Those cave lights here continued to pound down on his eyes. He’d slept a few hours, but now he just couldn’t bring himself to sleep anymore. Hands went on his chest. Fingers flexed up and down while he twiddled his thumbs to make the shape of a spider.

The old man in the hempen robe had joined them uninvited a while ago, but had hopeful words at the very least. Ya know, sometimes that’s all yah needed, a hopeful word. The sage looking fella, as Alfredo thought, sat in deep meditation over there.

Loud snoring came from Ebony as she slept on her back over the flat stone floor. A thick hand pushed on the cool stone. He looked for a watch, dug for his phone. Circe had dropped her phone again. It still laid nearby but Alfredo didn’t want to be bothered with it. The devices were dead weight here. The base of his palm rubbed his temple. A quick scan revealed that the cave had emptied out. The Honorary Demonians were mostly gone.

How much time had passed? There wasn’t anything to indicated how much time was left until they could use the portals. Circe had used a portal, but he guessed her situation was an exception. Maybe by the time Ebony woke up, they could get going. Darn, his head hurt so bad. His heart hurt. He glanced at the phone and wiped his eyes.

He turned to the meditating old man. If the guy was going to insist on sitting right near them, then he might as well talk to them.

“Hey, old fella. Why yuh hangin’ out wit us? We’re a couple of nobodies. The doctor can’t even stay awake an I only got one power that seems kinda basic. Not gonna lie.”

Kunchen maintained his stance, “I’m here to help your friend survive, the one who threatened Mogg itself.”

Alfredo stood up, “Well let’s go then if that’s what yuh want. It’s pretty much what I want too! I doubt she’s gonna last too long on her own.”

Thick calloused fingers ran through his jet-black hair. Kunchen refused to budge as he maintained his meditative stance. The eye on Kunchen’s forehead remained open. It burned with a violet radiance, yet, Kunchen paid it no mind. The others among the marked were around and looked fairly normal, and by that he meant nobody screamed and cried their head off. Their brands weren’t glowing though.

“Ain’t yuh gonna say nothin’?”

Kunchen didn’t budge. His stance remained calm and his breathing deliberately controlled. Alfredo picked up Circe’s broken phone.

“If yuh ain’t even gonna say nothin’, then what are yuh good for?”

The meditative stance broke as Kunchen swiped his finger in the air. Once the screen displayed, he willed it to face Alfredo.

Kunchen

Sage

Skill Description Spiritual Wall Master 99:

Creates a barrier that only creatures with a balanced spirit can pass. It is impenetrable to all others. The barrier can be extended by one kilometer cubed.

Meditation Master 99:

Nothing can disturb your meditation unless you allow it. When in a meditative state you are invulnerable to harm. Spells can be cast during meditation.

Purification Ritual Master 99:

A brief ritual that purifies spiritual imbalances and aligns the spiritual energy of the user. Provides a 3000 percent stat boost in five chosen stats for five hours.

Chakra Healing Master 99:

Can heal all your wounds within seconds regardless of severity up to ten times a day. Can regrow your lost limbs. If your head is taken off it can be reattached and healed perfectly.

Passive Description Survivor Master 99:

You can thrive on 400 calories a day so long as you meditate. You are immune to poison. You require no more than one cup of water a day to stay well hydrated. You do not suffer from vitamin deficiencies.

Cheating Death Master 99:

Wounds that would be instantly fatal for others are not instantly fatal for you. Separated limbs and body parts will remain ambulatory for one hour.

Curse Description Half Moon Brand: Forehead:

You refused to make a choice and are marked as a traitor against Azoria. The mark will bring pain and feed on it. You will never have rest. However, service to your Lord may abate your pain.

Pacifist 01:

You are unable to intentionally cause harm to any living thing. You are unable to intentionally put any living creature at risk of harm through your actions.

Shsshss Hs Shsh Hssz 01:

Shhs sthts hss hshshshhz hsss shsshsh shss hzh. Sshz shszh hz shsshs sh hsshs shsshzshssz.

Heart Of Stone 01:

A never beating reminder that you don’t belong in this world. You can never be a servant of Azoria or an honorary demonian. The half-moon mark is your only path.

