Advent of Eternity - Chapter 4 (Patreon)

A huge vulture was waiting for Knell about an hour down the road from the city. As he approached, wisps of smoke rose from the bird’s wings, growing in size until a solid wall of darkness hung in the air. The smoke faded as a woman stepped out from it, wrapping around her like twisting snakes.

She wore handmade clothing made of black leather and tattered feathers the size of a forearm. A band of stained brown cloth covered her eyes and her lips were blood red, a stark contrast to her skin, which was as pale as the shining moon.

“Hello, Mordrigal,” Knell said, inclining his head but not taking his eyes off her.

“My little instrument.” Her sultry voice sent a trail of ice running down Knell’s back. “You insist on this path?”

“My father has been preparing me for this since the day I was born,” Knell replied, choosing his words carefully. “I will seek my own Path.”

“Your Path was decided for you before you were born,” Mordrigal said, stepping up to him. She cupped his chin in a sharp-nailed hand, pulling his face up to meet her eyes. “But little did I know that your Eternal Body would boost your rate of growth. How beneficial. I believed that only Legendary bloodlines could provide such boons, but you are not the first with a hidden secret to aid you.”

Knell shrugged one shoulder, keeping his face flat. He was almost certain that his bloodline had nothing to do with the strange message that had appeared after his first kill, and he had absolutely no plans on giving Mordrigal any more information.

“So you say,” Knell said. “My father always despised you, and I am not much different.”

“Such a cruel way to speak to your teacher.” Mordrigal traced a finger up the side of his face and brushed the hair out of his face. “As is fitting. I will permit you this small liberty, then. Do not fall to another Scion in your rebellious faze. If you do, your punishment will be,” she paused as a shudder ran through her body and she drew in a sharp breath, “excruciating.”

“You will permit me nothing,” Knell replied. “All you can do is observe, Mordrigal. The gods have no power on their own in the Mortal Plane. I let your influence on me grow a single time, and we both know how that turned out.”

“Your words wound me,” Mordrigal said. Her breath smelled of carrion. Knell repressed a grimace before it could form on his face. “Children say such rude things when they are in their teens.”

“Is there anything more you wish to tell me? I have a long walk ahead.”

The woman grabbed Knell’s wrist and turned it over, running a pointed fingernail down his wrist. A small wisp of energy rose up from it, forming into words between them.

Knell Twist [Age: 0]

Scion [Rank Zero]

Magical Energy Level: 1 (0%)

Attunement A: Foresight of the Vulture

Attunement B: Empty

Attunement C: Empty

Attunement D: Empty

Attunement E: Empty

Bloodline: Eternal Body [Epic]– Time magic bends around you, modifying your lifespan and granting you resistance to spatial magics.

“I heard you’d finally wet your blade,” Mordrigal said, pursing her lips in a pout. “I expect it to be stained red when you return. The other gods know of us now. It’s interesting that your Bloodline doesn’t mention your increased power gain, but it isn’t unheard of.”

Knell yanked his hand back. “There is no us, Mordrigal.”

Mordrigal laughed and took a step back. “So feisty. You may be a broken tool, but you are a tool nonetheless. I will grant your request for freedom, but not for free. Your teacher has one last requirement, so that you do not set off into the world unprepared.”

“I expected as much,” Knell said, leaning on his staff. “What do you seek?”

“The same thing I always do,” Mordrigal replied, a smile tugging at her blood red lips. “Life. For today, I’ll settle for a specific one.”

“Which?” Knell asked. “I will not agree to an assisted suicide.”

“Her name is Lillicent. One of Holen’s Scions.”

Knell’s lips pressed thin. “The God of Man? He has some very powerful Shards. I am not prepared to face such a foe.”

“Lillicent possesses the flesh of one of Holen’s weakest Shards,” Mordrigal said. “You are strong enough to pose a threat.”

“Very well, but you’ll have to take me to her,” Knell decided. “I have no desire to trail another Scion for weeks.”

