Chapter 15: Atrophy

A student delicately placed Vina upon the cold, stone surface, her limited sight revealing an intricate arrangement of flagstones, meticulously laid out to forge a semblance of a roadway. These stones trailed off into the distance, culminating at a portal ring, its silhouette stark against the backdrop of the ocean's tumultuous embrace with the shore.

"Caja, determine the time we have until further intervention is necessary," Seassa instructed. “We must be prepared before The Supreme arrives.”

As Vina felt a presence approach, a woman named Caja bent down in front of her, placing a hand on her head. “Two minutes twenty-four seconds until the paralytic expires,” she announced.

A trace of irritation colored Seassa's response. “I was under the impression the poison's efficacy would last eight minutes, not a mere six and a half. Administer another dose; she must remain incapacitated until The Supreme's arrival.”

With a hesitant hand, Caja pulled a vial from within her armor. Her voice was laced with caution. “Her vitality exceeded your estimates. I can administer a second dose, but subsequent applications will diminish in duration. Continuous dosing risks toxicity. Are you sure this is the course you want to take?”

Seassa gave a firm nod, her tone resolute. “You witnessed her capabilities, even with a modicum of blood at her disposal. Simple restraints are insufficient; we cannot afford to take any chances.”

Caja turned back to Vina, “Yes… I did see it,” her voice betraying a moment of further hesitation. She gently shook her head and transformed before Vina's eyes into a Stigandorian woman, her long white hair cascading down as her skin darkened to gray. She carefully applied a little bit of the vial onto one of her bluish nails and pressed it into Vina’s skin, who felt only the slightest pressure.

You have been poisoned.

Unknown Paralytic Poison stacks x2. Second Poison Stack duration is cut in half. Time Remaining: 2:12 + 3:13: 5:25 Unknown Paralytic poison has activated. Your body will clear the poison in 5:25.

Caja once again placed her hand on Vina’s head. “You have five minutes and twenty-five seconds to get The Supreme here. I can administer a third dose, but it will only add an extra minute. Beyond that, we risk organ damage. Alternatively, I can use a different sedative if unconsciousness is acceptable.”

Seassa, massaging the bridge of her nose in contemplation, finally decided, “No, maintain the current path. Just monitor her closely. Thank you, Caja. Atral, her possessions. Have you managed to access her backpack?”

“No, Swordmaster. It’s locked tight. There’s another complication that you should see as well,” said a man’s voice.

Vina stopped listening as she focused on how to escape this situation. It didn’t take a genius for anyone to guess who Seassa was working with. The presence of a stigandorian, the crushing of yellow stones, and the reference to one who called itself The Supreme was enough to make Vina desperate for escape. She did the only thing she could do. She opened her attribute page and dumped all nine of her attribute points into vitality, jumping it from 25 to 34.

Vitality 34: Your health is increased by 240, you clear poisons 120% faster, you are 72% more resistant to disease and infection

With vitality now her second highest stat, Vina quickly checked her poison timer. To her great delight saw it had been reduced to just three minutes. Despite this small triumph, the weight of those minutes was suffocating. Anticipation of Caja's return gnawed at her. Her mind raced, strategizing, envisioning her escape through the portal ring, the only landmark visible in her constrained world.

“Etana disabled Zel'alor’s ability to use portal rings, but I can’t let them drag me somewhere else,” she thought.

She could still feel the blood of the people surrounding her. Most noticeably, Seassa’s back was still bleeding as were several of the others in the area. She couldn't use any of her abilities to help herself directly, but the poison had not shut down her title’s capabilities. Gently and slowly she pulled at some of the blood on the people around her. She slid it under the stones where she could, careful to not let anything seem like more than the normal action of gravity. Her objective was clear yet arduous: accumulate sufficient blood at the portal's base without arousing suspicion.

Bit by bit, she guided the blood across the stony expanse, her eyes on the dwindling timer. Merely reaching the portal wasn't enough; her plan hinged on utilizing her blood rune specialization to empower the ring's activation. "It must be deactivated," she schemed internally, as the blood pooled silently at the ring's foundation, awaiting her command.

