The next day came. The darkness surrounding every inch of space dissipating. Xane served food as they talked.

“I don’t know about you lot. But I don’t think we have a chance in that dingy we’ve been riding in. As well as needing to stop at an island every night is slowing us down.” Hatchet complained. He was always the first to put out concerns no one else would say. Though really he didn’t fully believe in what he said.

“Look on the bright side.” Calrin said before taking a sip from his water skin. “We aren’t dead.”

“I for one is fine with going forward.”

“That’s because this is the only way you’ll be free from whatever deal you made.” Calrin spat back. Obviously still not thrilled with Pyn’s being here. Even after having helped save Calrin’s life. Distrust was a hard thing to break.

Xane didn’t want an argument to start.“We can’t stop now. We might be aimlessly rowing around. But sooner or later we will find them or die trying.” Xane said with finality. And he felt it.

There was one more thing he also felt. And Lyenn had felt it too. They believed they were getting closer to her other eye. And therefore getting possibly closer to her body.

With meals had and preparations complete they got back on the small boat and started to head in the direction that Xane felt was the correct one. “I do have good news.” Xane started as he rowed the oar. “I think we are getting closer to the eye.”

“Truly? You are sure it isn’t the body?” Calrin asked skeptically.

Xane was sure. For a few reasons. “Yes we are sure.” Before Xane and the others had been quiet around Pyn about Lyenn and the true reason they were out here. But that quickly became too much of a pain and they decided to, begrudgingly from Calrin, to trust. Who of course was surprised. Having not thought it such a grand thing that was happening. Though Xane suspected that he had heard some of it before in tid bits. Perhaps was even told a small amount from the priest.

“We only sense a small amount of pull. Really we are only guessing but assume the body will have a much stronger sense to it.”

“That is good news. Only thing better would be finding something a bit faster than this boat.” Hatchet said, trying to clear the air of all the seriousness. It might have worked before. It was too tense for such things and he only got ignored.

None knew which cardinal direction they were even going. The place was a winding series of islands. Didn’t help that the stars above the sky weren’t even the same ones that would crest the regular sky. So using the stars for directions was impossible without a star chart for the ocean of stars. Something that probably didn’t exist.

They didn’t need that though as Xane was their compass. Something they also took as a good sign was that Pyn’s compass didn’t show anything nearby. Which meant that they either found the beacon and tossed it overboard/destroyed it. They took it as a sign that the Lord went a different direction and they were in the clear.

3 days to get to an island they believed held the eye. The time was mostly due to having to park themselves every night. Waiting that long while they were still wide awake was more exhausting than the rowing.

The island they found themselves on looked pretty much like every other. Mostly rocky sharp points with very little vegetation. Even with its unimpressive visage it was the place. The pull was similar to when he was back in the room with Lynn’s brain. It was a powerful urge to sprint forward without thought.

He was far too high willed for such things now. Even then he didn’t plan on taking it in that way as he did before. It belonged to Lynn and would stay that way. “I think that it should be possible to just store the eye in your ring.” Lynn had told him many days back.

The problem was that it was difficult to take away something so powerful without damaging the person it was bonded to. The only reason Lynn’s brain was able to detach was that Lynn was tricking the system so to speak.

The eye though would be as stuck as the first. Something Xane would most likely die at his current power if they tried to get it out. Not without someone skilled in such things. A number of people that was probably below ten. “Don’t worry I don’t want it anyway. Since you aren’t forcing it upon me, this time, shouldn’t I just be able to refuse taking it?”

“Should and will are two different things. Let’s just be safe. Use a cloth or something.”

“Fine.”

So that was the plan as they searched for the eye. “Pyn if you touch the eye I will kill you.”

“Me? Don’t worry I have no plan of being part of some god's schemes. If I had known that is what the Lord was this entire time I’d have never been so close. Would have run the other way the moment she took over. I’d just assumed he’d stolen some powerful mage's body for their abilities. Never thought it would be a god’s.” Pyn said rather convincingly. Though Xane still kept an eye on him.

Xane had asked before if it was common to just move one’s mind into another’s body. It apparently wasn’t at all as there had to be some sort of compatibility. Though godly bodies and body parts had different rules to them. It was pretty much free.

Taking on another’s did even give infinite lives and time. As the mind would still degrade if not cared for properly. They were called body snatchers. And heavily frowned upon to outright banned. Most only knew about them from stories to scare children.

