Chapter 4
Blood Sign
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His status appeared before him as he sat slumped against the thick tree beside his unconscious brother:
NAME: Kail Valien, RACE: Human, LEVEL 3, EXPERIENCE: 400, HP 90/90, MP 80/80. YOU HAVE 2 FREE STAT POINTS TO ALLOCATE. STATS: Strength 8, Constitution 9, Dexterity 9, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8.
Where best to allocate his free stat points? Strength was his lowest stat, so he would definitely allocate one there, as to the other… more health could be the difference between life and death in this strange and horrific world.
NAME: Kail Valien, RACE: Human, LEVEL 3, EXPERIENCE: 400, HP 100/100, MP 80/80. STATS: Strength 9, Constitution 10, Dexterity 9, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8.
The sun had set, and the foliage above blocked out any light the stars may have offered. He was soaking wet, cold, and exhausted. He had no idea how to help Corvis with his current condition and he certainly wasn't strong enough to carry his brother back home. Perhaps Corvis would awaken in the morning? Hopefully, otherwise, he might just have to leave him here temporarily and return to the palace to seek help. No… he couldn't do that… Corvis’s limp body was too easy of a target to leave unattended.
He sat there, consumed by uncertainty until a murmur from beside him caused him to turn to face Corvis who lay still, his eyes shut even as he muttered a barely coherence sentence. ‘Father’s favorite lost gift all over.”
“Corvis, you need to wake up,” he said as he squeezed his brother’s shoulder. Corvis remained slumped and unmoving. “I need your help,” persisted Kail. “I don't know this world like you do.”
“Don’t know,” muttered Corvis. A sudden screech erupted from somewhere distantly behind them and Corvis jolted up, jumping to his feet and drawing his sword in a flash.
Kail hurried to his feet. “What’s happening?” asked Corvis.
“You suffered some kind of head injury from that two-headed monster,” said Kail, raising his hands placatingly. “We need to head back to the city.”
Corvis sheathed his sword, frowning at Kail. “I saw it kick you, yet you seem unharmed.” He stepped closer and Kail stood their awkwardly as Corvis ran his hands along his torso. “Perhaps Father's ramblings were not all in vain,” muttered Corvis.
“As I said you’ve clearly suffered some head trauma. We need to return to the city and-“ Corvis held out a finger, shushing him.
“There’s still a chance for victory. With God’s gift empowering you we can reclaim our horses, ride to the front lines and you can lead a final charge against the Hijabwas.”
Kail stepped back reflexively. “Are you paying attention to anything I’ve said? You’re not thinking right, we need to return to the city before another monster comes along to kill us.”
Corvis shook his head, wincing as he did so. “No, I will not return in failure again. We will move stealthily alongside the road until we find our horses. This is your chance to prove yourself to Father, to prove yourselves worthy of our family name.”
Kail gritted his teeth in annoyance, realizing that he must either follow Corvis or abandon him and attempt to make his way back to the city alone. “Fine.”
“Good. Now let’s go get you a sword.”
The thought of returning to the dead bodies brought with it a sense of nausea. “No, I don’t need one.”
“Of course you do,” said Corvis as he headed back toward the road.
Kail followed after him. “I don’t even know how to use one.”
“You killed the two-headed gnoll didn’t you,” said Corvis as they emerged onto the road.
“Yes but…” Kail relented, trailing off as Corvis disappeared into the forest. He remained standing on the dirt road, glancing up at the stars above. They glimmered merrily and in contrast to his current situation.
Corvis emerged from the forest, a bloody sword, scabbard, and belt in hand. Kail suppressed the urge to vomit as his brother strapped the bloody belt around his waist and tightened it.
“Right,” said Corvis as he stepped back. “Let’s go catch some stinking horse thieves.”
Somewhat resigned to their current course, Kail followed Corvis back into the trees and west parallel to the road. “Doesn’t it seem strange that horse thieves would have been in the right place at the right time to steal our horses just as the gnoll attacked us?” asked Kail.
“Hmm, somewhat,” muttered Corvis before going silent.
Kail released a mental sigh of exasperation. He was following someone with serious brain trauma through a dark forest which was seemingly filled with monsters and thieves.
The rain relented as they walked, turning to a light drizzle before ceasing entirely as the first hints of light appeared on the horizon. Kail’s entire lower body ached, though he felt noticeably less exhausted than he expected that he should. Corvis came to a sudden halt and Kail echoed the motion, yawning as he did so. “We should stop to-” he was once again cut off as Corvis pushed a finger to his lips. That was when he heard the hoofbeats.
“Down,” whispered Corvis and they crouched behind a thorny bush just before mounted riders passed by them and down the road. Kail could only see their boots and the lower sections of the horses through the bush. There were six of them?
