The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  “So basically,” he said in a speculative tone, “we are going to be invading the stronghold of a parasitic magic user, via an unstable wormhole, that might open into hell itself at any moment, and every person we send through on this raid increases the chance that none of us will make it back. Is that about it?”

  “I do not know what a wormhole is, but the rest sound fairly correct,” Hisako told him.

  “Any other bad news?”

  “Yes,” she answered promptly. Richter looked at her like she had just betrayed him, “The magic of the portal will destabilize faster the more other magics come in contact with it. That means I cannot send any summoned creatures with you and you cannot cast any buffs on your troops until you land. Having active spells pass through the portal might cause unexpected side effects.”

  The chaos seed sighed heavily, “What about enchantments? Will the enchanted weapons and armor we’ll be carrying cause a problem?”

  “I do not believe so as those are self-contained magical vessels, but again, this is all a best guess. We will not know until it is time for the battle. Which brings us to the next topic. We have only discussed half of the battle, however: the attack. We must also prepare for hostile forces. Not only would they destabilize the portal as soon as they cross the threshold of the portal, but high level undead are a danger in and of themselves. The forces we leave here must remain on high alert.”

  “Well, I have one piece of good news on that front,” Richer stated, then he filled them in on how the Dungeon owed him a favor. “If we open the portal in the Dungeon, we can send its monsters through as a first wave and we won’t need to worry about bringing them back. The other bonus of the Dungeon owing me a favor is that if any undead do manage to make it back through to our side, they’ll still be trapped inside the Dungeon. If the worst comes to pass, at least neither of our settlements will be put at risk.”

  “Are you sure it will follow your direction? It was born of a Bloodstone,” Hisako asked dubiously.

  It was Richter’s turn to shrug, “Only one way to find out. Now, my next question is, just how big can you make the portal?”

  “I should be able to enlarge it for a short time, though that might worsen the instability. Why?”

  “Welllll,” Richter began, filling her in on his plans for his new pet. “I’ll be entering the portal first with the tovuut mauler. That big bastard should be able to slice and dice even the high level undead. I have to make this clear, however. No matter what happens, the tovuut mauler cannot cross back through the portal. I would need to tame it more than three hundred times to keep it loyal forever. I doubt I would even manage it once more.”

  Everyone nodded their understanding and they moved on to the next topic. They talked for another hour, ironing out details like having teams of five prepared to dash into the portal one at a time, Hisako weighing the instability they caused each time. Richter finally bid them goodnight. Sumiko had done a wonderful job with his healing, but both the injuries and the powerful magic had taken a toll on him. As everyone filed out for the night, he raised one hand and asked Sion to stay. Soon, only the sprite and his familiar remained.

  “What is it, man?” Sion asked.

  Looking at his friend, Richter finally allowed that knot of emotion he’d pushed down after returning from Heman’s memory to rise. He still had no real memory of what had happened, but despite that, the spiritual wounds were as real as if he’d been cut by a blade. As unshed tears filled Richter’s eyes, Alma looked up at her master in love and concern.

  Sion walked closer until he was standing right in front of Richter, “Are you alright, my friend?”

  Richter didn’t answer. Not with words. Instead, his newly healed jaw shook as he refused to let an audible sob leave his mouth. He would not allow for even the possibility that the guard stationed outside of the door might find out that their lord, the man they relied on to be larger than life, might actually just be human.

  With Sion though, his brother and the man he trusted above any other, he let his tears flow. Without words, for he did not consciously understand why he was feeling this pain, he shared his fears and his sorrow. He wept for his new world. He wept for the stillborn world that might have been, a world where the chaos seeds could have brought the best parts of their humanity to The Land. Not the worst. He mourned for the countless innocents that would be lost as a plague worse than eaters descended on this world. The plague of his people, a plague of chaos, a plague of predators.

