CHAPTER 7
Meanwhile, back in the trees, the group could see the situation unraveling quickly. Their savior - the figure, got pulled into a teleportation portal unexpectedly, and given how powerful the man-wolf was, let’s just say that the figure isn’t coming back anytime soon. “Where’d he go?” Zack asked, looking around frantically.
“Let’s just… go quickly.” Lex muttered as he pulled out the Linker. The Linker shimmered again, and a soft, golden mist formed an arrow-like shape, pointing steadily toward the eastwest. “We’re off course a little…” He looked at the surroundings, they were deep in the forest where there were still trees, which was both good news and bad news. Good since it would be easier to lose their pursuers, bad because there were going to be other dangerous beasts and animals to be wary of. “Follow me.” Lex commanded in a low voice.
He leapt onto a nearby branch, then continued to walk forward towards the end of the branch, balancing by sticking out both arms. “We’re going to travel tree by tree.” His deduction was quite wise, as there were indeed less beasts up here, and the wolves couldn’t notice them all the way up there either.
Level Up!
Art of Climbing Lvl. 0 → 1
The ability to scale various surfaces with agility and precision. It includes techniques for navigating steep, challenging terrains, relying on a climber's balance, strength, and stamina. The higher you go, the less you scream on the way down. (Falling hurts.)
As the group went their way (some more graceful than others), they each acquired the new skill “art of climbing”, as well as earning some good proficiency. Lex and Etal by far seemed to have the least problems in travelling atop of trees, given their acrobatic like poses as they leapt from branch to branch, vine to vine, and even tree to tree. Their newfound skill provided some comfort, though their uneven pace left gaps in their line. The forest around them grew quieter, an eerie stillness settling over the air. One thing that they didn’t account for was that the fewer monsters there were in an area, the more likely there was a tyrant ruling the place, kicking out many of the smaller monsters.
“Why’s it so quiet?” Zack asked, pausing to catch his breath. His question was answered by a loud crash nearby, continued with loud flapping sounds which became increasingly louder, and a deep and terrifying roar. “What the hell’s coming after us now!?” Zack yelled, pissed off. Big monster noises didn’t help one calm down as they tiresomely traverse through climbing trees, it seemed. That was when the group saw a massive creature - a tyrant beast, its body an unsettling fusion of feline grace and serpentine menace, topped off with tiny wings that shouldn’t be able to hold its weight. Though it clearly did if the fact that it was currently diving towards the group at a high speed wasn’t an indication.
The beast’s snake-like eyes gleamed with intelligence as it came closer. It had claimed this part of the forest as its territory, and intruders were not welcome. “Move!” Lex yelled, snapping the group out of their daze.
Branches cracked like thunder under the beast’s weight. Zack swung wildly with his branch, but the creature dodged easily, its claws scraping bark as it lunged. Lex ducked under a swipe, rolling across a thick limb. “Split up!” he shouted, hurling a piece of wood he had just broken off a branch at the beast. It bounced harmlessly off its hide, but the distraction worked.
Amelia stumbled as she turned, her foot slipping. She cried out, gripping the branch tightly. The beast’s head snapped toward her, its eyes narrowing.
“Over here you monster!” Zack yelled, hurling another branch with so much force it was like a spear. It struck the beast’s shoulder, but wasn’t enough to damage it. It turned with a snarl. Zack met its gaze, defiance burning in his eyes.
Level Up!
Reflexes Lvl. 0 → 1
You’re no longer a walking target. Your reaction time improves from "Wait, what?" to "Dodge this!" You can now swerve around attacks and look cool doing it. (You’ll probably catch your keys the next time you drop them.)
Intimidation Lvl. 0 → 1
The ability to instill fear or assert dominance over others through presence, body language, or spoken words. Your stare is now a weapon. You can make people second-guess their life choices just by looking at them. (You look weird staring at it, stop staring.)
She didn’t hesitate before scrambling to the next tree, knowing she had to take every chance she was given if she wanted to live. Behind her, Zack’s shouts faded into the sounds of cracking wood and the beast’s growls.
Lex and Etal had already gained ground, both moving with amazing agility.
