Chapter 5: Identity

"Do you really think this will work, Keitan?" Vina asked, her laughter soft as she smeared more dirt over her skin. She tugged on the robe the old miner had handed her, hunching her shoulders, attempting to seem small and unassuming. A grin tugged at her lips as a new icon — a little hooded figure — popped up in her view.

New Skill Learned: Disguise: Disguise has reached level 1.

Quest updated: Learn Skills 3 40/75

The old man's eyes twinkled. “Your titles have vanished from my sight, so I suppose you've learned the skill, haven't you, little miss?”

"Yes, I've just acquired it. Thank you!" Vina exclaimed, puzzling over why this skill had unlocked now, when she had disguised herself at Halos before. An echo of Ann's words drifted into her thoughts.

“Sometimes we learn skills based on our intentions.”

Facing Keitan again, she inquired, “Can you examine me?”

“I could, but all it'll reveal is your Paliternian lineage and everything else will be private. With enough of you natives around, no one should care to see another. Stay concealed, keep quiet, and most folks will ignore you. Do you need directions?" He asked.

The old miner's kindness astounded her. Her first interaction with the outworlders had been rather bleak, but Keitan had shown her nothing but warmth. Guilt washed over her, imagining his reaction when he returned to the mines. “Yes, I've got quite the journey ahead. Where can I find the nearest city?” Despite his promise, she was cautious not to reveal her desire to locate a portal ring.

Gazing out across the prairie land stretching before her, she noted the flat landscape that stood in stark contrast to the mine hewn into the mountainside she'd just emerged from. Expansive farmlands filled with unknown crops caught her eye, piquing her foraging skill. The promise of a 15% health boost from eating foraged food, complementing the 200% from Blood Aid, was tempting to her wounded arm.

“You're in the Adventurers' heartland," Keitan explained. "I took you for one until I saw your title. That way is the City of Randar, resplendent in all her glory, wedged into the mountains. She’s just a half day's walk from here. Over there, you'll find the lit up Refuge of Trina. It's a sight to behold too. Looks as if it jumped straight out of old Shan's books. An Asharaina like yourself might want to start there. There are a few shops around it where you can find things to enhance your disguise as well." As Keitan pointed out each destination, a notification appeared in her view.

Map Marker Added: City of Randar Map Marker Added: Randar - Refuge of Trina #3

Vina looked at Keitan, puzzled, "Why would I want to head to the Refuge of Trina first?"

He blinked at her in surprise, “Haven’t you heard? Your Valchara has returned. Trina’s been visiting various refuges around Randar. Word is, she's in poor health, but everyone's pitching in to help her recover. I assumed An Asharaina would be the first to know, considering you're her chosen."

Staring at Keitan, she tried to make sense of his words. He had spoken a word that the system had not translated, and she was momentarily confused by it. "Trina...is...back? And you've seen her?"

Keitan nodded, a proud glint in his eyes. "From a distance, yes. She wore her necklace, a white robe, and all the regalia. Though it seemed she was missing quite a few stones, I'm sure that will change in due course."

A wave of understanding washed over Vina as she realized that this might well be Etana. "Thank you. I will find Trina right away." After a pause, she asked, "Keitan, I don't mean to be intrusive, but how did you arrive in this world?"

He chuckled, "If any of us knew the answer to that, we'd all be more content. None of us have a clue. One minute, I was in Stigandor, dining with my partners, and the next, I was here. We’ve been lucky enough though. While Trina’s been missing, The Supreme has been protecting us from The Darkness."

“The Supreme?” Vina asked carefully. “I haven’t heard of them.”

Keitan flashed her a smile. “Oh The Supreme isn’t a person. They’re much like your Trina, but thankfully more available to help us against the ongoing conflict afflicting your world. It's fortunate that many of our people are fond of adventure. It would have been a struggle to survive here without a Valchara like The Supreme.” She could feel the sadness permeating his vibrance despite the foreign energy exuding from him.