Corvis jumped to his feet beside him and Kail cringed down as his brother called out. “Lander?”
The riders slowed and turned back as Corvis maneuvered around the bush and into the road. Kail let out a half sigh, half moan, as he stood and followed his brother. They emerged onto the road as the six riders all wearing stained red leather armor trotted their mounts back toward them.
“Corvis? What happened to you?” asked one of the soldiers.
“We were set upon by a two-headed gnoll and our horses were stolen,” replied Corvis. “What are you doing back here?”
“The Hijabwas mist expanded again and they attacked with it, the others were all slain and we thought it best to retreat rather than remain to be slaughtered,” said the soldier.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Damn,” muttered Corvis before raising his tone. “Well I bring with me glad news and the chance for us to return and end the Hijabwa threat for good,” he gestured toward Kail. “My brother has returned and wields God’s gift. With him alongside us, we shall return to the front lines and spill our enemy’s blood.”
The riders all stared at Kail who felt small and dirty, standing there soaking wet from a mixture of water and blood. He nodded his head, unsure of what else to do.
Smiles appeared and spread across the soldiers' faces. “At long last, our future has returned,” gasped some of them as they all bowed their heads.
Kail glanced between the soldiers and Corvis. They were all mad and deluded. How had they survived this long in such a dangerous world?
“My Lord it would be my honor if you would take my horse,” said one of the soldiers, his words directed at Kail rather than Corvis.
“Alright,” said Kail impassively.
Two of the soldiers dismounted, climbing onto other horses and riding double as Kail and Corvis mounted their offered destriers. The sun rose to the south as the procession rode west.
That’s odd. Thought Kail. He could have sworn the sun had risen from the east the day before, but perhaps he had just assumed that out of habit. Regardless, the sun brought with it a much welcomed warmth that dried his clothes and eased his nerves.
He rode at the front of the procession and beside Corvis whose neck was stained with dried blood which had trickled down from some hidden wound beneath his hair. Did this world have healers? It had to, and Corvis certainly needed to see one, though that wasn’t the most major of his current concerns.
“I don’t know what your plan is,” whispered Kail to Corvis so that the soldiers behind them couldn’t hear. “But I’m most certainly not strong enough to change anything about your war. So right now you're riding to go fight these Hijabwas with yourself, your head injury, and six men.”
Corvis chuckled, a sound which Kail hated as it meant that he clearly wasn’t taking this situation seriously. “I’m not returning to Father in failure again. This time if we return it will be with news of a true victory.”
It finally clicked in Kail’s head then and he held back a sigh of incredulity. This was little more than a suicide mission. If they died then it would stick it to his Father for dedicating the last twenty years to recalling him. If they somehow won some kind of victory then Corvis would finally claim the glory he’d always lied about. Either way, Corvis would be satisfied. Kail considered turning his horse around then and there, but then a distant cackle burst forth from ahead.
A small wooden bridge rose ahead of them, rising over a narrow river which flowed surprisingly silently. Though the same couldn’t be said for the gap-toothed old man who lay in an old and rickety looking wooden fishing boat which floated on the riverside, a thick rope leading from it to a rather large stake planted in the grass beside the river. The old man had a scruffy gray beard, and wore a mangy looking straw hat. He lay relaxed, his body stretched out so that his head rested against one end of his little vessel while his naked feet rested atop the other. A deranged sounding cackle emanated from his crooked mouth as they approached the bridge.
“Chhheeeeheee! Chhhheeeheee! Ya bloody babies returning. Tell ma, do ya wanna buy a fish from ol Hob?”
“Be silent cripple,” ordered one of the soldiers. “You are in the presence of the Lords Kail and Corvis Valien.”
Old Hob’s eyebrows rose, his expression growing serious before a smile burst forth across his face and he fixed Kail with an amused look. “Ya be wantin a fish lata ma Lord, and I’ll be a waitin.”
The procession continued up and over the bridge, continuing down the dirt path on the other side and leaving the cackling old man behind. “Old Hob’s been fishing those same waters for as long as I can recall,” said Corvis. “He’s a mad old cripple but his antics are amusing so I allow him his life.”
Kail’s gaze remained forward, as in the distance the path ahead of them had become obscured by a thick purple fog. Corvis and the soldiers noticed the haze as well, whispers running through their ranks. “It’s never moved this rapidly before,” Kail heard one man mutter.
Corvis raised a hand and the procession ceased its progress forward as he reeled about to face them. “My loyal subjects, ahead lies our enemy. The enemy which has ravaged our lands for so very long, but no longer. My brother’s return marks the end of the Hijabwa threat!”
