Salarus was cold, even in the heat of the campfire. Despite the hours that had passed since the fighting had been brought to a final, bloody end, his mana pathways hadn’t even begun to recover, and he knew he’d need to seek out a healer soon. He’d meant to do so long ago, but asking Kade the simple question of ‘where were you?’ had turned into a tale that he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt. He looked at his young friend, staring off into the distance, seeming surprisingly calm given everything he’d been through.
The sun was setting, and they had chosen a campsite as far removed from the rest of the Keepers as possible. Sal had only taken the time to ensure Gwen and the others were safe before he’d found Kade with the rest of the injured. Thankfully his friend hadn’t yet reached Primus, and repairing his body was still relatively easy–Selina, by comparison, would be returned to Karthas for weeks of recovery after how far she’d pushed herself. Salarus realized that many long minutes had passed since Kade had finished speaking, yet still they both sat, the distinctive smell of the campfire filling the air.
Sal had resisted the urge to interrupt with questions, something he normally did out of politeness, but this time he hadn’t known what to ask–the tale had too many impossible and upsetting moments. Sal found he was having trouble organizing his thoughts, and at last gave up and almost blurted: “You cured Chaos sickness?”
“Seems like it,” Kade replied. “With a cost.” They both let that hang in the air for another slow minute.
“Those false-Keepers…” Sal began, then stopped himself. He leaned back against the stump of a tree, searching for the words.
“I did the best I could,” Kade spoke into the lengthening silence.
“And the village…” Once more Salarus struggled to find what to say.
“There too,” Kade almost whispered. Sal looked at his friend, trying to get some read on his emotional state. The things he’d done, the things he’d discovered…they could change the world, yet Kade almost seemed more relaxed than Sal had ever seen him. Chains rustled quietly as the man turned to face him, seeming to understand the turmoil Sal was experiencing.
“I had a lot of quiet, lonely days looking for you and the rest of the Keepers. I beat myself up, got furious, got sad, took out some rage on more than a few monster hordes.” Kade said, before leaning back and staring upward with what appeared to be suspicion before continuing. “Eventually I stopped letting myself get lost in the details, the individual decisions. At the end of the day I did everything I could to help people, just like I planned when I went out there.”
Kade held up a fist and stared at it intently for a moment, before purple energy gathered around it, streaming up and getting lost in the smoke of the campfire. “I had the chance to cure some dying people, and I took it. I destroyed some buildings…probably hurt some of the ones I tried to save. But,” he met Sal’s eyes as the Chaos winked out in a small flash, “I’d make the same choices again.” He said with finality. “They were the right ones at the time, and I’m done obsessing over them. Besides, we have more than enough excitement to occupy us here and now.”
Salarus remained silent, his mind turning over the story he’d been told again and again, wondering what he’d have done. Something different in nearly every case, he decided, but something better? Something right? He couldn’t make that claim. His thoughts were interrupted when Kade spoke once again, “I told you I can channel Chaos, and you barely reacted.” Sal didn’t answer immediately.
“I knew you had it inside you for some time,” he finally said. “If you hadn’t disappeared we’d have spoken about it before now. In simpler times it would be worthy of extensive study, but now,” he paused, considering. “Now it seems foolish to tell you to be careful, especially if you’ve been using it as much as you say. That you lost yourself so completely is concerning, but not surprising given the volatility of the power you’ve been channeling. That it’s tied to your actual Path suggests that it must be natural to you…but what you did in Bolos must have been unnatural somehow.”
Kade didn’t reply, possibly sensing that Salarus was desperately trying to work through problems he himself had been considering for days. At last Sal’s eyes focused and he leaned forward, “I’ll tell you what I know. I know that I trust you. I know some of what you’ve described sounds like a curse, and some sounds like a miracle. And I know that we need every Keeper we have right now, and you proved today you’re as much a Keeper as anyone here.” Kade’s mouth quirked in a brief smile at that.
“When this is all over I’ll help you determine the best way to handle your newfound abilities. It’s possible that simply growing more powerful and developing greater control will resolve the issue on its own, and you’ll be able to help the afflicted without risk.” He stood up and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But for now, we’re protecting everyone, the afflicted included, with what we’re doing right here.”
