Dissonance: A LitRPG Adventure, page 15
part #1 of Unbound Series
"Chimera? Aren't those bigger, usually?" He muttered to himself, but soon remembered the savaged horse-sized corpse he found near the Orit. Right. That was probably its mom or something...Poor little guy.
The tenku regarded him with a second head tilt, sniffing in his direction as it yipped again. Felix followed its gaze to the satchel at his hip, and when he looked back he saw it lick its dark beak. Felix laughed. "Oh, I see. You're hungry." He looked off to his room, only a dozen feet away. "Wait here, little dude."
Moving slowly at first and without turning around, Felix navigated to his room and grabbed the last few fruits he had stashed there earlier. When he turned around to leave the room, he found the tenku sitting in the doorway, mouth open and tongue lolling.
"Uh, hey buddy. You like these, right?" Felix tossed one of the fruits to the chimera, the red and white food bouncing once before fetching against the doorjamb. "Eat up."
Felix looked down to grab another fruit, and when he looked back, the tenku had already eaten half of its own. It was impressive, really. A few more bites, and that fruit was gone. Felix stepped a bit closer and rolled another at the pup. The tenku pounced and devoured it in seconds. Felix went through his entire stash in the next few minutes, but thankfully the last one seemed to satisfy the ravenous beast.
"Holy hell, dude. You can really pack it away, huh?" Felix scratched his head as he regarded the tenku, who proceeded to walk into his room, growl once or twice, and plop down right onto his bedroll. It was asleep in seconds.
Felix smiled, and despite his dire straits and constant battle to survive, despite everything, he felt pretty good. Maybe he shouldn't be trusting this strange little creature, but he found it hard to be worried about a puppy.
Laying down a few feet away, Felix eventually let himself drift off to sleep. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would be longer still.
Laughter, edged with something darker, danced through the room. But Felix was already fast asleep.
Two hours after dawn found Felix stripped to the waist and covered in sweat-soaked mud. A hole approximately six feet long and six feet deep lay in front of him as he panted in the early morning sunlight. His Strength made it a far easier task than it should have been, even though all he had to use was his hands. Were he normal, human Felix would have been at this for most of the day. Reaching over, he gently picked up the Henaari explorer's skull and hopped into the grave. With as much reverence as he could manage, he placed the skull down with the collection of its other bones. He had found all of them, he thought, and had arranged them in a general humanoid shape in the dark dirt. Standing over the body, he paused. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Thank you, stranger. You've helped me a whole lot. I'm not a religious guy, and I wouldn't know the first thing about yours, but I hope you've gone to the best afterlife out there. Whoever the Eternal Raven is, I'm sure they're happy that you found the Temple."
Nothing left to say, Felix hopped out of the grave and began to fill it back in.
Another ten minutes, and Felix was tamping down the disturbed earth with his feet. He had moved a sizable rock to the head of the grave, to serve as a marker, though he had no way to carve the thing, let alone knowledge of what he would carve it into. The tenku watched him the whole time, his eyes bright as he constantly moved around Felix in a wide circle.
Felix had been surprised to find the tenku still there that morning, though not so surprised to find it rooting through his satchel, hoping for more food. They had quickly come down to the forest to find more food and take care of his Henaari benefactor, as promised. He had harvested nearly fifteen kelaar fruits and five bekl berries, each the size of his fist. By the time he was halfway through digging the grave, the hungry chimera had devoured all of them.
Wiping sweat and dirt from his face, Felix laughed as the tenku ran up to him and sat up on his hind legs, mouth open expectantly. Reaching up, he grabbed another kelaar fruit and tossed it over. That'll keep it busy for a minute or so.
...Or less.
The pup ate the fruit in twenty seconds. With the rate at which this beast was eating, he doubted he could sustain it on fruits and nuts alone. Not if Felix planned to eat anything himself, that is.
"And my mom called me a bottomless pit," Felix chuckled, watching the tenku scratch itself. After a moment, he growled and bit his foot, gnawing on it before falling into a fuzzy lump on the forest floor. "Huh. That's not bad. Pit. What do you think? Are you a Pit?"
The chimera rolled over, exposing his belly, offering a happy yip as he smooshed his back into the kelaar rinds.
