Tony's chest heaved with effort as he tried to steady his breathing. Another three hours up the gargantuan tree and they had finally reached the Yokai Cluster's section.
> Congratulations! You have reached Level 13!
>
> Strength, Endurance, and Spirit increased by 1!
>
> You have Unspent Attribute Points!
>
> You have Unspent Skill Points!
>
> You may select 1 Talent!
"Are you ready to continue?" Jorogu asked. Tony met her gaze and reciprocated the smirk she wore.
She's getting a real kick out of this, he thought.
"Just a minute and I'll be ready," he replied. Tony decided now was as good a time as any to round out some of the gaps in his build. He hadn't interacted with anyone in a non-combat sense other than Auren since he arrived and it looked like the "clueless flirt" trait was going to get him in some trouble if he didn't do something to balance it out. Between the points he had leftover and the points from his new level in Dread Knight, Tony's Strength, Endurance, and Spirit hit new modifier thresholds. His muscles and lungs felt fuller and despite the Saga and everything else crashing down on him, Tony was happy to be here.
> Character Sheet
>
> Name: Antonious King Race: Human (Ascendant) Essence: 2 (Dormant)
>
> Class: Squire (5) | Knight (5) | Dread Knight (3)
>
> Attributes
>
> Strength: 20 Charisma: 14 Intelligence: 12
>
> Dexterity: 14 Wisdom: 12 Wits: 13
>
> Endurance: 20 Spirit: 20 Luck: 10
>
> Skills
>
> Melee – 10 Awareness – 5 Occult – 5
>
> Survival – 3+ Fortitude – 10 Athletics (Freerunning) – 5
>
> Socialize - 5
>
> Tandem Tactics: (5)
>
> Sagas:
>
> Active Saga: War Against Heaven
>
> Backgrounds:
>
> Artifact: Pauldron of Vengeance Familiar: Maximus
>
> Talents
>
> Summon Dreadblade (Life-Biting Essence) Berserker’s Stance
>
> Pommel Strike *New* Punishing Parry
>
> Oath Charge
>
> Invincible Will Fatal Resolve Adamant Slash
Punishing Parry would be an excellent addition for his build, especially since he'd been in three duels in just about as many days.
Punishing Parry Cost: +5 Lore (10 Lore Pommel Strike) Duration: Instant Blunt Damage: Average Cooldown: None Effect: Successfully parrying an attack (Defense Rating vs. Attack Rating) with more than 5 threshold allows the Dread Knight to reflexively lash out with a Pommel Strike, interrupting their foe's offense.
Tony nodded, dismissing his character sheet. "Alright, I'm ready. Where to next?"
Jorogu pointed to the inside of the platform. "My cluster's stores are that way, though any proper clothing that we have would need to be altered to accommodate your..." She paused for a moment, looking Tony up and down, "form," she finished. The mark on Tony's arm grew warm as she looked him over. He'd have to ask Jorogu what she got from the mark.
Tony walked beside the beautiful spider-woman on the wood and web platform. Jorogu's spider legs had not made another appearance since they'd met up, even during the climb. Jorogu's posture was perfect and her stride held a captivating grace. To anyone else, her movements appeared natural and made without thought, but the tics Tony noticed at the corners of her eyes and mouth told him that being restricted to two legs was uncomfortable. Tony racked his brain; he was sure that being seen with a human in a spider cluster came with its own pressure, but to do so while ignoring your own natural movements to make that human comfortable? He wanted, no, needed to find a way to alleviate some of the awkwardness she had to be feeling.
"You know, back where I'm from, a lot of guys would be intimidated if their potential mate was taller than they were. I always thought that was kind of silly. Is there anything like that among your people?" Tony asked.
Jorogu paused for a moment. "Most of the mating happens early in our evolution. Males are only capable of expressing either fear or arousal at that stage. I suppose more express fear when the female is larger," she answered.
Tony nodded. "Well, if you weren't using your other legs to make me comfortable, I don't want you to worry about it," he blurted.
Jorogu blushed.
"Thank you, Tony," she said. With a gentle hiss, the eight additional legs emerged from the small of Jorogu's back. The way Jorogu shook out her legs reminded Tony of a woman letting her hair down in a shampoo commercial. Tony felt like he was seeing Jorogu for the first time, truly in her element; she was about a foot taller than him now, suspended in air, regal yet delicate, fierce but tender, and breathtaking all at the same time. "It would be best if we get you ready for the Festival," she said gesturing to an impressive structure of branches, leaves, and webbing.
----------------------------------------
> You have received Event-Related Equipment!
