Rune Seeker

“That,” Yanily said over the party chat. “Is what I’d call a Skyfall!”

“I’d call it a whole lot more than that…” Ilrolik replied.

The fact her voice came as an individual’s – as opposed to the combined thoughts of the group – was the thread that unraveled the Aspect. Without Hiral’s solar energy to hold them all together, they’d communally fought to fill in the gaps, but the pause in awe at Yanily’s display had ground it all to a halt.

Dropping to a knee, spheres of blue flames emerged from the towering Aspect as party members were deposited safely on the ground one after another. Hiral, in the arms of Left and Right, came just before Wule, and then finally Nivian, the Aspect vanishing as his feet touched the ground.

“I hope that’s the end of the fight,” Yully said.

“It is,” Seena said. “We got a quest complete notification.”

“It’s not the only one we got,” Seeyela said. “Did you see the other one?”

As the others talked, Hiral couldn’t do much other than lie there – with doubles standing protectively over him – and was just about to open the notifications the others were talking about, when he felt a hand slip into his.

“Good job, there,” Seena said quietly. “Again.”

“Just doing my part,” Hiral said, his solar energy still all over the place inside his channels.

“More than that,” Seena said. “As usual. You know, Hiral…” she started slowly, and he completely stopped focusing on his solar energy to look up at the party leader. That tone in her voice wasn’t normal. “This is usually the part where I talk to you about being reckless – like standing in front of a gigantic death beam – but…”

“But your sister did it first?” Hiral asked, more than willing to sacrifice Seeyela to take the brunt of the attention.

“No… well, yes,” Seena amended. “Not what I was getting at, though. You’ve constantly put yourself in danger to save us, and after, every time, I go and harass you about being reckless.”

“You’re not harassing me,” Hiral said.

“I’m not intending to,” Seena said. “And I wanted to say that. I know – we know – what you’re doing for us. And we appreciate it. A lot. I don’t complain about your being reckless because I want you to stop. I know you won’t, anyway. It’s not even about asking you to be more careful… it’s…”

“Your way of showing you care,” Hiral filled in. “Especially before we were… this.” He gently squeezed her hand to make sure she knew what he was talking about.

“I may not be a very good girlfriend,” Seena said. “I…”

“Kicked her last boyfriend before you off the island,” Yanily said. “Yes, you two are in the party chat again.”

Hiral blinked slowly as he looked at Seena.

“He was wearing a jumpsuit…” Seena said after several silent seconds. “And you know what, I don’t care if everybody else can hear us. Hiral, none of us… no, scratch that. This isn’t about them. It’s about me. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to stop being reckless, but I also really don’t want you to stop coming back to me.”

“I’ll always come back,” he said.

“You can’t even walk right now,” Right pointed out.

“Good thing I have you two to carry me,” Hiral said without looking at his double.

“Good thing you do,” Left agreed.

“So,” Seena continued, her attention still firmly focused on Hiral. “I may not say this enough, but, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” was all Hiral could say, a comfortable warmth in his chest from Seena’s sentiments.

“Me next,” Yanily said over the party chat. “I should definitely get something for that Skyfall.”

“You got an S-Rank weapon,” Wule said. “What else do you really want?”

“S-Rank weapon?” Hiral asked. “What?”

“Didn’t look at the notifications yet, did you, boy?” Gran asked.

Hiral glanced at Seena. “Had more important things to do,” he said.

“Go ahead and look at it,” Seena said. “I have a feeling it was only possible because of you.”

Now far more curious about the notifications than before, he happily opened the notification window that’d popped up in the middle of the battle. As soon as he saw it, his brain almost completed stalled out, and it was frankly a good thing he was already lying down.

Congratulations. Achievement unlocked – The Beginning of a New Legend

Through a combination of opportunity, ingenuity, teamwork, and decisiveness, that which had been the sole dominion of the Progenitors has been wrought by mortal hands. A new artifact (S-Rank item) has been born.

May the ground tremble as the skies thunder its name – Tempest Roar.

As a major contributor, please access a Raid Interface to unlock class-specific reward.

