A Cracked Star

[Stella]

 

“What do you mean we can’t take control over our own body!?” I questioned Arya.

 

Since waking up I’ve been trying to take control over our body since Dawn has been unresponsive after we fell into the crevice below the farm. Arya and I are in our soul space, which is currently raining extremely badly. 

 

Thunder can be heard every once in a while with a streak of lightning across the sky as I’ve been trying to get answers out of Arya as we talked in the living room. 

 

“Like I said, every time I try to gain control a notification pops up saying that anti-scrying runes are in effect.” Arya said while slightly panicking. 

 

I feel my heart racing as I try to figure out what that implies. Someone is doing activities that they don’t want any intruders, hence the anti-scrying runes. But how does that affect us? We’re not scrying, we don’t even have any spells. 

 

“You don’t have any spells that could do that?” I asked.

 

“No, the only actual spells I have besides using pure mana to make spells on the fly, are Inspect, sense soul, detect magic, and mana overload.” She said

 

“Mana overload?” I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that spell before.

 

“I’m still trying to figure out everything about it. Quick explanation is that I hold back mana to overload a spell with, like a slingshot. I start using mana for a spell like our spears or when interacting with terrain and the moment I activate it, the mana that I was holding off to the side is immediately added with it. I’ve so far noticed that it gives more power, speed, and area of effect.” Arya said.

 

She moves towards the couch before laying across, propping her head up slightly to look at me. Her face shows how worried she is with a slight frown as she thinks about whatever it is she’s thinking about.

 

I can never quite figure out what she is thinking about, if Dawn is precise where I’m more open and broad, Arya is just a typhoon happening at sea. One moment she might be thinking about dinner, the next she’s theorizing about magic for hours on end.

 

I take one of the other seats before expressing my thoughts. “I guess all we can do now is hope that Dawn wakes up soon.”

 

Dawn set up what she called a TV on the wall above the fire pit, she worked with Arya to figure out how to show our sight onto the screen, if we want to watch what is going on outside this place without actually being there. 

 

It’s unnerving to look there and only see a blank screen, signifying that Dawn isn’t awake yet. 

 

“I doubt that minotaur will leave us alone, unless the fall did some damage to it.” Arya quietly says.

 

“You said it was a skeleton, right? I didn’t see it as I rushed to check on Dawn.” I asked.

 

“Yeah, but that’s not everything, my inspect skill leveled as I used it on the thing, I saw more numbers now. New information, seven new numbers, its health and attributes.” She told me.

 

“Attributes?” I replied scratching my head, the word seemed familiar but I couldn’t exactly remember why.

 

“Unless I’m wrong it should have been for the following: strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma.” Arya listed out.

 

“Oh, those.” I said.

 

“Yeah, those.” Arya replied. “You don’t have to explain them, I saw the memories of your father teaching you and your brother about them.” 

 

“Did it cover everything?” I asked.

 

“Everything?” She replied.

 

“Yeah on how to raise them and things like what they empower.” I said.

 

She went silent for a bit while turning her head to the side to avoid my gaze, “. . . No.”

 

Her reaction got a small giggle out of me. “Okay then, my father mentioned that there are only a few ways to raise them, level milestones, magical items, blessings from gods.”

 

“So we have stats as well?” Arya asked.

 

“Yes, but really, it takes so much to even raise it by one, and normally you can only ever check it at the church of the god who made the system. Unless you have the inspect skill obviously. If I remember correctly, the average stats for adults are between eight and eleven.” I point out.

 

Was there any other way? I don’t believe so but who knows if people might have withheld information, wouldn’t be surprised really with how nobles are.

 

“You alright? Look a little angry.” Arya asked.

 

“Eh it’s fine, did you ever mention the stats on the minotaur? What were they?” I asked.

 

I wait a bit for Arya to reply as her face starts to lose color. 

 

“What is it?” I said.

 

“Y-you said, that eight to eleven is average?” She asked.

 

“Yeah?” I replied.

 

She doesn’t say anything else, only motioning something towards me with her hand before I see a blue screen appear in front of me.

 

“Oh shit.” I said.

