by Erik Weir
Victor turned his body, checking to see if he was damaged but he was unharmed. Lily lifted her head and looked past the dazed Victor before pushing at his chest. Victor turned and nearly fell onto his back as Lily was up. The Blade curled his body and stood up. He noticed Lily’s gaze and followed it until he was staring just as she was. Smoke cleared as something black stood in the morning light.
A thick cylinder stood, about five feet high. It was black as pitch, tendrils of smoke flowing off the solid cylinder. Lily started to walk toward it. Victor was quick to join her, mind still reeling.
“Lightning and thunder on a clear day? This can’t be normal,” the Blade joked.
Lily walked silently until she stood before the cylinder. Eyes drinking it in, sunlight painted the metal object as it stood perfectly straight up. The ground below it was a smoking crater. The bird song had stopped and an eerie silence blanketed the area.
Victor’s senses dialed to eleven as he visually scanned the object. Information appeared in the corner of his eye, but it was quickly followed by question marks. Victor raised an eyebrow until the scan was complete. The nano-shell between Victor’s shoulder blades seemed to glow against his spine until it too faded away.
“I’m not getting much on this…other than it is Xull technology,” Victor said with a concerned edge.
Lily stared, tail flicking back and forth, “Xull doesn’t have realm crossing technology.”
Victor crossed his arms, “Maybe it belongs to the resistance?”
Lily remained silent as her hand reached up. Victor’s hand shot out just as she touched it, grabbing her wrist and pulling it back.
“That seems like a bad idea…,” Victor said until something glowed from the cylinder.
Part of the metal slid away and a glowing red dot appeared. It moved and shifted like an eye, glancing around. Victor and Lily took a step back, the pair ready to call on their weapons. The red eye moved and focused on them, their images reflecting in the glassy glowing lens.
Before another word could be uttered, energy arced along the cylinder. Victor and Lily raised their arms to block the light before the air shifted. Vibrations rippled outward from the cylinder before it flashed. Victor tried to keep watching, but the light was much too bright. Blinking away the flashbulbs, the cylinder was gone and only the smoking crater remained.
“What the hell,” Victor said calmly.
Lily looked down to the smoking crater, “That was not normal.”
Victor let out a sarcastic chuckle, “Ya think?”
The succubus turned to Victor, “We are going to have to visit the Xull realm.”
Victor shook his head, “Don’t we have enough on our plate?”
Lily shook her head, “We save Dawn, find Vonn and Yimer, and then we visit Xull. It’s important we find out more.”
“Want to fill me in on why?”
Lily looked to Victor with a blank expression, “Xull is the one realm that has cut themselves off from the other realms. It is nearly impossible for any crossover except for Champions. For something from that realm to appear in any other could mean a host of problems.”
Victor blinked.
Lily’s brow tightened, “They realize a threat and they are gathering information. The Xull mainframe might be testing boundaries.”
Victor lifted his hands in defeat, “I know you know a lot of history to the realms, but I don’t understand why that is a big deal? You’ve told me yourself that beings cross over from realms all the time. Why is it different for the Xull realm?”
Lily’s brow softened, “The Xull mainframe is a logistics artificial intelligence. It might be sensing a threat and it is taking steps to gather information. If it has technology that can cross realms, it may decide to neutralize the threat or threats. Xull has a nearly limitless army and if it wanted to march across the realms, it can, even Vala’s realm.”
“I doubt the pantheon would allow that. Wouldn’t the gods get together and put a stop to it?”
Lily looked to the sky, eyes closing, “Maybe…I’m not sure.”
Victor stepped to Lily and took hold of her arms. The succubus opened weary eyes and stared into Victor’s green ones. A gentle breeze caressed the pair as they gazed into each other’s soul.
Victor smiled. “One problem at a time, let’s save our people first before we go rushing into realm politics. The gods will have to work it out.”
Lily nodded. “You’re right…I’m just concerned Xull might be another enemy who will try to stop Vala’s resurrection.”
