Trials and Tribulations

“Benevolent Order, bless me with your presence and empower me with the Spirit of the weak that I offer you now.” I speak the words softly into the dirt, feeling the breeze die down with the prayer. I reach inside myself and withdraw the foreign warmth of energy I gained from the Tear, rushing through the steps with the haste of terror.

“Hero of Man, what gifts do you bring on this day of Order?” The Reaver’s angelic voice caresses my heart with a passion and love you save only for family. I keep my eyes clamped shut and head into the dirt, focusing internally on drawing out the spirit.

“I feel your offer coming forth, a hero’s bounty you bring. Order is so proud of your strength.” The sweet melody tickles from all around.

The Spirit passes out of me, I don’t look for confirmation, I can’t bring myself to see the Reaver again.

“Excellent, quite the treasure, all shades in its shine.” Its vocal chords shift and change as it speaks, morphing into the monstrosity it truly is.

“Aha, the Aspirant. I heard mention of you, the tale’s spoke of more eyes. Words on the wind tend to shift with every passing.”

The sweet facade dissolves as it speaks, the horror and corrupt voice resonates through me. I withdrew the Spirit and offer it to the Reaver, opening my eyes for a second. I witness the flashing light reflecting off the leaf litter floor.

“The Spirit of decomposers, so vital in the Order of nature’s cycle. The replication spirit, Chaos loves nothing more than to overpopulate and overindulge. High you will rise with these boons.” It’s voice rattles me. I picture the innocent baby manatee captured in the coral constraints, the sadness in its eyes as it is forced to absorb the Spirit for my gain.

“The elixir, take it and grow young Aspirant.”

I blindly reach out, hard chitinous spider fingers grasp my wrist and guide me to the chalice. I feel the warm metallic cup in my hand and gulp down the shimmering liquid, without ever looking at its provider. The Godly contents stream down my throat effortlessly, its effects immediately course through my body, repairing and empowering each cell of my being. I tremble with energy, a volcano at the precipice of eruption that needs to exert.

The cool breeze touches my skin, Cane snorts with a wet phlegmy nose, the ordeal is over. I open my eyes to runes in my periphery.

Blood Shepherd ranked up

Abilities can be permanently given to cattle until their death

Empowerment:

Order’s Decomposer

Ability unlocked: Cattle Carrion

Chao’s Replication

Ability unlocked: Mirrored Image

Improved abilities

Tame Lesser Cattle 7/10

Cattle Senses 1/10

Searing Blade 4/10

Enraged Mist 0/10

Attributes increased:

Chao, Neuo ranked up:

Ordo 2/10 (Ash)

Neuo - 1/10 (Ash)

Chao - 0/10 (Ash)

These creatures keep referring to me as an Aspirant because I imbibe both Spirit’s of Order and Chaos. I assumed originally that I am this way for the same reason that Mother chose me to be her Shepherd, that I am just different. If you get brought from another world by a Goddess and land in the middle of a prophecy, then you will naturally form this idea of being special. That does sound arrogant however my whole life I have been conditioned by stories in books and film that the unusual can still achieve greatness. This Reaver mentioned tales of me amongst its kind, they’re discussing me because I’m special, but not enough to get the details right.

I shudder and push the memory of the petrifying voice out of my mind, I stand and look towards Cane, did he get bigger? His bulbous belly has always been wide and barrel shaped, the tribe have probably been feeding him continuously since we arrived. I reach out to scratch his ears, his entire head appears higher and wider. Does empowering myself for the elixir also affect companions in my flock? The runes also mentioned sharing powers until their death.

“So I can give you abilities my friend. Not sure you need more encouragement to eat though.” I reach out and touch his head.

Tamed cattle of Seth the Shepherd

Status: Healthy

Add abilities?

I consciously answer the question while thinking of the new Cattle Carrion ability. I wish there was a description with these instead of random guesswork. I haven’t thought much about my other powers, especially the Enraging Mist, which I only got during the previous empowerment. I was far too freaked out and traumatised at the time to even consider experimenting. Considering how dangerous my Searing Blade is and what it requires to activate I can’t be practising them in the Satyrs duelling ring. I will have to find a secluded glen, away from watching eyes, and train with them.

Cane rubs against my legs, leaning his immense weight into the gesture.

“You need to go on a diet buddy.” I continue to scratch his ears to his delight.

Taking a deep breath, I flex my once battered muscles and discover a new body. I felt the elixir’s energy still coursing through my veins, demanding to be used. I take off at a light jog towards the Ferrum tree, where Yadon spoke of tracks for the monster Mother needs me to vanquish. If the Thorns and the tribe fear this beast’s roars then it is obviously a real danger to us and therefore me. They know Silva’s ecology well enough to survive, but not to identify this particular species. Either it is a non-native animal, wandering through the forest for new territory and prey or a cosmic horror brought into this world, like me. I should be cautious with each move and form a solid plan before engaging. First step is to track it down, possibly identify its species or estimate the overall size along the way. Then observe and assess, discover weaknesses and strengths. Humans managed to kill mammoths by driving them off a cliff face using spears and fire. I am no hardened hunter with a lifetime of experience and talent, but I have a banquet of ideas crammed into my noggin. Neanderthals didn’t even know what a box is, let alone how to think outside of it. The giant dark red monument to nature rises into the clouds, I race around it feeling confident and ready for war. My energy peaking with the elixir, my self-esteem in the clouds with aspiring ideas and bloating confidence. Who cares if it is massive, I’ll chop a tree onto it with my Searing Blade. No need to even get close, I can wait until it's slumbering on the sandtrain then splatter its brain with a tonne of solid wood, I could…

A wailing screech halts me, the intense roar echoes through the forest disturbing birds that scatter in mass.

Nope!

I bank in a sharp turn, intending to flee with my newly recovered body in one piece, when a face behind me in the green misty air vanishes.

“What in Mother was that?”

It disperses into the ether in a leaf fall, I barely have a chance to see any details except for the intense green eyes.

The shriek bellows nearby, Cane snorts out and pads on towards the source of the noise behind me. I slowly draw my blade while looking over my shoulder to find a dense bush of serrated brambles engulfing ferns. The gnarled bramble branches flowed backwards in rows to drag behind like a wedding dress.

Frozen in place, I watch as it rushes straight towards us on thick scaley legs that emerge from under the bush. A dark hole centred in the front produces a broad beak that edges out. Cane, jaws opening wide to emit his own battlecry, charges the monster. It reacts in rapid succession, spinning in place to rake the trailing bramble skirt across his leathery flesh. Tearring grey-pink flesh away in a whirlwind of pain that splatters me in his blood. Beneath the bush, a plated tortoise shell houses the creature, two flat horns protrude from the front with the shadowed hole underneath. From that hole, the beast’s thick beak snaps forward to the crunch of bones and harrowing cry.