Chapter 11
Andrea shuddered and stood. Tears had been leaking down her face with the memories. Looking around the room she ensured her shitty task was completed. Picking up her pail and shovel she went to the door. Before opening it and heading out to take her turn at charging the dungeon core she dried her tears and pulled dup her hood to conceal her face. It would not due to let the others see her weakness. Weakness was never rewarded with anything but pain in her life now.
Opening the door Andrea shivered as she heard the howling winds echoing through the chambers and caves that composed the Necromancer’s cavernous complex. The rains had started a week ago and not let up. During that whole time the wind had been getting worse. Now it was bad enough that even this far into the ground the gale force winds outside could be heard.
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Alex
I was lost in thought when something new happened. My attention was pulled down below where my territory had entered into the tunnel. Focusing I entered into the mind of the Skelebro positioned to listen for anything. The sound of a large crash echoed from somewhere in the tunnels depths. Excited I listened for a while hoping I may hear something else occur. Or at least get an idea of what had happened. After a few minutes of nothing though I grew annoyed and began to pull my attention back. Before I withdrew completely a new sensation pushed on my senses in those lower depths
Whatever had crashed in the tunnel had opened it into the outside. Now wind was blowing through the tunnel. Sometimes at great speeds and other times slowly. I felt a smile stretch over my phantom face. Then I frowned, I had no face to smile… or frown. “Stupid flesh memories. I miss my body.” I muttered. Shaking off the sensation I smiled again, I had found a way out!
Excited I pulled my Skelebro back and began to slowly open up the hole I had created to listen in to the tunnel. I had thoughts of dropping that Skelebro into the tunnel as a scout.
I paused when something interesting happened. The wind gusted through the tunnel and as it did it rushed past the hole I was working on expanding. As it blew past the narrow opening a sharp whistle sounded out. I had loved music in my other life. Going as far as playing three classical instruments and being the bass guitar in a band. The tiny note sent shivers through my soul. Music! I could hear music again!
Using my new amazing control to shape and alter my territory, I began to make stone pipes in the top of the tunnel.
I was frustrated with the lack of room and the variety of openings I could create almost instantly. But every time a gust of wind came through and hit the opening of my pipes and notes sounded my soul would sing. Even the most shrill and grating noises were welcome.
After I created a few pipes and then listening to the results; I began to understand the sounds each pipe made as the air rushed through it. Using mana I began to shave and alter the pipes to a finer detail. I would pause when the wind blew so I could listen, then start to work again correcting a pipe here or moving it there.
I was so focused on my work that I didn’t even notice when the Skelebro dropped through a hole I was creating to make a deep bass sound. I was expanding the small room and needed more area for my pipes, so I had already told the small minion to move numerous times. If I had I may have heard a small splash and the sounds of bones breaking.
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Andrea
Andrea pushed open the heavy door that guarded the master’s dungeon core chamber. The other apprentice had already finished with his transfer of mana and left. She ignored the hateful glare of the next apprentice whom was already waiting in the hall for her turn after Andrea was done. Each apprentice had a set time to complete their turn, but after they were done if they got done early they had some time to themselves. In this miserable existence eve a few minutes of time where you could do as you pleased was a blessing. Andrea had ran late doing her demucking and had just gotten to the core chamber on time. That meant that all eh apprentices after her would have less free time and she could tell they were not pleased.
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Slamming the door shut behind her she let out a long sorrowful sigh. “Nothing I can do about it. If they were so worried about their free time they could offer to help me clean up their shit!” Her exclamation was weak and lacked any real conviction. She knew that the first rule to this dark world was focus on yourself first and so none of the others would help, but they would be eager to blame her for any misery they could even slightly lay at her feet. Walking to the binding circle she reached her hand out and began to push her Mana toward the dungeon’s core.
