The flow of light stabilized in Selene’s mind, showing an image of her own body, lit with deep purples, and whites. Black shadows swirled through the lights, creating a vivid, but ominous view.
She saw her Spirituality flow through her, gathering in several spots, before passing through her skin, and suffusing into the air around her.
“That’s the aura!” she realised excitedly.
Her excitement broke her concentration, and the view disappeared, revealing the basic shelter she and Meelara had built between a few trees.
The grass beneath her feet was withered, as were the trees. The sun had set, and the moon had appeared, rising slowly. Meelara sat by the entrance to their shelter, though there was no fire.
“Right,” Selene recalled. “Dangerous area. Fire and light would draw attention.”
“Ahem,” she cleared her throat, drawing Meelara’s attention. “I did it.”
“What?” Meelara looked at her with a raised brow. “You did wh- Oh, of course. You did it in a matter of weeks. Thanks for making me feel inadequate… In a month or so, you’ll be the teacher, I suppose.”
Selene’s eyes widened, her eyebrows raised, and she opened her mouth to reassure Meelara when she saw the smirk appear on her face.”
“Hah!” Meelara laughed. “As if I’m that insecure! Hahaha.”
Selene blinked rapidly before she shook her head with a small smile.
“Anyway,” Meelara regained control over herself. “Good job! Now, you should try to maintain it for a while before you move on, but veiling yourself would greatly benefit us moving forward.”
Selene nodded and listened attentively.
“Alright, listen up,” Meelara began her explanation, raising her head, and looking down at Selene over her nose, trying to look imperious. “Once you complete the visualization, you have to focus on the rate of circulation. There is a specific rate, at which your Spirituality will stop leaking, and be drawn back inside. At first, it will feel as if you’re stuffed, like you’re too full, and might burst, but that’s normal. You need to power through that feeling until you reach equilibrium. That’s when you’ve succeeded in veiling your Spirituality, and it’ll be difficult to sense you, or your aura. Of course, there are those who have skills that can still see it. Your Spirit Echoes might be able to do that at higher proficiencies.”
Selene nodded, her eyes flitting around, with furrowed brows.
“I’d like to try it now,” she said after a few seconds of silence. “If that’s alright? Or, I can take watch, and you can sleep?”
“Nah,” Meelara waved her off. “It’s fine. I can go a few more days, especially since you’re doing most of the fighting, heh.”
She smirked and turned back towards the dead forest. Selene sighed and sat back. She closed her eyes and started the process of visualization.
In short order, Selene saw the swirling lights form the outline of her body. Smaller veins reached deeper, while a haze of Spirituality escaped to the air around her.
“Alright,” Selene thought, almost losing the visualization. “Calm… Regulate the speed of circulation. I need to find the correct speed.”
With a flex of her will, her Spirituality started moving faster, and faster.
Selene opened her eyes after half an hour, looking downcast with a slight grimace. Meelara glanced back at her and guffawed.
“Baha! Don’t be dispirited because you couldn’t do it on the first try! Most people take a lot longer to get to this point, many never manage it.”
“Yeah,” Selene sighed. “I know…”
“Chin up, girl,” Meelara said. “You’ll get it soon enough. How’s the levelling going, by the way?”
“Level 8,” Selene responded. “Still think I can reach level 9 before I hit the potential. It’s taking a lot longer with each level.”
“Yeah,” her mentor nodded, smirking. “That’s how it is.”
“Does it usually take this long?” Selene asked as she shuffled over to sit next to her.
“It varies,” Meelara looked at her, before returning to watch the outside.
Selene saw the star-filled sky, the cracked, dry ground, and the dead plants around them, all lit up with the silvery lustre of the moon. Small clouds drifted across the sky, temporarily concealing the glittering lights. No sounds broke the silence, forming an eerie scene. Selene shivered slightly.
“Most of the time, it’ll be a lot faster, if they’ve increased their potential enough,” Meelara continued to explain. “But, the stronger the Path, the slower it levels. At least at first. I’d guess your Path will have an unusually strong Stage 2 before it starts to even out. Of course, I could be wrong. This is all conjecture I’ve picked up here and there.”
“I see,” Selene mumbled as she wrapped the cloak tighter around her. There was a chill in the air, which seeped into her bones.
She sat in silence for a while, before she brought up her Status to check on her gains.
Name:
Selene Parson
Race:
Human
Affiliation:
Earth
Stage:
1 - Niflshade Initiate
Level:
8
Stats:
Strength(STR)
20
Agility(AGI)
14
Vitality(VIT)
18
Intelligence(INT)
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
11
Wisdom(WIS)
5
Charisma(CHA)
3
Skills:
Shadow Strike
Novice
Chill of the Grave
Novice
Spirit Echoes
Novice
She’d gotten a lot stronger over the last few days, as she’d been fighting a lot, strengthening her foundations, and levelling up. Her stats increased, and she was now far stronger, faster and tougher than she used to be, and still, she felt too weak. Still, she needed Meelara to step in quite often to save her from a dangerous situation.
“I’m still not good enough,” she silently lamented. “I need to gain skills, fighting skills, which will allow me to use more of my stats in combat.”
“Shouldn’t I have gotten a skill by now?” Selene asked the red-haired woman next to her. “For fighting, I mean. Like Hand-to-Hand fighting, Swordsmanship, or something.”
