by Stone Thomas
“You left me at 9% of my HP, general,” I said.
He cocked a head to the side, thick cords of muscle tightening in his neck.
I pointed my spear at the ground and activated Spear Cannon. A burst of power erupted from Razortooth’s blade, blowing up the rocky ground beneath the general’s feet. The ground crumbled in a thin layer of brown stone, already weakened by the monster’s heavier, bulkier body.
He crashed into the meditation room below, his body a pincushion for sturdy stone spires that had finally served a purpose.
He groaned and twitched, then lay still. The room below, now an open pit exposed to the sun, filled with black blood. It charged the last of the energems we had collected, providing us another round of powerful tools against the next wave of Duul’s attacks, whenever they may come.
Once the dark ooze had disappeared from the depths, a large black stone sat gleaming under the sun. It was the energem the general had stolen from Valleyvale and carried with him on this assault. We’d have to decide whether to use it or return it to the city, but that was a conversation for later.
“It’s over!” I yelled. Cindra and Mamba had run from their tower, careful not to lose their footing along the edge of the pit that had opened up. They hugged me, one on each side, as Lily and Ambry stood on the other side of the chasm.
The stone door rolled to the side. Vix stood there, still bleeding and leaning on her hammer for support.
“I told you to rest,” I said.
“How could I rest?” she asked. “When I left you were losing. If it came down to it, I was going to pick up where you left off.”
I took a few steps into the temple as the other settlers cheered and whistled. The base was badly damaged, and so were we, but we had won.
+26
You did it, Nola said.
Thanks to you, I said. When you said that guy needed to chill out, I realized you were right. He was in dire need of a little meditation.
So I did it again?, she asked. I gave you a clever insight?
That you did.
As we filled the temple, Nola opened her eyes. She pushed aside the front panel of her crystal and reached out her thin arms. Her pretty face shone with yellow light. Then she spoke directly to all of us.
“You, brave men and women of our settlement, have accomplished something few others have. Through hard work and ingenuity, you created a defense that even Duul’s army could not surpass. I could not be more proud of you, or happy for you.
“Duul is responsible for so much suffering, which has touched my life personally. I’m sure it has touched yours too. He has conscripted or killed this land’s fathers, sons, and brothers. By now he has trapped and enslaved countless mothers, daughters, and sisters. Together, we must stop him. We may be the only ones who can.
“When I came to this temple, it was a hollow shell, a home started and abandoned, by what god or goddess I do not know. I claimed it as my own, but I was alone.
“My head priest, your leader, Arden Hochbright, has turned this empty cave into a home. A beacon of hope and security in a world occluded by fear and hate. But it’s you that made it grow. You brought this place up from nothing and built homes, walls, workspaces. You craft and dig and build and cultivate. We are a settlement now, soon to rival the Imperial City. Welcome, everyone, to Halcyon.”
A few people repeated the name aloud. Halcyon. It was a momentous name, imbued with more meaning than your average Meadowdale or Valleyvale. This was a place that would matter.
“Nola,” I said, “on behalf of everyone here, I would like to thank you. You brought us together and gave us a purpose. You could have hidden somewhere remote where war and evil and Duul himself wouldn’t find you, but you picked this place, here in the human lands. Our lives are richer for it.”
“You say that,” Nola said, “but it’s not entirely selfless on my part.”
“Really?” I asked. “It’s clear to me what I get out of this arrangement, stumbling into a head priest position. I have a skill that I never could have dreamed of, and we’re building a new world for humans, elves, and beastkin here that I think is pretty awesome. What’s in it for you though?”
“Everybody has to eat, right?”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“I came here to eat your souls,” she said.
I froze. What kind of a demon had we pledged ourselves to? A wave of gasps washed across the crowd of settlers gathered around her.
“Oh, no, wait,” she said, “that came out wrong. I forget that you use the word soul to mean your everlasting spiritual energy that will end up in one of the heavens when you die. Gods use the same word for something different and it causes a bit of confusion.
“I thrive on the vibrations your soul makes,” she continued. “It doesn’t detract from your soul, and you can’t see the vibrations, but I can. You, Arden, have very strong vibrations. They nourish me. Feeling those vibes is what woke me from stasis when the gi-ants attacked. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even noticed I was being stolen by monsters. Monsters don’t have vibrations.
“Without you, I would have taken a year to evolve, instead it took only weeks. The next evolution will take more time, or more vibrations, so if you grow the temple and build a city, we can keep growing together at a decent speed. So I say, go out there and recruit!”
“Monsters don’t have vibrations,” Cindra said. She seemed lost in thought, letting the words slip past her lips without willing them.
“Nope,” Nola said. “It takes a soul, wiggling around in a physical body to create the kind of vibes I need.”
“So monsters don’t even have souls,” Cindra said, starting to cry.
“What’s with her?” Nola asked.
“You’ve basically just told Cindra that she’s no better than the monster that lives under the bed.”
“What?” Nola said. “No! Cindra, whoever created you gave you a soul. You might be made of slime, but your soul isn’t. You’ve got some big ol’ vibes, girl.”
“Really?” Cindra asked.
“Gods yes!” Nola said. “I hope you stick around because you’re so good to eat!”
Cindra hesitated before saying, “Thank you.” Nola was going to have to work on how she talked about her dietary needs.
“Speaking of which,” Nola said, “it’s time.”
She lay back down inside her crystal chrysalis and folded her arms across her body. Her body began to glow a soft yellow, like the first rays of the morning sun. The inside of the crystal chamber filled with that light until watching the transformation was unbearable.
