Mythica, Book 1, Chapter 7.

Chapter 7.

“Sabine, can you hear me?” Hamish said. Sabine opened her eyes, awake but groggy.

“Yeah, what happened?” Sabine asked.

“You’ve defeated the two grave robbers but burned all your mana. The backlash from that can be severe,” Hamish said.

“Mana?” Sabine asked.

“Yes, it's what that magical energy is called. It can come from different sources and is very powerful. By your nature, you harvest dark mana, which is associated with the various aspects of death. It’s what powers your body and your abilities. Here in the graveyard, it replenishes rather quickly. Had you been somewhere else, the results might have been different,” Hamish said.

“I was able to push it through my body, making me hit harder, but it also healed me. That blow from the shovel should have killed me,” Sabine said, feeling her head and noticing the damage was completely gone.

“If you were human, you would have died. Now, your body doesn’t have weak points or vulnerable organs to destroy. To kill you, a foe must inflict enough damage to overcome the energy that binds you together,” Hamish paused as if thinking.

“You wanted to know what gift from Gnessos was, and this enhanced durability is but one of them. Many more gifts will be granted to you as you gain his favor. But before we jump deeper into the details, you should first see your status and learn more about yourself. Think and focus on status and it will appear. Much will be explained since it’s the first time you’ve seen this. Look it over and if there is anything you’re still confused about, let me know and I’ll be glad to help you with it,” Hamish said.

Sabine did as Hamish suggested, and more information appeared.

Sabine Giroux.

Revenant, Rank 0.

Gnessos’ Favor: 50/100.

Mana: 5%. Your mana pool is nearly depleted, rest to regenerate your mana more quickly. As you attain higher ranks, your mana pool and regeneration rate will increase.

Traits:

1. Call of the Grave. A passive ability that allows you to locate the nearest burial grounds. It will not work on individual graves but has been upgraded to work on consecrated ground.

2. Eyes of Undeath. A passive ability that allows you to see in even complete darkness and grants a limited ability to sense the living. This ability will improve as you gain Gnessos’ favor.

3. Soulbound. Your soul has been tied to that of your advisor, Hamish. As you gain power and favor, a portion of it will be siphoned off to your advisor. He will increase in power and his assistance will improve as you both reach new ranks of Gnessos’ favor.

Abilities:

1. Channel Mana. Channel your mana to empower your weapons. At your current rank, this ability is limited, as is your control over it.

2. Rapid Healing. This passive ability uses your mana pool to repair damage to the current body you are inhabiting.

Magical Items:

1. Mask of False Life. When worn, this mask allows your undead form to take on a normal appearance, one that has already been selected for you.

2. Storage Pouch of the Dead. A small space has been set aside for your use in the realm of the dead. Here, you can store coins and small items, recalling them to your person at will.

“So, is Gnessos is controlling all of this? How do I gain more favor?” Sabine asked.

“Yes, your master is granting you these powers, and with my assistance, this method for you to track your power has been created. As for gaining more favor, you’ve already gained enough to reach halfway to the first rank. You gained favor by completing his first task, finding me. You also gained some favor by defeating these two graverobbers. The status interface was my creation, Gnessos has made great use of my administration skills, it’s kind of my specialty,” Hamish said with pride.

“So, you’re controlling all of this?” Sabine asked.

“No, it is Gnessos’ will that is controlling everything as he sleeps, my connection to him just allows me to make the information easier to digest for a former mortal like yourself. Any other questions?” Hamish asked. He was turning out to be quite helpful, even if he was still a bit irritating.

“Mana, how do we get more of it? It was great and all, but a single punch and a bit of healing almost depleted it. There was only a little bit left for the second punch. It’s only up to five percent now, but I can feel it building,” Sabine said. It was true, she could feel and almost see the wisps of dark energy as they flowed from the graveyard into her body.

“First off, your body is very durable, but not getting hit in the head and needing your mana for emergency healing would be the first step. The power you fed to your punches was way more than was required. It will take some practice but remember that conservation is key. The best way to gain more mana is to gain Gnessos’ favor and achieve a higher rank. At each rank, your maximum mana pool will expand,” Hamish said.

“Thank you for your help, what do you know about the abilities I’m supposed to unlock as my rank improves?” Sabine asked.

“For that, I don’t have any details. Gnessos will provide abilities when the time comes, and they will vary based on the individual. The last champion had a different approach, and his abilities mirrored his combat style. Speaking of that, what type of weapons do you prefer? I’ll keep a lookout for one. This graveyard is a bust, too old and picked over, but you’d be surprised what people bury with their kin,” Hamish said.

“You found some coins earlier, is there anything else we can dig up here, I’m not exactly rolling in wealth right now.”

“No, I can only attempt it once per graveyard, and I’m sorry to say my skills are limited at our current rank. I also warn you against digging up the graves and robbing them directly. Whatever god consecrated the ground will take offense. They’re fine with Gnessos allowing me to skim a bit here and there, but they get pretty worked up when you strip mine their hallowed ground for personal gain,” Hamish told her.

“What’s next? Any idea where we are?” Sabine asked. Gnessos’ system answered that question before Hamish could.

Seek the nearest town. A short distance outside of that town is a tavern that offers bounties for different tasks. Observe the bounty board and I will make my desires known. Gather wealth and gain my favor until you reach rank 5. Do not attempt to go to Golgotia before reaching that rank, or you will not have the power needed to complete your task.

“It looks like your next step is rather obvious. I believe if you follow the road it will lead to the town. It’s a little bit of a trek, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you,” Hamish said.

“So, you can see all these messages that I get?” Sabine asked.