“We… made an S-Rank item?” Hiral asked, mind still stuttering in awe at the notification floating in front of his eyes.

“You bet we did,” Yanily said. “And… She. Is. Beautiful.”

“She?” Seeyela asked.

“Way too pretty to be a he,” Yanily said smoothly, at the same time a shadow passed over the group. Thunderclaws did a swooping pass before landing near the group, and Yanily hopped off his Reflection’s back, new weapon in hand.

And… Yanily wasn’t lying about the weapon being gorgeous. Still made of crystal, the spear had taken on a blue hue. The blade on the end was two feet long by itself, sharp on both sides – to be used as a cutting as well as a piercing weapon – with intricate etchings of a roaring dragon along it. Where the blade met the haft, two more crystal tines spiraled out and closely down another foot along the shaft, like winds circling. Within those rotations, small bolts of electrical power constantly went back and forth, making that whole end of the weapon practically glow.

Within the shaft itself, fragments of a captured storm raged, but in a way that brought a strange sort of calm over Hiral. There was a beauty to it, like safely observing the power of nature’s fury in the distance, and being left awed by its magnificence. At the same time, hints of danger flashed within. A constant reminder that while it could be beautiful, it could also be terrible for those unfortunate enough to get in its way.

Tempest Roar was the same way.

Hiral was more than a little glad it was on his side.

“Okay,” Seeyela said as everybody gawked at the weapon. “I have to agree to with Yanily on this one. That is one, pretty, stabber.”

“Almost seems a shame to stick it into something,” Loan said.

“Seems more a shame not to,” Seeyela countered, and the big Shaper could only shrug and nod.

“Did everybody get the achievement?” Hiral asked.

“I think so,” Seena said. “But mine says I was a minor contributor or something. What does your say?”

“Major contributor,” Hiral said.

“Mine is major too,” Yanily said.

As the others began listing off what theirs said, it was only Hiral, Yanily, Seeyela, and Nivian who got the nod as major contributors. The rest got the minor title. Even the companions.

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“It’ll probably make a difference for the rewards,” Wule said, then punched his brother gently in the shoulder. “You better share.”

“You should’ve just done more,” Nivian countered smoothly.

“I was busy healing you when you decided to tank things with your face,” Wule said. “Isn’t that doing more?”

“Don’t even bother,” Gran said with her customary cackle. “You know he likes the punishment. Him and a certain other tank who is nearly incapable of dodging anything other than cleaning duty around the camp.”

All eyes went to the Rune-o in his miniaturized form beside Romin. A snuff was his only reply.

“He says its hard to pick up litter without thumbs,” Romin said.

“Manages to make a mess just fine without them,” Gran said.

“Back on topic,” Seena said to round everybody up again. “We’ll get the reward for being part of crafting an S-Rank item…”

“Pretty easy process, too,” Yanily said. “We should do it a few more times.”

“Do you happen to have,” Hiral held up his hand, then started counting off fingers as he went down the list. “A giant, mechanical construct with a nearly unlimited power supply and a method to convert that into destructive energy? A pair of Edict-inspirations to guide the process? The combined efforts – and their shared mind – to support you in combining the previous two? Another custom-built A-Rank item so in tune with its owner they might as well be one in the same, to upgrade to S-Rank?”

“I’ve got you,” Yanily said. “You’ll figure it out, like you always do.”

“I’m honestly not sure if I should be flattered by the sentiment, or a little horrified you’re serious.”

“Little of column A,” Seeyela said. “More of column B.”

“As I was saying,” Seena interrupted. “That was our first achievement. Everybody make sure you look at the second one as well.”

The party leader’s glare made sure there weren’t any additional off-topic comments, and Hiral wisely dove right into the second notification window.

Dynamic Quest: Complete

Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized

Congratulations. Achievement unlocked – Technological Superiority

Having defeated some of Tomorrow’s most advanced and powerful technological creations, you have proven there is still room for improvement in her designs. Will you scrap the work she has done, and leave it to rust? Or, will you take up the mantle of innovator to pick up where she left off, joining her creations with your own skills?

