Ethan allowed Mara and her friends to guide him to the very end of their schoolyard – to a secret wall at the edge of the cavern that opened out to a stage set high above Sanctum’s city core. Below, the artificial lights of the city gleamed somewhat brighter than usual. Hybrids of all stripes stood to attention, their eyes upturned to the very stage the children took high above them all.
According to Mara, the class had been working on a special little project for the city for months under Fauna’s careful instruction. She had promised them that when she came back from the Archon’s second Delve, she’d be there to see it.Tonight was the night.
Ethan watched as the citizens gathered below. His silver eyes scanned the narrow streets for Klax and Tara, but he found neither of them. For her part, Fauna stood in front of her students, giving them some final words of encouragement as they huddled together, twitching with excitement.
"Alright, kiddos," Fauna said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "You’ve practiced hard for this. Remember, it's all about control and focus. Let’s show everyone what you’ve got!"
She’s like a totally different person with these tykes, Ethan thought. I guess…hell…maybe I didn’t know my team like I think I did.
The children nodded vigorously, their eyes bright with determination. Young Mara then took it upon herself to throw her arms wide and address the befuddled Ethan:
“I hope you’re ready, Mr. Ethan!” she called out, her voice high-pitched but full of excitement.
Ethan chuckled, glancing down at the tiny Hopla with his crimson eye. “I’m always ready, kid. Knock my metaphorical socks off.”
The children spread out across the stage, their little paws raised in unison as they chanted softly, drawing in the magic that Fauna had taught them. Sparks of multicolored light began to flicker from their fingertips, swirling together in the air above them. The first few bursts of light shot up like glowing embers, trailing glittering sparks in their wake.
Then, with a loud crackle, the night sky exploded into a vibrant display of colors. Cascading fireworks burst into brilliant blues, greens, and purples, filling the sky with dazzling light. Streams of magic swirled in mesmerizing patterns, creating shapes of stars, moons, and even tiny rabbits that hopped across the heavens.
“Oho!” Ethan’s demon eye widened in genuine amazement as a giant spiral of golden light twisted upward, unraveling into a shimmering burst of crimson. Sys, you seeing this?
Hmpf.
Such a wasteful display of magic. If Kaedmon saw this -
Fuck Kaedmon, Ethan interrupted. Don’t even try to deny that you’re unimpressed. Your Archon commands you to show your feelings.
The crowd of hybrids below cheered in awe, their faces illuminated by the brilliance of the display. Fauna, normally reserved, seemed to explode into life with them, sending streaks of her own Wildglance magic high into the air – some of the fireworks morphing into exploding plumbs or cookies that melted into starlight.
Looking at her right now, Ethan could tell she didn’t care if her magic messed up, sometimes. What mattered was that she could put on a show.
Super magic awesome…
As the fireworks grew more complex, the children began to cast more intricate spells, launching dazzling pinwheels of color that spun in the air before bursting into cascades of sparkling dust. One particularly adventurous Hopla sent up a streak of silver that exploded into a dozen tiny orbs of light, which scattered across the sky like falling stars.
Fauna watched her students with pride, her hands clasped in front of her as she whispered gentle words of guidance to those still perfecting their spells.
But the grand finale was what truly took Ethan’s breath away. With a final, synchronized gesture, the entire class raised their paws, and a massive burst of magic erupted from the courtyard, shooting into the sky and forming an enormous arch of light. The arch shimmered with every color of the rainbow, creating a radiant bridge that stretched over the city of Sanctum, bathing the entire place in a warm, ethereal glow.
For a moment, everything was still. The air hummed with the afterglow of magic, and the citizens of Sanctum stood in awed silence, their faces upturned to the heavens.
“Alright,” he called out, unable to suppress a grin. “That was damn near the best thing I’ve seen since I got here. You guys earned yourselves a round of applause.”
The children beamed, their ears twitching with pride as the entire city erupted into cheers. Fauna gave Ethan a warm, knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
“Did we do good, Mr Ethan?” the sweaty, panting form of Mara then asked him.
