The sleepy lamia groaned and heard the chirp of birds outside–or, maybe birdlike Awakened, she couldn’t rightly tell. She opened her eyes to Juni tapping her shoulder, looking anxious and already wearing her uniform.
And, currently wrapped in Neska's tail in a relatively loose coil. "Uh, hi. My tail does that. Sometimes without me thinking about it."
The mouse glanced down at the coil wrap, her tone meek. "You uh...wanna talk about it? You were thrashing in your sleep. Also, you do really need hugs, don't you?"
Neska loosened her tail with Juni taking a long, measured breath. "Sorry. I...had a bad dream. That's all." She didn't want to have to explain what she saw.
Stranger still, she saw a message on her Interface. She kept her reaction muted as she read it.
Corruption attempt resisted. Soul resistance increased.
Juni waved a hand in front of her. "On a scale of one to horrifying, where'd this rank?"
"A solid seven." She said nothing about the this message. It wasn't just another bad dream, but an active attempt to degrade her willpower.
That shouldn't be possible. Only corrupted Awakened and high-tier Varadur should be able to pull that off. Yet the Voice had attempted this remote invasion twice now. And had failed twice, as well. "I think I'm okay, Juni."
She hoped this damn monster didn't have a permanent link to her. She needed to read up on Corruption attempts later and find a way to stop these intrusions.
Juni sighed softly. "You let me know if you aren't, okay? We have class soon. Out of bed, you hug obsessed snake!"
Neska let out a sound of protest as the mouse tugged the blankets away with some difficulty. "Nope, no complaining, all snug in your bed when we've got our orientation. C’mon, we need to get ready, Professor Serkin and Melissa will be here soon!”
“Alright, I’m up. S-shoo, s-shoo.” Neska finally rose and arched her back. Her tail felt sore, like she’d slept on it wrong.
Or maybe because she’d been sleeping on a terrible thought of her specialization and another mental intrusion. Of the two, she didn't know what was worse. [Ritual Infusion] sounded horrifying, and a path to power paid for with lives. It would not be her choice for a specialization.
But…would she make the same choice, at her next Tier? And the one beyond that, assuming she lived long enough to get there?
Vivi? Why would a specialization like [Ritual Infusion] exist? She discarded her nightgown, scooted over to the dresser, and began buttoning up her uniform. She did enjoy the snug but comfortable fit that kept it securely in place over her lower body. It also had several convenient pockets for stowing items, and felt quite cozy, just like the one she’d borrowed yesterday.
If I had to conjecture? There is more than one path to power. It does not mean you need to follow them all, however.
It still feels wrong, knowing that others might have used it. Is it exclusive to the Witch class? Or just me?
…Inconclusive.
That didn't make me feel any better, Vivi.
Sorry. It's as you thought: if you don't pick it, you don't have to worry about it. Also, that Corruption attempt...
Bad news, to put it mildly. But every time they fail, my resistance goes up. I need to stay strong and either keep building resistance or find the source. If that happens again, I'd better tell Juni.
Disturbing. You'd think if this were common, they'd give more warning here at the academy.
Maybe because it's rare. Or risky. They are gambling on me either weakening if they succeed, or getting stronger if they fail. And they are playing a poor hand in this analogy.
So, what about this specialization?
Any path to victory using that will likely not end well for me, Vivi. Or many others, at a minimum. Fortunately, even given the insane advantage a permanent ritual effect might have, she had already narrowed her choices to one of the two still powerful specializations.
The [Venom Imbuement] had a lot of potential. If she could add a potion's effect to her venom…could that mean she could add any effect? The possibilities were limitless. It could give her immense flexibility in dealing with a wide range of challenges that her other abilities could not. And if her alchemy powers got stronger, along with her venoms…
The only problem being, of course, was that she had to be close enough to bite someone. Getting up close wasn’t an issue before, though it wasn’t her preferred method, and was a complement to her primary focus: ranged attacks and disabling foes.
Wait a minute. Does it...
She stopped mid-slither, an eye-opening theory dawning on her. Vivi? Does [Venom Bolt] work the way I think it works?
