Kai dragged a buzzing hive by a string behind his back as he fled from a swarm of angry bees. It had been three days since the confrontation with Leandros and his chest wound had become unbearable. Though it no longer bled, the first signs of infection had begun to show with a blistering tenderness and dribbling of pus. That was why Kai had decided to risk a few stings in order to get himself some honey which he could use as an antibacterial.

While Kai had anticipated that the bees would be tenacious in their pursuit of him, what he didn’t figure was the sheer scale of bees that were present inside and outside the hive. They came in droves, masses of striped bodies forming together into one giant cluster. There were enough bees chasing him to create a tangible, light obscuring cloud of thronging fury and hysteria.

In other words, there were enough bees to turn Kai into more stingers than man.

Kai ran as fast as his legs could carry him but the cloud was catching up. He had already sustained a few stings and the buzzing was reaching a crescendo from behind him. Up ahead Kai could see the bank of the stream. Taking out a hollow length of river cane, Kai put it in his mouth and dived into the water.

It was hours before Kai was able to resurface. The bees refused to disperse and swarmed the stream as Kai laid in wait beneath the water while sucking air from a tube. The sun was beginning to set as Kai stepped into his campsite and cracked open his prize. A torrent of honey flowed down from the hive which Kai then slathered over his wound before bandaging it up again. While not as ideal as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide it would have to do for now.

Kai sighed and looked at the black spear that was impaled into the ground next to his campfire. Had he known there were going to be that many bees he would have simply used the spear to strike the hive from afar. Still, knowing what he knew about the spear, Kai was hesitant to use it. On a whim, Kai called to the spear and it shot out of the ground before floating into his hands. Unlike the black box, the spear had no markings or runes running along it. As Kai had found out it’s power came from something else, something much more sinister.

***

The morning after Kai had killed Leandros came with much exhaustion. Part of that exhaustion was due to the new entry that had wormed its way into Kai’s status screen.

Name: Kai Walker

Health: 39/52

Mana: 110/110

Class: Empath

Abilities: Empathic Link

Skills: Survivalist (lvl.2), Trap Maker (lvl.2), Poisoner (lvl.1)

Magic: None

Collected Memories: Empty

Status:

Strength: 2

Agility: 2

Dexterity: 2

Endurance: 7

Intelligence: 3

Wisdom: 3

Charisma: 2

Ravenous points: 15

Debuffs:

Ravenous (lvl.2)

Kai tapped the Ravenous debuff on the screen. A description popped up in front of him.

Ravenous: Killing things stronger than you gains you more power. The Stigma of Ruin.

Ravenous points: The benefits of Ravenous. Can be invested into stats or kept for other uses.

Kai thought about it while scratching his left ear.

“Huh, so it’s like an experience bar.”

“That’s what you got out of that description?” Aux asked.

“Well, if you think about it, an experience bar does the same thing,” Kai replied. “You kill things and you get stronger.”

“Fair point. But usually in games experience points don’t come at a cost.”

“And what’s the cost?”

“That depends on the person. For some the effects aren’t as pronounced, but for others the cost can be deadly. You saw what happened to Leandros. That is the risk one runs when dealing with Stigmas.”

The memory of Leandros’ metal body was still fresh in Kai’s mind. More than that, Kai had experienced firsthand the man’s fear and dread at the possibility of spending the next few centuries encased in unending darkness. It was why, in the end, Kai had decided to kill him. It would have been crueler not to.

“Welp, last night has left me convinced. It’s not hard to tell that these Stigmas are more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Actually,” Aux began. “It was not my intention to scare you from using your Stigma. Not all of them are harmful. Indeed, some of them can even help more than they hurt. However, the Stigmas that do harm should be treated with caution. It is the mark of a mage to know their limits.”

“Is that what I am now? A mage?” Kai asked.

“No, you are an anomaly. There is a reason why Leandros was so bent on killing you. Most mages would not appreciate being compared to you.”

“I see. Well, from what I’ve seen of them, I don’t think I want to be a mage anyway,” Kai said as he closed his status screen.

