by A F Kay
“I’m fine with that,” Hamma said.
Ruwen continued. “I know I don’t want to Sub Class as a Marksman or a Shade, no offense Lylan. So that leaves me the Scout Sub Class. Ky told me I should Specialize as a Spy since it provides the most ways to hide my identity. But if I Specialized as a Ranger, it would strengthen my Worker Specialization, which favors exploration.”
Lylan twisted her lip. “Spies and Rangers are interesting. Spies excel in cities and Rangers in the wilderness. Their skills are similar in that they allow you to blend into your environment and even change your body.”
“Shapeshift?” Hamma asked.
Lylan nodded. “If you met a high-level Spy who was impersonating me, I’m pretty sure only Sift would figure it out.” Lylan looked fondly up the hill where Sift stood guard. “Maybe. He can be as dumb as a rock sometimes.”
“What do Rangers do then?” Ruwen asked.
“Animals,” Lylan said with wide eyes. “In the wild, any animal you see might be a Ranger keeping tabs on you.”
“Are you serious?” Ruwen asked.
Lylan nodded. “But I’ve heard it’s excruciating to transform, and neither Specialization likes doing it.”
Ruwen hadn’t known about the shapeshifting. Both versions seemed very useful. The problem was he didn’t know what his future held. Would he be searching for items, fighting battles, or infiltrating the circles of power? All those things would benefit from different choices.
Ruwen’s Watcher’s Ring of Travel grew hot, and two red dots appeared on his map.
“What’s wrong?” Hamma asked.
“Whiskers found something. Give me a second,” Ruwen said.
Ruwen focused on the cat’s portrait, and a moment later he saw what Whiskers had found.
Two Naktos Scouts crept toward the gates of the distant city, barely visible in the cat’s enhanced vision. Bones lay scattered all over the ground, and once again Ruwen wondered about the terrible battles waged here.
“Signal Sift,” Ruwen said while watching the Scouts. “The enemy is already here.”
Chapter 53
Ruwen stayed focused on the distant Scouts as Sift joined the group. Whiskers had a clear view of the damaged walls of the city and the four gates that led through the thick walls. The Scouts were careful and crept toward the city.
A figure walked out from the shadow of the gates. They wore a long cloak with the hood pulled forward, leaving the face in shadow, and they held a scythe that looked eight feet tall. Another red dot appeared on the map, marking the newcomer. But that also meant Whiskers hadn’t detected them before, which worried Ruwen.
The Naktos Scouts immediately split, with one circling behind the cloaked figure while the other continued forward slowly.
The cloaked figure stopped thirty feet from the gates, surrounded by the white bones of the fallen. Ruwen’s Perception had seen enough that information appeared above both Naktos Scouts. The stats from the two Scouts were almost identical but contained more information than normal. Probably a result of his increased Perception. He studied the closest Scout’s values.
Name: Silent Spotter
Deity: Naktos
Class Type: Scout
Level: 16
Health: 309
Mana: 110
Energy: 611
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 252
The Spotter in front of the cloaked figure paused and waited while the other Spotter moved behind the figure. When the cloaked figure stood between the Spotters, the one in front slowly removed a dagger strapped to his calf. Without standing, he flicked the knife at the cloaked figure.
If the figure saw the dagger coming, it didn’t react. The blade struck an invisible shield just in front of the figure’s face. A brief flash of black gave the shield away as the blade fell to the ground. The figure didn’t react at all.
The Spotter who’d thrown the blade didn’t seem concerned. He pulled a vial from a chest pocket and threw it toward the figure, but Ruwen could see the vial would miss high. With a practiced movement, the Spotter pulled a smaller knife from his forearm and threw it as well.
Again Ruwen saw the blade would miss high, and he wondered how the Spotter could be such a terrible aim. A moment later he understood as the small knife struck the vial directly over the figure’s head. Bright yellow mist filled the air and coated the shield surrounding the figure.
