by Grey Arney
Lily had risen and was preoccupied doing something with her hands. Having taken care of his food needs, Arcturus hacked a section of the deer’s antler off and gave it to Lyle, who gratefully accepted and brought it over by the tree to chew on. Then Arcturus sat down by the Ironwood Bark tree, harvesting more of the material and carving away at it with his kukri. It was extremely hard to cut into, making it difficult to work with. But that same property would also be excellent for armor. Turning it around in his hands, he started to imagine how it could be worked. It wouldn’t be very flexible or breathable, but if he created plates out of it, and drilled holes in them, he could sew something together that offered more protection than his clothes.
He almost jumped out of his own skin when he felt two arms snaking around his waist. The damned woman could move quietly!
“What are you doing, my puppy?” whispered Lily.
“I’m trying to figure out how to turn this material into armor.”
“Well, you won’t have it ready for tonight, so we might as well get some rest. Come along now.” She led him back to the area under the tree and beckoned him to sleep next to her. Her body was cold to the touch, but he didn’t mind having it pressed into him once more.
Lily seemed to fall asleep quickly, leaving Arcturus wide-eyed with a vampiress arm resting on his shoulder.
Laying there in the orange glow of the sunset by the crackling campfire gave him some time alone with his thoughts.
Was this vampire his girlfriend?
***
It was almost midnight when the two stirred. The campfire dyed out, leaving only the light of the celestial bodies. Arcturus found that he could see well enough in the dark due to his Nightvision. Lily sat up and put her bag over her shoulder. Arcturus motioned for Lyle to follow, and the three began the trek back to the vampire coven.
As they approached the den, Lily asked for him to stop.
“Since I got away from them, they’re probably expecting me. I will go first and see how many are standing watch.”
The woman melted, darkened, and twisted herself smaller until she had formed the shape of a tiny bat. Then she fluttered up to his face. He instinctively tried to wave her off with his hands, but she managed to land on his shoulder where she nipped his ear before taking off towards the den.
Lily bites you! You lose 1 hit point.
Shaking his head and wondering where his life choices were leading him, Arcturus crouched down at the edge of the forest and waited.
Before long, the bat returned and transformed back into the vampiress.
“There were a number of lesser vampires hiding in the darkness.”
“There were?”
“Yes. There were. They are no longer.” she said. Her eyes burned with a cool fury.
Arcturus didn’t know what to make of that response, but he was glad that this woman was on his side, for now at least.
“Come along, doggy.”
Lily lead Arcturus to the small dungeon window that was sealed with iron bars.
“They will be expecting me. We will enter through here and take them by surprise.”
“I’m sure a bat could fit in there easily, but there’s no way I can.”
“Then you will learn to. The ability is a gift of my vampirism. But as a vampire I can only shapeshift into other vampiric beings. The only one I’ve found so far is the vampire bat. But because I know the ability, I can teach you Shapeshifting magic. However, once you shift back, I expect you will be unable to use the power again for at least one day. Only at higher levels can you freely transform without limitation.”
After agreeing, Lily explained to him a few basics of Shapeshifting. He would first need to find a creature over which he had “total dominion.” He could then absorb the creature’s entire shape with his mana, enabling him to shapeshift into it. He would only be able to learn the shape if his Shapeshifting level met the requirement. At Level 1, that left few options. There were sometimes other requirements to make the shift, for example, a minimum endurance requirement. In addition, only a skilled shapeshifter could shift with their clothes and items. A total beginner would have to start and end the process totally naked.
“I think I have the perfect thing for you, my pup. Come see,” said Lily. She turned over a large stone, and little bugs wriggled in the moist dirt underneath. Choosing a particularly disgusting beetle, she offered it to him.
Arcturus was loathe to touch the thing, but his masculine pride enabled him to do the dirty deed that was needed. Just as she directed him, he put his hands over the creature. Unlike his Earth Magic, which required him to push mana out into nature, the Shapeshifting magic was about pulling mana from the creature towards himself. The beetle collapsed in on itself as he absorbed the shape.
You have learned a new skill: Shapeshifting (Level 1)
Due to your animal bond, you qualify to learn this rare magic. Shapeshifting allows the user to transform into an animal (or sometimes magical creature). The transformation comes at a heavy cost, so this skill must be used carefully.
Do you wish to learn the shape of the Brown Beetle (Level 1)?
At Level 1, you may only remember one shape at a time. Learning a new shape will cause you to forget this one. (Yes/No)
After learning the shape, he gave instructions to Lyle to wait until called or until morning. Lyle turned around and sauntered off to slump down in the shadows nearby. Then Lily instructed him to strip bare, put everything in his bag, and push it all through the dungeon grate. After he did so, she guided him through the process of transformation. As he concentrated on turning into the beetle, he felt a feeling like he was walking downhill. Suddenly, the momentum of the pull from the mana overcame him, and it felt as if he was running down a hill, then down a steep slope, and finally falling. And then he was a tiny beetle.
You have improved Shapeshifting (Level 2)
You can now learn new shapes.
