The Adept Archives: Volumes 1-3

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  Von Dragonbane roared in pain but the Sky Wolves didn’t relent. Remley leapt back into the fray, driving his flaming blade into the top of the man’s head as Varyon delivered a kick to the back of his knee for good measure.

  The berserker adept quickly crumbled under the weight of the assault, slamming into the floor as blood began to pool from the fresh wounds on his head. In seconds, an air of victory began to wash over the group as the wolves circled their fallen opponent, moving in like a pack ready to finish their kill... that is, except for Varyon.

  “Fall back!” The temporal adept shouted, all too familiar with how the berserker adept acquired his name. Unfortunately, it was a split second too late.

  With a roar, Louis Von Dragonbane sprung to his feet, swinging his mace wildly as spirit energy erupted from his form. His eyes began to glow red and his armor tightened as the muscles beneath expanded. And his face, once stricken with pain, now reflected a look far more sinister. The real fight had begun...

  //////////

  Berserker skill: Undying Rage

  //////////

  When Dragonbane struck again, his attack came twice as fast and twice as furious as it had before. Varyon desperately tried to slow the strike with a pulse of temporal energy, but the berserker’s void energy cut straight through, slamming into Kai’s bicep and shattering the bones in his arm.

  The beast adept’s divine weapon fell to the floor as he reached for his arm, unleashing a lion’s roar in response to the vicious blow. Leila immediately responded by stepping in with a strike of her own, delivering a blow strong enough to cripple any lesser foe.

  //////////

  Darkbeast skill: Darkspear

  //////////

  Unfortunately, Louis Von Dragonbane was no simple foe. Dark energy encapsulated the wind adept’s spear as it pierced the berserker’s chest plate, causing blood to flow over his crimson armor. Dragonbane merely let out a growl in response, sliding forward onto the spear until he was close enough to grab Leila around the throat.

  And then he began to squeeze.

  “You bitch... your the little ringleader of this group, aren’t you?” Dragonbane spat, spewing blood and spittle across her cheek. “Well, how about I make them watch you die first!”

  Tears began to build in the corner of Leila’s eyes as the berserker adept squeezed on her windpipe. Even with a spear in his chest, he’d be nigh unstoppable with his undying rage technique active. No, the only thing that would be stopping him now was near-catastrophic damage.... and that was just something Leila couldn’t muster.

  With sadistic joy reflecting in his gleaming red eyes, Dragonbane released his grip on Leila’s neck and flung her by her hair into the side of her airship. Her body made a sickening thud as it smacked into the hull’s runic wood, then made a similar sound as she fell to the cold floor in a heap.

  “I’m gonna smear your blood all over this place!” Dragonbane howled as he began charging in her direction, mace hefted onto his shoulder. From the carnage on display in the building’s previous floors, it was clear the berserker enjoyed toying with his prey… and clearly, Leila would be no exception.

  The sky wolves leapt in Dragonbane’s path as he made his way towards their leader, swinging their blades, launching techniques, and even latching onto his limbs as he made his way towards the wind adept. However, only one of them truly knew what carnage awaited if the berserker reached his target… and that was Varyon.

  The temporal adept felt like time had slowed, like he was watching things through a lens of his own temporal aura. Quinn crumbled beneath Dragonbane’s mighty boot. Remley was slapped aside like a rag doll. Even Kai, who already suffered so much damage, tried to take his beast form before being pummeled back into the unforgiving floor. Then Varyon’s gaze shifted to Leila, who had rolled beneath her airship that sat suspended by a series of chains and ropes. What could he do? How could he spare her from such relentless power? He didn’t know... but he had to try.

  Desperate, the temporal adept leapt in Dragonbane’s path. He steeled himself, channeling all of his spirit aura, all of his divine aura into a single clenched fist and launched it at Dragonbane’s chin...

  He barely managed to stagger him.

  “Fool,” Dragonbane growled before delivering a vicious mace strike to Varyon’s abdomen, forcing the man to fold over in pain for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. With a trail of bodies behind him, the berserker had finally cleared a path to the wind adept. Now all he had to do was deliver on that threat and spread her insides across the landing dock...

