A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. I took some time off of writing for the holiday season, and getting back to the groove took a bit longer than I thought. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
Farmstead
"No…I was too late."
Joshua collapsed to his knees. He had heard a raging battle and hurried towards the source, only for some floating crystalline monstrosity to warp him to an entirely different location. After battling and sneaking his way towards where he thought the battle was, he was greeted with the sight of dismembered human remains. He had hoped to talk to the first human beings he had seen in an eternity, ask where Estelle was, or even run into her. He was disappointed yet again.
"Please, Aidios. Please…don't let me find Estelle here," Joshua prayed under his breath as he forced himself to look over the corpses. Crystalline shards were already growing over the rapidly cooling human flesh like some glowing gem-like moss.
"Ah, so we meet again, Joshua," another familiar voice called out, causing Joshua to whip his head around. A bespectacled black-haired man wearing a robe and wielding a staff. The sight of the man made Joshua's blood run cold, for it was the spitting image of Georg Weissmann, the deceased 3rd Anguis of Ouroboros and the architect of all of Joshua's pain.
"I see, so it's just like him then," Joshua muttered. "Of course you'd be here."
Weissmann then went on a rant about something related to him finding a power that dwarfed even the Grandmaster. Joshua never cared for the details as he pounced on his former handler and tormentor, tackling him to the ground. Kevin had told him about how Weissmann died, and part of Joshua had been bitter about not getting his revenge ever since. The phantom copy pinned beneath Joshua was the opportunity he so dearly craved even after all these years.
"This is for Hamel!" Joshua said as he jabbed one of his throwing knives into Weissman's stomach, cutting his begging short with a bloodcurdling scream. Joshua never knew how much he wanted to hear it until that moment.
"This is for Karin!" Another knife right through where his liver would be.
"This is for Loewe!" Followed by one through his heart.
"And this…this is for trying to make me kill Estelle!" The last one went into Weissmann's throat. Panting in relief, Joshua got off the corpse. Like all the other enemies he had killed in the strange blue hellscape, no blood came out of Weissmann's wounds. Instead, glowing dust poured out like sand. The corpse started to fragment and collapse in on itself until it was nothing but a chaotic jumble of rock and crystal.
Joshua roared as he slashed at it until it too broke apart, leaving him feeling somewhat satisfied. He surveyed his surroundings, taking in the sights of the warped field around him and the windmill. It had remained standing despite taking the brunt of the meteor's impact, with a few pieces even floating in midair.
Joshua walked away from the windmill, knowing that the monstrous Miller was on the prowl. He found himself in front of a ruined fireplace. One of the few truly safe places in the Farmstead. He sat down, resting his head against the wall in exhaustion and frustration, and pulled out his harmonica.
Cove (?)
The knot was sloppy and rough, so I slipped out with ease. The man who tied it was strong, yet brutish. Slaying him with his own weapon was child's play.
The desert dreamscape was cold and windy, just like it always had been, just like that fateful day. Yet Amani still found herself breaking out in a cold sweat as the familiar hungry gazes of the serpents bore down on her. She could only manage a strangled yelp as the cobra lunged at her. Her normally quick reflexes failed her, just like they always had in those dreams, and the cobra bit into her shoulder before she could parry or dodge.
"Mad harlot! You…" The driver's words were quickly replaced by the thunder-like roars of the entire cart tumbling down the hill. I felt every bump and jolt as it reached the bottom.
Amani screamed, half in pain and half in frustration. The cobra drew back as fast as it had struck, avoiding an awkward thrust from her spear. She could feel the venom coursing through her veins already, the familiar burning sensation slowly spreading from her shoulder. Her pulse quickened even more, speeding the spread of the poison. A knife sailed from behind her at the cobra, only for its rattlesnake companion to knock it away with its tail before springing past Amani towards the blade's owner.
I was the only survivor, yet my left hand had been pinned by the debris. The accursed serpent struck soon after.
She heard Audrey's curses and the rattlesnake's angry hisses as the two grappled, yet Amani could only stare straight ahead at her would-be predators. Her vision was beginning to blur, and her legs were beginning to weaken. Even when gigantic the two-headed adder brandished the familiar quills on the top of one head at her, Amani could do nothing but slowly raise her spear and whimper. A phantom pain flared up in the stump that was her left arm as it struck.
