Icarus Awakens

Of the two problems Daniel had to confront that night, his choice of advancement was the one that would hurt the least. There was no way to tell how much damage had been done by Evalyn’s absent-minded gesture. Innocent though it had been, the reputation of this world’s Bards was just the same as in Daniel’s world. Even worse, actual Bards were going around and reinforcing the stereotype.

The real pain was he’d told Claire what hadn’t happened on the way to Roost’s Peak back before he even knew Rorshawd existed. In the face of such secrets as coming from another world, previous and disastrous attempts at romantic encounters were easy ground to cover. Unfortunately, that now left Daniel in the unenviable position of trying to prove a negative in addition to managing the fallout from Parduc’s death. Honestly, if he could just undo the entire relationship or wipe both of their memories of it, he would. That thought made Daniel feel terrible, but neither could he muster the courage to approach where Claire was still under the close watch of Quala.

Time would only make things worse, but despite everything, Daniel sat by a fire looking at his phone instead of making strides toward a meaningful relationship. It’d been far easier by comparison to manage Hunter after the city than it was the issue with Claire, but then again he’d only made a bond with one.

The only consolation was that others were focusing on advancement as well. It was something he hadn’t seen before, due to his ability to instantly advance. Something to distract himself with, at least.

Several factors converged to make this an optimal time for those in the camp to advance. First, everyone present for the dragon fight earned at least one advancement potential, even Tak who had slept through it, and Tlara who had run away. The Octyrrum awarded bravery and prudence evenhandedly, after all. Second was Daniel’s sensor net of a companion, negating the need for posting guards and allowing those who would have been used to advance themselves. The final reason was the announcement Murdon had made as they were setting up the second camp for today. Contact with the Tyrant was expected within the next two days. A battle wasn’t guaranteed but it was likely. A new power could be the difference between life and death, leading only those who couldn’t advance anymore to abstain.

The method appeared to vary based on which attribute the individual was attempting to advance. That was obvious the moment the camp divided into groups to assist in focusing on the task. From there, half began undertaking physical exercise while the other took more meditative poses, further subdivided by attribute. Strength trainers were lifting weights improvised from natural elements or just straight wrestling. Dexterity training was more acrobatic, and endurance oddly similar to the yoga of earth. That connection made the least sense, but Daniel couldn’t argue with thousands of years of results.

The mental training consisted of more intermixed exercises. In some pairs formed, playing a version of two truths and a lie between a charisma and wisdom trainer. Others competed in games of perception, or riddles for wisdom and intelligence respectively. There didn’t seem to be one specific way each attribute was trained, but there was one common oddity.

Everyone had an expression of borderline embarrassment Daniel didn’t quite understand, and during the process, there were quite a few that broke off and sat down alone. That they didn’t socialize probably meant they were still trying to advance, but even people who had been training for strength had given up on the former method. Did they decide to go with a mental attribute? Daniel wondered.

As the night went on the activities changed for those still participating. A dexterity trainer was the first to cross the divide between martial and mental to attempt to avoid the senses of Wisdom trainers. Everyone involved understood what was going on with little need to explain, making it hard for Daniel to follow everything that was going on or understand how this process was meant to work. Most confusing was that Daniel knew people normally committed advancements alone, like the people who’d given up. When they’d returned from the first hunting expedition in Roost’s Peak, the teams had broken off to see to their advancement rather than gather into teams like the rest were doing now. Why? Had they grouped up without telling him, knowing he didn’t need to? Or was that the reason for the embarrassment? Maybe people weren’t used to advancing in this large of a group?

For that matter, the entire process of committing advancements was odd. What people were doing would make them stronger, smarter, or otherwise better than people on Earth. Was the potential just letting them skip months of progress in the gym? No, that couldn’t be all there was. Kob’s strength and endurance had been more than anyone on Earth could have rivaled. Advancement potential was adding more than just efficiency to this training. Furthermore, what improvements people gained from advancement were permanent.

Daniel sighed. He knew was distracting himself from his own choice, and even that was a distraction from what he should probably be doing. Turning his attention back to his immediate area, he looked one last time at Gadriel before returning to deliberations. The Hero had been an exception to the large group exercises since the beginning, remaining unmoved by the fire in a kneeling position. There was an intensity about him that made Daniel hesitant to even breathe, a depth of focus he didn’t want to interrupt.