Tomorrow’s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 5/5

Tomorrow’s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 30/30

Tomorrow’s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 1/1

Please access a Raid Interface to unlock class-specific reward.

Note: Unique schematic and associated advanced class options have been delivered to your War Table.

“We don’t get advanced class options here and now?” Hiral asked, a little disappointed. That would’ve helped make sure everybody…

“We got advanced classes,” Loan spoke up. “All three of us.” He gestured between himself, Ilrolik, and Sera.

“You aren’t the only one,” Devison said.

“Does it make sure your feet stay attached?” Yully asked. “Because if it doesn’t, turn it down and wait for one that does.”

“All four of you got advanced classes?” Hiral asked. “That’s…”

“Not just them,” Finotol spoke up. “Seems like combining into that big Aspect triggered one for me too. Another True-Bonded class.”

“Me too,” Dole said.

“Everybody who still needed an advanced class got one?” Hiral asked, partially a little surprised. That had been… easy? Then again, maybe not. They’d just completed a very difficult A-Rank trial with some exceptional circumstances. And, he didn’t really know how difficult it was to get an advanced class, just that when they could be acquired was limited. “What are they called?”

“True-Bonded Weapon,” Finotol said. “As in the one we just fought, I think, not what we all fight with. It reads like our True-Bonded form will be closer to Rive’s shape than mine.”

“Which would make it closer to the construct we just fought,” Hiral said, nodding. “How about you, Dole?”

“Inscribed Warden,” Dole said. “Focus on my area-control abilities.

“Both of our classes start with inscribed too,” Loan said. “Mine is Inscribed Bruiser.”

“Inscribed Knight,” Ilrolik said.

“While mine is Scribe of Battle,” Sera said. “Seems to be a common theme for Makers.”

“Are any of them lost classes?” Seeyela asked.

“How would we know?” Loan asked.

“You’d see lost in brackets in front of the class name,” Seena said, and all four Makers shook their heads, as did Finotol.

“Ilrolik,” Hiral said. “You didn’t get a class connected to your Shaleclaw Grudge like Bash?”

“Smash?” the little Troblin asked.

“Shh, later,” Wule said, patting the undead on the head.

“Nothing,” Ilrolik said. “I’m… not really surprised though.”

“Why’s that?” Wule asked while he scratched Bash behind one of his overly large ears. The Troblins leaned into it like it was the best thing in the world.

“Just look at him and his new hammer,” Ilrolik said, pointing to where said weapon was nestled against Bash’s leg while he got ear-scratchies. “To him, that hammer isn’t just a weapon. A tool. It’s practically part of his identity now. Has been since he got it.

“Me? The axe is a way to help me keep monsters’ attention on me so I can tank better,” Ilrolik continued. “And – pardon the pun – a grudging one at that. If I had a choice, I’d just be using my tattoos. Those are who I am. Who I have been for my whole life. This axe, while great for what I need it for, just doesn’t feel natural. There isn’t the same connection when I use it like there is with what I shape myself.”

“Shapers believe in themselves,” Loan added, slapping a big hand on his even bigger chest in the process. “Always have, probably always will. We have too much pride. Especially us old dogs.”

“Why didn’t you get a new tattoo for generating threat?” Romin asked. “Like Hiral got new ones.”

Ilrolik and Loan both barked out a laugh, but it was Sera who answered.

“Most Shapers don’t have the same recovery abilities my son does,” Sera said. “For Ilrolik, Loan, or Dole to get new tattoos that would serve them well here in the Cradle, they would need to be at least B- or A-Rank tattoos. At the minimum. The recovery period for those – for regular Shapers – wouldn’t be measured in hours, but in cycles. Dozens or hundreds of hours. The more powerful the tattoo, the longer the recovery time.”

Beside Hiral, Seena looked over at Left and Right, then to Hiral. “What about when you were a kid?”

“Children have it much easier,” Hiral said, then sort of paused. “For… some reason…?”