"Ok," Felix laughed. "Pit it is."
That was most of his day. Foraging for food and avoiding some of the gnarlier higher-leveled beasts that stalked the edges of the lake. Felix made it a point to sneak everywhere, hoping to grind out the Skill while getting what they needed. Pit was a constant joy, either skulking around in imitation of Felix or pouncing on every flower he saw. Felix just shook his head, urging the little beast from making too much noise. To his credit, Pit seemed ready and able to listen.
Except when they encountered a trio of rabbit-like creatures. The tenku barely hesitated before it darted after them. Two dashed away, faster than Felix could even track, while the third spun in a circle as Pit charged. The little chimera was freaking fast, but when it reached the rabbit, he was sent sprawling.
"CHIRRUP!" Pit quailed as he fell over.
Acid Stream!
A sharp jet of green acid darted from Felix's hand, striking the rabbit directly in the face. It had been too preoccupied with Pit. Its smooth, brown fur withered and its skin bubbled under the assault. Felix was surprised when Analyze told him they were only level 9.
It died soon after. Pit got up as if he'd been fine all along, walked happily over to the half-burnt rabbit-thing, and took two quick bites from its chest. Felix winced and looked away. Fruit was one thing, but this...Eugh.
Things continued on that way for a while. Two hours later, Felix and Pit had traveled further down the lake shore than he had been before. Felix kept Analyzing everything he saw, and continued to interact with new and interesting plants, many of which proved to be edible. This was occasionally foiled by Pit as he stomped on various flowers, but the amusement was worth the twinge of annoyance. Another worry was preoccupying Felix, however. Despite filling up his satchel, he guessed it would barely get Pit through two meals. They hadn't seen another of those rabbit creatures again.
I'm foraging for two, now, he thought with a smile. It was amazing how much better of a mood he was in now that he had Pit to keep him company. The strange tenku was cute and clumsy, but also remarkably quiet, often sneaking up on him even when he was fully aware the pup was nearby. If only I could see his stats. I'd like to know how high his Agility must be to get past my Perception.
A sharp bark sounded from the brush, different from the happy yips to which he'd grown accustomed. Pit suddenly jumped forward, beak open in a strange snarl, as a large beetle nearly the same size crawled onto a nearby log. Pit sailed through the air, an impressive jump, but was met by a flare of light as the beetle bucked its large horn at the tenku. The horn caught him in the chest and sent Pit flying nearly six feet straight up.
Felix watched all of this at once, his Perception and Intelligence working overtime to give him all the disparate details. That's when he noticed the tenku was set to fall back onto the beetle's jagged horn. Instantly, Felix's body was covered in a bright blue fire as he used Influence of the Wisp. The same fire encased the beetle.
Javlik Beetle is Enthralled for 2 Seconds.
Influence of the Wisp is level 4!
Felix drew his sword and struck down at the bug, knocking it aside even as Pit fell onto all fours nearby.
The chimera didn't get up.
"No," he gasped. Felix focused all of his Strength into his sword blows, striking as hard and as fast as he could, cracking the Javlik's tough exoskeleton until it smashed into gooey pieces just as the blue fire around it disappeared.
Long Blade Mastery is level 2!
Huffing a few breaths, Felix immediately ran over to where Pit lay unmoving on the mossy ground. He took hold of the tenku for the first time, feeling his soft baby fur and small limbs. But he was too quiet, too limp. Felix carefully flipped him over, and seeing a bleeding wound in his chest, quickly Analyzed him.
Name: Tenku
Type: Chimera
Level: 1
HP: 0/40
SP: 2/35
MP: 0/35
"No..." Felix whispered, suddenly crushed.
He was an idiot. Of course there would be real monsters nearby, of course they would be too much for a level one baby. Had he really let a single rabbit throw away his caution? What was he thinking? Warm, fat tears rolled down his cheeks. For all that, he had known the tenku less than a day, he had rapidly grown on Felix.
He'd always wanted a dog, and—how had he let this happen?
His tears were interrupted by the rude appearance of a notification.
Do You Choose To Save Him, Lost One?
Yes/No
What? Really? Of course! Yes!
