Chapter 12 - Finders Keepers
As Palinus and Minucia returned to the tableau of the big frame of Marcus holding a calculii above the head of the not yet fully grown Rufian. Marcus’s words were harsh and angry as they rang out in front of the Silvanian Nexus.
“But I need it!” Rufian yelled as he tried to grab the calculii from the man’s hands.
The frustration of the situation made Rufian’s voice sound shrill compared to Marcus’s rage. Palinus looked at the rust coloured gemstone with a blocky baguette cut and the information of Iron Fist came to his vision.
This was the first calculii that Palinus had seen and he stared for a while at the information provided.
Ars
Iron Fist
Attunement
#b7410e 183 65 14
██████████████
Cooldown
30 sec
Compatibility
n/a
Skill Type
Enhancement
Slot
[Hand]
Slot Bonus
n/a
Description
Passive - Prevent damage to hands.
Empower a strike to deal additional damage. Deals [300]% additional damage to constructs..
Iron Fist sounded like the perfect calculii for Rufian, it would solidify his unarmed fighting strength and let him fight against avatar’s with bladed weapons without worrying about damaging his hands. The active effect would also be amazing for attacking towers.
Unfortunately, with the calculii in Marcus’s hands there was no way for him to return it to Rufian, even if Marcus chose to. Though it didn't stop the teenager from trying to grab it.
“It’s ok Rufian, we’ll run another rift and you’ll get another chance.” Bruchts was saying to try and calm his friend. He was using the same disarming voice and posture as Minucia had for Marcus before.
Before they approached the group Minucia shot Palinus a questioning look. Instantly interpreting her meaning he respected her even more for allowing him the opportunity to change his mind about offering the newly found calculii to Marcus. Something about watching Rufian squabble pointlessly with a bitter man acting like a childhood bully made Palinus acutely aware of how his own emotions had been heightened throughout his experience in the rift.
The questioning look deepened on Minucia’s face as Palinus considered.
“We are being influenced,” he muttered his realisation, instantly glad he wasn’t loud enough for Minucia to hear because he sounded a bit insane. Palinus wasn’t sure what was causing it, but he was sure it was happening. Whatever was triggering or amplifying his emotions was doing the same for Rufian and Marcus. As he pondered he wondered why it didn’t seem to be affecting Bruchts or Minucia in the same way.
He pushed the worming thought aside for the moment, but it helped him empathise with Marcus.
“Marcus is bitter because someone took something that was meant for him. Rufian will feel the same way for a bit, but we’ll make it up to him somehow.” He said to Minucia quietly as the others squabbled. “Let’s separate them and quietly show him +Enhanced Leap+, Rufian doesn’t need to know now, if he calms down later we’ll tell him.”
With a nod Minucia set the plan in motion by stepping between the man and the teenager. Once Marcus had put the calculii in his pocket and the boys made promises to run more rifts with Rufian they calmed down enough for Minucia to lead Marcus away.
“Did you find anything on your walk?” Rufian asked.
“Oh, Minucia picked up all the essentia and we talked about classes and ars combinations, she called them ‘synergies’.” Palinus replied, avoiding telling an outright lie. “She is really smart! Did she teach you some stuff while you were in the lane?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Rufian hedged. Palinus was glad the deflection had worked. The conversation lapsed into an awkward silence as they watched the minions stream under the three towers protecting the Silvanian nexus from both lanes.
“There!” Bruchts suddenly yelled, pointing into the Silvanian nexus.
The Silvanian Nexus looked like a giant tree stump, with curling roots and its bark carved with symbols. Through the tall door Bruchts had pointed through they could see a green crystal shaped like a young pine tree and the heads of the two remaining Silvanmen poking out behind it, watching them.
“They’ve been watching these idiots squabble, it was a bit embarrassing.” Bruchts cringed.
“Bah, they were weak and were stupid to try and fight us. I don’t even know why they wanted to pick the fight in the forest in the first place.” Rufian blustered.
“We killed a member of their family, they were trying to get revenge,” Bruchts replied. “You didn’t see the fight down in our lane. That younger one - Reinvar, he was really angry. They had to drag him away from the lane.”
