules'' body and trapped each of his limbs to himself, and one even curled around his throat. Adrenaline flooded his veins; he reached up to the vines around his neck¡ª THUMP-THUMP. Jules was back in the Coralhaven Shrine, fighting the Leshen, or at least his mind was. His eyes ignited into yellow flames, and he spun around with his flaming sword and slashed them all away. The recruits crashed to the ground several feet away, some on fire, even the boy who''d taught Jules his new Scroll. "What in the hell is going on over here!?" Recruiter Aki demanded. Still triggered, Jules thought about striking the man down, but he focused on regaining his composure, and the flames died down. "Seems you have quite the new blood here, Aki," said another Recruiter that approached them. "I have just the recruit for him to duel." Recruiter Aki stared at the newcomer, then lifted his chin and smiled. "Ah, yes, I see, Daiki." He directed his attention to Jules again. "You have Passed. Move on to the podium." Really don''t want to fight anyone to the death. I need to find a way out of this situation¡­ Coerced by the surrounding Recruiters, crowd, other fresh recruits, Musashi himself, and his newest opponent, Jules climbed up onto the circular fighting platform. A grid system spread across its surface, and Jules wondered how that could help him fight. His opponent also took the stage, wearing similar armor to himself. "Thought I was supposed to fight Ninja?" Jules asked his Recruiter, Aki. "Oh, they are," Daiki replied in Aki''s stead. They? "Lord Musashi," Aki bellowed to both the Alter and the crowd, "we now have our first Final Examination bout. Now, duel to the death!!" "Hey," Jules said, "killing''s not really my thing. I can just quit now." Jules scanned everyone in the crowd; they all stared at him with blank, confused, and occasionally, very judgmental expressions. "Then why''d you sign up¡­ No, forget it." Aki snapped at one of the Samurai nearby. "Set up the barrier!"
? ? Stone Barrier ? ? ? ? Ryoku Shield ? ? ? ? Step into the Shadows ? ?
A cage made of stone encased the small arena, trapping Jules inside with his Ninja opponent. Iron spikes protruded at each intersecting lattice of stone, and Ryoku Shield encapsulated the cage''s exterior. Oh, shit. How do I get out of this!? And what was up with that Shadow Script? The Ninja disappeared, and dagger pierced its way through the back of Jules'' armor, near a kidney. Jules spun an elbow around and knocked them to the ground. Damn, can''t take him lightly.
? Multiply ?
A dozen or so Ninja ruptured out from Jules'' opponent and filled their cage.
? Summon ? ? Arrows ?
Jules blasted arrows from his palms at every doppelganger, hoping to strike the real target. One must have landed, because they all turned invisible with another of the Ninja''s Scripts. Jules closed his eyes and focused on their footsteps, blocking dagger strike after dagger strike. He bumped into an iron spike at the edge of the cage, and, in his lost focus, heard a whirling sound hone in on him¡ª "AHH!!" Jules dropped to one knee and ripped out the shuriken from his side.
? Reveal ?
A blinding light, courtesy of Cyrus'' instruction, revealed Jules'' opponent again. No more doppelgangers, thank Salvos. Finish this in one blow, just strike their shoulder¡ª Jules crouched down and leapt to the Ninja and struck their shoulder, but they deflected with one dagger and cracked the blade with another. In pure frustration, Jules threw his ruined sword to the ground, and it shattered. "Piece of shit! Worse than Siren''s Cove steel!" He rushed in to fight the Ninja with his Hand-to-Hand Skill. Can''t use too much Ryoku on offense and kill him, so focus on defense so my Regeneration doesn''t show. Not a single strike hit its mark, and Jules felt like he was constantly behind the Ninja''s movement. He''s definitely not more Skilled in this type of combat. Illusion magic, then? I feel like I''m lagging behind. "Hey," Jules said. "What''s your name?" They never responded, not even to taunt when they slipped past Jules'' kicks and punches. "Ah, screw this."
? Summon ? ? Sword ?
Jules summoned two katana and threw one to the Ninja. They caught it and tilted their head. "Like that trick? Conjuration is my highest Skill, and your sword will last longer than mine, I promise you that." The Ninja looked at the sword again, then at Jules. "What? You''re wearing that armor, you must know how to wield it. Come on, I don''t like all the illusions and smoke and mirrors. Let''s fight with blades." The Ninja, dressed in Samurai armor, sheathed their katana in a sash belt and crouched low. Hey¡ªNow we''re talking! Hushed whispers spread throughout the crowd, and Jules turned his head slightly to hear what they had to say. Guess that''s another thing I screwed up¡ª The Ninja launched at him and ripped the katana from its sash. Time slowed down for Jules. In one swift movement, he blocked the strike, twirled his blade around to disarm them, and pushed his blade to their throat. Check-mate. "Before my world goes to hell, what is your name?" she asked. Wait¡ªShe!? That''s definitely a woman''s voice! Jules froze, and he looked her straight in her eyes, through their helmets. He pushed her away and withdrew both his conjured swords, which evaporated away to mist. "I yield. I''d really like to quit. In fact, I''m not even¡ª" "Silence!" Jules felt a chill to the bone. Just like when he''d signed up with the Clerk earlier that morning, everyone around froze in Musashi''s heavy presence. Although he hadn''t spoken the words in Sylvan and invoked a Script, his words had the same effect as if he had. "You are both strong warriors," Musashi continued. "However, neither of you are a proper fit for the Shinsorai. Should you accept, I will relieve you of both your duty and Binding Vows to our Faction. Should you refuse, I will enter the arena¡ª" "Deal!" Jules shouted. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You should take it, too." The woman glared at Musashi, sitting up on high, watching the ceremony unfold. Musashi raised a hand, and the barrier vanished. The Ninja knelt on one knee, bowed at the Alter, and then ran off into the crowd and disappeared. "We shall delay the remainder of the Shadow''s Path." Musashi rose from his chair, which looked more like a throne to Jules. "Lords, Quartermasters, Recruiters¡ªto my chambers immediately." Musashi walked off toward the towering castle. Everyone eyed Jules and backed away from him. He heard more whispers in the crowd. "Bad omen." "Fight must be coming." "Could it mean war?" Jules fled the arena. He sprinted as fast as he could, until the crowd began to thin out on the streets, and changed his abandoned armor in an alleyway back to his normal clothes. When he was finished, he stared at the Shinsorai armor, scattered all over the wet cobblestone. Another dream crushed. I guess it can''t be helped.
[Step into the Shadows ¡ª Quest Objective FAILED: Complete ¡°The First Step into the Shadows.¡±] [Step into the Shadows ¡ª QUEST FAILED]
Jules closed his eyes and reached out with his mind until he found them. Of course that''s where they''d be¡­ Sweet Salvos save us all. He arrived at the pub, out of breath, and found Cyrus, Katarina, Whiskers, and even Rukia¡ªshe was tucked away, hidden in a corner of the booth¡ªdrinking their fill of ale. "Why are you out of breath?" Katarina placed her hand on an empty glass, presumably for Jules, and slowly dragged it away from him and to herself. "And why are your pants on backward?" Whiskers lapped up some foam, unable to tilt up his glass. "What''d you just do?" Cyrus lowered his mug and revealed a foam mustache. "Why''d you break that Binding Vow?" Rukia asked. "HE WHAT!?" the other three demanded. Jules hushed them and looked around. A young woman drank alone nearby, the only other patron in the pub. Jules glanced back over at her¡ªfor some reason she really caught his attention¡ªthen back to his friends. Katarina was visibly twitching now, about to explode. "Jules, what did you just do?" "So, uh¡­" Ch 103 - Dine N Dash...Again
JULES
"Well, uh, you see, it all just happened so fast¡ª" "Shut up and tell me!" Katarina yelled. How can I if you keep interrupting me, Kat?? "I tried out for the Shinsorai," Jules whispered so the other patron couldn''t hear. "You''re not even Shinsorii!" Katarina shouted. "Foolish," Whiskers said in a hushed voice. "Pretty dumb, man." Cyrus licked his own foam mustache. "Didja win!?" Rukia asked. The woman nearby perked up and looked over her shoulder. Jules shoved Rukia''s head down low beneath the table. Whiskers looked at the ceiling and meowed. The woman rose from her bench and approached them. Jules whistled and looked outside; the clouds started to clear out and allow the sunlight in again. "Excuse me," she said. "Did I just hear that you took The First Step into the Shadows today?" Ah crap. Kat''s loud mouth getting us in trouble again¡ªAnd get your hand off that hilt! Katarina laced her fingers around her dagger, just in case. "Yeah, I did," Jules said. "It definitely seems like I shouldn''t have, but I guess I couldn''t help myself. I''ve always wanted to join¡ªAh, forget it." "You couldn''t help yourself, huh?" A raven landed on a tree branch nearby that entered the pub through the open-air style windows, and the newcomer gazed at it for some time. "Sounds a lot like someone I know." Wait, that voice¡­ "You wouldn''t happen to know any Illusion Scripts, would you?" Jules asked. "What, like the Multiply and Conceal Runes?" Their eyes narrowed as they stared at each other. Cyrus looked back and forth between them. "Illusion''s my strong suit." "Shinsorai magic''s not for me. Though I did just learn a Stone Flesh Scroll." "What''s your name?" they both asked. They looked down, then away. Then they both pointed at the other and shouted, "You!!" "I almost killed you!" Yeah right. "I yielded and gave you mercy!" Katarina and Cyrus stood up, ready to fight. Whiskers leapt outside the window, and Rukia fell to the ground beneath the table. The raven bounced along the branch closer to them all and tilted its head. "So you entered a death match?" Cyrus asked. "I suppose you did yield." Jules and their new acquaintance smiled at each other, and the others calmed down. "And I thank you. More than you could know. My name''s Seraphina, but you can call me Sera." Outside, a faint whistling sound grew louder, until it morphed into the whirring noise of engines. Jules had never heard it before, but had read all about them, and knew what it was immediately. Why would one be out here? All captured by its calling, everyone went outside, except Rukia, who thankfully climbed back into Jules'' backpack and zipped it shut with wide, nervous eyes. Through the latticework of the pagoda overhang, the zephyr floated into view. "Wow!" "So cool!" "It''s alright." "Looks like the Maidens are hounding us after Marina Veridia," the woman said. "Come again?" "You haven''t heard about Marina Veridia, and Wrath?" Her eyes narrowed. "They''re saying he was with another Sin, too. And some other bloke." Cyrus contorted his face. "No, but why do you think that''s the Maidens?" Jules asked. The raven flew away, and she pointed to the zephyr. "An Iron Maiden ship arrived just this morning at our port. They said it looked abandoned, though." Jules looked at Cyrus. You dumbass, you were supposed to destroy the evidence. "And now one of her zephyrs is comings. See the Faction crest on the side?" "No, you have great eyesight." Good weather seems to be a bad omen for us. Jules exchanged a look with his crew. "Welllll, it was nice meeting you, given the circumstances and all. But we''ve gotta get going." "Leaving so soon? You haven''t even finished your meal, or your drinks." Jules and company were already out the door. "Hey, your bill!" "Jules," Cyrus snapped. "What did you do at the Shinsorai thing!?" "Nothing, I swear! No one even hit me. I didn''t read the fine print on the entry docs, that''s the only thing I screwed¡ª" "YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO READ THE FINE PRINT YOU DUMBASS!" "How do they know where we are?" Katarina asked. "Doesn''t matter, now. We need to find Lust and get away from anyone who can identify me." Like her. "Hey, what''ja do that''s so bad?" Jules'' shoulders fell in defeat and aggravation. Whiskers hissed, and Katarina stepped between Jules and the woman. "What do you mean, what''d we do?" "Oh, I live life on the edge, too. I know the life of an outlaw when I see one." "Outlaw, huh," Cyrus said. How do we get out of this? She''s my face, all of our faces. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Yeah, you all just dined and dashed. Plus genius over here signed up to Step into the Shadow''s Path as a foreigner, which is very illegal¡­"
[Bounty Increased by ?6,900 for crimes committed in Shinsora. Total Bounty is now ?7,477,790.]
"So what''re you, the police?" Katarina demanded. "Wait, wait, wait," Jules said. "Wasn''t it illegal for you to sign up?" She smiled wide. "You all seem fun. I wonder what trouble we could get into¡­" Ditch this bitch, Katarina thought. Do not play with my Katarina''s heart, Whiskers threatened. Zephyr''s landed already, Cyrus warned. Gotta end this. Nah, ignore all''a them, Jules. I really like her! Rukia¡ªOh, you''re already in the backpack, good. Jules sighed. "What''d I say?" She looked at the strange bunch, all quietly looking back and forth between each other through Jules'' Telepathy. "Nothing, but we''ve got to go." Jules turned and dragged his friends with him. "Where to?" She popped back up behind his shoulder and followed Jules a little too closely. She''s like a damn shadow. "I can take you there. I know all the shortest paths in town." "Trying to get to the Scholars Guild." That''ll throw her off. "Can you show us the way?" "Ha! No Scholars Guild in Shinsora. Just the Fighters." Idiot, I could have told you that. I swear, Cyrus thought. "Look, we are outlaws." Jules turned around and took out a Ryoku Crystal. His friends looked at him like he was crazy. "I need you to hold onto this and be our lookout. We''re supposed to have a drop-off with some seedy guys. You fought well, so it''d be nice to have more backup. That Ryoku can be your share." The thrill of the hunt filled her greedy little eyes. "OK. What''s the drop-off? Weapons? Illegal Runes!?" "Yeah, all of that," Katarina said. "And drugs. The best drugs you can¡­take." Good one. Shut up, Jules. Tell Kat to stop talking, Cyrus thought. "Uh huh," Seraphina said. "So where do I stand watch again?" "Right under that cherry blossom. Try to blend in." "Oh sure, OK OK. This is so exciting!" She ran off for the tree. Jules and company glanced at each other, then scrammed. Just before they turned a corner to break their line of sight, Jules looked back at her. She waved and smiled at him happily enough. "Finally lost that skank!" Katarina said. "The best drugs you can take¡ªseriously!?" Cyrus shouted. "That was worse acting than in Coralhaven!" "Easy," Jules said. "Don''t talk about that right now." "And you!" "Loverboy!" Ah shit, here we go again. "Where are we going?" Whiskers asked as he flailed on Katarina''s back, one claw looped through a single thread of fabric. "I should be the one asking that! I was playing Samurai while you guys had plenty of time to recon the area. Boat''s out of the question. Are we trapped on this island?" "Just keep running from her, then we can regroup." Cyrus took lead of the Party. He sprinted through the crowd watching an ongoing parade. Jules looked around for any Iron Maiden cultists, and his eyes froze when he saw a woman being paraded on a palanquin through the streets. THUMP-THUMP. Cold sweat broke out. My nightmare. Instinctively, he looked past the right side of the palanquin toward the markets lining the street. He never saw fire, or a sword, or a sword on fire, or a man sitting tailor-styled. Just a man in a brown cloak leaning against a post, outside the festivities. "Stop," Jules said. "We need to follow this procession." "What? Why?" Cyrus demanded. "We''ll be out in the open." "Those nightmares I''ve told you about? I''ve been here before. That''s gotta be Lust on the palanquin. I''m sure of it." "You''re going to gamble our mission on a hunch from your dreams?" "Yes, Kat. You woke me up in Aquilantis exactly how you do in my dreams. Follow me." They shuffled and pushed their way through the crowds. Along some of the storefronts, they saw new wanted posters of themselves, listing their new Bounties after their supposed crimes in Marina Veridia, and their newest dine-n-dash escapades in Shinsora. Should have known Krakenbane wouldn''t stick his neck out for us¡ªnot against The Iron Maiden. Can''t blame him, but did sell us out here as well? "Hey, some Etherealists are joining the crowd," Cyrus said. "While you were gone, I got a lead on them in Whispering Pines. You know, I''ve felt uneasy since I first spoke to them¡ª" "Focus, Cy." Shinsorai Guards, Samurai, and Ninja were everywhere, but there was no sign of the Recruiters or Musashi. Lords and Quartermasters probably with him as well. Shit! "Iron Maidens coming in at the fray, look¡ªover there." Hordes of them emerged from the alleyways on the opposite side of the street, all wearing golden or white armor with their Faction crest on proud display. "Whoah!" Cyrus pulled Jules and Katarina back. "Is that Musashi!?" The Alter and his troops marched headlong into the parade and through the crowd, straight toward the palanquin. "Snap out of it, both of you," Jules said. "He''s got a heavier Ryoku presence than the other Alters we''ve met. Shake it off, and use it to our advantage." "This is too risky, Jules," Katarina said. "We won''t intercept Lust before he gets there. We have to find another way." "No, I have to get her. Now''s our only chance, and then we run for it¡ª" We''re being followed, he thought to all of them. It''s a familiar feeling, possibly The Painter, but I don''t know why he''d be in Shinsora. A booming message echoed off the walls and send chills down Jules'' spine. "The Iron Maidens have arrived. We have reason to believe that there are three Sins hiding out in your city. Please be on the lookout for Wrath, AKA Jules Tideshaper, and his allies, Cyrus of no Surname, and the mystery woman." "Jules," Cyrus said. "I recognize that voice. He made the announcement to capture your family in Coralhaven." Jules winced. "Told you not to mention that place. Think it''s Patience?" "Don''t know who else could have survived." "Time to book it. Lust will have to wait." Jules glanced back at the palanquin one last time. He couldn''t make out her face underneath the veil, but noticed a shimmering wave around her. A group of ravens erupted from a nearby tree, and Jules jumped. They cawed and swarmed over near the Shinsorai and Iron Maiden Hunters. They booked it down the closet alleyway, and took a left turn, a right turn, another right turn, until they ran into a group of Shinsorai and Hunters. Hey, that''s my Recruiter. Recruiter Aki looked down at the Wanted papers in his hands, then back to Jules. Shit, those aren''t altered by The Painter''s Memory Script. "That''s them!" No where else to go, Jules and his friends invoked their Ryoku Shields and combat Scripts, ready to strike. The Hunters drew their Holy weapons, and the Shinsorai, their blades. A smokescreen spread all around them, and Jules lost sight of both his targets and his friends. One hand reached out from behind Jules and covered his mouth, then dragged him backward. Jules'' head spun as he immediately lost his balance. Up became down, and the black smoke turned white, then faded away. "Where''d they go?" Aki demanded. All the others looked around, though Jules was right in front of them, upside down. "Split up!" And just like that, the threats all ran off. The world rushed back into focus, and Jules'' sense of direction returned. The woman from before, Seraphina¡ªor doppelgangers of her¡ªheld each of Jules'', Cyrus'', and Katarina''s mouth shut. She released them and merged back into one next to Jules. "Who the hell are you?" Jules demanded. Seraphina walked over to the abandoned Wanted posters. "Why are the Maidens after you?" "Why''d you save us?" Katarina raised two daggers. "What do you want?" Cyrus crafted three ice swords above his head. "I thought I told you to wait at the restaurant." Jules blocked her path to the posters. "I could tell your ruse was a farce by this one''s acting." She jerked a thumb at Katarina. "Told you." "Shut up!" "How long have you been following us?" Guess that was you I felt. "I rode the palanquin until I spotted you." That shimmering light. "You sure know a lot about the Maidens," Jules said. "And they know a lot about you." She brushed against his shoulder to pass. "If you don''t mind." "I do mind. Wouldn''t want you to see that and get the wrong idea." "Why''s that?" Seraphina asked. Rukia¡ªShe was riding the palanquin. Is it her? Hello? You gonna help me out? Yeah, Jules, yeah! I''ll help you! I mean right now! "I''d hate for you to get the wrong impression of us." "And what impression would that be?" Seraphina looked among each of them. Rukia!? "One full of propaganda and slander." Yeah, I got you, Julesie! Just gimme a sec. The backpack zipper ripped open. I NEED YOU TO ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT! "Lucky for you, that''s not my¡ª" Rukia popped her head out of the bag. "Hey, girlie! Do you know where we could find Lust?" Sweet Salvos, that was not what I was asking¡­ Ch 104 - Young Lust
JULES
Seraphina stared at Rukia. Her gaze shifted to Jules, and lingered on Katarina and Cyrus. "Excuse me?" "You, know," Rukia continued. "Lust! The Deadly Sin we''re hunting down¡ªI mean looking for." Cyrus placed his hand on his curved sword''s hilt. Katarina moved behind him. "Rukia, my devilish little fox Familiar, meant recruiting, not hunting. She''s trying to help, but should stop. We''re trying to find Lust and get her to safety." "So the Iron Maidens are after you, then." That didn''t sound like a question to me. "You seem very relieved." A raven landed on Seraphina''s shoulder. Interesting. "Follow me," she said. "I know the safest way out of the city." "No way," Katarina said. "I don''t trust you. You could be leading us into a trap." "I just saved your lives¡ª" "Before our idiot mascot here spoke," Katarina said. "Now you know who we are." "I just aided and abetted criminals from the Iron Maidens. I knew who you were when I helped." She peeked over Jules'' shoulder at the Wanted posters. "I just wanted to confirm, is all." "Jules?" Cyrus didn''t take her eyes off of Seraphina. "It''s more than just the Iron Maidens who are after us," Katarina said. "What? Who else?" Seraphina cocked her head to the side. "Have you heard of the Judas Priests?" "Jules!" Cyrus exclaimed. "No¡­ Should I have?" Seraphina rubbed her neck. "What do you think?" Jules asked. "What do I think about what?" Seraphina asked. I''m talking to you. What do you think about this situation? The raven turned to Seraphina, cawed softly in her ear, and flew off. "You mentioned a way out," Jules continued. Cyrus and Katarina continued to protest, but Jules shot them down. "Let''s go. We''ve found who we''re looking for, and we''ll all in the same boat now." If she is Lust, then why haven''t I gotten a Quest Notification yet? "You mean this chick?" Katarina scoffed. "No way." Cyrus shook his head. Seraphina lunged at Cyrus and thrusted her sword at his head. Before Jules or the others could scream, her blade plunged into the shadows just behind Cyrus. Half of the blade disappeared from their sight, but when she pulled her weapon back, it dripped with blood. "We''re compromised," she said. "Run!" Cyrus invoked a Script first.
? Light ? ? Reveal ?
Three Ninja assassins emerged appeared to fall out of the shadows cast on the alleyway walls and landed gracefully on the cobblestone. Katarina flung throwing knives at one and rushed him with daggers drawn. Cyrus launched a floating ice sword at a second one, and drew his curved sword and engaged. "I said run!" Seraphina shouted. "No time¡ªwe fight!" Jules unsheathed the Sound, still in its base wooden form, and attacked the third Ninja. Seraphina joined in with him, and they bumped into each other a few too many times. "I can take him on my own¡ªkinda hard to fight together when I don''t know you, yet!" "Can you take a 3rd Rank by yourself!?" She shot smoke in the assassin''s eyes that stuck to his face wherever he went. "How do you know what Rank they are?" "Their crests. Your friend¡ªthe bloke with no last name or whatever¡ªhas also got a 3rd Rank." "We can take them," Jules said. "Hey, I heard that¡ªAnd I have a last name!" A horizontal column rushed out of a wall and punched Cyrus in the body. "Please don''t let that be your first impression of us," Jules added. "Rank doesn''t matter much with these guys if you don''t know how to fight them. Take my lead. And girl¡ªwatch out for the fourth one!" Kat already took out her first? No, crap, she''s got two on her. "Press into him, Kat!" Cyrus shouted. "Don''t give him distance." "No," Seraphina said. "Stay clear of them! Maintain distance at all costs." Jules obeyed and backed off their shared opponent; Katarina and Cyrus, on the other, hand, pressed in. "If I were a gambling man¡ª" "You are a degenerate gambler, you moron!" Katarina yelled at Cyrus. "¡ªI''d wager we''ve been in a few more fights than you. No disrespect." "Plenty taken. These are my people. I''d listen¡ªJules, help the damsel in distress." She stepped forward between him and the 3rd Rank assassin. "What''d you just call¡ª" Jules tackled Katarina to avoid a blade to her back. Jules rolled over and pushed her back on her feet. Keep the distance.
? Fire ?
Jules disposed of one target, and Katarina took down the other. That took too much effort from Kat. She''s definitely slower. He turned to Seraphina just in time to watch her knock out her assassin. "Cy, we''re waiting." "Cram it up your cram hole!" All of Cyrus'' ice swords missed their target, passing right through the man, and none of his blade''s slashes connected. He dodged a short knife that only cut his cheek. "You look like you''re struggling. Better listen to her¡ª" "We need to all attack him," Seraphina ordered. "It''s the only way, before backup arrives." A loud horn blared through the city and shook the surrounding buildings. Her face dropped. "Like that." "Ten seconds, Cy¡ªOh, you''re done." The man collapsed to the ground and Cyrus flung his blood off his sword. "Let''s bail!" Corpses rained down from the sky and splattered all around them. Some lost their appendages, while others stuck out at horrific angles. From every direction, the Iron Maiden Hunters they''d spotted earlier filed into the alleyway. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "What the hell? You¡ªgo away!" Seraphina leapt back, and the flock of ravens circling overhead darted away. Behind her, one of the corpses rose. Ah, shit. "I see the strings, Jules," Katarina said. "The Iron Maiden is back. Break the Sight Runes so she can''t learn about us." Jules whipped Seraphina around to him. "These guys aren''t alive, but they aren''t fully dead, either¡ªI mean, those guys are very alive, but you get the idea." "How do you know this!?" "The Battle for Marina Veridia wasn''t all slander. It just wasn''t us that rose the dead." All around, Holy and Dark weapons summoned from the void, and the dead shrieked like primal banshees. Dead and living rushed them. Cyrus drew his Vessel, Tensa, and Jules lit the Sound on fire.
