I sprang from the corpse toward two of the young Shade. I gripped the spine by the neck and swung it in a long arc. The sharp hook of the tail tore through the throat of one and stuck in the ribs of the other. “Now!” I yelled. I tugged the bladed end free, and it skidded on the ground back to my feet.

The minotaur charged out first and rammed his horns into the other youth. Then others began piling out of the Phantom Cloak. A centaur ran out spun around and back kicked the mother in the stomach sprawling her on her back. The father jumped into the air and spread his wings wide. He was going to take to the air and ruin our trap.

I sprang forward and whipped the spine with both hands. It made a thwack sound as the blade descended from above. It caught the father’s right wind just above his shoulder and sliced down through it like a cannonball through a house trailer. The blade carried through the flesh of his wing and spiked in the ground. The father dropped with a shout to the ground and turned to me with his big black eyes filled with fire. He was like a cat ready to pounce, and my weapon was now beneath him. He reached down, gripped the end of the spine, and pulled me toward him.

The Viv stepped from the cloak. She was a vision of glory. A mix between living tree and elf, tall, slender, curvy, and beautiful. She had pale, peeling, bark grown out as clothes and dark woodgrain for exposed skin. Her bark was grown out to cover not much more than that of a bathing suit and my eyes lingered a moment on the curves of her woodgrain. Roots grew down out of her toenails and bit into the sand as she sprinted toward my aggressor. Long barbed vines sprang from her fingertips. She let out a cry like an eagle and the father turned his attention from me to the Viv.

I was still stumbling forward so I wrapped the spine around the Shade’s throat and dropped to my back, sliding beneath him. I saw barbed vines wrap around his throat from above and the Viv landed on his back bearing her knees down on the back of his neck. I arched my back pulling down and she arched back pulling up. Warm blood drooled down from the barbed vines onto my face and ran down my tusks into my mouth.

Mia appeared at the side and clawed at his ribs with her short talons. It was enough to cause a momentary distraction and he tried to swat her away. Then he would return to trying to pull the spine and vines from his throat with one hand while the other kept him from collapsing on his face on top of me. His talons were cutting into his own throat as he swiped. I put a foot against his chest and used the leverage to pull harder. I looked up at the Viv and she grinned down at me. Her deep black owl eyes filled with exuberance. It kind of scared me. I had awakened a monster.

I chanced a glance around at the others. The minotaur was goring the mother over and over through her stomach. One of the elves had climbed onto the back of one of the Kinder Shade and buried his hands into the sockets of its black eyes while his friend copied my trick of stabbing it with its own tail. All around me was berserker violence. Years of victimhood and defeat lead to only one outcome. All-out rage. Each took out the pain of countless descents into the pits on his victim with extreme prejudice.

The father unable to reach his other tormentors began to pitch down to me. His face split open and his teeth dripped ooze down my already bloody face. I searched below me and felt the end of the tail then drove the blade right into the back of his throat. He pitched once and I rolled from beneath him just as he collapsed.

The Viv rode him down to the ground still standing on the back of his neck pulling up on her barbed vines. She looked right at me as the father went limp.

You have killed a boss level 23 Shade full grown!

You have leveled up!

You have reached Level 19!

5,850 exp. Earned.

The Viv strolled over to me, and I wondered if I would be next. Then she stopped and looked around as each group finished their opponent. She knelt down on both knees and bowed in front of me. “I am Shia of the Viv. You have led us to freedom. We are your servants Chief Pug.”

“We really need to discuss a better name,” I said, and she stood.

“You don’t realize how long we have been here.” She said and her voice was like honey to my soul. So sweet and tender for such a violent and dangerous woman.

You have defeated the Shade of the Third Veil.

You are released from the Third Veil.

The blue sun appeared, and we were all temporarily blind. Then I lowered my arm and looked around a sea of tall, lush grass. It was like a swimming pool on a hot summer day. A cool breeze swayed the top of the endless grass field like waves in the ocean. In contrast to the utter torment, we had just escaped it was euphoric. Then it dawned on me, we were not in the forest by Mia’s town.

Tootsie had a big, odd grin on her little pale face, when she turned to me her smile fell away. “Well, crap.” Tootsie said.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“The Third Veil was another plane orbiting Lumiterra. When you killed the Shade there you released us in its current orbit.”

“What does that mean?” I asked looking at the beautiful warm field. I wanted to kiss the warm black soil.

“We are on the other side of the world.” Tootsie answered.

I looked over at Mia. Her eyes looked back at me with worry. Her father would be mortified by now. He likely thought I had done something to her. He would soon be mourning assuming the worst. Then most likely take that glove of his and go on a rampage looking for his daughter.

“There is only one thing I can do now,” I said.

“That’s why I said Oh crap.” Tootsie said.

“I have to get her home.”

“I knew it.” Tootsie slapped her forehead.

Grace period ended.

That was new. “Grace period ended? What does that mean Tootsie?”

“It means you now must keep track of eating and drinking. Finding shelter, all the normal things of life. You will have in-game penalties for neglect. On top of that, since you have obtained followers and they have named you Cheif, you are now responsible for their well-being as well.” Tootsie looked out at the hills of grain.

“Shall we pray to your God Tootsie as well?” Shia asked stepping up beside me.

I bit my lip. “No, she’s a dumb God. Only helpful after it’s too late. You should make a carved image of her and kick it around for sport.”

“That is very disrespectful of a god,” Shia replied. “I am not sure I can participate in good conscience.”

“Trust me it’s the only way to truly honor this god.” Tootsie stung me and I swatted my neck but missed her again.

Orc

Chief Pug

Pig Face

Level 19

Strength: 22. Hunger 22

Dexterity: 10 Thirst 10

Charisma: 5 Entertainment 5

Intelligence: 18 Concentration 18

Manna: 5 Shelter 5

Constitution: 14 Energy 14

Perception: 14 Hygiene 14

Exp: 19,610

Soul Points: 27

Skills: Furious Feline: cost 2 mana,

Dex: +3, Claws, time: 1 hour

Carapace Skin: +4 Constitution,

Cost: 2 Mana, time: 1 hour

Phantom Cloak: Cover a target area of three square-meters for 7 minutes (Stage 2)

Cost: 2 Mana

Coin:

$0

Gear:

Shade Tail and Spine

World Map