“Mom’s going to be pissed if you and Autumn get married without her.” My little vixen sister told me with a shit-eating grin. “I had a bet going with her that you two were together back home, but this is so much cuter with you two as ‘heli.”
“Just shut up.” I grumbled, annoyance pushing through my embarrassment. The gagglers had left Brook, Autumn, and myself alone in the camp’s central clearing. After everything this morning, I was ready to take the afternoon off.
“Earth called it a ‘joining ceremony’. I doubt it’s like getting married.” I said over my shoulder as I turned to leave, heading for the wall.
“Uh-huh.” My sister said. “And what do you think, Autumn?”
“I wouldn’t mind.” Autumn said with a confidence I certainly didn’t feel.
I sighed. “Please stop Brook. I don’t need your bullshit after Earth’s.”
“Fine.” She huffed as she and Autumn fell into pace behind me.
The pounding of metal on stone led me past the makeshift forge where Karl stood alone beating on his massive metal shield with a blacksmith’s hammer. I stopped, watching his hammer rise and fall in regular strokes. After only a few weeks of practice he already looked the part of a proper smith.
Spotting us, Karl paused in his work. He nodded in our direction. “Brook, River, Autumn.” He said.
“Karl.” I nodded.
“Rumor is that you and Autumn will officially be deemed a pair now.” He said.
“Ten minutes and everyone knows already.” I grumbled. “Is there no privacy?”
“Small camp.”
“The rumor began before you even returned.” My sister piped in. “What else would a young couple be doing in the privacy of the forest?”
“What do you want, Brook?” I demanded, turning to face my sister. “I already told you to lay off it.”
“Who said I wanted anything?” My sister said, crossing her arms.
“Because you’re my sister and I know you don’t act like a twit unless you have something to gain from it.”
“River.” Autumn warned. I bit back another retort. She nodded for Brook to speak.
“Are you planning to go hunting again?” My sister asked.
“After I get my path and with a bit more preparation.” I answered. “Why?”
“I’m going to join you.”
I noticed she didn’t phrase it as a question. That meant nothing short of chaining her to a tree would stop her from hanging on like a stubborn leech.
“There is more safety with three.” Autumn agreed.
“And more with four.” Karl rumbled behind me. I turned back to see the massive fire-scaled sanask holding his half-finished shield by the edges. It was his own work and certainly not a show piece.
I heaved a deep breath, any lingering annoyance dying as I realized that this is what I wanted all along. But there was still one other. “Mirrin might join us.” I mused.
“Oh that’s right!” My sister brightened. “Mirrin reached level 10 this morning and will undergo her pathing tonight!”
**********
After all the ceremony and tradition entrenched in the daily lives of the ‘heli, I expected a pathing ceremony to be some sort of grand event. Except it wasn’t. In Realgar, or at least with our tribe, your pathing was a very personal affair. It existed only between you, the gods, and the system that governed everything. Mirrin merely disappeared into the command tent alone after dinner while Earth and Rain stood vigil outside.
“We may be next.” Autumn said and I nodded, hardly believing I’d gained three levels just this morning. Three levels and six free attribute points. I’d get Dex to fifteen first, but why not 20 before my pathing? I might open up some doors. I pulled up my attributes and shoved all my free points into dexterity.
Total attributes:
71
Strength:
4
Dexterity:
19
Constitution:
5
Perception:
8
Willpower:
6
Intelligence:
18
Spirit:
8
Free:
6
My attribute spread was beginning to look a bit lopsided.
“One more.” I agreed. “And then we’ll be that much closer to our promise to Dean and Gretchen.”
Autumn heaved a sigh. “Time here is strange. I feel like a year has passed. It’s like we’ve been here forever and earth was just a dream despite only a few weeks having passed.” She lifted a hand before her eyes to stare at the soft gray and white fur covering it. “Have I always been like this?” She murmured. “Some days I feel like I’ve forgotten the promises we made. But I don’t want to lose sight of our friends.”
“Or our parents.” I agreed.
