Rune Seeker

It was actually a few hours after the parties went and set up their tents when the first Makers and Growers arrived, six groups of them almost all at the same time. Just like that, there were another hundred-and-eight people in the camp, the crowd of them filtering out of the narrow passage.

As soon as the first Disc of Passage had emerged from the chute, a Bonder had run to get Hiral and the others, so they were waiting outside the passageway as the newcomers arrived. And, the first person they saw? A familiar face.

“Drahn!” Seena said, stepping forward to meet the tracker while other Growers and Makers made their way out. “Glad to see you decided to come back. You have a new party?”

“I do,” Drahn said, nodding in greeting to everybody – even Hiral. “And, what, did you think I would leave you to fend for yourselves?” By the look on the man’s face, it was clearly a joke. He’d seen them fight, but old habits died hard, apparently.

“You ran some more dungeons?” Hiral asked, noting the new bow the man had in his hand. While he had previously carried something pretty plain looking, this new one was far more detailed. The wood looked smooth and lacquered, with vine-like etchings running up and down it from the arrow sight and grip. There, two back-to-back U-shaped pieces of some kind of shiny metal hovered unattached, a sense of energy arcing between the tines. It wasn’t lightning – like what Yanily used – but closer to Hiral’s own Rune of Energy. Not the rune part, but the energy.

Interesting.

“I did,” Drahn said, clearly noting where Hiral was looking. “We did a trio of B-Rank dungeons to get the others Asylum access.”

“A trio of them?” Seena asked, an eyebrow up. That was actually more than her party had done.

“They were Low-B-Rank,” Drahn admitted. “The experience and rewards were excellent.”

“Can I touch it?” a new voice asked, and suddenly Igwanda was right beside Drahn.

“I was wondering if you’d ask,” the tracker replied quickly. “As much as you’d like. Just be gentle.”

“Shall we go… somewhere more private?”

“Absolutely. Have somewhere in mind?”

“My tent isn’t far,” Igwanda said, immediately turning and walking away. A few steps and she looked over her shoulder, eyelashes somehow blinking over fire-blue eyes. “Follow.”

“We’ll catch up later,” Drahn said to Seena, already walking after the Blight-Ranger. “You can talk to the rest of my party. A Shaper named Ilrolik is the leader. You can’t miss her.”

Then, with that – and everybody present a little stunned at the series of events – he was gone.

“I’m… not sure what I’m more shocked about,” Yanily said slowly. “Him and Igwanda, or the fact he seemed okay being in a party with a Maker.”

“I’m sure that’s purely professional,” Wule said, staring after the pair of bow-lovers as they vanished inside Igwanda’s tent. “Right? It has to be, doesn’t it?”

Nivian grabbed his brother by the shoulders and forcefully turned him around to face where dozens more had emerged. “Don’t question. For your own sanity.”

“He’s in the same party as Ilrolik?” Seeyela asked. “Didn’t expect that.”

“Who is she?” Nivian asked.

“One of the strongest Shapers on Fallen Reach,” Hiral said. “If they ran three B-Rank dungeons, she might even be A-Rank now.”

“She’s kind of like a Shaper version of Grandmother,” Seena explained. “Just younger. Bigger. Not quite as scary, and definitely less grumpy.”

“I heard that,” another new voice said, and Seena’s eyes widened before her whole body shrunk back.

Through the crowd, Grandmother pushed her way to stand in front of the party, a pair of Growers at her side. If they weren’t mixed in with the seven and eight-foot-tall Shapers, these two would probably have looked burly. Instead, they looked like children, which made the petite Grandmother look almost like a toddler. Except, no toddler could pull off that scowl.

“Ah, Grandmother,” Seena said, gulping. “So good to see you.”

“Yes, I could tell that by how you compared me with little-Ily,” Grandmother said.

“Little-Ily?” Hiral asked.

“A nickname she’s unfortunately given me,” Ilrolik said, also weaving her way through to stand with Grandmother and the two Growers. Loan wasn’t far behind, though he strode right past where everybody had stopped, and dropped his big hands on Hiral’s shoulders.

“Is it my imagination, or did you get even stronger since the last time I saw you?” Loan asked, despite towering over Hiral.

