Talax approached the flickering fire cautiously, his eyes fixed on the small pot perched precariously above the flames. The contents within were an unappetizing brown color with small chunks of meat floating like small islands. The aroma wafting from the pot was peculiar, reminding him of sodden earth and something he couldn’t quite place.
“It smells divine! I cannot wait to try it!” exclaimed Qalo enthusiastically as he rooted through his bag, excitement dancing in his eyes and evident in his frantic movements. With a flourish, he produced two weathered wooden bowls, presenting one to Talax with genuine, infectious enthusiasm. Talax took the offered bowl with trembling hands and waited for Qalo to pour in his concoction.
“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad!” Aria commented inside his mind, safe in the confines of his head.
“Let’s just say, you are lucky that you can’t taste Qalo’s food,” he shot back, as the soup splashed into the bowl. Qalo wiped his drool with the back of his hand and poured a portion into his own bowl.
With a mix of reluctance and curiosity, Talax settled down, his eyes fixed on the swirling chunks of meat in his bowl. Qalo, on the other hand, wasted no time, eagerly savoring the savory liquid as though it held the elixir of life itself. Bracing himself, Talax hesitated only briefly before taking the plunge, lifting the bowl to his lips.
He frowned. He had expected it to taste terrible, but it was, if not tasty, at least pleasant, even if the peculiar smell was even stronger when he took a gulp. His initial frown gave way to a nod of approval, each spoonful easing the gnawing hunger within him.
Qalo beamed, seeing Talax enjoying the meal. “It’s good, isn’t it?” he asked, clearly fishing for compliments. Talax was pleasantly surprised, and he couldn't hide his approval. “Actually, it’s pretty good! Well done.” The half-orc seemed immensely pleased with himself and poured more soup into his bowl."
“At least some good came from the constant attacks,” Qalo said absentmindedly.
“What do you mean?” Talax asked, speaking between mouthfuls as he chewed the gamy morsel of meat.
“The beasts have gone crazy. They've become huge and dangerous. I could barely recognize that those creatures attempting to get a piece of me were actually wigglers! At least they make a tasty stew! I had never eaten wiggler before today.”
Qalo slurped his second helping and went for a third. “Oh, oh.” Aria's alarmed mutterings caught Talax off guard, freezing him mid-chew. With suspicion growing, Talax demanded answers from the evasive spirit.
“What?” he demanded, mouth still partially full, but Aria responded with a clearly false voice, “Nothing, nothing. Just remembered something.” Talax narrowed his eyes and pressed, “Tell me why you sounded horrified, Aria!” As he spoke, a realization dawned. “What are wigglers, Aria?”
“I've never heard of wigglers before. Maybe some kind of bird?” Her lie was as clear as day, which made him even more apprehensive. Turning his gaze back at Qalo, Talax put the small piece of meat inside his mouth, positioning it at the back of his cheek like a chipmunk, and casually addressed the happy orc.
“What are wigglers, Qalo?” He asked nonchalantly. Qalo, oblivious to Talax’s suspicions, began to reply, at which point Aria horrified exclamation resounded inside his head, “NO!” He had trouble listening to Qalo over Aria’s yells, but he managed to pick up, “...scavenger beasts, quite common, but I've never seen one as big as the nest that attacked us last night; they were as big as a pony!”
Talax's narrowed gaze swept the surroundings, searching for any sign of these creatures. Aside from disturbed earth and a few damaged plants, there was no trace.
He activated his tracking skill, and the area came alive with a display of shimmering lights. The scene before him painted a vivid tale: multiple sets of clawed imprints emerged from the east, just meters away from where they stood, indicating a recent skirmish. He observed the telltale signs of struggle, dragging marks and impressions where creatures had seemingly succumbed to Qalo's hammer. The tracks reminded him of something, but he couldn’t quite place them.
Frustrated, he asked Aria one last time. “What are wigglers?” Aria's sigh was laden with trepidation as she disclosed the truth in a high-pitched voice tinged with horror. "Rats, Talax! Huge rats!" The bowl slipped from his hands, clattering to the ground, prompting a startled exclamation from Qalo.