“The Supreme encounters difficulties with a portal ring. Caja, reassess her condition,” Seassa's voice commanded from beyond Vina’s limited sight, a hint of urgency lacing her words.

Vina felt the weight of Caja’s hand on her forehead once more. It lingered there for a moment longer than the first time, and Vina’s heart jumped into her chest. “She caught me”, Vina thought.

“Naikirasim…” Caja whispered under her breath before standing up. “She’s fine. You want me to knock her out?” Caja’s voice declared confidently, and Vina could barely believe the words she heard.

“Grant her one more minute, then render her unconscious,” Seassa instructed with a calculated calm.

As Caja retreated, Vina watched the final second elapse. Sensation surged back into her limbs, yet she remained motionless. With a deft touch, she elevated the blood to the portal ring, shaping it into a precise rune and activating it. The ring flared with a blue light, signaling the displacement of the residual divinity within its power mechanism.

Seassa then stepped into Vina’s view, cradling Langternem’s crystal in her arms. “What is this?” Seassa murmured, her voice a mix of confusion and intrigue.

Vina was just about to jump to her feet when she felt something poke her in the side of the neck. Fingers clasping the foreign object, her sight blurred to see a dart in her grip before darkness claimed her consciousness.

~~~

“Vina… Vina!” An arm jostled her abruptly, stirring her from unconsciousness.

Startled, Vina leapt up, fear and panic seizing her. Instinctively, she conjured a blood claw on her hand, lashing out at the figure before her.

Seassa, with a swift motion, deflected her attack. Vina, undeterred, formed another claw and swung wildly. Seassa retreated, her voice urgent yet controlled, “Stop your fighting, Vina! Our concerns transcend our personal conflict.”

Vina groggily took in the scene around her. The various students of Seassa were sitting on the stone floor. She saw now that it was not a road she had been laid on, but the remnants of a building foundation. Stone walls still stood around her, but the roof had long ago been blown away from the ocean winds. Two dozen eyes looked up at her, their vibrances were a mixture of fear, worry, and hope. Even Seassa’s vibrance was hopeful. She glared at Seassa, “What is going on?”

Seassa, wasting no time, cut straight to the heart of the matter. “What evil are you harboring in the red crystal?”

Vina shook her head, but didn’t relax the claws she had formed, “Where is it? How long have I been out?”

Seassa gestured toward the ruins' perimeter, her tone matter-of-fact. “You've been under Caja's sedative for nearly a full day.”

Uttering a curse, Vina hastened out of the building. There, she discovered the crystal, with Langternem frantically writhing inside, causing the stone to wobble alarmingly. Noticing a large etched divot and numerous small fractures, she sprang into action, repairing the runes. Dissolving the blood that formed her claws, she converted it to Kaliq’s as she desperately wedged it all into the tiny fractures. She filled the reservoir next, and Langternem quieted back down once more. As she worked, Seassa watched her silently from a distance.

By the time Vina finished, Caja and several others had joined her outside, the gentle wind brushing against them. “Are you all sick?” Vina inquired abruptly, not turning to face them. “Is that why the crystal is out here?”

Vina felt Seassa nodding her head gently, and she turned to look at her former mentor. The swordmaster rolled up her sleeve, revealing the onset of two sores. “What afflicts us, Vina?”

Vina’s response was sharp. “You know what it is!” she snapped. “You all have Langternem Disease. Who fed it blood?”

Seassa's response was laced with a tinge of regret. “The fool is dead. Unfortunately, we were too slow to stop his curiosity.”

Vina opened her character screen and checked all of her attributes.

Name

Vina Esca

Level

20

Health

420

Stamina

190

Experience

1235/51000

Class:

Error Blood Weaver

Title:

Asharaina

Attributes

Points

Description

Strength

21

You can lift 100% of your body weight and weapons do 22% more damage

Endurance

31

Your stamina is increased by 105, and your stamina recovery is increased to 2.05 per minute.

Dexterity

31

Your body is 21% more likely to do exactly what you intend, you are 84% more likely to hit your target

Agility

47

Your movement is 111% faster, you are 148% more elusive, you can react 74% sooner.

