Chapter 13: Fruition

Vina hurled one of her blood knives into the stump, each throw executed with methodical precision. She repeated the action, one after another, challenging herself with increasingly difficult accuracy tests. With surgical skill, she adjusted her aim, pushing herself to the limit. As she depleted the amount of blood she was willing to expend, she calmly called the knives back, returning them to her bloodstream before starting the exercise anew

Behind her, a contingent of twenty guards observed her actions. Though mostly silent, she sensed their discomfort whenever she formed a knife from her veins. She chose to disregard their presence, viewing them merely as a reminder of Parin’s stringent measures for her protection. However, she couldn't help but notice one individual whose demeanor remained unchanged throughout her training.

Taking a moment to catch her breath and allow her stamina to replenish, Vina found her mind restless but her emotions oddly numb. When Hakim informed her of Ann's illness following the return of the second aspect to Trina, Vina instantly grasped the situation. Having received the notification about the destruction of fake aspects, she could only assume Ann had bonded with the aspect of life, as many of the twelve had done. As she pieced together the puzzle, she now understood why Haco had placed a bounty on her head.

Ann was gone. Adir had hastily escorted her out of the city after she fell ill. The only indication of his intentions was a demolished building, revealed to be an apothecary, with only health mixtures missing. Upon hearing about Ann’s collapse outside the amphitheater, Vina knew she should have felt something, yet she remained numb to the news. The only emotion she could summon was disappointment at being unable to reunite with her sister. She lacked the capacity to worry about Ann's well-being, a troubling realization that gnawed at her mind.

Agitated and desperate to quell her nervous energy, Vina initially remained within the Halos Family Home. However, Langternem seemed to sense her mood, exacerbating its restlessness within the stone whenever she was near it. After feeding it more blood, everyone agreed she should maintain some distance until she regained control. As a first step, Vina reached out to Seassa, seeking to mend the mentoring relationship she had fractured. To her relief, Seassa agreed to meet, albeit later in the day. Vina attempted to pass the time until their meeting.

Amidst the chatter of the guards, Vina activated her Listen skill.

“...needs to tell her, and you are the ranking member here,” remarked one of the guards.

“I will, after the Asharaina is done,” replied Riza, her new lead guard. Vina recalled Riza from the day at the library when she had met Eilin. Riza had reported to Parin after a disturbance caused by a portal ring.

“What is it, Riza?” Vina called out without turning around, sensing the woman's sudden alertness.

“Asharaina, would you be open to some suggestions?” Riza asked.

Vina looked over her shoulder at her guard retinue. Riza was roughly her own height, clad in simple chainmail armor. Beneath her helmet, Vina knew she had shoulder-length black hair, usually tightly wrapped in a bun. Her brown eyes met Vina's, a hint of hesitance in her posture. “You have some knife throwing experience?” Vina inquired.

“I dabble in my offtime,” Riza answered.

Vina nodded, gesturing for her to join. “I noticed you use just one kind of knife, a throwing dagger. The hilt you are designing is also sub-optimal for a quick release. Have you considered other types of throwing knives?” Riza suggested.

Vina shook her head as she looked down at her knives. “No, I haven’t. Can you show me what kinds exist?”

Riza smiled as she unhooked a wrapped bit of canvas from her belt, setting it on the ground and unrolling it. Vina chuckled when she saw the assortment of knives inside. Riza selected three knives that resembled nails to Vina. They were long, about four inches, with a tip shaped like a nail and a flat, rectangular body that widened and thickened progressively. “These are designed for short distances but offer high accuracy for deep penetration. They're typically thrown in a conventional half spin.” Gripping the bottom of the metal nail near the tip, Riza launched it. Vina’s agility allowed her to observe its half-turn before it embedded itself in the stump. “Here, watch. I’ll demonstrate a few times.”

Vina shook her head, “No, I’ve got it.” She extended her hand, attempting to form the same nail-like object. Her Blood Blades class ability resisted, unwilling to create something without a bladed edge. She struggled momentarily, trying to combine different abilities until she found a combination of her blood blades skill, her Asharaina title, selectively using blood call, and enduring blood, allowing her to force it into existence. “I’m a blood weaver, damn it. I’ll weave whatever shape I want,” she growled to herself, noticing Riza's vibrance quiver at her words.

