Chapter 44
“I’m going to try something,” Mikel said, taking the earpiece in hand. He’d fiddled with the slate for the better part of an hour, and after exhausting his curiosity he turned to other ventures. He’s slid the slate back into the pocket so he had both hands free.
“Oh?” Helsket asked as he wiped his forehead again, with the same, soaked rag from before.
“Just… Watch me. I’m going to put this earpiece in and… You know, if the Time Demon, lich, or something else… You know, happens to pop up, or I get knocked unconscious… Just keep me alive, okay?”
Mikel hadn’t realized the apprehension he felt about the little gray bean until he held it in his hand and was about to pop it into his ear. The compound effect of the past few days had affected him - deeper than he’d ever guessed.
“Sure thing,” Helsket said, nodding towards the road ahead of them as it vanished into the heat haze of the growing day, “If any of those beasties pop out in this heat, I’ll take care of them.”
“You don’t think they’d appear here? Nothing stopped them before.” Mikel thought of the dream he’d had of the Time Demon and then the strange, time-stopping vision when the assassin had almost killed him.
“Not if they’re smart,” Helsket grumbled, “nothing sane would come out in this heat. Plus we could see them coming for miles around. I don’t care how sneaky you are - One of us would see you coming from a long way off. And, like I said, only stupid creatures would be out in this heat.”
Mikel wondered where that left the two of them.
He slipped the earpiece into his ear canal and after a moment of uncomfortable wiggling, got it to stick in place.
Like The Callisto Jewel, it was chilly to the touch - unlike The Callisto Jewel, which hoarded any joy spawned from the cold aura it emitted, the earpiece helped cool Mikel’s head from the inside out. He expected the feeling to die down with time, but minute after minute and step after step the sensation remained.
“Well?” Helsket asked, glancing sideways at Mikel.
Mikel squinted then looked at Helsket, “I don’t hear anything. Do I… Need to do something to it?”
Helsket shrugged, “Not sure. Like I said, I only used the things, never made one or learned the inner workings. Generally, they only work if you have another earpiece within range that it can link to.
“So why would the Conceptual I killed drop this if it’s useless?”
Helsket pointed at Mikel’s head, “Might be that you need the set, which means you’ll have to kill a few more of those creatures to get one. It’s how things work sometimes. Some items exist in this world that are permanently linked to one another. You can use one of the items by themselves, or you can power both up immensely if you have both. It’s often worth it to try and track down the mate to a weapon, piece of armor or trinket you come across.”
Mikel had heard of artifacts like Helsket mentioned - but the ones he knew of were ancient and kept locked away behind vault doors such was their power. The idea that he could come across a new set in the world intrigued him.
One more thing to file away.
“Have you looked at the monitor? It can identify items. It’s nowhere near as strong as Telgil’s Identify Skill, but the earpiece is such a low-tier item, that I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Mikel remembered how in the library he’d pressed his sword against the monitor, only to have it die on him as it switched functions.
With better practiced movements he slipped his hand back into the pocket with the slate and books and withdrew the monitor once again.
He powered it on, looked over the greeting screen, and after pulling the earpiece from his head, touched it to the screen.
He gasped as he read what the slate had written in white glowing block letters on its black face.
Librarian’s Earpiece
Set - Item
Paired with Librarian’s Monitor
Bonded to Mikel Raithson
“All answers begin with a single question. All answers lead to more questions - so is knowledge cultivated.”
Skill Uses to Unlock Level 1
Communicate - 0/1 Minutes
“Helsket, you’ve got to see this,” Mikel said as he handed the slate to Helsket.
The old adventurer looked the data over before shrugging and handing it back, “What do you want me to make of it? It’s a set item alright. It’s impressive you’ve located a set so quickly, but it doesn’t do you much good. You can’t generate Essentia, remember? I can guarantee that Communicate Skill doesn’t run on Stamina.”
Mikel’s stomach dropped.
“Oh yeah, how in the hel did I forget about that?”