The eye was found in short order. It was of course in the middle of the island. Floating over a pedestal very similar to the one that Xane had found Lynn’s brain on. It was a glorious sight. They had been through so much and being this much closer to finishing what they had started was something to celebrate.

It was Huntress who had found it bringing them all together. Hatchet was first to break the silence. “So uhmm. Why hasn’t anything taken it? If it is so powerful why wouldn’t some fish just snatch it and become a god among fish?”

“I doubt a fish could take it? Even so it would then just be snatched up by something bigger.” Pyn said jokingly.

“That is a good point though.” Calrin said thinking. “Not Pyn’s comment.” He amended. “Why is it still here? If this happened so long ago wouldn’t it have been absorbed by something?”

Xane started to think as well. Why is it still here? Lynn had said that since her eye was so close to her brain that she had protected it in some way she never went into too much detail. As for her brain it was hidden for a long time till it was being slowly attacked by the shadow creature that was trying to steal her power.

“I truly don't know why it would be here.” Lynn confirmed. “I wasn’t able to protect something so far away.

But if a creature from another realm that was practically a god in and of itself then would something so weak comparatively be able to take a piece? It didn’t matter. All that did was that it was here. “Does it matter?” Xane repeated to the others walking forward.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He had enough of hardships and would take the win. Beating someone who had been looking for it far longer than himself was a win. Finding it just sitting here was a win. He needed wins.

Even so he was careful. And kept looking around for a possible trap. What those hardships showed him was that things weren’t this easy. And that he should be wary. He got the odd sense of being watched. Though he chalked it up to the eye he was having a staring contest with.

He walked with his weapons drawn. When nothing happened as he stepped in front of the pedestal he put his weapons away and pulled out a cloth and threw it over the eye. The cloth cascaded yet it hung in the air over the eye. An odd shape. Vaguely face like. Just as that realization hit something hit first.

Something invisible rushed forward and slashed across Xane. His armor and their protections were barely enough to withstand the blow. As he fell back he and everyone else saw a creature with many stalks with eyes on the end emerging from thin air.

It was a blob-like creature with almost a hundred stalks of eyes coming from its body. The creature itself floated above the air. What hit Xane wasn’t a limb. But a beam of magic that came from one of the eyes. They all moved around looking at all the people on the island at once.

“Shit it’s an Eye Hoarder.” Calrin yelled from the back.

As Calrin said this Xane was already scrambling back and reading the information on the creature.

Eye Hoarder

Level: 78

Important stats:

Intelligence: 330

Wisdom: 153

Dexterity: 131

Information: Eye Hoarders are an amorphous creature that steals eyes from their victims dead or alive and adds them to their collection. They gain increased stats based on the amount of eyes they have and gain none through regular means. First thought to have been a creature from another realm they later were found to be one of the oldest creatures to Averinth, just long thought destroyed. Be wary of their eyes. For a piece of who they stole them from still lives on in them.

Hundreds of different types of magical energies started to be shot from each eye. A veritable wall of damage that started to shear through the rocks the other hid behind. Loosed arrows didn’t make it a few feet before being obliterated. A precision shot from the Eye Hoarder.

Xane was too close and had to throw object after object out of his ring to try to protect himself. If one attack was able to harm him then this many would surely kill him. Walls and protection were thrown. Thousands of golds worth used in mere moments.

“We have to split up.” Yelled Calrin. “We need to disperse its damage. We need to go now as it’s distracted with Xane.

Xane started to roll as often as he could reduce the damage he was taking. But he was still losing health at a rapid pace as most of the eyes were concentrated on him. He thought about using his surge from his feat. But held off knowing he was going to need it for the fight to come.

He believed they could win this. Xane didn’t only dodge. He shot multiple bullets that were broken down by the beams of magic. None made it even close. So he gave up on that idea. Instead fully focusing on trying to keep as Calrin said distracting.

He kept this up as the others tried to flank. Which wasn't going as planned. There wasn’t much cover from the intensive fire. The only saving grace being that the thing was either bad at aiming or didn’t care since it was shooting out so many.

Huntress shot an arrow that would replicate itself. While also using her own ability to replicate arrows. In synergy it even out did even the creature in projectiles quickly doing major damage as arrow after arrow slammed into the creature. Eyes and stalks destroyed. Though more replaced it quicker than even that wave could deal.