Vina adopted the same stance as Riza and utilized her transcendent memory to replicate the exact movements she had witnessed moments before. The outcome wasn’t identical, but she sensed the difference in the release; the knife slid easily out of her hand. She was beginning to discern the disparity between knowledge and skill, yet she quickly mastered the throwing technique. Riza observed her with fascination. “What’s next?” Vina asked.

Riza smiled, holding up the same type of knife again. “Military half spin. Then we’ll move on to No Spin techniques. If you learn all of those, I’ll teach you Rapid Reload with No Spin, but I’m still refining it, so I won’t be perfect at it.” She demonstrated by placing her thumb on the side of the nail, explaining, “For the Military half spin, you’ll slide your thumb up for targets further away or down if they are closer. Practice it enough, and it’ll become instinctual.”

Time seemed to slip away as Vina practiced with Riza. She was introduced to half a dozen various throwing techniques and knife designs. Vina required minimal instruction beyond the initial demonstration. Once she had observed how Riza executed a movement, Vina simply compelled her body to emulate it. Her mind comprehended precisely what needed to be done, but her dexterity seemed to be the limiting factor.

To Riza’s surprise, and judging from her vibrance, delight, Vina managed to absorb everything she had to offer in just this one session. Vina found the most valuable lesson to be the rapid reload with no spin technique. Riza demonstrated how to stack the blades in a way that enabled Vina to use one blade to launch another and then follow up with the second blade. Utilizing this method, she could stack multiple blades on top of each other and launch them successively even while in motion. With her ability to create these flat nails, she discovered she could stack them automatically even as she threw them.

You have gained Novice Proficiency with the Throwing Knives. Damage Increased by 25%.

Riza looked to the sky. “Asharaina, it is nearing the time for your meeting with your people. Do you have anything you need to prepare in advance?”

Vina called back all of her knives and shook her head. “I am ready now.”

Riza cleared her throat and gestured to Vina’s clothing. “Per rule 16a of the Proper Procedure for Escort and Protection of Halos Family Members, members are required to wear proper protective equipment while outside the family home.”