“Of course, how can I advise you if I don’t know what our master wishes? Now, go ahead and get moving, I’ll be at whatever graveyard you visit, just call for me. For now, my time in the realm of the living is up. At this rank, our visits must be brief and at least a day must pass before I have the power to return,” Hamish said.

The skeleton Hamish was animating broke apart as the energy binding him to it was cut off. There was a lot more she had questions about, but the advisor was apparently done with her for now. Sabine wondered a bit about where Hamish went, but it wasn’t her problem. Her problem was getting to that tavern and earning some coin to fund the journey to her sister’s place, and then to Golgotia.

Not squeamish after her days as a soldier and mercenary, Sabine gladly took any valuables from her two victims. Between the two of them, it was a paltry sum, the third member of their group had taken most of their wealth to buy supplies if she correctly understood their conversation earlier. She wanted to find that man, the revenge she promised the woman’s spirit wasn’t complete until he was dealt with.

Sabine found a total of twenty more coppers and a dozen silver, most of that hidden in the guy with the knife’s boot. The knife he used was cheap and more suited for cutting her dinner than combat, but it was better than no knife. The shovel was the only other weapon, and it was too broken from the fight to be worth carrying around. Leaving the graveyard, Sabine could feel a slight pressure lift as the area of consecrated ground was left behind.

Oddly, the consecrated ground had pushed against her undead nature but didn’t hamper her absorption of mana. Hamish wasn’t here to ask about it, and she wasn’t going to be able to call him back for another day. Besides, Hamish was a personality best taken in small doses.

Sabine did discover an extra benefit of the mask she wore as she jogged toward town. The enchantment on it kept her clean, and not just creating an illusion. All the clothing was fresh, and the tears mended as time passed. That was one thing most people didn’t realize in a fight, all the stuff you’re wearing usually gets wrecked. Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about blowing her limited funds on replacement garments.

Keeping a brisk pace, Sabine noticed more and more signs of civilization the closer she got to her destination. It was still mostly a homestead and farm here or there, but eventually, a walled town was seen in the distance. Set away from the town, at a crossroads, was a large tavern. It was late, which made the tavern easy enough to spot, given that the place was still bustling with activity.

One of the few things that people would brave the cold night for was a strong mug of ale. As she neared the tavern, Sabine could see the typical crowd of drunks and wastrels that these places attracted loitering outside, huddled around a few fires that had been set. The sight of these people caused Sabine to pause her approach.

It wasn’t the shady-looking folks outside that caused her to stop; it was the concern about whether anyone could tell what she was. Everything that Sabine could see looked fine, but one of the grave robbers had called her a monster. Was that because he saw the dark mana infusing her hands, the healing black goo, or was there some other tell that gave her away? Lurking around just outside the torchlight of the tavern wasn’t going to change anything, so Sabine strode forward like she owned the place.

It had been her experience that having confidence led to much less trouble than appearing meek in a place like this. A small sign read Hammerhead’s Tavern, perfect, it was her destination and the likely where she would find the final member of the grave robbers. Entering the front door, she was hit with a blast of warm air scented with spilled ale, unwashed bodies, and whatever was cooking in the kitchen. Scanning the crowd, Sabine strolled deeper inside the tavern, trying to use one of the support beams to hide behind while she looked for her target.

She spotted him, Darvak, the final member of the trio that had robbed and killed the young woman whose body she now wore. He had a large leather patch over one eye and part of his face and wore the hard look of someone who would just as quickly stab you as wish you a good day. As Sabine approached him, her anger built.

It wasn’t the woman’s spirit controlling Sabine this time, it was real anger, real rage. She moved closer, avoiding pumping any mana into her fist. These people might not be able to see her true nature, but she didn’t want to put on a show of her power. This one, half in his cups, she could handle without the extra power her mana provided.

“I think I know you, don’t I,” she asked in a friendly voice as she approached the man.

“I’d remember if I met someone like you, but I’m glad to get to know you better any time you’d like,” the man said, reaching for her as he mistook Sabine’s question for an advance. Her knee slammed into his nether regions at the same time her elbow cracked into the mask he wore over half his face.

Darvak staggered back, a few nearby patrons cheering over the free entertainment the fight provided. No bouncers charged forward to stop them, so this must be one of those places where a dustup or two was expected from the rough crowd. The killer was pushed back by her assault, but the man was tough and replied with a pair of haymaker punches. Sabine ducked both strikes and responded with a blow to his jaw.

Normally, Sabine would be afraid of breaking her hand on a punch like that, but her new body could deal with it easily enough. She followed up with a knee meant to knock the wind out of the man, but he was faster than he looked, grabbing Sabine, and slamming her on top of a table.

“You killed a woman recently and now I’m here for revenge,” Sabine whispered to Darvak loud enough for him to hear, but quiet enough that the roar of the crowd prevented anyone else from listening in. The man answered her by drawing a boot knife. Sabine, kicked him back with both legs, hurling him into a support pillar.

Before she could get off the table and stand, an axe flew by her head, barely missing her before hitting Darvak in the neck, separating his head rather neatly from his body. The body dropped to the floor as Sabine tried to put together what had just happened. She was torn between being glad that the man was dead, and a little perturbed that she wasn’t the one to end him.

The tavern was silent, everyone turning to face the proprietor of the establishment, who had also been the dwarf that threw the axe. New messages appeared for Sabine, but she pushed them out of view, worried that she might be next on the chopping block for starting the fight.

“I won’t be saving it again,” the dwarf announced, pausing for a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention. “No fykin blades in the establishment,” his pronouncement was met with a drunken cheer from the patrons who were getting a lot of free entertainment with their drinks this night.

Confident that she wasn’t going to be killed by association, Sabine took a seat at the table she had been thrown onto. She pulled up the latest message, confirming that she had reached her first milestone.

You have earned Gnessos’ favor; rank 1 has been attained.