Brace For the Wolves

by Nathan Thompson

  She had started to raise her voice and pump her hands near the end of her speech, and she apparently realized it, because she suddenly closed her eyes and took a long, deep sigh.

  “Sorry about that. Back on topic. My point is, your gains were already pushed to the limit, both by your own efforts and by your status as a Challenger. Having your original body here should give you yet another increase, one that you’ve already noticed, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said slowly. “Now I get seven Trait points and five skill points to spend per Rise. And it’s a little harder to Rise now. Even now, I can feel the leftover power, but some sort of latch is keeping me from using it to undergo another Rise. It feels like it’s a safety mechanism.”

  “It is,” Breena said with a sigh of relief. “That’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. And I’m glad your original Earth body has one too.”

  “Why do I have it?” I asked, curious.

  “Because it is theoretically possible for a person to Rise faster than what their minds and bodies are designed to handle,” Breena explained. “It’s very rare, but every now and then there will be a person dedicated enough, or crazy enough,” she added accusingly, “that can find a way to grow or push themselves to their very limits. You’ve hit that limit, Wes. Congratulations.”

  “But I can still push past it though,” I argued.

  Breena blinked again.

  “What do you mean, Wes?”

  “I mean I was able to Rise again like fifteen minutes later. After I had freed everybody. It was tough, and I felt like I locked up again afterwards, but it also felt like I had to do it or I’d explode.”

  Breena sighed again.

  “Okay... okay,” she said after taking another deep breath. “The bad news is that this is really dangerous. The good news is that you haven’t crossed any lethal boundaries yet, or the magic really would have blown you up, Wes. Let’s see if we can fix this.”

  She flew in a circle around my head, muttering and trailing pink dust.

  “Alright, looks like your mind-screen’s still acting up. Is that right? Can you access it at all right now?”

  I tried again, and shook my head.

  “It comes on in bursts to notify me of new messages, but I have no control over it.”

  “Shoot,” Breena muttered. “I noticed last night but there was too much else going on to deal with it. Nice to know we can spend centuries refining something, and still discover new problems with it.”

  “Sorry,” I sighed. “Really didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Breena replied. “I’m doing it again. I’m complaining over something that you had no idea was a problem. I said I’m going to do better, so I will. Now let’s see if we can fix this.” She closed her eyes and began chanting again. More magic dust settled over my face, making me sneeze once or twice. “Now try again,” she said after she finished muttering.

  I willed my information to come up, and it finally did.

  Wes Malcolm

  Race: Human. Origin: Earth, Avalon (Challenger)

  Growth Level: Sixth Rise (Flash)

  Path: War (Second Step)

  Path: Kings (Second Step)

  Saga: Unconquered Hero

  Act 1: Defiant Heart. (+5 to Challenger’s Constitution and Will. Gain Increased Resistance to Fear, Despair, and Trauma)

  Profession: Lord (Rank: Landed Knight) (+5 to Challenger’s Charisma and Will. Increased ability to manage groups of people.)

  Art: Forming

  Science: Forming

  Craft: Forming

  Vital Pool: 1140

  Stamina Pool: 1140

  Mana Pool: 1120

  Strength: 52

  Dexterity: 52

  Constitution: 54

  Intelligence: 52

  Wisdom: 57

  Charisma: 47

  Speed: 62

  Deftness: 56

  Wits: 63

  Will: 75

  Rise Points Remaining: 21 (can increase the six primary traits at a 1:1 ratio, or the four secondary traits at a 1:2 ratio.)

  28 skill points remaining

  Insight into the Following Ideals

  Earth: lvl 6 Initiate Level Unlocked: Mana Cost decreased

  Muddy Earth has been upgraded to Sinking Earth.

  Air: lvl 6 Initiate Level Unlocked: Improvement to potency, decrease in casting cost to all Air Spells) (Initiate Bonus Unlocked)

  Friction Slash has been Upgraded to Friction Slice. (Increase in damage, area of effect)

  Lightning: lvl 7 Initiate Level Unlocked: Mana Cost decreased

  Shock Bolt has been upgraded to Lightning Bolt

  Skill List truncated (New Skill levels listed)

  Unarmed Fighting 6 (Initiate) (Increase to unarmed damage, unarmed accuracy and natural resistance to damage) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Attack Speed)

  Light Blades 6 (Initiate) (Increase to Light Blades’ Accuracy and Damage, slight increase to critical hit chance for all weapons) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Ability to make unnoticed attacks)

  Long Blades 6 (Initiate) (Increase to Long Blades’ Accuracy and Damage, slight increase to accuracy for all weapons) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Resistance to Disarming attempts)

  Polearms 6 (Initiate) (Increase to Polearms’ Accuracy and Damage, slight increase to diverting opponent’s attacks) (Initiate Bonus: Increased accuracy for attacks made at maximum melee range)

  Dodge 6 (Initiate) (increased chance to dodge attacks and preserve Stamina while doing so) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Awareness for Unseen Attacks)

