Hey, system, did the kid make it out?
The tenacious toddler triumphantly traversed, tactfully twisting through treacherous tunnels, tirelessly testing his tiny legs to… escape.
You would have taken your blessing slots back if he’d died. Instead, they remain in the hands of a child.
He wasn’t a toddler. He was at least 10, right?
Doesn’t matter. What does this new ability do? Guide?
[ Guide I ]
Guide bestows upon you the incredible power to summon tiny lights to guide people through the darkness. Because who needs a competent sense of direction when they can rely on you?
Oh, great, just wonderful. I can create MORE light, because that’s what I needed. Oh yes, that’s it.
Oh I aim ever to please.
With nothing else to do, as ever, he stares at the timer. It’s the only thing that moves; the smallest speck of stimulation… and it’s not enough. His mind reaches out for something… anything!
It finds something… an almost blurry vision. The boy. He’s sees light, but not much else, maybe the occasional building; or grass. He’s seeing through the boy’s eyes.
More akin to a slideshow than anything else, one that some first-time power-pointer has cranked the Gaussian blur because ’it looks nice’ only for it to make the text completely illegible.
[ You have 56 Prayers… ]
It’s been… a year, since?
His attention is ripped away; he dismisses the system notification… for an older lady is looking at him, crouched low; her head tilted to the side. She hovers her hand over only to stop it half-way. A large, wide hat covers her head and her eyes reflect the green glow from a canister she swills around in her hand.
[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1040459921310879774/1171230284834930728/zlo3097_fantasy_grandma_with_a_artificer_revolver_in_a_dark_cav_7ae06290-f759-44db-b00b-3b00ceb58ac4.png?ex=655bec34&is=65497734&hm=923ba5ac2bea9a91b69abea154b0cc1e8134e9f34fc7469ec221d683b92775c9&=&width=558&height=741]
“Now why would Abyssal energy be plastered all over a Waystone? Especially so far… No wonder the compass took me this way. But why?” she asks to no-one, and rubs her finger along Caau’s pyramid-shaped top, then rubs her fingers together. “Someone’s activated it… but I’ve never seen golden runes on a Waystone before.”
Caau looks down… and it’s true. What were once shimmering blue runes have turned a golden colour.
When the hell did that happen? How did I not notice?
Perhaps I was too hasty in giving you that gold star.
The women takes out a map, then flicks her hand up; making a small ball of light hover around her. She then digs in her long, brown leather robes and retrieves a short pencil. “It’s unmarked…” she sighs. “How would that happen? They activated it but didn’t go through it?”
She puts the pencil to her lips. “Died before they could? That wouldn’t make sense… it’s nearly instant. A fear ability?”
She wipes Caau’s surface again. “That would explain the residue… but then the question is, again, what cause would an Abyssal have to come up here?”
The runes shimmer; and the now-golden portal opens to swallow her, depositing her neatly inside his void-space.
[ Sanctuary - 1 Occupants ]
Immediately, she turns around and stares at the portal, then takes a few quick glances around. “Oh?”
She presses a hand to the wall. “A pocket dimension…?”
Her hand launches sideways, carving through the air and ripping open a small, shimmering portal before ripping it out with a book now placed square in her hands.
“Hmm…” she hums as she flicks through the pages.
Oh, please, please have a way to speak to me.
“Could this be… the groundwork of a sanctuary? Can’t be… where is the guardian? They should all start with a guardian…”
She feels around the room, placing her hand on every surface. He doesn’t feel it inside, only when his actual surface is touched. She smiles and places her hand on a small panel in the centre of his void, and a tiny podium rises to greet her.
[ Sanctuary has been activated ]
[ Producing guardian… ]
As the old lady steps back, the podium starts to tremble, energy surging within. Cracks spiderweb across its surface, and the fragments that result start to shift and realign themselves; rising and falling, interlocking and reshaping.
Slowing, the form of a humanoid figure starts to grow, and the jagged edges begin to smooth. Defined arms and legs take shape, a chest, a head, shoulders!
Then it is done, the stony surface holding a dark earthy hue adorned with short patterns that pulsate ever-so-slightly. Two orbs of polished onyx gleam with the smallest of light; staring at the old lady.
“Well, it seems I am the first one to take control. Perfect… this shall be an excellent base of operations.” She twirls around, leathers flowing from her frame as she laughs. “Maybe even more… if the surface is anything to go by. If I could… maybe I should make it my home. Leave the scraping and fighting to the lot still up there… make myself a good little paradise.”
