“Do you plan to use the techniques of my former master to slay those who sent us to the cell?” the demon asked, floating over the bed.
“No,” Ethan said, then paused. “Perhaps. But that’s not my real goal. I want to bring that entire corrupt Church down. Killing a few would just see them replaced, and likely me killed soon after.”
“Then what is it you plan to do?”
Ethan went to stand by the window. “I’m not sure yet. There’s been so much going on, I haven’t made the Church a priority. That changes now. I knew they were doing something and my way of fighting back was healing. I was being passive.”
He looked down at his destroyed rune. “I no longer have that luxury. I already have hints, but I need to start putting the pieces together.”
“The Church is a world-spanning organization, engineering their destruction won’t be easy, or quick,” Tomo said matter-of-factly.
“That’s why gaining power is still a priority. You told me I could extend my lifetime as I gained ranks, now I have something to direct my efforts toward…however long it takes.”
Ethan looked longingly at the blank wall above the bed. “Sadly I don’t think Valanor would appreciate me putting a note that said ‘take down the church’ on his wall. But that’s the plan. I know they’re ripping people’s lives away, and they’re clearly terrified of anyone who can provide actual healing.”
Tomo cocked his head. “If you are correct, and they only heal to drain life from their flock, then preventing others from healing ensures their monopoly on the sick and injured.”
“It’s not much,” Ethan said, “but it’s a start. What else do we know about the Church? They represent the Goddess, they claim that this is the only world worth a damn. And…Savilar. They close rifts. Why do they close rifts?”
“I do not know, but it was so in the time of my Master as well.”
“It’s a place to start,” Ethan said, then looked down at his Mad System rune. “I don’t remember much from the end of our time in the cell.”
Tomo nodded. “Nor do I, but I can tell you that you managed to strengthen our Bonds in a way that most are incapable of until Twilight rank. It is not so easy to abandon the self, and truly connect with another being.”
“I should have left that place weak, emaciated and half-dead. But the Bonds…I think I ripped my chains out of the stone. It’s time to see what happened to me.” Ethan saw that he had several messages waiting for him, but started with his status.
Ethan Bishop
Class: Assassin
Rank: Dawn (Dusk Rank Evolution: 8%)
Familiars:
- Devee: (Dawn Rank 7: 12%)
- Revan: (Dawn Rank 7: 47%)
- Onitomo: (Dawn Rank 8: 85%)
Attributes:
- Mind of the Devourer: Dawn Rank 7
- Body of the Guardian : Dawn Rank 7
- Soul of the Mystic : Dawn Rank 8
Abilities:
Dimension: (3/4)
- Rift (Dawn Rank 5: 42%)
- Dimensional Mantle (Dawn Rank 2: 87%)
- Hydra's Reflection (Dawn Rank 1: 64%)
Flare: (3/4)
- Volatile Infusion (Dawn Rank 4: 52%)
- Internal Combustion ( Dawn Rank 3: 67%)
- Volcanic Bolt (Dawn Rank 1: 14%)
Mystic: (2/4)
- Trick of the Light (Dawn Rank 5: 21%)
- Many-Faced Blade (Dawn Rank 4: 51%)
Ruin: (2/4)
- Knife in the Dark (Dawn Rank 5: 22%)
- Fleeting Shadow (Dawn Rank 4: 33%)
- Gain 1 more abilities to unlock!
- Gain 4 more abilities to unlock!
“Tomo, are you seeing this?” he asked, shock in his voice. “You all doubled in strength, how’s that even possible?”
“It may be difficult to explain. We are not getting stronger. Our Bonds to you are what grow in power, unlocking our potential. As we’ve discussed, a portion of your growth at each rank is achieved by gaining a deeper understanding with your Familiars.”
“I certainly feel like I understand you all better,” Ethan agreed.
“Indeed. Our Spirits communed so deeply that you essentially completed that entire portion of your training all at once. While you should continue to meditate, I think you’ll find that the remaining growth will only come through battle.”
