I tried to put as much distance between me and the battlefield as I could before nightfall. Unfortunately, I was still seeing the signs left by the monsters as I set up my camp for the night.
It felt a bit excessive, but I carved three runes of concealment into a nearby tree to go with my usual sigils. I didn’t want there to be any chance that something would stumble upon me in the night.
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I had finally found the people I had been looking for. Unfortunately, I was too late. Bodies lay scattered all over the clearing. Evidently, these people had put up a good fight, but it was all in vain. As I wandered the field of carrion, I wondered how many more times I could stand to have my hopes crushed like this.
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I tried not to let the nightmare get to me as I picked up my bag. Taking a glance at my interface, I found that I was quite close to getting my next boon.
Name: Kyo —-----
Class: Novice Mage
(7/98%)
Mana Pool: 150/150
Codex: 72.45%
MR:244
TPEL:33
Boons:
System Initiate: 10
Novice Mage: 7
Emergency augmentations: 2
Environmental Conditions:
Mana level: High
Danger present
Limited resources
System Messages:
Updates completed(10/12)
Update Available
Glancing at the system message, I remembered the updates I had scheduled. I hesitated a moment before activating my long distance messaging. What if there was nobody left to send messages to? Taking a steadying breath, I willed the system to active the messaging subfeature.
New Messages
None
Saved Contacts
None
Available Contacts
Salvador D. Veren, Martin C. Talhun, Matthew R. Rayburn
Hope filled me as I saw not one, but three different names appear on my interface. Admittedly, the names were all extremely strange and I had no idea how to pronounce any of them, but I wasn’t going to let that discourage me.
Selecting the first one on the list, My interface showed a blank space that I somehow knew I could write my message in.
Unsure what to say, I decided to keep it simple. “Hello, my name is Kyo, please reply.” I sent.
I waited impatiently for a response, growing more anxious with each passing moment. Just as I was about to try the next contact in the list, I received my reply.
It was completely incomprehensible.
I stared at the words for a while, trying to make sense of what I was reading, but it was no use. The words were completely meaningless.
Though I was irritated by this development, I sent another message. “I do not understand, please try again.”
The second reply came almost immediately, but it was just as useless as the first.
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I tried sending similar messages to the other two contacts on the list. These two also replied, but despite using different words the result was the same.
Did these people not know how to write? Looking at the similarities between the messages, I figured that wasn’t the case.
Somehow, these people had a different form of writing. I didn’t know how such a thing would come about, but it left me a little worried. What if the writing wasn’t the only thing that would be incomprehensible? Would I even be able to communicate with these people?
I dismissed my useless messenger and focused on walking. At least I knew that there was someone else out there.
If I couldn’t speak to them, I would just find some other way to communicate. The many years I had spent painting sigils had left me reasonably good at art, so perhaps we would be able to communicate with pictures? I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Several marks later, I was still pondering what exactly I would do once I found these new people. Would they even accept me? I glanced down at the tattered and stained clothes I was wearing, feeling more self conscious than I had in years.
A sound in the distance pulled me out of my introspection. It sounded like something was fighting up ahead. The roars of pain and anger from large beasts had me stop in my tracks.
Getting between battling monsters was almost never a good idea. I was about to start walking directly away from the battle when I picked up another sound. It sounded like shouting. I couldn’t make out the words, but I was quite sure that it was a human voice.
Abandoning thoughts of caution and safety, I started running towards the sounds of battle.
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INTERLUDE 4: A look on the Bright Side
The day had started pleasantly enough. The rain was light enough to be called a drizzle and everyone still living had mostly recovered from the monster attack.
The loss of Reginald a couple days before was certainly saddening, but Salvador was sure the man would have wanted the expedition to continue on in his memory. True, he would have used a dozen more overly complicated words to say it, but the message would have been the same.
While Salvador taking in the vibrant colors of the lovely tropical wilderness, a message arrived out of nowhere. The words were sadly incomprehensible, but the sender was certainly intriguing. Was this ‘Kyo’ person and the one Reginald spotted on his map one and the same? Whatever the case, Salvador was always happy to strike up a new conversation.
“It pains me to say this, but your words are beyond my comprehension. Would you be so kind as to run that by me again?” He sent after some thought.
Alas, the reply was similarly unreadable. To meet someone who was not blessed with an understanding of Systemic wasn’t something Salvador had planned for.
Trying one last message with little hope of it being understood, the spearman addressed his compatriots. “I believe I have made contact with our unknown friend.”
“Have you? What did they… Oh. They tried to send me a message as well.” Martin replied after momentarily getting the far off look of one reading their mental interface.
“Am I right in assuming that your efforts towards communication were as fruitless as my own?” Salvador asked his handsome leader.
“They don’t seem to speak Systemic.” Martin commented with a shake of his head. “Did anyone else have their system set to accept messages from unknown senders?”
Matthew, a rugged man clad in crimson, raised his hand. “Couldn’t make any sense of it neither.”
Further attempts at communication proved as fruitless as courting the sun. The mysterious stranger was evidently unwilling or unable to receive any messages beyond simple text.
With little other option, the expedition party continued their trek towards the stranger’s last known location.
As he walked, Salvador idly wondered what sort of incredible person would call the Lost Jungle home. Perhaps the stranger was a wise hermit, spending their days pondering over the secrets of mana. They could have also been a grizzled warrior, constantly seeking out ever greater challenges to push their power to new heights. Though highly unlikely, a beautiful enchantress would have also been a pleasant surprise.
Thoughts of the mysterious ‘Kyo’ were banished from Salvador’s mind as Norbert held up a hand. The large and gruff man’s senses were not something anyone would question. He had been the first to notice the beast that did in poor Reginald after all.
It didn’t take Salvador long to notice the distant sound of something moving quietly through the underbrush. His grip tightened on the shaft of his spear as he realized that it was several, rather large somethings.
By the time the first of the monsters came into view, everyone was already in formation around Liam. The quiet man had already proven his worth many times over during the expedition, but his place wasn’t in combat.
The beasts were certainly intimidating. Were wolves to have grown dissatisfied with the company of their kind and sought the companionship of enormous bears, Salvador imagined that the resulting descendants might look something like these charging monsters.
As the lead monster lunged at Martin, the man easily parried the blow with his magically strengthened shield. The beast’s confusion over being deflected by such a small opponent cost it dearly as the expedition leader’s sword bit deep.
Salvador didn’t have much chance to watch the others as one of the beasts charged towards him. Calling upon the power of a boon, Salvador felt the magic enhancing his abilities. With each motion, invisible force enhanced his speed and power.
In a flurry of gnashing teeth and slashing claws, the beast surged forwards. Under the system’s influence, Salvador gracefully weaved around the furious blows. Lashing out swiftly and precisely with his spear, the warrior steadily whittled down his foe.
Were it a duel, the victor would have been certain from the start. Unfortunately, monsters were rarely so polite as to adhere to honorable terms of engagement.
Before the swift spearman could land a finishing blow, two more of the savage creatures lunged for him at once. There was no opening left to dodge both, leaving Salvador in an awkward situation. He leapt to the side of the claw that would have taken off his head, but a snapping maw loomed ever nearer.
Even with his enhanced reflexes, there was no time to block or dodge. All he could do was try to mitigate as much of the damage as he could.
To his utter bafflement, the expected blow never landed. Instead, the beast’s head snapped sharply downwards as though struck by a mighty blow.
A confused glance to the side revealed an unknown figure in tattered garments stepping into view.