Gadriel wasn’t the only exception to the group’s training. All of the gestalt in the camp were below the earth, as still as Gadriel. They seemed to advance differently to- Made your decision? Hunter asked.

No, I keep going down rabbit holes. How’s the hunt?

Good. No rabbit holes though. Hunter was in higher spirits compared to this morning and, more importantly, compared to Daniel. He finally had the chance to seek out prey again. With their improved bond, Daniel could even communicate with him. The difference between the starting and moderate range was significant, about a kilometer instead of a handful of meters. The ringcat went farther out during his hunts but made sure to dip within range every so often.

They’d also tested the normal intensity Empathic Link at that range despite Hunter’s stolid reluctance. Like before, there was a dropoff in its intensity dependent on distance, making the increase barely noticeable at maximum telepathy range.

Any chance you’ll Grow? It’s been a while since you did.

No. I haven’t hunted in a while. Will take time.

For one moment Daniel considered his options, realized he wasn’t going to make any more headway into making a decision, and turned off his phone. Is it just eating things that makes you Grow? I can get stronger from reading, although that method gets worse the more I use it, and I’ve only got it to work once.

Do not know.

You don’t know?

I have only Grown once. Not something I know, something I feel when I am close. I do not feel close. Hunter’s distant aura panned its head around, marking a fresh wave of targets which he began to size up. Unlike the small game he’d gone after before, the ringcat was hunting other level one monsters. Regeneration and Identify Creature gave him a tremendous advantage over the prey, a point of similarity with Rorshawd that made Daniel uncomfortable thinking about.

I guess that makes sense. We get little buffs every so often whereas you jump a level at a time. Even if the attributes you get aren’t all level appropriate.

Hmm. Hunter wasn’t really listening to Daniel. The Empathic Link was at low intensity again so he didn’t automatically know that, it was more that the ringcat wasn’t looking in his direction. By this point, he’d noticed that Hunter gazed his way whenever using the Telepathic Link, even if he didn’t have to.

Well, I’m definitely getting endurance to 20. That still leaves five points left and I feel like I’m going to need a charisma boost before doing anything with Claire. Hunter didn’t reply. I’m letting you know because it might do something to the powers I shared. Hopefully it’ll let you heighten them, but if for some reason I have to reshare them I don’t want that to happen when you’re in the middle of a fight. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll do at least endurance after your next hunt.

Hunter only growled an assent. When Daniel didn’t say anything else, he darted off towards a sleeping level one greater mole. Not an alpha, the variant associated with the version of ringcat one level better than base, but greater. The naming convention these monsters followed was either inconsistent, or there was an intricacy Daniel had missed.

No more distractions, Daniel told himself. Three points to endurance, he was sure about that. Regeneration was far too valuable to leave at level one and he’d already sunk both potential he’d previously earned from studying into it. More than that, though, only afforded the possibility of additional endurance powers. Surviving was nice, and it was his other core attribute, but minimizing level disparity was also important.

Of the other attributes, there was no clear choice. Dexterity improved his preferred method of attack and would allow heightening several Totem Warrior features, only he’d have to sink all of his potential into it to achieve the latter benefit. Wisdom would improve Identify Creature to second level, although that seemed to only improve his ability to name mortals.

As for charisma, getting to the point of allowing him to heighten Beast Friend would be costly since it was currently 12. Of course, if he was going to have any chance at navigating the inevitable conversation with Claire, he’d need it as high as he could get it. That wasn’t even considering the strategy of choosing attributes based on what kind of powers he wanted at this stage. Daniel could justify putting one or two points in either strength or intelligence in hopes of getting something combat-oriented he could leverage the higher attribute with.

Daniel was the proverbial donkey stuck between stacks of hay, starving himself because he couldn’t decide which good option he wanted. Should he just decide randomly? What if he hurt Claire even more, or died, because chance deprived him of what he would have needed? This advancement he’d been granted for sitting in a tower and shooting his crossbow was his chance to remake himself, and the hope from that thought was tangible, if still not as strong as the rest of his emotions competing for dominance.

The crux of the matter was the potential for a fight tomorrow. If he got something that drastically affected his ability to fight, the longer he had to think it over the better. But was he ok with letting Claire continue to hate him without doing anything? Was there anything he could do without screwing that up even worse? Hell, from what he’d seen she wasn’t doing well, and Quala might be the only one she should be talking to. Caught in this dilemma, he was unprepared for the question that suddenly occurred to him. Do I want to fight people?

