Her body resisted her will to move. She tilted her head to see her surroundings. She was in a wooden building with stone and steel reinforcements, contrasting with the warm, honey-colored wood. Timber trusswork stretched above them, and sunlight beamed in through a set of windows near her. It looked like the town barracks.
Nearby, she heard a dull commotion. She herself lay on a white cot; Juni lay next to her. Bandaged, but alive, and sleeping calmly.
Strangely, the mouse girl was nestled up against her, having decided that snake coils made a better pillow. Please, body, don't ever betray me. Gentle hugs, please.
She'd never be able to eat a mouse again after this. If she ever befriended an egg, she'd starve to death.
Neska glanced around and noticed it was a calm atmosphere today, with only a few low groans emanating nearby; someone mentioned summoning another healer for another round of treatment. Guards and villagers lay in the beds, some with light wounds. Others were being attended by the white-gowned woman from yesterday who had performed additional healing.
They’d made it through the night. They survived.
Jurik stirred in the cot next to them, having been stripped of his armor, and a strange tube inserted into his arm. A pale blue fluid dripped from a clear container from above, likely to help expedite his healing. His body was marred with bruises and cuts. His hands were darkened, almost charred, but he seemed to have full functionality as he propped himself up, grunting as his body protested this move. “You’re awake?” he directed to her, wearing a faint smile.
She nodded softly. Jurik glanced at her, then looked down at the floor. He reached down to retrieve the parchment pad and another stick of the charcoal material from it, handing it gently to her tail. She moved slowly to avoid disturbing Juni.
{Am alive. Glad to be. I don’t remember past Felix.}
She ignored the pending messages from her Interface, mentally willing them away, and focused on Jurik’s reaction. He let out a slow exhale of relief. “That was some fast thinking, igniting the shadow cloud of his. I should have considered igniting the ground, but that could have been dangerous for us, too. He was a high Tier two. He could have won that battle against us and maybe killed most of the village. He got away, though. Given what we faced…that was more than my most generous prediction.”
{Will hunt him. Kill him. Still a threat.} She tapped the paper with the writing implement. He shook his head slowly.
“Neska…you take the victories you can. This village's survival was the best outcome. He underestimated us, and will not make that mistake twice.” Jurik picked up a cup sitting on the table next to the bedside, and took a slow sip before continuing. “Neska…who are you? To do all that? You are no ordinary Awakened.”
{I…I don’t know. I spent a year in Risha's care. Thinking, but missing so much of myself.} She jotted down the answer for him, the best she could. Each test of these exchanges prompted her to write a little faster, words coming loose from fuzzy memories of the past. {I am Neska. Snake of Risha. That's all I am.}
{Risha… kept secrets. Even from me. I think she knew something that she had to protect at all costs.} Her tail hesitated to write those last few words.
She hadn’t mentioned the crystal yet. Even though she trusted them, she preferred to tell them once they were inside the academy. The required Tier three to unlock it seemed a long way away, right now.
The veteran’s expression softened, seeing her reluctance to finish. “Then we won’t speak of it more. Wellik and Hadley are alive, beaten up but mobile. As for you, we had to give you a dose of mana potion. It’s generally not recommended for those not close to human form. But, I figured the outcome would have been worse if we hadn’t taken action. How do you feel?” he asked calmly.
{Slow. Tired. Scales are no longer icy.} She was thankful that she could maintain this communication. {Who did we lose?}
The warrior considered this for a moment, eyes growing dimmer. “Several villagers. Five of the guards. Reinforcements arrived just after Felix fled, military reinforcements. I sent them after him, since he was weakened. A team of second-tier warriors will be a more even match for him. I have my doubts they’ll catch him, though. But his pack is destroyed.”
Good. More than seeing that man dead for betraying his own village, she felt more strongly that the town survived against such foes.
She tapped out a few more words. {Am hungry, though. Mice…not as tasty-looking anymore. Don’t tell Juni I said that.}
A small chuckle emerged from Jurik’s lips. “I promise I won’t.” The mouse girl’s oversized ears twitched, but she still appeared to be resting. “Can you eat eggs?”
She tapped the paper again, taking out an empty sheet. {My favorite. Much to Risha's frustration. And the chickens.} He chuckled softly in response.
A short while later, one of the attendants brought her a small pile of eggs. Jurik gently moved Juni away to rest by his side while she worked down two…no, three eggs.
She was disappointed when she felt her body absorb the food quickly. The fullness feeling dissipated far too quickly. It was just something she’d have to get used to. She scratched out a note for Jurik and pointed at the page.
{Thank you.}
“I should be thanking you. If Juni hadn’t run into you…Had we tried to travel the road…we might not be here at all. Seasoned as I am, even I would be hard-pressed to have taken out that many of the monsters.” Jurik leaned back and rubbed at his shoulder. “Plus…I’m getting old enough that I can feel the blows, long after the moment has passed.”
