Book 3 - Interlude 2 - Ophelia - Gifts and Empowerment

Book 3 - Interlude 2 - Ophelia - Gifts and Empowerment

The black leather armor Berri held out looked extremely well-made. Sturdy, yet supple.

Tanda stammered, W-What, for me?

Blood said, Berri wanted to thank you, for the show you put on for the kids, and for how youve been helping our efforts. Also, its kind of our practice trash.

Tanda looked at it doubtfully. Practice trash?

Blood nodded. Well, yes. This was our first attempt at enhancing your auril beast hide leathers, using essence extracted from more magical beasts. She even tricked Jake into enchanting it with your runes. We were worried about you. You are strong for your level, but it is only that. You are still weak.

Ophelia realized the trick was merely that she hadnt told Jake who the leathers were for.

Tanda frowned, and looked a little hurt with her ears flat on her head. Blood was more than a little blunt, but Ophelia could tell that Tanda knew that she was just stating the facts, and that from her immense strength, she certainly had every right to.

Blood continued, Regarding the previous topic, I think it is perfectly fine to seek power in a mate. Even human women do, even if they delude themselves otherwise, as power takes many forms. I can both see and feel your potential, but you are not yet strong. When you used your power of death, I felt similarities with my darkness. You appear to be the most proven without a mate female in the world, and thats why I support you in joining our clan. Make sure you keep it that way.

Tanda frowned in confusion. Keep it that way?

Yes. Do not be weak. Do not let some other beastkin woman pass you in strength, or you will lose my endorsement. Also, if you failed to take and succeed your Trial, I would be severely disappointed in you.

And I just want to see you in more plays! I really liked your song, dance, and your voice, and Well, Im rooting for you!

Ophelia picked up on Berri almost bringing up that she really wanted to play baseball with the talking dog, but Blood stopped her.

Tanda looked dumbfounded, holding up the auril leathers. From what Ophelia could tell, this was a well-made rare item, but still Tier 0. It had a helmet that was covered with a hide that looked like a wolf, the wolfs snout protruding at the top and bottom of where her face would go. The ears were removed, allowing her own wolf ears to pop out where the ears on the wolfs head were. The rest was not all that dissimilar from her old leathers, but Ophelia could feel some odd deathly energies coming from it. She could tell from her magical senses that it was quite sturdy, that metal was somehow embedded inside in various locations, protecting her vitals.

Still, this looks like it should be expensive, what about the law of balance?

Blood responded, Surely, you have to have earned some more credits from your rift closures? We can use a debt contract, if you cant afford it. Youll have it paid in a short time from rifts, and it will hardly influence their difficulty, Tier 0 that the item is. You are facing Tier 1 creatures with hundreds of your allies, it is no problem.

Berri added, Try it on! I want to see you wear it!

They did the debt contract, finding she did have enough for the item, and they quickly guided Tanda to try it on. She stepped out from behind a divider in an area for dressing in the armory, and Ophelia was surprised.

Yay! You really look like the ancestor! Well, mixed with his raven wife.

Tanda asked, What are these flaps on the side, that go around my wings?

Heroes should wear capes! Everybody knows that! But, it would get in the way of your wings, so I draped them down the sides.

Ophelia covered her mouth as she chuckled. She really did look like she was wearing a cape, especially when her wings were down, resting.

W-Whats so funny? Why should a hero wear a cape?

Ophelia just shook her head. It was too hard to explain about the many superhero movies that humans watched. Berri had recently watched one for kids that had many dogs and other animals that were super, one of which wore a cape.

Berri then stood her in front of a mirror. I think you look cool, see!

In front of the mirror, Tanda was smiling as she looked at herself, and her tail was wagging though when she noticed this, she frowned, willing it to stop. Ophelia saw that Berri had a sly look as she noticed the same thing, perhaps enjoying the aspect of their new friend that was like a dog. Ophelia did think Tanda looked like a cool hero. Her bracers looked extra thick and sturdy, along with her chest piece.

Blood added, We made sure to add extra protection, sort of sandwiched some thin steel plates between the beast leather. This way, your vitals are still covered when you are low on auril, or if you had been taken unawares. We extracted and infused a death beetles essence into the armor, that had a strong carapace.

Berri said, You should try out Jakes enchantments! Try your auril now.

Tanda moved her auril, and the armor really came to life, as it began exuding the finality of death. The feeling of death became palpable, and Ophelia was amazed.

Tanda punched out her fist, and swung her spear with noticeably increased power.

Tanda was awed, and nearly speechless. Such Such a huge difference. I Thank you. Thank you so much. I dont understand how?

Jake said lots of stuff, but I didnt really listen!

Id smack you, sister, if it didnt hurt myself. He said the material was good enough that he was willing to try a formation, and we had him use the runes that he thought were most likely to be successful, the beastkin language. Were lucky it worked out, but he added strength, death, life, protection, balance, and harmony, he said. He even put ravens and wolves on your cape.

She looked down at the runes on her chest. Its kind of like a song. I I owe you, Clan Hart. Ill try to find a way to restore the balance, between us.

Tanda looked at her doubtfully. Jake cooks? But hes a warrior, crafter, builder, enchanter, champion of a goddess, lord, guild leader, and mage?

Yes! Jakes cooking is the best!

Fhesiah added, Yes, hes quite something. Why dont you have one of those pills before you go? What level are you, anyway?

