It robably m above ground, but such things did not have much meaning down here in this dark and dead underground forest. rose to his feet from where he’d been keeping watd began making the rounds to wake his panions. They had camped for a little over two hours – more than long enough tee stamina and mana – but some things took more than regeion and potions to recover. His gaze lingered on the pile of rocks Mato had heaped over Donavan’s exposed boots.
Malika was awake, sitting cross-legged aating, and her eyes sprang open before he even reached out to touch her. Mato and Ta had fallen asleep, catg a little more rest while he kept watch. He quickly woke them, eager to be on his way – if nothing else, it would take them away from the growing pool of sewage f uhe waterfall.
We’re very lucky we didn’t lose anyone else, he thought soberly, gng up at the rope still dangling from the great hole in the sewer floor so far above, deg it was safe to leave it there. It was quite a fall, and he could still vividly recall Mato’s injured body lying on the shattered rubble.
I don’t think I could have survived that, he thought. And what if the rats had stuck around to fight?
gnced over at his friend – Mato was rapidly refilling his pad seg his mace to his belt. He seemed fine now, but it had taken one of their precious potions to heal him. ’s mother had insisted on buying him a few for the trial, even though he was certain she couldn’t afford them. Not with her being forced to break ties with the Guild of Tailors for the crime to start up her own private business in Myrin’s Keep. But she was never oo take no for an answer, and now was grateful for her insistence.
Ever sihey were young, he knew how impulsive Mato could be, and though he was certain his friend could hold his own against the kinds of people who used to bully them, monsters were airely different kind of danger.
rubbed the skin at the back of his neck. Ever since he had climbed down that rope and into this cavern, he had felt an unfortable prig sensation, a little like an imagich right beh his skin. It set him on edge in the same remonition might – there was just something about the enviro dowhat made him uneasy.
Perhaps it’s the darkness and the enormous space, he thought, trying to shake the sensation.
His gaze shifted to his other panions. Malika was stretg off to the side. He had been unsure of her at first, she had no equipment and was obviously from the shady side of town with such a painfully obvious Street Rat title.
Shadier side, he corrected. You could find corruption and crime throughout most of Myrin’s Keep – it was a good day when you didn’t stumble across a corpse in an alleyway, or someone being mugged or robbed, often in broad daylight.
Malika was athletid dirty and had clearly run afoul of some thugs before she had arrived at the Town Hall. Her curious blue eyes were strikingly intense against her dark skin and bck curls, features that identified her as having been born in the northern reaches of Toria – the kingdom currently at war with New Daria – perhaps even desded from the Ahn Khen people. He had supported her joining their group only because Mato had a knack for pig ho and trustworthy panions.
He had to admit, though, that she had proved to be a petent fighter – she had excellent situational awareness, an instinctive uanding of her panions, and a sure grasp of strategy.
While Donavan had shown solid sword skills, he was a noble and had access to the best training money could buy. How did a Street Rat like Malika learn to fight so well? She must have had some det unarmed bat training somewhere, but he didn’t expect she was the kind of person to share her story. Still, if she had some det gear, she could be a powerhouse. As it was, she seemed to be holding her own beside Ta and himself, with nothing more than bare fists and a ragged t-shirt.
He wasn’t so sure about Ta, though. She was clearly quite petent with her daggers, but something about her seemed off and he just couldn’t pce it. He had been trying to figure her out sihe moment they had ehe sewers. Perhaps it was the calg, almost cruel cast to her eyes or the edge of suppressed ay. He was certain there was somethiween her and Malika because Malika seemed wary of her and was obviously avoiding her.
Well, Malika is wary of everyone, he thought. But it was especially obvious with Ta.
As they finished breaking camp, he picked a path down the scree-strewn slope and into the vast space of the cavern.
