The Adept Archives: Volumes 1-3

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  “So... what the hell did you do?” Roy asked, cradling his knuckles as the pain began to dull.

  Remley let out a chuckle as a trail of translucent smoke left his mouth. “Well, for starters, I delivered a strike to the corner of your jaw, disrupting the flow of spirit energy to your upper body and knocking you senseless.”

  Roy sighed. “I appreciate your eloquence in recounting the way you kicked my ass, but that’s not quite what I meant. Your body... when I struck you it felt like hitting solid stone.”

  “And?” Remley said, a grin returning to his face.

  “And I didn’t detect the use of any skills or techniques. So, how the hell did you do it?”

  Remley sat up on the rail and discarded his pipe as a final plume of smoke escaped his lips. “That Roy, is the power of Spiriteka, the next step in your path. Most adepts refer to the transformation as body tempering, though I’ve heard some call it body refinement as well. In any case, it’s the method of strengthening one’s physical form to a level beyond that of a normal mortal.”

  And it’s done through what? Mediation?” Roy asked, suddenly much more curious.

  “Well, that’s certainly part of it,” Remley replied. “Though once you’ve reached the very peak of second rank, you’ll need to imbue your spirit in order to completely ascend to your next rank.”

  Roy sighed. He was growing tired of the way Remley seemed to trickle information to him as if it were just another facet of his odd training methods. However, Roy had a workaround for this one.

  With a quick blink, Roy brought up his spirit scan.

  //////////

  Spirit imbuing

  The adept refines his soul essence and channels it into a special technique known as the imbuing. During this technique, the adept uses the refined soul essence to permanently strengthen his body far beyond the level of a normal human. Although there are many different methods to imbue oneself, the Spiriteka rank can only be achieved once the adept has been imbued.

  Known Imbuing Techniques:

  Diamond Edge Imbuing

  Steel Soul Imbuing

  Razor Wind Imbuing

  //////////

  Remley chuckled as he caught sight of Roy blinking through his notifications. “Looking ahead, I see?”

  “I just like to know what I’m getting myself into,” Roy replied. “Sort of a habit I picked up during my time on the force... maybe one I should’ve used a bit more often... Anyways, what kind of Imbuing are you working with?”

  Remley rose to his feet and proudly puffed out his chest. “Well my dear Roy, you happen to be gazing upon a body tempered by the legendary Dragon Flameforged Imbuing.”

  //////////

  Dragon Flameforged Imbuing

  As the adept reaches the precipice of third rank, he cleanses his physical form in dragon fire, tempering his body and creating a vessel that can withstand an extraordinary amount of damage. A Flameforged body is highly attuned to flame spirit energy.

  //////////

  Roy let a nervous laugh slip out as he scanned over the information. Initially, he was eager to take the next step in his progression, but if all Imbuing techniques were this painful...

  “Oh, don’t worry Roy,” Remley quipped, clearly noticing the sudden look of concern on his face. “It’s not as half as painful as it sounds... And besides, we can’t be having you two walking into Shadowreach with fragile bodies like that.”

  “Us two?” Roy asked.

  Remley nodded, motioning towards the door on the far end of the deck. There, emerging from below deck was the only other who shared the rank of spirin amongst the group. Dressed in a pair of woven shorts and a tunic that ended above her waist, the light adept strode with purpose as her greenish-blue hair flowed in the relentless breeze.

  “Kimoura!” Remley said, greeting the woman as if it had been ages rather than moments since they last saw each other. As she reached them, Roy felt her spirit aura graze his own, causing a sudden comforting warmth to flood his body.

  She gave Remley a welcoming smile then turned her gaze to Roy. “Any luck managing to land a shot on him yet?”

  Roy chuckled. “Actually, I did, but I nearly broke my hand in the process.”

  Remley leaned over and gave Roy’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “I was just demonstrating to Roy the importance of you two reaching Spiriteka before we arrive in Shadowreach.”