She focused on her breathing in and out. With each out breath she would push her Mana out as well. This method was not the fastest way she had learned but it kept her from feeling as weak afterward. With a Mana pool of only 120 giving up most of her Mana could drain her.
She had just gotten into the rhythm when she heard a noise. Quickly opening her eyes she spun around searching for the source of the noise. Her eyes were not good at penetrating the dark corners of the chamber so she was not completely sure she was alone. When the noise came again she spun toward the noise. It was coming from the dungeon’s core! No… Listening closely and looking she could see a tiny hole below the floating heart shaped diamond. The noises were coming from there.
As she listened the noises began to change, first from a shrill whistle to a deep hook. Amazed she thought about getting her master.
Thinking of her master she pictured in her head the conversation, “You dared to disturb me because you heard a noise! Did you even finish your transfer of mana first, before running off like the world was ending because you heard a noise?!?”
Andrea did not want to be at the displeasure of her master again. He figures idly touched the iron collar on her throat before she put her hand back up as she focused on the transfer again. This time though she gave mana to the rhythm of music.
A remarkably short time later she put her had down the transfer complete. She listened and smiled. The sound coming from eh small hole was like nothing she had ever heard before. One of the villagers had a flute and she had heard tales from traveling traders of large collections of pipes called organs, but she had never seen one. The music was not exact. It was halting and slightly off beat as each note hit at a slightly different time, but to Andrea it was the best thing she had ever heard!
Its rhythms and pitches were alluring, sad but somehow hopeful. They called out to her very soul. She began to hum, then sing. She had never heard the song before. She did not even know the language she sung in, but it came from deep inside. Inside her heart, her very soul. As the words flowed she began to dance letting the music and song flow around her directing her movements.
Slowly magical energy began to gather around Andrea causing her hair to float as if in a breeze. As the energy coalesced condensed it became a dim soft light which moved in swirls and eddies across her moving form. At first it was dim but soon the glow illuminated the chamber bringing the first light this chamber of death had ever seen. As the pure light of soul music touched the dark stains of blood, rotting chucking of flesh and the dark insects feeding upon them the sizzled and burned into nothingness. The purity of the soul music cleansed everything it touched. Even inside the binding circle. Dried blood and gore vanished. The dark music washed over the skeletons summoned by previous apprentices and they shifted, changed. It was nothing obvious, but a lifting of darkness that clung to the animated bones. All this was lost by those whom were lost in the music. With a twist, flourish and leap Andrea landed. Her eyes flew open as a bell like ding sounded and Andrea saw a prompt appear!
She had heard of the messages of the god’s the boxes that the gods sent. She had never seen one though. Most never would. You had to be an adventurer, or important in some way to catch the eye of a god or goddess. Now one had appeared in front of her!
Class Unlocked: Virtuoso of Ellinoria.
A Virtuoso creates music that is magic and magic that is music. To preform either is to do both. Doing both comes from the composer’s very soul, creating a powerful and unique magical style.
Benefits:
1. +1/2 Class Level to Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
2. Virtuoso Magic – Able to cast spells hidden in songs
3. Able to speak and understand all languages with Novice 1 skill.
4. Able to play any instrument with Novice 1 skill.
5. Divine Connection based upon patron deity.
Accept Class? Yes / No
Andrea was stunned when she read the message. A class! She was being offered a class! Classes were even rarer than the divine messages! A class could only be gained if given directly by a god. Even the master was not given a true class! Without pause or hesitation she accepted. This opportunity was something that would only happen once in her life. She did not know what it would mean for her future, but she knew with it she could reach for her dreams again.
The smile that had spread across her face and went all the way to her very soul froze as every instinct she had warned her of eminent peril. A shiver went up her spine as her animal brain started to cry out, warning of something hunting her. Glancing around all blood left her face and she felt her knees grow weak when she realized she had crossed the binding circle. She was now standing inside the dungeons territory. She turned to leave but hands burst up from the ground at her feet grabbing her in cold dead fingers.