They kept a slow pace, given the unfamiliar terrain, and having no idea what might be lurking in the darkness just beyond sight. carried the group’s st remaining torch, providing light as they trudged along the damp, springy ground. The dirt underfoot was mostly rown with moss and the occasional biolumi mushroom. Everywhere he looked there were old and deg tree trunks, with piles of borewn about like snowdrifts, none of which were helping him with his sense of u all stank of slow decay.
After a while, they began to enter monsters, mainly wandering spiders and prowling rats. They fell into something of a rhythm – Mato pig them up first, and thehree remaining members taking it apart from behind. But whenever he spied a group of moraveling together, he alerted the others to iake cover behind a massive tree or a pile of bohere were more than enough solo moo satisfy the requirements of their trial without taking unnecessary risks, in his opinion.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream split the darkness of the cavern.
Was that a person?
They all locked eyes with each other for a moment.
“It came from over there!” Mato said, already turning to go.
The scream had e from up ahead, towards the far edge of the cavern, and they immediately began to run. They rushed through the darkness at a reckless pace, greatly increasing the ce of stumbling into a patrolling group of monsters. But all he could do was frantically s the shadows, searg for danger.
About a mier, they heard another scream – definitely a person – and the ominous howl of a wolf. Rushing around the bole of a massive dead tree, he suddenly stopped.
A rat hung in the air, dangling from thiarled roots, seemingly crushed to death, and not too long ago, either. Lying crumpled on the ground, covered in amber blood and dirt, was a tiny person, struggling to crawl away. She was almost three feet tall, with a petite build and slender features. Small elfin ears protruded from the long, matted and blood-soaked green hair that g to the sides of her face. Her rge goldeared wide-eyed in shod terror at an advang pack of snarling wolves.
Could she be… without even thinking about it, he used Identify on all of them.
Fae [A]
Holy crap, a real, live Fae? Down here?
Starving Alpha – Wolf – level 5Starving Wolf – level 1-3 x4
stared aghast at the se pying out in front of them. The five monstrous wolves were focused on the Fae girl, fanning out to surround her. He had always heard that the Fae were supposed to be these powerhouses of magic, but even though she had the Aitle, inexplicably she was uncssed.
She doesn’t stand a bsp; k instantly, taking iensive injuries and enormous amount of blood already soaking the ground around her. It was a wonder she was even scious at all. This ‘real live’ Fae was about to be really dead, really soon.
And then Mato shouted, “She’s going to die!” He charged into the fray, heedless of the danger.
Dammit Mato, this is not a schoolyard brawl, thought, his heart immediately beginning to race at the nightmarish prospect of tag five monsters at once, one a level five. But there was in his thoughts. He khis was who Mato was – for as long as they had been friends, Mato had never been able to leave someone who was injured, weaker, or being picked on by bullies.
No matter the odds.
This is going to get you killed one of these days, he thought, drawing his bow, and fervently hoping it would not be today. Both of us, he amended, realizing he was equally uo let either Mato or the unknown girl die while he stood by and did nothing.
At a gnce he sed the wolves’ approach, studying their formation. Mato’s loud shouting and charge had already been noticed, and some of the wolves were peeling off to deal with his intrusion, but not all. He aimed and released, firing his arrht past Mato. It strue of the wolves mid-leap, knog it sideways and barely saving the helpless Fae from its snarling fangs.
Now I’m part of this insanity.
As he drew a sed arrow, Malika sprinted by, diving into the fray to back Mato up. It took a moment before her solo charge toward the monstrous wolves sunk in.
Where’s Ta?
He gnced around urgently, but there was no sign of her anywhere. With a sudden sour taste in the back of his throat, he realized the truth. She abandoned us. And in the middle of the most dangerous fight, too.
Later, he thought. He couldn’t afford to worry about it now, but it tio gnaw at him in the back of his mind. How we survive with just the three of us?
