But Juni…Juni was on a whole other level. Energetic, with a bubbling voice. She was lively.
She made for good company, considering the past few days. Neska would smile if she could, because Juni knew quite a bit about the hounds she'd just helped defeat. and possibly several other species she lacked insight into. She'd scratched in a few words to try to keep the communication time down. {Hounds. Assessment?}
Juni picked up on the cue, speaking in almost scholarly tones. "So those hounds? They're fast and can outrun just about anything. But they're particularly weak to magical attacks, as your bolts tore into them. They must also be kept in small packs of four or fewer. Otherwise, they start fighting for dominance and can even kill each other. Wild, huh?"
Neska nodded proudly. Glad to know my [Mana Bolt] is not a pea shooter. Risha turned her mana bolts into a barrage of death. Overwhelming firepower. I'll definitely keep working on that one as a reliable damage dealer.
They made their way along increasingly rocky terrain, gaining altitude as the day progressed. The sun began dipping lower on the horizon. Internally, Neska realized she might have needed someone to be there, more than the mouse needed her. I can’t believe my luck. Another Awakened! Oh, but Juni, I wish you could hear me! Why is this Interface so…limited?
Presumably, it’s not an intended function to communicate. I can only speculate.
You’re part OF the Interface. Can it be a tool that can be developed? Neska asked impatiently.
That would seem…difficult. Perhaps there are other means of communicating? Magical items, penmanship, sign language?
None of those helps me until I grow hands! That [Prehensile Tail] evolution is sounding better all the time! Communication could very well be survival.
Finding another means of communication was now a priority. She’d spent her Essence Point on the tactical buy of the [Blinding Venom], and it was a wise choice at the time. Her ranged abilities were, for the moment, stronger than anything she could do with her venom bites, and her body was still relatively weak. But now, even [Prehensile Tail] would be a solid choice so she could hopefully write notes faster! The letter grid Risha had made was faster; if she got a chance to rest or sit down, she'd use that.
For now, she would have to rely on her gestures and Juni’s intuition to strike up a conversation. I don’t understand. Vivi, why can monsters hear me, but Awakened cannot?
The monsters may be connected at a local level, perhaps to augment their offensive efficiency. You should ask Juni when you have an opportunity. You should also continue to work on your writing.
Yeah, that took a little bit of practice, and it's marginally easier now that I've evolved. I certainly feel more control over my tail, and I'll need more time to work on it. Neska had also taken a tally of the last encounter–she didn’t get as much as she thought she would out of it. Not a level, at any rate. Her skills had all improved, again, except for [Spring Scales]. Maybe that skill didn’t improve in proficiency, or required more use to increase the proficiency? She’d shoved the notifications aside and took another look.
She’d missed it. A Title change was included in the updates, too.
Ability Proficiencies increased
Rooting Hex 4 > Rooting Hex 5
Venomous Bite 3 > Venomous Bite 4
Mana Bolt 3 > Mana Bolt 4
Blinding Venom 1 > Blinding Venom 2
Title Gained - Defender: You chose to engage in a difficult battle to defend someone else, without an expectation for anything in return. +1 Vitality, +1 Endurance. This Title may evolve depending on your actions.
Well, that is interesting. But I didn’t…do all actions carry weight like this? Did my thoughts influence this?
All choices carry consequences. The ones we make physically, and the ones we define ourselves by. It is possible that a state of mind can also influence these. Whether intentional or not.
Neska considered that in silence while listening to Juni, who had finally opened up after a relative quiet settled between the two.
I defended a mouse, Vivi. I'm pretty sure this only gets wilder from here.
This would seem a departure from your normal routine, yes.
Juni coughed softly to get her attention. “So, I guess I should tell you a bit about myself, since our communication is a little…uh, skewed.” She scampered slowly, choosing to go on all fours. Neska found it strange that she could stand on two legs. She herself had none–currently. Her current evolutions and class abilities didn’t seem to lend themselves to adding those yet. As it were, why would she? Legs were just extra parts you had to take care of! No legs, no problems!
Except, of course, when climbing stuff. Neska glanced at Juni and gave a subtle nod while she slithered along, keeping pace with the mouse girl. Go ahead, Juni.
The mouse took the cue. “I was Awakened about six months ago. I don’t remember much about how I died. Probably for the better. Some of the Awakened…they remember, and it takes a toll on them. I’m a terra mouse, which means I have geomancy-related powers and evolutions.”
She showed Neska her Interface display, with the small wisps of bluish particles displaying the information. Neska pondered if that was mana in a visible form.
A magical mouse? I guess Risha’s books on monster species were not an exaggeration. It pained her to remember that not only did Risha perish, but all her research was incinerated, too, except for the crystal still strapped to that collar around her neck.