A short while later Mirrin stepped out of the tent with an uncharacteristic smile on her face. The expedition cheered and hollered, but nothing more. I knew none would rise to ask her of her path. That was hers to tell.
Sometime later Earth, free from her vigil duty, beckoned us to follow her into the camp. She led us to the inner edge where another small tent had been erected just this afternoon. Its fabric was old and torn with many woven patches to keep out the elements.
“This is yours for as long as you are joined.” Earth’s voice carried no hint of her earlier ire. “There is a blanket and fresh bedding inside. Everything else is up to you.”
“Thank you.” Autumn said, but Earth merely waved her words away and produced a familiar inscribed metal disk with a quartz crystal in the center.
“This is a sound ward for privacy.” She explained. “The perception of many of us is high enough to warrant it. Especially in the quiet of the night. I’m told you know how to activate it.”
“I… thank you.” I said, my face burning.
**********
There was something different about waking up the next morning beside Autumn’s warmth, or partaking in the morning brushing ritual with someone you cared about. I felt a strange mixture between warm companionship and awkward silence that I hoped would fade sooner than later.
When we left for breakfast any awkwardness was replaced with the thought of the pathing ceremony looming over our heads. Only one more level. Somehow I knew it would be today.
After breakfast Autumn left to practice her archery while I sought out the inscriptionist’s tent.
“You returned.” Thorn glared at me as I pushed aside the tent flap.
“Yes?” I said, confused.
“Sorry, I thought drawing some shapes was beneath a warrior like you.” Thorn growled.
I frowned. I had said something like that to Earth hadn’t I? Although, they were words spoken in anger. “I’m still planning on learning inscription.” I said.
“Thorn.” Wolf said. “Why don’t you help the others with the excavation. I’ll work with River today.” Thorn gave Wolf a glare, scooped up her notebook and stormed out of the tent.
Wolf turned to me with a toothy smile that left me even more intimidated than Thorn’s anger. “So, River, rumor has it you used an inscription from the book I lent you to help kill a mountain cabra. Why don’t you tell me about it?”
I told Wolf everything, but from the look on his face, he wasn’t very impressed. “I would lecture you with the basics of common sense, but somehow I doubt it would catch on.” He told me, but in the end we dove back into the basics of magic theory. In the end, even that was enough to push me over the threshold to level 10.
Level up! Vul’heli has increased to level 10.
Attributes:
+1 Intelligence
+2 Free
The notification came just before we broke for dinner. I hardly heard Wolf’s words of congratulations as the last hour passed in a daze of nervous energy. This was it. Tonight. A choice that would define the next year of my life at the very least. In my status screen there was no list of potential paths, only a very simple prompt that lingered in front of my eyes.
Would you like to begin path selection?
Yes / No
Autumn waited for me in the central clearing, already level ten. My sister was there too, giddy and energetic to my quiet panic. Even Karl seemed more talkative than normal. I ate little, pushing my leftovers to Karl when Earth and Rain finally came to collect Autumn and I. We were ushered into the command tent where the usual table had been pushed aside in favor of a blanket covering the hard ground.
“You both reached level 10, albeit sooner than expected.” Earth told us. “I want you to remember that what you see during your pathing is deeply personal. Even undertaking this ceremony together is something I only allow due to your soulbond and your future joining. You have no obligation to tell anyone, even each other, about your path. In fact I advise against giving your friends the specifics. I will, however, ask for general details come morning so that this expedition might best utilize and nurture your choices.”
“During your pathing your bodies will remain here, but your minds may not.” Rain began once Earth finished. “There is little to fear, but know that Earth and I will stand guard as is customary. As soon as we leave this tent, you may begin.”
We nodded and the matriarch and patriarch left Autumn and I alone in the tent. I swallowed, grabbed Autumn’s hand, and sank down to rest on the hard ground. Not wanting to delay any further, I selected the option to begin.
Please allocate all free attributes before choosing your path.
Right. I shoved a free point into dexterity to bring it to 20 and put the last into spirit. This time when I selected ‘begin’, my senses faded.
Darkness.