? Ignite ?
"I''ll take the puppets with Kat," Cyrus said. "Sera and I will take the Hunters." "How cute," Katarina said. "Watch yourself, Kat. You can''t take much more Holy damage, and your weak as is. Let Cy take the lead." She scoffed, and he hoped she''d listen. "Sera¡ª" "I told you the nickname fit you." Whatever. "You might think you can take a hit from these guys, but trust me, you can''t. Evade at all costs." "Hey Jules¡­ I''d like to, ya know, kill someone." There''s too many of them. You read my mind.
? Integrate ?
"Hunt, Rukia." The fox disintegrated and flowed into the Sound, which lit in white flames. She propelled them forward and annihilated a half-dozen in a single strike, and immediately attacked the next batch. Jules let Rukia take control for a brief moment to study Seraphina''s fighting technique. She''d disappear and reappear somewhere else with incredible speed, attacking Hunters from behind, then would stop to fight in close quarters. Someone snuck up from behind her and¡ª "AAAHHHHH!!" Kat!! He''d never heard a shriek like that, not from the Siren of Siren''s Cove, not even from the dead puppets. Yellow and orange veins bulged from Katarina''s forearm. She''d taken a blow meant for Seraphina, and the two girls locked eyes as Katarina shrieked in pain. Filled with rage, Jules removed the Hunter''s arm, and then the top half of his head. "Why did you¡­?" Seraphina stared at Katarina in horror, who responded between sobs. "Jules said to watch out, you idiot!" "More are coming," Whiskers said from up high on a precipice. He pounced up and swiped at a lingering raven. More zombies crashed to the ground, some by Cyrus'' Vessel. And others from wherever the fuck they''re coming from. Katarina inch-wormed over to Cyrus. "Cy, please Salvos, make it stop!" "Snap out of it, Shinsorai," Jules yelled at Seraphina. Katarina raised her arm up to Cyrus, and he swung his sword back to strike her. "No!" Seraphina collapsed to her knees as Cy pierced Katarina''s arm with his Vessel. "Don''t worry, he healed her. For now." Jules disposed of two more Hunters, but she didn''t move. Cyrus sliced more threads above the puppets and stabbed others in the forehead by their third eye, inscribed by The Iron Maiden herself. "Don''t freak out, Sera, that''s a Vessel. We can''t let any of these guys survive and tell the tale, OK?" "Doesn''t matter Jules." Cyrus grunted as he worked through the horde. "That bitch can see it all through the Sight Runes. We''re already compromised." Dammit. "Clean up anyway, Cy. Sera¡ªWhere''s that escape route?" Utterly frozen, she gave no reply. "Jules¡­" Katarina groaned. "More¡­on side¡­" Watch this, Julesie¡ªPoint me at ''em! Jules obeyed the fox, and a flaming tornado launched from the Sound''s tip and engulfed them all in a blazing inferno. Holy shit Rukia where has that been this whole time!? Hunters screamed and cried and ran about, directionless, as the flames smoldered them down. Tee hee¡ªThere''s more to come! Katarina snapped in Seraphina''s face. "Wake up, chick. Escape route. Where?" Jules looked around. No one was left standing but them. He dis-Integrated Rukia from the Sound, and she reluctantly and slowly waddled to the backpack. "No point in staying hidden, Little One." "Ah, yeah!" She skipped back over to Seraphina and licked her face. "Come on, girlie!" "R-right. Follow me." She slowly rose and hurried down an alleyway and lifted a sewer drain. "No way." "Absolutely not." "Fuck that." "No no no no no no no!" "I''m bleeding and cursed and now you want me to get sepsis?" "Do you want to live or not!?" Seraphina shouted. They all jumped in, and she closed the drain above them. "This is the grossest thing I''ve ever done." Jules tried to avoid getting even a single toe in the water. "Meh. I''ve had worse experiences at the orphanage." Cyrus lifted his chin up in some sort of twisted pride. "I hate this place. I hate this city. I hate this entire nation." Katarina hugged herself, as if it would protect her from the filth. "I will never. Lick. Myself. Again." Whiskers shuddered. "Man, I feel like I''m headed to a rave," Rukia said. "Hey Kaizen, did we ever go to a rave together?" "Which one of you is Kaizen?" Seraphina asked.
? Summon ?
Kaizen appeared, and stretched and yawned again. "You were sleeping again!?" "Hey, why''d you bring me to this dump? Think I''d like to go back in the beads." "Is that a, you know, ghost?" "Since my endearing and ever-surprising fox won''t say¡ªDo I have the right person?" Kaizen hesitated when he looked at Seraphina. "OK. That''s all I needed to know." Jules extended his hand to her. "My name is Jules Tideshaper, though I''m known to most as Wrath." She didn''t take his hand, but studied their faces again. "I''m Cyrus. Of no Surname, apparently¡­" "I''m Kat." No mention of being a Sin, huh? Best to play it safe, I guess. "I am Seraphina Raventree." "Seraphina Raventree and¡­?" Jules asked with a shit-eating grin. "¡­I am also known, to a few, as Lust." She shook his hand, and pink embers sparked on contact. Jules side-eyed Katarina. She looks in true form, like she Integrated with Envy. Heh heh. "K, now that that''s over with¡ªWhat''s the plan, Lust?" Not gonna call her by her name, are you, Kat? "Cyrus of no Surname. And the unknown woman. I heard you were¡­" Decapitated? Yeah, don''t mention that. Seriously don''t. "Taller. So which are you?" "The leading Sidekick." "Your Familiar tried to eat mine, Raven. So which are you?" Katarina didn''t answer. "I''ll take you all to Eldertree Enclave. I want to avoid those Iron Maidens as much as you do. I have someone there who I can trust." "Katarina Waverunner." Her face fell flat, and she continued down the sewer tunnel. "Envy." "Envy¡­ Hey, Kat. We''re going this way." Seraphina led them in the opposite direction.
A half hour later, they were above ground again, crammed inside a secret passageway. Their entire journey, they heard the mounting commotion outside, and inside, they heard the excited rumors spreading throughout the building. Which building are we in again? "We''re almost there," Seraphina said. "We''re still inside the city, what do you mean?" Cyrus asked. "My family has a¡ªuh¡ªSpace Rune. We''re going to the Teleportal." Cyrus whistled low and long. "So you really are an outlaw." "Can we trust your family?" Katarina asked. "Yes. They know about me. Kept it hidden for nearly two decades, thank you very much." She stopped them suddenly and put a finger to her mouth. "Shh!" "Raventree!" The voices came from the other side of the passageway walls. "You''d do well to call him Lord Raventree, Daiki," an older woman said. I recognize that name. "Forgive me, sire. We have not found your daughter, yet." "She wasn''t on the palanquin?" another man asked. Jules, Cyrus, Katarina, Whiskers, and Rukia all eyed Seraphina. She just grinned and shrugged, saved by the silence demanded of them. "No. It was a doppelganger, Sir." "Don''t look at me," a younger man or boy said. "I didn''t know anything, I swear!" "I heard you and your sister were snooping around here last night. Borrowing armor is what I heard." "What? The night before The Shadow''s Path ceremony?" probably-Seraphina''s-father said. "What were you¡ªSera¡­" "Oh, don''t look at me, Son," probably-Seraphina''s-grandmother-said. "I knew all along. I just didn''t tell you." Oh, you take after your grandmother, don''t you? "We can''t let the Iron Maidens find her. Send everyone looking for her. Now!" "Under what premise, Sir?" "She broke the law today. We shame the family to protect it." Woof. Guess I can relate there. "Hmph. If only she''d taken my armor last night, she wouldn''t have made such a scene. Foolish child." "Enough, Mother. We find her within the hour." It sounded like they''d all left, but Seraphina never lowered her finger from her lips. A shrill voice called out. "You ssssummoned¡­?" "Yes. The Shinsorai search for the Raventree girl. You''d do well to find her first." "We underssstand¡­" A man''s footsteps grew further and further away. "That motherfucker!" Seraphina''s eyes glowed a bright pink. "That voice." Katarina shook. "It hurt my arm, deep to the bones." The Iron Maiden, Cyrus thought to only Jules. "Seems like too many people know about you, now," Jules said. "Where''s that Teleportal?" Seraphina stared at the wall, like she''d break through and murder the traitor at any moment. "Now''s not the time. But I promise we will, if we can. We''re¡­all too familiar with that feeling of betrayal." Seraphina spun on her heels and continued weaving through the passageway. "Just up here. I have a quick stop, first." "No time," Katarina complained. "Don''t play any more games with us," Cyrus said. She opened up a false wall and rushed down a corridor. Jules looked both ways then followed after her into a wonderful armory. Jules noted one set was missing, but Seraphina replaced it from her Inventory and removed another set from its stand. "Let me guess¡ªyou''re borrowing Granny''s Ninja outfit?" "I needed this armor," Seraphina said. "Odessa knew I was there, behind that wall. She should already be waiting for us in the next room." "Unexpected visitors in my private chambers?" A familiar cold wave swept through the room and froze Jules. A Shinsorai man entered the armory; his helmet was still on, but Jules knew who he was immediately. "You mean my family''s armory?" "I own the Shinsorai, and everything in it." The Shinsorai''s armor clinked as he stomped a foot down and halted before them all. Jules activated his beads, ready to summon Kaizen at any moment. The man studied Jules, the beads around Rukia''s neck, and then the others. His gaze lingered on Katarina, practically hopped over Cyrus, and finally rested on Seraphina. "You did well today, taking the First Step into the Shadow. Now to what do I owe this second unexpected pleasure of yours for today¡­Lust?" "I could ask you the same thing, Musashi." Ch 105 - Musashi
CYRUS
"Musashi??" Cy said. Another Alter? The Alter studied Cy."The Musashi!?" Is it safe to stay for a while? Can we even trust him? He could have killed us all if he wanted to. And he knows Lust? Breathe, Cy, breathe. "Not now, Cy," Jules snapped. "If not now, then when?" "Do I know you?" Musashi asked. "We met earlier today, I believe." Jules stepped in front of Cy. Not true, if my theory holds¡­uh, true. "How could you not know?" Cy asked the Alter. "I was in armor," Jules said. "With a helmet covering my face, just like you now. What''s under¡ª" "You were covered in armor, yes. But I see all things." "So you stopped my fight on purpose?" "You mean our fight," Lust added. "Of course he did." Cy nudged Jules out of his way. "He already knows about Lust here." "It''s Sera, if you wouldn''t mind. And judging from your tone, I meant it when I said only a few know who I am." "OK, well like who else does?" Envy asked. Musashi looked to Lust. Why is she hesitating? "The majority of the senior-level Shinsorai are aware of my status, though only my family and Musashi here know which one I am." "Wait a second," Jules interrupted. "I thought it suspicious that I was able to join in The Shadow''s Path today. You wouldn''t have had anything to do with that?" I bet he''s smiling under that mask. "So you knew who I was before the Final Examination." "These are all stories for another time, I''m afraid," Musashi said. "So what now?" Jules asked. "We fight?" Not in your state, Kat. And why''s Musashi looking at her for so long? "You haven''t given up Lust, so what about us?" Still a way to work this in my favor¡ªin all our favors. Musashi looked at Lust. "It appears you''ve managed to make friends for once." The oni mask that hid his eyes shifted back to Cy and his friends. "You''re safe with me, so long as Lust doesn''t add theft to her permanent record." "I need this armor, Alter." "As do I. It is quite valuable to me, as you well know." "I''m all too familiar." Cy looked back and forth between Lust and his newest idol. Man, what''s up with this armor? "You fought well today, Sera. Though you dishonored your family." Ouch, looks like that one stung. "You broke tradition, and there is a price to be paid." "Fine. But I''ll pay it at a later date. I''m sure you''re aware of what''s happening outside of your little stronghold here." "I thought I told you I see all things. But my vision can only extend so far. And The Spider¡­ He is a tough one to crack." So you didn''t see it coming until it was too late? "The Spider''s here?" Jules asked. "Yes, Wrath. You might not want to meet him. Today, at least." Shouldn''t be surprised he knows Jules'' identity after Marina Veridia, but how does he know their relationship? Man, these Alters are something else. I wonder if he''s an info broker too¡ªseems to be a common theme. "So," Lust continued, "you care if I borrow this?" Musashi quietly studied them all, and paused on Envy again for some time. "It''d be a nice gesture," Jules said. "We need all the help we can get." "I don''t look like help to you?" Musashi''s right hand dashed to his left sword''s hilt. "Ready yourselves, children." "Halt!" someone shouted on the other side of the corridor, in the hallway outside the armory. "You aren''t permitted into Musashi''s private chambers." "To Hell with that Alter bastard!" "Oh really?" Musashi turned to face the advancing intruders. "I demand an audience with him by decree of The Iron Maiden Herself!" "Oh really?" The Alter placed his other hand on his opposite sword such that his arms were crossed. Outside, alarms sounded off. Sweet Salvos have mercy. "What are those for?" Envy asked. "Incoming ships." Lust darted to the Ninja armor. "Musashi, who else did they send for me?" He was silent. "Didn''t see this one coming, did you, old man?" Easy, Kat. "I saw it crashing down in a vision, but I didn''t know it had such speed." What? "Might wanna get your eyes checked," Katarina said under her breath. Musashi whipped around to Envy. "I can say the same of you." He turned back to the sounds of fighting in the hallway. "Little she-devil." The commotion grew louder and near. Gotta take my shot. "Now might seem like a bad time, but I have some questions for you, Musashi. About Alters."
[Alternate History ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Uncover the secrets of Musashi.]
"Don''t have time for you, boy." Whoever fought was just around the corner. "I assume you''re an info broker, too. I can make it worth your while." Steel struck steel, and someone gurgled, just out of sight. "I think I know of two more Alters out there." Musashi paused and turned his head, just slightly. Jules, Envy, and Lust drew their weapons. An Iron Maiden Hunter stormed into the corridor. "Lord Musashi, we demand an audience to aid in our mission to capture¡ª" At least twenty more Hunters rushed in behind him. "What''s the meaning of this? You already detained them and didn''t alert us, or¡ªNo. It couldn''t be¡­" Musashi sighed. "Bloodshed follows The Shadow''s Path. One question for each head, boy." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "What do you¡ª" "Of these guys!?" Cy interrupted the lead Hunter. That''s like twenty questions! Or maybe three, if he fights, too¡­ "No, you imbecile. For each of your two Alters." Oh, bummer. "No time, Cy," Jules said. "We''ve got to go. Can we leave them to you, Musashi?" "My only chance, Jules¡­" "Yeah, to die!" "We can''t lose you in the chaos, Cy." Thanks for the concern, Kat. At least you don''t think I''ll die. "What do you take me for, some blind fool?" Musashi bellowed. Envy froze and looked away. "Don''t die." "Cy¡ª" "When you''ve had your fun," Lust, armor strung over a shoulder, lifted a false panel wall, "escort my friend to the Rune you instructed me in last spring." "Oh, so you have been working on it?" Musashi asked. "Aiding and abetting an internationally wanted criminal¡ªa handful of them!? Her Holiness The Iron Maiden will execute you for this personally, Alter."
? ? Watch Your Tongue ? ?
The Hunter''s body literally obeyed Musashi''s Script¡ªhis tongue ripped out of mouth and floated above the man''s eyes, which shook left and right, but couldn''t look away, despite how hard he appeared to try. He collapsed to his knees, and the tongue lowered down a similar height. Blood, lots of blood. "Don''t be a dumbass, Cy," Jules said. "What, like you earlier today?" Cy snapped back. "Fair point. Be seeing you, then." Jules turned and left with Lust. Envy and the others followed. "Yeah, bye, whatever." Time to show this Alter what I''ve got! We''ll start with a deep cut, an idea that old Bookstacker gave me a few years ago.
? Blood ? ? Boil ? [Pang! Transmutation increased to Level 31.]
One of the Hunter''s shrieked and fell to the ground, and another followed shortly after. Cy sprinted into the mass of cultists, who charged him back
? ? Bait and Switch ? ?
He swapped places with several different men and disposed of a few at the edges.
? Mist ?
When some got too close, he used his Alteration Skill to transmute their weapons to steam. Bet you''ve never seen someone so young master so many Scripts¡ª "Boy, you fight like a loose cannon filled with shotgun shells that was set level by a drunk Sailor and operated by a juvenile delinquent." "Hey old man," Cy snapped. "What was that Script you used, Watch your tongue?" "Bah! As if you could learn a Scroll in a minute. Why do you care so much about Alters?" "Because I''m gonna be one some day." In eight years, actually. Cy chopped down another Hunter with his curved blade.
[Pang! Curved Swords increased to Level 32.]
"Alright, I''ll bite. Who''s the first head?" "For starters¡ªand present company¡ªThe Iron Maiden is definitely an Alter." "Blasphemy!" an emboldened Hunter exclaimed. "Her power comes from Salvos himself. You dare accuse Her Holiness The¡ª" Cy silenced the man, and his head rolled over to the leader, who still watched his own tongue. "I told you, boy, their heads don''t count." Well, you must like me if you''re cracking jokes already. Cy swapped places with another Hunter and stabbed him in the back. Although I wish he''d fight, just so I can see him in action. But if his focus is on me, I should take that as my own form of victory. "I have already suspected her. I am more curious, though, as to what led you to that belief?" "Have you stepped outside today!?" Zombies everywhere¡ªand really, is this bastard Alter gonna fight with me!? "You refer to The Fallen?" "Yeah, sure, whatever. They have a Rune on their heads." "Which one, boy?" "That''ll cost you another question." "That wasn''t the deal." Musashi grabbed a Hunter and tossed him at Cy, which knocked him off balance. "What the hell?" "Try to off-balance our negotiations, and I''ll knock you off yours." "Fair enough. The Sight Rune, just like¡ª" "The Djinns. That Bitch was always obsessed with the Shrines." Bitch, eh? You sound like Kat right now. "She can control and see through their third eye sight." "Pah, more like third eye blind. She''s blinder than¡­" "Go on??" Seems odd to have stopped there¡ªprobably something I should know, but he thinks I shouldn''t. "I feel like there''s more to your theory." More Hunters flooded into the chamber, and they seemed to replace one fallen Soldier with two fresh ones. Why are none of these assholes fighting you!? "Well for one," Cy cast a Ryoku Shield over himself, "there was the fucking Black Sacrament that turned Pastor Zeke into a demigod, or more likely a demon." "Do no curse Her Holiness'' name¡ªAAAGGHHAAGHHG" "I heard about Marina Veridia. So who is she?" The Iron Maiden? It''s obvious, she''s¡ªoh. Maybe she''s not who she seems¡­but then who? "I don''t have a roster of all the Scholars. Kinda been forbidden from joining them, so I can''t tell you." "Ha! You are wiser than your first impression, boy." Thanks? "So what''s your first question?" That''s a good question. Which direction do I go first? Guess my life depends on one, so¡ª "What''s your best advice to becoming an Alter?" "Foolish child, daydreaming in combat," another Hunter said. "I''ll¡ª" Yeah, no you won''t. Cy sliced that man down, as well. "Raise the Levels of all the Skills you like to the same Level, for as long as possible." Cy stopped fighting and stared at the Alter. Three swords clanged down on his Ryoku Shield and broke it, and one blade crashed down onto his armor. "Ow, you fucker!!"
? Fire ?
He blasted a conical stream of flames at the closest four men; their cindered bodies hit the floor. "Thank you for a straightforward answer. It''s the first one I''ve ever gotten¡ªbut why?" "Is that your second question, boy?" "No no no no no!" "Good. Figure it out for yourself. I think I''ve seen enough here." Musashi drew his two katana. Thank Salvos, these guys won''t stop multiplying. "Have you ever heard of The Painter?" Musashi halted. Damn, I should have waited for him to enter the fight. "Ah, I know him." For some reason he couldn''t explain, that statement resonated with Cy. "And that was technically a question. The next question you ask is the one we go with, so¡ªwatch your tongue." Shivers crept down Cy''s spine. "Well, that''s all I got." I should have asked my other question first. "I''ll answer a question for his location." Oh? I don''t know about that, feels kinda¡­wrong. "I met him in Aquilantis." "I assure you, he fled there long ago." Fled? No¡ªthat''s a distraction to bait me into asking something. "He said we''d find him in The Verdant Domain somewhere." "Nowhere near good enough." Nowhere, huh? Cy thought back to his conversation with Davy Jones, about how he alluded to Isolda being in a place called Nowhere. And weren''t you going to join the fight!?
? Stone ? ? Column ?
Columns erupted from both the ground and ceiling, both rising and descending, and they crunched Hunters in what looked like a makeshift mouth, grinding its teeth and chewing its food. Wrack your brain, Cy! Any other clues he left behind? Do I go off my theory? No, that''d probably piss him off, too, because¡ª "We''re setting out to find him next¡ªalthough I think he''ll find us." "And I will be far away by then." "Abandoning us already¡­" Mid-sentence, cy shifted it from a question to a statement. "Good catch." Musashi entered the fight at last, and two idiots swung their swords at an endless horde of zealots. "But no. Well, possibly I''m abandoning you, but not for good. I could never leave her side. But The Painter won''t appear until I''m long gone." Don''t ask a question. Don''t ask a question. "Riiight, so afterward I could tell you, if you gave me something to communicate with, like Kat''s crystal." Musashi grunted back. "Now or never. Prove yourself an info broker." Damn, what do I have to give? No information to offer. I just want to know more about them, but what can I give up? "Tick, tock¡­" Did Davy Jones say anything when I asked about them? No, not much. An entire regiment of men had diverted to Musashi, and only one enemy stood before Cy. The Alter sheathed one sword and prepared for a power attack with the remaining katana. "I''m afraid we''ve run out of¡ª"
? Stop! ?
Everyone froze¡ªexcept Musashi. Last chance¡­ "You were wise not to apply that stunt to me," Musashi said through what sounded to Cy like gritted teeth. "I believe the word you were about to say was time." Cy held up his opened palm. "This should be enough information." I need to know what they are. Musashi approached, gripped Cy''s hand, and inspected the markings. "Again, I''m afraid not, boy. He protected this Vow." This one? Cy wrenched his hand away. It''s all related, I have to find a way. Musashi raised his sword. "Release them. I''ll fight them with honor, and all at once." Cy obeyed. Damn. Forbidden knowledge comes at a steep price. I''m sure he gained something from seeing my Binding Vow¡ªjust not enough. Wait¡­ Forbidden? The Hunters all recovered from the spell and gathered in to one phalanx for a final attack. They shivered, and they cowered into themselves, but none deserted; all loyal to their cause until the very end, Cy had to at least give them that. Musashi sheathed his sword, crouched, and placed one hand on the hilt. Musashi recited their last rites, in the famed words of the Shinsorai. "You have fought with honor." He leapt to them; they cried battle cries and lifted their weapons¡ª "Who are the Magi!?" Cy shouted. Time stood still. Even Musashi froze for a moment, mid-stride, until he lowered his legs back down to the ground. He turned to Cy, squatted down, and aimed his blade at him. Cy took a step back and turned his body, to make himself a thinner target. Musashi spoke slowly. "Where did you learn that word, boy?" Ch 106 - I Miss You
JULES
"So you''re just gonna let Cy go!?" "You didn''t try hard to stop him either, Kat." Jules slid through the narrow passageway with the rest of them and took the rear. "Cyrus is a fool, but a skilled fighter." Whiskers slinked between Seraphina and Katarina. "Alters flock to him. He won''t die today. Er¡ªat least in that room. With Musashi." "Every word that comes out of that furry mouth of yours makes it worse, Whiskers," Rukia said from Jules'' shoulder. "Ew¡ªwhat are you doing!?" Katarina ogled Seraphina while the latter stripped down. Jules looked away instinctively, much to his own surprise. "What?" she asked. "This is the widest point in this passageway. I have to put on Odessa''s armor." "What kind of fighter are you? And why do you keep calling your grandmother by her first name?" Yeah, that is kinda odd. "Why do you want to know so bad, Envy?" "It''s Kat. And if stripping off armor mid-siege is your idea of sound battle tactics¡ª" "She''s a Ninja. She fights up close and in the shadows." "I can speak for myself, Jules," Seraphina grunted. "No time. You done?" Jules asked. "You seem to know a loooot about her already, Jules." "Raven is my Scout in the sky. He let me know I was safe to change, though maybe not from your prying eyes, Kat." "We already have a Scout." Katarina crossed her arms. "Who, the fox?" "Oh, I like you already," Rukia said. Katarina fumed at the fox. Careful, Little One. "So how far are we?" Jules pushed them all forward. "It''s just down the street. We live close the barracks." Seraphina ushered them out a balcony door, and they dropped down a story or two below to the open air. "Are we stealing something from there, too?" Katarina asked. "I don''t like your tone." "And I don''t like your style." Personally, I''m a fan of the Ninja armor. Don''t know how''d I feel about your grandmother wearing it, though¡­ "Well hello, hello." Two masked Shinsorai emerged from the shadows. "And I don''t like your friends," Katarina added. "Looks like my position as Party Scout is still secure." "Not looking for another fight," Jules said. "It''s been a long day." "I recognize that voice. To think I had a Sin in front of me the whole time." Great, it''s that dick Recruiter, Aki. "Two," the other said. "Sera here''s been hiding in plain sight." Ah, Daiki, too. "What!?" Aki took a step back. "Uh, hey guys. I''m still here." Katarina put her hands on her hips. "Who the hell are you?" Recruiter Daiki asked. Katarina''s eyes visibly twitched, and vein popped out of her forehead, more prominent even than the cursed veins on her arm. Jules, Rukia, and Whiskers scooted away from her. "I must admit," Aki said, "I''m a bit unimpressed by the man who''s leveled two cities." His Samurai armor clanged as he approached Jules, hand on hilt. Jules noted he still moved with caution. "That''s because I didn''t do either." "Aquilantis was all him, though," Katarina added. Jules rolled his eyes. "We''re not big on small talk. Let''s¡ª" "Well, Sera," Jules said. "I told you if we got the chance, you could kill him." "With pleasure." Aki drew his wakizashi and slashed at Jules. Jules dodged it, and in a flash, appeared behind his Recruiter. He pelted the Shinsorai with the Sound, again in its wooden form. Seraphina engaged with Daiki, and Katarina dropped her shoulders and crossed her arms, opponentless. Saving Ryoku? Kaizen asked. Wise move, kiddo¡ªthough I am a little bloodthirsty today. Glad to see you''re awake, Jules snapped. But this is personal, now.
