“You need to stay alive, Neska. Otherwise, this is for nothing,” Risha countered and dashed to the window. Torchlight was visible between the trees near the road, faint but getting brighter. “Okay, quick lesson. See my planter with the vines? Try mentally focusing on that, while activating your [Rooting Hex].”
Done. Okay. Do I need to say the words in my head? She focused her gaze on the planter and felt a charge of energy run through her body. She pictured the plants growing, thrashing, ensnaring her foes in their thorny grip. It wasn't a theory on what could happen.
It was what would happen.
[Rooting Hex] Active.
The vines in the planter started to twitch, then grew several inches, then a few feet. It began to wave slowly and randomly. The vines wrapped around anything they came into contact with and entangled it in loops of surprising density. Neska swore she could almost feel the texture of the vines on her scales–what an odd sensation of external stimulus.
Okay, great, test over! She tapped out a few more letters to get Risha’s attention.
{Got your back.}
Risha smiled grimly. “If we hold out and survive this, we need to make our way to the barn, get the horse, and leave quickly. Maybe we’ll be lucky and Marikand only wants to come in for tea.”
Sure. A tea filled with my venom. That’ll give it a kick of flavor. Neska peered over the windowsill, noting the new arrivals, while keeping an eye on the Soul Shell…thingy counting upwards.
Outside, horses and men in armor arrived, wearing the same blood red fatigues from earlier in the day. “Figures,” Risha muttered. “The wards should keep them out for a while. I was so hoping to be clear of here before they arrived. How many Seekers did he bring? Is that half the garrison?”
Half the garrison of elite monster killers, for one witch? Either that’s overkill, or an attempt to intimidate. Or, door number three, my witch is that dangerous. Neska let out an agitated hiss, showing her mood the only way she could.
Risha let out a soft cackle. “He should have brought them all and brought them the first time. Arrogance has a price, Neska. Never underestimate a foe until they are defeated and at your mercy. That’s his mistake.”
Soul shell fabrication at 30%.
Neska's vision flared, and flashes of images drifted through her mind, rapid but crystal clear. She stood in a bustling city, with snow-capped mountains on the horizon, unlike the ones here at home. Before her, a massive series of buildings with glittering stained glass and ornate white stone stood tall. The city sat atop a protective bluff, surrounded by a shallow valley on three sides, a shining example of a successful kingdom.
Hundreds of people surrounded her. Humans…and people decidedly not human, but something more. They bore a resemblance to animals, lizards, even a girl with the face of a dragon, like in Risha’s books! It was…was it the academy, from the sketches in Risha’s journals?
I know…this place…
Soul shell fabrication at 35%. Estimated core capacity: Tier Six
Risha spun toward Neska, eyes widened, a hand to her mouth. “Tier Six ceiling?! That bastard wasn’t lying! That might make this even worse!”
Even worse than this? You know, Risha, I think you and I need to compile your lengthy list of adversaries. Out of all of them, the monsters invading the world scare me the least right about now! Neska shoved the panic thought aside and glanced around, looking for a new target to test.
The hanging cast-iron cook pan? Okay. [Mana Bolt] time. Wait, how do I form it in my mouth? What if it goes the wrong way? What if I miss? She pushed all the anxious thoughts away and focused on the pan.
[Mana bolt].
She opened her mouth gently and felt a crackle of energy on her tongue, and the surroundings lit up with a pale blue light. She focused her snout to align her aim and felt the charge let loose with a mental flick.
A bolt of blue energy shot from her mouth, impacting the pan and leaving an obnoxious ringing sound echoing through the cottage. Risha looked like she nearly soiled herself from that, shooting her a bewildered look. “Test that on things that bleed, please, that doesn’t include us!”
Not even a compliment for me getting those right on my first try and not causing an accidental injury? She felt mildly proud–if only for a second. She was about to use them in a rather unpleasant practical application.
Soul shell fabrication at 40%.