I was somehow standing on something soft and sandy with my footpads immersed in cool water. I breathed in damp air that smelled of stone and fresh earth. Damp cold clawed at the edges of my thick winter coat. My ears swiveled towards the sound of dripping water that echoed off hidden walls all around me. Above all these sensations, I felt a strange emptiness in my core as if some fundamental part of me was blocked from reach.
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Autumn.
My best friend and the sek’heli who shared my soul was missing. I never realized just how much of her and the tendrils of her emotions I felt in my soul. In her place loomed a vulnerability born of the void and yet here I stood alive. Somehow I knew that whatever happened here during my pathing was for my eyes and my eyes only.
Not that I could see anything in this darkness.
Swallowing my anxiety I began to inch forward with my hands feeling for obstructions in the darkness. After half a dozen steps my claws scraped against an ankle-high ledge and I stumbled forward to catch myself on a wall of smooth stone. I regained my balance and felt for the inscribing tool I always carried on my waist. Soon a soft blue light spread out from a fresh rune and pushed against the darkness.
I stood on the edge of a large cavern floored by a shallow pool. Water dripped from a dozen stalactites hanging from a vaulted ceiling to plop again the placid surface. The ledge I stumbled upon only moments before appeared as a flat path of sorts that hugged the wall even as it curved out of sight into the darkness.
“Onwards I guess.” I said, following the stone path as it wound through the strange and spectacular formations of the cavern, stopping every so often to draw another rune as the light from the previous faded. The expansive walls narrowed as I walked until it began to rise from the watery floor as an oval passage no wider than my outstretched arms. Stairs carved into the rock ascended at its center and led towards a flickering orange light at its far end. Step by step I rose with the stone until I emerged from the tunnel.
I stood at the edge of a circular chamber that looked more like a man-made amphitheater than any natural formation. A steep staircase descended through a series of concentric ledges before ending in a floor of golden sand. Some two dozen alcoves were nestled between the benches and the circular wall each filled with a waist high pool of water. At the center of the room stood a circular altar of black stone with a ball of flickering yellow flame hovering above it to illuminate the rest of the chamber. Here upon the altar and beneath the flame lay a seemingly mundane red fox with its head resting on its forepaw and its eyes closed in sleep.
Red Fox: Level 1
I swallowed and descended the stone steps. The fox stirred and its head rose to track my movements. Its slitted yellow eyes rose to meet my own. I paused in my steps, captivated by the power simmering deep within their depths. The fox spoke.
“James, you arrived sooner than I expected.” The fox tilted its head. “Though I suppose it’s River now.”
“Uh, Hello.” I answered, my paws began moving again, carrying me down to the sandy floor and across towards the creature. “Since you know who I am, who are you?”
“You may call me Trickster.” The fox said, sitting up with a yawn. Trickster… I turned the name over in my head. Where had I heard that name before? It sounded familiar, but… I shrugged.
“Nice to meet you Trickster.” I gave him a flourishing bow.
“You really don’t know who I am.” He said, his yellow eyes growing dark with power. The very light of the room seemed to dim from his presence. “I expected it to be one of the first things you learned upon arriving.”
“Absence? It does sound familiar.” I said, frowning at the display of power.
“Familiar? I am Trickster! A GOD!” The fox roared. “I created the vul’heli in my image and they have forgotten me!” A dark pressure bore down upon me, whispering for me to bow and worship the creature sitting upon the altar. I ignored it, remembering Earth’s lesson from a few nights before. Trickster the Betrayer. Trickster the Coward. This entire interaction felt like a test.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the pressure relented. “I’m just joking.” The fox grinned. “Of course I knew, I did it on purpose. Subjects are really annoying, you know? They beg for help and expect miracles. I just want to relax and have some fun with the Games.”
“If you really are this ‘Trickster’, which I very much doubt, then you haven’t been forgotten. You are merely despised and blamed for the fall of the ‘heli.” I told the creature, crossing my arms. “So who are you really and why are you here in my pathing ceremony?”
The self-proclaimed Trickster let out a barking laugh. “I told you, I’m Trickster. I’m here because I chose you at the request of my lovely mate! I figured you could be my amusement for now.”
