“Krista, you’ve got to have something that can help us here. There’s nothing I can do. Dexterity doesn’t really lend itself to this. Is this a trap? Can Waystones be fake?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. It seems they can, but this isn’t a trap. In fact, I’m starting to think I might know what this is. When I read the runes… they felt different. I couldn’t explain it… but it felt alive. Like it squirmed under my touch.”
Oh god I wonder why!?
“What in the realms are you on about? It’s a Waystone… they… they just teleport you. Are you saying that’s not what this is?”
The girl starts to laugh, and the kid looks up at his mother, confused. “It’s too funny. It’s too damn funny. I think we’ve run across an Obelisk.”
He staggers back, pressing into the wall. “Now!? Of all times to find a fucking Nascent Sanctuary we just have to fucking find it now? Yeah, right, at least we’ll die rich! Get a grip Krista; or that kids going to end up just as dumb as Jonathon.”
She lunges up and a staff appears in her hand. In a lightning flash, the staff is pressed to his throat.
“Say another word. You can dodge all the big, slow strikes and outmanoeuvre all the Psions you want — but I’ll still hit you. You’re not fast enough to dodge me.”
He swallows, the Adam's apple seeming to swerve around the staff, and he puts both his hands up. When she takes the pole of wood and crystal away, he puts his hand to the red mark even the touch of it left, and begins to rub it.
“Take his name in vain again; and I won’t care that I should work with you to get out of here.”
He smiles. “Oh… I like my women fiery.”
The boy speaks up, cutting through the tension with an oblivious blade. “I thought you were married mister Strauss?”
“Shut it.” He snarls, and then turns away to avoid the inevitable glare from Krista. The boy sticks his tongue out as Kirsta sits down and pulls him into her, hugging him tightly. Krista starts to sing something to him.
I guess seeing his ol’ lady put a boot to Strauss’ ass really put a fire in him.
The man takes a deep sigh. “Well. Here goes nothing.” He says, putting his hand to the shimmering portal.
Caau looks at his abilities. If the guy’s brave enough to go out there, maybe I should bless him. That said, do I really want to bless the murderer? Wouldn’t I rather bless the cute redhead?
Caau cannot sigh; for he is stone… but he does anyway. Because he can. Maybe?
Fuck it.
[ Bless I ]
“What the fuck.” Strauss cries out, and steps backwards, staring at nothing in particular, holding a hand to the wall. “Ohoho. Haha! I think we’ve got some luck, babes. I’m getting a message… asking if I want to receive a blessing!”
She jumps back up. “What!?” she questions in surprise. “Seriously? Who? Who has offered it? One of the celestial’s noticed us?”
She frowns. “Or… something else?”
I can’t say I’m too happy to be blessing a murderer… wait that doesn’t make me a patron saint of deceptions or something, right?
[ Determining Status… ]
Oh no. Please, god no. I’m not interested in that life. I’m not a deceptive person! I do not want to be a saint of the shadows or some other fancy title, do not make that happen.
That message is because the man has not accepted. Rest assured, you remain as unremarkable as ever.
“Well… it’s asking me… Do I accept?”
The kid watches in anticipation; and the void-room is silent. “I… don’t know. Is there a cost? What if it’s from the Abyss… do they have that power?”
Strauss turns, putting hand on his head. “I don’t know… but if it’ll get us out of here… we’re going to die if we stay here much longer.”
Much longer? It’s been live five minutes dude, chill.
Though… looking at them.
The man looks ill beyond ill, as though he had walked through a parched expanse; his every breath a desolate gust of wind. His eyes are sunken.
Her hair, once a molten copper, has lost it’s luster, becoming dull and listless. Her hands tremble as she holds the child; like wilting petals whispering a silent plea for moisture.
But the child… is fragile, caught in the throes of desiccation, hanging onto his mother with tiny, weak hands.
Perhaps I should bless the kid, goddamn. When did they get like this?
Ah, the mysteries of perception. Time runs in a sprint for you, but for them…
[ Blessing accepted… ]
[ Select Blessing… ]
Blessings:
Blessing of Satiety
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Blessing of Insight
Blessing of Guidance
Blessing of Protection
Oh, fuck that’s a tough choice. I am assuming that Satiety would involve food and water… but guidance seems right up their alley. They were lost as a lamb before they stumbled on me. Insight? Meh.
“What’s happening?” Krista asks. “Accept already!”
He rounds on her, putting his hands in front of him. “I have, woman! I accepted twenty minutes ago! Nothing came; nothing has happened! It was false hope, false fucking hope. We’re going to die here; and nobody will ever find us!”
Time is ticking; your precious inhabitants wallowing in despair.
The child starts to cry; and Caau looks back at the timer in his head… twenty minutes — just like that.
Oh, they'll gobble that one right up.
Enough thinking; I’ll give the Blessing of Guidance. That should, hopefully, get them to safety.
He stops.
She said that I was a ’Nascent Sanctuary’… and Strauss had said they’d die rich. Am I some kind of commodity? If so… do I really want then to leave?
What if they bring back others… what if I’m hacked into parts… sold as a fucking trinket or something.
The thought of being in a thousand pieces; traded like a rabbits foot… does not appeal to him.
That said, what if they dig me up and take me somewhere better? Somewhere nice?
“Alright… it’s not coming. I’m going to step out… if I don’t return… then we’re both fucked.”
Ah, fuck, another ten or so minutes just from thinking. When the hell did that do anything for me anyway! Alright!
Blessing of Guidance!
…
Blessing of Guidance!
…
Why is it not working? Am I doing it wrong?
Words come unbidden to his mind.
’O', you who journey forward, follow the guiding breeze, Whispers in the wind, guidance will put you at ease. O', following the stars, an ethereal trail we tread, Guided by intuition, where destinies are spread.’
The words come like a flowing river; only to smash into something more stubborn than stone.
[ Receiver has declined blessing ] [ Daily use: 1/2 ]
He watches Strauss push his way through the shimmering portal, and a seething ember of frustration ignites within him. Like a stubborn boulder, the man had dismissed the outstretched hand — and probably doomed both himself and the others.
Fine, suffer. I’ll bless the others when you are dead… though...
I only have one more blessing?
He looks back down at the kid. It seems on the edge of death. The question is would it be better to feed him; or hope the guidance works enough so he can escape.
[ Sanctuary - 2 Occupants ]
Strauss is already through… I see him in my other vision, my ’obelisk’ sight. He’s looking left and right, wary, his feet kicking dried blood as he makes near-silent footsteps. He stands over the man her murdered... little more than dead, pallid skin and hair. The goblins have placed his head on a rock, staring at Caau.
[https://media.discordapp.net/ephemeral-attachments/1022054419510075402/1170548938760278026/zlo3097_a_man_holding_a_sword_looking_down_at_the_corpse_of_his_61cc2a8e-e18a-485d-8fd3-2571770160c2.png?ex=655971a6&is=6546fca6&hm=0053d8a6e687155703ef83201795be81dd70408075213a33ee89eb155016bff2&=&width=558&height=741]
Why would they leave it intact?
He stays a while; simply listening. There’s really no need… it was years apart that he had heard footsteps. It seemed like this place was a back-alley of the underground; a broom closet that no-one ever visited.
Until they had, at least.
The girl and boy both stare at the portal, trapped in a silent darkness.
It’s got to be guidance again… I really, really don’t like the idea of having two dead people inside me…
’O', you who journey forward, follow the guiding breeze, Whispers in the wind, guidance will put you at ease. O', following the stars, an ethereal trail we tread, Guided by intuition, where destinies are spread.’
The girl shoots up straight, like a flower that’s been watered. She stares at something a thousand miles away.
“What? Accept a blessing… of guidance?” she says, and puts her hand out. “Is this… some hallucination… did he… put it in my mind?”
Just accept the damn blessing. On another note — it seems just saying the worlds outright allows me to pick the blessing straight up rather than messing around going back and forth.
[ Blessing has been received… ]
Krista shoots straight upwards, rising like a lightning bolt from the ground. Her eyes shift, tracking a thousand unseen things; and when she takes a step forward she moves with the confidence of worlds.
A huge smile is plastered on her face, as though she knows every step she must take to achieve anything she should ever desire. Hope flickers… and Caau’s heart smiles.
She grabs the child, and pulls him up. The hope seems infectious, as when she takes him in her arms, he beings to beam with joy.
“Mother?” he barely has the time to say before she exits; tiny, almost infinitesimal golden runes shimmering across her body.
[ Sanctuary - 0 Occupants ]
Strauss looks back; only to see a Goddess. Her movements are so fluid and clean; so etched with purpose and absolute knowledge that his eyes widen like saucers — his jaw drops and he freezes before letting out stuttering words.
“Krista… W-what?”
“We must venture forth,” she says, her voice beyond different. “I have been blessed, and though its duration remains unknown, I am filled with sights of the right thing to do. It shall guide us.”
[ 1/1 Blessings active. Attract more followers to increase blessing limit and strength ]
So they’re infinite? There’s no timer, or anything?
Wait… what if I need to bless again? Can I take it back?
He goes to try… but then decides that would, objectively, be a terrible idea.
What if there’s no confirmation, and I just rip it away?
Unfortunate, you used one of the two active brain-cells to devise that would be a terrible, terrible idea. I was looking forward to seeing their faces when you ripped away their only lifeline.
“What… why are you talking so strange?” He asks, but he receives no response. Instead, she begins to walk unerringly, giving the man no choice to follow; grumbling as he does.
Idiot should have accepted my blessing. Impatient fool.
Then, for a single second, he sees the world as she does.
[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1022054419510075402/1170545537020342362/zlo3097_a_ginger_women_in_robes_walking_into_the_darkness_of_a__e6b86438-a3f6-4e1b-8f45-7596c9b10148.png?ex=65596e7b&is=6546f97b&hm=cbcc451ce40be7076a8a055c393fd0f1cd37657aef56031f886408dd414121d7&=&width=558&height=741]
It's... beautiful. I have the power to let people see... like this?
Then its gone. Just like that… he’s alone again. It doesn’t take long for the barely-perceptible golden light to disappear in the all-encompassing darkness.
He’s… happy… though. It feels as though he’s done a good deed for the day.
Actually… that’s good enough that I don’t need to do any other good deeds for the year! Maybe it even clears the backlog…
He wasn’t the best person before. He can feel that, even if he can’t remember it. Perhaps this is his way of atonement? Maybe this isn’t a punishment… it’s a gift.
[ 0/1 Blessing: Recipient has died. ]
A drop of water lands on the surface of his stone.
Fuck.