“A bit,” Hiral said with a smirk, his heart warming at both seeing his old trainer and seeing how proud the man was of him.

“We’ll have to spar a little before we start,” Loan said. “I need to see this.”

“Sure,” Hiral said. All of his old ‘spars’ against his teacher had been little more than a poor excuse for a spar. Hiral had no class, and nothing he could throw against a full, B-Rank Shaper and hope to do anything other than entertain them. Now though? “Things might be a little different than when we used practice.”

“I am certainly hoping so!” Loan said, another pat on both of Hiral’s shoulders, along with a hearty laugh.

“If you two boys are finished,” Grandmother started.

“Oh, they ain’t even close to done,” Gran said with a cackle, and Grandmother looked over at the vampire. “You only see that look on a man’s face in two situations. When they’re about to f…”

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“Oooookay,” Hiral interrupted. “Our ‘fun’ can wait.”

“Not too long,” Loan said.

Hiral nodded. “Are you all in the party with Drahn?” he asked. Looking at who was present, that would make six, and it’d be a strong party. Very strong.

“Loan and I are,” Ilrolik said. “The other three are back waiting for their friends or family to arrive.”

“What about you, Grandmother?” Seena asked. “Who did you party-up with?”

“Nobody,” Grandmother said. “Got my Asylum access so I could come here, but I won’t be going out much in this raid zone.”

“Then why did you come at all?” Yanily asked.

“Because my Branches of Fate told me I needed to be here,” she said simply, lifting and stamping her walking stick down for emphasis. “While you all go out and play, I’ll stay back with the ones not fighting. Keep them safe.”

“You saw trouble?” Seeyela asked.

“Don’t need an ability to know this is going to be trouble,” Grandmother answered.

“Oh, I knew I’d like you the second I laid eyes on you,” Gran said, floating over and lowering herself in front of Grandmother. Then her hood seemed to tilt, like she was examining something on Grandmother.

“Can I help you?” Grandmother said after a second, her hands resting on the top of her walking stick.

“Do you… sew?” Gran asked, the question coming out like even Gran didn’t know why she was asking.

“No…” Grandmother said, though her eyes glazed over. Was she looking at a status window for some reason?

That wasn’t quite right, though, and on a whim, Hiral reached out with Cycling and his constantly improving runic senses. A connection was easy enough after the practice he’d had with Seena and Yanily both, and threads of shimmering solar energy extended out from the older woman in dozens of different directions.

Though these were mostly the same as normal connections Hiral saw, something about them was even more insubstantial. Flickering. Even as he watched in the few seconds, many of them vanished without a trace, for more to appear the same instant. These weren’t actual connections – they were possible connections.

Her Branches of Fate ability. Why would it trigger now?

The answer to that question seemed to lie in the growing thread connecting Grandmother to Gran. And, there was another thread growing too. This one ran from Gran to… to… to nothing? It simply hung in the air like it was cut off. But it wasn’t flapping in the wind as if it were loose. No, it hung taut and attached to something Hiral couldn’t see.

Another adjustment of his runic senses, and it all made sense.

This second thread connected Gran to the place the PIMP occupied in the folds of reality. It was just like when Hiral had seen the bridge between Nivian and…

His advanced class! Gran was on the cusp of evolving!

Looking at the mysterious vampire, her body language said she could feel something, but even she wasn’t sure what it was. That was why she’d asked about sewing, like she sensed a common hobby between the two women.

Sewing wasn’t the answer though. The thread joining the two women reached a peek, so solid it was a miracle the others couldn’t see it. Then it started to fade. The opportunity going with it. Gran hadn’t latched on to whatever inspiration Grandmother had to offer.

Why? What was it about Grandmother?

Another second, the advanced class thread fraying around the edges, and Hiral tore his attention from it to focus on Grandmother. There had to be something about the woman that…

He was wrong. It wasn’t the woman. It was the ability she was using!

Gran was somehow attracted to Branches of Fate.

The ability already fading from Grandmother’s eyes, Hiral reached out with his own threads of Connection and Increase, then wove in Dreaming, Absorption, Unsealing, and even a touch of Exchange. Anything to pass that kernel of inspiration from one to the other.