“Are you not going to allocate your ‘Ravenous points’?”

“Maybe later. For now I want to go back and check on the body.”

Kai got out of the tree hollow he had been sleeping in. The morning air felt fresh and crisp after a night of frantic running. The trees rustled, birds sang their tunes, the stream meandered as it reflected the first shining rays of dawn. Humans battled and died, but life went on.

But there were a few things Kai needed to do before he could go and see Leandros. For one, his stomach growled. At the end of the day he still needed to eat. The rest of the morning Kai spent carving a fishing rod and arranging sticks into the rough outline of a kiln. He then used the fishing rod to catch fish from the stream. He didn’t even need to bait it. All he had to do was send out mental images of insects squirming on the hook and the fish bit into his line on their own. Before long he had caught ten fish, each about a foot long.

One of the fish Kai gutted, cooked and ate immediately. At first, it tasted bland without any seasoning. Yet, as Kai bit into it more and more, he could have sworn he tasted a wisp of sea salt on his tongue. There was something else there, too. Images of waves and the wide open expanse of a dark blue ocean flashed across his mind, but were gone as quickly as they appeared.

After finishing his meal Kai dug out a patch of clay by the stream and collected it onto his travois. He then brought the clay back to his outline of a kiln and began slathering the clay over it. When he was done he had a dome of clay with some room in center. There were two holes, one at the side and one at the top. At the base of the dome Kai started a fire and made sure that the smoke trailed out of the top. He then gutted the rest of the fish and put five of them inside near the top of the kiln. The other four he cut into rough, thin slices and placed them on a rack over the kiln.

With the meat preservation well on its way, Kai then washed his bandages in the stream. Tendrils of blood flowed out into the water. Though the bleeding had stopped a growing heat and tenderness was beginning to emanate from the wound alongside the more obvious sharp sting of exposed flesh. Kai thought of anti infection methods while he waited for his bandages to dry. The buzzing of bees came to mind and Kai made a mental note to keep a lookout for any hives.

After gingerly reapplying his bandages, Kai set off towards Leandros’ body. It wasn’t hard to find it. After all, yesterday’s battle had left most of the surrounding forest floor in ruins. There were felled trees with gaping holes blasted through them, foliage cut to shreds, unfortunate critters torn in half, snapped snares and tripwires dangling from tree branches. It was as though a bulldozer had plowed through the area, not a man brandishing a single black spear. Kai realized that he had once again lucked out. Had Leandros had all his spears he probably would not have been able to kill him.

When Kai got to the clearing he saw a pack of crows pecking at the remains of Leandros’ head. Kai chased them away, but for what reason he didn’t know. This was what happened to dead people, after all. In the end, their bodies would rot away or be eaten by scavengers.

Yet, Kai found himself searching for the axe he had thrown away the other night. He found it stuck to the side of a tree where he saw yet another carving like the one he had seen the first night he was sent to this world. A skull with a cross through it, dripping tears of red. The carving looked fresh. Kai took the axe and went back to the clearing.

The crows were back at it again. Strands of meat were pulled towards their blood smeared beaks in a flapping of feathers and gristle. Kai chased them off and began cutting away at the head. When he was done he dug a small hole by the iron remains and buried the head in it.

Kai clapped his hands together.

“You were an asshole, Vlad. But even you don’t deserve to be left to the crows. Rest in peace knowing you were defeated by wooden stakes just like your ancestor.”

Kai could have sworn he heard a faint whisper of indignation. Kai smiled and was prepared to walk away but the whispers remained chittering in his mind. Kai looked at the metal statue, the flowing edges and curves which only a master sculptor could rival. It didn’t seem to be moving, yet something was flickering over it. Minutes passed as Kai sat down and observed the statue. Instead of fading away the whispers only intensified. Kai squinted his eyes and tilted his head at the statue.

Then, all of sudden, it came into view.

He was a child. Only six years old and proclaimed the heir of House Leandros. He was to be given the name Leandros as all heirs were called when they were chosen. But for one Leandros to be born, another had to die. That was the rule.