Vitality

34

Your health is increased by 240, you clear poisons 120% faster, you are 72% more resistant to disease and infection

Charisma

12

People like you 10% more and you are 6% more likely to persuade someone

Mastery

31

You learn skills 84% faster. You are 21% more likely to learn a skill on your first try.

Divinity

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

0

Locked

Attribute Points Remaining

0

Skill Specializations Remaining

3

Class Ability Points

6

She noticed her class was marked as an error, but she didn’t have time to consider the ramifications. She quickly perused her list of skills. “I’m not infected yet. How much have you lost?”

“The deterioration varies among us, seemingly tied to our vitality attribute,” Seassa responded promptly, her tone reflecting the urgency of their predicament. “Vina, there’s an additional complication.” She gestured towards the horizon, where a dark cloud loomed ominously despite the midday sun.

“A storm?” Vina queried.

Seassa’s reply was swift and grave. “No, an assembler is present on this island, under The Darkness’ dominion. We endured a raid from high-level shadow-possessed creatures last night. Did you disable the portal ring?”

Vina ignored the question, pulling up her map instead. She analyzed the immediate area, seeing they stood on a small peninsula, barely attached to a larger landmass by a sandy bridge. Zooming out repeatedly, she finally located the nearest portal ring, aghast at their remote location. “Where the hell have you brought us?”

Seassa’s answer was succinct. “A secluded area, as per The Supreme’s directive.”

Vina’s response was sharp, her gaze piercing. “Its name is Zel'alor.”

Seassa closed the distance between them, her voice earnest. “Vina, we need to end our conflict. Our survival is at stake. This island is on the cusp of being overtaken by a gloom. The shadow-possessed creatures will not tolerate our presence for long. We need your expertise to cure this disease and guide us through the portal ring to safety before nightfall.”

Vina shook her head in disbelief, “You poisoned me! I have no reason to help you. My first mentor hadn’t even betrayed me yet, and you know what I did to her. You can die for all I care.” She fumed with rage and her blood boiled in anger.

“I am aware of your history, Vina. But we must avoid falling prey to The Darkness’ shadow,” Seassa implored.

She got quiet after she realized what Seassa was concerned about. The swordmaster mistakenly believed her shadow could be taken if she died here. She looked down, “I’m not Trina, I can’t cure disease.”

Then, she turned her back to Seassa and walked back into the ruined building, past the sick people to where she knew her backpack was. She held Langternem in her arms as she walked. Everyone’s vibrance was so terrified of what she held that she no longer felt in any danger from them. The only person’s vibrance that was not in a stunned state was hers. Deep inside she battled with herself. As soon as she saw the sores on Seassa’s arm, memories of Siany’s suffering flashed through her mind, Kaliq’s mental trauma becoming her own. “I can’t watch them suffer again,” she muttered to herself as she felt Seassa trailing close behind her.

“Does your backpack contain anything that might help us?” Seassa inquired, her voice a mixture of hope and desperation.

Vina nodded her head, pulled out a canteen, and drank from it. “Help me, yes. I’m dehydrated because you kept me unconscious for a day.”

Seassa attempted an apology, “I regret the necessity of such measures. Caja…”

“You’re sorry that your abduction didn’t go the way you wanted!” Vina snapped. “You have no idea what you’re doing!"

“The Supreme…” Seassa began, only to be interrupted once more.

“So help me!” Vina screamed over Seassa’s words. “I promise Trina, I’ll kill you if I hear you call it The Supreme again!”

You have sworn to kill Seassa if you hear her refer to Zel'alor as The Supreme. Should this come to pass and you fail to kill Seassa, Trina will choose an appropriate consequence.

Seassa, taken aback, hesitated before speaking. “Zel'alor seeks the destruction of The Darkness, Vina. For centuries it has pursued this goal, believing the axe to be key in this endeavor. Now it asserts that you are pivotal in guiding it to the weapon’s location.”