? ? Razor''s Edge ? ?
After a loud SHINK, Aki slashed at Jules again, who blocked it easily enough, one-handed; their swords shook as Aki struggled to overtake Jules. "Why doesn''t it splinter your wood?" The harder your resolve, Kaizen thought, the harder your shaft. Rukia cackled, and Jules shouted at the ghost. "Don''t ever say it like that again!" Aki hesitated, then withdrew and looked around. "Don''t mind me, I''m just talking to one of the many demons inside my head." Jules slashed and sliced at Aki, but couldn''t break his stance or get past his defense. "Hey Kat¡ªmake yourself useful?" "Nah. I''ll wait for backup." Cool, thanks.
? ? Golem''s Fury ? ?
Jules leapt back. I really don''t want to fight a Golem here. He waited, but no monster emerged from the ground, so he lunged to Aki¡ªbut tripped as one leg was encased is cobblestone that continued to climb up his leg. Aki''s wakizashi cut open a wound on Jules'' chest, and steam rose immediately. The Shinsorai stared in wonder. "The steam''s pretty cool, isn''t it?" Jules grinned. "Stop showing off for Lust." "I told you, it''s Sera!" Hm, I''ve got an idea.
? Shatter ?
The cobblestone crumbled around his leg, and Jules feigned another attack. Aki repeated his Scroll, and cobblestone rose up both Jules'' legs this time.
? ? Stoned Flesh ? ?
He commanded control of the earth and shifted it into an extra layer of armor that blocked Aki''s next strike.
? Activate ?
An Inked Art burned off Jules'' skin, and a transmutation circle formed overhead.
? Stone ?
Cobblestone swept up and encapsulated Aki, but it continued to rise just above his head, then split off horizontally until it formed a bridge overtop of the Shinsorai, held in place by surrounding buildings on either side. The cobblestone around Aki''s feet rose up his body until his face was again exposed. Countless summoned arrows rained down on the bridge from the transmutation circle above, but none struck their mark. Now that was cool.
? Activate ?
Jules opened his palm at Aki, and more summoned arrows shot out from it.
? Metal ?
The blade of Aki''s wakizashi expanded out in each direction to a thin rectangle. He hid behind the shield, and only a few arrows pierced through. Katarina stepped to the side just in time. "Great, thanks Jules." Aki tossed the sword-or-maybe-shield aside and drew his longer katana. "So that''s why you carry two swords. I''ve been wondering. One''s always been enough for me." "You should try two, at the same time." "Gross," Katarina mumbled. Aki disappeared. "Jules¡ªLook out!" Seraphina yelled. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Jules spun around. No¡ªit''s a different attack than what I used before? From below, a blade pierced his shin from behind and pulled back out. Jules whipped back around, but Aki was still gone. "Kat¡ªYou see where?" "Nope." "THANKS FOR THE HELP!" Another strike slit a calf muscle, another the opposite achilles tendon. Jules forced down Ryoku to spot-heal the wounds, or else he''d be useless in a fight. "Sera, a little help here!?" "Thought you never ask," she said between grunts, fighting her own battle. "The shadows¡ªI mean how dense are you, Shinsorai-wannabe!?" Of course, but how do I anticipate where he comes from? It wasn''t my shadow on that third strike. Jules studied the sun and the shadows all around. Lucky it''s high noon, and the weather''s clear. He closed his eyes and meditated. A jolt pushed him in one direction¡ªhe heard the blade swipe through the air and miss him. He blocked the second attack. Hm, where''d that wakizashi go? Jules felt another incoming attack and parried it, but a second blade immediately followed it and gashed his upper arm. "Ah, shit. Found it. Heads up, Kat, Sera. If I can''t tell where it''s coming from¡­"
? Portal ? ? Activate ?
"I''ll just attack everything." "Oh shit!" Katarina yelled.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
"What!?" Sera shouted. Dozens of portals formed all around form Jules'' Rune, facing out at all angles toward the shadows, and summoned arrows pelted damn near every inch of the alleyway from his Inked Art. Wait for it, wait for it¡­ The Shinsorai emerged from the shadows¡ªThere!
? Fire ?
A raging inferno pushed Aki back into the arrows'' path, and he collapsed to the ground. "Hey Jules," Katarina said. "While you were busy, those guys showed up." A battalion of Iron Maiden Hunters eyed Jules and the others. I see fear in their eyes, but also bloodlust. Ha! Good pun, Julesie. Fight with me or shut up. Hey, you can use me any time! That''s not what I meant! Join the fight as a fox, not my sword. Tee Hee! Kaizen joined in with Rukia''s laughter in Jules'' mind, and he shut them both out. "How the fuck does she have so many people!? And I thought you were waiting for backup, Kat!" "I mean, we probably weren''t supposed to survive Judas Priest Zeke. You barely did, so¡­ And I said I was gonna wait for backup, and I literally did?" "We don''t have Cy to take out the zombies fast¡ª" "More zombies!?" Seraphina shouted. "I can see their strings, asshole." Katarina spat off to the side. "Let me handle them." "Charmer, this one." Seraphina walked away from Daiki''s splayed corpse. Happy for you. "Sera and I will take the living. Go!" Having studied her before, Jules felt much better fighting side-by-side with her. They mowed down the first five Hunters easily enough, but an undead puppet jumped over to them. Seraphina baited it, and Jules decapitated it. As its head fell, the third eye lit up¡ª
? ? Shadow Step ? ?
Sera grabbed Jules and yanked them back into the shadows. The zombie head exploded and melted away Jules'' hand that didn''t make it into the shadows on time. Black turned to white, and vice-versa, and each direction swapped with its opposite again. Seraphina''s face looked terrifying in this world, but she pulled them back out and regained her elegance. "Kat! Watch their eyes¡ª" BOOOOOM!!! Katarina was blown away. Her limp body rolled around when it crashed to the ground, and it steamed where it was melted, all around, but not from Regeneration. "KAT!!" Jules ran over to her side. "Shit, no acid." "Jules¡­ Eyes¡­" Katarina coughed up blood. "Acid?" Seraphina asked. Jules touched Katarina with his stump, too afraid to risk damaging his good hand. It burned even worse upon contact with her. "That''s her Regeneration Method. She doesn''t steam like I do¡ªI''m sure you''ve got your own¡ªbut their Holy damage stopped our Regeneration back in Marina Veridia. She won''t come back for a while. We need an escape route. Now." "Right. It''ll take all I have, but I can pull us all into the shadows." "Rukia, Whiskers¡ªGet over here now!!" Living and disfigured Iron Maidens approached; some of the latter looked like Hunters Jules and company had disposed of earlier that day. The furries arrived, and Seraphina invoked her Rune again.
? ? Shadow Step ? ?
On the other side, Jules saw eyes everywhere. Who the hell? Seraphina immediately pulled them back out, and they were thrust between two groups¡ªthe Iron Maidens, and the newly arrived Shinsorai. "Of fucking course." "Miss Raventree," one of the Shinsorai said. "We have orders to take you back to Lord Jiro." "I''m a little busy here, but if you wanna help¡­" "Orders are specified as immediately." "They''re coming," Jules warned. "Guess I wouldn''t mind an evac for me and my friends." "Orders also specified as you, alone." More Shinsorai emerged form the shadows and separated Seraphina from Jules and the others. "Sera!" The Iron Maidens, Hunters and undead alike, rushed in. The Shinsorai fought any that targeted Seraphina, but left Jules on his own to fend for himself and his defenseless friends. A Holy weapon stabbed Jules in the back. Katarina''s eyes ignited, one green and one violet, and her bare fist clawed straight through the zombie''s third eye. Jules braced her for an explosion that never came. "Thanks, Kat. Damn that hurt¡ªKat!?" Jules looked at her in horror. She stared off to his side, her eyes fully white now. "Your eyes¡­" "All I can see are the third eyes, Jules¡­" "Jules!" He whipped around. A Shinsorai had Seraphina hoisted over his shoulders. Iron Maidens, mostly living, honed in on her. "Left!" Katarina shouted. Jules parried the blade and shot a stream of fire into the zombie''s third eye. "Behind!" He disposed of that one, too. "Five more¡ª" Chains wrapped around both Jules and Katarina, binding and burning them. The Shinsorai carrying Seraphina dropped her, then dropped dead. Another scooped her up, but two Hunters ripped her away. Fuck. Last resort¡­
? Integrate ?
Rukia''s beads lit up, and Kaizen fused into his body; Rukia, into the Sound, and his Ryoku resurged with Kaizen''s. A horn blared from somewhere far away while the Integrated trio mowed down everyone around. Another batch slipped in, and a Hunter slashed Katarina from her temple down to a breast. She collapsed to the ground. Jules stabbed the man in the heart, and he exploded into ash. He picked up Katarina, and Whiskers grabbed on tight and flapped on Jules'' coattails as he sprinted toward Seraphina. Dozens more men filed in, and Aki limped over to Jules as Seraphina was carried further away. Aki unlatched his armor, raised his sword, and posed for one more strike. "For honor." "No time for honor, here." Jules ran past him, but Aki grabbed him and pulled them into the shadows. Jules fell, and fell, and fell further into the sky. More eyes surrounded him, and Aki tried his best to kill Jules, who couldn''t figure out how to move in this world, let alone as one with Kaizen. Far away, Seraphina entered the shadow world as well, carried by another Shinsorai. We need to get her, Kaizen. You must choose, Jules. You can only save one of them. I have an idea¡­ But there will be a cost. What''s the cost¡ªYou go away again? No, but you still won''t like it. Tell me what I need to do, old man. Abandon Envy and save Lust¡ªshe''ll pull you out of the Shadow Realm¡ªor you can put me into the Sound and stab Kat''s Seal. She''s not going to like it. Jules looked at Lust, then he looked at Kat. I am so sorry. I promise I''ll find you again.
? Integrate ?
Rukia ejected onto Jules'' shoulder, Jules crammed Kaizen into the Sound of Fury, and Jules stabbed Katarina''s Seal. Fire flooded into the wound as she shrieked. Her eyes opened wide and beamed out piercing white light. Jules'' vision cracked and shattered before his own eyes, and the Shadow Realm along with it. They fell from the sky and crashed to the ground, along with everyone else who''d entered the shadows. Hunters grabbed Seraphina and were long gone by the time Jules rose to his feet. With Kaizen in the Sound, and his Ryoku running low, Jules was nowhere near as powerful as he''d been just moments before. Shinsorai surrounded him, along with some stranded Hunters and undead. "You did this!" a Shinsorai shouted. "This failure is as much on your hands as it is ours!" They all drew their swords and sprinted to him¡ª And each Shinsorai and Hunter fell, one by one. A Shinsorai Ninja emerged from the shadows. How? I thought we just destroyed that place. "Take out the dead!" The Ninja''s voice was distorted, corrupted somehow, though it sounded like a man to Jules, who had no choice but to trust him. Jules sliced the threads of the remaining undead with Kaizen''s aid, while still clinging on tightly to Katarina. Rukia and Whiskers flailed about his frayed cloak, worthless. Jules looked around at an battlefield, finally wound down to only two contestants, himself and the shadow stalker. "Where is Seraphina?" the Ninja¡ªor Assassin¡ªdemanded. "Depends on if you''re an ally, or a foe." "That depends on if you abandoned her or not." "We did. I had to make a choice¡ª" "Then it seems we''re not allies, then."
PATIENCE
Patience strolled through the streets of Shinsora, alone, basking in the glorious siege. Burning cherry blossom bush there, bodies and puppets here, Sins way over there. Pure bliss. He''d felt that familiar presence of the Desert Mouse watching him for quite some time, but still couldn''t pin him down. That imbecile should be hunting. I ought to rip his head off when I find him¡­ Horns blared in the distance. Ah, just in time. I was beginning to wonder if Viktoria would ever show up. "You there," Patience ordered. "W-who, me?" "Yes, you idiot. Come here at once." The man looked down at his fallen comrade, but stopped performing his first aid to save his life. "I''m a bit busy, Sir." "Help will come for him. I need you to take an assault team to the Shinsorai barracks. It appears they''ve hidden Lust here this entire time. You will flush her out of hiding there." The Maiden looked at his friend again, then back to Patience, who prepared to activate his Seal and make the man obey. "Y-yes, Sir!" Hm, didn''t even have to use it. Patience took in more of the wondrous carnage as he proceeded through the city. Their wonderful ceremony, brought to a premature end. He walked without a care. I''ll end up at the right place, at the right time, as always¡­ He felt a slight jolt that gave him pause. Not the Desert Mouse. Something quite different. Not the Cat of Ninetails, either¡­ He must not have shown himself after all. Another Alter, though, to be sure. Musashi? Patience pulled aside another Maiden. "Track down the Shinsorai''s movements, then flank and assault them. Help will arrive from the Harbormasters soon enough. Your orders are to get the girl, and only the girl." "Yes, Sir!"
APPROACH THE SHADOWS. DISPATCH HIM FOR MY PROTEGE.
"Show yourself," Patience said. "I felt you long ago." "But what?" Only his voice presented itself. The Desert Mouse remained hidden. "You''ve grown¡­ Impatient?" "Very clever. Took you a decade to come up with that one." "No, but I waited patiently for years to use it." Patience twitched. "You will fetch me Wrath. And if it works out in our favor, his friends. But Wrath is the priority." "What of the girl?" "She is already mine." "Funny, I don''t see her." "Funny, I don''t see you." The Desert Mouse grunted. "Where do I find you?" "You won''t." Patience walked away. He swiped at the air and grabbed a hidden blade, then nudged it aside. Nice try, Jafar. "I will find you." "So it seems¡­"
My counterpart has already Integrated. Must be feeling cornered right about now. Patience approached the Hunter that held down a struggling Lust. Other Maidens fought the surrounding, but dwindling, Shinsorai. "Save the Raventree heir at all costs!" one shouted. Patience slipped through the chaos and struck down two Shinsorai Samurai, shoving other Maidens out of his way. He knelt down to Lust and relished the desperation in her pink eyes. It filled his blood with adrenaline, with cruelty, with malice. "Why¡­?" Lust asked. "Because I hate this world, and everyone in it." Patience slit her throat, then lopped off her arms for good measure. Hm, wish I''d done that the other way around, now that I think of it. "How dare you!" "Not the Raventree!" Shinsorai Guards attacked him from all angles. Pat drew his rapier; a single second later, they all collapses, alongside some Maidens caught in friendly fire. "Treasonous fools. No idea she''s a Sin." Patience looked around, proud of his accomplishment and what it''d mean for the reputation of The Spider, of Pat of the Dunes. "Let''s take her to the zephyr. In pieces, if you would." A group of men collected Lust''s body parts and hauled her away. A flock of ravens took off from a nearby tree. "Before the vultures arrive." Charlotte, go collect your eye from the cabin. We''ll be needing it again soon. Ch 107 - Odessa
JULES
"We''re not allies?" Jules asked. "Given the circumstances, and all our common foes, I have to say I''m a bit disappointed." "We need to leave now," Whiskers whispered in Jules'' ear. "Kat is¡ª" "The enemy of my enemy¡­ Perhaps we can build off of this, yes." The Shinsorai adjusted their mask, and the voice modulation faded away. "Why did you show up in Shinsora, today of all days? And why," she crouched down, ready to strike, "did you fight Seraphina in The Shadow''s Path ceremony?" That voice. Jules dis-Integrated Kaizen from the Sound and sheathed his sword through the sash. "We came here looking for her. I''m sure you know who I am. This is Rukia, my Familiar. This is Whiskers, and this is¡­another one of us. We came here for Lust, who spoke very highly of you, Odessa." "But why did you come for her? It seems you weren''t the only ones." "We received a tip after the Battle of Marina Veridia from Krakenbane." Odessa winced at the name. "We came straight to her." "And brought down an entire army with you, you fools. To The Verdant Domain, of all damn places." Why does that matter? "What they say about us isn''t true. We saved Marina Veridia¡ª" "Don''t take me for a simpleton. I know my Seraphina''s heart, and I know propaganda when I see it. I''ll trust in you for now. Follow me."
Great. More passageways, but at least we aren''t in the streets anymore¡ªor the sewers, thank Salvos. Jules followed Odessa through the cramped space, careful not to drag Katarina, still draped over his shoulder, along any stray nails in the wall paneling. You''d better find us quick, Cy. Through a slight crack in the walls, Jules saw the Shinsorai''s royal palace up close, in all its glory. A single building rose high about a courtyard, and each story featured its own terraced and overhanging roofline. Amazing, it''s nothing like Lustris Haven, Whispering Brook, or Aquilantis¡ªall of Coralith, really. Acid dripped down onto Jules'' shoulder and burned him. Good, Kat''s Regeneration has at least started, however slow it may be. They traveled in complete silence, not daring to speak and risk being caught. On the other side of thin interior walls, and large exterior stone walls, the Shinsorai waged war against the Iron Maidens, as well as the Harbormasters. Must have been the alarms we heard sound off. War follows us wherever we go¡­ Odessa removed a false stone wall at the corner of the courtyard, but she held up a hand for them to halt. Two Shinsorai, wearing regal armor similar to what Seraphina wore earlier that morning, fought a small troop of enemies near a massive well. Odessa whispered a few Scripts that Jules couldn''t decipher. Several invaders collapsed to the ground, and, nearby, a boulder lifted slightly on a hinge. She motioned to the rock, slid open the false door of their passageway, and sprinted into a hole beneath the boulder. Jules followed immediately, and the rock slammed shut over top of them. They descended an uneven, rocky staircase to a large underground chamber, right beneath the palace courtyard. A lone tree grew near the center of the cavern. Light pierced down onto it from an opening above. From the well I saw earlier? Behind the tree towered a massive structure constructed of crude black stone. It reminded Jules of a Shrine, but had no veil or magic flowing through it¡ªhe knew what it was instantly from the picture books he and Cyrus pored over as children. Rocky soil and dirt covered the ground, except a concentric circle of white sand that radiated out from the structure. A single, massive Rune had been raked into the zen garden''s sand. "So this is the escape route Sera mentioned¡­" And the Space Rune? I guess Sera''s not the only illegal secret the Raventrees have been keeping¡ªand in plain sight, at that. Jules looked up the well, where the sounds of the waging war carried on. "I need to tune the Teleportal." Odessa picked up a rake. "Get ready, and make a plan." "I need to wake her up and find my other friend." Jules gently laid Katarina on the ground. "Then be quick about it," Odessa snapped.
? Activate ?
Jules burned through all of his Healing Inked Arts, and tried adding in some Dark magic to her wounds to counteract Katarina''s Holy damage. Rukia laid down next to her with her snout between her front two paws, moping. Jules grew frustrated as none of his tactics seemed to take effect. Damn Maidens. And the Shinsorai were no better¡ªprobably could have gotten away if they hadn''t intervened. And someone knew we were coming. The only person who knew we were coming is Krakenbane. And possibly Maddie, but surely she didn''t do anything about it. And fucking Cy is still gone. He rubbed his temple and sat down in the dirt. Whiskers growled and picked up where Jules left off, trying to heal her. Practically let Kat die out there, and she''s blind, for who knows how long. And Sera¡ªwho even knows where she is right now. Cy, can you hear me? Jules extended his Telepathy out shallowly at first, then expanded it, further than he felt comfortable doing. Still, nothing. "How could you possibly hesitate to make that choice?" Whiskers practically held back tears. "I didn''t? I made the choice once I had all the information¡ª" "And you, fox. You didn''t step in to help." Rukia only moved her puppy dog eyes to gaze at Whiskers, then she returned her attention to Katarina, without a defense. "Whiskers, I''m telling you¡ª" "Summon the ghost." Whiskers abandoned his task and arched his fur-ridged back. Jules sighed. Fine.
? Summon ?
