DAY 31

I snapped back awake, trying to tuck my head as I fell but was unable to react fast enough to process that I was already laying on a bed. This room wasn't familiar, it smelled of fear and strangers. It stank of Humans and strangers. Lanterns burned bright, searing my eyes. I needed to get out, get back to the forest where I could hide deep in the ground. The darkness would hide me, the crawlers would fill the aching void in my core. Then when night fell and these foul humans were nightblind I could hunt them. Ugly things were wrapped around me. Human clothes. They were mocking me!

Rolling onto the floor I grabbed at the lantern, wanting to smash it and burn this foul place. There was no fire, just a glowing thing. A core, a beautiful spark of captive energy. I ripped the lantern apart and devoured the core, and then did the same to the other. Now the room was blessedly dark, and my aching hunger had lessened slightly.

The door wasn't locked, and a cautious sniff around the edges didn't reveal any traps. It opened silently. I dropped low and crawled forwards to the stairs down that sharply turned.

Someone was down there, I could hear them rustling papers. Nasty humans and their paper secrets. When I rounded the stairs he looked up. When I saw him I knew, and my core screamed in rage.

"Elf!" I pounced at him, fury filling me. A burst of silver light of his horrible Elf magic pushed me back as he stared at me in shock.

I clawed at the silver barrier, cracks started to form as I tore at it. Our eyes opened and we saw him. All of us saw him.

"Karl? Are you okay?"

"Betrayer! Kill you! Eat you!" I wedged my claws into a crack and started to tear it open.

The elf backed away, grabbing for something on the desk. I almost had him, a few seconds more and I would taste Elf blood again, feeding him to their curse. He shouted a word and the paper flew at me, wrapping me in chains of light.

"No!" We would not be chained. Not again.

"Karl, I don't know if you can hear me, but this is for your own good. Please try to relax. I'm not trying to hurt you."

"Elf lies! Let us go!"

He grabbed another scroll and this one fell over us in a shower of sparks like a heavy mud, slowing our struggles. In our head we screamed our hate so we opened our mouths and let it out.

The howl drove him back and he covered his ears. With a shout he gestured and flung an Elf spell that stole our voice. Again they chained us and silenced us.

"I am so sorry, Karl." Of course the liar wasn't bound by his own magic. He still had his voice. We tried to fight as he stepped closer and jabbed a finger into our head. Oily elf magic rushed into us, drowning our fury. He jabbed us again in the chest, stealing our breath. We would not give in. We remembered worse torture than this. No pain could equal our hunger. The elf magic wormed through our body, filling us with cold. We were dying. The light was fading as we tried to follow him with our eyes. Another finger jabbed us right in the core, sending agony through us. It was killing us. The last of our energy surged.

"Liar." we hissed. Then the energy flickered out and we fell into the cold dark.

"Karl?"

The voice was uncomfortably loud. I groaned and tried to cover my ears but my hands wouldn't move. I had the worst hangover in history.

"Shit. What did I drink?" My eyes still didn't work and my arms were only flopping on my chest. Everything felt wrong, like my skin was too tight.

"How do you feel?"

"Ryan, if you roofied me I will straight up stab you." I managed to open my eyes and regretted it, the light was way too intense.

A blurry blob pressed a cup of water into my hand and helped me sit up.

"It's Nathan."

"Where am I?" This wasn't any apartment I recognized. It must be one of those "character" neighborhoods.

"We're at my house in Lakepoint. Do you not remember coming here? Do you remember what I did to you?"

"Shit. I don't remember what happened to whose butt. What time is it? Wait, it was Wednesday, I wasn't drinking. What day is it?"

The light was still painfully bright but my eyes were clearing. I rubbed my face with one hand, my face felt lumpy. Had I gotten some kind of allergic reaction? I froze when I realized I was feeling about a month worth of beard. I had just shaved last night. At least I thought I had. How long had I been unconscious? Why was I here and not in a hospital?

