"Psyche!" Gael laughed with a bow as he turned to face the archer. "You really don't think I didn't notice you earlier, fella?"
He waved his hands around the giant he approached and gave the archer a thumbs up. "Nice job. You hit him right in the stomach."
He looked towards us and winked. "Come on guys. You didn't think I was that oblivious, did ya?"
No discussion was necessary. We all looked amongst each other and unanimously agreed.
"Fuck you too." Drooped Gael as the giant next to him seemed to finally realize what had happened. He glanced down at the arrow protruding from his stomach and grunted before yanking it out cleanly with little concern for the potential discomfort.
"Now we should take Aria's advice." Insisted Gael with a skittish nod as he darted passed us towards the gates.
The rest of us high-tailed it after him, our only parting vision being the giant whipping the arrow back to its owner and striking them fatally in the neck.
Thankfully, we got through the doors with no issue. What I'm not thankful for was the horde behind us.
"Are the-" Ash was cut off by a myriad of differently pitched roars rocked the forest. "Yes, they're following us! Great!" She bemoaned and started pouring on more speed.
I glanced back and felt my heart raise a white flag when I saw them. There were at least twenty. The biggest of them were backing up the smaller ones as a group of three held archers on their backs. They didn't give a single solitary fuck about the trees. They plowed through them as if they were twigs.
Tightening my grasp on her hand, I shouted with enough force my voice felt like it was about to break. "Dani! Do not let go!"
She glanced back briefly and looked to me with a shake of her head and gulp, "n-no intention t-to!"
"Aria!" She followed up as an arrow narrowly avoided Gael.
"Why can't life be simple?!" Shouted Gael to the heavens as he jumped a large rock in his path. "Do I have a target on my back?!"
"What?!" I asked as a clearing in the trees rapidly approached us.
Ducking a tree branch, she continued, "How heavy do you think you are now?!"
I shook my head in disbelief, laughing partially. "Really, Dani?! Now's the time for that!? Like a hundred, a hundred ten tops if you must know! Why?!"
She frowned and pled with me via her eyes as her grip tightened. "I'm so sorry! I hope you don't hate me for this!"
"Wh-" She's dead. As soon as safety is a reality, murder. No compromise. She yanked me back to her and hoisted me on her shoulders as she gave it her all to keep up our speed.
"D-Dani!" I stammered, just barely biting back the urge to grab a tree branch for an escape. "P-put me down!"
"No!" She shouted back and shot a nod back to our 'friends'. "Just use your bow! I saw you selected a hunter! I'm assuming they start with something ranged!"
We broke into a moonlit clearing full of tall grass behind Ash and Gael. I hated myself for agreeing to it, but I did go along with her request. She probably wouldn't let me down otherwise.
"Fine!" I screamed down to her. "Let it be known that I despise you for this!" She knows I loathe being carried. We did a tower in first grade once and I was on top. No, I didn't get down safely.
"Aw..." She acted touched. "I love you too, Cuz!" She's lucky Gael and Ash didn't seem to hear her say that, because if they did she's getting an arrow first.
Frantically, I swiped down and brought the menu out to notice the new tab directly in the center. I tapped it and observed an animation of four tree branches growing from the wooden box to form a pedestal for the items.
Equipment/Items:
Makeshift Bow
Flimsy Knife.
????'s Ring.
I practically punched all three items with how nervous I was. An arrow can nail me at any time and that's the end of Aria. I have no idea what happens when you die. You can feel pain though, that's for sure. At least in that void, you could. Needless to say, I've no intention of finding out the hard way.
I closed the menu and watched as my items came into existence. The ring weaved itself around my finger with a transparent gem solidifying within. The blade materialized on my hip in a beaten-up leather holster, sporting a variety of holes.
And finally, the bow. Saying its condition is laughable would actually be putting it politely. The limbs were scratched and appeared ready to cave in some areas while the string looked ready to snap. Nevertheless, I turned towards the archers and reached for an arrow in the quiver on my back.
The front three broke into the field in sync with the nock of my arrow. I pulled back the string as a green sight materialized on the left side. The sight was simplistic; a midnight green circle with four lines spread perfectly apart from each other.
I aimed for the center archer and felt confusion murder my ambition to fire.
"What's?" I mouthed as a "giant" broke into the field. It was maybe four feet tall, but it looked exactly like its family. It was bearing a yellow banner?
With clear delight in its eyes, the beast leaped through the air and stuck the banner securely in the ground. The creature looked back to its family for approval and secured it with roars of what I could only describe as victory? Why are they?
The banner sparked and started to radiate yellow. Upon its peak, came regret's arrival. Harsh gusts of winds shot out in every direction, obliterating the few trees that existed within the clearing and erasing the long grass in seconds.
