Chapter 7
Kalthier woke up with a scream and a hand clutching his chest. He could still feel the pain. The vision of Vilkra, holding his heart with a delighted smile on her face, as the swirl of colors on her eyes danced with macabre amusement, was firmly engraved in his mind.
“Urgh...”
Another phantom spasm seemed to hit him, stronger this time. It almost felt as if his heart was being shoved back where it belonged. To make matters worse his forehead was throbbing in sync with the phantom pain in his chest. All in all, not a great way to wake up.
“Ah, I see our sleeping beauty is finally up. Did ye have a nice twenty hour nap? I sure hope ye did, cause for the next eight hours yer mine to train. And I don’t go easy on anyone.”
Nooo, Vilkra come back. Kill me, take me with you, just let me reeeeeest.
Sadly enough Kalthier’s silent pleas went unheard, and Uldren’s gigantic, calloused hands roughly pulled him from the bed he was in and pushed him towards a furnace. As a sleepy Kalthier continued to follow the grumpy dwarf while rubbing his chest, complete and utter panic took hold of him.
Oh god he’s going to burn me alive. Did I fall asleep in his bed? Did Eva find out about what he did to his cooking skill? Oh gods are those manacles?
As Kalthier slowly came to his senses he started noticing things that calmed him down. First of all he noticed the sheer amount of blacksmiths working at the smithy. Witnesses are always a good deterrent for murder. Then he noticed the ease with which he was moving and how good he felt in general, phantom heartache aside.
A quick look at his hands confirmed that he still wore the black rings and if he focused his attention, Kalthier could feel the increased gravity affecting him. Instead of the bonecrushing force he was used to, he only felt something akin to wearing a bulky sweater. Restrictive, heavy, but not uncomfortable at all. It felt like a familiar, all enveloping hug.
“Welcome to yer official post, my fledgeling apprentice.”
The gruff voice was enough to bring Kalthier back to the present, where he noticed the most pitiful forge he’d ever seen, a rat-sized anvil and a rusty hammer. Before Kalthier could comment on the quality and size of the forge, Uldren interrupted him.
“Look at it lad, a hundred years, countless apprentices and it’s still going. Yer lucky. I don’t let just anyone begin in this forge, but Evangeline’s apprentice deserves special treatment”
Somehow Kalthier didn’t like the sound of that special treatment, and the crappy forge before him didn’t inspire… Anything really.
“Ye see lad, this here is the one. The first forge I ever laid me hands on. A century of use and still kicking. Ha! if using this forge doesn’t make you appreciate the craft, nothing will.”
The grin on Uldren’s face was infectious, and Kalthier found himself returning it. Giving the small forge a more thorough look Kalthier could see that it was indeed old. Marks of usage and the passage of time covered every inch of it. The tools had that polished look that only appears after countless hours of use. Even if it did look shabby, the forge was a treasure.
“I’m honored that you would let me use this when I know nothing of blacksmithing.”
Uldren looked at Kalthier with a mix of pride and amusement as he stroked his beard.
“Well, lets get on with it. Pay attention for this will be your first assignment.”
Kalthier watched as the dwarf went behind the forge and came back carrying a metal rod.
“This is a basic iron rod. I want ye to do anything ye can think of with it using this forge and tools.”
Baffled at the odd request Kalthier took hold of the rod and examined it. Just as Uldren had said, it was a plain iron rod. The crafty of dwarf must have seen the look of confusion on his face, for he immediately expanded his explanation.
“Heat it, smash it, coolt, quench it, shape it, melt it… Do anything you want with it. The idea is for you to learn how iron behaves, it’s quirks and properties. You have eight hours.”
With that, the blacksmith turned and walked towards his office, leaving behind a shocked Kalthier holding an iron rod. He was blinking rapidly in confusion. After a couple of seconds to ensure that Uldren was indeed not coming back, Kalthier turned towards the forge.
Why did I even dare to hope he would be a reasonable teacher?
With a shrug that seemed to convey his hopelessness, Kalthier shoved the iron rod into the forge.