The Alpha howled and the entire pack rounded upon Mato, even the one had hit got back up and started attag. The wolves immediately shifted formation, allowing the Alpha to attack Mato head-on while the lesser wolves moved to fnk him. Natural coordination born of instinct, perhaps. Malika arrived shortly after, and her preseook a bit of the pressure off Mato as two of the wolves turo her instead.
kept firing steadily, but the wolves were coordinating their attacks and Mato and Malika were already bleeding from several bites. They ’t keep this up for long. Mato has three wolves on him, and Malika does not have armor.
looked around desperately, searg for anything. To the right, hidden in the shadows of the rock wall was a darker shadow indig an opening.
“Mato!” he yelled. “Cave on the right!”
He fired a shot at the wolves attag Malika, hitting one in the ned burying the other arrow deep into the sed wolf’s fnk, earning a yelp of pain. Snarling, both wolves turo chase after him. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to shoot effectively if he let them get close, he sprinted for the shadowed hole in the rock wall, trying to keep his distance while struggling to fire his bow accurately on the run.
Even though Malika bled profusely from several nasty bite wounds, she still ran bad scooped up the injured Fae girl before sprinting for cover.
Arriving at the entrance first, squeezed through the narrow crack, spun around, and began firing off arrow after arrow to cover the others as they fled, heedless of how many he spent.
Malika puhe wolf trying to reach , knog it sideways just enough to save him from the rending fangs, and she fell past through the entrah the Fae.
Matled out in the open by himself, pying tag with the Alpha and the two remaining wolves. He almost tripped as they tried to hamstring him, and he scrambled back drawing them into an ugly running battle across the mossy ground. Arriving at the entryway, he somehow mao mahe wolves so that they blocked each other, and he finally squeezed his rge frame through the opening, despite a wolf trying to turn his foot into a chew-toy. He kicked it off with a curse.
Mato turned, blog the doorway with his body and his mace, while fired past his shoulder. Suddenly uo fnk them or attack more tha a time in the narrow entrahe bance shifted markedly in their favor. He fired into the crowd of snarling wolves jostling each other as they tried to cram their way through the narrow cleft. Strange spongy roots sprang from the ground to grapple and tahe wolves’ paws. Gng briefly down at the floor, he found the Fae girl had her hand outstretched towards the wolves, apparently casting a spell. However, she soon colpsed, spent, breathing shallowly.
It took hectiutes of messy fighting with both him and Malika holding off the wolves at the entrail Mato muscled a boulder across the entrahrough sheer strength, and the wolves finally retreated, howling in frustration.
Well, that was great, he thought. We didn’t even kill a single wolf. finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least we’re alive.
Malika, however, was not nearly as calm, rounding on Mato, her face livid. “What the hell was that? You ’t just charge in, putting us all in danger!”
Mato drew himself up to his full height, jutting forward.
Here it es, thought. Mato was his closest friend, and after all this time he had gotteo his impulsiveness, but even he was sympathetialika’s position. This had been an unreasonably dangerous fight and Mato really had just jumped in without thinking.
Healing first, he thought, choosing to stay out of the argument for the moment, while he rummaged through his pack for potions, handing one eaato and Malika.
“She would be dead if we hadn’t charged in!” Mato’s response redictably upset aionally charged, but as much as Malika’s anger resonated with him, could see Mato’s point too. The little Fae y in a slowly growing pool of blood with gzed-over eyes and rapid shallow breathing, obviously beyond pain and only semi-scious. It was clear she would likely have died if they had hesitated for even a few seds.
She might die right now, he thought, quickly kneeling beside her, and raising her head so he could drip the crimson potioween her pale lips.
“You’d be dead if I hadn’t risked my life to save you!” Malika wasn’t letting up o. The potion was w quickly on her, and some of the more obvious wounds were visibly closing. Without any armor to protect her, the wolves had savaged her badly and she had been severely injured. Even her flimsy clothing was almost pletely shredded – wasn’t sure how she had even mao run back to the cave.
“I knew I could t on you,” Mato said. “With the four of us, I was sure we could do it.”
“That was not your fug decision!”
“You’re both alive, aren’t you?”