He walked beside his father who was also Leandros. His father had thirty spears floating behind him, a high number even by the standards of House Leandros. The child who was not yet Leandros had ten smaller spears floating around him. That was why he had been named heir so early; there was no one left to contest the title.

Father and son walked until they reached the end of a hall in a secluded branch of their manor. Those who chose to go willingly were brought here and cared for until their time. Those who didn’t were brought below. Luckily, the not yet Leandros’ grandfather had been a man of integrity unlike his predecessor whose skull still adorned the entrance below.

The father opened a door and inside was an old man. He laid on a bed looking out a window to the trees shedding their leaves. He had his hands in his lap, but there were no fingers there, only stubs sliced off at the knuckle.

“So young and already heir,” said the old man. “I had hoped to live for a few years more but they come of age so fast now.”

“Yes,” replied the father. “He will make a good leader of the House in time.”

The old man simply nodded. There was nothing more to be said.

The father took out a small wooden box from a drawer by the bed. He then handed it to his son.

The not yet Leandros opened it and inside were ten fingers.

“You may begin,” the father said.

The heir put his hand over the fingers and channeled his Stigma. They turned to black iron easily enough but he wasn’t done yet. He strained his mind against the physical contours of the metal, bending it and shaping it into the lethal form they needed to take. After a few minutes the heir presented his father with ten thin metal spikes.

The father took a spike in hand and showed it to the old man. The old man smiled before turning to the young heir.

“I am glad that my body will be inherited by one as competent as you,” the old man said. “You have my blessing to become the next heir to House Leandros. Do our House proud and give no quarter to our enemies.”

The not yet Leandros bowed his head and stood by his grandfather’s bedside.

The father and the old man nodded at one another before the father motioned with his hand.

“Begin.”

A spike flew into the head of the old man. The not yet Leandros then quickly began to turn the body to black iron while molding it into the form it needed to take. When he was done a black spear laid where there was once an old man. The father took the spear in his hands and presented it to his son.

“With this, you are now named Leandros. Bear your title with pride as heir to the House that stands above all others.”

Leandros took the spear while looking directly into his father’s eyes. Both knew that it was only the first of many black spears to come.

Kai exited the memory doubled over and gasping for breath.

“Holy shit!” Kai exclaimed. “Mages are absolute fucking nutjobs! I mean- you guys and your stupid magic bullshit. You know, I thought I was weird cause I put mayo on my fries but holy hell you guys are just plain insane.”

The statue did not reply.

“Ehm,” Aux said with an exaggerated cough. “I’m sorry to interrupt you but you might want to take a look at your status screen.”

“Hold on,” Kai said between deep breaths. “I need a minute.”

When Kai was done processing what he had just seen he opened up his status screen.

Name: Kai Walker

Health: 40/52

Mana: 110/110

Class: Empath

Abilities: Empathic Link, Prayers for the Fallen

Skills: Survivalist (lvl.2), Trap Maker (lvl.2), Poisoner (lvl.1), Black Spear Wielder (lvl.1)

Magic: None

Collected Memories: House Leandros

Status:

Strength: 2

Agility: 2

Dexterity: 2

Endurance: 7

Intelligence: 3

Wisdom: 3

Charisma: 3

Ravenous points: 15

Debuffs:

Ravenous (lvl.2)

“Oh, great. Just when I thought I wouldn’t have any more magic bullshit foisted onto me,” Kai said.

“Having more abilities is generally seen as a good thing.”

“Not when it comes from demented psychos who turn their elderly into metal sticks to swing around.”

“For the sake of argument, back on Earth, you would be referred to as a cold-blooded killer. It is not a normal thing to be able to concoct methods of murder so casually as you do.”

This made Kai pause but instead of replying he tapped the new entries in his status screen.

Prayers for the Fallen: Gives a chance to provide memories from the dead. Some memories provide bonuses while others are purely informational. Success rate is determined by the charisma stat, familiarity with the target, the amount of time since death and the strength of connection between the caster and target.

Memory of House Leandros: Allows the usage of the Black Spear of House Leandros.