Kade looked at him for a long moment before nodding once. Then he tilted his head with curiosity, “You said you knew for some time. I was worried I might be hauled away for wielding Chaos in the battle today. Does everyone know? I can’t understand how this hasn’t scared the hell out of a lot of people.”
“No, I don’t believe anyone but myself has seen the Chaos inside you. It took a great deal of specific study, combined with my own rare ability to recognize its presence. As for using it in battle, we’re essentially bathing in Chaos every moment we’re out here, and visually your abilities aren’t too far removed from a dozen other powers I’ve seen in the last few days. Although, the ‘fireworks’ as you called them were an interesting touch. You and Selina are both lucky that High Keeper Bandal noticed them and rushed to your aid.”
“I’m not even sure if that’s why I did it, honestly. My mind was so scattered from the blow to the head that I may have just thought it was pretty.” Sal snorted a laugh.
“Then just be grateful that Bandal enjoyed your pretty lights enough to skip the nearest Elder and come straight to you. I wish I could claim I would have done it myself, but that last spell took nearly everything I had.”
Kade looked concerned then, “That’s right, you were bleeding from…well, everywhere. Are you truly okay?” Sal waved away the concern.
“I have healing to do, but no permanent damage. The strain actually came from using my staff when it was still processing the stolen energy of the arachnid-Elder. Forcing that power into a spell so far beyond me while it was still–” he stopped, and summoned the staff to his hand, looking at the swirling energy inside its crystal. “I think I’d be explaining Sorcery and power-authority for hours to explain exactly what happened. Suffice it to say that I used power that didn’t belong to me, and it’s dangerous.”
“That’s an incredible weapon. You do so many fancy things I’d forgotten to ask about that one in particular. It’s an Artifact?”
“I believe so. It was gifted to me by…another Sorcerer. It has many functions, including this one.” Salarus waved his hand over the crystal, whispering a spell. Even though the energy to cast it was negligible, it still pained him. A moment later the crystal’s glow increased, then the light seemed to flow outward, coalescing between the two men. Kade’s eyes widened as the unmistakable shape of an enormous sword began to take shape.
“Acting as a fabricator is actually one of its less impressive functions, but in this case I think you’ll find it quite interesting. The staff gives me a limited understanding of what it’s creating, but in this case I can tell you only that this is an Artifact known as Spite, and I think you might like it.” Kade didn’t immediately respond, his eyes locked onto the sword as it slowly began to solidify.
The minutes ticked slowly by as the energy grew increasingly dense, and the shape slowly became more recognizable as the weapon it would become. Salarus expected Kade to grow bored and sit back down, but the man seemed completely enthralled by the sight. Sal himself wished he could rest, but he had to admit he was excited to see the Artifact as well, though his staff worked much more slowly than the Dalton Spears the Keepers normally used, and part of him just desperately wanted to rest.
Kade surprised him with a sudden question, as odd as any the man occasionally brought up without explanation. “Sal, how many moons are there?” Salarus looked up in confusion. Thankfully the staff required little from him to continue its work.
“Tonight? There should be six visible if I’m remembering correctly. Why?”
“Not just tonight. Total,” Kade said, his eyes never leaving the sword. Sal almost replied immediately, but something tickled at the back of his mind.
“Fifteen,” he said at last, though the answer he’d known his entire life felt wrong the moment it left his mouth. Kade had no reaction to the number, so Salarus prompted him. “Why do you ask?”
“Honestly I’m not entirely sure. There’s just something…Do you remember our Trial?” Sal struggled to keep up with the apparent subject change, but then he remembered the brutal scene they’d been shown.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“The memories are hazy,” he began, “Trials are normally like that, and eventually it feels like remembering a dream. But yes, I think I know what you’re talking about. The vision of the Cycle?”
Kade nodded slowly, still watching the fabrication. “The moons were glowing then, in a way I haven’t seen before or since. I know there were clouds and a lot was going on, but the moons…” he trailed off, and Sal forced his mind back. Studying and memorizing were hallmarks of the Sorcerer, and he’d trained his mind for decades to remember patterns and images, and he if he pushed himself to do so now…
“Sixteen,” he said at last, surprised by his own surety. “There were sixteen moons in the vision. Is that significant?” Kade didn’t immediately answer, but finally he met Sal’s eyes.
