As the brilliant light faded, Lowki’s body began to shift. The gray rock-like skin and fur loosened as if shifting like ground before a rockslide, before falling to the ground. The substance appeared to weigh nothing more than a feather as it drifted lazily to the dirt below him. Right before making contact though, the remnant of his forming body was picked up, as if by some unseen breeze, before evaporating into motes of magical essence, blowing away as if on an invisible wind. As he continued to molt, a coat of midnight fur could be gleaned underneath. With a shake of his body from his tail to snout, the rest of his rocky skin fell away and quickly disappeared from sight. Lowki arched his head to the sky and let out a piercing cry, a sound several octaves higher than I had been expecting, given the deep base, his voice carried when he was a rockhopper leopard. Though he had remained largely quiet in his short tenure with the group, his old growl could be felt deep within your chest as if you were standing close to a subwoofer.
In seconds, Lowki had grown far more muscular and had a sleek black coat of fur. He also grew in length. Where before he was a good two meters from tail to nose, now he looked to be approaching three. The changes didn’t end there, now that his transformation was complete. Hidden behind the molting of his old skin, another pair of feline legs were now sprouting from the mid-section of his body. He was a six-legged cat! As stared in disbelief, two corded appendages pulled away from his body. Matching the same midnight black as his new fur, these tentacles couldn’t be seen until they began waving in the air, almost hypnotically. At the tip of each was a wide area completed with incredibly sharp-looking barbs.
Lowki's head snapped to Stella as she audibly gasped. She likely felt as stunned as I did. As if a pair of snakeheads rounding on an enemy, Lowki’s paw-like tentacles orientated to the object of his attention, Stella. Rows of bone-white needles, as thick as a finger, flexed as if ready to slam down into an enemy. I needn’t worry though, as Lowki’s tension faded when he recognized who made the sound.
Stella looked a bit taken aback so I tried to defuse her mounting tension. “It’s okay, he knows you, Stella. My guess is that transformation was just as jarring to him as it looked to us.”
“You’re,” Stella said experimentally. “Not going to attack me, yes?”
Lowki’s non-verbal response was to twist his neck as if easing a kink, before yawning wide. He didn’t have a care in the world, so it looked. Stella’s eyes went wider as she could now see his pristinely white rows of jagged teeth, any one of them capable of snuffing the life out of an animal even twice her size. His tentacles, no longer intently focused on a target, began waving around as if on their own accord. To me, it was as if they had the relaxed tendency of any cat’s tail, though it was clear they were far more dangerous.
Lowki stretched out even more, his face and tail reaching up to the morning sky while his ribcage nearly touched the soft grass underneath him. Straighten out, he pounded his powerfully muscled legs, claws from each of his six paws tearing furrows in the soft earth. Opening his eyes once more, I now saw Lowki’s orbs gleamed an appealing amethyst color. Our eyes locked gazes and I found no malice there. Lowki was determined, carrying steadfast confidence. Lowki had grown far, far stronger.
“His new form looks familiar,” I said as I walked around the dark cat. “If in not mistaken, he’s a displacer beast.” Back on Earth, a displacer beast was a creature of fantasy, a nightmare to catch for those who attempted to fight it. Patting his course fur, I was thankful he was on our side.
“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” I said to Lowki as I inspected him.
Lowki, Umbral Displacer Beast (Level 12 – Pet of Xazorus)
Creatures of the night and born for the hunt, Umbral Displacer Beasts are usually only found in areas of great magical density, though they can survive in even the most barren of lands. These magnificent creatures have adapted to a life of shadow and constant struggle. Their supernatural abilities make them incredibly difficult to pin down, let alone injure. Being able to project an illusion of itself while partially rendering itself invisible, this hunting cat is often meters away from the projected location. All the while the displacer beast stalks closer to vulnerable prey, attacking at the most opportune moment. When the Umbral Displacer Beast strikes, the poisoned spines that adorn its mesmerizing tentacles inflict a debilitating poison that causes extremely painful wounds.