The Archon smiled as warmly as a possessed Undead warlord could.
“I’ll give it to ya, kid” he muttered as he patted the top of her fluffy head. “You know how to put on a show.”
----------------------------------------
As the night rolled on, and the Hopla children (finally) grew weary, tuckered out from the excitement of the day, Ethan was afforded some time to himself overlooking Sanctum from their stage. Fauna had gone to put the tykes to their beds – an activity she often left to the older kids in the school. Tonight, however, with some down time, she decided she would see to them personally.
She’s got the instincts of a mother and big-sister rolled into one, Ethan remarked to himself as he cast his eyes over his skill list.
Getting ideas, ‘Mr Ethan?’
Not of that nature, Ethan smiled. It was no lie. His mind was elsewhere. Motivated by the exertions of the Hopla kids, he was looking forward – for once. In his old life there had been no need to contemplate the future. Here, suddenly, he was beginning to understand that the future was everything.
And the future of everyone in Sanctum was depending on him and his skills. It was time to check just how far he'd come:
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Current Spirit Cores: 124
---[Hat] Skills---
* Possession (Grade E)
Can witness the memories of [Hosts]
Spirit Core Cost to increase: 600
* Skill Siphon (Grade D)
Can transfer up to 3 skills from one Host to another, in addition to any previously transferred skills
Spirit Core Cost to Increase: 1000
* Appraisal (Grade E)
Appraisal can now allow you to see enemies through solid surfaces.
Spirit Core Cost to Increase: 600
* Transmogrification (Grade D)
Can Transmogrify items of {Mithril} quality or lower
Spirit Core cost to Increase: 600
---Current Host---
Valgraiva, Lord of the Damned
LVL: 50
[Core Stats]
HP: 950/950
WILL: 1000/1000
MP: 150/150
STR: 60
DEX: 45
SPD: 50
CHA: 30
---Host Skills---
* Hide (Grade A)
[Mass Hide] unlocked. X4 DMG from successful sneak attacks
Spirit Core cost to upgrade 200
* Roar (Grade B)
Paralyzes enemies. -50% armor Prot. Applies status effect [SLUGGISH] for 2 minutes.
Spirit Cores to increase: 280
* Wing Buffet (Grade D)
(AOE) Repels enemies up to 50ft away who fail a STR check.
Spirit Cores to increase: 250
* Dive (Grade D)
Dive DMG: 85
Dive can now be used to destroy objects of STR 60 or lower.
Spirit Cores to increase: 250
* Poison Coating (Grade E)
You slather your weapon in the virulent poison composed from your own blood, giving your weapon the [POIS] attribute.
[POIS] type: Pale Lord Venom.
-5HP/sec
Duration: 10 secs
Spirit Core cost to Upgrade: 200
* Paralysis Coating (Grade E)
You slather your weapon in the debilitating bile closest to your heart, giving your weapon the [PETRI] attribute for 10 secs.
[PETRI] Chance: 30%
Duration: 10 secs.
Spirit Core cost to Upgrade: 250
* Twilight Edge (Grade D)
Shadow DMG 90 pts in a 30ft arc.
MP Cost: 10 pts
Spirit Core Cost to upgrade: 400
* Repulsor Shield (Grade E)
You heft your mighty shield, nullifying magical attacks completely up to certain magnitude of DMG.
Current {MAG} DMG Prot: 85
Spirit Core cost to upgrade: 250
* Summon Wraith (Grade E)
You draw upon the powers of darkness to forge a spectral soldier from the shadows.
Summon {Undead} (Shadow Wraith) x1 for 60 seconds.
Spirit Core Cost to upgrade: 250
---Current Equipment---
{Mithril} Broadsword (RARE)
DMG: 25-35
Armor of the Damned Legion
DMG Prot: 40
He’d never really taken the time to look at his skills holistically. Normally the speed between battles necessitated a quick spree of upgrades after each one, his eyes focusing on that which seemed most useful in the moment. Now, looking at them as a unit, he could see new posibilites. Synergies he hadn’t even thought about were coming into his mind. But what was really grabbing him right now was the next upgrade of his bread and butter: Possession.