As a beetle, he had 1 hit point and 1 mana. He could see no other information about his stats. All it would take was one clumsy footstep and he would be destroyed forever, or at least for one hundred years or so.
In his new form he was unable to look up at Lily, but he could see her ankles. He heard something that sounded like laughter, no doubt mocking him and his new body. Lily transformed and then disappeared into the iron grate, and the beetle followed, crawling through the hole, and then stepping over the inner edge of the window. His feet were now sticking to the stone wall, and he was upside down, crawling towards the floor of the dungeon.
Even though it was completely disgusting to be a bug, it was thrilling to be able to walk on walls! Each time his foot connected to the stone wall, it stuck there as if held by a powerful suction cup. He crawled down towards the floor, eager to return to his human form.
When he got to the bottom, he willed himself to be a human again. And nothing happened. He tried to pour his mana outwards, and nothing happened. He started to panic. Being stuck as a bug forever was not good.
After some trial and error, he realized that he was trying to “push” back into his original form, but that it was the pushing that held him in this new shape. So instead, he willed himself to relax, and like an airbag unfurling from nowhere, he started to grow into his original body.
He was now naked in a dungeon full of vampires. And their queen was standing over him. He was too weak to stand. He could barely lift a finger. He was surprised to find that when he transformed back into his human form, he took with him only 1 hit point and one 1 mana point. This skill was very dangerous, and left him vulnerable.
“Please, can you help?” said Arcturus, explaining the predicament. Lily fed him Soothing Chokeberries and Purple Toadstools. But his hit points were still quite low, so acting on a whim, he drank the red potion he had been carrying, and sure enough, it restored the rest of his health. Soon he was on his feet putting his clothing back on.
“You will be unable to use this magic again today. The only way out no
w is the front door,” said Lily.
The plan of attack was simple: they would quietly infiltrate the den, destroying the vampires as they went. Speed and silence would help maximize the element of surprise. When they encountered the master vampire, Lily would destroy him.
The building was shaped like a barbell. The front door entered into a long chamber. They were standing in an empty cell to the right of that hallway. On this side of the building were the living quarters, and it was a good chance to purge a few vampires.
On the other side of the building was a large chamber that served as some kind of communal church, where sacrifices were made, and dark magic was practiced. Lily expected the majority of the enemies to be gathered there.
They left the small cell and made their way to the right. As soon as they stepped into the hallway, they heard voices.
“Do you think she’ll come back tonight?” asked one.
“Who knows?” answered another, “But if she does, we’ll be ready.”
Lily smirked and turned the corner, entering the cell where the voices had come from. Before Arcturus could turn around the bend, both of the speakers were gone, leaving nothing but a pile of ash on the ground.
“I heard one more breathing in the next chamber, alone. He’s a low level, perfect target for you. Kill him for me, will you?” she whispered.
Arcturus crouched down, activating his Stealth skill. There was a vampire sitting idly in a chair. An easy kill. Holding both of his steel daggers in hand, Arcturus prepared a brutal double slash across the neck.
Critical strike! You are unseen! You strike the Vampire for 504 points of damage.
The Vampire has died. You earn 950 experience points.
You have leveled up! Level 6. You have new skill points to spend.
The critical hit demolished the vampire before he could react. Hunting vampires was rewarding! Continuing down the hallway, the pair passed several chambers that were empty before reaching the large room on the end. This room looked like it was where dinner was served. There was a dining table in the center. But the scene was absolutely horrifying. There was blood everywhere, and a male human body was on top of the table. His stomach had been cut open, and a vampire stood over him on the other side of the table, using her claw to trace a ruby-red streak in the flesh of his face. Two other vampires held empty cups and were sitting idly like children awaiting Thanksgiving dinner.
When the pair entered the room, Lily quickly shut the door. The vampires reacted with a start. In a flash, Lily was on top of the table, bringing her bare hands down over the one that had been carving dinner. Lily suddenly had monstrously long claws, which rent the vampiress into shreds.
While this happened, Arcturus was left to confront the other two. He blasted one with Burning Touch, and it recoiled away, screaming and on fire.
You cast Burning Touch on the Vampire, dealing 157 damage. The vampire is burning!
The second brought his claws to bear. Arcturus raised his forearm in defense, which saved his life but cost him his arm. In an instant, the entire forearm was shredded to pieces. As he screamed from the pain, he could hear the howl of a wolf outside. It sounded like Lyle. But even if the dog were here, he would not be of much help. The vampire had been about to slash him again when Lily appeared behind him and reduced him to dust.
The Vampire strikes for 67 damage. You are bleeding.
You are mortally wounded. You will die without prompt treatment!
Although the pain levels in Lydia are toned down quite a bit, some injuries can still hurt. One such injury might be having your forearm shredded into loose strips that hang off of the elbow like the threads of a mop. Besides the physical pain, the emotional anguish of seeing oneself mutilated so was unbearable to Arcturus. He lifted his arm, and the threads of his skin dangled from the bone. He was unable to move his hand. His arm was no longer his. He stared at a mass of dying, bleeding tissue in surreal denial. He felt light headed, and slumped to the ground.
