by J. T. Wright
“Brute!” Tersa said excitedly. “And I earned two Skills! Iron Skin and Charge!”
Orion suppressed a groan. Brute was a similar Class to Berserker, though it had severe limitations. It suited Tersa’s personality perfectly, but not her five feet four inches of height or slender frame. Tersa was well-muscled and surprisingly heavy thanks to her Strength and Constitution, but she lacked the mass of a traditional Brute.
Trent tilted his head curiously. “Congratulations, but how does this help?” He was happy for his friend; he knew she wanted a specialization almost as much as she wanted magic, but her new Skills didn’t sound like they could take out Fleshlings.
“I think… I know,” she corrected emphatically, “that if I lead with my shield and activate Iron Skin and Charge, I can push through a bunch of mindless jerks like Fleshlings!”
“You clear a path, and we keep running,” Orion said doubtfully. “It doesn’t solve anything, but it might work to buy us some space.”
Trent didn’t like it. More pursuers didn’t sound like a good thing at all. He also didn’t have a better idea. His hands fell to his hips to caress the axe heads of Sorrow and Strife. It was a habit he had picked up when he was thinking.
This time he was shocked to discover, as he performed the familiar action, that instead of feeling axe heads, his hands found the hilts of daggers. His eyes shot down to his waist. Where his axes once hung, there were now two heavy bladed long daggers in tooled leather sheaths. His hands closed on the hilts, and he drew his soul-bound weapons to inspect them.
Hilts of bone, heavy curving blades, sturdy guards to offer protection for his hands, Sorrow and Strife no longer came close to resembling axes. They must have changed during his last level up. He Appraised to see if anything else had changed.
Heavy Blades: Sorrow and Strife
Paired Rare Items
Soul-bound/will grow with user.
Damage +25
Wielder may channel spells into the blades to increase damage and effect.
The daggers now did as much damage as his sword! He’d be happier about that if Orion hadn’t told him that paired weapons weren’t effective unless they were used together by a warrior with the Dual Wield Skill. He wasn’t eligible for that Skill yet.
Trent Appraised his cowl to see if that had grown as well. It had, but only the armor rating had changed. From 5 to 15, it was a significant boost, but not helpful in this situation. Had anything else about him changed?
As Trent conducted his self-analysis, Tersa hummed happily. She’d shocked Trent into speechlessness. It was the best possible reaction to her news she could ask for.
Orion, on the other hand, was growing impatient. Trent didn’t normally take this long to make decisions. Tersa’s idea wasn’t a good one, but it was the only chance they had.
“Trent, we don’t have a lot of time.” The boy was just standing there, holding his… daggers? When had Trent gotten those? They looked suspiciously like Al’rashian fighting blades; surely, Orion would have noticed Trent owning a pair of those.
Trent ignored Orion’s prodding. He’d discovered something. His equipment wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Heart of the Inferno had grown as well. It provided increased Fire Resistance, increased affinity with the Fire Element, and a further use beyond Purification. Now Trent could activate the Heart and for thirty seconds, at the cost of all his Stamina, his Strength would increase by 10, and he would radiate an Aura of Fire, damaging anyone that came near him.
The active part of the Ability didn’t tempt Trent. He still had a lot of running to do and couldn’t afford to be in a weakened state, but the increased fire resistance, along with the new capabilities of Sorrow and Strife, gave him an idea.
“Tersa,” he said at last, “we go with your plan. Charge and run, no looking back. Orion, you stay close to her. I'll bring up the rear.”
Tersa nodded once, a broad smile spreading across her face. First, a Specialized Class, and now people were taking her advice. Soon, she’d be running things around here, and when she got back to the keep, maybe she’d take over for Lieutenant Ranchell. Or maybe the Lieutenant would take her on as an assistant. Tersa wasn’t quite ready to challenge the cheerfully scary Lieutenant for her position. Not yet.
Orion’s eyes narrowed. Trent didn’t look like he was ready to run. Why was he still holding those knives? Orion opened his mouth, but he was too late to ask Trent what he was really planning. Tersa activated Iron Skin and Charge.