  “And if we’re unable?” Kimoura asked, crossing her arms over her chest as a sly grin formed on her face.

  Remley shrugged. “Then I suppose there’ll be nothing I can do when a rogue adept decides to blast a hole in your chest. These places are dangerous, you know.”

  “I’m pretty sure everyone and everything here is dangerous...” Roy mumbled as his gaze shifted back over the edge of the deck. As far as he could tell, this realm rewarded those with power, while the rest merely got chewed up and spit out. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Rem. “So, does that mean you have something planned for us?”

  “As a matter a fact I do,” Remley replied, his tone almost devious. “I know someone just outside of Shadowreach... a family friend, let’s say.”

  “Another member of your old guild?” Roy asked.

  “He was never an official member of the steel brotherhood, but my father contracted him to train a number of our youths. At least, until they had their falling out.”

  “And he’s just going to... accept us?” Kimoura asked, a hint of doubt in her soft voice.

  Before Rem could respond, a sudden movement at the edge of his vision managed to grab his attention. The three of them peered over the edge of the deck as a rather odd sight came into view.

  Below, the seemingly endless field of thorny grass came to an abrupt end, making way for a lake of crystalline blue water. That in and of itself wasn’t alarming, though the sight at the far edge of the lake was what brought concern. Standing at the lake’s edge was an adept, his gray tunic weathered, and his identity concealed behind the veil of a wide-brimmed hat. His hands worked furiously, forming intricate hand signs as lines of azure spirit energy trailed from his fingertips. Mere feet in front of the adept, the water began to churn at a rapid pace, taking the form of a massive, crystalline sea serpent that set its eyes on the ship.

  “Well, my dear Kimoura...” Remley said, alluding to the woman’s earlier question. “I suppose we’re about to find out.”

  Chapter 2

  Legendary Spirit Fisherman Yoshiro

  Aboard the deck of the Blazing Falcon, The skies of Eon

  Leila leaned back in her old, wooden captain’s chair, slowly manipulating her ship’s control sphere in her palm as the vessel glided through Eon’s open skies. Despite being below deck, Leila had no trouble guiding The Blazing Fang with the utmost precision. She was the captain and because of this, a part of her spirit aura flowed through the vessel, allowing her to use her spirit sense to guide it as if it were a very extension of her being.

  A small smile formed on Leila’s face as her thumb ran along the edge of the control sphere. She loved flying, more than fighting, more than dungeon diving, more than anything in the entire realm. The skies felt like home to her, the ultimate domain for her mighty wind aura. And she never wanted to leave…

  The sudden creak of her cabin door pulled Leila out her thoughts. Leaning back in her captain’s chair, she prodded the room with her aura until she sensed another presence at her back, a familiar earth aura with powerful dread energy reverberating through its core… Quinn, her oldest ally and most trusted of friends.

  “I’m beginning to see why you like spending time down here,” the earth adept said as he placed a calloused hand on the woman’s shoulder. “It’s... peaceful.”

  Leila chuckled as she readjusted herself in her seat. “I doubt you’d rather have me up there sparring with the spirins. I’m afraid if I hear Roy mouth off one more time I might get carried away and toss him overboard.”

  As she spoke, Leila felt something nudge her boot.
She peered down to see Roy’s cryofox staring up at her, a smug look on the creature’s little face. For some reason, the little beast had taken a liking to her, though at the moment it seemed a bit... displeased with her remark. Somehow, even his pet found a way to grate her nerves...

  Quinn chuckled as he gave the woman’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “I gotta admit, I really admire what Rem is doing with those kids, even if he has turned the ship into a training ground. He’s preparing them for what’s to come.” The earth adept paused to retrieve a reed from his belt and place it between his Lips. “It’s not like we’re heading to another Atherune... Shadowreach is a damned grindhouse.”

  “I know,” Leila replied, her voice solemn. Slowly, she reached down and picked up the small, crystalline Fox, giving in to its stubborn nature as she ran her fingers through its icy fur. “I just hope this little detour Rem has planned pays off like he says it will. If we can get the other two up to Spiriteka then we might stand a chance in that damned city.”

