Ya, know? It has been one shitty week for me. Shitty homeworks, shitty houseworks, shitty test… And now, I come home turn last chap on to see that poll has been won by bloody plague! Come on! I mean… skinwalker is so cool! Guyz! Imagine that you want someone killed! Just turn into his loved one and smiling & looking him in the eyes stab him in the heart! But noooo! Let’s go more into DPS! And I had so many more side events… all ruined!... ok. It’s not like I don’t have anything prepared for other classes but… Ah. Just fuck you and here thy chap.
You have finished [Dungeon Purification] QuestReward:
- 4 200 exp
- 00g75s00c
You have leveled up. You are now [20] lvl
You can now rank up your [class]
I have been wondering which one I should chose. Rejecting Wendiego took be about 3 seconds, by description I could guess that this class would focus on turning into magical berserk. Maybe if I wasn’t a Devourer in the first place that could be little more tempting… also I didn’t suffer to become a mage only to start swinging my arms in “chop-chop” manner.
And then dilemma appeared: Plague or skinwalker. Skinwalker indeed was tempting… Not only for combat but in real life… I could get everywhere, pretend to be anyone, take everything I want without anyone noticing… I could have also play a prank on Ruby… No, no, no, no! I can’t pick a class for sole purpose of annoying particular person! And Plague… what could I get by picking a plague? Disease resistance was like a miracle – it would greatly reduce backlashes from [Mad scientist], not sayin’ that I could cause a plague at casually walk among dying and suffering, looking upon their decaying bodies… Weeeeell… that’s in theory. For somehow I doubted that I would be able to cast anything more serious than flu…
So… I am struggling in picking between sneaky crowdcontrol and aoe damage curses… Well, up until now I have been picking mostly control-damage classes… Whatever, let’s score some more Aira’s affection points - here it comes…
You have successfully ranked your class up. Your class is now [Plague Spreader]
Your [Chaos Magic] has leveled up
Your [Chaos Magic] has leveled up
Your [Chaos Magic] has leveled up
You have learned new manifestations of [Chaos Magic]Infect- Fever
- Dizziness
- Exhaustion [power up]
- Flu
Corrupt[Spell that may influence the behavior of target into far more aggressive, also toward their allies]
[Effects may be permanent]
[Effects depend on target]
[Effects may be seen on the target's body]
Achievement unlocked: [Wrath Of Goddess]Pick one of following classes:- Paladin
- Witch hunter
- Exorcist
- Guardian of the Forest
- Men Tracker
- Plague Spreader
- AntiPaladin
- War Binder
- Demonologist
Aira, is incarnation of purest love. She is a child which laugh always makes my day brighter, is a lover that rests her head on my shoulder, is a mother that raised me with patience and my elder, that keeps teaching me about things that are important in life.
Yet, they appear to not be able to comprehend it. They are coming to the forest, the house of my love, and keep cutting it down, burning down the groves and slaying all the animals that lives in them. They don't need to do so, they are not hungry, nor cold. They kill for sole purpose of killing.
I will be the one to defend those, who can't defend itself. I am the voice of forest, hear it challenging you! One leaf, one bone, one tree, one city. This shall be my punishment.
Aira is forgiving and merciful. I am not.
General InformationNameZarielLevel[20/NA] [811/20 000 exp]Age16/NARaceChimera [Divine]ClassDark Hierophant [Plague Spreader]JobAlchemistTitleThe one who forge his own fate
Champion slayer
Deadly Arena Champion
The Great Duelist
The Wild Mage
Mad Scientist
Health391/420Stamina280/340Mana620/620AttributesStrength40 (added 5)Vitality42 (added 1)Endurance34 (added 1) Constitution35 (added 1)Dexterity55 + 4 Reflex40 + 3 (added 1)Intelligence62 (added 2)Wisdom50 (added 2)Spiritualism43 (added 2)Hidden AttributesLuck15 + 10 Charisma6 + 20Charm12 Unallocated points0
Me and Gisele walked down from the office back to the inn section. I morphed my ears back to the bat one so I could move more freely. I knew that those would focus attention of everyone, but I had my own story prepared.
* “Everyone! We are back! Hey? Where are our mugs?!” Gisele yelled at first cheerfully, and then irritated “… You know what!? You are terrible! Here we are after long journey and…” Aloizi came back from the bar and laid glasses right in front of us “… Never mind. Thanks sunshine!”