Vital Statistics # Substat # Substat # Substat # Substat # Substat # Substat # Perception 333 Sight 91 Hearing 89 Touch 76 Awareness 543 Spiritual 498 Nil Nil Strength 89 Arms 99 Legs 99 Torso 99 Back 57 Grip 99 Nil Nil Toughness 346 Blunt 162 Slice 103 Pressure 678 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Stamina 410 Heart 999 Lungs 234 Arms 311 Legs 321 Nil Nil Nil Nil Speed 163 Swim 67 Swing 79 Run 77 Think 331 Nil Nil Nil Nil Agility 38 Arms 39 Legs 47 Torso 40 Back 33 Fingers 13 Nil Nil Fortitude 999 Magic Def 999 Mental Def 999 Stability 999 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Intelligence 173 Emotional 123 Scientific 55 Spiritual 341 Interpersonal 101 Bestial 222 Creative 157 Magic 99 Fire 99 Ice 99 Water 99 Wind 99 Earth 99 Nil Nil Spirit 99 Restoration 99 Illusion 99 Life 99 Dark 99 Light 99 Resistance 99 Luck 20 Money 01 Combat 12 Magic 43 Relational 13 Nil Nil Nil Nil

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Alfredo took a moment to look over the skill set and the statistics as he rubbed the lines over his neck. He didn’t look long enough to read everything. The details were skimmed over until he lost interest, then he shrugged.

“So your some big shot. I supposed to be impressed wit yuh are somethin’? You’re not really any big deal unless yuh can get us out of this stupid cave.”

Snoring continued as Alfredo waited for an answer and received nothing further. He stepped away but the old man grunted.

“They’ll let us know when we can pass. Most likely you’ll be able to go ahead before me. You should go back to sleep. Conserve your energy. Tiring yourself out with worry won’t save her.”

“Can you ummm, stay wit tuh doctor if she don’t wake up?”

“I can do so, are you considering heading out after her alone?”

“Yeah.”

Hands went in his pockets as he stared at the bones near the stage. The ends had been nibbled like someone chewed them with a pencil. He remembered this girl he liked back in high school, kind of cute and skinny like Circe. She had a bad habit of chewing her pencils like that. None of them had erasers. Eyelids squinted shut at the sight of a blood stain being explored by a red roach traveling with a yellow roach. Just how many roaches had Circe colorized?

The Azoria tour guides still stood attentively at the far end of the cave. Whatever number took him to Circes location was unknown. The large party with the cop had asked the tour guide something. They were going for Circe from what he’d heard. They probably asked what portal to use. It was a mission after all.

Dead though. He didn’t want to believe it. He’d been about to go berserk when that old man came and talked him down. Told him Circe was still alive. That this was all some big fake news that Azoria was putting out there as part of the game. If Circe was dead, why put the bounty on her? There hadn’t been a bounty put on anyone else who got a death listing. And Circe’s name and information hadn’t been grayed out from that computer like thing they could make appear.

A finger swiped through the air as he pulled up Kunchen’s information again. The guy had stats stacked against the wall and a range of powers but he couldn’t hurt nobody. How was he going to fight if he couldn’t hurt nobody? That curse took all this old man’s skills and threw them in the garbage like last weeks chili-dog. Between himself, Ebony, and Kunchen, could he even come up with a plan to save Circe? Of course not. He wasn't built for making no plans!

Nobody here told him what to do. How was he supposed to function if nobody told him what to do?! Sit and wait, that’s what he would do. But not here! His leg bent as he reached to heft Ebony onto her back and give her a lift.

“Don’t mind me. I’m gonna wait by tuh exits. Shouldn’t be long before our turn to leave gets called. And I want to be on my way as soon as they call it.”

Kunchen opened an eye, “I thought you said you’d leave the doctor with me.”

“Oh, yeah, I did say somethin’ like that didn’t I?”

The sleeping woman gently slid off his back and he made sure to lay her head down carefully so she wouldn’t get damaged in her sleep.

“I'm gonna trust ya on this one. Don’t let anything happen to her, she’s a nice lady. Doesn’t deserve tuh be in a place like this. That’s for darn sure.”

“I’ll make sure she is unharmed while she sleeps, though I doubt this cave has any real dangers now that most of the people have left.”

A hand waved the old man off as he walked toward the portal exits. A few interesting characters lined up at the various doors waiting for the announcement that they could leave. Since he couldn’t see not one of them honorary Demonians or whatever in here anywhere, Alfredo figured that soon their numbers would be called.

A girl with long black hair in a pink dress that looked weathered and burnt, real creeper, stood by the fifth exit from the left wall of the cave. She kinda looked like this girl from that creepy horror movie that scared him half witless a year or two ago. What was that movie called again?

Oh right, Well Child. Why'd this cave have to be so full of freaks, psychos, and weirdos?

Why couldn't there be more normal people like him, ya know?