“Chosen like Celestial chose Autumn?” I asked with a frown. “Then why do I have nothing in my status like Autumn has?”
“It’s hidden of course! I only chose you at Celestial’s request because your shared soul with Autumn complicates things. I hid my selection in your status because anonymity is the only way you’re going to survive the next few years. You can thank me later.”
“That wasn’t cryptic or concerning at all.” I sighed, sending him an annoyed glare. Even in my pathing ceremony I was second fiddle to Autumn.
“Aww, don’t give me that look. You still get your heart’s desire. You still get to be a special little snowflake. In fact I created a path just for you.” The fox looked pointedly away from me at the pools of water surrounding the amphitheater.
“How do I figure out what paths I have available?” I asked.
“I would assume the pools, although this is your personal space, not mine. You should instinctively know what to do.”
“My personal space is a dark cave?” I asked, looking around the flickering enclosure.
“You are antisocial and rather dramatic.” The fox pointed out. “A bit of anxiety mixed in too. It certainly fits you.”
“Lovely.” I said, walking over to the first alcove nestled beside the stairs where a pool of water reflected the torchlight. A faint white shimmer emanated from its shallow depths to refract off the glassy surface in a mesmerizing fashion. I leaned over and peered into its depths.
Shapes and images began to resolve themselves on the surface. I saw a vul’heli, me doing various tasks around the expedition: chopping wood, carrying large blocks of stone with ease, repairing tents and even holding large wooden beams while others nailed them in place. There was an almost calming simplicity to it all. Then, as quickly as the image appeared, it faded to leave silvery text floating in its place.
Path: Laborer
Rank: Common
Designation: Professional
Mana affinity: None
Attributes per level:
Constitution +1
Free +4
The text faded to be replaced by the same images as before. Interesting, but so far from what I wanted that I wasn’t even sure why it was suggested. I tore my gaze from the pool and stepped over to the next alcove. This time the light from the pool refracted red across the surface. I glanced down into the depths.
This time my vul’heli self appeared next to Mara where I stirred the contents of the communal cooking pot with a practiced eye. I added some sort of meat to the stew and, with a wave of my hand, flames roared into life beneath the pot. Expedition members watched me work, eagerly awaiting the meal. Then this too faded, leaving the silvery text in the water once more.
Path: Cook of the Open Flame
Rank: Uncommon
Designation: Professional
Mana Affinity: Fire
Attributes per level:
Constitution: +1
Wisdom: +1
Free: +3
Again, there was no way I’d choose this, but it made me wonder how to get the normal version of the ‘cook’ path. As if anticipating the question, the silvery text faded and then reappeared in a new configuration:
Path: Cook
Rank: Common
Designation: Professional
Mana Affinity: None
Attributes per level::
Constitution: +1
Free: +4
There was no total attribute difference between common and uncommon, but the quantity of free points was lower. Flexibility vs strength Earth had told us. I moved over to the next pool, this one white like the first, and when I glanced in I saw a series of scenes of me writing down various things at a desk.
Path: Scribe
Rank: Uncommon
Designation: Professional
Mana Affinity: None
Attributes per level::
Dexterity: +1
Intelligence: +1
Free: +3
This one was actually useful, but I still had almost two dozen more to go. Over the next few minutes I watched and read the pools one after the other. Each path varied in rarity from a few common paths like ‘Mage’ to rare ones like ‘mathematician’. The further around the room I went, the more ‘rare’ paths I saw. As the number of pools dwindled I began to grow nervous.
The third from the last pool glowed a purplish black, and I glanced into its depths with curiosity. The water showed me standing in the shadows of a forest with my lithe form wrapped in dark leather armor and my fur blackened to the color of charcoal. In my hand I clutched a knife wrapped in wisps of shadow. With perfect silence I leaped forward to drive my blade into the spine of an orc warrior who crumpled to the ground. Dark shadows wrapped around the corpse and in the space of a heartbeat, it vanished.