Current HP: 1500/1500. Current MP: 0/0.
Special Ability: Envenomed Spines
Beast Ability: Displacement
Former Incarnation Ability: Solidifying Strike
Other Abilities: Darkvision, Poison Immunity
“Displacement, nice. Can we see that in action?” I asked of my companion. Lowki obliged. His purple eyes shined with an inner light, before his body blurred. His feline form grew less distinct, almost translucent, though I was only able to track him with great effort. In the corner of my vision, a cat that looked exactly like Lowki stood and lowered itself to the ground as if about to leap. The true Lowki was moving to flank me and when he moved into the tall grass nearby, I lost him. His magical twin leaped, his outstretched front paws reaching out to me. As his talons struck, so too did his two waving tentacles, the barbs going for opposite sides of my neck.
Closing my eyes instinctually, I flinched back, though I felt no contact. Opening my eyes, the illusion, for that is what is what, was gone. When I felt a pair of tentacles land on my shoulders from my back, I knew the real Lowki was right behind me. I chuckled good-naturedly, before turning around slowly, “You got me.” Now facing the smiling Lowki, he removed the dangerous limbs as if he had been playing a simple game.
“That’s his displacement ability.” Stella said with a warm tone of voice. “Like the information you saw after inspecting him, Lowki is quite easily able to project a convincing illusionary image of himself several feet from his actual location. I saw you track his true body, but that’s only because of the bond we share. Our enemies won’t be able to do that without some ability to see invisible creatures. It’s an incredibly powerful defensive ability.”
“It’s impressive, is what it is,” I said to Stella as she hovered near my shoulder. “I could have sworn the illusion was the real thing, even though I had seen his true form move into the tall grass. As the illusion bore down on me, every one of my senses screamed I was about to be mauled. I can’t wait to see him in action.”
Our little band of heroes was growing, by leaps and bounds. Quite literally.
As I placed a hand atop Lowki’s head, he pushed up into my caress. As I slid my hand down his neck and his back, I felt the tense, corded muscles that made up his feline form. Lowki’s course fur was so dark that I suspected that, without touching him, the physique of his body would not be easily distinguished. He was nothing short of astonishing.
He was also solid. Don’t get me wrong, his body was not as bulky as his previous rockhopper body with its rock-like body, but it was as if he didn’t lose any of his mass. Now, it was pure muscle and easily weighed four or five times more than I did. With his extra pair of legs, he no longer sunk into the soft earth like his earlier incarnation did. His tentacles waving lazily in the air, I could make out the hint of something glistening at the points of the alabaster barbs. Poison.
Lowki began to prowl around the party, his three pairs of legs moved with grace and fluidity. It looked to me like he was keeping a defensive eye on our surroundings. Combined with the ever-reliable Ripley, I doubted anything would be able to sneak up on us. A sense that he could rocket off in any direction, at any moment, radiated out from him.
“Well, Lowki, are you ready to get out there and find the next adventure waiting for us?” I asked while patting the great cat once more. At my words, almost faster than I could register, Lowki sprung away, landing a dozen meters away. The cat turned his head around to look at us as if prompting us to keep up with him.
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“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, thoroughly amused. “Alright, gang, let’s get back on the trail.” With one final look at the defeated giant’s body, sadly there was nothing we could loot from the massive thing, we headed west at a run with Lowki leading the way.
Backtracking to the burned husks that remained of the merchant’s caravan, the sky above turned darker as if a storm was fast approaching, though no rain fell. Seeing nothing of further interest, we left the carnage and continued on north along the well-worn road. Ripley walked in back as the group's rear guard, with Stella alternating turns riding on either of our shoulders. Lowki was often far ahead of us, scouting and ensuring nothing ambushed the party. Trusting in Ripley’s prowess as a rear guard, I kept most of my attention ahead of us with an occasional glance to either side for safety.