“Not if we keep a low profile and stick to what we came here to do. Once we are done, we can go to Xull and see what’s going on.”
A small smile appeared on Lily’s lips, “You really are the calm during storms.”
The Blade grinned. “I just don’t see the reason to panic. It becomes a distraction and right now, we need as little distractions as possible.”
The succubus nodded. The pair broke apart before Lily began walking. Victor followed until they reached a dirt road. The couple continued on, walking east as the cool chill of the morning washed away to a rising warmth.
Victor looked around, taking in the beauty of the thick forests on each side of the road. He couldn’t help but feel at home, the trees reminding him of his visits to Massachusetts. Those were mystical points in his youth, feeling nature’s power as he explored on his own during family visits. Faint memories came back as he avoided the gatherings to be on his own. Cousins were often sent to search for him, but Victor enjoyed hiding just long enough to bask in nature’s wonders.
A foul thought dripped in his mind as Victor strolled along. Images of Luis kept crawling into his thoughts. The cousin joined Baaldir’s side to become his Champion, bent on breaking Victor and placing him at the god’s feet. The ties that bind was not strong enough to prevent Luis from succumbing to Baaldir’s power. It gnawed at Victor’s heart, unsure if he could ever bring himself to slay his cousin in combat. The Blade pushed away the reality that his own family member was hunting him, ready to kill him over some imagined slight from their youth.
Lily looked to Victor, seeing the darkness under his eyes growing. “Want to talk about it?”
Victor’s back stiffened a little before he walked with a more natural pace. “I was just thinking about your new ability. Can you use it to find Vonn and Yimer,” he deflected.
The succubus closed her eyes as they walked. Lily reached out and Victor took her hand, guiding her as they continued on. Lily’s brow scrunched up a few times before it smoothed away. A minute later, she opened her eyes, defeat written in her expression.
“I tried to get a sense of either of them, but the moment I had an idea, it faded away. I think they might be here in Eddor but I’m not sure.”
“That narrows it down a bit I suppose,” Victor smiled.
“I’ll try again soon, after I regenerate some of my power.”
Victor nodded, still holding Lily’s hand, “I didn’t know you can still gain powers. For some reason, I thought you were already maxed out.”
Lily squeezed his hand as she walked and looked forward. “Champions have a certain limit to gaining powers and abilities. I have some but I have plenty of room for more. The acolytes will also gain powers and abilities the stronger Vala becomes.”
“What happens if we go over that limit?”
Lily looked to Victor and shrugged lightly, “I don’t know. Cassandra told me Champions can reach a higher level of power, but even she wasn’t sure. So much of Vala’s teachings were lost hundreds of years ago, she will have to teach us again when she returns.”
Victor looked on as the conversation died. Thoughts rising up, he called on his stats. They glowed in the corner of his vision and he quickly noticed he had three divine orbs he hadn’t used yet. Since he could only spend two at a time and he was in the Eddor Realm, now was the perfect time to see what new ability he could gain. Spending two of his remaining three divine orbs, the Blade opened hi
mself to a swirling power. Energy snaked in from the very air around him until it caressed his spirit, letting a bit of itself stay within his chest before fading away.
You have gained “Transmutation”.
Victor’s right eyebrow rose as he wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. Thinking it over, he vaguely remembered a similar ability from one of his games he used to play all the time. Looking down to the stones in the dirt road, the young man bent low, scooped up a stone and held it in his hand. Lily looked over as the Blade closed his fingers over it and spent a point of Wisdom. Energy swirled around his hand and glowed from between his fingers. Opening his hand, Victor smiled as a gold coin lay in his palm.
“I’m going to be rich,” Victor laughed.
Lily smirked and shook her head, “I have seen that effect performed by mages here in Eddor. It is temporary. With time, the coin will change back to the stone it was once before.”
Victor’s smile melted into a frown, “I just wanted to dream a little.”
