Chapter 45-The Truth

Author’s Note: I have recently discovered a mistake I have been making within my story; I have been using the word ‘tavern’ in place of ‘inn’. I will be changing it henceforth. I apologize to any readers who may have been confused.

Tavern: A tavern is a place for travelers to stop, eat, socialize, and grab a drink without offering accommodation to its guests.

Inn: An inn is a place for travelers and adventurers to rest for a night, or many. They act as a full-service, serving drinks, food, and being similar to a tavern, with the key difference being it has accommodation.

***

Tasim entered a shop that was known for its assortment of goods, whether it be basic necessities or high-end artifacts.

“I need a map, please.”

“Coming right up, sir!” A young man said gleefully. “How has your day been, sir?”

“It’s going.”

“Mine was good! Thank you for asking,” He said before going silent, just processing that Tasim did, in fact, not ask.”

The young man dug through some dusty shelves, eventually coming upon a rolled-up piece of paper.

Turning to Tasim, the man exclaimed, “Here you are, sir! Thank you for shopping with us.”

“How much is it?”

“Three gol- I mean copper, sir. I apologize, we haven’t sold anything cheap in many weeks.”

Tasim tossed three copper coins onto the counter and left with the map. Exiting the store, he unraveled it and looked for Havefard, and his destination, the town known as Stansey, was almost directly north; despite this, the journey there would take a few days, ranging from two to four, depending on what preparations Tasim could make.

A few hours passed, and luckily, Tasim was able to get horseback for three gold. Departing immediately as the sun rose the next morning, he made good progress on the way to Stansey, as he rode in the back of a cart, he meditated, finding it to be the most productive thing he could do. Despite the ride being extremely bumpy, allowing him to practically remember every rock on the way there, he made tremendous progress in developing his core.

The next core color, orange, was something not many people saw in their lifetimes unless they walked the path of the mage. And at the end of meditating, every day, he could tell there was something he needed to just push them over the edge into the next core color, but he didn’t know what.

***

Anemone unraveled the scroll from within her spatial ring and began to read.

Anemone - Vessel

Soma: Mortal

Vitality: Low

Will: Red

Resonance: None

Title: None

Echoes: Call of Fire.

Echo Description, Call of Fire: This echo, once used, can produce a downpour of blades created by fire. It was first used by an incredible being, capable of forging any creation by himself, capable of turning his body to fire and lightning. This echo can only be used once.

Echo Condition: Usable

Compendiums: Burdens.

Anemone became curious a few days after opening the book that she found on her bedside table. She didn’t know how it came to be, but she enjoyed having information that she was privy to before. Because of finding new information in the compendium, she wanted to see if there was new information in the Self-Defining Scroll, and there was. The word beside her name changed from Marked to Vessel, whatever that meant. There was also a new word describing her just beneath it, Soma.

‘I know the soma is the body, but what does it mean? Maybe Father will know.’

Despite her excitement for the new changes, Anemone felt depressed at the fact that Resonance, Title, and her Echoes didn’t change. She didn’t know how to acquire an Echo, nor did she know what Resonance or a Title meant, but she still felt saddened by the fact that they didn’t change.

‘Maybe I need to go into more dungeons? But that was terrifying, I would rather not.’

Anemone suddenly felt a pang on the left side of her stomach, causing her to wince and reactively arch her back, folding in on herself. She grabbed her stomach, applying pressure to the area to try and make it go away. Noticing it did not leave for a few seconds, she lifted the shirt part of her pajamas and saw her stomach. A small chain link had been printed on the left side of her stomach. It consisted of three chains, and each had abyssal colored branches that grew from it. Each was thick and monstrously dark in color, spreading along her stomach; none fully wrapped her body, but she watched them grow, and only once they ceased their growth did the pain disappear.

‘What- is that?’ She questioned herself, as for the first time, she saw her brand, the mark that links her to the world of unknown power.

Meanwhile…

Astrape sat in her room, wondering what to do. She opened her Self-Defining Scroll, staying oblivious to the changes that lie within. She skipped straight to the part containing her echoes. She wanted to discover if this was a true power within her, or if it was make-believe, and just a higher entity

Echoes: Hachi’s Strength

Hachi’s Strength Echo Description: This echo, once used, will give the user a second wind, revitalizing themself for a few minutes, no matter the damage or exhaustion type, physical or mental, it will cleanse it all for a few moments. Any wounds or causes of pain will stop the production of pain, allowing the user to be fully focused. This Echo was created as a memory of a man named Hachi. At the end of his life, he eventually became known as the god of war and archery.

Echo Condition: Usable

‘So I can just magically work through anything, any pain, any exhaustion?’ Despite Astrape’s naivety that comes from trusting others and trying to make others happy, she didn’t believe this; she didn’t believe there was just some magical power that could allow her to work through any pain, through any exhaustion, and continue on as if nothing had happened. And why would she? This was truly an otherworldly power that she had never heard of.