Rorshawd had been different. A monster, even if he had the soul of a human. Whatever hesitation Daniel had died with his first victims. But normal people? People tricked into following this Tyrant? What Murdon was preparing them for wasn’t a monster hunt, it was a battle. He hadn’t fought people before. He didn’t want to! Daniel let his phone slip from his grasp and put his head in his hands. The order of his mind was scattered and hammered by grief and fear. Even the self-debate of advancement had failed to distance him from what he was truly trying to avoid. It wasn’t even Claire.

I want to go home. The desire had been there all along in the back of his mind. Present at times, but no stronger than now. It was all too much. Even Hunter close to death amidst the rubble, Daniel himself injured, was a brighter moment than simply sitting by this campfire. Rorshawd’s slaughter, Claire’s heartbreak, and the prospect of having to kill someone were demons on their own that combined to make a personal hellscape.

Why was he even here? How? Would he ever go back, or would he die tomorrow? Or worse, become enthralled by the Tyrant? Sure he had friends, and he had Hunter, but what did that matter when the god of monsters had taken a soul from you and thrown the rest out like trash? He wasn’t even a good Artificer. They were supposed to be magical craftsmen armed with as many enchanted items as anything else, but the last thing he’d made almost killed Hunter. He was only alive because of the powers he shouldn’t have. Having magic had always been one of his dreams. Only after he’d gained the power to stop time did he realize what a nightmare a magical world could be.

Something nudged Daniel’s shoulder. “Sir Brant, you have left your Focus unguarded.” Gadriel was done with his meditation. Daniel looked up, rubbing at his face, to see the Hero was holding his phone out to him. “I would advise caution in the future, in case you are with more unscrupulous… ah.” Gadriel looked uncomfortable when he saw what he’d interrupted.

“Thanks,” Daniel said hollowly as he took it.

“Are you? No, I apologize. A foolish question.” The Hero looked to the majority of the camp committing advancements and nodded. “I am curious if you have made your advancements yet. Given your unique skills, I must imagine you’ve made commendable progress towards level 3 compared to the normal hunter.”

“I don’t have dual advancement anymore. And no, I’m still thinking about it.” Daniel’s tone was making it clear he didn’t want to talk.

Gadriel pressed on anyway, although he didn’t press that specific topic. “I must confess, when the dragon threw me I did not expect to survive. Would Quala not have found me, perhaps I would have died of my wounds regardless.”

The disappointment in Gadriel’s voice caught Daniel’s attention. “Are you saying you should have done better?”

“Should I have, fewer lives would have been lost.”

“You jumped on its back and almost killed it in the first minute. You would’ve if it didn’t have-” Stop telling people it had your powers. “Weird powers.”

“True. Twas an odd beast. But to not aspire for more than what you are is to die as you are. Whether that be this day, or far into the future.”

That reminded Daniel of something. “Movement is life.”

“Sorry?”

“Just something I heard people say about sharks, I think.” Gadriel gave him a questioning look. “They don’t stop moving.”

“What does not?”

Does he not know what sharks are? Or maybe the Octyrrum doesn’t have them. “It’s a kind of water monster. It’s always swimming and if it stops, it dies.” That could just be a myth, Daniel was far from an oceanographer, though if they didn’t exist here why did that matter?

“Hmm. Apt metaphor.” Gadriel studied Daniel for a moment. “Why have you stopped moving, then? If it is not impertinent to ask.”

Daniel knew the conversation was leading there. He wasn’t an idiot. The Hero wasn’t as close to him as Thomas, but he was the kind to take charge and fix things that seemed broken. “I’m not you. I can’t do this. I can’t kill people.”

“What has led you to believe I do?” Gadriel asked with respectful affront.

“You haven’t?”

“No.”

“Would you?” Daniel looked over to those training. Some of them seemed to be done, settling down for the night. “If we’re fighting this Tyrant soon we’ll have to.”

“It will be our duty to free those afflicted by his influence. Not kill them.”

“What if it turns into a huge fight?”

The Hero put an arm on one of his propped-up knees, making a fist with the other hand that he put over his chest. “A capable warrior can do battle without slaying their opponent.”

“And if you accidentally kill someone? What if someone trips into your sword as it’s flying back?

Gadriel thought for a moment, expression darkening. Maybe he thought a few rousing words would cheer Daniel up, but that game had been turned on its head. “It will not come to that,” Gadriel declared. He gripped the pommel of his sword in a moment of agitation and repeated, “I will see to it.”

