Chapter 4- The Regularly Scheduled Existential Crisis

“Come on, Riley,” Tobias said, kicking out the chair beside him. It flew back, toppling end over end as his eyes went wide.

“Still getting the nuance right, sorry,” Tobias rose quickly, gripping the fallen chair like he could break it with a glance.

“Deja Vu,” Riley remarked, then looked away as Tobias got it centered.

“Hop up,” He slapped it twice.

“Fineee....” She replied, dragging it out.

“I still don’t understand why you’re so reluctant, and I’m in your head,” sitting down, he set his hands on his knees as Riley dutifully took the proffered seat.

Riley fidgeted with her paws, her ears going crooked, “It’s...” The thought caught.

Tobias straightened up, “I see.”

Angrily, she pointed a paw at him, “That’s not fair!”

“Riley, being obstinate is not control. It’s...” This time, Tobias trailed off.

“Stupid,” She flattened her ears as anger bubbled like a patient fire.

“Well, it is,” Tobias crossed his arms.

“Maybe so, but it’s also a reminder that I’m not... I’m not...” she began, as Tobias reached out and set a hand behind her ears, unable to make sense of the surging emotional noise, working like jamming in his head.

“I’m not me anymore,” she said quickly, her projected voice as silent as a whisper.

Tobias laughed, causing her ears to fall flat again as she looked at him with horror.

“Sorry, but that’s absurd. Riley, you’ve always been you. You’re a bundle of pop culture references and utter chaos. Have you ever stopped to think that one of the reasons you’re the way you are is because the pieces that make you up naturally synergized?” Tobias offered.

“Even the Erkrandir?” She squeaked.

“I wouldn’t trust you around an unmanned fruit cart,” he replied with a wry smile.

Riley ducked her head, “ok, that is fair. I hadn’t thought about it that way.”

“I’ve seen the memories. The jackrabbit and the human girl both responded to fight an impossible fight. You saved a child. Then the celestial put you back together, right? That’s at least what Grimm told you?” Tobias shook his head just as Riley shook hers.

“Those memories are fuzzy, but you got the gist, yeah,” she confirmed.

“Well, it seems to me the fates knew what they were doing because you, who you are now, is the result, and I thank the Gods for all of you, including your utter oddness. You aren’t the human girl, you aren’t the jackrabbit, and you aren’t the Erkrandir, but they all makeup parts of you. We all have our influences. How much do I quote Granda or think of him? ” Tobias’ words rang with undeniable conviction.

“Huh...I’m not the human girl. Seems obvious when I say it out loud, but I’m not the old Riley either. I’m my own Riley. I’m something new. I’m... my own person...” Riley felt the ground beneath her psyche firm like quicksand, slowly beginning to dry. Confidence began to spark as something within began to calcify.

I’m... me.

“Which is why it’s stupid to run from something that’s a part of you. I know you like being you, Riley, even if you do miss thumbs,” Tobias leaned back in the chair until it creaked.

“I do like being me. I do...” She blinked in surprise, cocking her head to one side to look at her paws. The white socks dusted grey from transit across the wooden floors and the stony balcony outside.

“I’ll try,” she looked up towards Tobias with a new conviction.

“Atta girl, so let’s begin. Cademon and Eastmund will be here soon,” he replied, willing the prompt forward.

Riley sighed and projected within, “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. I’m still new to this whole thing. Truce?”

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A feeling, more akin to the impression of a thought, bubbled up from her subconscious.

Prompt windows flared to life before her, exclamation points blinking in the upper right corner of her vision.

“You have begun to make an uneasy peace with deeper elements of your being, unlocking areas of progression you once stifled through willful stubbornness. Congratulations!'"

You have lost the debuff “Prompt Brevity”

You have ascended to the First Tier and unlocked a hidden and lost pathway of progression within the magic. Congratulations!

*Your health has dramatically increased.*

*Your speed has dramatically increased*

*Your mana has dramatically increased*

*Your stamina has dramatically increased*

You have ascended with your bond, and your souls have become entwined!

Entwined Souls: Racial and passive abilities are now shared with your sorcerer, Tobias. What’s more, you are now bonded even tighter together. You each now share memories, emotions, and thoughts instinctively. You are bound in ways not even death or the Weavers can sunder.