A Choice Is Made.
All Choices Have Consequences.
Bear Your Burdens Well, Lost One.
The ominous words disappeared, and Felix was suddenly inundated with a shimmering blue and golden aura. He glanced down at his hands, still holding the small pup, and saw that Pit was covered in the light as well. The aura intensified, climbing to blinding brilliance that filled the forest with golden-azure radiance. Felix felt pain, like something was dragging a sharp blade on his insides, tearing something precious away from him. With a sudden lurch, Felix saw a flash of black and red, small and fragile, pour into that same tear inside himself. More pain, unlike anything he had felt so far, like someone was burning his soul.
Then all at once, the light was gone.
Suddenly exhausted, he stumbled forward, legs weak and knees like jelly. The lack of pain was better than a drug, and his equilibrium was briefly shattered as the forest tilted all around him. A slew of blue boxes filled his vision.
You Have Gained A Companion!
Pit the Tenku, level 1.
Congratulations! You Have Earned A New Title!
Pactmaker (Rare)!
You have formed a pact with a denizen of the Wilds, gaining benefits even while binding your life to theirs. +4 AGL, +3 DEX, +4 PER
You Have Learned A New Skill!
Companion Pact (Uncommon) Level 1!
You have formed a pact with a denizen of the Foglands. Increasing Skill Level and Affinity will net larger gains from the pact, for both you and your Companion.
Congratulations! As A Pactmaker, You And Your Companion Share Level Benefits!
Overlapping bonuses do not stack.
You Gain: +1 PER, +2 VIT, +4 AGL, +3 DEX Per Level!
Companion Gains: +3 WIL, +1 END, +2 INT Per Level!
"Wait, what? How?" Felix quickly looked down at his hands, but the tenku was gone. Frantic, Felix spun in a circle, thinking he had unconsciously dropped the little guy.
A sharp bark shattered the silence, deeper than before. Felix looked up. Pit was standing five feet away, tongue lolling happily and eyes wide and bright and clear.
"You're ok! And you...you're bigger." The tenku in front of him was a few inches taller than before, and his wings looked fuller, with the start of real feathers on them. "We're...Companions now?" Felix looked over the notifications in front of him, reading and closing them rapidly. "You can do that?"
Pit barked, excited suddenly, and ran headlong into Felix's legs, nearly bowling him over. Almost idly, Felix bent down and scratched the chimera's birdlike head, noticing for the first time the feathers that started to grow in among the fine fur. Pit panted and leaned into the scratches.
A small blip in his vision alerted Felix to a new icon in the shape of a small feather. He toggled it.
Name: Pit (Companion)
Level: 1
Race: Chimera - Tenku
Health: 40/40
Stamina: 35/35
Mana: 35/35
STR: 1 PER: 15
VIT: 8 END: 7
INT: 10 WIL: 6
AGL: 32 DEX: 14
Skills:
Bite (C), Level 1
Rake (C), Level 1
Cry (R), Level 3
Skulk (C), Level 15
Companion Pact (U), Level 1
"You can gain levels?" Felix breathed. "And Skills too?"
Felix laughed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
In the grey light of dawn, on the sixteenth day of summer, Magda Aren found herself on the Haarwatch wall overlooking the approach to the Foglands. Here it was summer only in name. Thick, land-bound clouds drifted and swirled amidst the shadows of winter-bare trees, ominous in what they hid. She leaned against the crenelations, feeling somewhat naked without her shields. But being armed and armored for war at all times wasn't something she could afford, not anymore. She fingered the silver medallion hanging around her neck, symbol of her prestige and authority. Chains, as far as she was concerned, as good as any manacles.
It was saying something to her state of mind that she didn't notice the man until he was nearly on top of her.
"Ye can't go, Maggie. It be too dangerous out there, now. The fog blinds us, and the beasts be gettin' worse." A heavyset dwarf with a short, bristly beard growled nearly in her ear, while his two bright blue eyes creased in concern. He was dressed in a combination of leathers and mail, effective armor for defending the wall of Haarwatch or wading into an army of monsters. Magda stood up, towering over him by over a foot as she crossed her arms in front of her fine silk tunic and embroidered tabard.