“Just like that?”

“Indeed.”

“I guess that’s why you’re the Hero and I’m the guy that-” Christ, Daniel do not tell him the dragon is your fault. “Can’t save anyone.”

“Rumor is you struck one of the dragon’s eyes. That is no small feat.”

“Did it matter? Did that stop anyone from dying?”

Gadriel sighed. “Sir, I cannot give you your purpose. True motivation comes only from within. A night as terrible as that can unsteady the strongest of wills. In light of what has occurred, it could be expected that you would be disheartened. You are not weak, only reacting as is to be expected.”

Almost exactly what Quala said in spirit. “Then how do you do it? You go from fighting a horde of monsters to a dragon three levels higher than you! And when you get picked back up after nearly dying, you go back in? If that’s what it takes to do this, then I can’t.”

“To hear you speak, I sound unstoppable. Hmm.” He stood, the cape that was somehow undamaged from the fight blowing in an absent breeze. Gadriel held out a hand as if to catch it. “Movement is life. I quite like that. Fitting of a Heroic philosophy, though it does not fit you, I think.” Daniel just gave him a blank look. “Sir Brant. There are many paths and many ways to walk them. Should you fail one, that is only a sign you should seek another. Though if I may, I do not believe you have failed here.”

“There was someone I was supposed to protect. I promised to protect. And they died.”

“Ah.” Gadriel sat back down like a sail losing the wind. “I admit, I did not witness most of the battle. Did you flee when the dragon bellowed its roar?”

“No, but I was one of the first people cleansed.”

“Did you hesitate to fight?”

“I know where this is going.” Gadriel’s face finally reached a put upon expression that had probably been lurking under the surface. “I’m sorry, I’ve just had a lot of motivational talks today that I’m getting tired of. They all start sounding the same.”

“It seems as if there are many who care for you.”

“There are. It’s just that, the one I was supposed to protect, do you know about Claire and me?” Gadriel nodded, glancing sideways in acknowledgment of where she currently was. “It was her brother. I don’t know if there’s still anything there now.”

“I see.” Now the Hero was looking uncomfortable. “Just as there are many paths in life, there are many that may walk them with you.”

“Are you trying to tell me there’s plenty of fish in the sea?”

Gadriel raised an eyebrow. “Why do your metaphors relate to water with such unnatural frequency? Hmm. Your spirit is indomitable when it comes to resisting encouragement, I must say.”

“I just, how can you look at the past few weeks and tell me anything is going right with the world? That we won’t just die tomorrow?”

“We live today. Where there is life, there is the chance to right past wrongs and make a better future.”

Daniel was about to say something disheartening when he asked himself why he was even arguing with Gadriel. There was an ideological gap between them words wouldn’t bridge. Unbridled optimism versus beaten-down pessimism. To make things worse, he still wasn’t close to figuring out his advancement.

Gadriel grunted when Daniel fell silent. “I must admit defeat here. Perhaps distance, both in time and space, is required to heal what ails you.”

The continued sincerity in Gadriel’s voice emphasized to Daniel how difficult he was being. “Thanks for trying.”

“Think nothing of it. Still, I should rest before the coming trials. Should all go well, you will not need to fear the coming conflict.” For some reason, that did reassure Daniel. Just a little.

Gadriel left Daniel by the fire as true night entered its third hour. At this rate, Daniel would get around six hours of rest at best, as the intent was to rouse everyone at dawn. He only knew that because Lograve had used it as a reason not to continue advancement for a second round. The general plan was to make for Hagain Village on the off chance the Tyrant wasn’t moving towards Roost’s Peak and keep a wide enough detection range to make sure they didn’t accidentally pass their forces on the way there. That last part was Hunter’s job.

I am back. As if on cue, Hunter called out his presence at the edge of the Telepathic Link. Daniel didn’t even have his phone unlocked, but that was remedied in seconds.

I’m sorry Hunter. I don’t know what I want to do. The green nine in the upper right corner was a monster he couldn’t slay. There were just too many choices and no perfect option.

If you can make yourself stronger, you should. Hunter didn’t mean the strength attribute, of course, but that hardly made his advice more helpful.

It’s not that simple. This might be the most potential I gain at once ever. I can’t just choose.

Why not?

Daniel couldn’t explain. That would mean confronting everything going into the decision and the fear that it wouldn’t matter what he chose. That even if he found the magical combination, he would die to someone he could not, would not fight against. I don’t know.

