The last step of my path is to erase your name from the death itself. With this death will never be able to hold you. Even should all of your existence be destroyed, your soul will remain and death will be unable to keep you from recreating your body. Only gods of death and being imprisoned will you fear. – The Path of Self Resurrection by Damû Rámaêri.

Adrian

The empty grey mists of the Grey Dream greet me. I should see what I can get out of it.

Gain: Marksman 8 (+15 SP), Dragon Knight: Void 18 (+10 SP, +50 EP), Magus 13 (+40 SP, +1 Attribute, Sphere Upgrade), Evasion 3 (+3 SP), Fly 3 (+5 SP), Spear 1 (+1 SP), Anatomy 3 (+3 SP), Tainted Kill: +5 EP

Warning: Repeat exposure to lycanthropy is unadvised.

Name: Adrian Ravnos

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Skills

Attributes+

Class

SP: 95

Traits

Magic+

Languages

EP: 95

I gained quite a bit, and I am well aware of that warning. I think I will leave the EP for now. I don’t want dragon-me getting too much stronger before I improve myself. This is probably a mistake but picking up dragon traits empowers him and I worry about him trying to take control.

I bring up magic first. It is the most important thing here anyways.

Your first choice will be without cost.

320 Arcane Power 4

320Space 2

320 Planar 0

80 Fate 2

320 Life 3

320 Death 3

40 Mind 1

160 Soul 2

80 Primal 1

640 Time 3

20 Transmutation 1

10 Telekinesis 0

40 Fire 3

20 Lightning 2

20 Light 2

40 Darkness 3

Well the best choices are not available for upgrade. What would then have the most uses? Mind or Transmutation? In the end I choose Transmutation, I will store SP so I can get Soul 3. That I think will be enough for me-but-not-me’s solution for lycanthropy.

The screen does not dissipate, I assume that is because I could spend SP on it. I open up Attributes.

Attribute Points: 1

STR 26

DEX 25

CON 28

INT 29

WIS 28

CHA 28

APR 28

HP: 801

Mana: 380

I spend the point on intelligence and the screen dissipates. There is nothing more I want to do here so I will myself to leave, just as the Grey Dream begun to ask a question. Undoubtedly an attempt for me to let it into my mind.

It is not even noon when I wake up, the twins are awake and just laying next to me. K is as well, this is comfortable. As much as I would like to just stay here but things still need to be done. I climb out of the pile of blankets that was used as a bed.

The twins hug me, Lysan’s has more affection to it while Talia is pulling back towards the bed. They both say something along the lines of welcome back. I smile and return the hug. I like being with them.

I want to go back to the bed with the two, but K needs to sleep. There is also how we need to get stronger. I was lucky in the fight against that necromancer. Those undead would have killed us if they were not tied to that skull. I think K called it a nexus skull.

I also told Abagail I would check up on Bryan. It’s not time to play.

“I’m back. Want to help me sort through stuff after I check on Bryan?”

They both smile and Lysan nods. She likes me more than her sister does. Once I leave the room I can see Bryan and Abagail asleep on the couch together. Their clothes are messy, I guess Abagail really took my advice on making him feel better. I don’t think they actually went all the way as they are still clothed.

I throw a blanket over the two, it may be spring but it is still a little cold. I also pick up the paper that Bryan was reading, it fell to the floor at some point during the few hours I had slept. I fold it up without reading it. The letter is for Bryan, when and if he shares it contents is when I will know about them.

I place the letter on top of the television. He will notice it when he wakes up. I am then followed by the twins into the kitchen. Specifically, to a table, that is covered in dishes and empty cans. They always did drink far too much soda.

After cleaning up the area I put the last of the stolen food from the Althaen feast. The twins and me have a good meal as we sort through the items that I collected with K earlier. They wanted what little fruit and vegetables that were good for themselves so I gave them it.

The orc weapons and armor are meet with displeasure but the twins don’t do anything else about them. They actually end up ignoring the orcish items and continue to do so with the necromantic equipment.

The books were another matter at least until the sisters found out the languages and subjects of the books. Learning to speak one of the necromantic languages was not something the sisters were interested in, nor learning about complicated high level necromancy.

The spellbooks actually seem to have decent explanations of magic. It’s all sangromancy, animancy, and manipulation of undeath but K can learn from it. I might be able to figure something out about Life, Death, and Soul from them. Or at least a few ideas on how to manipulate them.

The twins were unable to read the labels on the potions, I suspect that they are in orcish.

After some time of me reading the books on necromancy that were written in elvish, Talia walked back up to me and asked a question.

“Why are you reading those books on forbidden magic?”