“You’re all so close to Dusk rank. Will my rank go up when you get there?” Ethan asked.
“We are nearly ready to evolve, but you are not,” Tomo said with a head shake. “This is very unusual, as Familiars tend to become a bottleneck for most Hunters. Before your body and soul are capable of evolving to Dusk rank, you will need the remainder of your abilities, and mastery over them.”
“Hmm, fair enough. This has to be an advantage though, right? I mean, my mind, body, and spirit are all massively improved. I bet even Hydra’s Reflection will be easy at this point.”
“It is a great advantage, especially if we’re able to evolve. At Dawn rank, Familiars aren’t much better than distractions. At Dusk, we truly begin to show our strength,” Tomo said.
Ethan nodded, though once he would have grinned. “We’ll need that strength, with what lies ahead.” He returned to the system, curious what else it had to say.
Warning! [Hand of Apollo] is now [Broken]!
Skill has been locked!
[Apollo’s Gaze] is unable to function without paired skill: [Hand of Apollo]
Attention! You have earned a new Title!
New Title: Flaw Seeker
The loss of your [Hand of Apollo] skill followed by significant trauma has allowed [Apollo’s Gaze] to evolve! [Apollo’s Gaze] has evolved to [Predator’s Gaze], and has inherited the growth of the original skill.
New Skill: Predator’s Gaze (Dawn Rank 2: 45%)
Allows you to see the weaknesses of living targets. Effective, to a lesser degree, against non-living targets. Weaknesses are currently limited to those of a physical nature.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Ethan read the messages, then went to the window. Predator’s Gaze, he thought, feeling the skill activate. The world immediately gained a slight haze, similar to when he looked into the Astral. His eyes swept across the view, and he paused when he saw a tree near the house, a soft red glow near the bottom of its trunk.
He squinted, examining the tree, and realized it was lilting slightly to one side. The bark had already fallen off the glowing section, and Ethan realized it was rotten, though he couldn’t tell how or why. Still, he understood implicitly that the tree was weaker in that spot.
He looked out further, his heightened Spirit and Body allowing him to see with clarity at a much greater distance. He could just make out a few people walking down a nearby street. They were glowing in many places. Eyes, throats, groins, even areas he knew possessed important arteries. I imagine this will be more useful against monsters, he considered. As he turned back to the room, though, his eyes caught on a nearby building.
It too, had a weakness. The foundation was cracked, the wood of the building’s exterior already twisting where it met the damaged stone. Ethan dismissed the ability, though it was a curious change to the skill. Once again he felt that the value of the skill would take time to make itself known, but he had plenty of time for that later. For now, he’d dealt with being cut off from his Familiars for long enough.
***
Selina was obviously having a hard time concentrating as she unsealed his Bonds. She was continually glancing back at his blank face with open concern. She hadn’t been able to stop speaking at first, when he and Valanor had arrived at her door.
“You’re here! You look…good? Were you working out in the cell? Oh, no, the cell. I’m so sorry! I didn’t know. Obviously I didn’t know. I don’t know what I’d have done if I did know. But I was so angry when Valanor told me! I tried to go to the palace but he wouldn’t let me! That’s probably good though, I don’t think I’d have accomplished anything. But you’re back! I removed the other seals but Valanor was worried what you might do when you woke up. Apparently you went a little crazy in there. But that’s okay! Are you okay?”
The tall Nator woman had managed that entire greeting in one breath, and Ethan was surprised to find himself smiling slightly. This is good. I’m not broken. I won’t let them break me. “I’ll be okay, Selina. It’s good to see you.”
She gave him a shockingly powerful hug then. When she pulled back, her eyes were wide. “Oh, right, the other thing. I’m sorry about your…your hand,” she said conspiratorially. “I understand the skills came from Terra though, so I think it’s a bit of an overreaction. But still, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Selina. Not to rush the reunion, but can you please release the seals on my Bonds? I miss my friends.”
