Chapter 11: Shaped
As Vina catapulted through the window's breach, the instinctual activation of her Catch Yourself ability brushed the edge of her consciousness, an unwelcome distraction she promptly dismissed. Clinging to Kaliq's massive form, she harbored a fleeting hope that he lacked a similar means of salvation. The moment their descent began in earnest Kaliq released her, and she propelled herself away from him with a forceful kick, distancing her fate from his.
The fleeting image of Kaliq's face, etched with uncharacteristic terror as he resignedly turned to face the ground below, was a mirror to the brief glimpse of Siany's equally horrified expression. An inexplicable sorrow welled within Vina, a pang of empathy for her sister bound to another in torment, an emotion she couldn't suppress or comprehend.
The impact with the ground was brutal, a collision that robbed her of breath and scattered pain through her body like wildfire. Her initial, silent attempt to scream morphed into a harrowing cry as air rushed back into her lungs.
You have fallen 198 feet and suffered 594 points (198% of your health) in falling damage. Falling damage and any associated negative effects reduced by 90% by Jumping Specialization.
You have fallen 198 feet and suffered 59 points of falling damage.
Dazed, scared, and disoriented, Vina attempted to rise, her body awash with the tingling numbness of recovery. Coordination eluded her, each movement disjointed, her body's response sluggish and delayed. Vertigo's insidious grip compelled her back to lie back down on the forgiving, dew-soaked grass. Defeated by disorientation, she could only summon the strength to review the notifications that chronicled her ordeal. The text within a strangely formed window offered a stark recounting of the consequences of Kaliq’s aspect.
> System: Kaliq used ability: Unknown to remove unknown from Vina
>
> Message Repeats x92 times
>
> System: Quest Motivation not found. Quest failed.
>
> System: Kaliq used ability: Unknown to add skill: Ichoric Conversion level 62 to Vina.
>
> System: Kaliq used ability: Unknown to add class: Blood Infusionist to Vina
>
> System: Kaliq used ability: Unknown to add unknown to Vina.
>
> Message Repeats x682 times
The smell of the blue grass on which she lay conjured memories of when she was a child, frolicking through lush, boundless fields where the grass whispered underfoot. Ahead, her sister's laughter rang out, a source of joy, as she playfully fled with Vina in pursuit, armed only with a stick and bursts of laughter. Then they were cocooned in the warmth of their small, riverside cottage, nestled into bed by loving parents. Night after night, the gentle melody of her sister's lullabies lulled her into a peaceful slumber, a comforting ritual that stitched the fabric of their family tighter with each night. Countless years of pure, endless joy making pottery to sell to towns swept by in an instant.
This existence, brimming with unadulterated happiness and simple pleasures—days spent shaping clay into pottery, their creations destined for distant towns—unfolded in her mind's eye. It was a life marked by an unending stream of joyous moments, a life so starkly different from her own, yet felt deeply in her soul, stirring a longing for a permanence that whispered of home and heart.
But darkness descended with the arrival of the creature. It ensnared her sister by the river's edge, their struggles against its grip futile. A vile sickness accompanied its touch, claiming the lives of their parents with ruthless speed. In an act of desperation, she hoisted her sister onto her back, fleeing across the blue fields toward the sanctuary of the nearest city, the only source of hope in the encroaching gloom.
It was there that Trina emerged, a figure of both salvation and sorrow. Initial gratitude for Trina's intervention quickly soured as Vina bore witness to the relentless cycle of affliction and temporary relief that ensnared her sister. Langternem's sinister tendrils, coupled with Trina's healing efforts, wove a tapestry of pain and fleeting respite. With each of Trina's attempts to heal, she was there, offering solace to her sister, whispering words of comfort and strength, even as each recovery spelled the prelude to further agony.
Vina's confusion spiraled as she tried to distance herself from the vivid tableau of memories that were not her own. "These aren’t my memories," she asserted, her words slurred, as if her tongue was a foreign entity in her mouth. Perplexed by her own disorientation, she sought the now familiar comfort of her Blood Aid skill, silently commanding it to mend any injuries, yet the expected rush of healing did not come. Gradually, the unsettling sensation of pins and needles that had pricked at her awareness began to dissipate, allowing a semblance of normalcy to return. Drawing a deep, grounding breath, she was once again momentarily comforted by the sweet fragrance of the blue grass enveloping her, a sensory anchor in the midst of her confused turmoil.