“Hey, Stella,” I called back over my shoulder. “Let’s take a look at Lowki’s abilities. Can you come over?” A second later, Stella’s familiar weight rested on my shoulder, as comforting as ever.
“Can you show me her envenomed spines and the solidifying strike,” I asked with a quick glance her way. “We’ve already seen his displacement ability in action, but I’d like to look at his other ones in more detail.”
“Pulling up his about his abilities… now,” Stella said before System messages appeared in my vision.
Envenomed Spines – When struck by the barbs of an Umbral Displacer Beast’s tentacles, a virulent poison is injected into a target which is quickly absorbed into major muscle groups. The poison causes a moderate damage over time effect. Additionally, the poison has a latent ability which causes the target’s pain receptors to enter a state of extreme excitement and a constant state of firing. As a result, targets are highly likely to lose the concentration necessary when attempting spell casting, to dangerous effect. Note – The duration of the poisoned state varies on how many barbs struck the target per instance (minimum 30 seconds duration).
Solidifying Strike – After making physical contact with a target, a surge of magical energy spreads out for the impact site causing all the victim’s nearby muscles to partially petrify, taking on the aspects of rock and stone. This effectively slows the target’s movements, attacks, and spell-casting ability by 30%. Note – The duration of the slowed state varies on the strength of the impact (minimum of 30 seconds duration).
“These abilities really make Lowki a perfect complement to the team,” Stella said after a moment. “He can function as both scout and ambusher. He’d make an effective mage-killer. Not only can he slow a target with his solidifying strike, but his venomed attack has a high chance of interrupting enemy spell casting. It’s a potent mix.”
“Yeah, his darkvision, like my own means he’s going to be able to scout around in even the dead of night,” I said, agreeing with Stella’s assessment. “He seems to be able to understand what I say but can’t speak so that may make it difficult for him to relay information about what he finds. Still, I’d rather have him trying to warn us than walk into an ambush unawares any day.”
We were both impressed and thankful for Lowki’s evolution and transformation. “I have a feeling he’s going to be a big part of this team’s success,” I said as we continued on our unhurried pace. Stella nodded in agreement to my words.
We continued on the stone-paved road for another forty minutes or so, uneventfully, I might add which was a welcome change of pace. As we traveled, Lowki developed a specific pattern of scouting ahead before patiently waiting for us to catch up. He would bound away from the group in haste before enacting his own version of stealth, barely out of sight some hundred or so yards away. Then, he would find a position to wait unseen and would silently scan the area around looking for any possible threats. When the group came close to his hiding spot, he would come out to the middle of the road, and glance at me before once more bounding forward. Again and again, this pattern continued and my confidence in his ability to root out danger grew stronger.
The uneventful pattern was finally broken though when Lowki had immediately returned to the group after his energetic hundred-yard dash. With ears pinned to his head, a growl escaped his lips. His head turned where our group had been following and he crouched low to the ground. Following his example, I enabled my stealth. It was clear that someone or something was ahead.
Motioning Ripley to my side, who mirrored my low stance, we moved to the side of the road and into the tall grass there. With Lowki leading a pace ahead, we moved ahead in silence, but ever ready for danger to present itself. My eyes scanned the top of the grass and the middle of the road as we moved parallel to it. Soon, the scent of decay was in the air. With each step, it grew strong as if multiple bodies had been left to rot under a hot summer sun, infecting everything around for miles with the disgusting smell. Whatever was ahead, death saturated it.
It wasn’t long before the healthy, vibrant grass we had been using as cover gave way to wilting, withered stalks. Blackened not from fire, but of death spread out wide before us. Miles of what must have been lush grassland was now a barren wasteland. Nothing alive stirred. The occasional copse of trees that we frequently passed along the road were now nothing more than shriveled husks.