Kaizen took his place in their little circle, sitting on the ground, in rare form. "Whiskers." "You fucking son of a bitch!" Jules flinched¡ªhe''d never heard Whiskers yell with such fury, such passionate hatred before. "How could you dare to even¡ª" Whiskers cut himself off and looked around at the various incarnations of Wrath. Rukia, Kaizen, Jules¡ªthey all looked and felt defeated in their collective failure to protect Katarina, to protect Seraphina. Rukia drew a heavy sigh, and Jules felt its meaning deep in his heart. "I''m sure this isn''t easy for you, either," Jules said to Kaizen. "Meeting her and then losing her immediately." "It is¡­not easy to lose someone." "And yet we could have lost Katarina. What the fuck were you thinking?" Stolen story; please report. "I¡­" Kaizen looked away. "Say it, you coward!" "I loved them both." "Well I only love one. And the only one you know in this world, is Kat, you heartless bastard." "It''s not the same to me. You wouldn''t understand." "Fuck you, Kaizen. You''d have left her in The Iron Maiden''s clutches Herself for that, that harlot¡ª" "Listen here, pussy," Kaizen snapped. "I gave Jules the option so he knew there was no choice but to pierce her Seal!" Whiskers recoiled, and Odessa briefly stopped what she was doing to look over at them, before resuming again. "It came with a heavy cost, and if he wasn''t sure he''d lose her¡ªactually lose her¡ªwe may have lost everyone today. I knew who he''d choose." Whiskers glared at him, then walked back over to Katarina, careful to lift up his tail and show his ass to Kaizen. He sat down next to her, back turned to them. "Fuck you." "So, Ghost-man¡ªYou knew he''d abandon my granddaughter?" Great. "I take it your name is Odessa." That was a statement, not a question? "Who are you?" "I''m him," Kaizen motioned to Jules. "In another life. I''ve met your granddaughter before. Though¡­in another world." "Then you know what''s about to befall my blood. She''s been identified, she''s alone, and she''ll be tortured, all because you couldn''t think fast enough on your feet." "You knew her name was Odessa," Jules said. "Did this happen to you?" Kaizen shook his head. "Sorry, kiddo. This is an entirely new feeling of defeat for me, something with which I''m very familiar with." Kaizen glanced at Rukia. "My master, on the other hand¡­" Rukia rose and popped her neck, and Kaizen didn''t continue. "I heard your voice before, in the passageways with Sera. It seems like you were talking to her, in retrospect. Advising her." "My city burns." Odessa ignored Jules and continue to rake the sand. "Its heritage, about to be ruined. Our most honorable festival, shattered." Chaos follows me wherever I go. "And now my son fights the Church itself, if not its most fanatic segment. He''s broken the law many times over. And my¡ª" Odessa dropped the rake. "My grandson. He will fall to the same fate." "What about you?" Jules asked. "Who gives a shit! Family is everything. Without it, I have nothing." OK, then. Jules meditated to calm himself down, and Odessa resumed her preparation of the Teleportal. I need to think of a plan¡ª A body crashed down into the zen garden sand, right where Odessa had just completed some design work. "Owwww!" Odessa drew a blade. "No!" Jules yelled. "Cy¡ªyou''re OK! He''s with us, Odessa. The friend I mentioned." "Well get him off the Salvos-damned sigil," Odessa threatened. "Jules! Holy shit¡ªDo I have good news for you!" "Cy¡ª" "I fought alongside Musashi¡ªand it was spectacular, and he sent me here¡ª" "Cy¡ª" "And I learned some more info about becoming an Alter¡ªgreat advice, actually¡ª" "Cy!" "Super straightforward, unlike someone else we know, and I even got some information on the¡ª" Cyrus cut himself off and looked over at Odessa. "Uh, hey. I''m Cy! Where''s Lust? And¡ªSweet Salvos, Kat!" He ran over to her side, and Jules joined him. "The Iron Maiden has some new form of magic, Cy. Some type of light and explosion from those third eyes did this to her. One melted my hand, and, well, another did this to Kat." "How bad?" "She was blind, but could still see, somehow¡ªthe third eyes, anyway. I don''t know if it''ll fully heal. We were overwhelmed by zombies. Really could have used you back there." Cyrus shot him a side-eye, then crouched down to Whiskers and pet him. "You holding up?" One corner of Whisker''s lip curled up and exposed his teeth, and Cyrus made sure to rub a knuckle into it. Seems to like it, at least. "The Shinsorai arrived, and split us all up. Kat was knocked out. Double Integration wasn''t enough." Cyrus whipped around to him, stunned. "We got stuck in the Shadow Realm, and I had to make a choice. I pierced Kat''s Seal and escaped to the real world." "So she''s a Sin, too?" Odessa asked. Dammit. "And that''s why the Shadowland was empty." "Shadowland?" Jules asked. "I thought Kaizen called it the Shadow Realm." "You didn''t crack the Realm, child. Only one layer of it. How do you think I came from the shadows after you expelled everyone? Rather, I should say she did." "Someone betrayed us, Cy, and Odessa¡ªSomeone betrayed Sera as well. Daiki, the Recruiter, after that meeting you had with your son." "Blasted Daiki. I''ll take care of him when I''m done here." "Sera already did." "Hmph. Good girl, good girl¡­" "So what exactly are you doing?" Cyrus asked. "She''s prepping a ritual for the Teleportal." "And we''re going¡­?" "Not sure yet. What happened with you? It better have been worth it." Jules glanced over at Katarina. "I¡­learned a little." Not so confident in the results of your little side Quest now, are you? "I spoke with some Etherealists earlier, there''s some conclave going down in Whispering Pines. I''ve had a weird feeling since I met them, Jules. And being so close to the Ethereal Rift¡­" "And Musashi? We''re short on time¡ªrelevant stuff only." "Right¡ªGot a lesson on becoming an Alter. Musashi said to¡ª" "Who cares!?" "Right¡ªI asked him about, uh¡­" Cyrus looked at Odessa. "The M word." "And!?" "He said there are three of them, and its best to leave them alone." Cyrus, Jules, and Whiskers all stared at Kaizen. Only Rukia didn''t join in. "My lips are Sealed." "So who knew we were coming here?" Jules asked. "Krakenbane, obviously," Cyrus said. Jules noted Odessa winced again. "Maddie, maybe. I alluded to The Verdant Domain with Davy Jones." "Krakenbane''s the obvious choice. He could have set up a trap, but I don''t know why he''d trust the Iron Maidens after Zeke¡­" "It wasn''t Magnus." Everyone, even Rukia, shifted their attention to Odessa. "Who said anything about Magnus Tharlsson?" Cyrus asked. "Magnus Krakenbane, you fool." "Oh. Guess I only ever knew his last name." Cyrus crossed his arms. "And we should just take that information as is, that you know this for a fact it wasn''t Krakenbane?" "Yes." "Fine," Jules said. "You''re in this, just like us. You clearly want to rescue Sera, so I''ll trust you on that one. But how did you find us?" "I felt the Shadow Realm crack and went straight to it. I couldn''t enter the Shadowlands, but the next fold was open." The next fold? "In all my decades, I''ve never known anyone with the power to do that before. At least, anyone who would do it." "And where were you when Sera was taken?" Jules asked. "You bastard. I''m keen to destroy this monstrosity, now." Odessa motioned toward the Teleportal. "Where were you?" Jules wouldn''t backtrack now. I feel like an ass, but it''s a valid question. "I felt another presence like yours. I went to investigate." "Clear skies, Jules," Cyrus said. "Seems to be a common theme when he''s around," Jules said. "Who?" Odessa asked. "Patience. The bane of my existence, it seems. If he''s here, we need to follow him." "Sylvan Hollow is his most likely destination," Cyrus said. "Yeah, Zeke said She never leaves there." "This Teleportal is synchronized to Whispering Pines, as it''s the closest coordinate and we have a¡­prior relationship established there. I''ll have to adjust it, but I need a location." Must have been a failsafe for Sera to escape if word got out. "Whispering Pines," Cyrus said. "Etherealist conclave. Lot of coincidences going on." "Focus," Jules said. "We need to find Sera and keep Kat safe. No more cults right now, and¡ª" "Yeah, I know. I won''t be running off on you again. Not after this last time." "Good. Sylvan Hollow''s out of the question. We''d be playing right into her hands, and before Sera would even arrive. Assuming Patience flew in on that zephyr with the weather, he''d take it back." "Unless The Iron Maiden needed Lust back immediately." Cyrus walked around and inspected the Teleportal. "And Musashi just teleported me here on a whim." "Where else can we go?" "The next closest coordinate is Eldertree Enclave," Odessa said. "It''s close to Sylvan Hollow itself." "That''s where Sera wanted to go originally. Do you know why?" Jules asked. "Uh, Odessa," Cyrus interrupted. "Who else knows about this place?" "My family and Musashi. Everyone else who discovered it¡­met unfortunate ends." "You sure?" Cyrus read aloud from a note:
My star pupils! Rumor is, you lost a friend. Meet me in Eldertree Enclave. ¡ªTP
"Oh fuck." Whiskers scratched an ear. "Holy fuck." Jules gazed at the stone ceiling. "Who the fuck?" Odessa asked. "Fuck," Cyrus said. "I could have asked Musashi another question." "He''s our instructor. Of sorts," Jules told Odessa. "We were actually going to find Sera, then go to him next. Seems he found us, as always." "Why wouldn''t he have helped?" Cyrus asked. "Who knows with that man," Whiskers said. "He probably wanted to see the Sins in action." "So it''s Eldertree, then. No one else knows about The Painter." "Well¡­" "Sweet Salvos, what, Cyrus?" "Whoah, went for my full name there, didn''t you? Musashi knows him, and I mighta mentioned him." "Lord Musashi fights with my son," Odessa said. "The Harbormasters arrived during the midst of this chaos. And the Cat of Ninetails was with them." The others emitted a collective Oh fuck. Me, Cy, Kat, Whiskers, Rukia, Kaizen. Six of us. "Are you coming, Odessa?" "No, child. There''s too much for me to do here. I trust you will save Seraphina; I must save my city." "I see. Good luck." "I''ll adjust the Script to send you seven to Eldertree Enclave. I''ll need one of you to hold the Space Rune crest." She gave it to Cyrus. "Sounds good, I''ll get Kat." Jules walked onto the sand, careful to avoid its lines and patterns. The six of them all assembled underneath the Teleportal''s arch, with Odessa off to the side. "Wait¡ªDid you just say seven? I thought you weren''t coming?" "Of course not," Odessa said without looking up. "Raven''s going with you." "Raven!?" "CAWWW!" He flew down the well hole, through the light, though he was still a ways off. The door behind them burst open in a massive explosion. An unknown voice called out to them. "Come out, come out, wherever you are¡­" Jules and Odessa locked eyes. He saw fear in hers for the first time. Though Raven was still too far away, Odessa''s eyes lit up, and she invoked the forbidden Rune.
? Space ?
Ch 108 - Teleportal
JULES
Jules'' body stretched, sheared, and spiraled and folded into itself as the Teleportal carried them through space. Cyrus and Katarina blended into one. Is this the Shadow Realm Odessa mentioned? It''s not like the Shadowlands, where left is right and white is black¡ªNo. Every direction is up, down, left, right, forward, backward, all at once. Jules folded into all of his friends as they crossed odd and impossible boundaries of relative space¡ªconstantly speeding away from each other, yet coming back together. Katarina''s eye, Cyrus'' Tensa, and Jules'' Sound all glowed a bright and vibrant white, and they appeared to retain their shapes more than anything else. Rukia flapped nearby, and Jules noticed the Beads around her neck had a similar effect. So that necklace is a Vessel¡­ "Jules, Cy¡ªYou''d better close your eyes," Kaizen warned, but Jules disobeyed. An endless plane of white marbled floors sped past Jules'' vision. Two golden doors towered briefly on the bleached expanse, then rushed away. Fire and brimstone replaced everything, and Jules spun around to avoid smacking into a floating jail cell door. A black demon came into focus, then spread out into four others, on horseback. Behind them, a crowned woman rode some colossal monster. Each image burned into Jules'' irises and left behind an after image. From the edges of his periphery inward, he saw a small small gathering. It came more and more into focus and formed a group of people in robes, praying in a circle, its focal point of a young girl in the center. They''re all¡­facing her? Or praying to her? They accelerated toward her. "Look away, Jules!" Kaizen commanded. Jules obeyed. His eyes darted to the edge of the prayer group¡ª They crashed into the ground where he looked at full speed, but instead of colliding with the dirt, the ground gave in, pushing in like wind in a sail. The ground bounced them back up, and Jules and his companions all laid flat in the rocky soil, just outside of the prayer ring. A few men approached them. "Who the hell are you?" "Where''d you come from?" "This is a holy sacrament you''re interrupting!" They''re pissed off, but not super aggressive. Yet, Rukia and Kaizen both added. Jules groaned and wobbled to his feet. "Answer us!" "Relax, relax," Cyrus said. A Ryoku barrier surrounded and protected the others still inside the prayer circle. "Cy, where are we?" Jules asked. "They''re Etherealists, Jules." Jules studied their robes, each bearing the Faction''s crest. "We landed in Whispering Pines." "And disturbed our prayer!" the closest man shouted. "Listen," Jules said, now on his feet. "We don''t want any problems. We, uh, came here by mistake." The few Etherealists outside the barrier summoned weapons. A focus on Void and Dark magic, huh?
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
A wonky shield covered Cyrus. Damn, really off his game. Don''t know if I could do any better, not after that trip¡ª The first Etherealist slashed at Jules with a battle ax. He leapt back to avoid it, but a trail of Dark magic grazed his past its blade, though it didn''t burn him. It''s almost invigorating. I''m not sure how to handle the Void magic, though. Jules maintained a position between the Etherealists and Katarina, not moving away from her, and taking a few blows because of it. "Whiskers, give me Ryoku!" "I need it for Katarina, you asshat." "I NEED IT FOR KAT MORE THAN YOU DO!" "R-right."
? ? Stoned Flesh ? ?
Jules encapsulated himself and Cyrus in some additional armor, while the latter rose spikes and columns of dirt to hold back their attackers. "Good," Jules said. "Just deflect, we don''t want to start a blood feud here." It soon became clear that the two of them would be able to stave off the Etherealists. Most of these people don''t look like fighters, and not even these guys have much experience. Their opposition formed a tight defensive arc against the barrier. "There''s still a way out of this, Cy¡­" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. A little girl, the one Jules saw at the focal point of the prayer ring, stepped forward through the barrier''s threshold. Every Etherealist stopped to balk at her. "Please, get back. We can¡ª" "Stop, everyone. Please." Every man lowered their arms at her command. You''re our ticket out of this. "They crashed into us! Invaded our space and our land¡ª" "These Travelers are guests of the Raventrees." "How can you be sure?" one demanded. "Sir," the girl pointed at Cyrus. "If you wouldn''t mind showing me that medallion." Cyrus looked at Jules, who nodded then spoke to him through Telepathy. Do it, Cy. Odessa mentioned an alliance here. He brandished the Space Rune for the girl. "See? They''ve arrived here by Teleportal." She studied each of them, hovering over Jules and Rukia and Whiskers, and then eventually Katarina. Who is this chick? Everyone looks to her like their leader, and not in fear¡­but not respect, either. A prophet? Another Sin? A fucking Virtue?? "We were supposed to go¡­somewhere else," Jules said. "And where would that be?" the girl asked. "I''d prefer to keep that to myself, if you don''t mind." Jules held his ground. "Hmm. Your arrival was not foretold. But I will hear you out."
ENVY
Sand shifted around her feet, and the dunes played trick on her eyes. My eyes! She reached up and felt her face, rubbed her eyes. Everything felt back to normal. She dropped to her knees in relief and looked straight into the blazing sun. Not a single cloud floated in the clear blue sky. "What''s wrong with you?" The hoarse voice came from behind her. She recognized it, though she wasn''t sure from where. "I can¡­" See again. Kat turned to face him. He looked oddly familiar, though he wore the beige robes of the Nomadic Clans. A long brown robe trailed behind. His messy black hair, mid-length, shifted in the wind like the dunes. Deep amber eyes pierced into her own. He wore an assortment of weapons around his belt and a strap that traversed shoulder to hip. I have never seen a Nomad before, so who are you? Someone else affectionately slapped her back. "What''s the matter, cat got your tongue?" I think I know you, too¡­ She locked eyes with the massive man. A warhammer was slung upon his back; his eyes narrowed. "Hey. You OK?" Kat looked at her own hands. Rough¡­? These aren''t mine. A man''s? She responded, though not of her own accord, and in a voice she didn''t recognize. "The scries are getting worse. The pain¡­is unreal. Whoever this girl is, I feel sorry for her." The man in the brown cloak looked off at the horizon. "War''ll be over soon." The giant helped Kat to her feet and dusted off her own beige and ragged cloak. "Before it even starts. Then we don''t have to worry about these damn visions again. Right¡ª" "Silence." The hoarse voice of the leader cut sharper than the wind. "We are not alone." The others scanned the dunes as far as the eye could see, and Kat joined in. Off in the distance, black spots waved like mirages. "There," she said. "The Elementalists have begun their invasion." "No sign of Kazuma, still." How can you even see from here? "Shall we give them a taste of their own medicine this time ''round?" The giant lifted his warhammer off his back; it glowed red hot. "No, Chael¡ªWe wait," Kat said. She tied her long black hair up into a bun. They waited until the riders approached over the closest dune.
? Summon ?
Bows and arrows filled Kat''s hand, crafted from Dark and Voidless magic. That Rune¡ª Horses'' hooves crested over the dune. She knocked back an arrow, and was whipped away form the dream into darkness.
JAFAR
I always knew the Raventrees were hiding something. I just never imagined it was this much. Jafar descended down an uneven stone staircase to a dead end. You are always full of surprises, Jiro.
? Shatter ?
The rock wall before him exploded into a massive cavern. Dust clouded his vision. But traitor¡­? Nothing could surprise me more than that. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Jafar said.
? Space ?
No! Jafar sprinted blindly through the dust cloud and saw the final remnants of people hurdling through the Teleportal. A Shinsorai intercepted him before he could run through it, and the Script faded away. A raven flew off through the only hole in the ceiling, cawing as it fled. "You fucking bitch!" Jafar spat as he cursed her. Jafar roundhouse kicked the woman, and its sonic blast flung her out of his sight. He lifted a hand up to the Teleportal.
? Space ?
The gate opened up again, in a swirling fashion that reminded him of a galaxy. He cracked his neck and approached it.
? Space ?
The old hag repeated her Rune, and the Teleportal crumpled into itself and disappeared entirely. Jafar closed his eyes and drew a long, deep breath. "I never even knew that was an option," Jafar conceded. "I commend your wisdom." "You. I recognize you." The woman rose to her feet and dusted herself off. Grace never escapes you, does it, Odessa Raventree? "Everyone in The Verdant Domain knows me." Jafar spat into the zen garden sand, then slashed his scimitar Vessel, seemingly randomly, into the air. "But none recognize me." "You''ve managed to stay hidden for a long time," Odessa taunted. "You''re one to talk." Jafar gestured around the darkness. "The dunes have covered your tracks well." Jafar looked left and right, then stalked through the cavern, memorizing every shadow. "Apparently not well enough. Where did you just send them?" "Where is my granddaughter?" "I don''t have her. I''m looking for someone else." "You have aided and abetted her capture¡ªYou! Who knows oppression more than anyone. The People''s Martyr." She spat in his direction. Jafar''s blood boiled. Don''t you speak about that ordeal. "I was there in the desert that day, when the Elementalists sacked you." "And which side were you on? Oh, that''s right¡­" Jafar pulled a black, fingerless glove over his left hand. The top side bore an image of a skull-and-bones. "The Shinsorai betrayed the Nomads." "Not all of¡ª" Jafar reached out with the glove, grabbed her by the neck, and ripped her out from the Shadow Realm. Her wide eyes gazed into his. "Thought you had the advantage in an underground lair, where the shadows touch all?" He leaned into her. "I carry the desert sun everywhere I go. There are no more shadows in my life¡ªonly endless sunlight." "You are pure chaos, Jafar." "I am justice. Now, where''d you send Wrath? Or better yet," Jafar clicked his tongue, "where can I find Kazuma?" Ch 109 - The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!
JULES
"Hear me out?" Jules asked. "I already told you this was a mistake. We''ll just be on our way." The girl approached him, and one of the few Etherealist warriors tried to stop her, but she brushed him off. "Step aside Max, or the High Priest will reprimand you personally. Now, why would the Raventrees send a group of¡­" She looked at Whiskers and an unconscious Katarina and scrutinized Jules'' and Cyrus'' faces, and Jules studied hers. I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere before. "Strangers to Whispering Pines without warning?" "Like I said, she didn''t mean to." The girl smiled. Damn, I gave too much away. "Ah, so which one sent you, then? Odessa? Mira? Seraphina, perhaps?" Again, she looked at the Familiars. Jules fell silent. Not sure how much I should give away. Any advice? Rukia and Kaizen also remained quiet. "Yeah, one of them," Cyrus said. "But look, we really don''t have time to¡ª" "And why did she¡ªwhoever she is¡ªsend you with her emblem?" The girl waved her hand, and the Ryoku barrier and summoned weapons fizzled away. "Perhaps it was Fate who sent you here. Why don''t you wake a walk back with me? We can have a," she glanced back to the prayer crowd, "private audience." Jules reached out to the others. No much of a choice, do we? They all agreed. "Fine. But we need a quiet place." The girl cut through the crowd just like a wedge and led them away, and Jules eyed the Etherealists as he passed by them. They left the clearing, and the group trailed behind them. Pinched in front and back, with nowhere to run to. The trail snaked through the woods until the outskirts of a small village came into sight. Small cottages laid scattered between trees, each pumping out tails of smoke to the heavens. Tons of cattle and other beasts of burden, both locked behind fences and roaming freely. Gardens spread out everywhere. Another trailhead caught his attention¡ªit led off into a much denser woodland and sent a shiver down his spine. People walked all about the village, each with an Etherealist Faction crest somewhere on their clothing. Mostly all wearing the same type of clothes, and there are way more people here than I would have imagined could live in a village this size. Cyrus nudged his elbow in Jules'' rib. "Must represent their station or something, the clothes," he said. "Heard they have some caste system." What Jules noticed most was the amount of villagers who prayed around the sick, the dying, and the dead. The only ones not lying around praying were Healers, who moved from group to group. May need to hire one of them for Kat, Jules thought to Cyrus. Dangerous idea. True, but at least it''s an option. Everyone stopped to pay their respects to the girl when they passed; she didn''t pay them much attention, as if parading strangers through their village and followed by a massive crowd were a normal event. And they''re even going right back to prayer¡ª "What is that?" Jules asked. He pointed at some black arches, carved of stone, near some of the dead. "I would think you would recognize a Teleportal when you saw one," she said. No, ours looked much different than that creepy thing. "We return our husks to the Ethereal Rift when we die." "What happened here, to all your people?" "In due time, in our private audience." "I thought this place was known for its medicinal herbs," Cyrus said. "It is. That is why we treat the sick here, directly next to the source." They continued on through Whispering Pines. Hardly anyone looks like they can fight here. The only ones that can are guarding her. "We care for our own until their dying breaths, when the medicine proves to be too ineffective." They arrived at the gate¡ªfashioned in the red Shrine torii style¡ªto a walled-off courtyard. Only the men that Jules and Cyrus had scuffled with followed her inside; the prayer group¡ªand Jules and Cyrus¡ªstayed outside. Jules saw a wide open space with a temple inside. "Please, if you''ll follow me." The two boys glanced at each other. "We can have Healers tend to your friend, while you and I meet alone for a time." "If you''ll give us a moment," Jules requested. "We need to discuss something." "Take your time." She walked further inside and gave them some space. "I don''t like the idea of splitting up again," Jules whispered. "We don''t have a choice. Our furry animals are suspicious enough." "Stay with Kat." "I need to find out why I''m here." "Cy!" "No. It''s not some mistake that we came here. I''m supposed to find something here, I know it." "The last time you left Kat, this happened¡ª" "Let the fool run amok." Jules balked at Whiskers. "Hey, watch it," Cyrus said. "Are you serious, Whiskers!?" Jules asked. "Rukia, Kaizen, and I will stay with Katarina. I''ve been watching the crowd. We can take them. Plus, you''ll be right next door." "Sounds like a trap to me," Jules said. "Katarina is¡­dreaming things she should never see. I need to pry, and I don''t want either of you entering her mind." "¡­What?" "Everything OK over there?" the girl called out. "Jules, I hate it here." That''s a shock, Ruke. You usually love dangerous situations. Oh¡ªmaybe we''re not in danger¡­? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "If we''re gonna do this, you need to stay with Whiskers. You don''t have to, but¡ª" "No, it''s fine," she said. "I''ll stay by Whiskers'' side." But not Kat''s? Hmm, you two. Jules winked at her, but she tilted her head in confusion. "And I''m good to go on my own?" Cyrus asked. "As long as you stay close." "No promises." "Of course not. I''m getting tired of traveling with you." "I''m telling you, it''s all¡ª" "Yeah, whatever. Go do your side Quest again, but move Kat first." Jules turned away, and Cyrus grabbed his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "If the time is ever right, ask her about the Magi." "Right." Jules entered the gate and approached the girl. "So who exactly are you, and why''d you bring us here?" "Please, sit first." She guided him through sliding bamboo doors to a room inside the temple, and shut it behind them. One Rune, repeated over and over again, covered the walls. "These Silence Runes were installed long before they were made illegal. We have amnesty here in this ancient temple." "I see." Jules scanned the room. Tatami mat floors, a little altar in an alcove on the wall. A low table and no chairs, just cushions. A strange, humming box. Wonder what''s inside of it? "My name is Anya Naqri." Anya fetched a tea set from the altar and laid it out on the low table, in a very particular manner. Not pouring any, yet. Jules noted another set of boxes sat beneath the altar. "So, what exactly are your ties to the Raventrees?" "I should ask the same of you." Anya adjusted a plate on the table. "You can lower your guard. My Guards are outside and can''t hear us, even if I yell for help." "Are you sure I won''t need to yell for help? You seem to be revered around here." And at such a young age. "I sense a strength in you. An unnatural one. I am certain I would not best you." She rotated Jules'' empty tea cup slightly. I know I''ve seen you before. Could have been in my nightmares, if you''re a Sin. Greed? Gluttony? Pride? Sloth is male. I don''t want to risk seeing if you can Regenerate¡ªThat could end poorly. "I will ask one more time, who sent you, and why?" She reminded him of a certain artist he know, who demanded knowledge in exchange for knowledge. "Question for question. Deal?" "Yes, and now I''ve answered yours first, so answer mine." "Odessa sent us here. The why part is another question, I''m sure you''ll understand." "I see you''re keen on a tight negotiation. Proceed." "How do you know the Raventrees?" "They are Etherealists, though we are not Shinsorai." Hm, giving me extra information, but I think I''ll hold back on mine for a time. "Why did Odessa send you here?" "I''m not sure. It was a mistake. Why do you trust the Raventrees so much?" "Jiro Raventree is a good Lord to the Shinsorai, and he has equally provided for us in our greatest times of need." "Oh, how?" "Ah ah, my turn. Where did she mean to send you?" "I think here." They stared each other down, and Jules cracked the first smile, and she returned one in kind. "But we had planned to go elsewhere in The Verdant Domain." "Jiro sent us provisions after we were blockaded." Not expanding on that one, are you? "Where else did you plan to go in The Verdant Domain?" "You are persistent." And perhaps I''m being an ass, but whatever. "Eldertree Enclave." Anya poured their tea. As the steam rose from his cup, Jules waited for her to drink first, which she did. Could be Truth Serum. I should ask a really tough question before drinking mine. He leaned in. "What''s the biggest secret you know about the Raventrees?" "I know Jiro''s daughter is Lust." I knew it! "And before you jump to conclusions, this is not Truth Serum." Jules'' lack of a poker face fell flat. Well, you can''t lie about that, right? Maybe this is why we''re having a private audience. He took a spiteful sip of the tea. Fuck. Salvos Dammit. "How is the tea?" She winked. "Fucking delicious. I mean, wow. And thanks for the free question¡ªWhere have I seen you before?" "I do not know. Where have I seen you before?" Jules laughed. "Do you get newspapers out here?" Anya took another sip without responding. "Oh, right. Didn''t mean to jump the line, but if you get newspapers, you''ll see my face and a fat Bounty next to it in all of them. Why do you protect Lust?" You could sell her out for enough Ryoku to heal everyone here, ten times over. "I already told you, she is an Etherealist. Though she may not know it herself. Where are you from? I mean Faction-wise. You are clearly not Shinsorai." "I''m not apart of any Faction." Jules took another sip; it was so good he practically grunted out loud. Have a freebie for this immaculate brew."But I am from Coralith." Anya smiled and nodded her head in appreciation of the extra effort. "How old are you?" "Eighteen. You?" "Eighteen. We are of a similar age, so¡­ Which one are you?" Anya took another sip. "Female." "That''s not what I¡ª" "Are you Wrath?" Jules'' lip curled, and he set his tea cup down with a clank. "I don''t like being called that, but you''re not wrong to. I prefer Jules Tideshaper. Are you Greed?" "No." Shit. "Is the fox your Familiar, or the cat?" Which one are you? "Rukia the fox." Anya rose and fetched the other boxes near the altar. She opened it up and presented little tea cakes. Thought my arrival wasn''t foretold? Those look fresh. Anya lifted one up to her mouth. Fuck, that looks delicious. Like too god, kinda feels like¡ª "Are you Gluttony?" Anya''s eyes widened. Her hand froze, with mouth wide open, cake inches from her face. She looked down at the snack, then down to her stomach. Pure anger spread across her face. "I am not a Sin." Anya slammed the entire piece into her mouth, chewed a few times, then swallowed loudly. "Uh¡­ I didn''t mean what you think I meant by that. I just¡­was sure you were a Sin. Are you a Virtue?" "No. Two questions for me. What are you searching for¡ª" Anger returned to her face. No, much harsher this time. "And do. You know. Kazuma?" "You mean the Alter? No, not personally." Anya relaxed again. "I think we''ve built enough trust to proceed, yes? After you''ve answered my other question, that is." "We are looking for Lust¡ªfor Sera." Jules briefly explained the events of the day so far. "Now, proceed with what?" "You''ve seen the state of our village. We are a dying breed, and I am only one woman. We''ve been praying for a savior, and perhaps our Shinsorai friends delivered us one." "Trust me," Jules looked away, "I''m no savior. But what exactly happened here?" "Nothing. A decade-plus of isolation. After the Etherealists didn''t pick a side in the 16th War of the Wastes, we paid the price, and the Elementalists blockaded us." The 16th War¡ªeh? "Listen, I have my own mission." "The Etherealists are gathering back here from all over, because we are preparing for the war." "What war?" "The one that was set in motion today, in Shinsora." "That seems like a stretch. It was just another battle for a Sin¡ª" "The Verdant Domain is going to war, Jules Tideshaper." "Against who? And for what, more Sins?" "I know not who, nor why. Coralith. Zephyria. Obsidia. The Church and the Iron zealots¡ªany guess is as good as mine. And for what? We have 52 Shrines. 53 now, because Riftwatch Outpost just opened a new one recently. We have the Tree of Wishes, we have the Ethereal Rift, which we are sworn to guard¡ªHa! What good will we, a dying breed, do in that endeavor?" Jules took it all in silence. "The 17th War is coming," Anya continued. "And it will be The War to end all Wars. Players larger than either of us, that have too much at stake as the world turns to the Apocalypse." "I don''t know what you expect me to do. I told you, I have another mission." "To start it?" The Apocalypse!? "No!" Jules snapped. He rose from his seat. "To stop it all." "Then we serve the same side!" "What''s your part in all of this?" Jules demanded. "Why does everyone here worship you¡ªrevere you? And why are you keeping me here?" "I never set out to be. A leader. It was forced upon me at a young age." Yeah, I get the feeling. "Though not at birth, like you. Prophesies of Oracles come every so often in the Etherealists." That''s good info for Cy. "I never had a choice." "I feel your pain, but that doesn''t change my stance. My friends and I need to leave and find Lust." "I do like the calling, though. To help people, whether physically," her look made Jules uncomfortable, "or spiritually. We are a weak faction. Weak of body and mind, but not of spirit. I fulfill my role the best I can, and I feel we share that bond." You''re damn right about the spirituality thing. "What''s your calling, Jules Tideshaper?" To start the Apocalypse¡­ "I defy my calling." "I see. But I still hold hope that I''m not mistaken about you, Jules." You still won''t falter. "You hold loyalty to Lust, so I''ll share this information with you. The Iron Maidens are hunting Sins and Virtues alike, in a secret sect called the Judas Priests. Back in Marina Veridia, they used a tool called the Black Sacrament, to mimic some unspeakable Soul magic." "I have foreseen such darkness overtaking us, overtaking all of The Verdant Domain. So if I help you reach Eldertree Enclave, will you help us?" Cyrus'' words echoed in Jules'' mind. "Anya, have you ever heard of the Magi?" One of the Etherealist Guards burst in¡ªJules was ready to strike him down, but Anya held up a hand. "What is it, Sebastian?" He glared at Jules, with scorn and disgust. "Your friend, boy. He''s agreed to duel the High Priest." "He what!?" Ch 110 - Bounty
CYRUS
Small cottages scattered between trees, each pumping out tails of smoke to the heavens. Tons of cattle and other beasts of burden, both locked behind fences and roaming freely. Gardens spread out everywhere. Another trailhead caught his attention¡ªit led off into a much denser woodland, and piqued Cy''s interest. "We return our husks to the Ethereal Rift when we die," the girl said. Cy glanced at the smaller Teleportals, then pulled out the Space Rune emblem he carried. Etherealists are everywhere, man, and all wearing that crest that Ole Patty drew out in her memories. But why are they so far away from the Ethereal Rift? I just need to find someone with some answers. How much information should I give them? Should probably hold all my cards to my chest and be as vague as possible. That''s what The Painter would do. And why can''t I shake this bad feeling I''ve had since Shinsora? Am I not supposed to be here? Cy and Jules halted outside of the massive torii gate. What''s with all the Shrine architecture today? "If you''ll give us a moment, we need to discuss something," Jules said. "Take your time."