Tersa couldn’t see the runes that summoned the Fleshlings, but when the thin, gruesome figures with their saggy skin and grabbing hands appeared, she knew she touched them. She didn’t pause, couldn’t pause. Her control over Charge wasn’t very precise, and she was now a slave to her momentum. That didn’t bother her though, that was the point. Even she couldn’t stop herself now!
She leaned into her shield and barreled into the first Fleshling. It spun away, revealing a second Fleshling right behind. The second was no more a match for her Charge than the first. Nor the third! How many had been Summoned this time?
She gave the third a smack with her mace as it tottered away from her, then she was passed the Fleshlings. She could hear Orion muttering curses behind her. That meant they all made it! Her plan had worked.
Charge carried Tersa for another twenty feet before she felt the Skill let go of her. Her speed decreased, but she kept her feet moving. Trent had said to run without looking back. That was fine; her friends were right behind her anyway.
Orion was right on her heels, easily keeping pace, but the Al’rashian had been correct in his assumption. The plan Trent was following was not the one Tersa had suggested. Trent still stood where he’d been when Tersa charged.
He held both of his knives, and when Tersa activated her Skill, Trent channeled Spark into his blades. Under the effect of Level 3 Fire Manipulation, the simple Charm was greatly enhanced. Trent felt like he was controlling a bonfire as he pushed the Charm along the edges of Sorrow and Strife.
The blades glowed with an internal white-hot flame. If Trent’s eyes had been visible, anyone observing him would have seen a similar flame in them. He’d been leveling his Swordsman class to strengthen himself, but what he wanted was to level his Advanced Class. The current requirement for that was to reach Level 5 in Small Blades, a hard thing to do when you depended on a longsword as your main weapon. Maybe today…
The last time Trent had fought Fleshlings, he’d been the same height as Tersa. That wasn’t the case anymore. Trent grew physically with each level up. Now, at five feet and eleven inches, he was taller than most of the grotesque Undead that surrounded him. His shoulders were broad, his frame packed with compact muscle; anyone who saw his Status would think that his age of twelve was a mistake.
With Dodge and Dash activated, Trent was ready. His knives flashed and burned as he sliced and struck the Fleshling bodies, cutting and slashing, moving to the next target, and never hitting a single Fleshling more than once. Sorrow and Strife dealt blows that seemed to carry no weight; speed was what Trent strived for.
Trent ducked beneath outstretched arms and batted away grasping fingers. He slashed at biting faces and spun away, and where he struck, Fleshlings caught on fire! Fire was the Fleshlings greatest weakness. They burned for a long time, and they continued to attack as their bodies charred.
Like mobile torches, the burning Undead chased after Trent as he continued to swing his daggers and dodge from this enemy. He didn’t even need to cut every Fleshing. The unthinking monsters bumped into each other as they tried to catch the fast-moving warrior among them. They spread the flames themselves, and soon they were all alight.
Trent didn’t know how long they could last in this state, but he didn’t care. He’d done his job. These Undead were no longer a threat. He ducked between them and never even felt the heat of the flames with his Fire Resistance. He grinned and then choked!
Choking brought back a memory of fighting Howlers, with S
ergeant Cullen watching. He remembered the Sergeant saying that fire consumed the air. Air people needed to breathe. Fire created smoke. Smoke, which was as hazardous to the creator as it was to his enemies. It was bad to be trapped in a ring of fire, very bad.
Trent stopped attacking and started trying to make his way out of danger. His eyes stung from the smoke coming from burning bodies. His mask protected him from the worst of it, but not all of it. He gagged at the smell of burning flesh and promised himself he’d think over his plans more carefully from now on.
Trent was breathless and staggering when he finally broke free from the circle of Undead. He might not have made it, if the flames hadn’t finally done their job, destroying a few of the Fleshlings. As their bodies fell, Trent took advantage of the gap and burst out from the encirclement.
He stumbled and coughed as he tried to put some distance between himself and the burning monsters. He hadn’t received a single wound, and yet this had almost killed him. He bumped into a figure and lashed out with his knives. Had the pursuing Skeletons and Zombies caught up!?