This is going to be a long day…
It was… Surprisingly fun. For hours Kalthier enjoyed himself by messing with the iron rod. He soon realized that blacksmithing was not about strength. It was needed, but control was more important. Hitting the rod with all his gravity assisted strength only ruined the metal, causing it to break off no matter how hot it was. That was another thing Kalthier found fascinating. Hitting the rod with the same amount of strength, in the same way and on the same spot repeatedly was incredibly hard, but it resulted in much smoother and controlled shaping of the rod. And when he tried to do it with variant degrees of temperature, Kalthier found that the texture and the way the iron behaved reacted differently depending on how much time he left the rod in the forge.
Kalthier was watching how what was left of his iron rod melted in the coals, when Uldren came back. He was watching Kalthier with intent and his beard was curled up in a grin of amusement around his face.
“I’m surprised, no one has lasted the full eight hours before.”
That surprised Kalthier, the eight hours had gone by in a flash. And he still had a bunch of ideas he didn’t get to try on the iron.
“Why?”
Uldren gave him a baffled look.
“The heat. Working next to a forge for eight hours is too much for anyone who’s never done it before.”
Now Uldren was looking at Kalthier with suspicion,his eyes looked hurt, as if Kalthier had somehow betrayed him.
Why would he...Oh!
Realizing what was wrong, Kalthier couldn’t help but laugh, which only seemed to infuriate the grumpy dwarf. Kalthier saw Uldren tense up and start walking towards him, giant hands clenched into fists and a frightening scowl on his face, he hastily explained his reaction and the reason behind it.
“Hey, hey. Don’t get mad, I didn’t trick you or anything like that. There is a reason I was able to stay by the forge. It’s quite simple really, I’m surprised you haven't figured it out yourself.”
Being condescending was apparently not the right move, for Uldren produced a huge hammer out of nowhere and was still approaching menacingly.
“Explain yerself, Now!”
Kalthier just shrugged and looking at the diminishing distance between himself and the incoming dwarf, he decided to go for brevity.
“...Dragon”
Just one word, but it worked wonders. Uldren’s eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. Then the crafty old blacksmith started chuckling, which then evolved into a barrel chested laugh so loud that Kalthier found himself joining, even if his own laugh was a bit on the nervous side.
They laughed for a long time, enough to make Kalthier’s stomach hurt. His tail was wagging as he and Uldren regarded each other for a minute. Then the dwarf curled his finger and started walking towards his office. Curious, Kalthier followed.
“Ye’re so unlike your brethren that it’s easy to forget what ye are.”
That’s how Uldren started the conversation once they reached his office. Kalthier couldn’t help but wonder if he had just been subtly complimented or offended So he gave the dwarf his best draconic snarl and growl, which… wasn't much. But it definitely sounded alien to Kalthier, and the vibration in his throat was kinda fun.
I should do that more often.
Uldren laughed. Kalthier could see the dwarf try not to, but in the end he laughed. Just as Kalthier was about to sulk, Uldren tried to explain himself.
“I’m sorry. I don’t usually like cute things, they repulse me. But you just reminded me of an angry kitten I once had. Adorable.”
That explanation did nothing but enrage Kalthier. Standing up without uttering a single sound he walked out of the smithy, leaving Uldren’s amused laughter behind.
“Be sure to come back tomorrow ye hear!”
With those words ringing in his head Kalthier walked towards the training ground.
Bloodlust aura activated.
Kalthier barely even took notice of the sign. He was just grateful for the aura keeping the annoying onlookers away as he made his way through town towards his next lesson with Belgroth. Hitting a scarecrow for a while sounded quite therapeutic for him at the moment.
Unfortunately it was not to be. Belgroth received him at the training ground with a tangled mess of leather straps, ordering him to stand still while the giant man worked around him. Kalthier’s bloodlust aura not bothering him in the slightest.
Gods, what now. I just wanted to hit something, and this guys is fitting me with… Scabbards?
Once he realized what Belgroth was doing, Kalthier broke out in cold sweat, his aura intensified. The veteran warrior was strapping all kinds of straps and scabbards over his chest, waist and thighs. Kalthier recognized the scabbards. They all belonged to weapons he had been learning to use. Two bastard swords went on his back, drawable over each shoulder. Twin short swords rested on each hip, and daggers went everywhere: Two in his lower back, crossed over his tail, two on each thigh, one on each boot and small slender knifes on his forearms. It was quite an arsenal and everything Kalthier had learned to use.
