Burrows & Behemoths

by Lee Duckett

  “Are you okay?” he asked his wife, who was herself pulling herself together, still shaking slightly.

  She smiled at him, gathering him up in her arms in a near-crushing hug. “I am. Thank you,” she murmured. Letting him go, she looked down at herself and gasped, picking up the disk in trembling figures. “This. . . This. . . This can’t be what I think it is!”

  “Can’t be what Lassie?” Rurik prompted. “It’s finely crafted, and if it ain’t magical I’ll be a giant’s uncle, but ya seem ta be recognizin’ it.”

  She didn’t answer him, going to her inventory and turning pale with shock at what she read. Fayne rolled her eyes, relaxing now that the apparent danger had passed, and moved behind the aasimar to read over her shoulder. “What’s ‘Solus’ Core’?”

  Naming it broke Aria out of her stupor. “Solus, to those he favors, gives tokens instilled with power,” she started to explain.

  “And they all have his face? Talk about an ego,” Badger joked, still a little shook up. “Sorry,” he added at his wife’s hurt look.

  “But, they’re called shards of Solus,” she continued, “collectively referred to as his corona. This. . . This. . . I’ve seen one. It was amazing, but this is more. And. . . I can feel it,” she tapped her chest with her free hand. “Here. I. . . I’m not worthy of this,” she muttered to herself.

  “Solus seems to think so,” her husband smiled, eyes going distant. “Would you call this an item of Life and Light?” he put forward, enunciating it so you could hear the capital L’s.

  She gave a choked laugh, on the edge of hysteria over what she was holding, her character's memories overwhelming her in a way she wasn’t prepared for. “It’d be hard to find something that’s more filled with that.”

  The gnome smiled and started laughing. It was happy and sad at the same time, with tinges of amusement and amazement that shocked her out of her disbelief. Leaning on his quarterstaff to hold himself up, he practically guffawed, hard enough it seemed like he was going to hurt himself.

  “You okay wee man?” Rurik asked, concerned.

  Struggling to stand, he waved off the dwarf. “I’ll be fine. This is not gonna be fun, but it’ll be worth it. Character Sheet Open!” Just like with Aria, his level up music played, the brass horns reverberating in the small space. As soon as they finished, he received a message just like his wife had. Unlike what happened to her pendant, his seemingly solid steel staff dissolved into liquid.

  He stumbled, catching himself on the table, and turned to look at the silvery pool at his feet in consternation. It rippled over and over, each movement more violent than the last before it surged for him. He only had time for a quick “Ohshit!” before it slammed into him, knocking him to the ground as it covered him from head to toe in steel fluid. He struggled, pulling at it desperately to try to free his mouth, but unable to do so.

  What was once his staff pressed down on him from every direction, seeming to crush him as it receded downwards. Aria was down by him in a second, trying to pull it off to help but unable to do anything as she clawed at it ineffectually. After a few seconds it became clear that it was crushing him, it was sinking into him, his hair poking out of the surface, as did the edge of his spellbook. The longer it went on, the faster it receded, his head being the last thing uncovered.

  He took great shuddering breaths as soon as his mouth was clear. “Yeah,” he announced. “Not fun.” Re-opening his screen, he groaned, “Really Max? ‘Nia-gara’? That’s the name you came up with?”

  Aria, who bodily picked him up and plonked him down on the bed next to her, asked “What? What does this have to do with our son?”

  He glanced over, and up, at his wife, “You don’t remember?”

  “Remember what?” Fayne prompted. “A lot of stuff has happened.”

  “He had us pick elements, that first night we were in this world. I picked Force and Water, and I got this,” he said, holding out his hand. Silver liquid flowed up from the skin of his palm, extending outwards to either side until it formed a steel quarterstaff. Unlike the one that he had absorbed, this one had identical formations on either end, intricately carved aquatic designs carved into it. It seemed to be filled with liquid, by how it sounded when he spun it.

