Item Equipped: Forlorn Brigandine.
This Rank 1 item requires an empty equipment slot. (2/5).
This steel-plated torso armour covered in heavy black cloth provides:
+1 Quickdraw slot.
+3 Defence.
Can be upgraded to Rank 2 for 1000 XP. Rank 2 provides:
+1 additional Quickdraw slot.
+2 additional Defence.
Grants daily Skill: Summon Shattered Soul.
The new armour was pretty great by my estimation. The +3 to Defence was better than what I was getting from my Rusty Longshanks when they were Rank 2. Of course, that didn’t mean I was just going to forget about what was taken from me, but at least now, I was a little more solid.
My strategy so far had been to avoid getting hit, and I had no intention of changing that, but you can’t avoid everything. Sooner or later, I was going to take a hit. Knowing the way my luck had been going, that was probably going to be sooner, but at least now I had a layer of defence that could potentially negate incoming damage before I even felt it.
I should probably test that theory before I count on it in battle.
If I had someone with me I could ask them to hit me to see if it worked, but I didn’t have anyone with me. I had been kicked out from Morgon’s— I say ‘kicked out’, but it was more like I was teleported… one moment, I see Morgon waving his ridiculously large hammer. The next, I’m sitting out here in the mud, alone.
I had been barred, unfairly in my opinion, but still barred. It’s not like I actually killed anyone. I just… intended to kill someone, then changed my mind and granted them clemency.
“No one ever offered me clemency,” I mumbled.
The rustle of leaves revealed Serilla’s approaching footsteps a second before I saw her.
She slapped me across the face.
Stat Increase: Constitution +1.
Your defence negated the damage from an attack.
“Yes,” I shouted. “Thank you!”
Serilla pulled up short, her expression of unbridled rage slipping into uncomprehending shock in the blink of a teary eye. Her cheeks were still wet with tears and her her eyes were red. Despite this, she giggled.
She raised a curious eyebrow at me and giggled again. “That is the last thing I expected you to say,” she said, then she sighed heavily and was serious again. “Morgon’s furious.”
I flopped down onto my back, staring up at the darkening sky. I groaned, a mixture of self-pity and self-loathing. Why did I lose control back there? That wasn't the real me... was it?
“I’m sorry, Serilla.” I glanced up at her to try to get a read on how easy this was going to be. She crossed her arms and avoided my gaze. She had laughed… that was something. “I really… fucked up.”
“Morgon’s forbid me from travelling with you,” she said quietly.
“He…” I pushed myself up onto my arms. “What?”
“He says you had a definite intent to kill and that whatever hopes he had for you were misplaced. He won’t let me go with you. He says you’re crazy or evil and that even you haven’t decided which one it is yet. He says I would be a fool to stick around waiting for you to pick a side.”
“He had a lot to say,” I said.
“He was really angry, Null.” She looked me in the eye and I could see she was deadly serious. Then, her eyes drifted up to the top of my head as she continued to speak. “Angrier than I’ve seen him in a long time. It was weird. Worse things have happened and he didn’t react half as bad as after he banished you.”
“He’s right though,” I said. “I did intend to kill Imber. Both of them even. I wanted to rip them apart.”
“And do you still?” she asked.
I considered my feelings. Right then, I just felt numb.
“No,” I said. “I don’t really feel anything right now.”
I caught her expression and continued, “Except sorry!”
The corners of her lips quirked up, but she managed to keep a serious smile on her face.
“I guess the thing I really should say is thank you, Serilla. If you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have come back from that brink.”
“I didn’t do anything, Null,” she said. “You made sure of that. You lied to me just to get me out of the way so you could hurt those people.”
“I thought I needed to face them alone. I was dealing with things the only way I understood. I lost sight of the kindness you’ve shown me. All I saw was the betrayals and bullshit that this world has thrown my way. I was ready to deliver judgement. When I was fighting that’s what I felt.”
“What changed?” she asked.
“I saw you,” I said. “I guess your words finally reached me. That’s why I need you, Serilla. You can stop me from going too far.”
“I don’t want that role, Null.”
“It’s not a role.” I pulled myself up to my feet. “It’s called being a friend. I can’t survive here without you. Or maybe I could, but I wouldn’t like to see who I’d become. I want to make this world better.”