"What the hell?!" Dani grunted as my back slammed into a wall?
I tumbled to the ground but managed to snag a peek at what stopped us. A wall of wind? The outside, it's like a hurricane's out there. The trees are flailing everywhere and it's a torrential downpour. Did that banner do this?
"Guys!" Ash called our attention back to the borea. "They're glowing for some reason!"
I rolled onto my elbows and glanced at the borea. They're not just glowing. Sparks of yellow are glistening around them.
"Does anyone have a weapon?!" Shouted Gael as he closed his distance between us. "I'll take anything! Even a really big stick!"
I looked over to him. He was doing everything he could to find something that was left on the ground but to no avail. That banner destroyed everything. The field's clean now.
I whipped my blade from its holster and almost didn't want to hand it over when I saw its condition. It was rusted to such a degree there were physical holes 'decorating' it. Regardless, I did part with it.
Tossing it towards him, I called out, "Gael, catch!"
He caught it with ease and gave me a thank you via a confident smirk. A smile that screamed we'd somehow get through this.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, "sorry for dropping you. You good?" Dani pried as she drew a rusted greatsword from her back. It was in roughly the same condition as the rest of our equipment.
"I've never played a lute..." Ash mumbled to herself as a frown blossomed on her face.
That got my attention. I turned to face her to see her disposition. Her weapons were a corroded sickle that appeared to have snapped at some point based on its length and a lute that was all too familiar with the concept of wood rot.
She saw me eyeing her and tossed me a nod appending it with a deep breath as the lute found its home on her back. "It's better than nothing I suppose." She forced a smile as she brandished her sickle toward our foes.
Dani lightly pushed me back as she stepped forward. "Aria, stay back and pick them off from the back. We'll try and keep them at bay." She gulped down what seemed like fear. I can't blame her. These things look ready to tear us to shreds. They aren't some rabid animals either. They're clearly waiting for us to make the first move.
I retrieved my bow and fell back to the wind wall, the nock of my arrow cementing my current disposition even further.
The sight reformed and with it, came my doubt. I've never shot a bow before. I have nothing to compensate for my lack of experience either. Target practice is completely foreign to me. How am I gonna hit a target from this distance? They definitely won't stay still.
The borea didn't strike as I expected them to. Instead, they knelt and made way for the giant that was injured earlier. He came into view with green blood trickling from his stomach.
It didn't last. As he came to the front, he was enveloped in gold, causing his wound to weave itself shut. The large borea was clearly their leader and he wasn't pleased. He pointed his spear towards Gael and snorted.
"You want me?" Gael pointed to himself. "I'm flattered really, but I want to be positive about this. Can you understand me, big guy?"
The giant nodded and raised his hand, signaling for his back up to fall back towards the wind wall.
Gael glanced back to us and his face said it all. He didn't have a choice for demands. If the giant wished, he could slam us with the full force of his tribe within a fraction of a second. Gael parted ways with a high-five and made his way toward his challenger.
Before anything could unfold further, a menu burst open before me with the text:
Aria. Tell Gael to equip the ring in his inventory. Make sure he breaks its gem and drinks the liquid within.
The narrator's helping me? I'll take it. I don't need a reason why. We need all the help we can get. Especially if what I think's going to happen, happens.
- - - - -
Gael
"Gael!" Shrieked Aria over the winds. "Equip the ring in your inventory and break its gem. Drink the fluid that comes out!"
I shot a quick look back out of confusion before it clicked. Oh, that question mark in my inventory? I think that had ring tagged to the end of it. I wasn't paying attention to the monologue the narrator was giving me. The only thing I read was the class names.
I threw back a "got it, thanks!" to Aria and opened my inventory, my navigation to the equipment tab following.
Equipment/Items:
Flimsy Blade (Borrowed + Equipped)
Ragged Forging gloves x2 (Equipped)
????'s Ring.
Gael. Name a skill tree after you break the ring. Don't ask me why.
It's helping me, now? You know what? I'll do as it says. No questions here.
I selected the ring and watched it piece itself together around my index finger.
Slowly, I brought the ring up to my mouth and bit into its gem fiercely. My composure didn't last long. My face scrunched up in disgust and to say I had to fight the urge to puke would be putting it lightly. It tasted like... rotted fruit? It was foul. Luckily, my face was short-lived. I glanced back, gave them a thumbs-up and a grin before cracking my neck to face my "friend".
Huh. That's... interesting? Yeah, I'll phrase it that way.