Urgh, damn so that’s what this is about.
As soon as Belgroth gave him some space Kalthier realized what his new training was probably about. With close to forty pounds in weapons strapped to his body, and with the damn rings enhancing gravity, it once again became hard to move. Sleeping had apparently allowed him to carry much more than that without a hitch. No. What the weapons did was alter his balance, and bad balance with increased gravity turned out to be quite the challenge.
For around an hour Belgroth said nothing as Kalthier got used to his gear. Then he finally decided to speak.
“From now on you’ll wear your weapons all the time.”
“What! All of them?”
A single raised eyebrow was all he got in return, and Kalthier realized that he was still mad. His bloodlust aura still going strong.
“Yes all of them. You need to learn to move with fluidity while you wear them. Not to mention that it’s good to always be prepared.” (A/N: Somehow Jeremy Iron’s song from the Lion King came to my head as I wrote this.)
“This is now the official first stage of your training. I’ve taught you the basics for each and every one of your weapons. Now you need experience.”
Kalthier felt a thrill of excitement that only strengthened his bloodlust. Then he realized something was wrong with the way Belgroth had arranged his weapons.
“I thought you said that shoulder straps and hanging swords from the back sucked.”
Belgroth grinned.
“Ah, good of you to remember that. The problem with carrying and drawing a sword from your back lays in the speed and positioning. Drawing from the hip is faster and puts the blade in from of your body as you do it, giving you some covering. Drawing from the back, however impressing it might look, is useless in those regards. Not only is it slower, it forces your hand and your blade away from your body. Not good things when you have to stop an attack coming towards you.”
“But then why-”
“Did I make you wear them?”
Belgroth’s grin was full of mischief.
“Many reasons. As I said, it looks impressive, and you really need impressive...”
Ouch. Did all my teachers agree to make me feel bad about my looks today?
“...You also posses more weapons within easier reach to stop a surprise attack. Having the scabbards crossed on your back provides you with a bit of protection in an area that is usually unguarded. And you need the bastard swords, you will never win a fight with strength. So speed, versatility and creativity are your tools. Having three different weapons you can rely upon can get you out of many sticky situations.”
Kalthier could understand the reasoning and he had to admit that it did indeed look cool. All those hilts poking from him gave him a menacing look that was simply impossible to achieve with his normal looks.
“Now, as I was saying, it is time to start your training for real. This will be your first and only order during this stage. Do it and we’ll move on to the next...”
Taking cue from the pause Belgroth gave in his speech, Kalthier reached up and drew the bastards swords. Belgroth was right, it was awkward and left him wide open, but even he could tell it looked impressive.
“...For the next six hours, days and weeks, all of your focus, all your energy will be focused on one thing and one thing only. Make. Me. Bleed.”
Kalthier, his bloodlust now beyond a simple aura, reacted with joy. Over the past few weeks he’d grown to love fighting, and this was the first time he could go all out against Belgroth with sharpened weapons. With a scream he rushed towards the his gigantic instructor, bastard swords low and to the sides as he stepped into the giant man’s range.
Kalthier tried to take advantage of the fact that Belgroth was only using a single short sword to fight with. He brought both his swords up as soon as he was into range, one of them aimed at Belgroth’s torso and the other one at his knee.
The big man barely even moved. A raised leg let Kalthier’s sword pass harmlessly underneath it and an offhand parry, carrying the force of a moving train, diverted the attack that Kalthier had aimed towards the instructor’s ribcage. Then Belgorth started fighting back. Slightly off balance due to the instructor’s flawless defence, Kalthier could barely get a sword up in time to block the sudden riposte that followed Belgroth’s parry. The short sword leaving a gash on his ribs as the thrust was barely deflected off-course by Kalthier’s bastard sword.
The sudden pain made him gasp and gape at Belgroth as blood ran down his side. The instructor smiled in return.
“What? You didn’t think I was just going to stand here and let you wail at me all day, did you?”
Shit.