Orion caught Trent’s wrist and took the knife out of the boy’s hand. His expression was not a pleasant one. He wasn’t upset about Trent’s blind attack, he’d expected that; the lad wasn’t in any condition to think clearly. No, he was upset that Trent had placed himself in this situation in the first place.
“That was poorly done!” He watched as Trent pushed back his mask and gulped water from his water skin.
“It worked, though,” Tersa said defensively. She waited until Trent finished drinking and then grabbed the water skin from his hands. They still hadn’t replaced hers, and running and fighting was thirsty work. She offered it to Orion after she had her fill.
Still frowning, Orion took the offered bag. He had to refill it by channeling Mana into the bags runes before he could drink. That caused him to direct his frown in Tersa’s direction. It was bad manners not to refill a water source after you had emptied it.
“It worked, and it was badly done,” Trent agreed with them both. “If I'd told you both what I had in mind, it would have at least been safer.”
“Agreed,” Orion said shortly. He looked at the fallen bodies of the Fleshlings. Trent had just eliminated thirty Undead who were 5 to 6 Levels stronger than he was. Orion had to find the time to teach the boy proper blade techniques and footwork. What would he be capable of with the right polishing?
“We should go,” Trent said nervously. He’d never seen that serious a look on Orion’s face before. It reminded him of training learned under Sergeant Cullen. He wasn’t sure what the look meant, but it implied a painful lesson was on the way.
Orion nodded. He reached out a hand and put it on Trent’s shoulder. “Good job, young one. Do not do it again.”
Trent flinched at the sudden physical contact but grinned at Orion’s words. He was nearly as tall as the older man now, but his smile, bare to the world without his mask, made him look the age his Status said he was. He pulled his cowl back on and set off, Tersa following close behind.
Orion stood and watched them go for a moment. A warmth settled in his chest as he regarded them. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he’d been banished four years ago. A feeling of companionship and family that he rarely experienced even among Clan Embra.
He’d only known these two for a short time, but he was already closer to them than he was his own kin. Well, Trent, at least. Tersa was more like a familiar horse, a poorly trained, family pet. But Trent… he was closer to Trent than he had been to his own younger brother. The younger brother he'd been forced to kill.
The warmth left Orion, and he barked a self-deprecating chuckle. He set off to catch up to the others, an easy task with his long legs and higher Level. He hadn’t managed to keep Albion, his brother, safely on the correct path. He would do better with these two younglings. He must.
Chapter 30
They reached the Safe Zone not much later without any other complications. The bump in the terrain was a narrow cave that led down into the earth. The mouth of the cave had the now-familiar glow, which marked the welcome boundary of a Safe Zone.
As Trent passed through the white translucent field, he received a pleasant surprise.
Discovered Hidden Location: Spirit Field. Safe Zone will last 12 hours.
Class Quest Complete – you have discovered two hidden locations. Reward: 1000 Experience, Ability Far Sight.
New Class Quest: Survive alone in the wild for two weeks. Reward: 1000 Experience. 1 Free Attribute Point. 1 Free Skill Point.
It wasn’t just a Safe Zone. It was a hidden location! Trent much preferred this hidden location to the last. Unlike the prison, this location was going to be a pleasure to explore.
It was a vast underground cavern, but if it wasn’t for the stone roof overhead, you’d never know it. An endless green field spread out in front of him, and from where he was standing, Trent could spot a dozen different types of rare herbs and flowers. The air here was clean and fresh, a nice break from the oppressive humidity outside.
The cavern was filled with light from a source that Trent was unable to spot. He didn’t even realize that the cavern was lit until Tersa mentioned how pretty it all was. He had assumed Dark Vision was the reason he could make out so many details.
Stepping further in, he removed his cowl and bent down to touch the grass and smell a flower. It seemed like a lifetime since he’d seen natural foliage. A glowing blue light floated out of the flower as he bumped it with his nose. Looking around, Trent spotted dozens of brightly glowing dots of all colors, flickering in the air, rushing about from plant to plant. He didn’t recognize them and would have dismissed them as insects until a red one floated near Tersa’s nose, and Orion identified it.