Aria kind of looks a lot like Ethan's sister, Violet. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume they were related. That brings up another question, though. Where is Ethan? He wasn't in whatever that place we were just in was. He's not here either... I hope he's all right.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"Vienna's Venom," I said with an edge of confidence in my voice. This guy is huge. I'm not all that good with a blade either. Dani showed me how to fence a bit, but that's all. I should've picked what sounded like a ranged class. I'm actually good at shooting targets. Yeah, the narrator was screwing with my selection but I'm sure it would've given up eventually.
"Okay big guy." I nodded with a step forward. "I have a friend I need to hunt down, so let's keep it short."
He snarled and jammed his spear into the ground with such force that dirt was kicked up. What he did next made my skin crawl with unease. He slammed both his hands together to reveal a sword's hilt. Bit by bit, a topaz yellow sword came into existence. One far larger than me, and one that shimmered in unison with the moonlight.
I looked at my gloved hands. My fingertips, they were glowing dark green. If I can poison this guy, I pray it's with my blade and that poison's stackable in whatever this game is.
I pressed Aria's warm blade against my glove and sawed into my hand. Nothing major, just enough to draw blood. That's when instinct drowned my few reservations. I tossed her blade to the ground and swished my hands through the cool night air until I felt it. A pair of hilts. I seized them and pulled Vienna's gift from the void.
Her own venerable blades; an untainted dark green, the same as my fingertips. They spoke to me with every last detail of Vienna's life.
An alchemist with an accident that changed her life, everything that experienced her finger's kiss would be poisoned. Thus, out of necessity, she started wearing gloves, those that would forge a blade upon enemy contact. It had a side-effect, one not even she could foresee, every blade she crafted was imbued with a venom. A venom so cruel it dwarfed the anger she exuded for her curse.
By the time she breathed her last, the friends she met along the way cured her hatred. Nier, Nahshiim, Firnesh, and Tishael. People that turned her heinous venom pure and kind. People she'd cherish beyond the moment time itself shakes hands with Death.
I snapped out of my stupor and looked up to the giant. He's waiting for me to make the first strike. It's clear as the section of night sky above. A lump formed in my throat, but not one of fear, one of courage. I can feel her. Vienna has my back. She knows exactly how to kill borea. She's slain hundreds of them.
"I am so gonna show off." I thought before charging the giant.
I poured on so much speed that losing my balance wasn't out of the realm of possibility, but I didn't let it deter me.
The giant raised his sword in anticipation and brought it down in perfect unison with my arrival. I shot both my blades up and caught the brunt of his blow.
The clash of our blades rang out through the arena as my bones started to vibrate from the impact.
"Gael, what are yo-"
"Just giving him the spotlight before I kick his ass!" I cut Dani off with a wince. I stared back into his crimson eyes with defiance. Anything to piss him off.
Running my spare pinkie finger along his blade, I nodded at him. "You get the next four swings, alright?"
He wasn't thrilled. He shot the sword in the air and attempted to slam it down again as I side-stepped and hugged his left side. His blade threw up a cloud of dirt as I skipped to his back and poked him lightly, not even hard enough to break skin.
He whirled around, blade in toe, as his sword grazed my short hair.
"Damn, that was close! By the way, you got two left!" I laughed as he kept spinning. I wasn't about to risk the next blow. I jumped back just in time for the next swing and jammed the tips of my blades into my mouth.
I bit down and broke a piece off each as I wormed the fragments under my tongue, their fall to the ground ensuing a moment later. As soon as the pieces settled, I felt it. The cloud my daggers emitted. It was building up in my mouth and quickly.
"Yup, that's a home run in the shitty flavor department." I shuddered as I raised my bleeding pinkie finger towards the giant to signify his last strike.
He saw it and made his final one count. He aimed for my waist and swung so fast I almost didn't make it.
Almost. I dropped to the grass and pushed myself up with a strength I definitely didn't have earlier.
I returned to a standing position and blew a dense cloud of dark green poison towards my foe. Poor guy couldn't handle his poison very well. He staggered backward and started swatting at the air in a desperate attempt to free his lungs.
And that's four. I rushed him and spun on my heel as I felt a pressure on my left hand.
It came into existence right as I made contact with his stomach. An exact replica of his blade, weight and all. I drove the blade in with deadly precision and closed my eyes as a gut-wrenching sound reverberated through the night.
Eyes shut, I spit the debris out of my mouth and turned to study my handiwork after clearing my mouth of smoke.
- - - - -
Aria
Dropping her sickle to the ground, Ash mumbled, "How did he just do that?"
Rubbing her eyes, Dani responded in unfiltered wonder, "I'm... I'm not sure."
I was speechless. Gael dodged every hit and chained his strikes together to beat him in a single blow. Two if you count whatever that cloud was he just spit.
Gael turned to us and waved with his typical laugh, "I'm not sure how I did it either. So don't worry!" He looked up at the sky and shouted. "Thanks, Vienna! Whoever you are!"
