breakerofhorizons
patreon
Chapter 47
🕑 Added 2022-03-16 10:55:40 +0000 UTCWelcome To
The Scales of Sand
Rise to the heavens
Guide your ship to the Hall of the Sun
Slay the Master of the Hall
(Optional) Slay the False Gods of the Ruins to gain their Boons (1/4)
--or--
Slay the Native interlopers (4/4)
Make a sacrifice on the Altar of Night (0/1)
Present yourself to the Master of the Hall for your reward.
Nic pulled up the dead sand devils one by one, claiming the formation tokens from their cold hands. He might not be able to use them himself, but treasure was treasure…
And at that time, a notification chimed through the air.
A Settlement Quest is Bestowed: “The Restless Dead”
A certain mishap has unleashed the ghosts of heretics across this land. Slay them, and be rewarded for bringing their final punishment.
Slay or Capture Heretical Spirits 0/6
Optional: Capture Seoona, Heretic Queen
Reward: Moonseal Credit
As the sound echoed through the air, something formed in front of Nic. It was created by a spiraling of the light, dozens of motes of pale green energy coming together to form a lantern.
A lantern like the one the Inquisitor had worn on his hip.
Ghostjar Lamp. Astral // Treasured Artifact. This dark lantern casts no light, but devours the energy of souls caught within its beam, imprisoning them within. A year or a thousand years can pass without hope of escape for those caught inside.
“Evil thing.” A crooked voice chuckled.
As Nic turned, wisps of smoke collected into the shape of Li Blackleaf.
“I didn’t notice you,” Nic said cautiously. “How can you sneak up on me?”
“Your observation technique reads killing intent. Since I can disperse my soul into fragments, it’s easy enough to disperse my intent as well. Now, if I planned to attack you…”
Nic felt his danger sense surge briefly, as Blackleaf curled a fist.
“That would be different.” He relaxed, and the sense of danger passed.
“What are you here for?” Nic asked.
“Can’t an old man indulge his curiosity?” He chuckled “No, I heard your Sophont speaking with the town. That old witch you encountered is likely to have some good things for a discorporate spirit like me, and you’re likely to need my help.”
“You mean, you think she’s trying to make a body?” Nic raised an eyebrow.
“Ha! Yes, exactly. A spirit like her is too weak to too many tricks. She’ll need a body before she can feel secure in her reign…”
Nic considered, scratching his eyebrow. “I see. She’s really a special kind of trouble…”
“Aye. Old trees will grow crooked, and crooked people will never stop learning new tricks.” Blackleaf seemed quite amused. “She’s a dangerous one. Likely, her time imprisoned let her learn from the other heretics, picking up their secrets…”
“It won’t matter.” Nic said resolutely. “It won’t help her escape me.”
“You seem quite determined, so I won’t say anything more. Aheh. Just that I admire old ghosts like her. They’re the worst kind of people…” Blackleaf’s grin was almost lovestruck.
“Should I be worried about you turning sides?”
“Of course not! If someone’s worth admiring, they’re worth killing. Respect is one thing. Allowing a rival to live?” He clicked his tongue, tutting. “Sloppy. No, and don’t forget I want the body she’s no doubt preparing…”
Nic nodded along. The old bastard was just so erratic it was hard to tell…
But his actions seemed sincere enough.
Calling out Inkspur, Nic swung aboard the wyvern’s back. “Alright, well…”
“I’m not heading straight for her. Honestly, she’s the least of my worries. I want to finish up with this Dungeon first, and figure out what the Ghost-Toll Legion is up to…”
“So we’re going up.” He lifted his gaze, towards the islands that dominated the sky, suspended along the sparkling thread of a river that floated in the open air. Birds and fish flocked through the flow of the water, one feeding on the other. The sun shone and reflected through the cool blue currents. “And we’re going to meet the boss waiting for us in the Hall of the Sun.”
Looming above the river and the islands was a massive, pyramid-shaped temple, made of pure white stoned capped in gold. Giant depictions of the gods were painted across its walls, and balcony entrances spilled green ivy from their balustrades. The massive steps led towards a set of closed golden doors…
That was where the Dungeon’s final challenge awaited. After sailing a complete circuit of the twelve islands, you would return and those doors would open before you.
