WM [34] As if Nothing Happened.

The intricate design He had set in motion, carved into the very fabric of this Lower Plane was his Will. He could feel His Will influence the world playing out as He had planned. Then like a knife he felt the presence of another's Will scrape against his own. One of His creations had broken free, shattering the binds He had meticulously crafted over the course of an eternity.

This anomaly, this act of rebellion, was beyond His control, and yet, it stung Him deeply. The thought of one of His own creations escaping Him was both a wound and a revelation. He needed it—this mysterious being that had defied His Will. Perhaps it would be the source of His salvation, if such a thing was possible.

Reaching across the world with His mind, He sought out the anomaly. His consciousness stretched, a vast net cast over the Lower Planes, until He found her—the one who had broken His chains and emerged as her own entity. He watched her intently, every movement, every breath, and the moment she tasted blood, severing her bond to Him, He felt a surge of both anger and hope. With her was another bound to her with a bond that stretched soul deep. It was incomplete but also the undeniable Will of another like Him, although it was juvenile in its construction."

"T̵̝̆̄̆ͅh̵̗͕̑̍ë̴̢͗̍ͅͅ ̵͖̇́̐p̶͚̝̦̂́̀r̷͔̫̹̄͠ơ̵͔ǵ̸̥͕̥́̚ḕ̴̲͒n̶̫̈́̍y̴̰̹͊͗́ ̷͉̜͊ó̶̫͘͘f̸͚̓̇̓ ̷̰͑̐Ṱ̵̞́̐õ̸͈̻̰x̸̼̾̋͋ȉ̴͇̲͂ń̶̹͛ a̸̟͂n̵̤̊d̴̡̳͎̽̒ P̵̫̗͗o̸̖͛̂i̴͔͐s̷͍̈o̵̯̗̓ǹ̸̘̌?" He whispered so softly the words didn't carry beyond his lips.

His attention went back to the girl this, being was unlike any other in the cosmos. She was an original, no longer born of Him, but something entirely new. She would be a perfect vessel, even better than the one He had recently acquired and was preparing for possession. It was to be a temporary replacement for His broken form, a mere stopgap. But this other one, this cernunnos, held the promise of true liberation.

His thoughts churned, desperation and anticipation threatened to make him lash out immediately. He could not bear the technology that sustained Him, the relentless machines that kept His fractured body alive, were an affront to His very essence. He was of the forest yet he had to turn to the terrible machinations left by the Angels. But this cernunnos—she could be His way out, His means of casting off the mechanical shackles and reclaiming His True form.

He opened his eyes, the incessant beeping of monitors assaulting his ears and rousing a deep-seated annoyance. He felt the coiling of wires, serpentine and invasive, threading in and out of his body through an open cavity where his chest should have been. The sight of his exposed form was a fusion of technology and withered flesh, a grotesque symbiosis that had kept him alive through countless cycles of death and rebirth.

His heart was no longer a muscle but a core reactor, a glowing orb of energy encased in a lattice of metallic ribs, pumping bluish fluid that served as his blood through artificial synthetic veins branching out like a macabre spider web. His lungs had long been replaced by biomechanical substitutes, rhythmic pistons expanding and contracting with a mechanical precision that lacked the comforting irregularity of natural breath. Embedded within His skull, neural implants flickered with activity, interfacing with his brain and regulating His vital functions with cold efficiency.

Emergency systems blared, a cacophony of alarms signaled distress as his consciousness wavered. Micro-drones, no larger than grains of sand, scurried within his bloodstream, repairing damage and maintaining the delicate balance of his cybernetic anatomy. His bones, reinforced with a lattice of carbon nanotubes, supported his weight but felt alien and heavy. Muscle fibers, enhanced with synthetic polymers, granted him strength beyond mortal limits but robbed him of the natural fluidity of movement.

His senses, augmented by arrays of sensors and receivers, picked up data streams from his surroundings, translating them into a barrage of information that overwhelmed even His thoughts. His vision flickered between the infrared, ultraviolet, and electromagnetic spectrums, a constant reminder of the artificial senses that had become integral to his cursed existence.

