Watcher's Test

by Sean Oswald

  At first, upon seeing all the crowd over some fifty people that had gathered to watch him on all sides, Dave was inclined to stop and go into the house, but then he caught himself. Why should he be embarrassed? At level 15, he was a veritable monster to many of these people, and they deserved to see that the man who was going to be protecting them had some skills. Besides, he had done demonstrations before in the past when his master had set up martial arts demonstrations in various settings and required all of the black belts from the dojang to participate. So, by golly, if they wanted to see a show, he would give them a show.

  Without allowing it to become obvious that he was suddenly aware of their presence, Dave drew back, adopting a fighting stance, and then flexed and stretched out each limb. Then without another word, he quickly cast his Minor Enlarge spell for 75 mana and instantly shot up to 9 feet. He was accustomed enough to the sensation of his muscles and bones lengthening and thickening, his skin stretching, and his body becoming denser that it didn’t distract him, and he launched into Boar’s Tusk. This time, though, he performed it at full speed with full power.

  Once he had completed the form, he still had over 40 seconds left of increased size so he decided another demonstration would be in order and ran full steam at the side of the house. The people who were gathered between him and the house split like clouds of smoke before a fan. As soon as he was almost upon the house, he leapt up with all of his considerably enhanced Strength and placed his foot a full 10 feet up the wall, while quick casting Minor Binding. He was taking a big chance here but really wanted to put on a good show. Normally, the binding lasts for 12 seconds but he needed to make it last only a split second between one step and another. He focused his will on controlling the magic and felt the fabric of the spell which had made his foot one with the wall. Time slowed down much as it does in combat but only in a more extreme way. His enhanced Intelligence combined with an almost innate understanding of what it was he wanted to accomplish allowed him to tug and pull on the threads of the spell to shape it into a new form, one which would do his binding much more directly. He was able to force the spell to split from one binding into two and then finally into three. The second and third bindings lasting no more than an instant each just as the first one was shaped to do. He landed a second foot 5 feet from the top of the A-frame rough on the mayor’s two-story home, some 16 feet off the ground. Then his right foot made the third step tied with the third binding right at the wood-framed pinnacle of the home. The effect being that he literally ran up the wall in three steps and then performed a flip in the air before coming down from over 20 feet in the air to land right back in the middle of his grassy practice field, while driving his enlarged longsword into the ground a full three feet deep. In retrospect, it was an idiotic risk to take. He could have easily hurt himself in a fall that far even Enlarged, or even worse, he could have broken his longsword. He could be healed, but he wasn’t sure if Conrad would be capable of repairing his longsword if something had happened to it. Whether it be fortune or the enhanced density and thickness created by the enlarge spell both he and the sword stood up to the maneuver without being any worse for the wear. Best of all though, the dramatic showboat demonstration had the desired effect as his impromptu audience burst into roars of approval.

  Unsure what to do now that he has wowed the townsfolk, Dave couldn’t decide if he should say something or just walk back into the house when he heard a familiar voice speaking loudly from behind him. “That was quite a show, but don’t you think it’s time that you let these people get back to their day.”

  Turning, Dave saw Emily standing there with a smile. Immediately, the voice in his mind started to run a monologue about how his wife was going to holler at him for taking silly risks with that jumping maneuver. He almost cringed, waiting to be dressed down for his childishness, but to his surprise, it never came. Instead, as he watched Emily began to work her way through the crowd. For a distance, without being able to hear exactly what she was saying, it appeared that she was glad-handing like a politician. Each person around her seemed to be anxious to talk to her. She would often reach out her hand and put it on the head of one of the children or on the arm of one of the adults. Each time she put her hand on one of the children, a soft glow would appear between her hand and the head of the child that she was touching. Dave wondered if this was some new magic she had learned or if she was repeatedly casting her Minor Blessing spell. Whatever it was, the mothers of the children she placed her hand on whether they be toddlers or young teens, all bowed and seemed to be profusely thanking Emily.

  Curiosity got the better of Dave, and he decided to walk over and see what was happening. As he did, he realized that the rest of the townsfolk had started to assemble into a rough line all leading to his wife. As he got close enough, he heard Emily speaking in a soft voice, “Shanelle bless you and keep you safe. She will redeem you and make you Her own.” Dave had seen people being prayed for back on Earth. Heck, he had even prayed for people with his wife at churches. It always took much longer, and no one ever acted quite like the people here. They were treating Emily like she was some kind of superstar that they were apologetic about bothering. Each mother and child that received the blessing quickly lead their child away after repeated bows and fumbled thanks.

  Dave stood patiently by as Emily took time for each and every townsfolk that came up to her. He could see that as the processed was winding down that each time she placed her hand and granted the blessing that it seemed to take something out of her. Surprisingly, after all the mother and children were gone, three of the men bashfully came up to speak to her and ask that they be given the same blessing as the children had. A part of Dave got riled up by that, as that little voice in his head, the one that always stirred up his uncertainties said, “They just want to get in close with a beautiful woman.” Emily, however, seemed to take it all in stride despite the visible weariness on her face. “Shanelle is happy to provide Her blessing to you, but I’m getting pretty tired. Do you think that you could all bend down so I can reach your heads?”