*WARNING*
*UNAUTHORIZED /REDACTED/ CORE ACCESS*
*INTERFACE ROOT HACK DETECTED*
*UNABLE TO PURGE CONNECTING LINK*
*INITATING EMERGENCY ALERT, DIRECT INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED*
Neska had no idea what half those words meant, but given Risha’s quivering lip, she did. This was likely adding to their problems at the moment.
“Well, shite,” Risha cursed. But their problems came to a head when someone outside bellowed.
“Risha Aksen, come out of the cottage, now!” The booming voice of Marikand called out, muted somewhat through the glass. His serpent helmet made him stand out as he loomed outside, standing taller than the several men slowly surrounding the building. “I thought you might try something bold, but I didn’t think you’d be this bold. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ensuring the survival of humanity, Marikand. Not that you would know anything about that,” she shot as she opened the window just a crack. “Last I checked, it’s not the witching hour, and my shop is closed.”
“I want the Awakened. And you’re going with us to the Crimson Citadel,” he called out. “I’m done playing around, now. You’ll end your spellcasting, come out with your hands up, and you will help me. You have one minute. Then we’ll drag you out, in whatever condition necessary to ensure your compliance.”
Risha tapped her wand, now glowing an ominous red. “Neska, no matter what happens. Stay inside the area of effect until it’s finished. Some of them, I think, are monsters,” she muttered.
Neska stared at her. The monsters come in human flavors now? I’ll bet it’s the twitchy one and that vinegar smell. They passed well enough for humans.
Soul shell fabrication at 45%. Calibrating anticipated evolutionary and class paths–
*I know what you’re doing, Risha…*
A presence of dread swelled through the room, and Neska flinched, unable to hide from it. The fact that it addressed the witch directly made it even worse. It sounded like scratching rats in her ears, and those eerie messages in her vision couldn't be mentally dismissed.
*What do you hope to accomplish here?*
Risha’s eyes narrowed as she gazed around the room; that voice wasn't just a sound, it was a presence, crushing down on them, yet the witch endured. “Oh, the bastard himself decided to break the rules? You must be burning a lot of favors to do this.”
*The fate of my future, and this world, is incalculable. Anything less than that is expendable. And you do this to…her?*
Risha gripped the wand tightly. “You’re going to lie to me, and yourself, about the truth? You underestimate what I’d do to protect our future.” Neska noted Marikand standing stoically outside. Almost as if this didn’t bother him.
*Your efforts here mean nothing. And it appears your supposed ‘saviors’ are on a witch hunt. They found one.*
Risha let out a bitter laugh. “You really are a bastard, aren’t you? My ‘pet’ sniffed them out for what they really are. They’re just pawns you use to keep possible threats from ever growing too strong.”
*You mean the one you failed?*
Those few words punched Risha in the gut, more than the sight of the imminent army outside. “I never gave up. Never.”
*All that time, all that effort… for what? You already know the outcome. You can’t stop this. You never could, Risha. Make the right choice. If not for yourself, then for her.*
Risha’s gaze fell on Neska, the fury dimming from her expression. But Neska wouldn’t let fury fade. She let out a hiss that echoed through the house, louder and more imposing than ever before.
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Don’t you dare give up now! Not before I find myself again! Not to this fiend speaking through our minds, trying to break you down!
…Not before little girls like Belle are safe from the monsters. Those last words were for herself, more than anyone else. Can you hear me, whoever you are? Well, guess what. One of your own is going to find you and put an end to you. This I promise.
*What a brave and futile effort. Your soul is broken into pieces, yet you persist, little snake? Risha, surely you know that this time will end like the last.*
But Risha’s face was filled with swelling resolve, and she stood taller. “No. I was never going to be the heroine to save the world.” She let out a shaky breath before continuing. “But I did raise the one who will.”
Neska shook her head in disbelief. Me? A snake is going to save the world? I don't even have arms! Brave of you to believe in me that much, though!
Risha’s proclamation did nothing to deter the ominous Voice.