Vina glared at Seassa as she spoke, her voice dripping with hostility. “Let me try to catch you up, Seasa. The Darkness is named Stine, and it possesses a kaliter body. Zel'alor probably really does want to kill Stine, but it will also likely kill Trina if I actually could bring it there. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m guessing since the axe was left behind not everything went Zel'alor’s way when he destroyed Trina’s necklace and scattered her aspects. Last time we met, Zel'alor was fairly hostile to me. Can you understand why I don’t want to meet with Zel'alor now?”

Seassa stared at her for a moment, seemingly trying to absorb her words. Caja quietly strolled up behind her, seemingly interested in listening in. Seassa finally found her words, “The Su…” her voice cut out when she saw Vina’s red eyes remained locked onto her own, “Zel'alor has steered the Adventurer's Guild for as long as I have been alive. This world will thrive under its guidance, even without Trina. Guide Zel'alor to the axe, and it will end The Darkness once and for all.”

Vina turned her gaze onto Caja, “Are you serving Zel'alor too? Did it tell you it was bringing your people here against their will? It brought you here just so it can kill you in a war.” Vina turned her eyes back to Seassa, “It is no different than The Darkness’ use of creatures,” she declared. Vina felt doubt blossom in Caja’s vibrance and knew she had shared something with her that she hadn’t known.

Vina reached into her backpack once more and pulled out her lantern. She attached it to her hip and considered it for a moment. “If Stine’s shadows are here, we’re going to need this. How did you two bring my soul bound items? I thought they couldn’t be moved if I was a certain distance away from them. They should have been safe in the Halos Family Home.”

Caja raised a hand. Slowly parts of her body began to change until even her vibrance shifted to a paliternian once more. “I copied one of the guards and carried your possessions the entire way while you were in the carriage. Then I copied one of Seassa’s students after we arrived.”

Vina narrowed her eyes, “Were you the one acting as Eilin?”

She shook her head, “No. After you saw through my partner’s disguise, I had to figure out what went wrong. It took me a long time to figure out what vibrance was. Thankfully Eilin’s notes were very detailed about your capabilities.” She shifted back again, but Vina felt something as her vibrance changed from Palitern back to her Stigandor form. There were holes in the light of her vibrance.

“Can you feel your own vibrance when you do that?” Vina asked, suddenly intrigued.

She turned her head and pulled at her thick white hair in an attempt to control it in the wind, “Yes.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Vina asked. She hated what this woman had done to her, but this was only the second person she had ever met who actually knew what a vibrance felt like.

Caja shook her head gently, “Not anymore. The disease is… fraying it now.”

Vina turned to Seasa, “Stand still,” she ordered. She stared into the light coming off from Seassa’s body and didn’t see the same holes that she had seen in Caja’s vibrance. Looking back at Caja, Vina saw the same holes had also disappeared. “What is going on…,” Vina muttered. “Caja, can you switch your vibrance again?”

Caja obliged and her vibrance switched once more. It flashed into existence and the holes reappeared, then they slowly faded as her vibrance settled down into a dimmer glow. “And back again,” Vina said, an understanding beginning to form in her mind as the holes reappeared once more before her vibrance got ever so much dimmer.

“What have you deduced, Vina?” Seassa inquired, her tone reflecting a mix of concern and curiosity.

“I’m not sure. The disease is eating her vibrance. Caja, is your experience decreasing at a rate you can observe?” Vina asked.

Caja nodded glumly.

“Does the vibrance you have active seem to change the rate it decreases? Have you tested that?” Vina asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.” She said as her eyes got a far off look in them. After a moment she swapped back. “Yes. It is slower when I maintain my original vibrance.”

Vina looked at her veins, “Is your blood literally changing or is it just an illusion? Cut yourself and show me.”

Caja hesitated for a moment before she drew out a knife and cut into the base of her palm. Blue blood oozed out thickly.

“Don’t turn red…” Vina muttered, but when Caja switched her vibrance, it flowed red.