Serilla sighed quietly and raised her eyes to meet mine, again they flicked away. “So you’re willing to just let go of this vendetta? This Katri girl and The Devout brother guy… you won’t go after them?”
“I’m still going to go after them. I’m just not going to lose myself and become another part of their system. I’m going to bring them to justice, but not as an act of revenge just for me. They need to be stopped, Serilla. Someone has to stop them.”
“And that someone is you?”
“It’s us. We have to stop them. Katri, Lecter, Lafarron… We can’t just let them have their way. I’m going to stop them because it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not going to let them take anymore of me than they’ve already taken. I won’t let Katri inside my head. I won’t let Lafarron use me to come back to life. I won’t let AIAI rush me into making bad decisions. This system is trying to turn me into a monster.”
Serilla’s lips twitched again and her eyes darted to the top of my forehead.
“What is there something on my head?” I reached up, but she caught my arm.
“The Class you picked, what was it?” she asked.
“Hellion. Why?”
Her eyes narrowed for a moment and then she chuckled quietly. “The system really is against you. Don’t worry, though. I think they’re cute.”
I reached up and felt something sharp where my forehead reached my hair line. Not just one thing, two of them over each temple. “Do I have fucking horns?”
“Just little ones.”
“Fuck!”
“They’re cute.”
I punched the ground in frustration. “AIAI is such a bitch.”
“She does seem to have it in for you. Did she not mention this would be a side-effect of your Class?”
“No. She conveniently missed that part out, I guess.”
“Damn. Still it could be worse. It actually looks pretty good. They bring out your eyes.”
I groaned and covered my head with my hands. “She’s literally trying to paint me as a villain. It’s so obvious.”
“Villains aren’t defined by what they look like, Null. You know that.” She crouched down and patted my arm. “Come on, BBK. Why don’t we do something to cheer you up? I know, why don’t you read out your Stats and Skills? You love doing that.”
Is she seriously trying to distract me? Like reading my Stats out would change anything…
“Oh, that reminds me,” I said. “Do you know much about Magic Specialisations?”
“Seriously?” Serilla asked. “You reached 10 in Magic?”
“Yeah, I was trying to keep my stats balanced, but magic kind of got away from me.”
“Null, reaching 10 in anything is a very good thing!”
“Do the other stats come with a specialisation when you reach 10 in them too?”
“I have no idea.” She dropped down on the ground next to me and scooted close. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Serilla, did you not ask Morgon to teach you about this stuff? Have you not asked your friends at the tavern?”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Well, I mean, yes. It’s come up. I know that Magic and Brutality both have specialisations, but I guess I never wondered if all the stats have them. Why are you still looking at me like that?”
I tried to remove the perplexed expression from my face, but my eyebrows refused to relax. “I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t try to get a better understanding of the system.”
“Different people are into different things. You’re into reading your stats and skills and… stuff.”
“And what are you into?”
Her cheeks blushed red and she started playing with her hair. “Oh, you know. Just like, a bunch of stuff.”
“Being specific wouldn’t happen to be one of the stuff, would it?”
She laughed. “I dunno, Null. I guess I just like… well, I like music. When one of the bards roll by, I always enjoy hearing the new stuff. But I love the oldies too. I love the words. The poetry. That’s what I wanted to do. You know, before.”
“Before what?”
Her eyes went flat. “Before Lafarron killed me and raised me as his thrall.”
Oops. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“So you wanted to be a bard?”
“No! Dude, absolutely not. I could never stand in front of a crowd and I don’t even play an instrument. Also my voice sucks—”
“I like your voice.”
“No. I just… I just wanted to write the words.”
“You wanted to be a lyricist?”
She looked down, then nodded. “Once upon a time.”
“It would be kind of hard to write lyrics to a song if you don’t have any music.”
“Right,” she admitted.
“Guess you’ll just have to suffer as a poet until we find a bard to join us.”
She smiled. “You’re sweet.”
“Oh, I’m the sweetest. Didn’t you know that? Everyone fucking loves me.”
Serilla laughed at that. “Clearly. Well, if you’re going to pick your Perks and read your boring old Stats, do it now. It’s getting dark and I’m worried that if we don’t leave before Morgon closes up tonight, he may seriously follow up his threat and stop me travelling with you.”
“You’re an adult,” I said.
“He’s the Gladium Quartermaster.”