* “Good to see you back, Gisele, Za… ZARI WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOUR HEAD! THESE THINGS ARE HORRBILE!”
* “For fuck sake! Don’t yell! My head is going to split! These are sensitive, you know?!” I said massaging my oversized ears.
* “B…b…but these things! They will hunt me in my dreams! How did you get them!? Some kind of curse?! Zari! For merciful goddesses! You are not supposed to put on your head everything that you would find in a cursed dungeon!”
* “Exactly, Zari… tell us one more time how you managed to grow there…” Dragoness said almost mockingly. Oh yes, she wanted me to confess… Nope. Not yet sweetheart.
* “You are well aware that I am druid? It’s modification I am going to use till I would get my eyes back.”
Someone chuckled.
* “Sure thing. Look at me, I am a Zari, growing additional pair of eye is nothing for me, but until then let me parade with those fancy ears on my head!”
* “Look at me, I am Loki and I can’t shut myself up.” I frowned in response. “Just give me a break. I have shitload of stiff to do from tomorrow morning. I just want to drink couple of mugs, eat and rest.”
* “So ya don’t need to talk to your friends?” Gerwazy pretended to be offended “Oh, I see. We are nothing but a hindrance!”
* “You? Of course you are my friends. Loki is not.”
I didn’t even noticed when Marika vanished from her chair in front of me at sat over my laps.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
* “Zari, you smell different today!”
* “Is that a big deal? I didn’t have a proper bath since…”
* “I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT BODY! Your aura is different!”
* “Better or worse?”
* “…Just different. It used to be like a glade covered in dew… Fresh and calm, now it’s more like old and inaccessible deep forest. Mysterious and frightening… I still like it. So much like home…” and she burrowed her face in me.
* “You just said that I don’t think about you as of friend… Yet Marika is using me as bloody pillow! She doesn’t even recognize me as a person! Just look! I am comp[lately objectified!”
* “Thehe…” Marika responded.
We talked a longer while, cheering and drinking. We stayed bit longer than we were supposed to, but the fun I had was worth being a little bit exhausted at the morning…
… It wasn’t fucking worth it to stay with them for so long! My head!
OK… steady now… Zari…. GET.. UP! MAXIMUM! EFFORT!
The daily rituals. Get up, wash face, get dressed, sacrifice a virgin, eat a breakfast – which is most important meal in a day! Say hello to Mike as I was leaving… and here my daily ritual broke.
* “Hey asshole. Nice ears.” Cat girl from behind a counter called.
* “Hello Kitty, how was your week? The visit at vet gone well? You don’t have any fleas left?”
* “I NEVER HAD ANY IN FIRST PLACE! Hmph! I will just enjoy myself with the very idea that you will walk through the city looking like a savage monster…”
* “And you are a bitch. I can hide those ears, but you can’t unbitch yourself. Saying so, have a nice day. I will remember to but some catnip.”
* “DON’T YOU EVEN FUCKING DARE! Oh, wait.”
* “The hell do you want now?!”
* “…Look, if I could I wouldn’t even talk to you, but I still want to work in this place so: Someone from council came here and asked if.: “Mr. Zarile would be so kind to visit the Embassy of the council.” They had some politic shit do discuss… Hey, how do you think, are they going to deport you? Would be great.”
* “Highly unlikely. They are trying to bribe me in every possible way to join them.”
* “Why won’t you just say yes?”
* “Oh, you want me to become someone influential?”
* “No. I won’t you to leave this place. For good. Doesn’t matter for me if that means that you would become a beggar or king.”
I just dropped another insult over my shoulder and slammed the door. Now… the fuck they want? Whatever it is, I hope that it would be well-paid and non time-consuming.
My walk through the city wasn’t disturbed by anything, mostly because people were afraid of weird looking white haired kid with ears bigger than his whole head.
* “Morning…” I said after entering the main building of political department of council… or so I hope… “I am expected by… to be honest I have no idea who is expecting me. I was only asked to come here.”
* “Sure sunshine…” Old woman said from the other side of counter. Her tone told me, that she was more than annoyed by the very fact of my appearance “Just tell me your name and sit in lobby. Someone will eventually come to pick you up. Maybe”
… Is it an “international day of bitches behind the counters” today?!