“No! You wasted your stew!” Talax, with the piece of rat still in his mouth, excused himself, stood up ignoring Qalo’s protests, and walked as far as he could, his face turning green. Once he had cleared both his mouth and his stomach of the stew, he returned to a disgruntled Qalo.
“Where have you been?” Qalo asked with suspicion.
“To relieve myself,” Talax replied curtly, the aftertaste of the stew making him fight the urge to gag. Qalo, still looking at him with narrowed eyes, offered him another bowl of rat stew, but he politely declined.
He made some excuse and returned to his previous spot under the tree, trying to calm his agitated stomach. After a moment, Aria spoke up. “So, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Talax was caught off guard. “How is that going to work?” he asked, confused.
“He simply has to touch the amulet. I will have to manifest, of course, so that he can see and hear me, but I have already restored my mana, so that won’t be a problem.” Talax thought about it for a moment, then came to a decision.
“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” A stunned silence occupied his mind, and then Aria screeched. “Are you ashamed of me? Why are you hiding me from your friends? Do you think I am not good enough for you? Who do you think you are! Anyone would be lucky to...” Talax’s eyes had rounded in surprise, not expecting such a wild reaction.
“No, I meant Qalo isn’t very fond of anything magical. He actually gets really scared and tries to avoid it at all costs.” His response deflated Aria's outburst, and she gave an embarrassed, “Oh,” before going silent. “Well, that’s just silly,” she finally said, acting as if she hadn’t been yelling at him a few seconds ago.
“Try telling him that,” he shot back. “I will when you introduce us. I still think you should let him know of my existence.” Talax sighed in resignation. He had a feeling that Aria was insisting on meeting Qalo not for his benefit but because she had been locked away for centuries without contact with any living being. Still, he felt bad for her and decided to do her the favor.
He walked back to the now empty pot and sat across from Qalo. The man was wiping his tusks when Talax began speaking. “I have some things to tell you,” he began, and Qalo, seeing his serious expression, stopped his task and focused on him.
“When I was stranded inside the dungeon, I came upon a room. That’s where I found this armor and weapons. I also found some very useful spells that were an immense help during the battle.” He explicitly omitted the fact that he had also found mountains of coins and gems, not wanting to incite the half-orc’s unquenchable greed. “There, I also found this amulet,” he continued, fishing out the old, stone amulet.
Qalo frowned as he looked at the item. “This amulet is enchanted; it holds the spirit of a high priestess that once resided and held a high position in the temple of Ha’arun.” Qalo’s eyes widened with each uttered word, filled with horror and fear, and when Talax said, “she would like to meet you,” the half-orc exploded into action, scrambling backward on all fours.
“I told you!” He thought to Aria, who said with an incredulous voice. “You weren’t joking when you said he's afraid of all things magical. Is your friend an idiot?” Talax saw Qalo stand up unsteadily and grab his hammer.
“He is not an idiot. Everyone has their thing. Qalo’s thing is his fear of magic and the atrocious things he eats.” Aria gave a non-committal hum, and Talax focused back on his friend, trying to calm him down.
“Easy, Qalo, you don’t have to be scared. Calm down.” Qalo had adopted a defensive posture and looked at him with incredulous eyes. “Calm down? Calm down?” He demanded, his usually high-pitched voice rising another octave.
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“You're telling me you are possessed, and you expect me to be calm?” Talax sighed at Qalo’s dramatics.
“What are you talking about? I am not possessed. Aria, that’s her name by the way, and I made a deal. I would help her track down her family, and she will help me by giving advice and sharing her knowledge. It’s that simple.” Qalo's eyes had bugged out, and he wailed, “You made a deal with a ghost? Are you insane?”
The situation was deteriorating instead of improving, and Talax was stumped at how to handle Qalo’s reaction. “Look, she is not some evil spirit. She just needed my help, which I offered in exchange for her knowledge. She even offered me her analyze ability! And she even helps me with my skills and attributes.”
Unexpectedly, Qalo seemed to ease slightly, contemplating. “So, she is like a spirit guide?” Talax blinked, but before he could respond, Aria screeched in his mind in indignation. “Did your friend just call me a beast?” Talax winced, torn between calming down an offended spirit or soothing a terrified friend. “If I still had my powers I would transform him into a pig!” She spat.