The sound of breaking bone was drowned out by my screams. Then came the sawing. I worked quickly, for I feared what would happen should the venom run its course.
"No!" The new girl's (Estelle, right?) voice cried out as she jumped in front of Amani. Her staff met the attacking head. A resounding crack ensued, causing Amani to jolt. Estelle turned and smiled at Amani, holding a strange metal talisman in her hand. It glowed warmly for a split second before a refreshing wave washed over Amani, flushing away the spreading poison in her blood and the weakness in her limbs. Before Amani could say anything, Estelle turned her attention back towards the cobra and the adder.
"I'm the one you want, you scaly freaks! Come get some!" Estelle challenged the adder and the cobra as she held her staff in front of her in a defensive stance. The two-headed adder struck first, wasting no time lunging at Estelle, venom dripping from the fangs in its gaping twin maws. With practiced ease, Estelle simply twirled her staff horizontally and forced the ends into both mouths. The gigantic snake hissed as it bit down on the staff, trying to force Estelle back only for her to continue to stand her ground. An eerie glow surrounded the snake as a phantom sigil flashed over it.
"I have cast the weakening curse, Amani," she heard Abul calling out to her. "Finish it!"
Inspired and encouraged by Estelle coming to her defense, Amani hefted her spear with renewed strength and stabbed at the head on Estelle's right. The thick scales, already softened by Abdul's curse, provided no protection against her spear as it punctured its chin and penetrated straight upwards through its skull, killing the head. Before she could pull out the spear, another hiss sounded from her right. Amani turned towards the source and found the cobra lunging straight at her, only to get skewered by a bloodied pickaxe and flung to the ground.
"It takes more than some snakes to take me down, dear." Having dealt with the rattlesnake, Audrey flashed a smile at Amani before unsheathing a dagger and jabbing it into one of fallen cobra's eyes. That gave Amani the opening she needed to pull out the spear, pirouette to Estelle's left, and jam it into the other head straight through an eye socket. Moments later, the desert dreamscape faded away, leaving behind two sheets of gleaming scales as well as a sheathed obsidian dagger. Amani put away the scales inside her pack and tucked the dagger into her belt.
"What are the scales for?" Estelle asked as she examined Amani's new haul with curiosity.
"These?" Amani pulled one sheet of scales back out. "These are aegis scales. They absorb blows meant for you no matter how strong it could be. Very helpful for dangerous foes."
"See? That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Audrey gave Amani a light smack between the shoulder blades. "Looks like you got some more gifts out of the fight."
"Yes, I suppose so," Amani said before turning her attention to Estelle again and bowing. "My sincerest apologies for bringing you into my nightmares, and sincerest thanks for protecting me when I was at my worst. I am sure you are dying for answers as to what happened."
"Come on, now. Don't be so formal. We're all in this together, so of course I'll protect you. We're friends now, aren't we?" Estelle smiled as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "And take it easy. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't feel comfortable."
"Yes, I suppose we are," Amani said, feeling a huge weight coming off her shoulders. "Come, let us sit. Comfort or not, this is a story I must tell so I can make peace with my past and end these nightmares once and for all.
"I was a dancer once, in a distant desert kingdom. I suppose my skills were adequate at best, and my appearance appealing to men. The combination of the two made me a highly desirable act in various nobles' courts. My performances caught the eyes of one vizier. He must have coveted me for himself, for I was drugged one night at the inn I was staying at and found myself as a captive in a treasure-laden carriage.
"I recognized the path well as I had performed in his palace before. He must have seen me as nothing but another treasure he could have all for himself and his men. One of which was my jailer and stared at me with lustful eyes the entire journey. Yet I refused to succumb to my fate. I slew the jailer with his own weapon before attempting to wrestle control of the carriage from the driver, only for all us to tumble down the mountainside path straight to the bottom.
"I was the only one who lived, but it was a cruel mercy. My left hand…it was trapped under the rubble. A viper soon slithered by and sank his fangs into that hand. I had to make a choice, escape a cripple or die with my body whole. The cut…the breaking bone…my stump still aches time to time, especially during those dreams, and I always hear the hisses and the tearing of flesh in my dreams.