I shielded my eyes against the impossible brightness. Then, in an instant, it was over.
Floating above the altar was a woman, wrapped in a simple cloth that draped loosely across her chest. Her nipples were finally covered, though her cleavage still showed. At least she had some clothing now.
Nola’s arms looked stronger than before, her jawline more angular. There was a sharpness in her eyes that sliced away some of the softness they carried before. When she turned, I saw two small wings pressed against her back and covered in short, yellow feathers the same color as her skin.
“You have all witnessed something few humans, elves, or beastkin ever do. Most gods choose to evolve in private, but I have never been one for convention. I lived to see this day because of your faith and hard work. I wanted you all to witness the miracle of a goddess’s growth.
“You won’t see this yourselves, but Arden will. Standing in the presence of my evolution has awarded each of you with thousands of additional XP. As I become stronger, so should you.”
Turning toward me, Nola reached out an arm. I took her hand.
“I must return to my cocoon now to prepare for another evolution. I would much prefer to stay as I am, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I would walk the fields your farmer has started to till and feel the fresh soil between my toes. I would adorn myself in the gold your metalworker has started to fashion into rin
gs for enchanting. I would dine on bread and flightless birds.
“Alas, there is no time for these pleasures. I will focus on growing so that I can better serve you, the good people of Halcyon. I ask only that you serve me as well.
“Now, Arden, I believe I am ready to unlock the power that my mother left behind. As my head priest, you are the only person alive who can train my skills. Would you unlock the power of Premonition?”
I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It would be my honor.”
Δ
Skillmeister View of:
Nola
Base Attribute / XP to Next / Intended Change / Total XP Cost
-
10 Constitution / 250 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
10 Vivacity / 250 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
10 Strength / 250 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
10 Hardiness / 250 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
10 Focus / 250 XP to Next / 10 –> 12 / Total XP Cost: 525
-
10 Resolve / 250 XP to Next / 10 –> 12 / Total XP Cost: 525
-
TOTAL BASE ATTRIBUTE XP COST: 1,050
Stats Affected by Change
-
[Constitution] Health Points (HP): 1000/1000
-
[Vivacity] Action Points (AP): 200/200
-
[Strength] Phys. Damage Inflict Range: 100-122
-
[Hardiness] Phys. Damage Block Range: 54-76
-
[Focus] Mag. Damage Inflict Range: 100-122 –> 120-146
-
[Resolve] Mag. Damage Block Range: 54-76 –> 65-91
-
Skills For Weapon Class: None
-
[Null]
Intended Change: None
Cost Subtotal: 0
TOTAL SKILL XP COST: 0
Skills for Special Class: Deity
-
Clever Insight 1. Use your powers of perception to identify new approaches to old problems, with a 10% likelihood of arriving at your insight before the moment has passed. [20 AP to cast] [Requires: Focus 10, Resolve 10].
-
Improve to Clever Insight 2 to improve odds of prompt insight to 20%. [40 AP to cast] [Requires: Focus 12, Resolve 12] [750 XP to improve].
…
Intended Change: 1 –> 2
Cost Subtotal: 750
-
Locked. Premonition 1. Tap into the time stream to observe the future outcome of the present course of action. [200 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 10, Hardiness 10] [375 XP to unlock].
-
Improve to Premonition 2 to decrease AP cost. [180 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 11, Hardiness 11] [750 XP to improve].
…
Intended Change: 0 –> 2
Cost Subtotal: 1,125
TOTAL DEITY SKILL XP COST: 1,875
Summary
-
Available XP: 3,000
Cost of Intended Changes: 2,925
Precision Training Discount (2%): 59
Total Adjusted Cost: 2,866
Total Projected Remaining: 134
Confirm?: Yes / No
∇
“Is it done?” she asked.
“It’s done,” I replied. “I’ve unlocked the power you inherited from your mother and made it as strong as the skill you were born with.”
“I thought it would be a burden, to carry my mother’s torch, but it isn’t. I’m proud to continue in her footsteps. Thank you, Arden.”
Nola leaned toward me and kissed me on the forehead. My mind cleared of all thought for a moment, loss in the bliss of her touch. It was like she had lifted me from this plane and transported my soul to heaven.
“Well?” I asked. “Aren’t you curious to try it out?”
Nola regarded me for a moment, then closed her eyes. Her body glowed with warm yellow light while she divined the future. When the light dimmed, she opened her eyes.
“The future is ever-changing,” she said. “What I saw was not good, but as we build and strategize, we can change that. The future I saw was one in which the cities are guarded by the men Duul has ensnared, and he has a head priest in every city. Every temple is devoted to him, and he feeds on the souls – sorry, the vibrations – of the women he holds hostage. Their fear and their pain are his ambrosia.
“In this future, women bear children made for violence and war. We must not let that come to pass. We all deserve to rest after today’s win, and to rejoice in our victory. Tomorrow, however, our hard work continues.”
With that, she stepped back inside her crystal capsule.
“Come back in the morning,” she said, moments before her cocoon sealed over. “I’m working on something that will help you manage our growing little settlement. In the meantime, I think there’s still a barrel of wine left, and a few hardworking women in need of your… appreciation.”
I glanced at Vix, Cindra, and Mamba, then at Ambry and Lily.
Nola, I thought, when you’re right you’re right.
About Stone Thomas
Stone Thomas was never on Jeopardy, never got abducted by aliens, and never managed to beat Super Mario Bros. 3 in one life. But he did write a book! And the sequel is underway. So, all in all, things are pretty good with him. Take a peek into his imagination with the Halcyon Rising series. You won't be disappointed!
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