With rising panic I looked up at this Nathan guy standing beside the bed. Why did he have pointed ears sticking up from his beautifully styled hair?

"You don't remember? Or would it be more accurate to say you are remembering your previous life?"

"Is this some weird bohemian new age thing? Did you drug me?"

Struggling to push the sheets back, I failed to move. Glowing vines covered me, rooting me to the bed. I was still tripping balls. Was this sleep paralysis?

"Relax. Your memory should come back soon. I might have used too potent a calming spell, but at least it has freed you from the Old Ones. They nearly had you completely."

"What the hell is going on?"

"That will take a long time to explain, so let me start with saying I am a friend. You had...a bad experience and became violent. The restraints were for both of our protection. I will remove them now that you are back to yourself again."

He gestured, and the vines faded away in little sparkles. I could move again. He took a few steps back to give me space as I stood up. My body felt weird, my balance was off, and what the hell was that smell?

"I don't know what happened between us, man, or what you dosed me with, but I need to leave. Right now. Where's my phone? Where's...my clothes?"

I looked down, seeing an unfamiliar outfit. It looked like something from an anime convention, a grey suit of some kind. My pockets were empty. My hands were a mottled mix of orangish brown with patches of green. My fingernails were long and sharp, thick, clawlike.

Freaking out, I backed up until my back hit the wall. I felt sick, with a hot ball of anxiety in my gut.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Breathe. Just breathe." Nathan made slow movements, reaching towards a desk for a rolled up paper.

Searching for an exit that wasn't blocked, I glanced around the room. Words popped up, walnut walls, Arachian silk sheets, 09:42, Friday, South-East, 105 Health, 250 Stamina, 55 Mana, Return Signet Ring to House Rlarian.

It was too much. I sank down to the floor and curled up into a ball. My heart pounded out of control, and the fire in my gut spilled out. Words raced in front of me,

[Beastial Rage: +10% Maximum Health and Stamina, +25% Agility and Perception and Strength, +10% Fear and Pain Resistance. Cost 1 mana per 5 seconds.]

It rushed through me like lightning, filling me with power. With it came a rush of memories. I remembered waking up in that stinking cave, wandering the woods, meeting Jordan, killing the Barghest, coming here.

I went limp as it all rushed back. The rage vanished as soon as I dismissed it.

"Nathan. I think I was dead. Those evil things ate my mind. You saved me."

I looked up, Nathan had a Scroll of Lesser Binding ready to cast.

"Very good. You're back." He let out a long breath and put the scroll onto the desk.

I chased the floating words with my eyes, and then realized I could focus on them without having to move my eyes. There was so much more information here. I had a heads up display. Most important of all was the cog wheel on the upper right, beside the compass and clock. I selected it and the menu popped up. My eyes raced to the bottom. Log out, it highlighted when I focused on it.

"Thanks for everything, Nathan, I think I can go home now. You can keep all my stuff."

I selected the button, and when I blinked I was laying on the floor with Nathan leaning over me. My skin felt raw again, my throat sore.

"You just collapsed again. What did you try to do?"

"Shit. How long was I out for?"

"Just a moment, but you started convulsing and screaming. Whatever you just tried to do, I don't recommend trying again."

"Well at least it wasn't long enough for you to sell all my stuff."

"About that, you were unconscious for six days the last time, and I had to close the shop for a few days while keeping the Old Ones from devouring your core. I had to use most of your gold to buy supplies."

"Of course you did."

He helped me up to my feet. At the bottom of my field of vision was a slowly pulsing symbol of a cup. I was hungry, suffering -25% Health and Stamina regeneration. Another icon of a crossed out eye was bold and fresh,

[Greater Veil, +300% resistance to magical detection, 18:03:45 remaining]

"Is that Touch of the Old Ones thing gone now?"

"It is suppressed by my Veil. Without it they will find you once again. It is purely a temporary measure, but unfortunately a permanent Veil enchantment is not something I have the supplies to make right now."

