[F5-SP] <<Feeding Your Enemy>> - Freyd

[Freyd 0]

It took Freyd another hour to lose the gnolls again, including gradually making his way down to the canyon floor.  A small clear water spring bubbled out of a fissure in a nearby rock face, dribbling into a small, muddy creek that flowed away to the east.  It was hardly the Grand Canyon, but this place was impressive nonetheless.  His mind kept wandering back to how close he'd come to making contact with that mongoose back in the cave.

Patience.

He knew that this wasn't going to be easy, and he seemed to have sensed some form of connection to the creature.  To make this worthwhile, it had to happen right.  Taking a quick drink to refresh himself, he also pondered how best to proceed.  He knew where they were, he just needed to be able to get there without a pack of angry gnolls snapping at his heels.  As much as he'd hoped to avoid it, he might have to thin down their numbers a bit and buy himself some breathing room.

[Freyd 0]

The sun was high overhead, reflecting brightly as it radiated its oppressive heat.  That heat, in turn, soaked into the canyon walls and turned the entire area into a place that felt much like he imagined bread felt inside a toaster oven.  Freyd could see the air rippling in front of him.  Even walking through the shallow water hadn't helped.  He needed to find some shade.  There were several ledges and stone arches up ahead which offered a bit of protection.  It turned out to be a good vantage point, where the canyon widened into a broader valley.  Several small water flows came together into an oasis, of sorts, in the middle of the valley.  Predators would likely be near such an open source of fresh water.

Resting his head against the cooler stone beneath one of the outcroppings, Freyd surveyed the landscape, looking for signs of activity.  A few obvious mobs wandered out in the open, but he suspected that many in this zone lay concealed and exposed themselves only to attack.  The valley was not his destination.  He needed to make his way back up in the canyon, if he hoped to find that familiar.  Bracing himself to get back to his feet, the stone he had been resting against shifted.

[Freyd 0]

The slab shifted and slid to the side as he stood, revealing another concealed pocket.  Like the last one, it was also empty.  

Having waited and allowed the worst of the mid-day heat to pass, he clambered back up into the canyon, navigating its tight and winding passages, climbing from ledge to ledge until he had returned to the same area where he had fought the dire jackal.  It had taken him twice as long to make the ascent, compared to the reverse.  The Windstriders, meanwhile, had gathered exactly where he didn't want them to: in the nesting cave of the blue shadow mongooses.

Freyd cursed his luck.

There were a half-dozen of them - a small war party.  Waiting them out wasn't likely, and the longer they lingered in the cave, the higher the chance that they would find and convert the mongooses into their next snack.  He had to act.

 

Spoiler

LD 15+ required.  No treasure.

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

It took far longer than he had hoped, but Freyd managed to climb around to the ledge above the cave - the same one the dire jackal had used to sneak up on him.  He took care not to dislodge the same small stones and dust that had given it away.  From this vantage, he could see the two guards on watch outside the cave.  If he could take them out, he might be able to keep the rest trapped inside and limit their ability to engage him.  Their size would be a problem, especially if they ganged up and tried to force him off the ledge.  He trusted to their greed.  They would not have pursued him this far if all they wanted was to kill him.

Okay - maybe they would, but he couldn't afford to dwell on that.  This was a moment where he needed to trust his instinct.  Summoning Forgiven Disobedience, he leapt down upon the guards.

[Freyd 0]

Forgiven Disobedience's white blade whistled as he fell, cutting the first guard in half.  Freyd whirled in a wide arc and caught the second Windstrider gnoll in the arm before it could draw its weapon.  It howled in pain, raising the alarm, but Freyd had already moved to bar their exit.  Whirling like a desert dirvish, he forced them to remain inside while 

"Get the man-thing!" called their leader, from the rear.  "It's flash shall be our feast!"

