“One week of rations, several water skins…” Nathen ran down his checklist of supplies, ensuring everything was ready for his journey. It was surprising both how much, and how little, he changed from the last time he departed the city. He was still bringing two swords, just in case one broke, and even when he’d thought this world was just a game he’d brought various ‘adventurer’ goods, like a length of rope, large nails and fire starting equipment like a tinderbox and flint. He’d even tried to get a 10-foot wooden pole, only to give up after thinking about how he’d carry it.
This time, however, were many more supplies that were more mundane but even more needed. A change of shoes, spare socks and a thick coat to hold off the chill were the kind of things that were rarely mentioned in adventure games. It over all meant his pack was going to be bigger and heavier than before, but Nathen had found he could shuck it quickly if attacked. Nothing in it was fragile enough to break if dropped.
“Two swords?” a familiar voice asked as he continued to mutter through his list. Looking up the High Priestess stood in the doorway to the small temple kitchen, leaning slightly on the aged scepter.
“In case one gets a chip or crack,” Nathen explained, “I have a whet stone if it just loses its edge but can’t fix a break.”
“Seems like you’ve planned for everything,” she commented.
“I certainly hope so.”
“Well, you forgot one thing,” she smirked despite being unable to see the look Nathen gave her.
“And what would that be?” he asked when it became clear she was waiting for him to respond.
“This,” she held up a hand to show him a necklace with a round, coin like pendant hanging from it. It took him a moment to recognize it as a holy symbol, the face of the coin was engraved with a complex arrangement of stars, like a piece of the night sky was carved into it. More then that, there were several places holes had been created by the depth of the carving.
“Been a while since I’ve had to hand one of these out,” she mused to herself as Nathen stood, “to be free isn’t to simply wander without purpose. A goal of your own choosing that you are free to pursue, that is true freedom. And in order to have a goal you must know where to go. If you are ever lost, wait for the sun to fall and hold this coin to your eye, find the bright stars that line up with the holes and you’ll be facing North.”
“What if I don’t have a goal?” Nathen asked softy, accepting the symbol from her.
“Seeking a goal, is, itself, a goal,” she smiled, lowering her hand, walking past Nathen and finding a chair at the supply covered table to sit down in, “few realize it, but Kalasen was likely the first God of Man in this world. The first Ascenders to arrive here did so without knowing where they were going, they simply wished to be free of the worlds they came from. And they found that freedom in this world, the freedom to practice their crafts, to create a new land and to better themselves. From those thoughts rose the old man, the manifestation of their desire and will to be and remain free.
“At least, that’s the story he tells,” the old priestess snorted, “if you ask me, while he may have been born with the first Ascenders, I doubt he did much. He’s not one to take action without request, and few people, especially in those early days, had to pray for freedom. And because he didn’t act, few learned of his existence, much less his name. So while he may be old, he was always weak. Honestly, before you showed, I’ve never seen him this active.”
“Does he usually talk with newly arrived Acenders?” Nathen asked.
“Of the few who seek him out, no,” she shook her head slowly, “most of those newly arrived in this world are more eager for a powerful patron, and pass us by. Those who do stop in likely only do so to try and win the favor of an undervalued god, hoping to rise in power with little effort by spreading His name. But true freedom isn’t about power, it’s about self-discovery and improvement. The old man doesn’t want a sycophant, only paying lip service to his teachings in exchange for strength. He wants a true believer in what he represents, someone who refuses to be held down by what people say can or can’t be done. Only by pushing boundaries can we be truly free.”
\*\*\*\*
“What about a cast time?” Gregory offered, “like a short delay between activating the ability and the blast actually striking.”
“Delays are a trap,” Kyle warned, “they do add power, but they make it nearly impossible to use the ability in a pinch. Once you have a number of other abilities to cover that delay then it becomes more viable to use.”
“So we once again come to the same conclusion,” Lex sighed, a half empty mug in her hands, “he needs more abilities before he can safely apply restrictions to what he has.”
“Any suggestions on how to get new abilities?” Gregory asked, for several days as they recovered from the small battle they’d discussed how to alter his newest ability, but they always came to the same problem. He didn’t have enough abilities to make an informed decision, any new skill he gained could invalidate or encourage any given option. Both Lex and Kyle were semi-busy during the day with temple duties, Gregory attempted to help out but as a proper Ascender he was too valuable to use on day-to-day tasks. At least in a church that had enough locals to cover them, Kyle’s god was apparently small enough that they would make use of him while he was in town. So their only time to talk tended to be in the afternoon after they’d covered their responsibilities, in this case Kyle showed up with a large boar he’d caught. The high priest of the Protector was proud, but not so much he’d turn down a fresh boar for dinner.
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“I doubt any of my abilities would be of any use,” Kyle shrugged, “I’m more hunter than fighter, what about you Lex, got any abilities you could teach him?”
“Other than my blessing, only one,” she replied, holding up a hand the air above her palm seemed to split open in a chaotic manner. The cracks struggled to form a small disk only a few inches across before collapsing.
“I don’t think it’s complete,” she continued, “either that or I’m using it wrong. Without a nature to tell me more it’s hard to tell. But I think it’s supposed to be a small barrier to protect myself with.”