Thinking too much. What do you want to do?

I don’t know!

Not with numbers. With the future.

Fix things with Claire, for better or worse. Stay alive, and help you stay alive. Was that it? No, there was one more thing. Going home. But his attributes wouldn’t help with that, and he couldn’t tell Hunter. As if I can do any of that.

Which is more important to you?

…staying alive.

Than choose for that.

That did help Daniel. It meant ignoring charisma. It also meant sacrificing his best shot at a positive resolution with Claire, though if he was otherwise going to die tomorrow, why would that matter? He knew by now he’d had no business getting into a relationship with her in the first place, and he’d been the one pushing for it. Maybe the best solution was none. She already knew everything she needed to. Let him be the villain, maybe that would make it easier for her to move on.

Four points to endurance and wisdom each. Daniel wanted to remove as much of his level disparity as he could, and the last odd point would be best served in dexterity to help his aim. It was a plan he’d thought of before, but the fear of Claire always made him consider charisma. Now? Daniel just wanted to get it over with. Rip off the bandaid so he could start healing. He assigned the potential, hovered a finger over the button, rethought, cleared everything, put it all in charisma, reset again, went back to the original plan, shook his head, and pressed the button.

Your Endurance is now 20! You have gained Feature: Fortitude and Feature: Craftsman’s Repose. You are no longer suffering from Level Disparity connected to this Attribute. Level: 2 benefits for Regeneration have been unlocked.

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Fortitude (Feature, Endurance, Domain: Restoration, Level: 2):

You possess the Power to resist Poison, Disease, and other Physical Status Ailments to a greater degree than normal.

-

Craftsman’s Repose (Feature, Endurance, Domain: Restoration, Trance, Level: 2):

You possess the Power to resist weariness from prolonged work. This trance only applies to a form of crafting based on a power you possess. Through this trance, you may reduce the hours of rest required by your Race by 20%, so long as you maintain the trance throughout the time period and rest soon afterward.

-

Regeneration: Level 2: Improve passive Healing rate by 50% for a minor Mana cost.

-

Your Wisdom is now 20! You have gained Ability: Analyze Material and Feature: Steadfast Salesman. You are no longer suffering from Level Disparity connected to this Attribute. Level: 2 benefits for Identify Creature and Natural Affinity have been unlocked.

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Analyze Material (Ability, Wisdom, Spell, Domain: Knowledge, Level: 2):

You possess the Power to analyze Magical and non-magical raw material, identifying their nature, level, and special properties if any. This ability requires a minor amount of Mana and physical contact with the target. Materials of a Level higher than yours, or material from living sentient Creatures, are inherently resistant to this ability. Worked, forged, and composite material made from raw sources are inherently resistant to this ability. This is a Magical Ability that does not function in an area of Magical Suppression.

-

Steadfast Salesman: (Feature, Wisdom, Domain: Restoration, Level: 2):

You possess the Power to resist Charisma based powers affecting negotiation and trade. This effect is significantly improved when used in relation to your primary profession, and against contested powers below your level.

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Identify Creature: Level 2: Reveal the Attribute Arrays of Creatures at least two levels lower than you for a minor Mana cost.

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Natural Affinity: Level 2: Extend this benefit to allies for a moderate Mana cost per target. This is a Designation effect that lasts one hour. If this Feature is heightened beyond level two, this effect may still be repeated for its original cost. This feature may be heightened beyond this level without paying for the mana cost of this effect.

-

Your Dexterity is now 14!

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Alert: Powers shared by the Creature affected by Feature: Beast Friend* have improved beyond the level of that creature. Benefits of these powers inappropriate for the creature's level cannot be accessed. If the creature loses access to these powers for any reason, they cannot be shared again until the creature is of a level appropriate for them.

The results of his long-suffered decision? All it amounted to was a callback to Bartering. And this time, there was no Totem Warrior class to give him useful stuff in the background. Even Regeneration, which could be his best power, wouldn’t be able to give its full benefit to Hunter until he Grew. Who knew when that would be?

What these powers told him was something Daniel had come to realize. At best, he should be trying to set up a magic shop somewhere, not fighting for his life out in the wilderness. He hated camping! He hated sitting by a fire, eating terrible food, and aching from hours of walking. The magic and the adventure had, for a time, let him ignore how bad things were through the novelty. Daniel was done. It was the mine that had done it. It just took him a little longer to realize than he should have. In the end, Daniel told Hunter to go off and not do anything that might accidentally break him having Regeneration. Then he lay down and went to sleep.