*Prophecies from dead gods carry no power. Marikand, bring me the Awakened. Alive...or at least intact for study.*
*...You had so much potential, Risha…*
The Seeker nodded silently, outside the window. The dreaded presence evaporated from the room, but the threat was no less serious.
Risha tapped her wand gently, a look of resignation etched in her sunken eyes. “The only power I believe in is the one I make for myself…and the power I give to others,” she whispered.
Marikand waved to his soldiers as they aimed an arcane device at the door, and he bellowed out his intent. “You should have taken my offer, Risha. It would have been better–”
His last words went unheard. Risha activated her wand, charging it to a glowing molten red. Fury was the only emotion left on her face, and a hardened determination. “You should have brought more monsters, Marikand. It won’t be enough.”
“[Inferno Hex].”
Shouts of surprise rose as cyan glyphs appeared over the glass and the cottage exterior. At the same time, ominous orange runes beneath the men's feet lit up, their glow intensifying. Shouts of surprise morphed into screams of panic. They thought they could run.
They were already too late.
The evening exploded into gouts of orange flame rising from the runes, incinerating several of the Seekers. Neska turned her head away, her vision overwhelmed by the brightness, and the cabin shook from the detonation outside, dust drifting down from the rafters.
Soul shell fabrication at 60%. Calculating Attributes and initial Abilities.
More flashes of other places and people filled the spaces of Neska’s mind, the charge building across her scales to a basking warmth. She saw a girl with pigtails climbing a tree, and her mother scolding her to come down. She saw other places she didn’t recognize; ice-capped mountains, a mossy bog with trees draped in hanging lichen, and brackish dark water–
The crunch of wood shook her out of the drifting memory. Someone attempted to batter the door down, and the entire wall shook. Men lay dying on the ground outside, half-incinerated by the sudden violence. Those who survived the flames attempted to charge the house. Neska saw them running past the row of shrubs lining the path, and reached out mentally with her [Rooting hex] once again.
C’mon, plants, get to work! She was rewarded for her efforts when roots burst from the ground near the shrubs, lashing out and tripping a few. Take that!
Seizing the opportunity, Risha thrust her hands to the ground, and it trembled beneath them. “Good effort, dear, but let me show you what you can really do with enough time! [Rooting Wrath Hex].”
Neska realized she’d misunderstood her first spell. Risha didn’t say those words, but she felt them through the weave of reality. Power surged from Risha in an overwhelming beam, manifesting her will as it transformed the ground beneath them.
Massive roots erupted through the yard, thrashing and stabbing, covered in thorns, dripping with ominous green sap. Those unfortunate enough to be caught were perforated by the roots, screaming and bleeding. She raised her hand to focus on one outside of their immediate range, defiantly hacking at the roots with a heavy axe in one hand, a ball of fire in the other.
Then, Risha pointed and clenched her fist. Dozens of roots surged toward the stubborn foe, and Neska turned her head as they all impacted–the sound of screeching metal and a strangled scream was audible.
She didn’t dare to peek out. Being a witch is either going to be nightmare-inducing, or the best time of my life. I'm kind of on the fence on this one.
The door cracked from another heavy blow. And another. The barrier flickered on the entryway, but held.
Risha wiped her brow before extending her hand, her fingertips shrouded in a blue, wispy light. “[Mana Barrage],” she uttered with conviction, the words imprinting on reality. The window shattered as the missiles shot away from her hand at incredible speed–so fast that Neska couldn’t see their motion other than a blur of streaking light.
The brilliant bolts tracked toward three soldiers, each of them pierced through the chest with multiple shots, a volley of unforgiving fire with lethal intent. They keeled over, overwhelmed by the deadly magic.
Soul shell fabrication at 80%. Initiating Awakening handshake with neural pathways. Initiating the first evolution.
Neska curled in on herself as that energy became a spike of pain, all across her body. Daggers of agony drove deep from her fangs, all the way into her skull, yet she dared to draw her upper body up. One man advanced to the window, fumbling with a metal device off a bandolier. Neska locked on him, opening her mouth and firing off another [Mana bolt].
