Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Harmonious Aegis stacks begin to increase.
The One sat up now, back on its haunches. It was still outlined in scarlet and its Watchdog Stance was still up but it made no move to strike us down. “We do not deny that often you will have to take up arms and stand strong to defend that which is most dear to you. However, not every threat can be beaten with blade or spell, can they?”
Kayla shook her head as understanding dawned. “No, no, they can’t. There’s no way we could beat you, for example, and we’ve only lasted this long because you’ve allowed it, right?”
“Destruction is not the way of those who walk in the Light.” Even as two of the heads focused on her, the right-most one turned toward me. “And what of you, Warlord? What more do you have to say?”
“I feel stupid about it,” I acquiesced as I simply dissipated my shield and banner into my inventory, leaving myself totally defenseless, “but it’s so obvious now. You can’t form a bond with someone at sword-point and harmony can’t grow in the chaos of battle. Besides, you never actually attacked us, not until we attacked you and even then, you only responded in kind.” I smiled crookedly as I scratched the back of my head. “The only way to win here, to understand this last principle, is to show it, to embrace peace … right?”
“You feel stupid?” Kayla cried, digitally sheathing her weapons as well. She ran her hands through her hair, the unruly, floating strands leaving her fingers slick with water. “I was still trying to blow up the spirit of harmony while you were figuring it all out.”
“Neither of you should feel, as you put it, ‘stupid.’” The One’s words and tone matched again, loving and respectful. “You have both lived lives of strife and conflict, forced to struggle in your own unique ways in this world and the other. That your first instinct would be to fight for what you want is only natural. The proof stands that you, the both of you, see the truth now. You understand the principle and, from what we see in your past and your memories, that you have exercised peace in the past.”
I shot a questioning glance at Kayla who replied with a shrug. I shrugged back and turned back to the mighty spirit before us. “So … does that mean we passed?”
The One’s entire shaggy form convulsed with doggie laughter, wuffing and chuffing. “Yes, you have indeed passed.”
The red outline around the wolf shifted abruptly back to the pleasing green of a friendly. Its form filled with white light and that light spilled forth, flowing down into the stone slabs, running like water down the score lines before it reached us. It pooled around our feet before launching upwards, white lightning that fused into the Rings of Promise.
"The trial of the Three Wolves is over and we, the One, grant you the full potential of the Rings of Promise! As a gesture of our esteem, we grant you a touch of our essence so that all may see the spirit of the pack you now carry with you. Now, go back to the Vale and see what your effort has wrought for our people."
Quest 'Three Wolves Howling' completed!
You and your chosen have been deemed to master all the principles of harmony and the One has fully restored the Rings of Promise!
You receive a new Weapon Aura option: Fang of the Wolf!
Report to Alizhard Forshan for your reward!
There was only time for me to get out an abbreviated 'thank you' before the light erupted, exactly as it did at the end of the battle with the corrupted wolves, engulfing all my senses with its warm glow. As before, to continue the matching situations, when the light faded, we were somewhere else.
Quote 15
I only wish we had more guild members interested in becoming Promised. The few Promised couples we have are dynamite in raids, well, as long as we keep them together. You'd think we've had more people interested in doing the quests but I'm happy with the ones we have.
Thadivus, guild lead of Elementalis Reclaimed, EO's #1 raid guild
15
With the tingle of energy still in my fingers and the anticipation building in my heart for the end of our struggle, I didn’t even care that we had passed through another fade to white moment.
As the scenery resolved into color around us, we found ourselves standing in a place we had been before at least, the central plaza of the Vale under the shade of the Life Crystal. While familiar, a change had been wrought on the place since our previous visit.
It was as if centuries of wear-and-tear had melted away. Instead of weed-tangled marble, the paving stones were clean and perfectly fitted, unleashing the color and luster of the stone that had been hidden by abuse and age. The dais was restored as well. The worn edges of the steps and the wind-torn sculptures were as clean and sharp as the day they had first been carved. The gemstones in the eye sockets of all three wolf’s heads now blazed with light. Even the already-perfect Life Crystal burned with new energy, a rainbow of color swirling in the normally pale blue spire.