Cy grabbed Jules'' shoulder and whispered in his ear. "If the time is ever right, ask her about the Magi." "Right." Jules left them and joined the girl inside the temple. Cy dropped off Envy, Whiskers, and Rukia inside another room of the temple. A Healer came in and assured they were in good hands. Rukia tugged on the Shaman Beads and gave him a thumbs up and a wink. Right. Time I be headed off, then. "I''d like to speak to someone in your Faction," Cy said. "Someone who can answer a lot of questions." "What is it you seek?" the Healer asked. "I honestly don''t know. That chick¡ªI mean girl¡ªmentioned someone that I think would outrank her?" "The High Priest?" "Yeah, where is he?" "I am Bound to silence." A Binding Vow? Guess that makes sense. The Healer stared off through the gate. Cy followed her line of sight. "That trailhead?" She simply stared at him. "Silence, right. Thank you, and take care of her. Please." "Safe travels on the Path," the Healer said. As Cy drew closer to the trail that had caught his attention walking through the village earlier, his heart rate quickened. The trail''s mouth was a well-worn path, trodden by countless bare feet and shoes alike. No grass grew on the trail here, and no roots covered it. But the further out cy travelled, the less apparent the foot traffic became. Blades of grass invaded the dirt until entire pods roped across it, and the trail became less obvious. Am I still going the right way? Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, despite the cool, crisp air. A minor reverberation in his skull turned into a headache, and grew with every step. He felt heavy, of body and breath. He stopped and had to blink a few dozen times¡ªblack spots spread across his vision, and he could have sworn both sides of the path rustled with beasts in the underbrush. Illusion magic?
? ? Distorted Vision ? ?
Cy used an Illusion Script on himself, helping it would knock his vision back in place. Appears to have worked, for now at least. His heart vibrated and hummed nonstop. A handful of ghoulish figures approached him from the woods, but every time he turned to look at them, they''d vanish into air. I see why this part of the path is less traveled¡ªAnd great. Now it''s all but disappeared. Cy scanned the forest, unsure of where to go next. He felt pulled in multiple directions, as if called to something beyond the next thicket, and not even drawing out his Vessel, Tensa, offered any help. For what seemed like hours, he wandered in circles, as if in another maze, until he came across a Shrine. Thing looks like it could be a century old. "That is not for you, child." Cy spun around and faced the man. "Thank Salvos, another human! Wait¡­" Those robes are different than the others'' in the village. These robes are like what that Etherealist wore in Coralhaven with Patty. "What are you doing here?" the man demanded. "Trying to find my way back to the path." "Who are you?" "Just a wanderer, looking for some answers," Cy said. "Why are you out here, then?" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Looking for the High Priest. Guess I found him." The man grunted back, but didn''t affirm his identity. "What was that path, and what type of magic is that?" "I''m surprised you don''t know, having made it this far, so how did you?" "I cast a Script on myself to keep my vision¡ªah, maybe that''s why the path disappeared entirely." "Hmm, so you didn''t arrive here on the path. Not truly." He looked Cy up and down. "Well, follow me. You don''t want to stay out here too long, trust me. You''d better grab my shoulder, too." Cy deactivated his Script and followed the man to a hut about a quarter-mile away. There were maps of The Verdant Domain spread out on a table, and scraps of paper with Runes and other Scripts written on them. Another table was covered with food and large pitcher of water. "Seems you''ve arrived where you intended to, child," the man said. "I am High Priest Edmund." Cy withheld his own name. "I believe you were in need of some answers. Did Anya send you here?" "That the chick that everyone prayed to?" The High Priest narrowed his eyes. "Well, indirectly, yes. A Healer stared at the trailhead when I asked where to find you." "Hm, I see. Good they kept silent." Riiight. "I guess to start, do you have any Alters here?" I have a knack for running into them, and The Nomad could be¡ª "Alters are not welcome in Whispering Pines." Oh, OK. Take note of that for Future Cy. "So what''s the purpose of the Etherealists, exactly?" "You came all the way out here to ask a question that a child''s textbook could answer?" "Nope." The High Priest cracked a smile. "Right. We guard the Ethereal Rift, the source of all magic in Salvatica." "Makes a lot of sense to do that a hundred miles away from it." "You''ve clearly never been. It''d rip someone like you to shreds in less than a month." No way, so all those sick people¡­ "I felt it in Shinsora." "I assure you, you did not. Long ago, the Etherealists made a pack with the Shinsorai and shielded them from the Rift''s intensity." "I think I even feel it here." The High Priest studied Cy and offered him a glass of water. "That will make you feel better." How do I ask this next question? Wow, that did calm my nerves. "Anya, the girl, mentioned something being foretold." I mean, specifically being not foretold, but semantics. "What type of prophesies do you all have?" Would it be too embarrassing to outright ask if I''m special? ¡­Yes. Definitely yes. "Why are you so keen on learning them?" Probably not going to be able to dance around this guy. "Have you all ever expanded outside?" Edmund just stared at him. "I mean, internationally." "Any nations in particular?" Screw it. Full frontal assault. "Have you ever been to Coralith?" Cy asked. The man leaned against a table, then picked up a loaf of bread. He split it in half and offered a piece to Cy, who didn''t take it. "I''m afraid I never got your name." He held the offering out to Cy. "Patricia." The High Priest bit into his bread, other arm still extended out for Cy to take his piece. "Ever been to an orphanage?" Come on, there''s gotta be some prophecy about me. Why would they try to block it from Patty''s memory? "Does Coralhaven strike a bell?" The High Priest stopped chewing, and withdrew his arms, and Cy''s bread offering with it. "I think I know you," Cy said. "And I know you, child." Cy perked up. Edmund tossed a newspaper at him. It landed with the Bounties page, face-up, and Cy''s demeanor fell again. "Cyrus of No Surname." For some reason, Cy thought about The Painter''s portrait of Cy, the night they''d first met, and the name written below it in Sylvan. "I assume that since you are here, you''ve discovered that is not your given name." The High Priest offered the bread again. Holy fucking shit. It was all practically within his fingertips. Cy accepted the offering and bit into the bread. "How would you know?" "I cannot say." "What is my name?" "I. Cannot. Say." "Do you know who can??" I''m so close¡­ "You are an Etherealist by blood." "OK¡ªSo what does that mean?" "We are both locked to Binding Vows." What? I only have one Binding Vow. "Show me your marking, then." "I''m afraid I won''t rip out my own heart, but¡­" It''s on my heart? "There is another way, a task¡­" "I''ll do whatever it takes." "A sacred tradition¡ª" "Done¡ª" "¡ªAn honorable duel¡ª" "Agreed, I said¡ª" "¡ªTo the death." "Whatev¡ªWhat!?" Why do all these Verdant Domainians have to duel to the death!? Cy felt a familiar sharp pain etch onto his heart. It reminded him, yet again, of The Painter, when they''d made their Binding Vow.
The next morning, Cy walked out of the temple into the cool, crisp dawn alone. Its massive courtyard was empty, a sharp contrast to the night before. But just on the other side of the torii gate, the entire village of Whispering Pines waited for him. He recognized a few faces from the day before, several more from last night. But what surprised him most were the men, women, and children who stood waiting for him this morning, that had been on their death beds just a day ago. No prayer circles followed them today, and they didn''t look any further away from death''s door. All of them wearing their Etherealist crests on proud display, as well. Death¡­now there''s a scary thought. Cy turned back for the first time to the temple. Jules opened the sliding door and followed after Cy with Rukia, but Cy''s attention was on Envy. Been in a tricky spot like this before, though you were at my side, then. Cy shrugged and felt Tensa hang heavy on his back. That time I didn''t have a chance to say goodbye to Jules, and now this time it''s you. Life. What a funny thing. "Check the latest entry." Jules smacked Cy with a copy of The Sins of Wrath. "Our favorite author has fallen from grace, down to journalism, it seems." "Sweet Salvos, Jules¡ªYou pay a monthly subscription for this trash?" "?1,000 every month. Worth every one." Cy read the newest section aloud.
THE BATTLE FOR SHINSORA by B.S. Snelliott It is with a heavy heart that I bring you more devastating news about the Deadliest Sin. It appears that Wrath''s fury knows no bounds, not even after the disastrous Battle for Marina Veridia, of which there were no survivors.
"No survivors!? There were tons of survivors! And how would he know anything about it if no one lived to¡ª" "Cy, we''re short on time." "Fine, whatever."
Wrath and his henchmen¡ªRukia the Devilish Fox Familiar, The Mysterious Woman and her Feline Familiar, and Cyrus of No Surname¡ªhave leveled another city, the glorious and historic Shinsora. Not only that, but they have managed to rescue yet another Sin, Lust, and have escaped with her. It should come as a surprise that Lust is none other than Seraphina Raventree, daughter of the formerly renown Raventree nobility¡ª
"Alright, enough of this crap. I have a duel to win." "Just skip down to the Bounties. I think you''ll like what you see."
[Bounty Increased by ?500,000 for crimes committed in Shinsora. Total Bounty is now ?662,800]
Cy scanned to the end, and a slow smile crept across his face. Cy clapped Jules'' back in appreciation. "Yes. Yes I do." Now that''s what I call a pep talk. Cy marched through the crowd and made eye contact with as many of the Etherealists as he could. He continued on to the clearing they''d landed in just yesterday, where High Priest Edmund awaited him. "If I win, will you tell me my name?" Cy asked him. "If you win, you will have no one to ask. There is no mercy in a duel to the death." Oh, come on¡ª "Begin," Anya commanded. Ch 111 - Duel
JULES
The night before¡­ I shouldn''t have expected anything less. Here we go again. Jules cracked his neck, then wandered to the edge of the black lake. Each footstep on the water''s surface rippled out across, seemingly to infinity¡ªthere was no end in sight to this lake or surrounding forest. Fear didn''t grip him like it had in the past, when the Shrine rose in Coralhaven, when he met Envy. No, not Envy. What was her name again¡­? The golden throne doors towered above him. Blinding light radiated from them, and Jules shielded his eyes. Once his vision adjusted, the prison door of his nightmares had taken their place and stood before him once more, as if taunting him. Fire erupted on all sides, just as they had last time, but Jules neither winced nor felt pain. He pinched his nose and took one step backward, then fell through the water into the abyss. SPLASH! No boiling water filled his lungs, but ice cold water wrenched him awake¡ªat least from his dream within a dream. The culprit held a cheap iron bucket. Envy. She''d aged since he last saw her here, from a tomboyish girl to a young woman, though she still seemed equally grumpy as last time. "Let me guess¡ª" "What are you doing sleeping!? We need to unload all this crap." Jules chuckled to himself, then got up and unloaded cargo with her. They joked with each other and played pranks while they worked, and more ships, larger in size each time, arrived one by one, until seven in total docked. "We need to get a bigger boat." Jules admired the last to arrive. "We need better jobs," Envy said. "But we don''t. Keep unloading. He''ll wake up any second." "Can''t get a better job." The words escaped Jules, out of his control, spoken by someone else. "Not how we were born. If only we came from a higher station, if our parents had been merchants, or something important. Nobles have it all, and don''t even realize it." He stared off at the castle in the distance, which always captured his gaze. "Hey ¡­, we''re all done." That name again. Why don''t I recognize it, and why can''t I remember hers? "Let''s go check out the parade." Jules finally broke his gaze with the castle. "Let''s get paid first." After they collected their coin, Jules and Envy strolled through the war-torn city. Most of the bodies had been removed, but blood stained the cobblestone streets and building fronts down in the lower quarters. "Survived another siege," Envy said. "We fought well. Together, as a unit." "I can''t believe the royal family survived." "What other royalty do you know that fights on the front lines?" Jules had witnessed the king himself fight down near the docks just two nights ago, in the final bout of the war. "You idolize them too much. They''re still nobles, they don''t give a rat''s ass about you. And victory was eminent, everyone knew that." "Apparently not the other side¡ªWait, here they come!" The king rode on horseback in front of the procession. Guards lined him on every side but the front, and a palanquin followed behind. Jules admired the princess who sat on high, lifted up by the royal guard. Beauty. "They''re not for us," Envy said. His gaze rested on her crown, on a station that could never be taken from her. Rank. "She''s not not for us." The princess'' sword held a place of honor, held up even higher than the woman herself, on a stand at the peak of the palanquin. Rumors spread throughout the city, nights before, that she had killed the invaders'' leader in single combat, just two nights prior. Power. "It''s not for us." Everyone in the bloodied streets cheered them, and when they''d pass, the subjects all bowed. Respect. "Get out of the way!" The princess crossed Jules'' path, and the castle lined up behind her. He stared are it once more. A guard pushed him aside¡ªJules nudged him away and stepped forward as the princess rode past. "Invader!" the guard yelled at him and to everyone around. "Sent to assassinate the princess!" "What!?" Jules looked around¡ªhe was the only person who''d stepped out of line, who had broken through the human walls of the crowd. Envy was gone. "Foreigner!" Another shouted. They drew crossbows and blades, and in but a moment, Jules fell to the ground. When he got up, he found himself back in the prison cell of his nightmares. What just happened¡ªWas that Lust? The door''s service hatch screeched open. Jules looked around the cell. A wooden stick rested on his dingy cot. Jules left it and peered through the open slat. On the other side, a massive golden tree grew from rich soil. Its light blinded him, and Jules'' eyes rolled into the back of his head. Jules sat up too quickly and smacked his forehead against the bottom of the top bunk bed. Cyrus followed suit, but smacked his head against the low ceiling. Both boys groaned and rubbed their heads. "The hell''s wrong with you, Jules?" Cyrus asked from the top bunk. "I had another nightmare. I think about Lust, this time."
? Summon ?
Kaizen floated next to Jules'', his eyes focused and piercing. "Good to finally see you awake," Jules said. Bastard''s been asleep every time I Summon him, except for this morning, of all times. "I can say the same for you," Kaizen said. Cyrus clambered down the bunk bed and almost fell to the ground. "Uh huh," Jules said. "Rukia, get over here." "OK, OK, gotta get my sleepies out, first." Rukia stretched out, yawned, and shook off her slumber. "Extra sleepies today." "What do these nightmares mean?" Jules asked point blank. "We''re short on time thanks to genius over here¡ª" "Hey, not a Genius yet." Cyrus started to prep himself for the morning''s challenge. "Kaizen, you weren''t with me when I met Envy¡ªKat. But am I going to get one of these each time I meet a Sin or Virtue?" "What do you think they mean?" Kaizen asked. "And no, not quite. Try the second question again." Asshole. "If it''s dealing with the Sins, then it''s gotta be about Wrath." Oh. I get it. Didn''t have a nightmare when I met Maddie."So I get these nightmares each time I meet a Sin? I was, uh, pretty drunk when I met Maddie, but I''m sure I would have remembered a dream." "These dreams will reveal a lot more to you in time," Kaizen said. "You will unlock a new stage each time you meet a Sin." Jules thought back to the first dream he ever remembered upon waking, when the Shrine to Coralhaven opened up. "I think I have a general idea of where it goes." Kaizen clicked his tongue. "You have no idea, kiddo." "I''m sure your master gave you more than that," Jules said. "Man, Lust sure looked hot last night!" Rukia said. "You keep saying that," Whiskers said. "Good to know that you can see my dreams," Jules said. Rukia!" Kaizen snapped. "Ah, man¡­" Rukia splooted deep into the dirt floor. "Do you see them?" Jules asked Kaizen. "Don''t need to. I''ve lived them myself¡ªmany times over." "This one of those questions you''ll only answer when I fully assemble the Sound of Fury?" "I''m afraid that''s not my story to tell." Kaizen''s idiotic grin lit up the room. "Whatever. Guess I''ll have to meet all the Sins and figure it out on my own. Whiskers, any improvement with Kat?" "None whatsoever. She is also having visions in her sleep." Damn. "I''m full of Ryoku again, so take some more. Thanks for giving me yours yesterday when we fought those Etherealists." Jules looked at Cyrus. "I better not need any today." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Yeah yeah yeah. Get off my back. I''ll beat this High Priest to a pulp, spare his life, get some crucial info, then we can go find Lust." "Wow, just like that, huh? I''ll make some healing Inked Arts for you and Kat¡ª" "No," Whiskers said. "I am strong enough. She is too. Your Ryoku is enough, and much appreciated, though." "You a Healer now?" Jules asked. "We shall see, though we might need two after this foolish duel." Jules stared at Katarina. The skin around her wounds rotted, despite her Regenerative acid that constantly dripped out. "Seems like my little experiment worked." Cy painted himself with Inked Arts. "You can imbue the Ink itself with extra Ryoku, and not have to put as much in the Script." "Great, you ready? Sun''s rising." "Almost." Cyrus rolled his eyes. "How can I help you?" Cyrus stopped painting himself. "Just ask it." "Thanks for breaking the ice," Jules said. "If things go south¡­" "You have my unequivocal permission to intervene and spare my life." "Thank Salvos!" "This information is not worth my life." "But maybe a few new scars, eh?" "Not funny, Jules." Cyrus finalized his preparation. Damn, I think I just put him in a worse mood. "I don''t see Healers here as a viable outcome in any scenario, so we leave for The Painter immediately after this shit show is over." "You mean after you win?" Jules said with a smile. Cyrus didn''t look at him as he walked out the door. Crap. I probably screwed up saying that, might''ve hurt his confidence. Think¡ªHow can I turn this around?
[Bounty Increased by ?5,000,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?12,477,790.] [Rukia''s Bounty Increased by ?750,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?1,750,000.] [Katarina''s Bounty Increased by ?2,500,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?5,750,000.] [Whiskers'' Bounty Increased by ?750,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?1,500,000.] [Cyrus'' Bounty Increased by ?500,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?662,800.] [Seraphina''s Bounty Increased by ?3,000,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?3,000,000.] [Raven''s'' Bounty Increased by ?1,000,000 for crimes committed in Marina Veridia. Total Bounty is now ?1,000,000.]
Not now, dammit! ¡­Wait a minute.
CYRUS
"If I win, will you tell me my name?" Cy asked the High Priest. "If you win, you will have no one to ask. There is no mercy in a duel to the death." "Begin," Anya commanded.
? Blur ?
A figure appeared in Cy''s peripheral and whispered to him. Cy turned to face them, but they disappeared. "You''ve felt its effects before, yes?" High Priest Edmund''s voice became more muffled, distorted somehow, through the short question. He''s trying to screw with my mind. Better tread with caution.
? Gravel ?
Tiny rock shards on the ground blasted Edmund like shrapnel, and he took it full force. "Tsk, tsk, boy. No holding back if you want to live."
? ? Rock Blast ? ?
A stone half Cy''s size smashed into his chest and flung him aside.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
Damn, should have done that before coming here. Should learn some good Earth magic today, seems to be his focus.
? Stalagmite ?
Rocky spears erupted from the ground beneath the High Priest at all angles. He leapt to the side, and only one nicked his shin. "Hm, trying to cripple me? You need to aim a little higher, Cyrus of No Surname."
? Boulder ?
Two stones, each much larger than Cy, sped toward him from opposite sides. Cy dove forward and rolled to his opponent, then raised an open palm to his stomach.
? Fire ?
The High Priest controlled the fire and bent it around him in two streams. Cy pumped more Ryoku into his assault to overpower Edmund, but the fire stream warped back around and sped just past Cy''s face. "Look out, Cy!" Jules shouted. Cy spun around and saw the two boulders behind him¡ªneither had smashed the other; they just floated and spun behind him, inside the inferno of his own Script.
? Meteor ? ? ? Quick Sand ? ?
Cy fell into the ground before the attack flattened him.
