“So, think I’ll get sent to another world?” He asked the rat. It made noises in response. “Sorry, I don’t speak rat,” He sighed. “This was a mistake.”
He sat there for a while. His legs hurt less, but they were also feeling more stiff the longer he sat down. Deciding to take off his pack, he opened his inventory tablet.
INVENTORY
Wanderer’s Armor (Cloth, Mundane)
Axe of Iron Mountain (Iron, Mundane, E1/L12*)
Outsider’s Locus (Container, Esoteric)
Potion of Past Steps (Healing, Consumable, Esoteric, E1/L1) x1
Attunement Lozenge (Consumable, Esoteric) x10
Constellation Dagger (Iron, Esoteric, E1/L1)
He looked it over. His axe had leveled up, meaning he must have at some point in the caverns. The notification system seemed to prioritize boons and status effects, rather than levels like a normal game. He’d gained two stacks of Sightseeker just in the tunnels, and even tried using the tablets like a flashlight, but they didn’t shine on anything.
He read through things again. He had one soda-potion, but wasn’t that injured. The other two items he had never even looked at, and now was regretting not having Nico do so. Or even Barry’s mom. Rummaging through the Locus, the dagger and one of the lozenges found their way into his hand, as if they were moving on their own. The dagger itself did have a faint glow, but like with the light of Estrange it was too dim to really use. The lozenge felt like it was wrapped, like a cough drop. Marc started looking at the dagger.
Constellation Dagger (Iron, Esoteric, E1/L1)
A dagger connected to the Constellation of the Northern Stake, which acts as the North Star.
Cannot harm Outsiders or Starspawn. Often scores critical hits. Damage increases the further north one is.
“Hmm. Maybe I should have been using this the entire time,” The rat made more noises. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll see if Lloyd wants this,” he replied, assuming what the rat had said. Truth be told he would be terrible with a dagger. He turned his attention o the lozenge.
Attunement Lozenge (Consumable, Esoteric) x10
A small medicinal candy that can only be created by Outsiders of the related Affinity.
Changes an Outsider’s affinity for 1 day, granting temporary benefits based on the gained affinity. May cause loss of original benefits.
Affinity selected is based on area.
(NOTE - All creatures have Affinity, only more potent creatures are connected to a Source. Otherwise, the terms are interchangeable.)
Well, he had nothing to lose, and something to gain by using it. “Goodbye Esoteric. Well, for a day. . .” He unwrapped the Lozenge and popped it in his mouth. It was like a jawbreaker, sweet but impenetrably hard. Nothing happened, at least for a while. Then, slowly, he could see in the dark. As the last of the lozenge was dissolved into his mouth, a notification tablet appeared. Then another. Then another.
Affinity Temporarily Changed
You have lost {ESOTERIC AFFINITY}
You have gained {SHADOW AFFINITY}
{ESTRANGE} is no longer available
Temporary Boon {DARKWALK} is available
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
- {ESOTERIC AFFINITY}
Belonging to creatures, items, and abilities that are unexplainable or require forbidden knowledge.
- {SHADOW AFFINITY}
Belonging to creatures, items, and abilities that feature low light and lack of information. Opposite of Light, subset of Primal.
DARKWALK - X%
Wander through the world darkly.
Allows for quick travel land through shadows.
Grants Dark Vision, or improves it.
Allows for instant travel across [12 feet], if entrance and destination are both in shadow.
He could see now. At the very least he could find his way through much quicker. He gathered his things, and started to stand, legs crying out in protest. They’d grown stiff and reluctant to move in the short time he’d sat down, but a new determination filled him, pushing through the pain. On his feet, with the rat on his shoulder Marc looked at his surroundings. There was no light, so everything was just in various shades of blues. Looking at the ground, he could see the slight divot he’d carved into the stones with his axe, though he could also see that the axe’s edge was extremely blunted from the effort. Picking it up, he followed the path he’d carved.
The Sixth stood in the heat of his home. The caldera smoked overhead as rocks boiled and bubbled down below, but his alcove was as safe as ever. No one who wasn’t invited could ever reach him.