Lily tried to contain her smile and failed. “Vala’s religion doesn’t condone riches or wealth. The freeing of your spirit is the reward for worship.”
Victor grumbled to himself a little before he saw he had two points to add to his Spheres of Influence. The Blade quickly assigned a point to Constitution and another point to Wisdom. Power surged under his skin as he felt himself grow a little stronger. Victor called up his stat screen once again.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 21/77
Divine Orbs- 1
Powers to Unlock-0
Spheres of Influence
Str (Gaia)- 6
Con (Nano)- 6
Int (Abyss)- 3
Will (Holy)- 3
Wis (Mind)- 5
Cha (Shadow)- 3
Swords
Iron Sword
Elemental Sword
Gun Blade
Sphere Abilities/Powers
Mind
Speak/Read/Write Languages
Transmutation
Gaia
Increased Strength/Speed
Animal Tongues
Jump
Animal Shapeshift
War Form
Summon Monster
Nano
Heightened Senses Upgrade
Shadow
Holy
Abyss
Impulse Control Touch
Victor eyed the numbers. Having 5 points and over in his Strength, Constitution and Wisdom meant he could create a greater effect over a lesser one. Mentally filing it away, he would take any edge he could when it came to overcoming the odds. With so many gods wanting Vala to remain dead, it seemed like everything was stacked against them. It didn’t take long before Victor felt things would get harder before they got any better.
Warmth touched the back of Victor’s head and without thinking, his hand rose up and touched his hair. Turning his head, he looked to the forest to his right. Green leaves fluttered in the small wind, sunlight bathing all. Victor continued to eye the forest as they walked. Dropping his hand to his side, he found he couldn’t look away.
A green face appeared deep in the forest. It smiled and a second later, the face disappeared in the thick, peaceful forest.
Victor was about to open his mouth to say something but he stopped himself. Seeing how disturbed Lily was about seeing the cylinder, he didn’t want to add another thing for them to think about. The Blade knew he saw a face, but why it appeared and disappeared seemed to only add to the oddness of the realms. It could have been a monster or maybe some entity trying to distract them. The Blade mentally shrugged to himself, refocusing his thoughts to the quest before them. Dawn was in trouble and so were Vonn and Yimer. Maybe when they had saved their friends, he could bring it up to Lily and Cassandra.
“We’re almost there,” Lily pointed to the town further up the road.
Victor nodded as they walked along, smoke rising from chimneys and people moving about at the edge of town.
***
The town of Runon was bustling with activity. Townsfolk moved about, running errands and chatting with one another. Victor and Lily stepped into the town as sunlight gave the wooden and stone buildings a yellowish tint on the bright morning. No one gave the two newcomers a second glance as they made their way down the main street. Victor drank in the medieval buildings, side streets, and shops. A small smile crept into Victor’s cheek as a pleasant calm caressed his nerves.
Lily looked to her partner and smiled. “It’s just a town.”
Victor eyed the succubus with a smirk. “I know, but I like small towns. They’re peaceful and have a certain air about them. Plus, this place reminds me of starter towns in Final Fantasy, a sense of grand adventure on the horizon.”
The demoness kept her smile as she shook her head. “I wish I understood what you were talking about some of the time. The Earth Realm must be a magical place if you have towns such as these.”
Victor nodded. “It depends on who you talk to. Earth is mystical, but it has its troubles too.”
“Do you miss it?”
Victor opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He missed aspects of it but in truth, he didn’t miss it as all. It had become a distant part of his life, even in the last number of weeks. Memories floated along of what Baaldir offered before he attacked Vala’s mountain, the offer to return if he wished. Victor knew the god only wanted him out of the picture, but deep down he knew he had made his choice and would see it through to the end. Victor’s mind wandered for a second, wondering what would be his choice once Vala had returned. Would he stay on as her Champion or find some small, out of the way place in the realms to live out the rest of his life, if he survived the crusade?
