Rune Seeker

No, I refuse to accept that!

Hiral focused his will on the transformation of Seena’s PIM in front of him, but not-Seena’s presence immediately rejected it. The thing was too strong for him to influence, even with his own Eloquently Enraged+. Like he’d discussed with Left, powerful opponents were able to resist direct influence from his concepts. Like the warthogs, though, maybe he’d be able to work something if not-Seena was weaker.

Which meant…

Hiral closed his eyes for a second as he steeled himself for what needed to be done. Could he do it?

It doesn’t matter. I have to.

With that, Hiral nodded and brought himself back to the present. Yanily continued to battle not-Seena about fifty feet away, the lightning and fire cascading off them tearing apart the ground all around. Arched pillars of stone overhead stained red as flames boiled across the ground in waves, while lightning stalked and snapped like primal monsters. To call the battle anything less than an elemental disaster would be an understatement.

Seeyela, meanwhile, had managed to get to her feet, but she stood stone-still as she watched the battle raging between Yanily and not-Seena. She wouldn’t be able to help with what was coming – not when it involved Seena like this – but Hiral still needed something from her.

First, though, he opened his party chat. “Left, I need you here. Right, how’re you doing with the leftover Chimeras?”

“Coming,” Left said, and Hiral spotted the Wings of Anella already bringing the double his way.

“Almost all cleaned up,” Right said, having covered for Yanily when they called the spearman over to help with what had been a mound of mouthy tentacles. “I can be there soon.”

“No,” Hiral said. “Once you’re done there, get to the wall and make sure it holds.”

“They’re doing fine…” Right said.

“Please,” Hiral said, forcing his voice not to crack.

Right didn’t immediately reply, obviously sensing something in Hiral’s voice. Finally, he spoke. “Understood. If you need me though…”

“I will,” Hiral said, as Left landed beside him.

“What do you need?” the double asked.

“Seeyela,” Hiral said instead of replying to the double. She didn’t move or answer. “Seeyela!” Hiral snapped again, and her head turned woodenly in his direction.

“If he hits her…” Seeyela said quietly.

“He’s not trying to,” Hiral said. “Just keeping her busy for us to do our part.”

“What’s our part?” Seeyela asked, panic lacing her voice. “What can we do?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Hiral said. “But I need you to use Eloquently Enraged.”

“Why?” Seeyela asked. “I… I can’t fight. Not when I know what my venom would do to Seena.”

“Not asking you to,” Hiral said, feeling another of the tumors emerging within the other world of Seena’s PIM. If the abilities completely changed places before he was ready… No! He wouldn’t think like that. He would do this.

… no matter what it cost.

“Then…?” Seeyela started.

“Eloquently Enraged,” Hiral said. “Then I need you to get close to Yanily. You don’t have to attack or do anything else. Just stand close. Can you do that?”

“I… yes, I can do that,” Seeyela said. Then, more quietly. “I’m sorry. It’s like Picoli. I thought I’d be ready if it happened again… but it’s Seena.”

“Don’t be. This is your sister we’re talking about,” Hiral said. “It’s beyond hard. But we’re running out of time. Please.”

Seeyela’s eight-eyed helm turned in Hiral’s direction, and the woman nodded. A second later, solar energy poured off her as a column of green energy reached for the sky. There it is.

“Left, we’re going,” Hiral said, wrapping his double in a tight scarf of Connection. Hopefully the two of them being parts of the same entity would be enough for this part of his plan to work. “As soon as we’re all close, use the tattoo of Equilibrium to remove Eloquently Enraged+ from all of us. Taking it from the three of us should be enough to balance taking it from not-Seena too.”

“Ready,” Left said, and Hiral blasted ahead on Rejection at the same time Seeyela vanished in a bamf of purple flames.

Lightning and fire scoured the area ahead of him, but he weaved through it all with the aid of his runes, buffs, and pseudo-aspect. Lightning fell in bolts like rain, and he criss-crossed between them. Flames tore for the sky in a wall, but he cut through them with a wedge of Rejection. Just like that, he skidded on the ground beside the battling Yanily and Seena, with Seeyela appearing opposite him.

“Now!” he told his double, and Left’s hand went to the glowing tattoo around his throat, available thanks to the power of the pseudo-aspect.

One of the simplest tattoos on Left’s body – two parallel lines running around his throat, with a single vertical line splitting them in the front – it was also one of the most powerful. In the right circumstances.

Left’s hand came away from his throat trailing the usual stream of viscous solar energy, but this time, nothing shaped. Instead, to Hiral’s newly awakened sensitivity to the idea of concepts and will, reality around them shifted. Balanced. Reset.

Equilibrium lived up to its name by either granting a boon to everybody, or in this case, taking one away.

