The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

[70] Punched In The Face

Bjorn was finally unhitched from Tanisha's wagon. They replaced him with a horse so he could hide inside once they were on the move again. There was a somber attitude around no matter where Bjorn looked. His side was still sore from being impaled with a sword, but it was more or less phantom pain. He had more pressing issues, such as getting out of here alive and finding out if there were any more surprises with his abilities.

“So what you’re telling me is that there was no way for you to know that I would breathe fire out of all of my heads at once? Will that work with the poison cloud too?”

“No, and don’t sound disappointed,” Failsafe responded. “I was originally made to help you with a humanoid reincarnation, so I might miss some small things here and there. From what I gathered is that it happened because you can’t control that energy properly. Poison Cloud is one mana point less, but at the same time it’s not as explosive as the Plague Fire and thus the energy is harder to control. If you could have focused the power better it would have only come from one head, and would have been far stronger as a result.”

“Me breathing it from all three heads weakened it?” Bjorn asked.

“Yes, although it was awesome,” Failsafe said.

“Well let’s finally fix my low mana situation,” Bjorn responded.

“Agreed,” Failsafe stated.

Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution

You have leveled up 5 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 50 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 2 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]

“Huh, five, I was expecting more levels,” Bjorn said.

“It takes more experience to level up each time, and just about half of your kills are shared with Tanisha,” Failsafe explained. 

“Well, whatever, I’m maxing out Magic and placing the rest into Magic Regeneration anyway. That would leave five points, I guess that would go into Constitution. I need my scales to be tougher otherwise I am just a big target.”

Status Menu

Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 26
Vitality: 150 / 195
Restoration: 220 / 270
Constitution: 85 < 90 / 135
Strength: 100 / 130
Dexterity: 85 / 100
Stamina: 95 / 115
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)

Magic: 10 < 25 / 25
Magic Regeneration:  20 < 50 / 50  (+100 from bond)
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Skills Analysis

Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!

Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.

Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.

Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.

Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.

Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don’t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.

Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.

Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.

Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. 

King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.

+ Intimidation Roar
Magic Cost: 2
Infused mana into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.

Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish 

(or) 

Maya Cost: 150-ish 

(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why…)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let's not for a while, please.

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“The effects are new. You changed it to make new skills and points show easier?” Bjorn asked.

Failsafe was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t make those changes to your menus. It looks like your core copied it from Tanisha. The bond is two ways after all, and she must have modified the menus on her end. Wait, there’s actually more.” Failsafe sounded excited. “What! She made a third page! I’ll make some changes and implement it after I have some translation issues worked out.”

“Translation issues?” Bjorn asked.

“I don’t mean language per se but the spell itself isn’t directly applicable to you. From what I can parse, the third page is a menu that lists attributes of a mixed mana-maya core like the one she has because she’s a Sage or whatever,” Failsafe explained cheerily. “I’ll have to modify it to analyze a mana and faux-aether core like yours. Her core produces maya now, and is like a weird mess of mana, maya and a ball of chaotic magic that makes no sense at all.”

“Work on the third menu later. I don't think it will help in the situation we’re in at the moment.” Bjorn said. “Stay in the right head and help me keep a lookout.”

“Aww… yeah you’re right,” Failsafe responded, his tone flattening with disappointment. “We do have to make sure we get out of this alive.”

Bjorn turned one of his heads back to Tanisha. He found it easier and easier to split his attention between his heads to the point that it felt like he had parallel minds running in sync with each head. 

Tanisha had been with the goblins when Owen stored Helina’s body in a storage ring. They would have a proper funeral when they could light a pyre without giving away their position. 

His middle head watched Tyr from across the makeshift camp. He was going over escape strategies with Svan and Hrolf’s inner circle of disciples, which were now his inner circle since he was now Patriarch. The young man seemed to have fallen back on his training as an heir to keep himself together. He had a duty to all those that survived, and he was going to fulfill it. 

Bjorn didn’t know the ins and outs of the roles of a wendigo heir. What he could gather was that the heir was raised almost exclusively by their fathers to take over the family. Hrolf was technically the next in line, but he was going to be skipped over so that Tyr would be the next patriarch. Bjorn didn’t know why that was, but seeing Tyr take up the role despite his young age and the tragedy that led to it was impressive to say the least.

Bjorn couldn’t help but think of his own past as Isin. The horrors he’d seen when the gate collapsed, and his people being slaughtered. The thought brought a shiver down his spine as he remembered that, since he’d leveled up he, would also gain more of his memories. He had a bad feeling of what he was going to see the next time he slept. What became of his family, his father and that small village of human slaves? He shook the thought free and returned to the moment.

“I’m going to postpone the memories until we are somewhere safer,” Failsafe said.

