“Hello, hello, hello.” A soft singsong voice replied from the darkness.
“My name is Skree. Your grand daughter Octavia sent here me.” He explained, searching the spires for the shadowy figure he had seen moments ago.
“Skree.” The feminine voice said from the darkness. “Why have you come to my vessel?”
“Octavia has offered me a great gift, the gift of your Soul Vessel. I refused, as I am undeserving of such a treasured gift.”
A sudden impact from behind sent him flying, and he bounced along the stone floor crashing into one of the crystalline pillars.
“Undeserving is an understatement.” The voice hissed angrily. Groaning with pain, Skree picked himself up from the ground and stared at the Siren. She was beautiful, just like Octavia. Her lustrous golden hair flowed down the length of her body, cascading to the floor. A thin, silvery dress covered her body leaving very little to the imagination.
Her eyes glowed with an arctic blue light that chilled his blood. She took a few steps forward, slow and measured. Despite her graceful steps, he could see the promise of violence in her motions.
“I can sense it in you, the lust for power, just like all humans.” She said spreading her arms wide, silver sleeves reflecting the blue glow of the crystals that surrounded them. “If my granddaughter sent you here, then she must see more than I do.”
He rolled his shoulders, feeling the ache in his ribs from the impact of her blow. “She believes that I can defeat Abrenacht. That…” he said, then inhaled in surprise when she appeared before him, the cold steel of her blade against his neck. Only after the chill spread from the blade through his body did his mind register, she had covered the distance between them so quickly.
A cold wave of power flowed through his blood from the contact like the wind of a winter storm. His teeth chattered and his heart raced to ward off the cold. She withdrew the blade from his neck, glowing blue eyes burning into his soul.
“And why would she think this? What lies have you told her?” she spat.
“I told her of my battle with Abrenacht, or at least, a splinter of his power. That I have a power that allowed me to win the battle. I am a Chosen of the Archons.”
Bubbling laughter escaped soft red lips. “Chosen by the Archons, for what?” she asked with a venomous tone.
“I don’t know.” He answered honestly. “They brought here me from another world, a shark headed being called Sharktooth. For what purpose? I do not understand.” He met her gaze with a similar intensity, unwilling to back down from her challenging stare.
“I care not for your problems. My granddaughter considers you a worthy challenger and so I will test her theory.”
“What theory?” Skree asked, now concerned that he had misjudged this impromptu meeting this powerful siren.
“That you and I should be wed, in blood and battle. She hopes you can claim my power and release her from her promise to avenge me.”
“That is not exactly what I expected when I agreed to come here.”
“No matter,” Tyfane said, gesturing toward him, “I shall not release you until I have tested your strength, your soul.” She squared her shoulders and met his eyes, the arctic blue orbs piercing his being.
“Shall we begin?” Tyfane asked, deadly serious. “Do not hold back, or I will not join your cause. I refuse to ally myself with someone too weak to do what is needed.”
Skree nodded somberly, pulling his great sword from his Nearly Bottomless Bag. He raised the blade defensively, watching Tyfane for signs of movement. He marveled at her lithe form. Arms corded with lean muscles, her supremely relaxed posture was making him nervous. She wore nothing more than thin cloth that shimmered in the low light of the otherworldly space.
“Shouldn’t you have armor? Or a weapon?” Skree asked.
She clapped her hands together, releasing a shower of sparks. As she pulled them apart, a torrent of tiny sparkling lights cascaded to the ground, fading from existence before touching the stone. A filament of light stretched between her hands as if attached to her palms. The soft filament became taught, and with a final tug of her hands, a glowing blade snapped into being, floating in the air before her.
“Okay, that was awesome.” Skree said with true awe in his voice. He stared hard at the blade, willing his identify skill to trigger but no such luck.