“Fair enough. On it,” I said.
User: NULL. Race: Human. LVL: 5. Class: Hellion.
Stats:
Perception: 5.
This is a score for your Senses, such as Sight, Smell, & Hearing. It is the primary stat for the core skill branches: Identify, Detect, & Target.
Constitution: 5.
This is a measure of your Max Health & Physicality. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Fortitude, Restoration, & Defence.
Brutality: 4.
This is your capacity for Combat & Devastation. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Strength, Warfare, & Weaponry.
Charisma: 3.
This is your influence on Individuals in your vicinity. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Speech, Charm, & Summon.
Dexterity: 7.
This affects your Agility & Adroitness. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Speed, Dodge, & Stealth.
Tinker: 2.
This is the total of your Toolcraft, and Handyness. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Repair, Construct, & Demolish.
Mind: 4.
This is the extent of your Education & Knowledge. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Concentration, Retention, & Intellectualism.
Necrosis: 2.
This is your depth of Decay & Deterioration. It is the primary Stat of the core Skill branches: Vampirism, Rot, & Reanimate.
Magic: 10.
This is the wealth of your Witchcraft & Wizardry. This is a hybrid Stat for the core Skill branches: Elemental, Mirage, & Protect.
----------
MEANWHILE
Riffy ran, ran, ran.
They were after him. He knew it. They wanted to take him back to Mistress Katri.
But Riffy wasn’t sure about Mistress Katri anymore. He knew that she was a friend of best friend Null, so he had tried to be friends with her too. But the truth was…
Riffy didn’t even want to admit the truth even inside his own head. It was a shock to think. It was unthinkable. It was bad, bad, bad. That was the truth.
The truth was Katri was bad.
Riffy couldn’t trust her anymore. He had to escape. He had to flee, flee, flee. So Riffy was running as hard and fast as he could. He didn’t even look back. The wind whipped at his eyes till they were streaming tears. The smell of hard stone dust filled his sniffer. He wanted to stop and have a long breath and clean his dirty coat, but he couldn’t.
No, he had to keep running.
Where are you best friend Null?
Riffy didn’t know where to go. He was lost. He was lost and he didn’t know where to go. If he wasn’t a brave hero, then he might be a bit afraid. But Riffy reminded himself that he was a brave hero, so he mustn’t be afraid.
Riffy was going to be a great hero one day, just like best friend Null. But first he had to escape the big lumps that were following him.
The big, scary man with the chains had been watching him in the night. When Riffy got back to the big meanie jungle called Pentamorelump, he had not gone out at night for many days. Riffy had been too upset. He had cried about Merina. She had been a new friend. She was nice to Riffy. But then mistress Katri and the big scary Lecter had hurt her. Riffy just knew it. They said they hadn’t, but they lied, lied lied.
So Riffy had escaped.
But the big scary Lecter was following. The big scary Lecter was following Riffy no matter where he went.
Riffy was scared, but he couldn’t be scared if he was going to be a brave hero. Riffy didn’t know what to do. He needed best friend Null. Where are you?
----------
MEANWHILE
Hesta had been beaten. She couldn’t quite fathom how she had come to fall so low.
Weeks before she had been presiding over one of the largest monastaries in the Pentamorel region. He faith in the All-Mother had never been greater. And yet, somehow she had been brought to this. Hiding in the woods like prey. And why? Because of that beast. That worm. The cursed one. Cretin! Filth!
Hesta hated him. He had tricked her. Scum! Tickster! How dare he?
She had been poisoned by his cunning and forced to use much strength to escape. Now, she was exhausted and without her prized possesion, the Katri brat. That one has a great talent, Hesta would use it. Yes, Hesta would break and bind the brat to her will and then she would rule. Not just the Devout, but the entirety of Pentamorel would fall into her grasp.
Queen Hesta. Yes! Yes!
She imagined herself sitting on a large ornate throne being brought fine meals of her favoured selection, infant dwarf or budding gnome. With only the click of her fingers, entire wardrobes would be provided for her. Her enemies would be executed on command. Everyone who had ever wronged her would be quivering in the dirt when they heard the wonderful Hesta had been proclaimed queen.
Hesta twitched her many legs as she rolled on her back in the moss bank. The pincers around her mouth clicked together in excitement at the thought of piercing through the flesh of a young Commoner brought to feed her on a mere whim. Yes, that is the duty of a queen.
