Seventh Talon_Dragonrider's Fury

by James Patton

  Congratulations! You have gained the Magic sub-attribute Mental Fortitude. A sub-attribute can never be higher than half of the parent attribute.

  Mental Fortitude reduces Feedback gained on spells. Each spell has a reduced Feedback of 0.5% per point in Mental Fortitude.

  You are now a Recruit, the lowest rank of the Soldier class. At this rank you get to choose one of three skills:

  Extra Ammo [Passive]

  - Effect: All your weapons can carry 10% extra ammo rounded up. As an example, if your clip holds ten rounds, it can now hold eleven.

  Accuracy [Passive]

  - Effect: All your attacks gain a 5% bonus to range and accuracy. This ability aids your perception, which will enable you to predict where your target is going more accurately. This applies to magical and physical attacks.

  Strider [Passive]

  - Effect: You move 3% faster.

  - Effect Limitation: Does not affect mounted speeds

  Choices in this world always made her think because every decision came down to how she wanted to specialize. Attributes seemed to be gained based on the outcome. Only one of her options made sense, because she was becoming a mage. Accuracy was the only skill that affected magic.

  She reviewed her choices again to be sure, and Strider could be useful for her method of combat. Ruling it out, she locked in her first choice because her speed was already really high and she would gain more benefit at this point from Accuracy.

  Congratulations! You have learned and assigned Accuracy as a Secondary Passive.

  “Nice choice,” Geo told her. “I should have mentioned this before since you are a Champion and unaware. As your superior officer, I can see your Military advancement choices. We are not allowed to tell you what choices to make, but we can advise and put you on a different advancement track if you decide you do not like it.”

  “Alright. You can see all my skills?”

  “No. Just the ones related to Military. As an example, I am only aware that you are a Dragonrider because it is known. So that goes into your Military file. No one will ever know if you are genuinely a Dragonrider because the only way we’d know is if you revealed your bonding mark.”

  “Is that all bonded creatures?” She asked curiously.

  “Yes. We know you are bonded with Taro because you and he have admitted as much. So that is in your file too. You could lie, and we would not know. Bonds are very sacred, which is why doofus there is not well liked.” Geo said indicating Malinite who growled softly. “Oh. I lose the ability to see your file if you end your allegiance with Haase.”

  Interesting. She imagined that came with some strict penalties. Or did it?

  “What if I end my allegiance, what happens to my Soldier class?”

  “You become a mercenary. Same rankings, same skills if you want to keep them. And no one can order you to do anything, but they can offer you missions on a contract basis. You are free to accept it or decline it, but that has a whole reputation system that I do not have time to explain.”

  “Do all classes have a forked or evolved progression tree?”

  “No, most are straightforward. Dragonrider, for example, does not branch, but you get a choice of skills along the way. At rank five you have access to all of your dragon’s skills.”

  “That is awesome, how many classes can I get?”

  “All of them, they determine your level. However, you have not registered in a city, so I have no idea what your level is. I know you are at least level 10 because you have three ranks in Drake Rider, two in Dragonrider, and now one in Soldier. Your level is probably higher as I do not have access to all the classes you have.”

  “What? How does that work?” She asked Geo, not sure where he arrived at that number.

  “Each rank adds to your level, like so.” Geo bent down and drew in the dirt:

  First Rank = 1 Level, Total = 1 Level

  Second Rank = 2 Levels, Total = 3 Levels

  Third Rank = 3 Levels, Total = 6 Levels

  Fourth Rank = 4 Levels, Total = 10 Levels

  Fifth Rank = 5 Levels, Total = 15 Levels

  “You see if you add all the ranks you have together, that gives you your total level for that class. You do that for all your classes to get your total level overall. So First rank Soldier, plus second rank Dragonrider, plus third rank Drake Rider puts you at least level 10.”

  “That seems convoluted.”

  “It is, and truthfully it means jack shit. If someone grabbed ten classes, they are level 10 just like you, but they won’t have the skill set you do. Anyway, if you want to know your level, that is how it works. So keep that in mind when you register in Haase and don’t talk shit about the system. They are sensitive.”

  She found herself laughing.

  “Thanks for the information. Now how do we help?”

  “You wanted to go behind enemy lines? Then I have a Mission for you. I do not want you going out tonight, get some rest and head out early tomorrow.”

  Mission Issued: Follow the Leaders

  - Objective 1: Kill or Locate 5 Alpha Drakes

  - Bonus Objective: Find the Leader of the incoming army

  - Orders Given By: Geo

  - Reward: Rank up your Soldier class. Additional rewards based on success.

  Missions - These are special requests that are granted to anyone in the Military, or that has a Military class, like the Soldier class. Unlike a quest, you may not refuse to carry out a Mission, and failing to do the Mission can result in demotion.

  Note: All Military classes are granted Annual Leave, and while on leave they are not registered as part of the Military. Leave is issued once a month for up to one week. You may also choose to retire from the Military or go Mercenary.

  “We will get you the information.” She told him, and she turned Malinite.