"The Culling be only six months past, but we've yet to see a drop in the chimeric hordes. They've retreated, aye, but our scouts say the wilds are full to bursting. Ye enter there, ye ain't coming out," the dwarf said, brows turned down.
Magda smirked at the dwarf, her hand on her belt. "That sounds like a challenge, Rory."
Rory groaned. "It ain't, ya loon. It's a warning, and a fair one too." Rory turned toward the heavy mist that rolled across the wilds, the area of the Continent folks called the Foglands. "I've been up here for close to twenty years now, and I know how these things go, Maggie. The Culling shoulda cut back the mists and chimeras both, as it always does. But they only went quiet, leavin' us alone in our turtle town. I know they're out there, getting stronger while we wait."
"Then why wait? Take the fight to them, beat them back like you have before." Magda's eyes twinkled; her mouth curved upward in a slow grin. "Don't tell me Raging Rory is afraid of a little fog."
Rory grunted, frown deepening. "It be more than that, and ye know it. Politics, fah." He spat off the side of the wall, and they both watched it disappear into the roiling mists. "The new Governor in Setoria wants a show of force at his festival, a display o' Haarwatch's best. So I'm left with the dregs to man this fog-cursed wall." Rory sighed, a deep, bellows gust of air expelling from his sturdy lungs. "Truth be told, I'd rather wade into it with you than watch over a bunch o greenhorns who know the hoe better than their pikes."
"We can't all go walking into the lion's den; someone's got to keep them safe," Magda replied with a smile and a jerk of her thumb backward, toward town. "And besides, I've got greenhorns of my own to shepherd."
Rory grunted, this time smiling. "Oh, aye, I heard you've been lugging some dead weight. Who hired the Guild to powerlevel their brats this time? Who had money enough to earn the services of the Shieldwitch herself?"
"My sister, for one."
"Little Evie's old enough to face the wilds? I must be losing track o’ time; last I knew, she weren't any taller than me."
Magda snorted. "Everyone's taller than you."
"Aye aye, laugh it up, human," Rory grumbled, grin still not gone. "So Evie is going out, I assume to earn her Omen? Who're the others?"
"Atar V'as, some prodigy from Te’thys," Magda's expression soured. "And Vessilia Dayne."
Rory's eyes widened. "Yer shittin me."
"No shit involved, dwarf. Not unless I fail to bring her back in one piece," Magda laughed, but the humor was gone.
Rory leaned against the crenelated wall, armored gauntlets scraping against stone. "Twins' teeth, woman. Here I am, complain' about monsters at the gates, and you've got em in your lap." He slapped his thigh and let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "That's some damn luck, Maggie."
Magda's eyes hardened, her mouth a grim line. "Don't I know it."
A dozen blocks east of the wall, a grizzled and scarred man sat in a well appointed office, lounging in an expensively-crafted chair in a row of near-identical copies. He wasn't much to look at, wearing rumpled woolens and a sweat-stained jerkin. But at his waist were two exquisitely-crafted hand axes, and around his neck hung a silver medallion. Two heavily-armored guards at either end of the room kept eyeing him as if he were a dangerous animal, both of their hands hovering near their weapons.
A desk carved to look like gryphons held it up on two corners sat across the room, and a woman in a pale green dress worked silently on various piles of paperwork. Suddenly, she raised her head, curled hair bobbing in place. "Sir? The Lady is ready for you now."
Slowly, the man stretched his long limbs and stood up. With a rolling gait, he strolled up to the heavy oak door nearby. On its surface was a fine carving of a shield crossed by a sword and spear. To either side of it, a gryphon and a creature that was a mixture of a cat and snake. Snorting at it, the man pushed the twelve-foot door open and entered.
Within was another very well-made office, heavy with wood, rare out here at the edge of the Foglands where harvesting trees could not be done without bloodshed. Dark stain and expensive waxes shined in the light of a series of wrought iron everlamps, and delicately embroidered tapestries filled a couple dedicated alcoves. The faint scratching of quill on paper caught Harn's ears as another woman took notes and watched him, twin to the receptionist outside save for her faded blue dress. To her right, on the other side of a massive wooden desk, a stately woman in a complicated outfit of silks and armored gauntlets stood, staring idly out of the large picture window behind her. It was only early afternoon, but the sky still looked dark, despite the season.
