The Karinon charged Pachi, slashing at her with its claws. She used Flamewalking, flashing away from the beast and dragging her light-imbued claws across its ribs as she did so. I realized that teleportation was the only reason she had remained alive this long. Yet each dash sapped her Stamina. Even as I watched, the arcing claws of light energy disappeared back into her bangles. Her Stamina had to be close to depleted already.
I stalked toward the Karinon, hoping to get within striking range before it noticed me. Yet even as I closed the distance, the dark creature curled in upon itself, a moan of tortured rage escaping it. Its wings buckled and recoiled into its body. The bones passed around the Karinon’s ribs, down its arms, and pushed out, turning into massive claws that exploded from the beast’s hands.
It had turned its wings into weapons!
When it struck out at Pachi again, it easily reached her, tearing a great rent in her wings. She cried out in pain and used the Flamewalking skill twice in a row, retreating as far as she could.
A group of soldiers had found crossbows and launched a well-aimed volley into the Karinon’s side. It screeched and blurred toward then, its great claws cutting them in half. Their spent bodies spilled to the ground. The helm of one of the soldiers tumbled away and I saw the pale face of Corell’s son, the one who’d been so patient teaching me how to skin a rabbit.
The rage that crashed into me was so potent I nearly lost my footing. I glanced at the fallen soldiers, the boy’s face, and Pachi, wings quivering in pain, and a door unlocked within my chest. Boiling heat seemed to cascade through my veins, and I screamed loud enough to alert the enemy camp.
Though I’d held the Rage of the Phoenix skill at bay, not wanting my diminished HP to drain away too quickly, I had no control of it now. Even as the Karinon crouched, expecting a blow, a notification flashed before me.
Skill Evolved: No longer consumed by selfish rage, you have found the bottomless well of righteous anger, the furious fire that consumes all who seek to oppress, wound, and beat down those you love.
Rage of the Phoenix has reached tier two and become Wings of Righteousness!
Wings of Righteousness (Active): Movement speed increased by 20%. Skill-related damage increased by 25%. Time dilated by 25%. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.
The waves of power that flowed through me were more than tangible. I distantly registered Pachi telling me that I was glowing, and as I lifted up my sword before me, I noticed lazy flames rolling down my arms amid the noticeable shift in time’s flow.
I watched as the enfield bunched her legs, preparing to pounce. I saw an arrow leap into the air, its shaft wobbling subtly. And I felt the eyes of the Karinon find me, those black holes within its skull bleeding out hate and fury.
It blurred toward me.
This time I could track its movements, though. Just barely, but enough to dodge its first attack.
The beast swept at me again, and I used Edge Dancer. The speed of my counterattack made the Karinon hiss, staggering back a foot as three rapid strikes scored gashes in its vile hide. I had ten seconds of this insane speed. Ten seconds where, with everything stacked, I could outmatch even this fell beast.
It took a step in retreat, and I saw Pachi flash forward, crushing its leg in her mouth.
I stabbed out with my katana, then tore the blade free of its belly sideways, dragging my wakizashi over its ribs. Three more passes of my lightning-fast strikes left the Karinon staggering, spitting out black blood onto the ground, with its throat ripped out by my attacks.
And as I watched another arrow slam into the Karinon’s shoulder, a pool of black energy seemed to fill its wounds, closing them shortly after they’d been delivered.
Only a few seconds remained, so I played my last card. I launched myself at the abomination. Its claws raked across my body as I moved forward, but it was not enough to kill me. Slamming both of my swords through its heart, I gripped my katana’s handle in one hand and tore it free, leaving a gaping hole that oozed blood.
I selected Lunar Flare and Powered Strike, then swept my katana up and to the side, a blinding white light flashing out from my blade as the Karinon’s head lifted away from its body and tumbled to the ground.
No vorpal hole was ripped in the air above us, claiming the tainted soul that had finally departed this world. The body didn’t burn away and turn to ash in a matter of seconds. Instead, and justifiably, the beast simply bled out in the street and moved no more.
Soldiers rushed about me, a buzz filling my ears that made everything sound muted and far away, and then Pachi pushed her nose into my belly and urged me gently, It is fallen, young one, and you have done well. It is time to put away your sword.
4: “And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from afar ancestral voices prophesying war!”
— The Lays of Laudanum
MADI
The clean-up had been a mess. I’d had an official meeting with the town mayor, the captain of the guard, and the head of the merchant’s guild. The most awkward part of the whole exchange was that I’d been ushered into the mayor’s plush office still bleeding in a few places and covered in pieces of carapace and bone.
Despite living through the ordeal myself, and gaining a level to boot, I felt the fates had dealt me a cruel hand. I was stuck talking politics and “the intricacies of local economy” as the master merchant put it, for hours on end. The only good part was the food.
When I was done, though,