  Parry 6 (Initiate) (increased chance to dodge attacks and preserve Stamina while doing so) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Chance to Predict Opposing Attacks)

  Dual Wielding 4 (Initiate) (increased accuracy and damage when using multiple weapons, decreased penalty for complex fighting, slight increase to attack speed for all weapons)

  Pain Tolerance Rank 6 (Initiate) (Initiate Bonus: New Resistances Gained, Increased Ability to Remain Conscious)

  Mental Preservation Rank 6 (Initiate) (Initiate Bonus: New Resistances Gained, Increased Capacity for Withstanding Long-Term Trauma)

  General Mastery (Melee) Rank 6 (Initiate) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Chance to Recognize and Learn Techniques of All Weapons)

  General Mastery (Magic) Rank 6 (Initiate) (Initiate Bonus: Increased Chance to Recognize and Learn Spells from all Ideals)

  Spell list truncated

  “Ow,” Breena and I both said at once as we processed a giant wall of text in a matter of seconds.

  My fairy friend looked as if she was about to yell again, then caught herself.

  “Okay, Wes. What’s done is done. The important thing is that we’ve got your mind-screen working again. It looks like you didn’t lose any of your skills. But how did you get some of these increases? It looks like you spent a lot of time fighting and killing with a lot of different… everything.”

  “Yeah,” I said with a swallow. “That sums up yesterday… pretty well, in fact.”

  Now that I had a good night’s sleep and wasn’t currently being tortured, it was a little harder to ignore the number of people I had killed yesterday, and just how many different methods I had used to kill them. Again, I was more bothered by the lack of remorse I felt than anything else. That, and the fact that I could see myself being approached by a horror movie director if I ever got back to Earth.

  “Right,” Breena said suddenly. “There were a couple of refugees who wanted to know if wearing other people’s blood was a normal thing back on Earth. I told them you were just having a really bad day. But speaking of which—oh, here it goes.”

  The Challenger has slain two sergeant-ranked soldiers in Stellar War, and one additional sergeant-ranked soldier with assistance from a bonded companion. Bonded Companion has gained Infamy in Stellar War. The Challenger has also gained Infamy. The Challenger has gained sufficient Infamy to be recognized as a notable figure during battle. Figures who recognize the Challenger on eit
her side of Stellar War will gain awareness of the Challenger’s Infamy and will react accordingly.

  “Great,” I said sarcastically. “I’m going to be recognized as a greater threat on the battlefield, while giving a tiny morale boost to anyone unlucky enough to be on my side. Whatever.”

  “Wes,” Breena asked carefully. “What’s Stellar War?”

  “I was hoping you’d tell me,” I replied. “Do you or Stell know anything about that?”

  “No, Wes,” Breena said in a small voice. “I’ve never heard of it. Which means no one else probably ever has. And I mean no one, Wes.” Breena fluttered closer to me. “Not Stell. Not the Icons. Not any of the colleges your new friends have come from. This is something completely unheard of.”

  “Breena, not to argue with you,” I said carefully. “But the last time you told me something that gave me messages wasn’t real, it showed up to wreck my face.”

  Speaking of which, I said to the quiet voice in my mind. I think I know who you are. And we’re not done yet.

  I know, the small quiet voice said back to me. And I rage.

  That was apparently all I was getting out of it for now. Fine. Moving on.

  “I’m… I’m sorry about that, Wes,” Breena said mournfully. “If we had paid more attention to your warnings about Malus, we might not be in this position. I promised to do better, and I meant it. I won’t blow you off again. But tell me: what do you know about this Stellar War, and why, or how, did you start it?”

  “I didn’t start it,” I said defensively.

  “Wes,” Breena said carefully. “The notification I just got from my own mind-screen told me that you were one of the principal leaders of a faction, and that you were the main instrument in starting Stellar War. I was also notified that since I was bonded with you, and since I helped kill one of the bad Earth-men, that I had joined your side in Stellar War. Can you please tell me what you know about that? About this supposedly cosmic war you’ve begun?”

  “All I did was kill a bunch of people,” I said lamely. Damn it. That sounded way better in my head.

  “Okay,” Breena said with a deep breath. “Who were they?”

  “I got the first message when I killed my would-be executioner. I got a message after that every time I killed a Malus Man—Malus Member—I mean, whatever we’ll call members of the Order of Malus.”

  “So people from Earth,” Breena clarified. “Who can make projected bodies and come here.”

  “Right,” I said with a nod. “And it doesn’t seem to matter which type of body I kill, just that they can make them to begin with. So far that’s the only time I’ve gotten that message.”

  “So it didn’t happen when you killed the Horde?”

  “Nope,” I shook my head. “Just other human beings. From my planet. It seems to specify that they have to be from the Order of Malus though. Otherwise I don’t think I’ll get any credit for the kills.”

  “Credit?” Breena asked, cocking her head. “What do you mean you get credit every time you kill someone?”