Like none of them had ever had it, Eloquently Enraged+ vanished from Hiral, Seeyela, Yanily, and not-Seena. Luckily, the tattoo had seen Left and Hiral as the same entity – which they technically were – and had agreed with his estimation that removing three of their buffs was an equitable trade to take not-Seena’s.

All at once, the flaming storm of thunder and lightning ceased, and everybody staggered away from each other at the sudden shock. Because of the way the buff was taken, none of them suffered from the debuffing after-effects, but it was still a drastic shift.

“Left, get Seeyela back to the wall and see to those wounds,” Hiral instructed, releasing Left from his scarf.

Without questioning, Left – who wasn’t suffering the disorientation of losing the buff – dashed past not-Seena, grabbed Seeyela, and then leapt into the air.

“Yan, you need to get back to the wall too,” Hiral said, eyes already on not-Seena as it recovered.

“I don’t think they need my help there anymore,” Yanily said.

“No, but I do,” Hiral said, looking the spearman in the eyes. “Whatever happens next, do not let Seeyela leave that wall.”

“Why would she…?” Yanily started, then trailed off. A quick glance at not-Seena, then back at Hiral. His mouth worked like he was going to object, but he seemed to think better of it. “I take it you have a plan?”

“I… have an idea.”

“Better than anything I’ve got right now,” Yanily admitted. “Hiral… you know I don’t want to lose anybody else. Her or you.”

“I know,” Hiral said, not-Seena finally recovering from the shock of losing her buff.

“Can you save her?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Just keep Seeyela away. I can’t deal with her and this thing at the same time.”

Yanily shrugged. “I’ll keep her there. You, go do something OP.”

Hiral nodded, and then Yanily was gone. “So, it’s you and me now,” he said to not-Seena, the creature obviously wary that the others had left. That meant it wasn’t running on pure instinct, or maybe it was another part of Seena bleeding over.

“Since it’s just us,” he continued. “Seena, if you can hear me through this, I don’t know if I can save you. I don’t know if anybody can. If I kill this thing, you die. If I don’t kill it, you vanish or change into something else. Even if I somehow figure out a way to disconnect you now, half of your abilities are just… gone. Worse, this thing has left those tumors in you.

“I can’t guarantee those aren’t worse than dying. Actually,” he said while half-watching the corrupted universe that was her PIM, “they definitely are. They’ll leave you crippled physically and magically, with holes in your personality big enough to stick a hand through. This thing isn’t just taking your magic, it’s taking you.”

Not-Seena growled at him, still confused at to why he was taking to it and not attacking.

“As it is now, I wonder if you’ll even remember me. Or your sister and Yanily. Will we just be strangers to you in a strange world?” Hiral’s fist clenched at his side, runes glowing to life in front of his knuckles. Then he continued at almost a whisper. “Killing you quickly might be a mercy to all of us.”

Another growl, tongue-licked-eyes going to the runes glowing around his left fist, then to the sword in his other hand. At the same time, flames began dancing in its hands, but not the Fireballs or batons from before – spears flared to life on each side of not-Seena.

Another skill it’s stolen. That’s two thirds, now.

“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do,” Hiral said. “I hope you can forgive me… in the next life.”

Then, before not-Seena could even growl at him again, he slipped ahead so fast it must’ve looked like he’d teleported, his uppercut slamming into its chin. Up and back, its head snapped, blood spewing between shattered teeth, while Hiral sidestepped the flaming spear it reflexively launched. In his Party Interface, Seena’s health dropped by almost ten percent, and he lunged ahead with the sword.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Almost surprisingly, not-Seena managed to turn aside the worst of the stab – only taking a glancing cut across its abdomen instead of straight through it – and countered with an open palm strike. Fire danced within that hand, but Hiral ducked and spun under it, a Lost Echo forming, attacking, and exploding in quick succession. Then, before not-Seena even had a chance to recover from losing another fifteen percent of its health, Hiral brought his Impact and Breaking-enhanced fist up and into the bottom of where not-Seena’s ribcage would be.

Bones – if that’s what was under the dark-surface – cracked like dry kindling before not-Seena got hurled aside.

“Hiral, boy,” Gran said into the party chat. “What are you even doing out there?”

A glance showed Seena’s health rising again in the Party Interface – Gran healing her – while Hiral’s connection to her PIM told him she’d lost another ability. Instead of replying, Hiral tossed Death Knell into the air where it hovered at his side, then dashed forward again. Claws of rampant energy formed on his fingers, and he came in hard, hauling both hands down and across in a vicious X in front of him.

Wings of dark flame burst from behind not-Seena’s back, reaching around in front of it just in time to block the dual strike. Still, even with them there, Hiral’s claws tore at the flames, Breaking living up to its name to corrode the defensive skill. It wasn’t enough to get through, though, and Hiral took a step back and pulled out both RHCs.