  Sion rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder and did what he could to ease his pain, but he did not hope to understand what was happening because Richter himself did not understand. A true Companion, he stood by his brother, as the chaos seed wept confused tears for the oceans of blood that would be spilled and the mountains of innocents that would be slain. His soul knew what his mind did not, and remembered the horrors he had been showed in the Realm of Chaos. His spirit knew it could not stop what was to come, so it did the only thing it could, it cleansed itself with his pain, and every tear washed away some of the filth it had accumulated from asking questions to Pug that Richter’s mind, body and soul all wished they could forget. So far, only his mind had been that lucky, though there would one day be consequences for that as well.

  For long minutes Richter wept, because his heart now knew that his people were not only the latest Cataclysm to come to The Land, they were the worst, and quite possibly the last. He cried every tear that he would ever shed over the role that he himself would play. After today, even his heart would forget what had happened in the Realm of Chaos and he could continue his life in blissful ignorance. It was only now, in this moment, that he could pity himself and weep over what he must become to deal with these predators that were being sent to The Land.

  He silently wept for the loss of his innocence, and unbeknownst to Sion, or even his soul familiar, the monster in his heart exulted in his pain. A monster that had always been there, but had been fettered. Now it fed on his tears and his sadness, growing strong as it shook the chains that Richter had always placed upon it. In this world of chaos seeds, it grinned and looked out through Richter’s eyes, dreaming of its freedom and envisioning the many predators it would feast upon before the end.

  For what else could hunt a predator, but a monster?

  CHAPTER 95 – Day 150 – Kuborn 39, 0 AoC

  Sion sat next to his friend until he fell asleep. He was still confused at what had overtaken Richter, but he was well familiar with the hidden wounds battle could inflict on one’s heart. A part of him feared there was something more to it, but he contented himself with being a good friend. Once Richter’s breathing eased with the peace of sleep, he left, leaving Alma to watch over her master. The dragonling lay on her master’s chest, filled with love, but also filled with sorrow that she could not take away his pain.

  Though Richter was still heartsore from the truths he had learned in the Realm of Chaos, even his soul had begun to forget what had transpired there. His attribute-enhanced body also did not need much sleep, especially when he wore his Belt of Sustenance. The rare item greatly decreased his basic need for rest and food. He was awoken by Futen, and even though he was pretty sure not more than a few hours could have passed, he felt refreshed.

  “My lord, Smith Krom requests your presence,” the remnant intoned in his deadpan voice.

  Standing, he looked around, testing his eyesight once more. He also slowly opened and closed his mouth. Both worked fine as far as he could tell. He really was lucky to have Sumiko as the village Healer. That made him feel bad for a minute over how he had spoken to her the night before, but he still stood by his decision. Richter would always encourage his people to speak up and question, but when it was crunch time, they needed to know that his word was law.

  He focused on Futen, “Is it urgent?”

  “The Smith said he would like your presence as soon as possible, my lord, though he said it more colorfully.”

  Richter let out a
small huffing laugh. So not immediately, but ASAP. He threw some clothes on and Alma jumped onto his shoulders. He needed to make it to the Forge anyway. Opening the door to this room, the guard stationed outside saluted sharply. Richter clapped him on the shoulder and told him to get some rest. The man hesitated, clearly not wanting to risk Caulder’s wrath by leaving his post early, so Richter made it easy for him, “That’s an order, soldier.”

  The man snapped to attention once more, then smiled ruefully at his lord before thanking him and walking off to find his bed. Richter peeked into Sion’s room and saw his friend fast asleep with his new gnome bedmate. He winked at his Companion and thought, “That’s right bud, show her gnomercy.” Chuckling to himself, he made his way to the treasury. He had to cross the Great Seal to get there and he returned the salutes of the other guards stationed in that room. They were not only there to monitor the seal, but also to make sure that nothing malevolent made its way up from the lower floors of the catacombs.

