《Ouroboros Ascendant》Chapter 3: The Path of Fate
Advertisement
"I think we should probably do the one with the humans," Erin replied, "Just to be safe."
"Borrrrring," Layla absently called out as she moved her hands over the symbols.
"Are you objecting, or complaining, Layla?" Jack turned to her.
"Complaining, mostly," she smiled, "We can do the human one if you guys think it's safer. Besides, I dig Final Fantasy, and it says they have magitech."
Jack and Erin pushed the massive needle into position, furthest to the left, and Rory pushed the lever toward the nock. It thunked into position, a quarter of the way down. Layla pushed lightly against it, and it snapped forward another quarter, issuing the same bass clunk, "Pretty sure it has to be unanimous."
Erin and Jack placed their hands on the lever at the same time, both smiling a bit as their hands touched, and pushed forward.
As the lever finally came to rest in the massive arrow’s nock, the white glow of the Alabastris sigil spread across the gold filigree and swept down the giant mill wheel and onto the floor, where it rushed back toward the door the four had entered from earlier. The runic script across the wall now glowed a faint white, leading them back toward the circular cave where they first awakened.
“Betcha five of whatever currency this world runs on the circle room is gone,” Jack turned to Rory.
He grinned, “You’re on, mate. There’s no way. Nothing we’ve seen is more complicated than LED lights… and…. mmm... infographics that translate themselves. I should not have made this bet, should I?”
Erin stifled a laugh, “No, no you shouldn’t’ve.”
Jack and Rory began to walk slowly toward the awakening chamber but noticed almost immediately the hallway was significantly longer than before. Erin followed up, keeping step with Layla, who was starting to look a little less pale and a little more present.
At the end of the hallway, now just over the length of a football field, the passage spilled into a titanic chamber, so tall and deep the four couldn’t make out a ceiling or the edges of the room. The pristine white runes running along the wall spilled down onto the floor and shot out to a raised dais about thirty yards into the room. On the dais was a four-sided obelisk, about four feet tall.
As the group malingered at the edge of the chamber, they each felt a searing sensation on the palms of their left hands, crying out or swearing as the pain reached a fierce crescendo.
Advertisement
“What the absolute shit was that?!” Layla spat as she turned her hand over, finding a circular mark etched into her hand like an obsidian brand.
“It looks like a snake, biting its own tail. What’s the name for that? Orbados? Oramus?” Jack wondered, “It’s… is this thing moving?”
“Yeah, mine’s definitely moving. It’s like the runes in the arrow chamber. It just says ‘chosen’ though, right?” Erin stared down at her hand, watching the serpent revolve slowly.
“Yeah, chosen by what though? Look, the same symbol is on the pillar there,” Rory replied.
The glowing runes on the dais seemed to pulse slowly, crawling up the obelisk to reveal a shallow handprint, etched with the symbol of the chosen. The four approached slowly, Erin the first to step onto the dais. The stone responded with a gentle, welcoming light rippling out from her footsteps, and the symbol of the chosen grew brighter as she neared. She reached out for the hand print, and as the others begin to protest, placed her hand on the obelisk. A pale green rectangle appeared in front of her, floating at chest height.
Welcome, Chosen of Ouroboros.
Your Mark of Ouroboros is currently charged. Additional Options will be available to you.
Awarded trait Traveler: Able to speak to and understand all creatures of Ayrgard that have a language.
You have pending Options.
“I found the interface, guys,” Erin looked up, her mouth turned up into a fierce grin.
“Well, you didn’t disintegrate, so let’s go, I guess. Rory, you owe me five money,” Jack smiled.
“This is proper fucked, you realize that, yeah?” he replied.
“Shut up and START THE CHARACTER CREATOR!” Layla yelled and slapped her hand onto the obelisk.
The dais was engulfed in a flash of white light, and when it faded, it was lit by four green circles, centered on each of them. Similar panels of pale green appeared in front of each, though the content was gibberish to all but the intended Chosen.
Erin Amanda Ward, Chosen of Ouroboros
Your starting Seal is Blood Brothers of Alabastris. You have been awarded the trait Mindlink: You can communicate with your fellow Chosen without speaking.
Your current Race is Human. Do you wish to change this? [No.]
You have pending Options.
Jackson Avery Holt, Chosen of Ouroboros
Your starting Seal is Blood Brothers of Alabastris. You have been awarded the trait Mindlink: You can communicate with your fellow Chosen without speaking.
