I had fallen asleep on my cot soon after John and Matt had left. Elizabeth was asleep right next to me on the other cot. I stood up shakily and looked outside it appeared to be twilight which meant it had to be around 9:00 or 10:00 in the real world.
I put on my shirt as I checked the guy’s tents to see if the others had gotten back yet. The tent was empty though so I was confused. They should be back by now or at least have woken me up. I go back to my room and grab my cloak and sword before making my way into town.
I had to know where they were. Something felt wrong and I had to find out what. I could have woken Elizabeth up, but I thought she deserved some rest.
Heading into the center of town I concentrated on my soul trying to find the others using my connection to them. Elizabeth wasn't hard to find as she wasn’t far behind me, but the others were far in front of me.
I started running in their direction diving in between people as I made my way forward. My tails swung from side to side as I used them to balance myself as I twisted and turned through the crowd.
As I got closer I could start to feel the guys better and realized something was wrong. Two of them were pretty hurt. They must have gotten into some kind of fight. The third was okay and nearby so maybe they were fine, but my gut said otherwise and I increased my speed.
As the night darken my pace didn’t slow as my eyes could still see perfectly well even as my surroundings darkened. My cloak blending me into the shadows allowing me to disappear into the crowd.
When I got to their location I found myself at a church. Two of them were inside of it. The last one was in a building across the street. I made my way to them to find Matt sitting at a table compounding something. I took a seat across from him and set my sword on the table.
He looked up from his work to see me and set his stuff to the side as he ran his hands through his hair. This couldn’t be good.
“What happened Matt?”
“Teage and John got caught by some church guy at the bar. They both engaged him so they had the right to arrest them and they did. I couldn’t do anything so I’ve been working on making some tools that might help us break them out.”
“Then are you ready? They’re just across the street let’s go get them.”
“Wait, they are?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, I just asked somebody for the location of a herbalist. This was the closest place.”
“Herbalist? What are you making?”
“Potions, after our training accident memories keep coming back. One of those memories was about herbalism. So I’ve been working to make some sleep and paralysis potions to help us break them out. If you channel magic into a connection I can increase the effects so I’ve only had to buy cheap ingredients.”
“Where did you get the money for it?”
“Rachel she finished her auction the guns sold for 1000 gold each. She gave us a share of 600 gold.”
He pulled out a small chest of gold and set it on the table.
“Only 600? Why did you let her get a 70/30 cut? Because I was in a hurry and I couldn’t convince her otherwise. Said something about interest for her services.”
That sounded about right. I didn’t like how much she took, but we had dragged her through a lot so I did owe her quite a bit. But not a 70/30 cut! She deserved no more than a 60/40.
“Take the money back to the hotel and come back here. I’m going to do some reconnaissance and when you get back we’ll get them out.”
“What about Elizabeth? Should I get her to come help us?”
“No, we can get them out ourselves. No need to bring her. Besides, we need to be quiet and I don’t see Elizabeth helping us with that.”
“True, I’ll be back in a minute then. Just, don’t go in. This guy isn’t someone to take lightly.”
“I’ll be fine Matt stop worrying.”
“He did shot you just earlier this week. Just be careful okay.”
“Alright dad, I promise not to go near the big mean guy.”
He didn’t look convinced but he left and made his way to the hotel with the chest and I sat there and waited for him to disappear before I made a move.
As soon as he left my field of vision I grabbed my sword and made my way to the church. I hide behind a tent and focused my magic on making my tails and ears disappear. It was painful as my body changed but it dwarfed my earlier pain and I gritted through it.
Once complete I hid my sword underneath my poncho and walked into the church. I then used illusionary magic to make myself look dirty to look like an orphan. I collapsed on the floor in the middle of the room.
“Help, me!”
I groaned weakly on the floor as I heard footsteps walk towards me.
“Are you okay? Where are your parents?”
I look up to see a nun in front of me. I grab onto her clothes and try to pull myself up.
