The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

[44] Ready For Some Normalcy

The Poison Cloud started to dissipate as the final warrior succumbed to the toxin and wendigo defenders. Hrolf ran to his son, who was lying in the destroyed camp. There was nothing Bjorn could do in that situation so he continued flicking his tongue to see if he could detect any other gnolls.

“So the Poison Cloud worked like intended,” Failsafe said.

“Yeah, none of the wendigo were harmed at all,” Bjorn said.

Owen entered the camp; Bjorn had left him behind when he came up with the plan to use Poison Cloud. Owen ran up to Hrolf, who was holding onto Tyr. The boy was still conscious despite his blood loss.

“I have a healing potion from Tanisha,” Owen said. “We have to take the arrow out first.”

Bjorn turned away from the sight; he needed to stay vigilant in case there were more attackers around. The wendigo seemed apprehensive around him anyway, which was understandable. The last time they saw him he was the size of a big dog. Now he was larger than a horse and Tanisha was nowhere in sight. He walked around the camp, continuing his patrol, and picked up a new taste.

Maya and gnolls out in the field. He took off running in their direction to find blood and craters from explosive impacts. The grassland looked more like a warzone. It wasn’t long before he found the body of a gnoll spearwoman, at least what he thought might be the remains of one, in one of the craters. The spear was broken just like the body next to it.

“Bjorn?” Joha’s deep voice questioned. “You have gotten… taller.”

Bjorn looked around with each of his heads, finally noticing the tiger demon standing behind him. In one hand was the head of a gnoll warrior. A different one than the dead spearwoman, who still had most of her head. Joha was thinner with black fur instead of his normal tiger coloration. 

“They are all dead here. This was the leader,” He held up the head in his hand. “The fact you are here instead of with Tanisha I will assume means the others are dead as well.” The maya shifted around him and he returned to normal. “Let's go back.”

The night was long and everyone including Bjorn was on high alert. He noticed that as the night progressed he shrank slightly and the gray coloration of his scales slowly diminished. The maya his scales had absorbed was slowly released in the form of purple smoke, revealing new green scales beneath. Helina used her hydromancy to rinse the blood and other remains off him as he watched over the camps. He looked over his status and skill menus again.

Status Menu

Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 30 / 75
Restoration: 70 / 120
Constitution: 30 / 80
Strength: 20 / 50
Dexterity: 25 / 30
Stamina: 20 / 40
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)

Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration:  20 / 50  (+100 from bond)
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Skills Analysis

Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!

Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.

Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.

Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.

Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.

Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don’t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.

Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.

Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.

Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. 

King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.

Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish 
(or) 
Maya Cost: 150-ish 

(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why…)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let's not for a while, please.

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“You ready to talk about the memories of your past life as Isin?” Failsafe asked.

Bjorn closed the menus. “Yeah, I was a nephilim, and we know what a True Human is now.”

“Do you want to go by Isin or Bjorn?” Failsafe asked.

Bjorn was silent for a few moments. “It was a past life, I have a new name now.” 

“Alright, Bjorn it is,” Failsafe said. “True Humans; the Angels created humans as a slave race. I guess they were here building something that required more manpower than they had. They used a mixture of… I guess, Higher Plane technology and aether focused through it. Those orbs were essentially their version of a wand or staff. I hope you got to hold one of them at some point in your old life so I can get a better look.”

“You think it was my fault they showed up?” Bjorn asked softly.

“Huh? Oh um… I don’t know.” Failsafe was caught off guard by the question. “The gate seemed to be some kind of barrier to keep out the monsters, and that was years later when they showed up. So, it could have just been a matter of time before they found out what your father was doing. Well whatever your father was doing, we still don’t even know what.”

“But if I didn’t mess with the gate to begin with…” Bjorn sighed.

“We don’t know the limitations of the Angels or if you tampering with the gate had anything to do with them finding the enclave. What we do know is that your father made the enclave against the will of the other Angels and that he had been tampering with memories. The Angels were here for something, and they needed to create humans to do it. Hasmanual seemed surprised and upset that Patr and the others could use aether, meaning your father could have done something to them.”

“You mean like what Joha did to Tanisha and by extension us?” Bjorn asked.

“Yes, but with you it was different. I think you were the only nephilim there. You had a… uhh, aetheric core, yeah that’s what we’ll call it. It wasn’t tied to anything external like the maya is. It was your core, that is why your magic core now is trying to recreate it.”

“So when he said I was special was it because I was the only greater human?” Bjorn asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Failsafe stated.

“Well back to the current me, my stats and everything; what happened?” Bjorn asked.

“When maya was introduced into you, your magic core freaked the fuck out!” Failsafe said. “You went into shock and I had to convert the maya into experience and then into maturation so your body could accept the maya veins and push it out of your core. That worked for a while. You gained a lot of levels, and I had to grow your body again to keep up with the amount of maya being flooded into you.”

“Why did I lose control?” Bjorn asked.

“Everything was going well. Your magic core was acclimating to having maya around it and starting to direct it. I believe you would have woken up in a day with barely any more changes. Then the gnolls put a magic suppression collar on you. As soon as that happened your magic core lost control of the maya and its demonic nature overpowered your reason. If what you said about the skill I can’t see is right, you have a patron in the Infernal Planes and they really want you to go berserk.”

“If someone puts another collar on me will I lose control again?” he questioned.

“No, it shouldn't, you’ve been matured to the point your reason and your core can’t be overwhelmed by the maya,” Failsafe said. “In fact right now your body is releasing all of the excess maya it built up, which is why you’re getting a little smaller. You’ll still be bigger than a horse when it is over. In a few weeks when the maya veins in your body have recovered you should be able to increase your size at will with the Infernal Scale Armor skill. That skill is why you are so big right now, by the way. Oh, that reminds me,” Failsafe said with glee. “I’m working on something new and you are going to love it once I’m done! I should have it ready by the time we make it to the fort city.”

“What is it?” Bjorn asked.

“It is a surprise,” Failsafe said.

“Then why did you tell me you were working on something?” Bjorn asked.

“So you would be surprised,” Failsafe stated.

“But now I will be anticipating it,” Bjorn rebutted.

“And when you see it you will be surprised,” Failsafe said enthusiastically.

“You could have just… eh, nevermind,” Bjorn said. “We get to see a wendigo city tomorrow so it will be nice for Tanisha. I am sure she is ready for some normalcy.”

***

Ingrid Salstar sat stoically in the largest banquet hall of the Nazem Noble house. Her expression was unchanging as Audun, the head of the house, driveled on and on about his successes as head of the Nazem Domain. The rotund wendigo was especially proud of the trade and commerce of Lavi. The success of the fort city was impressive, but was built on underhanded tactics and foreign capital. 

Ingrid knew he had been postponing this very meeting for the past few days, no doubt to gather support from his beneficiaries. His wife and two young children sat quietly eating their meals, which Ingrid had yet to touch. The hall had tighter security than what should be necessary for a banquet with a neighboring domain’s Lady.

The Salstars and the Nazems shared a border and had been rival houses for years. However, the newest head of the Nazem had not gained his position through magical ability, as was custom. He gained his position through political games and the weak practices of humans. If he were a true head he wouldn’t feel the need to have so many guards. Ingrid couldn’t tell what she found more disgusting: the corrupted pig of a noble that sat across from her or the poor excuse for magic she sensed around the room from his so-called elite guard.

“As you can see Lady Salstar, despite the current disruptions caused by the brazen druid attacks on our territory we have managed to secure our borders,” Audun said with a smug look. “I understand the Salstar domain was also attacked, and several major trade routes have been disrupted. We will be more than happy to help with relief supplies, at a discount of course.”

“Ah, yes I am happy to see that the Nazem have managed to successfully hold the line against those disgusting druids,” Ingrid stated. “I think that you may have assumed incorrectly about the purpose of this meeting, as the Salstar domain has had no major disruptions to trade or significant loss of life due to the recent attacks.”

“What, how… I mean good, that is good to hear,” Audun said with less confidence. “If that’s the case why have you come? Not that you aren’t welcome here of course, but wouldn’t the Lord prefer to have his Lady home?”

“Ulfar wanted to come but he is busy preparing our heir for his role,” Ingrid stated. “As for why I am here…” She locked eyes with the large wendigo. “We captured every single druid fucker that entered the Salstar domain, all of them. They have been executed of course, but not before being questioned. We found some pretty interesting things in the possession of the one hundred and fifty captured men and women.”

Audun stood up suddenly. “This sounds like something that should be discussed in private. We can go to my…”

“Sit down Audun,” Ingrid demanded, her tone sharp. “I think you will find this quite interesting. Especially what they said about you. Traitor, smuggler, druid sympathizer; you have built quite a reputation within their ranks.”

“Shut your mouth! The Nazem Domain has also been attacked by those savages,” Audun retorted. “I don’t like what you’re implying while you are a guest in my house.”

“Tell me what was targeted here in the Nazem Domain? A few insignificant farms, a small fire at a nearly decommissioned and strategically unimportant outpost, a few missing wendigo here and there,” Ingrid stated, her voice just as unsettling and calm as before. “Why would they be so disorganized and attack such poor targets when every attack on us has been so focused and precise, almost as if they were fed information. Incorrect information, that we leaked to your intelligence officers, which you snuck into our domain. They have been taken care of by the way.”

“Gerd, take the children and go to your rooms,” Audun said to his family.

Ingrid stood up, a smile stretched across her face. “It is a shame really, your father was such a good man,” She sighed. “By order of the King of Yuhia, the Nazem House is to be executed. Every member is to be put to the sword. I will be that sword today. The Fort City is now the Salstar’s domain.”

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