When it was all done, his hands had formed a perfect cup around the construct, each line of the sigil clear and well made. The mage was still speaking, but his words came to a crescendo and the world pulsed, a shockwave of mana flowing outward. The construct moved forward slowly towards Joe, and he watched it, curious. It came to a stop before him, and seemed to bounce off some kind of shield, then press itself against it, flattening like jello, or a water balloon. It didn’t seem to be able break in, and Joe frowned. Huh… something blocking it? Maybe my own defenses? Huh… do I just will it in? Suddenly, the shield seemed to disappear and the construct flowed and wobbled as it was released from the force and slid into Joe. At the same time, a pop up appeared before him.

Allanar Galgandar seeks to mark you with his positioning skill. Do you wish to allow this?

Hmm… ok. Cool. Joe offered his mental assent, allowing the mark to be applied to himself. He really didn’t notice anything else after that. Feels… just… normal… so… Joe then flipped open his status page but found nothing different about it. Man… I really need to be able to see marks. That would… heh!

Joe grinned when the status page flickered. Something was going on but after a few moments, nothing happened and Joe frowned. Did nothing happen? Or… is it? Joe’s eyes traveled through his status, looking at page after page but found nothing that let him know if he had a mark. Help. Is there a mark page?

Yes.

Well… that’s just… Help. How do I see the marks page?

Say Marks.

Oh… so a different thing than status… wait! Can I get other things, too! Besides status! What about… Joe’s mind ran million miles an hour before he gritted his teeth and stopped himself. Not the time. Gotta kill a giant! Marks!

Status

Blessings

Current Job

Available Jobs

Current Skills

All Skills

Log

Marks

Type

Originator

$()#&?

Lunlarnalane

Positioning

Allanar Galgandar

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Joe was in for another surprise, and his eye twitched. More than one mark… and from … who’s Lunlarnalane!? Oh… the ‘whoever’ that gave me the title… What… Joe grimaced. No time. Focus.

“Alright, Allanar, your mark is set.”

The man’s eyes were wide, but he nodded quickly, “Thank you for allowing me, eccentric.”

Joe nodded, “You need the shield as well, yes?”

Allanar quickly nodded, “Yes.”

Joe turned away, “Garnedell. Shield.”

Garnedell held it up and Joe waved at it, “That’s the shield.”

The mage bobbed his head again, and quickly began his marking spell again, although he did it much quicker and with little effort, the three dimensional sigil forming quickly, but roughly, and sank into the shield easily. Huh… faster, less power? Slower, more power? More work to get through me? Or maybe a person? Nope… nope… focus.

“I need to get my weaponry on. Could I get some help for my harnesses?”

Kilniara leaped up, a bright smile on her face. Gwenvair stood with her, but Kilniara said nothing so Joe kept his mouth shut. Kilniara held up his harness, a bit confused by it, but Joe took it and slipped it on easily before buckling it on at his chest. He then took the longest blade he had, a massive meter and a half long curved blade that stuck a good way above his head when sheathed, sliding it into his sheath on his back. Daggers he put in to a belt across his chest, while his bow slid into a rather large sheath also on his back, but not in danger of his sword nor interfering with one another. His last weapon, his one handed war hammer, he sheathed on his right hip. Then his harness to help lock the shield to his left arm went on, tightened around his left forearm. He settled the shield into the harness, making sure the shield was back far enough that his left hand was free enough to still be able to use his bow or other weapons if he chose to. It did leave his hand vulnerable to harm, but he doubted that a giant would be looking to hit his hand.

Finally, he settled his quiver on his left hip, weighted in such a way as to tilt forward and allow arrows to be easily grasped by his right hand. He checked his arrows and frowned, hopeful that he could get them back, not wishing to lose the obviously machined arrows. But he needed every edge he could get. He turned back to see the Matriarch waiting, along with the Allandar and the hardened monster hunter squad. As he walked away, Garnedell called out from behind him.

“Joe! Your … new weapons?”

Joe looked back and saw Garnedell pointing to the fifteen splitters the blacksmith had made sitting on the ground. Right… forgot about that… He glanced around at his harnesses and sheaths but found nowhere to usefully carry them. Well… that… Joe looked up at the water mage.

“Do you think you could carry these with you? Just let the water carry them around? I don’t know if I’ll need them, but… I don’t have anywhere to carry them.”

Allanar nodded easily, “Of course, eccentric. I can carry them easily enough.”

“Thank you. Really.”

Joe turned away and then headed towards the wall’s edge, “Right… let’s see if this works!”

Joe reached down and got one of the locally made arrows, saving his good arrows. He then eyed the giant. Let it all out. Just want your attention! He loaded the arrow with three mana points then grinned evilly. Gonna kill you. This arrow is gonna sink right in and take you out! Here it comes!

