Into the Darkness: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Axe Druid Book 4)

by Christopher Johns

  I agreed and had him switch with Bea. She was happy to be out and to get to experience everything that was about to occur as she bumped her head against me, then Kayda affectionately.

  I closed my eyes and picked where we would go, Sunrise, if it was close enough. It was, thankfully, and then I cast Teleport with my friends all grasping hands.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  We opened our eyes to starlit skies and twilight as the eastern sky lit orange and pink, signaling the dawn of a new day, and the next leg of our journey. We would have to discuss it, but I thought it was time we visited the other continents to check for the other generals and maybe minions. We had slain one minion and found out that the others of War’s vanguard were beginning to work together. Which was chilling, to say the least.

  We would also need to check in with the King and his people to see how Lindyburg had come along. If they fought back or not, or if they had managed to get her out of power peaceably.

  I felt warmth along my back and mind, Have my champion stand in my sight, little mote, and I will bring my love to him.

  I opened my eyes and motioned to the others to step back. “Jafrik, the Light Elemental Primordial wants to give you a gift, and for that, she needs you to be in the light.”

  “It’s so bright up here,” he complained as he hid beside Maebe. “And open, you can see forever, how do you do it?”

  I couldn’t help the smile on my face, the poor boy really had no idea.

  Maebe knelt down next to him, “Jafrik, look at me.” He opened his eyes a little. “Do you see these specks of white against my skin? They are the stars, as I am a celestial Fae. When you look up into the night sky, I want you to think of me and know that I will always care for you and protect you how I can, sweet child. But another offers you her love—love I cannot hope to give you. Reach out to her, and she will be with you as surely as I am in the night.”

  He seemed scared as she backed away, but I took his hand with a reassuring smile and walked with him into the town square. Together, we watched as the sun rose, and as it did, I felt the warmth of it hit my chest and the top of his head.

  I glanced down and watched with fascination as where the light touched, the purple-Black coloration of his skin dyed golden in the light. His hair stayed white, but there appeared to be streaks of orange and purple in it, like that of the growing dawn.

  This is my love, as the darkness has claimed the queen, so shall I claim a king. The two of you are opposites, but this new one will be mine and only mine. The drow have their darkness, and so too do the Unseelie Fae, but he shall have the sun.

  My fur stood on end as the warmth from the light changed to burning heat, the golden motes of light on my fur bursting with coronas of light soft rings surrounding them.

  I clenched my hand, but Jafrik began to laugh as the light fully doused him. He was changed wholly, and he looked happy about it.

  “What is he?” Muu sounded like he was in shock.

  Jafrik smiled up at me, then turned to Maebe. “I’m a Dawn Elf now, and I’m not alone anymore!”

  Not alone? I thought to myself, rubbing my throbbing chest.

  He is not. The light whispered. He is the first. There were others born throughout the world this very day. I create a race of people to help defend this world as the other elementals have chosen theirs.

  “Where can we find them?” I asked the warmth retreating from my mind.

  There is no need, they come to Sunrise.

  ***

  After our initial shock at the transformation, we headed toward the tavern. People had begun setting up stalls and booths in the center of the village for the day.

  Some stopped and said hello, but the majority stared in open amazement at Jafrik. The boy skipped happily alongside Maebe, who watched the boy with curious wonder on her face.

  “So, there are more people like him coming here?” Jaken called over my shoulder. “Where do we put them all?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think it will be immediately,” I answered honestly with a shrug. “All we can do is pass word and oof!”

  A large blur of green collided with my chest and waist knocking me prone into the ground, with Kayda squawking angrily above us and Bea growling with her teeth bared at the supposed threat.

  “Where have you been?” Vrawn’s worried features fretted over me as she looked me over. “Why haven’t you contacted me? What has been going on? Why haven’t you contacted me?!”

  “Hello Vrawn, Bea, easy she’s okay.” I waved the still distrusting gust raptor away, and she only stopped growling. “We’ve been very busy, and if you’ll listen, I’ll be more than happy to sit and talk you through everything that has happened.”

  “You had damned well better.” A tear fell from her eye as she leaned down and stared at me, hurt, and disappointment in her gaze. I tried to kiss her cheek softly, but she dodged it, and she helped me to my feet before turning from me completely.

  She stepped to Maebe, who had come to her side and greeted her with a fierce hug. “I have missed you, as well. Please, tell me that I will be coming with you when you leave next to make up for this. I was worried out of my mind.”

  Maebe’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and I found my own raised in return. She looked askance at me and based on my own thoughts I shrugged and nodded. If I said no, she would likely try to kill me, and as I looked at her now, I realized that I had fucked up. I would likely be paying for this for a while.