The shot pierced through the glass, sending both the molten orb of energy and the shards into his armor, staggering him. The motion drew Risha's focus, and another barrage of mana bolts drove home, overwhelming him and piercing through his body.
The witch gave Neska a split-second nod. She knew she could count on her.
Risha blasted stinging nettles out a window, dodged the incoming arrows and other spells that cut gouges into the wood, and ignited the wall of the cottage. Hexes were fired with impunity, and more traps triggered in plumes of brilliant fire as the foes tried to attack from the back.
More screams followed.
Neska sank to the ground, the pain building. This is…bad. I feel like my whole body is being stabbed.
The barricade at the entryway shuddered and cracked again. A frustrated roar accentuated each blow, between each crunch of pulverized wood and screeching steel. “I won’t be denied, Risha! You and your pathetic freaks were doomed from the start!”
Marikand raged just from behind the barricade, the magic flickering with each impact. “And the Academy? Your little pets are all in one place, ripe for slaughter! There's going to be a day someday soon where we will crush your little glass and steel monster factory!”
Risha ignored the threat. “[Reflective Hex],” she uttered as she pointed at the doorway, the wood splintering again. The barrier held. Neska saw a flash of red fatigues on the other side, and the ominous helm of Marikand. Meanwhile, her body seared with unrelenting pain.
The door splintered again, cracks running from top to bottom. A roar of pain emanated from the other side. Yet, the assault continued. Risha focused her attention on the remaining survivors, mages attempting to cast fire at the structure, yet Risha’s wards held–barely.
The adept witch drew a ball of shadow deep into her clenched hand, eyes locked on the casters. “[Clenching Shadow Hex].”
The looming dark intensified around the cottage, even the blazing fires outside dimming as though eclipsed. The hostile mages tried to ward off the shadows with blasts of light, but they were futile. The sound of choked gasps soon gave way to the unsettling crunch of bone and twisted bodies dropping to the ground.
And through it all, Risha wore a grim, determined expression. Yet her eyes radiated pain. Pain that shook Neska more than the sear of pain across her own body, muscles twisting and bones creaking within her.
This was most certainly not the first time Risha had taken life to save life.
An arrow shot through the window, grazing the witch’s shoulder and pinning it to the wall. As Risha gasped and clenched her shoulder, the arrow detonated in a blast of light. A man in red fatigues and a leather jacket appeared in its place, wielding a bow, a second arrow already in hand. Risha sidestepped as the shot breezed by her head. The archer reached for the dagger on his belt, dropping the bow.
Neska, weakened by the painful awakening, redirected her [Rooting hex] to the house plant next to him. Thrashing roots winding around his leg and stopping his movement. It slowed him, just enough for Risha to recover and fire off a point-blank magical assault.
[Mana bolts] shot through the air, impacting his arm and torso. Despite the damage, he lunged through and tried to grab Risha, slicing at her with his blade.
Risha was too agile for that. She grabbed his wrist and twisted his limb to limit his movement, her lithe yet strong body forcing him out of position. He tried to kick at her to create space, missing. Her dagger sliced through the air from her other hand, the blade practically humming. It plunged deep into the crux of his neck, blood splattering from the deadly wound. She did not waste time and cut again, deep into his throat, letting out a scream of anger as his dying body fell.
This was not the Risha she knew. Or, she had been hiding it this whole time.
Soul shell fabrication at 90%. Initializing–
The door burst inward in a hail of wooden shards, reinforced metal bands, and a blast of fire, pelting the wall behind it. Risha fired off a [Warding Hex], reinforcing the barrier around Neska out of instinct. The shards were unable to breach past the ritual circle's own protections. Yet, debris bounced and pierced into Risha’s leg, leaving her screaming, sheer will alone keeping the barrier intact.