? Quake ?
Deep inside the ground, which shifted to sand as Cy sunk down and away from Edmund, he shook side-to-side. Combined with the effects of the Blur Rune, Cy wasn''t sure which way was up anymore. Fuck, I need to breathe. He clawed out a space in the dirt around his mouth to speak, but sand still got into his mouth and lungs.
? Ascend ?
Cy''s head hung low, and his shoulder blades acted as a plow as he pushed dirt aside until he popped out to the surface. He hacked up sand and dirt¡ª
? Aftershock ?
A scraggly line ripped apart the dirt and struck Cy full force with the power of a minor earthquake that sent him flying into the tree tops. He grabbed onto a branch to slow his fall, but it snapped and crashed into the canopy, flipping and rolling around through each level of the trees. He collapsed to the ground, and High Priest Edmund strolled over to him, without a care in the world. Cy drew his curved sword and sprinted to him.
? ? May the Earth Cloak Me ? ?
Rocks, clumps of dirt, broken tree branches, and other loose material swarmed in an orb around Edmund. Cy slashed and at the Priest, enraged, but no strike or combo could pierce the revolving shield, and Edmund made no attempts to dodge or block anything. Fine. I''ll have to try a little harder. Cy stomped the ground and invoked a series of Runes.
? Dispel ? ? Magnet ? ? Speed ?
The orb shattered, and Cy attracted the metal between his drawn sword and High Priest Edmund''s sheathed weapon to accelerate. Cy pierced the man''s shoulder, but he ripped out his dagger and cut Cy in the stomach. Cy fell to the ground behind him, and Edmund fell to a knee.
? Activate ? [Inked Arts Consumed: Fire, Heal]
Edmund spun and faced Cy with eyes wide open, mouth slightly ajar. Cy''s stomach wound cauterized shut, then healed from the inside out, a little more slowly than he''d hoped.
? Activate ? [Inked Art Consumed: Darkness Flame]
From Cy''s right shoulder down to the tip of his blade, black flames engulfed him. They licked wildly at both the air and the rest of his body, damaging even himself. Strike his body quickly, then get rid of these¡ª
? Banish ?
Just as quickly as they''d ignited, the flames extinguished from his arm. Cy turned to Anya. "This isn''t between you and me, you¡ª"
? Shackles ?
"Where did you learn that?" Anya spoke each word slowly. "Someone taught me a while back. I just don''t like using it." "A dishonorable way to fight." "A lot of people combine Fire and Dark magic¡ª" "You fool. She''s referring to¡ª" Edmund cut himself off. "The manner in which you invoked it." Both Etherealists glared at him. "It''s a tactic I spent a long time perfecting. Nothing dishonorable about that." "A cheap trick¡ª" "Enough, Anya. It appears Cyrus and I are at a stalemate." The High Priest approached Cy, still bleeding. He unbuckled his armor and let it fall to the dirt and wore only pants now. "How about we settle this in one more strike? Leave nothing behind." "Nothing and everything," Cy said. Better use all of my Ryoku, but do I avoid killing him? I really want answers. "I''ll use one spell. You can use whatever you wish, except that Magic." Cy looked at his arm, which had still been burned pretty badly in those few seconds of flames. Wish I could that real quick; gonna have to use a sword. He unclipped his own armor and tossed it to the ground. Cy studied his curved sword, then his Vessel, Tensa, still attached to the back of his armor. Cy looked to Jules, then shook his head. Don''t interfere. "Will a Vessel work?" "Did you earn it?" Yes. Yes I did. Cy placed his curved sword on his armor, then drew Tensa and crouched into position. "Come find out."
? ? Claw of the Beast ? ? ? Speed ?
Edmund''s hand ripped apart, and a feral animal''s claw replaced emerged from it. They sped toward each other. Edmund lunged to rip off Cy''s face, and Tensa continued straight through to the man''s chest. In an instant, they were a few paces away, backs to each other. Blood sprayed from Cy''s chest, shoulder, and face, and he collapsed to the ground. High Priest Edmund stood tall on the other side, then fell flat on his back. Cy coughed up blood and rolled over to face the rising sun. "It appears your friend has won," Anya said to Jules. "Out Healers will tend to your friend, but I''d like to speak to you further." Jules must have activated his own Inked Art, because Cy''s wounds began to seal up. Just in case. I like it Jules, I like it. "Go on ahead," Cy called out. "I''ll be good." "Your friends won''t seek vengeance?" Jules asked Anya. "Why would they? He left the High Priest alive." "Cy¡­" "I struck his heart, Jules. The Binding Vow. Worked on¡ª" Selene. "Well, it worked in Marina Veridia. Figured it''d work here, too." "Are you serious!?" Jules demanded. "That was foolish¡ªyou could have died yourself!" "But I didn''t. And now I need to figure out why." Cy approached Edmund. "So, about that name." "You fool." A lone tear fell from Edmund''s eye. "You know not what you''ve just set in motion." "Why don''t you fill me in?" "I no longer can. You removed two Binding Vows. With one came our Binding Vow to this duel; with the other, came my membership to the Etherealists." So am I free of my Binding Vow with you? "I am¡­sorry, Edmund. But why can''t you¡ª" "You have ripped out my heart with that strike, boy. I am no longer bound to silence, but I''ll curse you until the end of my life. But you¡ªYou are free of this duel''s Vow." Edmund laughed into the sky. "What cruel fate." Fuck! I feel bad for you, I really do, but¡­ "So all of that was for nothing?" Edmund laughed in Cy''s face. I''ll take that as a yes. A group of Etherealists gathered around Edmund. Some attended to him, and others prayed. But they all continued to call him by one name. "High Priest Edmund¡­" "I no longer possess that title. I am simply¡­Edmund now." "You will always be our High Priest! No matter what, you have stayed by our sides, and we will stay by yours." Why don''t these people hate me? Why don''t they curse me, too? Cy rose to his feet and turned to walk away. There''s nothing here for me anymore. "Wait¡ªchild." Cy stopped but didn''t face him. "I am a weaker man than I thought, and I will not answer your question outright, out of¡­spite. But go to The Library in Solstice Keep. There you will find a Tome stolen from our people, by The Librarian himself. The first Tome ever recorded." "And you mean to tell me my name will be in that Script?" High Priest Edmund laughed again. "No, boy. Retrieve it, and return it to the Ethereal Rift. Someone there will help you unravel your mystery further."
[New Quest Available: Bookworm] [New Reward Available for Bookworm: Knowledge you seek.] [Bookworm ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Retrieve The First Tome from The Librarian.] [SSoaSS ¡ª Quest Objective COMPLETED: Investigate the Etherealists.] [SSoaSS ¡ª Quest Objective ADDED: Return the First Tome to the Ethereal Rift.]
Cy straightened up, then bowed slightly to the man in gratitude. "You know, there''s something else I wanted to talk to you about¡­" Ch 112 - The Map
JULES
They arrived at the trailhead Jules had spotted yesterday. Today, it made him feel no less uneasy. It was nowhere near the unnerving apprehension he felt around Judas Priest Zeke; it was much more muffled than that, but it was an entirely different sensation, still. Hard to put my finger on it, but that trail? That''s not for me. "Would you like to find out where it leads?" Anya asked. Jules shook his head. "I told you, I already have a mission that I need to attend to." "Your friend took it yesterday. Perhaps he can¡ª" "You mean our friend. I know he''s an Etherealist, too. Did you know that before we spoke yesterday? Before we even crashed landed here?" She turned and walked away. "Loose lips. Perhaps one day, you will find out for yourself." Anya walked Jules through Whispering Pines for a second time. Most of the Etherealists had already dispersed from the duel and resumed their Healing and prayers for the sick. Anya fetched medicine from one group and moved it to another. She offered a prayer here, then another there. Everywhere she went, people sought her for leadership and guidance. My patience grows thin. "Why do I get the feeling that there''s some sort of lesson you want me to learn?" Anya rose from a frail old woman she''d just recited some final rites to. "Do you feel the need to learn something?" More patience, for one, Rukia chided him telepathically from his side. The villagers¡ªthe Etherealists¡ªtoday were a stark contrast to the ones from yesterday. They are all the same people, but no one stared at me yesterday like they are now. Hell, no one even paid attention to me yesterday. But now they watch my every move¡­ "Is it true?" A little girl, younger and even smaller than Anya, ran up to them. "That he''s the Seventh¡ª" "Hush, child." Anya put a finger to the girl''s lips. "Do not disturb our guests." Seems a little more forceful than before. "It is true." The girl''s eyes grew wide as she stared at Jules. "I am the Seventh Sin, Wrath. But don''t worry¡ª" The little girl ran away from them. "You shouldn''t give yourself away so easily, Wrath," Anya said. "What does it matter? You know, so they all will soon. Rukia''s no help either." "Hey! What''s that supposed to mean!?" "Let''s hash it out, Anya. I need to leave, and my friends need me. What do you want?" "We will walk¡ª" "And talk." "Yes, we will walk and talk¡ªto the temple again." Jules followed her lead. "Simply put, I help those who are in need of saving." "As do I, but we pick and choose who, don''t we?" "I am called to give them direction, to give them purpose. I''ve survived long hardships, time and time again, to help others here. To give them power over their inevitable fates." Tell me about it. "I am given tools, limited though they are, to aid me. Visions. Prophecies. Innate leadership, learned persuasion. These are all traits I think you possess as well." "Traits is a euphemism. More like curses." "I heard you helped those you love in Coralhaven." Jules'' heart dropped; it could have stopped beating altogether. He finally felt seen by someone who didn''t know him as someone¡ªsomething¡ªother than a Sin. I thought this would feel good, but it actually kinda hurts. Jules thought of the few friends he had in Coralhaven, like Sal. Of Evelyn, of Smitty and Hal. Of Liam and Azura. "Unfortunately, I failed them." "You might say the same of me." Anya gazed all around her at the other Etherealists. "But you''d be wrong. We did not choose a side in the War¡ªI did not choose a side, because I was not yet born, yet I am cursed to this fate as well. Instead of fighting, we helped the fallen of both sides." "I can empathize, Anya. But that doesn''t draw me to your side." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "We were called to prevent the War from touching the Ethereal Rift, though certainly not Whispering Pines. Others were called to take our resources. To take our¡­" Now past the temple gates, Anya stared over at the room Jules had left Katarina in. "Information. While others above them were called to govern and dictate." "Where are you going with this?" "You sought a lesson, so seek it. The Verdant Domain has the Tree of Wishes, the Arcane Divide, the Ethereal Rift, and plentiful Shrines." She turned her attention to Jules again. "I have also heard you captured a Shrine." "We captured four, actually." Anya''s eyes narrowed. "I had heard less." "A technicality." "Do you seek more?" Jules smacked his lips. "I do. Possibly in your nation." But I''m not your problem. "You captured Coralhaven. I heard there was military intervention there. Multiple times with you, actually." "I try not to think about it." "What a luxury that is. Coralith''s military might not be enough to contain a single Sin, but Zephyria''s military, on the other hand¡­" Patience. "Zephyrs could be a problem." "Them and the Windjas. I hear Kazuma is still with them." "That''s what everyone says, anyway." They entered the Silenced temple room again. "Jules Tideshaper, Wrath. You are in need, and so are we. I have aid and tools for you, in the hopes that we shall one day receive it back." I''m listening. "Do you have any more of that tea?" A pleasant smile spread across her face. She retrieved it and poured them both some. "In another life, I would have been an Alchemist. But in this one, I am compelled to do other work. Now, your friend. He invoked Scripts without speaking them." The Painter''s words echoed in Jules'' mind. My only request is that you be highly selective about whom you choose to pass on this knowledge. "We all possess that skill, even our unconscious friend." "I know a man that does that." Jules looked at her curiously. She spoke so harshly just now. Does she mean The Painter? Or another of his disciples? "Any idea where he is?" Jules placed his tea back on the plate. Anya lifted her cup. "You are too eager, Jules. You possess the powers of that tainted Magic. You also have Vessels and two Sins in your Party. What else, I wonder?" "What else, indeed." Jules took another sip. "We are up against something much worse than what you called tainted Magic. Have you ever heard of the Black Sacrament?" Anya tilted her head. "I"m afraid not. That Vessel that you received, that you earned, is it not enough? Is the price you paid for it not enough?" Ah. I finally see now. Jules took a deep breath. "I would not do it again, if I could change back time." But I still have two more pieces to go, so maybe I''m lying to the both of us. "What would you be willing to sacrifice for the others here? The ones you care about?" "I''d sacrifice anything for them. Anything, but them." Jules'' lip curled at her response, and his eye twitched. I don''t like the insinuation there. "What is it you seek in Eldertree Enclave? If Lust was captured by The Iron Maiden, then surely she lies in Sylvan Hollow." "You mean Sera, not Lust. Why do you care?" "I want to see if I can help in some small way. Perhaps you are called there by a Quest? A prophecy? Hope?" They both finished their tea. "Or the man who taught you the Inked Arts?" Jules looked at her. They studied each other for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the other to speak next. "What do you know about him?" Jules asked. "I know he was in Coralhaven for a time." "When!?" "It''s hard to say. My visions have been blurrier since you''ve arrived." She leaned in to him. "Tell me his name." Seems there must be a price paid. "We only know him as The Painter." Anya relaxed back into her cushion. "I see. Thank you. I have arranged transportation for your Party to go meet him." I wonder what I really just gave up¡­
ENVY
Kat opened her eyes. She laid on her back and pain coursed through her entire body. Her head shot up so fast she convulsed, trapped almost in a U-shape while she foamed at the mouth. She fell over sideways, and spit and sand changed places in her mouth. Through the seizure, she noticed it was nightfall, and the three moons were all up and lit. Bodies surrounded her, both men and horse alike. Every one of the fallen bore the crest of the Elementalists. "Back so soon?" the man in the brown cloak, their leader, her leader, asked. The giant man from before cackled into the night sky. "Knocked ye out cold! I bludgeoned him to death for you." He sat near the fire, to warm himself in the cool desert night. His warhammer towered behind him upside down, handle attempting to reach the sky. "Salvos'' sake, when''s he gonna stop shaking?" "Right¡­ About¡­ Now." Her seizure stopped with the other''s final word. Kat rolled to her hands and knees, then wiped her face clean. Or his face clean. "Where the hell¡­am I?" "Not where, but when. The fight''s over. We won." "The War!?" "Har har! No, ya scrawny bastard. Wasn''t even a skirmish. I knew you were green, but Salvos, kid!" "Now Chael, that''s no way to treat our Scryer." The man in the brown cloak studied Kat with his piercing amber eyes. "We all play our parts, fill the roles we are¡­forced into." "Did you find it?" Kat asked. Again, the words weren''t her own. "A clue to Kazuma''s location?" "No. Even better." He reached inside his Nomadic robes and tossed a rolled up parchment to her. Kat unrolled the paper. A map¡ªof Salvatica? Red X''s, purple triangles, and green circles were littered across the page. Red circle on Aquilantis, another one on Shinsora. Hinomura, Zenithoria¡­ These are¡ª Another man swiped the paper from her hand, before she could study it further. Another massive man, though wider than Chael, and shorter. I''ve seen you before¡­ "This is what you wanted? This!?" He shouted at them all. "A fuckin'' map? In exchange for thirty of my men?" Kat stood to her feet. Chael the giant and the Nomadic man stepped between her and the newcomer. "It''s nice to see you again, Gunner. This map¡ª" "Shows us the whole fuckin'' thing, ye mangy cunt!" "Who''re you calling a mangy, you giant bastard¡ª" "The yellow-bellied shit¡ª" Chael the giant slammed his finger into Gunner''s chest. "¡ªwho didn''t risk his life for his own men!" Kat felt trapped in her body, she couldn''t move it. Whoever it belonged to, now he might have been a yellow-bellied shit, as well. "You should back down." Neither giant backed down. When both men looked like they could strike the other, Kat broke the silence. "Let me see that map." "I said back down." The man in the brown cloak''s eyes lit up, and Kat''s vision faded back to black. Ch 113 - Take The Money And Run
JULES
Anya carried the small box that hummed at Jules the other day, and led Jules back through the village of Whispering Pines to a group of Etherealists that had gathered around Cyrus, Whiskers, and Katarina, still struggling to revive herself. Cyrus shook the High Priest Edmund''s hand. Guess I should just say Edmund, now. "I see you made friends," Jules said. "Friends, allies, trading partners," Cyrus said. "I''ll be in touch soon." "See that you do," Edmund said. "But not until you''ve returned the First Tome." "High Priest Edmund." Anya bowed slightly. Technically exiled from the Faction, but still accepted. Seems she''s true to her word. "Good to see you''re alive and well." "Aye," he said. "And where did you two run off to?" "Another pass at a plea for help." Anya whistled and beckoned over to their side. A few Etherealists escorted some of the largest¡ªand ugliest¡ªant-eaters Jules had ever seen, led over by leashes and harnesses. Looks like their ancestors bred with some naked mole rats at some point. And a horse, if only for their size. "And now for the final appeal." Oh Salvos, no. "That''s the transportation you mentioned?" "Of course." Anya grabbed a rein and pull one beast over. "This is Bobbie Sue, an antroph. That one over there is Billy Joe. Ornery to their very souls, I''m afraid, but some of the fastest animals in all The Verdant Domain." "Great, thank you?" Time to take our leave before I have to endure her whole spiel again. "Well, I''d love to stay another night and rest, but I''m afraid our time has come." Anya whistled again, and motioned for some other Etherealists to join them. Oh come on. "One final set of gifts, Jules Tideshaper, to help you on your journey. And one final piece of advice." Cyrus walked over to Billie Joe, who snapped at him, but he didn''t give up trying to tame the beast. "Beware of those who''d use Scripts without invocations," Anya said. "Our ancestors, the progenitor Elders, were the first to discover Runes in the Ethereal Rift. They''d inscribe them on giant rocks and invoke them elsewhere. There''s a reason they stopped and transitioned to¡­other means of invocation." I wonder if those rocks are still there. "People like me can''t help but not use Scripts," Jules said. All my magic comes from my Seal. Kat''s like that, too, and I''m sure the others are. "I''ve had visions of this man, This Painter." Cyrus stopped feeding the antroph to listen to Anya, and it nipped his hand. He yelped and called it a bastard. "I can confirm he is not who he seems." "She said The Painter''s been to Coralhaven, Cy," Jules said. "She''s not sure when, though. But something to note." "This Black Sacrament troubles me, too," Anya said. "It seems the tides are ever-changing. Since you have an Etherealist with you, I can trust you to hold on to something for us." "Anya," High Priest Edmund snapped. "You don''t mean¡ª" "I have a premonition, Edmund. It needs to go with them. Today." Edmund mumbled some aggravated response. "You will find the Arcanians and Guardians in Eldertree Enclave. They are most unwelcoming folk." Like everywhere else I go. "They know the location of the Tree of Wishes. If you push them for it, you might be able to get what you''re searching for much faster." "Thank you for that information, Anya," Jules said. That certainly would speed things up. Jules grabbed Bobbie Sue''s rein. "I understand you must live, so we will stall Cyrus'' ritual to fully join the Etherealists. Please take this instead. All will understand the marker." Anya gave Cyrus another crested emblem, similar to the Space Rune, but it bore the Etherealist''s Faction crest. She gave Jules a glass draught. "For the girl. The best medicine we have to offer." Jules didn''t know what to say. That meant more to him than the transportation, at least in the moment. "There is a new Shrine in Riftwatch Outpost," Anya continued. "Rumor is it opened up just a short while ago, Jules Tideshaper¡­" I see. When one closes, another opens. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Why are you helping us out so much?" Cyrus asked. "I almost killed your head honcho." High Priest Edmund scoffed. Anya stared into Jules'' eyes. "Because maybe one day Jules will feel indebted to us. To me. Now, for the final gift. This is the greatest resource we have to give." Anya handed Jules the box she''d been carrying, the box that had sat near the altar in the Silenced temple room. It hummed in his hands and begged him to open it, just like it had when they''d first sat down together for tea. "You are the only one powerful enough to take it to have come here, but resisted its calling." "Why now, Anya?" Edmund looks ready to fight again. Jules glanced around at the other Etherealists, who all stepped back with shocked expressions. One woman even hurried her child away. "You have no authority to hand that over so blindly¡ª" "Blindly?" Anya glared at him through narrowed eyes, through a look that shut him up. "Another vision?" Jules asked. Fucking visions, man. The High Priest stormed away, back to the trailhead Jules refused to go down. Anya didn''t answer him. "What''s inside?" "Why don''t you open and find out?" "Given how it''s making me feel, I''d rather not. Not yet, anyway." Anya smiled. "Then it seems I have made a good choice after all. It is the Unlock Rune." "What does it do?" Anya''s eyes drifted down to Jules'' chest. "You will find out in due time. Use it well, Jules Tideshaper, and farewell. I hope to meet again soon."
Nearly half a day had passed, and Jules and Cyrus had finally made an ounce of progress in taming those Salvos-damned antrophs, without the use of Cyrus'' Illusion Scripts. Katarina slung lazily across Jules'' lap and the beast''s back. Every so often, Jules poured some of the draught on her festering wounds. The sun began to set far to the west, but their Party was equally far from stopping for the night. "So what deals did you make back there?" Jules asked. "You seemed all cozy with your fellow duelist." "Thanks for not stepping in." Whiskers clung to the back of Cyrus'' head and hair. The antrophs terrified him. "I had faith." Rukia ran through the forest with them, desperate to let loose some of her boundless energy. "Man, Jules! When I grow big and strong, you''ll be able to ride me instead¡ªBoth of you!" "I can''t wait, Little One." "Enjoy saying that while you can¡ªI''m about to hit my growth spurt!" Cheeky little fox. "I established my first trade route," Cyrus said. "Well, sorta. Once I get this Space Rune down, I''ll be able to trade their medicine for other things." Jules cracked up laughing. "Great idea, if it wasn''t illegal. But who cares now, am I right?" "I''m almost as infamous as you!" "I''m in a whole other league, champ. My Bounty''s almost ten times higher¡ª" "Not when in comes to Rank." Oof, got me there. "Yeah I knew that''d shut you up. But what about you? You guys talked about The Painter, it seems." "Woof. I think I made a deal myself, though indirectly¡­" "See, Whiskers?" Cyrus taunted. "Everything''s connected¡ªOw!" Cyrus flung that pussy through the air. A thin line of blood trailed down the back of Cyrus'' neck. Whiskers landed in a tree. "Oh Salvos, oh Sweet Salvos¡ªI''m stuck. I''m stuck!" A mischievous grin spread across Cyrus'' face, and he raised his hand. His tattoos and eyes lit up. "No¡ªNot again!" Whiskers shouted.
? ? Get your ass over¡ª ? ?