Smoke rose as the yellow liquid ate through the shield. Ruwen remembered how the assassin sent to kill him at The Fainting Goat, and later at the clearing with Lylan, had used potions and vials too. It must be something the Naktos Classes had in common.
The figure laughed, and then a male voice spoke. “When next you see your lord, tell him to leave this valley alone. This site is secure, and I will not tolerate your interference.”
The Spotter stood and dropped whatever cloaking magic it had used to mask itself. “By what right do you hold this city? The great Naktos does not need your permission and will take what he pleases. Leave this place at once.”
Ruwen realized the Spotter spoke in Naktos, but it sounded natural to Ruwen. The additional levels of Hey You had made every language as clear as his own.
“And if I stay?” the cloaked figure asked.
“You will die,” the Spotter said simply. “And if you manage to kill me, it will only bring an army.”
“An army you say?” the figure asked.
The smoke had slowed, and Ruwen figured that meant the shield had dissolved. The Spotter behind the cloaked man shifted his stance, and Ruwen thought he’d attack soon.
Ruwen’s Perception finally triggered on the cloaked man, and he realized the Spotters had walked into a trap.
Name: Bone Sculptor
Deity: Izac
Class Type: Mage
Level: 30
Health: 452
Mana: 986
Energy: 429
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 98
The Bone Sculptor never moved his hands, but as the last of the shield disappeared, the bones near the Mage lifted off the ground and surrounded him like plate armor.
The Mage’s armor increased to five hundred seventy-two, the equivalent of scale armor, and his Mana dropped by fifty.
The Mage’s Mana dropped another four hundred, and the ground two hundred feet around the Bone Sculptor moved. Hundreds and hundreds of skeletons pulled themselves together and pushed themselves to their feet. The two Naktos Spotters found themselves instantly surrounded.
Name: Skeletal Fighter (Summoned)
Level: 8
Health: 198
Mana: 0
Energy: 75
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 120
The skeletons varied in levels from eight to ten, but their stats didn’t change that much. Summoned creatures weren’t as powerful as their level implied, but they made up for it in numbers.
“Tell Naktos that my lord, the greatest of those that came before and whose name I am unworthy to utter, has placed me here along with thousands of Mana potions. I will destroy any army that marches against these walls. Heed me when I say this valley is forbidden.”
“You? Alone?” the Spotter sneered. “Your Dark magic will never–”
A bone spear erupted from the ground, passing through the Spotter’s groin and out his shoulder. The Naktos Scout hung there, dead. The Mage slowly turned and looked directly at the hidden Spotter behind him.
“Heed me when I say this valley is forbidden,” the Bone Sculptor said.
The Naktos Spotter nodded, and the skeletons moved aside, making a path for the Scout to pass. The Spotter wasted no time and sprinted down the corridor as if his life depended on it. Which it probably did.
The Bone Sculptor strode back into the shadows and disappeared. Ruwen pulled his attention from the cat’s portrait and focused on his friends.
Sift sat next to Lylan. “What’s going on?”
“I have good news and bad
news,” Ruwen said.
Sift groaned. “You always say that, but it’s always more like okay news and horrible news.”
Ruwen winced.
“I knew it,” Sift said.
“How bad?” Hamma asked. “Are the armies already here?”
Ruwen looked at each of his friends. “There is one significant hurdle. But if we overcome it, I think we’ll be safe here for a while.”
“Define significant,” Lylan said.
Ruwen took a deep breath and then told them the bad news in a rush. “A level thirty Bone Sculptor with an army of skeletons and unlimited Mana holds the city.”
Everyone stared at Ruwen in silence.
After ten seconds, Sift finally spoke. “That was a joke, right?”
“I don’t think he’s joking,” Lylan said.
“You will have to use your Spirit,” Sift said.
Ruwen shook his head. “Bone Sculptors are a Mage Specialty of Izac. I’ve been told multiple times once the gods discover my Harvesting, it triggers the apocalypse.”
