by Seth Ring
Nova Terra: Guardian
SETH RING
Nova Terra: Guardian
Copyright © 2020 by Seth Ring.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
1st Edition
Contents
Nova Terra: Guardian
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Afterword
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE
A giant Wolfkin robot. That is what came to mind when Thorn looked in the mirror. The Rakkam smiths had crafted an entire Wolfkin out of a mixture of Fire Iron and Darksteel, creating a bronze colored behemoth for Thorn to wear. From the tips of the clawed boots to the top of the helmet’s ears, the suit covered every inch of Thorn’s massive body in thick metal.
Flexing the clawed fingers of his gauntlets, Thorn rotated his hands, admiring the thick carvings that covered every inch of the armor plates. The Stone Dwarves were truly masters of their craft, and despite the size and weight of the heavy armor set, Thorn did not feel constricted in the least. Stretching his shoulders, Thorn opened up the armor’s stats.
Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor
Crafted for Lord Greymane, The Moon Wolf, by the Master Smith Varroh Belshir, this set of masterwork armor was commissioned by the heroes who defeated Courdum the Stone King.
Made from a Fire Iron and Darksteel alloy, the Wolf Lord’s heavy armor is marked with the holy symbol of Hati, the god of the night.
Armor Bonuses:
+Speed
[Quicksilver Claws]
+Strength
[Predator's Leap]
+Constitution
[Moon’s Reflection]
Turning to the dwarven blacksmiths who were watching him put on the armor, Thorn gave them a thumbs up. Unlike the other armor he had seen, this armor was created as a set and could only be worn as a total unit, preventing him from being able to add or remove pieces. On the plus side, that meant that it gained all the bonuses of a full set without needing to be collected piece by piece.
Quicksilver Claws
Using a special Orichalcum alloy, Master Smith Varroh has added a deadly edge to these claws. An additional enchantment increases the wearer’s hand speed.
Fast and deadly, these claws have increased cutting power.
Predator's Leap
A set of specially constructed micro-pistons in the legs of this armor allow the user to leap four times as far as normal. After each leap, the micro-pistons take six minutes to recharge.
Moon’s Reflection
The reflection of the moon on a lake looks near yet cannot be touched. Arcane enchantments gather energy from the moon, allowing the wearer of the [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] to phase out of sync with the world for two seconds. After three phases, the armor must collect more moonlight to recharge.
“Looks good.” Corvo examined the bronze colored armor. Used to seeing Thorn in shining silver armor, the Wolfkin-themed bronze armor lent the Titan a fierce air.
“It better look good, it cost a fortune,” Mina said, poking one of the hard metal studs along the spine of Thorn’s armor.
“A small price to pay for helping us beat the World Quest.”
Looking over his shoulder, Thorn saw the beautiful guild leader of the Eastern Alliance standing next to Velin. BurningCloud had messaged Thorn two days after the fight against Courdum the Stone King inviting him to meet her in Rakkam. Once there, she presented him with enough master level [Dwarven Gear Tokens] to commission a complete set of armor from the master blacksmiths.
The [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] was the result, a fearsome set that included offensive, defensive, and movement abilities as part of its traits. The three abilities of the armor came at a welcome time as Thorn’s other abilities were completely locked down thanks to the [Living Statue] curse he had picked up from swallowing the corrupted [Stone Heart] in the fight with Courdum.
Turning his attention back to his armor, Thorn pulled up his status with a mental command.
Name: [Thorn]
Race: [Titan]
Health: [100%]
Mana: [100%]
Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart (Corrupted)], [Living Statue]
Class: [Disciple]
Mastery: [None]
Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]
Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]
The number of titles and abilities listed was enough to make anyone green with envy, but Thorn could only shake his head, despondent. The [Living Statue] curse not only locked his abilities, but it also removed his ability to communicate with others. No speaking, no sending messages through his in-game messaging system, no initiating video calls. The best Thorn could do was write messages on paper and hand them out.
“Thank you for your gift. It was very generous of you.” Next to BurningCloud, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and took a slight step forward, positioning herself neatly between BurningCloud and Thorn
. “Nova Luna appreciates it.”