  In truth, Leila wasn’t too thrilled about their final destination. Sure, Atherune wasn’t anything spectacular, but at least she felt like she was building a foundation there. Now they were headed to a city comprised of rogues, criminals, and lost souls that didn’t care to be found. She… she just couldn’t help but wonder what her life would be like if she were never exiled from the Blazing Falcons, if she never acquired her divine power. Her dark passenger...

  “Wherever we end up, we’re going to give them Hell,” Quinn said, his voice a bit more reassuring than before.

  Leila turned to respond, but a sudden spike in spiritual energy grabbed her attention. A breath later, the wind adept was tossed from her seat as the ship was rocked by a whirling cyclone of water.

  “Are we under attack?!” Quinn shouted as he struggled to regain his balance.

  `“I think so,” she growled. “I need to get topside.”

  The woman’s voice carried a not so subtle hint of irritation as she placed the cryofox back on the floor. Whatever attacked them had sent more of a warning shot than anything, but she still needed to see it for herself. And by the gods, if this had anything to do with Remley, then she was going to choke the aura out of him.

  ****

  Roy braced himself against the railing as the water serpent slammed into the Blazing Fang, deconstructing into a giant wave that nearly washed him over the side of the airship.

  Remley responded immediately, stepping forward and unleashed a wave of flame that dissipated the remainder of the serpentine water technique.

  “Oh dear,” Remley said as he helped Kimoura back to her feet. “It doesn’t look like my old friend is accepting guests.”

  Behind them the door to the lower level flung open and Leila rushed out, the ship’s control sphere gripped tightly in her grasp. “What did you do Rem?!”

  Remley shot the woman a disarming smile as another wave of water nearly slammed into the side of the ship. “I haven’t done anything, though given a few moments and I’m certain I could talk our friend down there out of-“

  “Just fix this!” Leila interrupted as she maneuvered the ship around, avoiding a third attack.

  “Very well,” Remley replied. Then with a grin, he climbed onto the edge of the deck and leapt into the sky.

  Roy leaned over the rail and watched as his mentor soared through the air, arms and legs outstretched as the wind whipped through his long, black hair.

  Within seconds, another water technique came spinning in Remley’s direction. However, judging by the flame adept’s grin, Roy was certain that he was prepared. Well, that or he was completely foolish, which was still on the table as far as Roy was concerned.

  He watched as Remley spun, avoiding the brunt of the water technique as he descended towards his target. When the water spun closer to him, Remley drew on his spirit aura, creating a flaming disc at the bottom of his feet. Then the two techniques collided and the flame adept let out a howl of joy.

  Steam billowed into the air as Remley crouched atop his flaming disc, using it to ride the water cyclone down towards the lake’s shore. His technique dissipated as he reached the ground, landing with grace as met the gaze of the mysterious adept in gray.

  Roy leaned just a bit further over the edge of the deck, eyes locked on Rem. If there was one thing he enjoyed nearly as much as fighting, it was watching his mentor work.

  ****

  Remley fell into fighting stance as he squared off against his opponent, his palms open and his bare feet pressed firmly into the dirt. The flame adept didn’t have any of his equipment on him, not his blade or his elixirs or even his bright-red coat. And yet, with nothing more than the burning flames that were his spirit aura, he felt more confident than ever.

  “It’s been a while, old friend,” Remley said as he drew flame aura into his hands, prepared for whatever came next.

  “Not long enough,” the man in gray replied. “Now leave me in peace.”

  Remley sighed. “I’m afraid I can do that. You see, I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a predicament and-“

  “I’ve heard,” the man interjected, his tone gruff. “And if I’ve heard then I know people a lot worse than me have heard as well. Now, I’m going to give you one last chance... leave me alone.”

  Remley’s smile suddenly faded and his tone grew a bit more serious. “If only my father could see you now, Yoshiro... turning a blind eye to the man’s last living son.”