“Please help me, my parents …”
I try my best to fake my tears as I look into her soul. She is a bright light but underneath I could see signs of a dark core. She would help me for now but I needed to get away from her before she lost her patience.
“Here let’s get you something to eat.”
She helps carry me towards a table. She then drops me off and disappears into the kitchen. I then sit down and wait for her to return in the meantime I try to pinpoint the guy’s position and focus on them.
They appear to be underneath the church, but I don’t know how to get there. Was there a hatch or some stairs? I feel a hand on my shoulder and jolt in surprise.
My hood falls down and reveals my disguise. He seems confused at my appearance but sits down next to me not letting it faze him.
“Have I met you before? I swear I’ve seen you before.”
I need to keep acting. That lady bought it so it should work with him.
“No, I just got into town I ran here after my parents died. I I I didn’t know what else to do. I could hear my parents screaming behind me but I never stopped. My dad told me to just keep running.”
I then tried my best to bawl and hide in his chest. Normally I wouldn’t do this, but I feel this instinct I couldn’t figure out what it was.
He didn’t seem to know what to do and just started petting my hair. The woman then came out and looked mad at me.
“What are you doing you little scamp get off of him this instant!”
The man held up his hand and she slowly calmed down before setting the bowl down and leaving the room huffing and puffing. He then slowly pushed me away and made me look him in the eyes.
“Have you ever heard voices before?”
“Voices? What are you talking about?”
“Spirits ghosts, voices from people that weren’t there.”
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to play along. Maybe he’d take me to see John and Teage.
“Yes, though no one ever believed me. Do you hear them?”
“Yes, I am a spirit mage. My name is Lyon and I work for the church. You have a special gift. Not many people can hear them nevertheless sense them.”
Oh crap, I think I played my cards to well.
“I know losing your parents might be hard but I am willing to take you in and train yo. I can promise you a roof over your head and three meals a day. It’s not much but it’s better than going to the orphanage.”
I sniffle and nod my head. I don’t know what else to do. My acting got me too far. I couldn’t back down now.
“I’ll be right back then. I have to talk to the minister. Make sure to eat up you need your strength.”
He then walked off leaving me with my steaming bowl in front of me. I eat the bowl while my mind worked in overdrive.
Did he know what I was? Was he messing with me, or did he really think I was some orphan?
As I reached the bottom of my bowl Lyon comes back and sits down next to me.
“The minister said that I could accept you as my apprentice, but I have some work to do so come with me. I’ll teach you the number threat we have to watch for.”
He then takes my hand and leads me to a door. Taking a key from his pocket he unlocks the door and leads us underground.
I take this chance to look at his soul as he leads me down the stairs. His soul radiates a white aura. But it radiates brightly like a sun. It burned with such conviction that he must believe that everything he does is just and good. No matter what the cost.
I wasn’t sure what to think. I was probably safe as long as I had my disguise, but the second it went away he probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill me.
He led me to where John and Matt were tied back to back in some chairs. Their faces were lit by a dim candle that illuminated their bloody faces.
“These are who we are looking to stop. Lost souls given physical form. They have been brought back to life and have not been allowed to pass on. Normally I would have purified their souls and cut the connection, but I’ve been waiting for their master to come for looking for them. Bait you could say.”
He then walked over to a side of the wall and picked up a sword. Looking down the blade checking if it was sharp. I felt something was wrong and unconsciously backed away. But it seems I was wrong as he set the blade back and walked over to the two of them.
“I noticed you yourself have similar servants under your control as your soul is fractured. I had done the same myself until I learned the danger of such use and cut their connection. We will do the same for you as part of your training, but for now, we are looking for this man.”
He picked up a paper from a nearby table and brought it over to me. It was one of the wanted posters for my old body.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“This man has over four servants at his disposal and as such he must be detained. The problem is he is an adventurer. So we can’t kill him. We can only capture him.
I tried to capture him the other day. He was hiding his face with a poncho and was walking with a draconian woman. It was why I was suspicious of you at first.