The memories flooded back. She knelt at her sister's bedside outside the city and watched the skeletal figure struggle for breath despite Trina's care. Vina hoped for an end, for her sister's eternal rest if Trina would just let her go. But Trina refused to give her sister peace. Her words seared into Vina's mind: “I can stop the disease, but I cannot destroy Langternem. Only you have the ability to stop its theft. The burden is heavy, but I will care for you both. Forever.” Trina brought out a knife and slowly cut into her translucent skin. Her blood oozed oddly from the cut, but Trina gently swept it up with a finger. With a reluctance evident in her eyes, Trina pressed the blood to Vina’s lips.
Vina snapped back to the present, but the memory of the metallic taste lingered on her tongue. Multiple notifications suddenly appeared in her vision.
You have slain Kaliq Suchir - Seventh of the Twelve of The Watch, Level 178 Blood Infusionist You have earned 412,800 experience points. Due to level gain limitation, you are limited to gaining only three levels from a single kill. Reducing experience points earned. Oyna has participated in this kill and will earn a reduced amount of experience points. You have earned 134,086 experience points. Vina Level Up: You reached levels 18, 19, and 20 and have 9 more attribute points to allocate. Your agility has increased by 6, your dexterity has increased by 3 and your mastery has increased by 3. You have gained 30 health and 15 stamina. You have earned three class ability points. You have earned three skill specialization points.
> System Error: More than one primary class found. System Error Ticket created and forwarded to Trina. Awaiting response.
Quest Updated: Kill the twelve (3/11 killed)
Startled by a familiar voice, Vina's attention snapped to Siany's cries of distress. "No no no, Kaliq!" Siany's anguish pierced the air, a stark contrast to the silent night around them.
Despite her mind's resistance to accept Siany as her sister, Vina's heart instinctively forced her to intervene. Gathering her strength, she rose to her feet, her balance barely steadier than before. Approaching the tragic scene, she found Kaliq's lifeless form on the ground, Siany inextricably bound to him, her face turned towards the sky.
"Vina!" Siany's voice broke through her coughs, her words painted with blood. "Without Kaliq, Langternem will be free once more."
The plea resonated with Vina, stirring a conflict within her. "You’re not my sister," she responded, the words feeling hollow. Confusion clouded her judgment, her thoughts ensnared in a web of alien memories and her own dissonance. Kaliq's memories loomed, threatening to consume her sense of self, despite the clarity Transcendent Memory afforded her. Her emotions grappled to connect with the experiences forced upon her.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Siany's urgency escalated, "Listen to me! You must contain it when it's freed. Any blood but Kaliq's will let it spread its affliction." Pain contorted her features as the red tattoo on her chest undulated ominously, triggering a cascade of memories for Vina, merging past and present in a dizzying vortex. She recognized this pattern, a déjà vu that tethered her to a prior moment once witnessed.
“What?” Vina's voice was tinged with confusion and pain. Pressing a hand against her temple, she grimaced as a pounding pain throbbed in her head, blurring the lines between reality and the onslaught of memories besieging her mind.
Siany, amidst her own suffering, laid out a desperate plan. “Kaliq believed blood runes could imprison it, confining it within a cage of his own blood to prevent its escape. Can you do this?” Her grimace intensified as a segment of the intricate red tattoo on her chest seemed to detach like an ominous prelude to her urgent cry, “Contain it, Vina!”
Compelled by Siany’s plea, Vina found herself instinctively initiating ichoric conversion, a skill that felt both alien and innately familiar. With an ease that belied her lack of personal experience with the ability, she transformed Kaliq’s alien Stigandorian blood back to its Paliternian form. Drawing upon the blood seeping from Kaliq, she began a meticulous process, guiding it beneath every fragment of the Langternem entity that sought escape from Siany’s flesh.
As she worked, an entity began to manifest, extricating itself from Siany with slow, writhing movements. Outside of Siany’s body, Vina could feel it lacked any kind of vibrance, feeling no different than a rock to her. Its very nature was a mystery, alive in form yet entirely absent from the vibrance that characterized the living and dark beings of Palitern.
