Chapter 28 Whisper

Most of the gear he had worn the night before was torn up. Adrian wasn’t sure if it had been the beastly transformation he had gone through or if the Wyrd claws were responsible.

For now he kept on the soldier gear, sitting near the small pyre he had built for his own distorted corpse. The undead luckily weren’t intelligent or interested enough to gather around his fire and all Wyrd were gone until nightfall.

He watched the flames, the smell of burning wood and flesh overpowering anything else in the area. Adrian held the Warmage helmet in his hands, the only piece of equipment besides his weapons that still remained from the previous night. From an entirely pragmatic perspective, his methods had allowed him to gather quite a bit of Essence for the invested time, but even if he ignored the potential psychological impact, or unknown magical ramifications, he still couldn’t think of the efforts as worthwhile. Not with most of his gear entirely destroyed.

His crossbow was intact, though not quite as easily used with the drastically reduced stats he had to work with now. Currently he had sixteen Intelligence, compared to nearly thirty in the past night.

Salt still covered a large part of the area, claw marks and splintered wood where the entrance to the large building remained, now open to all creatures who may wander inside. Of the Wyrd he killed, nothing remained. Perhaps he didn’t kill them at all. He considered the possibility that he had simply stolen some Essence, enough to destroy their physical forms? Or he banished them somehow.

He smiled to himself, thinking about the absurdity of death. At first he thought it weird that he didn’t consider himself capable of killing the Wyrd, simply because they didn’t leave behind a corpse. But he himself was still alive, despite the corpses strewn throughout this town or burnt already.

Was he even still alive? Was there a corpse in his home, where his consciousness, soul, or mind was taken away? Or was he just a copy from the original Adrian still living his life? For now he ignored the questions nagging at the back of his mind. They were thoroughly unproductive.

“Funny, isn’t it?” he asked the helmet in his hands, the steel not replying in turn. Had it become easier? To focus on the next step? To move?

He didn’t know exactly why. The experiences he had made so far in this world of magic would surely have an impact on everyone thrown into it. Perhaps in a way it had given him something clearer to work towards. There were many unknowns of course, but compared to his meandering before, his next steps here seemed obvious to him.

Maybe it’s just Yrenor’s military background and training rubbing off on me, he thought.

He looked inward and used the Essence he had gathered. Enough for two levels, one each for Wisdom and Intelligence. Losing the gear had certainly cost him but in the end he would simply have to find a new set, all the while growing his stats through the Essence he gathered.

Of the potions he consumed, only the Lain Potion seemed exceedingly dangerous. Both for himself and everything around him. He wondered how effective his last stand would’ve been with only the two first sets of potions but dismissed the thought. Either way he wouldn’t use any transformation potions if he had anything else left up his sleeve. Or within his pouches as it were.

Nor did he plan to use any of these potions in regular battles. The side effects were likely too much compared to the value they provided. If he had to recover for even a day or two, it would already negate the benefits in most situations he could think of.

The fire crackled, the pyre collapsing on itself as the wood and flesh were consumed.

Either way, I can’t face the Wyrd where they are this numerous. Can only hope there are fewer out in the forest.

He waited until the fire went out and gathered his remaining gear. His spear he switched out again for a wooden one, assuming Yrenor would take the Leaf spear away if he saw it. Not that Adrian planned to ever reach whatever ridiculous requirements the old man had in regards to wielding the weapon.

The way back took him a few hours, Adrian finding his tutor praying for his pile of corpses as per usual.

“You return earlier than I thought. Did you survive the night?” Yrenor asked, not yet turning around.

“I got slaughtered,” Adrian said in a dry tone. “But I learned a few things.”

The old man looked back at him now, one red eye taking in the glass mage. He sighed and stood up, brushing away the dust from his pants. “Adrian. I’m sure you realized this already, but don’t grow overconfident just because you seem to ignore the fate of death.”

“I took a risk against the Wyrd,” Adrian answered. “I’ve imagined plenty of ways you would deal with me if you thought me your enemy.”

“Good. Never forget that. And know that there are far more dangerous creatures out there than the man standing in front of you,” Yrenor said and paused for a moment. “You have changed, since you first came to me, desperate and lost. For the better and for the worse.”

Adrian agreed, but he didn’t exactly feel like being lectured. It wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter. Either he found a way back or what? He could cower away or die until no more Leaves were on that tree. Maybe his life would even end before that happened, how could he know? What he knew was that there were monsters in this world and killing them made him more powerful, thus increasing his chances of getting information or magic that could get him back.

“The Wyrd change into a frenzy once you attack them. I think only magic can actually injure them. My glass did the job. A few bolts and they… vanished, dissipated. Whatever happens to them. When they’re frenzied, their claws cut even through metal, though it takes them a while. They are slowed by salt on the ground and may be weakened by it. Though I think it mostly just pissed them off,” Adrian informed the man, if only to make sure he would keep his door shut at night, not that he had ever indicated a wish to fight the Wyrd.

