by James Patton
Note: Enduring Breath uses water and converts it into something you can breathe. Do not attempt to use this in other sources of liquid.
Quick Reference: A buff is a beneficial spell or skill that aids the target for a specified duration. Debuffs are the opposite and cause harm to their target. You can see these on the top right side of your peripheral vision.
The buff was unexpected, and she was not sure how it helped her, but at least she knew the liquid was safe to drink. The liquid dripping on her was ignored for several minutes until she realized that all around her the gel was melting.
Gaining the ability to breathe underwater has forced a state change in the A. Proteus surrounding you.
“An amoeba!? What the hell does state change mean?” She looked around bewildered and knew it was much too late to escape. Boh was up to her waist in the liquid. The solidness of the gel gave way, and she fell, but gravity or substance consistency was different inside the organism. Under the surface the liquid flowed and she felt more than saw that she was moving.
Not trusting herself she held her breath for as long as she could, but the current sucked her through the tunnels that this thing filled. Only now realizing she had been cutting into an amoeba amalgamation of some sort.
State change! She nearly slapped herself for being an idiot. It was changing from solid to liquid as she cut parts of it away, and it had been aware of her the entire time.
Her body was heaving as it struggled for air, and she gave in and inhaled the liquid surround her. The buff in the corner showed an infinity sign letting her know that while she breathed whatever this was, she was safe.
The main problem is that this current was moving her at such a fast rate through the complex cave system it inhabited that she no longer had any idea which way was up or down. Hell, she had little time to think at all until she saw herself hurtling towards another epidermis of the creature. This one looked a lot different. It had the appearance of a rock wall. She pulled herself into a ball hoping to keep her limbs intact on her collision course.
The thick gel slowed her down tremendously, and she passed through relatively painlessly. She was breathing real air again, and she could see the buff now had a five-minute timer on it.
And then the most crucial realization hit her. She was once more under the cloudy sky and falling rapidly.
Boh
Chapter 15
Damn Birds
Cassowary. They are why I hate birds. A Cassowary kicked me when a zookeeper lost control of it. I spent the next several days in the hospital. I hope that bird tastes great slow roasted.
-from Boh, Audio Roll 2012
Flailing uselessly, she looked down to see that she had been shot out over the sea and adjusted her body so that she entered feet first. Spearing into the waves she felt herself slide in deep, but her Enduring Breath was still active—at least for the next several minutes.
Propelling herself back towards the surface, she kicked hard trying to avoid the rip currents working to pull her out towards the sea. Once she crested, she swam parallel to the shore instead of fighting the current until she felt its pull lessen. Reaching the stony beach, she laid down and rested. It did not matter how uncomfortable it was because she did not have much energy left in her.
Event Bonus: Escaping the Crypt
- Cognitive +1, Cognitive is now 4.
- Affinity with Water +1%, Water Affinity is now 76%.
- Affinity with Air +1%, Air Affinity is now 81%.
Bedraggled, pissed, miserable were just a few of the emotions rolling through her tortured body. It was past time to care if others saw her as she pulled her soaked underwear out of crevices they did not belong. She did not remember losing her boots and saw that her knife and gun were gone too.
She shot up to her feet, checking her pocket and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the remnants still in her pocket. The rocks underfoot stabbed at her bare feet and she walked gingerly over to the grass when she heard a sound she dreaded.
“ARRGHHH!” She screamed a deep and menacing growl at the incoming osprey. Rocks were her only weapon, so she grabbed one and tossed it with all the strength she could muster. The osprey was in a full dive, coming right at her when the rock struck it in the head. It fell to the ground and laid still.
Its friend veered off and fled.
“Coward!” She shouted at its retreating back, and then inspected her kill.
Osprey (Deceased)
- Age: Adolescent
- Aggression: Medium
- Health: Low
[]Attacks:
- Dive – Swoops down at extreme speeds.
- Rake – Uses its talons while Diving to shred their target.
- Rend – Tears at its target with its sharpened beak.
[]Historian:
- Diurnal.
- Predator - If it identifies weak prey it will stalk it.
Damn, she thought. This thing is only an adolescent?
She did not disillusion herself with her abilities. Her throw was weak, and she knew it. The bird’s momentum killed it and must have snapped its neck when it hit the rock. Still… it felt awesome killing one of these damn things, now if only she could kill every last one of those nasty creatures.
Laying in the grass, she was sure she had napped for hours because when she woke her clothes were dry. She picked herself up and saw crabs devouring the osprey. She wished them luck because its meat was probably poison.
She found a path through the tombstones. One that was relatively free of debris and then hesitated.
Would they think she was dead? Or would they have an ambush set up for her? A lot of questions went through her head, but in the end, she decided it did not matter. She had no friends, no weapons, and no clue how long she had fought that amoeba.
The Mayor’s house was busy. The trees screened her presence, but from up the hill, she could see down into the courtyard below. There were a lot of people with weapons drawn, but she could not make them all of them out. She moved closer using the manor to disguise her approach and was surprised to hear Gatz’s voice among those present. He was the first to take notice of her standing there.