The lone remaining guard struggled to recover as he drew his great axe from a sling fastened to his back.  Only one of the four inside the cave could effectively fight at the cave mouth.  It caught Freyd with a wild swing, but not enough to keep him from pressing his attack.  A swift pommel strike to the face sent it crashing back into its companions, one of whom moved forward to take its place.

Spoiler

[1] Freyd: 167/180 (-13)| 14/18 (-4) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> triggered KEEN 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 70/90 (-20) | DMG: 27 

Treating pack of gnolls as a single mob with treasure minimum stats, assigning each of the six gnolls 15hp for cinematic purposes only.  

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

A streak of white cut down the second guard, but the balance of the gnolls rushed him and burst past him to escape the cave, sending Freyd sprawling.  He tucked and rolled, managing to end up back on his feet, but was now facing the four remaining Windstriders.

They grinned wickedly, tongues hanging out the the sides of their mouths as they panted with excitement.  All of them clearly believed that victory was already theirs.  Freyd had done his own math and watched two of their numbers fall with relative ease.  They counted as a swarm - multiple creatures sharing a stat pool.  He stood a chance, if he could keep his wits about him.  

The gnolls moved to encircle him and block any path for escape.

That's it, just a little closer. 

He needed them all to be within reach to maximize the effectiveness of his move.  They jeered and chuckled with each other, patting their axes like pets about to be unleashed upon its prey.

Spoiler

[2] Freyd: 152/180 (-15)| 12/18 (-4) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +2, spent and re-triggered KEEN 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 50/90 (-20) | DMG: 27 

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

As eager as they were to jeer and threaten, none of them had enough guts to rush him alone.  They pokes and prodded, and sought to drive him towards the edge of the ledge.

"What's the matter?" he taunted.  "Too chicken to actually commit?"  They barked and growled in reply.

"Watch your step, meat stick!" the tallest of them replied.  He had a mangy look about him and had a long scar over his right eye.  He wheezed and coughed as he spoke.  Freyd noticed the marks of several old small puncture wounds at his ribcage.  This one had fought players before.  

"We'll be feasting on your innards soon enough," teased another.

"Wait? You're female!?" sniped Freyd.  "I wouldn't have guessed it."

The other gnolls laughed with him, for a moment, before the snap of her pearly teeth refocused them on their task.  Dissension in the ranks could be useful, if he could time it right.

Spoiler

[2] Freyd: 138/180 (-14)| 11/18 (-2) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +1, spent KEEN 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 50/90 | DMG: 27 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

OWWwww.  Bad move!

His insult had garnered him a swift strike to his left arm and nearly sent his weapon sailing to the bottom of the red canyon.  

'I really don't want to have to go back down there to pick it up', he cursed, recalling the tedious climb.  The female gnoll he'd insulted turned out to be their alpha, and far better with her axe than Freyd had anticipated.  A quick pommel-driven counter to the chest forced her back, but Freyd's position was poor.  Four on one would wear him down too quickly, and the gnolls had been determined enough to track him most of the day.  They would not give up easily now, especially while they had the advantage.

"What took you so long to get here," he jested unconvincingly.  "I've been killing time all afternoon, waiting around for you to catch up.  Are your fleas dragging you down?  Why don't we give you a shave to help with that?"

Spoiler

[2] Freyd: 124/180 (-14)| 10/18 (-2) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 50/90 | DMG: 27 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"Now, you fools!" the alpha shrieked in rage.  "First dibs to whoever chops off his lips!"  Personal hygiene was definitely a sore spot. 

Hygiene... Hyen... 

All four gnolls attacked at once with overhead strikes, interrupting his daydream word-association and causing Freyd to make a series of acrobatic dodges - essentially pulling a Neo.  He'd never been so glad to have spent so much time watching The Matrix.  The cassock added to the similarity, he supposed, but he'd always thought of himself as a Morpheus, more than a Neo. 

'Not who I'd chose to model myself after,' he pondered, 'but I'll settle for the effective defense, even if only barely.'  All the other kids wanted to be Neo.  He had always been searching for something deeper.