"AAAHHHH!" Katarina arched her back in pain as she shrieked. Whiskers leapt down from the tree immediately and landed in Jules'' lap, next to her. She whispered one word. "Jules¡­"
JAFAR
The final rays of the setting sun vanished, along with another life. Jafar removed his scimitar from the Etherealist man, who collapsed to the ground. Join the rest of your accursed people. He looked around at all the terrified villagers, at the sick, the dying, and the dead, and studied each of their faces. Not an ounce of remorse here for the sins of their fathers. I hate coming here. It''s always trouble, every damn time. Another Etherealist with summoned weapons slashed at him. Jafar stepped aside from each blow. Higher 2nd Rank, maybe even 3rd. But he''s grown complacent in this new world. The scimitar slid across the man''s sternum, and that was that. "Why do you come here?" a little girl asked him. "Who the hell are you?" "I am the Oracle Anya of the Whispering Pines. Hello, Jafar." "I see my reputation precedes me. Go fetch Edmund for me, Anya." "Everyone in The Verdant Domain knows who you are. As for the High Priest, you burned that bridge long ago." Fair. "They know me, yes. But few recog¡ª" "I know all about your misadventures. The ones with your friends, your mentor, and even¡­The Spider." Jafar glanced around. No one else looked like they''d intervene. An Oracle indeed. He sighed. "Then you should know I hate that fucking bug." "I ask again¡ªWhy have you come? Or I should rather say, why have you returned?" "I seek information, not blood, child." Anya looked around at the bloodbath. "I see nothing but violence in you." Jafar sheathed his scimitar and took one step closer. "I asked those men a simple question. They attacked me." "Silence can be violence." "Then you''d better fucking answer my question." "What you seek has left." "What?" Jafar asked. Not who? "Oh, surely not." He glanced over at the trailhead he''d taken not so long ago, the one that''d almost killed him and his friends. "You know, a long time ago, the Etherealists aided the Elementalists." "The Nomads, too, if I recall correctly." Jafar''s eye twitched in rage. "Aye, and my friends at that. But in my line of the work, the other is a death sentence. Commutable, though, at the right price. But you wouldn''t know where Kazuma is, would you? No, of course not. So you only have one chance to tell me where Wrath went." Anya gasped, her mouth ajar and eyes wide. "You¡­ You don''t seek it either?" "Of course I do," Jafar said. After a moment, Anya collected her composure. The tattoos all over Jafar''s left arm lit up, but not his eyes. "But there are more important targets to hunt today. I''m sure that, since you know so much about me, you''re aware that I''m a collector of Runes?" "I have witnessed firsthand." Overhead, a circling raven cawed into the rising moonlight. The light from Jafar''s tattoos died out. "Oh, I see. You were there that day?" Anya''s eyes filled in completely white. "I was." Ch 114 - Communication Breakdown
JULES
"Did you have the nightmares again?" Cyrus asked when they''d stopped to take a leak in the dense forest. The sun had risen a few hours ago, but he just couldn''t hold it. "Every night since we left Whispering Pines." Jules shook his head. "They''re different than they used to be. And different from the Sin nightmares. Visions of a volcano, I''m guessing Mount Fury in Obsidia¡ªdon''t really know any others¡ªand the Sound of Fury beneath it. Then there''s some beast laying in wait deep in a forest. I don''t know, man." "Katarina fares worse than you, so consider yourself lucky." Whiskers lowered a raised leg he''d hiked over a bush. "I always figured you peed sitting down," Cyrus said. "Like Rukia over there." "HEY DON''T LOOK AT ME!" The bushes rustled, and the fox burst through them with a smile. "I think it''s that Unlock Rune, Jules. It''s got you feeling all wonky." Jules'' eyes narrowed. "What about you, Ruke. You feel wonky around it?" Rukia panted. "Nah, I feel good." "Speaking of Kat, how''s she doing?" Cyrus asked. "She''s been talking in her sleep. I wouldn''t call it in-and-out, she''s mostly just out. I guess Anya''s draught is working, though." "Lemme see that." Cyrus grabbed and studied the bottle. "Gonna have to make sure to sell this bad boy. I''m talking mass production!" "I''m glad you''re so concerned." Whiskers returned to his master''s side. "Well I''m feeling back to my normal self," Cyrus said. "Thanks for asking, Whiskers." We have been headed north. "Do you think it''s because we''re getting further away from the Ethereal Rift?" "I don''t know, but I''ll take it. It kinda felt like I always had to vomit. But you know what else is north? The Library at Solstice Keep." Jules burst out laughing. "Oh my Salvos I hate you." "What? It''s¡ª" "IT''S ALL CONNECTED," the other three shouted at him. "See? I knew you''d all see the light." Cyrus hopped up on his antroph. "You all ready yet? We''re losing sunlight here." Jules threw a rock at his best friend, and they continued on through the easternmost section of The Verdant Expanse. Every day they''d traveled, they had to hide from various Factions'' patrols. Some Guardians here, some Arcanians there. No cultists, though. I''ll take military any day over them. Over the course of the next hour, the antrophs became harder and harder to tame. It seemed like every dozen steps, they''d try to turn back and run away. "We must be getting close." "So like¡­ Do we abandon these guys and walk on foot?" Cyrus asked. "Or should we have them returned to Anya and Edmund?" "Why don''t you use your Space Rune?" Jules asked. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I''ll cast a Script."
? Calm ?
A mist fell over the antroph''s heads, and they continued onward, until the gates of Eldertree Enclave finally came into view. Guards of all types of Classes lined the top walls and the ground just outside the small town. A massive bell hung near the gate. Like they knew we were coming, but I haven''t felt like The Painter is watching me¡­ "Halt!" a Guard shouted when they''d drawn close enough. "What business do you have in the Trees?" Jules looked at Cyrus. "You''ve got the higher Persuasion Skill." "And you could use the practice." "Fine." Jules grumbled some curse words at his friend. "We''ve come to see an old friend," he called out to the Guard. "What friend? We''re not expecting visitors." Of course you aren''t. Hmm, I''ve already given his name away once. Wonder if he knows¡ªand if he''s pissed. Well screw him, I''m pissed off we didn''t get a welcome party after the past week of bushwhacking. "We''ve come to see The Painter." "The fuck''s that?" the Guard shouted back. "And what''re your names?" "Is this a trap?" Cyrus whispered to Jules. "I don''t know, man. You were the one who found the note!" Jules addressed the Guard again. "He''s got a man-bun, wears a flowery blue kimono, always has a paint brush on him, different colored eyes¡ªLook, can we just come inside and look around?" The Guard whispered with some of the others on patrol. "Why are you looking for this bloke?" "He literally told us to come here¡­" No time for this crap. Jules dismounted his antroph and reached for Katarina, to sling her over his shoulder. "And why''s she knocked out?" I wish I could tell you. Whiskers and Rukia leapt off the antrophs as well. "Oi, look¡ªfurry pets. Are you lads Druids, then?" "Sweet Virgin Mother of Salvos!" another Guard shouted. "That fox is the viscious and infamous Rukia! And that must be Wrath himself!" Rukia smiled off to the side. "You have got to be kidding me." Whiskers sighed. "Of all of us to recognize, it''s the damn fox¡­" The massive bell by the gate rang an alarm through all of Eldertree Enclave and the surrounding forest. "Invaders? From Coralith!?" "They''ve sent the military!" "The War''s begun, lads¡ªSend out the first wave!" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Jules ran a hand through his hair, and Cyrus drew his curved sword. "You should have let me do all the talking." Oh, piss off. "We''re making friends, Cy. No killing." "Agh!" Cyrus slammed his curved sword back in its sheath, then drew Tensa from his back. "Rangers have already taken aim¡ª" Arrows showered down on them. Jules launched a stream of fire and disintegrated his batch midair, and smoke and ash formed the battlefield. Cyrus spun his sword around in circles to deflect his share. Jules slapped his antroph''s ass, and it fled away, along with Bobbie Sue. SHHRK! KLANG! On the walls, a few Guards loaded crossbows as large as huts with massive iron spears. Uh oh. TWANG!! Cyrus leapt away from an explosion of dirt where he''d stood. Jules picked up Katarina and fled from the second ballista, headed his way. The blast behind him deafened him slightly. He spun around in a circle and shot-put Katarina far to the side near some trees.
? Air ? ? Earth ?
She landed softly on the ground, and a series of thick walls erupted from the ground; one hid Katarina, and Jules hoped the others would serve as decoys, and he ran back into the open plain before the gates so he wouldn''t cause he collateral damage.
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
BOOM! A cannonball halted right before Jules'' face, blocked by the shield Cyrus had just thrown up for him. Cannonballs¡ªon land!? "Thanks Cy¡ª" KA-BOOOOM! The cannonball exploded midair, shattered the remainder of the shield, and sent Jules flying backward. "Watch out, Jules¡ªthey''re bombs." "YOU THINK!?" How can they shoot bombs from a cannon without exploding on launch? Must be some Script. Jules looked at the artillery that lined the gate''s walls. "Hey, use that Magnet Rune." "Great idea."
? ? Magnetic Impact ? ?
The crossbows and cannons converged at one point, into each other, and knocked down a few Guards along the way. Sages ran out the gates¡ªto heal the fallen and to fight the boys¡ªbut then everyone else ran to the battlefield, too¡ªDruids and Monks alike. Why do they look terrified? The gates exploded in a fiery inferno and scattered the Guardians everywhere. Oh yeah, the bombs. Well if you choose to play with fire¡­ Floating orbs that looked like bubbles floated toward Jules. Wispy trees erupted from the ground all around him, trapping him inside the orbs'' path. He sped through them as horizontal branches shot out and limited his path. The orbs tracked him through it all, and one exploded against his armor. Yellow flames licked Jules'' eyes. Damn Sages. Trees receded back into the ground to be replaced by more that led Jules onto a path of the encroaching Druids. Feral bunnies and squirrels ran to Jules and exploded on impact. "Hey Jules¡ªremember when I mentioned kamikazes the other day? Well I just remembered¡ª" "Not now, fox!" Jules rose to hit feet. "You want to hunt so bad, then get to it!" Rukia darted through the moving thicket and intercepted the Druid''s animals, leaving Jules free to fight the men head on.
? ? Aspect of the Beast ? ?
One Druid, who wore a bear''s head and skin as a helmet-and-cape combo, morphed into what Jules could only describe as a Werebear.
? Berserker ?
A second Druid grew sharp teeth and claws, then drew his battle ax. Blood vessels rupture through his eyes, and he howled to the sky, then both sprinted to Jules. The Werebear gashed Jules'' cheek as Jules punched him square in the jaw, then the Berserker charged Jules, shoulder down. He landed on his ass a few paces away. Damn! I think that punch hurt me more than the Druid. Monks flooded in now, brandishing staves, bo staffs, whips, spears, and even nunchucks. At least those guys look easy. Jules'' opponents stopped and turned their attention to the drifting smoke that arose from the exploded gate. A man marched straight through and fanned the smoke from his face. Well look who it is!? "Hey, you!" Jules shouted at The Painter. "Call off your boys and let us in." "Do you know them?" a Guardian asked the Alter. The Painter studied them for a while, pausing on each of their faces, and then their Vessels. He even looked at the correct wall that hid Katarina. "Nope. Never seen ''em before." "You bastard!" Is this another test? Or some stupid game? "One, two, three, four¡­" The Painter counted all of the Guardians on the battlefield. "Twenty-one. Hm, you might want to send in reinforcements." He snapped his fingers, and another group emerged from the smoke. Arcanians. Great. "You''ve gotta be fucking kidding me." THUMP-THUMP. The little box inside Jules'' personal Inventory reverberated through his own chest and heart, as the Unlock Rune called out his name.
PATIENCE
Patience''s footsteps on the metal platform echoed through the narrow hallway. However much he hated zephyrs and their catwalks, he took his time as he approached her. "We''re making excellent time, Sir," a Hunter said. "We''re passing Eldertree Enclave now." "We''re already past halfway?" Then I must get to work. He quickened his pace, and slowly opened the door at the far end, allowing it to squeak its unoiled hinges, to fill her with fear and dread. Patience walked into Lust''s chambers and stood at her head, looking down on her, so they seemed upside-down to each other. Lust kicked and thrashed at him, but the iron restraints that held her lying down flat didn''t budge. Patience placed his hands on the metal table on either side of her ears and leaned down to her¡ªshe tried to bite him anywhere she could. Yes, a cornered animal. "I see you''ve finally revived again." She spat at his face in response, but a thin Ryoku Shield blocked it. So predictable. "Where are you taking me?" "Sylvan Hollow, of course." Patience feigned confusion, as if she were stupid or simple to even wonder. "I''m surprised you have so much kick left in you¡ªespecially after I removed your legs." She thrashed in the restraints again. "Ah, I see you''ve figured out your Scripts are useless in these chains. Bounty Hunter''s top shelf¡ªstolen, of course. You''re quite fond of theft yourself, from what I hear." Patience walked over to the Ninja armor he''d taken from her, which he''d had propped up on display, so she''d have to look at it. "You know, your Regeneration is not as fast as the others''." Something I should make note of for myself. I''ll probably have a long way to progress myself. "What happened to my family?" Patience scoffed at her. How boring. I''d be more focused on myself right about now, in your shoes. But then again, I haven''t thought about my family in years. "In due time, Lust. In due time. But for now, I want you to tell me everything you know about your Seal." Before it''s too late, and the old bag shows up. Lust laughed in his face; however, he caught the faintest trace of a whimper, and adrenaline flooded his blood. "You know, it''s been since before Coralhaven¡ªthe first time¡ªthat I''ve been able to torture anyone. Allow me the honors." Patience approached a medical tray and carefully selected his first tool, then went to work. He saw the pain in her expressions, he heard the various pitches in her shrieks, and he tasted her fear. After a time, he noticed her resolve break, but he continued anyway. Only took a few days. But this torture is for fun¡­ "I don''t know anything about them!" Lust finally screamed. Hm. I believe you. Now comes the torture with a purpose. "Tell me where yours is." She spat in his face again, and his Script blocked it again. Round and round we go. "Strip her naked." A Medic obeyed. They searched every inch of her exposed body, but Patience nor the Medic could find it. Patience threw a thin, scratchy blanket over her, to cover her up. Disgusting. She laughed. "You''ll never find it¡­" Patience stared at her for a while; he was curious. How will I kill her next? There are too many options, I''m not sure I have the strength to pick just one. "Is it in you?" Patience asked. "No, too gross. Somewhere else¡­hidden in plain sight." An Iron Maiden Hunter opened the door. "Sir, a report from the Harbormasters. Shinsora has been overthrown." Lust began to cry. "There''s a¡ª" "Not now, you imbecile!" Patience shouted. He wanted to relish in her agony, and this man''s voice sounded like a turtle''s in heat. The Hunter handed Patience a dossier, then added, "She fought Wrath, Sir. In the Shadow''s Path." Patience quickly turned to stare down the man, who bowed and fled immediately. Coward. You actually made yourself useful, at just the right time. Patience returned to his patient, and sighed. "How unfortunate for you, dear Lust. Jules seems the Samurai type, which means you must be¡­" Patience glanced at the displayed armor. "How foolish of me. You''ve hidden apart of yourself in the Shadow Realm. Impressive. Lights on." Patience pushed off the cold metal table Lust laid on. He snapped his fingers, and his Script blinded them both. "But I''m afraid for you, it''s lights out." Ch 115 - Thunderstruck
JULES
Jules looked left to the Monks and right to the Druids. THUMP-THUMP. Guardian Sages helped heal their brethren beside the Alter. THUMP-THUMP. The Arcanians advanced through the smoke and ashen wastelands of the Enclave''s gates. THUMP. THUMP. The Painter smiled at Jules and Cyrus, as if he welcomed them in with open arms. THUMP. "Is this another fucking test!?" Cyrus shouted. THUMP¡­ "I have no idea what you''re talking about," The Painter replied. Thump. "He wants to see our Vessels in action, Jules. And some Inked Arts, too, I bet. See how far we''ve come." Thump¡­ Jules drew out the Sound of Fury and shrugged his shoulders. The painted-on Ink shifted against his skin. "Then it''s a good thing we came prepared."
? Fire ?
Jules ran his hand along the shaft of the Sound and ignited it into flames, and the battle resumed with reinforcements. Jules immediately struck the Berserker Druid first, as he found him to be the biggest threat. He avoided Jules'' fire as much as he could, dodging and bending his body however he could, but the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. The Werebear clawed Jules'' back from his shoulder blade down, and Jules spun around to brand him with the tip of the Sound, and the stench of burnt fur overrode even searing flesh. A moose and elk joined in the fight and stampeded toward Jules. Damn fox is off chasing squirrels and let a few in. A stream of fire halted the animals'' approach. More trees erupted from the ground, and the Berserker grabbed Jules'' free arm; he smacked the Druid on the side of the face with his blazing sword, and a tree stabbed Jules in the side with a dagger. What the¡ª The Werebear crashed in on him from on high, both hands clenched together in one fist. Jules slammed into the ground, and when the Werebear got off of him, a boulder fell from the sky. Jules rolled out of the way, leaving the Sound behind to get smashed underneath the rock. No impact? The Berserker wrenched Jules up over his head and smashed him back down into the dirt. The rock is gone already¡­? Cyrus front-kicked the Werebear in the chest and pushed him back. Katarina judo-threw the Berserker off to the side. Whiskers and Rukia ran up to Jules'' side and they formed a tight circle around him. "Thanks guys. I had them, but nice to have some help." Off in the distance, Cyrus fought off some Thundercallers. Wait, Kat!? Jules glanced, slowly, at the shields he''d made for her, then back to their group. The animals, trees, and rock were all gone.
? ? Flames of Hell ? ?
Just as they drew their weapons on him, Jules slammed his fist into the ground and blew his friends away. "Watch out, Cy," Jules called out. "Some of the Arcanians are Shifters!" Not sure if that really was Rukia and Whiskers¡­but they''ll survive if it was. "Kinda busy over here!" Cyrus¡ªat least Jules thought it was the real Cyrus¡ªshouted back. Rukia chased a raven over to Jules. Sorry, Ruke. Can''t risk it, if you''re real or not.
? Activate ? [Inked Art Consumed: Summon Gravel]
The raven exploded upon impact with the pebbles, right in Rukia''s face. Jules snuck a look at The Painter. Two birds with one stone. Nice touch. When he turned back, Rukia was in his face, with a crazed look on hers. "That wasn''t very nice, Julesie." "Wasn''t sure if that was you or not, but now I''m feeling pretty confident. Now goooo¡ª" Jules scooped her up. Her eyes went wide and her ears pinned back. "No no no no no!" "Fetch!" Jules hurtled her straight into the mix of advancing Monks and let her do her thing while he ran to join Cyrus.
? ? Sonic Boom ? ?
The blast knocked Jules off balance and stalled him. The Arcanian Thundercaller shot another few more blasts at him, and Jules leapt to the side and advanced until he lunged at the man, fist cocked back to knock his lights out.
? Thunder ?
The Arcanian head butt Jules'' fist and sent him reeling backward. "Alright!" Jules shouted. "That''s it. Gloves are off."
? ? Sonic Boom ? ? ? Silence ? ? Fire ?
Jules Script negated the sonic blast, and it fizzled out, while his fists erupted in orange flames. Jules jabbed and crossed the man to a bloody pulp, and he collapsed to the ground.
? Lightning ?
A bolt of electricity struck Jules from the sky, and his vision turned bright white. He convulsed on the ground, and footsteps approached him from the man who''d invoked the Rune. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "OW!" Jules yelled blindly, in the Arcanian''s general direction. His vision slowly began to return. "What the hell are you!?" "A Stormrider. You are the Sin?" Three Thundercallers merged into one as the remnants of his vision finally focused again. "And if I am?" Jules rose to his feet and stomped out the smoldering flames of the Thundercaller''s armor. The Stormrider swiped his hand across his blade, just as Jules had done earlier.
? ? Electric Blade ? ?
"Nothing. I just expected more." Arcing sparks jumped and danced off the man''s blade. Damn Painter. I''m sure he remembers lightning was my least favorite way to die during training. The Stormrider slashed at Jules, and even though he dodged it by a safe enough distance for the blade, the flickering jolts scorched his chest. Steam rose off immediately. Good Salvos, I love fighting someone without Holy Damage.
? ? Get Over Here! ? ?
The Sound rushed over to Jules'' hand. "Sorry to disappoint, but you can let me know if you''ve changed your mind when you wake up." Jules blocked the next strike with his wooden sword, and it deadened the electric current from reaching his hands. The Stormrider pulled back, then swept in with a spinning power attack. Jules parried the strike, but when he advanced to immediately counter, a gust of wind shoved him back. Hmm. Like thunder and lightning. Cyrus never learned that move, and Kat hated lightning. Maybe if I¡ª
? ? Magnetic Pull ? ?
Jules'' body levitated in the air, then rushed to the Arcanian, who smashed his electric claymore down into Jules'' sword arm. He shrieked and convulsed from electrocution. "We''ll speak again," the Stormrider said, "when you wake up." He raised his sword high in the air¡ª
? ? Stoned Flesh ? ?
Dirt and rocks surrounded Jules before the strike connected. Sparks still arced their way to his flesh. Jules placed a palm on the man''s leg, wherever was closest to him.
? Incinerate ?
Jules saw the fear in the man''s eyes¡ªhe could practically taste it, even over the smell of burnt skin. Jules dropped the Sound and aimed his other hand at The Painter, and massive jet stream of fire scorched everything in its path toward the Alter, who stopped it all in a singular point in front of him. His grin never even faltered. Everyone stopped to stare at either Jules or The Painter, even Cyrus. In their hesitation, Jules noticed some Shamans had advanced on Katarina''s position and searched for her. Even though they''re pissing me off¡­I wonder what I could learn from those guys? I don''t exactly have the best teacher when it comes to Shaman¡ª Hey, I heard that! Kaizen yelled in Jules'' mind. Jules'' right arm was mostly useless now from the last attack, so he yanked it off completely with his left hand, slung it over his shoulder¡ªjust in case someone tried to steal it¡ªthen grabbed the Sound. "I''ll take you all on at once. With my off-hand, and the other tied behind my back." Whoahhh Jules¡ªThat was so cool! Thanks, Ruke.
? Integrate ?
Two Rukias chased each other in tight circles, but one slipped away to ash that flooded into the Sound, which ignited into white flames. "How fearsome!" The Painter fanned his face again. "Better watch out, boys. I feel like he''s still holding something back." Fuck you.
? Integrate ?
Jules pulled Kaizen into his body.
ENVY
Kat walked through the scattered village. Healers ran around from group to group, tending to the sick and dying. Nomads. Arcanians. Guardians¡­ These damn Etherealists have their hands full. "So this is the famous Whispering Pines," Kat''s body spoke. "Quiet." The man in the brown cloak put a finger to his lips. "Do not disturb the dead." The dead? They''re still alive¡­ He led Kat, Chael, and Gunner to a trailhead. And this is the Ephemeral Trail? I thought it terrified everyone away from it. They hiked the well-worn path for some time, until the path became clearly less traveled, and Kat glanced at everyone else. It''s taking just as much a toll on them as it is me¡ªexcept that guy. Guess I shouldn''t be surprised; he''s obviously the leader of this group. She heard ghoulish noises off to the sides and was certain some beast or goblins followed them in the thick brush. "You look like you could keel over¡­Chael¡­" Gunner said. Chael let out a stifled laugh that transitioned to a grunt. "Judging by your¡­voice¡­seems same of you." Vertigo struck Kat, and she thought she''d strike the ground, but the man in the brown cloak gripped her forearm. "Hold strong, Gish. We are nearly there." So my name is Gish? "It''s¡­rejecting me," she said. "We need to¡­turn back." Chael hoisted her up on his back. "Afraid not. You need¡­see this." He slowed their pace down with each step, and they all finally stopped when they came up to a Shrine. "This¡­it?" "I''m afraid not, Gunner. But Edmund should be nearby." By the time they reached the hut, Chael had Gunner slung over his other shoulder, and they''d all but crawled the last hundred yards. I wonder why Brown Cloak doesn''t carry us all, if he''s so unaffected? A man wearing simple Etherealist robes stormed from the hut''s curtains. "What are you doing here?" He doesn''t seem affected, either¡­ "Greetings, High Priest Edmund," Brown Cloak said. "We come seeking knowledge." "You were not permitted to cross the Ephemeral Trail." "I was unaware I needed permission." Edmund looked Brown Cloak up and down, then clicked his tongue. "I didn''t get your name." "You know my name." Brown Cloak glanced over at Kat, then back to Edmund. "I don''t give a flying fuck who you are. You''re a Nomad, not an Etherealist, so no access without permission." "I do not require permission to do anything in The Verdant Domain." Brown Cloak stepped forward, and Edmund let him pass without interference, though he looked like he wished he could kill the man. Brown Cloak lifted up the curtains and peered inside the hut, then dropped the flaps. "Elementalists, Edmund?" "You''d help those demons!?" Gunner wriggled himself off Chael''s shoulder. "After their war crimes?" "Genocide." Chael practically spat the word. Kat clambered down and drew a dagger, but Brown Cloak lifted a hand to halt them. He looked at Kat. "Are you watching? Pay. Attention." He swiped a hand across in a diagonal line, and the hut splintered apart and slid off to the side, revealing the wounded Soldiers inside. Brown Cloak walked up to one of the lying men, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him high into the air, as if he weighed as much as a snake. "What are you doing?" Edmund cried out. "Where''s the Unlock Rune?" Brown Cloak shook the man when he didn''t receive a response. The Elementalist howled to the sky in laughter. "Where is it!?" The prisoner lowered his gaze to Brown Cloak. His face came into focus in Kat''s eyes. Her heart dropped¡ªthis was worse than even the Ephemeral Trail. The man''s disguise fell away as his Elementalist clothing shifted into a blue kimono. "It seems I''ve beaten you to the punch, yet again, my old friend," The Painter said.