Helsket chuckled, “Bad luck I suppose. Click on the Skill at the bottom - see the requirements. They should come up just like it did for the Blood Skill you’re learning from The Callisto Jewel.”
Mikel selected Communicate with a 1-minute use unlock and pressed it.
As before with Incarnadine Metafora, the screen blacked out and then brought up a new sub-menu detailing exactly what use of the Skill Communicate entailed.
Communicate
Communication Skill
Essentia Based
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Cast Time - Instantaneous
Cross Association - Key Cross - Air
Level Up! to increase Skill scope.
Level Up! to increase Skills available.
Tree Growth
Communicate
Effect: Communicate with others within your immediate range. Clarity is enhanced when paired with another earpiece.
Essentia Cost - 10 / Minute
Stamina Cost - 0
Health Cost - 0
Cooldown - 0
Tree Growth
Long Distance Communion - 0/10,000 Minutes
Celestial Presence - UNKNOWN Minutes
UNKNOWN - UNKNOWN Minutes
“It’s an earpiece alright,” He said, tucking the bean back into his ear. He winced as a strange crackle emanated from the stone where before it went silent again.
“Something changed,” Mikel said, “There’s scratching or something similar on the other side. I’m going to feed it some Essentia and see what happens. Pick me up if I tip over, would you?”
Without waiting for Helsket to say anything Mikel focused on conjuring five shreds of Stamina within Nodd and guided them to Teff with no trouble.
With an iron mental grasp he held the newly formed Essentia in place while he gathered up an additional forty-five Stamina and without thinking, guided them to Teff all at once.
As the Stamina shifted to Essentia and the reality of what he’d done set in, something else did as well.
Weight - as if a giant had crashed down from the sky, and slammed into Mikel. He gasped in surprise as his legs buckled. The weight of the ruck he wore drove him face-first to the hard-packed gravel road, and the only reason he didn’t eat dirt was because Helsket snagged his pack in one of his meaty paws at the very last second.
“I wasn’t thinking you’d actually pass out,” Helsket said as he drew to a stop. He set Mikel down in a puff of moondust after, “People usually say that as a joke.”
Mikel gasped as exhaustion swept his body, he wanted to speak, but couldn’t even muster a single syllable.
Instead, he fumbled with the slate until he managed to navigate back to his Status screen and sighed at what he found. He'd suspected as much, although
Status
Mikel Raithson
House Affiliation -House Raithson
Combat Level - /
Stamina 2/250
Health 79/100
Essentia - - -
Afflictions - Veiled, Heat Exhaustion, Extreme Fatigue
“How?” He choked out as he shoved the slate into Helsket’s hands, “How am I this low on Stamina?”
Helsket regarded the slate, then pulled back with a look of confusion on his face.
“How indeed. You didn’t feel sick or tired up ‘till you… Did whatever you did?”
Mikel grunted a negative.
“Huh, odd,” Helsket said as he handed the monitor back.
He took out a flask of water and shoved it into Mikel’s shivering hands.
“Drink. You’re dehydrated and exhausted. I knew we should have stayed in Farraway another day - if it hadn’t been for those Assassins we would have.”
Mikel rattled the top off of the flask before tipping it back in his mouth. He was shaking so badly that he was barely able to aim correctly but got most of the hot, stale water down his throat. The flask was almost empty when he handed it back.
He checked his slate and saw the Stamina bar had refilled by 2 - it now read 4/250.
“I… I can’t believe that happened,” He choked out as a sick feeling spread from his stomach to his head. He needed the water, but he -
Mikel leaned over and vomited up the water and a dose of thick, green bile.
He retched for several more before he managed to collect himself.
Helsket handed him a fresh flask and laughed.
“You look about as pathetic a creature as I’ve ever seen,” he said, “Take this. Don’t chuck it up this time though - we still have to make it to… Well, you’ll see, before we get water.”
Mikel nodded and drank, this time sparingly, before handing the flask back.
A minute later he felt better and checked his status screen again.
5/250 Stamina.
