Intermission #5 Hunter
Tacey rode Saryne through the dense forest with practiced ease, their progress as silent as a whisper among the trees. She reached out, her touch light upon Saryne's flank, feeling the reassuring purr of the creature beneath her hand. In these moments of quiet communion, Tacey found a semblance of strength, a reminder of the resilience that Saryne, her steadfast companion, brought to her spirit. She buried her face in Saryne's thick fur, the warmth a comfort against the chill of their mission.
"Curse Faer and his damned tower. Who in their right mind names it Solitude?" Tacey mused aloud, her words met with Saryne's soft grunt of agreement. The name, while absurd, couldn't mask the cunning behind the tower's design and purpose. Faer had ingeniously limited access to the portal ring, ensuring only he and The Shaper could use it, effectively barring Tacey and others from entry. "If I'm forced to climb that wretched structure, Gij will hear of my displeasure. It was a mistake to construct it so," she grumbled.
The last two weeks had seen Tacey delving into every secret nook and abandoned hideout once frequented by The Shaper. Despite their inability to activate portal rings on their own, Kaliq and Siany had remained elusive. As Tacey pieced together their trail, the realization dawned on her that their quest might not truly be for Vina. The Shaper's remnants led to isolated caves, hinting at avoidance rather than pursuit. This revelation shifted Tacey's focus squarely onto finding Vina, whose attempts at secrecy ironically aided Tacey in her search. Vina's erratic path had initially drawn Tacey southeast far past Termily, only for her to veer west towards Randar, far from The Watch's Lands.
Frustrated by Vina's sudden change in direction just as Tacey utilized a portal to Randar, they found themselves retracing their steps eastward once more. Fortune, however, seemed to favor them when Vina sought refuge in a cabin near Faer's tower. Tacey's vigilance paid off the following evening as Vina moved, her presence alerting Tacey's aspect with every attempt at stealth.
A gleam of hope sparked in Tacey as she learned of another portal ring within a few hours' ride. The Shaper's sudden desire for concealment, manifesting within the confines of Faer’s Tower, signaled a shift in the hunt—a development Tacey had yet to fully understand but was determined to unravel.
Tacey's journey through the shadowed forest took a turn towards unease as she sensed a significant shift in her magical awareness. The once vibrant trace of The Shaper's intent to remain hidden had eerily disappeared from her aspect's ability to detect, leading to a distressing conclusion: Kaliq and Siany might no longer be among the living, possibly resulting in the liberation of Langternem. This thought was accompanied by the realization that Vina's presence, once detectable across vast distances, now seemed to have settled in the distant west, in Halos. The fading signal suggested that Vina might have finally found refuge, a place she considered safe.
Under the cloak of night, as the moon's light was swallowed by thick clouds, Tacey made a strategic change. She swapped out the Enduring ability for Saryne's Bleak Sight within their Tandem slot, a decision that momentarily disoriented her with its initial adjustment. However, as her eyes adapted to the new way of seeing—the world now outlined in stark white lines—she became more attuned to her surroundings. Movements became detectable as blurs against the static background, and the landscape, along with the distant tower, gradually came into sharper focus.
Saryne, ever vigilant, expressed discomfort with a low growl, prompting Tacey to engage another of their shared abilities, Grim Sniff, to assay the air for unfamiliar presences. Acknowledging Saryne's instinctual awareness of two people ahead, Tacey conceded her control over certain skills upon realizing she couldn’t identify the second person. Blending further into the creature's dense fur, becoming nearly indistinguishable from her mount, Tacey surrendered her abilities. Saryne, now empowered with Tacey's relinquished skills and abilities, moved with renewed purpose into the night. As the creature skillfully navigated through the darkness, Tacey felt a complex exchange of skills between them, a method of silent communication they nurtured through their deep bond and mutual reliance. With unwavering trust in Saryne's capabilities, Tacey remained concealed, confident in their joint approach to uncover the mystery that lay ahead.
The moment her Listen skill was returned to her, Tacey's focus sharpened, drawing her into the whispered anxieties floating through the night.
"…inside Faer’s tower," came Norimor's distant murmur, laced with a tension that tugged at the edges of the night.
"I’m not sure. She's disabled the portal inside and vanished. If Vina's alive... Oh, by Trina, Ann is gone! She... She’s…” The second voice broke off, swallowed by a heavy silence punctuated only by a dull thud against the grass.