Engrossed in executing Siany's directive, Vina's entire being focused on the task at hand, her attention undiverted by the surreal scene unfolding before her. With determination, she orchestrated the blood to encase the amorphous, network-like entity, despite its lattice-like tendrils slicing effortlessly through the blood with unsettling ease as it struggled to escape Siany’s body. Concern mounting, Vina intensified her efforts, concentrating the blood at the entity's nucleus and began to induce crystallization as she had done in the tower. As a crystal of blood began to form, encapsulating the core, the entity's appendages flailed wildly in resistance. Unyielding, Vina augmented the crystalline barrier, each layer she added solidifying her initial success.
Exhausting her own reserves, Vina spared no hesitation in utilizing the last of her blood, meticulously converting it to Kaliq’s while inscribing runes with a precision born of necessity. The initial command, "Contain Langternem completely within this blood crystal," was etched with definitions that left no ambiguity to its intent. To her astonishment, the creature's erratic movements began to converge towards the crystalline prison she had crafted, its resistance waning under the compulsion of her runes.
The crystal pulsed with a growing tension as Vina inscribed a directive for Langternem to be sustained by a reservoir of blood, detailing its creation and designating the crystal as both a containment and sustenance chamber. With deliberate care, she restricted the blood type that could nourish the entity, finally channeling Kaliq’s blood into the now hollowed out crystal. As the cage filled, the once violent tempest of Langternem's movements dwindled to stillness.
Siany’s weakened voice broke through the intense focus, bringing with it a grave command, “You did it," she whispered, exhaustion evident in her half-lidded gaze. "Vina, even at the cost of your life, you must eradicate Langternem at the Kaliter colony in Norfany. Do this for me.” Her plea carried the weight of a final wish, entrusting Vina with a mission that transcended their immediate victory.
New Binding Personal Quest: Destroy Langternem at The Kaliter Colony at Norfany.
Gazing down at Siany, Vina's voice was a blend of defiance and desperation, "I decline your quest." When no system notification confirmed her refusal, she pleaded again, her voice cracking, "Please, no. I decline your quest." Tears welled up as an internal conflict tore at her, her heart rebelling against the refusal, manifesting as a physical ache within her abdomen.
Siany offered her a final smile, a bittersweet acknowledgment, "He shaped you well." With those parting words, Siany's life ebbed away, leaving Vina to grapple with a grief both profound and complex.
You have slain Siany Suchir - Level 0 You have earned 0 experience points.
Time blurred as Vina mourned, the connection forged in manipulation and empathy binding her to Siany even in death. It was Oyna's presence, detected through her Blood Sense, that eventually pierced her sorrow.
"Vina? Why are you crying?" Oyna's concern bridged the distance as she hurried over.
Brushing away her tears, Vina's confusion and hurt spilled out. "I… I don't know. They did something to me," she admitted, her gaze falling to the large blood crystal that she now cradled in her arms. Within, Langternem swished around only occasionally. Its presence a constant reminder of her false sister, she held it close.
Oyna, her face revealed and vulnerable without her mask, offered a comforting touch, her hand resting gently on Vina's shoulder as she stood beside her. "They’re dead, but they took something from you too, didn’t they?" she observed.
Vina's lips trembled as she tried to find words, but when she opened her mouth, she found she couldn’t speak, her emotions too tangled to express herself. Only a half choked sound escaped from her.
“It’s okay. You’ll get it back,” she said confidently. “Someday.”
Vina turned to the Shaper’s body beside them and she tried to speak again, “Kaliq has an aspect in his chest. I… I cant remove it. Trina needs it. Can… can you…” her voice waned as memories of Trina’s torture of Siany flashed through her mind as if bidden by mentioning Trina’s name alone.
“Go inside the tower, Vina. I’ll do what needs to be done. I’ll join you momentarily,” Oyna said as she hefted the large two handed blood sword Vina had made for her.
Vina stood to obey and immediately saw a notification window appear in her vision. The next instant her knees gave out.
You are severely fatigued. Your endurance regeneration is reduced by 95%. And your maximum stamina is reduced by 88%. You will sleep soon.
