“I hear strange things from the woods beyond the Hills these days, but I fear what I might find if I ventured forth from my home. So I remain indoors now more than I once did. Sometimes I scold myself for living in such fear—other times I wonder if it is the only reason I am still alive.”

* from the journals of Victoria Blossom.

I felt like a new young man I stepped out of the heated air of the cabin and into the cold downpour that still wept from the sky. Rathborne marched ahead of me around the back of his hut, and drew something from his pants pocket. A stone, or some kind of pellet made of murky quartz. Without hesitation, he hurled it into the woods. I heard it shatter and watched as a cloud of algae colored mist exploded into the air.

“What was that?” I asked. Rathborne gave me a sidelong glance and wiped his hand on my chest, leaving a slight trail of moisture. It smelled of peppermint. “What—?”

“Ready yourself.” Instantly, I had my axe in front of me and a tight grip on my Blunderbuss. “A beast comes. He is fast and unforgiving, but if you keep your wits about you, you will best him.”

A terrifying cry burst from the shadows, like an enormous dog or rabid wolf. Thick slabs or rain water sloshed down across my cloak as I stared towards the tree line.

“You asked about Shadowstep,” Rathborne continued.

“What is it?”

“It is the key to winning this fight,” he said with a sly smile. “It is something you must feel,” he told me, pressing a finger against my chest. “It will allow you to move in a way you never dreamed. Simply think it, and it will be so.”

I opened my mouth for another question, but that was when the beast came.

Sick purple strands of matted hair hung from its thick torso, trailing behind it like kite tails as it dashed towards us with tremendous speed. It would best be described as a wolf, its head was mostly mouth, with teeth dripping a bubbly yellow foam. Claws the size of dinner plates tore up the earth as it raced forward.

Flesh Starved Dog—Level 4.

“Level 4!” I blurted out, retreating a step. “I’m a Meat Sack! Ive got no health! It’s going to kill me in one hit!”

“Stand strong!” Rathborne commanded me, placing a hand on my back. “You can best this beast, boy!”

The old man moved aside as the frenzied creature leapt at me. It was all I could do to dodge its claws as they swiped the air. I threw myself out of the way as it spun and snapped at me with its massive jaws. I swung frantically and made contact somewhere, but the beast’s health bar barely moved. My Rally bar however, filled considerably. But when I spun around, the dog drove his snout straight into my guts, knocking the wind out of me and sending me tumbling back to the stony ground.

“Watch yourself, boy!” Rathborne shouted as my health plummeted and my Rally bar vanished.

“I’m trying!” I growled, doing my best to ignore the pain in my stomach as I rolled aside and downed a Simple Syrup to restore my health to around 75%.

The dog’s side was exposed, and I brought my axe down for a solid hit.

17

That’s it!? I thought as the thing snarled and snapped at me, catching my arm and chewing away half my health. I was dangerously low, and one more hit would finish me.

I rolled back, pressed both of my fists against the ground and vaulted into a backwards somersault. I landed steadily on my feet and raised my axe in time to block an incoming blow. I stabbed back, catching him in the chest with the tip of my axe. His health barely budged, but again, my Rally meter filled considerably.

“Think it, boy!” Rathborne shouted.

“Think what!?” I roared as the dog let out another ear piercing scream and lunged at me. This time, I dropped to the ground and let him soar through the air above me. I was back on my feet before he landed.

“Shadowstep,” Rathborne called back. “Get behind him!”

“How!?”

“Feel it!” he bellowed.

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Feel it!? Is he kidding me!?

Anger and fear boiled within me like a toxic stew. My eyes focused on the monstrous creature as it spun to face me, its eyes rabid and wild, intent on my destruction.

“Feel it!” Rathborne repeated, his voice commanding like a preacher’s. My mind fought against it, but something moved within me, and as I glared at the dreadful dog, I felt a shift within me.

Time seemed to slow. Of course, it didn’t really, but a heightened awareness came over me as I fought to heed Rathborne’s words. My chest rose with a breath that flowed through me like a cool river. The sounds of the rain seemed to fade into a distant hum as I focused inward.

There was something there—a pearl of awareness calling out to me that I could access—something that hadn’t been there before. I knew it. I knew it like I knew how to walk, and as the beast charged, I felt it.

The Shadowstep morphed my body into a mist-like cloud and a surge of strength burst in the muscles of my legs. I barely even had to try. I dashed forward, and like a wraith, passed straight through the body of the beast. My body solidified behind him, and I spun around to see the hapless dog with his back to me.

