“Why won’t it attack us yet?” Emyr asked as they walked.

Both of them were uncomfortable, eyes scanning the dark woods and heads swiveling around. They could feel the serpent watching them, its presence overwhelming. Liliana rubbed at the back of her neck, not surprised to feel the short hair at her nape standing on end. Lelantos’ hackles had been raised since they left the camp and she felt if she had them, hers would be too.

Her instincts were screaming to turn and fight or to run. She was beginning to feel like an animal trapped in a corner, with no option left but to claw and bite her way out. Yet she had nothing in front of her to fight and she knew if she ran, she’d just make herself more of a target. Predators couldn’t help but strike at running prey. Her grip on her weapon tightened and relaxed periodically as she resisted the urge to fidget further.

“It’s waiting for the right moment,” Liliana answered as she turned her head sharply at a shaking bush. Nothing emerged, and she looked away, eyes trying to pierce the darkness. She didn’t have [Shine] out, it would ruin their dark vision and make anything not illuminated by the light a wall of impenetrable darkness.

You’ve reached the requirements for the general skill [Night Vision]. Would you like to accept the skill?

Geeze, thanks system. Now you give me that skill? Liliana thought sarcastically as she accepted the skill.

Almost immediately she could see better in the dim lighting of the night, nothing but the moon and stars thin light filtering through the leafy canopy to illuminate their way. She noticed even with her new skill active that the world stayed in the monochrome colors of night. She knew Lelantos saw in much the same way at night from the times she’d looked through his eyes in areas with little light sources, but she had assumed it was an animal thing. In the daylight, his vision was like a highly desaturated version of her own, with a total lack of red and mainly greens. Though she had seen his field of vision was much wider than her own. She saw now something about dark vision must translate to humans as well, though she wasn’t sure what it was. Or if it was just what the system based night vision off of.

“Did you just get a night vision skill?” Liliana asked Emyr conversationally, more to keep up some sound and distract herself from the fear in her chest. Being hunted by the thing she was supposed to be hunting was disconcerting and terrifying, far from the safety of the guards.

She was still amazed they’d snuck away from them. In normal camps she’d almost assumed the guards were letting them get away, she knew they all had perception abilities. Now she wondered if perhaps they were simply inept, though she wanted to disbelieve Silas could train such guards that were bad at the definition of their job. Or perhaps it was Emyr. In the camp, he’d been the one to plan out their leavings. He had apparently spent hours watching the guards on their shifts, learning their patterns. Learning where their blind spots were, and he had years of practice sneaking around.

She knew from the game he liked to sneak around, his character got a bonus for all sneaking skills, and she knew he had a history of sneaking out of his family’s home to watch his brothers’ train or fight. She’d actually be willing to bet he’d been watching the guards at the Rosengarde manor for months, lurking around and sneaking until he figured out how to escape their notice. After all, he’d snuck out with her, avoiding detection by Silas and Astrid when she was escorted out of the manor grounds to find Lelantos.

In the game, one of his class options early on was an assassin class, and she’d already seen how assassins could sneak past their guards. Twice. If Emyr was of a skill level that could compare to an assassin of his Rank it made more sense, and led credence to the fact he could instruct her on how to avoid detection. She knew as well that when invisible, Lelantos could avoid detection by the guards for the most part. He’d had fun early on spooking many guards by sneaking onto the training grounds and knocking things over. Some of the guards still thought the training grounds were haunted.

“I’ve had that Skill since I was thirteen,” Emyr answered, shooting her a smug look. Liliana returned it with an unamused glare. Of course, stealth master Emyr had a night vision skill. He’d need it for all his skulking about.

“Oh, is that how you spied on the guards and figured out their routines?” Liliana shot back, mirroring her thoughts. She really just wanted a confirmation if she was right.

“Yea, somewhat. Guards get predictable. It’s the military training. They move in patterns,” Emyr shrugged as if it was obvious, and Liliana decided to not tell him it was actually impressive. He had figured out their patterns, and then how to circumvent them. Rosengarde guards weren’t exactly slouches on their training. But Emyr didn’t need his ego stroked.

“We’ve been out here for three hours. We’ve got to be a few miles from the guards. The thing is still following us. Why hasn’t it struck yet?” Emyr asked, turning the conversation back to the issue at hand.

Liliana rolled her shoulders to banish the shivers that had erupted at the reminder of what was following them. She thought she might have an answer, though she was hesitant to give it, as she wasn’t sure if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. Recent events accounted for. She didn’t entirely trust her own thoughts anymore. Not when she had so recently had them poisoned. How could she tell if her thoughts were her own, or planted by some evil being intent on seeing her go mad? But she thought she’d detected a bit of curiosity in the presence following them, coupled with the hate.

“I don’t know, maybe meat flavored with fear tastes better?” Liliana said instead.

Lelantos grumbled at her and she got a sense back that fear did not in fact make food taste better, in fact as bowels could be released when prey was suitably frightened, it could make the meat taste worse. Liliana snorted at his response. The tiger had become a bit of a picky eater since she’d bonded him. He’d gotten used to cooked meat, and the best cuts of raw meat and cores.