Path: Shadow Assassin
Rank: Epic
Designation: Combat
Mana Affinity: Shadow
Attributes per level:
Dexterity: +2
Intelligence: +1
Willpower: +1
Free: +2
I swallowed and stepped away. That was certainly a viable path, if terrifying. I didn’t need to be a bloodthirsty assassin with it, but as XXX said, all combat-focused professionals were in the murder business. With a sigh I moved to the next pool which shimmered the familiar blue of arcane mana.
The image showed me engraving runes directly into the surface of a flawless quartz crystal the size of my head. Satisfied with my work, I placed it down on a stone pedestal. Magic flared through a series of runes on the pedestal’s surface, spiraling down the surface to connect with a massive array of swirling shapes and lines spreading out in concentric rings from where I stood. Row by row the room became bathed in arcane power that rose to coalesce in a single point above my head. My image in the pool grinned at his creation with a look of deep-seeded satisfaction.
Path: Arcane Initiate
Rank: Legendary
Designation: Professional
Mana Affinity: Arcane
Attributes per level:
Dexterity: +1
Perception: +1
Intelligence: +2
Spirit: +1
Free: +2
I couldn’t ward off the grin that was rapidly expanding on my face. A legendary professional path whose attribute spread would fit in with the shadow assassin path! But still, how did I even qualify for it? Just about the only thing I was good at here was math and maybe inscribing things.
“Arcane initiate sounds pretty generic for a legendary path.” I murmured, trying and failing to keep the excitement out of my voice.
“Most of the complex and more narrow paths have a temporary ‘initiate’ path until the second selection. This one is… well, I’m not permitted to say.
“Not permitted?” I asked. “I thought you were a god.”
“Even we gods are bound by the system.”
“Sounds more like you’re closer to a fox with a little too much power than god.” I snorted.
The fox let out a barking laugh. “No respect at all. I like you little River.”
I rolled my eyes before returning my attention to the last pool. This should be the path that Trickster created for me. Assuming I trusted the word of someone named ‘Trickster’.
The final pool swirled not just with a single color, but a swirl of red and shadow. I saw myself dressed in a cloak of black flame that seemed to absorb the very light around me. I skulked in the shadowy corridors of an opulent palace, my paws sneaking silently over polished marble floors and fine red carpets beneath the noses of trained guards standing to attention. With impossible skill and grace, the image of myself danced through an imposing, yet empty throne room. I stopped before the throne where I reached beneath the cloak of black flame to reveal a small silver tack. I placed it on the cushioned seat of the throne before skulking away with a giggle.
...What?
The image was replaced with silvery text:
Path: Shadowflame Trickster
Rank: Legendary, (Divine)
Designation: Combat
Mana Affinity: Shadow, Fire
Attributes per level:
Dexterity: +2
Intelligence: +2
Spirit: +1
Free: +2
Note: Created for Dancing River by the incredible god Trickster.
“I see you found the path I work so hard on.” Trickster’s voice dripped with boredom. “And it was hidden in the last two pools with the other legendary path. What a surprise. Oh the suspense. Be still my beating heart.”
“I suppose that means I have to take it.” I grumbled.
“Not at all! You can always take one of those common combat paths, that assassin one, or even the regular trickster path.” I could hear Trickster grinning behind me. “But of course you would then have a more normal path compared with Autumn’s divine one. I imagine you would spend your life forever wallowing in a swamp of mediocrity while your soulbond changes the fabric of the myriad worlds.”
“...”
“Just think of your poor sorry self holding back your love from greatness.” The fox cooed.
“What happened to not influencing my decision making? You fucking with me doesn’t improve my opinion of you.” I said. Still though, Trickster’s words made some sense. While I did have choices, there was no way I wouldn’t pick this one for my combat path. But which would I put as my primary and secondary? I blinked, a sudden thought coming to me.
“Why do I have all of these fire and shadow affinity paths?” I asked. “I only have an arcane affinity mana.”
“You wouldn’t know since I blocked them. The shadow is from my blessing and the fire is from Phoenix's, so I had some influence over it you see. If the expedition knew you were my chosen, things would have gotten a bit dramatic. They still will be dramatic, so I advise you to keep your relation to me a secret.”
