Chapter 4

Chapter 4: First Mission

(A/N: Just saying. . . if anything isn't cannon accurate it's totally just an AU and not me misremembering the cannon.)

"I'm a time traveler." Zorian said with utmost conviction. Still the girl across from his just laughed, "You're right, I don't believe you." She left, but still he wasn't alone. Kirielle sat staring at him with wrapped attention, she was young. Small, so energetic and so when she was so utterly enraptured by one thing it was terrifying. Especially, Zorian found, when you are that thing. His little sister was a hellion but when she said, "You were telling the truth weren't you? Explain! Explain! How does it work! What did you do! Did you bring me to Cyoria then too?"

"I'm not good enough for the yes, no, yes routine so I'll start with the last one first. No, Kiri, I didn't." She looked crushed, but that was before Zorian died. That was before he was stuck in this fucking loop. Fucking Xvim and those VANISHED GODS DAMNED MARBLES! He forced a smile, "If I ever escape this Kiri, I'll bring you."

She looked up at him, eyes shining bright. She was nearly crying, but she raised one pinky, "Promise?" He did, pinky promising and swearing to himself. That if he ever got out of this Kiri would come with him. She'd learn all the magic he could teach her, she would be allowed to buy art supplies so she didn't have to steal his notebook paper. She would be allowed to draw to her heart's content because what mother considers a suitable activity is bullshit. 

Reading is a perfectly fine hobby! 

Zorian took a deep breath and got ready to explain, he glanced over to Kael and saw the Murloc boy staring at him with more than academic curiosity. There was something, some plan in the back of his mind—still it didn't seem hostile, so it should be fine. He trusted Kael, hell he trusted Kana and she was like 4. Still 16 with a 4 year old daughter, he married young. Too bad the weeping took her. 

 "It all started on the day of the summer festival. Zach Noveda was dueling Quatach-Ichl the Litch—" Kael looked shocked at that, but Zorian continued, "He cast a spell on us. It was apparently the curse that turns two people into one forcing there souls to meld." They spell also destroyed the minds of both souls leaving them a bestial blob that only feels pain, but. . . he got time loop powers out of it, and didn't even feel the downsides. 

"Zach's soul got in mine before the loop started, I wake up after every death with Kiri screaming me awake." He tilted his head, "It all starts at the summer festival, every time there's an attack. They smuggle War Trolls into the dungeons, and bombard the city—and dorms—with artillery magic." He shivered but kept explaining everything. Well except the time he was assassinated but he didn't need to spread the PTSD to Kiriele. 

They believed him, but still after a few minutes both left to process, and Zorian just stared at the wall. It was barley a minute before a spider a bit larger than the average dog lept through his window. It's black exoskeleton gleaming in the dim light before a voice spoke into his mind, [Hello Zorian Kazinsky. You have brought attention down on my Web time traveler. Even if you are open there are lines we are unwilling to accept being crossed.]

"W-what!" How! How did they know, [A flicker mind is much easier to read than an Open one Zorian Kazinsky.] An image of Kiriele screaming on her bed, writhing as every bit of information was ripped from her mind. Then it was shattered. Broke, and pieced together incorrectly. Rage colored his thoughts, but he was unarmed. Why hadn't he spent the time to make his mana bolt instinctive. He could squash this fucking insect like the disgusting vermin it was. 

Kael, if Kael could do something with his—don't think it motherfucker!

[Did you really think the Necromancer escaped our notice? Or the landlord? We are professionals, Mr. Kazinsky] Then two spiders fell on him somehow psychically masking their presence. No, the mega-whore had used a spell to draw attention while the others had spelled his attention away from them. A perfect fucking storm. Then they started webbing him up. The last thought Zorian had before being dragged into the deep dark pit under Cyoria was that the moon was beautiful. 

He just hoped he would get to see it again. 

—

[Crimson Haired Ruin Princess: ??? Have either of you read these?]

[Gender Equality: No.]

[Benevolant Overlord: No]

[Magus of Primeval Origins: Yes, Mother of Learning, and Wish Upon the Stars. Two novel's I enjoyed. If you'll trust me I have a plan. Rias, can you fly while carrying someone?]

[Team 1: Gender Equality, Benevolent Overlord]

[Team 2: Magus of Primeval Origins, Crimson Haired Ruin Princess]

Jake felt the world around him in his sphere, and it was so different. The world seemed to grow through his observation, shift and change with his perceptions though only slightly. In this world the power of belief is divine. It fuels men's reckless apotheosis even at the cost of recursion. Becoming more myth than man, and having their legend shape their person.

The impact is a foundation laid within their soul, and as it grows they expand. building themselves up to fill, brick by brick, stat by stat. Legendary deed by legendary deed they become mythical, then divine. It was a great path to power, sadly it was not Jake's. Having an Impact stat would be immensely useful, but the idea of his power not being his own. Of his power being built upon people's perceptions when their opinion doesn't matter. The only opinions that matter are his own, and any that would stand beside him. 

Masterless cattle didn't concern him, only other shepherds. Jake shook his thoughts off, and said, "We need a scan ring, mi—." 

"I know," Rias glared slightly before walking away, passing her hand in front of a random man, and leading him into an alleyway. That man followed blank eyes staring mesmerized at her back before she stood him up against a wall. She then ordered, "Tell me where the head of the miners guild lives."