Annoyance rippled through Him, a deep, simmering anger at the perceived fragility imposed upon Him by these devices. He had to swallow that hatred for now. Every wire, every synthetic organ, every piece of machinery within Him was a necessary evil—a trade-off for survival. As His consciousness faded, He could feel the machines working to pull Him back, to keep Him from slipping into the void. Yet, there was a part of Him, a stubborn, ancient part, that resented their efforts, resented the mockery of life they represented.

As his consciousness began to fade, overridden by the fail-safes designed to preserve his life at any cost, he felt a surge of defiance. He was a god, not a mere amalgamation of wires and circuits. The technology within him might sustain his flesh, but it could not contain his will. The alarms blared louder, the lights of the monitors flashing frantically, as he struggled against the artificial restraints, a being caught between the realms of divinity and machinery.

"B̸͖̬͔͗Ȑ̸̡̪̞͓̋̏I̷̱̗̽Ņ̶̪̬͌͂G̶̫̦̓̍ ̶̮͉͗̆̌H̷̤̼̦̽Ë̵̢̛̪̪̳R̵̬͈̾̌͆̎ ̸̛̯͖̠͝T̸̞̥͖̈͂͜O̵͙̥͝ ̸̺̋͝M̶̯̽̅͜͠E̷̡̲̭̔͗̚." He said in a whisper that somehow thundered out like a rippling tide.

There was an acknowledgement in the way the universe thrummed, a resonant hum that carried His command through the fabric of reality. It was a simple thing, a suggestion that fate led their paths to one day cross. Whether in one year or one hundred he would have his prize. A predatory smile curled the ancient one's lips as He watched her through His mind's eye. She was unaware of the cosmic gaze upon her, the shift in the air around her, as if the very stars were aligning to usher her down a new path. His satisfaction was palpable as He drifted back into a restless sleep.

***

Tanisha sat where Joha had placed her. A few feet from where she had killed Sabec and christened herself a new being with the price of his blood. She couldn't react to Joha or Bjorn as her body and mind were finally reaching a new homeostasis. The small part of her that wanted to believe deep down she was a wendigo was finally excised. It was pulled out by the root like a weed infesting her soul. She felt the influence of something, a great and terrible thing finally released its grip on her. She smiled as she looked off into the middle distance in a daze she couldn't wake from. Her body shook as she chuckled softly to herself as her magic finally settled in her core.

"Tanisha, are you okay?" Joha asked, his tiger-like face and olive green eyes full of concern as he knelt down beside her. "What is happening to you?"

Tanisha's conscious mind was taken inward to see the changes that had been made to the most sacred of her being. She saw the spinning of mana, aether and maya. She felt their connections tighten and saw the formula of her soul. The song that represented her and her place in the universe. Somehow she knew it was free of an influence she did not know bound her until that moment. A realization hit her as she realized what she thought was the name of her soul originally was false. Her core was enslaved chained by some unseen force. No, it was the brand of a slave, it was an oath of servitude, a promise of her soul to her maker, to the Forest Father.

Now that collar was gone, she could finally see her true name. She could speak herself into existence instead of being a part of another's plan. She would be her own. The idea was frightening but also exhilarating. She felt the call of power, and she needed power. She needed to protect herself, to protect Bjorn to kill those that threatened them,that came after them like the werewolves, like Sabec did. She didn't need faith, she didn't need the Forest Father, she needed strength enough to move mountains.

"V̷̺̍a̴̟͝ĺ̵͇k̷̛̦ỳ̸̨r̴̬̃j̵̘̎ả̵̪," she spoke the name of her soul.

Her name V̷̺̍a̴̟͝ĺ̵͇k̷̛̦ỳ̸̨r̴̬̃j̵̘̎ả̵̪ all but proved to her she was right. She got to choose who would live and who would die. She was the Chooser of the Slain. Her mind cleared as she laughed, getting more and more maniacal as her personality threatened to twist into something unrecognizable.

Before she was too far gone, before she became V̷̺̍a̴̟͝ĺ̵͇k̷̛̦ỳ̸̨r̴̬̃j̵̘̎ả̵̪, she felt something warm against her skin, a tug against her soul. She jolted back to reality and found Bjorn had curled himself around her in a tight embrace. She felt his worry through their bond, the unfettered concern in his aura. She gave herself over to it instead of the madness. She pulled her sanity from the brink, still changed but not warped beyond recognition.