The tenku regarded him with a second head tilt, sniffing in his direction as it yipped again. Felix followed its gaze to the satchel at his hip, and when he looked back he saw it lick its dark beak. Felix laughed. "Oh, I see. You're hungry." He looked off to his room, only a dozen feet away. "Wait here, little dude."
Moving slowly at first and without turning around, Felix navigated to his room and grabbed the last few fruits he had stashed there earlier. When he turned around to leave the room, he found the tenku sitting in the doorway, mouth open and tongue lolling.
"Uh, hey buddy. You like these, right?" Felix tossed one of the fruits to the chimera, the red and white food bouncing once before fetching against the doorjamb. "Eat up."
Felix looked down to grab another fruit, and when he looked back, the tenku had already eaten half of its own. It was impressive, really. A few more bites, and that fruit was gone. Felix stepped a bit closer and rolled another at the pup. The tenku pounced and devoured it in seconds. Felix went through his entire stash in the next few minutes, but thankfully the last one seemed to satisfy the ravenous beast.
"Holy hell, dude. You can really pack it away, huh?" Felix scratched his head as he regarded the tenku, who proceeded to walk into his room, growl once or twice, and plop down right onto his bedroll. It was asleep in seconds.
Felix smiled, and despite his dire straits and constant battle to survive, despite everything, he felt pretty good. Maybe he shouldn't be trusting this strange little creature, but he found it hard to be worried about a puppy.
Laying down a few feet away, Felix eventually let himself drift off to sleep. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would be longer still.
Laughter, edged with something darker, danced through the room. But Felix was already fast asleep.
Two hours after dawn found Felix stripped to the waist and covered in sweat-soaked mud. A hole approximately six feet long and six feet deep lay in front of him as he panted in the early morning sunlight. His Strength made it a far easier task than it should have been, even though all he had to use was his hands. Were he normal, human Felix would have been at this for most of the day. Reaching over, he gently picked up the Henaari explorer's skull and hopped into the grave. With as much reverence as he could manage, he placed the skull down with the collection of its other bones. He had found all of them, he thought, and had arranged them in a general humanoid shape in the dark dirt. Standing over the body, he paused. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Thank you, stranger. You've helped me a whole lot. I'm not a religious guy, and I wouldn't know the first thing about yours, but I hope you've gone to the best afterlife out there. Whoever the Eternal Raven is, I'm sure they're happy that you found the Temple."
Nothing left to say, Felix hopped out of the grave and began to fill it back in.
Another ten minutes, and Felix was tamping down the disturbed earth with his feet. He had moved a sizable rock to the head of the grave, to serve as a marker, though he had no way to carve the thing, let alone knowledge of what he would carve it into. The tenku watched him the whole time, his eyes bright as he constantly moved around Felix in a wide circle.
Felix had been surprised to find the tenku still there that morning, though not so surprised to find it rooting through his satchel, hoping for more food. They had quickly come down to the forest to find more food and take care of his Henaari benefactor, as promised. He had harvested nearly fifteen kelaar fruits and five bekl berries, each the size of his fist. By the time he was halfway through digging the grave, the hungry chimera had devoured all of them.
Wiping sweat and dirt from his face, Felix laughed as the tenku ran up to him and sat up on his hind legs, mouth open expectantly. Reaching up, he grabbed another kelaar fruit and tossed it over. That'll keep it busy for a minute or so.
...Or less.
The pup ate the fruit in twenty seconds. With the rate at which this beast was eating, he doubted he could sustain it on fruits and nuts alone. Not if Felix planned to eat anything himself, that is.
"And my mom called me a bottomless pit," Felix chuckled, watching the tenku scratch itself. After a moment, he growled and bit his foot, gnawing on it before falling into a fuzzy lump on the forest floor. "Huh. That's not bad. Pit. What do you think? Are you a Pit?"
The chimera rolled over, exposing his belly, offering a happy yip as he smooshed his back into the kelaar rinds.
"Ok," Felix laughed. "Pit it is."