There were people there as well but they were neither the lone, wizened figure of Alizhard nor the massed tribes of the Lykos gathered for war. Instead, the square was peppered with small groups of Lykos, all in different color robes, discussing, eating, relaxing, and generally acting as one would on a glorious summer afternoon if you had nothing to do. It was a kind of pastoral peace that you didn't see in the Three and Twenty, something I only knew from old Tri-D vids.
As icing on the cake, the weapon aura we had just been granted was already defaulted to on. A pale silver glow ran up my banner and Kayla's staff, culminating in the shape of a wolf's head. The aura pulsed and moved as the head occasionally opened its jaws fiercely or let out a silent howl. Though I was never one to go out of my way to collect flashy stuff like that before, especially with most of it in the Bazaar of the Bizarre, EO's real money shop, it was cool to finally have one of my own.
“When we fix things,” Kayla whispered softly as she stared at her glowing staff and the amazing change that had come over the square, “we really fix things, don’t we?”
I nodded slowly, grinning like an idiot. “Well, I guess working with the best really rubbed off on me, eh?”
“Let’s not go down the perfect Kayla road,” she laughed. “I neither want nor deserve it and besides, I get enough of that from other places.”
Turning to face her, I recognized the hint of pain under the smile and laugh and was reminded of the shades that had berated her avatar. “Don’t worry, Kay, I won’t.” My heart said to comfort her with a kiss, and I decided it had the proper game plan. As I stepped closer to her, and she turned to look me deep in the eyes, my hands moved to cup her face and then …
“Ah, young love,” Alizhard said, nostalgia thick in his voice, “I wasn’t sure I would see it again, not after you both disappeared during the battle.” I flashed him a sidelong glare that only made the old Ember chuckle. “A thousand apologies for the interruption, but the totem spirits bid me meet you here, at this time, and one does not keep the One waiting!”
Kayla rolled her eyes as she reluctantly stepped away from me. “I guess not.”
“While your timing is horrible,” I conceded as I tried to look nonchalant and utterly failed to do so, “I have to admit it’s good to see you, especially looking so good.”
That wasn’t flattery. Alizhard was dressed now in the robes and pelts that characterized the Lykos packs in the vibrant colors of the Eastern tribe of love but it was more than a fresh set of clothes. The Ember sage looked as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and his smile was easy and without worry. There was a faint spark of past regret in his fiery eyes, but it was overwhelmed by the warmth of contentment.
Kayla’s vague look of frustration melted away as well. “Shale’s right, Alizhard. It’s nice to see you happy for a change.” She let out a short laugh. “I mean, we’ve only known you for, what, a few cycles but after all that’s happened, it feels quite a bit longer.”
The rest of the plaza faded out of focus, and the chatter became indistinct noise as we entered i
nto full-on NPC interaction mode. Alizhard’s smile grew a bit as he spoke, “Given the unusual nature of time in the Vale, who is to say how long we have known each other and who knows how many more times the tale of this place will play out? As a philosopher and scholar, I find the true nature of this place fascinating, and in retrospect, I am fortunate to be able to play the part I do in the work the Lykos do.” He spread his arms wide. “Ah, but before we speak further, I believe there is a proper reward to be given for your noble deeds.”
Quest ‘Three Wolves Howling’ concluded!
Quest successful!
317,801 Experience awarded!
Grade S Watchdog Stance Gem awarded!
Grade A Tarnished Ring of Promise upgraded to Grade S Restored Ring of Promise!
New system ‘Trust’ unlocked! You and your Promised can now unlock security options for the Filter AI and gain other benefits by increasing your Trust levels with one another! Speak to Alizhard Forshan or refer to the newly unlocked ‘Systems > Trust’ entry in the EO Internal Wiki for more information.