When I walked by them I realized one was a spirit user and the other was a lost soul. So I shot them with a poisoned arrow that only someone trained in the holy arts could cleanse. I was hoping to route him out when he came for healing.
But he must have some kind of healer with him that cured him of it. For now, let's try to gather some information from them.”
“What do you mean Lyon?”
“We will be torturing them. Don’t worry they aren’t alive. Their pain is only an illusion to gain sympathy. It will also draw their master as they will feel a similar pain. For now, I want you to keep watch upstairs if you see someone with a fractured soul come back down and alert me.”
“Yes sir! I’ll go be on lookout.”
I bounded up the stairs as sweat beaded down my neck. My head and rear were itching from my transformation and I barely made it outside before it canceled and my features returned to normal. I panted in exhaustion from the pain it had caused for a minute before I stood up and made my way to where Matt was waiting.
He was tapping his foot nervously while wearing a satchel by his side that must contain his potions.
“There you are I thought they caught you!”
“Nope but I came close to being captured. I found the guy that captured Teage and John and had him lead me to him.”
He looked flabbergasted at this.
“How is that possible he should have tried to capture you the second you walked in.”
“He did but I used my transformation technique to hide my kitsune features and used some illusion to look like a dirty orphan.”
“That was still dangerous! What was I supposed to do if you got captured?”
I shrug my shoulders indifferent to his concerns I got out so it was fine.
“Stop worrying so much Matt we’ll be fine. Can I have a couple paralyze potions?”
He handed me two potions and I smiled at him in thanks. He rolled his eyes and I could see he didn’t have much hope we’d succeed.
“Come on Matt let’s go get those guys and get some nice dinner tonight. I bet they’re starving.”
He then followed me as we made our way into the church. I led him to where they were being held and took a step down the stairs when I felt I large rush of pain run down my leg causing me to lose my step and fall down the stairs.
My head was dizzy from the fall but I could see Lyon standing above John looking perplexed at my sudden appearance.
“So you have arrived, kitsune?”
He looked confused as he picked up the wanted poster again and started comparing our faces. Matt stood frozen at the top of the stairs scared to make a move, and John was whimpering from what I guess was a freshly broken leg.
I used this chance to throw one of Matts potions which he easily dodged causing it to break harmlessly against the wall.
“You don’t look like the picture but the description matches guess you're it. He then cracked his knuckles as he walked towards me. I pulled out my sword and drew it in order to use flash step. As his fist was about to smash into my face I appeared behind him and Matt threw a potion that smashed against his face.
He fell over and was soon snoring. Man Matt was a good alchemist.
“Did I get him?”
“Yes, you got him. Now come down here and help me get these guys out of here.
I unsheath the rest of my blade and cut the bindings off John and Teage. Matt comes down the stairs and picks up John. It takes me a minute to slap Teage awake but he quickly came to.
“Lass? What are you doing here?”
“No time let’s go!”
We all then make our way out of the church luckily missing all the staff and making a clean getaway. We then try to act more casually and walk the rest of the way after we are outside and manage to make our escape.
After a couple of minutes, we make it back and collapse in relief in front of our tents. Elizabeth then comes out of here tent rubbing her eyes and yawning. She sees us all laying there and sees John’s broken leg and bleeding head.
“What happened? Are you okay John?”
“Never better Elizabeth, why do you ask?”
I rolled my eyes at his bravado and slap his knee which causes him to wince in pain.
“He’s got a broken leg and an injured head if you call that fine.”
“I wouldn’t mind some healing Elizabeth.”
Teage sat up and pointed at his broken nose.
“I got a broken nose that could use some healing.”
“You’re fine you big oaf. John needs more medical attention right now.”
She then helped John into a tent and I soon heard singing.
I lay down and look up at the stars above us. We got them out but they had seen most of us. We had to leave this place and put some distance from this place.
I curl up and grab my tales stroking them to calm myself down. I had thought I had only needed to worry about kidnappers in the real world. Now I’m wanted in both.