“We’re here,” Lily said as she looked on a shop window.
Victor turned his attention to the shop. Arcane runes filled a hanging sign. Potion vials filled the window in a kaleidoscope of different colors. The morning light touched the vials, cloudy smoke swirling within each one. Thick curtains were pulled aside and beyond the glass, a woman with muted red hair was leaning against a counter, a thick tome open before her. A red robe covered her body as her eyes moved from side to side, reading quietly to herself.
“Are you sure she’s in there,” Victor asked.
Lily nodded. “I sensed her again. I can feel her down below, just like in the vision.”
Victor stepped to the side of the small building, Lily following. When they were no longer visible, the Blade turned to his Shield.
“We should come up with a plan. I don’t want to go in there and start smashing stuff. It looks like a nice little shop and we shouldn’t be dicks.”
“We should demand her immediate release,” Lily said with a hard edge.
Victor closed his eyes and rubbed the space where his nose and eyes connect. “That’s exactly what we shouldn’t do. If she is in the basement, we just have to get by, find her and get her out.”
Victor let his hand drop as he called up his abilities again. Words and numbers appeared in his vision as he gave the lists the once over. An idea formed as he remembered what he did back at the Tusk Tribe’s mountain.
“I have an idea…,” Victor began.
“You should turn into a small animal while I distract the woman at the counter,” Lily finished.
Victor blinked. “How did you…”
The succubus reached up and gave his cheek a slight pat with her hand. “You’re not that complicated.”
Victor smiled, “I would have been okay if you said we make a great team.”
“We are. I’m the leader and you’re the muscle,” Lily said with a razor smile.
Victor raised an eyebrow, “I thought…”
“It doesn’t matter what you think. Change into something and I will open the door,” Lily said with a wicked grin.
“So mean,” Victor chuckled.
Lily winked before turning and looking out to the street. Victor decided on a form, but before he s
pent a point he reached up and touched Lily’s shoulder. The succubus looked back to his series expression, concern filling her purple brow.
“To answer your question before, I don’t miss it because then I couldn’t be with you,” Victor whispered.
Color touched Lily’s cheeks as Victor spent a point of Strength. Keeping an image in his mind’s eye, Victor’s body began to collapse into itself. Lily turned from the shrinking Blade and surveyed the area as people went on with their day. White fur sprouted along Victor’s body as his clothes melted and disappeared. Seconds passed and before he knew it, whiskers twitched and he looked up to Lily’s gigantic form.
The large mouse stood up on his hind legs and looked himself over. Victor ran pink paws over white fur. A bare tail moved behind him and the world around him was that much bigger. Looking back up, he couldn’t keep his eyes from the bottom view of Lily’s ass in her tight leather pants. The mouse’s heart went pitter patter just as Lily began walking, her tail snaking behind her. Victor squeaked and followed. With a small jump, he was on the bare wooden entrance while Lily stepped up. The succubus made her way to the door and opened it. Victor was quick, staying on her heels as she let go of the door. The mouse jumped through the entrance just as the door closed behind them.
Lily put on a pleasant smile as she sauntered over to the counter. The woman with red hair looked up from her big book and smiled at the lilac colored demoness, horns glinting in the few stray rays of sunlight entering the shop.
“How can I help you today,” the woman asked as she stood to her full height.
“I’m just travelling through and thought I might pick up some supplies,” Lily said when she reached the counter.
Victor moved along the bottom counter edge. Furry body skittering along, red eyes looked around to any door that may lead to the basement. Stopping when he reached the edge of the counter, the mouse listened as Lily made small talk with the shopkeeper. Victor hoped she should keep her busy long enough so he could scout out the area. Moving from the counter edge, the white mouse ran along until he reached a bookshelf. Sniffing and looking around, he wasn’t sure where to go next until a thin door opened next to the bookshelf. A woman with long silver hair and a dark blue robe stepped out of the doorway, a silver tray in her hands.