 

[ Minotaur Skeleton ]

Additional Effects: Strengthened, Controlled

CR: 2

HP: 87

Str: 20 Dex: 11 Con:15 Int: 6 Wis: 8 Cha: 5

 

“Oh shit indeed.” Arya said, deflating into the couch.

 

Can we even kill this thing? No like seriously, I’ve never heard of anyone ever reaching that high of a strength and the additional effects concern me. Specifically controlled, someone managed to figure out how to strengthen monsters to that high of strength. 

 

Hold on, how the fuck does it have a con that high if it’s dead? But it’s already dead, then undead.

 

“Wait a minute, undead?” I mumbled to myself.

 

“Hmm?” Arya replied.

 

“You remember that party of elves that came into the forest where we were staying with Taleah right?” I asked.

 

“And your point?” She said,

 

“Their mother, she’s sick, they said that she was losing skin color and her veins were starting to turn black across her body. I had originally thought it might have been necrotic poisoning but I doubted it was that, seeing how they live on the continent with the world tree.” I said, feeling my heart start to beat faster as the realization of seeing the minotaur means.

 

Arya starts to sit up, likely understanding where I’m leading with all this. “So it is necrotic poisoning?”

 

“Yes, and not just that, the person doing this knows the means to strengthen undead. We have to notify the guild of this immediately.” I said.

 

“But how are we supposed to do that if we can’t even move from our current position?” Arya asked right as the screen above the fireplace came to life grabbing both of our attentions.

 

Through Dawn’s eyes we can see that she seems to be in a dimly lit room with glowing runes covering everything, from the walls to the floors, even the broken ceiling we fell through. Dawn doesn’t seem to care about any of that as she attempts to crawl away from something, seemingly nothing from what I can see. 

 

Rosa is there as well, likely guarding us while Dawn was knocked out. Rushing over to her upon sensing her moving. Trying to get her to stop or something, possibly speaking out to her.

 

She fails to do so before swatting at her left arm, flailing around as she tries to put out the flames that are flickering across her arm, our body likely trying to restore the damages from the minotaur’s attack. 

 

“What is she doing?” I asked, confused at what I’m seeing.

 

Arya seems to understand what’s going on as she mumbles something to herself before speaking out, “She’s having a panic attack, we need to get her to calm down now.”

 

~~~~~

 

[Dawn] - ??:??:????

 

I feel myself being dragged, something pulling on my neck as I slide across a dirty floor. Opening my eyes, I find myself in a familiar room, dark, worn down, and damp. Hearing the clinking of chainlets as I continue to get pulled. My heart sinks into my gut as I recognize this place, this situation. I want to scream, to escape away from here. 

 

Looking at the source of the sound, I see a man, bottle of his favorite drink in hand, holding the chain with his other hand as he mutters to himself angrily. Eventually we make it to the kitchen with a pot on the stove as he ties the chain around a post so I can’t try to run. I feel myself crying knowing what is to come as he grabs the pot, bringing it over to me before setting it on the ground. 

 

I scream out as best as I can, only muffled noises come from the gag that is placed around my mouth. Fear takes hold as I claw at the floor hoping to get away, to escape this dreadful place. Feeling my nails break and give free as I am grabbed by my leg, the man pulls me to the pot as I remember what was in it. 

 

Grabbing my right arm as he forces my hand into the boiling pot of water. I feel my skin being scorched, peeling and tearing as he continues to hold me in place. I can’t think of anything, my mind blank as the pain sears into the deepest parts of my mind. 

 

“--- ---- ----- --- ----- --, ----- --- ------.” The man says, I can’t hear anything or even begin to get my mind to listen to whatever he says. 

 

Eventually after what felt like an eternity, the man brings hand out. I breathe quickly and heavy through my nose as I struggle for air. Trying to refocus myself only to fail. At some point I realize I’m back in the dark dirty room from before. 

 

I feel pain every time I move my right arm, unable to see the extent of the damage done to my hand. I try to position myself so that I can hopefully fall asleep but that seems to fail no matter what I try.

 

At some point I feel both of my arms heating up, opening my eyes I see that both of my arms are on fire. I start to panic as I feel myself being pressed, like something trying to squish me as it begins to pull.

 

