Alex
They had taken William from . The thing with its stupid, horrible grin, the one that seed so friendly at first. It had just asked, and I had given it my son. I would never forgive myself for that.
It didn’t matter to if it was a because it had so sort of mind control, reality-altering, or whatever. I should have been able to fight against it. Sothing inside of should have scread at the words in my head. But no, instead, I had done the unthinkable. I had handed my son, my only child, over to a nightmare.
Dad, John, and even Maud had tried to comfort . I’m sure if I had explained it, Dad at least would have understood, but I couldn’t even get the words out. Comfort didn’t matter. Nothing mattered other than one singular thing now. Not my guilt, not my failure, not the horrible crying William had done as I placed him into those barbed hands. The only thing that mattered was getting him back!
I numbly collected my few items that mattered enough for to bring. I had only unlocked my own System storage days before this had happened. The whole concept of levels and cores was still incredibly alien to , despite the fact that I was experiencing it, but now I wished I had worked at it. If I had been stronger, I might have been able to fight the thing.
A much more logical voice deep inside said that wasn’t true. That Dad or l might not have even been able to fight it, but my rationality wasn’t working at the mont. I doubted it fully would again until William was back in my arms.
Everything had changed when my son was born. The entire world had taken on a different aning. I had soone who depended on for everything, and I had failed him. The thought was stuck in my mind, and I had no idea how to block it out, or even if I wanted to.
I almost certainly deserved to feel the pain that ca with it. Perhaps the constant reminder would help push toward what I would need to do. l was a powerhouse, and I had seen him train Dad and the others. Well, it would soon be ti for him to train harder than they had been.
With that new thought taking root, so of my faculties for long-term thinking were returning. Good, I would need those. I had to plan out the steps on how to get stronger. I had another ten minutes or so before I needed to be at the gate. So that ant finding Karlinovo and grabbing whatever spare class and mana orbs the man had on him. There wasn’t enough ti to be picky, but I needed sothing.
I ran to the workshop and down the new flight of stairs in there, catching Karlinovo working at so machine with the other two scientists who were usually with Apollyon. “I need the most powerful mana and class orbs you have right now!” I said, making sure it didn’t sound like a request.
“Of course. Just grab everything in those two drawers. Powerful is kind of in the eye of the beholder, but sothing there should work well for you as a combination. Just make sure you go over them with l,” Karlinovo replied, pointing at two large drawers in a cabinet.
“Is there anything else that would be useful to bring?” I asked as I quickly moved to the cabinet and started to empty the drawers.
“Take the big sword. It’s not overly powerful, but I’m just going to break it down if we keep it here. l might be able to find a use for it. It’s in the magical weapon locker next to the cabinets,” he answered.
I wasn’t sure what he ant by big sword until I opened it. The thing was huge, nearly the size of a person. How had soone used this? No, that was a stupid question. The obvious answer was magic. I had seen enough of it to know that, and I wasn’t about to let my depression and rage cloud my reasoning again yet. That would just hurt in this chase.
I placed it in my System storage along with everything else, nodded to the n, and left the room as I had nothing else to say. Small talk wasn’t sothing I was capable of at all at the mont. I doubted these people were interested in it, even if I were.
As I walked up the stairs, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and swallowed hard, trying to force down the fresh wave of tears that had almost started. Tears were not helpful. I could cry later. I needed to get to the gate. I would not let the others wait for .
Exiting the house, I found John and Maud had left only seconds before . They were just stepping off the porch, the two cats in tow as I closed the door behind . John’s head looked back over his shoulder, and he tried to give a reassuring smile.
I gave him a blank stare in return. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t deserve that. But it was all I could do at the mont.
“It’s alright, I know, well actually I don’t know, but I can guess how you are feeling right now. I won’t try to push you to talk about it. But we are going to get William back. No matter what it takes,” John said, the attempt at a smile gone from his face.
I could appreciate that, and likely would in the far future. “Thank you,” I said. My words sounded hollow and empty of all life. They matched how I felt. Or at least they did during the periods between the anger and sadness.
“Yorela, over here!” Maud yelled.
I wasn’t sure where she had spotted the woman yet, as I couldn’t see her. Then again, she was much more powerful than I was, so whatever she had done with her attributes could have easily made her able to spot things before . Plus, there was however her bond with the cats worked. If she was sharing their senses, it was likely she had so giant secrets up her sleeve in what she was capable of now. I had the feel Maud was much scarier than she let on.