Neska read over the details. Juni’s attributes seemed high–then again, she also had an entire evolution over her, already at Tier two. Maybe some monsters gained more attributes or had a higher baseline? Did attributes scale the same way for all monsters?
They scale differently. A dragon will scale differently from early tiers. Some monster young start at a higher tier due to the form, but they also take significantly longer to gain any evolution forms.
Neska tapped on the [Terra Spikes] ability with her tail during a brief stop. Juni took that as her sign to discuss it. “That's probably my most practiced ability. It’s a slow-moving attack: a line of sharp stone spikes that emerge from the earth or any stone surface. Bad against fast monsters, bad against anything resistant to physical force. But they’re good against softer targets and slow movers. Plus, you can use them to make a barrier in a pinch.”
Useful. I like having options. Neska pointed to the stone shield, and Juni demonstrated the stone slab that practically grew from her arm, then broke off, becoming almost like a separate shield. It was fascinating how it didn't hurt Juni at all. Maybe she had extra rocks inside?
What does my biology look like inside? How different are we from our non-magical counterparts? Nevermind. Focus, Neska. Focus on the non-food companion. Mice are now friends, not food.
The mouse girl waved the shield slowly. “That’s my active defense. I can form a stone shield. It has a secondary form that covers my outer body in a stone-like material. I can apply it to others, too. It’s good for preventing damage from piercing or cutting sources and some other magical attacks. And provides good acid resistance.”
Aaand…this one?
Juni wrung her paws together. “That’s [Burrowing]. I can tunnel through most soils and rock with almost no resistance. I can dig a passage many times my size. Those are the few I use routinely, along with my spikes, the shield, and…well, [Stone Javelin] manifests rocks I can shape to various forms. But they’re also brittle. I took some passive abilities for [Tremor Sense] and [Danger Sense] so I can usually hear and feel danger long before it’s an issue. The only others capable of sneaking up on me are other geomancy affinity monsters.”
Affinity? Vivi, clarify.
Certain abilities are tied to elements or specific power sets. You’ll note there are key words in your abilities. Anything that has ‘Venom’ in it, also benefits from your venom abilities and overall potential, and may impact certain vulnerable creatures with a greater impact of afflictions or damage. Conversely, some creatures may have resistance or immunity to certain affinities.
What I wouldn’t do to add some venom to my rooting hex. I could stack immobilization with damage over time, and bleed out big monsters with hit-and-run tactics. I'm fragile, but still dangerous. Neska wanted to ask her about the titles, but seeing the words burned into that display made her hesitate.
[Title: Last Survivor]
Vivi…titles can be…bad things, too. Can’t they?
From your perspective? Yes. Not all titles may be desirable for some.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
She averted her gaze from the screen. Juni let the display dissipate, whiskers drooping. “I know. Last survivor of what, you might ask? I had that when I first became aware of myself. I don't want to think about that one either.”
It made Neska think of her own [Blood of Ouroboros] title. It had been there, without a description. Looming ominously. It could mean anything. Or nothing. But, she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good. Ouroboros was a depiction of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, the destroyer of the world.
Then again, at least a few of the Divine Beasts had ravaged the world. Allegedly. So maybe those claims were an exaggeration or just stories and fables.
Juni glanced towards the south. “Well, shall we?”
The trek continued. It was growing a little rockier in the forest, but still a relatively easy trek. “So, you're pretty new at this?” Juni asked a short time later. “Not a difficult conclusion. Plus, we don't all return the same way. There’s likely a mix of you, and the monster whose soul you kinda…shoved to the side." Her nose twitched before she halted at a rocky outcropping, then scampered up a path along exposed roots to a higher vantage point.
Neska internalized that idea, then sighed when she realized the mouse had a point. The obsession with mice and hugs. Yes. That would seem to track. She doubted the neck cuddles were a human response, either. Wait. No. That might be just me. I need affection. It's definitely not a snake thing or an attempt at body warmth thievery.
Neska wound her way up the roots, following Juni’s path. She seemed to have this vertical climbing down to a well-rehearsed form. Maybe having legs wouldn’t be such a bad thing again.
Juni continued, panting a little from the exertion. “Anyway, that's just my experience. Um, what else...okay, next big thing. Jurik is my guardian, and I hope he's alive. He's a seasoned warrior, tough to kill, and he has a lot of firepower. I mean fire powers. He's wise. He has seen a great deal and knows a lot. I've tried to learn everything I can from him."
Juni’s upbeat attitude wavered. “I wish I could say there’s hope. But the monsters? They’re gaining ground slowly. They came from the north, past the mountains, deep in the center of Arivol, the cursed land. Each year, they inch further southwards and toward the east and west. Arivol got their comeuppance when they tried to use dangerous magic. Now they have doomed the world. All because of Lachmir the Damned.”
