As much as Kaiden wished to release Aridan immediately, they both understood the necessity of further preparation, particularly in gathering sufficient provisions for their journey across the treacherous wastelands. This arid expanse, notorious for its harsh terrain, was fraught with perils ranging from fierce monsters stalking the sands to scorching heat that could sap the strength of even the hardiest travellers.

In the days that followed, Kaiden was consumed with the task of gathering their necessities. He deftly navigated the castle’s corridoes, slipping past his brothers and other Dragonborn, to amass their food and water supplies.

By the third day, he had successfully squirreled away a sufficient stockpile. He transferred the provisions from his concealed caches into an aged travel pack he had discovered months earlier, abandoned in one of the castle’s empty chambers.

With the supplies secured, Kaiden moved with caution as he made his way back to Aridan’s cell.

“Adrain, are you ready do go?” Kaiden whispered, his delving into his pouch to retrieve the null stone as he neared the cell.

“Watch out!” Aridan cried, his warning echoing against the cold, stone wall.

Kaiden whipped around to meet the eyes of his brother, Abadath, who had silently emerged from a nearby empty cell. He cursed himself, in his haste to free his friend, he neglected to make sure the prison was clear.

Abadath’s face stretched into a menacing, shark-like grin, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth – a sight that sent a chill through him. “Well, well, what do we have here?” Abadath’s gaze locked onto the stone in Kaiden’s hand with predatory interest. “Planning to release father’s prized captive, are you? That’s a sure way to get the skin flayed from your bones.”

“What do you want, Abadath?” Kaiden demanded, despite the fear that gripped him.

“The same thing as always. To have fun.” Abadath said, his amber eyes bright with malicious glee.

“Why?” Kaiden asked.

Abadath’s sneered with disdain, “You know why. Just look at yourself. You’re more human than Dragonborn. Had the king himself not confirmed it, I wouldn’t believe we were related. I have no idea why he didn’t just eat you when you hatched.”

In that moment Kaiden wished he had an analyse skill. Abadath had unlocked his Advanced Status a few months ago, yet Kaiden had no way of gauging how much he had levelled since then.

Kaiden cautiously assessed his ‘brother’. Towering almost 7 feet tall, and covered with green scales, Abadath was a product of their father’s liaison with a nature dragonborn courtesan. Despite the intimidating figure he cut, Kaiden clung to a thread of hope; his siblings usually tormented him in numbers, but today Abadath was alone. Given Kaiden’s unique advantage of an extra attribute per level, he might stand a chance in this fight, provided Abadath hadn’t advanced significantly.

With a swift motion, Kaiden drew his sword, and adopted a rough stance. Aridan had taught him the fundamentals, however his proficiency lay in archery not swords.

Abadath’s grin stretched wider at his act of defiance, he flexed his claws. “After I dispose of you, I’ll simply tell our father that I caught you trying to release his prize. I’m sure he’ll understand. Let’s see if you give me enough experience to level,” he taunted, voice oozing with contempt.

That was the only warning Kaiden had before Abadath attacked, launching claws extended towards him.

Kaiden’s successful parry took Abadath by surprise, the unexpected resistance causing a flicker of wariness to cross his face. Seizing the moment, Kaiden let his pack fall to the ground, lightening his load for more manoeuvrability.

He moved in cautiously, closing the distance between them. Just as Kaiden was about to strike, Abadath revealed one of his skills. Opening his mouth, he unleashed a stream of acid towards Kaiden. He narrowly avoided the corrosive liquid hitting his face, instead splattering onto his shoulder and searing a path down his chest.

“Oh, did I forget to mention? I’ve chosen the Acid Berserker Class,” Abadath taunted.

The acid quickly began to eat though Kaiden’s clothing, reaching the skin beneath. Kaiden fought to push through the searing pain that threatened to overwhelm his senses.

Abadath laughed another furious attack, his claws arcing dangerously close, nearly gutting Kaiden in the process. This time, Kaiden’s deflection not only averted the lethal strike but also nicked Abadath’s forearm, drawing a thin line of blood. The sight of his own blood seemed to shake Abadath, his eyes widening as he watched the crimson drops fall to the ground.

Consumed by rage, Abadath reared back, emitting a piercing screech that reverberated menacingly off the stone walls. With newfound ferocity, he surged towards Kaiden, his movements a blur of speed and power, each blow faster and more formidable than the last, undoubtedly fuelled by a skill.

Kaiden found himself overwhelmed by the unyielding storm. Fresh waves of pain coursed through him as the blows landed across his legs and chest. Kaiden desperately attempted to cast the power of his Elemental Talons. But the skill flickered out, his concentration interrupted by the pain and furious barrage from his brother.

As the clash of steel and claws intensified, Kaiden began to falter. His vision blurred at the edges, growing darker with each heartbeat. Kaiden narrowly avoided slipping in the pool of his own blood that now stained the cold stone floor beneath him. Abadath, basking in the anticipation of triumph, stepped back, his features twisting into a grotesque mask of victory.

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As Kaiden met his brother’s mocking gaze, a fierce wave of anger surged within him. The years of suffering within these walls, the brink of freedom now seemingly slipping though his fingers and the gloating face of his tormentor, ignited a spark of defiance deep within his soul. He would not let his story end at the hands of this creature.