These subjects are forbidden? I’ll make sure to remember that.

“The same reason you might consider learning the tongue of the orcs, goblins or demons.”

“Why would I ever want to know? I don’t want to talk with them.”

I sigh, I guess Talia never thought about espionage.

“Have you seen that they do talk during a fight?”

She nods.

“Would it be nice to know what they are saying?”

She nods again. I know she is intelligent but why would she never have thought about this?

“How about also knowing how to counter what they are about to do?”

“That would be very helpful, but what does that have to do with you reading about forbidden magic?”

“To figure out how to deal with those that use it.”

“For someone who has spent a hundred years running away from you enemies, you are not very good at trying to figure them out.”

A harsh but accurate statement made by Bryan, as he walks into the room.

“Feeling better” I ask him.

He nods but I can tell he is not ready to move on.

“Do you need more time or should we get moving again?”

“We can start moving again, but can you carry some stuff? I don’t think all of what I want to bring will fit in the satchel I share with Abagail.”

“Of course.”

“When do we head out” asks Abagail.

“I was thinking dawn, or should we travel at night?”

“Daylight travel is safer” comments Talia.

We all nod, and I speak up “we leave at dawn then. Bryan is there anything that we should bring with us here?”

“There is a day or two’s worth of food, my camping gear, and we might want to bring some electronics in case we find somewhere that still has power” he responds.

I nod, “does anyone want to carry anything specific?”

No one speaks up so I continue.

“Alright then. Bryan, can you have everyone gather everything for me to store?”

“Sure, but what are you going to do?”

“I’ll be syphoning out gas from the cars on the street and checking them for anything still usable.”

“Why the gas” asks Abagail.

“For when we find a usable car again” answers Bryan.

I nod and the others follow Bryan around the house as I leave for the garage. I need containers, and a hose. I’ll have to search the garages of the whole neighborhood for enough containers to store all the gas I assume would still be in these cars.

I find the gas container next to the push lawnmower that I know stopped running last fall. The hose was still attached to the faucet in the garden. I carry the items to the front of the house and set them by the access point to the gas tank.

I don’t have a way to check how much gas is left as the interior of the car was hit by something. So I just make sure there is no water in the hose and then cut it into a shorter length. I only need a few feet not the dozens that it has.

I open the car’s tank and stick the hose down it, suck some air out of the hose to get it started and put the other end into the near empty gas container. I’ll just collect as much gas as I can. We will end up needing a faster mode of transportation than on foot once we leave the city.

While waiting for this first can to fill, I lift the hood of the car. I pull out the battery which happens to be the only thing other than changing fluids that I know how to do with the engine. It should have some juice in it and I imagine that I’ll find a use for it.

I ended up finding a dozen containers, each is now full with roughly five gallons of gas. It is getting close to dusk when I reenter Bryan’s house.

There is a pile of junk food and a five-gallon bucket of rice sitting together in the middle of the front room. In another pile is all of Bryan’s games and electronics. A third pile consists of tools and other items that could be useful.

Everyone is sitting in a seat, they were waiting for my return. I start with the food, that is what will most likely be used. Abagail speaks up as I work.

“What are the sleeping arrangements going to be? We didn’t make any yesterday.”

There is a smirk on the faces of the girls, Bryan can’t see them. They planned something.

“I’m open to suggestions.”

Talia is the one that speaks up.

“I was thinking of splitting into two houses like we did after leaving that second group of people.”

“I am ok with it, any objections.”

There are of course no objections. Bryan can probably guess that the girls planned something and there is no reason for us to not follow along. So, I ask Talia or rather the trio a follow up question.

“Did you already decide on a different house?”

“Yes” answers Talia and the trio gets up out of their seats.

“Lead the way then.”

I proceed to follow them out of the house. I am guessing they had a conversation with Abagail while I was out. I wonder if Bryan overheard them talking.

“So, does anyone want to inform me of whatever plans were made between you three and Abagail?”

K is the one who answers me, she always seems to be the most helpful.

“Abagail asked us what was the best way to comfort a man after you left to get gas?”

She is not sure on the last word, is that another thing that I left out when teaching her English? No, just a use that I did not cover.

“And what was the answer?”

“You’ll have to ask Talia, she is the one who answered her.”

I turn to Talia, and she gives an answer but seems embarrassed by it.

“Sleeping with him.”

I can’t say that it isn’t a good way to comfort a man. I have certainly felt better about the world after these three. I guess my friend is getting lucky tonight.

We arrive at another house, a few houses down but since K and me sent the undead to fight the Althaen there should not be any enemies in the area for a few days. That means we don’t need any watches tonight.

The front door is broken but that does not currently matter.