From a nearby tree, a bird squawked and destroyed Hesta’s fantasies.
She clicked her legs in frustration, then rolled onto her front and slither up the tree.
The bird seemed unaware of the approaching predator.
Good, thought Hesta. She had no desire for a drawn-out hunt.
As she drew herself along the branch, the click of her many legs over the bark must have alerted the bird because it leapt into the air with a frightened flutter.
Hesta burst forward with a great snapping lunge and caught the bird. She tore into the feathery mess, devouring the meal in a few quick crunches.
Delicious, she thought. But then she reminded herself, this is not adequate for a faithful servant of the All-Mother. This is not how Hesta should be rewarded. Hesta couldn’t afford to just waste time here. She must find the cursed one and avenge herself. Then, she would find the brat and bring her under control.
Yes, but first she would get her revenge. She needed power. Luckily, Hesta knew this land well. She knew of an old untapped source of power not far form here. The keeper of that place was weak. Sengamura would be no problem for Hesta. She would destroy him easily and take what power remains for herself.
----------
Sengamura defeated? This cannot be. The people do not come here. What could have caused this disturbance? Few know of this place.
Hesta could draw on the power in the springs for herself, but something seemed wrong. She was wary of revealing herself. Not yet. She must observe and discover the source of the disturbance.
She would retreat for now and wait. The one who defeated Sengamura must be near. They will return to claim this place. Hesta will watch them. Then she will know them. She will discover their weaknesses. Yes, and their strengths. Hesta will hunt. Like she hunted when young and eager in the forest so many years ago.
Yes, Hesta will return to her love of the hunt. She was mistaken before when she hurried to destroy the cursed one and take their valuable loot for herself. She was foolish to hurry without understanding more of the terrible Null One. She would not be such a fool again.
Whatever has defeated Sengamura will return. Hesta will wait.
----------
No! It cannot be!
He is here. The cursed one. Wretched worm! Filth! Destroy him!
The scavengers had come to claim the springs for themselves. Sengamura’s lair now the battleground for many worthless creatures.
Hesta had begun to suspect that whatever killed Sengamura would not return, but then, Null came. Hiss.
Hesta watched him from afar as he toyed with Sengamura’s favoured metal. The beast did not even decide to slay the weaklings. It spared them as a final insult to dear Sengamura.
The cursed one left the hallowed place and headed back towards the trails. Hesta spied him, but she was forced to be careful. He seemed to know he was being watched.
The worm is wise. Do not be fooled by his trickery!
The cursed one entered Morgon’s Tavern. Yes, Hesta had seen this place before. She had been here, but it was not a safe place. Too easily did fights occur for no reason whatsoever. If Hesta wasn’t careful her true form would be discovered.
Yes, she must take a form that will not be recognised. Yes, the perfect hunter can trap the prey with a pleasing face. Then, we wait until the time to strike.
----------
The cursed one is outside. He watches through the window. His face is bloodless. He is angry.
Good. Burn, you worm!
Hesta watched as the she-elf approached the cursed one. She watched them argue. At first Hesta thought that the elf had been wronged by the scum, but soon she realised the emotions were different. The elf has been ensnared in the mortal way. A fate worse than imaginable.
The cursed one and the elf soon returned inside the tavern.
Hesta waited. The fighting inside was too unpredictable. The drinkers in the tavern fight among themselves too easily. To many hurtful words to wound Hesta’s pride. She cannot stand to be spoken to in such a way by mere worms.
Then, something strange, the cursed one is outside. But how did he get there? He did not walk. He did not leave the tavern. And yet, he is outside. Hesta couldn’t fathom this sneakery. Beware the cursed one.
The elf soon joined him. Hesta had expected as much. The elf’s heart has been taken by the cursed one. A cruel fate. But perhaps, the cursed one is also weakened by the elf. That is often the way between the mortals. Hesta will use this to ensure their devastation.
With a perfect form, Hesta will approach them. Yes.
They are laughing together now. Hesta will approach and ask to join them on the road. It is growing dark. The mortals fear the dark. Yes it is a perfect excuse to want to be near them. Yes, yes, the hunt begins.
The cursed one will be destroyed. The All-Mother will reward me.
----------