by Erik Weir
“Vala has spoken to you, did she not?”
Victor nodded, “She did speak to me.”
Cassandra let out a small cackle before picking up a small ink bottle and a thin, rune covered needle. “That means she knows you and has plans for you. As her Keeper, it is my job to mark you as one of her Blades. The mark will translate your abilities into a way you can understand, but first, a kiss.”
Victor’s eyebrows shot up as the old woman who was already close, leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Victor sat; eyes wide as the old woman slipped her tongue in, licked his and pulled away. Numbness took root as his world began to spin a little. There was a taste in his mouth, like honey and cinnamon swirling together and cascading down his throat.
Cassandra took a step back, her weathered face becoming a serene mask. Eyes closing, it looked to Victor that she was savoring the moment. When her eyes opened, a new energy seemed to fill her expression.
“I understand,” Cassandra said, not looking at Victor.
The chair began to morph and change as metal, wood and cushion flowed forward. Victor found himself dazed, falling forward on the reformed chair. It held him, his back exposed. The Keeper moved to his side, and dabbed the rune needle in the small inkwell.
“Every Lust Blade and Luna Shield will have a set of powers and abilities, unique to their character. It aids in bringing an understanding as you transverse realms,” the old woman said before the ink covered needle penetrated the space between his shoulders and right below his neck. The pain was sharp and sweet. Victor was so dazed, the pain came and went, but his mind floated on fluffy, white clouds.
Cassandra’s eyes took on a faraway gaze as she worked. “I used to work with many Keepers, scribing the mark on many Blades and Shields. It was wondrous to work alongside so many beautiful artists, and terrible to know each one met a horrific fate.”
Victor turned his head to face the old woman. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek.
The old woman continued, “When I finish, you will feel a little odd. The mark will bond to your spirit. It will also give you an idea of what you are capable of. The kiss spoke to me, helping me understand what I need to add to your mark, and to instruct you on how it works.”
The slight mini stabs continued with the occasional dipping of the needle in the inkwell. Victor listened; his mind surprisingly alert as Cassandra continued.
“Your duty is to unlock Acolytes for Vala. Once they are free, you will gain a piece of our goddess. When you gain enough pieces, you will be able to summon new abilities and powers.”
“Okay,” Victor said simply, unsure what to truly expect.
“Abilities and powers work off a sphere of influence. There are six greater realms so there will be six spheres that make up who you are. Now this is important, to gain an ability from a realm you must be in the realm to receive it. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” Victor said in a low tone.
Cassandra continued as if she didn’t hear him. “Each realm has its spheres of power, and each realm has an edge over another. Lily can teach you the realms, and how they work when we are finished. For now, you must know the basics before you begin the crusade.
“What you are going to see and feel is tailored to your spirit. It will become natural in a short manner of time. With some experience, you will understand many things as you cross the realms.”
Victor barely nodded as Cassandra continued to ink his skin. “I don’t understand how I unlock an acolyte.”
Cassandra grinned as she worked, “You have to open their heart, and nature will take its course.”
The Blade’s eyes widened a little at Cassandra’s words. “You mean I…”
“You’re not just a Blade, you’re a key as well. Acolytes are not just followers of Vala but are also locks, vessels, containing her power. Must I explain any further?”
Victor smiled. “No, I think I got it.”
“The more acolytes you unlock, the more powers you will receive. Judging from what the kiss informed me, you will be able to unlock 36 abilities or powers, six from each realm. This does not include your swords.”
“Swords?”
Cassandra continued to stab the needle in, the tempo increasing. “You will understand when I finish.”
Victor stared off, “How long has Lily been here?”
The old woman stopped for a moment before returning to her work. “I would say a few years, hard to tell time with no sun.”
“She doesn’t have a home?”
The old woman smirked. “This is her home just like it is your home. It’s not my place to say anything about her past. You will have to ask her yourself.”
“It is always night here?”
Cassandra nodded, “Vala’s realm is a lesser realm. They are smaller and don’t obey the laws of physics and quantum mechanics. Her power is what keeps it together but there are no stars beyond the moon because there is nothing there. The mist surrounding the mountain is part of the dimensional web, connecting the greater and lesser realms together.”
“If there are six greater realms, how many lesser realms are there?”
“Countless. They sometimes blink into existence and vanish without a trace. Other times they hold lost spirits for a time or create weird worlds. Only the greater realms are stable enough to create civilizations that have stood for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years.”
Victor mulled over the information dump until a hand patted his lower back.
“You’re finished,” Cassandra said with a toothless smile.
The chair morphed and shifted as Victor sat up. When the chair took its previous form, Victor stood up. The old Keeper handed him a mirror as she held up another. Victor put the mirror over his back while looking at the reflection in her mirror. A hollow outline of a crescent moon stood out against his skin. Flesh along his back began to itch as he admired the simple tattoo. Handing back the mirror to Cassandra, the itching turned into a burning sensation.
“It will pass,” Cassandra said with knowing eyes.