This had the unfortunate outcome of having the ire of the creature to land on Huntress. At least 70% of the eyes instead looked at her. Alleviating the pressure on Xane. He didn’t let the moment pass him up as he started to fire upon the Eye Hoarder. His charge shot, having fully charged as he dodged.

The bullet was targeted with precision as its power was wielded down. Though it should have used more eyes to target the bullet as the damage was devastating. The floating creature that had at first pushed them back was thrown to the side. The floaty nature of it allowed this to happen.

It’s size diminished more as eyes came out and it’s body turned into more stalks with eyes. Even more than it had before. Though its size was at least half what it was before. Instead of a large blob with eyes on the top it was a blazing star of eyes coming from every part of its body. And the one that was Lyenn’s was in the body itself. A powerful constant beam being blasted forward.

A ball rolled on the ground. It was shot at but the creature was far too late. A bright light flashed in an attempt to blind the monster. It worked as all shots stopped and a shriek of noise that sounded more like grinding of gears came from the monster. “NOW.” yelled Calrin as he flashed forward activating one of his perks, his blade biting deep into it.

Pyn wasn’t far behind. He ran forward as he slashed repeatedly in a quick pattern eye after eye falling to the side. The effect of the item didn’t last long. And as quickly as the attacks stopped they started again with the two close quarters people right on top of it.

Another infused shot slammed into the creature pushing it and the fighters to the side. This help Calrin and Pyn get away but they still weren’t in ideal positions as they had to try and defend themselves. Magical items were consumed to protect themselves though it wasn’t by much for such a strong creature.

Pyn though had another thing up his sleeves and disappeared reappearing behind Xane. Calrin wasn’t so lucky as he just dived behind a rock. That of which was rather small as most of it was dust by now.

Huntress this entire time had been firing arrow after arrow. Though the singular ones couldn’t do much more than take out one to two eyes. And she presumably was out of the stronger ones or was saving them for later.

The beam from Lynn’s eyes quickly turned to Xane and blasted him from his feet. He flew far as the beam carried him all the way to the water. His chest was a melted wreck. His armor wasn’t a match for the damage. Not even his new armor was strong enough to survive such hits. The power of a god's eye is powerful.

As Xane tried to get back in the fight the others were trying to survive. Xane saw beams flying over his head and disappearing in the distance. The condense laser from the middle eye firing around as the others dodged. Xane took a healing potion as he ran back.

What he found were his friends on what was once a rocky area. Now it was more of a pock marked mess. Large divots and scores in the ground. Looked like a termite eating at a stick of wood. Instead of wood it was a very dense and hard rock. And instead of termites it was a mass of eyeballs shooting magical lasers.

Calrin looked injured. Burn marks all over his body. Pyn looked better off. Being someone who was more used to dodging instead of straight up tanking it. Huntress was nowhere to be seen, possibly coming to the same fate that Xane had.

With Xane back in the fight he started to fire bullet after bullet. Xane would love extra bodies to help distract eyes. But neither pet owners thought it was worth bringing them out. At least they wouldn’t last long. Mutt might have but Garry would have been turned to dust as fast as the rock around them.

The fight went on multiple times with people being launched away. With Pyn being the only one somehow managing to evade such a fate.

Blow after blow. Hit after hit. The Eye Hoarder had many attacks but they weren’t that powerful in the short term. Just whittling things down. While the group had powerful damaging attacks that in the end made the creature begin to flee.

“We can’t let it get away.” Xane wheezed. His health under 50%. He shot bullet after bullet at the creature. But with it in the retreat the Eye Hoarder had every eye available doing intercepting attacks.

None of Xane’s bullets or Huntress’s arrows could reach the creature before it was already on the beach and about to leave. Both Calrin and Pyn attacked forgoing protecting themselves. Pyn finally took a hit from Lyenn’s eye beam, and was thrown to the ground. While Calrin managed to jump and stab his shortsword deep in weighing it down.

It wasn’t enough. The extra weight lost as the amorphous creature just sloshed that portion of itself off sending Calrin to the ground. He got up quickly and started to give chase.

“Noo.” Xane cried out. But it wasn’t Xane. It was Lyenn and Xane.

Then out of nowhere a large dog materialized above the now much smaller creature sending it to the ground and splattering it around. It tried to form back together but was too weak. Mutt and his long tongue dangled as he happily barked back. To the others.

“Well at least one of us is excited.” yelled Calrin as he looked at the large teleporting dog. “Good job Mutt.” Mutt splashed around in the goo that was once an Eye Hoarder as if it was just mud.