Casually, Tyfane wrapped her delicate fingers around the hilt of shimmering light. She raised the blade above her head, grinned, then snapped the blade in a wide arc before her, leaving a blinding curtain of sparkling particles that obscured her from sight. Skree tried to block the brilliance with his hand but looked away. As the light slowly faded away, he turned back to behold a magnificent warrior.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Radiant silver armor now covered Tyfane head to toe like a second skin. It was hard to look at in the dim light of the crystal cave, a true masterwork of armor. He stared in slack-jawed amazement, letting his sword slip from its guard position for only a second, but it was all the invitation that Tyfane needed to attack.
Like a bolt of lightning from a dark night sky, she shot forward, a silver streak trailing wispy threads of light. Her fist impacted his abdomen with tremendous force, sending him bouncing along the stone ground. Sparks flew wildly as his massive blade carved a deep scratch along its surface. He scrambled to his feet, gasping for air, trying desperately to force air back into spasming lungs. He checked his health bar, seeing her powerful strike had removed nearly 100 health from his pool of 650.
She was so fast. How could he possibly hope to keep up with her? She hadn’t taken another step, still leaning forward, arm extended at the point of impact. Her face betrayed no emotions, only a deep focus on her task. Slowly as the receding tide, she pulled her arm back and stood to her full height. Her blade hung casually at her side as she inspected him, her eyes taking in the full measure of the man before her.
“You aren’t ready.” She said flatly, no venom or anger. Just her honest assessment of his merit and talents. Skree growled, adjusting his grip on the hilt of his sword. He rushed forward, activating his ability, Sunder. His blade tore through the air, his attack aimed at her neck and shoulder. With total disinterest, she parried the blade using her paper thin sword, letting the heavy steel cut the air mere inches from her body.
Skree’s weapon smashed into the solid stone, sending pain reverberating up his arms as the tip snapped off, clattering away into the darkness beyond the crystal pillars. He hissed in pain, staggering as he lost his balance from the powerful attack, leaving himself wide open to a counter. Again, Tyfane wasted no motion in her counterattack, driving her heel into the back of his knee, sending him sprawling to the ground. She watched with disappointment as he hauled himself back to his feet.
“Is this all you know?” she asked. “Swing hard, hope to hit your target?” Her voice was still without emotion, just the calm detachment of a master watching a flailing child play at sword fighting.
His knee burned from her kick, scowling at yet another chunk of health missing from his health bar. He took a step forward, yelping as pain flooded through his leg, sending him falling to the ground yet again. Tyfane paced forward slowly, both hands clasped behind her back, sword jutting to the side. She knelt beside him, taking his chin in her soft hand.
She turned his face to look at her and she could see the shame he felt at his weakness. “Do you give up so easily in the face of overwhelming odds?” she asked softly. “Did you lay down and die when you fought Abrenacht?”
He inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes and willing the pain away. “No.” He answered. “But I only defeated Abrenacht’s splinter by pure luck. I’m no battle hardened warrior! I’m just a guy in over his head who wants revenge for what happened to the Kobolds.”
Tyfane rose, taking a few steps away. She stood with her back to him, sword still clasped behind her back. “You are just a man. At least you understand that much.” She turned slowly around, her placid expression un
changed. “Abrenacht and his ilk are far worse than you can understand, the powers they wield can shake the very world. You must become stronger. You must find the power to fight within yourself.”
Again, she dashed forward, almost faster than he could follow, delivering a powerful kick to his ribs that sent him bouncing across the stone floor yet again. He felt the power of the blow, felt the bones in his chest break under the force of her kick. He screamed in pain and saw that his health had dropped to a third. 220 health points were all he had left.
“Abrenacht will not hold back!” she shouted, streaking forward and kicking him in the face, sending him sliding along the stone and crashing into a crystalline pillar. He saw flashing icons appear in his vision.
Broken Ribs X 5 - Maximum stamina and health reduced
Broken Nose - Maximum stamina and health reduced
Swollen Eyes X2 - Maximum dexterity reduced
He was in bad shape, and he knew this fight was a hopeless one. He cast Minor Regeneration but gasped in pain as Tyfane appeared by his side, grabbing his wrist and twisting it nearly to its breaking point.