~~~~~

 

[Dawn] 

 

Quickly opening my eyes, I find myself in a dimly lit room with glowing runes everywhere I look. I spotted a creature by the entrance with its back that looked like the night sky faced to me as I tried to remember where and how I got here. 

 

I try to get up, putting pressure on my left arm as it gives in and I faceplant into the ground. Realizing I can’t put much strength into my arm I switch to crawling, hoping to put distance between me and the creature. 

 

As I do so, I feel warmth on my arm and I look down to see flames. My breath quickens as I furiously try to put the flames out, not paying any mind to the pain I get as I smack my elbow. 

 

As my emotions start to go out of control I don’t notice my magic going crazy around me, ice covering the walls, tables and objects near me start to get crushed under the pressure exuded around me. 

 

I panic, feeling my mouth dry up and breathing getting even faster as my heart beats on. The flames never seem to stop, only growing in brightness and strength. Knowing it won’t stop, I just give up as I wait for the flames to consume me. 

 

As the creature comes closer, someone appears in front of me as they take my face into their hands as they speak out to me, “Dawn, listen to me, I need you to calm down, the flames won’t hurt you, you’re safe for now.”

 

Their words seem to pour over me like a tub of iced water as I look at the woman, recognizing them once more.

 

“. . Arya.” I weakly called out.

 

“Yes it’s me, Stella and Rosa are here as well, we’re all worried about you.” She said.

 

“Right. . . right, it was just a dream.” I said regaining control over my breathing and emotions as I drag Arya into a hug. “Where are we?”

 

“I don’t know, we fell down into this place underneath the farm where our quest was located.” Arya said as she moved her hand through my hair, aiming to calm me down.

 

“It looks like a sort of laboratory, at least from what I can tell after Dawn’s magical rampage.” Stella said off to the side, looking at tables, not crushed, filled with tools and clear containers filled with colorful liquids.

 

“Don’t touch anything.” Arya states.

 

“I know, I know, besides, most of these things are giving off the aura of being poisonous even if I didn’t use my skill.” Stella says, frowning.

 

“So, what's the deal with the fire on my arm?” I asked, wondering why it wasn’t burning me.

 

“We’re healing, slowly, but we're still healing.” Arya says.

 

I was about to ask how that works before Stella cut me off. “It’s our bloodline, I found out about it on one of the first few nights I was awake back in the forest. I probably should have mentioned it before, but I forgot.”

 

“Okay? Safe?” Rosa says through our link as she rubs her head against me.

 

“Yeah, I’m better now.” I said, getting a few happy tail wags from her.

 

“Take a few minutes anyways, since currently you’re the only one able to control our body.” Stella says.

 

“What?” I replied.

 

“For some reason, this place has anti-scrying magic in place, we can’t go a certain distance away from you and we can’t take over control. I don’t understand the inner workings of it but that’s what we’ve come to understand.” Arya informed me.

 

“Are we still able to contact the guild through an emergency request?” Stella asked.

 

“I don’t know, let me try.” I said pulling out the temporary ID. Trying to put mana into it, hoping that it can send a signal to whoever looks after it.

 

For a few minutes, nothing happens before the ID’s color changes to red and displays a message. ‘Unable to contact support.’

 

“Shit.” I feel my legs give out from me as I lean further into Arya, “How long?”

 

“For what?” Stella asked.

 

“For our arm to heal? I know it’s broken, so how long do you think we have to wait for it to heal?” I asked.

 

“Uhhh, eh heh.” Stella lets out a dry giggle, “It took a few hours for some slash wounds to heal, so I can imagine you won’t be able to move it much for a while.”

 

“Lets just hope my brain decides to turn into an adrenaline factory real soon.” I quietly said. 

 

I rested for a little bit while Arya chased Stella around after she kept trying to interact with the many weird things spread across the room. Little help that would do though as they can’t even touch anything in their current state.

 

The base we’re at is extremely large, going from room to room, finding multiple cell rooms, offices, more labs and probably storage rooms. It was hard to tell what some rooms were as they were completely destroyed, stains covering most of the walls and runes.

 

 We even found the mess hall, which was left in a giant mess, if it wasn’t for the fact that we could feel mana flowing through the runes on the wall, I’d assume the place was abandoned with the state the majority of the rooms are in.