“This is against the unspoken rules.”

“When have you cared for rules?”

Mordrigal laughed. It was a chilling, hollow noise, like wind howling through a mausoleum. “Very well. I will deliver you, and then you will be on your own until the day that you seek me out once more. Do not perish.”

Smoke rose from beneath the wrapping covering her eyes, spreading out and enveloping her body. A violent gale picked up and the smoke enveloped Knell, blocking out his vision. The world went black and he tightened his grip on the staff in his hand, making sure he didn’t drop it.

As quickly as it had arrived, the smoke vanished. Knell stood on a cobbled road. He glanced at the setting sun above him – it had shifted downward significantly from when he had last seen it, but it was still the same general time of day, so Mordrigal hadn’t taken him too far.

A short distance away from him, at the edge of a large forest, an armored woman that must have been Lillicent faced off with a canine monster. The woman glowed with faint light to Knell’s eyes, almost as if the sun were hidden just behind her.

The monster’s fur was matted and black, with jagged fangs that jutted up from its lower jaw. The beast’s eyes burned with purple energy. It already sported several jagged cuts, but the woman was equally wounded.

Her shield laid on the ground several paces behind the monster, and from the way she was favoring one leg, Knell could tell that she’d taken at least one serious blow. He suppressed a sigh and started down toward them, careful to avoid putting any pressure on his right leg.

The monster lunged at Lillicent and she dove forward. It wasn’t a graceful move, but it took the beast by surprise and her blade scored across its chest, sending blood and internal organs spilling to the ground. She landed with a grunt a few feet from it.

It let out a scream of fury and lashed out, catching her on the shoulder before she could scramble away. Metal screamed against claw, but she managed to spin with the blow and avoid most of the damage.

Lillicent scrambled back, grabbing her shield from the ground and keeping her blade pointed at the monster as she unsteadily rose to her feet. It took a step toward her, the light in its eyes dimming, then collapsed to the ground and went silent.

Knell continued toward her. The woman’s stance was riddled with openings, most of them due to the serious injuries hidden by her armor. She turned to face him, her expression going grim.

“Which god?” she asked, struggling to keep her sword at the ready.

“Mordrigal,” Knell replied. “And you are Holen’s ilk.”

“I am,” Lillicent said. “And you should not be here. Holen told me that there were no other Scions in the area.”

“Apologies,” Knell said, stopping just out of reach. “He did not lie. Mordrigal cheated.”

The woman’s hand tightened around the hilt of her sword. “And what do you seek?”

“You already know that,” Knell said.

“No, I don’t,” she replied, a slight note of hope in her voice. “You waited until I had killed the Scorhound to attack, so you might seek my aid in something.”

“I’m sorry,” Knell said, somewhat surprised to find he actually meant it. “I did not intervene because your injuries are great enough that I will not have to. There is no reason for me to risk my life against your blade when you will die within a few minutes anyway.”

A bitter laugh escaped the woman’s mouth. “Modrigal broke the rules for no reason then, didn’t she? I suppose I can take that with me. The other gods will not look kindly on her interference, and it was completely for naught. I wasn’t as good of a warrior as I believed myself to be.”

She coughed, spinning her sword and jabbing it into the ground. She made no attempt to stem her wound. “You do not seem like the normal instruments Mordrigal employs.”

“I am one of a kind,” Knell said, his lip curling in mirth. “But you are the first Scion of Holen that I have come face to face with. Your fortitude is respectable. I think most would have tried begging for help by now.”

“It wouldn’t do me any good. There is no help to be found, and you would not betray your god,” Lillicent said. She slumped to the ground, bracing her back against the sword. “I do not have the energy to muster a call for help, so you’re lucky. There is nothing I can do. You’ve been gifted my fragment.”

“You’re wrong about that, but I doubt luck has anything to do with it,” Knell said. “I assume you did something to anger Mordrigal?”