Unfortunately, the Second had a standing invite, and was immune to the heat of the caldera otherwise. His pet stirred at the new magic, and he petted the dragon to soothe it.
“Apologies for entering unannounced.” The Second stated.
“Just tell me what you need.” The Sixth replied unamused.
“A meeting. All of us. Winter Solstice”. It was only partway into fall, at least in the northern hemisphere.
“Same place if you’re calling it. Lyx is coming along.”
“Of course. Please make arrangements.” The Second turned to leave, but the Sixth gave a low, rumbling chuckle. The volcano shook with it.
“You don’t waste time. I’ll be there. Just got this one project left. . .” He looked into the molten stone. The weapon within was an experiment, one he’d see to the end.
The Second nodded, before leaving. Lyxoth’s eye opened, looking curiously at the Sixth. He felt the dragon’s gaze, but his own was locked deep underground.
Marc marched on, and after a while started to see more and more dead rats. He knew he couldn’t be in the same place as the last rat king was, so something had to be killing them besides him. Some of them looked off too, like they were starved before dying.
He continued. He had to find a way out, and by now he was convinced that just going back up that slide might be his best choice. At least he knew for sure there was a way out if he went that way.
He heard echoes constantly. There was so much stone and they came from far enough away that he could never be sure if they were his own, Berk’s, or someone else’s. But they were persistent.
After a full hour, he heard more footsteps, definitely not just an echo of his own.
They were running far too fast, and Marc stood off to the side of the tunnel. There was a small drop off filled mostly with gravel to one side, and solid stone to another.
Berk rounded the corner, looking cut up and harried, but still the same person. He sprinted away from whatever other footsteps were chasing him, still more agile than Marc thought was possible.
Berk looked at Marc. It took the outsider a moment to realize that that shouldn’t be able to happen, with both of them in utter darkness. In that moment, Berk pounced like a predator. The rat went skittering off onto the stones, and Berk’s hand covered his mouth. There was a hatred in the veteran’s eyes, and he spoke in a completely different accent.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. His hair changed texture, his face bones shifting under the skin, “I won’t waste your face.” He continued shifting, until Marc was looking at someone else.
Himself. This person was impersonating Marc. He barely recognized his own face.
A Light shone through the wall from where not-Berk was running. Marc shoved not-Marc off, and the two tried wresting control from the other as the light approached further. The more time the imposter was there, the more exact his mimicry was. He had the clothes, the axe, even the bag that Marc had, all within less than a minute.
The light was almost blinding after hours of darkness, and there he was.
Berk. The real Berk. The veteran held what looked like a baseball bat in one hand, but made of stone. With a perfect-form golf swing, Marc felt his ribs crack as both of them were flung into the wall from his tremendous strength.
He looked exhausted, the lights shining from his eyes were flitting around at the both of them, causing Marc to squint.
“I caught you,” He said with a growl, “Now I jus’ gotta figure out which one’s right.”
He thought for a moment, never once blinking. Marc and not-Marc looked identical.
“What’s my class?” Berk asked. Both of them shrugged, as neither knew. Berk’s frustration was growing, and the rat scampered over to climb up to his shoulder. The man let it, or didn’t even notice, giving him the appearance of an absolute lunatic. “Fine! What’s your class?”
Marc and not-Marc spoke at the same time.
“Wanderer!”
“Brute!”
Not-Marc eyes widened, but didn’t have time to react. The stone bat came down.
Berk and Marc were both more than sore as the left the caverns more than 12 hours from entering. Berk, being a known person to most of the nobles, was able to talk the two out of being arrested.
“Doppelgangers. Had to be a Doppelganger. . .” Berk muttered under his breath. One had been following them, putting out Berk’s lights, and observing them just enough to mimic them perfectly. But their information was imperfect, leading to, well, the trap it set snapping on the doppelganger rather than them.
They returned to Rodaan’s house, rat still on Berk’s shoulder. A maid was standing outside, rather than the man they greeted this morning.
“Mr. Berk! We were worried about you!”
“No need. Couldja just grab the coin fer us? Long day.”
Past midnight, Marc found himself back in bed, nearly a hundred leaves richer.