“This way,” Etal said, his voice low but certain. He gestured toward a faint glow ahead - an ancient shrine almost hidden by vines and moss. Lex hesitated, his instincts warring with his curiosity.
“The Linker...” he murmured, glancing at the device in his hand. It pulsed brighter as they neared the shrine, its golden light resonating with the symbols carved into the stone.
“Hurry!” Etal snapped, snapping him out of his daze.
Back in the clearing, Zack’s breath came in short bursts. The beast was faster, stronger, somehow smarter. Maybe I’m just… nevermind. Zack thought. It had backed him against a thick trunk, its wings folding as it stalked closer. “I’m not afraid of you,” Zack said through clenched teeth.
The beast lunged, and time seemed to slow until a loud clang was heard, knocking it and sending the beast tumbling down the trees - originated from a very durable steel halberd wielded by none other than Jay, who had stayed back to help Zack. “This one’s got some tough skin, damnit.” Jay yelled.
“Thanks for the save though.” Zack said as he ran to catch up with the others.
“Yeah, well climbing and running through these tree’s ain't exactly easy for a guy like me.” Jay sighed.
Meanwhile, Lex and Etal moved deeper into the forest following the Linker. They stumbled upon a clearing dominated by an ancient shrine. Weathered stone pillars surrounded a central altar etched with cryptic symbols. The air here was heavy, charged with an energy that made the hairs on Lex’s arms stand on end.
“What is this place?” Lex asked, approaching the altar cautiously.
“Something old,” Etal murmured, his gaze lingering on the symbols. “Older than the Strands, maybe. Look at this.”
He pointed to an engraving of a figure holding a radiant sphere. Around the figure, strands of light connected to shapes resembling gods, humans, and beasts. Lex’s fingers brushed the carvings, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.
Before he could ponder further, a distant roar snapped him back to the present. “Crap, where’d the others go? We gotta find them.” he said, urgency lacing his words.
Etal nodded, but there was a shadow of something unreadable in his expression - knowledge he wasn’t sharing.
The separated groups converged in a clearing, as if guided by fate. Lex burst through the underbrush, his blade drawn, with Etal close behind. Zack and Jay stumbled into view from the opposite side. Lex quickly noticed something was wrong. “Where’s Amelia? She just ran off and disappeared..” Zack looked around and cursed under his breath.
The tyrant beast wasn’t far behind, its massive form crashing into the clearing.
“... I’ll go find Amelia, you guys come up with a plan to deal with that.” Lex said, pointing towards the beast. Everyone nodded. “Scatter!”
The battle was chaotic. The group darted in and out of range, striking whenever they could, their damage slowly accumulating. However, it wasn't nearly enough - only chipping away tiny pieces of its monstrous vitality. It was gonna be a long, hard battle, but it seemed that the group would definitely be able to overcome it with enough time. Until a good blow right to the creature’s face woke it up. It let out a loud noise, forcing the group to back off in caution.
Skill Activated: Rage (Berserker)
All stats doubled for the next 8 minutes. (Time scales with level.)
Dractigrisscanagardein’s Pov
The beast's vision blurred red as its rage boiled over. Its body surged with renewed strength, muscles bulging, eyes glowing with fiery intensity.
I am the lord of this domain. I AM THE GREAT DRACTIGRISSCANAGARDEIN! HOW DARE THESE INSOLENT BEINGS TREAD ON MY GROUND.
The thought rumbled like thunder in its mind, an instinct as ancient as the trees that dared to reach for the skies around it. It had claimed this forest long before these intruders dared to tread its sacred ground. Fools. They think they can escape?
Its wings flared as it flew towards the trespassers, every fiber of its body filled with power. The taste of fear hung thick in the air - a delicious, heady aroma that sharpened its senses. But there was something else, too. Something unfamiliar. A strange energy coming from the faint glow of that shrine. It made its instincts churn with unease, but also stoked its rage. Not that it had thought about it, when had that shrine showed up on its territory? Has it always been there? It shook its head, ridding itself of such thoughts.
