(91) Prepare

Sweat dripped down Dany’s brow as the monolithic structure grew larger and larger. Every new detail he perceived was more disturbing than the last. The structure now seemed like a hive, the intertwined vines and tendrils creating a honeycombed texture that made his skin crawl, as if he were observing an insect nest.

Dark forms of all shapes and sizes scampered up and down the lattice, somehow avoiding collisions, despite their numbers so great that they seemed a liquid running across the hive’s surface. It was a coordinated chaos that reminded Dany of ants. 

Fortunately, before his knees could begin shaking, their forward momentum halted. Nephthys spun around, glancing between the two.

“What are your levels?” she asked.

Dany froze, shocked by her request for such sensitive information.

“167,” Jessup declared, seemingly lacking any such hang-ups.

“Uh, 178,” Dany muttered.

Nephthys nodded, glancing back toward the hive.

“I see. It is early for you to be here, then. Levels in the Gloam range from 200 to 250, and the gloamheart will be in the upper end of that range,” she said.

She turned back and examined the two, her hand on her chin.

“Actually, perhaps this is a good opportunity. She could use the chance to train her levels…” Nephthys muttered, thinking aloud.

She nodded to herself, deciding on something, and suddenly, a gate appeared before them. Dany barely had time to appreciate it before the three were launched into it. He sucked in the warmer air, the torn space having drawn the breath from his lungs, and gazed around him.

The large moon above illuminated a cloudless night, reflecting off the ocean just visible in the distance. Rolling grasslands stretched before him, and dark shapes crawled slowly across them, though it was too dark, and he was too high in the air to make them out clearly.

Another hole tore space apart, and a young nuarch stepped through the gate, her gait suggesting she expected to step onto solid ground.

“Wha—” she started, her foot finding no ground and pulling her body forward out of the gate as it fell.

She seemed to adjust to the situation far quicker than Dany would have expected, somehow righting herself and staring at Nephthys with open annoyance.

“What is this?” she demanded.

“Training,” Nephthys replied simply.

Shadows crawled around Nephthys like living things, dark even against the night’s veil. The head of a huge cat surfaced from the shadows like water, rubbing against Nephthys’ chin.

“You will have to stay with me, Aka. She will not receive any experience if you do all the fighting,” Nephthys said, scratching the cat beneath the chin.

Aka purred loudly, the basso rumble nearly vibrating the air, before slinking back into the shadows, which receded from Nephthys’ body and seemed to vanish entirely.

“Right,” she said, clapping her hands together. “This is the southern peninsula. The level range for this area should be around 150 to 175, though anomalies do exist.”

When Nephthys finished her statement, another, much smaller, hole in space appeared. An arm covered with a cloak reached through, handing a bracelet, a pair of earrings, and the cloak over.

“Thank you, Ramose,” Nephthys said, floating the objects to them with a casual flick of her hand. “Wear these, you three.”

Dany took the cloak, staring at it incredulously. It was a cape, he realized, grasping the cord to tie it around the neck. It was solid black on the exterior, lined with reflective gold, and the interior was a bright white. The material was rich and smooth, like silk.

Unbelievably gaudy.

He must have made a face, for Nephthys’ brow furrowed.

“That’s heirloom. Wear it, and don’t complain,” she ordered.

“Uh…my ears aren’t pierced,” Jessup said, staring at the golden earrings, which made a sort of “S” shape, in his hands.

“These are all artifacts that will help you level quicker. However, if you are uninterested—” Nephthys started, waving her hand dismissively.

“Ah, shit,” Jessup muttered, stabbing the sharp ends into both ears at the same time.

Dany did not blame him, for he was already tying the cape around his own neck, his eyes wide.

Artifacts that would help them level faster? Was such a thing even possible? 

“You are actually going to wear this one, right?” Nephthys asked with a twinkle in her eye, staring at the nuarch, who frowned and slid the silver bracelet over her wrist.

The bracelet looked to Dany like two silvered ropes intertwining around her wrist. Though beautiful, it did not seem to be as valuable as he knew it must be. He had never heard of enchantments to level faster. Actually…

“Is the kid going to level with us? Is that…wise?” he asked.