“Of course. It is the least we can do.” Giving the Elf a sweet smile, BurningCloud turned her attention back toward Thorn who was still looking at his status. When the Titan did not look up, she gave a small cough to get his attention.
Looking up, Thorn saw the two ladies staring at him. Similar in height and in attractiveness, the auras they exuded could not have been more different. BurningCloud was the definition of a fiery beauty, her red phoenix armor giving off a mature charm. Velin, on the other hand, was almost ethereal. No less beautiful, she exuded a glacial calm. Feeling a bead of sweat run down his back at the two gazes fixed on him, Thorn gave them another thumbs up and grabbed Corvo by the arm, pulling him out of the room.
Behind him, BurningCloud sniffed, annoyance flashing across her eyes. Velin, on the other hand, seemed oddly pleased and immediately engaged the pretty guild leader in small talk, preventing her from following Thorn. Mina and Jorge, watching all this from the side, glanced at each other and then back at the two beautiful ladies. Almost as one they swallowed and then fled the room.
Once he was outside Thorn let go of Corvo’s arm and breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that they were in an open space, Thorn gestured toward his fellow avatar’s chest and then pointed at himself, punching his fist into his palm. The avatar of the All-Seeing Raven shook his head resolutely as he backed up.
“Absolutely not!” Corvo shook his head vehemently. “Find someone else if you want to beat up on them. I have no desire to get my head kicked in just so you can test your new armor. Ah! Jorge, come here. Mina, you too.”
Grasping his opportunity, the avatar dragged Mina and Jorge in between him and Thorn. Patting them on their shoulders, he smiled and pointed at them.
“These two are really good fighters so you can test yourself against them.”
Slowly lifting his hand, Thorn held out three fingers, and then, before Corvo could respond, he rushed forward to attack.
“What? You want to fight all three of us? How insulting!” Pretending to be angry, Mina pointed her wand at Thorn. Her voice quivered in amusement as she summoned her three ice orbs to float around her head. At the same moment she slid sideways, pushing off of Jorge who tumbled away, vanishing as he went. With Mina and Jorge vanishing from in front of him, Corvo was left in the charging Titan’s path.
“Oh, come on,” the Elf grumbled, jumping backward nimbly.
Grinning under his helmet, Thorn shot a glance at Mina who was still sliding to his right. The Ice Witch was moving too quickly for him to intercept her and a quick look to his left showed Jorge was nowhere to be seen. Fixing his eyes back on Corvo, Thorn lifted his fist and let loose a punch, straight toward the Elf’s face. With another sigh, the thin figure in front of Thorn flicked his fingers, catching a rapier as it dropped out of the air.
Just as Thorn’s fist was about to reach him Corvo floated sideways, his ragged coat shimmering. Almost fading from Thorn’s sight, the tip of his sword drew a small circle around the incoming attack. Slightly mesmerized by the strange movement of Corvo’s coat, it wasn’t until it was too late that Thorn realized his punch had been drawn off course, smashing into the ground. At the same moment he felt the point of the rapier scratch along the armor around his throat, deflecting away.
Seeing his attack fail, Corvo cursed under his breath and sprang away, his coat transforming into a pair of wings as he moved. Impressed by his new armor, Thorn turned to the others, only to find the courtyard completely empty. Both Mina and Jorge had run away, totally abandoning the fight. Above him, Corvo had completed his transformation into a bird and was glaring at the Titan from a small perch near the ceiling.
With Mina and Jorge gone and Corvo refusing to come down, all Thorn could do was sigh and shrug. He briefly considered going back to find Velin but the memory of the Elf standing next to BurningCloud made him sweat. Deciding that he wanted no part of whatever was going on there, Thorn was about to escape as well when he heard a gruff voice from near his knee.
“So? Whatcha think?”
Barely coming up to his thigh, Master Smith Varroh was as wide as he was tall. Having seen the Master Smith wield a hammer in each hand as he crushed metal into submission, Thorn knew he would be no fun to face in a fight. Opening his mouth, Thorn could only close it again in frustration. Not being able to speak was turning out to be a serious drag. Instead, he had to make do with giving Master Smith a thumbs up.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re mute. Sorry, forgot about that.” Tapping his pipe reflexively, Varroh narrowed his eyes as he considered something. “Hey, you want to test your armor out? I know a good spot where you can get a good workout.”