Peeling back her hood, Vina allowed Keitan to see her face and eyes. She nodded, a hint of sadness in her gaze, "This world holds much tragedy. I'm glad your people manage to make the best of it. Maybe someday we'll find a way to send you all back home."

Keitan smiled, “Between The Supreme, Trina, and her Asharaina, I think anything could be possible. ”

“You’re a true believer, aren’t you Keitan?” Vina said with a smile playing on her lips.

The old man's eyes grew misty, and with a wave, he bid her farewell.

~~~

Vina covered herself up meticulously until she saw a little hooded icon materialize in her vision again. The trek to Trina's refuge wasn't long, affording her just enough time to sift through her extensive list of notifications.

You have slain 19 Ctephalids of various levels. You have gained 9450 experience points

You have slain 6 Stigandorians of various levels and classes You have gained 8200 experience points

Transcendent Memory: Through practice you have memorized all of the teachings that Seassa has taught you. You will no longer lose your knowledge even if the mentoring agreement is canceled.

Your mentoring agreement with Seassa Imala is forfeit. You have found a way to circumvent the agreement details, and Seassa Imala has canceled the agreement with impunity.

Vina read those last two prompts a couple of times, trying to understand what happened. At this point she knew her mind was operating differently than before. Ever since Trina had bestowed this gift upon her, thoughts and memories appeared more rapidly. Earlier, she couldn't quite pinpoint the nature of this change, but now, the advantage was clear: her memories were clear and flawless. Without effort, she could recall in detail every note her mother had written, every word she had spoken to her sisters, as if a veil she was unaware of had been lifted. The ensuing prompt solidified the benefit.

You have gained Beginner Proficiency with the Curved Sword. Damage Increased by 25%.

“I don’t even have the curved sword skill,” she muttered to herself. But she had observed Thaba wielding it extensively in the cave. The memory of that battle was so vivid, she could recall every move Thaba had made. Despite never having held a curved sword, she felt confident she could use it nearly as well as Thaba herself.

Skill Level Up: Blocking has reached level 7. Blocked attacks have their damage reduced by 6% of the armor of your shield. You have gained a skill point.

Skill Level Up: Charge has reached level 4. You can charge forward six feet. If you attack an enemy, you do 25% more damage and they will be knocked back three feet. Skill Level Up: Blood Trap has reached level 3. Blood traps take 2% less blood to set up, deal 10% more damage, and are 4% harder to detect Skill Level Up: Thrusting Swords has reached level 12. Thrusting swords ignore 11% of armor and inflict 22% more damage. Skill Level Up: Ambidexterity has reached level 8. You can use your off hand 7% as well as your dominant hand.

You have gained 735 experience points from level skills.

Where would you like to spend your Blocking skill point? Option 1: Strong Arm: Shields weigh 10% less Option 2: Bulwark: Shields reduce strike force by 10% Option 3: Shield Bash: After blocking, you may strike out with your shield, breaking their stance and dealing damage equal to your shield’s armor.

She shook her head as she considered the options. There always seemed to be one option she could discount almost immediately. As her shield was essentially her claw, carrying virtually no weight, she dismissed the first option. The Vina of weeks ago would have gone with the second option, she mused. But she wasn't the same woman anymore. Selecting Shield Bash, she felt the knowledge flood her mind.

As Vina journeyed towards Trina's Refuge, she encountered both Stigandorian and Paliternian natives scattered across the farmlands. Keitan had been right about her ability to blend in. But she ensured her hood was up, her back hunched, constantly keeping an eye on her disguise skill level. Along the way, a couple of times her hooded icon flashed red in her vision and she quickly moved away from people. She didn't risk approaching the small village that held Trina’s Refuge until she had leveled her skill significantly, by which time night had fallen.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Skill Level Up: Disguise has reached level 5. You are able to disguise your clothing and basic aspects of your appearance. Your chance of being discovered is relative to other people’s perception based skills. You have gained a skill point

You have gained 180 experience from leveling a skill.