Victor scratched at his back when the burning flared. A sickness bled into his entire body as he took hold of the chair to steady himself. Nerves burned bright as his breathing grew labored. Victor clawed at his throat, needing to breath. Cassandra stayed where she was, watching him with heartfelt eyes.
Victor cried out as the pain reached its zenith. Light touched every cell of his body but only for a moment. When Victor thought it was too much to bear, it vanished. Strength returned to his limbs as he stood on his own power.
The old woman stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “You should be able to feel it. Seek it out, and bring it under control.”
Victor curled up an arm, fingers forming a fist. A new vibration pulsed under his skin, prickling with new sensations. It floated along his nerves, like a living thing. A thought snared it, and the young man pulled it close to his heart. Electricity filled the air around him until it sunk into his chest and along his skin. The tattoo burned but now with a comforting edge. Thoughts took hold of the energy, and it blazed into his senses. Words began to form in his vision, accompanied by numbers. Victor’s eyes widened as he read what floated before him.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 0/77
Divine Orb- 0
Spheres of Influence
Strength (Gaia)- 1
Constitution (Nano)- 1
Intelligence (Abyss)- 1
Will Power (Holy)- 1
Wisdom (Mind)- 1
Charisma (Shadow)- 1
Swords
Iron Sword
Sphere Abilities/Powers
Mind
Gaia
Nano
Shadow
Holy
Abyss
Victor studied each of the words and the numbers but quickly saw that his abilities and stats looked like a character sheet from a video game. Thinking back, most of his time was spent playing games when he wasn’t at work. It gav
e him a sense of purpose outside of his usual workdays. Now it seemed to mix with his new destiny, and the young man couldn’t help but smile to himself.
“What do you see?”
“I see words and numbers. I think they indicate my power but it shows I’m very weak. I only have ones in each category.”
Cassandra hobbled closer, lifted a frail hand and touched Victor’s cheek. Eyes closing, energy danced along her palm and fingers, Victor staring down at the Keeper.
“I think I understand. Each stat is connected to each sphere of power. The numbers are not your actual abilities…but a representation of your power of influence. I…see what Vala has done. You may spend your influence to use your powers.”
“From what I see, I don’t have any powers, only an iron sword,” Victor said plainly.
Cassandra pulled her hand away and took a step back. “Check your forearm.”
Victor looked down at his forearm, a brow rising. A tattoo of a sword appeared on the inner forearm, fully drawn and with incredible detail. The young man ran his fingers along the tattoo, marveling at it as questions filling his mind.
Cassandra could see the questions in his eyes and cleared her throat. “A Blade must have their Blade. It will be your protection, a weapon that will never leave you as you travel from realm to realm.”
Victor turned his wrist to get a better look when the tattoo slid forward. In a blink, a blade point appeared in his palm and slipped out until fingers curled around the pommel. Victor took a step back, feeling the heft and weight of the iron sword in his hand. The tattoo was gone, and it seemed the weapon was all too real.
“You are starting to understand,” Cassandra said like an old, proud mama bird.
Victor eyed the Blade, “I don’t think I do. I never used a sword before. How can I use a weapon I never trained with?”
“I’m sure you will be a quick learner,” the Keeper cackled.
Victor looked to the old woman and then back to the Blade. Part of his youth was spent learning how to fight hand to hand. Old lessons rose up from the deeper parts of his memory, his instructors telling him that if someone brings a weapon like a knife or a gun, the only true defense is to run away as fast as you could. He knew it wasn’t like in the movies. No matter how good you were, those weapons will tip the scale in a fight. Now, he had a real mystical sword that he could call upon, and he had no idea how to use it effectively.
“The best training is experience,” Cassandra said as she hobbled to the door and waved her hand.
The door opened but Victor stayed where he was.
“I still don’t understand. What powers can I gain? What does ‘Divine Orbs’ mean?”
Cassandra turned her head to the young man. “Divine orbs are mystical energies of Vala. Once you gain one, you may spend it on increasing your Spheres of Influence. The more influence you have, the stronger your abilities will become. Many of your powers will need influence to be used, depending on the Sphere of Power.”
Lily appeared at the doorway, arms crossed and eyes on the shirtless Victor. “Is he ready for his next lessons,” the demon woman said to Cassandra while still looking at Victor.
The old woman nodded. “He is. You may have to take extra care with him, he’s a little dazzled at the moment.”
Victor looked up to the two women, a small smirk appearing. The sword slipped back into his wrist, energy turning it from real, back to its tattooed form on his forearm. The whole process felt natural, almost too natural. With the sword safely in his arm, he picked up the white shirt and pulled it over his head. It fell down around his shoulders, a V cut into the chest and the fabric billowing slightly at the wrists. If Victor didn’t know any better, they gave him some kind of poet’s shirt.
“Let’s begin the next lessons,” Victor smiled.
Lily gave him a wry gaze before turning and walking down the hallway. Cassandra followed but Victor moved to her side, arm out. The old woman looked up at him, curling her thin arm around his. The two walked arm in arm as Lily led the way. When they reached the doors, Cassandra uncurled her arm, reached down and patted Victor on the butt.
“You two have fun. I…need my rest now. Tonight, has been a little hard on my bones.”