Now that Kalthier knew Belgroth was going to fight seriously he found himself feeling a strange mix of fear, apprehensiveness, excitement and elation. So, without answering the obvious rhetorical question, Kalthier attacked Belgroth once again. This time he lasted four seconds before receiving another blow. Gritting his teeth from pain and bloodlust Kalthier decided to modify his attack, opting instead to leave his swords in a guarded stance and perform sudden strikes with the other one….It was a losing strategy.
The only advantage that Kalthier possessed against Belgroth was his superior armament. So, in a sudden bout of creativity Kalthier drew one of his daggers and let it drop towards the floor. Then, just before the dagger touched the floor, Kalthier kicked it towards his instructor.
Not even bothering to check the daggers trajectory, Kalthier attacked, this time with both swords going for overhead strikes in different directions. Belgroth’s reactions was nothing short of amazing.
With a flick of his wrist the gigantic instructor deflected the flying dagger using the pommel of his sword. This movement also left his blade in perfect place to parry Kalthier’s right sword. But Belgroth’s flurry of movement didn’t stop there. The instructor somehow parried Kalthier’s sword towards him, not aside. At the same time Belgroth bent backwards at the waist, letting the parried blade pass over him faster than it was originally going and finally colliding with Kalthier’s other sword, effectively parrying both attacks.
Having noticed the speed at which Belgroth could counterattack, Kalthier immediately dropped his swords and jumped backwards, simultaneously drawing the short swords at his waist and landing in a guarded stance.
“Good, keep me guessing lad. And keep track of your resources.”
With that Belgroth, in mocking imitation to Kalthier’s previous action, kicked one of Kalthier’s abandoned bastard swords towards him. Seeing the huge blade flying towards him, followed by the giant man behind it, Kalthier panicked.
He crossed his swords and managed to stop the spinning sword in a cross guard near his knees, but his reaction left him open to the easy swipe from Belgroth that opened him from hip to shoulder. Then Kalthier was told to retrieve his swords, to never throw them next to the enemy and to get on guard once again. This time it was his thigh that ended up bleeding….
It was exhausting, painful work. Kalthier tried everything he knew, It didn’t work. Then he tried new things that were somehow variations of what Belgroth had taught him, it didn’t work. Finally he tried the extreme, dropping one of his swords mid-charge and throwing a dagger, switching weapons in the middle of a fight, he even started using his tail at some point. But it was useless, Belgroth blocked, parried or dodged every single thing Kalthier threw at him.To make matters worse, the instructor fought back, forcing Kalthier to improvise new ways to defend himself…. They didn’t work.
By the end of the six hours Kalthier was a mess. Dried blood mixed with fresh, and it covered him from head to toe. The only reason he wasn’t dead was because Belgroth had some muffins, they were especially cooked by Evangeline to heal and restore stamina. Kalthier almost cried every time he ate one. Not only due to the fact that every time he was forced to take a muffin from the basket, his flesh was cut to ribbons. But due to the muffins, which focused entirely on the bonuses they gave and should have tasted bad, but they tasted better than ony muffin Kalthier could remember eating in reality.
Having enabled the system messages back the day before, Kalthier was able to see his stats increase. But in the six hours of training, he was only able to get one point in strength and dexterity and two in endurance. Despite this being an incredible amount of stats to gain in six hours Kalthier couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. After all, his unusual training and circumstances had allowed him used to gain stats at a much faster rate over the past couple of weeks.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
The only interesting thing that happened, and the closest Kalthier came to making Belgroth bleed, came after the man deflected one of Kalthier’s thrown daggers back into his eye. After releasing a howl of agony, Kalthier retaliated. However, it wasn’t in a way that either of them expected. Half mad with pain and bloodlust, Kalthier just swung his sword once, putting every ounce of strength behind it. Kalthier could almost see the image of Belgroth splitting in half, and it was only after he finished his swing that he realized he was out of range….Way out of range.
Kalthier had thrown the dagger at Belgroth when they were about ten feet apart.
Hitting it in mid-air the instructor sent it flying back towards Kalthier.
The unexpected counter attack resulted in the dagger embedding itself deep into Kalthier’s left eye.