  Very suddenly, that plan changed.

  The berserker’s eyes went wide as he locked his gaze back on Leila. She was still positioned beneath her ship, her face twisted in pain… but in her hand, she wielded a small, intricate sphere... the control sphere to the Blazing Fang.

  “Burn,” Leila uttered as she activated the sphere, bringing the ship’s engines to life. Less than a breath later the massive exhaust ports on the ship’s rear began to breathe fire. Blue light poured from the large metal cylinders, enveloping the berserker in smoke and flames hotter than the worldstar itself.

  Several seconds passed before Leila finally cut the engine. She watched with trepidation as the smoke began to clear, unsure if she’d done little more than prolong her doom. After all, she hadn’t heard a scream nor a roar of defiance, only silence as Dragonbane had been consumed by her ships flame. Perhaps he was just waiting or the smoke to clear, biding his time before he ripped her limbs off with his bare hands. Or perhaps...

  Once again tears began to swell in Leila’s eyes as the smokescreen faded and her view of the landing bay returned. It wasn’t because of the berserker... no, his rage had reached its limit along with his body, melted to his very core until only armor and bone remained.

  No, what caught her eye was the sight beyond her fallen adversary. Rising to their feet were her companions, her men, her Sky Wolves. Quinn, Remley, Kai, Varyon... each of them wore fresh scars of battle, scars earned trying to stop the berserker from reaching her. And though they were beaten down, she could still see that glimmer in their eyes, the flame that burned brighter than any spirit fire on Eon. They would never back down, no matter how grave the threat.

  They truly were the greatest guild in the realm.

  “Well, now that we got that out of the way perhaps it’s time we go find Kimoura and Royboy,” Remley suggested, grinning through the pain.

  Leila chuckled, feeling more alive than she had since before the city’s fall. “Let’s do it,” she replied, manipulating her control sphere and opening the ship’s side entry.

  After a moment of gathering themselves and absorbing Dragonbane’s truly massive cloud of soul essence, the crew made their way into the Blazing Fang’s hull. However, they were soon met with another revelation.

  “Old man?” Remley muttered, stunned by the sight before him. Sitting quietly in a meditative stance at the hull’s rear was Yoshiro, eyes closed and spirit aura fully masked. “We’re you-“

  “I’ve been waiting for you for far too long,” the old adept interjected, grimacing as he took stock of the group.

  “Waiting?!” Leila roared back. “Waiting? You could’ve damn well been helping us! We almost died a moment ago!”

  “And yet, here you are.,” he replied. “Now hurry on. I told you I didn’t want to come to this city and look what happened. Now it’s time that we’re going.”

  Leila shook her head as she made her way to the captain’s chair. Perhaps he was right, but she’d never admit to that outright. Instead, she’d turn her gaze to the open skies...

  It was time to reunite the Sky Wolves. It was time to head to the pinnacle.

  ****

  Wrath watched with mild interest as blazing lines of spirit energy tore through the air above. His superior, Lord Blackstar had gained an upper hand in the battle against the rogue celestial, but it would likely be some time before that bothersome creature was finally defeated.r />
  Perhaps if he gave his lord a hand then they could extinguish its soul far more quickly. And yet, something else was pulling at him... a nagging feeling like something had managed to escape his grasp.

  On a whim, Wrath turned his head only to see a light fading in the distance. In the daylight it was hard to recognize but Wrath was sure of it... amidst the mayhem, someone had fled the far end of the city in an airship. But wasn’t Dragonbane clearing that sector? Could someone have overpowered him?

  With a grimace, Wrath rose to his feet and peered out as far as his singular eye would let him. Something about that fleeing airship was calling to him... a strange feeling, like something slipping through his grasp. Had they lived? Varyon and the others? His crew had spent days searching for their bodies, eager to claim the divine power that flowed through his flesh. And yet, they’d found nothing.