“Cheer up lass, we’re all okay.”
I feel Teage start petting my head and I quickly move away from him before facing him with a scowl.
“I’m not down Teage and don’t pet me I’m not a pet.”
“You're only, part animal.”
I scowled at his grinning face. He was enjoying himself too much. Wasn’t he worried about that guy coming after us?
“Why are you so cheerful Teage? That guy captured both of you. How are you so carefree with us being wanted?”
“Lass you need to chill some. If you worry about this too much you’re only hurting yourself. I might have gotten my nose broke, but I’m alive. With that, I can improve and make sure that won’t happen again. Next time we meet him he’ll be the one with the broken nose.”
Matt then burst out laughing behind Teage. Teage then turned around with a mad face.
“What are you laughing about long ears?”
“Nothing, it's just I can’t imagine you reaching his nose and it made me laugh.”
“I don’t have to be tall to break his nose. All I got to do is bring him down to my level first.”
They then went quiet and sat down for a minute. Enjoying the fact we’d managed to escape. I then stretched some before standing up.
“Well I’ve got a busy day tomorrow so let’s call it a night so I can log out.”
“Alright lass, guess we’ll call it a night. Before that, though I got to use the restroom real quick. Be right back.”
He then walked off leaving Matt with me. He looked deep in thought staring up into the sky seeming to have missed my words.
“Matt? You there?”
I waved my hand in front of his face and he came to.
“Sorry about that just, thinking.”
“About what?”
He was silent for a second before taking a deep breath.
“Is it okay if I suggest we make our way somewhere?”
“Sure, we need to get out of here anyway so why not?”
“Can we make our way towards Myrkvior?”
“Myrkvior? Where is that?”
“It’s to the northwest of the plains. The great forest of the elves and the unknown. The memories that keep resurfacing keep originating there. I just want to see if what I remember is what is still there.”
“Is there anything in particular that you remember?”
He gripped his hands together before taking another deep breath.
“I remember a family. I remember a village. I don’t know why though. Maybe they could explain what happened to me. I just have this gut feeling that maybe they could have some answers.”
“Then let’s go.”
He looked up at me puzzled trying to see if I was joking.
“Really we can go there?”
“I don’t see why not. It might also help us escape from the church’s radar. So we’ll gather supplies tomorrow and head out there. Maybe they can help us as well.”
“Thanks Briana. I thought that you would have brushed my idea away. I mean it’s a bit out there.”
“Hey, Do you think that bothers me. I mean look at me. If anything that sounds more reasonable than my predicament.”
He chuckled at this as he stared up at the sky.
“You're right about that. I don’t envy you that’s for sure.”
Teage then came back just as Elizabeth walked out of the tent with sweat dripping from her brow.
“Lass you all right there? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing I just feel a little tired.”
She took a step forward and fell over. I jumped forward trying to catch her, but I only am crushed by her bigger frame. Matt and Teage come and help me lift her up. I feel somewhat panicked at her collapse.
“Elizabeth are you okay whats wrong?”
“I’m fine, just tired.”
I don’t believe her but I get the guys to help me take her to her cot. She had passed out as we carried her and when we placed her on her cot she was fast asleep. They then bid us goodnight before leaving for her own. Once they had left though I walked over to where Elizabeth lay and rested my hands on her chest.
I then examined her soul to find it was blinking weakly. Unlike mine that roared her’s was a dim flickering flame. I immediately panicked upon seeing this. It felt like she was dying her soul growing weaker with each passing second.
I immediately poured energy from my soul to hers to try to fix this. It helped and soon it was back to ‘regular’ blaze. It was hard to gauge as I was still pretty novice in this regard. But her breathing calmed and she seemed to be resting easier.
I laid out on the floor tired from more use of my strange soul energy. I saw my pack at the end of my cot and had an idea. I opened it up and took the stone that my ‘mother’ had given to me. Maybe Velouria would have some idea of what was wrong.