Not moving from his spot and mad with pain, rage and bloodlust Kalthied swung his sword. They were still ten feet apart.
A blood-red line of angry energy left Kalthier’s sword as he swung it towards the gigantic instructor. Belgroth did something Kalthier didn’t see, and after a loud explosion and some flashes of red and green the instructor was left unharmed.
Whoa!, wicked.
You have learned a sub-skill from Bloodlust Aura, Blood Wing. [Beginner lvl 1]
By concentrating your bloodlust into your blade you can send forth a wing of razor sharp aura.
At the current level one wing can be created with every swing.
Range: 15m
Size: 2m
Damage: 35
Mana Cost: 25
Only usable with bladed weapons.
The attack was unexpected enough to earn Kalthier a break, after which Belgroth wouldn’t stop looking at him funny for the rest of the session.
Kalthier couldn’t repeat the skill, his bloodlust completely trumped by his excitement and curiosity.
--------------------------------------
Kalthier was still cleaning himself when Belgroth approached him. The man wasn’t even sweating, much less bleeding.
*sigh* I couldn't even nick him.
“Nice tricks with the tail lad. I didn’t expect that.”
*Mumble* ”...Not that it did me any good”
At that, the big man clapped him on the shoulder, grinning broadly and ignorant of the pain his giant paw caused Kalthier, who was still bleeding from Belgroth’s final onslaught. Then he went into full instructor mode, narrating in surprising detail the whole six hours of combat. Kalthier couldn’t believe it. The man remembered every single detail from their fight. Movements Kalthier didn’t even know he had performed were crisp and clear on Belgroth’s mind and the man analyzed every one of them. Sometimes he moved Kalthier’s body to replicate certain aspects of the fight in slow motion, explaining whether a certain movement was good or bad and how to improve it.
“... And we’re going to have to work on that tail of yours. I’ve never had a student with one, but I’ve seen countless monsters use them effectively. Plus I believe yours is somehow superior, you seem to have a surprising amount of control and flexibility...”
Then before Kalthier had time to blink Belgroth had drawn on of Kalthier’s own swords and was walking behind him.
“Hey, try wrapping your tail around this”
Kalthier focused his attention on his tail. He was used to it by now, but it moved mostly on it’s own. Conscious use of it required a lot more attention than he could spare in the midst of combat, so wild swings where the best he could manage. Out of combat though, out of combat Kalthier could move it freely, and he loved doing it. The feeling the extra appendage gave him was alien, but at the same time familiar. Using it like a hand had never occurred to him. The idea of grabbing something with it filled him with excitement.
It was hard. His tail was capable of grabbing the hilt, that much he quickly realized. But his control over it was severely lacking when it came to wielding the sword. At least without skewering himself. Self inflicted backstabs didn’t sound very fun.
They worked on his tail for almost an hour, until Belgroth decided to give Kalthier a small dumbbell, telling him to carry it around with his tail all the time. Kalthier just sighed, carrying the weight with his increased gravity was bound to be exhausting on both his mind and body. Then Belgroth finally got around to discussing what had been on Kalthier’s mind for hours. His new skill.
“I’ve seen others use something like it before. The manipulation of aura into a tangible form, but nothing like what you just did. Not only was it an actual attack, but it raised the effectiveness from your aura exponentially….To put it bluntly, it scared the crap out of me. In all my adventurer years I’ve never had a gigantic blood-red wing of translucent death coming after me.” Belgroth took a shuddering breath then grinned. “I haven’t felt like that in years, thank you lad. You have given me an amazing gift today.”
Huh, I guess I don’t know as much about Belgroth as I thought. He IS a fighting maniac, but that dumb facade is just that, a facade. The man has a terrifying mind, he just doesn't bother to use if it’s not in something combat related.
“Since the skill requires you to feel bloodlust towards your opponent I shall endeavor to piss you off from now on. You know, for training.”
Yeah, still a prick who learned from Eva though
Later that day a nervous Kalthier walked into Eva’s kitchen, his mind a conflicted mess of guilt and fear. Deleting the cooking skill was perhaps the result of his ignorance and reluctance to sleep in-game. But it was still his choice and Eva would probably see it as such.
