Nova Terra: Guardian - A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Titan Series Book 4)

by Seth Ring

  [And I am Akira! Nice to meet you.] Taking the chance to climb up onto Thorn’s head again, Akira stood up on her hind legs and waved her front paws

  [Hello, Akira. Thank you for coming all this way to visit me.] Mani shifted her body and rested her head on her forelegs, her big eyes fixed on Thorn. [I asked Maugrim to bring you to see me. Please, sit and relax. Though we do not have too long, we should have enough time.]

  There was something about the big wolf’s eyes that gave Thorn a sense of calm, much like when he faced Hati. Pulling a large chair from his inventory, Thorn placed it on the smooth cave floor and sat down on it, taking Akira off of his head and holding her in his lap. Once he was comfortable, he nodded at the gigantic silver wolf.

  [May I ask if you are related to Hati?]

  [Of course, but before I answer that question, please bear with me as I tell you a story. It will hopefully settle many of your questions.] Lifting her head again, Mani looked up at the roof of the cave, as if she could see the bright moon despite the mountain in the way.

  [Long ago, this land was wild, with nothing but forests and mountains. The Immortals who walked Angoril were alone and spent their time creating wondrous crafts. Then, one day, the sky in the west split open and the gods arrived in a great hurry, fleeing the hungering void behind them. The chief immortal met them and, through her great magic, sealed the rift that their coming had formed. The gods were invited to stay by the kind immortals and began to explore Angoril. Yet they were unable to adapt to the solitary lifestyle of the immortals and the gods soon grew lonely.

  [Seeing this, the Immortals created many races in the shape and likeness of the gods, exchanging them for promises. Hati, god of Night, the Great Moon Wolf, promised to guard Angoril from external threats, and was given two races. The first were the Wolfkin, created as a mix between the Great Wolf himself, and the Immortals. The second were my people, the Children of the Moon. Together we lived and served Hati, assisting in his task of defending Angoril from threats. And for many years, all was well.]

  Pausing, the giant silver wolf turned her eyes on Thorn and Akira.

  [But the peace did not last. There came a new threat to the land, a cunning and greedy race from the void. Through deceit they slipped through the borders of the world, hiding in the hearts and minds of those that they corrupted. Over the course of a thousand years they slowly expanded their influence until one day they were able to open the rift in the western sky again. Through the rift came the dragons. Evil, corrupt, and arrogant, the dragons were the race that the gods had fled all those many years ago.

  [For reasons unknown to us, the gods retreated, leaving the races created to serve them to forge their own way. Thankfully, before the dragons could bathe the world in absolute chaos, the immortals stepped forward and in a battle that shook the world, they established rules by which the dragons were forced to abide. Though they dominated Angoril for a time, they were eventually cast down.]

  [So those were the era of the gods, and the era of the dragons, right?] Thinking back to the mural he had seen of the human and Demonkin heroes leading their people to overthrow the dragons, Thorn scratched his head.

  [That is correct. Then came what the created races generally call the Imperial Era. The dragons were overthrown once their leader was slain. Dragons are, by nature, cowards, and they hid themselves as soon as they realized there was a power in this world that was strong enough to kill them.]

  [You mean that they are still alive?]

  [And watching everything that is happening.] Mani blinked her big eyes as she looked at Thorn seriously. [While they are cowards, dragons are strong. Stronger than you can imagine. They wait in the shadows, biding their time until they can once again rise up. But enough about the evil wyrms. We stray from what is important. Let us speak of Mayari and the story of the Wolfkin.]

  Eyes narrowing slightly, Thorn scratched Akira’s soft belly as he listened. This was the topic he was most interested in.

  [To properly understand Mayari’s story, you must first understand how the Children of the Moon differ from the Wolfkin. As you are well aware, Fang Valley is ruled by the Greymane, who oversees the Wolfkin and the Temple of the Moon. While the valley was ruled by the Wolfkin and their leader, the mountains outside of the valley are the hunting ground of the Children of the Moon. The gap between our races was bridged by the High Priestess of Hati who served as my race’s representative.

  [When I was a pup and my mother was the Matron of the Children of the Moon, Mayari was the High Priestess, chosen for her beauty and gentle character. Yet the corruption of the invaders is subtle and dangerous. Through her relationship with a Wolfkin named Davyos, Mayari was turned from the truth and twisted into something sinister. Her natural ability to bring peace to anyone who met her was warped into an aura of enchantment, snaring those who came too near.

  [Under the guise of diplomacy, she reached out to a dark organization called Devil’s Blood and invited them to Fang Valley where they began to exploit the land and the Wolfkin. The Wolfkin were furious at her betrayal, and with great sacrifice they stormed the temple, fighting against the assassins that guarded her, and sealed her away. The dark organization that she had invited into the valley was driven out, though they have never stopped trying to free her.]