  “Yes, but you will need to pull your weight, and the guard should be forewarned of your absence.” Maebe patted her shoulder and kissed where she could on the larger woman’s arm. “Come, we are all exhausted. We should rest and eat.”

  “And go through our notifications,” James spoke up. “There are a lot.”

  “Oh, boy!” Jaken snorted, but he did sound excited.

  “Let’s go,” I ordered, and we moved along.

  Once we arrived in the tavern, we covered the windows, and I let Yohsuke out of the collar, careful to sit far enough from the door that the light of day wouldn’t affect him.

  Once we had our food, Willem joined us, and we explained everything as it had happened. While the others spoke, I went through my notifications.

  QUEST FAILED!

  Drowning in vampires – Queen Lilith has given you a quest to kill the Vampire Lord plaguing her people here in the Great Below as well as his strongest minions. A guide (to be determined) and the bait will be provided to aid in your success.

  Failure: You managed to kill the Vampire Lord but not all of her strongest minions resulting in loss of your freedom should you survive. You have also left the Great Below (not in pursuit of the Vampire Lord), causing the drow to hunt for you in the shadows, beginning in Djurn Forge.

  ALERT!

  The quest giver who could hold you responsible was found and tried by Fae magic, and had her strength taken as recompense for lying. The quest giver is dead and can no longer follow through with the reward or failure.

  I blinked and saw that some of the others had been doing the same digging into their notifications as I had. They looked concerned, but I felt relieved that it was over. At least for now.

  QUEST ALERT!

  SECRET QUEST COMPLETED!

  A Hurty for Gerty – The dwarves of Djurn Forge lost a great deal the day their home had been raided by the incursion force of the drow elves. Not much could aid them in the healing process, but you managed to find one of their heroes, Gerty.

  Reward: 5,000 EXP and all dwarves of Djurn Forge now see your party as friends and will openly assist you in any way they can. You are clan, and to all who know you, dwarves.

  SOCIAL STATUS CHANGE!

  Your party’s social standing among the dwarves has so greatly changed that no dwarf in the city of Djurn Forge would ever think to not sing your praises. From this point forward, your status will hold the title of Honorary Dwarf. If you have not a clan, any would be happy to adopt you. Some would likely fight
over you.

  All dwarves of Brindolla can see this title, and their reactions may prove friendly. Or not. Dwarves can be fickle like that.

  You and your party are now loathed by the drow. Any who meet you will likely try to kill you. Good luck!

  I heard Yohsuke snort, then muttered, “Call me Dirt. I’ll kill them all.”

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  You have reached a milestone in your advancement and have unlocked the following abilities.

  Limitations on shapeshifting abilities have been lifted once more. Newest limitation is set to legendary creatures.

  What in the Hells is a legendary creature? I muttered to myself. Like a god? Something uber rare?

  “I’m sorry to interrupt the conversation.” Maebe and Vrawn had been discussing things that had happened with the children while we were gone. “But what the hell is a legendary creature?”

  Both of them looked at each other, then pointed to Kayda, who preened herself haughtily.

  “So, you know I just unlocked the ability to shapeshift into mythical creatures.” I lead them on hopefully.

  “Meaning that a dragon like Winterheart would be a legendary creature based on his age, and power alone,” Maebe informed me, my chest deflating a little. “However, a dragon Ampharia’s age? Not outside the realm of possibility.”

  “Oh, my gods!” Muu squealed, “does this mean Zeke gets to become a dragon?!”

  “It sounds like it could be possible.” Vrawn yawned and stretched, the line of her body arching as she did so. “Finish leveling up and whatnot so that we can go to bed, dear. We have much to discuss, and it starts with the rings on your fingers.”

  I blushed and did as I was told, Maebe smiling as she spoke softly to Vrawn for me.

  I looked at my status page and whistled, we had done enough damage that I had gone up to level 42. I put five points each into intelligence and wisdom. One to constitution, and two to strength and dexterity.

  Kayda had leveled up by four, bringing her to level 28, and Bea by six, bringing her to level 23.

  Their natural points had gone toward strengthening their wisdom stats for some reason, raising Kayda’s to nineteen and Bea’s to twelve.

  They both had a decent amount of points to spend, but I would let them tell me how they wanted to spend them after we slept.

  No? You want to know now? Jeez, needy much? Fine, fine.

  I opened my bond to both of them tiredly and asked, “You both leveled up a lot, how would you like to spend your points?”