"The path of the dancer was forever closed to a maimed one such as myself, so I focused my attention on the art of war instead. I regained my reputation soon after not as a dancer, but as a sellsword. I suppose I have my previous vocation to thank for my abilities, but there is something else. Some mysterious force which lived the desert preserved my life and honed what remained of my body, yet it seems it has come to collect its price.
"While I've always had those dreams, it appears they only become real whenever I traverse these accursed lands. Perhaps my benefactor decided to collect his price."
"Or it could be the source of the corruption that plagues this entire fiefdom that is causing your dreams to manifest," Abdul said.
"In case you're curious, Estelle, Abdul is a close friend and has been helping me decipher these dreams," Amani said. "He has put forth this theory before, but there has been no definitive proof either way. Estelle, I hope you understand the perils of journeying with me from now on."
Amani looked down, thinking back to an expedition that had gone poorly where everyone had reached their breaking points. After fending off a wave of those nightmarish serpents, Reynauld had launched into an anger-filled speech about how she was possessed by demons and that she was merely an agent of the same pagan army he fought against. A steady hand on her shoulder interrupted those memories, and Amani saw Estelle had walked over and sat next to her.
"Amani, it's cool. I've dealt with something like this before. A couple of years ago, I was pulled into this weird alternate dimension that was based on a good friend's dark side or something," Estelle explained. "Did I see his ugly side? Sure did! Did I cut him out of my life? Hell no! He was fighting and hurting to get over his ugly side and terrible past, and I can tell you're doing the same thing. Next time you're going on a run, bring me too. I'll help you kick some scaly asses."
Amani couldn't help but smile under her veil at the cocky grin Estelle flashed, and she looked towards Audrey.
"Looks like we got ourselves a little snake-hunting party going," Audrey quipped. "Maybe we should invite Margaret along too."
"She'll chomp at the bit when she hears about the chance to shoot snakes," Estelle said before suddenly pausing and her smile slowly faded. "Amani, you mentioned this creepy vizier guy wanted you all to himself, right? First things first, what's vizier? Second, is he still after you?"
"A vizier is a noble in the land I'm from.," Amani replied. "As for your second question, I have heard rumors of his wrath when he heard I had slipped out of his grasp. Escaping his reach was one of the reasons why I came here in the first place. My instincts tell me he has not given up yet, however."
"Well, if anybody tries to kidnap you, they'll have my staff to answer to," Estelle said. "Come on, guys. Let's get going and take care of that last ward. This breeze is making me cold."
"Very well, let us be on our way," Amani said as she got up.
The path to the final ward was guarded by a few pelagic groupers, which the group dispatched with ease. They had also picked up some treasure along the way which would go a long way in the reconstruction and financing of the Hamlet, or so Estelle was told. Soon, the group came to a stop in front of the heavy stone doors and they all agreed to take a break.
"All right, the final ward should be up ahead." Abdul said.
"Seems like we got a fight ahead," Estelle said as she cracked her knuckles and gave her staff a couple of practice swings. "Best stay sharp."
"You can tell?" Her other three companions asked in unison.
"That's right," Estelle said as she took out her ARCUS, opened the lid, and pointed at a round golden gem snugly nestled in one of the sockets. "This is a Detection quartz. It allows me to sense enemies as well as treasure in a nearby area without needing a map. Pretty neat, huh?"
"My life would be so much easier with one of these," Audrey said. "No enemies can would be able to touch me, and I can know where every last ounce of gold in a tomb is."
"This is such a marvelous machine!" Abdul said. "I take it you can also gain more offensive abilities with this device?"
"Of course! I can drown enemies in lava, shoot icicles, summon lightning, cause an earthquake, and do all kinds of crazy stuff as long as I have the right quartz," Estelle explained, causing Abdul to whistle in delight. "I'm not sure if you can replicate the technology, though."
"Please, merely hearing about such wonders from your world is reward enough for me," Abdul said. "It keeps me humble and motivates me to always improve in my studies."
"While I do appreciate this conversation, I think our break was long enough," Audrey said after stretching her legs. "Shall we?"