I looked over the hearthstone looking at the glowing rune. I put my palm on the glowing rune and feel a light suction of my energy. I stay still for a minute while it continued to slowly use my energy and for a minute I thought she wouldn’t pick up. But I soon hear a voice and it appears we’re connected.
‘So, you finally decided to call me. Why haven’t you picked up my calls these past few day?’
‘You’ve been calling me?’
‘Yes! Did you bury it in the bottom of your bag or something?”
I looked over too my backpack and realized I had done just that.
‘No… okay, I might have.’
‘This thing doesn’t make noise all it does is light up when you call. Make sure you keep it on you so you can catch my calls. But more importantly what is wrong?’
‘How did you know something was wrong?’
‘Why else would you call me. I’m guessing it's not for a friendly chat. However much I wish that was the case.’
‘I’m sorry, it’s just that Elizabeth suddenly collapsed today and when I checked her soul it was almost completely drained!’
‘Has she been using magic excessively this past week?’
‘Yes, she’s been healing our wounds with her voice.’
‘And have you been supplying mana when she is done?’
‘No, why? Should I be?’
‘YES! You only subconsciously give enough mana to your familiars to grant them their forms. Any magic they then use comes from their own stores, but since they don’t have physical forms they can’t gain any of that used energy back. So you have to supply them with the mana to use magic. Have you given her some of your mana?’
‘Yeah it seemed to work and her soul went back to normal.’
‘Then she’s fine. You just need to realize that they only exist because of you. Just like how you only exist because of me. Oh, how I wish I could be with you now.’
Thinking about it there was that dream where that guy called me my dad.
‘So if you’re my ‘mom’ who was my dad.’
‘Your dad? Ah, why do you ask?’
She seemed to want to evade the question what was going on?
‘He contacted me in my dreams somehow. There were wolves in some kind of forest.’
She was silent for a second before she finally responded.
‘Your father, he is a demi-wolf that I met during my travels. It sort of just, happened. I always felt bad about it, but he was needed there and I didn’t want to make him look weak to the others. I tricked his tribe while I was there. Posing as a demi-wolf from another tribe using my illusion magic.
When he found out he didn’t care but I knew the others would. So when I realized I was pregnant with you I left to make sure that they never found out. He tried to follow me, but I eluded him. I know he was devastated, but I couldn’t make him choose me over his tribe. It felt too selfish of me to force him to do that.’
‘So you seduced the leader and ran when you realized you were pregnant?’
‘It wasn’t like that! I feel in love with him and we soon gained feeling for each other and it just kinda happened?’
So I was effectively a bastard child here that was an interesting thing to learn.
‘I won’t question you any further tonight. I have to get off for tonight.’
I took my hand off the hearthstone and the stone dimmed as my mana stopped feeding into it. I put the stone in my backpack before resting on my bed and staring up at the ceiling of the tent.
‘Log out’
I woke up on my bed and sat up taking off the helmet and setting it on my nightstand. Looking at the clock I saw it was 11:34. I stretched as I got and made my way to the bathroom.
As I brushed my teeth I looked in the mirror. I saw my face staring back but I also felt like I could see an image of it that held my other body. Would I slowly lose myself? Would I stop being me? I just didn’t know and it was killing me.
I suddenly got an idea though as I looked into my eyes. I had transformed my body in the game, but could I possibly change my eye color? As I focused my energy towards my eyes I felt a tiny trickle reach it and I watched as my eyes slowly changed from blue to a green.
When I stopped they stayed like that for a minute before going back to a blue. Maybe I was going about magic wrong. I didn’t need to create something from nothing. What I needed to do was manipulate what was already there. Though even then I couldn’t think of anything else I could do at the moment.
I walked out of the bathroom and jumped back onto my bed sighing. If I was attacked at least I knew I could change my eye color. Best power ever!
Now all I wanted to do was enjoy a normal day of school funny enough. With all the crazy things going on it actually seemed relaxing. I pulled my covers up as I hated myself for ever acknowledging that I enjoyed school before going to sleep.