  Kayda responded first, faster and stronger, so I can carry someone.

  I nodded and started spending her twelve points. I put three into strength, six into constitution, and the last three into dexterity to help her stay swift.

  No spells this time for her, which was odd, but to be expected for being the only one of her kind in existence, right?

  Faster Bea seemed to be searching herself for a moment, then gazed at Vrawn, Faster and stronger.

  I blinked at her and did as she asked, this time sinking eight of her eighteen points into strength. The remaining ten, I split between her dexterity and constitution as well.

  Bea didn’t learn anything either, and that was a little concerning. Had mutating stunted her natural growth?

  Both of them seemed to grow a little heavier, their muscles defining and lengthening a bit more. It was odd, but they seemed happy enough.

  Another notification caught my eye, and I opened it up. It was for me, not my girls, and I gasped in surprise.

  You have unlocked another tail, as a potentially nine-tailed Kitsune, this tail has been earned for a specific personal milestone. As such, it confers a specific ability.

  ABILITY UNLOCKED

  Hunter’s Will – Your desire to control and take back what is yours has gifted you with greater control over yourself.

  While in your natural animal form, you may cast minor spells with a cost of no more than 100 MP.

  That was incredible! I almost howled with delight.

  The conversation at the table brought me back to my senses, though, “… I think we need to go overseas next.”

  James concluded his thought, and the others frowned, but I added, “I do too. They’re aware of our movements here, and they could have hidden out there. Can we hold this discussion until tomorrow?”

  Jaken eyed me pointedly, then assented likely with my statement and James’ with a nod and a gesture of his hand. “We have been getting lucky, though that last one was a shit show only finding a minion, and learning that a general is pulling strings somewhere we can’t see. I think, at the very least, we should go over to the continent of beasts and check things out.”

  “How’re we going to get there?” Yohsuke slapped his hands on the table in irritation. “Zeke can’t teleport us there, and in case you didn’t notice, I’m a damned vampire. He can’t fly us, so we have to take a ship, right?”

  “Elder Leo gave us a lead to follow when we went to get Fainnir,” James explained. “I vote we go party with the dwarves, then make our way to the coast and get to the next continent. To start hunting there.”

  I looked around at them all. Beaten and bruised, stronger sure, but my friends looked tired. Their gear was busted, armor shredded, and some even had weapons missing. We needed to get our shit back together and get on. And we would do that. Even if I was a little worried about them being able to come after us like this.

  We had our heading, we had each other, and we had a whole lot more asses to kick. We weren’t out of the fight by any means, so we’d do what we could.

  “Party with the dwarves, set out to the high seas, and keep an eye out for demons?” I posed to the others, grins spreading along their faces. “Sounds like Storm Company is about to pick up piracy, boys!”

  A raucous cheer erupted around the table as the others thumped the table, loudly making jokes about booty that neither Maebe nor Willem understood. But that was alright.

  Because what’s a tale without some treasure and a touch of high-seas hijinks?

  Want more of Christopher Johns’s storytelling?

  Read on for a sample of his new work –

  Mephisto’s Magic Online: Mageblood

  Afterword

  We hope you enjoyed Into the Darkness! Since reviews are the lifeblood of indie publishing, we’d love it if you could leave a positive review on Amazon! If you scroll through to the end of this book, you’ll easily be able to leave a review at the end. Otherwise, follow this link to be redirected to the Axe Druid: Into the Darkness Amazon product page to leave your review.

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  Author’s Note

  Wow guys,

  What a wild ride it’s been right? Who would have expected all that stuff, right? I know, some of it had me scared too, but the boys and I managed. Thanks for coming on this crazy adventure with us, and who knows how long it’ll last, but for those of you who have stuck with us this far—you fucking rock.

  I hope you’ll stick around for the long haul. We love you.

  Sincerely,

  Zeke.

  About Christopher Johns

  Christopher Johns is a former photojournalist for the United States Marine Corps with published works telling hundreds of other peoples’ stories through word, photo, and even video.

  But throughout that time, his editors and superiors had always said that his love of reading fantasy and about worlds of fantastic beauty and horrible power bled into his work. That meant he should write a book.

  Well, ta-da!

  Chris has been an avid devourer of fantasy and science fiction for more than twenty years and looks forward to sharing that love with his son, his loving fiancée and almost anyone he could ever hope to meet.

>   Connect with Chris:

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  About Mountaindale Press

  Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality’.

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  Mountaindale Press Titles

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  MAGEBLOOD

  Book One of the MEPHISTO’S MAGIC ONLINE Series

  Written by Christopher Johns