“Good, you’re all here. I’m sure none of you, other than l and maybe the bird, know what level of shit we are about to get into, but I also doubt any of you think there’s a choice. You’d be very right in that thought. We aren’t getting the kid back unless we put everything we have, and more, into chasing that jester down,” Yorela said as she joined them on their short walk to the gate.
“What happens if they make it back to their howorld before we catch them?” Maud asked.
“Then we all die, taking as many of them with us as possible. Well, assuming Squidlen will let us. I imagine he won’t, but I also imagine he will have so tricks in catching them before that happens. I don’t really know where their howorld is, not sure anyone does anymore, but I’ve heard it’s a long trip,” she answered.
This answer left with more questions than it answered. I didn’t understand how they could already be here if the return ti would be so long, but now wasn’t the ti to bother with those answers. I would pry loose every bit of info I could when it wouldn’t be wasting ti better spent chasing them.
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Instead, I looked at l and asked only a single question. “Is the gate ready?”
“Yep, whatever the jesters were doing ta block it vanished with them. Best we get going before anyone gets cold feet,” he said, turning it on while he spoke.
As I had nothing else to say, and in complete agreent with l, I walked through the gate. One mont I was in Alexandria, a na I had never liked for a ho I had greatly grown to like, and the next I was in a city of giants. While this wasn’t the first ti I had been off-world, it was the first ti I had done so without my father.
A slight feeling of wonder managed to push through my mind, almost winning over the other, more negative feelings for a brief mont. It didn’t last. Despite the grandeur of the alien city around , it couldn’t pull back from where I was at. Only William’s rescue could.
“Welco to Tregulep. Now co on. I know the owner of one of the taverns. He should be able to get info on Squidlen’s current location. If we can head there today, we will,” Yorela said as she walked in front of and started leading the group.
“How sure are ya that Squidlen is gonna be willing ta take us off on a jester hunt?” l asked, bobbing up next to Yorela.
“Pretty sure. For one thing, he owes for what happened the last ti I was on a trip with him. For another, chaotic space is getting more and more dangerous, and I’m sure he’s having a bitch of a ti getting much of a crew willing to sign on. We show up and tell him what we need. He’s going to be too busy drooling over the idea of us as his fighters to realize exactly what we’re asking. At least I hope he is,” she answered.
“What’s chaotic space like? Everyone keeps talking about it like we are going to hell or sothing, but we made it through the highways, and those were built through it, right?” Maud asked.
I had actually been curious about the sa thing, but hadn’t been able to vocalize the question. I swallowed hard for the millionth ti, trying to focus on the conversation. This could be important. Even if I wasn’t capable of fully participating at the mont, I was still entirely able to learn. I just had to force my brain to process the information, whether it wanted to or not. How the hell had Dad managed to do this when he first left the world?
“Confusing. Chaotic space is both beautiful and terrifying. I’ve seen shit that drove past my breaking point. But I’ve also been to worlds where waterfalls sll like rainbows. The thing about chaotic space is that the normal rules, as few as there are, don’t apply out there. There are pockets of wild mana everywhere, and those can attract monsters most can’t even dream of, or they can stay hidden and slowly allow a civilization to form around them,” Yorela answered.
There was a sense of longing in her voice that even I noticed. She may say it broke her, but she wanted to see it again. We had talked about chaotic space before, but only in the most surface-level of topics. She had always backed away from going deeper before now. And while I didn’t know exactly what she had experienced, I knew it was bad. One day, I was sure I’d be able to feel grateful for her being willing to do this.
“So that siren we fought. Should we expect more of them?” Maud continued her questions.
“Hopefully not anything like that. I’m not even sure really killed it after it shredded the traveler’s gate defenses and fully manifested in the city. Killing it in chaotic space would be even harder.” Yorela’s voice had gone grim with that answer.
“Wait ya fought the damned siren again? When we get a chance, I need a full catch-up of everything I missed. I need ta especially know where yer all at. Fer one thing, why does Alex’s core seem a bit off?” l said, his color shifting to a dark blue.
“I’ll cover it all. I promise,” Maud said just as Yorela turned off the street toward a gigantic yellow building.