* “I am supposed to… wait?” I just wanted to clarify things.
* “Oh, pardon me, sunshine, for not welcoming you as a royalty, our red carpet is currently drying.”
… What a whore! And actually, I AM a royal blood… well… that’s complicated.
So I sat there… and sat… and after god only knows how long I heard woman telling some other girl.
* “Hey, check if someone is waiting for so called “Zariel”. Brat is acting all high and mighty. I have no idea what anyone could want from such a kid, yet still…”
That woman made me wait for half an hour and didn’t even bothered to actually appoint me? Oh my… oh my, my, my… somebody here doesn’t think highly of me… maybe I will use the fact that she doesn’t know that I know that she knows…
I raised from the chair, and start nervously walking in circles. After about two minutes I heard hurried steps from the stairways. By nervous half-whispered words I deducted that he’s the guy that want to talk with me.
So… ShowTime?
* “Excuse me…” I said in louder and far more angered tone than usually “… may I know how much longer am I supposed to wait?”
* “Easy sunshine! If you are expected someone will come to you event…”
* “No. I am afraid you don’t understand a damn. My time is precious. If I am asked to come, and then no one even comes to actually tell me what the hell is going on… Tell, whoever wanted to see me, that I am really pissed off now. And whatever they wanted to do, they are going to do it without me. And it will be far less likely for me to answer any other invitation from the council. If they are not going to treat me seriously, neither I will treat seriously them. Farewe…”
* “Mr. Zariel! Please! Please wait a second!”
Some middle-aged man accelerated speed of descending.
* “Your name sir.” I asked harshly
* “Damian Adams! Head director of branch of raci…”
* “Mr. Adams.” I interrupted him boldly “… maybe it’s because I am spoiled, but I grew in belief that my time is pretty expensive resource, and when I am invited somewhere, whatever are reason of that invitation, I would prefer waiting for no longer than five minutes.”
* “B…but I came right after I was informed…”
* “You did?” I acted surprised “Well, I have been waiting for more than an hour…”
Man was more than shocked. Probably he turned pale, but I couldn’t tell because… you know, eyes.
* “That must be some kind of misunderstanding… It simply can’t be. We were sure to make your visit a top priority for today and…”
* “Is that so? Well, I was only told that, lemme quote “If I am expected someone will eventually come to pick me up…””
* “Y… You must forgive us. Somewhere someone failed. I will find a guilty and he or she shall face consequences… now, if you could… please follow me…”
And we start moving, but not to the higher floors but deeper underground.
* “May I know why am I needed?”
I asked after some more time.
* “Please, just few more minutes. The reason is… not to be discussed freely.”
* “I am sorry for losing my composure…” I said when I was sure “I just have few more places to visit today… and I got nervous. I shouldn’t yell, and even if, I shouldn’t yell at you. Please accept my apolo…”
* “No! Please, do not apologize! You are mostly wanted young magician by every organization in country. It is more than acceptable to value your own time… may I know if there is any way we could help you with your time management? Maybe something to order? Someone to notify? We have many errand boys, so if you need anything, just ask.”
* “Well, I am not sure if that a proper request… but could you prepare for me a book or two in the library about Hydras?”
* “Consider it done” Damian only looked at the girl that up until now was following us. She ran away.
* “Now, I think we can begin talking…” He said as we got already three floors deeper “… as you probably remember, in the ruins of the ancients you have discovered intelligent species.”
* “Those mantises? Funny bunch…”
* “They are here.”
* “Hm? What do you mean by that?”
* “We transported the queen with few dozens of her children and… partners. Now they are living in rooms and corridors below the council.”
* “I hope you didn’t do it against their will.”
* “No! Of course that no! We merely pointed out few profits that they could achieved by visiting us…”
* “Ok. I see. Still, why do you needed to tell me about it so quickly? Giving it highest priority?”
Damian coughed.
* “I was also asked to inform you… that you are an ambassador of Neira Kingdom delegated to deal with this specific race…”
* “I AM NOT EVEN A CITIZEN OF NEIRA! I AM HERE AS FREELANCER!”
* “The Hive Mind insisted to see you…”
* “Oh, I bet she does! But I am not concern about her, she is intelligent, but pure and naive. It’s like she is not able to plan any mischief. As if concept of lying is completely new to her. What am I concern about, is that Council is trying to force me into its ranks!”
