Chapter 38 (Early Version)

Chapter 38 - Practice Makes Perfect

Research into the necromantic arts, sped up by the twins need and necessity, had opened dark channels into another plane of existence. Here the sibilant denizens of the void promised a quick end to the war with something that was translated by the magical researchers as the ‘Seed of Oblivion.’ Grasping at a chance of total victory the leader of the Republic accepted the dark bargain and brought the Seed fully into the world.

- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC


I opened the shutters, drinking in the sights of the city before me. A steady flow of people traveled along the streets, a mix of travelers, merchants, and the occasional military patrol, heavily armored and mounted on their intimidating horses were the sights that greeted me. I gritted my teeth as I saw a chained line of miserable-looking slaves, their eyes hollow and their postures stooped in suffering. I was glad that Kidu was asleep, I would need to have words with the large man to hopefully prevent him from potentially causing a scene in the future.

My mind wandered lost in thought as I watched the people go by, going back to thoughts of the old world.  How many times had I witnessed scenes like this, watching the world go by? Albeit behind the glass of a trendy cafe sipping a warm coffee and not in some sort of medieval inn. I realized then that I could probably kill for a simple cup of coffee, both figuratively and literally.

After judging that about an hour had passed, more by instinct than calculation, I shook my companions awake. We changed back into our clothes leaving the borrowed robes outside the room door and leaving a protesting Elwin behind in the room. Kidu and I collected our meals on a tray from the innkeeper, slipping him the required coins which he took brusquely, and returned shortly to our rooms.

The inn’s fare was some sort of red stew which had a rich inviting smell in a simple earthenware bowl. Globs of unknown delicious-smelling meat and the occasional shape of what must be some sort of vegetable floated in it.  On the left of the bowl was a simple side of what looked like to be brown rye bread. The stew had a tangy taste, sharp and piquant with the edge of some hot spices. This was, without doubt, one of the better meals I had suffered in this world.

The meal was filling, and my companions and I ate it with great gusto, cleaning up the remains of the stew with our bread. I offered to return the trays back down, modern politeness being so ingrained into my very being. Going down the creaking stairs I left the empty trays of food on the counter and noticed that the denizens of the inn were all still drinking away their troubles late into the afternoon.

A flashing glint of steel caught my eye as it flew through the air like an arrow before it embedded itself on a target on the far wall quivering from the force of the throw to whoops of some and a disappointed sigh of others. It seems that the locals were engaged in a knife-throwing competition. My curiosity piqued, my earlier promise to treat this town as enemy territory was forgotten as I made my way to the group applauding the throw.

“See something you like?” a rat-faced man said, glancing at the shortsword at my hip before sidling up to me and rubbing his hands.

A mop of unkempt hair framed a face that perhaps only a mother could love.  Narrow slanted eyes and pronounced front teeth strengthened the impression of an avaricious rodent. The men lurking behind him grinned like sharks before a feast of chum.

I walked a bit closer to them, trying to exude confidence and a swagger I knew I didn’t possess. “Just wondering about the game is all, never thrown a knife before, was just curious,” I said as nonchalantly as possible.

He rubbed his chin as he looked me over, “Guess ol’ Devon can teach you a thing or two on how to throw a blade, maybe a drink for all the lads here,” he said looking at his crew behind him, “an’ perhaps a little something for my time.”

Looking to Athinad at the bar I gave him a nod as I counted a few bronze coins out from my small purse. A few moments later, Athinad came around and served drinks of golden brown ale from utilitarian horn mugs, plonking them down gruffly before adding, “No trouble you, hear?”

“Now this here is the game we play, hit the target you take a swig, miss the target and old biddy Taper over there goes up in a huff about us damaging the walls and ye ‘ave to drink two swigs. Like so,” Devon said taking a swig from his mug and burping loudly to the amusement of his companions, “now you’ll be wanting to hold yer blade like this,” he said holding up his blade for inspection before passing me a small simple throwing knife.

It was a very unassuming weapon, with a thin steel blade that flared a little in the middle before tapering off to a sharp point. The handle was made from simple rawhide with a small bronze guard to stop my fingers from slipping accidentally onto the blade.

Attempting to follow my new instructor's example, I placed the end of the handle into the center of the palm of my left hand with my middle finger closing the grip and my thumb on the side.  My index finger rested along the spine of the weapon at the balance point of the knife.