“Hah!” Meelara smirked and shook her head. She leaned back on her elbows, and crossed one foot over the other, while Selene sat cross-legged in a huddle. “Most people spend months before learning a skill for fighting. It’s not just being able to hold and swing a sword. It’s how you use it, how you move, and how you fight. To be fair, most get the skill after months of training in a safe environment, but it’s also a very targeted practice. You should get it soon. Don’t rush, girl.”
“Haah,” Selene sighed deeply and rubbed her arms. “It’s just… I feel like I’m too weak. I feel as if something’s coming, or there’s going to be a monster that I can’t handle, and you’ll be too far away. I promised myself not to be helpless, or dependent on others, but I’d be dead if I was alone. It sucks!”
“I know,” Meelara said softly with furrowed brows, pressing her lips into a thin line. “I know. You’ve been thrust into this situation without any warning, or time to prepare. It’s OK. It’s understandable that you feel this way. But, with the pace of your improvement, it won’t be that long until you can handle yourself.”
“Uhh,” Selene’s shoulders raised and then sank. “I guess… Thank you. I’m going to get some sleep.”
With that, Selene dragged herself backwards, rolled into a ball, and fell asleep.
----------------------------------------
Two days later, Selene finally levelled up to level 9, and she’d gained a new skill; Spirit Veil. It was the System’s recognition of her success in veiling her Spirituality.
Name:
Selene Parson
Race:
Human
Affiliation:
Earth
Stage:
1 - Niflshade Initiate
Level:
9
Stats:
Strength(STR)
22
Agility(AGI)
15
Vitality(VIT)
20
Intelligence(INT)
12
Wisdom(WIS)
5
Charisma(CHA)
3
Skills:
Shadow Strike
Novice
Chill of the Grave
Novice
Spirit Echoes
Novice
Spirit Veil
Novice
The shadow looming ahead of her on the bridge had gotten clearer, as she’d kept fighting, as well. She could now make out the shape of the Gates, but no details. She also didn’t see any signs of a guardian like in her dream.
“Only a few more fights, I think,” she thought as she returned to the real world. “A few more fights, and I have the possibility of reaching level 10, and starting my Stage-advancement trial.”
----------------------------------------
They stood on a tall hill, or a small mountain, and looked down the slope ahead of them. Meelara scanned the surroundings, while Selene gazed around with wide eyes.
She looked at the ocean, vast and blue, which reflected the blue sky. The water was calm, placid, and beautiful. On the shore, just below them, she saw a collection of buildings, a small settlement, from which a dock stretched over the water.
The buildings looked decent enough, from the distance, and the town was decently sized. The further from the centre of town she looked, the worse the buildings became though, and on the outskirts, it looked no different than her old home.
Ramshackle buildings and rotting tents circled the town, creating a stark divide between the classes of the town.
“Ellard’s Cove,” Meelara said. “From this point on, you need to remain alert. Don’t show signs of weakness. Walk in like you belong there, like you own the place, and if anyone tries anything, you strike first. The moment they think they can take you, you’re done. They’ll gang up on you, and I think you can imagine what they’ll want.”
Selene nodded, as a shiver ran down her spine, and painful memories flashed through her mind.
“OK,” she said, frowning. “Thank you.”
Meelara looked at her for a few seconds, nodded, and started walking.
The grass was green, and lush beneath their feet, and a large open field stood between them, and the town. As they got closer, Selene spotted the movement of people among the tents and shacks, but they were still too far away to make out any details.
The salty smell of the ocean hit her nose, and Selene took a deep breath.
“Reminds me of the past,” Selene thought, smiling. “My parents took me to the coast a few times. I used to love running around on the beaches, and swimming in the ocean.”
She took a shaky breath and wiped the few tears that had formed before she steeled herself.
“Alright!” she clenched her fist and then relaxed it. She relaxed her facial muscles and took on an uninterested, imperious expression. “No weakness! Act like you own the place, and look down on people. Keep vigilant, and be proactive if anyone tries anything.”
They quickly walked through the shanty town, Meelara guiding them toward the centre of town, where they entered a circular space with a small fountain. It was surrounded by well-maintained buildings.
As they walked, Selene felt the gazes of countless people on her. She felt like a piece of meat being inspected at a butcher shop, but she kept her imperious expression and walked with confidence.
The town’s buildings were mostly made with dark brown, stone bricks, and steel grey wood. From the corner of her eyes, she saw people looking at her from the alleys between houses, and through the windows, but none approached.
With their Spirituality Veiled, anyone who planned on attacking them had to use other methods to discover their strength, which meant that it wasn’t worth the risk for most. Rather than gamble, they chose to keep back.
They walked past the largest building on the square and entered a smaller one in a street closer to the docks.
Inside, Selene saw tables and chairs haphazardly placed around a large open area, and a long counter at the back. There was a staircase leading up to the left from the entrance, and some doors on the right wall. Behind the bar was another door.
The bar was packed with people in various stages of inebriation, and the din of conversation and song felt like a wall of sound that struck Selene’s ears. Meelara led her towards one of the doors to the right, ignoring the lecherous, and taunting comments from the bar patrons.
Inside the room, was a long table with chairs, and no windows. Four people were sitting around the table, all of whom looked up at their entrance.
A man sat at the far end of the table, with dark brown hair, and grey eyes. He wore a simple shirt and pants. The other three were a woman, and two men, all of whom looked like normal people, wearing common clothes, and Selene believed none of them would stand out in a crowd.
The leader looked up at their entrance.
“Little flame,” he said in a low voice. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly upwards. “About time! We’ve been waiting for you.”