“Elemental Spirits, minor ones. I’ve never seen so many types in one place before. Don’t touch it!” Orion’s caution came too late.
Tersa’s curious finger had reached out and poked the red Spirit hovering near her face. She jerked her finger away from the floating dot with a curse. She blew angrily at the Spirit to drive it away, then stuck her finger in her mouth.
Orion didn’t laugh. His mouth never twitched, but his silver eyes danced. “Fire Spirit, harmless. But they can burn you if you’re not careful.”
The Fire Spirit floated away from Tersa, flashing brightly as it zigzagged through the air. With her finger in her mouth, Tersa angrily watched it go. It approached Trent, and he held out a hand. The Spirit settled on his palm. Whether it was due to his Fire Resistance or his peaceful motion, he wasn’t burned. A fact which caused Tersa’s eyes to narrow dangerously.
“Stupid Elementals, worse than cats. As bad as cats, probably,” she muttered. She had many bad experiences trying to make friends with felines. This was her first encounter with an Elemental Spirit, so maybe she’d have better luck with them than she did cats, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath.
Trent leisurely studied the Fire Spirit. Something stirred in him as the Spirit bounced around on his palm. The Heart of the Inferno and Fire Manipulation were reacting to the tiny Spirit’s presence.
Trent reached out with Fire Manipulation. Not exactly like he would towards his Spark Charm or another fire source. His awareness merely brushed up against it, lightly making contact. There was something there, not a consciousness, not a voice. In some ways, it reminded him of Spark. The Elemental was like a Charm that had a will of its own.
Tersa and Orion left him to it and started to set up camp, but this didn’t take long. They had no fuel for a fire, no cooking utensils, and no food except for dried rations. Setting up camp for the two meant dropping their weapons and sitting down in the soft grass. There was still a threat waiting for them outside, but for the time being, they could relax.
They were both soon asleep, but Trent remained awake communing with the Fire Spirit resting on his right palm. Soon his left hand opened up. The Spirit was telling him something, not in words, just an image, a picture
.
He imagined the picture the Spirit was showing him to be resting on his left palm. He fed Mana into it, and a word, “Ember," tumbled from his lips. The image he held in his mind came to life! A glowing spot of heat now lay in his left hand. At first, Trent didn’t realize what he’d done. His Status soon cleared matters up for him.
You have learned the Charm Ember – Level 1. +1 Intelligence.
A new Spell! Well, a Charm. It was weaker than Spark, not as hot, but it would last longer. The Intelligence boost was welcome, but Trent honestly didn’t know what he could accomplish with this Ember.
The Spirit zipped over and touched the Ember in his hand. It circled excitedly three or four times, and then returned to its perch on his right hand. A new image came from the Spirit; a stronger flame, a combination of Spark and Ember.
Trent controlled his excitement. Would this be his first real Spell? Right now, the trio lacked a ranged magical attack. Orion knew Fireball, but his affinity with Fire was weak, he claimed, and the Spell was a waste of Mana in his hands. There hadn’t been the time to teach it to Trent. Was this Spirit about to do so in Orion’s stead?
It wasn’t easy to combine the images of Spark and Ember. They required very different visualizations, but Trent kept at it. The Spirit patiently communicated the image to him, and when he found the trick of it, he felt a little stupid. He was glad Tersa wasn’t watching, though she wouldn’t have understood what was happening.
He wasn’t supposed to combine the Charms. He was supposed to enhance Ember with Spark. To feed one Spell into the other. It was so simple he was almost disappointed. Whatever the Spirit was teaching him, it wasn’t going result in a powerful, destructive Spell. He was pretty sure the result would still be a Charm.
He pushed his disappointment aside and fed Spark into the Ember still on his palm while muttering the word that came to him.
“Flame.”
He almost fell over as a flame came to life on his hand. Even at Level 4, his Spark was still only 2 inches tall. This flame was almost 2 feet tall and burned hotter than anything he’d ever cast before. It was hotter and would last longer, and it only cost a single MP!