Where would you like to spend your Disguise skill point? Option 1: New Person: You become a new person that can gain levels, attributes, skills and a new class, but you lose any existing soul bound items, attributes, skills, and levels. You retain all of your memories. This change is permanent. Option 2: Disguise an identifying body part. This disguise is not permanent. Option 3: Disguise a facial feature. This disguise is not permanent

She was initially very excited about the New Person skill option, but as she read the full prompt, it became clear this option was not for her. She didn’t want to lose everything she worked for, and this was clearly an option for someone who wanted to reset their life. That only left the other two options. Neither one listed what she could change specifically and she was left guessing what would happen when she selected one.

“What’s my most recognizable feature?” she thought to herself, as she leaned against a lavender colored tree, trying to keep quiet as people passed her by. The answer was obvious to her. Every interaction she had ever had with people would immediately go sour upon seeing her red eyes.

Memories of Tressi, the mayor of Prosit flashed through her mind and the requirements she had placed on Vina if she ever wished to return. Her blood red eyes would definitely scare the people of Prosit, and it was clear to her she would need to be able to hide them. “Disguise a face feature I guess?” she thought.

She selected the option and immediately a list of face features appeared. The obvious ones were there such as lips, nose, and forehead. However some options got quite detailed, allowing her to change her eyebrows, cheek bones, and various parts of her ears. She found the section listing eyes and was initially dismayed to see it also broke down into parts such as eyelids, eyelashes, pupils, and irises. She finally saw scleras in the list and sighed in relief. Idly she wondered if anyone in the entire world had ever chosen this.

When she selected it, she felt like she had gained a new muscle. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a hand mirror. She flexed this new muscle and watched the red color drain from her eyes to be replaced by a classic white. She played around with the ability for a minute, trying out different colors. It was quite fun, but she soon realized the limitation. When she disguised her eyes, it felt like she was holding her stomach in. It was not a difficult task, but almost impossible to do forever. She would need to take breaks and be in a safe place when she did.

Wandering into town under the cover of her enhanced disguise and eyes restored to their original appearance, Vina made herself seem as elderly and non-threatening as possible. She didn't aim for the shopping areas as Keitan had suggested. Her only goal was to reach Trina's refuge, where she hoped to find Etana.

Upon arriving at the refuge, she wasn't entirely surprised to find the entire area enveloped in a barrier adorned with the familiar sigils she had previously seen. She was, however, awestruck by the impact she had made by returning the Aspect of Sanctuary to Trina. Evidently, Trina was now sustaining this refuge. "Do all refuges now share this feature?" she pondered. As she stepped into the globe, she received the familiar notification of safety she had previously encountered with Trina. There was also a new notification she hadn't seen before:

Refuge Recall Location Added

As she pushed open the hefty doors, something small and blue, aglow at the threshold, caught her attention. "A rune?" Vina vocalized her surprise. The single-word inscription, melded with a complex rune word, puzzled her. "Me?…No, wait… Self," she deciphered under her breath. She frowned when she realized she was still not right. “We?” The rune continued to morph in her vision as it seemed to take on multiple different meanings all at once. After a moment she gave up trying to understand and instead tried to see what it was connected to. The complicated runeform, however, simply ran a strand beneath the stone foundation of the building, its handwriting equally unfamiliar.

Vina straightened when she felt an outworlder woman approaching her. Like many of the stigandorians she had seen, she had long gray hair with strands of white. She towered over Vina at least another foot in height, but her frame was light and thin. “Welcome, wanderer. Please come inside. My name is Aranza. Do you require aid this late evening?” She inquired with a smile, her warmth palpable.

Entering without uttering a word, Vina found herself at a crossroads. “Should I reveal myself as an Asharaina?” she wondered, acutely aware of the potential risk. She took solace in the fact that these places traditionally protected individuals' privacy. Mostly though, she realized asking to see Trina as a random person may not be taken seriously.