  [Oh! Master, those must be the skeletons that we found!] Akira abruptly sat up and waved her claws in excitement. However, just as quickly she lay back down and pulled Thorn’s hand which had stopped rubbing her belly.

  [Yes, the remains have been left in the temple as a warning.] Mani nodded her head slightly. [The entrance to the valley was hidden by my mother’s magic, preventing those that seek to free Mayari from finding her location. However, the magic has recently worn away and the danger of someone stumbling upon the old temple has emerged. To prevent this, I have instructed Maugrim to lead the other children to prevent everyone from approaching the temple. This has undoubtedly drawn the attention of the remnants of Devil’s Blood, who have never stopped searching the mountains and the valley for the temple.]

  [So, let me get this straight.] Thorn’s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation. [Rather than kill the high priestess, the Wolfkin just trapped her for the last who knows how many years in a magical prison? A magical prison whose key happens to be the Ring of the Wolf Lord that symbolizes the position of the Greymane? And there is an organization of evil assassins who is trying to free her?]

  [It was not that they did not want to kill Mayari.] Releasing a long sigh, the silver wolf shook her head. [The laws of the Wolfkin are strict and sometimes inflexible. Until the Greymane, along with the consent of the Matron and Temple Elder, declares Mayari as fallen, no Wolfkin may touch her. That is why the symbol of the Greymane was used as the key to open the magical prison. Sadly, before my mother was able to discuss this issue with the Greymane, he disappeared. We always suspected it had something to do with Davyos, but nothing was ever confirmed. Eventually we retreated from the valley as the Wolfkin began to work with humans, watching from the mountains until the day when the Greymane returned.]

  [Well, here I am.] Thorn spread his arms. [What is it that you are actually asking of me?]

  [Simple. Release Mayari and slay her, ending the devilish taint in the valley. After that, we will be able to appoint a new high priestess, and the Children of the Moon will be able to return to the land we once called home.]

  *ding*

  Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

  Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

  Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

  Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, has led you to speak to his leader who claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her so that a new high priestess can be appointed. To
defeat Mayari, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

  Reward: Children of the Moon, High Priestess of Hati

  After reading over the quest, Thorn’s frown deepened. This whole situation felt strangely vague and he was not sure what to make of it. Too many pieces did not seem to fit, but he did not know if that was simply because he lacked a proper understanding of what had actually happened all those years ago. While every quest gave the option for completing it in a variety of ways, this was the first that Thorn had seen give such explicitly clear directions for multiple paths.

  Still, it was obvious that the game was allowing him a greater degree of freedom with this quest than he had previously experienced. Deciding not to make any firm decisions until he got the chance to talk to Velin, Corvo and Elder Havva about the whole situation, Thorn accepted the quest and was about to leave when he remembered something.

  [Excuse me, may I ask a question?] Turning back to face Mani, Thorn scratched his head.

  [Of course.]

  [When you first saw me, you said that you were surprised to see me because you thought all of my people died eons ago. Can you tell me more about that?]

  [Are you unaware of your heritage?] Taken aback, Mani sat up, her head towering over Thorn. Tilting her head to the side, she regarded the Titan for a moment as amusement bloomed in her eyes. [What I know is little, simply myths and legends wreathed in the mists of time. I’ll tell you what. Once you have completed this quest, I’ll tell you everything I know.]

  *ding*

  Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

  Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

  Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

  Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, has led you to speak to his leader who claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her so that a new high priestess can be appointed. To defeat Mayari, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

  As a special reward, Mani, the matron of the Children of the Moon has agreed to tell you what she knows about the Titan race.

  Reward: Children of the Moon, High Priestess of Hati, Information about Titans

  With a sigh, Thorn agreed and said goodbye to Mani, allowing Maugrim to lead him out of the cave that the Children of the Moon called home. The giant black wolf led him a different way back toward the valley, and after three hours, Thorn and Akira found themselves looking down over Fang Valley from the mountain above the ruins of the old Greymane Keep. Stopping at the peak of the hill, Maugrim looked unblinkingly at Thorn for a full minute before he spoke.

  “For the time being, we will continue to prevent anyone from approaching Mayari, but unless you want the valley to turn into a warzone between the Devil Blood Assassins and the Children of the Moon I recommend that you resolve it quickly. We have caught their scent in the valley so they will no doubt come for you.”

  With that last word of warning Maugrim turned and, without looking back, disappeared into the darkness. The barest hints of light peeked above the mountains to the east, promising the morning sun. Sitting down on the side of the hill, Thorn brought out food from his inventory and shared it with Akira, taking a moment to process everything that had happened that night. After finishing the meal, he rose, stretched, put his helmet back on, and started down the hill.

