Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Decision

Berion narrowed his eyes as he looked across the yard from his vantage point on the other side of the fortress. He stood on top of the wall, gazing at the tower on the other side. Its brown stone seemed darker to him somehow.

Ber had made a decision. So much hate, so much wrongdoing, so much death. Somewhere along the way, Berion had lost sight of the dream they were working towards. Some prices were too high, some prices should never be paid, no matter what the dream they were seeking was.

Some actions tainted everything that they touched. And Berion had turned his head away for too long. Freedom mattered, life mattered, happiness mattered, and he was willing to pay the price in blood for it. He was willing to kill, to destroy, to cripple, if it meant that the needs of the many were met.

And yet, he found himself unable to sleep, knowing what was happening in that room. Or at least some of it. He shivered every time his perception passed over that black hole in his mind. He felt… he knew that it was wrong.

He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to do something. Once he had thought that achieving their goal was worth everything. Now, there were people in this world who tried to make it better, who were willing to do more. Who fought against those who were doing evil.

Perhaps he should give another chance to the world, forgive, try to do better.

His perception of Space was focused on Ra’azel’s workshop, the dark spot in the tapestry of Space around him. He could punch through his protections, he knew that. What he didn’t know was what other traps the yeti had inside. His grasp of Runecraft was solid, but it paled in comparison to Ra’azel.

He had to draw him out of his workshop, somehow. Then he could get in and out quickly, grab the woman and send her to her home in an instant.

The others would be mad, but Berion didn’t think that they would choose Ra’azel over him. Even with their disagreements lately. Ra’azel was a poison, and Berion would not allow it to keep infecting his family.

Kael would be mad, but he would calm down, he always did. He would understand, eventually. Berion owed him a life debt, but that meant that he was supposed to be there for him. To help him, not follow blindly. Kael’s dream could still be a reality, together, they could find another way. No, they would find another way, Berion was going to convince them.

His biggest obstacle now was how to get the yeti out of his workshop. He rarely left it, and he only answered summons from Kael. Though, Berion suspected that he would answer to him too. Ra’azel only respected strength, rather, he feared it.

It pained Berion that no one could see through the yeti’s false smiles, his offers of gifts. He had helped them, that much Berion couldn’t deny, but the price he demanded was too much. His ringed eyes held only disdain for everyone around him. He thought himself better than all of them.

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The others didn’t see it, they saw only a being that was making them more powerful.

He had to make a plan, draw him out somehow and strike. Perhaps one of the others could be convinced to help him. Exiled Shell had shown signs of being weary of Ra’azel after the last fight. The armor that the yeti had given him hadn’t kept him safe, he had nearly died despite its power.

He could probably be convinced to help.

Resolute in his decision, Berion turned, heading to find Exiled Shell, hoping that the skreen would see his point of view.

Before he managed to take the first step, he felt something deep inside his being. A weight on his power, on his Skill Perk, Warped Barrier of Space. Something was touching the barrier he had placed around their home. And then before Ber could do react, something powerful punched through.

Berion grimaced his eyes turning toward the incursion. His perception expanding in that direction. Immediately, he noticed the intruders, and froze.

He recognized them, some of them at least. His Qi flowed through his body, and {Complete Sight} flowed into his eyes. He saw the five intruders clearly as space bent to his sight. They found them, they came for their own. What Berion had feared had come to pass.

Immediately, he pulled an item from his storage ring, and triggered the alarm. Loud noise filled the air, arrays blasting a warning for all to hear. He switched the pattern of his Qi, shaping another technique, getting ready for a fight.

There would be no talking now, no peaceful resolution. Kael and the others would not allow it, they had come to their home, and once they saw…

The defenders reacted swiftly, and the arrays blossomed to life, firing at the intruders. Berion was about to join them, if he could keep them in place for long enough…

Kael landed next to him, Tellisa, Fethum and Exiled Shell followed quickly after. They wore their runecrafted armor, runes already flashing and active. Power thrummed within them.

“Who is it?” Kael asked as he looked up at the ball of fire where the intruders had entered. He couldn’t see them from the glow of power, but he knew that they hadn’t been damaged. They were too powerful to fall to just the defenses.

Another bout of pressure hit his barrier perk, smaller that the one prior. But before he could trace the new intrusion, Kael shook his shoulder. “Ber?”

Berion focused on Kael, and marshaled his thoughts. “They’ve come for the High Ranker,” Berion said.

Before Kael could respond, a wave of something disturbed his perceptions. He titled his head, turning his attention to the other side of the fortress where he detected—

An explosion rocked the world and he turned back to the sky. A giant ethereal shield was manifested in the air, catching all the attacks coming at the five intruders. A woman stood behind it, black wings made out of fire spread wide, holding a spear and a shield in hand. After a moment, her wings burned brighter, and Berion felt a buildup of power.

“Berion,” Kael turned him around. “Use the Soul runes on us, now!”

Berion blinked as the others approached. He hesitated, those were dangerous, too draining, but the look in Kael’s eyes bored into him, expecting compliance.

Berion raised his hand, there was no room for thought now. No matter his doubts, he had to help his friends, his people, they were under attack.

He carved a series of runes, a string of symbols arranged so that they boosted and drew more power from the Soul. He pushed the string into Kael’s chest, and felt the power within him swell, his Soul catching on fire. His armor started to glow as more power was poured into it.

The others took his place, and he boosted them as well. The moment he was done, Kael turned to Fethum.

“Get Ra’azel,” he ordered.

The yeti’s workshop was isolated, he wouldn’t have heard anything happening outside. Fethum nodded and jumped away, heading toward Ra’azel’s tower.

“Come,” he turned to the rest of them. Tellissa, Exiled Shell, and Berion followed Kael into the air, heading to face their opponents.