Much as hated getting involved in arguments, this did not seem like it would resolve itself. And they were still ireme danger. “You realize Ta abandoned us, right?” he interjected into the pause that followed.
Both of their heads snapped around to stare at him in shock. First time they noticed, he thought.
As they stared at him, he tinued. “We’re trapped in this cave with only two health potio, and I still hear the wolves outside. We’re going to o work together to have any ce of surviving this.”
His attention was drawn once again to the Fae lying beside him as she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered and opened, darting around in fusion.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, sensing Mato and Malika’s attention shift to the Fae girl, their argument fotten for now.
The Fae girl looked at him for a long moment and then answered something unintelligible in a nguage had never heard before.
shook his head and shrugged.
The girl tried again, this time using something that sounded like an a Elvish dialect, and for the first time, regretted disowning that side of his heritage.
The girl frowrying again with the guttural speech of the Dwarves, but all could do was gnce helplessly at his panioirely uo unicate.
“I don’t think she knows on,” he said.
Not only did that seem to be true, but she was growing progressively more and more frustrated.
I guess we do it the hard way.
“,” he said, pointing to his chest. “Malika,” he poio her. “Mato,” he poi him. Then he poi the Fae and waited.
She cocked her head to the side for a moment, “Aliandra,” she replied in a soft, exhausted voice.
Aliandra
Is it… over?
Ali slumped back against the ch stone of the dark cave, her mind grappling with the bewildering array mented memories. She had killed the rat. Somehow. And then the eyes in the darkness, the howls of wolves. Everything after that seemed to be a blur. She had definitely bcked out, at least a few times.
This new cave was quite small, seemingly formed from a single massive sb of rock that jutted diagonally from the ground, supp a surprisingly dry open space beh it, behind the narrow entrance. A few glowing mushrooms grew in the er, and lying beside her on the ground was ay gss vial that might have been a healing potion.
Her eyes found the Half-elf, , who had clearly fed her the potion and saved her from bleeding out. And who, frustratingly, did not seem to uand Elvish. He sat nearby, chatting quietly with his panions – their words so close to familiar, a always just far enough from her uanding as to defy prehension.
Perhaps Linguist is helping me? She had never entered full immersion in a new nguage, so it was unclear what was simply familiarity with phonemes and what was her passive skill prodding her knowledge, but she began to Memorize their versations, hoping that it might help her to learn faster.
Linguist – level 4You have enhanced proficy with uanding and learning nguages.Knowledge, Intelligence
The unforturuth, though, was it would likely take a month or more. She loved nguages, but her trying day, and the sheer exhaustion, had pushed her beyond the point of frustration already and her brain was struggling to keep up.
Somehow iime she had been encased in her mother’s spell, her home nguage had morphed from ‘on’ into ‘A Dal’mohran’, at least acc to her status. That, along with the strange ‘A’ title she had somehow earned, hi something her mind could scarcely believe. Time enough for a nguage to evolve. That had to be the answer.
A sudden surge of loneliness struck like a punch tut.
She forced her attention back to the versation, listening to the big Beastkin boy, Mato, speaking in a surprisingly deep voice. She had several fshbulb memories of him charging the wolves and ying into their snarling faces with the blood-smeared mace that was now fasteo his belt. Shouting and bleeding; it had been him standing over her while the rgest wolf charged.
Why did he save me?
It, and the thousand other questions that barreled through her tired mind, had to go unanswered. She couldn’t ask them. Couldn’t even make herself uood.
The dark-haired girl with the unily brilliant blue eyes spoke then, and another fshbulb memory popped into Ali’s mind. Malika. Blood p from grievous bite wounds, she had still rushed back, like an angel from one of her beloved hero stories swooping down to carry her away from the ravening wolves. She had been barely scious by then, everything rushing by in a blur. But what she remembered were the teeth gritted against pain. The determination in her eyes. And the blood.
So much blood.
Her panions seemed to reae form of sensus, and Malika rose to her feet, relog to the blocked entryway and sitting cross-legged to face it. The other two settled down to rest.
