Luke knew they had a substantial advantage with the archer-type living armor slain, but it wasn't over. Gaining distance, the knight had a single-minded focus on Luke. While he had adapted to its striking patterns, the knight had adapted to his dodging patterns. The knight didn't have a persistent crow using its abilities to give him as much time as needed. Reaver Beak hitting the living armor knight strengthened the last few seconds of Essence Bond.
Sooty kept back her newly learned ability, waiting to catch the knight off guard, even if for a second.
Time was ticking; the two were wearing down the knight. Luke kited it back to the cracked pillar. Using the communication of the Reaver Link, Sooty knew Luke was about to bait another attack. A strike before the pillar, Sooty let out her screech ability, slightly disorienting the living armor knight. The series of small advantages let Luke escape its sword slash yet again and, as he intended, have the living armor strike the pillar right in its cracked exterior.
The strength of the living armor's strikes was inhuman. The pillar finally snapped off, landing directly on the knight. Luke's Essence Bond finished during the fall of the pillar. The full strength of the knight returned. The knight had a honed instinct and raised its shield, shouldering most of the blow. The weight proved too much for the knight, pushing off the shield and letting go.
Sooty used the full extent of her speed, hitting the knight multiple times and trying to wear it down. The knight ignored Sooty despite her successfully making its health points steadily go down.
Luke had taken advantage of the knight, switching its attention to defense against the pillar, gaining as much distance as possible.
Not as much of a finisher as I hoped. He thought regretfully.
Luke chose to hold on for a little longer. His Essence Lance was coming up, with the armor pierce and slowing effect. Once he got it off, the fight would be practically his. The knight gave a last surprise as its shield came off. Its eyes glowed red, coming into a berserker stance.
Its steps crushed the stone platform underneath. The speed of its movement went up yet again. Even with Sooty relentlessly attacking, Luke found himself facing the knight's sword again.
He was close to the opposite pillar, but his instincts told him the knight wouldn't fall for it again. Moreover, it would achieve even less than it did last time. Instead, Luke made a feint dodge, causing the knight only to land a glancing blow, four damage popped in his sight.
The hit was the strongest yet, even with him pulling off the well-timed feint. Luke decided to go all in, accounting for the earlier minor cuts; he had only one hit point left.
Seeing the enemy before him in a maddened state, Luke took one final risk. Using the over-extension of the knight after that swing, he rushed forward. Feeling the blade about to stab through him from behind, Luke dived down, hitting the floor to the right of the knight.
Luke pushed off the ground; the sword thrust deeply into the stone beneath him. It was time.
Both Essence Lance and Infusion were usable again. Stacking the two, Luke thrust the lance forward, having no space to throw it. The combination of the two became the most potent move Luke could currently produce. Going through armor like it was paper, the lance came out the other end. The light of the living armor's eyes sputtered out of existence. The sword left in its hand tumbled beside it.
He had done it. Luke passed this round with no moves left to play. At least none he could think of. Sooty landed on his face and pecked him lightly. She tended to do this when wanting to play or for Luke to get up already.
"Time for the rewards, lad. I nearly wished for me ma when that knight was about to split you in two. What if his blade had taken me along with you? We can't have that, no." Wayfinder started chattering.
Luke stood up and rubbed the dust out of his eyes; his heart had begun to return to normal.
Veronica, looking beside herself, started to talk with him. "Reaver, I'll keep guard over you this once. Not that you had much to worry about while on this platform. Or even the general area. Don't forget to look at the other reward for making it through the first checkpoint of the trial."
Too tired and thirsty, Luke didn't register her words much. He took out the remains of the water from the pond and drank it. He had one handful left and let Sooty have it. "Sorry if it's not enough, pal. We'll have to find water again once we rest." Luke used a finger to pet Sooty as he said so.
Walking over to the fire, Luke surveyed the area. Finding some dried grass around the platform, he bunched up enough to make a rough place to lay his head. Before resting, Luke resolved to get the two questions out of the way.
Exhaling, he asked, “Why was I plucked out of my world into this one out of the blue?”
The guardian, Veronica, stepped over to Luke's fire, glancing at the compass of the new Reaver.
Veronica spoke, “It’s more than you, this world’s will has exerted its power to take people multiple times. Next question, and no, I won’t answer further.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Observing the Veronica’s expression Luke knew the woman wouldn’t budge, rather than get blood out of a stone, he moved on to the other important factors to him.
“What’s with all these screens, and what is it doing to Sooty and I? And did my father come to this world?”
“That’s three questions, I’ll answer the first.” Veronica held up a hand when Luke began to speak, “Pitiful Reaver, I’m already doing you a favor. I’m not budging an inch further.”
Luke relented, disappointed with how he haphazardly used his questions.
Veronica continued to answer, “The Interface helps you channel Ether in pathways that you are compatible with. It’s doing nothing to you, you’re doing everything to yourself, with a guided hand at best.”
I’m doing this to myself? The Interface is nothing more than a guide?
He opened his mouth, only for Veronica to snap her fingers once. The wave of exhaustion came back in full force. His brain felt like it was swimming. The accumulated fatigue surged so high that once Luke had a slightly comfortable spot to rest, a dirt floor, and a grass pillow, he half-collapsed, asleep in seconds. Sooty nested near Luke and soon slept as well.