  The wizard tilted his head to the side, as if he were listening to a voice only he could hear. “And it . . .” from each end of the staff, water flowed out from nothing as if poured from a jug, quickly shutting off. “Makes an infinite amount of potable water. That’s. . . nice. Anyways,” he continued, the weapon turning back into liquid and flowing back into his hand, turning to the others as if this was normal. “Aria picked Life and Light, and got what seems like an artifact of her god, whose domains are. . .”

  “Healing, goodness, fire, and the sun, so Life and Light,” she rattled off, nodding in agreement.

  Fayne frowned, “How can his domain just be ‘goodness’?”

  Aria just shrugged, “I don’t know how the gods work, only that they do.”

  Ignoring the elf’s frustrated sigh, Badger continued, “But it’s not just us two. Rurik, you picked Fire and Spirit, right?”

  “Aye,” the dwarf agreed, looking at the flaming katana, which had been gifted to him by his daimyo, with suspicion.

  “And you picked Wind and Acid,” the gnome stated, pointing at Fayne. “So, which of you are going to go first?”

  The dwarf and elf exchanged uneasy looks. “I should,” The shorter of the two stated, “I be a samurai, and fear shouldn’t be holdin’ me back.”

  Fayne shook her head, “But you’re more than that that Rurik. You’re-”

  “Character Sheet Open!” he interrupted before she could get started. Ignoring her cross call of “Rurik!”, the sound of Celtic punk music heralded his level up. Getting the message about his Legacy Item, he grit his teeth as his sword slipped insubstantially from his fingers, floating in midair as the flames shifted to an unnatural amaranth red and moved to encompass the entire weapon. The sheath on his hip caught fire with the same colored fire, burning away the lacquered wood in seconds without touching the rest of him.

  His blade moved up in front of him, pointing at his chest blade-first. Aria cried out and she and Badger moved towards him, only to be stopped by Fayne. “Come on,” Rurik yelled at his magical sword. “I can bloody well take it!” As if in response, it shot towards him, passing through his armor as if it wasn’t there, impaling his heart. “Gyaargh!” he cried out gritting his teeth as the blade stopped for a moment before sinking further in. As the blade continued to press into him, it didn’t pierce him through, disappearing into his chest.

  The handle passed into him as well and he fell to his hands and knees, breathing hard. Calling up his inventory he nodded to himself, calling “Kage no ken!” A light red flame sparked to life in his hands, extending outwards before solidifying into a katana which only vaguely resembled what he used to have.

  The handle’s wrapping was intertwined white and red cords, the blade a midnight black, the cutting edge a deep crimson. With a thought the blade ignited, the same light red flames it had formed from dancing down its length. In his free hand, another flame sparked to life, creating the sheath. Attaching it to his armor, he sheathed his sword and nodded to the elf, “Okay lass, your turn.”

  Grimacing, Fayne held out her hand, calling, “Character Sheet Open?” The string quartet that heralded her levelling up faded, and the message all the others had seen appeared. Her leather armor started to bubble as acid started to drip from it, sizzling as it hit the floor. She tried to tug it off, but it seemed to stick to her skin, bonding with it. Quickly stripping off her other equipment and tossing it to the side so it wouldn’t be damaged, she stood with her arms held out in an attempt to avoid dripping acid on herself, failing. The armor, dark green leather, rimmed with brown, with a lighter green layer underneath, started to slough off, almost like a snake shedding its scales, caustic liquid pouring off of her.

  From beneath the remains
of her destroyed armor a new set seemed to emerge. Black with gold lining, the underlying padding a deep forest green, Fayne found herself wearing a much different set of studded leather than she had been willed by the dragon she’d made friends with as a child. She wanted to feel upset that the gift had been destroyed, but it seemed to her that it hadn’t been lost, instead its true form had been revealed. Whatever the dark leather was, it seemed to come from a very large lizard, possibly a dragon that was black, but not a black dragon as it was pliable, like crocodile skin, not hardened scales.

  As the acid finished dripping off her, it seemed to disappear, an unseen breeze drying her off. “Oh come on,” Aria groused semi-seriously. “All of ours hurt, why didn’t hers?”