* “…”
* “Just as I though. Just to make it clear. I will talk to her. Maybe I will visit every one in a while, but if you think that I am going to do any paper work… just think twice.”
* “We couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Oh, you could. You can. And you are going to ask. If not today then tomorrow. If not tomorrow then day after. For me it means only that I have to pick as many quests as possible, to be away from the city as long as possible. Not that I mind. I want to explore the world.
* “We are here… Mr. Zariel, if I could ask you to… change. Because the Hive is still new in this territory, we allowed them to set up their own security system. If you want to walk any further, you have to let them now via psionic powers. Otherwise…”
* “Me? You are not coming?”
* “Oh, no. We are trusting you. Feel free. She is expecting you. And… I will be waiting here. Just to show you a way out when you will be done.”
He bowed his head and sat on the bench. What a pain in the ass.
I morphed my body a little, connected myself with the Hive, focused and send a message.
* “I am coming in, would be grateful if you wouldn’t tore me into pieces…”
I didn’t even finished the message when I got my answer back.
* “Strange one! Come on! Come on! Let me see you!”
The map of corridors was send to my head showing me how is should reach the lair.
Reaching the lair didn’t take me long. Yet still I noticed that insects were adapting the halls to their liking it was much more messy here.
The floor of Queen chamber was filled with books, all around the place in strange order some monuments were standing.
* “It’s you! It’s really you! I had my doubts when they told me that they are going to transport me in same place that you are living, and then they kept talking to me that you are unreachable. I thought that they lied to me… The very concept of lying is so strange… you as a race are strange…”
* “And you are foolish. Why did you come here?!”
* “They told us that they would grant us the knowledge. They told us about their concept of letters and books. Right now we are learning this whole… alphabet.”
* “Yes, but now you are in place where they can reach you easily. You have lost most of your power that you could use during negotiations. You took a huge risk.”
* “I also took a risk when I listen to someone telling me that we should attack the King of the Ruins… That someone told us that it’s time for a leap. Leap in evolution, leap in food chain, leap in knowledge…”
* “Trust me, Council is far more frightening than a mere monster.”
* “Maybe. Maybe the time will come when we will regret this. For now, we are happy for the gifts that we received… and we are happy that you rebuked our actions. We were afraid that you may be on “Their side”, we are happy that our wellbeing is really a concern of yours.”
No. I am simply annoyed. I am rebuking you only because your actions gave me even more work to do. Eh, whatever.
* “Okay…” I said sitting on the floor in front of the queen “… you want knowledge? Fine by me. Now, I will tell you everything I know about human nature, lies, false promises, using each another and negotiations. First thing first. There are two rules for success; One: never reveal everything you know…”
I waited some time
* “And the second one…?”
NO! NO PLEASE NO! THINK!
* “Please… repeat what I have just said, and try answering your own question…”
* “Never re… Oh. I see. Smart. Tricky. That’s how all of you think?”
* “Most. We are far more differential than you. We have smarter and less smart individual. But in council only smart on works, this is why you always have to be on guard…”
I kept lecturing queen about common senses for next hour or two. She almost didn’t want to let me go. Each time I finished one topic, she asked for two next. Her hunger for knowledge was terrifying.
In the end I managed to “run away” by pointing out that it has to be a book about psychology and some stories about betrayal, lies… common adventure romance books… that she should read… to read she has to learn alphabet… and from word to word she excused me for “she needed to start studying again”… poor little creature! I just tricked you! After teaching you about tricking for whole hours! Poor, poor you.
* “How did it go?” Damian asked as soon as I left the new Hive lair.
* “I told her that she shouldn’t trust you that much.”
* “Haha!”
* “I am not joking.”
* “… B…By the way. Your request regardless book has been taken care of. All you have to do is to visit the library and ask for your reservation… but… may I ask how are you going to read them without…”
* “Eyes? I will not. But I will use my unquestionable charm to seduce some poor girl and ask her to read me a page or two… eventually I will threaten her that if she wouldn’t do as I ask, I will slaughter her whole family…”
* “Please, refrain yourself from threatening someone’s life. It’s serious matter here…”
* “I was joking. Now, pardon me…”
I excused myself and left the building to take care of rest things I had to do. There still were three places I had to visit.
11 pages 3.5k words. Just sayin’