“What if you use it from hiding?” Sift asked.
Ruwen shook his head. “What if they see me somehow? Do you want to risk the world for that?”
“Toss my dagger, this looks bad,” Lylan said.
“Now that I think about it, Sift, it’s even worse. You can’t use your Spirit either.”
“What? Why?” Sift asked.
“Because your Falcon Aspect appears when you use Spirit, and that Aspect spent time with the Scarecrow. I think we’re asking for trouble if those Aspects appear in the Material realm. And if they get associated with me, it becomes dangerous for all of us because, you know, the apocalypse.”
“But Lylan and I were seen with the Aspects, too,” Hamma said.
Ruwen pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ugh. I was only thinking about the Aspects. But you’re right. Anyone who saw you two in the Spirit Realm might put it together.”
“But they wouldn’t know for sure,” Lylan said. “There were six others with us, and we’re all spread out now.”
“That’s true,” Ruwen agreed.
“Just in case, let’s cover our faces,” Hamma said.
“That’s a good idea,” Ruwen said. “Mr. Whistler, does that tattoo have a privacy setting?”
Sift looked up as if he could see his name above his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well you can’t go into battle with your name showing. That will lead back to us if Izac has any spies around Deepwell.”
“He’ll already have your names actually,” Lylan said.
They all looked at Lylan.
Lylan narrowed her eyes in thought. “Think about it. You three plus Slib and Juva disappeared for months. During a high-profile excursion. Your names would be everywhere. And probably again right now since Slib and Juva suddenly showed back up.”
Ruwen shook his head. “Uru help me, you’re right. I never thought much about what happened after we left. So basically, Naktos already knew I was the Champion, and now Izac knows the Champion was one of the five missing from Deepwell. By now, he’ll have our descriptions as well. I sure hope Uru warned Slib and Juva how much danger they’re in.”
Hamma bit her lip. “That means we always keep our Profile private, we cover our faces when fighting, and Sift’s tattoo needs to go.”
Sift hugged himself. “No way. Have you seen it? It’s too beautiful.”
Ruwen smiled. “I have an idea. Pull up your shirt.”
Sift narrowed his eyes at Ruwen. Lylan pulled Sift’s shirt up and over his head, muttering at Sift to stop being a baby.
A thick snake with indigo scales wrapped around Sift’s torso. The head appeared on his right shoulder, mouth wide, ivory fangs glistening with venom. Every time Ruwen saw it, he wanted to step away. Blapy had given Sift the tattoo, and it made him appear as one of Uru’s Ascended Fighters, which he’d needed to go on Big D’s camping trip.
“Turn around,” Ruwen said. “This might hurt a little.”
Ruwen took a few deep breaths and then pictured the icon for Scrub, a brush, in his mind. A second later, his hands glowed, and he channeled three Energy per second to the spell.
The tattoo really was a piece of art, and Ruwen felt bad for damaging it. He hoped ruining a small portion would render the tattoo useless without actually having to remove the entire thing. He brought his glowing right hand near Sift’s lower back and eased his hand over the area where two coils overlapped.
“The name’s gone,” Hamma said.
Ruwen could barely see a difference in the tattoo and stopped channeling Scrub.
“See, not all my ideas are bad,” Ruwen said.
Sift rubbed the snake’s head.
“I swear he loves that thing more than me,” Lylan said.
Sift removed the sleeve he’d been wearing around his head since the wolverine had sliced his arm off, and carefully placed it against his shirt. The sleeve melded back to the shirt and Sift smiled as he put his shirt back on. The armor had been a gift from Blapy and specifically made for Cultivators. Everyone sat in a circle again.
“Okay,” Ruwen said. “Our settings are all private, and we each have a Scarf of Freshness that we can wear. That should keep us anonymous. How do we fight the skeletons?”
They sat in silence for half a minute, each lost in their own thoughts. Ruwen had Whiskers circle the city while looking for sentries.