He grunted before taking another gulp from his mug, “Not bad, not bad at all.  Now the trick is,” he stood now taking a loose stance and raising the blade behind his head, “is all in the timing of the release!” he said as he threw his knife, the blade flying unerringly without spinning towards the small wooden target on the wall before sinking a few centimeters into the wood.

He gestured for me to try with a wide sweep of his hands as if introducing a new character to the stage. I nodded to him, taking a stance that approximately resembled his, feeling for the core of my balance. I assumed that my Dexterity was reasonably high for this world, considering that I had started with a mere eight points. Lifting the knife behind my head I tried to copy my teacher’s throw but released perhaps scant moments too early, missing the target by a small margin.

Devon clapped me on the back in commiseration and encouraged me to try a few times more. I was totally engrossed in my practice, not caring to drink with the others or take part in any competition. However, I ordered another round of drinks on my tab in exchange for further friendly instruction. Devon would give me the occasional tip, shifting my stance on occasion and giving me pointers on how to ‘feel’ for the timing of the blade. In time I was hitting the target more often than not and I was granted a notification that I had been long waiting for.

You have learned Daggers (lvl.2)
You have learned Throwing Weapons (lvl.1)
You have learned Throwing Weapons (lvl.2)
You have gained 1 Dexterity

It seemed that with proper instruction I could gain skill levels much faster. Daggers would be a useful proficiency to have in case I ever lost my main weapons or if I had to engage in some up-close wetwork in the future. More importantly, I had gained a point of Dexterity for my concentrated efforts.

“Thank you, Master Devon,” which drew laughs from Devon’s crew, but I could see that Devon’s face was a little flushed with pride, “for your instruction. Where can one get such weapons as these, they have a fine balance and fly true.”

His posture a little straighter Devon smiled and replied, “Go down along this road outside to yer left a little way, you’ll see the sign of the Soot-Stained Pig Iron Forge. Basically a black pig. Tell ol’ Cillis Aideh I sent ya.  She’ll give you a discount if you buy ten,” he slurred the last getting clearly drunker and I doubted I would be able to receive any further good instruction.

I thanked Devon again, and the seedy-looking men behind him raised a toast in my name. Though it had cost me a few coins I was a little bit happy with my newfound popularity. I was even happier when I saw the notification.

You have gained 1 Charisma

Not bad I thought to myself as I turned to the bar and cleared my tab before going back up the creaking stairs and returned to the room to my companions. Entering our room I saw Kidu and Elwin seeing to the maintenance of our gear. Kidu had even fashioned a strap for my helmet, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I was thinking of trading it in for something at the earliest opportunity.

“That’s it. My turn now,” Elwin said rising up from the floor like a hound that had just been let loose and dashed for the door.

“Try and find a place to sell the...” I tried to suggest as he went past me.

“Yes, yes, mother. And I’ll try not to sink too deep into my cups, nor will I be losing my chastity this night!” he shouted back at me as he bolted down the stairs, probably to engage in a round of drinking.

Upon hearing this Kidu just grunted as he continued to diligently polish his spear, grinding out traces of rust with a grinding stone. Sitting again by the shutter I decided to practice my magic.

*

The sun had begun to set, its dying light staining the sky in dull reds and oranges. People seemed to be in a hurry to conclude their business as they hurried along the streets below. I saw a merchant hurrying to his lodgings bump into a solidly built woman and fall flat on the floor spilling his remaining goods from his large bags. Street urchins, like a flock of vultures, darted in among the confusion and quickly looted what they could before disappearing off into the crowd. The merchant raised a fist at the escaping scamps, hurling a constant stream of invectives at them as the woman tried to help the man with the rest of his possessions.

Perfect, I thought, focusing on the unlucky merchant. I drew my magic to me, sampling the first syllables of the spell. Rancid oily notes that spoke of the desecration of the soul floated across my tongue that struggled to enunciate them clearly in an otherworldly timbre. As the spell reached completion with one last dark syllable, a cluster of gossamer-thin threads of midnight-black flew on shadowy wings from me to the merchant as I finished casting the spell Drain. The threads attached to the merchant I could feel a trickle of some sinister yet vital energy that enriched my very being and fed a hunger I never knew I had. On a primal level, I knew then that I was draining the unwitting man’s very life force like a magical vampire.