Vina glanced down at her attire. Lord Halos’ people seemed determined to keep her in dresses and long skirts. “Yeah. That’s less of a problem than you think. I’ll gladly change.”

~~~

Before Vina climbed into the carriage being pulled by two Tropsen, she quickly scratched one of them behind the horns. She heard it coo gently and toss its large heads. While she waited to leave, she scratched herself near her ribs where the Kaliter armor had once again pricked her and had begun to gently drink her blood. “What in the world are you doing?” she muttered. She tried to examine the armor, but she kept getting a system error message.

Riza poked her head into the carriage and touched her shoulder. “It’s just a precaution. Rule 29c. Please no questions.”

You are afflicted with Life Link.

Vina sputtered when she felt something else connect to her bloodstream. Blood Sense inspected it and then shrugged it off. She kept trying to make it focus back on whatever had connected her to Riza, but it simply did not care. She shook her head in confusion but respected Riza’s right to privacy for now. If Blood Sense said it wasn’t hostile, then she was inclined to believe it.

The carriage began its trip to a large building outside of the amphitheater where her painting was still being appreciated by the citizens of Halos. Returning to the city had reminded her that she was the Asharaina of Blood, and she had certain responsibilities. There was more work to be done. Namely, she needed to check on the progress of her people and ensure they had what they needed for further personal development with their new blood classes. A part of her was excited to finally spend time with other people like herself.

Yet, alongside her anticipation, Vina felt a deep frustration brewing within her. Despite the joy over Trina's discovery and the return of some aspects, no one seemed willing to relinquish their own aspects. Even Hakim had rebuffed her, insisting, “I can’t give you the Aspect of Peace yet, Vina. It needs to remain here until Trina has been revived.” He had promised to reach out to the various Trina Refuges scattered around the city, but Vina had hoped they could now be persuaded to surrender them for Trina's sake.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Of everyone, Eilin had been the most helpful. She had scoured the library and unearthed records indicating that the least number of aspects Trina had ever been witnessed having was twenty-four. “If I can just get to that number, would it be enough?” Vina pondered, “Or does she also need the necklace?” Regardless, achieving that number of aspects currently felt insurmountable.

Finally, the time within her carriage had elapsed to the point where Vina could no longer ignore her numerous notifications. “Can’t delay anymore,” she muttered, her reluctance palpable in a weary sigh. She had been hesitant to face everything that had transpired since her encounter with The Shaper, but she knew it was inevitable.

Skill specialization: Charge. Targets will now be knocked back six feet and stunned for 3 seconds.

Vina had acquired this skill specialization during her battle with The Shaper while pressed against the wall. At the time, she hadn’t read the bonus she had received, but it all made sense to her now. Kaliq likely did have skills to save himself, but he had been stunned and unable to utilize them. By the time he began to fall, it was too late. “One mistake, and my seven-hundred-year life ended,” she thought, reflecting on the situation. She slapped the side of her head, “His life!” she corrected herself.

Skill Level Up: Charge has reached level 5. You can charge forward six feet. If you attack an enemy, you do 28% more damage and they will be knocked back six feet and stunned for 3 seconds You have gained one skill point.

Skill Level Up: Blocking has reached level 9. Blocked attacks have their damage reduced by 8% of the armor of your shield.

Skill Level Up: Blood Trap has reached level 5. Blood traps take 4% less blood to set up, deal 20% more damage, and are 8% harder to detect You have gained one skill point.

Skill Level Up: Painting has reached level 13. You may paint 13% faster and your art is worth 13% more.

Skill Level Up: Throwing has reached level 17. Your current throwing distance is 72 feet. You can throw harder and faster.

Skill Level Up: Blood Runes has reached level 19. Blood runes can be drawn 90% faster and take 90% less blood to activate or maintain

You have gained 1235 experience points from leveling skills.

Vina sighed internally as she observed how close blocking and blood runes were to their next skill point levels. She resolved to earn those as soon as she could. Eilin had warned her not to let those skills sit idle when so close to a breakthrough. For now, she opened the first skill point from charge.

Where would you like to spend your Charge skill point? Option 1: Reckless Abandon: When you activate charge on fleeing enemies, your movement speed is doubled and stamina cost is removed. During this time, your defensive abilities will be disabled. Option 2: Intercept: You may use charge on an ally and intercept the next attack they would receive. Option 3: Agile Charge: You may change direction twice while charging. Your reaction time will be sped up 10%.

Vina read the options, but there didn’t seem to be much comparison for her. Reckless Abandon was completely contrary to her style. With Intercept, she rarely fought with allies. Oyna was the most recent exception, but she had no idea what the future held with her. Riza was her guard, and no doubt would be incredibly upset if Vina jumped in front of her to block an attack. Vina selected Agile Charge. Being able to change direction sounded excellent for avoidance, while having a faster reaction time would be a bonus. Her agility already allowed for an improved reaction time, nearly halving the amount of time the average human could react to a stimulus.

Where would you like to spend your Blood Trap skill point? Option 1: Conceal: Your traps are harder to detect by 10%. Option 2: Snare: All movement hindering traps slow targets by a further 25%. Option 3: Pierce: Any trap designed to do damage ignores 10% armor.