In a flash – just to Hiral’s eyes – the bridge between the two women formed, and Gran’s red-and-blue eyes widened in understanding. A pulse resounded from that second thread – the one hanging alone and connecting to nothing – before it solidified into a stable connection.

A new ripple of energy pulsed outward from Gran, and she looked directly over at Hiral.

“What did you do, boy?” she asked.

“Helped, I hope?” Hiral said, other eyes turning in his direction now. Even Grandmother, her focus back on the present, looked him up and down.

“What’s going on, Hiral?” Seena asked him.

“I got me an advanced class option,” Gran answered for Hiral. “Seems like the boy here did something to make that happen.”

“You can give advanced classes?” Grandmother asked him.

“No, no, no,” Hiral said. “I can sort of feel when the opportunity arises though, and sort of help it along. I guess.”

“He did the same thing for me,” Yanily said.

“Yeah,” Hiral said. “And Gran – this is Gran, by the way, Grandmother – when she came over, I felt that same sort of pull. That’s why she asked about sewing.”

“Your advanced class is about sewing?” Seeyela asked Gran.

“No,” Hiral said, at the same time Gran said, “Yes.”

“Wait, it is?” Hiral asked. “I was sure it was connected to Grandmother’s Branches of Fate ability.”

“That too, from the name of it,” Gran said.

“Why don’t we all just let Gran tell us what her advanced class is called?” Seena offered.

“Sanguine Seamstress of Fate,” Gran said. “Sounds full of pomp and self-importance.”

“Ah, okay, that makes more sense,” Hiral said, somehow feeling a little relieved he hadn’t completely misread the situation. “Are you going to take it?”

“I haven’t even had a chance to read what it does with all this yammering!” Gran snapped back. “Young people, always in such a rush.”

“Especially these ones,” Grandmother said, and the two older women nodded in unison. Clearly, they had more in common than just the …of fate abilities.

“Hold on,” Ilrolik said. “Just like that, you got an advanced class?”

“I doubt it was just like that,” Seeyela said. “These B-Rank advanced classes seem like they each have a couple criteria.”

“Such as?” Ilrolik asked. “None of our people have managed an advanced class yet. And here you are with two in your party now?”

“Uh…” Hiral said, looking off to the side a bit. “If you count the D-Rank advanced classes – and Nivian and Wule there,” he pointed at the twins. “Then I guess we’ve got…” Hiral actually had to stop and do a quick count. “We’ve got ten?”

“Eleven,” Romin said, pointing at Wallop posing beside him.

“Of course,” Hiral said. “Sorry, Wallop.”

A snuff was the Rune-o’s only reply, but it seemed to offer forgiveness.

“Eleven?” Loan asked. “How?”

“Seeyela, Yanily, and Hiral,” Seena said. “They each have D- and B-Rank advanced classes. Me, Nivian, and Wule, we each only have our D-Rank advanced classes. Wallop has an evolved race – which is like an advanced class for Bonder companions. And, now Gran just got an advanced class option. Oh, I guess Nivian got offered another one, but he didn’t take it.”

“Again, how?” Ilrolik pressed. “What are you all doing to…” the woman trailed off. “Ah.”

“Ah?” Loan asked the woman beside him. “You figured it out.”

“I think so,” Ilrolik said. “Look who we’re talking to. These aren’t the Makers or Growers who just learned about dungeons or started running them. These are the people who discovered dungeons. Who survived the surface when nobody else did. Who came back with that knowledge – and power – and saved our islands.

“They’ve obviously experienced things far outside the norm. In a way, it would be absurd if they didn’t have at least some advanced classes for what they’ve been through.”

“You’re saying, we can’t just run normal dungeons and hope to get advanced classes?” Loan asked, crossing his arms so his muscles bulged in front of his chest.

“Exactly,” Ilrolik said. “We’ll need to do – like these kids did – something exceptional.”

“Like a raid zone?” Loan said, eyes lighting up.

“Like a raid zone,” Ilrolik confirmed, and all heads turned to the interface.

“Is that in the guide, Yan?” Hiral asked the spearman quietly.

He got his answer a second later when a notepad appeared in Yanily’s hand, and he quickly jotted down some notes.

“Not yet,” Yanily said. “But it will be.”