With my stats upgraded and my build path sort of decided. It was time to finish the Shadowcraft tutorial and then start exploring the world! The thought of this got me all giddy inside.
I floated rather nonchalantly over to Onyx ready to begin the tutorial, they were still checking out all the tools over at the Shadow Bench, The bench itself was almost nondescript, a basic bench made from a large flat topped stone, but set into it was a small fountain of shadows and to each side were a myriad of tools. From hammers to knives, and odd shaped tongs, I was guessing to be used by our claw like hands, rather than dainty human fingers. Each time they picked a tool up it would grow to fit their own claws, then when put back down shrinking to its original size, a little smaller than would be needed for me to use them.
Noticing me sauntering along towards them Onyx finished relaying all the checked tools and turned towards me in full.
“I take it you’re all sorted now and ready to rock and roll?” Another pun, another low graveled chuckle. I think I’ll lose my mind around these lot.
I sighed, and nodded. “Yeah, let's get this over with.”
Gesturing to its side my mentor waited for me to reach them before turning and showing me the bench in full.
“Yes, okay. It’s a bit bland, but what it can do will leave you in awe!” Onyx stated in part admittance, part excitement.
“I’ll teach you a couple of recipes, the rest you’ll have to figure out on your own, though it's more like you design them.”
Then placing a rocky claw over the shadow fountain, suddenly there was a large inky purple tinged ball of shadow, floating like oil in water. Using their claws to sort of draw with the viscous liquid shadow, Onyx flattened it out into a long sheet that resembled a sort of shimmering silk cloth. Then grabbing at some form of rolling pin mixed with a clamp of some form, they put it on one side and quickly dragged it down the length of the shadow. A sort of mix between a singe of leather being cured and a tearing slice of a blade.
Moving the rolly-clamp-thing (technical term-- I know) away from the shadow what was left was immeasurably different, no longer was the shadow a watery silk shimmer but it was now a solidified length of blackened leather as if the shadow had solidified.
Onyx turned to me with a particularly annoying smirk, like the sort of thing you’d imagine a seagull having on its face after stealing your chips and proceeding to shit in your hair. Yeah the large Elemental had a proper shit-eating grin plastered across his face, very noticeable compared to previous expressions. I really wanted to smash a rock on it, which would obviously be pointless.
“Okay, very cool.” I admitted with a bit of disdain, but it was cool.
“So, what is that and what are you going to do with it?” I posed the question to my mentor in my least interested tone.
Scoffing at my obviously forced disinterest Onyx proceeded with the lesson anyway.
“I’m not going to do anything with it rockling. You. Will make armour for The Shadow Claw.” This was a pointed statement which would have been much stronger if Violet hadn’t started huffing.
“Just call me Violet you stupid old boulder. The Shadow Claw, The Shadow Claw. Bleh, sounds ridiculous when it’s used every other sentence, too formal, too long and too damn tedious.” She finished with a flick of her head and trotted off before jumping up onto a rock that somehow managed to catch some sun in this gorge.
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Both of us turned to each other looking a bit shell-shocked by the sudden outburst.
With a bit of a stutter Onyx returned to the lesson, “W-well, as- as I was saying. You, are going to craft some armour for Th-V-Violet.” he quickly changed words and gave a quick nervous glance to where she was sunning herself on the rock.
Giving a quick raspy sigh of relief he passed me the shadow leather and with claw outstretched and a small bow, like a butler showing someone into their masters house, he guided me towards the table to proceed.
Skeptically I accepted the leather and giving him a little distance proceeded to the table to try and work out this Shadow Crafting malarky.
As soon as I arrived at the table and put the Shadow Leather down, I was bombarded with notifications and information, instantly knowing how to use the tools and what they all did. Which came as quite a surprise and somehow Onyx could see it in my rocky face -must be something you pick up on over time- letting out a low rumbling chuckle before telling me to start making an armour.
“Mmm.” I grunted my ascent and swept aside all the notifications that weren't relevant to making the armour.
Looking down at the leather piece a blueprint of what I wanted was shown across its surface. I quickly picked up a tool that I knew was required for cutting out the shape, it grew to fit my claw as I touched it. The tool was some weird amalgamation of some calipers, sheers and a hammer… I set to work cutting out the shape as if I’d done it a thousand times.
The rest of the crafting process came to me in the same fashion and after about an hour or cutting, twisting and pinning the leather together into a sturdy ‘chest piece’ for Violet I was finally done.
Picking up the finished product I looked it over and a notification popped up.
Shadow Barding
Armour +5
Reward for crafting - 50xp
Not exactly anything to write home about but free experience and some armour to help Violet. I could live with that.
Nodding to Onyx I walked -floated?- over to Violet to help her equip it. Looking up at my approach she raised an eye-brow. Seriously this fennec has sass for days.
Raising the armour up to place it upon her back I felt a bit of unrest in my stomach. Suddenly I was smashed to the floor from a tail to the top of the head.
-25 hp
“What the actual Fuu---” I started before being cut off by Violet landing a four-footed drop kick to my face.
-10 hp
“Try putting that piece of scrap on me and I’ll turn you to gravel” She very pointedly informed me.
“Okay, okay. No crap armour. Got it.” I placated her with, hands up in surrender.
“No. Armour. Period.” Violet, violently stamped on my head with every word.
“I don’t need it, I’ve my own Shadow Bound gear, I just… Need.. to level up...a bit..” The confidence and haughtiness from the start of the sentence slowly faded into a mix of annoyance and loss.
She leapt down from my face as I started to rise, dusting myself off with a bit of a crunch and the scrape of rock on rock, wincing at the sound more than any actual pain.
“Sorry, Onyx. Seems I won’t be needing anymore lessons.” I gingerly joked to the huge boulder.
“Mm, guess I’ll go to ground. Wake me if you need anything.” he grunted before floating off to find somewhere to bunk.
Looking at back at Violet I proceeded with a quick thought that both excited me and sounded like a good idea if I didn’t want to be torn to pieces by the vicious little shadow fox.
“Well then, let’s go level up! What else is there to do? See the world. Kill the enemies and loot the loot!” I stated, getting more chipper as Violet seemed to perk up at the idea of exploring and killing.
Then suddenly it hit me. How long have I been here? Where is Lilith? Surely she should have contacted me by now. It’s been hours, hasn’t it?
“Lilith?” I meekly called out to the odd stares of Violet.
“Who’s Lilith? Did I stamp on your head to hard? Or are you just bat-shit crazy?” The snarky comments rolled off her like machine gun fire. Though she did seem generally concerned and was looking around for this ‘Lillith’.
After a few seconds without an answer, I started going through my interface trying to find anyway to contact the real world or an emergency logout button. With very little success.
Deciding not to panic, assuring myself there is probably a reason why it’s like this or maybe a bug they’ll fix and just pull me out soon, give me an apology and then throw me back in for some more. I took a deep raspy breath and put on my best smile, well elemental smile, or was it a grimace? Constipation? I can’t tell even with my own expressions..