  “Boh. Please be careful.” Geo shifted, and his face was unreadable as he looked towards the other dragons. “Not just of the drakes. Report to Joker; he is the captain of the scouts running missions to thin the herd. Tell him what your mission is and ask for aid.”

  “What else is a threat to me out there?”

  Geo's shoulders stiffened, and he looked awkward. He opened his mouth and spoke softly. “Do not trust the dragons near you. Your dragon broke a lot of laws, and most of them would rather see him die. No offense, big guy, but you are public enemy number one.”

  “I understand, and I hear you. See you soon.”

  “Before you come back here, be sure to report to Joker first. We have a chain of command, and it would not do for you to break it.”

  “Yes, sir.” She said grinning, and Malinite remained silent until she urged him onward with her knees.

  *I know it is hard, but my father said the harder the task, the greater the reward. I did not know what he meant when I was younger, but I understand it now. Building something is always tougher than destroying it.* She told Malinite.

  *You are a strange two-leg, and if the roles had been reversed, I would have destroyed you. You make me seem like the child and shame me, but I do not take offense to your words. It is my lack of character at fault, and I will endeavor to be more.*

  *A lot of fancy words for saying you screwed up. How about we get some rest and then kill things in the morning?* She laughed and felt the dragon chuckling under her.

  *That I can do.*

  Boh

  Chapter 62

  Wildcard

  Champions seem to defy the social norms of the Talons. Things that they should take offense at they ignore, and the things that seem innocent in their execution they react badly. It is recommended that further research is conducted.

  -from Champions, A Study in Behavior

  Geo looked like he had not slept, and maybe he hadn’t because she just found out that she slept in his bed.

  Aila was her usual chipper self. “Boh, I’m gonna trust ya on this, because if’n ya gonna go out with him we canna help ya if things go bad.”

  “I wil
l be fine. I will glide off to safety and wait for Taro to find me if things get bad. But the real question is- what are you going to do?”

  “Fight, and I’m gonna hope Rune heeds my call and keeps my sisters away.”

  “Why?”

  “Do ya understand that chaos is about unpredictability? Of course, ya do, the others call ya Wildcard and its fitting. Imagine a being that fills up on chaotic energy until they reach a frenzied pitch. That is the life of a pixie. We are a race that thrives on mischief, and war is the ultimate source of chaos. We canna help ourselves.”

  “You really are a berserker? Why are you telling me all this?”

  “I dislike that term, but yes. I don’t care about who I become when I fight. I wanna explain it all to ya, but if’n I do, ya will- I’ma gonna need ya to trust me.”

  “Ok, but-“

  “Ya gotta go, I promise I’ma gonna explain everything when this is over. Ya gonna need me, and we gotta lot to do.”

  “Aila, for what it is worth, I do trust you.” She told the short woman as she walked over to Geo and Malinite, both of them looked like they swallowed something bitter. “Everything ok boys?”

  “Malinite has expressed his dislike over your callsign.”

  “Which is?”

  “Wildcard,” Malinite said flatly.

  “What is wrong with that?” She asked and felt the side of her mouth rise in a half grin.

  “It sets a precedent for your behavior, and Wildcard makes you sound unpredictable. The kind of person that cannot be relied upon.”

  “Does he always talk that fancy?” Geo asked.

  “No idea, but from what I have seen- yup.”

  “Ok, Malinite, listen to me carefully, I do not choose callsigns. That is something the troops do, and it is a Dragonrider ritual. Now that she has been named they will come for her tonight. Do not interfere; it is crucial to morale. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Malinite said without enthusiasm.

  “Good, now you two are expected. Follow the road and find Joker, his dragon will have an orange streak painted on the side of it. Sometimes he paints a clown on the side of her. Now get, and find me some targets.”

  She finished suiting up and holstered her weapons, but failed to learn any spells last night. Exhaustion overtook her before she could practice any of the spells starting to pile up. She had Lightning and Wind, and lesser spells if she got close. It would have to be enough for now.

  Malinite already had is saddle out and was waiting for her to mount up, so she capitulated, and as soon as she locked her legs in, he took off. No ceremony or talking just ran off into the wind and took off.

  *What is wrong with you?* She asked him

  *It's fine. I’ll work it out.*

  *Stop being an ass and talk to me. Is this about the name?*

  *It is more than that— the name shames you. They are honorless ja-*

  *Stop. They can only humiliate me if I give them that power. I like the name, and it fits me. You need to loosen up. The things I plan to do, with your help, will make Wildcard a badge of honor. They just are too stupid to see the big picture. They will.* She told him and had to remember how different Taro, Midnight, and Malinite’s personalities were.

  *You know you are intimidating when you start talking like that. It always feels like a storm is brewing near you. Storms never bother me, but the calm before it terrifies me. You are that calm.*

  *You big sweet talker you!* She laughed and slapped him on his side. He just snorted and shook his head.

  Flying over the drakes was surreal. There was tons of dust and noise as the drakes stampeded barely staying out of each other’s way.

  The jacks swarmed the army, diving at them at every possible opportunity. Most of them stayed away from Malinite after he snagged several of them and ate them. She had come a long way from fleeing those evil little creatures.