“It’s a real physiological change,” Vina whispered, “But how are you sensing your own vibrance? Do you have the Blood Sense Skill?” As soon as she asked she knew Caja didn’t have it. “No you don’t… It's like when I use my own disguise. You know it’s happened for yourself, but you don’t know when it’s happened for other people,” she muttered to herself. “You turned your damn disguise skill into a blood skill!”

“Vina…” Seassa started.

“Shut up!” Vina snapped at her. “When you change your vibrance, are you choosing the vibrance pattern or is it chosen for you?” Vina asked.

Caja shrugged, “I don’t know what you mean. These are the two vibrances I know.”

Vina sighed and rubbed her forehead. That made sense to her. If Caja had never seen another vibrance in her life besides her own, she wouldn’t know what a different one would look like. The only reason she had managed to hide as a guard was that Vina hadn’t yet memorized every guards’ vibrance. “Damnit, Caja!’ Vina groaned as a notification appeared in her vision.

Title Under Threat: Asharaina You have become aware that one of your people is in danger. You have an obligation to help them. Failing to try will risk losing your title.

“Fine. Caja, I’m the Asharaina of Blood, and I’m obligated to help you,” she muttered reluctantly as a plan began to form in her mind. She took a deep breath, “I think you might be able to save yourself if you learn just one skill and one vibrance. I can teach you both.”

Caja gaped at her, “I was the one who provided the poison. Why would you do that?”

“I literally just said it,” Vina grumbled. “I’m obligated.” She pulled at the red blood that had oozed from Caja’s hand and held it up before her. “This is your Paliternian blood. You know what this vibrance feels like.” Then she pulled blood from her own veins and held it up. “This is my blood. Its vibrance might save you. I’m not infected yet, so if you can copy this, it could keep you safe.” She pulled more blood from her veins and then she converted it to Kaliq’s blood. Holding it aloft she continued, “This is The Shaper’s blood. This blood is immune to Langternem Disease. I believe if you can copy this, you can cure yourself. There’s a skill that exists called Blood Sense. I managed to learn it by interacting with a different blood ability. You don’t have time to learn that other ability though.”

Caja listened to her intently, “How do I learn Blood Sense then?”

“You’re going to have to learn it by switching your own vibrance while trying to connect with both of your blood vibrance signatures. I took this droplet out so you could try sensing it outside of your body. You should do the same with your Stigandorian blood.” She dropped the blood to the ground before Caja, “Good luck.”

Vina started to walk away, but Caja stopped her, “Vina, if this works and you save my life, I promise I’ll accept you as my Asharaina and dedicate myself to your cause.”

Caja has offered you a promise of dedication. If she does not keep her promise, she will lose any classes or skill progress gained during her dedication that are related to your role as Asharaina

Do you accept her promise? Yes? No?

.She considered Caja’s promise for a moment. This woman had poisoned her and placed her in this position. In a matter of moments she was willing to switch her allegiance just to save her life. Vina found herself incredibly suspicious of Caja’s intentions. “How could I ever trust her?” Vina thought.

She was about to reject her promise of dedication when Seassa spoke up. “Caja, you are so quick to abandon my cause.”

Caja glanced at her, appearing unconcerned, “We had a contractual agreement which ended when I was unable to keep the person of interest sedated for the duration of the contract. Your advance payment was refunded the moment the affliction wore off. I am allowed to dedicate myself where I wish now. Maybe I have found something with actual meaning this time.”

Seassa responded with a soft laugh, “To dismiss saving the world from The Darkness as meaningless…”

Vina squinted her eyes at Seassa and selected yes just to spite her. She nodded at Caja, “Practice and we’ll see what happens.” She then walked back outside of the building, wanting to get away from the sick people. She wasn’t infected yet, but she knew the risks of exposure from her time on Earth. Her class had an ability she had ignored for a very long time. She opened her class ability list now and immediately selected it.

Bloodletting: If your blood is infected or has a disease, you may expel it from your body. You have 5 class ability points remaining.