  The magic of his Place of Power was supposed to keep that from happening, but he’d finally learned the lesson that nothing was ever absolute in The Land. Even an infinite power might be opposed by another one. Richter stopped walking, wondering where that thought had come from, but couldn’t place it. Shrugging, he made his way to the treasury.

  The bolts slid back from the massive door at his mental command. Walking inside, Richter deposited the treasure he had “appropriated” from Heman. He definitely didn’t consider it stealing seeing as how they were the spoils of war. Besides, he thought to himself with a smile, he’d left something in trade.

  As he turned to leave, he made a mental note to tell Randy about the influx in village cash. That was when he saw a clipboard hanging by the door. It definitely hadn’t been there before he had given his chamberlain access to the treasury. When he read the top page, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Please log all additions or removals from the Treasury. (Including you, my lord.)

  Richter shook his head and unstoppered the inkwell that had been left conveniently nearby. He listed the weights, bands, gold crowns, silver marks and copper shills; all adding up to five hundred eighteen gold and change. Below that, he added the large emerald ring that he’d deposited. There was no doubt in his mind that Randy would get the Jeweler to assess it and determine the gem’s clarity and carats soon.

  After leaving the treasury, he made his way outside. A star-filled sky met his gaze and the blue moon Aquiel hung prominent in the west. Richter could also see a crescent of the purple-black moon Nevuur hanging to the north. Mist lights hung over the village, giving it an ethereal glow. As late as the hour was, a ringing note still split the night, the pounding of a hammer on an anvil. Smiling, Richter took off at a jog.

  While he did, he dealt with the prompts he’d gained from his battle with Heman. The first one turned his stomach.

  Know This! You have killed another Chaos Seed! You are the 107,499th member of your race to have done such a thing. Welcome to the slaughter!

  Richter blinked. He was one of the first chaos seeds to have come to The Land, at least that was what Xuetrix had told him. If the imp had been truthful, that meant in just five months over one hundred thousand of his people had started killing others of their race. Remembering how good it had felt to take Heman’s Chaos Points, he realized that whatever had sent them all to The Land must have set it up this way. They had turned murder into a drug!

  He shook his head. His life had just become even more dangerous. After heaving a deep sigh, he let the worry go. There was nothing he could do about it now. He just had to grow stronger. Richter went through the rest of his prompts.

  Know This! As you have used a Chaotic blade to slay your enemy, you not only destroyed Heman’s current life, but an additional rebirth as well.

  Know This! The Chaos Seed you killed, Heman, had killed another fifteen Chaos Seeds and had stolen 416 Chaos Points. He spent 126, leaving 290 in his Chaos Pool to be collected by you.

  Know This! When a Chaos Seed is slain by another of their own kind, you may absorb Chaos Points from their death. Each death your victim suffered beforehand increases the innate Chaotic energy they possessed. You have gained 9 Chaos Points from the slaughter of Heman.

  Know This! Your Blessing from the Lords of Chaos has greatly increased the Chaos Points you have earned!

  You have gained a total of 598 Chaos Points from slaying your kinsman.

  Total Chaos Points: 682

  If Heman had been telling the truth, a big if, Richter realized, then the Chaos Points he just gained would have been doubled if it had been his final death. They hadn’t been, which meant the homicidal maniac would be reborn one day soon.

  As unsettling as that thought was, he had just gained an insane amount of Chaos Points. There was also another prompt that stole his attention.

  Know This! You have accumulated enough Chaos Points to force your way into the next stratum of the Sea of Chaos. Would you like to spend 500 Chaos Points to access the third stratum? You have seven seconds to decide.

  7, 6, …

  Fuck! Richter hated these fucking timers! Gritting his teeth at the high cost of five hundred CPs, he still took the offer. That was a shit ton of Chaos Points, but every level he was able to get to in the Sea of Chaos offered such awesome stuff. He even thought he might have found a trend. The first level of the stratum had offered uncommon, or second-tier items. The third level seemed to usually have scarce items, though there might be offerings more or less rare as well. If he was right, the fourth stratum might have an average rank of rare! Either way, the adventurer in him just had to see what the next stratum offered. He made his choice.