"AAAAHHHH!!!!" Kat sat up and gripped her own throat as she gasped for air. She stumbled around the earthen wall barriers until she came to the open plain in front of a destroyed gate. Kat looked around at the fire and brimstone, at Jules fully Integrated, facing what looked like an entire army. She felt like she was still on the Ephemeral Trail, like she was cornered prey to some unknown, unseen predator. Her gaze swept across the scene until it halted on The Painter. "YOU FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!!!" Primal instinct possessed her¡ªflight, or fight. "I wish I had his Vessel!" The fan disappeared from The Painter''s hand and rematerialized in her own, thanks to her eye Vessel''s ability. "On second thought," The Painter said to his allies, "I think I do remember you all, now. Stand down, boys. We have guests." Ch 116 - Hate It Or Love It
CYRUS
Here we are, back in the belly of the beast. Cy, his friends, their former opponents¡ªArcanians and Guardians alike¡ªand The Painter crossed through the repaired gates of Eldertree Enclave. With that trademark grin of his and a simple snap of his fingers, the Alter had reversed the damage done, and healed everyone. Except Kat, who''s still slung on Jules'' arm and won''t stop glaring at The Painter. Jules is at least keeping them apart, though he also looks like he could kill him. Whiskers is certainly pushing his luck, getting that close. "See what you wanted to see?" Cy asked the Alter. "Not quite all." Guess you weren''t going to see Kat use Inked Art this time around, but you got to see our Vessels in action. The Painter waved his arms across the stronghold. "But allow me to be the first to welcome you to Eldertree Enclave. We have much to discuss." Cy took in the sights as they walked to wherever The Painter led them. No point in asking with this one. Log buildings, made of the old growth of The Verdant Expanse forests, littered the town. Every structure boasted one of three Faction banners: the Guardians, the Arcanians, or the Nomads, of which there were few. Scattered about the town were crude wood sculptures, depicting some of the various woodland gods of old; Cy noticed there were few Merchants in the Enclave, and even fewer shops, and most sold weaponry and armor. Interesting. I could use that to my advantage, but the amounts of artillery¡ªI wonder if this is normal business for them, or if they''re preparing for something, like Anya kept alluding to. Get a grip on yourself, Cy. Jules'' thoughts echoed in Cy''s mind through Telepathy. Hate it or love it when it comes to his methods, Jules, but he''s our best life-line right now. This bastard was in my dreams. Kat!? How''d you get in my mind? I''m working on a group chat, though I''m still working out some bugs, Jules noted. It seems to be working fine to me, eh? Cy, Jules, Envy, and Whiskers all yelped at the same time. "Get out of my head!" Envy shouted at The Painter. "Oh, I wasn''t invited in? After all that time we spent together?" The Alter looked at Cy with that word. "Well, we''re here, and can speak in private." Cy and company exchanged glances with each other, then followed their teacher into the Arcanians'' headquarters. Similar to The Painter''s art supply shop in Aquilantis, the building''s inside defied the laws of physics and spread out much too widely. The Guardians and Arcanians that Cy''d had the extreme pleasure of meeting outside the town remained outside, but one Arcanian man awaited them inside. "So is this the new hideout you ran off to?" Jules asked. The Painter scoffed at his favorite pupil. "Please, I didn''t set this place up¡ªNo, in fact, this little fortress inspired my own home." "This building has been here for centuries," the Arcanian said. "Wood Enchanted by the forest itself, and the Elders of long ago, it has prevailed against the test of time." Don''t look at The Painter, don''t look at The Painter¡­ "And here I thought we''d have some privacy," Envy snapped. "So no one could see me strike you back, in self defense, eh? No. Argyle here is the Arcanian''s Chief here in Eldertree Enclave. We will be working very closely with him in the coming days¡ª" "Days? We don''t have days," Jules said. "Why are we all here?" Cy chimed in before The Painter could respond and talk them in circles. "And how did you know about Lust? Are we here for our next phase of training, because now is a bad¡ª" No, don''t say that word. "Listen¡ªAre you here to help us rescue her or not?" Cy glanced at Jules. You look shocked, maybe even proud of me? "Trust me," The Painter said. "I would love to get my hands on her. But I''m sorry for the mixup outside! I just wanted to see your Vessels in action, and see how you''d progressed through the Inked Arts since I last saw you. It''s been a long time, and a lot has transpired." "A couple of weeks is not long enough," Envy said. "We were attacked in Aquilantis," Cy said. "Riiiight after you left." "You wound me, Cyrus. I was already gone, and I certainly didn''t send the Maidens after you." "But you knew they were coming. Why''d you leave so fast?" If you were already gone, you couldn''t have known who really attacked us. They hid that from the papers. "I told you¡ªthe game shifted, and I needed to adjust my strategy." What game, I wonder? And why come here? "I heard you botched Siren''s Cove, eh? But perhaps not completely. Did you make a new friend?" Does he mean Maddie? "We made a few," Jules said. "But we lost one in Marina Veridia. Could have really used your help there." "Oh, I sent aid," The Painter said in a much deeper voice. "Anyway, speaking of Marina Veridia, I see you all fared well with your Vessel assignments. On top of that, you each went in alone¡ªI''m so proud! Yes, Cy, I even count yours as a solo victory." Did Kat just literally growl? "Is Info Broker a Class?" Cy asked. "Because I''d like to know what happens in Shrines I''ve never been to." "Just need to read the papers to know what happened in Coralhaven, eh?" Jules'' demeanor shifted entirely, and he drew more into himself. "You all have quite the growing Bounties, but I did not expect dining and dashing to be among your crimes¡ªand multiple times at that." "We''re short on time," Cy said. Shit. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "We certainly are, Cyrus! I''m glad you remembered. You should be approaching 3rd Rank, now, correct? No? Hmph. Well, after your trip to the Aquilanti Fountain, Wrath, the stakes changed. I had to seek other knowledge, and then a massive¡ªand I mean massive¡ªproblem fell into my lap." "Don''t care." Envy snapped her fingers. "Get to it." "How have the Inked Arts been treating you, eh¡ªMissie?" Cy furrowed his brows. He''s fine calling Jules Wrath because everyone knows him. Guess he still wants to keep Kat''s identity safe from Argyle. And that''s probably why he didn''t fight her earlier, either, so no one knows she''s a Sin. "It''s going well," Jules answered for her, when the silence grew too long. "Why are we here?" "You are truly an exceptional class. Now, my trip to The Verdant Domain, and that event I mentioned, brought me here." "Funny," Argyle the Arcanian Chief said. "I summoned you here yesterday when¡ª" "When an old friend of mine here called in a debt. I''ve always been drawn to the Tree of Wishes, and I''m hoping this latest mission will lead me to it¡­" Argyle grunted. "Suppose we''ll just leave it at that for now." "We''ve been hearing about this Tree a lot," Cy said. "Honestly, I thought it was all a fairy tale. How many wishes do you get?" The Painter glanced at Argyle, who rolled his eyes and shook his head. You two seem chummy. "A single one for life. Now, you''ve got your Vessels. Are you ready to move on to the next phase of training?" "Yes." "No." "Hell no." "You said you could help us find Lust," Jules said. "Eh? I just remember saying I could help in general." Jules and Envy walked toward the door. "The next phase of your training will be unlike the previous. No more death. Er¡ªNot every day, at least." Jules grabbed the door handle. Surely he''s bluffing. "I have trained you lot to be my operatives." "Yeah right," Envy said. "Cut the shit," Cy said. "How''d you know Lust was captured in the middle of everything in Shinsora?" "I see your training in patience isn''t bearing fruit, Jules." Jules turned to face the Alter. "I told you in Aquilantis, you weren''t the only Sin known to certain people. I''ve had an eye on Seraphina for some time, though she was protected, and I couldn''t get close." "I''m beginning to relate," Envy said. "What about us?" Cy asked. "How did you know we were there?" "And what, you couldn''t step in to help?" Jules asked. "You''ve been tracking us this entire time, just like in Aquilantis." "And in our minds," Envy added. "Children, eh?" The Painter asked Argyle. "I was practically a world away." "Answer the question now, or we walk," Cy said. "Real fond of you, this lot," Argyle said. "I have my fingers in multiple pots, at all times." "Ew. Gross." "Where is she!?" Jules pounded the door. "Ha! You''ve caught me. I don''t know the answer to that." "OK, but what do you suspect?" Cy asked. "Sylvan Hollow is the natural choice. Convenient, to find myself here, so close by, eh?" Uh huh. "So you have some master plan to free her?" Cy asked. "Salvos, no! That''s why I called you here, as my operatives." "Fuck you." Whoah Whiskers, get it. But now you''ve given yourself away to Argyle. "I promise that our goals will align¡ªeventually¡ªand yield results for your missions. But first, tell me about your time in Whispering Pines, and the Runes you three now possess." Cy showcased the Space Rune crest Odessa had lent him in Shinsora. "The Raventrees gave me this." "Did they? Hmm. That is much too dangerous for you now. We are tied together, Cyrus¡ªSo do. Not. Use it." Wow, that was pretty forceful, even for you. "I believe you received something in Coralhaven, Missie." Jules whipped his head around to Envy, who hesitated to answer. "Stylized Summon Rune," she said bluntly. "Can I see it?" Jules asked. Envy looked him up and down, but still handed him the crumpled up scrap paper. "Who gave you this?" "A Blacksmith, Jules." Jules gave the paper back to her, then stared at his feet. Wasn''t your fault, man. "Wrath?" Jules glared at him, and the life returned to his eyes, though it looked mostly fueled by hatred. "An Etherealist gave me this. She seemed to know you." "What is it?" Envy asked. Kinda odd that you should care, Kat. You haven''t even had time to see it yet. "It''s mostly worthless," The Painter said. "Uh huh," Envy said. "To the general population." That familiar grin spread across The Painter''s face. Pay attention to this one. "Hypothetically speaking, it might be able to unleash Arcanic powers, though¡­it is untested." Cy looked back and forth between the two. Something''s going on. Kat mentioned he was in her nightmares¡­ "Why do you seem to know everyone?" Cy asked. "Do I?" "Why are we always running into you¡ªOr at least a piece of you, everywhere we go?" "Do you? I wasn''t in Coralhaven. Nor was I in Lighthouse Point, Siren''s Cove, Marina Veridia, Shinsora, Whispering Pines¡­ We have only met twice, Cyrus. I told you, I am an info broker¡ª" The Painter cut himself off. He shifted in his chair, at full attention now. His concentration shifted as well. He looked to the door, then toward a wall, though Cy suspected he looked outside of it. He''s here, but he''s not really here. What gives? I''ve never seen him like this, not even the morning of our Final Examination. Argyle spoke first. "Is he¡ª" "It appears we must adjourn for the day, children." The Alter rose from his chair. "I will attend to you in the morning. Though we still have plenty of time together, you will depart by tomorrow evening."
JULES
Fear spread across his face and transitioned to sheer terror as their cast shadows rose from his feet up to his cowering face. They surrounded him and cut off his escape, pushing him into a literal corner. They''d hogtie his geriatric ass up if they could, to keep him from running away, but for now, their Ryoku Shields seemed to hold the ghost in place. "Time to spill the beans on the Seals and this Unlock Rune." Jules, Cyrus, Katarina, and Whiskers all hovered inches from his face. No one else was around except Rukia, and not even she would dare come to Kaizen''s aid now. "And we know from Kat''s nightmares that The Painter''s been looking for it, too." "This guy," Kaizen said to Rukia. "Thinks he can crack me? Me!? I am the¡ª" The angled Ryoku Shield snapped shut on Kaizen like a closing book. "Are the Seals tied to the Apocalypse?" "Wrong question, kiddo¡ª" The shield snapped shut again. "How are the Seals tied to the Apocalypse?" Silence met another closing book. "How is my Seal tied to Wrath? The Magi? The others that Zeke mentioned?" SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! A lone bump raised from Kaizen''s cheek, next to his bloodied and bruised face. He continued on with a swollen tongue. "I thaid I''d anther all your questionth after you unlock the Thound." The Ryoku Shields closed again, but this time Kaizen head-butted one side and cracked them. His wounds mysteriously vanished away. "I told your dad back when you were born¡ªYou can''t hurt me. But good try!" Cyrus, Katarina, and Whiskers slowly backed off with creeped-out expressions. "Screw you! You worthless mentor piece of crap." "You all need to focus on Lust," Kaizen said. "We''re trying to!" "Really? You seem pretty distracted to me." "You better not have been asleep when we were with The Painter, you¡ª" "Lust first," Kaizen snapped. "Then find Greed." Jules paused. Greed? He''s barely mentioned him before. Are you changing the subject to get me off your back¡­or are you steering me in the same direction as my questioning? It''s always hard to tell with you. "We have no leads on Greed," Jules said. He reached out to Kaizen alone through Telepathy and blocked even Rukia from their thread. If you are Death, I don''t want to Unlock my Seal¡ªOr assemble the Sound, for that matter! "You need him, Jules. The next two pieces of the Sound will be much harder to attain." Kaizen glanced over at Rukia, who curled her tail up into herself. I really wish I had a different sensei that you. Kaizen winced. "You will take Rukia with you to the next Shrine." "What about you?" Jules snapped. "Not this one, kiddo." Of course not. At least I have Rukia, though. "Each step brings you closer to the truth, Jules. You will be ready for it when it comes." "Closer to the truth¡­and closer to the Apocalypse." Jules left them all to go sleep. That night, he had nightmares, not of his jail cell, but of an erupting volcano. At its mouth, he faced off against some dark demon. The fight was ending, he was losing¡ªand then time rewound, and he fought some nine-tailed beast in a forest. When it finally ended, Jules wished he could return to his nightmares that ended in the jail cell. Nothing is worse than these¡­ Ch 117 - Wake Me Up
JULES
Jules sat with his back against the door to Katarina''s room. After hours of restless waiting, he heard her stir inside. He knocked, and the door creaked open. Still some time before the sunrise, her room was dark as night. He stepped one foot inside. "Kat?" he whispered. Two emerald eyes peered out in the darkness. "Kaaaat?" His vision focused again, and he saw her armor-clothing hanging up from a clothes rack. Wait a minute¡­ An emerald eye winked. "Whiskers!?" Katarina groaned from the side of the eyes, woken from a deep sleep. "Huh?" She rose and sat up. "What? What!?" She grabbed sheets and yanked them up. "JULES GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!" Jules sprinted out the door.
Jules sat down next to Cyrus in the mess hall. He hunched over his plate of food and stared directly down at it. Cyrus cast a sideways eye at him. "OK, you''re acting weird. How are you feeling after your first night of real sleep, Kat?" "Feeling great. Like I''m ready to fight. Ready for battle. Ready for a war." She speared a piece of meat with her fork, then ripped a piece off of it with her mouth, not bothering to use a knife. Jules shrank into his chair. Katarina grabbed a bone from Rukia''s plate, who also sat at the table, cracked it in half, and offered one end to Jules. "My vision is bad, but I''m healing." "This food is delicious, but man¡ªI''m just so full." Cyrus grabbed Whiskers and Rukia by their napes and retreated from the mess hall. You yellow-bellied bastard. "You know, my vision wasn''t so great earlier, either." "Take it." Katarina waved the snapped bone around. "What?" She tossed it in the middle of his food. "Oh nothing, Jules. I just thought you wanted me to throw you a bone." Do I? Should I? But he''s been so loyal to me. He''s fought by my side for years. And we''ve gained so much trust. I''m a good friend, aren''t I? And I''d never betray someone. I''ve always been the loyal friend, who sticks it out to the end. Right? Right? "Whiskers let me in," Jules said quickly, practically all crammed into a single word. Guess I''m not loyal after all¡­ "I knew it!" Katarina exclaimed. "Then why are you still mad at me!?" "Because you saw me naked!" Heads turned all around. Katarina fidgeted with her necklace, hidden inside her shirt. "I had dreams last night. New ones." "Well I didn''t, so I don''t care. First time in days I didn''t live in some nightmare, and especially without The Painter¡ªOh Salvos, Jules?" What? Oh¡ª "Nope. Nooope. I dreamt of fighting a demon on a volcano. Nope." "Ugh, let''s go." Jules looked forlornly at his messy plate, then followed Katarina to the Arcanians Headquarters, where they joined Cyrus and the others, The Painter, and Argyle. "Welcome. You''re late," The Painter said. "Argyle here will be observing your training for as long as he sees fit. Consider it a trust exercise for our communal safe harbor." "But we''re¡­" Jules cut himself off. "I''m a wanted Sin." "We don''t care about that," Argyle said. "In fact, you all practically worship one here, eh?" Argyle grumbled some response. "There will be no magic or Skill grinding lessons today. At least to start. We''ll deal more with history and wisdom. Hm, is it almost fall already?" "Who cares?" Jules asked. "Why yes it is," Argyle said. "You know what they say, when the leaves fall¡­" Jules looked around. The others are just as confused. What is this, another stupid test? Already? "¡­It is fall?" Jules answered. Argyle grunted and smiled at the same time. "Quite so. Think I''ve seen all I need to see of this lot." He took his leave, and Cyrus raised his hand. "Yes, Cyrus?" "Why is this place so weird? It''s rubbing off on Kat and Jules, too." Katarina shuddered. "Let''s quit wasting time on pointless questions and get on with it, eh?" I hate The Painter. "Tell me what about your last assignment and your new Vessels. You screwed the pooch pretty badly in Siren''s Cove." Ah, so we''re going to learn about Vessels today. "I single-handedly captured the Shrine while fighting this idiot," Cyrus humbly admitted, "but a chick in some pirate cosplay stole the Vessel from right under my nose." "We''ll disregard how much I question your account of events, but do any of you know what that Vessel does?" His eyes rested on Jules. "It pointed her to me, that''s all I know. I got the Sound. You saw it in action yesterday." And that''s all I have to say about that. "I captured Lighthouse Cove and received Tensa. It heals whatever it cuts." "I''m sure it does more than that, eh? How did you learn what it does?" "I, uh, removed a dagger from my heart with it." "Not gonna tell him the rest, loverboy?" Katarina asked. Cyrus went red in the face. "About how your girlfriend tried to rip out your heart when she broke up with you?" "You mean Selene?" Everyone turned to face The Painter. He raised his hands in self-defense. "What''d I say?" The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "How do you know her name?" Cyrus asked slowly. "I met her when you all did¡ªat the Hydromage tryouts. And before that, at the plaza with the Iron Maidens. I knew where you went on your days off, young Cyrus. How you got your business off the ground from shady dealings in the underworld, which by the way, is your company still open to investors?" This guy knows everything. The more he lets on, the higher the mountain he seems to sit on. We really need to stay on his good side. "I told you I''d consider it," Cyrus said. "I even rehearsed an answer for you: Not at this time." "So that was really lame. Anyway, I got an eye in Marina Veridia. It''s cursed, and it doesn''t have a name, and it''s a piece of crap." The Painter squatted down to her at eye level and inspected her Vessel. "Oh, my sweet Envy. It most certainly has a name, and you''d do well to learn it. Now, I''ve heard rumors that might be related. Tell me about the Djinns." "They didn''t have them," Cyrus said. "I''ve already thought about it. Since you''re curious, it must mean that Sins don''t have Djinns in their Shrines, and there are Shrines specific to Sins." Why is The Painter smiling again? And does that mean that Virtues have Djinns? Wait¡ªSurely there''s no way he knows Maddie is Diligence. "Have your Vessels been useful to you?" "Absolutely." "In a way." "Hell no." Katarina crossed her arms. "Seem you''ve been having a problem fitting it into your life''s vision, eh?" Katarina scatted a laugh-stifling Whiskers. "I know a way to fix that. It comes at a heavy price, though." "Screw you." "Hmph. Not even in your dreams." The Painter fell backward to the floor, but landed in a bag chair that materialized. "Make yourselves comfortable. We''ll be here a while. Have you noticed anything different since you got your Vessels?" "Meh, I don''t know. Tough to see myself answering that question." Katarina ignored a paw-bump from Whiskers, and she took a seat. "We got them around our System Unlocks, so they were kind of overshadowed when our Ryoku shot up." "We do use less Ryoku, though," Jules added. "I''ve noticed a significant decrease in the cost of Scripts." "Yes, you should be able to endure a lot more, too," The Painter said. "They are indestructible, and don''t run out of charge. No Enchanting or Master Forger needed." He winked at Katarina. "Have you noticed any limitations?" "Besides you? Nah." Katarina crossed her legs. "Ah, I am disappointed. Vessels have Levels, too¡ªthough they are closer to Ranks." He stared at Jules. "You will discover this new feature soon, I suspect. Now here''s another freebie: each Vessel is tied to one Skill or Skillset, and you need to find the right one to most effectively use it, but that is a hack you can find out for yourselves. Coincidentally, it is tied to the three questions I asked you all to think about¡ªand how are we doing on that, by the way?" "We''ve had so much time to think about it," Katarina said. "I mean you had two years," The Painter whispered. "But enough on that until you''ve completed my task! And if I don''t allow Cyrus here to ask a million questions first, he is going to explode like Mount Fury." Interesting that you''d use that analogy. "Oh Salvos, no¡­" "Oh thank Salvos¡ªI''ve been more patient than Patience himself. I''ve come across a few more Alters since we left." "You have a knack for that." Why does The Painter not seem more interested? "Two real Alters, I mean. Davy Jones and Musashi." "Oof, worse than The Nomad himself, that Musashi," The Painter said with a grin. His face dropped. "What do you mean real Alters?" "There are obviously more than seven," Cyrus said, ignoring the question. "Of course, of course." The Painter motioned his hands as if asking, Who, me? "Who are the others you suspect?" "How has that been kept a secret for so long?" Jules asked. "Please, Wrath, do not interrupt when the adults are speaking." Why you¡­ "The Iron Maiden, though not directly." The Painter''s eyes flashed for a moment. "She''s as much an Alter as I am. Is that it? You''ve met just four?" He seems a bit disappointed in Cy again. "You know, Davy Jones gave me the same advice you did to become an Alter." "Oh, I''m sure he did. I taught that man everything he knows." "How old are you really?" "Old enough to be your father." Jules looked back and forth between the two. No way¡­ "But, alas, I am not an Etherealist, and I assure you, I am not your father." "I already knew that. You wouldn''t have happened to see Isolda, would you? She wasn''t in Coralhaven. Someone was disguised as her and framed for her¡ªalleged¡ªcrimes." "I have not seen Isolda in quite some time, I''m afraid." "My money''s on her being an Alter, too." What!? Isolda? No way. But The Painter''s not cracking. "And do you have any leads on a place called Nowhere?" "Nowhere is no where to be seen, young Cyrus. But back to the Etherealists¡­ How is Anya Naqri?" "She seemed to know you." Jules'' eyes narrowed. "And she''s not a fan. Said some crazy things, like you''d been to Coralhaven. I reassured her that she must be mistaken." "Now Jules, sarcasm doesn''t fit Wrath. I believe she resents the Inked Arts, not me, but who am I to guess?" "Who is she?" Jules asked. "And how are the Etherealists related to all¡­this?" Cyrus added. The Painter focused on Katarina. "Many go searching for their Runes because they are given certain¡­immunities, from the old ways." "You searched for it. Why?" "And how would you know that, Envy?" "An info broker never plays her cards. I believe you taught me that." "Ah, I see your listening has improved with the loss of your eyesight. I am a Rune seeker, after all, and quite curious as to what that one does." "Who else wants it, the Nomads?" she asked. The Painter straightened up. "It seems your foresight doesn''t match your eyesight. We will get to the Nomads soon. I feel like there''s one more burning question, first." Jules and Cyrus nodded at each other. Should be safe. "Do you know anything about the Magi?" Cyrus asked. "There''s a high price to pay for that knowledge." "How much?" Jules asked. Kaizen won''t say anything, maybe you will. "And what''s their purpose?" "Where did you hear about them?" the Alter asked. "You value that information, don''t you? We''ll tell you each source for a piece of info each." "A scrap of info, each." "Deal," Cyrus said. Guess I''ll trust your judgment on this one, Cy. "Zeke first mentioned it to Wrath-possessed Jules, and then Davy Jones and Musashi both seemed to know about them. I''d wager all the Alters do, given your lack of surprise." "They''re identities escape me. Currently. There are three. And numbers are very important." "So any real information comes at a high price?" Jules asked. Cyrus looked at him. I''d rather keep Kaizen''s knowledge of the Magi to us for now. Jules shook his head. "Then I guess that''s the best we can ask for today." "A shame, eh? I''d hoped to learn something more useful today, as well, but it seems we must move on. Now, how are you all doing with your Classes?" "Honestly, we haven''t really thought about it," Jules said. "Tsk, tsk. You need to make that a priority, after finding Lust, of course, which brings us to our history lesson, and then your assignment." "Sweet Salvos I wish I was still unconscious." Katarina laid down flat on the floor like a starfish. "Pay attention: The first fourteen Wars of the Wastes were mostly political battles for land, resources, and strongholds. They eventually evolved into control over The Verdant Domain''s magical sites, like the Elemental Wastes¡ªbefore the Elementalists of Obsidia claimed it¡ªthe Arcane Divide, the Ethereal Rift, and whatever it is that lies beneath Hinomura¡­" "Wait, what?" Jules asked. I''ve never heard of that story before. "A story for another time, and off-topic today. Here''s what you need to know about the first wars: they determined our current national geographies and placement of Factions, and they ignited the centuries-long blood feud between the Nomads and Elementalists. "The 15th War was all related to the Prophecy of Salvos, and your coming births, Envy and Wrath. There were many who took advantage of the chaos to look for Scripts the ancient Elders left behind long ago in The Verdant Domain. This is also the war that our fellow Arcanians and Etherealists really joined in, though in lesser known roles. The Alters Kazuma and The Nomad agreed to a ceasefire and split up, with either to be rarely seen by anyone again." I''d wager you''re one of the lucky few to meet with both, though. "I already told you that the 16th War was to capture Greed. For some reason, the Etherealists dropped out of this fight and never explained why, though I''m sure our sweet Anya holds an answer, if not some small version of the truth. "And today, the 17th War of the Wastes approaches. The pieces have all fallen into place¡ªdespite my sincerest efforts to stop them¡ªand Shinsora ignited the short fuse to its explosion." "OK, that was a complete waste of time," Katarina said. "I never waste time when I''m with Cyrus, dear Envy. There is an Elementalist spy in the Eldertree Enclave network, and I need to find him. Preferably today. He could be with the Guardians or the Arcanians; I''m not sure." "How do you not know?" Jules asked. "I don''t know a lot of things. Life is still hard work for Alters." "Uh huh," Katarina said. "Your reward will be further knowledge." "Great." "Easy, Kat," Jules said. "We need more information." "Listen to Wrath. There are secrets everywhere here for you three to uncover. You have two hours, starting now."