They emerged from the trees of the forest suddenly, and a cliff face they hadn’t been able to easily see in the dark rose before them several yards away. It spanned as far as Liliana could see with her measly bit of [Night Vision]. Behind them, they heard a crash, like something large had hit a tree. Spinning around, the three of them turned in time to watch a great oak groan and shudder before tilting to its side. It seemed to fall so slowly, a great giant plummeting through the air as softly as a feather until it began cracking and snapping the branches of its brethren. As it finally crashed into the ground, a deafening boom filled the forest, a thunderclap at close range that shook the very earth. Behind them, Liliana could hear rocks tumbling to the ground, shaken loose by the old giant’s demise.

“Or it was waiting to corner us,” Liliana bit out as she started to activate skills.

[Shine] was first, shooting up far into the sky, expanding and throwing off light like a mini sun, illuminating their battlefield. [Solar Samba], [Dancer’s Domain], [Dance of the Windsong], [War Maiden’s Waltz] all activated, their power coursing through her and her allies. Lelantos roared as he crouched a bit, tail lashing. He was ready to fight. Emyr shook his shoulders, his rapier held before him and a cold look in his eyes as he stared out at the dark forest. Shadows lashed around him, crawling up his body until he looked like he was clothed in the void.

“[Shadow Armor], doesn't do much for defense but it boosts my stealth skills and speed,” Emyr answered the question in her eyes as the shadows climbed his face, covering his nose and mouth, surrounding his eyes and leaving only the dark silver of them to peer out.

Couldn’t I get a Light or Soul armor? Seriously, what the fuck system? Liliana asked mentally, but her attention was once more directed to the battlefield as something emerged.

For a moment, as the creature emerged, she thought she was looking at a giant flower. She had never seen a living flowered serpent, and the dead ones couldn’t hold a candle to the majesty of what she was seeing. Her mind identified the flower around its head, supplying the answer without prompting. Lamprocapnos spectabilis, better known as bleeding heart. As the light of [Shine] spilled over the beast, Liliana could see the flower was a deep purple near the serpent’s head, fading to a vivid red the color of blood towards the back and its mane made of the petals. Made all the more vibrant by the pale white scales that covered the serpent’s head, trailing down until they mixed with the green highlighted brown scales of its body.

As the serpent rose above them, its body resembling that of a dark green vine, two petals dropped around the serpent’s head, twisted with flowering vines. As its tail flicked out, Liliana noted it was covered in thick leaves. Liliana could admit that the bleeding heart was a poetic flower for the beast before her. For a creature that had seen its entire family brutally murdered and butchered by those they had been there to protect. It matched its Poison affinity, an affinity Lelantos could smell clearly on the wind now that the creature was before him.

The bleeding heart flower was toxic, every last bit of it. Inducing vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and breathing difficulty, if consumed in high enough quantities. Liliana didn’t doubt the beast’s affinity would increase the poisonous nature of the plant, and reduce the amount of distilled essence of the flower necessary to cause side-effects. Almost hesitantly, Liliana used [Identify] on the beast. It was far larger than she expected it to be and she felt a bone deep fear that she’d finally bitten off more than she could chew.

Nemesis

Dicentra Serpent

Level 141

A flowered serpent that has forsaken the path of her fore-bearers. With a heart poisoned by man’s greed and fear, she has fully accepted the allure of the Dark, letting the poison in her heart coat her fangs and body. Her hatred and need for revenge has driven her to acquire great power in the name of vengeance, earning her the name Nemesis as she seeks justice for wrong doings left unpunished by the gods. Her great body is as sturdy as an oak, and her very touch is poisonous to any unlucky enough to meet her scales. Her fangs will quickly cause seizures and lock up her prey’s lungs until she finishes them off. Her mastery of the Earth and Dark elements will ensure any prey finds their avenues for escape quickly cut off.

Rank: 5

Affinities: Earth, Dark, Poison

Shit, shit, shit. Fuck, this isn’t good, Liliana thought as Lelantos backed up reluctantly. She could feel fear coursing through him. This serpent was well above any of them. It could easily kill all of them and leave no remains. It was named. She had not accounted for that to be a possibility. Named beasts were rare. She’d only fought one! Was that why they’d found so many dead creatures as they tried to track her down? Nemesis was killing them for their Mana, training like a human to boost her level?

“We need to run,” Emyr said, his voice shaking a bit.

Liliana looked around as they continued to slowly back away from the approaching serpent. There was no way out. The serpent was huge, at least twice Lelantos height, and she still had body trailing after her. She had to be thirty feet long, five feet or more across. They couldn’t get around her and behind them was only cliff face.

“We can’t. We have to go through her to get out,” Liliana said, fear thrumming in her veins, twisting with adrenaline. Flight was no longer an option, and Liliana could feel her body deciding on fight. Taming the beast wasn’t on her mind now, only survival.

“Fuck,” Emyr muttered, but he stopped back up and spread his legs, dropping into a fighting stance with his rapier held out to point at the serpent.

Liliana slipped off Lelantos, the serpent’s head swinging to stare at her. Liliana almost felt trapped in her purple red gaze. She could see pain in there, so great it almost took her breath away. She could see keen intelligence in there too, as if the beast was calculating, planning out a strategy to fight them.

“You always take me to the nicest places,“ Emyr shot at Liliana.

“You better survive this so I can do it again,” Liliana warned him as she spun her naginata.

“Lelantos, attack,” Liliana ordered. An ear-shattering roar split the dead silence of the forest as the tiger bathed himself in light and sprung.