Fingers on the triggers and Ever Changing+ stacking up, Hiral activated Piercing Shot+ and began firing. Shot after shot after shot pounded on the flaming wings, right where he’d struck with his claws, drilling a hole until one finally punched through. The one that followed went through not-Seena’s shoulder like a hot knife through butter.

“Hiral!” Seeyela shouted into the party chat. “What are you doing?!”

Like he’d done to Gran’s question, Hiral ignored Seeyela, then Rejectedhimself to the side as not-Seena transformed into a flaming bird and shot towards him. The tip of one of the wings caught his back on the way by, searing through his defenses and flesh alike. Pain seized the muscles between his shoulders and waist, but he didn’t lose a step, spinning and pulling the triggers as not-Seena reformed.

Bolts of searing Impact took it through the thigh and stomach. Stumbling back, it tossed a pair of Fireballs in his direction, but he easily sidestepped them and took aim again. Explosions behind him made him wince, the bloom of heat like salt on his fresh burns, and only one of his two shots scored a hit on the dodging monster. Blood poured out of its forearm, a hole clear through it.

In his Party Interface, Seena’s health had dropped to forty-five percent, though it jumped up another five as Gran’s healing took hold.

“Hiral, so help me,” Seeyela threatened. “If you don’t explain what you’re… Yan, what are you doing?”

With that, Hiral was running out of time to do what needed to be done. Yanily would delay Seeyela as long as he could, but she was a teleporter. She’d get loose eventually. Then she’d try to stop Hiral. Try to protect her sister… without understanding Seena was… already gone.

Hiral’s teeth clenched at the thought, but it didn’t change what he had to do. Another pull of his trigger put a bolt right through the center of not-Seena’s stomach, dropping Seena’s health back down to thirty percent. Just a little more, and he’d be done.

Except, a trio of something entered his sensory domain from behind. Something… burning.

Of course.

Hiral spun as three flaming Chimeras – risen through From the Ashes+ – charged in his direction. Volatile energies boiled within them, and Hiral launched away from them on a burst of Rejection, his RHCs coming up as he pulled the triggers. Two of the monsters fell to his shots, exploding a fraction of a second later, but the third charged on. At the same time, not-Seena clawed her hand across. Too fast for him to counter this time, Cinder+ scarred across him, and he quickly dismissed the debuff notification telling him his fire resistance had been lowered.

As long as he didn’t…

The ground beneath his feet erupted upwards, a risen Chimera apparently having burrowed through the ground to reach him. More worm than hyena – that had to be the reason it could do that – it exploded just like any of Seena’s other burning pets, though in dark red fire.

The flames fully engulfed Hiral, his shield of Rejection coming a split-second too late, before the concussive wave threw him to the side like a puppet with his strings cut. Coat of Amin Thett literally on fire, Hiral hit the ground, bounced once, then rolled another half-dozen feet.

Seena knows my sensory domain doesn’t extend past solid objects, which means not-Seena knows about it now too. That’s more of her memories… gone.

Despite his own health being at less than half according to his Party Interface, Hiral pushed himself back to his feet. His RHCs had been dropped in the blast, but a quick look at his scorched hands showed he wouldn’t be pulling any triggers in the near future anyway. Instead, he struggled to close his crooked hands into fists. When his fingers wouldn’t respond to what he wanted – the muscles and ligaments little more than charred meat on blackened bone – he forced them closed with Rejection and Attraction.

New pain assailed him along with the crack of his bones. Whatever, they’d heal if he survived. The bigger issue was that not-Seena was back up over fifty percent health according to…

Hiral did a double-take on his Party Interface.

Seena was gone. In her place, all he saw was question marks. A quick look at Seena’s PIM universe – as he’d come to call it – showed the Party Interface ability replaced by a new tumor. It had taken that now too. Barely a handful of her abilities remained, lonely lights in a field of corruption.

Fists glowing at his sides, Hiral launched himself forward, Rejection and Attraction doing as much of the work to move him as his muscles. Clawing swings from not-Seena scorched his battered body with Cinder+, but he just barreled straight ahead, turning aside what he could with Rejection, and bodying what he couldn’t. Totems burst from the ground, while a sphere of flame appeared over not-Seena’s shoulder, the two abilities showering him in firebolts. More Rejection protected him from the worst of it, but his already stressed High-Speed Regeneration+ was forced to work overtime just to keep him moving.

Like it was surprised he didn’t try any fancy footwork, not-Seena stood flat-footed when he arrived, his fists blurring as he unloaded on it. Lightning-fast and relying on his runes to do their work, he weaved around the bulky gauntlets rising to block. Fists and runes hammered into its stomach and ribs, then when the blocking arms came down, he went high. Not-Seena’s chin broke for the second time, then its not-a-nose splattered across its face as the bones cracked, before another blow connected with its temple.

