Krypdyr stayed behind as the mechs reformed into the airship and flew off.
Nate began limping back into the Gronwood Cantina. Krypdyr moved close to his side just in case he needed steadying.
“See, Fuzzball? I told you we'd be filling up our little town soon enough. I think we even have enough rooms for you all in the tavern until we can get more of the buildings fixed up.”
“You are injured,” Krypdyr said as he helped Nate to the nearest table.
“I have a tendency to push myself when helping others.”
Fuzzball shook his head, “Even people who kill your familiar.”
Terry made an annoyed sound like a chorus of agonized screams. Nate patted his head and then withdrew his newest spellbook. “I helped because he needed it, and because the secret objective gave me this tome.”
He opened the book and as before the runes drifted from the pages and flew into his head. All eyes but Fuzzball's widened in surprise.
“Why are you staring like that?”
Zeff answered with fascination and a hint of jealousy, “Your Interface power lets you just instantly absorb how to cast spells. Everyone else here would have to study the tome for a while before understanding how to cast the spell.”
“Gotcha.”
“Perhaps you should learn new spells in private going forward. For everyone's safety,” Krypdyr said as he positioned himself with his back to the wall next to the Cantina's entryway.
Nate nodded as he pulled up his spell list.
Infinite Quiver
Rank: Apprentice Conjuration.
Cost: 400 MP.
Effect: Creates a quiver that always contains 5 arrows. The quiver lasts for 5 minutes or until dismissed or dispelled.
“Can't cast it yet,” Nate mused aloud. “And I'll need a bow for the arrows. Future problems. Let's have a look at the chest.”
Krypdyr placed the ornate chest on the table and swung it open. Eight pristine Sigil Stones glowed softly within. Nate added each of them to a party chat, which to Nate's curiosity didn't garner a response from Krypdyr, and examined each one.
The glowing script of the stones varied from swirling blue and white, to orange and yellow, to black outlined in white. As Nate lifted each stone, a window appeared with the information and he shared it with the others.
Water Sigil Stone. Once activated, you gain minor control over water, including the ability to breathe underwater, and unlock the Aquakinesis power.
Aquakinesis. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, you can control nearby water. The cost depends on how much water you are attempting to control.
Fire Sigil Stone. Once activated, you gain minor control over fire, including immunity to mundane fire, resistance to magical fire, and unlock the Pyrokinesis power.
Pyrokinesis. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, you can control nearby fire. The cost depends on how much fire you are attempting to control.
Armor Sigil Stone. Once activated, your skin hardens, increasing your overall defense against physical attacks and unlocks the Stalwart power.
Stalwart. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, magical armor forms around you, absorbing magic attacks and deflecting physical attacks. The cost depends on how much physical damage you deflect. The absorbed magic refills your Magic and Fatigue on a two to one basis.
Shadow Sigil Stone. Once activated, you gain minor control over shadows, become nearly undetectable while in shadow, and unlock the Shadowstep power.
Shadowstep. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per foot of distance, you can step into a shadow and out of another that you can see. The cost depends on the range.
Healing Sigil Stone. Once activated, your healing magic effectiveness is doubled, your total health increases by half, and you unlock the Greater Restore power.
Greater Restore. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, you can amplify a person's rate of healing and remove any diseases and poisons afflicting them. The cost depends on the degree of healing required.
Strength Sigil Stone. Once activated, your carrying capacity doubles, strength related skills improve twice as fast, and you unlock the Adrenaline power.
Adrenaline. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, your strength and awareness increase. The cost depends on the strength or awareness required to complete the task at hand.
Vampiric Sigil Stone. Once activated, you gain the ability to drain life from living things you can touch, and unlock the Charm power.
Charm. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue, you can magically charm living beings with which you interact. The cost depends on their rank and level compared to your own.
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Dragon Sigil Stone. Once activated, your skin becomes coated with dragon scales, improving your defensive capabilities and any interactions with dragons, and unlock the Draconic Breath power.
Draconic Breath. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue per second, you can expel a cone or line of draconic breath from your mouth. You may choose to deal Health, Fatigue, or Magic damage, or any combination of the three. The cost depends on how much and of what type of damage the breath consists.
Zeff whistled as the list finished. “All of these are incredible finds!”
“Which one are you going to choose?” Ellisandra asked.
“That depends on what will go best with the rest of you,” Nate said. All eyebrows raised in surprise. “I only need one of these. And you have all been vital to my success thus far. I am leaning toward the Vampiric stone, but that may just be the Brad Pitt fan in me talking.”
“Perhaps we should see what everyone has first, then we map out the best choices,” Fuzzball said. “Zeff?”
“I'm on it!” Zeff opened his pack and withdrew an object that looked like a small high tech end table and set his slate on it. A three dimensional holographic space sprung up and Zeff already had the eight stones represented, as well as his own single Technology Sigil Stone, Nate's Interface, Lucky, and Familiar stones, Fuzzball's Alchemy and Garden stones, and Ellisandra's Steel and Blood stones.
“Steel and Blood? Oh, that's how you can shape your body into various weapons! Krypdyr?” Nate asked.
“I have the Strength and Venom stones.” Krypdyr said.
Zeff added them to the display. “So, I need three to fill out my set. Nate needs one. Ellisandra, Fuzzball, and Krypdyr need 2.”
“So we're two short to get everyone,” Nate said, “but we can at least get everyone's auras up and running.”