She contemplated these options for a while. Vina had never really given much thought to her traps. Most people seemed to automatically ignore a pool of blood, so Conceal didn’t seem valuable to her. The traps she had used against Faer were a simple spike-piercing variety. The only time she had created a more complex type of trap was when she used one to cling to his arm briefly. She hadn’t even attempted to use the blood-clinging variety against The Shaper due to his strength. She doubted even Snare would have slowed down The Shaper when even the spike-piercing type was ineffective in doing damage. They only managed to throw Kaliq off balance. “Would 10% armor piercing have helped at all?” she wondered. “Probably not.” Frowning at her options, she went with Pierce. “But if it hurts someone even a little bit, it’ll slow them down,” she tried to reassure herself.

The carriage lurched to a stop, jolting Vina from her thoughts. Riza's voice filtered through the carriage door, “We’re here, Asharaina. We are early, however. It seems the city’s residents are still centered largely around the amphitheater.”

Vina stepped out of the carriage, her mind still swirling with plans for attribute allocations and skill specializations. As she ascended the stone stairs toward the large building, a fluttering sensation filled her stomach. The weight of authority and responsibility pressed upon her. "Is there a stage here, Riza?" she inquired, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness despite her efforts to conceal it.

"No, Asharaina. These people are not yet sworn to your cause, and this place lacks the security of the amphitheater. For now, I will permit only small groups to approach you, prioritizing your safety above all," Riza responded, her voice a blend of protectiveness and unwavering firmness

Upon entering the building, Vina was met with the eager yet apprehensive expressions of those recently initiated into the blood classes. Surveying the crowd, she noted the physical manifestations of their new powers – a reflection of her own journey. Her gaze fell upon a woman whose hair bore subtle red hues at its roots, and a man with a small, pulsating red orb embedded in his wrist. Another sported spider-thin crimson tattoos cascading down his arms. Most striking, though, was a man exuding an aura of vibrancy that set Vina's own blood thrumming with anticipation. Their eyes, alight with a blend of reverence and curiosity, conveyed a deep yearning for guidance along the new and uncharted path they had chosen.

A young man, his eyes bright with the zeal of newfound purpose, stepped forward. “Asharaina, we are grateful for the gift you’ve bestowed upon us. But we're uncertain... What do we do with these new abilities? How do we serve you best?”

Vina felt a surge of protectiveness wash over her. These were not just followers; they were individuals who had entrusted her with their fates. She realized that with the conversion of their classes, their lives had been irrevocably intertwined with hers. Her voice was gentle but carried the weight of her resolve. “I will guide each of you. Learning about your new class is not just about wielding new powers – it's about understanding a part of yourselves that you’ve never known before.” She gestured at herself. “Maybe even a part of yourself you’ve hidden away.”

Another, an older woman with a determined gaze, added, “We’ve heard rumors of the dangers that blood classes can face. We're ready to stand with our Asharaina, but we need to know how to protect ourselves and our city.”

Vina nodded, her resolve solidifying. These people were her responsibility, not just in name, but in spirit. “Together, we will explore all of your abilities. I’ll ensure you’re not only capable of defending yourselves but also adept in using your powers to help each other. My journey has shown me the importance of not just power, but compassion and understanding. I’ll share all I’ve learned with you.”

As she spoke, Vina walked among them, her presence a calming force. She answered questions, offered reassurances, and felt the bonds of their kinship strengthen. Each person’s concerns, hopes, and aspirations resonated with her, fueling her determination to be the leader they wanted.

As the meeting drew to a close, Vina's heart swelled with a mixture of pride and concern. She had inspired confidence in these people, and in turn, they had shown a remarkable willingness to adapt and grow. “Thank you all, she said warmly. “Your courage and commitment give me hope. Together, we will face whatever comes our way.”

Exiting the building, escorted by her guards, Vina's mind was abuzz with thoughts of the people she had helped. Their eagerness to learn and grow under her guidance was both humbling and exhilarating. She felt the same hope and pride resonating within Riza’s vibrance. It was a fleeting moment of triumph amidst the weight of her responsibilities.

She was about to step into her carriage when a commotion at the edge of the guard line caught her attention. A man, his face etched with panic, pushed through the crowd, clutching a knife and a piece of tattered leather. "Asharaina, please help!" he cried out, desperation in his voice. But before Vina could react, he suddenly collapsed to the ground limply.

Rushing to his side, Vina felt his vibrance fading, vanishing as if being drawn into the soil itself. She reached out, but it was too late; his vibrance had dissipated completely. Distressed, she turned to Riza, seeking answers. “What happened?”

Riza, with a solemn expression, explained, “I’ve seen this before. He failed to keep a binding promise to Trina. The consequences are immediate and final.”

Vina's hands trembled as she picked up the piece of leather the man had dropped. Unfolding it, she discovered it was inscribed with crude blood runes, a beginner’s attempt at carving. Although the runes were not powered and incomplete, she could see the diligence and skill the man imparted on the material. Her heart heavy, she folded the leather carefully, a solemn reminder of the profound power and peril of promises.

"Let's return to the carriage," Riza urged gently, guiding Vina away from the scene.

As they walked back, Vina clutched the leather piece tightly, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. “If only I had been here sooner…” she muttered, her voice choked with sorrow and guilt, but left her words unfinished. The weight of her new role had never felt so real, nor so daunting. She couldn't help but wonder how many lives were hanging in the balance, tied to the promises made in the name of Trina.