Neska recalled that eerie title; Risha had mentioned it, too. I'm sure when you get a title that ominous, you've probably broken the world. Which should be…you know, decidedly difficult to pull off.
Neska let out a deflating hiss. Juni laughed softly. “I know. But Lachmir didn't act alone. We had to work really hard to bring that much doom down upon ourselves.
“The monsters have continued to grow stronger since that time. The remnants of Arivol moved south and west and set up lines of defense within neighboring kingdoms. It worked for a while. But the monsters…they got stronger. Meaner. And smarter.” Juni scrambled up a series of short, square-cut stones that looked almost like a walking path at one point, forcing Neska to take slightly longer routes. The path hadn’t seen human travel in some time, based on the overgrowth. Hardy trees clung to the steeper slopes, and Neska heard pebbles dislodge somewhere as a breeze blew by.
“So, they, along with the Kingdoms of Juiksen and Valos, combined efforts to battle the monsters on their own terms. We already had Interfaces that gave us powers, but most people don’t fully utilize them, and can’t reach sufficient strength to bust past certain barriers. Killing things nonstop or pushing your bodies to limits beyond human capacity is…not for everyone.”
Hunting doesn't count, right? Nah. I have to eat to live. Neska did wonder if that ‘killing for power’ shortcut led to an uncomfortable incentive for some more willing to embrace violence.
Her pondering was cut short as the trail steepened. She glanced up and saw a rocky lip that Juni had scrabbled up. Well. Might as well try to exert myself on the world. Time to put a little spring in my slithering!
Neska coiled up and launched using her [Spring Scales] to solve the problem. She landed in a coil by Juni, who shrieked and jumped in the air. Neska merely flicked her tongue out at her. “O-oh, that’s not funny!” Juni fumed, her mouselike face carrying some vestiges of human expression like the way she gritted her mousy teeth. Neska found it strange that Juni was not as mouse-like as she initially believed.
Haha. tricks. Hmm, maybe I already solved the mobility problem. This will work for most places where it’s a short jump. It was, however, a bit more of an exertion than simply finding and taking a longer path, and she felt a brief trickle of tingles along her body. She’d roughly worked out that the intensity of the tingling and cold was a measure of how depleted her energy reservoir was.
During the last fight, it had progressed into a chilling numbness that hurt. She had pushed herself perhaps a bit further than she should have. Learning limits was important.
Juni continued along the overgrown path, the sun slowly sinking toward the west. They were able to maintain their heading using the path as guidance. She eventually covered some of the history Neska knew already in the intervening years after the disaster in Arivol. What she did know was that the armies got pretty desperate after a while. The mages and clerics of the three kingdoms gathered to push ideas and came up with an unconventional approach.
One, which essentially boiled down to stuffing human souls into monster bodies with untested magic. Neska would have shouted at how profane it sounded…if she hadn’t experienced it herself. It at least gave some context to Risha’s alleged involvement.
She just hoped her own choice had been a voluntary one. But…did it matter, now?
She saw what the Seekers did. The monsters hiding as humans. They had caused the death of her witch. And likely, many others, if their first meeting was destined for violence.
And the cat. The cat who gifted her mice. No monster who had a hand in that vile act would survive her wrath.
She also doubted that Marikand had died–fire had healed him, not harmed him. Which meant Risha's death still needed to be answered. And she needed to be much, much stronger than she was to have a chance at surviving the encounter.
She needed justice. A sense of closure. If not for Risha, then for herself. If killing monsters is what earns the Awakened praise? Then that's what I’ll do to every monster who attacks us. On the subject of monsters who don't attack? I…guess I’ll have to judge the situation.
Hang on. Juni might be able to tell me more about the Interface. Vivi, love you bunches, but there are many unknown unknowns with you.
I won't be offended if you ask. Exploration and discovery are means of growth.
Neska flicked her interface open for Juni and pointed broadly at the screen by tilting her head. Juni parsed this for a second. “You want to know what it is? You may have been young when you…well, the point is, you might not have had yours active. It doesn’t activate until age 16. Kind of a limiter to keep humanoids from hurting themselves, I think.
“So, we, as Awakened, have access to the monster's Interface. It’s like a human's, but kinda sorta not. We can pick evolutions, grow, and become powerful, just like humans pick class abilities. They can train bodies and souls to push themselves past normal human limits in about any way you can think of, given enough time and strength of will."
They continued walking, with Neska flicking off the display. “The Awakened helped stave off the worst of it, in those early days.” Her ears drooped slightly before she let out a soft sigh. “But there were setbacks. The monsters became aware of what humanoids were doing. They could sense the Awakened through other monsters at close range. The Interface adapted, and the process didn’t take hold as often. That led people to believe something controlled the Interface on the monster’s end.”