At st, as the versation faded, Ali slowly slumped over, her mind and body finally succumbing to exhaustion.
***
She must have fallen asleep because, she knew, Malika gently shook her awake. Drawn by the sounds of loud grunting and groaning – primarily from Mato – she sat up and stared. Over at the entrahe two boys were busy stag some rocks.
Puzzled, but uo ask, she simply watched as they worked. After a lot of pushing and shoving, and generally sweaty work, they had shifted some heavy boulders to create a small wall he still-blocked doorway.
In the distance, beyond the cave, Ali could hear the chilling sounds of wolves howling.
What are they doing? Are they going to fight the wolves?
Soon, the Half-elf walked up to her aured for her to back away from the entrance. . She repeated his name in her mind. She limped along after him and her worst suspi was quickly firmed as he readied his bow and indicated a rock for her to stand behind. A chill of fear touched her spine and she suddenly shivered.
left her standing there with a few words, delivered in a kind-sounding tone, and headed over to joihers. With some obvious effort, Mato shifted the boulder blog the entrao the side, and slipped through into the darkness beyond.
Time seemed to crawl by in a tense silence broken only by the sounds of their breathing.
A wolf suddenly yelped in an outburst of pain. Several howls echoed from outside.
Ali’s breath caught ihroat.
Suddenly, burst bato the cave with the howling wolfpack hot on his heels. Just as he hurdled the low wall of piled stones, Mato deftly stepped in, fearlessly interposing his bulk and his mace to block the entrahen Malika darted in, weaving and dug around the boulders they had pced, jabbing and kig at the bunched-up wolves.
What do I do? They had not been able to share their strategy with her, nor could she tell them her abilities. Not that she had any bat abilities to speak of. Ali puzzled over their strategy while her heart began to race, fueled by a growing rush of adrenalihat had o go. Nearly all her mana had regeed while she slept, but she could only cower behind her boulder while the others risked their lives.
It g her. She had only been able to watch while Armand had been cut down trying to protect her. And now it was happening again.
Suddenly, Malika dove bato the cave with an agile flip, drawing one of the wolves in with her. Ali’s eyes widened in surprise as, instead of blog it, Mato let the wolf slip past him, keeping his attention on the rest. drew his bow, squinting in the dark, and their pn finally became clear.
They mean to draw them in, o a time, she thought, realizing that Mato was buying and Malika time to take out the isoted wolf while he blocked the rest at the narrow passage into the cave. And she found something she could do. A little thing, but it was far better than c in this er.
With a simple fsh of mana, she jured a small orb of golden are energy and tossed it up he roof. And dim though it was, the light from her magic filled the cave.
said something quid short, a quick grin lighting his face as his shots suddenly grew more rapid.
For all the panid frenzy of actual real bat, their strategy seemed to be w quite well. But right then, Mato’s urgent yelling drew her attention to the entryway, and the terrifying sight of a wolf leaping over his head. One of ’s arrows thumped into its chest, but it still crashed to the ground, knog Malika sprawling, and the wolf she had been fighting wasted no time, lunging fangs first at her exposed neck.
No! Reag by pure instinct, Ali threw a disk of crystallized are energy at the wolf. It was a tiny thing, ner than the saucer of a teacup, a materialized right between Malika’s ned the sharp fangs. The fangs snapped shut with an audible crad her creation shattered in the wolf’s mouth with a tinkle like fine gss, making the mana dissipate into the air in a cloud of golden sparks.
Malika’s reas were incredible, dodging out of the way in the small window of time she had created, scrambling away and boung bato her feet.
Ali released the breath she had been unsciously holding.
Heart still rag from the close call, she searched underground with her pnt magic. She did not find any roots in the soil of this cave, but she did find moss and mushrooms. To her relief, they reacted to her nature mana all the same, mycelium thiing and bursting from the ground to tangle wolf paws. Her skill was anything but powerful, so she directed all her focus onto one of the wolves, and as soon as she had some traalika backed up from the struggling monster, drawing the other wolf away.