He no longer had the skill point available, and even if he did erase some other skill to make room and somehow managed to regain the cooking skill Kalthier was sure that Eva would know. To make matters worse Kalthier didn’t want the cooking skill anymore, at least not yet. Uldren’s speech on crafting skills and how they limited what could be accomplished when used as a crutch, leaning on them in utter reliance, that would in the end cripple an crafter.
It was with these thoughts that Kalthier entered the bakery, and it was with a jumble of nerves and confusion that he left after a perfectly normal (If you can call it that) class with Evangeline. Kalthier was certain that she could tell something was wrong. After all, the bonuses that the cooking skill gave him vastly improved his dishes. Without it, everything he made was below average.
After the tenth time he received a notification offering him the cooking skill in exchange for another one, the game seemed to understand it was not going to happen.
It was the fact that Kalthier had to concentrate more during his lessons with Eva, without the cooking skill helping him, that settled his mind. From then on and until he found a class and thus unlocked more skill slots he would not use a single crafting skill.
Eva’s reaction, or lack thereof to be more precise, remained a frightening mystery in the back of Kalthiers head as he headed towards the library, lunchbox in hand.
As he walked through the city, curious stares from gossiping bystanders were directed at him with the occasional mutterings of ‘Draky’ and ‘Armed’. Kalthier decided to check his stats and skills. He also decided to start getting used to issuing mental commands for the system.
System: Show skills.
Character SkillsSpiked Headbut. Beginner lvl 1 (8%)(Active)Draky Eyes. Beginner lvl 1 (67%) (Passive)Knife Mastery. Beginner lvl 5 (45%) (Passive)Sword Mastery. Beginner lvl 6 (02%) (Passive)Bloodlust Aura. Beginner lvl 4 (23%) (Passive)
Looking at the useless Spiked headbut skill Kalthier almost decided to erase it, but at the last second decided against it. A plan suddenly forming in his head.
Might as well try it against Belgroth tomorrow.
Satisfied with his other skill Kalthier checked his stats.
System: Show stats.
Status WindowCharacter NameKalthierAlignmentChaoticLevel1ProfessionNoneTitlesBeast Loremaster
Hardworker
The Sleepless
Of the Resolute Mind
The BastardFame390Infamy10Health970Mana900HPS2.7(-5 Crushing)MPS9.3Strength78Agility85Stamina76Honour27Fighting Spirit59Luck27Wisdom60Intellect63Endurance91Vitality77Lore32Charisma33Constitution38Charm25Attack36(Melee) 50(Dagger) 78(Short Sword) 99(Bastard-Sword 1H) 136(Bastard-Sword 2H)Defense45Magic ResistancesFire25%Water5%Earth5%Air5%Holy5%Black5%Mind25%Unused stat points: 0Miscellaneous Bonuses and Penalties:+5.5% Combat Skills Growth (Up to Intermediate Level)
+5.5% Combat Skills Growth (Up to Intermediate Level)
+11 Intimacy with draconic creatures
Gain stats Honor, Fighting Spirit
Half fame gain, double infamy gain
Monster status. Skills and events that only target Monsters can affect you.
11% Increased pain factor.
Your body possesses elf like angular features.
A red tinge colors your scaly skin.
You possess the red slitted eyes of a dragon.
-5 Charisma and Appearance when obtained.
Guards in general regard you with suspicion.
Cursed: You are under the effects of 2.0x gravity.
Affliction : Minor Feeblemind (Permanent)
-10 INT
-10 CHA
Spellcasting Failure +10%
Animosity with all NPC’s in Versailles +10
For a long time Kalthier looked at his stats, there were a couple of downsides, but overall he was growing powerful. He had to reluctantly agree that Eva knew what she was doing. All that hard work, sweat and blood had gotten him some serious improvement in the stats department. Most of them where due to some titles and random bonus given to stats gained while working under a gravity curse and severe lack of sleep. All in all Kalthier was happy with himself, he had earned every single one of those points. Grinning like an idiot and going once again over all his stats and skills Kalthier approached the Library.
Pleandra had always provided Kalthier with a much needed change of pace, but as Kalthier entered the Library he found the old lady waiting for him by the door.