Perking up, Thorn nodded. Fighting was quickly becoming one of his favorite parts of the game but none of his friends seemed to want to give it a go. Not that he could blame them. At eight feet, nine inches tall, Thorn had both strength and reach on all of them. Add nearly limitless endurance and then wrap metal around it and you had a walking tank. Not the most fun duel for anyone.
“Alright. Come along. I’ll take you over.” Spinning on his heels, Master Smith Varroh led Thorn out of the smithy’s yard. The Master Smith was chatty in a slow and steady way and introduced Thorn to all of the different blacksmith shops as they walked through the forge district of Rakkam. As it turned out, all of the smiths were connected to him in some way, with most being the apprentices of smiths that had been his apprentices. Thorn could tell that Varroh was quite proud of this and did his best to show interest, though that proved difficult with his wolf head helmet on.
Back at Varroh’s smithy, Velin and BurningCloud walked out into the shop’s yard and looked around. Not seeing anyone, BurningCloud finally said goodbye and left. Watching her go, Velin’s face resumed its normal coldness, the warm smile she had shown BurningCloud nowhere to be seen.
“You need to do something about that kid.” Corvo’s annoyed voice floated down from where he was perched in his bird form.
Watching him jump off his perch, his wide black wings spreading as he glided down, Velin raised an eyebrow.
“Did he try to fight you again?”
“Yeah, Mina and Jorge both ran away, leaving me alone.”
“Where is he now?” Velin gave a slight smile. This same drama had been playing over and over ever since Thorn had lost his voice after the fight against Courdum the Stone King.
“He wandered off with Varroh, the Master Smith. Probably looking for a place to test his armor.”
“Good. Hopefully he can blow off a little steam. I think he is just frustrated and fighting is the only way he knows how to express that.”
“Sure, I get it. But he doesn’t have to express it on me, does he?”
“You’re fine. More importantly,” Velin flipped open her notebook, her finger running down a list she had written. “How are you doing with that transportation?”
“I contacted my friend, but Thorn’s weight is going to be a real problem. Are you sure that getting to Rasyn will help with this curse? I had to call in a lot of favors for this.”
Instead of replying, Velin pulled a vial from her inventory and held it in front of Corvo’s beak. His eyes going wide, his form blurred, and he turned back into his Elven form, taking the vial from her hand.
“The sap of the world tree?” Almost choking on the words as he said them, it was obvious that Corvo could hardly believe it.
“It is only a drop, but yes. If anything can clear Thorn’s [Living Statue] curse, the sap of the world tree can. I’ve tracked the world tree to Rasyn. Once we get there, we can find the tree and the sap, completing a quest for me and clearing Thorn’s curse.”
“Do you think it will be as simple as just getting there and searching for it? No one else has found the world tree. At least, that we know of.”
“I know, but a long shot is better than no shot at all.” Velin sighed and rubbed her forehead. “We only have three weeks until Thorn is supposed to be in the capital for his
hearing, so whatever we do it has to be fast.”
“Alright. Well, I put out the call so hopefully we can make something happen. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”
“Thanks, Corvo.” Snapping her notebook shut, Velin took back the vial of sap from the world tree and put it away carefully. “I’ve got to track Thorn down. Who knows where he wandered.”
“That’s true. He could be getting up to all sorts of trouble with the dwarven ladies.” Chuckling, Corvo turned back into a large raven, wheeling above Velin’s head. “Can’t be letting other ladies get their claws into him, can we? He is young and impressionable after all.”
Ignoring the teasing, Velin just rolled her eyes and set off to find the Titan.
CHAPTER TWO
Master Smith Varroh strolled through the maze of forges, Thorn following close behind. Eventually arriving at a large ramp, he brought Thorn onto a platform half way down the side of a giant pit. The ramp continued to the left, angling along the pit wall until it reached the bottom of the pit, nearly three hundred feet down. Heavy duty rails ran down the length of the ramp and a massive pulley system dragged metal cars up to the pit floor.