Vina kept a vigilant eye on her attribute screen, particularly her experience counter, heeding Eilin's warning about the absence of disease notifications. She planned to activate bloodletting at the slightest decrease in experience. Her focus was broken by Seassa's approach. “Stop there”, Vina growled. “Just give me some space.”

Seassa halted, maintaining a respectful distance. "I understand your reluctance, Vina. With Stine's creatures attacking from the land bridge, it's safer for you to stay here. You are our only hope for survival and escape. Can you create a solution for us as you did for Caja?"

Vina held her hands up, “What do you want from me? I told you, I can’t cure disease. Caja is doing it to herself. You chose to play with swords all your life. Apparently you should have been doing dress up.”

Seassa's tone softened, "You are the Asharaina of Blood, and this disease afflicts our blood. Riza's belief in you has swayed me. She carries the hope from your masterpiece. That hope should extend to those willing to understand and embrace it."

Vina glared at Seassa, “That hope is reserved for those who understand why it exists.”

Seassa's plea was earnest, "Your art revealed your struggles. I acknowledge pushing you back into a position of survival today. But Vina, you possess remarkable skills and gifts. Please, do not let my students suffer eternally for my mistake."

“Your students killed or injured my guards. Stine’s creatures also killed my guards. I’m having a hard time seeing a difference between them,” Vina said coldly.

“So you’ll condemn us to death?” Seassa asked.

Vina shook her head, “I didn’t do that. You did that to yourselves.”

“You refuse to help us!” Seassa countered.

Vina approached Seassa abruptly, claws of blood forming on her hands. Seassa tensed, hand on her sword. Vina, however, gently clasped Seassa's wrist, releasing her blood over the sores, activating blood aid to heal them. “There. Now you’ll suffer even longer. When the sores come back, let me know. I’ll keep healing you until Langternem has taken every ounce of energy that remains in your body and you’re just a skeleton that can barely breathe. You’ll beg me to stop, but I’ll keep you alive.” Vina turned her back. “I’ve seen it before…” She regained her distance and sat back down. She eyed her attribute screen, trying to suppress her memories.

Seassa tried to reason, “Vina, the creatures will kill us long before that happens.”

“You’re underestimating Langternem. Tonight will be hard even without the creatures”, Vina said. “Besides, Stine isn’t here. I’ve been told it can’t capture your shadow unless you die near it. Can we get to the assembler? I think I can destroy it.”

Seassa, surprised, asked, "You have that capability?"

Vina saw movement on her attribute page. Her experience points went from 1319 to 1318. She activated bloodletting and felt something gather within herself. She spit a small portion of blood onto the ground in front of her and resumed keeping an eye on her experience points. “Yes,” she affirmed as blood dripped from her lips.

Seassa's disbelief was apparent. "Attacking the assembler is futile. It is spawning creatures of a high level with unrelenting frequency. My scouting attempt was countered by their aggression. We lack the force for an offensive."

“I refuse to let us leave and spread Langternem disease to the rest of the world.” Vina declared. “If we can’t kill the assembler or cure ourselves, we’ll just have to die here.”

Vina could sense the change in Seassa's vibrance, a reflection of her growing concern as she observed the blood dripping from Vina's lips. Breaking her silence, Seassa inquired with a hint of trepidation, “Have you also been infected?”

Vina gave a curt nod, “How quickly did you lose experience points in the beginning?”

Seassa replied, her voice reflecting the gravity of their situation, “Initially, it was a gradual loss of one point every ten minutes. My vitality was at fifty-seven.”

Vina glanced back up at Seassa’s health pool, noting that it remained at twelve hundred and eighty. She quickly calculated in her mind. “Starting at one-hundred health at level 1, plus six hundred and twenty health from vitality…, “You’re level seventy-one I’m guessing…” Vina mused aloud, “If my ability doesn’t work, my experience loss should be faster… Go get ready for the next attack.”

Seassa lingered for a moment, her gaze fixed on Vina, as if trying to glean more from her stoic exterior. Then, with a nod acknowledging Vina's command, she turned and departed to prepare for the battle that awaited them.