Possibly. Even if it didn't do what you think it does, it would still be powerful.
I am so tempted to take it and [Venom Imbuement] to see if it works, because that could be utterly broken.
The other solid choice was the [Mobile Ritual], which was a high-risk, high-reward style of ritual design. She could move the ritual effect field, or maintain it on a target if she had to circuit any arena.
She had an idea for that approach: a mobile area-of-effect blessing. She had one unpicked power that had tempted her for some time: The [Luck Ward] was an unknown, and possibly grossly underrated power. But applying that luck to others--multiple others at once, even...what would that do, in theory?
She had some theories on that one as well.
She glanced at the strange device with metal bristles and tried to think what this was. She’d seen Risha use something similar to tidy her hair. “Juni? What do I do with this?”
“You use that to comb your hair. Or fur. Or, in your case, feathers.” Juni brushed her fur as an example, though Juni didn’t really have lengthy fur. Hers was easily groomed and hard to tangle.
Neska picked up the comb, feeling the texture of wooden grain beneath her fingers, warm and inviting. She used the mirror to try to comb out the feathery mess, but it quickly got tangled. She tugged, and it felt like someone was tugging at her scalp. “Ow. Is this self-care, or torture?” she asked, wincing from the discomfort.
Juni sighed and hopped up on the dresser. “Here, want help?”
“Uh…sure.” Juni managed to get the comb free, then took a less aggressive approach, brushing the feathery strands slower. “Thank you.”
“Ah, no worries! I had to remind myself that yesterday was quite a day for you. Well, both of us.” Within a minute, Neska’s strands looked smoother and less ruffled after peering at the mirror. “Looks good!”
Neska finished buttoning the uniform, just as she heard a gentle tap at the door. Juni practically sprang toward the entryway. She opened it with a small lever near the foot of the door that also turned the latch, and swung the door open.
Another woman with black hair streaked with grey and soft grey eyes greeted them with a polite wave. She was adorned in a uniform similar to Professor Serkin's, with a small silver lapel pinned to one side–perhaps one of those arcane devices to speak to others? She also wore a black cloak with red trim. “Greetings, I’m Professor Melissa Harvine. You must be, uh–”
“Cassia and Juni,” Neska reminded the mouse, who wore a polite smile. The woman gave her a firm handshake, then knelt to provide Juni a handshake, too. “Has Professor Serkin or the headmistress explained our…situation?”
She nodded politely. “I understand that you are using a pseudonym and that there are reasons for it, Miss Aksen." Her voice wavered but for a second. "For purposes of appearance, I will refer to you as Cassia. First of all, apologies that I couldn’t be there at your arrival. I heard that you were ambushed on the road. Second, Serkin will likely meet us later in the day, sort of a last stop of the tour."
Juni nudged Neska’s tail with an elbow. “Yeah, we had an...interesting ride on the way in. Though this limber gal went out of her way to deal with some dangerous threats.”
“U-uh, Juni, it was nothing,” Neska protested. She returned her attention to the professor. “We are prepared. Where will we begin?”
“Oh, let’s take a walk. I wanted to show the campus off first. Humanity may be at war with the Varadur, but they have stagnated in their advances for quite some time. Plus, I think you’ll want to see your peers. Do you recall much from before?” Harvine asked.
Neska gave a wag of her hand, as she’d seen done before. “Some. Not much. Enough to read and write and grasp some alchemy. Plus ritual fundamentals.”
“I remember most of my schooling and other major events,” Juni chimed in. “I got lucky, I guess.”
“Well then, let’s make our way for a tour! Hopefully, this will be a beneficial orientation!”
Their campus tour had been brief yesterday, limited to the immediate path they took. Today, with the benefit of time, Neska was filled with wonder at the sprawling campus, home to ancient structures, verdant growth, and a nonstop bustle of activity from humans and other Awakened.
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They came in all shapes in sizes, to put it mildly. And some, she recognized from Risha's books.