>
> (Equipment bonuses will lose potency after event period)
Festival Formal Wear (Combat)
Helmet: Doomed King's Helm (Hidden) | +10 Defense Rating
Neck: Amulet of the Promised | +0 Defense Rating
Chest: Yokai Cluster Kimono | +6 Defense Rating
Shoulders: Yokai Cluster Kataginu | +2 Defense Rating
Wrist: Yokai Cluster Bracers | +4 Defense Rating
Rings: Empty
Hands: Yokai Dueling Gloves | +2 Defense Rating
Waist: Yokai Cluster Obi | +3 Defense Rating
Legs: Yokai Cluster Hakama | +6 Defense Rating
Feet: Yokai Cluster Wajari, Tabi, Sunetae | +6 Defense Rating
Tony shuffled in the samurai-esque garments for a moment before Jorogu rested her hand on his back. She was wearing a snug, but elegant Yutaka with vibrant web and leaf motifs stitched into the artfully woven silk. Jorogu would seem to glide across from place to place if it weren't for the spider legs holding her feet barely just above the platform.
In the time they'd spent together, mostly getting Tony into the formal wear, the pair had found a happy medium between Jorogu's comfort and the expected "perceptions" held by the Arach court. Jorogu's arachnid appendages were spread wide and would hold her at mere inches taller than being on two feet, and as she had explained, Tony needed to appear taller than Jorogu, especially if Sujuko made an appearance. She'd explained just how important it was that the festival went off without incident when she helped him into the awkward formalwear.
----------------------------------------
"Sujuko was my first Promised One," Tony realized that when Jorogu was anxious she immediately took to chewing on the top knuckle of her index finger, which she had been as soon as Tony asked who Sujuko was.
"The Arach people's evolution is a bit one-sided when it comes to gender. Males seldom evolve to the Arachne state, they develop the same sentience any of us would, but the humanoid shape does not suit our males."
"So, does their evolution just stop?"
"In complexity, yes. The... what did you call them, 'Rally' spiders? Those are adolescents. Their fathers protect our borders and are larger than the ship you arrived in. You were fortunate to have landed where you did." Tony let the thought of a spider bigger than a condo sink in for a moment before shaking it off.
"Do I have to worry about a starship-sized ex coming after me tonight?" Tony asked with a smirk. He held up what he could best describe as a satin loincloth and looked to Jorogu, confused.
She suppressed a laugh and nodded, pointing to the loincloth and pants as she explained, "No, not at all, Sujuko was the first male to evolve beyond the Arachne state in recorded history. Some of our fiercest warriors did reach Arachne, but he was the first to reach what we call the Daimyo state."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"And the Daimyo state is where you are?" Tony asked, stripping down to his boxers. The battle-worn leather peeled away from his skin and was quickly snatched up by spiderling attendants for repair and cleaning.
Jorogu blushed and turned away. "Yes, the only way to ascend past the Daimyo state is to become King or Queen of the Arach. That secret is known only to my mother," she said, only turning back when she heard the splash of Tony entering the bath in the dressing parlor. She couldn't help but laugh watching Tony fend off a wave of spiderlings wielding scrub brushes.
"So, what should I expect?" Tony asked, surrendering to the small swarm of attendants.
"We will be expected at the Festival as a couple, you will meet my mother Semiramis, and she will set forth the challenge to consecrate our engagement." The casual tone of her explanation floored Tony.
"Consecrate our?" Tony let the question hang.
Jorogu wrung her hands and stared at them. "Our engagement. Mother is aging and for another queen to be crowned she must have a mate."
"You must be under a lot of pressure," Tony said.
"Mother forced me to promise myself to Sujuko. He had been kind, at first, but the idea of becoming King made him cruel and obsessive. I took my cluster and left nearly a year ago to 'secure' our borders to avoid the very festival we will be attending. Sujuko did not earn the right to be engaged, I decided that I would only be promised to one that could best me in combat, and then I found you." Tears breached the corners of her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
The breath caught in Tony's chest. What do I do?
"I know that being a human and me being what I am, it-" Tony stood from the bath, spiderlings still clinging to his flesh and scrubbing away. Jorogu gasped, surprised at Tony's sudden and very naked advance.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Tony bent down and wrapped his arms around the woman and lifted her to her feet. "Hugging you," he answered.
"So you're not..."
"Not what?"
"Disgusted by me? Angry at me?" Her extra sets of eyes scanned Tony's face while her main pair bored into his collarbone.
Tony dipped his head and chuckled into the soft waves of her hair. "No and no. You are the furthest thing from disgusting I've seen and I get it, I think. Being forced into a marriage or being bound to someone against your will must feel terrible. I don't hold the sudden, uh... proposal against you." She looked up and met Tony's gaze.