Neska nodded softly. There was so much more she did not know or understand. But this at least filled in some of the gaps she was aware of between what Risha was talking about with visiting villagers. We were created as weapons. Sharp blades and claws to protect others. Or, perhaps as defensive shields?
Either interpretation was possible.
She was still left with an unsettling question: why had Risha hidden herself away in a remote village, if she knew all this? Or, stranger still, abandoned her work? Why had she all but cut ties with the Academy? That one would probably have to wait until she found Serkin.
Or, she never stopped researching. She used me to test theories on the Interface. And other things in her lab when she'd lock the door. She must have been onto something.
The mouse girl stopped briefly a while later, legs curled up to her chest to take a breather. She wasn’t a fully humanoid shape; she was still mostly a mouse…but Neska knew she was thinking about something that was bothering her. Neska flicked her head forward to see if Juni would say more.
“I know. It’s a lot to take in. You understand so far, yes?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
Yeah. It feels good to have some answers, at least. And to not be alone. Neska nodded her head softly and rested her snout on the coils of her body.
Juni’s snout creased into what might have been a smile, and gazed at the sun lowering in the sky. “We should get moving soon. We’re far from the biggest creatures in these woods, and definitely not the deadliest. The hounds being this far south, ambushing Jurik? It’s not good. That’s why the Academy of the Awakened is important. They train the Awakened to evolve, take the fight to the monsters.
“But…not everyone believes that it’s a noble effort. They think that the mages usurped the power of the gods, cursed the harvested souls, and put them into a purgatory in the form of the beasts they despised. Many don’t like the Awakened.” Juni curled her paws up, glancing down at scratches and scrapes visible through her fur.
I know that one all too well. So this is why Risha sent me? To train? Or merely put me in a place of safety? Or both, even?
But Risha wasn’t here. Neska was left with an aching knowledge gap. She didn’t know what, exactly, her witch intended. I have to hope she made the right choices.
She raised her upper serpentine body, flicking her tongue out to test for scents. None were present but the musky, almost earthy taste of the mouse girl, and the taste of crisp evergreen needles. She arched her body and pointed her tail to the path, and Juni took that as her cue to hop off the fallen tree.
“I hope we cross paths on the road soon, before it gets dark. The bigger monsters…they own the night.” Juni’s tail trembled as she said that, and gripping her paws together didn’t stop them from shaking, too.
We’ll likely have to find a place to hide if we don’t get there in time. Neska led the way, guided by the path sloping roughly south and southwest, based on their orientation. In fact, she was slithering so fast that Juni was having trouble keeping up.
“H-hey, slow down! I’m only barely a Tier Two, and you’re faster than me!” she protested.
Neska peered at her, then had an idea. She pointed her tail as best as she could at her back plate scales. Juni’s eyes widened.
“Oh. Oh, you are not serious. You want me to ride on your back?! I’ll die of terror before that ever happens!” she shrilled.
You got a better idea? Neska looked toward the sun and flicked her tail that way, then brought it down slowly. Juni took the hint, but still clutched her ears in frustration. “I get it, daylight is burning. Oh, by the gods, the mouse part of me is gonna freak out,” she groaned.
Five minutes later, a very sharp-clawed mouse dug into the creases of her scales. She spent the entire time murmuring prayers to gods and other beings Neska never knew existed as they continued their trek along the path. Since she still had significant energy from the bird feast earlier in the day, she was able to move at speed, while Juni held on for dear life.
The irony of my preserving a mouse is not lost on me. Oh, boy. Now, onto ruminations. I need to sort stuff out.
She lowered her focus of her surroundings, while she internalized a plan. This academy might be my only shot at figuring out who I am and what Risha’s plan was. I have to get there. Helping Juni find Jurik is another step along the path, and she's no pushover, either. She did ponder, though: was she doing this because it increased her odds of survival?
…Or, was it merely because she wanted to help Juni?
The sun was starting to dip over the hills to the west when Juni and Neska broke through the forest into a section of thinned-out and cut-down trees. The mouse practically hopped for joy on her back, and Neska would smile if she had lips as they spotted civilization. The clearing was a large logging area, and she could see a few large red and brown-painted buildings at one end. There was also what appeared to be a stream powering a mill off in the distance. A large saw blade was barely visible, obscured by the linked machinery, resting on a metallic track.
Juni let out a squeal. “Finally, we’re almost there! I think Jurik said this place was along…the…”
Juni’s voice and hopes died off, and her claws dug into Neska’s back as she lowered her body, shaking softly. “Neska, what happened here?”
Neska scooted backwards. In front of her was a scene of carnage that left her mind reeling.
Bodies. Humans, and monsters.
one job.
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