Making sure that he made his intentions as ‘visible’ as possible, Joe willed his malice into the arrow, aimed upward, and released it. That should be about right… Remembering the last shot he made, Joe raised it just a bit more as the giant was back in the trees again, and watched the arrow soar. It flew through the air and as it began to arc back down upon the giant, it reacted immediately, throwing itself to the side in a desperate tumble. That seems… a bit excessive… but not going to complain. But… come back mana points. His points instantaneously popped into existence right beside him, and he grinned softly. Got some range on yah, don’t ya… nice. Wait… ooh… man… they can teleport! OK… gotta remember that…

Joe didn’t wait, pulling out another arrow and stuffing it with another three points and all his malice. He waited until the giant’s bad somersault came to an end and the giant struggled to stand. Here’s another for you! His arrow arced up into the air, and then down again. This time, the giant didn’t move, the reason why very obvious when a few seconds later it slammed into the ground a dozen feet too short. Wind? Something else? Joe’s mind whirred for answers but then dismissed him when he noticed the giant was not very much focused on the city. It shuffled back and forth, but did stop to look at the city. Enough? If I leave it, will the hidden dude leave him alone… or start again?

Joe considered carefully then came to the conclusion that the hidden enemy wasn’t going to let this go. Whoever it was would start again if the giant didn’t attack the city, so he was fairly certain that his best bet was to pull the giant in towards the city himself. Well… let’s do this!

Joe fired another three or four arrows, each the same, and was able to get the giant to dance around a bit, dodging his shots. Finally, after the third one, the giant began to cautiously move to the city, his anger obvious in its stomping walk to the city. Joe shot one more just for good measure, but the giant easily moved out of the way before stalking towards the city. Right… good enough? Head down now? Or… wait a bit more… hmm… wait. Won’t have sight down there.

Joe pulled another arrow out of the pile of locally made ones, then considered. If I miss… then the giant probably is not stupid… if he covers up… but… Joe grimaced, clenching his teeth. Don’t really wanna lose one of my good arrows either. Joe found himself waffling. He looked at the others around him and quickly noticed their fear. Right… not the time to play around, so… oh… maybe?

“Just … do any of you have a way to track or retrieve items? Maybe?’

Allanar, the water mage, immediately shook his head but the other group of monster hunters all turned to look at a single member of their group. Joe looked to the woman quickly, excited.

“Do you have something?”

The woman nodded carefully, “I am unable to retrieve it, but I am able to tag it. Doing so allows me to always know where it is.”

Joe’s happiness faded, but he tried anyway, “How many can you tag?”

“I have almost a hundred.”

Joe nodded a bit, “How many of them are free?”

The woman seemed surprised at that, her eye’s flickering to team before she replied, “Several dozen.”

Joe nodded, thoughtful. He floundered a bit, trying to figure out something to test with when he had an epiphany, pulling out a tin bit and handed it to the woman.

“Can you tag this?”

She nodded, taking the tin bit and taking it before handing it back to Joe. Joe didn’t notice anything she did, despite the claim that she had done so. He took a bit more time to inspect it, his mana senses feeling nothing before his eyes caught the dark twirl of a very small mana construct attached to it. It was an odd three D arrow shaped construct, and as Joe moved it around, stretching widely with his arms, it always pointed back to the woman. He then walked back and forth, seeing the arrow still pointed at her. Huh… cool.

“Can you walk back and forth?” Joe asked the woman, and she nodded, although she seemed confused by it. The arrow followed her movement, pointing directly at it. Joe nodded, then quickly hid the coin in one of his hands while glancing out at the giant. Its movements were still slow, stalking forward through the beasts that ran past it at its feet. Go time.

“Which hand is it in?”

She immediately pointed at the correct hand, “That one.”

Joe nodded, then handed another bit to her, “This one as well, please?”

She nodded, but nervously glanced at the giant before doing so quickly. Handing it back, he saw the same arrow construct.

Joe nodded, “Go ahead and erase them.”

This time, she did so without taking the bits from him, the arrow construct vanishing. Joe nodded, then had a realization.

“Can you tag without touching?”

She nodded, “But it is not as clear or specific in its direction.”

Joe nodded at that, “Makes sense. Could you tag these, please?”

Joe pulled out the arrows from his quiver and handed them to her. She took the thirty or so arrows from him and then nodded, tagging them quickly. Joe waited patiently, but it did not take any time, the tags all forming on each arrow simultaneously. Huh… fast!

He looked a few over carefully when they were returned to him, seeing all the tags forming in the arrow head. He did find one that was double tagged, the second tag up in the fletching as far from the first tag as possible. Joe hid his concern on noticing that, but made sure to remember it and make plans for how to respond when all was said and done. He then looked at his shield, now wondering about his shield that Allanar had marked as well. The mark on his shield, however, was much more visible and obvious, the mark a sigil of some complexity with an obvious ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ side. The top was facing away from his shield, the bottom attached to the shield face.