Rufian blew a raspberry, “See, stupid.”
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The boys played a game of toss the minion as they waited impatiently for the go ahead to start destroying the Nexus towers. They would pick the ugly erulean minions up by the arm and toss them as far as they could. The minions were heavy and Palinus could barely throw one over his shoulder but the other boys could heave them nearly five metres.
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“How do they always land on their feet?” Bruchts marveled.
“It’s completely illogical that they are so uncoordinated walking, but can flip in the air like that.” Palinus replied.
“AND UP!” Rufian tossed another one. “I just think it's funny how they can somehow sprint like that to catch up but barely walk faster than a shuffle.”
As the boys mucked around Marcus and Minucia returned.
The look on Marcus’s face was conflicted as they came towards the boys. Giving Palinus a subtle nod of thanks as he walked towards Rufian.
“I apologise boy.” He stood in front of the teenager with his arm outstretched to grasp. “If you come to meet me in the overworld I will give you the calculii. We’ll even run another rift with you, and you can have first right.”
“You’d better old man,” Rufian replied as he grasped the outstretched wrist.
“Good, you can find us at The Crow. It’s the taverna on the Via Erulea near the bridge across the Dalabrius.” Marcus explained.
With the agreement reached Rufian seemed thrilled with the idea of getting the calculii and started making plans with Bruchts for how they were going to get to Tremona.
As Minucia and Marcus picked up the essentia beads for the latest wave of minions they were all smiles.
“It’s time to finish this.” Marcus stated.
With the five of them working together they were able to destroy the towers with brutal efficiency. Bruchts would take the initial hits from the tower for each wave as the rest of the team attacked the tower. He would run out of range to let the towers refocus on the minions and as they were eliminated Rufian and Marcus would stand in position to be hit by the towers as they retreated.
The system worked brilliantly as they quickly destroyed the towers and as the final tower fell they followed the wave of minions inside the Silvanian nexus.
The room was lit bright green by the Nexus crystal, its green crystal leaves sparkling as if a moving canopy of foliage in the sun. Around the crystal five tall tree trunks stood with hollowed bodies, Palinus realised these were where the Silvanmen’s avatars spawned from.
Looming behind the Nexus Crystal was a rift portal, but no sign of the Silvanian avatars.
“Looks like they took the rift out, smart choice.” Minucia said to Palinus, catching him looking through the rift, “Fights around the exit can be brutal, if you get too close the rift will defend itself and sometimes enemies try to bait you into attacking or shoot at you from safety.”
They joined Rufian and Marcus who had already started attacking the crystal. Their fists and mace making quick work of the crystalline structure. The crystal dimmed as it was damaged, releasing fewer minions which were swiftly dealt with by the surging wave of erulean minions joining them in the nexus.
As the green light of the Silvanaian nexus crystal was extinguished the room was left dark, with only the glow of the rift to light the Erulean team as they finished.
-Victory!-
The announcement rang through the rift.
“Yeah!” The boys cheered and jumped around the room in celebration.
The more experienced Marcus and Minucia looked on in amusement.
“Well done! A victory on your first rift!” Minucia said.
“Don’t get too used to it.” Marcus grumbled, though he had a smile breaking through his taciturn response.
“What happens now?” Palinus asked.
As Palinus turned he missed Rufian’s movement as he started walking towards the rift behind the Silvanian nexus crystal.
“STOP!” Both Minucia and Marcus yelled, jumping to grab the teenager.
“What? Why?” Rufian replied as he dodged their grabs.
The couple seemed hesitant to get closer to the rift, but they gestured urgently for Rufian to come back.
“Don’t do it!” Minucia pleaded. “It is the Silvanian Nexus’s rift. See the roots and branches around the rift instead of tendrils.”
“If you are able to get close and you try to go through it might tear you apart, or worse: it might let you through.” Marcus added.
“What happens on the other side?” Rufian asked.
They just shook their heads in response. Either they didn’t know or didn’t want to say.
“The Erulean rift will tax you on the way out, but at least you’ll be safe and return to your bodies.” Minucia said softly.
With a look over his shoulder Rufian walked away from the Silvanian rift. Shrugging as he sauntered back to the group.