Some were roughly humanoid to begin with, with wrinkled green skin, as if they been left in the sun too long. Their profile was rounded out by sloping foreheads, knobbly limbs, and tufts of bright colored hair. Each of them had either yellow or green eyes and spoke with high-pitched voices, occasionally laughing. Each wore an academy uniform, though they had varied markings on their shoulders, with differing pins and lapels.
Goblinoids. Neska remembered that not all the monsters were bizarre and unrelated to humanoid species. These, too, had their evolution paths, with hobgoblins and additional elite versions of themselves. Some came with additional physical powers, or utility powers such as creating auras of frenzy around their foes, and healing allies.
Then she realized something was strange about seeing this. Hadn't Jurik said that goblins couldn't evolve? Maybe this was a new development? She'd query it later.
Another group of students walked by. One was a translucent female who looked as though a breeze were currently ruffling her hair and uniform at all times. Next to her was a male humanoid whose skin smoldered, with cracked, black-textured skin with faint hints of orange at the cracks shining through. His eyes were molten golden orbs, though his fiery body did not affect his uniform, which was strangely constructed. The material looked almost like flexible rock, creaking and cracking with his bodily motions.
Elementa, was the common name. They varied widely in composition, but were classed as a related group of species, aligned with several affinities. Fire, geomancy, and more, if Neska recalled. And they were but a handful of the numerous species they observed.
She had to remind herself that each one was a miracle by itself–a monster young taken in its infancy or from eggs, and infused with a human soul. She focused her gaze on the professor pointing toward one large building to their right.
“This is the Rensildrai Hall, our academic hub,” she waved broadly to the grey and slate brick structure. Decorative arches and protrusions jutted from the vertical surface, forming a small covered area extending over the main entrance. The roof formed a large pyramidal shape, with small minaret towers at each corner. Neska couldn’t tell if they were occupied or not, but she did note a few banners fluttering in a light breeze. Large pane glass windows with square segmentation adorned each side, though the interior was darkened. A set of small brick steps led inside, with human students walking in and out. Distantly, Neska thought she might have heard a bell ringing.
“When the Awakened are not in the special lessons in preparation for our ongoing struggle with the Varadur, they attend classes with humans as well. Well, where we can. Some are on the larger side,” Melissa commented.
“How ‘big’ is big, exactly?” Neska asked.
“About twice as tall as you are? Maybe more?” the professor proposed. “You know you’re close to six feet high, Cassia.”
“Most of it is tail. Doesn’t count,” she commented detachedly. Juni laughed beside her, and an amused look creased the professor’s face for a moment. “Does Miss Semou here get…taller?”
“At Tier three, depending on the evolution. Some evolutions are subtle. Some are quite dramatic,” Melissa explained. “She’ll probably still be shorter than you.”
“Hey! We don’t need to rub that in!” Juni protested, her fur bristling on her face. She scowled when the professor let out a soft chuckle. “I was short before I was dead, and the second round of existence is still vertically challenged.”
Neska slung her body low to see Juni at eye level. “Smaller target. They’ll likely focus on me.”
Juni grinned. "Oh, I guess there is one advantage."
They continued along the brick path, lined with planters and flowerbeds on either side of the walkway. Nearby, a small pond filled with waterborne birds sat off to one side. A few Awakened with a fish-like appearance were sitting in the shallows, talking to each other, notebooks set on a dock surface with an attached boathouse.
Melissa pointed to a large hall-like structure, the one with the large smokestacks. “That’s our mess hall. We have just about anything people could want. Many goods are preserved on ice in times of need, and we keep a large portion of dry goods. There’s enough food and other provisions to last months, distributed around the campus, and we restock with the local produce.
Neska hoped they kept a stockpile of chickens. She’d seen some domesticated animals in one walled-off area, and in the larger farming area surrounding the city of Rivilat. Eggs were probably the least intrusive part of her diet. And fish. And maybe poultry. She vowed not to befriend anything feathery. It was poor form to eat anything that looked like a friend.