“Of course! I was being so rude. I miss them too! Please, come sit.” She gestured them inside, only belatedly noticing and greeting Valanor. She ushered Ethan into a nearby chair, pushing some books out of the way.
As she began her work–which to Ethan looked like she was using a magic eraser–he noticed one of the books had fallen open, and squinted at it. “I don’t recognize any of those runes,” he said. “Am I that far behind? I thought I was getting a good handle on the basics.”
She glanced where he was pointing, seemingly glad for something more to say. “Oh those are in older languages. One of my abilities allows me to rapidly interpret any runic language. Its real purpose is to drastically increase speed at which I can use runic circles in combat, but a fun side benefit is that I can read the oldest books in the Rune Guild’s library without years of study.”
“Interesting,” he replied, though he could hear the woodenness in his own voice.
“Oh not really. Most of them are just old histories, but I find the occasional scrap of helpful information.” Her face screwed up as she completed her work, tiny rune circles now surrounding the seals. After a brief glow, she smiled and everything they’d done to him disappeared. “All done!”
Ethan immediately stood up, but found that he didn’t even need to call his Familiars. They were already on their way…all three of them. Tomo appeared first, in his true form, landing lightly on the floor, and immediately inspecting one of the books. Revan and Deevee were there only a moment later, though their bodies were in the spectral state Ethan had thus far only seen the demon use.
This time Ethan smiled–truly smiled, as he saw the companions he’d been so close to, yet so separated from. “How the hell are you all here?” he asked with a grin.
Tomo turned, seeming to notice he wasn’t alone for the first time. “I wasn’t aware they were capable of this,” he said in surprise. Judging from the confused expressions on Valanor and Selina’s faces, he’d also disguised his voice as usual. The Runemistress tugged the knight into the other room, clearly realizing Ethan needed a moment for his reunion.
“How’s this possible?” Ethan asked, reaching a hand out which Deevee spun around before passing immaterially through him. “That was weird. Tomo doesn’t do that,” Ethan said, making a sour face.
“I told you this was possible,” the demon said. “But normally it takes time and training. It is far easier at Dusk rank, but as we discussed, your Bonds have progressed in an unusual manner.”
“Well it’s awesome,” Ethan said, watching Revan jump into a cozy chair, then seem confused when he passed through it. “Can we…do anything with this?”
“This is the first step of a longer journey,” Tomo said. “There are immediate uses, such as scouting, but it will be some time before this ability reaches its full potential.”
“Which is?” Ethan asked, his mind becoming calculating.
“They–we are able to manifest in this way because of how powerful our Bonds have become. Imagine them like valves. When you channel one, the others close. What you have achieved is like leaving the smallest trickle to flow through each when you open another.”
“Wait, are you saying I can channel more than one Familiar?” Ethan asked in surprise.
“Perhaps at Champion rank that may be possible, truly I don’t know. But no, the full power of two Familiars would be dangerous and harmful to your Spirit. But it offers other possibilities. Rune magic combining those powers, for instance.”
Ethan considered. “Another reason to keep working with Selina, I was almost ready to start trying basic spells before…before everything.” He began pacing, shaking his head. “I can’t keep going like this, trying to be normal. I need to get back out there. I need to Hunt. Clear my head.”
He strode into the backyard where Valanor and Selina were speaking quietly, obviously about him given how they went silent at his approach. “Thank you, Selina. It’s nice to start feeling a little more normal.” When did having three creatures living in my soul become normal?
“Of course, Ethan, it’s the least I can do. So,” she said, obviously uncomfortable. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do?”
“I have some ideas,” Ethan said. “There’s still the duel to prepare for, but after that is a bit up in the air.” He looked over at Valanor. “I’d like to check on Savilar. Do you think it’s a good time?”
The knight glanced at the sky. “Sunset soon, so he’s likely finished with his duties for the day. He’s probably at the Guild Hall. Do you want to walk over?”