Advertisement
Your current Race is Human. Do you wish to change this? [No.]
You have pending Options.
Rory Elliot Poole, Chosen of Ouroboros
Your starting Seal is Blood Brothers of Alabastris. You have been awarded the trait Mindlink: You can communicate with your fellow Chosen without speaking.
Your current Race is Human. Do you wish to change this? [No.]
You have pending Options.
Layla Skye Wolfe, Chosen of Ouroboros
Your starting Seal is Blood Brothers of Alabastris. You have been awarded the trait Mindlink: You can communicate with your fellow Chosen without speaking.
Your current Race is Human. Do you wish to change this?
[Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.]
"Wait, wait, wait... Did this window just give us some kind of telepathic party chat?" Jack asked.
"Guys, I have a list of Races. Like half a dozen local to the human place, then a really, really big list that’s greyed out,” Layla whispered, "Also, yes, definitely telepathic party chat."
“You picked YES?!” Rory’s mouth dropped open.
“My body is a shit-show, Rory. Not everyone can have picture-perfect club abs,” she shot back.
Erin gave Rory a withering grimace, “What are your options, El?”
Your starting Seal is Blood Brothers of Alabastris.
You may change to the following Races without expending your Mark of the Chosen’s charge.
[Remain Human]
Dwarf, Goldblood Clan
Dwarf, Mountainheart Clan
Elf, Sidhe
Half-Elf
Ironfolk
Expand Restricted Races
“Looks like a few common races for the starting area, plus a really, really long list of stuff I have to burn my cheat code to pick.”
“Your cheat code?” Jack looked up from his panel.
“Yeah, your ‘Mark of Ouroboros’? It’s a cheat code. It’s ‘charged’, and we can use it to pick stuff we shouldn’t have access to. Like starting in Braedenfel as a Troll instead of a Nifling. There’s a couple hundred other races here, and I haven’t even scrolled halfway down.”
“How do you even know that?” Rory looked up from his panel.
“It’s in the race selection description,” she stuck her tongue out at him and grinned.
She suddenly flung her hand across the panel, rapidly scrolling down until she slammed her hand into the glowing green surface.
“I know that face, El. Whatever you’re about to do, don’t-” Erin was cut short by an explosion of crimson light and a throat-tearing scream that seemed to go on forever.
“EL! EL! LAYLA!” Erin screamed over and over, shielding her eyes from the burning red glow.
Finally, the light began to fade. “I’m fine, Erin,” Layla’s voice dripped out of bloody glow, the same, and yet very different, "But that shit hurt." She was taller, but not much. Her pajamas, however, hung very differently on her new form. From her mid back, a pair of black leathery wings poured out of her t-shirt, and a spaded tail slowly poked out of her bottoms. As Erin looked up from the tail, she saw that Layla had grown a pair of curling gold and black streaked horns, like marble, above her eyebrows at the hairline. Her face hadn't changed, really, but she seemed softer, more appealing. She turned to Erin and grinned, showing a set of dainty fangs and shimmering golden irises.
“Holy shit, my head doesn’t hurt!” she shouted., “And I have boobs! And hips!”
“What the bloody fuck have you done to yourself Layla!?” Rory choked out.
“Fuck you, Rory. You’ve been gorgeous your whole life. I took my shot, and I don’t regret it,” she shot back.
“Layla, are you… are you a succubus?” Jack gaped.
“Fuckin A. Check it out,” she spun the panel around, the words resolving into legible print from the gibberish of before.
Your charge has been expended during Race Selection.
Racial Class: Succubus (Demon)
Class Level: 1
Key Attributes: Guile, Mind, Will
Key Skills: Charm, Deceive, Endurance, Intuit, Puppetry, Wind
Alluring Mana: Learn and rank up Puppetry hybrid magic without corresponding ranks in Wood element.
Enticing Mirage: Able to assume a form pleasing to mortal creatures. Moderate mana cost. Lasts until next dawn or dusk.
Exhausting Appetites: Substitute the Lust of mortal creatures for food and drink. Exhausting Appetite drains a moderate amount of Stamina from your victim. Victims with zero Stamina lose consciousness and sleep until they regenerate any amount of Stamina.
Dietary Requirement (Moderate): Weaken without Mortal Lust, suffering maximum Health, Stamina, and Mana penalties.