  “Is this your doing?” Wrath asked, turning his gaze to the heavens as if he were speaking to one of the gods themselves. Perhaps it was. Or perhaps the man who’d once stolen his lord’s favor was once again the catalyst of his issues.

  No, he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He would not allow Varyon to slink away into the shadow, not with what he’d taken from the guild, from him!

  Blackstar would have to handle things in his absence for the time being... for Wrath had business to take care of. He would tail his prey once more and if Varyon Risen was on that ship… then by the gods, he was going to absorb his soul!

  Chapter 16

  The Soul Gazer at Yuna Lake

  The Western reaches, the realm of Eon

  The western winds blew through Roy Skyworth’s disheveled ebony locks, bringing a grin to his scruffy face. Several days had passed since he and the others had run for their lives in valemorrow swamp, and several more days of travel lied ahead of them... Still, Roy could feel his confidence growing with each leg of the journey.

  Under the light of the worldstar, he and the others had made excellent time, often utilizing his cryofox as a swift and powerful mount. He’d even managed to strengthen his spirit aura, using it to fight off the constant stream of beasts and bandits that got in their way. In fact, he was quite certain that a bit more soul essence would push him over the edge to rank four, a feat that would nearly put him on par with Leila and at a level beyond his mentor, Remley (or at least, he hoped)!

  With that said, the trials of starlight were quite different. As night fell, the group sought shelter in whatever way they could, often hiding in trees or taking shelter in shallow caves as the darkbeasts laid claim to the darkness. Some nights were more difficult than others... especially those spent without sleep as they fled for their lives. However, as their ability to mask their spirits strengthened, so did their ability to survive in the veil.

  Eventually, the group of adepts made their way westward, distancing themselves from the horrors of the valemorrow and the devastation of Shadowreach city. They navigated the Blackwood forest and passed through the Nassir plains, eventually arriving at a small fishing town on the edge of a large, crystal-blue lake.

  “Do you smell that?” Kimoura said as the four of them drew near, perking up as the scent of fresh-baked bread reached her nose.

  “I sure as Hell do,” Roy grumbled, gripping his stomach as it let out a fierce growl. On the road, the adepts had been forced to eat whatever they could make do with. Some days that meant dining on beast meat from a nearby capture, while other days it meant getting by on whatever scraps or berries they could muster. Still, neither compared to the delectable nature of a finely crafted, home-cooked meal.

  “Do you think they’ll… well, do you think they’ll welcome us?” Kimoura asked, turning to Zyr. Even though the chimera adept remained mostly hidden in his oversized cloak, he was still a fearsome sight to take in, especially if the locals proved to be less than hospitable.

  “If they don’t, we could always slay them and take their provisions for ourselves like the warlords of old!” Jakki interjected. “We could be legendary... legendary warlords even!”

  “Or we could treat them civilly and perhaps they will return that behavior in kind,” Kimoura replied as she ruffled the Felyne’s fur.

  Zyr scoffed at the notion. “When that one was created his violent tendencies were bred into his very nature. You won’t be able to sway him otherwise.”

  Kimoura shot the chimera adept a quick glare, then averted her gaze back to Jakki. Using care, she reached beneath the creature’s chin and scratched until he began to purr. “We’ll see.”

  With little in the way of options and trapped in a perpetual state of hunger, the group began their trek towards the village. Roy wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of the remote little fishing town, but he figured their worst-case scenario would involve using Zyr’s intimidating looks to leverage a bit of food out of the locals. It almost made him chuckle, actually. In his past life, he would’ve scoffed at such manipulation. But given their situation and the dog eat dog nature of Eon, he was beginning to realize that he had to do what was necessary to survive.

  As they drew closer, Roy quickly realized just how simple this little village was. No walls or intricate runes were guarding them against darkbeast attacks, no guards, or lookout posts that he could see. Instead, what lied before him was merely a grouping of small, wooden houses and buildings. Beyond those sat a larger structure built of from thicker, sturdier pieces of wood and beyond that was a simple dock positioned on the edge of the lake. Hell, the place looked almost... peaceful.

