Ethan suspected he might never see his newest ability at this scale again–at least not at Dawn rank.
As he fell from the sky, he watched in awe as the world was briefly lit by a second sun. The ground beneath the fort burst open, popping like an immense bubble as a sphere of devastating flame was born, dying heartbeats later. The undead directly above where the abomination had detonated were disintegrated instantly, with more being blasted back. Many were thrown down the ravine, while others were carried all the way to the other plateau on a burning shockwave.
Ethan was even sent flying higher into the air by the same remarkable force. Once again the power he’d unlocked from the undead werewolf was synergistic with his other Flare powers–something he’d come to appreciate–and one of several reasons it had reached such a remarkable scale. The result was beyond his greatest hopes.
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Ability: Nova (First Dawn: 0%)
Type: Flare, Conditional, Execute
For a very high mana cost, you may trigger [Nova] on an enemy afflicted with [Internal Combustion]. Dealing more damage for each stack, the blast will expand outward horizontally. The explosion’s size and destructive power grows in proportion to the size of the target, and how close it is to death.
Special: [Nova] will evolve to [Supernova] upon reaching a certain threshold of [Internal Combustion] stacks, based on the target's internal mana. [Supernova] is vastly more destructive, explodes omni-directionally, but has an increased mana cost.
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The ability turned a target into a living bomb–or unliving in this case–using its own body as fuel. The slow, powerful abomination had not only allowed Ethan and Revan to load it up with an absurd amount of the affliction, but had also been struck by two Volcanic Bolts, multiplying the power to the extreme. The result was incredible.
After the light faded and the debris crashed to the ground, Ethan saw that an entire section of the fort was simply gone. Half of the outer courtyard was missing, as was most of the outer wall. The keep itself was largely unharmed, but where the bridge had been secured was now an empty gap, a fiery, spherical hole all that remained.
Remarkably, the bridge itself had survived, though it was twisted at a forty-five degree angle, and only secured on the far plateau. Savilar and Valanor had not overstated the magical efforts that had gone into securing the important structure. Still, it was nearly useless now, demonstrated by the remaining undead continuing to shuffle forward, falling silently into the ravine below.
Ethan was grinning, but the ground was also rapidly approaching. He hastily channeled Dimension, and called on the Deevees for help. One rift eliminated his downward momentum, and the next deposited him on the ground outside the fort wall. He landed lightly, then took a deep breath before heading to his companions.
The team didn’t look well, which was quite understandable after the marathon of a battle they’d fought. Savilar sat quietly, staring at the site of the immense explosion. He was covered in blood, both the black of the undead, and the red that was his own. Selina was on the ground, and though she was uninjured, it appeared she’d pushed herself hard enough to pass out, and Cara was wrapping the Rune Mage’s cloak protectively around her.
The Archer’s braid was singed and undone, with part of her leather armor ravaged by claw marks, but she seemed more determined than defeated. She looked over at him as he approached.
“You make bigger explosions now?” she asked.
“I do,” he replied.
“Good,” she said, then went back to looking after Selina.
Finally Valanor made his way over to Ethan, limping slightly as he did so. His heavy armor was cracked and pitted, and part of it seemed to have been melted by acid. He removed his helmet as he got close, revealing a sweaty, tired face. His dark hair had grown in once again, just enough to show the gray as he met Ethan’s eyes.
Valanor gave the slightest nod, then reached out and clapped Ethan on the shoulder. Ethan smiled at the retreating knight, who joined Savilar in looking over the remains of the battlefield. The two whispered to one another for a few moments, then Val spoke to the group.
“It doesn’t look like they can get across; the gap is too wide. That said, we can‘t be certain there was only a single true undead, as they’re still approaching from the mountains.” It was true, looking up Ethan saw the long line of gray seemed to go on forever. The estimates had been wrong, as there had to be closer to three thousand than one.
“We’ll stay here until reinforcements arrive,” Valanor continued. “We’ll watch and make sure none made it over. I also want to be certain that all the ones that fell into the ravine are truly destroyed. For now, let’s get some rest. We’ll set up a camp outside the walls, and keep watch.”
Ethan was moving to do just that when he felt a tugging inside him.
“It is time,” Tomo said, appearing unbidden.
“Time?” Ethan asked, suddenly nervous.
“We should find a place of privacy, Ethan Bishop. I evolve.”
***
The group had understood as Ethan hastily made his way back into the keep. He was excited, but also wanted to be sure that no undead had slipped past him in the chaos. After a quick sweep of the grounds, he found a small room on the second floor, no longer accessible without an awkward climb, or a rift.