  For making a Choice in the allotted time you are awarded: 2 Chaos points.

  Total Chaos Points: 184

  Congratulations! You have purchased access to the 3rd stratum of the Sea of Chaos! Due to the Blessing of the Lords of Chaos, you may access one stratum deeper than you normally could and so have access to the 4th stratum as well! Each level has more powerful offerings but they are also more expensive. Would you like to access the Sea of Chaos? Yes or No?

  He had been able to access the first two stratums because of his two points of chaotic nature. It appeared that was not the only way to dive deeper into the Sea of Chaos. He, and presumably other chaos seeds, could buy their way into various strata as well. Just another reminder that there was always more than one way to get things done, in The Land or any world. The question facing him now was if he should hoard his Chaos Points until he had enough points to buy his way into the fourth stratum?

  Richter thought about it for a moment, then decided no. He had no idea how much it would cost, but it was a safe bet that the next level would cost substantially more. It could cost a thousand points or more. He couldn’t wait for that. Not when he only earned eight Chaos Points a level. The Dungeon could give him more points if it dropped another particle as loot, but that still only gave one or two CPs at a time. He also didn’t think chaotic particles would be dropping too often. It was time to dive back into the sea.

  He really wished he had another Potion of Selak’s Luck, but he’d used the last during the Dungeon battle. Hoping the perk from the kindir was enough to give him good options, Richter chose “Yes.”

  You have accessed the Sea of Chaos. The Sea contains everything that was, is, or could be. Choose wisely, for you may choose the Catalyst for your own death and salvation.

  You may reach the 1st stratum at a cost of 1 Chaos point.

  You may reach the 2nd stratum at a cost of 3 Chaos points.

  You may reach the 3rd stratum at a cost of 5 Chaos points.

  You may reach the 4th stratum at a cost of 7 Chaos points.

  Which level do you wish to access?

  Richter chose the fourth.

  Total Chaos Points: 177

  4th STRATUM OFFERINGS

  Offering

  Chaotic Cost

  Traits

  Eyes of a De
ath God

  49 points

  Purchasing this allows you to know how many respawns other Chaos Seeds have once you have learned their true nature.

  Scroll of the Nine Tail

  58 points

  Summons a truly powerful creature to fight on your behalf for the duration of one battle

  Tree of the Senzu

  63 points

  Provides a sapling that will grow senzu beans. These beans have great restorative powers and can completely restore a creature’s health, mana and stamina instantly. Normally produces four beans per year.

  Know This! No purchase is required. This window may be dismissed at any time, but it will last no longer than 7 minutes, sometimes less. The purchase price of accessing this level cannot be retrieved. Each time a stratum of the Sea of Chaos is accessed, the offerings are randomized and may never come again.

  There was something about these options that tickled the back of Richter’s mind, but he couldn’t figure it out. He also didn’t have time to try. These options would be gone in seven minutes, and if he didn’t choose something, then the seven Chaos Points he had used to reveal them would be up in smoke as well. Though seeing the cost of the fourth stratum options, he knew there might come a time where he just ate the access cost rather than blow entire levels’ worth of points on a bad choice.

  These three options were all interesting, however. Eyes of a Death God wouldn’t help him identify other chaos seeds unfortunately, but he had his ability, Feel of Chaos, to help with that somewhat at least. If it wasn’t for his ability, he might never have known Heman was a chaos seed at all. The man might still have been in the village, worming his way through Richter’s home like a cancer.

  Scroll of the Nine Tail apparently summoned a powerful beast, which could always be good. The fact that it lasted an entire battle made it superior to summoned creatures who disappeared as soon as the spell time elapsed, some only staying for five minutes. The downside was that it could only be used once. There were no other details, but “truly powerful” was a hell of a descriptor.