"You don't?"
Tony placed his right hand on Jorogu's cheek and kissed her, cradling her head in his hand. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Does that answer your question?"
----------------------------------------
Tony had just met the fourth noble couple when his focus returned to the present. Jorogu had been guiding him through both the literal and figurative swarm of Arachne nobility. None of them spoke English as well as Jorogu, but they were able to navigate conversation easily enough. The crowd parted and Jorogu squeezed Tony's bicep as Semiramis approached. She held herself at the full height allowed by her thick and wicked arachnid appendages; the resemblance between mother and daughter was uncanny, save for a few distinct differences. The cascades of her translucent ashen hair were pinned up in eloquent interlocking loops, and her skin lacked the same near pink flush that Jorogu's held, but maintained the same soft appearance, everything about her radiated royalty.
"You must be the human, my daughter's Promised. Antonius?" she said, her voice was sagacious.
Semiramis only asks questions that she knows the answers to, Jorogu had told him.
Tony bowed low from the waist, not taking his eyes from the Queen. "I am, majesty. I am Antonious King."
"You may stand, boy, let me get a good look at you," the Queen said, lowering herself to be eye level with Tony.
He stood perfectly still as the matriarch circled and examined him. She prodded at his muscles, listened to his heartbeat, and stared into his eyes. Tony steeled himself, he knew that if Semiramis saw, heard, or felt something that she didn't like he was as good as dead. She clicked and whistled a fair number of times; Tony had to hide his surprise when he understood what was said.
> Your Intelligence has increased!
>
> You have learned a new Language: Arach - Basic
"Not bad, advanced musculature for a human, a strong heart, this soul, however..." The Queen's eyes blazed with viridian light, and her gaze intensified, boring into his. Tony felt a pressure building up in the center of his torso, a roiling angry mass, squirming under scrutiny. It was familiar to him, this raging smear on his soul. It was the same thing that had taken hold of him after he had rescued Maximus. Tony harnessed his will and forced it at the smear, forcing it down and away.
Semiramis's eyes dimmed and a wry smile crossed her face. "You have some demons to reconcile, boy, fortunately for you, I don't trust a man without a dark side."
Tony let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, highness."
"Now, for your challenge, should you truly seek my daughter Jorogu's hand-" Startled gasps came from the entrance to the hall, accompanied by belligerent shouting. Semiramis rolled her eyes and stretched back to her full height. "Is about to arrive, it would seem."
A shot of adrenaline coursed through Tony's body as a giant of a man somersaulted over his head and landed between him and Semiramis. "I assert my rite as Promised One to challenge this interloper for Jorogu's hand!" He was at least eight feet tall, not including the gravity-defying spikes of blood-red hair and the appendages sprouting from his shoulders, poised like serpents ready to strike above him.
Why do they always have to be so much bigger than me? Tony lamented.
"Get to it then, Sujuko. I will not have the festival interrupted any further," the Queen answered. She clacked her forelegs together three times and the swarm cleared to form a ring, Tony, Sujuko, Jorogu, and Semiramis at its center. "As the challenged, you are to set the terms," Semiramis said, gesturing to Tony. "We would hear them now."
"We will duel to satisfaction to be determined by you, highness. I have no other conditions." Tony's voice came out harder than he meant; he ignored the surprise that flashed across Sujuko's face and glared into the man's eyes.
"I find these terms acceptable," Sujuko yelled; he pumped his arms and flexed his arachnid appendages.
He's posturing. Tony ground his teeth and took two steps back. He didn't have time for theatrics. Jorogu squeezed his shoulder and moved to "ringside."
Semiramis looked between Tony and Sujuko, each nodded in response to the silent question of readiness.
"Begin!" she commanded.
You are in Combat
Tony surged at the massive man, ignoring the awkwardness of movement in the formalwear. Sujuko sneered at him and braced, prepared to meet Tony's seemingly unarmed charge.
The instant before they collided, Tony dropped into a slide and shot between the goliath's legs. Sujuko was surprised but showed alarming reflexes as he wheeled around, lashing out with his trunk-like arm and spear-length appendages. Tony drew the Marital Blade and held it flat against his shoulder, absorbing the blow and sending him sliding back.