These creatures - these fragile, pathetic intruders - reeked of something more than fear. They carried a scent of potential, of defiance. And it could not allow such insolence to fester. When one of them - short and weak-looking, flailing about with branches - met its gaze and did not flinch, something stirred within the beast.
Ah, so you wish to challenge me? I will savor your screams the most.
As the fight progressed, pain blossomed across its hide, though the injuries were superficial.
Insects. Gnats. They dare to resist me?
Rage. I am rage incarnate. I will crush them.
The Dractigrisscanagardein let out another roar, shaking the treetops as it launched itself at the bug carrying the halberd with terrifying speed. They barely managed to dodge, their halberd striking sparks as it scraped along the creature’s scaled hide. This pissed off the Dractigrisscanagardein even more.
“This thing just got a lot stronger!” Jay shouted, backing up to regroup with Zack.
“Yeah, no kidding!” Zack yelled, clutching his side where a branch had bruised his ribs during their earlier escape.
Meanwhile, Etal’s sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, calculating. “Don’t worry. The Rage skill - it’s making it stronger, but it’s also more predictable.”
“So what’s the plan, genius?” Jay snapped, ducking another swipe.
“We buy time,” Etal replied, his voice calm despite the chaos. “Lex will find Amelia, and we’ll regroup. Until then, we keep it distracted.”
Jay groaned but nodded, raising his halberd again. Zack, breathing hard, gave a shaky thumbs-up.
Lex sprinted through the forest, following faint tracks in the soft earth. His mind raced. Where could she have gone? Why didn’t I notice sooner?
The Linker in his hand pulsed faintly, its light flickering erratically. He paused, trying to steady his breath, and listened. A faint rustle to his left made him turn sharply.
“Amelia?” he called out.
A shadow emerged from the underbrush - it was Amelia, her face pale but determined.
“Lex!” she gasped. “I found something - something important.” She held out her hand, revealing a small, glowing shard that pulsed with the same golden light as the Linker.
“What is that?” Lex asked, his eyes narrowing.
“I don’t know,” Amelia admitted, “but it feels… connected. Like it’s calling to me.”
Lex hesitated, but the distant roars of the tyrant beast spurred him into action. “We’ll figure it out later. Right now, we need to regroup.”
Back in the clearing, the battle raged on. Zack, Jay, and Etal were battered but still standing. The beast, now a whirlwind of claws and fury, had forced them into a tight circle.
“Any bright ideas?” Zack panted, glancing at Etal.
“Just one,” Etal said, a smirk tugging at his lips. He raised a hand, and a faint glow surrounded his fingers. “We lure it to the shrine.”
Jay blinked. “The shrine? You think that’s gonna help?”
“Trust me,” Etal said, already leaping toward the ancient structure. The others followed, the beast hot on their heels. As they reached the shrine, Lex and Amelia burst into the clearing.
“Amelia!” Zack shouted, relief flooding his voice.
“No time to explain,” Lex said, his eyes locking onto the glowing shard in Amelia’s hand. “Use it.”
Amelia hesitated, then stepped forward, holding the shard tightly. The symbols on the shrine began to glow along with the shard. The air crackled with energy, and a spear-like projection of light solidified above the altar, instantly destroying the shard. Amelia grasped it, her movements guided by an unseen force. There was one obvious thing to do. “Everyone, move!” she shouted.
The group scattered as Amelia hurled the glowing spear with all her strength. It struck the beast square in the chest, piercing through its armored hide. The Dractigrisscanagardein let out a final, ear-splitting roar before collapsing, its massive body dissolving into black mist.
As the mist faded, the forest grew eerily quiet. The shrine’s glow dimmed, leaving only faint traces of the battle that had taken place. The group stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity, even though it was just a second, processing what had just happened. Amelia dropped to her knees, the weight of the moment crashing over her. Lex went over and knelt beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“You did it, I don’t know how, but you did,” he said softly.
Zack and Jay approached, both battered but smiling. “Nice throw,” Zack said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Etal, standing near the altar, studied the remaining carvings with a thoughtful expression. “This shrine... it’s more important than we thought.”
Lex glanced at him, frowning. “What do you mean?”