“Killed one of her Scions,” Lillicent said, a flicker of a smirk dancing across her face. “Took the bastard’s fragment and gave it to Holen as well. She must have been furious. Hope you didn’t know him.”

“I didn’t,” Knell said, not bothering to ask who it was. “You must have known things would end this way. You cannot anger the gods without expecting retaliation.”

“I live the way I want to,” Lillicent said. “The Scion was going to try to kill a bunch of innocent people. I wasn’t about to stand by.”

Knell nodded slowly. “I can respect that.”

She looked up at him, clearly struggling to do even that. “What will you do with my fragment?”

“I’ll put it to use, I promise you that,” Knell said. “Mordrigal gifted it to me, whether she intended to or not. It shall not be wasted.”

Lillicent let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to agree not to use it to harm innocents?”

Knell tilted his head. “So long as they don’t attempt to stand in my way, I can grant that request.”

She blinked. “You’re… oddly reasonable. Thank you. It’s a pity you’re caught under Mordrigal’s thumb. Perhaps, in another life, we could have been friends.”

“Unlikely,” Knell said. “But life does not often conform to chance. Do you want a fast death, or would you prefer I wait? A few minutes will make no difference to me.”

“Like an angel of death, eh?” Lillicent asked, breaking into a pained cough. “Damn the gods. Meddling bastards never gave me a choice. I’ll take the warrior’s end, if you’ll give it to me. At least I’ll go out on my terms. My fragment is in my right palm.”

“Thank you.” Knell twisted his cane apart, drawing the thin blade within it free. “Could you tell me what city we’re beside, while you’re at it?”

Lillicent shook her head. “You’re shameless, asking a dying woman for favors when you’re about to kill her. We’re next to Chrisford.”

Chrisford was a port town, if Knell recalled correctly. That would suit his purposes. He inclined his head.

“Goodbye, Lillicent.” Knell’s eyes lit with glowing yellow light. Lillicent blinked in surprise as Knell drew on his energy to his limits, lighting up the dimming clearing like he had two miniature suns within his head. “Rest well.”

He drove the blade forward in a precise thrust, just slightly to the side of the center of her chest and through a tear in her armor. Surprise flickered in the woman’s eyes and her mouth worked, trying to form words.

Knell extended a hand over her face, closing her eyelids. The glow faded and he staggered. He flicked the tip of his blade down into her palm, carving it open to reveal a glittering green orb which he grabbed and deposited in his pocket.

He put his staff back together and leaned heavily on it, steadying himself. He’d used an enormous amount of power for that little stunt, but he couldn’t help the smug grin from crossing his face.

“Have fun dealing with that one, Mordrigal,” Knell said.

It wouldn’t be long before someone came running to find the source of the energy. Knell had no plans of being around when that happened. He turned and set off, not looking back once.

***

That night, Knell stopped at the base of a large tree to rest. He took the fragment out and examined the small orb. It looked like little more than a normal stone. It was hard to believe that it contained the flesh of a god – or at least, a fragment of one.

Whatever Shard of Holen that had given Lillicent her magic had been stingy. The orb was miniscule and barely had any magic in it at all, which meant it offered little potential for growth. There was no point taking its abilities directly. Still, it was useful.

Knell’s fingers ran across the smooth surface of the marble. A faint heat emanated from it. A part of him wanted to save it for the future, but he didn’t yet have the strength to justify carrying around a fragment without using it.

This was the first time he’d held one of the priceless objects, and it irked Knell more than he was willing to voice that it had been gifted to him by Mordrigal. He pressed his lips together and tightened his fingers around the orb.

It shattered, sending green energy coursing out and into his skin. A prickling sensation washed up his arm and into his chest and he let out a slow breath.

Magical Energy Threshold Reached. Your level has been adjusted accordingly.

A Shard of Holen looks upon you with hatred. Your slight against him will not go unpunished.