Then Lily was on him. First, she cast some sort of healing spell on him. Then she held the loose pieces of his arm together while the magic began to mend him. She opened his mouth and put in some Soothing Chokeberries. She crushed more and spread them all over the wound. She gathered several pieces of his hand and arm that she could find, including an entire finger, and squished it all together so that the magic could do its work.
In seconds, Arcturus felt the warmth and tingling of a hand he had thought was lost forever. He looked down and saw that it was healing. It was red and raw, but he was able to move it and flex the fingers. When he saw all of the blood on his otherwise healthy hand, he vomited.
Still, he couldn’t help but review the notifications. He had earned experience for both of the vampires he had directly engaged in combat, and he had gained another level. He even managed a feeble smile.
The Vampire has died. You earn 950 experience points.
The Vampire has died. You earn 950 experience points.
You have leveled up! Level 7. You have new skill points to spend.
Lily appeared to show little empathy, as though his ordeal was just another day in her life. “Come now, my dear puppy, there are more.”
Arcturus was hoping to avoid getting shredded to pieces again. “How many more are in the other chamber?”
“No more than five,” said Lily, “We can take them head-on.”
“Any other ideas? I’m afraid I’ll get killed.”
“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s try a bit if trickery.”
A few minutes later, the door to the dark church flew open, and Arcturus entered the room, alone, carrying a bright, flaming torch.
Straight ahead was a large altar, adorned with gruesome trophies of every kind. Skulls that had been hollowed out and turned into candles, and intestines that were strung along the wall like Christmas lights. Giant glass windows encircled the whole chamber. A tall vampire with snowy-white hair stood there, holding a heart in his hand and squeezing blood from it. He was dressed in black robes, gilded around the edges with gold embroidery. He remained still as his four worshippers approached Arcturus.
“Back, you filthy demons!” he said. “I’ve come here to send you all to hell. But first I will speak to your queen. She has the right of first passage!”
This artless ruse seemed to distract them. The man at the altar looked exasperated. “We’ve got a real role-player here,” he said.
The vampires crowded around him, sneering. The light from the torch hurt their eyes and lowered their perception a little bit, but the man was clearly no threat to four mature vampires.
One of them stepped forward. “Pathetic. You’re in over your head.” The creatures stepped closer.
“Stop!” commanded Arcturus, pulling out a large bulb of garlic from his pack. He held it up like some sort of talisman.
The vampire who had spoken squinted as he examined what Arcturus held in his hand, and then he laughed. The vampires were all laughing at him. Arcturus didn’t know if vampires really were afraid of garlic, but he just needed to buy some more time for Lily to get into position, and he was improvising at this point.
“It’s not just any garlic,” Arcturus continued. “Here, catch!”
He threw the bulb of garlic at the nearest vampire, who was unable to resist the impulse to catch it. In that moment, the vampire and another next to him burst into flame as Arcturus used Burning Touch in rapid succession. Two done, three to go. It turns out that vampires don’t mind garlic, unless they’re being roasted alongside it.
You cast Burning Touch on the Vampire, dealing 152 damage. The vampire is burning!
You cast Burning Touch on the Vampire, dealing 155 damage. The vampire is burning!
The two vampires were on the floor writhing and screaming, but two more continued to advance. Arcturus’ mana was completely empty, as he had overspent himself during the opening attack. The creatures moved quickly, and would be on him in one or two seconds. During the commot
ion, Lily advanced into the chamber and tore one of the vampires to shreds before moving to approach the master vampire at the altar. The two on the floor succumbed to the flames.
The Vampire has died. You earn 950 experience points.
The Vampire has died. You earn 950 experience points.
That left Arcturus with only one vampire to deal with by himself. His odds would have been good, too, if it weren’t for the unforeseen spell that Lily triggered by stepping into the center of the chamber. A bright, glowing circle appeared in the floor. The master vampire had prepared a magic prison for her, and now she was caught in it—unable to move.
While Arcturus kept the remaining lesser vampire at bay with his torch, a helpless Lily was confronted by the master vampire. Unable to move, she rolled her eyes as he began a long-winded speech.
Arcturus took advantage of this turn of events to make an attempt at dispatching the remaining lesser vampire. It swung its claws at him in a powerful left-hand strike. Arcturus stepped to the left and inside, swinging the torch. The vampire was forced to step back. It feinted left, grazing Arcturus on the cheek, and then slashed up with a powerful right-hand swipe. The claws tore into his abdomen, through his cotton shirt, ripping up from his belly all the way to the rib cage, carving marks perpendicular to his ribs. If he looked down at the white exposed bone, he would probably have fainted. So he didn’t.
The Vampire strikes for 55 damage.
With no indication of bleeding status, it looked like it may be possible to survive this wound. However, he also had no way to address the injury while locked in a battle with the vampire. One more strike would likely end him.
Seeing his opportunity to feed, the vampire took advantage of the moment of weakness and wrapped his arms around Arcturus, pulling him down. The two fangs appeared and sank into his neck. This forced feeding was far less pleasant than the one he had volunteered for earlier. It felt like fire ants were crawling through his blood vessels as the vampire drew blood from his neck. He was almost completely paralyzed.