The couple shared a relieved look as they led the boys back to the Erulean nexus. Walking back along the lane was surreal. The red light of the Erulean nexus had overtaken the area, casting an eerie pink glow and the lane without the minions seemed empty as they walked.
The team chatted as they walked, filling the intense quiet of the rift. The sounds of the forest and minions only conspicuous now in their absence.
“It's tradition now that you are ‘formed’ you get to have rift call signs!” Minucia said excitedly, Marcus sighed at her exuberance. “Don’t give me that, it is important! A rift name is a short name you use to make communication faster in combat, most people use an abbreviation of their name like Min and Marc but some prefer anonymity or a moniker.” She said pointing to herself.
“Iron Fist!” Rufian yelled.
They all laughed at his exuberance.
“You can’t pick your title, that is something you earn.” Marcus stated with a swat at the teenager’s shoulder. “Maybe we should call you ‘Rufi, Baby Hands.’”
The exuberance faded from the swarthy teenager's face as he pouted.
“Rufi it is!” Minucia laughed. “Any thoughts?”
The question stumped Palinus, he had never thought about his name. Children with families in Erulea had a given name and a family name. As the child of a citizen he couldn’t claim his family name until it was granted, so he just had his given name. Eruleans also often went by a different given name when they were granted a high ranking position.
He brainstormed ideas for names as they walked, but he drew a blank and decided on an abbreviation of his given name. It was hard to pick a name.
Like Rufian, Bruchts was happy to pick his own name. He considered picking a more Erulean name but decided to stay with his given name to honour his father and Stoneman heritage.
“Besides, I will get a new one when I become a legate.” Bruchts bragged jokingly knowing there was very little chance he was granted leadership of a city or army.
“Happy to have fought with you, Bru and Pal!” Minucia stated. She and Marcus grew serious as they came to the Erulean Nexus and stood in front of the rift.
“This is a bit uncomfortable. My only suggestion is to not fight it and take it easy when you get back.” She instructed as she stepped calmly into the rift with Marcus quickly following after with a wave and a nod. ”See you when you get to Tremona!”
As they neared the tendrils of the portal they suddenly winked out of existence.
“See you on the other side!” Rufian ran straight after and with a sigh Bruchts followed.
Taking a moment to look back Palinus turned and touched the still glowing red nexus avatar. There was something not quite right about the Erulean nexus. Its lines were wobbly and it had a sloppiness that wasn’t present in the Silvanian nexus’s avatar.
With a last look at the albumstone pillars they had arrived within and a feeling of relief to be alive, Palinus walked through the rift.
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The first thing Palinus became aware of was the smell.
A clawing sticky funk of sewage and rot assaulted him, making him gag as he opened his eyes. He was looking up at the sky which he was relieved to find still held some light with an afternoon glow. That meant it had only been a few hours at most in the rift, though it felt like a month.
He had a pounding headache and the soft afternoon glare still made him squint as it triggered the thumping in his brain. His body ached as if they had been doing a challenging full body workout the day before. A feeling of power lingered from within the rift, but stripped of the power he had felt inside the rift there was a sense of emptiness and loss.
The smell of the backways pulled his thoughts back to the present and reminded him of his obligation to deliver the bolts of wool this evening. He was happy that Rufian was right for once, they would have time to sort those out before nightfall.
The groans of Bruchts and Rufian stirring beside him filled him with an unexpected sense of relief that overwhelmed the stiffness of his body and he jumped up to help them. They seemed stiffer than he felt.
Seeing the sword in Bruchts hand, Palinus patted at his pocket and was happy to find the Attunement Shard. But unlike in the rift didn’t get any information when he looked at his friends or the items no matter how he stared.
Watching his friend struggle he moved to try to help Rufian up, and his friend reached for his outstretched arm but paused before he took it.
“Ah, no offence but I’ll be ok. I think you need to take a bath Pal.” Rufian said, refusing the help.
Palinus chuckled as he noticed his clothes and arms were covered in filth. It seemed like their avatars in the rift hadn’t copied that detail of their clothes, and catching a whiff of how he smelt he was glad.
His relief was short-lived as he noticed that someone was watching them.