“A young child neither has nor instinctively draws on their solar energy like an adult does,” Sera said. “For them, the tattoos are just tattoos, up until they begin to master the flow of their solar energy. Interestingly, the better someone gets with their energy – and the stronger they become – the more adding a new tattoo stresses their body.”

“You know,” Hiral said, thinking. “I bet it has something to do with how formed the PIM is, and what modifying it externally does. I’ll have to talk to Gauto about it…”

Seena patted his arm to remind him that was a discussion for later. “Are you happy with the advanced class you got?” she asked the other party leader.

“I don’t think it’s as strong as some of the ones your group has,” Ilrolik said. “And these Inscribed classes feel like default advanced classes for Shapers…”

“Like the True-Bonded for us Bonders,” Romin said with a nod.

“Exactly,” Ilrolik said. “That doesn’t make it bad, though. Quite the opposite. This Inscribed Knight has some abilities that will help with tanking. And, even though PIM-granted abilities still don’t feel as smooth as my own tattoos, they’re closer than an external weapon. I’ll happily take it.”

“It’s more than we ever thought we’d get before all this started.” Loan gestured around them at the ruined city, but probably referred to everything since Hiral had jumped from the islands.

That seemed like a good enough answer for everybody. They hadn’t all gotten Lost advanced classes, but any advanced class was significantly better than nothing.

“What about your Devison?” Seena asked.

“Not Lost either,” Devison said. “As for the class, it’s called Fractured Warrior…”

Yully just burst out laughing. Or maybe it was crying, it was honestly a little hard to tell.

“It’s not about my feet,” Devison sighed. “It’s because of how my ability lets me choose or change outcomes in the near future or immediate past. The class is calling them fractured potentials.”

“Maybe just keep choosing the ones that keep you in one piece,” Seena suggested.

“Should we take these classes now?” Ilrolik asked. “We can practice with them in the next trial we do to get a feel for them.”

“I think we should…” Hiral started, and was cut off yet again. This time, it wasn’t by one of the others saying something, though, and instead by a memory slipping its way into his mind.

“… is gone,” Elezad said in the memory, standing in front of Hiral with a knife in his hand. “So, you should probably come back as soon as you can. Ugh… I’m not sure I should do this. Stabbing my own son? It feels so…”

“Just do it, Dad,” Nat’s voice said from off to the side. “You’re wasting his memory time. He might not even see the message.”

“Oh, you’re right, you’re right,” Elezad said. “I’ll just… sorry.” That was the last thing Hiral’s father said in the memory before he reached out and slit his son’s throat.

Hiral shook his head to dispel the strange memory, and how it’d arrived.

“Hiral?” Seena asked.

“Sorry,” Hiral said. “Remember the clone I left back at camp in case my father needed us to come back? I just got a message through it.”

“What did it say?” Seeyela asked.

“A lot of nothing,” Hiral chuckled. “He wasted most of the memory stressing over killing the clone. What little he did say made it sound like something is missing, and that we should get back.”

“Did it sound urgent?” Ilrolik asked.

“He didn’t seem panicked,” Hiral said, thinking back to his father’s behavior. “But, for him to send the message at all – and I only left the one clone, so there aren’t any second chances – gives it at least some urgency.”

“Then we should head back,” Nivian said.

“Is everybody level twenty now?” Seena asked.

“Everybody in my group is,” Ilrolik said.

“The last of us got it in the battle with the 0M3G4 W34P0N,” Nivian said. “We’re all ready to hit A-Rank.”

“The last B-Rank trials would’ve been nice,” Yanily said. “But, we might be able to come back for them after we figure out what’s going on at the camp.”

“Yeah,” Seeyela said. “It doesn’t look like the fog is missing, so it’s not that, at least.”

“What about the advanced classes?” Loan asked.

“If we can, save them until we’re back at the camp,” Hiral said. “We got an achievement and the Evolutionary Inspiration ability from being around two simultaneous class evolutions. Might as well give that to as many people back at the camp as we can.”

“Might even get something special for…” Yanily paused to count how many people had just gotten advanced class options. “… for six at once. Wow. Yeah, we better get something for that.”

“It’s settled then,” Hiral said. “We’re heading back to camp.”