“I think he likes pigs,” he replied, smiling internally at the image of Qalo as a pig. “We will see if he likes being one too!” Talax ignored the disgruntled high priestess and focused back on his friend.
“Something like that. She is a very nice lady.” Aria scoffed. “And has been an immense help, but I promised her to find her family, so that’s why I couldn’t go with Franny, and I had to go to the cloud monasteries.” Qalo looked at him blankly. “Cloud monasteries? Where’s that? I haven’t heard of it.”
Talax, not knowing the answer, turned to Aria. “Well?” she responded. “There’s a small village before you reach the monasteries called Foothill Hollow.” When Talax relayed the name, the half-orc shook his head.
Finally, Qalo appeared calm with a thoughtful expression on his face. He sat down, albeit a bit further away than before, and they started talking about what had happened while they were separated in the dungeon. Talax gave him a brief summary of his encounter with the golem and later with Aria. He omitted anything void-related or about the new ring on his finger.
Qalo told him that he and Franny had been devastated when Talax disappeared, thinking that he had been killed. Edward didn’t let them wallow for long. He had entered the last chamber needed to unlock the final door with Callum and Vesperine. Once they had defeated the boss, they dragged Qalo and Franny with them and entered the inner sanctum.
At first, Qalo didn’t notice anything was amiss. He followed Edward’s orders, but soon found himself cut off from the rest of the group. Without Talax, Edward only needed Qalo out of the picture, so he told him to lead the group. Qalo, not wanting to cause any conflict, agreed, but once he faced the horde of skeletons, the others fell back, leaving him alone.
When Qalo realized what was happening, it was already too late. He saw Edward attacking Franny but had no way of reaching them; there was an ocean of skeletons between them. Qalo’s expression had turned haunted, recounting his experiences in the dungeon. With worried eyes, he looked at Talax.
"Do you think he will be okay? Franny, I mean," Talax contemplated. Before entering the dungeon, he might have hesitated in responding. However, after witnessing all that Franny had endured, especially the betrayal from his uncle, it had transformed him into a genuine warrior. He no longer harbored the same blind spots for his family or what he perceived as honor and proper conduct.
“I think he will. He's not the same obnoxious noble we met; he has grown. What worries me more is his father's reaction. Hopefully, our gifts will soften him toward Franny,” Talax expressed, attempting to reassure Qalo.
After a while, they decided it was time to move on. With Aria's warning about the ambient mana and Qalo’s stories of the previous night’s relentless attacks, they deemed it best to distance themselves from the dungeon as quickly as possible.
Aria informed Talax that, based on her memory, their destination lay a week's journey to the north. She also mentioned the absence of settlements, which didn’t sit well with Talax. However, when she mentioned that Altia was once a small village in her time, it offered a glimmer of hope, a chance to find a small town and, hopefully, a comfortable place to rest.
As night fell, the forest seemed to awaken. Qalo, exhausted, skipped dinner and immediately went to sleep. Talax kept watch while his friend rested, feeling surprisingly alert and well-rested. With little else to do, he engaged in conversation with Aria, learning more about her life, how she grew up in a prosperous family of merchants and her decision to join Ha’arun’s clergy.
Her initial story about joining the order out of gratitude for healing her sister was only partly true. Her deep obsession with magic fueled her desire to join. As a voidtouched individual, she struggled to cast spells, much like Talax thanks to her lack of affinities. However, her determination drove her to seek ways to attain magic, and her encounter with the young, confident God ignited her determination to join the order.
Through sheer determination and perseverance, she not only gained attention from the young God but also fulfilled her dream of becoming a mage, eventually rising to the esteemed position of high priestess. However, Talax sensed that Aria had manipulated and exploited Ha’arun, although he understood her motivations. According to her, Ha’arun was a young God who had ascended only a few decades before she met him and had gained an overwhelming amount of power for a godling thanks to his domain.
