Cries of pain rang out, echoing over the formerly peaceful village of Tiaston. Grunting warriors inflicted wounds on one another as they battled, whilst fleeing villagers cried out with fear and horror as they came upon the unlucky fallen. The occasional wail of despair rose amongst the cacophony of sound, signalling the loss of a loved one, bereft of life. The stink of piss and shit that permeated the air eventually found its way into a partially-singed hut.

The sudden shock of blaring sounds and smells overwhelmed Katai. The hands that had been trying to shake him from his stupor gripped him tightly as Katai adjusted to the sudden influx of information. After such a long time spent alone in the void, he needed some time to process everything going on around him. Time that he didn’t have.

"Katai! Are you with me?" the frantic voice of Silas sounded in his ear. Shaking his head sluggishly, Katai looked up into the worried eyes of his best friend.

"Ah, I'm back Silas. Sorry about that, I just...needed some time," his voice broke, the smell of blood reminding him of exactly where he was and what was in front of him. His eyes lowered to take in his wife's body, still laying awkwardly in a pool of blood.

The sight hit him like a sledgehammer. Tears streamed down his face, the sight too much, even after all the time he’d spent preparing for this moment. He’d known what was coming, but the reality was too real, too visceral.

Clenching his eyes together, Katai took a few deep breaths. The stink wafting in from outside helped to distract him. Determinedly, he opened his eyes once more, looking up at the small room instead of down at the body on the floor.

Details he hadn’t noticed before came into focus. The bowl of noodles still simmering over the wood-fired stove. The open cupboard where clothes had been hastily ripped and scattered over the floor. Her attacker must have quickly realised they had nothing of worth to steal. Perhaps that’s why Salah was dead, a vindictive swipe at her before leaving for wealthier targets. Not that there were many villagers with more than a couple of silver pieces to rub together.

"I can't leave her like this", he whispered hoarsely. Eyes shining with tears that he barely held back, Silas silently agreed with a nod of his head. Katai continued in a low voice, "I got a new class...so I should be able to carry her and still fight." Silas' eyes widened, and he gave another nod, trusting him at his word.

"Ok, let’s get her out of here Katai." said Silas, squeezing his friend’s shoulder before turning to leave.

"Wait…there's someone coming!" Katai hissed the warning quietly, just as Silas’ hand reached for the flimsy door.

Sense Blood has reached level 2.

Silas stepped back, giving himself some room. Katai rose unsteadily from the floor, realising when he tried to draw his sword that he was missing his weapon! Looking frantically around the room, he spotted it lying just inside the doorway. Before he had a chance to retrieve it however, a grimy hand grasped the hanging leather, ripping the door from its fastenings.

A bear-like man entered the hut, his thick torso covered in dirty furs and worn leather. His entire body seemed to be covered in a thick layer of matted dirt and blood. The smell of the man almost made Katai gag, the fetid stench wafting over the two young Warriors. An unshaven face peered around the dim hut, sharp little eyes lighting up at seeing the two young men and the body on the floor.

"Ahaha! I've found me some little treats!" roared the pungent man. "Hngh, I see someone's already gotten to the lady 'ere...but that's ok, I don't mind a young laddie or two." He grinned, delighted to have found some entertainment. He raised his broadsword, bracing it with a second hand to control the heavy length of steel as he stepped forward, facing off against the only armed combatant, Silas.

Katai's face twisted at the words of their foe, but otherwise didn’t respond to the deliberate provocation. He had sensed the bandits approach using his new skill, Blood Sense; it gave him a vague feeling of pressure that increased as the man approached the hut. It was only when the bandit had gotten closer and he’d seen the hazy, red mist approaching through the wall, that he’d realised what the pressure meant. Looking at Silas, he could see a matching mist of red overlaying him too, perhaps they were a more physical indication of the Blood Sense? In either case, they’d been forewarned just in time to avoid getting caught out in the open.

The rough-looking bandit lunged suddenly at Silas with his heavy weapon, blade stabbing straight towards the smaller man, the full weight of the broadsword behind it. Desperately twisting away, the sword glanced off the leather vambrace Silas wore, deflecting the fatal blow. The sword pierced his shoulder instead, biting into the thick cords of muscle. Silas yelped as he scrambled away, holding his shoulder as blood spurted from the wound.

Katai inched towards the doorway, hoping to grab his weapon. Their opponent was clearly a higher level than either of them, moving almost as quickly as Hiram during their training sessions. They were going to need every advantage against this foe.

Chuckling mirthfully, the man raised his sword to point towards Katai. "Don't think about runnin' off now, I don't wanna chase ya's all over the place."