 

“What happened here?” Arya asked.

 

“My guess? A riot or something like that.” I say.

 

“A riot?” She replied.

 

“Think about it, most of the rooms we’ve found are destroyed and dark stains in multiple areas. Take into account the fact there are cells and labs, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were testing on other people.” I point out.

 

One thing that remained constant while we made our way from room to room, is that a symbol could always be seen. The symbol depicted a waning moon with a stake running through it, on the side of the moon there were spikes that extended and formed like bull horns. 

 

My sisters and I couldn’t understand the symbolism behind it even after we tried looking for any sort of information in the rooms. Continuing on through the facilities Stella points out something that has been bugging me this entire time.

 

“Where did that minotaur go?” Stella asked.

 

“Yeah, it’s been quiet this entire time we’ve been searching.” Arya replied.

 

“I don’t know but I hope we don’t run into it while getting out of here.” I said. 

 

I could use a really nice shower and bed after all of this, the quest shouldn’t have been this hard. In reality, it wasn't that, we cleared the quest, the issue is what came after. While my elbow still hurts, I can at least feel it when I move it slightly now. 

 

Eventually we found ourselves at the end of the hallway, the one that connected to almost all of the other rooms. Making our way through the door, we see a massive circular room, the runes that we’ve seen throughout the base are snaking towards the center of where they meet with a giant black crystal that glows the same color as the runs in the center of it. 

 

It’s probably what is powering all of the runes here. The room itself looks to have been used as an announcement room with the podium and a bunch of benches littered across the room. 

 

“Fuck.” I hear Stella say.

 

Looking at her current interest, I can only agree with her. Further back in the room, near what looks to be a staircase that is hopefully leading up to the surface, the skeleton minotaur can be seen kneeling, guarding it. 

 

“Guess we aren’t getting out of this place without a fight huh.” I said.

 

The minotaur seems to have noticed us as it gets up and grips it’s greataxe with one arm. 

 

“It lost an arm somehow.” Arya said, pointing at its right arm, which is now missing.

 

“I guess we both have a handicap huh.” I said as I started to make my way towards the now standing minotaur. “I’m bout to send this fucker to a nursing home”

 

~~~~~

 

[Taleah]

 

It's been a few hours now since Arya has left for their quest, I’d determine that by now they’ve already arrived at the farm. Reading the information the quest gives they should only have to fight a few mud mephits, nothing too difficult as long as there are no summoners.

 

I’m not worried about their test really, most likely they’ll be on the way back within the next hour I’d wager. What I am worried about however is the state of this city. Something’s happening and I’m unable to figure out why. 

 

The talk with the royals went on forever and even then we never got to the actual information I wanted to talk about. All they did was try to talk to me about things they've done recently as they relaxed in their palace while neglecting their actual duties as royalty.

 

And worst of all, that damn queen kept trying to push her son onto me. I’ve told her for years now that I was never interested in that sort of talk. Even if I was, it’s not with men either. I should have just left sooner than I did, and they wonder why I never want to stay here. 

 

Besides, it’s not the worst that I’ve come to find out, I can’t even get in contact with any bishops or higher ups in the church.

 

“Is that all priestess?” The women across from me asked as I told her everything I wanted to eat.

 

“That’s correct.” I said handing her my adventurer’s ID, which also acts as a way to complete payments.

 

Those outworlders bring about amazing innovations, too bad the gods won’t let them progress technology any faster.

 

Upon receiving my meal, I head towards a room behind the guild’s receptionist counter, once inside I place my food down before sitting at the table. A few minutes pass as I continue to eat until the door opens, letting in Palra.

 

“Hello old friend.” I called out, smiling softly as I eyed her outfit as she came in.

 

She looked good, better than the last time I saw her, though that might just be because I was leaving. 

 

“Good evening, I’m glad to see you again.” She replied, taking a seat across the table. “Though I think I know why you’re here.”

 

“Yeah, how did people manage to get symptoms of having necrotic poisoning, it is necrotic poisoning right?” I said before stuffing my face again.

 

Palra’s face starts to lose color from my words. “What? No, I thought you were here to ask about the little wolf who joined us recently.” 

 

“You don’t know?” I said.

 

She should be one of the first people in this city to receive news about something as dire as this. 

 

“No.” She starts to tap her fingers on the tabletop. “It makes sense then if that’s what this is about. Recently I’ve been getting mixed feelings from the forest spirits living here. Many being that of fear and worry, with the occasional exception that everything is okay.”

 

“That’s not good.” I replied. “I only found out after a group of elves invaded my section of the forest looking for herbs. Which from my understanding should be one commonly found here.” 

 

Palra was about to reply before her guild ID started to light up. “Oh it seems the little wolf’s father sent a reply already.”

 

Her father already sent a message back, that was fast. How much did he pay for it to be here?

 

“I went to the temple of my goddess to get information, even see the patients but I was turned around. Me, the high priestess of our goddess, was turned away.” I can feel my face scowling. “Something is wrong here, the royals are a waste of time and the only people I thought I could trust seem to be compromised.”

 

“I’ll send out some guild officials to investigate what’s happening, this can’t be just a coincidence.” Palra said.

 

“In the meantime I’ll go around to clinics, try to see any infected people, hopefully I can do something about it.” I said.

 

“Okay, meet me back here in a few hours. We need to be as quick as we can.” Palra said.

 

“Agreed.” I said, heading towards the door.

 

“Taleah.” Palra called out. 

 

“Yeah?” I replied.

 

“Stay safe.” She softly said.

 