Congratulations! You have gained a level and are now a level 44 Warlord!
Strength increases by 1 to 184!
Agility increases by 1 to 64!
Power increases by 1 to 42!
Infusion increases by 2 to 358!
Vitality increases by 2 to 368!
Health Points increase by 20 to 3920!
Elemental Power increases by 20 to 2900!
As the blazing rainbow of pyrotechnics from our dual level up faded and the shivers of the rush of power quieted, Alizhard continued, “I am certain you are both eager to not only explore the powers that the restored Rings provide but this grand step you have taken in twining your spirits into one.” He cleared his throat. “Still, I am equally sure that you have questions to ask and I, humble seeker of truth though I am, may be able to provide the answers you seek.”
Considering the not-so-subtle prompting from both the quest text and Alizhard himself, I began with the most obvious of questions. “I understand that even though we have restored the full power of the Rings, there is some sort of process to furthering the bond between Kayla and me?”
The Ember nodded sagely as my UI lit up with a visual prompt highlighting my Herald tab. I mentally nudged it open, following the UI directions to what it wanted me to see while Alizhard began speaking. “Ah, yes! Though the Rings have brought your souls together, there is more to any relationship than that. The power of your bond ebbs and flows along with the trials and tribulations of your love.” There was a new section to the Herald labeled Promised which displayed core statistics on Kayla, her exact in-game location and status, and a metered gauge labeled, appropriately enough, ‘Trust’ that measured from zero to one-hundred. It currently sat at ten points, a drop in the bucket. “As you perform acts the other deems as worthy of building trust, the Rings will react, strengthening as your Trust builds. Conversely, if you break promises or perform deceptive deeds, your accumulated Trust will fall and will weaken your bond and the Rings themselves.”
Kayla had to have received the same prompts as her brow was wrinkled thoughtfully, staring at something invisible to my eyes. “So, I have to ask, do the Rings react entirely on their own? Or do we have input on what increases or decreases Trust?”
Alizhard pulled on his beard slowly. “We don’t always know the truth inside our own hearts, Kayla, so the Rings seek to do most of the work for you. However, not even the most ancient of Elohjin magic is perfect. You each can influence the growth or disintegration of your bonds to some degree but the enchantments will seek to limit you from rash, impulsive actions.” He chuckled softly, more of the nostalgia that colored him before seeping into his eyes. “Those who are the closest can fight with the most fury against one another. To have something so precious completely destroyed on a whim of passion or to have a mistake of committing too deeply too quickly under an impulsive decision would be tragic, yes?”
This dialogue from the Ember must have been part of the actual Trust mechanic tutorial as a UI window popped up as he spoke, giving in-depth information beyond Alizhard's philosophy, as intriguing as it was.
Trust accumulates automatically via neural and physiological readings through your NSAF gear as processed by FILTER-AI’s therapy algorithms. In addition, you and your Promised may reward or penalize interpersonal actions by adding or removing up to 10 points of Trust per day to a maximum increase or decrease of 25 points per week.
Your first 10 points of voluntary reward have already been added to your Trust meter! You have 15 points of voluntary increase and 25 points of voluntary decrease remaining for this week.
To think, I had spent the last couple of years actively avoiding NSAF therapy after all my time at the Institute being poked and prodded by it and now my future with my first real girlfriend in some time was going to be determined by that same program.
With a frown, I glanced up from the UI to look at Alizhard directly. “You may not be able to answer this but are there any, well, goals we should shoot for, like certain degrees of trust that will unlock certain powers of the Rings?”
I’m a gamer so yes, I did want to game the system. Maybe it was pure impulse, but I wanted to see Kayla, the real woman behind the avatar, sooner as opposed to later. I had no doubt that what we could reveal of our real lives was linked to this Trust mechanic. I wanted to see her real face, to know her name, and to help her with her problems, and I know I wasn’t wrong to believe she had the same desires.