That was most of his day. Foraging for food and avoiding some of the gnarlier higher-leveled beasts that stalked the edges of the lake. Felix made it a point to sneak everywhere, hoping to grind out the Skill while getting what they needed. Pit was a constant joy, either skulking around in imitation of Felix or pouncing on every flower he saw. Felix just shook his head, urging the little beast from making too much noise. To his credit, Pit seemed ready and able to listen.
Except when they encountered a trio of rabbit-like creatures. The tenku barely hesitated before it darted after them. Two dashed away, faster than Felix could even track, while the third spun in a circle as Pit charged. The little chimera was freaking fast, but when it reached the rabbit, he was sent sprawling.
"CHIRRUP!" Pit quailed as he fell over.
Acid Stream!
A sharp jet of green acid darted from Felix's hand, striking the rabbit directly in the face. It had been too preoccupied with Pit. Its smooth, brown fur withered and its skin bubbled under the assault. Felix was surprised when Analyze told him they were only level 9.
It died soon after. Pit got up as if he'd been fine all along, walked happily over to the half-burnt rabbit-thing, and took two quick bites from its chest. Felix winced and looked away. Fruit was one thing, but this...Eugh.
Things continued on that way for a while. Two hours later, Felix and Pit had traveled further down the lake shore than he had been before. Felix kept Analyzing everything he saw, and continued to interact with new and interesting plants, many of which proved to be edible. This was occasionally foiled by Pit as he stomped on various flowers, but the amusement was worth the twinge of annoyance. Another worry was preoccupying Felix, however. Despite filling up his satchel, he guessed it would barely get Pit through two meals. They hadn't seen another of those rabbit creatures again.
I'm foraging for two, now, he thought with a smile. It was amazing how much better of a mood he was in now that he had Pit to keep him company. The strange tenku was cute and clumsy, but also remarkably quiet, often sneaking up on him even when he was fully aware the pup was nearby. If only I could see his stats. I'd like to know how high his Agility must be to get past my Perception.
A sharp bark sounded from the brush, different from the happy yips to which he'd grown accustomed. Pit suddenly jumped forward, beak open in a strange snarl, as a large beetle nearly the same size crawled onto a nearby log. Pit sailed through the air, an impressive jump, but was met by a flare of light as the beetle bucked its large horn at the tenku. The horn caught him in the chest and sent Pit flying nearly six feet straight up.
Felix watched all of this at once, his Perception and Intelligence working overtime to give him all the disparate details. That's when he noticed the tenku was set to fall back onto the beetle's jagged horn. Instantly, Felix's body was covered in a bright blue fire as he used Influence of the Wisp. The same fire encased the beetle.
Javlik Beetle is Enthralled for 2 Seconds.
Influence of the Wisp is level 4!
Felix drew his sword and struck down at the bug, knocking it aside even as Pit fell onto all fours nearby.
The chimera didn't get up.
"No," he gasped. Felix focused all of his Strength into his sword blows, striking as hard and as fast as he could, cracking the Javlik's tough exoskeleton until it smashed into gooey pieces just as the blue fire around it disappeared.
Long Blade Mastery is level 2!
Huffing a few breaths, Felix immediately ran over to where Pit lay unmoving on the mossy ground. He took hold of the tenku for the first time, feeling his soft baby fur and small limbs. But he was too quiet, too limp. Felix carefully flipped him over, and seeing a bleeding wound in his chest, quickly Analyzed him.
Name: Tenku
Type: Chimera
Level: 1
HP: 0/40
SP: 2/35
MP: 0/35
"No..." Felix whispered, suddenly crushed.
He was an idiot. Of course there would be real monsters nearby, of course they would be too much for a level one baby. Had he really let a single rabbit throw away his caution? What was he thinking? Warm, fat tears rolled down his cheeks. For all that, he had known the tenku less than a day, he had rapidly grown on Felix.
He'd always wanted a dog, and—how had he let this happen?
His tears were interrupted by the rude appearance of a notification.
Do You Choose To Save Him, Lost One?
Yes/No
What? Really? Of course! Yes!
A Choice Is Made.
All Choices Have Consequences.
Bear Your Burdens Well, Lost One.