The world around him faded away, leaving only the threat in front of him and his weapon. Kaiden lunged at Abadath, who responded with a lethal swipe of his claws. Kaiden allowed the strike to land, feeling the claws tear into his flesh. Simultaneously, he invoked his skill causing his sword to become enveloped with dark energy.

Abadath’s eyes widened in shock as Kaiden’s blade tore through him, the dark energy immediately beginning to leach the life from his body. Kaiden clung to the skill, feeling an influx of vitality, the dark element siphoning Abadath’s life force into him.

Their confrontation ended with both collapsing to the stone floor. The sword slipped from Kaiden’s grasp, its dark aura fading. As his consciousness began to fade, Kaiden’s eyes fell upon the null stone, inadvertently dropped during their struggle. Summoning the last reserve of his strength, he crawled his way towards the stone. As his fingers closed around the smooth grey stone, he hurled it towards Aridan’s cell, a last-ditch effort to liberate his friend.

As the stone arced through the air, Kaiden’s world faded to black. He welcomed the oblivion a respite from the pain that consumed his body.

***

Kaiden’s eyes fluttered open, the cold, hard surface of the prison floor greeting him as he regained consciousness. The memory of the harrowing fight rushed back, prompting him to instinctively clutch at his stomach, expecting to be met with excruciating pain. Yet, to his astonishment, there was none. With a cautious effort, he propped himself into a sitting position, his muscles voicing their disapproval through a chorus of aches.

Surveying his surroundings, Kaiden estimated he hadn’t been unconscious for more than twenty minutes, judging by the state of the half-dried blood around him, which had begun to coagulate but was not yet fully dried. As he steadied himself, his gaze landed on Aridan, who was seated across from him, a wave of relief washed over Kaiden as he realized that the elf was free from his confinement. “The null stone worked,” He breathed out, a grin spreading across his face.

“You crazy bastard, you almost died. Aridan chided, yet his tone one of relief. “Why didn’t you run?”

The question stuck him. In the heat of the moment, the idea of fleeing and leaving his friend hadn’t even crossed his mind. He could have escaped, but at what cost to Aridan.

“I couldn’t leave you.” He replied, simply.

“Well, thanks.” He expressed, a small grateful smile touching his lips. “You’re lucky this dungeon is so buried so deep, otherwise the commotion might have drawn unwanted attention.”

Still grappling with his miraculous recovery, he asked. “How am I even alive?”

Without a word, Aridan tossed a vial towards Kaiden, which he caught with a shaky hand. Peering inside, he saw the dregs of a reddish liquid. “Is this a health potion? where did you get this?” he asked, curiously.

Aridan nodded towards a corner of the cell, where a heater shield and bow rested against the wall. “The same place I got those,” he replied.

Kaiden stood and walked over to the shield. It was a simple design: wooden, overlaid with leather, and reinforced with a steel edge, emblazoned with the black and orange heraldry of the Dragonborn kingdom.

“This is from the armoury!” Kaiden exclaimed in astonishment. “How did you sneak into there?”

Aridan gave him a smug smile, “Come on, I’m a ranger. Even outside of a forest I’m far stealthier than you’ll ever be.” He quipped.

“Still, impressive. I’ve never managed to sneak into there.” Kaiden replied. “Is this for me?” he asked picking up the shield.

Aridan rolled his eyes, “Of course it is, it’s certainly not for me.” He replied with a touch of amusement in his voice.

“This would have been handy to have in the fight.” Kaiden said, thinking of the pain he felt when the acid landed on him.

“Yeah, might have saved your shirt.” Aridan joked, lightening the mood.

Glancing down, Kaiden looked at the remains of his tattered shirt. He spotted his pack nearby, where he dropped it during the fight. Delving into it, he retrieved his spare shirt and quickly changed.

A thought occurred to him, and he quickly opened his Status.

Status

Name

Kaiden Hunter

Age

15

Race

Dragonborn Human

Class

Level

16

Attributes

Strength

14

Dexterity

8

Perception

7

Endurance

14

Vitality

13

Magic

6

Spirit

13

Kaiden felt a surge of triumph as he noticed the additional level in his status. The attribute points allocated to Dexterity, Perception, Vitality and Spirit were especially gratifying, each increment symbolizing a step towards greater power.

“We should probably get out of here,” Aridan’s voice cut though Kaiden’s reverie, pulling him back to the urgency of their situation.

Nodding, Kaiden closed his Status screen. “Alright, follow me,” he said.

Their escape route was a path Kaiden had meticulously planned and committed to memory – through the castle’s secret passages and neglected corridors. It was a painstakingly slow journey, continually slowed by the moments where they had to evade the castles inhabitants.

Their journey led them to an old, abandoned escape tunnel, emerging halfway down the hill, the castle sat upon. The half-moon cast the world in a ghostly silver light, illuminating the city below.

As they stepped into the open air, Aridan spoke his voice barely above a whisper and laden with emotion. “I can’t believe I’m outside.”

Kaiden allowed his friend a moment before addressing their next steps. “I can guide us out of the city, but beyond that, it’s up to you.”

“Don’t worry, my class works better in the wild than urban areas, I’ll get us to Elven territory.” Aridan replied, voice filled with determination

With a mutual nod, they began their descent to the city, their figures melting into the darkness of the night.