The man reached for his scan ring, the local equivalent of a phone, and started muttering. Then he answered and Rias was off, wings appearing behind her back, hands catching Jake's shoulders just a little too hard. On the plus side he learned some mind control magic, always a plus. He just treated the pain like it was training and worked to ignore it. Trying to push past it, and it was surprisingly easy. Maybe it had something to do with the bloodline because he wasn't as good as this before. 

Even through the pain he could admit flying was magical. Seeing the world spread out below you, staring down as the world opens up. As everything gets smaller and you rise above it, gaining a new perspective. Still he couldn't copy everything about the wings, and the best he believed he could do was a super jump, and magical parachute. Anything else was beyond him, he might be able to copy it if he had biomancy or another shape shifting power. The only magic was in making the wings work, not making the wings. 

Though he did learn how to hide his appendages into his torso even extrapolating to use the ability on his arms, legs, and even head. Jake watched as his mana slowly ticked up, and felt his exhaustion leave but only slightly. He was not ready for a fight, and if he was getting in one it needed to be fast. That just made the challenge that little bit harder—he loved it. 

They neared the estate and Rias lowered herself to the ground, wings flapping just in front of the entrance. Jake was already moving, but the two steps felt like he was sprinting. Knocking on the door he took a step to the side and let Rias do her magic, Fuck! He had pushed it way too hard on his first day. How long would this last? Days, months? He clenched a fist, and felt the reassuring thrum of his magic. 

Then he straightened himself and forced a smile. Rias's previous hostility seemed lost, and she just stared at him with vague pity that had rage twisting in Jake's gut. That was strange, he had never gotten why people got angry at pity, but maybe he was just a hypocrite. He just focused on his heartbeat as the door swung open, and a tall brown haired boy with quite handsome features nearly tripped when he saw Rias. 

"Benny? We're friends of Shane, he was kidnapped by The Cautious Men. We need you to introduce us to his uncle—we've never been to his house, and he's the only way to get any information about his location." Rias said. 

Jake piped up, "You might not know but his uncle is under a Geas not to help Shane in a fight with anyone not 2 ranks above him, that's why we need to help our friend."

The boy froze, then shook his head and slapped himself. When he glanced back his gaze was sharp, he was serious like never before. His friend's life was on the line, and he would either save Shane or die trying. It was strange, and Jake was so envious of that bond. He wished someone had his back like that. That he had people he could trust with the totality of himself, and not fear being rejected. 

"Let me get my dad's keys," Benny replied grimly.

Somewhere on the other side of the city a scraggly drunk seemed to find a glimmer of hope. Not at the bottom of the Deslovian Star Whiskey like he suspected, but in the voice of two strangers. No, not strangers. They were friends. Shane's friends, and Elija's stupid fucking Geas can't stop him from telling Shane's friends where he is.

—

Kazuma stumbled out of the alleyway, as a gust of wind directed him. He slipped on a bridge, and fell into the waters below Vivi following a few steps behind. She just laughed, and offered help when applicable, but still Kazuma's luck was guiding them. 

He was his elixir, his elixir was him, he was his luck ergo he shouldn't question a good thing. Still, Kazuma felt strange trusting his mind to the magical smartphone. If anything went wrong he was fucked, Kazuma could admit that. He wasn't ready to fight giant telepathic spiders. MAYBE he could fight a frostbite spider if given a bow, or a gun—at that thought he heard a woman scream. 

"FUCK YOU AND YOUR GUN COLECTION JOHNOTHON COMBERSPROUT! WE NEED TO FEED OUR DAUGHTER YOU DEGENERATE BOOTLICKING INCPMITANT BASTARD!" Then something fell from the sky black and familiarly shaped. Although he had only seen them in manga and anime, he raised his hand and the gun landed first in his hand. 

Vivi and him just shared disbelieving glances but Kazuma just shrugged before continuing down the path, slowly they reached an underpass. Then they wove down through a tunnel. That continued until they saw a hole into a darker, yet still unexplainable special tunnel. Or maybe that was just Kazuma's luck telling him the right way. He honestly couldn't tell, and didn't want to.

If he thought it was the right way, it might be that he just needed to be lucky. So he trusted himself, and walked through the passageway. It eventually got so dark that Vivi turned one of her arms to electricity, sending the scream of a thousand chirping birds through the tunnel. Still the blue light was beautifully casting shadows across the tunnel walls. Then the shadows twisted into an arrow that pointed down. He followed the arrow, saw a pressure plate and stepped around it. 

The shadows continued like that. Each time with a few dozen ways revealed traps. Sometimes the shadows fled revealing them, or the shadows darkened over vaguely magical symbols weaved with silk. Probably spider silk if Kazuma's 2 brain cells were working. Still he tried to get past the trap, but instead it exploded in his face. The tunnel started to twist the dirt, collapsing, and Kazuma only had the time to tackle Vivi to the side before they both died. 

The ground collapsed from the explosion and he got lucky where the rocks landed. Eventually he landed face first in a tube, and before he could slip Vivi caught herself on a handhold, and caught the back of his shirt. That plunged the tunnel into darkness and Kazuma cursed as Vivi's handhold shattered and they were sent plummeting into the darkness. 

This new teammate better be fucking worth it!