Black Spear Wielder: Mastery over the Black Spear of House Leandros. The Black Spear is a powerful implement created through a combination of metalmancy, necromancy and a potent curse brought on the House by the original founder when he killed his father to create the first Black Spear. Nigh indestructible, a new Black Spear can only be created through the sacrifice of a close blood relative.

“Well, Prayers for the Fallen doesn’t sound too bad,” Kai said. “The other two on the other hand…”

“It will help us on our journey,” Aux said.

“I know. But still, it’s just crazy knowing that spear is someone’s grandpa.”

Kai closed his status screen and stood up. He took one last look at Leandros’ metal corpse and walked away towards the place he had hid the black spear and the smaller black spike.

Two days had passed since then. While Kai had tested out the spear he was still reluctant to use it. However, sitting on the bank of the stream soaking wet with a few dozen bee stings made him realize that he couldn’t afford to be picky. Whether it was a glorified corpse or not, it was still a useful tool that would help him survive.

To use it Kai had to know its limits. Kai took the spear and threw it into the air where it… landed onto the ground. Kai then sent a mental command for it to float and it did so. Kai then walked a short distance away and waited. After five minutes the spear collapsed back to the ground.

“So it has to be given a command and some focus is necessary as well,” Kai noted.

Next was distance. Kai sent the spear floating forwards away from him until it wouldn’t go any farther. It went only about fifteen meters away before stopping.

“Significantly shorter than what Leandros could do. Guess it’ll just come with practice.”

There was also that trick Leandros had used to track where the spike was without seeing it. Kai took out the black spike from where he hid it under his clothes and buried it. He closed his eyes and tried to reach out to it but couldn’t feel anything like he could when he used his empathic link. In the end, he gave it an order to float and it shot out of the ground. He would just have to content himself with using commands to find the spear if he ever lost it.

Kai looked to the stream and spotted a fish. He sent the spear flying towards it and it returned with the fish on its end. No, that wasn’t it. Thinking about the spear in terms of its offensive capabilities alone was a waste of its potential. Kai told the spear to float in the air horizontally. He then grabbed onto it with both hands and commanded it to move up. It did, but it only rose around a meter every ten seconds. At that speed it would take him roughly five minutes to float to the top of one of the smallest trees in the forest.

“Well, it’s slow, but it does help me solve my problem of not having to sleep on the forest floor if I don’t have to.”

Kai thought about it some more. On a whim, Kai decided to use the spear to dig a pit. Dirt splattered in every direction as the spear carved out the ground in a maelstrom of mud. Before long Kai was looking at a pit that was made in a fraction of the time it took him to dig by hand. Kai then went to the other day’s fallen trees and tried cutting them into straight lengths of wood. The spear glided through the wood with Kai supporting one end of a tree and before long Kai was able to construct a sturdy travois that wasn’t just made of sticks and wishful thinking.

Kai took the spear in his hands and nodded. “This is your true purpose, spear. To others you are a weapon of legendary proportions. But to me you are a glorified multi-tool. Not bad at all if you ignore its origins.”

“Very good,” Aux said. ”Every adventurer needs a signature weapon or tool. Now, I’d hate to interrupt your fun, but what about our goals beyond catching fish and digging holes?”

Kai let the spear go limp in his hands.

“We have to find the black box. A thing like that can’t go unnoticed. Someone has to have seen where it entered this world.”

“And who might this person be? Will they be sympathetic to you? Or is it more likely they will want to acquire the black box for themselves?”

“That’s what I’m betting on, actually. Someone finding the black box and making a big fuss with it.”

“So that’s your plan? To aimlessly wander until you find some clue?”

“Not like I have much choice. Besides, maybe we’ll get lucky and it's just lost in this forest somewhere. That carving we saw today was fresh so there’s definitely people around here.”

“Yes, people who are also already aware of our presence.”

Kai looked at the devastation of the forest around him. That combined with his bonfire trailing smoke into the sky probably meant that the whole entire forest knew of his presence by this point.

“Well, we did wreck the place. It’s only right that I introduce myself to the locals. I can only hope they’re more accommodating than Vlad was.”