Katai’s face twisted with sudden rage, the hot emotion coursing through him. He could almost feel his blood begin to boil. Here was one of the people responsible for Salah’s death and he was mocking them.

Without another thought, he activated Lacerate. Instantly, it tore through the skin of the bandit. The man shouted with surprise at the sudden pain, recoiling from the enraged Warrior who he guessed to be the cause. He felt at the wounds with one hand, a look of confusion on his sweating, pig-like face. His beady little eyes jerked up to see the previously unarmed boy picking up a sword, before he faced the larger man with a confident guarded stance. The bandit's confusion deepened as the relatively minor wounds produced copious amounts of blood, far more than he thought was normal. His blood was acting less like blood and more like water…or at least that what it seemed like to the experienced fighter.

Lacerate has reached level 2.

Silas looked over to his friend with a slight frown on his face. "That new class?"

Katai glanced at him and nodded, his chest heaving with emotion as he worked to get a hold of himself.

The skill was even better than he had hoped. It seemed to give him a medium-range attack similar to a spear-thrust, but without any chance of the target blocking! An un-blockable skill was the stuff of dreams for Warriors like him or Silas. A sparring session between the two of them would generally last for three or four attacks before one of them gained the upper hand. If any of those strikes weren’t blocked, then it was enough to turn the tide of battle. It would certainly help in this one, against a much higher-level opponent. If they worked together, the pair of Warriors should be able to defeat the stronger man without suffering any more injuries, if they were smart about it.

Katai leapt over the body of his wife, sword raised for an overhead strike. The bandit raised his sword, ready to fend off the attack with his heavier weapon. He raised the pommel, the sword angled across his body, deflecting the strike away. Silas however, realising what his training partner intended, slashed at the bandit's filthy mid-section. The clotted dirt and thick furs surrounding the man had protected his gut from a more serious wound, but each cut they inflicted wore him down. It was only a matter of time now.

The bandit grunted, his nervous movements showing the first signs of panic. The pain of his wounds was starting to catch up with him – sweat rolled down his tomato-red face and his eyes glanced around the room frantically. His own mortality now on the line, he edged towards the door, trying to move Katai away with small swipes of his blade. The two young men however moved in sync with the larger man, keeping him between them. He would be given no mercy, nor an opportunity to escape.

A sudden wild swing at Silas almost caught him off guard, but with a deft step backwards he parried the blow, letting it ricochet off his raised sword. Katai reacted, thrusting at the back of the bandit, but he failed to penetrate deeply enough for a fatal wound. Breathing heavily now, the wounds were stacking up on the big man. Swaying on his feet, he swiped unsteadily at his two opponents, alternating between them. With no apparent strategy, he simply swung and thrust with the last of his strength, fighting to the very end, his stamina and willpower exhausted.

With a look of determination on his face, Katai activated his skill once more. Small spurts of fresh blood appeared, seeping through the disgusting mess that appeared to be the bandit’s chest armour. The dishevelled man dropped to his knees; energy completely spent, limbs quivering from pain and exhaustion. The blood loss had sapped his strength over the course of the battle, enough to kill a smaller man.

Lacerate has reached level 3.

Katai felt a bout of nausea rise up in his stomach, the second casting of Lacerate taking its toll on his body. He ignored the sensation, gripping his sword in both hands as he faced one of the men who invaded his home, his village.

Katai drew in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. Calmly, he stepped forward, the shaking of his hands the only sign of nerves. Or perhaps it was anger? The expression on his face gave away nothing, a blank canvas almost puppet-like in its lack of emotion. Even Silas, his closest friend, would have trouble figuring out what exactly he was feeling.

With a short pause, he looked into the eyes of the bandit, before he violently thrust his blade forward. The last sight the bandit had was an implacable face, tears streaming unchecked, before the blade entered his brain, putting him to rest.

You have defeated Warrior (level 41).

Congratulations! You have gained 5 Warrior and 8 Blood Mage levels.

1 Attribute point awarded for reaching level 20 Warrior.

3 Attribute points awarded for reaching level 5 Blood Mage.

Katai's Status

(In brackets indicates what was gained this chapter, or pending skill/attribute selections)

Katai D’Castro

1st Class: Warrior – level 21 (+5)

2nd Class: Blood Mage – level 9 (+8)

Skills

Lunge (Expert) – level 4

Parry (Expert) – level 3

Bash (Proficient) – level 3

Sense Blood (Novice) – level 2 (+1)

Lacerate (Novice) – Level 3 (+2)

Attributes (+4)

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 16

Constitution: 20

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 15

Charisma: 17

Magical Aptitude

Blood (Life): 62%

Water: 9%

Resistances

Spirit: -16%

Void: 31%

Blood (Life): 62%