Etal’s gaze darkened. “This isn’t just any shrine. It’s connected to the Strands - and to something much older. These carvings,” he pointed to a central motif of intertwining lights, “they depict an origin story. Not just of the Strands but of the balance between order and chaos. And we’re standing in the middle of it.”
Lex’s frown deepened. “How do you know this?”
Etal hesitated, his eyes flickering with something unspoken. “I’ve seen these symbols before,” he admitted. “Back in the archives of my home. My family studied ancient relics like this… before the war.” His voice lowered, as though reluctant to share more. “There are stories about places like this - shrines that hold dormant power. If the Chaos Organization knows about it…”
The group exchanged uneasy looks as the weight of his words settled over them.
“So what? Are we sitting on some doomsday device?” Zack said. “Cause if we are, I vote we run.”
“We can’t just leave it,” Etal said sharply, his usual calm replaced by a rare urgency. “If this shrine falls into the wrong hands, it could tip the balance of power. This place wasn’t meant to be found.”
“Yet here we are,” Lex muttered, glancing at the Linker. “And something tells me this thing led us here for a reason.”
Average Stats: (holy crap the stats took forever to make - I'm not too good at these things 😭)
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Male:
Strength: 20
Agility: 18
Endurance: 20
Intelligence/Wisdom: 15
Mental Fortitude: 15
Charisma: 17
Female:
Strength: 15
Agility: 22
Endurance: 17
Intelligence/Wisdom: 20
Mental Fortitude: 17
Charisma: 20
Name
Stats
#
Occupation(s)
Level #
Strand
Amelia Lu
Strength
15
Sorcerer
4
Harmonic Nexus
You are the eye of the storm. Where others see chaos or order, you see their potential union - Ometecuhtli (The god of duality. Duality was the Aztec idea that pairs of opposite forces make up the world. These pairs include male and female, light and dark, motion and stillness, and order and disorder.)
Agility
25
Endurance
10
Intelligence/Wisdom
38
Mental Fortitude
5
Charisma
25
Abilities
Level #
Proficiency
Basic Magic Knowledge
5
12%
Fireball
6
15%
Energy Shield
3
11%
Rapier Mastery
3
76%
Art of Climbing
1
78%
Balance of the Cosmos
1
0%
Perquisites
Strand-User (+5 All stats)
Name
Stats
#
Occupation(s)
Level #
Strand
Zack Bright
Strength
25
Combatant
4
None
Agility
23
Endurance
18
Intelligence/Wisdom
39
Mental Fortitude
19
Charisma
45
Abilities
Level #
Proficiency
Basic Combat Knowledge
5
69%
Gauntlet Mastery
5
96%
Brawling
3
53%
Art of Climbing
2
56%
Intimidation
1
0%
Perquisites
None
Name
Stats
#
Occupation(s)
Level #
Strand
Lex Pearce
Strength
30
Sorcerer
5
Demi-Strand: foresight/forethought & fire (Prometheus)
Agility
28
Endurance
20
Intelligence/Wisdom
45
Mental Fortitude
26
Charisma
45
Abilities
Level #
Proficiency
Basic Magic Knowledge
6
87%
Archery
7
7%
Tactical Awareness
2
54%
Dagger Mastery
6
93%
Art of Climbing
3
72%
Perquisites
Demi-Strand User (+2 All Stats)
Name
Stats
#
Occupation(s)
Level #
Strand
Jay Solvayne
Strength
45
Combatant
6
None
Agility
19
Endurance
29
Intelligence/Wisdom
35
Mental Fortitude
31
Charisma
19
Abilities
Level #
Proficiency
Basic Combat Knowledge
6
0%
Halberd Mastery
7
0%
Brawling
6
0%
Art of Climbing
2
28%
Perquisites
None
Name
Stats
#
Occupation(s)
Level #
Strand
Etal Solvayne
Strength
21
Combatant
6
None
Agility
32
Endurance
19
Intelligence/Wisdom
42
Mental Fortitude
19
Charisma
21
Abilities
Level #
Proficiency
Basic Combat Knowledge
6
37%
Chakram Mastery
6
26%
Art of Climbing
4
5%
Perquisites
None