She considered this for a moment. {How old?}
He rubbed a hand through his messy hair, sighing softly. “Old enough to know we haven’t been winning in a long time. Young enough to believe there’s still hope.” Neska still heard strength in his voice. A stoicism that withstood the harshness of the world she’d witnessed thus far. “Neska…I know I asked before if you wanted to go to the Academy. Technically, it’s a mandate between the three kingdoms united to bring all Awakened there, but I always like to ask. Given what you saw last night.”
Her tail scribbled away as those moments of heated thoughts came back. {They hunt to kill. Corrupted do it for…pleasure.}
Writing the word made her tail twitch for a moment. She pressed on with her message. {Not know myself. Find answers. Find Vivi, the girl from the past. Risha had two professors she could trust at the academy. Said to trust no one else, other than them.}
{I'll learn at the academy. How to fight. How to protect. And carry out Risha’s last wish: to stop the monsters. No more being hunted.}
She’d been so focused on writing that she barely noted the soft cough from Juni, now awake and alert. She’d been reading along with Jurik, one paw clasped to her chest. “You really want to go with us? It won’t be easy, Neska. Or safe.”
{Not safe here, either. Go where I train. Study. Fight. Find my past. Protect a future.} She considered her sentences a little rudimentary, but it was hard enough writing with her tail, as it were. She hoped somewhere down the line, she could find a better means of communication.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
All it took to know they were on board was the soft nod from the two of them. Jurik cleared his throat, looking content with that. “We can hitch a ride south and get across the river. It'll be a few days. Did you receive any levels? I daresay you probably did, even I did. Though at Tier Two, and lower Tier three…it takes a lot longer.”
She mentally flicked up the summary. There were many updates about the number of wolves defeated, as well as pushing her body to its limits.
Level Increased: Witch 5 → Witch 7
Ability Proficiencies increased
Rooting Hex 6 > Rooting Hex 9
Coiled Strike 5 > Coiled Strike 6
Venomous Bite 3 > Venomous Bite 5
Spring Scales 2 > Spring Scales 3
Mana Bolt 4 > Mana Bolt 6
Ember Hex 2 > Ember Hex 4
Constricting Coils 1 > Constricting Coils 2
Title Gained - Incorruptible: You withstood the corruptive influence of the Fallen, choosing your humanity over ferocity. +2 soul, + 2 endurance. This Title may Evolve depending on your actions.
2 Essence Points Granted (Unused Total: 2)
6 Attribute Points Granted (Unused Total: 6)
Neska couldn’t help but stare. That’s two whole levels. Vivi, how close was I–
You almost hit a third level. That was a scenario where your survival chances were marginal, at best.
It certainly felt like it. But…even with my life on the line…I don’t seem to feel the rush of panic or dread. Is this…how I’ve always been? Or is it because I’m a snake?
She didn’t care to dwell on this one. What additional abilities do I have to select from?
Several.
New Minor Evolutions available:
Sudden Molt (magical, movement, trickery, evasion): Your outer layer of scales sheds instantly, and you move at extreme speed to a location within a short distance.
Base cooldown: 5 minutes
Distance travelled scales with Agility. Cooldown reduction scales with Soul. Location must be at least partially visible to you.
Razor Fangs (piercing, physical): The sharpness of your fangs improves, and cannot be fractured. Increases physical damage with bite attacks, and increases bleeding risk for the affected. Damage scales with Vitality. Bleeding chance and severity scale with Agility.
Tracker Vision (sensory): Your eyesight improves to peer deeper into the infrared spectrum at will, showing high temperatures as bright, cold temperatures as dark. Sensitivity scales with Perception.
New Witch Hexes Available:
Barrier Ward (magical, blessing): Create a conforming barrier around a target. The barrier will protect against magical attacks, but drains a small amount of mana during use. Barrier strength scales with Intelligence. Mana drain reduction scales with Soul.
Baleful Eye (magical, mind-affecting, sensory): Intimidate the target with a piercing gaze, lowering their attack effectiveness, and can prevent a target from moving toward you. Target speed reduction scales with Perception. Chance of success scales with Intelligence.
Venom Bolt (magical, venom): Upgrade to the [Mana Bolt] hex. Now adds a venom effect to the bolt on impact, dealing damage over time. Venom upgrades from evolution abilities can be applied to the projectile.
What is this? The Witch's abilities can…synergize with my evolutions? Neska stared blankly at the descriptions. This felt significant and likely unprecedented, given that she was the first to both evolve and use class abilities.
She wrote down the abilities on their parchment: those she had, and the options available, much to the amazement of the two beside her.
She also reviewed the [Sudden Molt], noting it had a cooldown…whatever that was. What is a cooldown, Vivi?
The ability requires time between uses, and will be unavailable. Powerful abilities often have this limitation.
“These are interesting,” Juni breathed. “One ability even synergizes her witch powers with her evolution powers.”
“This feels…designed. Or a hidden function of the Interface,” Jurik murmured. “I've been using my interface to copy notes. Juni, you do the same. We are in uncharted territory. I am also concerned about news spreading; at least, until I get you both inside the Academy grounds."
“The academy has detailed knowledge of monster abilities. It’s important to know your own potential abilities, and those of your peers, humanoid and Awakened. Others are still fighting on the front lines, though I use the term loosely. Any sapient race, specifically," he added.