Zeff's display showed various combinations with descriptions. Nate read several options before speaking.
“I want everyone's thoughts on these options, but I think it should be split up this way.” He pushed around the sigil stones in the display.
“You're giving me a Sigil Stone as well?” Krypdyr asked.
“Of course! If you're going to be my bodyguard, I need you to have abilities that compliment my own. The Shadow stone should give you a stealth related aura, which will be quite useful if we need to sneak around.”
“I get the Water Sigil Stone for me, but you want me to have the Healing stone?” Fuzzball asked.
Nate nodded, “In particular as your third stone. My aura incorporated all my current stones, so presumably it will do the same for you. And a healing aura is going to be incredible in battle!”
“The Fire and Armor stones will give me a defensive aura that likely has some fire resistance in there too!” Zeff said, speaking with deferential awe. “And Ellie's Strength based aura should be a great combination alongside the Dragon Sigil Stone. Or maybe she should go with the Dragon stone for the aura…”
“I'm not sure I can accept these,” Ellisandra said softly, staring at the ground.
Nate stepped in front of her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She raised her eyes to meet his.
“You've more than earned them back there. Your group's intervention turned the battle to our favor,” Nate said.
“Then these should go to Captain Luma, on whose orders we came.”
“While I’d very much like to meet your captain, she?” Nate looked at Zeff, who nodded, “she didn't save us. You did.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, eventually nodding, “I don't like it, but it will help me keep the crew safe.”
“Shall I go first?” Nate asked. All nodded their agreement. Then he remembered something Beacon had said and called up Quilly. “Show everyone in the chat the entry for Correlation Stone.”
The Correlation Stone is the fifth Sigil Stone slot and incorporates aspects from the four previously acquired stones. There are a nearly infinite number of these, as the type and order of the other four can change what the Correlation Stone becomes. Some cultures call the fifth stone your Class or Title Stone, as the stone's name is more like a title than a concept or material.
“Okay, great! I figured it would be something to that effect. Let's do this.” Nate picked up the Vampiric Sigil Stone.
Vampiric Sigil Stone. Once activated, you gain the ability to drain life from living things can touch, and unlock the Charm power.
Charm. At the cost of Magic and Fatigue, you can magically charm living beings with which you interact. The cost depends on their rank and level compared to your own.
You currently have three of five active sigil stones. Once the Vampiric Sigil Stone is accepted, it cannot be removed. Accept? Yes. No.
The purple runes swirled into his chest as Nate felt the stone settle into place. Then the runes from all his Sigil Stones erupted from him, spinning around him faster and faster, then shifting in front of him and tightening, coalescing into a translucent glowing sphere.
Serendipitous Symbiosis Correlation Stone. Once activated, you gain the ability to temporarily fuse together with your familiars, absorbing their health into your own, and you unlock the Manifest power. While fused with your familiar, your Luck and Familiar based abilities cost less to use.
Manifest. You can, while fused with your familiars, manifest them as armor or weapons. While manifested as such, your Magic and Fatigue maximums are reduced by an amount that varies based on what equipment the familiar takes on. Manifested weapons and armor are more affected than normal by your Lucky power.
Nate faced Terry. “You feel that too?”
Terry walked over to Nate and didn't stop moving, walking into him and causing visual distortions as if Nate were a pool of water, disappearing within. A wave of intense hunger nearly overtook him, but with an effort he pushed it aside.
Nate looked at his stats. His health had doubled to 340. He focused on his new ability, sensing the various options that he now possessed. The armor mode would drop his maximum Magic and Fatigue by 150 for heavy armor, 100 for light, and 50 for heavy weapons or 25 for light.
Everyone took a step away from Nate as purple leather wrapped around his body, his hands and feet becoming Terry's clawed appendages. The head was last, rows of razor sharp teeth extending into Terry's massive jaws.
The left half of the head melted away for a moment, revealing Nate's face. His voice was a mix of his own and a chorus of other voices, some deep and resonant, others high and tortured. The effect made those around him take a step back. Ellisandra's hand even extended out into a blade.
“We are Terry!” The other half of Terry's head pulled back like a hood, and Nate laughed, his voice returned to normal. “You should have seen your faces!”
The armor melted toward his right hand and extended out to either side, forming a dark purple bow whose limbs resembled Terry's razor sharp teeth, the string the dark red of sinew. His maximum magic shifted accordingly.
“This solves my need of bow problem.” He conjured his bow and arrows, finding that the quiver appeared and the Terry bow took on an orange sheen, slightly boosting its damage. “Look how badass this looks!”
“Can we get back to the task at hand, please?” Ellisandra said.
Nate nodded with a smile as he pulled the bow back into himself and Terry stepped out from behind him.
“One more thing,” Nate said as he pulled the Blood Fusion Essence Stone from his inventory, he read the first part of the entry again.
Blood Fusion Essence Stone. This stone is used to forge a stronger bond between allies. Enchanting a wearable item grants the wearer the Blood Link ability. If consumed by a familiar, a different ability manifests depending on the familiar.
“We already have Astral Sense and Astral Step. Let's see what this does.”
Terry swallowed the stone whole. Nate read the pop-up window.
Astral Drain. Passive. Astral energy consumed by your familiar while it is within your aura refreshes your Hunger, Thirst, and Exhaustion, and refills your Health, Fatigue, and Magic by a small amount.
Astral Drain is Terry's third ability. No additional abilities can be learned until you ascend to Apprentice Rank.