“No healing. No weakness.” She said, staring into his eyes with cold detachment. “Healing magic is a tool, butin this realm, all it will do is bring you more pain.” She released her grasp, and he collapsed, feeling the cool damp granite on his burning cheek. She brandished her blade, letting the tip hover a hairsbreadth from his eye. She pushed him onto his back with her foot, her indifferent stare sending a chill through his aching body.
“You cannot rely on brute force and the power of your healing magic, for if you do, when you need it most, you will fail. Now stand!” she snapped, her words commanding as any generals. Groaning with effort and wincing at every shooting pain, Skree did as Tyfane demanded. He got to his feet, swaying drunkenly, hopping as the pain in his leg threatened to send him to the ground once more.
The weight of his heavy sword made it hard for him to regain his balance, he let the broken blade tumble from his fingers, the metal clang deafening in this silent place between worlds.
“What do you want from me?” He asked, wiping the blood from his lips. “I cannot beat you.” Each breath sent waves of pain racing through him, and it was hard for him to see. Whatever Tyfane was, she was a master of combat. He tried to use Analyze, but the ability failed.
Failed to inspect Tyfane, invalid target.
“What do I want from you?” she asked. Her expression soured into agitation. “Nothing. You came to seek my power, not the other way around. This place has been my home for hundreds of years, and if you are the best Octavia has found, then I expect to wait another few centuries.”
“I am not here to claim your power. Octavia wanted me to, but I told her I was undeserving of her gift.” He hobbled toward her until they were face to face. The cerulean icy glow of her eyes was unnerving, but he refused to back down now. “Octavia was wrong to offer your power, I see that now. Now I must ask something of you.”
Tyfane smirked and nodded for him to continue. “In the days to come, I intend to grow stronger. I must if I am to have any chance at all of beating Abrenacht. Your power is impressive and having you as an ally would be an incredible boon, but as we both know, I am far from ready to wield it.” He inhaled deeply and dropped to one knee. “Tyfane, Champion of the Sirens, may I carry your vessel with me until I am ready to face you again?”
She considered his request, alien eyes taking in all of his being. He waited in silence, staring up at the warrior woman. For the first time he saw the faint lines around her eyes, the subtle wrinkles of her skin. She was thousands of years old and a creature of immense power. He did not know if he would ever be strong enough but, in that space between worlds, he resolved to do everything he could to grow powerful enough to wield her strength against Abrenacht and his vile servants.
An almost imperceptible nod from Tyfane filled him with relief. “Young master, you show great wisdom in knowing to give up. Many a brash warrior would fight to the death, unwilling to swallow their pride no matter the cost. To truly be strong, you must know when you are too weak to win. I will allow you to carry my vessel until you are ready.” She extended a hand and pulled him to his feet.
“Please visit me from time to time. Despite what you might think, this place is quitedull and I receive few guests.”
Quest Update! Ghosts From The Past.
Tyfane has defeated you soundly, but she likes the cut of your jib. Continue to train, grow strong and defeat her in combat to earn her companionship. Also, don’t forget to visit every once and a while.
Reward: Crystalline Soul Vessel of Tyfane
He smiled. “It would be my pleasure to speak with you again, and I will Tyfane.”
“Goodbye young master.” she said, reaching a hand toward his heart. Her palm rested against his chest and a torrent of energy lifted him from the ground into the black above.
Chapter 27
His eyes shot open, and he gasped for air as the world slammed back into focus. Blinking away tears of pain, he saw Octavia sitting across from him, sweat beading on her pale skin.
“Well, that sucked.” he said, settling back into the chair.
Octavia studied the vessel, frowning. “What happened?”
“What happened? I got my ass kicked by your grandma that’s what happened.” He said, his fingers probing his face for any sign of the injuries he had received. He felt nothing and sighed with relief, at least he wouldn’t be limping his way home tonight.
“She does that. Did you reach an accord?” she asked, eyes showing signs of exhaustion.