Quickly, I winced as I cut myself, my skin seeming to resist the cutting edge of the blade. I wanted to test the effect of the spell and I succeeded in doing four points of damage to my Health as I drew a shallow cut across my forearm. The man was still arguing with the woman and cursing the world in general almost frothing at the mouth when after long moments I saw my health tick up a single point.  I continued to wait as the spell continued to siphon the life force out of the man raising my health back up to full. The man looked slightly less animated now, his anger beginning to lose its rough edge as the woman kept apologizing. He shivered as if from the evening chill and began to look around, ignoring the woman’s constant apologies.  I quickly ducked out of view, fearful that perhaps he had noticed my arcane meddling. I noticed my Mana had ticked back up a single point despite the initial cost of two Mana to cast. I concluded then that Drain restored Mana as well as Health. My heart beating like a war-drum I took a slow steady breath and reigned in the dark threads of magic and ended the spell.  Would Drain would also restore my Stamina too?

Kidu, still completely rapt with the maintenance of his weapon failed to notice my experimentations and breakthrough in the magical arts, and that was perhaps for the best too.  Not wanting to disturb him, I practiced casting Drain on several targets in the street outside.  The range of the spell, like Rust, was about fifty or so meters.  I knew this as I had avidly watched a man walk away down the street, the black threads almost snapping as he passed a corner that I estimated to be around forty or fifty paces away from my vantage point.  Pretending to practice an imaginary sword form, I stood up and drew my shortsword from my hip, and cut a few times at some imaginary opponents.  I even summoned a few Power Strikes that drew flashes of steel in the air to help lower my Stamina.  Preparations complete, I cast Drain again at some random people in the street below and was pleased to observe that my Stamina had risen, and at a much faster rate than simply resting should have done.  Suddenly I was met with a notice that shocked me utterly.

You have slain ??? 20 experience gained

What in blazes?  I thought to myself extremely confused.  I was pretty sure my spell hadn’t killed anyone, this must have been a mistake by the game.  Also, I had been casting the spell only at the people below and humans, even at low levels, were worth a lot more than twenty experience points when killed.  Still, I would not look a gift horse in the mouth.  Somewhere, I imagined I could hear rasping sibilant voices laughing in the distance.

Kidu finishing the ministrations of his weapon, laid the spear by the side of the bed and turned to me looking at me seriously, “Are you finished with your practice?”

“How did you…?” I said utterly at a loss.

“Your face, it is a good tell when you are concentrating.  Seen it too before only twice.  When you are waging war on stone and when you are doing your magic,” he said with a simple shrug of his massive shoulders.

With almost impeccable timing Elwin entered the room, a small smile on his lips and a slight kiss of alcohol on his cheeks.  The Rogue regaled us with the tale of his daring-do downstairs and how he had charmed away from the locals a fence who would be willing to buy our ill-gotten spoils, at a good price of course.  After he had no more anecdotes to tell Elwin made for the bed, taking off his leather boots and made to rest. Just as he turned in to sleep he gave me a wink and pressed a small ratty bundle into my arms.

“I remember… the promise I made to tell you what I knew about the arts. The Control,” he burped unceremoniously, and even at this distance I could smell the reek of alcohol, before continuing, “Got this on the cheap… damaged goods… but a … like za hat would be too much…” he finished as he passed me a curious bundle before falling into bed and snoring almost instantly.

The bundle was on closer inspection a very damaged book without a cover, just some pages bound loosely. Here and there, pages were also missing and the ink had run destroying much of the meaning. A book, I finally had a book. It was a damaged specimen, but a source of precious knowledge nonetheless. A cursory glance at the first page showed that the characters were in the local language as I opened up a half-torn cover. It was a boon that it was written in ‘simple’ Trade which meant that I would not have to expend as much Mana to plumb its meaning.

Hands shaking I went over the information, hands being extra careful where they touched brittle sections of parchment. Hungrily I poured over the text, and cast Identify on the parts that eluded and frustrated me. Sure enough through magical means, deduction, and inference, I began to get an idea of the content of the book. It was a primer of sorts, for initiates in the study of magic and Mana.

In my eagerness for new knowledge, I had almost forgotten to lock the room door, a state which I soon rectified before settling into my usual position. Holding the book in my hand like a precious relic as I poured over the text under the light of a dying candle. Soon enough there was no light to read by, the stub of the candle expiring its last and I was forced to look out into the darkness of the night to resume my watch.

There were no lanterns on the street, the only light was that which escaped from the houses and places of business still open this late. The city even at this hour was still filled with noise as people went about their business.  If one listened closely, one could even hear the occasional crack of the whip in the distance followed by a scream, which brought me to a shudder.  I settled into the chair and looked out into the evening, just trying to enjoy the moment to myself as night fell and my watch began.