Talax admitted his lack of understanding about domains, which seemed to bore Aria. She preferred to continue her story, narrating how Ha’arun, feeling overwhelmed and lonely due to his power and status, sought a companion he could trust, someone reliable. That’s the role Aria fulfilled. However, Ha’arun's immense power made him a target and eventually a pawn in the schemes of other Gods.
Aria’s voice held a tinge of sadness as she spoke of her past patron and lover, Ha’arun. Over time, she had developed genuine emotions for him, confiding that Ha’arun had reciprocated her feelings. Gods were capricious beings, occasionally falling in love with mortals, yet such relationships seldom endured. More often than not, they either grew bored or tragedy befell them, much like what happened to Aria. Despite this, she shared with a sigh that they had enjoyed many years together, and she hoped Ha’arun found peace in the veil.
Talax was about to inquire about the veil when their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a small army of ants marching into the clearing, their pincers clacking ominously. “Here we go!” he muttered to himself, unsheathing his sword with a distinctive sound cutting through the air.
He couldn’t deny a tinge of excitement at the prospect of battle; this would be an opportunity to test his newfound abilities. Using his analyze skill on the creatures, a small window popped up above one of the ants, revealing an insect that appeared to be a fusion of a spider and an ant upon closer inspection.
Race: Weaver Ant
Health points: 110/110
Mana: 60/60
Level: 12
The Weaver Ant combines the body and head of an ant with the spidery legs of a spider. It's agile, boasting adhesive hairs on its spider-like legs, aiding in movement and ensnaring prey. Known for its ability to spin intricate, magical webs, it immobilizes victims and disrupts magic. It's a social creature, forming colonies led by a dominant queen, and presents a unique challenge with its blend of ant-like organization and spider-like stealth.
Attributes: +4 per level
“A weaver ant here?” Aria exclaimed in disbelief. “How long has the ambient mana seeped into the forest?” she demanded as Talax circled the five beasts, his sword slicing through the air in a circular motion. “I don’t know,” he muttered as the lead ant lunged forward.
Anticipating its attack, Talax activated his new ability, Ethereal Slash. Yet, to his horror, he realized the ability needed charging. In the nick of time, he leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the ant's lethal strike.
Spitting out some grass, he muttered irritably, “That didn’t go as planned!” Aria chuckled within his mind, earning a growl of frustration from him. Rising to his feet, he faced the determined ant while the others clacked their pincers, seemingly urging it on.
The ant lunged again, emboldened by its previous success, but this time, Talax didn’t use his sword, he used his dexterity and the quick movements his light armor afforded him. He spun around, evading the attack and when the ant passed him, looking around wildly, its antennae twitching in an effort to spot him, Talax touched the brown carapace and cast Minor Hex.
Reacting instantly, the ant searched frantically, its antennae twitching in an attempt to locate Talax. But he had already moved. Rushing toward the remaining ants, he initiated Whirlwind. His sword seemed to take on a life of its own, making him spin in a circle slashing and cutting the helpless ants.
In the chaos, hairy legs flew into the air, followed by a muffled explosion, scattering broken carapaces. Capitalizing on the ants' vulnerability, Talax opted to employ Ethereal Slash once more. His sword glowed with mana, and after a brief charge, he swung it in a sweeping motion. A surge of pure mana washed over the dying insects, seemingly absorbed into their bodies.
The creatures convulsed briefly before succumbing to death. The battleground grew silent, remnants of the skirmish scattered across the grass, as Talax stood, his breathing steadying after the intense encounter.
Congratulations! You have killed a level 13 Weaver Ant!
Congratulations! You have killed a level 11 Weaver Ant!
Congratulations! You have killed a level 11 Weaver Ant!
Congratulations! You have killed a level 9 Weaver Ant!
Congratulations! You have killed a level 12 Weaver Ant!
Talax chuckled breathlessly, "Well, that was fun!" His chest heaved with exertion. “It was almost too easy!” As soon as he said the words he cursed because he caught the unsettling sound of more clacking pincers in the distance.
It turned out it wasn’t fun, not fun at all, because for the rest of the night he was killing a whole colony of the bloodthirsty ants. Meanwhile, Qalo remained blissfully oblivious, snoring peacefully nearby, undisturbed by Talax's pained groans and colorful curses that sounded throughout the night.