  The man in gray, once known on Eon as Yoshiro the legendary spirit fisherman, scoffed at that remark. “Well look at you, so eager to dredge up the past. Your father is gone, your entire guild is gone... and you still can’t help but flaunt your forbidden power.”

  Remley scoffed. “I didn’t have a choice but-“

  “Do you know what you’ve done by coming here?!” Yoshiro interrupted, his voice devolving into more of a growl than anything else. “The shadows speak, Remley Bonaduce. They speak of a son who should be dead. And they plot, devising ways to hunt him before he disappears once more.”

  “Then I’ll fight them off!” Remley replied. “Just as I fought them in Atherune.”

  “That’s just it,” Yoshiro retorted. “By coming here you’ve brought that to my doorstep.” The man shook his head just long enough to reveal an aged face beneath his wide-brimmed hat. “I distanced myself from that chaos, Remley. I served your family and the Steel Brotherhood well for many years... I earned my rest. And yet, here you are, dragging me right back into it. I won’t have it!”

  Water began to pool at Yoshiro’s feet, swirling around his boots as it took the form of dripping tendrils.

  Remley turned his gaze to the ground as if he was suddenly weighed down by the feelings of remorse that reverberated through his spirit. “I am truly sorry for bringing this to you...” the flame adept said, his somber voice a stark contrast to the fire that danced in his palms. “But as the last surviving member of the Steel Brotherhood, I must demand your help one last time.”

  Yoshiro scoffed. “Make all the demands you’d like, but you’ll only get one thing from me...” The air fell silent as the water adept placed his hands together, causing his watery tendrils to hover in the air like vipers poised to strike.

  Remley widened his stance, bending at the knee and placing his right hand on the ground. Yoshiro was a water adept, a pressure fighter who thrived on keeping his opponent on the back foot. But if Remley could use his explosive speed, he might be able to end this before it began…

  The flame adept felt the stabbing pain of guilt as he locked eyes with Yoshiro, his flame aura building at the soles of his feet. He didn’t want to fight this man, an old ally to both he and his family. And yet, he wasn’t sure there was any way to get through to him. Remley’s father had treated Yoshiro greater than gold, had ensured the man had lived a good life under the protection of the Steel Brotherhood. Deep down Remley knew it was wrong to leverage their shared past, especially after Yoshiro had spent so many years in peaceful reclusion.
.. but what in Eon was he supposed to do?!

  Remley let out a singular, calming breath... He was going to do what he always did. He was going to put on a smile and fight.

  The air shifted violently as Yoshiro launched his water tendrils forward, seeking to press the flame adept back. The man was old, but with the apparent force of his attack, it was clear that he hadn’t lost a step.

  Remley countered by channeling nearly all of his spirit energy into his feet. Then he exploded from his position, launching himself forward as a torrent of flame rapidly expanded from beneath him.

  As he soared past Yoshiro’s grasping tendrils, he noticed a shield of water aura building around the man’s torso, threatening to cut off his only means of attack. Acting on instinct, the flame adept spun threw the air, launching his flaming foot directly into the man’s center with a perfectly placed flying spin kick.

  A cloud of steam engulfed the pair as Remley’s flames met Yoshiro’s partially formed barrier. The air fell silent once more as the thick, white cloud began to shift, dissipating as a gust of wind blew in from the east. And when it finally cleared the two men remained standing, Remley’s guild insignia glowing bright as seven translucent blades pressed themselves into Yoshiro’s throat.

  “I did not want to do this,” Remley reiterated, his voice pained. He’d used his flames to blaze through the man’s defenses before entrapping him with his seven blades of retribution, an attack strong enough to tear the old adept to shreds. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he were to unleash the technique’s full power on Yoshiro, but he had to assert his dominance. He had to.

  “And yet, here you are,” Yoshiro replied, his tone indifferent and his gaze distant. “Drop your technique boy and I’ll do what you ask. The shadows have likely found us already anyways...”