“Gods be damned,” He muttered as he shifted in the dirt, puffs of ultralight dust floating into the air only to be carried away by the heat-blasted wind.
“Damned or blessed,” Helsket said as he tucked the flask away, “They’re always there though. What did you do that caused you to hit the ground so hard? I barely caught you before you ate shit.”
Mikel grimaced and explained the procedure and how he’d tried to shift forty-five strands of Stamina instead of the five he’d been working with before.
Helsket grumbled, “You’d be better to stick with Stamina Skills until you can figure out a better way around whatever is going on with you. If you’re in the middle of a fight and this sort of thing happens - well,” He drew his thumb across his throat and rolled his eyes back in his head. A clear indication of things that might come.
“I know,” Mikel grumbled as he splashed some dirt on the wretched pile of vomit. The smell was terrible in the sun - maybe worse than the corpses from the Dead Tide had smelled when he’d let some Stamina slip into his sense of smell.
“I can’t… Not use these Skills though. The Callisto Jewel is mine - I need to learn how to master it before it can do the same to me. The earpiece is mine - I shouldn’t have to collapse every time I try something new. It’s frustrating.”
“I can imagine,” Helsket said as he shifted before plopping down next to Mikel, sending up a huge cloud of dust compared to the tiny one Mikel had caused.
“You’ll get the hang of it. As I mentioned before, your dad had some similar issues - Someone helped him through it though.”
Mikel scoffed, “I’m not Erik Raithson. I’m his powerless son who can’t even use a single Skill to save his life. Do you realize I was tossed around more than half a dozen times in a day? I’ve been nothing but deadweight in fights. I’ve run more than I’ve stood and defended myself. I want to help, I need to help, but if I don’t learn quickly I’ll end up dead and probably drag you and anyone else down with me.”
“Bah, quit that ‘oh poor me’ crap,” Helsket growled, “You’re a Raithson, not some squalling lordling. You’ve not had the best hand dealt to you, but the only thing you can do is press on and play the cards the best you can. No amount of crying or whining is going to change your state.”
Shame bloomed in Mikel’s chest and he looked away, towards the north and Stennin.
“I knew I was a fool, Helsket,” He said, “This whole ordeal was just asinine. I’m sorry I-”
He didn’t see Helsket’s hand until it crashed into the side of his head and slipped past. Stars flew in his vision and it was all he could do to not go tumbling into the puddle of stomach goo near him.
“You slapped me!” Mikel said as he regained his composure - an accidental glance at his slate revealed he’d lost four Health due to the assault.
“I can’t believe you hit me!” he held his hand to his stinging face, shame burning more than the injury ever could.
“And I’ll do it again and again and again,” Helsket said, raising his eyebrows menacingly, “You’re exhausted and beaten down, but I’ll hear none of this talk of not being worthy or not being ready - you hear me? You sought me out, convinced me to come with you on this grand adventure to save your dad, and you’re willing to bitch up on the first leg? I know you’re made of sterner stuff than that young Raithson - you’d better be at any rate, or you are as you said, going to die and bring everyone around you down with you.”
Mikel stared blankly at Helsket for a long time. The sting from the slap faded, but the shame remained.
How did I get here? Mikel thought, And how did I get so pitiful?
“I… needed that,” He said, finally and dropping his hand away, “I.. Get so down sometimes that it just seems like everything is conspiring against me. But, you’re right - there’s no use in crying about it.”
He looked down at the monitor before clicking it off.
“Help me up?”
Helsket clambered to his feet and hoisted him upright. Mikel shook himself, trying to get feeling back in his body. He was still tired, but he wasn’t about to pass out like he had been.
“Why is it that I could get tired before and NOT pass out? It seems like I overdo it now and I’m always on the verge of passing out.
Helsket adjusted his pack before pointing down the road, further on their journey.
“We’ll walk and talk.”
Mikel groaned on the inside but kept the reaction to himself. He’d already shown enough weakness for one day. It was time to be strong.
“Now, you’ve arrived at the adventurer's dilemma. Ever heard of it?”