Bracing herself, she lowered her hood and allowed her eyes to resume their natural, bloody hue. “Good evening. I am an Asharaina, Vina Esca. I’m actually looking for Trina. Has she been to this refuge recently?”

Aranza was immediately startled and Vina inwardly winced, presuming the combination of her crimson eyes, her prestigious title, and now bounty could be shocking. Aranza soon regained her composure, but her vibrance continued to swirl strangely, “Well met, Asharaina. This refuge, a testament to Lady Trina's care, is at your service. Trina graced us with her presence a few days back, but she is no longer here. We can relay information swiftly among the refuges. She might be at another location and could reach us swiftly once she gets the message. Would you be willing to wait?”

Vina considered Aranza’s proposition as the vibrance in the room continued to confuse her. The promise of security in the refuge held a certain appeal though. A few days of reprieve seemed like a luxury from sleeping on the grass surrounded by dark creatures. Given how sore her bones were from her recent runic alterations and the ensuing quick activation, sleeping in a bed would be a blessing.

"I would appreciate the rest and the chance to wait for Trina.” Vina paused and gestured behind herself. “What about the rune by the door? Who crafted such a complicated rune word?"

Aranza cast a solemn gaze towards the door. "The rune was discovered during repairs. We believe it dates back to the refuge's construction, possibly even created by Trina herself. In fact, we found a multitude of runes during repairs in the main hall. Would you care for refreshments while you inspect them?"

Vina hesitated but agreed, soon reveling in the luxury of fresh food, clean clothes, and the opportunity to examine runeforms more complex than she'd ever seen. Despite their overwhelming complexity, she began to unravel elements of their function. Tracking the intricate patterns with her eyes, she soon had to get down on her hands and knees to follow the runic lines. "It has an identity rune… just like Faer’s," she mumbled. "Is this where he got his inspiration? But this rune acts like a keyhole. So, we are the keys," she reasoned. Examining an intersecting rune, she read it as 'deflect', which then interacted with 'protect'. "If the key doesn’t fit...," she traced the deflect section until it disappeared under a stone brick. "But if it does…," she followed the protection branch to a section accessing a reservoir. "It uses… divinity… that it has stored. But where does it come from? How does it know how to use it?" She was tempted to pull up the stones to learn more but knew such behavior would not be welcome.

Overcome by fatigue, Vina was eventually led to a comfortable room by Aranza. With a stomach full of satisfying food and snug under a warm blanket, Vina finally succumbed to sleep. But her rest was short-lived, Blood Sense startling her awake with an abrupt surge of adrenalin.

Barely awake, she instinctively drew a blood dagger from her veins and sprang up, momentarily forgetting she was in a sanctuary. As her vision cleared, she found a woman donned in a white gown with golden buttons. For a split second, she was back in Valanire, reliving the horrors associated with the child in the white gown and fighting off horrible memories while soaked to the bone. Then she recognized her sister's face.

“Hello Vina,” Etana said, with a warm, comforting smile that Vina remembered from when they first met. “It’s so good to see you.”

Vina searched her sister's face, taking in the complex play of emotions in her eyes. The sister she remembered was grounded and calm, but the woman standing before her had an ethereal quality that was new. She was struck by the contrast between Etana’s steady presence and the chaotic vibrance radiating from her.

Vina scanned her sister, perplexed by what she was witnessing. Etana's vibrance was erratic, like a wild storm, with elements of Trina interspersed within, causing a maelstrom of confusion that unsettled Vina. As she continued to decipher Etana through her Blood Sense, her gaze landed on the necklace melded with her sister's neck. It was clear Etana’s skin had undergone a painful healing process, creating a gnarled layer of scar tissue. Recognizing the aspects embedded in the necklace, she realized she was subjecting her sister to the scrutiny she was often on the receiving end of due to her eyes.

"Etana!" Vina cried out, her voice quivering with a tumult of emotions. "I'm... I’m so sorry. Everything is just so…"