They walked toward the rising sun, with Melissa gesturing briefly to the administration building. Ahead of them were rows of squat military-style barracks with rusty red corrugated-metal roofs. In the middle of them was a three-floored building with reinforced walls and a large stable attached to one side. The windows were barred and appeared to be more practical than ornate. Men ran drills in the field nearby, stabbing and slashing at straw targets.
Nearby, archers performed marksmanship at range, and a few Awakened trained alongside them, too. She saw one large humanoid with spines on its arms and a boxy head covered with scales aim, arm extended. The spines shot from their wrist with a sharp crack, audible even at this distance. The projectiles pierced the targets with ease and showed great control, hitting the scoring sensors.
“Is that the security force?” Juni inquired.
“The academy security force reports directly to Headmistress Resalio. They are independent of the other kingdoms' military. It is also sizable, and most are volunteers, not conscripts. Their training is regimented through Nevin and a roster of commanding officers. They work hand-in-hand with the Awakened, as training for the real thing.”
“Killing monsters,” Neska said in a low tone.
The professor frowned. “Not all Awakened see the front lines. Many serve in auxiliary roles, with evolutionary-healing powers or other supportive abilities. Juni, for example, can help dig trenches to protect soldiers and provide shelter. Some of the monsters attack at range, using powerful abilities, and having a place to fall back on is immensely useful.”
“Got that down to an art. We blew up a bunch of dire wolves. It was a half-and-half effort,” Juni shrugged.
The professor halted mid-strike and whirled around, stark-faced. “Come again?”
“Oh, Cassia knew an alchemical formula for an explosive. We lined a tunnel network with the stuff and roasted dozens of them when attempting to breach the town wall. I shouldn’t be proud of that, but it saved a lot of lives.”
“I…see.” The professor clearly was struggling to believe that. “Have you known each other for a long time?”
“A week?”
The professor wore an edged smile. “I will remind you politely that powers and abilities should only be used in designated areas. Cassia, what are your…abilities, exactly?”
“Big hugs?” The proposal earned more than a titter of laughter from Juni and a resigned sigh from the professor. “My skills are in envenoming, mobility, and grappling attacks. And other powers that are best not addressed in public.”
The professor nodded; she'd likely heard at least a summary from Resalio. “We’ll get to that. I do have to assess your selected essence points as part of this process. Have you allocated any?"
"Juni and I narrowed down some... interesting candidates for selection. I'll likely finalize them soon."
"Smart. Too many pick what looks fancy. The most powerful Awakened typically work by prior knowledge to make builds suited to their strengths."
"Anyway, to the north," Harvine added, waving to a branching path, “we have the Revival library and central archives. Quite a sight, isn’t it?”
Neska thought it looked more like a cathedral. There were three towers, two on one side of the building, one in the center, and stained-glass windows. Large columns bookended the entryway, and set between them was a large set of double doors she theorized even a dragon could fit through. The brickwork looked ancient. Yet, it seemed as sturdy as the mountain the blocks had been chiseled from. “It’s the oldest building on the campus, isn’t it?”
“Very observant! It predates the academy grounds by at least another two hundred years. It has weathered the elements, storms, monsters, and gods. Some say that the Divine Beast of Knowledge–Narimara, the Golden Fox–protects the library as her home in Galwein, our world.”
“I thought that most of the Divine Beasts were myth,” Neska pointed out. However, there was one that the Interface recognized that she kept silent on:
Ouroboros. And, a mystery Title that indicated she possessed his blood. Whether that was purely symbolic of her new form as a snake, her rebirth into the world, or if she was an actual daughter of his, in the literal sense. Each one sounded increasingly irrational. And unsettling.
The professor tossed her hair, sighing contentedly as she gazed longingly at the structure. “Their influence on our world is still conjecture, and hard evidence is scant. Some say they distilled their essence across the world and formed the Interface. Of course, the topic has been researched and studied for hundreds of years, and many questions remain unanswered. Or, unknowable.”