“What the hell happened to ya? No offense but ya look like someone whipped ya in a wet sack.”
“Pretty much exactly what happened. Did you realize there is a massive, and I mean massive, amoeba under us? It chewed me up and spit me out into the ocean.”
Everyone had stopped talking and were all staring at her. The dwarven mayor was there, and the little girl near him, but hiding.
“Uhm, Mayor I completed my trials, I’m getting the hell off your damn island. Good luck with whatever the fuck this is.” She turned on her heel started to walk away.
“Ya might want to stay for a sec, Boh. This is about ya, and ya might recognize Hurk over there sulking.”
“Yea, I see him. I kicked his face in for being an asshole. And Hurk, you can keep that cheap brooch, this is my Remnant, you damned idiot.”
She pulled out the dragon’s eye and showed it to everyone. Gatz started laughing, and nearby she spotted Red chuckling along with him.
“I thought you were leaving Red.”
“Long story, the little girl there is an evil piece of work. After what you did for me, I felt it only right to stay and watch after you.”
“That's no girl. That be a pixie, and her name is Maisa,” Gatz filled her in.
“That little girl is Maisa? The one that sent Hurk and Levi to kill me? Hey, where is Levi anyway?”
“Died,” Hurk said but refused to look at her.
“Pay attention, Boh. Maisa is not a little girl, that is a pixie, and they thrive on mischief, it boosts their magic. I am not even sure how she got to this island, but be sure to mention it to Midnight. Understood?”
“Got it, and Maisa the pixie did what exactly? Wait, are the dwarf and her having sex? That is screwed up.”
“I did offer ta share me bed with ye, but ye went and turned me
down. Pixies and dwarves get along because we both use a wee bit of chaos magic.”
She struggled to breathe as she fought the dwarf’s charm.
“Enough!” Gatz said, and she felt the warm stirring inside her grind to a halt. She stared at the dwarf imagining herself punching him in his bulbous nose. Whatever Gatz did was enough to break the dwarf’s hold on her, and she felt herself squeezing her legs together tightly to get ahold of herself. “Boh. Maisa is stealing Remnants, but she is not explaining why. Don’t ya worry about that; my report will cover that after I finish interrogating that witch. The Remnants do her little good, except maybe to create mischief. Now go. Red will escort you in case any more trouble comes your way.”
Not wanting to stick around she turned and walked out of the mayor’s compound. Red was not far behind. He took the lead and walked her back towards the graveyard. Neither of them said anything for the whole walk, and even he looked up into the trees cautiously.
“Take both of your Remnants out and hold on to them. Like so.” Red said and squeezed his remnants. A flash of light shone from both his hands as energy flowed all around him. After several seconds it faded away, and he was looking towards the graveyard, seeing something she could not. “Once that is done the way out will become clear. Your turn.”
Pulling her Remnants free, she did as Red did and felt energy surging through her. Her eyes burned as most of the power seemed to focus there, and she stumbled around until she felt strong hands holding her steady.
“I— I can’t see.” She told him, wondering if that was normal. Pressing her fingers into her eyes, she rubbed, but nothing happened.
“Give it a moment; power is still pouring off of you. Whatever you picked must have resonated strongly with you.” Red’s voice reassured her.
Congratulations! You have gained your Primary Passive ability Piercing the Veil.
Piercing the Veil - This grants you the ability to see Elemental Magic. Including early stages of spellcasting.
Bonuses Acquired:
- Elemental Shielding is now 3% more Efficient.
- You gain +1 to Agility, it is now 6.
- You gain +2 to Magic, it is now 8.
- You gain +1 to Luck, it is now [Still Assessing].
Piercing the Veil cannot be removed because it is a Primary ability.
Congratulations! You have gained the title Seer.
Quest Updated: The Champion Trials
- Objective 2: [Complete] Enter the Osprey Harbor’s Crypt, where danger lurks in the shadows, and every tunnel a trap. Getting your remnant is easy, but good luck getting out.
- Objective 3: [New] You have completed the first two Trials. The last Remnant is in the library, touch the gravestone and it will take you there. Choose well.
After the series of messages, she started to see specs of light in her vision. By the time it cleared, her eyesight had never been sharper. The world around her took on a crisper look, and details availed themselves to her.
In the graveyard, she saw a shimmering, like that of the pillar from the first trial. She knew it was a portal beacon of some kind, and it was her way off the island.
“Woah, you became a Seer, didn’t you? I’m told that is pretty rare for a Champion.” Red said as her eyes shifted to him.
“Yea and I can see magic supposedly. But what does ‘3% more efficient’ mean?”
“Yea, that's what Seers do. And the short answer for Efficiency is that it reduces the Feedback you gain by 3%. That is a very nice perk if you are going to be a mage.” Red’s excitement was contagious, and she could not help but remember the broken guy in the alley. She liked this upbeat version of the man.
“My skill is Shadow Leap, watch this.” Red moved over towards the shadowed part of a mausoleum and then he was suddenly thirty feet away in the shadow of another mausoleum. She was able to follow him because his magic left a distinct trail through the air. “Damn, you knew right where I was, your Seer ability is awesome. Still, I love my ability, and its considered a passive, so it's just a part of who I am now.”