Ethan decided to test something. “Actually I wasn’t thinking about how late it was, and I have some shopping I need to do before they close for the night–especially if I’m staying with you from now on. How bout I meet you there?”
Valanor shrugged. “Fine, I could use a drink regardless. Get food.” Without another word he strode from the yard. Ethan watched him go, while Selina watched him in turn.
“Surprised he let you be on your own?” the observant woman asked.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I am, how did you know?”
She double checked to make sure the knight had gone, then removed a small stone–a pebble, really–from her robes. She handed it to Ethan. “When I inspected your runes after you were released, I found something odd in the pattern of your Bond runes.”
Ethan looked down at the pebble, seeing that it actually had some very small, and carefully drawn runes on it. “What is this?”
Selina let out a long breath. “I doubt you know this, but the Nator have a very different relationship with the Church than the other races. It’s an old story, but the point is that I hate what they did to you, and I don’t support what they’re doing.”
“What they’re doing?”
She pointed at the rune. “Tracking rune. It was hidden among your Bonds, where most people wouldn’t notice. My power made it stand out though. I transposed it onto that stone.”
Ethan looked at the stone again. “I suppose I’m not surprised. Obviously they’d want to keep an eye on me…”
“I don’t blame Valanor though,” she said hastily. “He was furious about everything that happened, and even mad at you for a time, but he really did put his life on the line to get you released. I’m sure they made sure he could track you–probably the only way they’d consider it.”
Ethan nodded. “I was wondering…It’s alright. I don’t blame him either. He’s struggling more than I can imagine, and he did the only thing he could.” He looked directly into her deep purple eyes. “Thank you, Selina, I know the risks you’re taking as well.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m loyal to Viridus and I really hope you can keep Prince Calevaro safe–he’s a kind man, I think. But the Church is another story. Just be careful with that stone. Make sure it’s wherever you’re supposed to be, and never get caught without it. It’s an accurate ritual, they’ll know immediately.”
“Thanks again, Selina, I’ll come back to visit you soon. There’s something I need to do.”
“I’ll be here,” she said with a small smile, and Ethan made himself return it.
***
Service had ended early this day with few healings, and the Church was nearly empty. The priest on duty locked the door, then went around snuffing the candles, before disappearing into the chambers at the back of the building. Ethan dropped silently to the floor the moment the man left.
He was using [Trick of the Light] and Tomo was hiding his presence, just to be safe. Ethan moved to the statue of the Goddess, and began examining it as carefully as he could. He didn’t touch it at first, just inspecting the stone depiction closely and looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Tomo joined him, and they both searched. Ethan knew he didn’t have much time. A paper crane was flying around the market square with a rune pebble folded inside, but Valanor would only wait for him for so long before growing suspicious. Finally Ethan tried the Astral, still seeing nothing, and at last hesitantly touched the sacred object.
Nothing.
“I’d swear it’s just a statue,” he said.
“I can sense nothing beyond that either,” Tomo remarked. “But if it’s truly a piece of the divine, I wouldn’t be certain that we could tell otherwise.”
“I suppose I can’t argue with that. I have no idea what I’m looking for. I already scouted the rest of the building during the sermon, and there’s no hidden rooms, nothing beneath the altar. No god damned leads at all.”
“Then perhaps we should return to the First Shield?”
Ethan sighed. “You’re right. No reason to make him suspicious.” Ethan quickly made sure there he was alone, before preparing a rift. He glared at the statue one last time before disappearing in a brief, blue-white flash.
Twenty minutes later he was walking into the Hunter’s hall, where he was surprised to find Valanor arguing with Charlie, the bartender. “What’s going on?” he asked, rushing up.
Valanor turned. “Savilar isn’t here. He’s not even in the city. Apparently there was a fresh rift discovered, and he was the only one available. He went after it. Alone.”
“Is he up for that? You didn’t mention what kind of shape he was in after the attack.”
Valanor was already shaking his head. “He’s had time to heal, but that’s not the problem. He’s alone, and the rift is Dusk rank.”