…

Rorshawd was still in darkness when dawn came. The small valley Roost’s Peak occupied was not quite positioned parallel with the angle of the rising sun. Instantly the dragon awoke, sensing the restoration of his mana. Ever since the mortals had dared to run from him, all had been pain. The fog cast into him by the one whose memory caused hatred to outshine anguish had only lasted a few minutes. In that time it had eaten through his throat and stomach, seeping into the rest of his body. The underside of his throat was full of holes. The field of stars had drilled straight through, then leaked before it had vanished. Worse was his torso, riddled with pockets of decay where necrotic energy had collected and festered the flesh around it. The other damage he had taken, including the damaged eye, had not healed at all during that time. Even after the fog went away, his healing was slow enough to be unnoticeable.

Body weak from so much insult and Regeneration stuck at level one, Rorshawd had collapsed in the center of the ruined city. His only hope was to wait for the next dawn and the mana it would bring. His renewed supply was formidable, though every drop would be needed to heal his afflicted frame. Then, when he was restored, he would pursue those cursed mortals and…

And something was wrong. Rorshawd could sense his vitality wasn’t improving as it should. Had he forgotten to heighten Regeneration? No, no he had. What was happening? Why wasn’t he healing? After a few more minutes of panic, Rorshawd realized what was wrong. He was healing. Extremely slowly. Heightening hadn’t done a thing.

Shocked, he recalled Daniel’s exploration into the definition of the feature. There was also the slow nature of his pet’s recovery, its near death despite a feature that supposedly stopped anything still living from dying. The answer to both monsters’ problems was that Regeneration was based on natural healing rate. Could it be reduced from critical injury? Had the fog damaged him to the point that he was crippled? Would he be able to fully recover, or was this damage permanent?

No. No! Rorshawd tried to roar the word but the air escaped through his pierced windpipe and didn’t even reach his mouth. Could he still breathe fire? He needed to know, but he needed to save all of the mana he could for Regeneration’s mana burn. If he was healing too slowly, would that even matter?

Lord! Save me! He cried out within his mind. The god that had remade him was practically steps away. What was such a short distance to both his Lord and its power? It had given him this form, surely it could repair his wounds and make him twice as strong. Ten times as strong! He would cut through the air and then through Murdon. Then Daniel. Then the rest.

No answer came. The wind whistling through the ruined structures carried rain clouds towards the dragon. A drizzle turned into a downpour near noon and Rorshawd was only just able to move his good wing to shield his face. It was the one so many arrows had pierced at the joint, slowing how fast he could move it. Between that and the missing third of his other wing, he couldn’t fly. He could barely walk with his front two legs cut to bone. Lord! He tried to roar again. Only a whisper came, and that took all the dragon had.

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t fair! This- he would be revered just as much as his Lord to the others of his order. He had been first to ascend! The only to survive Eido! Chosen by his Lord, chosen… He, he hadn’t been chosen. It was something that had occurred to him before the battle that had left him broken here, put out of his mind by pain, rage, and impotence until now.

Lord, he thought, but his faith was weakening.

Here was a man no longer, given all he had been promised only for it to be taken away. The foundation of faith is in belief, and when Rorshawd had been rewarded he no longer believed but knew of his Lord’s power. In the soaked street of the city he’d destroyed, he prayed again and again for relief. First, for healing. Then, for a new body. Any body. Even the one that had been destroyed with Eido. Anything but the near-dead vessel he found himself in.

Then death. Rorshawd pleaded to die, unable and unwilling to finish himself off. The denial of even that mercy was what finally broke him. He still hated the mortal races, still knew they were a blight on the world. But his Lord? It had made him into a weapon and put him in the hands of fate, uncaring as to the consequences. There was nothing left in the world for Rorshawd but himself. Nothing but his pain, his rage, and his broken body. As his faith slipped loose and tore away, a new motivation kindled within where fire should have lived. Revenge. No matter if it took days, months, or even years to return to something resembling health, he would take those who had wronged him from the world.

The former object of his worship wasn’t counted among those. Even blinded by all that ailed him, Rorshawd wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could do anything but die should he raise a claw against that ancient power. Otherwise?

Here was a dragon, now with no master, and only time to decide how he was going to burn the world.