It had likely been a bedroom for officers at some point, though it was stripped now, and was little better than a stone box with an empty fireplace and a nice view. Ethan sat in the center of the room on a small rug he took from his inventory.
“Do I need to do anything?” he asked.
Tomo appeared in physical form in front of him, copying his pose. “Very little. I have already reached the threshold, we need only direct the energy to its purpose. Reach into yourself as you would to commune, but resist that pull. Open the faucet, but do not drink.”
Ethan nodded, surprised to find that he understood, and did as he was instructed. He felt for that place in his soul where his three companions had made their homes. He immediately realized that one section was no longer large enough, and desperately wanted to grow, needing only his guidance to do so.
He connected to that part of himself, feeling Tomo’s presence as his soul expanded, straining to become large enough for the Familiar’s new power.
And that power was great.
Ethan felt a moment of discomfort, like spiritual growing pains as part of him changed fundamentally to contain the demon’s new strength.
Finally he opened his eyes, seeing Tomo glowing before him with an intense red-pink light. The light grew brighter, but not painfully so, and Ethan was able to watch the form of the little creatures change. Tomo was small, barely more than two feet tall, but now he was getting larger.
His body stretched and expanded, the light hiding the details, but not the overall impression of what was happening to the Familiar. When it began to dim, Ethan realized he was looking the demon in the eyes, his height having increased significantly. They slowly stood up together, and the newly evolved Tomo stretched, all four arms reaching upward.
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The new arms were the greatest change, and not entirely a surprise. Ethan had seen the demon in a later stage of evolution back in the tower, though the extra limbs had atrophied and lain limp behind him then. Now the demon was easily five feet tall, with more prominent horns and teeth, but was otherwise the same red-skinned lizard-dragon that Ethan had come to treasure.
He smiled when he saw there were now two katanas at the Familiar’s waist. “Are you going to be more willing to use those now?” he asked with a smile.
Tomo grinned back. “Now I can train you properly, Ethan Bishop. And yes, I will occasionally deign to fight at your side.”
Ethan laughed, then looked down at the flashing system message on his left arm.
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Congratulations! Your [Mystic Blade] Familiar Onitomo has evolved from Final Dawn, to First Dusk!
[Spirit of the Mystic] has reached First Dusk!
Your Spiritual control has improved!
Your Astral senses have improved!
Attention! Your Dusk rank Familiar, Onitomo will be unable to improve further until you have reached First Dusk!
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Ethan was surprised to find he had another message waiting for him, from earlier.
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New Title Earned!
New Title: Synergist
Using interconnected abilities to consistently overcome more powerful opponents has granted you a new effect: Mana cost for synergistic abilities has been reduced!
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Ethan raised an eyebrow at the good news, appreciating what it would mean for his increasingly interrelated Flare Affinity. Finally he looked back up, far more interested in his changed Familiar. “Alright my Dusk rank friend, what can you do?”
Tomo grinned. “Much. I will need to experiment to find my limitations, but most notably will be a greater control over illusions. I can now disguise your appearance alongside your voice. With training, together we should be able to disguise your Spirit as well.”
Ethan’s face lit up. “That makes a few of my plans far more feasible. We’ll need to put it to the test.” He paused, thinking. “Later though, there’s something I want to see without an audience, or a ticking clock.” Tomo nodded, then took on his Spiritual form, following Ethan from the room.
There was something odd about having such a large spectral follower–where before Tomo had seemed like his little sidekick, now it felt a bit more like being haunted. Still, the Familiar’s presence was a comfort, and he could sense that the demon had taken a major step forward in terms of power. Ethan was anxious to test out what he could now accomplish in the Astral, but there was a mystery to solve first.
He quietly made his way down to the basement of the keep, then into the sub-basement that had been revealed as the demon came crashing through the building. Most of it was destroyed in the direction of the bridge, admitting sunlight and revealing the unusual foundation in more detail.
Ethan looked around, taking in the circular structure, surrounded by a square perimeter. Next he moved to the more intact section, and let his hand trail along the walls, feeling the scratched surface under his fingers. It was that sensation which finally connected the dots for him.
“I know why this place both felt familiar, and confusing at the same time. It actually reminds me of two separate places,” he said.
“I have no recollection of visiting ruins such as these, either with your or my previous master,” Tomo said. Interestingly, he’d taken on a physical presence again, and was likewise feeling the stone–though he did it with both of his left arms. The second emerged from behind his shoulder, though it was disguised by the kimono’s wide sleeves.