“Atta boy!” I heard Rathborne shout. I didn’t hesitate.

Everything I had went into my axe as I brought it down on the savage dog’s back.

Doooommmmm!

I scored a massive hit that drove the animal’s legs out on all sides like the ground beneath him was ice. Blood shot into the air.

98

My Rally meter bloomed—almost to full. The strike had left him open to an immediate follow up attack, which I delivered with total menace. The beast yelped as even more of his health peeled away and my Rally meter maxed out.

That satisfying fleshy sound rang out as my axe sparked with red light, and as the dog spun around to face me, fighting to get his legs under him, I unleashed, chopping away at him with as much speed as I could muster. My weapon was slower than Rey’s Mortician’s Scalpel, but I had the advantage.

75—88—91—69

“That’s it!” Rathborne’s voice was filled with pride, like a father cheering on a son as he rounded third base and headed for home. His health dropped like a rock, passing the halfway mark before he had a chance to fight back. He snarled, spit foam in my direction as I cleaved his hind and streaked the leaves with his blood. He raised a claw to attack, but I was ready for him.

My Blunderbuss cracked and spit in his face and a glorious riposte brought the monster to his knees.

“Finish him!” Rathborne hollered, and with a victorious battle cry, I drove my blade home. The last of the beast’s screams caught in its throat as my axe sank into his flesh. His legs wobbled like wet spaghetti and he hit the ground. His body faded as I stepped forward into a glowing pool of Quintessence.

I saw a blinking icon in the corner of my vision—a billowing black cape, obviously indicating my use of Shadowstep. It was ticking down with a small 5 beneath it.

5 seconds, I thought. Probably more like 8. I was fighting for some time after using it.

A breeze swept up my body with a satisfying sound like rustling leaves.

I know what that means! I thought, quickly opening my character sheet. Sure enough—Level 3, and about a quarter of the way through it as well. I had a little over 1400 unassigned Quintessence, and was absolutely drooling as I looked over my stats and decided how to spend it.

I gave myself 5 Strength right off the bat, as I was ready to start really kicking ass, put 3 into Viletaint, hoping it would add damage to my ripostes, and then added another 2 to Vitality to increase my HP even more. With the 20% bonus from my cape cloak, I was getting to the point where I wasn’t quite as squishy.

* Rand—Level 3

* Vitality:11 HP = 277

* Toughness:5

* Strength:10

* Skill:5

* Viletaint:8

* Intellect:5

For the time being, I made the decision, perhaps unwise, to completely ignore Toughness. Rathborne’s cape cloak had my mind swimming with where I was going to take my character. I was a swift Seeker that melted into the shadows, armed with Blunderbuss and blade, blindingly fast—untouchable! Dodge—riposte. Dodge—riposte! Who needs Toughness when you don’t get hit?

“Brilliant, boy! Brilliant!” Rathborne said, placing an approving hand on my shoulder.

“You could have warned me more about what was coming,” I replied.

“Had to test your mettle,” he grinned. “Make sure I hadn’t made a mistake giving you my cloak.”

“You didn’t,” I told him firmly as I eyed the cape cloak hanging from my shoulders. There was a weight to it—not physically—but I felt that by wearing it I had been inducted into something old and important. Rathborne had seen something in me. Potential. And I’d passed his test.

“No, you did not,” he replied. A look appeared in his eyes that I didn’t fully understand. There was approval, but also a hint of sadness, as though he were remembering something that pained him. Something to do with his son? After a moment, he shook his head and looked away. “You probably want to get going now. Gain your strength—find your friend.”

I did, but at the same time I didn’t. Rathborne was like a blazing torch against encroaching darkness. I felt like I could stay with him for a long time, but he was right; I had to find Rey.

“You could come with me,” I spoke before I even realized what I was saying. The old man’s eyes flickered to mine but retreated quickly. He shook his head.

“No, that is not my destiny. I have had my time. I will be here if you ever need me.”

His despair pained me. I didn’t know what to do and was really terrible in such situations. All I could think to do was make a joke.

“Okay, old man,” I said, making sure to have a smile on my face as he looked back at me. Thankfully, he smiled too.

“Keep your wits about you, boy,” he chuckled, giving me a hearty pat on the back and a push to get me moving.

“I’ll be sure to visit,” I told him, calling back over my shoulder. As I strode across the withered fields behind his hut, I passed a mound of broken earth, marked by a roughly chiseled stone slab. I looked away, gritted my teeth and pressed on, back into the woods.