Neska peered at the abilities. She had some choices to make. Some of them were interesting, but situational. She pointed at a few, then wrote one more question. {Which should I take?}
Jurik rubbed his chin as he examined her list. “I think I’ll leave that choice to you. I know that some at the school would tell you to hold your choices, but as you’ve likely learned, abilities increase through use and by pushing your limits. You’re somewhat lacking in physical, close-up attack, minus the constrict. You should consider your choices, as abilities offered at higher levels tend to be more powerful or grant incredible utility. However, even mundane ones can be pushed to perform miracles at times, and may be easier to increase proficiency. Plus, early ones can get upgrades at higher Tiers.”
Another tactical choice to consider. Without guidance on what her higher-tier abilities could be, she was guessing on what would remain useful, and some evolutions were likely monster-specific. Choosing [Sudden Molt] and [Baleful Eye].
Confirmed. [Sudden Molt] and [Baleful Eye] added.
She felt the warmth rush over her as the abilities triggered, and her scales felt light against her body. She also felt the cool rush of clarity seep into her mind from the additional hex, pleasant and calming. Jurik nodded, satisfied with her selection. “I agree with these choices. But you may be lacking close-range attacks, and you should keep working on exploring your existing abilities to take full advantage of them. Some change drastically with enough training. And our foes are not lacking endurance, either.”
{Good. One other question. What is Corruption? Not sure I fully understand.}
Jurik winced, and Juni glanced at him, puzzled. "Corruption is...the monsters, some of them can spread influence through the Interface. I'm not sure which ones can do it, but it's usually higher-tier monsters, which means they're less common. It tries to reignite the monster half of an Awakened's soul, mentally corrupt them, and turn them against humanity. We also think it's part of the process to--well, that needs its own explanation, I suppose," he murmured. "I thought I sensed it when I saw you behaving unusually. But you also look like you fought it off."
"It came and went in an instant for me," Juni affirmed, shuddering lightly. "It's not pleasant. I only felt it once before this. A gnawing compulsion to fight, destroy...and eat. and worse, enjoy it. I think it's a new effort to counter the Awakened."
Neska jotted down more details. {Interface warned me as it happened. Felt...awful. Wanted to do awful things. I...could not accept that outcome. Dug in. Focused on my past, the person I was.}
If she could frown, she would have. She tapped the writing implement on the parchment before continuing. {My soul's resistance increased after it happened. But it's not an attribute.}
Juni blinked. "Huh? Your Interface warned you? That never popped up, but...I could have missed it. I never heard of soul resistance, either."
Jurik's reaction was one of sheer shock. "I have never heard of that, either. That's another interesting unknown. I can tell you that repeated exposure to corruption attempts can wear down the weaker-willed of the Awakened. There are ways to undo it to a certain extent with therapy and magical curative efforts, but...we've lost Awakened to the monsters before."
{Like Felix.}
A clack of boots against the wooden floor got their attention. Jurik quietly turned the page with a slight head tilt. Both Juni and Neska nodded to the implied suggestion to keep this small discovery subtle for now. They turned to face the new arrivals.
“Jurik, Juni…Neska?” Wellik looked a little pale, now favoring just the town watch uniform and bandages covering parts of his limbs. “I’m glad to see you all up and alive. I think this town owes you all a great debt.”
“No. I was doing my duty. Fighting monsters,” Jurik replied calmly. “To do anything else would be shirking my responsibility.”
“Even so…we shouldn’t have survived.” Wellik glanced at Neska. “What you did was…impressive. Do me this honor? Make your way to the academy. Learn. Prove that those who say the Awakened are a mistake are dead wrong.”
She drew one short note on the clean sheet. {I will.}
“I was going to say, we’ll probably need a day to rest,” Jurik reasoned. “Will you be replaced in command?”
“The man with the giant feather in his helmet who just arrived told me that I now have the displeasure of being promoted to sergeant, on account of the defense. Being book smart has its minuses,” he replied dryly. “I want to send you with an escort south. At the very least, you’ll need horses and supplies to get there at speed.”
“We’ll move faster in a smaller group.” Wellik, however, wasn't buying into Jurik’s calm demeanor.
“And have you get jumped again? No way. The captain will have my head if I do. Speaking of, he’ll probably show up anytime soon. Fair warning.”
No sooner had Wellik spoken than the door opened and more bootsteps could be heard. Jurik’s face brightened when he saw the armored man at the doorway, flanked by two others. Neska was glad it wasn’t the Seekers, based on their blue fabric emblems.
“Jurik. Been a while,” The man lifted his military cap to reveal thinning grey hair, and soft brown eyes gazed upon them. “I heard some of the details from the briefing from Wellik. You and the Awakened have my attention. And some explanations are due."
Neska realized, with a cold seeping feeling down her body, that this was probably not the kind of attention they wanted right now.
one more week of five days, then I'll be back down to three a week. Thank you, everyone, who has tuned in this far. This has been an amazing opening to my story the past few weeks. As always, if you're this far in, give the story a follow or a favorite, or leave a comment!
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