The professor led them west, past several smaller buildings where various classrooms were in session, with mismatched stone and steelwork. These looked newer than the larger, older structures they’d observed. Likely, erected in the past twenty years after the arrival of the Varadur. Neska observed the numerous trees and low undergrowth that formed part of the campus, along with metal poles tipped with glass spheres. Risha referred to them as arcane lights that rendered candles and fireplaces obsolete.
They couldn't quite make up for warmth, however.
Nearby, she saw two stony-textured students practicing, throwing rocks that erupted from the earth, not unlike Juni’s ability. She noted they didn’t seem to be paying attention, and bits of rock impacted a garden nearby. “Should they be doing that?” she called out.
“No. I’ll have a word with them when we get back,” Harvine called out, a frown etched on her face. She gestured to one of the buildings down the path, a large structure easily two floors tall, with reinforced structural steel and arches lending additional strength to the walls. The way the steel twisted looked almost organic, even.
“I’d like to evaluate your powers in the building over there. It has a variety of terrain to demonstrate.” She pushed open a set of double doors to reveal a cavernous room and a wide-open space, save for a few heavily reinforced pillars forming part of the steel girder truss above. In front of them lay a circular arena filled with white sand, the sides lined with steel and cemented slab. Arcane lights flickered to life above them, bluish-white light splashing the interior of the building
Harvine frowned as she examined the excess sand scattered all over. “Someone didn’t reset this after themselves. What a pain. I need a moment while I get this set up.”
She opened a metal panel on one side of the room, flicked a switch, and then ran her hand along a small recess on the control panel. Neska could hear the hum of energy, almost like when she held a mana bolt primed in her mouth or on her tail, but louder.
"Cassia, you’re up. Step into the arena,” she instructed.
"I think you mean 'slither,'" she corrected.
Harvine winced. "Oh, sorry. Unintentional gaffe on my end. Please enter the arena, then."
Neska found it a little difficult to find grip on the sand at first, but after sinking more of her body weight over a larger area, she found she had more traction.
“Uh, what are we doing?” Neska asked and heard the shifting of sand nearby.
“Testing.” The professor tapped a button on the panel, closed it, then gently nudged Juni out of the arena. She closed a steel gate to partition them from Neska, who let out a hiss of surprise.
“Is this…dangerous?”
“It can be, depending on the level of danger you want,” she answered. “I want you to demonstrate all your evolution abilities, Cassia. I do this because I’m building a database of abilities to track what monsters are capable of what feats. The Awakened, almost to a fault, share the same evolutionary powers and physiological changes. Except at higher tiers, just like Classes, it goes a little weird."
“I want you to treat this as you would any imminent threat.” With that, the professor grabbed a notebook and a pen. “I’ll hit the safety switch if this gets too dangerous.”
That shifting sand grew louder. Neska felt the ground rumble, but with her serpentine body flattened, she felt steady on her scales–wait, the phrase was legs, but that didn’t apply right now.
The sand mounded, rising with a life of its own about twenty feet away. Slowly, the sand flowed away from the large mass, forming bulky limbs. A blocky ‘head’ emerged on top, with small divots for what might be eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Then loose sand sifted away, and the creature's core made a loud crunching sound, like grinding gravel. The sand solidified into a single uniform surface, as if it had hardened into an armor around the creature.
“What is that?” Neska asked, pondering her first move.
“A sand construct. I want you to destroy it before it destroys you, preferably.”
Neska’s eyes lit with determination as she dared a glance over her shoulder. “Then be prepared for me to cause some damage, then.”
"The snake has been challenged. This won't end the way you think, Professor," Juni squeaked confidently.
The creature creaked forward, bits of sand falling from the joints. Yet, it moved like a humanoid. That crunching sound intensified as it sprang into motion, circling her. She strafed to the side by undulating her body laterally, keeping herself aligned with the center of the arena, while the construct did the same. It matched her speed, her motion.
She readied her first attack and coiled her body in anticipation.
Was she being tested? Fine. She was going to test this thing, in turn. She burst into motion like an unwinding metal coil, closing the distance. A battle plan was already in mind on how to tackle this new challenge.
Here we go.
FIGHT!
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