Yrenor scratched his chin. “Valuable information. I heard stories before and erred on the side of caution, but I believe you.”

“And they incite each other if you attack one of them. To a certain degree, maybe it’s a range thing, maybe based on time. Who knows how intelligent they are,” he said. “Yrenor, do you know if there are fewer Wyrd in the forest?”

The man nodded. “Wyrd appear in the wilderness just as they do within villages and towns, but… never have I seen as many as near recent battlefields. I believe they are spirits of sorts, perhaps the very people killed in battle.”

Adrian looked at him while tapping his spear. “No battlefields in the wilderness means fewer Wyrd?”

Yrenor nodded.

“What about animals. I’m pretty sure the crow I saw was a Wyrd,” Adrian said.

“I don’t know,” Yrenor admitted. “Only fools tread through the world at night.”

“Was it always like that?” Adrian asked. “Are you here to burn these corpses because of the Wyrd?”

The old man stayed silent.

“You know I’d have an easier time if you just explained to me what happened here,” Adrian said.

“Have you grown bolder? Because you fought those creatures?” Yrenor asked.

You do seem less threatening now that I’ve faced and killed those horrors.

“You’ve ignored my questions and avoid the topic. And yet it seems terribly important. I know there was a war. I know you were involved one way or the other. Faenhold was losing,” Adrian said.

“Olsdaat was losing,” Yrenor said and sighed. “I do not wish to talk of it, Adrian. I came to this castle to seek redemption, not to talk of days long gone.”

“I was taken out of my life, forced into this world I do not know. You said you’d help me because it is Terranthir who seems to keep me here. Would you not want to know, if you were in my position?” Adrian asked.

Yrenor looked at him with nearly glowing eyes, a mix of emotions showing on his face as he turned away. “A whisper,” he said after a while, looking towards the sun. “A whisper from the north. Magic ancient as the land itself. We were not losing, we lost the war. Numera troops were advancing into the last strongholds and hideouts left to our people,” he spoke, his voice trembling slightly. “Perhaps it was the guardians, one last spell to wash away the war and blood we wrought upon these lands. The winds had changed in that night.

“You asked me if the Wyrd are as numerous in the wilderness as they are here. Perhaps that is the case. Eleven years ago, it wasn’t. They were known and yet our people had no need to barricade themselves into their homes, nor did a traveler have to fear them more than any wild beast that prowled the night.”

“That whisper… it killed everyone? Turned them into these creatures who now walk the castle?” Adrian asked. He didn’t need an answer from the man. “What about you? And the Bastion you mentioned? You said the whole of Olsdaat was at war, not just Faenhold.”

Yrenor shook his head. “People… of all kinds… livestock… even plants… it was as if life itself had ceased. Some settlements near the coast were spared, as was my troop, hiding in the forests far south. I don’t know why I survived, Adrian,” he murmured, getting more quiet as he went on. “Maybe that is why I’m here.”

Adrian remained quiet for a while, processing everything and giving the man some time. How many people died? How far reaching was that phenomenon or spell? Obviously not just this town… but even Faenhold Castle alone is massive.

He felt the hair on his neck stand up, thinking of magic that could turn the peoples of entire cities into shambling undead. The only comparison he had were nukes. And while he had read historical accounts and watched sensationalized movies, Adrian knew he had no idea what it had been like for someone seeing the devastating effects or living through it all.

Adrian decided to ask more questions at a later time. He certainly understood now why the man hadn’t brought up these events. Either way, it didn’t change his immediate next steps.

“We should go back and eat,” he said to the man, knowing that it was still a few hours early. He needed a break after last night.

Yrenor followed without another word, even handing Adrian the keys to exit through the tower in the wall. The man walked slower, his back bent a little more than usual.

Adrian didn’t comment on it, leading the way back for the first time and getting to work once they arrived.

They had run out of stew in the morning. He added a few sheets of wood to the small fire Yrenor had started in the hearth. The broth was already boiling, made of a variety of intense spices and fresh herbs. He added the same vegetables he usually used and put the lid on.

Adrian glanced outside, the sun still shining through the line of trees and onto the small garden in the clearing. “You said plants died too,” he heard himself saying. “Apologies,” he added. “No need to answer.”

Yrenor chuckled now, lighting his pipe with a flicker of fire magic. “I’m not a frail old man, Adrian. Not yet,” he said and paused, dragging from the pipe before he exhaled the smoke. “Leaves fell from trees as if winter had come in an instant, yet there was no cold, nor any snow or ice. Crops died and would not grow. Not for years.”

It does sound like some kind of biological weapon, Adrian thought.