Trickster gave me a wink and then suddenly I felt… different. Instead of just the pool of arcane magic thrumming in my chest, I felt three. One pulsed with the heat of a flame, while another whispered promises of cool darkness. I pulled up my list of general abilities:
General Abilities:
Arcane affinity:
Affinity for arcane magics.
Soul bond:
Your soul has bonded with another.
Shadow affinity:
Affinity for shadow magics. Granted through the Mark of Trickster.
Fire affinity:
Affinity for fire magics. Granted through the Mark of Phoenix.
“All that shit I had to go through with Earth was for nothing?” I asked in disbelief. “And who is this Phoenix and what does it mean by ‘Marked’?”
“Phoenix is just another goddess. Nothing you need to worry about. She owed me a favor from a few millenia back so I asked myself, why not cheat a little?”
“That explains nothing.”
“Have you considered I might be acting cryptic on purpose? Just keep the pheonix mark and her blessing to yourself. You wouldn’t want to be slaughtered by the minion of an angry deity would you?”
I growled in frustration and turned back to the pool. I’d had enough of this ‘god’ already. With my mind made up, I dipped a claw into the swirling pool of red and black.
Would you like to select Shadowflame Trickster as your primary path? This can be undone by initiating the pathing ceremony at any point in the future.
I took a deep breath and mentally selected ‘yes’.
New primary path acquired: Shadowflame Trickster (Level 0/???)
New passive ability: Cunning Trickster
Cunning Trickster: Increase your dexterity and perception by 15% of your intellect.
New active ability: Minor Flame Manipulation
Minor Flame Manipulation: Manipulate flame you can see. Range and effect increased by Intelligence and Willpower
New active ability: Minor Shadow Manipulation
Minor Shadow Manipulation: Manipulate shadows you can see. Range and effect increased by Intelligence and Willpower
Three skills at level zero, and two of them elemental abilities. Not bad. Tension fled from my limbs. I’d actually done it! A legendary path! I didn’t care about how convoluted everything was. Only one more to go. I stepped over to the Arcane Inscriptionist’s pool.
Would you like to select Arcane Initiate as your secondary path? This can be undone by initiating the pathing ceremony at any point in the future.
Yes!
New secondary path acquired: Arcane Initiate (0/???)
New active ability: Mana Perception
Mana Perception: Grants the ability to see mana. Perception counts as 20% higher when examining raw etheric mana, and 40% higher when examining etheric mana of one of your affinities.
Just one passive skill this time, but it looked useful. Now I just needed to leave and I could be free of this annoying 'god'. Still, I hesitated, turning back to the god in question whose yellow eyes were watching my every move.
“Trickster,” I began. “If you can’t tell me what this ‘Game’ is, could you at least explain what the Rift, or the ‘Breaking’, or the ‘Fusing’, or whatever people call it is?”
“Oh that I can do.” Trickster said with a grin that consumed his muzzle. “The rift is just a result of the process of assimilating worlds into the myriad realms. ‘Fusing refers to the fusing of mana into barren worlds such as your own during this process. And the breaking… well the breaking is what happens when small rocky worlds like your own get infused with too much mana too quickly. They grow fatter and fatter until they pop like a ripe zit. It’s quite amusing really, just not for the people left behind.”
“Left behind!”
“Oh yes, not everyone gets pulled off-world, you know. Some stay behind, and even fewer survive.” Trickster snorted. “Oh don’t give me that look, I’m sure most of your friends are fine. At least Gretchen and Dean should have made it to Realgar.”
“No more.” Trickster said, when I opened my mouth to ask the thousand questions swirling in my head. “Go ask Melwyn if you want to know more.”
I closed my mouth and turned away. My friends were here somewhere, but what about my parents? Maybe Melwyn would have more information than this useless god.
“I’m going to head back.” I told him.
“Oh joy, my duty as a guide has concluded.” The god said, laying back down as if to go to sleep. “May we never meet again.”
“You’re a bit of an ass.” I told him. “But thank you for the few useless bits of information.”
“Yeah, yeah. Try not to die.” Said the fox.
“I won’t”
...
...
...
“How do I leave?”