“You weren’t there when I first saw it,” Ethan said, “though Valanor was. When I first arrived in this world, I was in the Northern mountains, where the prince was hunting Revan–Flagras then. There were tunnels carved throughout the place, with pictures that had either faded, or been scratched out like these.”
“It’s possible they’re connected,” Tomo said, “but also possible that at some point in history, all traces of the past were being destroyed. Such things have been known to happen, especially when a land is conquered by a foreign invader.”
Ethan nodded. “True, and that’s partly why I wanted to explore. I found a room in that mountain that could seemingly only be accessed through a rift. Deevee’s egg was in there, and the pictures carved into the walls were untouched.” He shook his head in frustration. “I had no context though, so I only remember them as monsters and…hmm.”
“What is it?” Tomo asked.
“The swirls. I remember the swirls because I had just seen them in a previous room, and kept seeing them after I left.”
“The spirals,” Tomo corrected. “They represent cycles, Dawn, Dusk, Twilight. The symbol of the gods.”
“Indeed,” Ethan said, then turned to look at Tomo. “But I remembered it because there were four spirals in the carvings I found.”
The Familiar cocked his head. “I have never heard of such things,” he said. “The implications…”
“Exactly. If it was truly a holy symbol, and it’s been scratched out in multiple places across the kingdom…well, rewritten history about the gods, who do you think would be interested in that?” he asked, while moving into the side passage.
“You suspect the Church,” Tomo said. “Four spirals might imply…”
“A fourth god? A fourth world? A fourth race? A lot of things come in threes around here, have you noticed that?”
Tomo shrugged. “And some not. You have four Affinities.”
“True, but I have three Bonds. It’s only together that they create a fourth.” Ethan shook his head. “We’re way out in the realm of speculation right now, Tomo, but these questions have been bothering me for a long time. Lathander, the Chosen I met started it by telling me the three worlds were ‘destined to collide’. Three into one.”
“And the vision you had of Prince Kentevaro,” Tomo said quietly. “The other Chosen accused him of holding back the true gods.”
“Exactly. We don’t have enough information; I know that. But I also know there’s a lot of moving pieces here, and I think the Church is at the heart of it. Part of me wants to believe they’re nothing but evil monsters–I want to justify destroying them. But they’re a world-spanning organization who’ve presumably been doing this for centuries–millennia maybe. That much effort has to have a purpose.”
“Power is often purpose enough,” Tomo supplied, and Ethan was forced to concede that point. Tomo then stopped and looked at him. “You said this place reminded you of two locations, what is the other one?”
“That’s what really threw me. Partly I was remembering a real place, and partly I was remembering a description from someone else.” He turned and gestured to the ruins. “Ancient, green stone construction, a circular chamber surrounded by a square one. Sound familiar yet?”
“I do not believe so,” Tomo replied.
“You may not have been watching as closely when Savilar sketched out the Forgotten City in the dirt,” Ethan said.
“The Dimensional Bleed?” Tomo said in surprise. He looked around again, considering. “You may be right that there’s some similarities, but the odds of two Bleeds in the same region, pulling from similar architecture…”
“Extraordinarily unlikely according to Selina. If they really are connected, it’s one more mystery to solve. But look at this,” he gestured, and the demon followed him to the central chamber, then through the large, broken door.
“If this were some kind of reflection of the city–maybe even a smaller version of it, we’d be in the mysterious fifth layer right now. The one place no one has managed to enter–the place the Church wants.” He gestured at the long room, covered in empty shelves. “Something was also in here. But it’s gone now.”
“There is more wisdom to your thinking than I realized, Ethan Bishop,” Tomo said. Then his head tilted again. “These shelves…this whole level really. It was sealed long ago, it must have been.”
“Of course, so?” Ethan asked.
“So why is there so little dust? Outside, the rubble has covered everything in a fresh layer, but here, where it is untouched, almost nothing.”
Ethan frowned, then channeled his inner boy-scout, licking a finger and feeling for air currents. Oddly the air was flowing out of the room freely, despite being a dead end. That prompted the pair to explore.
“Another secret?” Ethan asked. “Maybe a hidden room?” The thought proved too ambitious, but they did find the source of the breeze when Ethan finally scaled the walls and inspected the ceiling.
“There are vents here…air chutes,” he said in surprise. “I don’t know if this is a common construction practice, but again this is just like the mountains. I crawled through one of these things to get inside.” He dropped from the ceiling.
“More connections,” Tomo said. “If the construction of this structure matches one to the North, then either they’re all Bleeds…”
“Or none of them are,” Ethan finished. The two stood in silence for a few minutes, both staring at the empty shelves. What had been here?