The ominous words disappeared, and Felix was suddenly inundated with a shimmering blue and golden aura. He glanced down at his hands, still holding the small pup, and saw that Pit was covered in the light as well. The aura intensified, climbing to blinding brilliance that filled the forest with golden-azure radiance. Felix felt pain, like something was dragging a sharp blade on his insides, tearing something precious away from him. With a sudden lurch, Felix saw a flash of black and red, small and fragile, pour into that same tear inside himself. More pain, unlike anything he had felt so far, like someone was burning his soul.
Then all at once, the light was gone.
Suddenly exhausted, he stumbled forward, legs weak and knees like jelly. The lack of pain was better than a drug, and his equilibrium was briefly shattered as the forest tilted all around him. A slew of blue boxes filled his vision.
You Have Gained A Companion!
Pit the Tenku, level 1.
Congratulations! You Have Earned A New Title!
Pactmaker (Rare)!
You have formed a pact with a denizen of the Wilds, gaining benefits even while binding your life to theirs. +4 AGL, +3 DEX, +4 PER
You Have Learned A New Skill!
Companion Pact (Uncommon) Level 1!
You have formed a pact with a denizen of the Foglands. Increasing Skill Level and Affinity will net larger gains from the pact, for both you and your Companion.
Congratulations! As A Pactmaker, You And Your Companion Share Level Benefits!
Overlapping bonuses do not stack.
You Gain: +1 PER, +2 VIT, +4 AGL, +3 DEX Per Level!
Companion Gains: +3 WIL, +1 END, +2 INT Per Level!
"Wait, what? How?" Felix quickly looked down at his hands, but the tenku was gone. Frantic, Felix spun in a circle, thinking he had unconsciously dropped the little guy.
A sharp bark shattered the silence, deeper than before. Felix looked up. Pit was standing five feet away, tongue lolling happily and eyes wide and bright and clear.
"You're ok! And you...you're bigger." The tenku in front of him was a few inches taller than before, and his wings looked fuller, with the start of real feathers on them. "We're...Companions now?" Felix looked over the notifications in front of him, reading and closing them rapidly. "You can do that?"
Pit barked, excited suddenly, and ran headlong into Felix's legs, nearly bowling him over. Almost idly, Felix bent down and scratched the chimera's birdlike head, noticing for the first time the feathers that started to grow in among the fine fur. Pit panted and leaned into the scratches.
A small blip in his vision alerted Felix to a new icon in the shape of a small feather. He toggled it.
Name: Pit (Companion)
Level: 1
Race: Chimera - Tenku
Health: 40/40
Stamina: 35/35
Mana: 35/35
STR: 1 PER: 15
VIT: 8 END: 7
INT: 10 WIL: 6
AGL: 32 DEX: 14
Skills:
Bite (C), Level 1
Rake (C), Level 1
Cry (R), Level 3
Skulk (C), Level 15
Companion Pact (U), Level 1
"You can gain levels?" Felix breathed. "And Skills too?"
Felix laughed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
In the grey light of dawn, on the sixteenth day of summer, Magda Aren found herself on the Haarwatch wall overlooking the approach to the Foglands. Here it was summer only in name. Thick, land-bound clouds drifted and swirled amidst the shadows of winter-bare trees, ominous in what they hid. She leaned against the crenelations, feeling somewhat naked without her shields. But being armed and armored for war at all times wasn't something she could afford, not anymore. She fingered the silver medallion hanging around her neck, symbol of her prestige and authority. Chains, as far as she was concerned, as good as any manacles.
It was saying something to her state of mind that she didn't notice the man until he was nearly on top of her.
"Ye can't go, Maggie. It be too dangerous out there, now. The fog blinds us, and the beasts be gettin' worse." A heavyset dwarf with a short, bristly beard growled nearly in her ear, while his two bright blue eyes creased in concern. He was dressed in a combination of leathers and mail, effective armor for defending the wall of Haarwatch or wading into an army of monsters. Magda stood up, towering over him by over a foot as she crossed her arms in front of her fine silk tunic and embroidered tabard.
"The Culling be only six months past, but we've yet to see a drop in the chimeric hordes. They've retreated, aye, but our scouts say the wilds are full to bursting. Ye enter there, ye ain't coming out," the dwarf said, brows turned down.