“Stop”, Oyna said and she placed her large sword back on the ground. “Lean back.”
She scooped Vina up in one motion and effortlessly carried her to the tower. Without her bone wings wrapped around her, Oyna knelt down and gently placed Vina inside. “Rest. I’ll return shortly.
Vina mustered the strength for a final caution, "Oyna, be careful not to touch the aspect directly."
Oyna waved her hand as if to shush her and exited the tower, but she soon returned with the large sword held out before her. A small reddish brown stone balanced on the bloodied blade. She held it out, but Vina hesitated. From her experience with other aspects, she knew something was different about this one. She inspected the brown stone while it lay on the sword.
Kaliq’s Aspect of Sculpting Unique
Vina stared at the stone in confusion. “It’s not one of Trina’s.” She removed her backpack and opened it wide for Oyna to drop the stone inside. Vina knew she was unable to bond with any of Trina’s aspects, real or fake. She had no idea about an aspect that wasn’t Trina’s.
Oyna's voice carried a note of resignation. "I know little of aspects. The Shaper kept me from bonding with them." She readied herself once more, the sword now secured among her bone wings. "I want to go to this place where we can be safe. Shall we try the portal ring again?"
Vina's agreement came weakly, her eyelids heavy, her consciousness fading. Pressed against the warm, albeit strangely red and squishy torso of Oyna, Vina fell asleep.
~~~
"Vina," whispered a voice, soft and comforting in the dim light.
"Oyna? I’m so tired," Vina mumbled, her words heavy with exhaustion.
"You can rest more if you need to. I just wanted to offer you the chance to leave this place," Oyna replied, her tone gentle.
Looking down, Vina noticed the portal ring and her lantern, its light dim from depletion. Despite still feeling the weight of fatigue, the brief rest had lessened its grip slightly. "You found my lantern?" she asked, a spark of gratitude flickering through her weariness.
“Yes. I tried to find you. All I could sense was your lantern,” Oyna stated evenly.
"Thank you. Let's go then. But I’m running low on blood. Could I use some of yours?" Vina inquired, the thought of leaving the tower spurring a semblance of energy within her.
"I'm not sure how to activate the portal ring," Oyna admitted.
“It’s okay, I’ll show you. Set me down by the ring,” Vina said.
Grounded beside the portal, Vina placed Langternem nearby and retrieved her knife, her gaze settling on the runes. Fatigue clouded her judgment, making the task seem insurmountable. Yet, as she recalled through Kaliq's memories her mother's adept hands weaving through similar tasks, a newfound clarity emerged. Empowered by this forced insight and her proficiency with blood runes, she understood the rune phrases with greater depth. With a steady hand, she etched fourteen lines, severing the identity filter Faer had imposed.
“Now Oyna, poke your finger until it bleeds,” Vina directed. She began to feed the ring with a tiny amount of her blood to start the process. Just as she moderated her contribution, Oyna's blood met the runes, and to Vina's astonishment, the symbols began to glow, reacting to her contribution.
As the portal ring hummed to life, Vina couldn't help but notice Oyna's health depleting at an alarming pace. Acting swiftly, she halted the flow of Oyna's blood and reached out, touching Oyna's hand to apply blood aid. "That's enough, we're done," she declared, gently pushing Oyna away from the runes.
Oyna looked at Vina in surprise, “I learned the blood runes skill. The Shaper couldn’t even learn this. The feeling…”
Vina nodded, fatigue dulling her ability to express the encouragement she felt. "Yes, you can carve Blood Runes now," she acknowledged, her attempt at a smile tempered by weariness.
Oyna, lost in thought, pondered the implications. "Is it because I have your blood, or is there something unique about me?" she mused, seeking an understanding beyond the simple mimicry of Vina's abilities.
“Don’t compare yourself to me. You are special in your own way, Oyna. Now, let's leave. This place has taken enough from us," Vina urged, her voice firm despite the exhaustion that clung to her every word. Gathering the stone imprisoning Langternem and securing her lantern, she gave Oyna a weary nod.
Oyna lifted Vina and stepped into the activated portal, leaving behind the tower and its dark memories for a new beginning.