"Let's do this and go back," Estelle nodded, and the group pushed the stone doors open before rushing inside. The final ward was guarded by two pelagic groupers and one creature Estelle had never seen before. It resembled a gigantic crab with barnacles growing on its back and wore a broken ship's wheel like a collar. What worried her most was the fact its claws were caked in dried blood. Estelle was also able to take a better look at the harpoons the groupers were carrying and saw that they were attached to long ropes coiled around their left shoulders.
"Uca Savage, enemy heavy infantry specializing in making you bleed. Be very careful." Abdul gave Estelle a hasty explanation while Amani charged at the enemy and Audrey retreated to a safer position before throwing poison darts followed by knives at the giant enemy crab. Estelle joined the fray soon after. She noticed the two groupers were rushing to the giant crab's aid and adjusted her course accordingly. One of them threw its harpoon at Amani in an attempt to distract her from their crab ally, but Estelle swatted it out of the air. While it was busy pulling back its harpoon via the attached rope, Estelle slammed her staff into its skull, killing it instantly.
Estelle then weaved to the side, narrowly avoiding a slash from the other grouper's cutlass before turning to face it. The walking fish gargled in some unknown language before charging at her with its sword. Estelle deftly parried away the strike before thrusting straight forward at its face, only for her staff to end up sliding straight into its gaping mouth. Whatever force she put behind that thrust was softened by the enemy's mouth.
Gargling and snarling, the grouper bit down and tried to pull the staff out of her hand. While Estelle was trying to pull it back out, she saw the grouper reach for its harpoon. Not wanting to be gored by the rusty weapon, Estelle let go of her staff, causing the grouper to stagger backwards and fall flat on its back. The impact made it spit out Estelle's staff and sent it clattering away from the two of them.
Run for my staff? Too far. Arts? It's already getting back up. Estelle broke into a sprint, acting on instinct without stopping to consider her best course of action.
"Hee-yah!" Estelle launched into a spinning kick straight at the grouper's skull just as it sat up, knocking it back down in a daze. She quickly eyed her fallen enemy. I could grab the harpoon, but unspooling the harpoon is gonna take too long. The cutlass dangling from its wrist will have to do.
Estelle got down on one knee, making sure to plant it straight into where her enemy's sternum would be. With a rough tug, Estelle snapped the rope the cutlass was dangling from. Before it could fully recover from Estelle's kick, she lopped off the grouper's head with one swing of the hijacked cutlass. Satisfied the monster had been put down for good, Estelle quickly ran over and retrieved her staff before reassessing the situation.
Audrey and Abdul were keeping their distance from the Uca Savage, trying to help by throwing more knives or casting hexes. Amani was still dancing her dance of death against the giant enemy crab, whose carapace was dotted with wounds from Amani's spear as well as Audrey's throwing knives. Either by a stroke of bad luck or the giant enemy crab becoming used to Amani's movements, one of its claws met Amani's skull with a resounding crack, stunning her.
Before Estelle could rush to her aid, the Uca Savage sliced open Amani's left thigh with its other claw. Amani let out a bloodcurdling shriek as her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.
"No!" Audrey screamed. "Estelle, get her out of there!"
Estelle had already reached Amani by then, having cast a Chrono Drive to speed herself up. As she scooped up the fallen Shieldbreaker and carried her to safety, Audrey ran past in the opposite direction, brandishing her pickaxe to distract the Uca Savage.
Estelle gently set Amani down on the cold stony ground next to Abdul, blanching at the shocking amount of bleeding; both their outfits were soaked scarlet after just a few seconds. Her wound was deep, and Estelle could even see what appeared to be Amani's femur at the bottom of that bleeding chasm of flesh. A rapidly growing puddle of blood under Amani meant she didn't have much time left.
"Stand back, and you may wish to avert your gaze," Abdul said. While Estelle did take a step back, she wanted to keep an eye on Amani. Something about the Occultist's ominous warning about his healing technique disturbed her and made her think her own healing Arts might be needed just in case. Abdul held the skull above his head and chanted in an unknown language once more. Suddenly, Amani screamed and convulsed as a mass of fleshy tentacles burst out of Amani's deep wound in a spray of blood. The appendages contorted and squirmed as they tried to reach outside of Amani's wound before suddenly retreating into her body, leaving the gaping wound in her leg as raw as before. The only difference Abdul's spell made was Amani's blood flowing out a little faster.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Estelle shouted, her temper flaring up due to the gravity of the situation. "You just made it worse!"