  The three men looked at each other, still seemed a bit uncertain, but then all dropped to their knees in front of the elven priestess. Dave hadn’t expected that, but again, Emily was completely in her environment and reached out her hand, one after another, placing it upon the crown of each man’s head before imparting the same blessing to them. The same soft glow appeared and the face of each man brightened up with a huge grin. After more of the same profuse bowing and thanking, Dave and Emily were finally alone.

  “So what prompted that?” Dave asked.

  “What do you mean? It just felt like a natural thing to do. After I saw your little demonstration, I came out to talk to the people and one of the mothers asked me if I would bless her toddler. She seemed so nervous, like she was scared to talk to me.” Emily’s words came out in a bit of a rush as she started to describe what had happened from her perspective.

  “It was almost surreal. You know, I have always believed in God and in praying for people, but this was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I could actually feel something like the power of God moving through me. I still don’t understand exactly how we ended up here, or even exactly what Eloria is in relationship to Earth.”

  Dave just nodded as she spoke, adding an appropriate mmhmm where it was called for to make it clear that he was listening. Truth be told, he was curious.

  “I don’t know how to explain it. Everything seems so much more real here. Before that first day when I heard Shanelle speak to me, I would have told you that I had heard from God before, that He had directed my life. Now though, I don’t know that I ever really knew anything about God before now.”

  She paused before continuing, “Oh, don’t look at me like I’m crazy. It’s real. I mean we have fought unicorn dogs, cats with flaming claws, and even heard about little tree men. For goodness sake, we have been using magic. Magic… Think about it. Why can’t there be some kind of greater pow
er behind it all? I don’t know what the relationship between Shanelle and my old faith on Earth was but here, I know it’s real in a way I would have never expected.”

  Dave started to speak, but Emily put her hand on his chest as if to ask him to wait.

  “I don’t know what all of this means. I just know that I have to rethink everything I ever thought about the universe. Maybe I had it all wrong before, or maybe I just didn’t understand anything well enough to even know what to think.”

  Dave waited again to see if she was done this time before finally saying, “Are you sure it isn’t just another form of magic that you are using?”

  “That’s just it. When I was asked to give a blessing to that first child, I received a notification.”

  Daughter of Redemption, you have been asked to grant the blessing of Shanelle. This is both a privilege and a responsibility which your class grants to you. Do you wish to impart the following blessing? Simple Blessing of Shanelle: imparts +1 to luck for every 2 faith points you have. Duration: 7 days. Note: this blessing is empowered directly by Shanelle but the strain of acting as a channel for the Divine Aura will cause you to suffer levels of fatigue based upon how many blessings you impart.

  “Of course, I said yes, and the notification was true. I kept checking but none of my mana was drained. Not even my Faith points were depleted, although I’m still not sure what those are used for. And it was also right that I felt a power pass through me each time sorta like I was a wire and electricity was passing through me. It wasn’t entirely pleasant, but it wasn’t painful either.”

  With a sigh, she added, “Now though, I’m so tired I can barely stand up. Could you help me into the house?”

  Apologizing for not realizing how worn out she was sooner, Dave put out his arms and Emily moved to lean onto them, but he had something else in mind. Instead, he simply scooped up her slender frame and carried her into the house. Once inside the house, he deposited her on the cushioned bench in the reception room. It wasn’t really a couch like they were used to but more of a wide bench with a short back and some padding on the seat portion. It was in the room where the mayor would receive visitors. All of the kids gathered around, asking if Mom was okay, but she assured them that she was just tired.

  While Emily rested, Dave remembered that he had gotten a notification while he was performing his little stunt but had been too distracted to look at it until now. Upon looking at it though, a huge grin sprung up on his face.

  New Quest: Class Determination - you have met three out of five of the requirements for a certain hybrid class. (1. Long Blade Skill: 20. 2. Shaping Magic Skill: 20. 3. Shaping Magic outside of its intended spell form.) In Eloria, classes are not easily earned, all have significant benefits and equally weighty requirements. Each class has seven ranks known as tiers.

  Class offered: Sword Binder (Rare) - Tier 1

  Class Benefits: +15% Agility, +15% Wisdom. Binding and Motion Spells cost 25% less mana and have an increased range of 25%. Long Blade and Short Blade skills are combined to equal total skill in both. (Higher tier perks are not gained)

  Class Restrictions: May never learn: Essence, Charm, or Evocation Magic. Shaping Magic and Long Blade skill but remain exactly the same base level.

  Class Purpose: A melee damage dealer who controls the battlefield environment and even their opponent’s bodies.