“Red. I would love to continue this conversation, but there are a lot of people here that would like to see me dead. Might be best if I move on and quickly.”
Red started laughing. “You are not kidding, but you made more friends than enemies, at least I think you did. Ok, just touch the gravestone that lit up for you and off you go to… Dragon Spire Library for you.”
“What about you? What race are you anyway?”
“An Ashen Ghoul. I’m considered a fledgling, so I still look more human than ghoul. I won’t be joining you in the Dragon Spire I’m afraid, mostly because I do not like flying. My Drache is a Drake, which remains on the ground.”
“Red, thank you for sticking around. I have no idea where I’ll end up, but don’t be a stranger if you see me around.”
“I should be the one thanking you. I will repay my debt to you, count on it.” Red told her. He touched his tombstone and disappeared. She followed his lead and felt the warm tombstone underhand and felt the disorienting movement as she was whisked far away from the island.
You have found the first two Remnants of your lost ability.
The last test awaits.
Boh
Chapter 16
Dragon Spire
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) made me a victim. It invaded my dreams again. My body was burning, the nerves feeling like molten lava. A rational part of me knows my flesh husk is fixed, but I am not going to logout and check. Not even the nanites could fix the damage to my psyche.
-from Boh’s Journal, March 3rd, N138
The hard stone beneath her body startled her. She opened her eyes and gasped as her dangling arm hung over the edge of a smooth stone platform. Far below were jagged mountains rising out of the sea. Even from this high up she could smell the salty air and feel the cold moisture on the breeze. Wave after wave crashed into the stone below, and she rotated her head to look at the underside of the platform. There she spotted a massive stone tower rising out of the sea.
Looking at her surroundings she found herself on the edge of an extensive round platform, or maybe it was a balcony. About a fifty yards away was the tower itself. At a guess, she thought that the tower’s diameter was close to a half mile. Outwardly she saw no doorways or any other entry points for that matter, but she moved towards it regardless.
The stone underfoot was warm against her feet, and she approached the tower. The sun felt amazing, and she felt like she could relax here in this warmth and never leave. That is if she did not have an even greater desire that pulled her away. As she stood there for a few moments, a shadow passed overhead, blocking out the light.
Startled, she glanced upward and saw a serpentine tail disappearing into the tower above her. All the dimpled parts of the tower she assumed were aesthetic, were recessed entryways.
Fire shot out of an entryway much higher up the tower, followed by a deep roar. She looked as high as she could, but clouds appeared to be drawn to the tower itself deliberately obscuring the top.
Observing the tower with awe, she never even noticed the stones parting. A door revealed itself, and she only looked down when she felt a warm draft against her face. The interior was dark compared to the sunlit platform, but she walked through it into the darkness.
The menace in the darkness put her hair on end. She tried to move through it only to find it resisted, like trying to walk through that amoeba again. Each step was a struggle, and she had no idea where she was going. The only thing she did know was the room felt enormous and open, but she could not say why she knew that.
“An elf girl?” A seductive feminine voice asked. It was both soft and playful, but it held an edge that could make even the most stalwart of people uneasy.
“Who are you?” Subconsciously she pulled on the tip of her ear and wondered if this was still part of the testing. Dark purple energy started to spark through the blackness, like lightning across a moonless night sky. At least it f
orked and crackled like lightning, and she shied away from it.
Laughter came from all around her and the dark energy dissipated, but the room remained dark. She did not know she had been holding her breath until she released it in a panic.
“Fleshling interesting.” A high pitched voice like that of a goblin or a cheesy B-Movie witch spoke up. In her mind, she started calling this voice Gobber.
“Yes, but she can see my magic.” The Seducer replied. “A deal perhaps.”
“Fleshling no get better offer.” Gobber agreed.
“Agreed, a deal is ideal.” Another voice spoke, this one was new. The voice was melodious, but she hoped the rhyming was accidental. So she called that voice Birdy.
“Or I take it from her corpssse. Dealsss are for the weak.” Hisser threatened, and this voice was the most threatening of the bunch.
The words ran together as if from a single source, but the voices sounded distinctly different. It was like it was having a conversation with itself. In her mind, she saw an awkward child ventriloquist at a talent show and laughed.
“Is this still part of the trial?” She asked the wild creature, losing some of her fear to agitation.
“Silence her, or violence her?” Birdy questioned.
“No! We need her.” Seducer broke in.
“Fleshling tasty, if no deal, I eat her.”
“A deal we offer-”
“And a deal will be ssstruck-”
“Will you listen?”
“I will listen if you make it quick, I have things to do.” Her irreverence was one of her flaws, and she knew it. It was not that she did not have respect, but she only gave it to those that deserved it. Something told her this crazy being demanded respect and offered little in return.
Hisser hissed at her comment, and all the voices remained silent for a while. The problem with absolute darkness was that seconds seemed like minutes, and Boh refused to break the silence.