Breaking and Impact sent a shockwave of power straight through the side of its head, scrambling whatever it had for brains in there, before Hiral did a complete spin to hit the monster with a roundhouse kick to the gut. Like it’d been fired out of a ballista, not-Seena shot away, heel catching on an upturned rock and sending it into a cartwheeling spin.

Earth and dark blood kicked into the air before the thing stopped twenty feet away.

Hiral heaved in deep breaths, eyes going from the monster in front of him to what he’d once called hands. Little more than mangled stumps, not-Seena’s flaming sheath had somewhat blunted his attacks while scorching him in return. It’d been a lot like pounding on a roaring furnace.

Ouch.

Had he done it though?

Not-Seena rose to its feet ahead of him, another pulse of solar energy washing off of it as it activated Aura of the Mother of Flame. Or, a corrupted version of it. Hiral didn’t feel the same all-encompassing weight of Seena’s ability, but there was no doubting it had similar effects, some of the damage Hiral had done mending in front of his eyes.

Looking at Seena’s PIM universe, that only left one more ability. Then everything she was would have been absorbed by the monster in front of him. Another glance at his hands – he couldn’t hold a weapon or punch anything. And, with the Aura up, it would heal any minor wounds as fast as he could inflict them. No, he needed something decisive.

Good thing he had one last trick up his sleeve – it was almost fitting.

“Time we end this,” Hiral said, lightning flashing from the top of the distant wall. Somehow, Yanily was containing Seeyela. “Thanks, Yan.”

Then, on one more burst of Rejection, Hiral charged forward to finish what he’d started. Even as he traveled, the glowing lights of Seena’s PIM universe began to fade, and he reached out with Connection to hold on to it a few seconds longer.

Like he’d tapped into more than just her ability, memories flowed down the thread, playing out in still images within his mind.

The first time she’d met him at Caaven’s.

When she’d looked over the edge of the island to see him jumping after Favela.

His suicidal plan when he’d gone out alone to save Seeyela and her party from the Shapers.

The three of him the first time he’d had Foundational Split activated by the crystal golem.

Their first dungeon run. When he’d found them in the tower after they’d been chased by the Enemy. In the Forge of Ur’Thul when he said he’d support her.

Dozens of images flashed and went by until they caught up to the Rise of Fallen Reach.

There, the images lingered on the time they’d spent together, sitting on the edge of the island and looking up at the big, star-filled sky. Wine and cheese between them, hands held and fingers intertwined. The days they hid their relationship from her sister, and the how fast they’d run when she found out.

The night she’d asked to put things on hold because she felt she needed to be the party leader first and foremost. Then, the mirror she cried in front of until morning, Li’l Ur doing what he could to comfort her.

Images skipped through to the Fall of Fallen Reach, and how she’d watched him get vaporized by Vorinal. Only to see him standing there a second later. He could feel her relief at seeing him alive. It only lingered for a second before the image came and went.

Their limited chances to see each other as he worked to repair the other towers, then their return to the surface. Talk of later always keeping them just apart until she’d finally decided she didn’t want to wait.

The final image came and stayed – along with an overwhelming feeling of safety – of Seena curled up in his arms just a few hours ago. When they’d finally decided that now was just as important as later.

Like everything that was left of Seena settled comfortably in his arms and in his mind, he felt her fade, completely getting absorbed by the monster directly in front of him as a small lich emerged from its shoulders.

Grief hollowed Hiral out, leaving his body cold, but it didn’t stop him. Neither did the flaming fist that punched through his gut and out his back as he collided with not-Seena. Riding it to the ground, Hiral slammed the two stumps that had been fists into the side of its head. Impact and Breaking stunned the thing, and he looked it straight in the tongue-licked-eye-mouths while he reached into what was left of Seena’s PIM universe. Threads of runic power laced across the new constellations that had formed, gifting not-Seena with Seena’s PIM. Her memories. Her everything.

Well, Hiral was going to give it something to remember him by too, and he extended his will while Enduring Mind shielded him. There was no way he was going to let it have her, even for a second longer.

“I’m sorry,” he said through it to the lingering echo of Seena that had to be in there. “Sorry for how much this will hurt before it kills you.”

Then, Hiral did the only thing he could be sure would be enough – he embraced his understanding of the Rune of Exchange. Energy ballooned off him, engulfing everything he touched and beyond. Truths of the universe materialized for his eyes, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from not-Seena. There, with so much power surrounding them, he tore a piece of himself out, and slammed it into the PIM.

It was almost done. The best he could do for her. There was only one thing left…

With a stumpy arm on either side of not-Seena’s head, Hiral used the last of his quickly fading solar energy to activate his Rune of Separation. Cubes of fleshy material flew apart as not-Seena’s health dropped from forty-percent to nothing in the blink of an eye.

And, somewhere not-so-distant, Seena’s head did the same thing.