  “Every time I kill a Malus member,” I corrected. “So far they’re calling it Infamy. When I start getting enough Infamy, I get fancy ranks and names, and some free stuff.”

  It felt wrong calling the stuff ‘free,’ since I had to kill someone to get it. Then again, homicide still hasn’t been recognized by any nation as legal tender for debts public and private, so I was probably still in the clear for my choice of words.

  Breena and my conscience disagreed.

  “What do you mean you get ‘free stuff’ every time you kill a person, Wes? Does it just pop out of mid-air?”

  “More or less,” I admitted. “I have to summon it though.”

  “I’m…not sure how I feel about all of this.”

  “Me neither,” I admitted. “Moral ramifications aside, I’ve accepted help from an entity, or group of entities I have no knowledge about. But I would literally be naked right now if they hadn’t rewarded me with a uniform, and half of the resources the refugees are using came from them too.”

  “Wait, what?” she asked suddenly. “Explain that last part!”

  “As best as I can tell, I can spend the Infamy I gain to requisition all kinds of supplies. I can get basic weapons, uniforms, and normal equipment that the Cosmic Council apparently deems soldiers carry with them into the field. That’s where a good part of the rations, water flasks, blankets and bedding all came from. Only half of that stuff had come from the underground prison we broke out of.”

  “Okay,” Breena said, waving her hands in defeat. “We don’t know anything else, and this...thing we’re doing is something we’d have to do anyway because the Malus people are still trying to kill us. I’ll just table my concerns until we learn more. Moving on.”

  Challenger Wes Malcolm has been awarded the rank of Sergeant for his participation in Stellar War. The Challenger may now form a unit of six people to fight alongside in Stellar War.

  “Okay,” I said out loud. “I can create a special, linked team of six people now.”

  Breena nodded.

  “Thanks for telling me. Anything else?”

  The Challenger may summon more advanced personal equipment from the Cosmic Armory. Items include a basic short blade, a basic mace, or a basic shield. The Challenger can increase the quality of one of the above-mentioned items.

  “They’re saying I can have more free stuff, like a mace, a shield and a short blade, and that I can have one of those items be upgraded. I think I’m going to get a mace and an upgraded shield. I’m holding off on a new blade since I already have a better one than what they’re offering.”

  “Okay,” Breena nodded. “Those sound like good choices. Anything else?”

  “Yeah,” I said while reading the next message silently. “It’s saying that I can designate a base to receive resources at. The location can receive further benefits as Stellar War progresses. But the main thing is that it can grant defensive bonuses and allow more resources to arrive at this location.”

  “I see,” Breena said with a nervous nod. “But does it say anything else?”

  “No,” I said with a shake of my head. “That makes it dangerous. But it’s a chance to get more resources for people we’re already stretched thin protecting. Wait.” I looked again. “Avalon. Do you have any knowledge or recommendations about this?”

  “Data not found regarding the origin of Stellar War. Data found suggesting that designating the defunct shelter as a military base will allow for more resources to be devoted to Protocol In Case Of Trouble. Avalon recommends that the Challenger designate this site as a base for Stellar War.”

  “Thank you, Avalon. Please devote whatever spare resources you have left over from all other directives to obtaining more data about Stellar War.”

  “Command confirmed.”

  “Well,” Breena hedged.

  “I know,” I answered for her. “Even with Avalon’s recommendation this is still a risk, and it’s still on me to make the call. I’m going to act on the knowledge that our current enemies already know where we are and that they might be receiving resources too. So I’m going to allow for the designation.”

  I closed my eyes and willed for our location to be designated as a base of operations.

  Designation accepted, my mind-screen said back to me. The Challenger has been recognized as the leader of this location by the Cosmic Council. New resources will be available in time.

  The Challenger has taken another step onto the Path of War. New skills will be available in time.

  The Challenger has taken another step onto the Path of Kings. New skills will be available in time.

  And that was it.

  “Great,” I said. “Not that much changed. But it looks like I might get some free skills eventually.”

  “That’s good, I suppose,” Breena answered. “Let’s go back to talking about your mind-screen.”

  That was another long conversation. I tried to bring Breena up to speed
on how I was stuck on Avalon now and would in all likelihood never be able to do more than visit my original planet. She grieved with me, and when we were finished, we went back to talking about my stat-screen.

  I had wondered how my abilities had increased so drastically, as well as how I had managed to Rise three times with just one push. She explained that it was part of hitting my limit. The leftover power had to go somewhere, and so it had spilled into my Traits and qualified me for new skills related to the Challenges I overcame. Hence my skills pertaining to surviving trauma and increasing my pain threshold. When I had hit the limit for that, it had moved onto upgrading my Traits, specifically any Trait that I had been forced to exercise.

  The torture had targeted my muscles, my health, my balance, my reasoning, my sanity, and my sense of self. Basically all of me. So all of my basic Traits rose by three additional points per Rise. More than I had been able to rise through my own intense exercising. I didn’t know what to think of that.