The wolf thrashed and bit at her delicate pnt magic, but Ali doubled down on her focus, spending more and more mana to keep the moss and fungus growing, tangling the wolf’s paws as quickly as it tore the growth to shreds – but she ending mana furiously and wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.
Ali was so focused on keeping the wolf immobilized that she failed to notice when and Malika killed the first one. She jerked back, startled when Malika rushed past her, and ’s arrows began whizzing past her head as they both switched to attag her wolf.
With nearly two-thirds of her maed, she released her trol over the pnts and took a break while Malika and took over.
A big crash preceded a yell ringing out from the cave entrahe heavy Alpha wolf rammed into the makeshift wall of rock, knog it over, before smming into Mato with the sheer force of its bodyweight. Mato stumbled uhe impact, knocked sprawling to the ground, and all the remaining wolves burst into the cave in an explosion of chaos.
Ali could only stare, rooted to the spot as a huge snarling wolf baring rge razor-sharp fangs bounded over the tangled pile ing straight for her. Desperately, she threw are magito its face, but it shattered instantly, not even slowing the huge beast down. Just then, a flying kick smmed into the side of its head as Malika sprang into its path. Fletgs buzzing, an arrow buried itself deep into its fnk, but the wolf had so muentum it carried right past Malika, smashing into the ground and careening into Ali, knog her flying into the back wall of the cave.
The impact drove the air from her lungs making her see stars for a moment. She gasped, winded, struggling to crawl away from the ferocious snarling wolf trying to have her for a snack, but right at that moment, Malika leapt in front of it and unleashed a vicious kick to the knee of its left front leg. Once she had its full attention, she stepped back, drawing it away as a sed wolf tried to circle around and attack her from behind.
Relief welled up inside her at the sight of the ravenous wolf turning away, but it was followed instantly by guilt as Ali realized Malika had chosen to get bitten on her behalf.
Two wolves were far too dangerous to hahout armor, but Malika simply downed a healing potion and unleashed a storm of blows while the magic visibly repaired her wounds. A few punches and arrows ter, one of the two wolves dropped and y unmoving.
Ali levered herself up using the wall for support, her breathing still ragged and rough from being winded, but slowly rec. Miraculously, she was alive, and nothing was trying to eat her.
Malika and were still busy with one wolf, but Mato stood with his back to the wall over at the far side, holding off two, one of which was the huge, muscur Alpha wolf. Blood streamed from several serious bite wounds and gashes on his body, and he was obviously struggling, his movements slow and stumbling.
He needs help.
She didn’t have a whole lot of ma, but if she could just distract it a little, maybe that could help – Mato certainly needed something, and soon! She jured a disk of are magic right in the mouth of the Alpha wolf. Reag below ground, she found the fungal mycelium again and twisted that around the paws of the lesser wolf.
The Alpha attacked again; a savage bite aimed at Mato’s face. Ali repeated her distra, causing splinters of gold to burst from its mouth as its fangs snapped shut a hair’s breadth from Mato’s neck. The Alpha ss frustration, but Mato did not waste the opportunity. With a deft motiorieved a healing potion from his belt, uncorked it with a flick of his thumb, and tossed the crimson liquid down his throat.
And as bat resumed, ferocious as ever, his wounds began to close, his vigor returned, and soon he was trading blows with the Alpha.
With a swish and a thump, an arrow flew past her, striking one of Mato’s wolves, and suddenly Malika leapt into the fray.
How do they still have energy? Ali was wheezing, her injuries ached, and she was very nearly out of mana. Gng back, Ali saw three wolf corpses lying sprawled on the cave floor. With Mato hitting it with his mad holding its attention, and Malika had free rein to unleash their full power o of the lesser Starving Wolves and it quickly dropped to the ground, mangled and bleeding, with several arrows stig up out of its ned back.