Soundlessly, Tacey slid from Saryne’s back, her feet making no sound of impact on the ground. She activated her Aspect of the Hidden and turned to Saryne, using a series of distinct skills to relay a plan. As Saryne began to move into position, Tacey flicked her Stealth skill quickly and felt it immediately snatched up by her companion. Saryne faded into the shadows, and Tacey crept closer to get a better view.
With a grace born of countless nights under the cloak of secrecy, Tacey dismounted Saryne, her feet kissing the earth without a whisper. She cloaked herself in her Aspect of the Hidden, exchanging a series of silent commands with Saryne. As her loyal companion slipped into the shadows using her own Stealth skill, Tacey became one with the night as she edged closer, driven by the need to understand.
A distorted shape lay sprawled in the distance—a figure she confirmed through Saryne's heightened senses as The Shaper. The shock of this discovery sent ripples of disbelief coursing through her. "How? How was The Shaper killed?" she whispered to the darkness, her voice a fleeting ghost that she quickly silenced.
The gravity of the scene before her anchored Tacey's thoughts firmly in the present. She ceded the sensory advantage back to Saryne and redirected her focus toward the unfolding drama before her. The scene was as breathtaking as it was harrowing - the woman on the ground bore a striking resemblance to Trina herself.
“Etana!” Norimor's voice broke through the night, desperation and urgency intermingling as she implored the woman. “We must move. This is neither the time nor the place for this.”
Hearing the name 'Etana,' Tacey's mind raced, connecting the dots. The implications of Vina, Etana, and Norimor's collusion were staggering, and Ann's potential involvement only deepened the intrigue. If Ann was indeed dead, they would urgently need to recover the Aspect of Light. “Hopefully Adir has it. Haco will certainly want to hear about this,” she thought. Resolute, Tacey decided to eliminate Norimor and capture Etana for interrogation.
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The grass, barely reaching knee height, offered minimal cover, yet Tacey trusted her aspect implicitly. With Norimor finally within range, vengeance that had long simmered was ready to be claimed. She positioned herself, preparing the small crossbow with practiced ease, every movement silent and deliberate.
"Ugh…" Etana's groan cut through the tension.
"Etana, you're okay. I'm here for you," Norimor reassured, gently lifting her legs, trying to anchor her back to reality.
Bewildered, Etana responded weakly, "What happened?" Her confusion was palpable.
Tacey, undistracted by their exchange, loaded her crossbow. She methodically activated her abilities, each one enhancing the bolt with deadly intent. As she fired the bolt, imbued with the third tier of Desolation, she immediately prepared for the next action. However, her anticipation turned to astonishment when the bolt unexpectedly stopped in mid-air, just short of Norimor's back.
"An Aspect?" Tacey realized, frustration etching her features. It wasn't Norimor who had stopped the arrow; her abilities didn't include such feats. It had to be Etana. "Maybe there's a cooldown," Tacey speculated, quickly adjusting her aim. The moment she triggered the first arrow to explode, she launched the second bolt, adapting to the unforeseen challenge with swift decisiveness.
Even as she prepared a third bolt, the outcome was startlingly clear: Norimor remained virtually unscathed, the fragments of the bolt having seemingly phased through her without effect. Etana appeared similarly unaffected, despite her prone position and apparent vulnerability. Yet, Tacey was far from conceding defeat.
Pouncing from the shadows, Saryne executed Tacey's earlier commands, launching an assault on Norimor in an attempt to gain the upper hand. But Norimor's response was swift and precise, repelling the formidable beast with a forceful strike that sent Saryne tumbling. Tacey's heart sank at the sight, yet a sliver of hope flickered as Norimor opted for a defensive stance, focusing on protecting Etana rather than pursuing a counterattack.
Looking back, she found her second bolt had vanished entirely. With the situation evolving rapidly, Tacey quickly issued fresh commands to Saryne, orchestrating a strategic withdrawal into the concealing darkness of the forest. Saryne's movements betrayed signs of distress, likely the result of Norimor's activation of her Aspect of Might. However, Saryne's resilience was a known quantity to Tacey, and as the creature harnessed its Grave Reflection ability, her concern lessened.
Tacey drew a four-foot-long spear from the clip on her back and prowled into the open field. The two women no doubt now realized there was a threat lurking in the dark, but Tacey wasn't worried. Against this many adversaries, surprise was also her ever-loyal companion. With the aspect of the hidden active, she was a shadow, an unseen phantom. Norimor's white eyes could scour the night and fail to find her, at least, until Tacey decided to strike.