Vulnerable I (Day): Vulnerable to Day magic spells. Suffer additional damage from Day-aspected attacks. Uncomfortable in direct sunlight.
“You have… to… you have to have sex to live?!” Erin just stared.
“I don’t think I’ll have any problems. Do you?” Layla ran her hands down her hips.
“No, I guess not,” Erin's mouth slowly twisted into a smirk.
Each panel pulsed faintly.
You have pending Options.
Advertisement
Genius Detective
We follow the story of Song Lang, a genius in the police field, who due to unfortunate circumstances caused by his mortal enemy, now assumes the identity of a driver named Chen Shi. Although he had wanted to live out his days as an ordinary citizen, fate has other plans in store for him. Finding himself in the position of prime suspect to a case, he assists a police officer to uncover the truth. Follow the adventures of Chen Shi as he is plunged back into the world of bizarre homicide investigations. Will he be fated to meet his enemy once again? If you enjoy murder mysteries such as the TV show “The Mentalist”, or anime like “Detective Conan”, then this novel is for you.
8 628FeralHeart
Disclaimer: This story is intended for adult audiences. You should not read this if you are under the age of eighteen. "I was born with an extremely prestigious but combat-weak logistics class. As the son of the clan head and the next heir, that just wasn’t enough of an excuse to spare me from my father’s grueling training. For in his creed the only strength that mattered was that grasped in one’s own two hands. In my journey through the lands with my harem, I was grateful for his training as it saved my life multiple times when my girls weren’t there to engage in combat. This is my story." Check out my Discord server for character art.
8 119Chronicles of Athionia
Betrayed and left for dead. Perfect setup for a revenge saga. Especially when the betrayal is committed by someone who meant everything to you. Scott Degen was no exception. However, instead of taking revenge after the fact, he decided to go back in time and nip the betrayer in the bud. I know, pretty crazy. He did pull it off though. However, things didn’t go according to his plan. Then again, they rarely do. Hrax: “I’ll grant you your wish. You’ll be reincarnated and have a chance to exact revenge. Do you accept?” Scott: “Oh god … thank you! Thank you so much! I accept, you bet I accept.” Hrax: “Perfect. How good is your gaming skills? Played RPGS before?” […Silence…] Scott: “Huh?” Hrax: “Do you prefer a system that’ll grant you new abilities as you grow stronger?” Scott: “Sys…system? Hey…what’s going on?! I didn’t ask for a…” Hrax: “Great, let’s go with that! Brace yourself, Athionia awaits your adventure!” [Epic portal music. Portal opens. Scott starts getting sucked into Portal] Scott: “AthioWHATNOW? HEY! WHERE ARE YOU SENDING ME?! THIS IS NOT WHAT I….” […]
8 153Depravity and Debauchery in the Southern Kingdoms
In a fantasy world of peace and prosperity, the elves decide the world is too diverse and create terrible weapons of mass destruction to corrupt the other races and maintain their superiority. Centuries later, they have completed their designs, but they didn't account for the everlasting influence of corruption, as it now creeps into their lands. This is the story of what men with no morals and nothing to lose set free upon the world after excessive consumption of both natural and unnatural substances. Corruption, vice and perversion haunt our protagonist. Will one writer fight against the terrible evil and obscenity, or will he fall to the depravity and debauchery of the southern Kingdoms? This story is about a bunch of terrible characters doing a bunch of terrible things. It will not be long, but I hope is an entertaining read!
8 77Tear It Apart⇸Finnick Odair [2]
❝Sometimes I wish I had died in the arena.❞❝It's all in your head. It's all in your head.❞❝Love is enduring. Everyday. Always. Because you know it's all for them. I would endure this forever if it meant he didn't have to.❞❝Sometimes I feel as though you should have just left me there to die.❞❝Ah, but you're so good at games, Terra, you always win.❞[Mockingjay][Finnick Odair][Started: 2019-02-13][Finished: 2020-01-18][Unedited]
8 135Never Gonna Leave You
The trio of Indian Cricket who brought a shine and pride to the game and made everyone fall in love with that. More than the game the thing which was admired by everyone was their bonding. The bond they shared was unbreakable or that's what everyone thought! A Mahi-Rohit-Virat (MahiRoRat/MahiRoVi) story! Happy Reading!
8 121