Over one of the largest doors I had ever seen was a sign with the words ‘The Drunken Oaf’. Despite the door’s size, Yorela was able to open it with ease, and we all followed her into a well-lit room. There were a couple of dozen tables, mostly full of giants and a few other species I didn’t recognize. So of them might have been Dwarfs, but I just hadn’t been around enough other species to be sure.
Yorela led us to a smaller table in a corner and then turned and yelled toward the bar. “Hey, Grum, when you’re done being a waste of space behind that bar, how about you get your ass over here and answer so questions for ?”
“Who the hell let an Olkerfin in my bar? I had one damned rule, don’t make look at Yorela’s ugly face ever again, and my damned waitstaff can’t even do that for ?” He yelled back.
Despite the volu and contents of the words, both of the people exchanging them were smiling. Grum hopped the bar imdiately after his return yell, and, grabbing a large chair on his way to us, dragged it up to our table, taking a seat next to Yorela. He waved his hand to a giant in a uniform that matched the color of the building, causing the huge man to quickly lumber his way over.
“Get us all a round of the good beer. Oh, and grab one of the boars too, and maybe a wheel of the cheese,” Grum said to the man before turning his head back to the table as they walked away. “So what brings your grumpy ass to my bar? It’s been years!”
“We need to find Squiddy, quick as we can. It’s an ergency, and the longer we wait, the colder the trail’s gonna get,” Yorela answered.
“Damn, that bad, eh? Alright, I won’t ask. I can see that look on your face already,” Grum replied before turning his head again and yelling. “Troelsk, get over here!”
This ti, a small form flew toward the table and landed directly in front of Grum. It was barely bigger than a housefly. “What’s up?” it asked in a weirdly buzzing tone.
“Need you to go figure out where Squiddlen is right now. Do it as fast as you can,” Grum replied.
“Fast ain’t gonna co cheap,” the fly creature countered.
“Don’t care. I’ll pay it. Just get us the information as quick as you can.” Troelsk took to the air after Grum’s words and vanished through a nearby window.
“Thanks, not sure I could have afforded Troelsk’s prices without your help,” Yorela said the mont the fly was gone.
“Yeah, well, I owe you a lot more than that. You held that thing off. None of us, save maybe Squiddy himself, would have made it out there alive if you hadn’t. Honestly, kind of surprised you’re willing to go back, but I won’t press,” Grum replied just as a group of drinks were slamd onto the table.
“Thanks, it’s not my story to tell, and honestly, the less you know, the safer it is for you. As for Squiddy, well, I think I’ve finally forgiven him for getting out of that alive. I don’t have the dreams as much anymore. Hell, sotis I even sleep through the whole night now.” Yorela grabbed her mug and downed the entire thing in a single gulp after her words.
I felt my fingers pressed hard into my palm at this forced mont of normality. I wanted to scream, but I knew that wouldn’t help anything. We had to get through these monts even if I felt like I was going to burst. Reaching out and grabbing my mug, I forced myself to take a long drink. The pressure in my other palm decreased just slightly with the act.
I could do this. I would do this. I would bring William ho.
Often, a faction thinks they are in control of the primal beasts on their world. They think they can exert their power over what they do, how they do it, and expect them to follow all their orders. This almost never happens. It is one of the many reasons factions often choose the path of slaughtering their innocent beasts instead of giving them the place of respect they deserve.
Primal mana beasts have their wants, desires, and destinies all their own. Sotis many of those things line up with ruling factions, but often it’s a matter of finding a way to work together. Those who conquer these differences can find great benefits in the long-term growth of their local primals. Even rarer, sotis a primal forms a bond with a mber of a faction. When that happens, the beast will do things totally unexpected of a primal mana beast.
This bond can accelerate their growth, their awareness, and even the developnt of their own core. It can override their ties to the planet itself. Should the one they have bonded with be in danger, they will feel it. Great journeys have been taken by a primal mana beast in search of their friends. They are a powerful enemy to have, and only grow more so if their bond gives them a quest.
Ever scarier still to the enemies of a paired primal mana beast should be the idea of them finding a class. It’s incredibly rare, but it has happened. The archmage dog Daisy once burned her way across a dozen universes in search of her best friend. When she found he had been killed by the faction after no ransom had been paid for his return, she wiped every last mber of that faction from existence. To this day, all records of their na no longer exist. The System itself bowed before her rage.
Mana Beasts, My Friends from the writings of the Naless Druid
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