Knell Twist [Age: 0]

Scion [Rank Zero]

Magical Energy Level: 4 (1%)

Attunement A: Foresight of the Vulture

Attunement B: Empty

Attunement C: Empty

Attunement D: Empty

Attunement E: Empty

Bloodline: Eternal Body [Epic]– Time magic bends around you, modifying your lifespan and granting you resistance to spatial magics.

“That’s it?” Knell muttered, pressing his lips together in disappointment. There was no sign of the other message that he had gotten upon killing Yusuf. It looked like the extra energy only came when he killed something stronger than he was. As for the fragment, it had given him a fair amount of magical energy, but not nearly as much as he had been hoping for. “No matter. There are more ways to gain power. And, Holen, find someone to back your threats up so I can take their fragment as well.”

***

Wind nipped at Knell’s ears as he strode through the front gate of Chrisford. The click of his staff on the cobble streets punctuated his passing and drew a few curious stares from orphans hiding in the shadowed alleys.

It had been three days since he’d taken the fragment from Lillicent, and his muscles were weary from travel. Dusk had fallen, and he didn’t even want to think about what he smelled like.

The scent of cinnamon and honey drifted into his nostrils, stopping him flat in his path. A large inn looming over the main road called to him, its door open invitingly. Knell’s hand lowered to the small coin pouch at his hip and he considered the building for a few moments before heading through the door.

A crackling firepit at the center of the inn lit it with merry light and made shadows dance along the walls. Smoke curled up through the building, traveling through an opening on the second floor and disappearing through a chimney hole in the roof.

“Welcome to the Obese Pig!” a chipper waitress said, sliding up to him. If she was perturbed by his appearance, she didn’t say anything. “Would you like a table?”

“Depends on what you’re serving.”

“Honeybread and Orcish stew,” the waitress said. “It’s our specialty. I haven’t met a man who hasn’t liked it.”

“I’ve always loved a challenge,” Knell replied. “A table sounds fantastic.”

She brought him over to a small wooden table near the fireplace. Knell braced himself on his staff as he lowered into the chair. Once he was seated, he placed the staff across the table and let out a small sigh.

The waitress darted off to get his order. Knell took the opportunity to examine his fellow diners. Chrisford was a common gathering place for adventurers, and the Obese Pig was no exception.

Battle hardened men and woman filled the tavern, talking in loud, boastful tones. Laughter and angry mutters mixed together in a strange cacophony that assaulted Knell’s ears. This was as good a place as any to begin building his team. More than a few people sat alone and were likely in search of a group, but that wasn’t enough.

Putting a team together was easy. Putting a capable team together was not. Knell leaned back in his chair and observed his fellow taverngoers to see if any were of interest. A couple got into an argument a few tables across from him, growing steadily louder with every passing second.

A small figure in a ratty cloak watched them, pale green eyes shimmering in the firelight. A bulging coin pouch rested at her waist. Behind the figure, a large, armored man with a jagged sword strapped to his back leaned against the wall. He was watching both the couple and the lone person like a hawk.

The corner of Knell’s mouth turned down. His meal was about to get interrupted, and it hadn’t even started yet. The waitress emerged from the kitchen bearing a plate with a plump bread roll glistening with honey and a large bowl of soup.

She headed towards him. Her path set her to pass between the arguing couple and the small figure in the cloak. The man in the argument missed a beat as the waitress grew closer. Knell’s eyes narrowed.

Grabbing his staff from the table, Knell pushed himself upright and stepped toward the waitress. His eyes lit yellow and he stepped forward, his staff whipping out. The woman stopped arguing with her lover and thrust her chair back, right into the waitress’s path. Behind the hooded figure, the armored man pushed away from the wall.

The waitress yelped, stumbling and dropping the tray. Knell’s staff caught the plate before it could fall, and he quickly maneuvered to grab it with his free hand before everything went crashing to the ground. The armored man swore under his breath and turned away, heading toward the bar.