Marikand marched through the shattered entryway, blood seeping from his armor, his breath raspy. “Peekaboo. I see you,” he sang, eyes alight with an ominous tinge beneath the helmet. He brought his axe to bear, a cruel-looking weapon stained crimson and black.
But his target wasn’t Neska or Risha. Instead, the axe descended on the crystal, the one object outside the circle. Risha’s [Wrathful Rooting Hex] wasn’t fast enough to stop it, and the crystal cracked, tumbling to the ground on the other side of the cottage.
The light around the circle strobed, and Neska felt the agony intensify.
Soul shell fabrication halted! Fatal injury is imminent if mana flow cannot be regulated!
Risha’s hex entangled Marikand, pinning him at the doorway. Stinging roots lashed at him, keeping his thickened limbs from swinging. He let out a shout of outrage, grabbing at the roots and tugging at them. “Doesn’t matter now, Risha! She’s done! You did all of this for nothing!”
Help…
The world dimmed at the edges of Neska’s vision, the pain overwhelming her. I…I wanted to be there with you, Risha. To be strong like you.
Risha screamed, scrambling for the gem. She pushed it back into the stand, but the energy leaked outward in an erratic plume of blue particles, unable to connect to the circle. She cast out a magical energy lash to the circle with her hand, trying to bridge the gap.
The circle flickered, but did not reignite. “No! I’m not losing you again!” Her face was scrunched in fear as her hand trembled, trying to patch the damage. But she knew that it was a losing battle.
“All you had to do…” Marikand wheezed, roots wrapped around his neck, but unable to silence him, “was to obey your betters. He would have spared you. And her.”
Risha turned, dagger in hand, but otherwise rooted to the spot. Despair was etched in her eyes and the droop of her jaw. “Survival when everyone else is enslaved or eaten? That’s not survival.”
Then, a gasp. A thought of inspiration lit her face. A grim, but faint smile emerged even as tears ran down her face, and Marikand thrashed against his restraints. Roots began to tear away from him, unable to restrain him.
“I have one last source of power. My core.” Risha had her solution...but at a terrible cost.
She flipped the dagger in her hand, the blade pointing toward her body, now. Even as her mind dimmed, Neska realized what was about to happen.
No. Please don’t. Not for me. Not for a snake. You’re strong, Risha.
I’m not.
Risha smiled, and her hand remained steady. “I know you’re still in there, Neska. I was there for you when you came into the world. I’ll be there waiting when you’re ready to leave it…in whatever form you become.”
She grabbed the dagger with both hands, lining up with deliberate precision. Marikand howled with rage, trying to break his bindings in time.
“You’ll change nothing, Risha!” he screamed.
Risha closed her eyes and let out one final breath, all the terror, all the pain leaving her face. “Nothing will change for us. But she’ll change everything else.”
“Awaken, and remember who you are.”
She plunged the dagger deep into her chest, and the space around the blood lines lit up with light so bright that it blinded Neska. She felt her world explode with energy, and her mind slid into a spiraling tunnel, light and dark flickering until…
There was nothing. Nothing but a flicker of hope.
Soul shell fabrication completed.
Human soul fully reconstituted. Awakened system initialized.
TL;DR notes for those who skim: The author's passion has returned; please add a follow, favorite, and/or a rating, and stay tuned! <<<>>>
The Apprentice of Ouroboros. Three months ago, this story didn't even exist in my head. Around that time, the monster girl stories on RoyalRoad started rising through the ranks. I'd toyed with the idea of such a story for a while, but I finally took the plunge on a whim, and a chance to recharge my creative batteries drained by a massive burnout years in the making.
adventure, taking notes from my childhood games of Baldur's Gate and more recent but influential games like Pillars of Eternity. I wanted to tell the story of an unlikely heroine, and the growth of those who join her along the way, as well as how the dangers they face can and do present a personal threat to all of them.
really can't wait for the next chapter, I've planned ahead. My Patreon is live with +15 chapters ahead of the public release; just click the banner below. This journey is just getting started, so stay tuned!
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