He kept his blade moving and swirling around him, parrying strikes as they came.  It actually felt like it was getting easier, which was some small comfort.  At least the hyena-headed gnolls hadn't landed any hits in a while.

Spoiler

[2] Freyd: 124/180 | 10/18 (-2) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +2, spent Disguise (recharge in 3), trigger SAV 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 50/90 | DMG: 27 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Could it really be that easy?

Focusing on the patterns and movements of his blade, Freyd brought it to a sudden stop with the tip touching the surface of the ledge at his side.  The gnolls paused, wary of a ruse.

"Time's up, manling!"  Their leader hefted her greataxe high, cackling menacingly as she did. Her lackeys did the same.  

One flash of angelic flash and four instantaneous thrusts later, her minions' lanky forms collapsed to the ground.  The pack leader's eyes bulged awkward as she grappled with the realization that a gaping hole had suddenly appeared in her abdomen, and that it was oozing viscous white fluid from where her internal data lay exposed.  Her health bar crashed down towards zero, the final few ticks slowing just enough to let him register her expression.

"Hrgh...how?!" she stammered.  "We had you!"  Her axe clanged to the floor as the other gnolls disintegrated around her.  Her hands tried desperately to keep her liquefied bytes from spreading outward, but to no avail.

Spoiler

[3] Freyd: 124/180 | 8/18 (-4) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +2, Disguise recharges in 2, spent and re-triggered SAV 1, triggered KEEN 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 2/90 (-36 -12 bleed)| DMG: 27 -> bleed 12 next turn

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

She collapsed forward, the bleed still eating her away from within.  Her axe lay beside her, but she could no longer wield it.  One hand reached forward, haltingly, and grabbed his leg.  There was no strength behind it.  She looked up with hatred in her eyes, staring at Freyd.  A casual thrust finished her off, but he swore he saw her eyes turn red in the final instant before her body shattered.  The same malice-driven red as the thief/assassin outside of Zackariah's shop during his first 'Lessons' quest.  They haunted him still.

For all the trouble they had caused, the gnolls garnered him relatively little loot.  

"Seems to be the way my luck is going today," he griped.  

Swinging his legs over the side of the ledge, he let his sword slip back into storage and decided to just enjoy the view while he recovered.  Between the tumbleweed, viper, jackal and gnolls, it had already been a fairly hectic day.

Spoiler

[4] Freyd: 124/180 | 8/18 (-1) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> EN +1, Disguise recharges in 1, spent and re-triggered SAV 1, spent KEEN 1

[0] Windstrider Pack: Min Loot: 0/90 (-5 -12 bleed)| DMG: 27 

Loot: 

630 col ([3*hp] + 2[2*hp] LD and CD even)

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Glancing around at the surrounding area, he was surprised to see no loot nodes anywhere in the canyon.

"Someone must farm this area on a regular basis," he thought aloud, dangling his legs slowly in the wind.  The hot air currents bounced off the surrounding rocks and were channeled towards the broader valley and oasis he had found farther 'downstream.'  It amused him to consider it as such, given the parched nature of this level. 

Strange that he hadn't seen anyone else around.  Floor five was hardly anywhere near the front lines, but the so-called 'lost lands' were still said to be regular grinding areas.  Something was suddenly hurting his eyes, forcing him to blink.  The sun had caught the bracer on his right arm in just the right way to reflect its glare, like a reflection on a glass-covered high rise or freshly washed car.  Turning his arm reminded him of the people whose names were engraved upon the steel surface of his new gear.  They were all strangers to him.

Spoiler

Need LD of 15+.  No mats found.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Alone with his thoughts, Freyd drifted through his recent memories and experiences.  Faces of the people he had met flashed before him, and the countless others he had seen while hiding in the Town of the Beginnings.  Here he was, finally away from the prison he had created within another, stretching his wings and finding his spirit once again.