~~~~~

 

Making my way through the city, I go from clinic to clinic hoping to see any patient who might have been infected with whatever sickness is spreading. The few clinics I got to, most patients showed no sign of necrotic poisoning, only common sickness or injuries they’re already suffering from. This gave me hope that maybe I’m just overreacting here and that it’s just a new type of illness being spread around.

 

The clinics close to the edge of the city however proved me wrong. I didn’t even have to check on the patients inside to know that I was truly dealing with undead. The stench being given off from ambient mana was enough to let me know. I’ve been around this before, as my goddess decrees is to fight the undead and rid our world of them. 

 

Going inside I was able to notice immediately that the doctor running the clinic was also infected as I found him passed out over the counter. His veins were completely black as the necrotic poison passed through his body.

 

Quickly, I bring out my goddess sigil as I start to channel her divinity through it. “Aura of Purity!” I yelled out as both the building and everything inside gained a golden glow to them. I could feel my goddess power start to eradicate any source of necrotic mana.

 

Once done I’m left gasping as I feel my body burn from the power behind the spell. “This . . can’t have been . . the only clinic.”

 

I spend the next hour or so going around clinics on the outer edges of town, continuing to cast my spell on each affected clinic. Once they were all done I went back to the guild to meet up with Palra. Finding the room we used earlier I go in to see Palra pacing quickly back and forth in the room.

 

“Taleah!” She said, quickly running up to me as she wrapped her arms around me.

 

“It’s undead.” I quickly said, still tired from channeling so much divinity through myself.

 

“Are you sure?” She asked.

 

“Positive. I could recognize that filthy aura anywhere. It was tainting the very mana around the place.” I growled.

 

“Uh, am I interrupting something?” I hear another voice from the entrance to the room.

 

Palra quickly lets go of me as her face turns red from embarrassment. “Y-You’re not. Report?”

 

The guard quickly pulls out the report as he starts to read out the report. “We spotted deathlock wights and countless undead a few hours out from one of countless cave entrances. It’s believed they will arrive here around midnight once they start to advance at night.”

 

“Did we station any guards there?” I asked.

 

“Only scouts, to report their progress towards the city. We started calling back adventurers through their ID’s to prepare defenses.” The guard says.

 

“Once they get within sight from our walls I’ll cast sanctuary over the city, it should buy us time until dawn breaks. And one more thing, have some assassins watch the higher ups within my church. I think they’ve been compromised by the enemies and I fear what will happen.” I told him.

 

“I’ll further enhance your spell with my own.” Palra says.

 

“Understood.” The guard says before leaving.

 

“I won’t leave you alone this time.” Palra said, her eyes show no sign of giving up.

 

“Haah, alright. I just need to get a hold of our young wolf soon.” I said.