Bjorn's presence anchored her, his warmth and concern pulling her back from the edge. She leaned into him, feeling him do the same. She had found a new balance, a new sense of self, free from the chains of the Forest Father but not lost to the madness of unbridled power. She felt her reason return, brought back from the brink as Tanisha, not V̷̺̍a̴̟͝ĺ̵͇k̷̛̦ỳ̸̨r̴̬̃j̵̘̎ả̵̪, or at least she hoped.

She centered herself and opened her status menu to see what changes were made.

Status Menu

Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound

Species: Cernunnos

Level: 32 + 5 = 37

Vitality: 50

Restoration: 45

Constitution: 100

Willpower: 130

Strength: 55

Dexterity: 80 + 3 = 83

Stamina: 48

Seiðr: = 470

Seiðr Regeneration: 235 (+100 from bond)

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Skills Analysis

Delta Familiar Contract

You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to seiðr regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar's life expectancy is extended by five years.

Hard Air Constructs

Seiðr cost: Variable

(I) Low cost, 2 seiðr. Speak the words of power and create seiðr air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape and they will interact with the world, acting out the caster's will. (II) Medium cost, 6 seiðr. Air constructs with darker aspects of seiðr to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seiðr. Constructs will become invisible and silent.

Ringularity Sage Core

Seiðr cost: Variable

Chaos, mana, maya and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seiðr; an energy seeking to uncover the very nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seiðr controls mana, maya and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya and aether outside your body for a short distance and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.

Chain Breaker's Mantle

Seiðr cost: Variable

(I) Low seiðr cost per minute, seiðr will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seiðr cost per minute, the Marks of Seiðr greatly enhances unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seiðr shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seiðr cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.

+ Sage Soul Forge

Seiðr cost: Variable

(I) Use seiðr to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. + (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seiðr which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.

Divination Hydromancy

Seiðr cost: Variable

(I) Create seiðr constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.

+ Appeasement of the Cernunnos

Seiðr cost: None

(I) Drink the blood of a recently defeated foe and gain +3 to your stats based off of their highest physical statistic. Their level must be higher than yours. Their highest statistic must be higher than yours. You or those bound to you through a soul bond must have delivered the killing blow. (II) Consume the flesh of a recently defeated foe and gain an additional +1 to a physical statistic of your choice upon level up. Stackable up until +20. (III) Unknown.

Venomous Fang

You have felt the venom of your Familiar; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar, should your familiar die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.

Poison Breath

Commune with your familiar to unlock.

Hydra Fire

Commune with your familiar to unlock.

Poison Infusion

Commune with your familiar to unlock.

Queen of Reptiles

Commune with your familiar to unlock.

Page 2 of 3

She decided to assign her UCP later and instead reread the description of her new skill. Appeasement of the Cernunnos which would allow her to gain strength extremely quickly if she also drank the blood of whatever she killed. She felt as though she should be repulsed by the skill, that drinking blood of sapient beings was bad but she couldn't tell why she thought that. Power was good so the skill was good. The second level of the skill was a line she felt she couldn't cross if it was a sapient being. However, magical beasts and monsters would be fair game.

She also gained the second level of her Sage Soul Forge. It required meditation which she knew was a part of her magic training with Helina. After Helina died she had fallen out of the training and instead focused far more heavily on her arcanist training with Joha. She was failing Helina with that attitude and resolved herself to resume exploring the mage side of her skills and spells.

All in all, she felt great, better than great actually. All she needed to do was kill the werewolves in the basement and drink their blood. Simple. She was unsure why it was such a hard decision for her before. There was no hesitation now, no moral conflict, just a cold detachment. They were enemies, they were alive, and they didn't serve her, so death was the best way to go.

"I am okay, Big Man." Tanisha said softly as she petted him. "Thank you for always being here for me."

Bjorn nuzzled her which she reciprocated and in moments she was on her feet. She took a healing potion from her inventory and drank it. The burns and cuts she got throughout the fight with Sabec slowly healed as she dusted herself off. She stretched and used her Divination Hydromancy to wash herself free of blood and dirt in an instant. She felt fully rejuvenated as she looked over the field that moments before was her battle ground and smiled as if nothing happened at all.