  Unable to contact Velin due to the communication restrictions from his [Living Statue] curse, Thorn focused on getting back to Moon Wolf Citadel as quickly as possible. He had succeeded in finding Akira, but this new quest added a new wrinkle to their plans. On top of needing to resolve the [Living Statue] curse, he had to deal with an evil organization and a race of gigantic wolves turning his land into a battlefield.

  The morning broke over the mountain range, thick golden light creeping like syrup across the valley floor. Thorn had been running for almost an hour when he suddenly slowed. The area he was in was still shrouded in deep darkness as the massive trees blocked the morning sun. Akira had been enjoying her ride on his shoulder, chatting away as normal when she abruptly stopped talking, her nose twitching.

  [Did you sense something?]

  [Master, how can you not smell all that blood?] Akira’s eyes darted back and forth at the shadows surrounding them.

  [My nose is a bit blocked up at the moment.]

  [Ugh, but it’s so thick I can practically taste it!] Spitting, a bit, Akira held her claws over her mouth.

  [Can you tell how many people there are?] Taking a neutral stance, Thorn took a deep breath, calming himself and sharpening his concentration as he got ready to accept an attack from any direction.

  [The smell is too strong. I’m sorry, master.]

  [Don’t worry about it.] Picking up on the downcast tone of Akira’s voice, Thorn reassured her. [It was great that you were able to smell them. I never would have noticed them on my own.]

  Perking back up, Akira wiggled her body happily. With a leap, she left Thorn’s shoulder and landed on a nearby tree branch.

  [Master! Someone is coming!]

  As Akira’s words rang out in Thorn’s head, he saw a shadow detaching itself from the gloom of the surrounding forest. The shadow stepped into the half light that filtered through the dense trees, revealing a deep red mask and black armor. The blood red mask was entirely smooth, reminding Thorn of a motorcycle helmet, and had a set of three black triangles where the left eye should be.

  No glint of light could be seen from the blackened armor that adorned the figure, though the two long dagger handles protruding from sheathes on their lower back gave a clear indication that they were not friendly. Gliding forward with smooth steps, the figure stopped when they were twenty feet from Thorn.

  “Greetings, Lord Greymane. I have been looking for you.” The figure bowed his head slightly, hands never straying far from the hilts of their daggers. “I have an offer for you that you will not be able to refuse.”

  [Akira, what are the chances that these people are the Blood Devil assassins that Mani and Maugrim were talking about?]

  [Um, I would guess that the chances are pretty high.]

  [And what are the chances that me not being able to talk will cause us to get into a fight?]

  [Ah. I would guess even higher.]

  [Well, better get to it then.]

  CHAPTER NINE

  Dropping into a slight crouch, the pistons in Thorn’s leg armor hissed quietly as they compressed. Abruptly throwing himself forward, he activated his armor’s second set ability, [Predator's Leap]. The micro pistons exploded open, launching him into the air toward the masked figure.

  Though startled by the abrupt attack, the masked figure still reacted quickly. Dodging backwards and drawing the two long daggers at his waist, the figure let out a low whistle. Instantly, Thorn sensed figures bursting from the shadows all around him. Dressed in black from head to toe with heavy black masks, they all held a heavy dagger in each hand, hacking toward Thorn’s large figure.

  In the middle of his jump, Thorn ignored the incoming attackers and drew back his hand, aiming a strike at the red-masked leader. His armor’s ability allowed him to jump four times his normal distance, and no matter how quickly the red-masked leader retreated, he could not escape Thorn’s reach. Lashing out, his shining silver claws ripping through the air, Thorn attacked. The red masked leader twisted to the side, dropping his head toward the floor as it bent unbelievably low.

  The razor sharp claws passing above the red masked leader’s head abruptly changed direction as Thorn brought his fingers together like a bird’s beak, jabbing down toward the smooth red mask. Sensing the razor sharp claws darting toward his face, the leader brought up his daggers, crossing the blades in front of his face to intercept the claws.

  *TING*

  Thorn’s claws slammed into th
e crossed blades like a strike from a warpick, driving the leader toward the ground as the sound echoed among the trees. Without stopping, Thorn stomped with his armor-covered foot, smashing it down as the red-masked leader vanished from the ground in a puff of shadow. Under the force of his foot the forest floor shuddered, cracks running through the dirt. Reappearing on a nearby branch, the leader cursed under his breath. Looking down, it saw that where Thorn’s claws landed on the blades there were deep cracks running all the way through to the hilt. Cursing again,he tossed away the handles of the ruined daggers.

  On the forest floor the charging assassins had reached Thorn, chopping at him from every angle. Turning as they arrived, Thorn lifted his arms, catching most of the attacks on his forearms. The heavy knives cut down, a few slipping through his raised arms to strike his shoulders and back. With a shriek of metal, the attacks glanced off of Thorn’s armor, sparks lighting up the darkness.