While Norimor held a barely stable Etana in her arms, her gaze darted nervously around. "Etana, we have to leave. Now. That creature… I know it belongs to one of the twelve!"
Etana, her voice laced with confusion, stammered, "Vina? Is she...?"
"Vina has left! Listen, Etana, the tales about Tacey are true! We must escape now!" Norimor's tone was thick with urgency, pressing the gravity of their predicament.
"Tacey? From the vigil…?" Etana murmured, her confusion deepening.
As Tacey activated her second aspect, Norimor jolted in surprise as her senses faded. However, Etana remained unresponsive, and a warning notification blared in Tacey's vision.
System Error: Aspect Conflict. Entity Etana is not affected.
Puzzlement furrowed Tacey's brow. "What's with this woman?" she pondered, recognizing the challenge Etana presented but remaining undeterred by the complication.
Tacey lifted her spear with both hands, poised just to the side of Norimor. She activated her weak points ability, which highlighted a small area on the woman's shoulder—an old scar she was already familiar with. Borrowing half of Saryne's strength caused her muscles to bulge with power. As she activated Stalker’s Strike, she drove the spear down onto her mark.
The spear sank deep, met with a blood-curdling scream that shattered the silence of the night. As her weapon drove Norimor down to the ground, Tacey relished the feeling of her weapon moving through the woman’s body. Revenge for all that she had suffered at Norimor’s choices propelled the weapon down her back and out through her stomach. Tacey had only moments to enjoy the sound of that scream before an unseen force slammed into her, slicing through her armor and biting into her shoulder, forcing her to rip the spear free from Norimor’s body as she flew backward.
Bracing herself against the grass with one hand, she drew a knife from a sheath at her lower back with the other, preparing to launch it toward Etana if she needed to. Her strategy was one laden with surprises, and she had the ability to reset this situation as many times as required to achieve her victory. But she wouldn't need to.
The two women had vanished, leaving behind only a pool of Norimor’s blood as evidence to their presence. Tacey probed at her own wound, trying to gauge its severity, before rushing over to Saryne. “Are you okay?” she asked, her hand running over its large face. In the dim light, she could feel the blood that had oozed from its mouth. “It’s not too bad. You’re going to be okay.”
Saryne grumbled softly, sniffing at Tacey’s shoulder. She quickly moved Grave Reflection into their Tandem slot, amplifying the healing bonus but forfeiting her night vision. Instantly, she could feel her wounds start to mend. “Norimor would've been a cinch, but I sorely underestimated Etana. She wore a necklace with five aspects, one of which completely countered mine. I’m certain we can take her if we find her alone. But, how she managed to overpower Kaliq and Siany is a mystery.” Saryne grunted in reply, and she chose to remain silent. She was still irritated that Norimor had not yet died. Her thirst for revenge was not yet quenched.
She leaned against Saryne, her body still recovering, and then sighed. “I suppose I should go inspect their victim. If Langternem is still alive, then that’s the end for this world. My bleeding's stopped so I'm removing the double slot.” But as she made to rise, Saryne grumbled and slammed its paw on the ground. “You sure?” Tacey asked. Saryne nuzzled against her, and she clambered back onto its back, leaving the healing ability slotted. “Okay, you can be our eyes.”
Saryne stalked part way toward The Shaper and confirmed that Langternem was no longer attached to Siany’s body. When Saryne veered away, moving downwind, Tacey understood its actions, smelling the air along with her companion in an attempt to piece together what happened. “Norimor and Etana just arrived? The Shaper was dead before they got here. I recognize Oyna’s scent. The lone scent reeking of blood must be Vina. If she killed them… then where is Langternem?”
Saryne circled the tower, but they found no trace of Langternem. “It didn’t leave on its own…” Tacey mused, her gaze shifting toward the tower’s open gates. “It must have attached itself to either Vina or Oyna.” Despite the dire situation, a small smile tugged at her lips. That revenge would be sweet, even if it meant the end of the world.
Tacey checked once more for those hidden on her list, but found no trace of Vina or Norimor. “Hm... Norimor still feels safe. Even after a spear through her body? You have to admire her self-discipline.” She added two more names to her watch list and noted with surprise that Langternem was trying to hide when its marker appeared on her map, pointing to The City of Halos. “We’re not entering the tower. Let’s inform Haco.”