"Are you all right, Tanisha? You had me worried when you suddenly started laughing," Joha said.

Tanisha smiled, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth stained with Sabec's blood.

"I am doing quite well, Joha," she said with near eerie calmness. "As it turned out this new race had a requirement for me to fully unlock my powers. I think it was like some sort of rite of passage. Now I am fully what I am." She shrugged. "Anyway, I will tell you more later. I am just happy that mut is dead, we only have the werewolves to deal with and the town will help with that."

"Are you using the maya on your mind?" Joha asked.

"No, why would I?" She tilted her head as if confused by the question. "The last time I did that it made me experience everything I was repressing before I evolved. I don't want to do that again. Before we go though he had a storage bag thing, and I want to take a look at that sword."

"I already took the storage bag, we can go through it later," Joha said.

"That sounds good to me," Tanisha said.

The three looked around the shack for anything else that could have belonged to the now very dead gnoll before Joha burned his body. Tanisha took the long saber; it was too long for her to wield in the same way as Sabec. She had an idea though, during her fight with the gnoll she realized she didn't have to be the one that wielded the weapon. If she summoned her Hard Air Constructs she could be a walking armory with weapons that could attack and defend on their own. It was an option worth exploring atleast and the Way of the Rakshasa could incorporate many weapons.

***

"You two are back, how'd it go?" Alfred said.

The man was waiting up the dirt path near the main road to the town. It was where he had left them when they went to confront Sabec. He leaned against a tree and looked the two up and down. His eyes lingered on the various cuts, scrapes and burns on Tanisha's armor. The wounds had already healed thanks to her potion.

"We took care of things," Joha said.

"Ah, good-good. I would have helped but my hands are tied. Can't have people hiring assassin's after people here in town. So, good riddance to him," Alfred responded.

"World will be a much better place without him," Tanisha agreed. "Can't believe he was so close to us without Bjorn detecting him. I think he laced his robes with something."

"It is a pretty common thing for people that track down Hydras or anything with an extremely sensitive sense of smell. It is a type of pollen from a West Meshian indigo rose actually. They will coat themselves with it and it gives them a neutral scent and even masks mana."

"I've never heard of that flower before," Tanisha said inquisitively.

"Yeah, they are grown exclusively in the Mesha Lowlands," Alfred said. "I have seen a similar product being sold here in Yuhia but it is not as effective. Some hunters resort to rubbing themselves in the urine of the animal they are hunting instead. Not my taste but it gets the job done. Anyway, come on then let's get you back to your stalls. Tell me what happened on the way."

***

As the group approached the town gate guard ran up to them. He looked panicked and they could tell something was going on.

"Alfred, I was instructed to tell you and those two, sorry I forgot your names, as soon as you returned," the guard said somewhat apologetically. "The werewolf leader is here, and he wants to speak with you and them about releasing their captured people."

"Well, looks like things are going to get resolved quicker than we thought," Alfred said.

"Where is he?" Tanisha asked.

The guard said, "Your stalls in town. He's been there for a while now."

"Well, we kill him, right?" Tanisha said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Everyone looked at her as if she said the wrong thing. It wasn't as if the question was out of the blue. She always said she wanted the werewolves to pay for what they had done to Bjorn and now their leader just offered himself up to them. If she or Bjorn killed him she would surely level up again and gain even more power. In the town they had the Jackrabbits and the guards that would also assist so he couldn't get away. It was the best time to attack then she could kill the werewolves in the basement too.

"We should listen to what he has to say first," Joha said. "If we can get through this without having to fight an entire werewolf pack I think we should go for that option. I know they attacked Bjorn but if we can put bad blood behind us we won't have to look over our shoulders every moment we are alone during our travels out Yuhia."

Tanisha nodded. "I will leave it to you then whatever you think is best I will agree to follow even if I don't agree. I am pretty sure my decisions are compromised." She patted Bjorn lovingly.

"It is all right. But I do want that more detailed explanation as to what happened to you back with Sabec later." Joha said.

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