Cassandra turned and walked back to another corridor. Victor watched her go as she hobbled along. She did seem tired, and the young man hoped she would be okay.
Lily took Victor’s hand and pulled him out onto the stone street. The demon woman’s tail swayed hard, back and forth as if she was agitated. Victor followed along, feeling Lily’s iron grip on him. On they walked, past the empty village and toward the springs again.
“I hope you feel rested,” Lily said without looking back.
“I actually feel great,” Victor stated.
“Good to know because this is where we begin,” Lily said as they slowed to a stop right before the springs.
Glowing water fell from the mountain, filling the pools with warm, healing waters. The oval cave stood to the back, tendrils of mists floating out like gray fingers. The serenity washed over Victor again. Lily turned around, a sternness in her eyes and purpose in her stance.
“I’m sure Cassandra told you the basics to your new powers. I’m going to tell you about travelling across realms.”
Victor nodded. “Cassandra told me briefly about the six greater realms, and about lesser realms but she didn’t go into a lot of detail.”
“There is a reason for that. There is a lot of information, and we don’t expect you to remember it all. That is why I am your Shield. Part of my duties is to educate and mentor you, so that you can become a true Lust Blade.”
“So, we are partners,” Victor smiled.
Lily’s expression remained stern. “Don’t let our partnership mean we are friends. If you die out there, Vala will pick a new Blade for me to mentor. You may be the first Blade in centuries but that doesn’t mean Vala is placing all of her hope in just you.”
Victor cocked his head slightly, “Wait a second…I could die?”
Lily ignored Victor and continued speaking, “Since you are new to Realm Walking, I will make it as simple as I can for you to understand.”
Victor shook his head, “I’m not an idiot. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. “Manipulating quantum mechanics to ensure a stable bridge connects to singularity tunnels are…,” Lily was cut off when Victor raised his hand.
“You lost me after ‘manipulating’,” Victor said with a slight laugh.
A vein throbbed against Lily’s forehead as she gritted her teeth.
“Maybe bring it down twenty percent, just so we are all on the same page,” Victor smiled.
The lilac colored demoness closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When she exhaled, eyes opened and she looked to Victor with a chilly gaze.
“If you and I are going to survive out there among the realms, we need to work together.”
Victor nodded. “Honesty is the best policy. Got ya…now go.”
The vein continued to throb as Lily pulled back on the firestorm under her skin.
“The six realms are what make up this corner of the universe. Realms stay together like a cluster of islands in the middle of the ocean. Some are large clusters while others may only contain a single realm. Here, as far as we know, there are six. Once you have some experience walking among them, you will have a better understanding of what it all means, and why we must raise Vala from the dead.”
Lily’s demeanor grew calmer, the vein fading into her skin. “Now pay attention. The first realm is Eddor. It is a place of magic and monsters. Many different races live there as it is a large realm. Some have said it is a hub of all the realms, but no one has been able to confirm it. The Sphere of Power is the Mind.
“The next realm is Night Sun. It is a realm of demons and devils. It is very dangerous, and often the second place you never want to be stuck in.”
Victor looked to Lily’s horns and ligh
t purple skin.
Lily gave him a grave nod. “Yes, it is where I’m from, but I will never call that place home. The realm can forever rot if I had my way.”
Victor didn’t want to touch that with ten-foot pole. It was obvious Lily harbored a hatred for her home realm, but now wasn’t the time to ask sensitive questions. The Blade remained attentive despite the growing number of questions in his head. At this moment, he decided to ask one.
“What’s the first place we never want to be stuck in?”
Lily’s hard eyes softened as her lips formed a leer. “Dark Spire is a world filled with many horrors. You never want to go there unless you absolutely have to. When we travel in the mists, we both have to be careful, and not allow ourselves to be pulled to it, no matter what happens.”
“No Dark Spire and Night Sun, got it.”
“The fourth realm is Xull. It is a place of technology, and massive cities reaching into the sky. Machines rule that realm, controlling nearly everything. People are not people there. They are uploaded as digital versions to the computer mind controlling every aspect of the realm.
“The fifth realm is Valis, a holy realm of immense power. What they have gained in power, they have lost in people. It is the only realm where the population numbers in the tens of thousands. They have…an almost innocent view of the realms, but that does not mean they are powerless. We must show respect and honor when we are there or they will judge us…harshly.
“Which leaves us the sixth realm, Tempest. It is a primal realm with many monsters and savage peoples. What they lack in civilization, they make up in strength and power. It is a realm of chaos, and often a home for lost beings from other worlds.”
Lily pointed to the misty cave, “It is important to know, when we enter the mists, you must focus your mind on a destination otherwise the mist will take you where it thinks you should be. When you choose a destination, you will appear in the realm you wish to be in. You can even choose specific locations once you get some experience realm walking.”
Victor looked to the cave, “How do we get back?”
Lily’s face took on a serious mask as she spoke, “Because of the nature of realm walking, it puts a strain on the cosmic fabric between realms. It needs time to heal from our bodies travelling through the dimensional web.”