“Ah, child. I heard, among other things, that you finally managed to gain the Foraging and Herbalism skills.”
Kalthier didn’t have to see the shrewd look Plea gave him to understand. She knew. She knew that he had deleted the cooking skill, or perhaps about his problem with sleep and Vilkra.
“I did, but your books where essential in getting them.”
“Of course they where, books are the doorways to the universe.”
Something about the way she said those words nagged at Kalthier, but he let it go when Pleandra grabbed his hand and pulled him further towards the library. They passed Pleandra’s desk and the door leading to Kalthier’s usual room, and Pleandra was still pulling him.
“Erm, where are we going?”
Pleandra laughed, it was a joyous laugh that didn’t seem to fit someone as old al Plea, but Kalthier liked it, it seemed to make everything around him somehow better.
“I have a surprise for you.”
They kept walking through the library until they came across a dead end, or at least it looked like a dead end. As Kalthier walked next to a cheery Pleandra, through the well lit corridor, he came to a realization. What he thought was a dead end at the end of the corridor was in fact a gigantic brass door that took the whole wall, from side to side and floor to ceiling the massive door appeared to be impenetrable.
As he got closer and closer Kalthier began to notice more and more details on the door. It was exquisitely carved. As far as Kalthier could see, the door had thirty-six different landscapes and creatures all mixing into one another, fading in and out of the background. Kalthier had a strange sensation that something was missing, and after looking at the door for a while longer he realized what it was.
I didn't get a system notice.
Having seen beautiful pieces of work like the Regus’ Cathedral of Light Kalthier knew that he should have gotten a message telling him about the door and giving him some bonuses. Before he could question the reasons as to why that didn’t happen Pleandra opened the door.
Kalthier looked, rubbed his eyes and looked again.
What the hell…
Before him was a giant landscape filled with forests and mountains. He could smell the moss in the air and hear the constant roar of a waterfall in the distance. Speechless Kalthier turned towards Pleandra.
“Go ahead child, step through. It’s as real as you and I.”
Nodding in understanding Kalthier took a deep breath and crossed the threshold. It felt….Surprisingly normal. The mud and grass beneath his feet, the sound of creatures left unseen. Everything was just as Kalthier expected a forest to be. Puzzled Kalthier turned towards Pleandra, only to find her standing on the other side of a floating window.
More intrigued than afraid Kalthier decided to circle around the portal. It seemed to exist as a single sheet of reality that only occupied two dimensions, when he looked at it from the side it became narrower and narrower until he couldn't see it anymore. From behind the portal it looked like an ugly patch of complete and utter darkness.
Completing his circle around the portal Kalthier ended up looking at Pleandra. But as soon as he opened his mouth to speak the old woman beat him to it.
“Do you have any food?”
Thrown off by the sudden question, Kalthier shook his head but remained silent.
“What about water?”
At this Kalthier took out his canteen and shook it. I was nearly empty.
“Good. Now child, you seem to have more teacher every day, so I’m not going to teach you...”
At this Kalthier gave a sigh of relief. Things were starting to turn strange and he didn’t like it, but at least it wasn’t some kind of bizarre teaching method.
“....but I will make you learn.”
As Kalthier’s eyes opened in shock and sudden fear, the portal began to close at an alarming rate.
“Here child, you will need this. Do come back, it gets lonely in that dusty old library.”
The last thing Kalthier saw of Pleandra, and in fact the library, was a book flying through the opening, seconds before it closed with the sound of thunder. It was accompanied by a voice that sounded nothing like the Pleandra he knew, it sounded sinister.
“You have a week, come back before then or I’ll tell your Evangeline that you bailed out on her. I’ll even have Uldren tell her how you decided to delete her precious cooking skill. Good luck.”
Numb with shock Kalthier bent down and picked up the book. It’s title told him everything he needed to know.
‘Survival: And expedient revisal of tracking, hunting and guiding oneself in the wilderness’
“Shit!”
Chapter 7 END
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A great many thanks to Snow for being my alfa, beta and proof reader. *Hugs*
I'm starting classes tomorrow, so I don't know how much time I'll have for future chapters.
PS: Shameless self promotion.
"Nevermore"