“The moons are wrong,” he said, then looked back to the gathering energy as if they’d never spoken.
***
Kade watched as the Sorcerer poured more and more energy into the sword. He wasn’t sure if the process normally took so long, but he found that he didn’t care. His entire being was pulled toward the weapon in a way he couldn’t quite understand. He still remembered the odd sense of wrongness when he’d held the silver spear he’d gifted to Drake, and this was somehow that feeling’s opposite. He was sure this sword was his, and it took surprising willpower to stop himself from reaching for the unfinished blade.
As it continued to take shape, he studied its design. It was enormous for someone of Kade’s size, though he suspected it might look almost normal if the massive Jothus were to wield it. The blade was longer than Kade was tall, and it was extremely broad. Its shape and appearance were relatively simple, looking a bit like a longsword that had been scaled up to obscene proportions, though the hilt was clearly shaped for hands of his size, and the crossguard extended downward protectively, adding an extra arm-length of blade, something he hadn’t seen before.
As the staff completed its work, the final details formed, and Kade saw that the tip actually ended in a graceful curve. He could tell that it would work as a stabbing weapon, but he understood immediately that it was designed for massive, deep slashes, and on far larger foes. It was a weapon for slaying Elders, without a doubt. Kade didn’t even think to ask permission before he reached out and grasped the hilt, catching the sword before it could fall to the ground.
He was surprised by its weight, as it was heavy even for its immense size. He could lift it with his enhanced strength, but he was sure he’d need Challenger’s Might to wield it properly for now. No matter, he would grow stronger to suit the blade. Spite was his. That last thought finally brought him back to the moment, and he looked up at Salarus, who was smiling softly, clearly enjoying his friend’s reaction.
“This…can I have this? I mean, not just from you, is everyone okay with me taking something so rare?” Sal actually looked a bit uncomfortable with the question.
“It’s a bit of a gray area. Technically anything made with the Dalton Spears belongs to the Order. But, I made this myself, and it would be wasted on me, Gwen and the others.” Kade smiled openly at seeing Sal skirting the rules so brazenly. “Besides, you don’t actually carry weapons around, do you? No one will ask where your energy constructs come from.”
Kade’s smile broadened at that, and he hastily sent his power probing into the blade. His own teal energy slowly embraced the plain steely material of Spite, and in moments it was entirely covered, the glow of his power shining in the receding sunlight. He noticed a few faces turning to take in the sight from neighboring campsites, and with a surge of will the sword evaporated in a small flash. The moment was punctuated with a small beep, and he laughed out loud as he looked down at his bracer.
“What was that?” Sal asked.
“Just my bracer, something I hadn’t been thinking about in a while.” Kade read the display.
Objective (1) Create 10/10 Energy Engrams! (Complete!)
Objective (2) Generate 1000/1000 Energy Weapon Constructs! (Complete!)
Congratulations! All Augmentations of Mentor’s Amulet have been made permanent! Fabulous work, my friend!
Generating New Objectives…
Kade was slightly disappointed. His mastery over Energy Construct was incredibly valuable, but by now he’d taken for granted that the abilities his amulet provided were a part of him, and the reward felt lackluster. The bracer also continued to use increasingly familiar and strange language, which Kade found oddly unsettling. Salarus was still watching him in confusion, and Kade was preparing to unleash a small rant when he noticed the other Keepers moving away. “What’s going on?” he asked, and Sal turned to look back at the camp with him.
A platform of stone had been created in the center of the collection of Keepers, and three people were standing above the group, clearly waiting for everyone to gather. Sal gestured for him to follow, and Kade obligingly joined the mass of exhausted people as they formed a dense crowd around the elevated group. “Wait, is that Lothros? I didn’t expect to see him here.” The silver haired High Priest was standing behind High Keeper Bandal, and was doing a poor job of hiding a concerned expression.
“Many of the Priests of Karthas have joined us. They are often capable healers, something relatively rare among the Keepers,” Sal answered.