Bjorn nodded his heads. “Thanks, I would prefer that.”

After a few minutes Joha called Tanisha to the side, which caught Bjorn’s attention so he followed. They walked a short way off from the group.

“Are you intentionally breathing out maya?” Joha asked.

“No, I haven’t been able to stop since…” She glanced over to the goblin family which was settling in her wagon. “It happened.”

Joha was contemplative for a moment. “May I check?”

Tanisha nodded and Joha placed a hand on her heart, directing her through several breathing techniques. After a few minutes color returned to her maya, settling on a deep green then finally stopped as she regained control. 

“It is a miracle you are still alive,” Joha admitted. “You have jumped in your connection to the maya by years. It is rare that someone survives something like this even amongst the demons. Your body seems to have created maya meridians in order to compensate for the influx of power.” He looked at Bjorn then back to Tanisha. “I think it is because of your connection to Bjorn. He had already gone through the maya trauma and survived, so the bond showed you how to do it. Otherwise you would be dead.”

“Failsafe, is that a thing?” Bjorn asked in his head.

“I mean, her core is copying yours somewhat. I wouldn’t be surprised if when she went berserk it looked at your core for a solution,” Failsafe responded. “Her core is so different now it’s hard to tell.”

“I-I lost control, I felt the maya and I needed power,” Tanisha said. Her voice quivered despite the maya suppressing her emotions. “I need… then I needed more to try to save-” She cut herself off, closing her eyes and balling her fists. “I am going to kill Loki, I am going to kill Thyra and I will kill Ingrid for what they have done. What more can they take from me? What else are those evil people going to take from the Isi? These good people aren’t traitors? There was no trial, no proof no… wait.” Tanisha opened her eyes and looked at Joha. “There was no trial, which means this city is still contested. We can escape as long as we get to the outer city.”

Joha furrowed his brow. “What does that mean?”

“When a noble family is dethroned their land becomes contested, but only those backed by a royal can fight for the right to own that land. Usually the Royal Family is in agreement as to who can get the new land and it’s given to them uncontested. However, if they don’t agree and back different noble families, then those families can fight for the right to the land.

“In order to keep that backing they have to accomplish a Show of Power. I’m sure part of Ingrid's deal with the First Prince is to eliminate the three families he branded traitors to prove she can rule uncontestedly. But if she fails she will lose the support of the Prince and thus the right to take Lavi.” Tanisha smiled devilishly. “If that happens the First Prince will withdraw or be forced to back a loser that couldn't even kill one material user. Whoever the other noble that’s backed by a royal will win by default, and Ingrid will be a laughingstock.”

“That seems well thought out,” Joha said.

“I was taught politics for most of my life,” Tanisha said with a raised finger. “Tyr just has to survive long enough for the rival noble and royal to show up.” She looked towards the walls to the palace. “I will kill her one day, but I’m not stupid enough to think I can do that now. I think the maya is helping me to think logically right now. I don’t think I will still be in the right state of mind if  Loki shows up though. If that happens will you help me kill him? No matter what, I want him dead if we can.”

Joha opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut him off.

“Joha, Tanisha can we have a word?” Tyr called out.

Joha let out a slow contemplative breath. “We will talk more about this later.”

Bjorn followed the pair as they walked to Tyr and his inner circle. The young man didn’t look like himself, and Bjorn could taste seething anger covering the grief. The faces of the thirteen inner circle members were hard; each of them had the same dark expression.

“Thank you for joining us,” Tyr said.

“Should she be here!” A man yelled, Bjorn used Identify to see his name was Njal. “Isn’t she a shia from that cursed fucking family!”

Bjorn growled, each of his heads locking onto the man as his anger rose. How dare he say that when Tanisha risked her life and safety for them. Njal took a step back, but Tanisha raised her hand and petted Bjorn to calm him down. 

“I will not tolerate anyone badmouthing Tanisha!” Tyr stated furiously. “She is the only reason any member of the Isi Family is still alive right now. If any of you have a problem with Tanisha being here, get out of my sight.”

Njal looked up at Bjorn, then down to the tiger demon, and finally rested on Tanisha. He opened his mouth to say something, only for Svan to punch him square in the face. The man fell backwards to the grass, caught himself mid-fall and flipped with one hand on the ground back to his feet. He reached for his sword, but didn’t grab the weapon at his side.

“Go secure the area Njal, we will be moving soon,” Svan stated with a voice that left no room for argument. “You heard the patriarch.”

“Fuck, fine, but watch her,” Njal said as he walked off.

“Anyone else have an issue?” Tyr questioned and paused for a few seconds. “Good. So as I was saying, Tanisha, Joha, Bjorn, thank you for joining us.”