"Could you teach me how to cast the Veil spell myself?"

"That would take probably months, most likely years since you don’t seem to have any training. It is a fairly advanced spell, with a considerable cost."

"Well, I never want those things in my head again. What do you need to enchant a Veil?"

"I have a variety of rings and amulets that could be used, but I lack a Shade core. They are rare in these lands, growing only in hidden, old, places. Getting one has so far been beyond the means of my suppliers. However I think you might be suited for finding one, given the location."

"Where is it?"

"Deep in the mines. About a month ago miners started going missing. The survivors reports make it likely a Shade appeared in the mines. Shades are creatures of the dark, and flee the light, but you won't be blind down there. They are silent and hard to track, but you should be able to find it. Goblins and Shades have frequently shared the same tunnels and caves, often having symbiotic relationships.

"What does it look like? How do I get its core?"

"Shades take a variety of forms, but most often they appear as animated shadows. Their stealth is unparalleled, and they are often insubstantial, but they do have a body. They can only be harmed by magical items, intense light, or gold."

"Why gold?"

"Gold is aligned with the sun, which is anathema to creatures of darkness such as themselves."

"Ah. Well, I don't have any magical items."

"You won't need one. Magical items are just those empowered by a core, which you do have. Tap into your core's power and you'll be able to kill the shadow with your claws. They are not particularly durable creatures, their powers are almost entirely in stealth. It's core however must be protected from the light. If it is exposed in the slightest it will begin to degrade. I will give you a suitable box to protect it."

"What'll happen if I eat the core? Will that create a Veil?"

"Not precisely. When you eat a core you gain some of their traits. You would become harder to see, and leave less of a trace, and perhaps become resistant to mundane injury, but also likely more sensitive to light. For an equivalent Veiling effect to occur naturally you'd need to eat hundreds of Shade cores, and finding them all may take years, and probably result in you being unable to walk in the daylight. I'm not going to follow you across all creation casting a Veil on you every morning in the meantime. Just bring the one to me and I can enchant it into a ring."

"The ring does sound easier. I'm a bit hungry. I should probably eat something before I go."

"There is plenty of time for that. Shades are most active at night anyways. Come downstairs and I'll see what we have left to eat."

Down on the second floor he started rummaging through his cold box for some bread and cheese.

"Oh damn it. I just realized I missed my ride to the castle."

"There are larger matters at hand. Don't get distracted. If the Old Ones find you again I may not be able to bring you back. Your mind could be gone forever, devoured by them. We cannot count on you having all the powers of the gods."

"I don't feel very godlike."

"Then take caution. You may very well be just as mortal as I. Rushing to your death might be the end of you."

"So how do I get into these mines?"

"The entrance is not too far away, on the south slope of the mountain. If you speak to the foreman he should be able to direct you to the appropriate tunnels. The miners have blocked them off and abandoned that section. Several of them have been murdered. A lantern is meagre protection against a hungry Shade."

"Should I bring a lantern? The Shade is strongest in the dark, right?"

"It is, but you won't be at as much of a disadvantage. You'll know when it's near. Now, I have some business to attend to, I have fallen quite behind on my work."

"Enchanting work? Do you mind if I watch? I'll stay out of your way."

"Fine, but please no interruptions, and stay back from the desk. Spoiling the process is an expensive waste."

“One last question, what if this Shade only has a Lesser core? Will that work for a Greater Veil?”

“In normal circumstances it would not, but I am a master enchanter, and can use components to their maximum effect. Even a Lesser core will suffice.”