  “The aura signatures resonating in this village are almost unnoticeable,” Zyr said from beneath his cowl. “We could likely march right in and take what we need right out of their clutches.”

  “No,” Roy said, his natural sense of justice swelling to the forefront. “We speak with them first. We only take if it becomes a matter of life and death... besides if things go south, we still have the cat to eat.”

  Jakki’s eyes went wide, though his expression softened as he heard Kimoura begin to giggle. “He’s joking, right?” The felyne asked. “Someone please tell me he’s joking.”

  “I’d sure hope so,” a soft voice said, startling Roy so much that he involuntarily let his spirit flare. Mere seconds ago, they stood alone on the outskirts of the village, but not anymore. Standing in their presence was a petite young woman with hair the color of sunlight and azure eyes that carried an almost supernatural allure. She wore a simple dress the accentuated her delicate features and stood barefoot in the spiky grass. Roy couldn’t sense a single shred of spiritual power resonating in her, yet the woman seemed to carry a sense of calm with her along with a disarming smile that was enough to turn even a darkbeast away.

  //////////

  Name- Avery Auseneca

  Unranked

  //////////

  “Welcome to Yuna Lake,” the young woman said, shooting a wink in Roy’s direction as he dismissed his spirit scan from his vision.

  “Th-thanks,” the void adept replied, unsure of how to even respond. It was as if the woman had simply appeared out of nowhere, unconcerned about their presence in the slightest.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kimoura interjected, stepping forward and giving the woman a deep bow. “We’ve been traveling for days and would humbly request any provisions you may be able to offer, perhaps in exchange for-“

  “You’re hungry?” the woman asked, interrupting the light adept’s formal request.

  “Well... yes,” Kimoura replied, unable to hide the low grumble in her stomach.

  “Then come and eat,” the woman said, lacing her fingers in Kimoura’s before guiding her into the village.

  Roy shrugged then began to follow the pair of women, Jakki and his cryofox in tow. However, Zyr stood his ground, a perplexed look strewn across his chimeric face.

  “Wait a second,” Zyr growled, forcing the others to pause and turn. “A group of adepts walk into your village undeterred and you merely welcome them in? You have no defenses? You�
��re not afraid of us... of me?”

  Avery turned, releasing Kimoura’s hand before walking up to Zyr and placing her fingertips on his twisted body. “Why would I be afraid when I have nothing to fear.”

  Zyr grimaced. “My appearance doesn’t frighten you?”

  Avery merely giggled before turning back towards the village. “I see with my soul, not with my eyes old one. Now come and I’ll see that you're fed.”

  Roy went wide-eyed as he watched the bizarre exchange. Then he shifted his gaze to Zyr who wore an equally perplexed look.

  “What the Hell just happened?” The void adept asked.

  Zyr shrugged. “I’m not certain.”

  “Should we go?”

  Zyr shrugged again.

  Then, amidst their confusion and uncertainty, they entered the lakeside village.

  ****

  After spending just a short time at Yuna Lake, Roy realized that they were in anything but danger. The people of the village were what Roy deemed a rather wholesome folk, living off the land and enjoying lives free of Eon’s constant strife. None of the villagers possessed any sort of spiritual power, which kept them relatively safe from the veil (though they did have a small underground shelter... just in case).

  What Roy found strange about the place though was the village’s unsung leader, the beautiful woman known only as Avery. She didn’t possess the qualities one would normally associate with tribal leadership... she wasn’t fierce, nor was she callous or domineering. Instead, the woman appeared gentle and calm, appealing to her fellow villagers’ requests and offering gentle guidance to those that spoke with her.

  Eventually, Roy and the others found themselves in the confines of her humble little home, a structure built of wood and earth and decorated with colorful garments. As promised, the woman served them Eon’s equivalent of bread, though it was softer and a bit sweeter than its earthen counterpart. Afterward, Avery built a small fire in her hearth, tossing in a handful of blood-red petals and filling the room with a scent similar to lavender.