The nuarch immediately fixed him with a withering glare, but Dany did not back down. If Nephthys’ claims panned out, these enemies would be within his and Jessup’s own strength. It was entirely possible they would be too focused on their own survival to watch over a child.

“Tara is of a similar level, so yes. She will be joining you,” Nephthys declared.

Dany’s brows rose, the level impressive for someone so young, but the thought fled as they began descending toward the ground. It was…approaching faster than he was comfortable with. Within a hundred feet, the descent slowed, and they all touched down gently into the tall grass.

“The peninsula is home to harpies during the day, but they roost at night, so you should not have to concern yourselves with the sky,” Nephthys explained, still floating.

“Uh, that sounds great, but I don’t have a weapon,” Dany said.

Nephthys stopped to stare at him, and Dany had to turn away to hide the flush in his cheeks. It was pretty humiliating to be an adventurer without a weapon. Treatment for his illness was expensive, though, and he could not adventure while ill, so his gear and weapons were the first his sister sold, and he supported her decision.

“What do you usually use?” she asked, thankfully not making him explain.

“For general-purpose stuff, I usually like a short bow and an ax. Jessup here’s got his spear and shield, so I usually stay behind him and shoot with the bow. I use the ax if anything gets too close,” he explained.

Silence blanketed the group for a moment before another small hole was punctured in reality. This time, a gorgeous bow of twisted black wood and a handax with a matching handle were passed through.

The bow was carved in the shape of twining vines, which curved up and back, topped with silvered metal tips. It was pre-strung with a red string that seemed to glow in the surrounding darkness. A quiver of arrows whose shafts were that same black wood was passed through the portal, and it closed.

“These are what we have for your level. Consider them loaners,” Nephthys said, handing the bow, quiver, and ax to Dany.

The black wooden handle of the ax made its reflective silver head stand out in sharp contrast. Whatever metal the head was made of was smooth and polished to a gleam. It was carved where it met the handle with straight lines and harsh angles. The edge of the blade was sharp, and the spike extending out the back looked wicked and powerful.

Dany took the items and handled them carefully, as if they were precious artifacts—which they might be.

“What about me?” Tara asked.

“You have your own weapons,” Nephthys replied, making a strange whipping motion.

“Oh, you’re going to try and pass this off as magic practice, too?” Tara quipped.

Streams of water appeared and wrapped around her wrists, trailing down to the ground. She gave them both a snap, and the cracks of the whips were loud enough that Dany’s ears rang for a few seconds afterward.

“Be mindful of your mana usage. Reserve enough for your transformation, for it will be your backup plan. If any get close, take them down with your claws. 

“Range is a whip’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Do not try to overcome their limitations if an enemy closes in on you. Merely accept that every weapon has its place and switch to something more appropriate for the situation,” Nephthys lectured.

Tara nodded, and Nephthys addressed the group as a whole.

“You will all train this way every night, so prepare yourselves for it mentally. Someone from my guild will supervise your training in the future, but I will handle it for tonight,” she explained.

“We avoiding the day because those harpies are dangerous or something?” Dany asked, making test swings with his ax.

“We are avoiding daytime because Tara has martial training during it,” Nephthys answered, turning around to survey the landscape.

“What’re we gonna be fighting—” Jessup started.

Nephthys suddenly raised her hand to the sky, and a blinding white light shot from it. The ball of crackling white rose quickly, illuminating the ground around them like a lightning bolt during a storm. It stopped what was probably a few hundred feet off the ground and hovered like a beacon, likely visible for miles around.

“Prepare yourselves,” Nephthys commanded ominously.

Dany heard a myriad of sounds, each sending chills down his spine. Howls to the west, growls to the east, and a deafening silence to the north. That silence made him the most tense, as it likely indicated monsters that were skilled stealth hunters. He gripped his ax handle tightly enough that his knuckles were white and crouch-walked over behind Jessup.

Jessup did an admirable job of holding his spear and shield at the ready, but they were clearly surrounded. There was no cover nearby, just rolling hills of tall grass, grass that could hide any number of things that wanted them dead.

The two spun in circles, facing toward whatever growl, howl, or roar sounded closest.

What have I signed up for? he thought for neither the first nor last time.