"Do I even remember who I was?"  He'd lost himself, deliberately, for so long that he struggled to recall.  Who was Takeshi Sanamoto, anymore?  What had become of him?  Did he still exist, somewhere, as little more than a husk connected to tubes and wires, lying in a hospital bed?  Did anyone still trapped in here exist in any other way?  At what point did this world become more real than the old one?  His racing mind was avoiding the one true questions that nagged at it incessantly, until it rose, unbidden and unwanted to the surface.

"Am I still sane?"

The scouring, hot wind bouncing of the parched walls of the canyon before him was his only response.  

I am like the wind.

[Freyd 0]

No.  The wind is a voice without words.  I am like the whisper implicit in all shadows.  I am the untold, and thus unknown.  How can I be?  I cannot sense myself, nor find my way in darkness.  I am lost, and yet wanting to be found.  Who will find me?  Shall I find myself?  Yes, that may be best, so that I can know who I am.  All shadows chase the light, or flee from it.  I am not the shadow.  It is merely where I've lost myself.  I think I'm an idea - or the beginnings of one.  What are such things called?  I am potential, like what remains of all the others here.  Some have grown bold and forged themselves into legends - endless tales woven together to create people.  They have learned and earned identity.  I must do the same.

But, I am the whisper in the shadows.  How do I become more?

It is simple: you step into the light.  

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd woke with a start as his body began leaning forward towards the vast opening and fall of the void before him.  He'd fallen asleep, or something akin to it.  Thank goodness the shift in equilibrium had awoken him.  An impact with the canyon floor would have been far less kind. 

He had braced his arms on the edge of the ledge to catch himself, and suddenly felt a cool, tingling sensation on his right hand.  Turning only his eyes, slowly, he discovered a simmering patch of black shadow sniffing silently at his fingertips.  Two azure eyes with unusual, black, horizontally-slotted pupils carefully examined his hand.  The creature was about two feet long, with a body as black as night and wreathed in roiling, silent shadows.  It was like staring into a void, or starless night, save for those two brilliant eyes.  

The blue shadow mongoose paused, then turned its head slowly upward, gazing directly at him as he did the same. 

Spoiler

Need LD 15+.  Familiar found!

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"Well," he said quietly, fearful that he might scare it off if he spoke in anything louder than a barely perceptible whisper.  

"You're a rather difficult one to find," he added with a small smile.  "Maybe I just needed to let you find me instead."  It was a comforting thought.

The mongoose blinked, causing its eyes to vanish momentarily, as if swallowed by the darkness of its ever-changing body.  The sun had already touched the horizon, enriching the contrast between that darkness and the terracotta red of the surrounding stones.  

Summoning the gypsy's bag near his other hand, where it stood less chance of startling his new friend, he reached inside with his left hand and pulled forth some of its contents.  Slowly reaching his arm around, he held out his open palm, presenting them to the mongoose.  He could feel the pin-pricks of its claws on his right hand, as it stretched itself out to sniff at his offering.

It turned to gaze at him again.  Freyd felt like he was being evaluated, and dropped all pretenses.  He was vulnerable, and made no attempt to conceal it.  His fears and doubts flooded to the forefront of his mind and he felt again as he had when this infernal trap had first closed around him.  His eyes welled with tears that threatened to overwhelm him.  But, this time, he had the experience and determination that had previously been missing.  Closing his eyes and swallowing the rising tide of emotions, he re-opened them a moment later and faced its scrutiny.

They sat there staring at each other for a good long while.  The mongoose was the first to break off contact.  Having apparently made its decision, it curled itself up on his lap and start nibbling at the food in his outstretched hand.

Freyd took a deep breath, then gently stroked its back with his other hand.  It felt cool and soft, with a consistency of iced silk laid over coiled muscle.  Its shadowy aura engulfed his hand, masking it below the wrist.

Persistence.  

The name was apt, recalling the journey that had been required to get here, but also to remind them of what lay ahead.  "What do you think, Persi?"  The mongoose responded only by nestling deeper into his lap, craning its head over his knee to watch the setting sun, and exposing its belly for a proper rub.