She puts a hand to her chin.
“I could put homes here, charge as much as I want… I could become a queen. It’s perfect!”
Yeah, one problem with that, lady, I AM ALIVE.
He tries to move the Guardian… but it does not work.
What.
[ Sanctuary Key has been claimed. Artificer Edna Nadezhda now controls the Sanctuary. Guardians are beholden to the Key. ]
Oh no she fucking doesn’t.
That said… what can I do about it?
I have nothing… no attacks, no defences. I could, maybe, give her a little bit of a burn the next time she exits… but that’s all I’ve got. Why the hell didn’t you tell me about the key? I could have been doing something this entire time!
You’re right. It was truly foolish of me to assume you might figure it out on your own, or even spark some of those atrophied mushing brain parts into… asking me a question?
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Clearly, you were too busy contemplating the mysteries of the universe by staring at a rock wall; and how dare I deprive the world of whatever thoughts you might conjure?
[ You have gained a Follower ]
[ 2/10 for next threshold ]
What?
He looks towards her, still reading from a book and making marks on her map. “There’s a known iron deposit here…”
She’s not his extra follower… then who?
His eyes turn to the vision of his champion, who stands above a child; their eyes locked in a forest. The girl’s features of that of fear, and for a moment Caau is worried that he made the wrong person his champion, but then the boy puts his hand out to the girl, who takes it.
Fragments of the conversation comes to him through the link, but it’s indecipherable. Even so, he gets notes of thankfulness like he's tasting the emotion… was the girl lost? In the forest?
It had said that the champion was an embodiment of a core ideal… and that he was progressing towards becoming something… a patron?
Good work, kid! Keep it up… wow.
Through the eyes, it looks as though the boy towers over the girl. He looks at his timer, but it’s been a year, maybe a year and a half — he hasn’t actually kept track despite staring at it.
He’s really, really grown. Damn. How the hell did that happen?
You blessed him with Satiety. His body will have whatever it wishes for so long as he lives.
I’m sure your intention was not to create a pint-sized freak — but you did it.
A truly remarkable AND disgusting achievement; I don’t think anyone else has ever done that. Perhaps they should erect a statue in your honour — celebrate your ingenious contribution to the world of roid-raging youngsters.
So, what, he’ll just keep growing?
Until his growth-plates fuse.
Is that… safe?
I mean, you also have him protected by your blessing. It has a small healing effect too so he’ll probably be fine. You have unwittingly stumbled upon the art of creating a decent champion. Bravo, bravo!
Unfortunately, a single follower does little to solve his current crisis. He reaches out for the stone thing again, only to get blocked once more.
“Hmm… The sanctuaries are expanded out by digging their physical representation out of the ground. The Waystone? Oh, it’s called an Obelisk. Alright…” she thinks aloud, regurgitating information from the book. “Guardian… go dig the Obelisk further out of the ground. That should be more than enough work for you.”
The thing creaks to lift, rumbling like an earthquake, only to turn and set through the portal, where it immediately turns around starts digging the stone around Caau. “If I can hire a small expedition to clear out the nest…”
Woah woah woah, that’s far too close for comfort! I can’t dodge!
Despite Caau’s protests; the guardian neither stops nor hits him, instead chipping away at the stone around his base.
[ Time till expansion ] 56Y… 5M… 7D…
Oh you can absolutely stick up yours if you think I’m waiting that long for anything.
He tries, once more, to take control of the guardian; but receives the same message.
Okay, can I bless it or something?
[ Bless I: Blessing slots 2/2 ]
[ Cannot bless ]
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Well then what now? I get to live as a sock-puppet for the rest of my life?
Wait… what was that thing… earlier? Prayers?
[ You have 56 Prayers… would you like to spend your Invested Faith? ]
Holy what… yes, yes, that! Absolutely that!
[ You have received your first uncommon ability… Create Simple Guardian I… ]
Behold, you have found an ability worth something. They are fiercely loyal to you, only because they have no other choice. You are so fortunate to such creatures at your disposal. Truly empowering.
He wants to practically scream out in happiness when those words plastered themselves across his not-eyes, even if he had to read over the system’s comments to actually understand it.
Only to turn to horror as he actually uses it and it starts collecting together right next to the woman.
She stares at it as it builds; the exact same way as the other had, and flips through her notebook. “Two…? Does it produce them infinitely?” she wonders as she comes to stand before it. The second it is complete, she tilts her head.
[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1040459921310879774/1171234583371587604/zlo3097_a_humanoid_black-stone_golem_in_a_dark_cave_--ar_34_--n_acd3e66f-5872-4381-8c1d-4304c5b7f020.png?ex=655bf035&is=65497b35&hm=162baac40df26722b7e1c796a309a36783e1627e6e4983055eb6ebe47bb90a7f&=&width=570&height=756]
[ Guardian produced ]
“What, no message?”
Oh no… I got the message. If she destroys it she’ll know somethings up… and I get the feeling she will not appreciate my existence. Guardian! Pretend to follow her commands until you get another from me!
“Do a twirl.” She says, and Caau has never been so extremely glad for his wit. The guardian instantly twirls, with no delay — exactly like the other one. Order received, order carried out. “Well… strange. Perhaps it goes under the same skill and doesn’t tell me how many I have? I suppose it’s not all that benefi—“
[ Minor Horde Detected ]
[ Target: Guardian of the Sanctuary ]
She stops, looking a thousand miles away, and then jumps forward through the portal; far too fast for her age.
Immediately, the sounds of both combustion and electricity sound in the tunnel and a group of goblins begin to scream. They charge from one direction; a small horde of scraping green-grey bodies that act more like a wave.
They have a single target… the guardian. Shells drop from a revolver-rifle contraption that fires big plumes of gold-green energy with every pull of the trigger.
Each second is another two dead goblins — but the horde seems immeasurable. She throws a single object; a small pouch filled to the brim, then points and clicks her fingers.
[ WARNING: ABYSSAL ENERGY DETECTED ]
[ WARNING: CELESTIAL ENERGY DETECTED]
[ ENERGIES COLLIDING ]
Edna pushes herself back through the portal as an wave of crackling golden-green energy rips itself through the cavern, disintegrating iron, teeth, bones and skin.
Caau almost wants to cough; a thick layer of powdered goblin covering every inch of his stone — but if he took any damage, he couldn’t feel it. The guardians, likewise, do not seem to care.
“Fuck!” she shouts, and there’s nothing quite as unsettling as an angry old lady swearing. He sees why; her left arm is cracked and broken, pieces of green energy meeting golden energy and causing micro-bursts that rip holes in her flesh. She presses herself against the wall, staring at it.
Either she’s very good at hiding the pain or that thing’s so fucked she can’t even feel it.
She seems almost stunned, but then pulls out a bottle of water from her satchel and pours it over. “Getting fucking old!” she chastises, then finds what she’s looking for… a small clear-glass bottle of golden, slightly glowing liquid. “That’s what I get — just what I get. Can’t get a break, never get a abyss-damned break!”
When the liquid hits her arm, she begins to scream — and she does not stop for hours. The liquid seeps ever so slowly down her arm, and as it does so, it’s like a river flowing into a cracked, dry mud flat; it seeps into the smallest crevices, brushing against a scarred and desolate landscape to bring renewal.
It is done. The arm is healed; but the woman has gone into a deep slumber. Caau commands the guardian to turn and stand over her — ready to shove the pickaxe deep into her heart… but he falters at the actual command.
I need to do it. She has control over me in a way I don’t like.
The solution to all life’s problems: resorting to violence. How noble of you to consider such an act against a defenceless old lady.
This must be the reason you were put here.
A defenceless old lady. The words enter his mind and ricochet like a bullet.
Is this really what I’m going to do? Do I even want to see that?
He’s not sure if he cares. There’s no brain; nothing to process emotional state. All he’s got is his soul.
I suppose… I should at least check if I can just take it, first.
The guardian interprets the command, and tries to bend — but the arms do not release the pickaxe it holds in its hands. When he looks closer, it’s obvious that they do not, in fact, have hands. It’s either death or continuance for the woman…
Reckon she’ll leave after this. I saw it; she saw it — those little bastards were after the guardians. Can’t know for certain, so I’ll have to assume…
I’m sorry. Guardian…
The guardian swings the pendulum of fate. There’s the smallest glint of golden light reflecting from it before it descends…
“I’ll come back, little one.” She murmurs.
Stop!
But it’s too late. There is too much momentum; too much power in a swing made for shattering rock. In an instant, the woman’s spirit is extinguished — her mortal coil severed.
[ Simple Guardian 1 requires Neophyte attribute choice ]
[ You have received Sanctuary Key ]
Ah, the illustrious Key to a Sanctuary, a coveted artefact that promises absolute safety and protection from the most formidable of adversaries. It appears that your acquisition of this key came at the expense of a defenceless old lady.
How valiant of you.