  Unmet Restrictions: 2 unmet restrictions- unknown.

  Woot! He was so excited that he let out a shout loud enough that Emily worried that he wasn’t okay. She sat up in alarm, groaning with the effort, and then upon seeing his excitement, simply asked, “What happened?”

  Dave eagerly explained the notification to the rest of the family, and they all congratulated him on it. He prided himself on hiding his wants and needs from the family and trying to be selfless in his devotion to them, but the truth was that he was nowhere near as good at hiding what he wanted from the family as he thought he was, and they had all known how desperately he wanted a class. Even now not having a class, but at least being offered one, he was thrilled.

  The language of the notification also led to a conversation between Dave and Mira about shaping magic. They both shared their experiences with the spells that they had shaped and then thoughtfully became quiet as they considered how best to apply the insights offered by the other. Dave was convinced now that he could work to modify other spells of his and that with enough work and access to some proper resources, he might be able to apply his research skill into creating other more unique spells. He felt guilty that he was so much more excited about the prospect of being a proper wizard, well at least a partial wizard, than he was about being a tank to shield his family. He knew it was okay to want things for himself, his newfound understanding of his identity being separate from his worth to his family was still a work in progress.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  An honored foe makes the warrior more than the closest of triplets —Proverb of the Ironclaw Orc Clan

  Altracia first struggled with the increase in her Intelligence and self-awareness. She had always been a sentient creature, but as a smart animal, not as a self-aware being. Now though, the dungeon drake was beginning to exult in this enlightenment and not only in that but also in the power that she was beginning to understand. Her body had grown in every way other than size. A massive drake had no place underground, but the magic of the dungeon had enhanced her stats, toughened her armor, sharpened her claws, gave her a breath weapon. Most significantly though, it gave her control of the dungeon. Every square inch was under her control through the filaments of magicyte which were woven into the walls, floor, and ceiling.

  The magicyte had affected change at the behest of Altracia. Forming seventeen individual rooms spread out along a network of hallways filled with traps ranging from simple dart or flying blades to pitfalls. It all culminated in the final room where the drake was the final boss of the dungeon. Each of the rooms were filled with various mobs that the dungeon had co-opted from the surrounding forest. Boars, lynxes, bears, and even treants had been absorbed into the memory of the dungeon and then duplicated to fill the rooms. Most significantly, the drey hounds became the background of the dungeon. They were the most numerous of the creatures to enter the dungeon. Their passionate hatred of the human, David Nelson, helped to fuel the creation of the dungeon.

  Through the magic absorbed by the dungeon, Altracia came to understand more about humans and why they might seek out a dungeon. This led to the creation and placement of treasures to entice humans to enter the dungeon. The magicyte tendrils had spread down into the ground as the dungeon was created and found an assortment of elements from a cluster of rubies, iron ore, and even a small amount of elementium. The dungeon could duplicate any material that it absorbed and could create any item out of those substances that the magic of the Merkwood zone informed Altracia about.

  Due to the passion within the drey hounds, they were exceptionally susceptible to transformation by the dungeon. They were broken down, reformed, and became so much more. Instead of drey hounds, they were reborn as drake hounds. A combination of canine and reptile, the new beasts were tier 2 with a newly minted alpha which was tier 3. The scales provided vastly enhanced defensive capabilities, their paws were shaped into taloned claws, the jaws extended, and the teeth lengthened. Most deadly of all, the horn became a tool for the injection of acid which now ran through their veins. Hatred had turned them bitter through and through. If they were ever to encounter David Nelson even if he was to be able to kill one of them, they would be deadly to him, exploding in gore and acid spray upon their death.

  Now the traps were set, the rooms were filled with monsters, the treasure was laden into chests. All that remained was for Altracia to figure out how to attract humans to the dungeon. No humans had been close to this part of the Merkwood besides David Nelson, his family and those pathetic men who tried to cut down the trees. The dungeon drake didn’t fully understand the reasoning that the fragile lit
tle two-legged creatures had going through their heads, but it hoped that if the majority of the creatures in the Merkwood disappeared that eventually the humans would range further in and then stumble upon the dungeon. With that thought, Altracia laid her head down, a cruel toothed grin upon her face as she thought of the fun she would have then.

  Later that day, which the villagers simply called 5th Day based upon a seven-day work which where each day was simply identified by its numerical order, Emily got up and started to walk around the town. She was greeted everywhere by smiles, none larger than from those whom she had given a blessing to earlier that morning. Giving so many blessings back to back had exhausted her, but it appeared to have only lasted temporarily. By the time that the second sun has peeked over the horizon, she was feeling much better, if not one hundred percent, at least enough to get up and move around. She really wanted to go and check on the progress being made in her new home. Dave had cautioned her against expecting too much. It was not like they had power tools or anything like that. They would have to clear and level the lot by hand before they could lay the timbers that were used as the typical foundation for a plank floor.