  ~Well,~ A voice remarked in Draconic over the party’s telepathic bond, ~It wasn’t exactly pleasant on my end.~

  Chapter Twenty

  Perilous Procrastination

  After the Draconic voice spoke across the telepathic bond that should’ve only included the party, everyone froze. The male voice continued, unharried, ~Not that I can complain. Sirvesthura put me away when she retired from adventuring, and I’ve slept since. I do wonder how long it has been, but that can wait. Let me get a good look at you, new host. Hmm, yes. And. . . well, this is quite the motley crew you have assembled.~ Fayne got the oddest feeling that her armor was looking at her, it’s attention shifting to the others around here, each one of them stiffening in turn, as if they could feel its ‘gaze’.

  “Sirv-whateva’. That was the name of the dragon ya were buddy-buddy with, wasn’t it?” Rurik asked her, eyeing the armor.

  ~You were friends with my old host? How. . . interesting.~ the intelligent armor practically purred, it’s rumbling voice adding an element to its Draconic words that the rest of the party match. ~Good. I’d hate to have to try to kill you for hurting her,~ it blithely commented. ~How is she?~

  “Um, she’s dead,” Fayne told her armor, not sure if she should look down at it or not. “We’re not sure what did it, just that it was necrotic.”

  ~Ah, that means it will be hard to raise her. That’s what was expected though, if she found her. I’d hoped that wouldn’t happen. Pity,~ it sighed, despite not having lungs.

  “Um Badger?” Aria asked hesitantly. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s. . . intelligent,” he shrugged helplessly.

  A snort came over the connection, but it sounded. . . off. Like it wasn’t coming from a mouth, which it technically wasn’t, but the rest of the speech had been crystal clear. ~Obviously.~

  “Intelligent items are rare, and can be both good and bad, like people,” the wizard added. “What’s important is that they can take over the bodies of their users, if the user’s will isn’t strong enough.”

  “Um?” Fayne muttered, wondering how much danger she was in, “What?”

  ~Oh, don’t worry your pointed ears about it, child,~ the armor stated, the sensation of eyes rolling accompanying the words. ~It’d be no fun if I did all the work. Given that you’re with one of Solus’ chosen, I doubt you’re the type I’d want to melt into a puddle anyway.~

  “You recognize me? How?” the cleric questioned, fingering her golden holy symbol.

  ~You all speak Draconic? You have good taste, host.~ the armor stated, the sensation of smiling coming over the connection, though it was a grin full of very sharp teeth. ~I don’t recognize you, aasimar, you look barely past your fifth decade. But one of Solus’ shards? Those are hard to come by, and that you are holding it barehanded without burning to ash tells me that you deserve it.~

  “I’m in my teens!” the forty-year-old woman in the body of a teenager shot back, incensed.

  The feeling of a lazy shrug was her response. ~Close enough.~

  “Why did you call me ‘host’?” Fayne asked, trying to have a sensible conversation with her armor, a concept that hurt her brain.

  ~Well, host, your soul has awakened mine, and until one of us is destroyed we are bound. Just like the dwarf with the accent is to his sword, the gnome who knows his items is to his staff, and the cleric with the emotional control issues is to the symbol of her god,~ it explained. ~That, and you haven’t bothered to give me your name.~

  Speaking before Aria could get a word in, the scout quickly said, “My name is Fayne. Um, nice to meet you?” she held out her hand to shake and eeped when she got the feeling of something very large taking the offered limb and shaking it with incredible care, the armor on her arm deforming slightly and moving her.

  ~Well met Fayne, you may call me Fafnir,~ it greeted in return. ~I’ll leave you to whatever it was you were doing here. If you prove you can handle it, I shall grant you more of my power, but not before.~

  “Um, that’s fair?” she offered. “Guys?”

  Aria shrugged, “If the dragon who lives in your armor wants to give you power. , , okay? At least it’s not a devil.”

  Rurik shot her a look, “Just ‘cause it be speakin’ Draconic don’t be meanin’ it be a dragon, Lassie.”

  “No,” Fayne disagreed, thinking about the hand which had ‘shook’ hers. “I think he might be. You’re a ‘he’, right?”

  ~I’m old enough to not care,~ it commented.

  “Right,” the aasimar nodded. “Maybe we should move on?”