“My good man, you cannot attach numbers and mathematical break points to love,” he replied with a shake of his head. “The Rings will reveal their power to you naturally as the seed of your love grows into a mighty tree. All you have to do is nurture it.” He shrugged. “Besides, there are limits to my knowledge. Sharaze and I … we never did succeed, after all.”
While Alizhard was technically a fictional character, his reminder made me feel rather small for asking such an ultimately unimportant question. Kayla and I had come this far. Why should I even want to rush it?
Okay, I did have some imminently practical reasons to want to. I wanted us to be together in our real lives before anything might happen to either of us. The tragedy around Crysta and Vanni was motivation enough, even if you discounted the looming combination of financial and health crises looming in my personal future. In the end, though, I had to admit to myself that pragmatism doesn’t make something the morally right thing to do.
Lost in those thoughts, I hadn’t noticed that Kayla had a hand on my shoulder until she spoke up. “We’re both sorry for what happened to you and your love … which makes me want to know something. You seem to know the truth about the Vale, about how time stretches and bends and loops here. The One said you’ve been helping them voluntarily, to help others find what you had lost … is that true?” She frowned, almost wincing at some unseen pain. “I don’t think I could keep reliving that pain over and over again for anyone.” She cast me a sidelong glance. “Well, almost anyone.”
Alizhard’s eyebrows arched as his eyes widened for a moment before his composure returned. “It is true, my dear, and the pain, well, yes, the pain cuts fresh wounds every time.” Strangely, despite the shiver in his voice, his smile brightened. “But every time we triumph, every time one more pair is brought together as you have been, it makes it worth it. While I may never know a true bonding as you now do, to be responsible for the culmination of so much love is a reward in and of itself, wouldn’t you say?”
I could see his point. While he might be deprived of his own love, he could feel the joy of all the couples he brought together vicariously through his work with the Lykos packs. I found myself smiling along with him as I answered.
“I think it’d be a fair argument as to who did the more noble things here, you or us.” Glancing around the out-of-focus world, the Lykos enjoying their peaceful haven, and the shining crystal towering over us all, I settled my gaze on Kayla as I asked, “So, Alizhard, wh
ere do we go from here?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him chuckle as he folded his hands behind his back. “Well, you two may go where you wish. Your quest here is done and things are right in the valley again. The portal to Elementalis is stable and open but there is no rush.” He nodded around the plaza, toward the milling masses. “If you wished a respite from the war against the Darkness, you are more than welcome to spend time here. Know only that once you leave the Vale, you will not be able to return.” Alizhard’s eyes twinkled as he let out a contented sigh. “After all, there are many others that need our aid. We must prepare to restart the cycle.”
I nodded slowly and Kayla spoke for us both when she said, “Thank you for everything, Alizhard. I think we’ll spend a little time here and then we have to go back. You have a lot to prepare for and so do we.”
Now more than ever, the thought of Crystalfire Keep looming only a few short weeks in the distance thrilled me. After this baptism of fire, with the power Kayla and I held together and the love we had, conquering the Keep seemed an inevitability, an inevitability that would solve that looming financial problem. For once, it looked to me that everything would turn out fine.
He bowed low in the elaborate formal style of the Fire Sultan’s court. “Then go with harmony, my young friends. Perhaps, if the Elohjin wish, we will meet again.” Alizhard stepped back with one last, wistful smile before disappearing into the crowds as the lush valley came back into clarity around us.
I rested my hands on my hips and arched my back, taking in a deep breath of the intoxicating scents of nature around us. “You know, as much as I wanted to be done with this place, I think I really will miss it.”
“Well,” Kayla mused, “what I’m currently missing is the kiss that I am pretty sure was about to happen before Alizhard interrupted.” She laughed a little. “But I’ll miss this place too. I wonder if the rest of Elementalis will ever look like this again. Maybe after a couple of expansions?”
The Vale of Three Wolves: A LitRPG Adventure (Elements of Wrath Online Book 2) Page 18