He nodded. “We did. She has agreed that I should carry the vessel with me until I am strong enough to defeat her. Only then will she ally herself with me.”
She held out the pearl and with trembling fingers; he took it, placing it into his Nearly Bottomless Bag. “Octavia, I still don’t know why you gave me this. I’m a stranger to you.”
“Thank you. I know it seems strange, for me to offer it to you, but I do not wish to face Abrenacht again. If my grandmother can be the weapon that strikes it down, then I have chosen wisely. For centuries, she sat in that box, her power wasted. I am not a warrior, nor do I desire to be one. If the Archons chose you, whatever that means, then I should have faith in them and in you.” She smiled warmly. “Now, were you seeking another Primer?”
He had nearly forgotten about that. He needed another book, one that would help him understand running a settlement. “I am. I need a primer on Settlement management. I recently became the owner of an island and will need a lot of information on how it all works.”
She stood and wandered back toward the shelves, disappearing into the stacks. The moment she vanished from his sight, a prompt appeared.
Congratulations! You have completed the quest Trading Secrets. The siren Octavia asked you to share your story with her in exchange for primers and Octavia’s help to locate additional primers. You told her everything, even if some of it was against your will and in the process gained much more than some silly books!
Reward: 15,000 experience, Crystallized Siren Soul Vessel of Tyfane
A second prompt appeared when he closed the quest update, and he nearly leapt from his chair in celebration.
Congratulations, you have reached Druid level 18. You have earned 5 attribute points, 5 unspent. You have earned 5 skill points, 5 unspent.
Congratulations, Zuka has reached level 18. 3 attribute points earned, 3 unspent. 2 companion talent points earned. 2 unspent.
He opened his character sheet to spend his points immediately but before he could, Octavia re-emerged with a heavy-looking volume. “This should be what you are looking for.“She said, dropping it on the table next to him. Skree closed his character screen and took a moment to inspect the volume.
You have found “Settlement Management for total Idiots, Volume 1”, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Above Average, Durability: 12/12. Description: This Primer contains a comprehensive breakdown of all
settlement systems, information on leadership and conceptual essays by former settlement owners.
Despite the somewhat insulting title, it sounded like exactly what he needed to get a good start on running a settlement. The tome was thick and bound in fancy leather, embossed and well maintained. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the worst. “How much for the primer?”
Octavia patted the thick volume, smiling like a wolf before a cornered rabbit. “250 gold pieces.”
Skree nearly choked. “My god! You can’t be serious.” He sputtered.
“Deadly serious. It is a rare tome and a comprehensive one at that. People who buy entire islands can usually afford a few books. Don’t forget, you said you would pay full price for this book, so do not haggle with me. Two hundred and fifty gold, plus the other four primers for free, as part of our agreement.”
He clenched his fists, but she was right. He had agreed to pay the price for this volume, and she had just parted with four others, not to mention the soul vessel. After everything was said and done, it was a steal.
“Fine.” he said, fishing in his bag for the coins. He dropped them into her hand and slid the primer into his bag. She scooped up the coins, deposited them in her safe and then set the other four primers on the table. “Here you go, as promised.”
Double checking the volumes, he slid them into his bag one by one and they disappeared into the extra-dimensional space. He got to his feet and bowed slightly. “It was a pleasure to meet you Octavia but I should get back to my friends. I have a lot of reading to do.”
“Come see me again, if you need anything else.” she smiled. “And take care of my Grandmother won't you?”
He patted the Nearly Bottomless Bag with a nod. “I will.”
~~~
The sun was hanging low in the sky when he emerged from the bookstore; the sky reflecting brilliant reds and purples as night drew closer. Around him, the stalls and vendors were packing up for the evening, heading home to see their families and rest before doing it all over again tomorrow. A smile crept onto his face, he really liked Theseldora. It reminded him of those quaint villages on earth that refused to modernize, happy to live a more rustic life away from the hustle and bustle of industrialization.
Raiya- Early Game Page 20