Sure that the unusual Reaver had lost consciousness, Veronica trained her eyes on Wayfinder, "Numbered artifact, why guide that boy here to a place of certain death?"
"That wasn't in me hands, lass. What you call 'certain,' according to me, is anything but. This lad was no more than a goblin-fleer when he first stumbled upon me. The dangers up above wouldn't give him a fighting chance nor enough time to grow to face them. But through this Door of Trials, there's a path. And to achieve his real wish, only this trial will give him a chance."
Veronica kept quiet after that, except when she muttered. "I do need a drink."
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My feathers felt different. I'd gotten a stronger bond with the two-legged, no-feather Luke recently. He found me abandoned and alone in a tree. Ever since I have stuck with the no-feather Luke, he called me Sooty, and I'd come to like the name.
Perching in the stone roost of my flightless friend one second, we found ourselves in an underground nest the next. Not wanting to lose my no-feathered Luke, I attacked the strange green creatures. My trusty beak and talons weren't enough, so I flew away with him.
Luke never had a beak or talons. So I used mine to defend him; he picked up stones, and I picked apart eyes. A fish had tried to make me its dinner; usually, it was me who made fish my dinner.
Some shiny circle could talk like no-feather Luke, but it sounded strange. The sparkle of the circle was interesting to me. If it weren't Luke's, then I'd make it mine. At times, Luke and the circle seemed to argue, but the talking circle soon became something that would help us. The two of us further flew into the underground nest, and I'd sometimes let out a caw or a rattle to laugh.
Then another nest with other strange, flightless, scaly beings came to attack Luke and me. By my feathers, they weren't going to take us down. Luke was my roost member; these flightless no wings would feel my talons.
A strange energy entered me after we took down the scaled ones, and I let out a series of squawks and caws. The connection with flightless Luke became much stronger. I could feel what he felt and his intentions. I was learning to let him know, too. My beak could do new things; my talons became much sharper. My feathers gained new uses.
My perfect winged self somehow evolved. My need for things became less, and I became more. The scaled ones hid a special feather, but that couldn't escape me. It became my new treasure.
A strange nest of stone appeared in front of us. My roost member warned me it was dangerous! I agreed that you couldn't trust a stone nest that wasn't ours. After that, my roost member and I made a blaze that caused the cold around my feathers to disappear.
I failed to take some meat first. My roost member was hard to trick.
A strange no feather kept being loud at us, and we entered the stone nest to join it. Several strange beings, usually without feathers or beaks, attacked us. Once the original members of the stone nest left us alone, we went back to the blaze.
Soon, I perched myself near my roost member and awoke a few hours later.
Luke was still in his nest, so I decided to fly around. A box came up in my field of vision. Some words and emotions were sent directly to me to explain what it wanted.
Startled for a second, I let out a caw. The strange floating words didn't seem intimidated, nor did they try to threaten me either. Out of curiosity, I listened.
[Quest Received: Find the Hidden Pond. Reward: Water Source, New Item]
I didn't know much what that meant, but my flight was taking me to the top of the underground nest. Far up, directly above the flat nest no-beak, Luke and I fought the strange ones in.
Spotting an outline- there was a crevice too small for anything but a bird. It looked like an excellent place to perch, so I flew into it. A thin veil sprung up behind me as I came to the crevice. Rings of fire came into being in front of me. An echo, sounding similar to the beakless Luke, came from a glowing set of words.
"Only those who dance in fire may find water within."
No-feather Luke had mentioned the need for water, so my eyes squinted, ready to do this thing called dance. Letting out a high-pitched noise, I flew through the rings, one by one. The ease of which surprised me.
Soon, a fire ring tried to close on me; this may trick a no-feather, but not me. I released my special feather, which slowed the ring enough to let me through. More tricks came, and a few of my feathers ended up burnt. I was on the other side, a new perch before me. A pool of water hid over the perch. The amount of water Luke shared earlier wasn't enough. So I took and drank all I could.
A new feeling was calling me; a unique gray feather floated in the water. I touched it with my beak.
[Quest complete! Water source, new item awarded.]
The strange words came up again, but finding yet another treasure made me let out a triumphant rattle of victory.
[Spatial Feather]
Quality: Unique
Abilities: Cosmic Pocket: The feather can store multiple items in a dimensional pocket. Can summon items back at will.
Wings of Reaver: Upon activation, companions' attacks turn into true magic damage for three strikes.
[Sealed Ability - Unlocks at Tier 1]
[Sealed Ability - Unlocks at Tier 2]
Requires: Level 9, Reaver's Companion Class
A left-behind feather of the last bird to be a Reaver's Companion. Glory to the feathered ones!
Tilting my head slightly, I thought of my roost member being worried about water again. My new feather treasure sucked up all the pond's water, and I flew back through the crevice away from the perch. The pale no-feather beside the fire was still there, looking at Luke. I hopped over to Luke and let out a few caws. This was my roost member, not yours!
I flew off, looking for a place to let some water out. I found a slight dip in the ground. Most of the water in the feather came out. Satisfied at helping my roost member, I rested beside it until Luke awoke.