  It did not take her long to find the captain. His crew was performing coordinated sweeps trying to thin the herd. She could see whole swaths of the charging line wiped out, and those that followed stumbled over the corpses.

  How the drakes even maintained a direction or cohesion was beyond her. As she watched, she saw them line up and leap off of each other to gain air, and one drake took down an unsuspecting Dragonrider. As the dragon and rider tumbled to the ground, they were destroyed and consumed.

  “You dumb ass! I said pull up after they run a sweep. These are not brainless beasts. Respect your enemy.” A man shouted while standing on some stirrup mounted to the back of his dragon’s head. The dragon had a wide orange streak doing down its side, but no clown face.

  Joker looked like he was choreographing a dance sequence more than a battle. The dragons moved in several different formations, and it seemed to depend on the breath attack used.

  Then there was a squad in front of the incoming army that was using a type of machine gun like the one she saw at Valoh. The guns were mounted on the side of the saddle with the bipod resting against the dragon’s neck. This angled the barrel forward, downward, and to the left or right of the dragon’s head depending on how they mounted it.

  They were unleashing a barrage of bullets, and the dragons were drifting sideways, so they were performing a strafing maneuver. The squad was low to the ground to avoid the aerial moves above them, but they had a clear shot towards the enemy. It was one of the machine gunners that just died because the formation did not shift fast enough.

  “I don’t have all day. Are you reporting in or just gawking?” The man standing on top of his dragon asked.

  “Reporting in. Are you Captain Joker?”

  “That I am. I cannot say that I have ever seen a female Dragonrider. And an impressive dragon at that, but everyone knows your story at this point.” He said dismissively. “What are your mission parameters?”

  She explained what she was supposed to do, and he waved her to silence as he turned back to the attack formation. Another two dragons went down with their riders.

  “Son of a bitch!” He swore under his breath. “These things adapt quick, do not be fooled by them as you accomplish your mission. Do not try to be a hero, this is war, and dead riders kill no drakes.”

  “Understood.”

  “And Boh, return before dark. Do not try to fight these bastards at night. They will rest after dark but do not be fooled by their complacency. They are just trying to lure you in.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, but it felt weird from her mouth.

  “Sir is not necessary. I’m like you, a Champion. I have never seen an event like this before, but ride it out and the rewards, I am sure, will be great.”

  “I was not sure if it was taboo to ask, but is Geo a Champion too?”

  “That big bastard? Yes? No? Not sure. It is not taboo, but dragons frown on those kinds of questions. The Trials are a sacred rite of the gods, and they are not supposed to ask questions about it.”

  “Oh, so I’ll put him in the maybe category.”

  “Just put him in the awesome category. He is one of the coolest people I have met in this place. Do right by him, and he’ll take care of you.” Joker paused and dug around in his inventory, and then tossed her an item which she snagged out of the air deftly. “Wear that; it will help with the hair.”

  You have received Black Leather Flying Helmet.

  Black Leather Flying Helmet

  - Type: Aviator Helmet

  - Armor: 7 Armor

  - Resistance: 5% Wind Resistance

  - Requirements: None

  The helmet looked like an old fighter pilot helmet from World War I. She slipped it on and found it conformed to her head comfortably, and even had slits for her ears to poke out of the top. She cinched the strap under her chin and put her goggles back on over it. Then wrapped her scarf around her lower face once more and tucked the weighted ends back into her leather riding coat.

  “I can still see the blue streak in your hair from under your cap. You look bad ass.” Joker said smiling at he
r, but his attention went back to the formations he was watching below. “Malinite, I have no idea what you got mixed up in, but toe the line. Trust will come, but it is not easy task rising from the ashes. I should know.”

  “Wise words, Champion. I will consider them.”

  “Do that. Dismissed.” Joker told them. “Oh. Boh, in case you have not realized it yet, Champions do not come back. I’m not sure where they go when they die, but it's not here. It is one of the reasons you will see a lot of Champions leading armies because they can stay out of the heavy fighting. So don’t die.”

  “Got it. See you shortly.” She told him, but she was concerned. It was not the first time she had heard the comments about Champions dying, but it was the first time another player had confirmed it.

  *Are you concerned about dying or about Joker?* Malinite asked.

  *Dying. Joker is a character, but not enough to gain my concern. Champions, as you call them, visit many worlds, but this one is a mystery to me. It is very different because here death is an unknown.*

  *It is not an unknown. You just lack faith.*

  *Faith? In what?* She was curious now.

  *Rune, the World Serpent. There are many gods, but when people refer to God, the singular, it is him.*

  *The white-scaled dragon?*

  *You have seen him!?* Malinite’s incredulity came through his telepathic link; it was like his telepathic communication was more emotion than words.

  *In my trial, we spoke. Whose ability do you think you stole from me?* She winced as she said it. *I did not mean it like that.*

  Malinite remained silent, but she could practically feel him brooding. While he pouted, she adjusted her position in the saddle. Wind washed over her, and she enjoyed the rush of it.

  *I believe that is an alpha.* Malinite said, his talon pointing towards a drake quite a bit larger than the others. There was even a circle around him where the other drakes avoided entering.