"Different," Etana interjected gently, a soft understanding in her tone. "We've both changed, haven't we? Your eyes are beautiful.”

A wave of gratitude washed over Vina at her sister's words, and she felt a warm blush tint her cheeks. "Thank you, Etana. There's so much I need to share with you. I've found Trina!"

Etana's gaze held a quiet intensity, a strength born from her own experiences. "I'm aware, Vina. My aspect grants me insights into your significant life events. Let me just focus for a moment, and I’ll catch up on the major points. You can fill in the details."

Vina's attention returned to Etana's necklace, her eyes widening at the sight of the four embedded stones. "Are those all authentic?" she wondered aloud. Her astonishment grew as she glimpsed Etana's health bar, revealing an astonishingly high number. "Over ninety-nine thousand?"

Etana offered no response, simply observing Vina with a deep, contemplative look. Tears soon brimmed in her eyes as she stepped forward and enveloped Vina in a warm embrace. "You've endured so much pain, so many trials. I wish I could have been there for you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

The sincerity of Etana's hug stirred something profound in Vina, a sense of belonging and safety that had been elusive in her life. For a fleeting moment, she wished this embrace could last forever.

Pulling back slightly, Etana examined Vina anew, a small smile playing on her lips. "You've just created a positive life event, Vina. That's wonderful!" she said, drawing her sister back into another embrace. Vina couldn't help but laugh, the situation both bizarre and heartwarming. They remained locked in their hug, finding comfort in each other's presence, until Etana finally released her hold.

"So, you can see my health pool? That’s quite a remarkable ability," Etana mused.

Vina nodded, a sense of intrigue coloring her voice. "I've developed some unusual skills myself, mostly related to blood. What about you?" she ventured cautiously, unsure how to broach the subject of Etana's impersonation of Trina.

Etana's fingers lightly traced her necklace. "It's a complex journey I'm still navigating. This necklace is Trina’s, and it bonds with her true aspects. When it does, I inherit their powers and achieve perfect attunement."

Vina, gazing at the four genuine stones, asked, "How are you dealing with it? It sounds incredibly challenging. I've only encountered The Twelve with three aspects each."

Etana’s expression grew distant. “I’m not sure if I'm truly managing it, Vina.It's overwhelming, maybe too much at times. Bonding with the Aspect of Travel nearly cost me my life. But it's also been a gift; it lets me sense when you or Ann travel. I'm trying to increase my divinity, which seems to help in managing the aspects. For now, my goal is to gather as many aspects as I can while increasing my divinity. I believe if I impersonate Trina convincingly, people will donate their aspects to me. I need to amass enough strength to protect you and Ann from The Watch. Is Ann still in the City of Halos?”

Vina's heart raced with concern at her sister's ambitious, potentially dangerous plan. She had heard from Jan that divinity made people increasingly insane. She hesitated, then shared, “The last I heard she was there, yes. Oh! I painted a masterpiece… you probably already know that. Ann was collaborating with Adir the Titan, one of the Twelve. They were getting along remarkably well, both seemingly happy. I believe she will stay in Halos until she has learned everything she can from my painting. When I left Halos, she still had a thirty-day learning journey ahead.”

While Etana absorbed this information, her expression thoughtful, Vina seized the moment to continue. "Etana, I know where Trina is. We could return these aspects to her. Imagine the change she could bring!" Vina exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with the possibility.

However, Etana seemed less than thrilled, “Vina, I’ve bonded with these aspects. To lose them now… it would be fatal. The amount of Bonding Sickness would be too severe to survive. Besides, I need these to still rescue Ann. You already returned two aspects to Trina and what was the result? She’s still stuck in that gloom. If I surrender these, we lose our only chance at saving our sister.”

Vina bit back a correction on the number of aspects returned, her mind reeling from her sister's stance. How could she convey the true threat posed by The Darkness and the potential salvation Trina could offer?

But their conversation was abruptly cut short as they both sensed an ominous presence outside the refuge. "Get your gear. We've been betrayed. Aranza is coming for your bounty," Etana warned, her voice laced with a mix of determination and fear.