While I ate, Nathan went to his workbench and began bringing out multiple small wooden boxes. He kept each component neatly separated. Putting on clean white gloves he brought out a silver ring and cleaned it carefully, tossing the cloth into a bin by his feet. Then he laid the ring onto a sheet of copper and used a white grease pencil to begin writing symbols in a circle around it with multiple spaces between. A section of chainmail he placed into one section, a small shell into another, a piece of hard leather in another, and last of all he brought out a small box with a Lesser Crab core. This he carefully placed inside the circle of symbols. His focus could be felt from across the room, and the fur on my arms started to stand up as energy gathered. The circle started to glow slightly, and then with a pop the force vanished. The items in the circle disintegrated into sparks that flowed into the ring. It shone with inner light for a moment before fading. The label changed to

[Ring of Lesser Warding(Silver) Durability 45/45. +15% Armour, +15% Physical and Pain Resistance]

Something else popped up in the corner of my eye. Enchanting skill line unlocked. I focused on that and it expanded. A popup window opened, but almost everything on it was greyed out question marks. Rank was 0, at 1% progress. Practically the only thing I could read was an entry for Warding, down near the bottom of the window. Maximum one trait, maximum quality lesser.

I dismissed the window and went back to watching Nathan work. Of the fifteen different enchantments he did I only learned three. Sharpness, and Resistance were added to the list, and my progress went up to 3%. There seemed to be some chance of not automatically unlocking a skill once I saw it. Each of the times he used items that seemed to be symbolic of the effect desired. Shell and leather for warding, a claw and flint for sharpness, honey and sap for an unknown enchantment on a pair of boots that probably had to do with being sticky. These items appeared on a sub window listing component materials that possessed suitable traits.

The window for Blacksmithing was a lot more fleshed out Rank was 6, progress 71%. Many items were unlocked, but more than half were still locked.

Several other skills were listed, and I glanced over it quickly. From Athletics, and Academics, to Tailoring, and Tracking, and a motley assortment of others. There seemed to be a skill for almost everything I'd done up until this point. There didn't appear to be an option to allocate skillpoints, they were unlocked and increased through use.

Waving that one away I selected my attributes. Slightly unexpectedly, there was no entry for a level, just the usual bunch of Health 105 with a regen rate of 5 points every hour, Stamina 250 with a regen rate of 5 points every minute, and Mana 55/60 with a regen rate of 5 points every hour. Those were followed by Agility 45, Conviction 40, Intellect 55, Perception 75, Resistance 60, and Strength 30. Again, there was no option to put points into them, it must happen automatically based on use. I also had nothing to compare these to. When I tried to inspect Nathan from across the room I didn't get any insight into his stats, just a bunch of question marks.

A sound caught my attention and I dismissed the windows, Nathan had just stood and pushed the chair back into the desk. He was looking at me strangely.

"Teefies used to do that as well, staring off blankly, sometimes for hours on end."

"I was...thinking."

"Well I'm caught up for now, but I am exhausted. I'll need to meditate to be able to renew the Veil before you go into the mine. This should only take a few minutes.

He sat on the floor in something that looked like a yoga pose. Hands together and the soles of his feet touching. Slowly energy began building around him.

A notification informed me I had just unlocked the Meditation skill, so I copied his pose and opened the skill window. By meditating I would regain mana faster than normal, at a staggering 5 mana every 30 seconds. I hoped that would speed up as I got more experienced with it, because each of those enchantments I had learned cost 50 mana each, and my one skill used 5 mana every 5 seconds. If I ever ran into a situation where I would need to keep Beastial Rage active, I'd burn through my mana in a couple minutes, and then need half an hour of meditation to recover it. I was up to 58 mana by the time Nathan announced he was refreshed.

It was now 14:03. Apparently we were on a 24 hour clock here, with four hours left until sunset. Nathan re-cast the Veil spell, and followed it with a Lesser Protection spell that gave me +15% Armour and Resistance for the next twelve hours.

The duration of these spells seemed pretty impressive, but I guess it made sense seeing as how slowly mana regenerated.

Under Nathan's advice I left my pack and bow at his house, they wouldn't be much good in a cramped mine, and then I headed out. I did bring my knife though, better safe than sorry. My pouch of gold was severely depleted, down to maybe a dozen coins, but enough was left I didn't want to leave it behind for the rest of it to vanish.