O, Ali thought, but it was the Alpha. And to her dismay, the dramatic healing of Mato’s wounds began to slow.
yelled something, and Mato shouted a response.
Something was wrong, and Ali didn’t o uand the nguage to tell what it was. The Alpha was a level five monster, and nobody rodug a healing potion.
The giant shaggy wolf lunged forward, still agile despite the blood running from a half-dozen arrows stig out of its fnks. As its mouth opeo bite and tear, Ali summoned her are magic, recklessly burning her dwindling supply of mana without hesitation. The disk shattered in the wolf’s jaws, blunting the attack just enough to leave Mato with only shallow scratches.
It howled, shaking its head in fury, and then lu Mato’s legs. But this time Ali had her mycelium grown around its hihe power of the moore the fungus right out of the ground, ripping it with ease, but its momentum was blunted just enough to cause its powerful jaws to snap shut on air.
With her heartbeat pounding deafeningly in her ears, she focused on the Alpha, watg for the attack. When it came, it was fast and powerful. Ali summoned another disk of are energy, but this time all she got was a tiny golden sparkle that popped in the air as her mana pool ran pletely dry.
Oh no! She desperately tried again, but her magic ent, and the Alpha wolf’s fangs sunk into Mato’s thigh, ripping flesh and spraying crimson blood. Mato screamed, but his mace came down with a brutal cra the back of the Alpha wolf’s head. He pulled it back while Malika and took advantage of his stunning attack to get in a couple of kicks and arrows, and then the mace came down a sed time to the sound of bone g.
As the Alpha wolf dropped, a chorus of chimes echoed within Ali’s tired mind. She saw the book appear in her mind and heard the rustling as the page turned. Bright golde shone on the page.
Ali simply stood there, staring in disbelief at the blood and unmoving corpse of the Alpha wolf, her body trembling in shock. Is it really dead? Mato sank to the rocky ground, holding his wound closed with a bloody hand. The other two went to che him, but their voices seemed calm. At least calmer than she would have expected if he were dying.
Finally, she turned her attention to the golden notifications waiting for her.
Yroup has defeated Starving Wolf – level 3.Yroup has defeated Starving Wolf – level 2.Yroup has defeated Starving Wolf – level 1.Yroup has defeated Starving Wolf – level 3.
Yroup has defeated Starving Alpha – Wolf – level 5.
Requirements met for css adva.
Primary css slot avaible.Experiehreshold reached.
Css: Are Schor unlocked.This css will be permaly assigned in one week.Additional css options may be avaible at a shrine.
Ali stared at the glowing words, frozen in surprise. She shut her mouth and swallowed hard. So many times she had dreamed of this moment. So many nights, waiting for sleep, she had imagined how it would feel. And suddenly, without warning, it was finally here.
Slowly, she became aware of the excited voices of her panions.
They must have gotten theirs, too.
She studied the notifications, going over them all one more time. Are Schor. Her natural path Css. It was as she had expected – even what she had told Maeria Runeweaver – a on are magic research Css would be a fiarting point for her. And without the shrine, she would have been able to build it up with hard work and study.
Although her dream of having her father duct her Css ceremony would never e to pass, she had ied his shrine. And that meant she could finally offer something to these strangers who had selflessly risked their lives to save her.
Carefully, she levered her tired, bruised, and battered body up and got to her feet.
“e,” she said, grabbing Malika’s hand and pulling. Seeing the bnk look followed by fusion, Ali repeated herself, pulling her hand again. There was a flurry of unintelligible speech among the others aually Malika got to her feet.
Whehers remained sitting, Ali repeated the gesture with them, too.
This is really annoying, she thought, ping her lips together and digging deeper for just a little more patience – being uo talk was the worst.
At least they uood her quickly enough, and soon she led them out of the cave and towards the Grove where the shrine waited. It was not very far, and with the wolves dead ba the cave, Ali was certain they would be safe. However, her eyes never left the shadows, searg them relentlessly for danger.