"I warned you my healing technique can be quite erratic!" Abdul answered, beads of sweat forming on his face. "Please! Give me some time to recover and try again!"
Estelle turned her head and saw Audrey had just pulled out her pickaxe from the Uca Crusher's stomach. While the enemy had become somewhat sluggish and clumsy from its wounds, it didn't seem like it would fall any time soon.
"No, there's no time," Estelle said as pulled out her ARCUS and went for a weaker healing Art. It wouldn't completely restore Amani's body, but it would be a quick heal and enough to stop the bleeding. A warm blue glow appeared under Amani as bubbles flowed up, seeking out any wound they could find. The ghastly wound on her leg began to close, and blood stopped leaking out. The glow disappeared before the wound could fully close, however, leaving behind something that was more manageable and didn't bleed.
"This is all I can do for now. Gotta deal with that crab freak first. Do what you need to do to completely heal her," Estelle told Abdul before she got up and assed the situation with Audrey, and it wasn't looking good. The Grave Robber was busy trying to pull out her pickaxe from a chink in the Uca Savage's shell to no avail, leaving her vulnerable to an attack that would most likely cripple Audrey if not killing her outright. Saving orbal energy can wait, I need to make sure Audrey's safe!
Estelle opted for one of her most powerful as well as energy-consuming support Arts: Chrono Burst. A golden clock appeared above Audrey's head, its ticking hands sped up to dizzying rates. Audrey became a blur soon after, having been drastically sped up by Estelle's Chrono Burst. The Uca Savage frantically slashed with its claws but failing to land a single hit on Audrey.
"Audrey, get away from that thing! Don't get caught in my next Art!" Estelle shouted on top of her lungs, her voice echoing throughout the cave. A glowing halo appeared at her feet once more as Estelle got ready to cast one of her more powerful Arts: Dark Matter.
Audrey dashed backwards just in time for a black hole to appear right next to the Uca Savage. The giant crab tried to skitter away, but the black hole's pull was far too powerful and dragged it towards the event horizon. Cracks soon appeared all over the Uca's exoskeleton while its limbs flailed frantically in a futile effort to escape. Its protective shell soon buckled inwards, tearing through the tender flesh it was meant to protect. The black hole disappeard seconds after it appeared, leaving behind a mangled corpse.
"I always hated fighting these things, bloody sturdy bastards," Audrey said as she searched for her pickaxe. She whistled happily after digging it out from the twisted pile of meat and shell fragments.
"No kidding. We got plenty of enemies with tough shells back home," Estelle said. "I'm usually the bait while others cast Arts on them."
"You mean like what you just did?" Audrey said. "I must say, speeding up like what you did for me was quite the thrill, and watching that Uca getting crushed by whatever you did after was nothing short of amazing. Thanks for warning me to pull out, I wouldn't want to get caught in that any time soon. Come on, let's go check on Amani."
Fortunately, they found Amani back on her feet and in good health. The wound in her leg had completely healed, leaving only a gash in the fabric and a long wide scar beneath. Both her and Abdul were watching Estelle with wide-eyed amazement.
"That…that was spectacular, but are you all right?" Abdul said. "Magic that powerful must have had some kind of price either on your body or soul."
"Nah, I'm perfectly okay. Like I said before, Orbal Arts are more technology than magic," Estelle said as she pulled out her Orbment and swapped in an Ingenuity quartz. "I had to drain a lot of power, though. Nothing a few long walks can solve. Believe it or not, but there are more powerful Arts out there."
"I am not surprised by that, but they must seem even more impressive than your display. By the way, my second contempt with Wyrd Reconstruction was a complete success," Abdul said. "If I may be frank, I have little control over whether the healing is successful and must apologize…"
"Don't worry about it, what's done is done," Estelle said. "Amani, how are you feeling?"
"Quite well, actually," she replied. "Abdul told me how you used your own technique to heal me before charging back into the fray. I also witnessed how you dispatched that Uca as well, and it was one of the most spectacular shows I have ever seen."
"Not only did you slay the enemy, but you bought me much-needed to fully heal her," Abdul said. "We are truly grateful."