Spoiler

CD 9+ to tame (max 4 attempts).  Success!

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd camped alongside the mongooses in their den that night.  It was an odd experience.  Now that Persistence had accepted him, the rest were more willing to approach.  Next thing he knew there were twenty of the things nuzzling at his sides or laying on top of him.  It was remarkably comfortable, like having an especially fluffy silk blanket thrown over you, and mixture of cool shade with body heat.  Despite the bizarre circumstances, he slept soundly for the first time since his arrival in Aincrad.

There were no parting issued the next morning.  The rest of the pack went off to scrounge themselves a morning meal.  He and Persi simply wandered away from the den, then the canyon, without either of them looking back.  She was quite content to follow along, though often by trailing behind him and darting between rocks, dry scrub brush or other areas of cover.  Once the reached the main road on the pass, she remained at his side.  There was a cat-like quality to her actions, which probably made sense.  Freyd vaguely recalled reading somewhere once that the two species were related in some way.  

[Freyd 0]

They soon occupied each other with an assortment of games as they walked.  Persi favoured the one where he used a polished silver buckler he'd picked up some time back to shine a spot on the ground.  Interestingly, whenever she covered the spot with her shadow-covered paw, it would vanish completely.  Whatever the nature of her shadow aura, it completely blocked the passage of light.

When Persi grew tire of chasing the vanishing spot, they switched to chasing sticks and small pebbled.  One skittered under a nearby pile of rocks and kept her attention long enough for Freyd to investigate.  Perhaps it had once been home to a group of smaller creatures, but he found nothing else of interest.  Collecting a fresh stash of pebbles, their game continued as they wandered back towards Fortaleza.

By this point, Persi had taken the lead and left him to follow her along, which was fine as she kept going in the intended direction.

Spoiler

Need 15+.  No materials found.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd was on alert the moment Persi froze, then came darting back to stand beside him.  She might have caught a scent or felt vibration of its approach while wandering ahead of him.  The sudden emergence of a giant scorpion before them would have been a complete surprise, had it not been for her warning.

The chitinous grey stinger burst forth from beneath a patch of what had previously looked like compacted sand.  Its aim was wide, perhaps thrown off by the amount of surrounding rock.  Freyd managed a series of quick darting strikes against the thing before it fully extracted itself from the sand.  Persi danced around it, distracting the scorpion and forcing it to focus on two targets at once.  Freyd doubted that the mongoose could do much against its thick, armor-like shell, but appreciated the unsolicited help.  It was a promising start to their partnership that his little blue shadow friend so eagerly worked her actions in concert with his.

 

Spoiler

[1] Freyd: 180/180 | 14/18 (-4) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> triggered SAV 1 , triggered KEEN 1

[0] Giant Scorpion 70/90 (-20) | DMG: 27

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

The two handed straight sword proved a good match against the long reach of the scorpion's tail, but the addition of its two massive claws complicated the odds.  Freyd parried the former only to be knocked prone by one of the pincers.  He was saved, unexpectedly, when Persi leapt onto the monster's back, scratching and biting at its more vulnerable joints.  The mongoose couldn't penetrate its hardened exoskeleton, but it was enough of a distraction to let him get back on his feet.  Persi darted back into shadows under a nearby cactus the moment Freyd recovered.

"Good timing!"  he said, gratefully.  "You've got pretty good timing.  I can't wait to see how well we work after some actual training - though I suppose this would also count."

A par of bright blue eyes appeared from the shadows and blinked once, before vanishing again.  The irritation on its back having gone, the scorpion turned its beady gaze back to its original target.

Spoiler

[1] Freyd: 180/180 | 14/18 (-2 +2) | DMG: 5 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 14 | ACC: 2 | SAV 1 | KEEN 1 | Bleed 1 | Holy 1 -> triggered REC 1, spent and re-triggered SAV 1 , spent KEEN 1

[0] Giant Scorpion 70/90 (-20) | DMG: 27

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows