762 Crimson and Viper
"I got to say. I'm a bit disappointed," Shane whispered to Hera. They were all gathered in their house. Thankfully, they had moved to a bigger place in the second floor of the city a few days ago which stopped them from being so crowded that Hera's titled blades couldn't be in their bipedal forms.
Eridan had asked for some help and now he had set up flags and string all around their living room for a proper party. But despite it being for Hera, Viper and Crimson had stolen the show for now. Everyone wanted to talk with the two new court members, which usually came with a bunch of questions to Daskka about how it all worked.
"Why?" Hera asked as she filled up some cups with some juice from one of the fruits that were in the room. It tasted like mango, but had a green color to it and was shaped like a melon. The system called it 'Green Zaxalam Fruit,' which sounded much better in the old Naga language. For now, Fethy was asking the few children to come up with new names for the fruits, since they all followed that kind of pattern, but they still didn't have the final names.
"Well… I hoped you would find something that let you turn Viper and Crimson into titled blades, but I wanted them to be full Naga," Shane admitted.
Hera chuckled, "Yeah, I can't say I wasn't expecting that too, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. None of my titled blades are like, species that do exist. I'm 99% sure this is intentional."
"Well…" Shane looked over to where Lurize was talking with Kahala, discussing something about how to improve armor, "He is not exactly a species."
"It's a living armor. Sure, there are monsters like that but I don't think we will ever see someone with his type of armor unless we are dealing with a doppelganger scenario," Hera passed a glass to the Enchanter, "On another topic. Since you are one of the only two people with legacies that are going to stay here, make sure to take care of everyone. I won't say for you to wait for me to explore Deakoshara, but be careful. Something killed all the Naga. Maybe it was just a disease or internal conflict, but maybe it was something else. And make sure to prioritize everyone's safety. Don't get over excited about whatever you find there and leave this place undefended. Risli also has one but hers is strictly for healing."
Shane nodded, "I will. And you be sure to watch your back. The guild probably won't come here unless they are in a bind, which means that you will likely be closer to them than us. Not to mention the whole idea was for you to help with supply lines, wasn't it? That kind of job is dangerous during wartime. Besides, there is a small chance that Risli, Alex, and I won't be the only ones with legacies here."
"What do you mean?" Hera frowned.
"Bonnie didn't talk to you?"
"Not yet. What happened?"
"I'll let her tell you. Don't worry, it's a good thing. I think."
"Empress! Can is there a way to share our status window with everyone? I think it's easier than answering all these questions about what we can do," Crimson asked from the other side of the room.
"I can open it on my tablet, hang on," Hera grabbed the tray with full cups and walked back to the group. It didn't take long for her to pull up the status screen for the Spymasters.
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Viper & Crimson - Naga
Twin Daggers - Scryotra
Viper:
Total Stats: 654
Strength: 145 Endurance: 12
Agility: 82 Charisma: 82
Intelligence: 82 Luck: 100
Mana 3 568 974/3 568 974
Weapon Scaling:
Strength x 14.5, Charisma x 11.8, Luck x 10, Endurance x 8.2, Agility x 8.2, Intelligence x 8.2
Crimson:
Total Stats: 660
Strength: 82 Endurance: 82
Agility: 153 Charisma: 82
Intelligence: 135 Luck: 126
Manna 4 111 856/4 111 856
Weapon Scaling:
Agility x 15.3, Intelligence x 13.5, Luck x 12.6, Strength x 8.2, Endurance x 8.2, Charisma x 8.2
Passive Shared Skills:
Two Fight as One:
When within 10 meters of each other, Viper and Crimson will be affect by each other's attributes and weapon scaling. In the case where both have the scaling for a specific attribute, only the highest one will apply. This effect can only be applied to Viper and Crimson.
Naga attunement:
All skills and spells that Viper and Crimson have are considered Naga spells or skills.
All skills and spells that do not need to be converted have their effects increased by 50%
Blessing of the Stealth Spirit:
Viper and Crimson were blessed by a Stealth Spirit. This allows them to control how hard is to perceive their presence even without any skills active. When using a stealth based skill or spell, the effects are doubled.
Unparalleled collaboration:
Viper and Crimson work together with a near flawless precision.
Hidden Strike:
Attacks made without warning the target will deal 50% more damage.
Viper's Passive skills
Enhanced Poison:
When using any poison-related spells or skills Viper increase the poison effect by 30%
Snake's Cunning:
Viper's mind gains a greater benefit from intelligence allowing him to process information 20% faster than his intelligence would allow.
Crimson's Passive skills:
Rending Blade:
Crimson's attacks can cause the target to receive a grievous wound, reducing any healing that it receives by 20%
Serpent's Hold:
Crimson's muscle gains a greater benefit from strength, increasing the force behind her muscles by 20% more than what her strength would allow.
Shared Active skills:
Alluring Presence:
By activating this skill, your target will feel attracted to whoever activates this skill.
Mana Cost: 300 mana per target affected
Hidden Frontal Screen:
When active, this skill will allow the user to hide from almost anything that is in front of it.
Mana Cost: 0.5% total mana per second. 2% if the user is moving.
Guardian's Form:
Viper and Crimson and join together, taking on a new form. In this form, their attributes are added together, and their skills are 100% more effective.
Mana cost: 90% total mana.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cooldown: 24 hours.
Forms available: Scryper, Crimotra
Viper and Crimson can take this form without increasing their attributes and the power of their skills. Doing so reserve 10% of their mana pool, the duration becomes unlimited and there is no cooldown.
Viper's Active skills:
Grasping Strike:
Viper deals a blow that binds the target temporarily. The duration of the bind depends on the strength of the target.
Mana Cost: 500 mana
Acid Spray:
Viper can spray acid from his fangs, the gas released by this chemical can also poison those who come in contact with it. Viper is also able to control the type of acid used for this skill to a certain degree.
Mana cost: 300 000 mana.
Crimson's Active skills:
Bloody Claw:
Crimson launches a long-range attack made out of blood. Depending on how much mana was spent, the attack can be performed with one, two, or three claws. If exposed blood is nearby it can be used to increase the power of this skill as long as the blood is not inside a living being.
Mana Cost: 300, 600, 1 200 Mana. Distance: 50 meters
Demolisher:
Crimson can turn her body into an unstoppable force. She gains increased damage against any structure and against shielded targets. The more she is able to destroy, the more powerful her attacks will become.
Mana cost: 20% total mana.
Initial damage increase: 20%
Maximum damage increase: 400%
Duration: 10 minutes
Cooldown: 20 minutes
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"Wow… You guys can do a lot of stuff," Alex gasped.
"Yeah, but what is that transformation?" Bonnie turned to Hera, "How do they look when transformed?"
"I actually don't know. They just got here. We didn't have a chance to test what they could do," Hera turned to the twins. Do you even know?"
Viper shook his head in a mix of yes and no, "Sort of. Like we don't know what we will look like but we do know what will happen to us."
"Yeah. Crimotra is the form that keeps my skills and Scryper can use Vipers," Crimson added.
"She means if we don't use the full effect. If we do, whatever form he uses will have all skills," Viper finished explaining just to make it clear.
"I see, and do you want to show us your forms? Or would you rather not?" Hera asked.
"I'm ok with it," Viper nodded.
"I guess. I mean, it's not something I want to be doing all the time, but I'm ok showing," Crimsons sighed.
"I don't want to make you feel bad. If it makes you uncomfortable you don't have to," Hera said.
"No, no. It's on. One day you will know about it anyway," Crimson let out a long sigh, "Do do you mind if we start with mine? Get it out of the way faster."
"Sure," Viper nodded, and the two clasped hands, holding each other's wrists. Suddenly, they disappeared completely. Just like how they disappeared when they became titled blades. Hera still was able to sense them and see their outline if she focused, but she didn't. This was a fun situation and she wanted to be surprised with everyone else.
When they appeared again, the two were now a single creature. One with the lower body of a snake exactly like Crimsons, and the upper body was insect-like, with a deep red exoskeleton covering a brighter red skin. The arms were that of a praying mantis, but instead of regular claws, the daggers were in its place. One red and one white with the scale pattern that Hera know so well. The face was also very different. It was a mix of the insect and Crimson herself. Her eyes were bigger and more to the side, and her mouth had some extra mandibles that could grab things that got too close.
"This is Crimotra. I control the body, and Viper does for me what Dusa does for you, Hera," Crimson's voice was deeper and it had a skittering to it. A sound that made anyone who heard it feel like bugs were crawling over their ears.
"And those are the daggers?" Hera pointed to the claws.
Crimson nodded with her half mantis head, "Yeah, the scaling and skills the weapons have are the same. Well, sort of. I can't use Viper's skills like this. But I can use my own with either dagger," Crimotra's entire body shook, "Ok, I don't like how my voice sounds like. This is worse than I thought. I'm changing to Viper's form now."
Crimotra disappeared, with the twins showing up again in their separate forms. Without giving anyone a chance to say anything, they clasped hands one more time and vanished. When their new form appeared, Hera understood exactly what was going on. The lower half of their body was scorpion-like, including a tail with a stinger, but it wasn't as long. From where the head of the scorpion should be, Hera could see the abdomen of Viper. There was no change aside from the size. Both alternate forms were much bigger than their separated bodies, getting about the same height as Lurize, but still not close to Livy who towered over everyone else. Viper was holding each dagger in one of his hands.
"This is Scryper. Depending on the situation I'm more mobile. I'm also better at facing various enemies since I have many legs here," Viper stopped talking for a moment and rolled his eyes, "Fine! Crim is asking to explain her form since she couldn't. Crimotra is better at stealth and is much faster than me. There is a reason why people praise mantis for their speed. It's also better for facing a single enemy since she can use the tail to constrict the target," they disappeared again and returned to their normal forms.
"I understand the names now. It's half you two and half Scryotra, right?" Hera said with a smile.
"Yeah, I think so. It makes me kind of happy," Crimson opened a big smile, but that didn't last long. Everyone else started bombarding the two with questions as the party continued.
Later on that evening, while everyone was still drinking, eating and having fun, Hera managed to catch Bonnie in the kitchen refilling the snacks bowls that were empty, "Hey! Before I forget. Shane mentioned something with you and a legacy. What's that about?"
"Right! I completely forgot to talk to you about this," Bonnie quickly closed the rod and made the gesture to ask for a soundproof bubble. Hera frowned with the reaction but used the spell around them, "So, remember that thing Helena found back in the cave? The one with lights?"
"Yeah. Did you figure out what it was?"
"So, that is pointing somewhere in the room. We are not entirely sure where the light currently hits a few trees. We still need to triangulate the position properly, or cut some of the trees down to clear a path. But that's not the important part. When the moon is high in the sky, aside from the lights hitting those holes, there is also another picture that is drawn in the cave. A constellation."
From the way Bonnie was speaking, it seemed like she was trying to hint at something, but Hera couldn't remember anything about a constellation. Sure, the researcher had a staff that used star based powers, but that was it.
"You don't remember don't you?"
"Sorry,"
Bonnie chuckled, "That's fine. Do you remember which member of the court of heroes I was searching for?"
"The Astral Witch, right? OH SHIT!" Hera gasped, finally connecting the dots.
"Yes! The only things I had about them was that constellation and the name of a city. When we saw those lights. I double checked and I think people mistranslated that name. If the Astral Witch said she was going to whatever city she was going to, I think they just wrote it by ear. I tried reverse engineering the translation to see what other words could be, and check this out," Bonnie pulled out her tablet and showed a list with about two dozen different phrases. But one was marked in bold letters 'Krath Za Xal Amatro,'"If you split those words differently it will say 'Krath Zaxalam tro' which means 'I go Old Zaxalam.'"
Hera looked at the words, then at Bonnie, "You know, if you didn't preface this by saying you already found her constellation I would say you are grasping at straws. But having this as a follow up changes things."
"I know right."
"Man, it sucks that I can't be here to help. I mean, with Nimbus I probably could track the sigh from above and help setting things up," Hera sighed.
"Hey, don't worry. Worst case scenario. I find a legacy without you. You can help me practice with it later," Bonnie chuckled.
"Yeah," the Empress felt a bit down, but she quickly changed the subject, "Oh, but what about Lena? Isn't she upset? I mean, she found it."
"We talked about this. If it really is the Astral Witch legacy, then I'll take it. If it's any other, it's hers. But the big problem is Alex."
"Why Alex?" Hera tilted her head.
"Well, she's struggling with her legacy. I mean, after she got it we just rushed back and she wasn't able to put it in practice all that much. Then, she realized that low level dungeons and monsters don't tend to use many buffs and things like that. Everything aside from purging effects on others is very defensive and she doesn't know what to do."
"I see…" Hera looked at the snacks, "Even when I'm gone, I'll try to send texts with ideas to her."
Bonnie grabbed the now filled bowl, "It's a good call. Now let's get back. If I keep hogging you all to myself your dad will give me an earful," the researcher smiled as the two went back to the party to enjoy this moment of peace before what was about to come.