With a kick up into the air, Inkspur’s wings caught the rising hot winds of the desert. Blackleaf transformed into a spiraling thread of smoke, following them up, up, and away…
---
The first island Nic came to must have been a paradise, once. A huge oasis of clear blue water dominated its landmass, but the fish within were dead, drifting skeletons. The aleph’s energy had spread here, killing off the green grasses and broad lush ferns. The only survivors bigger than an insect were demonic toads that seemed to have grown mutant in the new world-
They had excess legs sprouting from their backs, kicking spastically at the air.
Nic grimaced. It was survive or die in this new wasteland. The broken remnants of statues littered the dry, dead grass, and scorpions crawled across staring faces…
There was a ship, half-broken by the elements. Nic supposed that if you somehow made it this far without one, the oasis would have been a comfortable place spending a few days patching this wreck up, preparing to make the voyage…
But the System’s plans had failed in the face of the New Dao.
Sighing, Nic brought out his ship. With a wave of his hand, pouring aura into the runes that ran along the keel, it flew from his palm and expanded into a full-sized vessel, with a massive sail of golden silk that caught the wind. Leaping onboard, Nic brought out the six clay ushabti golems he’d been gifted for passing the trials of the physician…
They were crudely-made men, without faces, with stump-legs. Only their hands had any details, and only enough that they could grip their weapons.
“Can you sail this ship?” He asked.
One by one, the clay soldiers nodded.
“Then hop to it!”
Their heavy feet marched across the deck as they grabbed the ropes, turning the sail until the wind snapped against it, and grasped the oars in their brutish hands. The ship jolted as it was pushed off from the beach, out into the rock and churn of the water.
Nic anchored his feet with sticky tar for stability as he perched on the edge of the prow, unfurling the spyglass he’d gotten from Old Ben Thick.
At a distance, he’d taken the dark, wheeling shapes in the sky for birds…
But now he was closer, they were simply too large. He lifted the lens to his eyes and caught a flash of human skin, and dark gray feathers. Following his target through the sky, he watched her swoop down on the river, her clawed feet striking the surface and ripping out a fat demonic fish. Her wings beating, lifting her back into the air…
A harpy.
As he swung the spyglass through the air, he saw more and more of them. Beautiful women with spears and shields on their backs. Bare-chested, viciously muscular, they swarmed over the river to feast on the surviving fish; their bodies were marked with clay runes that Nic suspected must be shielding them from the demonic influence.
The next island…
Was an island of harpies.
---
“I don’t… Want… To fight you!” Nic shouted, slashing at the air with Peacemaker to fend off an attacking harpy. Her spear darted for his throat, and he pulled back, evading with the Mistwater Step as the spearpoint pierced a doppleganger’s skull.
They were everywhere.
They ripped at his sails, and threw heavy stones from high in the air to try and break the ship apart. Nic was forced to move like a whirlwind, striking boulders from the sky with his Hand of Ash and dueling the spear-wielding amazons.
“Intruder! Defiler! Stealer of girls!” They croaked, slashing at him with their claws and trying to grip his flesh, using those iron-strong talons to hold him in place so they could spear him through the vital points. Their shields were surprisingly strong, carved from tortoise-shell and able to absorb Peacemaker’s edge without breaking.
“I’m not any of those!” Nic protested, evading once more as two came at him from either direction, crossing in the air and raking an x-shaped mark across the decks with their talons.
“You bear their smell! You share their sickness!” One of them, a woman with flowing blonde hair, called. She dropped from the sky and kicked at him, forcing him to block with Peacemaker’s haft. As she hit the deck she sprinted forward, spear thrusting three times in quick succession, each aimed for a crucial point-
The knee, the gut, the heart.
Nic flickered forward, teleporting closer where her spear was too long to reach. He grabbed for her throat, dragging her down until their skulls cracked together, and rose from the ground to kick her down across the deck. She went skidding across the boards.
With a single step, Nic swung Peacemaker down at her throat.
“EVERYBODY-”
STOP.