He looked at the skill and widened his new silver lenses. If he was reading it right…it was going to be a very interesting upgrade, indeed…
“Ethan?”
Fauna’s voice broke through his concentration, and he closed his skill window as she approached – just as tired out as the kids were by the look of her scruffy ears.
“Well, there she is,” Ethan beamed. “Miss Fauna, in the flesh. Mage and inspiration to the new generation of Sanctum’s Hoplas.”
The girl shook her head weakly. “Oh, please don’t call me that. It’s…y’know.”
“Embarrassing?”
“…yeah.”
“Faun, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. The fact is, you’re a better teacher than any I’ve ever known.”
The Hopla giggled timidly, but she didn’t blush as she came forward to sit beside him. She brushed a stray hair out her eye as a low wind whipped through Sanctum’s slumbering tunnels, watching those who still lined the streets with Ethan.
“You had teachers in your world, Ethan?”
“If you could call them that,” he grimaced. “Sure, they weren’t all bad, but they never seemed to care as much as you do. What I saw in there was nothing short of an educational miracle.”
“It’s not so special. I’m just doing what I can.”
She sighed deeply as the lights of the city finally dimmed out.
“Those kids put on brave faces just like I did when I was that age. We Hopla are intensely social, Ethan. When one of us is down, the Burrow comforts them as a whole. We need each other more than any other species in Argwyll does. It’s why we tend to mate at a…young age. And when we mate, we mate for life.”
Ethan felt the girl tense up suddenly, perhaps thinking she was saying too much. He was about to speak up when she went on,
“Sometimes I wonder…am I doing enough? But then I think that if someone like me – a magical screw up –can make a difference to a single kid’s life. Well, maybe that’s enough.”
She caught Ethan staring at her and immediately grew flustered. But, again, she didn’t apologize this time. And she didn’t move away.
“If…if you get what I’m saying?”
“I do,” Ethan nodded. “And the one thing you’re wrong about is this: you aren’t a screw up. Actually, the fact you make mistakes is what makes you such a good teacher. The kids probably feel like they’re allowed to be wrong when they see things go wrong for you sometimes. They feel like they can experiment and not be judged. That’s – well – that’s damn important for a kid.”
Ethan lapsed into silence as Fauna slowly nodded.
“I’ve never thought about it like that.”
Ethan was too absorbed in the sudden thought that took him – of his school days – that he didn’t see the rabbitgirl reach a hand towards his shoulder and –
“BOO!”
Fauna almost fell from the stage to the craggy rocks below. The Hopla basically jumped out of her skin, while Ethan merely turned to see who he’d already sensed was approaching them from behind.
The mischievous face of Tara the Minxit appeared out of the shadows.
“T-Tara!” Fauna cried. “How long have you been-“
“Standing here? Long enough, my dear Hopla. Long enough.”
Ethan just laughed as she taunted Faun, and waved for her to join them.
“Pull up a rock, Tara? It’s quite a night. And unless those teleporters are back up and running, we might as well make the most of it.”
She uncrossed her arms and marched towards the pair, lowering her voice surreptitiously and ignoring Fauna’s clear irritation.
“Nah,” she said. “I’ve got something better in mind.”
“Something stupid again?”
She nodded. “Stupid and fun, this time, my dearest teammates. Will you both join me for the heist of the century?”
Even Fauna’s eyebrows raised at the mention of that word.
“Tara…what are you-“
“Theft,” Ethan shrugged. “Well, it's marginally better than a massacre. But if this is about settling some personal score with some other Minxit that owes you money…”
“Oh, it’s nothing crazy. A trifle, really. You won’t even know you’re carrying him.”
“…him?”
“Oh yeah,” the Minxit replied. “We’re gonna kidnap Klax.”