You have unlocked *Builds*

Riley of Astor

Current Build: Ranger Druid

Bonus Damage to all spells cast, offensive, defensive, and restorative

Enhanced Mana Regeneration

Entwined Soul, Tobias of Astor

Current Build: Ranger Spellsword

Bonus Damage to all spells cast through any magical blade or weapon.

Greater Stamina, Strength, and Mana Regeneration

Further builds can be unlocked when certain hidden conditions are met, or choices are made!

You have unlocked the Quest and Mission tracker. This informational system will now track assignments made and quests given. Congratulations!

Mission: Pursue the Traitor Network

Status: Active

Assigned by: The King of Ashes

Reward: Unknown

Mission: Greyblade Evaluation

Status: Active

Assigned by: General Ecbert

Reward: Unknown

Hidden quest revealed!

Mission: ???

Status: Active

Assigned by: WC

Name: ???

Conditions: ???

Reward:???

You have unlocked the ability “Augmented Reality Overlay”

Augmented Reality Overlay:

Background Ability

Description: A small amount of ambient mana per second generated will now be fed into your informational construct enabling the detection of otherwise hidden glyphs, runes, and magical fields.

This ability integrates with your analyze ability, prompting known and sensed information to automatically populate in your overlay! You can now see auras and the emanations of magical traps, hidden doors, and other elements of arcana even if stealthed. Be warned this can be affected by the level of the item or the caster or other factors of talent and ability.

I’m here to help!

You have unlocked the following abilities:

Righteous Flame: First Tier holy fireball that feeds upon corruption and chaos, burning it away.

Death Bolt: A coalescent mass of chaos energy that accelerates the decay of mortal life

Death’s Gardner: You can now control up to ten vines and can naturally imbue them with Holy or Chaos energy, manifesting in a variety of effects

Celestial Medic: Cure major and life threatening wounds, including the ability to regrow severed limbs or reconstruct pulverized bones.

Recall from the Reaper: You can now resurrect the recently dead. Warning: You cannot fight the weavers and win.

Meta-Human Resiliency: What wants to kill you, better pack a lunch. Your healing and resiliency to damage are increased.

Veil of Night: Beware that which lurks in the dark! Your veil now shields you from detection and obscures you from view. This spell now has a 100% chance of success against all those one level higher and below you.

Note: This can be affected by powerful items and competing gifts.

Your build and entwined souls have gifted you the following abilities from your partner.

Firebolt: Regular, Chaos, Holy

Flame Wall: Regular, Chaos, Holy

Flare: Encase your target in an aura of flame. Note: This ability can be infused with your Holy and Chaos Magics.

All Abilities are currently at 20% Progression to Tier 1-1 of 10.

Good luck, partner!

Tobias blinked as Riley looked up towards him, “Did you get all that?”

“Yes, and I looked over our character sheet. I think it’s called multi-tasking? I’m a spellsword; you’re a druid. It’s interesting, is this more from the game you remember?” He smiled wide.

Riley reached for the memories, going for the details, but all she found was a hole, “I dunno, but probably? I’m more intrigued by the quest system. What do you want to bet WC is Weaver Central?”

Tobias shrugged, “We have enough mysteries to keep us busy for now. That one will keep until it decides to reveal itself, I suppose.”

“But I want my experience points!” Riley complained.

Tobias looked confused before his eyes lit up in recognition, “I’m afraid the real world doesn’t work that way.”

“Says the expert. It could; some authors say it could,” Riley huffed, dancing around Tobias in a loop.

“Fiction Riley. Not real. The idea of anyone writing like that for a living... It boggles,” Tobias said while he tried to track the hare.

“From what I remember, it boggles a lot of them too, but yeah, me launching fireballs between my ears, that’s any other day. It’s perfectly normal,” Riley drooped.

“Here it is,” Tobias agreed with a shrug.

A knock rang out, shaking her out of her regularly scheduled existential crisis.

“Open up, you two, in the name of the King!” Caedmon cried.

“It’ll keep for now. Time for a working breakfast,” Tobias said, rising and patting her ears as he walked by.