“That makes sense, I think the person who took care of me might have been one of his. I was pretty delirious and we didn’t speak though. Who’s the woman with them? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.” The third member of the trio was a slight woman with braided brown hair, and dark, functional armor. As concerned as Lothros appeared, she looked equally furious, and seemed to be barely restraining some kind of outburst.
“That’s First Bringer Heletta,” Sal began. “And I’m not surprised you don’t recognize her, I think only a few of the highest level Keepers even knew who she was before this excursion began. High Keeper Bandal introduced her on the second day, and I’m not convinced she had agreed to it beforehand. It’s a powerful message though, announcing that the Bringers have joined us.”
Kade was still getting used to the unusual reputation the Bringers held in this society, but he understood that operating out in the open like this was very odd for the group. He moved forward curiously, hoping the Bandal would shed some light on the significance of the operation, knowing he’d missed the majority of the briefings the rest of the Keepers and Initiates had received before leaving Karthas.
Once the stern man was sure the entire group was settled around the platform, Bandal began to speak. “Brothers and Sisters! Brave warriors against the Chaos, hear me! Today was a mighty victory against the forces bent on destroying our very civilization!” Kade cocked an eyebrow at that. He didn’t know the exact numbers, but the somber mood around the camp had come from the unexpectedly high casualties today’s ‘victory’ had brought.
“Our cause is righteous! High Priest Lothros stands beside me as testament to the nobility of our goal!” Lothros seemed to shift nervously at that proclamation, and Kade noticed several desperate glances at Heletta, who had somehow managed to look even angrier. If Bandal noticed any of this, he didn’t acknowledge it. “But our journey has only begun, my friends! We must move deeper into the wilds. We must move past the frontier, and take the fight into the True Chaos!”
There was a definite reaction to that from the crowd, and it wasn’t the enthusiasm Bandal seemed to expect. Fear was plain on many of the less experienced faces, and Kade spotted an irate Ryndal speaking rapidly into Gwen’s ear nearby. “I understand your hesitance, Keepers, but this must be done! The people of Karthas are depending on us. Not just Karthas, but perhaps even all of Iros. The Elders are waking up! Every day we see more evidence of this terrible fact, and we cannot hide behind our walls and pretend it isn’t so!”
The murmuring continued, but it was subdued. No one could argue against what he was saying, even if few shared his vehemence. “The Bringers stand with us, the Priests stand with us, this is our finest moment! We will march, against any odds, into the very heart of this madness. We will find what is rousing these ancient beasts and we will put an end to it!” Heletta actually turned and marched off the platform at that, and Lothros gestured at her plaintively, though he himself remained rooted in place.
“Gather your courage, gather your power, and prepare yourselves. We march at first light, and we fight our way through anything that dares stand in our paths! We will be victorious! We will take the fight to anything, and anyone that stands in our way!” The entire gathering was muttering now. They were Keepers, and Kade expected them to be prepared for this type of mission, but Bandal’s passion was a little more intense than anything Kade had seen thus far.
The man finally seemed to sense that he was losing the crowd, and his face transformed. Bandal’s stern, resolute expression darkened, and his next words were far quieter, though they still carried across the entire camp. “If anyone has a problem with our mission, or feels they lack the conviction to do their duty, you need only seek me out this very night. I will personally ensure you understand the exact limits of your responsibility.”
The threat was clear, and Kade noticed a number of faces reacting with undisguised shock. This man had saved his life only hours before. He was frighteningly powerful, and Kade had no doubt that Bandal would march into the True Chaos alone if he had to, but still, this wasn’t the type of leadership he had come to expect from the Keepers.
He watched the man turn and begin to walk from the platform, pausing for a moment when he realized Heletta had already left, and he exchanged quiet, heated words with Lothros in plain view of the crowd. The Priest looked panicked, and was talking rapidly while making placating gestures to the larger man. Kade looked to Salarus in confusion, curious if this kind of behavior was normal for the head of their Order, but before he could ask he heard another telltale beep from his bracer, and looked down in curiosity.
New Path to Power Discovered!
Generating Objective…
Objective (1): Assassinate High Keeper Bandal!
Reward: Become High Keeper!
You can do it!