Magda smirked at the dwarf, her hand on her belt. "That sounds like a challenge, Rory."
Rory groaned. "It ain't, ya loon. It's a warning, and a fair one too." Rory turned toward the heavy mist that rolled across the wilds, the area of the Continent folks called the Foglands. "I've been up here for close to twenty years now, and I know how these things go, Maggie. The Culling shoulda cut back the mists and chimeras both, as it always does. But they only went quiet, leavin' us alone in our turtle town. I know they're out there, getting stronger while we wait."
"Then why wait? Take the fight to them, beat them back like you have before." Magda's eyes twinkled; her mouth curved upward in a slow grin. "Don't tell me Raging Rory is afraid of a little fog."
Rory grunted, frown deepening. "It be more than that, and ye know it. Politics, fah." He spat off the side of the wall, and they both watched it disappear into the roiling mists. "The new Governor in Setoria wants a show of force at his festival, a display o' Haarwatch's best. So I'm left with the dregs to man this fog-cursed wall." Rory sighed, a deep, bellows gust of air expelling from his sturdy lungs. "Truth be told, I'd rather wade into it with you than watch over a bunch o greenhorns who know the hoe better than their pikes."
"We can't all go walking into the lion's den; someone's got to keep them safe," Magda replied with a smile and a jerk of her thumb backward, toward town. "And besides, I've got greenhorns of my own to shepherd."
Rory grunted, this time smiling. "Oh, aye, I heard you've been lugging some dead weight. Who hired the Guild to powerlevel their brats this time? Who had money enough to earn the services of the Shieldwitch herself?"
"My sister, for one."
"Little Evie's old enough to face the wilds? I must be losing track o’ time; last I knew, she weren't any taller than me."
Magda snorted. "Everyone's taller than you."
"Aye aye, laugh it up, human," Rory grumbled, grin still not gone. "So Evie is going out, I assume to earn her Omen? Who're the others?"
"Atar V'as, some prodigy from Te’thys," Magda's expression soured. "And Vessilia Dayne."
Rory's eyes widened. "Yer shittin me."
"No shit involved, dwarf. Not unless I fail to bring her back in one piece," Magda laughed, but the humor was gone.
Rory leaned against the crenelated wall, armored gauntlets scraping against stone. "Twins' teeth, woman. Here I am, complain' about monsters at the gates, and you've got em in your lap." He slapped his thigh and let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "That's some damn luck, Maggie."
Magda's eyes hardened, her mouth a grim line. "Don't I know it."
A dozen blocks east of the wall, a grizzled and scarred man sat in a well appointed office, lounging in an expensively-crafted chair in a row of near-identical copies. He wasn't much to look at, wearing rumpled woolens and a sweat-stained jerkin. But at his waist were two exquisitely-crafted hand axes, and around his neck hung a silver medallion. Two heavily-armored guards at either end of the room kept eyeing him as if he were a dangerous animal, both of their hands hovering near their weapons.
A desk carved to look like gryphons held it up on two corners sat across the room, and a woman in a pale green dress worked silently on various piles of paperwork. Suddenly, she raised her head, curled hair bobbing in place. "Sir? The Lady is ready for you now."
Slowly, the man stretched his long limbs and stood up. With a rolling gait, he strolled up to the heavy oak door nearby. On its surface was a fine carving of a shield crossed by a sword and spear. To either side of it, a gryphon and a creature that was a mixture of a cat and snake. Snorting at it, the man pushed the twelve-foot door open and entered.
Within was another very well-made office, heavy with wood, rare out here at the edge of the Foglands where harvesting trees could not be done without bloodshed. Dark stain and expensive waxes shined in the light of a series of wrought iron everlamps, and delicately embroidered tapestries filled a couple dedicated alcoves. The faint scratching of quill on paper caught Harn's ears as another woman took notes and watched him, twin to the receptionist outside save for her faded blue dress. To her right, on the other side of a massive wooden desk, a stately woman in a complicated outfit of silks and armored gauntlets stood, staring idly out of the large picture window behind her. It was only early afternoon, but the sky still looked dark, despite the season.