Ruwen cleared his throat. “Let’s share information that might be helpful, then go through the packs for any useful gear, and finally add anything from our inventories. Maybe a plan will emerge from all that.”
Rami? I’m sorry to interrupt you again so soon. But can you look at my recent memories and tell me your thoughts, please.
A few seconds later, Rami replied. That is impressive magic. I’ll see what I can find on Bone Sculptors.
Thank you.
“Izac’s people are stronger in Dark and Chaos magic,” Hamma said. “But weak to Light and Order. My Consecration spell with cause quadruple weapon damage to his constructs and to him. Unfortunately, everyone but Sift will take extra damage from the Mage’s spells. We’re all weak to Dark magic.”
“The skeletons I saw didn’t have any weapons or armor,” Ruwen said. “They all appeared our size, which means they only weigh around twenty-five pounds. We should easily be able to move them around as long as they don’t bunch up.”
“Mud and ice will really slow their movement,” Sift said.
“If you get them bunched up, their ribs will catch on each other, slowing them,” Lylan said.
Rami spoke up. As their name implies, they can reshape bones. So everything mentioned can easily be overcome.
Ruwen’s shoulders dropped. “Rami says that Mage can just reshape the skeletons to overcome any of those limitations.”
They were all quiet again, and Ruwen focused on Whiskers. The cat had found a collapsed section of wall on the far side of the city, and Ruwen could see into the city. The bottom of the spire flared out into a large building. Just like the spire itself, the building didn’t have any windows, but a wide set of steps led up to a dark square opening. Scattered around the base of the spire, Ruwen counted six temple Guardians like those around Uru’s Temple in Deepwell. All of them lay on their side, half-buried in rubble and clearly not functional. But it gave him an idea.
“I might have a plan,” Ruwen said.
Sift groaned, and even the women looked unsure.
Chapter 54
Ruwen waved his hands. “Hear me out. Whiskers found a way into the city, and I can see Guardians on the ground. If we can sneak into the temple and get it running, the Guardians should start working as well. They’ll make quick work of Mr. Bones.”
“Are you sure the Guardians will come back?” Lylan asked.
“No,” Ruwen answered truthfully. “But our job is to get the temple running, not fight an army of skeletons. Hamma, you’ve spent more time than any of us in temples, what do you think
?”
Hamma looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. My gut tells me a functioning temple will power its Guardians. But the problem is, we don’t know what’s broken. We could make it into the temple and realize we need something out here.”
Ruwen looked at his quest from Uru again.
The Search for Truth (Part 2)
Travel to the Grey Canyon and look for that which has been lost.
Reward: 1,500 experience
It wasn’t very descriptive. He thought back to what Uru had said to them in her Divine Realm.
“This is what Uru told us,” Ruwen said and closed his eyes as he recalled the scene. “’If our country, our way of life, and our families, have any hope of surviving the coming war, then my third temple must be restored.’” Ruwen paused. “Then she said this…’My third temple didn’t survive the chaotic times before the Pact. It has taken thousands of years to repair. I need you to bring the temple into service, rebuild the city, and defend our southern border.’”
Ruwen opened his eyes.
“Uru did make it sound like the temple was repaired already,” Hamma said.
Lylan nodded. “She said to bring it into service.”
Sift looked at Ruwen. “It was hard to see from this distance, but it didn’t look like there were any doors or windows.”
Ruwen nodded, understanding Sift’s concern right away. “Whiskers got a closer look. There is one big door, but I couldn’t see any other exits.”
“So if we get in, we might not get out,” Sift said.
“Yes,” Ruwen replied.
Lylan spoke softly. “Shade’s first rule: death loves a lonely exit.”
“What happens if we’re seen?” Hamma asked.
“That depends on where we are,” Ruwen said. “If the temple is too far, we retreat. If we’re in the temple, we hold them off until we get the temple running.”
“Those are terrible options,” Lylan said.