Vienna? Maybe one of his skill trees like mine?
The large borea wasn't budging an inch. He was clearly in shock from the blow. The sword sunk halfway through his stomach region, permitting a constant trickle of green blood.
Before I could congratulate Gael the menu popped open yet again. What this time?
Aria. Shoot Gael. Then the rest of your friends. Turn your knife on yourself after your done. It should be back in your inventory.
I'm imagining this, right? I have to be. What reason would I have to shoot Gael?
Damnit. Too late. Kill the rest of your friends, quickly. You should spawn somewhere safe then.
Before I could ask what the narrator was talking about, it happened. A sight to make my blood run cold.
The borea's body started glowing bright gold. Not long after, the blood's drip ceased. With a gleam of contempt in his eye, the borea snapped his finger.
"Gael!" Dani shrieked as an arrow made contact with his body. It pierced his side with enough remaining force that he was lifted off his feet and catapulted straight toward us. His body whipped past us and slammed into the wall of wind.
In spite of it all, he was still somehow concious.
Sliding towards the ground, he glanced down at the arrow with a tremble, "h-hey. I am s-still alive." He coughed up blood and looked straight to me as Dani dropped to her knees and started inspecting his injury.
"G-Gael." She stammered as she tugged on the arrow lightly. "y-you'll be okay. I'll help you through this.
Gael looked me dead in the eye and shot a weak nod towards Ashton. "It doesn't hurt if your friends do it, I'm told."
Motioning me towards her, Dani got to her feet and gave me an assuring squeeze. "I-i'm not sure what he means. J-just make sure he stays conscious. Ash and I will do our best to hold 'em back."
I sank to my knees as she and Ash trotted to the front in anticipation for the horde's charge. The largest borea was still relatively still, only breathing heavily as if to process the agony now flowing through him.
The arrow was huge. Way larger than an average arrow or bullet wound. At least three times the size of my own arrows.
As I went to wiggle the arrow to gauge how tightly it was lodged, Gael grabbed my hand and gave it a shaky squeeze.
"Kill Ash and Dani. They won't feel any pain if a friend does it. The menu told me. They consider you a friend. I do too even though we haven't known each other long." He whispered with a tone so serious he was almost like a different person. "Please. You can't beat three on twenty. As soon as the big guy is back in action you're screwed. I feel weaker now..." He words fell from reality for just a moment. "T-too, I feel w-weaker too... I think whatever was in that ring wore off, so it's c-clearly not permanent."
He was right. I didn't want to admit, but he absolutely was. With the utmost reluctance, I drew my bow and nocked an arrow, aiming straight for Dani.
Letting the arrow fly, I muttered, "sorry, Dani."
The arrow impaled her from behind, straight through the heart. She spun around to face me as it all clicked into place.
She didn't last. She fell to her knees and eventually dropped face-first into the grass. She raised her hand in a last-ditch effort to grab a hold of something, but it was in vain. Her hand dropped as the color of her body turned grey and she started to dissolve to nothing.
"T-thank," coughed Gael with a groan, "you."
I nocked an arrow for Ash and pierced her just as easily as Dani. Dani was behind her so she thankfully didn't notice when I hit her. She's not one to back down so it's best this way. I'm just glad they didn't move too far away. I'm not confident I can land a long-distance shot.
Her knees crumbled as a bright red light draped her, a dark purple smoke washing her from existence.
I spun around to an ever-weakening Gael and prepped the arrow.
"Hope to see you soon." He beamed as his eyes fell shut.
"Likewise." I returned his smile as the arrow took flight with a chorus of roars so loud they pierced the downpour's drum of noise. The arrow penetrated Gael's heart and that was the last I saw of him.
His body was drenched in a dark green cloud and by the time it cleared, he was gone.
I didn't dare waste time turning around. I drew my knife, thrust it into my heart and fell on my back into the grass. There was no pain. Only the calming image of a luminescent moon.
- - - - -
"Agh!" I cried out as my head bashed off the ground. I squeezed my eyes tightly and started massaging my injury in between my squirms. Of course, the door isn't shut anymore! And I just had to fall asleep leaning against it!
Wait, the door isn't shut? We're not in the game now?
"Are... what? Why are you still?" Dani's voice broke through my pained whimpers.
I opened my eyes to everyone's wide-eyed stare, everyone except Zay. Ash is a guy like I expected. Why are they all staring then? Actually, they could just be surprised that they "found" Ethan so easily.
I looked up at Dani and shattered the silence. "Dani, what's..." I trailed to nothing as shock buried my words. My voice? It's still?
I glanced down and had their stares and my suspicions confirmed.
I'm still her.
I'm still Aria.