Jorogu's Marital Blade Rarity: Unique (1 of 1) Durability: 97% Enchantments: Unyielding, Dueling Slashing Damage: Exceptional Thrusting Damage: Good Parry: Good Riposte Multiplier: 3.75x
Unyielding: The wielder does not know surrender and gains +5% Attack and Defense Rating for every 10% of missing HP
Dueling: The wielder gains +20% Attack Rating and +20% to Defense Rating (Parry) when in combat against 1 foe
Sujuko's eyes went wide before narrowing in a jealous rage. "You dare dishonor me by using that to fight me? Very well!" He stretched his arms high overhead as the spider legs protruding from his shoulders interlocked and calcified to form a colossal great-axe.
Tony's lips drew back in a snarl. "Compensating for something?"
Sujuko roared in response and hurtled forward, the wicked axe held high overhead.
"So predictable," Tony muttered as he sidestepped the overhead swing and swatted the back of the weapon, burying the blade in the ground and triggering Punishing Parry. He slammed the pommel of the sword into the underside of the giant's chin, sending him reeling and clutching his face.
Tony had two seconds to inflict as much damage as possible while adhering to the tenets of the duel. He slammed the sword point-first into the ground and slammed his fists into Sujuko's chest, gut, and neck; Tony's growl of effort blossomed into a war cry as he continued his assault.
Punishing Parry's stun wore off and Sujuko's hands blurred in among his own attempting to deflect Tony's onslaught and abandoning his axe. In deflecting the mammoth man-spider's telegraphed counter punches; Tony could tell that one of those landing would hurt tremendously. He shifted his stance after landing a series of jabs that forced Sujuko to break engagement and followed him like a shadow and pressed the advantage, attacking the man's soft targets. Tony's fists and feet slammed into Sujuko's inner thighs, armpits, biceps, neck, and groin. Disabling the stabilizing muscles would make his opponent's attacks slow and off-balance, from there Tony could pick him apart until the duel was called in his favor.
Combat Status Changed Dire Battle – XP increased by 25% – Final Death will occur if defeated
"Oh, shit." Tony leaped back, spider legs made of burning golden light tearing through his Kataginu and searing the flesh on his right shoulder. The evening sky glowed like a ruddy afternoon storm as a pillar of light struck Sujuko. He grew to ten feet in height, the legs of burning essence dimmed and extinguished as molten articulated steel formed over them, each ending in a serrated blade and bringing his total limb count well over twenty.
A wave of essence rolled over Tony and the crowd as Sujuko's roar pierced the night sky, chasing away the molten essence and light.
"Are you ready for round two, Ascendant?" the monster growled.
"Enough!" Semiramis shouted, shaking the ground with her decree, her eyes blazing with beryl flame. "I declare this duel finished! And you, Sujuko, are cast out from this cluster! Combat under the influence or power of another is strictly forbidden and against our laws. Now leave, before I summon your father to remove you!" The viridian sheen in the Queen's eyes was extinguished as swiftly as it had blossomed as a spike the size of a ballista bolt took her through the chest and pinned her to the far wall.
"I've had enough of your prattling," Sujuko growled as the molten glow of essence receded, his recently shot leg growing back and coating with the vicious metal.
Tony's instincts screamed in alarm as he pitched himself to the right, the spike aimed at his face whistling past his ear instead before plunging through the members of the court behind him, viscera and ichor in its wake.
"What will it be, Ascendant? Continue to run away, and allow those behind you to die, or stand and fight like a man!" the beast taunted.
What do I do? They're too fast, but more of Jorogu's people will die if I dodge them.
Tony squared his stance and held the Marital Blade in front of him. The people behind him were already dead, and if he could endure a couple of hits, he could probably figure out the timing and pattern.
"Good man," Sujuko said, firing a spike.
Tony swatted it aside and screamed in pain as two more pierced his shoulders and pinned him to the floor. "Fuck," Tony groaned. Fifty percent of his HP was gone, and he doubted that Sujuko would only be firing one spike at a time, which wouldn't give him the chance to activate Fatal Resolve.
"That Marital Blade is as good as mine, mortal." The ground shook with every step the mammoth took toward him.
"ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, motherfucker," Tony growled. The Doomed King's Helm materialized in place and Tony reached up for one of the spikes pinning him in place.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ - Defense Rating vs Ranged Attacks increased by 20%
Getting free of one of them might do enough damage to activate Fatal Resolve, then he could free himself from the other and get back in the fight. His blood froze when Sujuko's footfalls stopped and the sound of steel crashing against steel reached his ears.
"You will not have him!" Jorogu shouted, pushing the tempo of battle.
Get up! You have to get up! Tony pushed against the floor, sliding slowly up the spikes. Just a few more seconds!
Jorogu's body soared overhead, a spike through her abdomen. A sensation of cold seared through him from the mark on his arm. His eyes followed Jorogu and fixed on where she landed.
She wasn't breathing.