“Mmm,” Kyle hummed to himself, leaning forward in thought for a moment before straightening, “then there’s only one option. Ascenders grow best when in danger. Let’s go.”
Gregory and Lex looked confused as Kyle stood and started to walk out.
“What?” he asked, pausing halfway to the door of the small dining room, “we’re going on a hunt.”
“Now?” Gregory asked.
“Why not?”
“I could use a break from temple duty,” Lex shrugged, “grab your armor and weapon and meet out front?”
“Sure,” Kyle nodded and walked out. With a shrug Gregory went to get his own gear, wondering what it was they’d be hunting. Most likely it would be more Mutts, there were likely more than a few packs circling Templeholm by this point and he knew how dangerous those beasts could be. But he wondered if there were other monsters they could hunt. He knew there were several beasts that wandered the cold plains surrounding the city, but would they stick around with the Mutts circling? Clearly there were at least boar nearby.
After ensuring his chain shirt was in place and he had his halberd he made his way to the front of the church. A few priestesses were still cleaning the remains of the minor feast, nodding politely as he passed them, and found both Lex and Kyle waiting for him. Gregory tensed as he spotted them, his danger sense still catching him off guard every time he’d seen the hunter. Even with all the time they’d spent together danger still seemed to hang over him like a fog.
“Get everything?” Lex asked wryly.
“Just enough for a day trip,” Gregory shrugged, “didn’t keep you two waiting, did I?”
With a smirk Kyle lead them off into the night. None of the town guards bothered the three heralds as they left the gates despite the fading light. As they walked they made light conversation, mostly joking around with the ease of a group of friends. Gregory was tempted to ask where they were going but Kyle seemed confident and at ease, deciding to trust the hunter he just shrugged and followed along. Even as the sun set and night fell they continued walking, not taking out a lantern. Gregory could use his aura as an extra sense, and it seemed Kyle could do something similar, while Lex had to rely on her night vision.
“Alright,” Kyle said after they’d been walking about an hour, “here’s where we start the hunt.”
“What are we hunting?” Gregory asked.
“We,” Kyle stressed the word, “aren’t hunting anything, I’m hunting you.”
“So just extended sparring?” Lex asked.
“Sort of,” Kyle said slowly, any joviality dropping from his tone as he drew his bow, “I don’t believe I ever told you my job within the Church of the Hunter.”
Almost instantly both Lex and Gregory were on edge, their danger sense blaring warnings at them enough to cause them to draw their weapons.
“You see, a Hunter does more than simply hunt his prey, he has to watch over his lands, dealing with anything that might upset the balance of the land,” Kyle continued, calmly stringing his bow, “a new predator moving into the area, the prey herds growing too large, these must be culled before they disrupt the land. The Hunter oversees all of mankind, ensuring the balance between us and the world.
“You see, sometimes there are Ascenders who threaten the balance, they tap into powers that would turn them against mankind. My lord brought me here in search of such a threat and I believe you, Lex to be one,” Kyle said, pulling an arrow from his quiver and nocking it. With a smooth speed he turned, lifting his bow as he drew it to aim at Lex. Acting on instinct Gregory moved, lifting his halberd. The world seemed to move slowly as he interposed himself between the two, shielding himself with the axe of his weapon just in time for Kyle to release the arrow which struck his weapon and shattered.
Lex, still having a hard time seeing what was going on, stood shocked as she tried to make out what was happening.
“Is this why you brought us out here?” Gregory growled, glaring at Kyle.
“Yes,” the hunter nodded, “to be honest I suspected you to be the threat at first, Gregory, but after seeing her ‘broken’ ability, I knew she was the one. Even without a nature abilities don’t form in an incomplete state, the only way they can end up like that is if they are broken by being linked to a shattered facet… or if they are from outside this world.”
“What does that even mean?” Gregory demanded.
“There are beings beyond this world with a stake in it, I don’t know if they are some kind of exiled god or simply Descenders attempting to break into this world, but her ability is an opening in the world through which something dangerous could enter.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Lex demanded angrily.
“I mean, in your desperation to be an Ascender you, without realizing it, opened yourself up to something dangerous,” Kyle replied, sounding almost sad, “I don’t know what, exactly, only that I’ve been tasked with eliminating you.”
“If this is some kind of joke, Kyle,” Gregory growled, but the hunter continued regardless.
“On my honor as Herald of the Hunt, I declare my prey to be Lex,” Kyle said, energy seeming to gather around him, “the hunt shall continue through the night and into the day, until my prey escapes my grasp within the walls of Templeholm, or avoids my efforts till the sun next sets we shall hunt. On this hunt I bet my status as Executioner of the Hunt.”
Power snapped into place between Kyle and Lex as if solidifying some pact.
“This is my ability, Hunter’s Pride,” Kyle said, “should you escape my bet shall be forfeit, but for the duration of the hunt I am empowered based on the value of the bet. This bet is worth a quarter of my current strength. Additionally, I shall now give you fifteen minutes to flee before the hunt begins.”
For a long moment both Gregory and Lex simply stood and stared at Kyle, who simply stared back. Then, seeming to suddenly understand what was happening, both Gregory and Lex turned and ran.