‘Wait.. Does that say usable?’ I need to go test it.

Astrape ran down the stairs of the inn, disappearing into the busy streets. She began to run and run and run. As fast as possible, she received many strange glances, and many whispered about her, but she didn’t care at that moment. She continued running, even through a forest, through people’s yards, gardens, jumping over small stone fences, and continued running for what felt like hours. Astrape was indeed surprised by herself; she didn’t know she was this athletic. She also decided not to attribute it to the rings that she wore on her fingers, instead choosing to believe it was herself.

After a while, she began to breathe heavily, feeling her lungs begin to burn and her legs give out. At this point, she had run so far that she turned and began to run back to the inn, and then she thought internally.

‘Hachi’s Strength?’

She didn’t exactly know how to use what was known as an echo, so she just thought it aloud, hoping it would work- and it did. She felt her muscles stop throbbing, her heart began to fire faster, she didn’t feel it thumping within her, though; she felt as though her body had become in perfect shape, she didn’t feel any pain, discomfort, or any ache within, it just disappeared.

Astrape now felt a hint of guilt; she could’ve saved this echo for a time in which it was necessary to use, just as the others had done without her knowing.

‘I knew I should have asked someone if I should do it first. Stop being so stupid, Astrape.’

Astrape began to feel tears forming at the corners of her eye as she reached the inn, and as she did, the echo ceased its effort, the pain flooded her body again, all the soreness within her, her lungs were on fire, her legs wanted to crumble, and her heart was beating louder than ever. Surprisingly, she made it inside and got to her room, beginning to rest.

Now believing in this ‘power’, she opened the Self-Defining Scroll once more.

Astrape - Vessel

Soma: Mortal

Vitality: Low

Will: Red

Resonance: None

Title: None

Echoes: none

Compendiums: Burdens

‘I went to a different rank! Yayy! Now I can brag to Anemone, or maybe she went to the same rank. Oh yeah… I lost my echo. I’m so dumb…’

Astrape’s mood quickly flipped on itself two times, ending the same as it was before, disappointment. She felt true disappointment for herself; she should’ve trusted this power, I mean, people would be crazy to use such immense power recklessly, even if it was to find out whether it was true or not.

Astrape lay in her bed, her heart still pounding, when an immense pain, nothing compared to the agony of being whipped by her slaver, coursed through her left leg. Her thigh was going through a pain that felt like thousands of needles piercing her all at once, then leaving her leg, just to enter it again; it felt like a fire was lit directly under her nerves. The pain was so immense she wanted to just curl up into a ball and beg for forgiveness to whoever was inducing this upon her, yet she had no one to say sorry to. She didn’t know who was forcing this pain upon her.

“Please.. I’m sorry.” She whimpered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I’m sorry. Just please… make it stop.” And just as quickly as the pain appeared, it vanished, ceasing it’s existance.

She looked at her leg, and when she did, she saw chains linked together, with hundreds of ebody tendrils branching off, each one was thick and seemed alive, yet they weren’t a physical thing that was apart from her skin, they seemed to be drawn on like a painter decorating her body.

The marking quickly freaked her out, causing her to run to Anemone’s room, her eyes still shedding tears of pain.

“A-anemone. Please, help.”

Anemone heard the faint sounds of whimpers outside her door and opened it to see Astrape in a pitiful state, worse than when she was a captive slave by the old pig.

“What’s wrong?” Anemone asked with worry while picking up Astrape and helping her to her bed.

“M-my leg.” She said, pointing to the brand on her left thigh.

Anemone shuddered as she saw it.

“You have it too.”

“What does that mean?” Astrape inquired, her whimpering voice calming down.

Anemone partly raised her pajamas and showed the left side of her stomach where an identical marking lived.

“I don’t know what it is, or what it means, but I have it too.”

“D-did you get a book… and in the scroll, did it tell you details about yourself?”

“Yes, I did. I wonder if Father did.”

Their conversation continued, resulting in all three gathering together and discussing, revealing their Self-Defining Scrolls and all the information that lay within.

Father could see Astrape’s self-disappointment and began to comfort her.

“It’s okay that you used your echo. I understand that you didn’t believe it was real, neither did I, until you both brought this information to me.”

“Father, where is your marking?” Anemone asked, while Astrape sat on the chair in Father’s room, looking toward the floor.

“It’s in the center of my chest.”

“What is your echo again, Father?”

“I have this memory, I don’t know if it is mine, but it is a cursed nightmare. I went to what I believe to be hell, then I was flicked across a landscape, crashing into a mountain. And I can transfer this memory to someone, allowing myself to be free of this nightmare.”

“I wonder who cast it upon you,” Anemone asked aloud.