“Before you ask, I didn’t start eating people. Though others did not have the luxury of such a choice. The war already lead to fewer mouths to feed… and… fewer even after. Food stocks weren’t affected by the ancient magic, but getting to them proved difficult. Deer and squirrels had turned into monstrous creatures over night, entire swarms of birds devouring everything that came close,” Yrenor retold, again pausing to smoke.

“I assume the animals were the first thing you took care of around here?” Adrian asked.

“Whatever is left… of the once living… they do not roam far. Sometimes one or two find me here, but the forests have quieted. A few years back, I started to see the occasional bird untouched by this scourge. But both are rare,” Yrenor explained.

“Sounds pretty horrific,” Adrian said.

The man huffed, smoke coming out of his nose.

“You think I have anything to do with it? Why I’m here?” Adrian asked.

“I’m not a scholar, nor a priest. If you find someone who knows, I’ll have some questions too,” Yrenor said.

Adrian smiled, chuckling to himself as he opened a book on potions. Two lost souls sharing stew in the middle of lands devoid of life. Lovely.

The next day, Adrian went to get more mage gear. The barracks still had a few pieces he hadn’t brought with him to the royal chambers. Nothing quite as impressive as his now destroyed set but enough to improve his glass magic to a respectable degree.

His crossbow still worked well and he spent an hour making bolts, using a few potions to be able to keep going. Most of the afternoon he spent scouting out the forest from atop the walls. As he got further away from Yrenor’s home, he started to see undead, though only few had remained outside the walls.

He saw a single squirrel rush up a nearby tree, the creature moving slower than he had expected of the animal. It lost purchase on the wood a moment later and fell, trying again on a different tree as it screeched. Adrian stopped to watch, sitting atop the wall as the creature repeated its movements until he lost sight of it. Has it been doing that for all those years?

A glance back over the other side showed the masses of undead. Creatures stumbling a few steps before turning around, the moans so constant they had faded into mere background noise.

Adrian had his gear ready. And he had chosen his spot for the night. A section of the wall close to a guard tower. There was no way to enter from the outside and he had more than one escape route this time, in case he had to get away. He had strewn salt throughout the whole wall section and inside of the tower. No Wyrd would come close if unprovoked. For tonight, he didn’t plan to attract any attention to himself. The battlements would provide some cover and already he had drenched and salted his gear.

Torches were by his side, ready to be lit once the Wyrd appeared. He mostly hoped none of the creatures would appear on top of the wall next to him or within the guard tower. But in that case he simply had to deal with them first. Either way it would provide more information. Once he cleared them out, he would know if they appeared in random places every night and if they could indeed die.

He could’ve checked the same where he had fought them last but deemed the location too dangerous. This time he had prepared several escape routes, even a section of the wall where he could jump off and run towards a nearby unlocked building. Of course it all meant nothing if an angered Wyrd could climb or float over the wall and follow him throughout the town, or if the screeches incited their brethren within the walls too.

Despite his death however, Adrian felt much more confident in this try. The creatures were certainly dangerous but in the end they lacked the ability to think for themselves and learn, or so he hoped. If that was the case, they were simply monsters acting on instinct. And if he understood them well enough, he could capitalize on their weaknesses.

First however, he sat down on the wall and watched the clouds, drinking cooked off water as he rested his head on the stone, the helmet providing a less uncomfortable experience. “What do you want from me, Terranthir?” he asked, hoping a disembodied voice would answer in turn. There was nothing of course, Adrian left to his own devices, kept alive through the battles he had fought and lost. He didn’t know if he should be grateful or furious. In that moment he simply felt calm, looking at the moving clouds that seemed so very similar to the ones near his home.

How long has it been since I just lay in the grass and watched the clouds? How long since the world had started moving faster?

He found it didn’t matter, resting on the walls of the Faenhold castle as he simply was. He knew the sun would set in a few hours. His preparations were complete.

Soulbound:

Essence – 1008

Level – 16

Vitality – 16

Endurance – 10

Strength – 9

Skill – 8

Intelligence – 17 [27]

Wisdom – 16 [24]

Soul skill – Flowing Glass Magic – level 8

Equipment:

Helmet – Faenhold Warmage Helmet [Rare]

Wisdom +5

Wood Magic Control +2%

Stun Resistance +18%

Chest – Faenhold Mage Robe [High]

Intelligence +4

Fire Magic Mana Cost -1%

Arms – Mage Bracers [Adequate]

Intelligence +2

Hands – Faenhold Mage Gloves [Adequate]

Intelligence +2

Belt – Leather Belt [Adequate]

Wisdom +1

Legs – Faenhold Soldier Pants [Adequate]

Wisdom +2

Boots – Faenhold Mage Boots [High]

Intelligence +2

Fire Resistance +3%

2h Weapon – Faenhold Crossbow [Adequate]

Skill +2