"You might want to bring me along the next time you go on a run," Estelle told Abdul. "I've got my trusty staff to go up nice and close with, and I can act as a backup healer in case things go south with this 'Word Rebuilding' thingy."
"I'll certainly take that into consideration. By the way, the proper name of that technique is Wyrd Reconstruction, but we have dallied enough," Abdul said. "Let us activate the last ward and be on our way."
With their task complete, the team of four began the trek out of the Cove and back to the Hamlet. They returned the same way they came, giving them a good view of the sea. Estelle noticed that the water was far calmer than before their expedition, with the whitecaps and waves reduced to far more navigable levels.
"The boss is probably sending out letters to merchants saying the waterways are safe to use. For now, at least," Audrey said. "He'll probably want to send a different crew back out to clear the Cove some more."
The trip back to the Hamlet was uneventful, with Estelle collecting her pay, wash up, change into clean clothes, and going for a quick lunch before visiting the general store.
The owner perked up as Estelle entered. "Ah, welcome back to my store, lass." He flashed a toothy grin as he presented Estelle with a package wrapped in brown paper. "This was dropped off right before you came back."
"Is…is this what I think it is?" Estelle grinned from ear-to-ear as she eagerly tore off the packaging. It was a fairly primitive rod made of bamboo with a wooden reel. The rod already had a line attached, with a metal hook at the end. There was also a smaller box that contained some backup line and hooks, lead sinkers, and floats. It wasn't a Lakelord, but it suited Estelle's needs perfectly fine.
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Estelle couldn't help but jump in excitement at finally being able to fish again. "Name your price, I got some money right here."
After finishing their transaction, Estelle bolted out of the general store towards the shore, taking a detour along the way to get some leeches from Paracelsus to use as bait. She saw a small dock that showed some signs of weathering. After using her foot to make sure it wouldn't collapse on her, Estelle sat down contently with her rod in hand and cast her line for the first time since she arrived in the Hamlet.
To hell with booze and gambling. This is all I need to unwind.
Ruins
Brother Cibus quietly stalked through the lightless halls of the derelict castle. Weeks ago, he and his fellow cultists had received word of their prophet's demise at the hands of the new lord who had assumed ownership of the Hamlet down the hill. They had waited with bated breath for their seer's resurrection like the first time he had fallen, but their hopes had been in vain.
To make matters worse, the skeletal legions who formerly tolerated the cult's presence turned on every living human in the castle. He had witnessed several bone soldiers herd his brothers and sisters inside a chamber before slaughtering them. Their screams still echoed in his mind long after the fact.
How long had it been since then? Days? Weeks? Cibus had no way of telling. All he knew was that he had to get out, but it seemed as if the skeletons had barricaded every exit, waiting to kill anyone who dared to escape their master's domain. After spending some time skulking in the dark with only the chittering sound of bone and the occasional scream for company, he ended up banding together with a few other brawlers and a couple of acolytes. They told rumors of a secret passage that led from the old castle's dungeons straight to the abandoned manor on top of the hill. With the skeletons' attention focused on the surface exits, surely the patrols in the sub-levels would be sparser.
Things had gone well at first, with the motley group being able to avoid their new foes who were so intent on hunting them down. They even had the good fortune of using a band of doomed brigands as distraction while they quietly skulked away from a fight.
Then the acolytes suddenly went mad, raving and ranting about some sudden change in the magic. Both of them were smothered to death, but their screams had already drawn a group of bone arbalests and soldiers their way. Cibus was the only one to escape with his life.
He knew it was a sign from the gods, that he had been chosen to find the promised passage. He descended further, skulking in the dark once more. Cibus recalled bits and pieces of his prophet's sermon, about how a great power was slumbering beneath that ancient, rumor-shadowed manor, waiting to be reawakened. He would make it there, bring the power back with him, and use it to save his remaining brethren! He would…he would…he…would…
Cibus looked down at the arrow sticking out of his chest, a crippling pain flaring up as he coughed out blood. He collapsed to his knees as his assailant emerged from the shadows, a bone arbalest accompanied by a bone soldier. His vision began to blacken as the bone soldier started to drag him off towards his doom. Cibus could do nothing but waste his remaining breath screaming and cursing his fate amidst the cyclopean stones, never to reach the refuge of the Darkest Dungeon.