“What did this,” I questioned, my whispered voice thick with despair. Death was everywhere. Not a single creature stirred. Nothing chittered at our passing. The silence of it all was jarring. Even back the way we had come, everything had gone eerily silent. The world hushed in a way that amplified the impression that any noise brazen enough to sound would immediately attract the specter of death that had defiled the land before us.
“I don’t know,” Stella responded, her voice meek and hollow. “Only powerful magic could cause such widespread death and decay.”
“We need to figure out what did this,” I said before looking at Stella. “But can we… go into that area?”
Stella caught my meaning and held a thoughtful pose, before nodding to herself, “Whatever magic caused this has already come, and gone. When the spell that did that completed, everything in the radius withered and died on the spot. That power is no longer present. So, yes, I think we’re safe to figure out what the hell did that.”
Reaching up, I stroked the back of her neck, trying to provide some comfort to what horror we had walked into.
“Thanks,” she said to me. “Xaz, we need to find out what did this, and make them pay.”
“We will. We will not abide whatever did this,” I replied resolutely. Pulling out my axe, I glanced side to side, ensuring nothing was about to attack us when we stepped forward. “Lowki, keep close. We’ll follow you, and see if you can find out where this smell is the worst. That will probably be where we need to go.”
Making one last eye contact with Stella, we stepped forward, crossing into the field of death. With each footfall, grass crunched underfoot like dried leaves. My sense from stealth didn’t indicate anything was picking up the noise, so we continued forward. Lowki would sniff the air and make small adjustments to our route. Rot and the stench of something long dead grew with each step forward. It was so bad that I took out a bandana, something I found when we defeated the Hunter Adom, and wrapped it around my face. It didn’t block out the smell, but it helped. A little.
In what seemed to take an hour, but in actuality only took us about ten minutes, we found where the stench was coming from. The unending field of death was unchanging but, in the distance, we spotted a small structure. As we approached, a stone-covered archway that descended below ground became clearer. Wary of an attack, we moved forward as stealthily as possible. I felt no pressure from the skill, indicating nothing was even remotely sensing our presence. In moments, I was confident no enemy was around, at least above ground.
The stone that made up the archway was a mottled gray with shreds of a vegetative material though it looked to have died days before. Approaching the entrance, stone steps descended into darkness. Not much could be seen as the path curved around as if it were a circular staircase. No light shined within, it was pitch black and as silent as a tomb. When I took my first step, crossing under the archway, a System message appeared in my vision. Confusion and dread warred in my mind as I read the notification.
Notice! You have discovered an interesting Location; The Bleak Den. (Note - Recommended party size; unknown, recommended level; unknown.)
You have been offered a Unique, Timed Event, Quest. “The Fetid Blight.”
Time Remaining until Critical Failure: 3 hours, 12 minutes, and 15 seconds. Would you like to view the quest details? Yes/No.
Even as I read the message, the time remaining notification continued to count down the seconds. What had me spooked was the fact that the quest’s name was the color of fresh blood. It seemed to quiver in my vision, as if alive. Looking to Stella, who nodded, I selected yes.
“The Fetid Blight.”
The nearby countryside has lived in relative peace for years, but that’s all changed. A profane Hunter, Tsurra the Corrupted, is in the process of summoning a deadly blight onto the land. The simple act of preparing the spell and beginning the sacrifices to a quest of his own has sent waves of deathly magic for miles around, killing everything it touched. Will you intervene in time? Or, through inaction, will the sacrifice of innocents continue unabated? Without your aid, death will continue to hurtle outwards, killing more than has already been touched by the grave. Should Tsurra complete his quest, that necrotic energy will leech out far enough to touch the souls of everyone residing in Siren’s Hallow. If that happens, an army of undead shall rise. The fate of hundreds, if not thousands, rests in either your hands or the hands of the corrupted.
Accept? Yes/No.
Stella turned to face me. Her eyes held the same grim determination that was no doubt mirrored on my own. A single word crossed the space between us, like some poisoned thing, “Hunter.”