  The others nodded, re-opening their character sheets to level up. ~Fascinating,~ Fafnir commented. ~I’ve never seen divination magic like this. Don’t mind me, just do whatever it is you’re doing,~ he instructed, making a mental ‘go ahead’ gesture.

  Fayne spent her skill points, mentally debating between picking the Infernal or Necril languages. Either Fafnir couldn’t hear her thoughts, only when she ‘sent’ them like they did over the groups telepathic bond, or it just didn’t care. With the knowledge that one of the recurring enemies would be undead she chose Necril, the language of the dead. Closing that, she opened a list of feats, scrolling through the specialized increases in capability each character could pick at every other level.

  Skimming over the list, she chose ‘Point Blank Shot’, which would allow her to shoot things in close range more accurately, as well as do more damage to them by being better able to aim at weak points. While she could hit a target a hundred feet away just as easily as she could one that was only ten, she found that practically everything she’d faced had been close enough for it to run up and hit her, if she wasn’t so good at dodging. With this as her choice, anything fighting her at close range would be even worse off.

  Lastly, she was informed that, in addition to the extra toughness she gained as ‘health points’, she had also picked up two new features for reaching level five as a scout. First of all, her skirmish attack would do additional damage, the extra ‘damage’ equivalent to what your average shortsword inflicted on its own. This was on top of the extra damage she was able to inflict by keeping mobile while she fought, which itself was on top of the damage her bow did on its own. Second of all she picked up Evasion, the skill to not only try to minimize the damage from attacks that covered a large area, like a dragon’s breath, but avoid it entirely if she was fast enough.

  Rurik chose ‘Improved Unarmed Strike’, making his fists deadly in combat, breaking bones instead of bruising flesh even without gauntlets, and further increasing the damage he did with them. He caught Fayne looking at his choice and shrugged, “Me weapons keep breakin’, lass, so I figured I’d get one that won’t.”

  She watched as he turned around, hiding his character sheet, clicking the rest of his choices before finalizing them, closing it. His stance changed, slightly, the class features of the samurai taking effect. Swinging his swords, he frowned and put away the shortsword, replacing it with the wakizashi that Badger had fixed. Flowing through a practice kata, his two swords seemed to move as one, and the slight pause where he’d mentally juggled trying to attack with both hands at once was now gone.

  Aria chose ‘Holy Radiance’, her saintly aureole of light doubling in strength. She walked outside of the r
oom to where the corpse of the wight still lay, which started sizzling and smoking when it was caught fully within her light. Smiling to herself at this new ability, which would be useful when they faced undead, but useless against the dragon they were going to fight, she walked back into their room.

  Badger, upon hitting his fifth level as a wizard, acquired an extra feat that needed to be assigned to something ‘magical’. For his first feat he chose ‘Eschew Materials’. Seeing Fayne looking over his shoulder, he explained, “Most spells require a bit of extra something, like a bit of iron, thread, or something similar. I had the supplies on hand for my Flaming Sphere, but for a Fireball?” he grinned. “With this I won’t have to worry about sourcing the required bat guano!”

  For his second he chose ‘Spell Penetration’. “And this will help me get a spell off on the dragon, or anything else that might be resistant to my magics. Nothing worse than fighting something that can just ignore everything you throw at it!” he exclaimed.

  Given how her armor was, or had once been, a dragon, she expected it to chime in, but it was silent. “If you say so,” she agreed. “I’ve never had anything ignore my arrows, but it would be bad.” Badger nodded in appreciation, moving with everyone else to store their gear in the extradimensional bag.

  “I guess we’re going to go fight a dragon now,” Aria stated, a trace of nervousness creeping into her tone.

  “If this be like a video game, then we best make sure we be ready, since we may not be able to come back ‘ere,” Rurik suggested.

  Badger walked out of their haven into the chilly hallway, the others following. “I think we’ve cleared this place out, maybe there’s more in the ruins in the cave, but I don’t think going back there is a good idea.”

  Moving through the ruined church, and then into the collapsed hall, Aria paused. “What about here?” she asked, looking at the door to the stairs upwards, leading to the walkway Fayne had shot the first set of remnants from. “What’s this way?”