Weapons were raised and lofty proclamations made. Kail felt sick, he was surrounded by idiots who misguidedly thought him their messiah. Corvis reeled about and came up beside him, winking at him as the corners of his lips twitched up. “It’s only fitting that you lead the charge, my Lord.”
“I,” Kail found himself stuttering uncertainly, and hated himself for it.
“Draw your sword,” whispered Corvis so harshly that Kail complied, the soldiers behind them cheering at the sight of his bloodstained steel.
Ahead the fog crept visibly closer. “Charge!” ordered Corvis and all of a sudden they were off, his horse swept along with the others and toward the ominous looking dark purple fog which loomed ahead. Then they reached the fog and passed into it, visibility decreasing drastically as his surroundings turned cloudy and alien.
“Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha!” a distant chanting played at the edges of his hearing and a faintly sweet smell tickled his senses.
There was a sudden whistling sound which passed by him, then a thump from behind and muffled words which seemingly emanated from all around. A miniature figure materialized before him as his horse slowed uncertainly. A boy emerged from the fog, his hair a fiery red and his eyes a pleasant limey green. He clutched something in his hands, though focusing on what he held was difficult as was discerning anything about him beyond his prominent eyes and hair.
Kail’s horse came to a somewhat sudden and slightly jolting halt before the boy. Then something impacted his neck, a horrid pain sprouting from it.
HP 79/100
He spasmed and fell sideways off his saddle, though one of his legs became tangled and caught painfully in some leathery something as his horse reeled about. He maintained his grip on his sword even as he dangled upside down, a jerk from his horse pulled him around and he flailed out, still clutching his sword which buried itself within the smiling boy’s indiscernible midsection. The lad loomed above him, smiling down at him even as he was pulled away by his horse and his bloody sword slipped free from within some shadowy section of the boy.
DAMAGE DEALT TO HIJABWA = 28
His head hurt and the world around him was spinning as he was pulled away from the boy who was cut down by a mounted figure that charged past.
HP 74/100
He flailed, trying to cut himself free from the straps tangling him. To his relief, one of his wild slashes hit home and he felt his leg slip free from the horse who charged off into the fog. He slumped back onto the wet ground, attempting to regain his composure as shadowy figures danced around and screams filled the air. He forced himself up, he had to escape, to get away from this horrid place and these deluded people and the monsters they fought. A figure’s back emerged from the fog, the rest of Corvis coming into clarity as he backed up beside Kail. Corvis held his sword with a vehement ferocity, blue blood dripping from his blade as he glanced at Kail. “I think this might have been a mistake.”
For some horrifically strange reason that he couldn’t fully comprehend, a smile spread across Kail’s face. “Really?” he asked as he punched Corvis in the face with his left hand. Corvis staggered back, shock evident in his expression. “We need to get the fuck out of here right now!” yelled Kail into his brother’s face.
“You, yes, come on!” said Corvis, turning and leading the way in a direction Kail hoped led out of the fog. They ran, screams filling the air behind them, then suddenly going silent as they burst forth from the fog and into a shockingly bright day.
They kept running, rapidly approaching the river ahead of them as cold tendrils of fog crept about their feet, seemingly attempting to ensnare and return them to the horrors they’d left behind.
“In the boat my blood babies!” cackled a familiar voice. Old Hob’s boat floated beside the river bank, he was sitting upright and holding an oar in each hand, his face bright with a mirthful smile as he called to them.
The briefest notion of hesitation attempted to enter Kail’s mind before he and Corvis reached the river and dove into the boat which Hob propelled downstream and under the bridge. The three of them filled the small fishing boat nearly past capacity and Kail found himself fighting to untangle himself from Corvis and sit upright. To further confuse things notifications flashed before his vision.
EXPERIENCE GAINED = 300/COMBAT CONTRIBUTIONS. LEVEL UP! YOUR HP HAS BEEN RESTORED, +1 Constitution, YOU HAVE 1 FREE STAT POINTS TO ALLOCATE. YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A CLASS BASED ON YOUR LIFE THUS FAR. CLASS GAINED: Blood Preacher. + 2 Wisdom.
Skill Gained: Rapid Regeneration - Common: Your HP regenerates at a rate of 2 points per ten seconds. Skill Gained: Pure Blooded - Rare: Your blood is purer than most, granting you 10% increased HP and MP regeneration. Ability Gained: Free Flow - Common: You may will your blood to flow more rapidly through you to a mild extent. Ability Gained: Blood Gaze - Uncommon: Staring obtrusively at an entity will allow you to discern their Race and Class if applicable. Spell Gained: Rupture - Uncommon: You may extend a proportionate amount of HP and MP to discharge a concentrated burst of blood and deal a variable amount of damage.