Tanda held the small pill in her fingers doubtfully. I just eat it? Im level 6.

You swallow it. Hopefully youll learn that properly if you become Jakes mate.

Tanda frowned in confusion, but swallowed the pill.

Ophelia added, Im surprised, you were only level 6? Yet you fought to close many higher level rifts, had you not leveled?

Tanda shook her head, and said, I think I havent been eating all that well lately, running myself ragged with travel and fighting. If what Fhesiah says is true, that Whats going on?

Ophelia could feel it where she was standing: the life energy was being released from the pill. It was palpable in the air, the feeling of life energy, far greater than that in the jungle. Tanda was looking a little distressed. Ophelia thought she saw even the armor react to the energy, loosening and tightening around her body. She thought she even saw the cape move.

Fhesiah smiled and put a hand on Tandas back reassuringly. Dont worry, Tanda. Everythings fine. Just breathe.

Tanda took a moment to calm down, but began breathing slowly. Eventually, she spoke, My heart started really pounding, but it seemed hungry? Now, I think it feels good? She shivered. I feel like, I really needed that. Oh! I gained a level.

Fhesiah smirked. It looked like you really enjoyed that. Still, I like my form of leveling up even better.

Tanda frowned at that, but her entire demeanor perked up. Wow, that really hit the spot! I feel great!

Her tail was wagging once again, and there was an extra pep in her ears, standing straighter that Ophelia could clearly see.

Regarding the balance of the thousand plants to make the pills, I only said that it was like eating a thousand plants. Only a few salads, Fhesiah shivered, pausing, worth of auril plants went into the making of those, but they were enhanced by Qi; the energy of the heavens, and a few other ingredients. This is why, so far, they are not repeatable methods by your people. Im sure I could have them set up some kind of distillery to accomplish this, but then you would have to source plants from all over your jungle to keep up with production, and your people wont like this.

Tanda nodded, and Fhesiah continued, I believe we will need to work hard on the growing method, to both maintain the balance your people are concerned about, but also to increase the life force present in the plants. This is outside my expertise, but I am trying to learn and work together with your herbalists. This will take much longer, but I should be able to work towards awakening guild members first using my methods, for now.

Ophelia was far from being a fan of salads, but Fhesiah had an outright distaste for them; that was what her food eats, after all. Bloodberri was used to eating whatever was put in front of them, so they didnt mind them. Still, all of Jakes girls certainly preferred meat.

Those were my personal gift to you. Fhesiah took out another case. These are for your flock, as many of them are in our guild. I will be handing the same out to our other guild members, so dont worry about it. They have different levels of efficacy, though none of them compare to your special gift. She winked at Tanda.

Ophelia interrupted, How did you make so many? That looks like a lot?

Fhesiah smirked. Havent been into my lab recently, have you? I have several cauldrons and pill furnaces now. We now have thousands of guild members in total now, either here or on the way to Kenwodi, so this was the only way I could keep up. I did also delegate a few processes, as those should transfer into the final method we come up with together with the Framework.

She continued, There is an unawakened version, and one for each level where their potency will be higher. Feed one to your tribe mates each day, and along with some fights and auril beast meat, you should push your people closer to awakening.

Tandas mouth was wide open as she looked at Fhesiah, Ophelia thought she was amazed. Thank you all, for all that youre doing and the gifts. You are really working hard to help the beastkin people, and I cant thank you enough. I already do see Clan Hart as part of our people. You might not be beastkin, but you have found harmony with us, and that means a lot to me. So now, I really must go. I will bring the news that we should change our traditions for the war, regarding eating auril beasts, as well as adding Nodes to many villages. I will be gone nearly a week, as it takes several days to fly to [Harmony Peaks] with me stopping at villages on the way.

Ophelia smiled at Tanda. She sang, Soar high and free, dear friend. With your winds at your back and the sky as your home. Our hearts will miss your presence among us.

Tanda brightened. You learned it! Farewell, we are grateful for your songs, our heart will remember and be filled with joy and peace. Our heart yearns to be in your presence once more.

Tanda exited the armory, and Ophelia knew she would be taking to the sky shortly, where she would take Alliance Nodes to various villages, and meet with many tribes with her flock on her way to the North.

I hope she stays safe. The kids really like her. She came by when I was handing out soup the other day, Berri said.

Ophelia nodded. There is definitely a lot of room for trouble with how far shell be traveling, but its important. Luckily, if she dies shell be revived, but it will really harm the war if she does. She will be with a lot of her flock, so I bet theyll realize this and keep her safe.

Jake arrived. Whatre you girls doing in here? Ophelia, are you ready?

Ophelia smiled. Finally, Ill carry you through the sky!

Berri looked distressed. You said carry, right? Hes not going to ride you, is he?

Ophelia laughed. Youre so silly, sister. Itll be the prince carry. We need to put out the gondolas, and try out the censer at the other village. Well call you when we get there.

Berri wrung her hands in worry. I Okay. Ill be feeding and playing with the kids after some training and practice, but

Jake smiled at Berri, and Ophelia could feel him sending reassurance to her. Time is of the essence, so well do it this way today, as we travel through our own conquered territory. But dont worry, Im not replacing you as my mount, Berri. Well call you in a few hours.

Ophelia and Jake headed out of the armory, to leave the city. Clan Hart were going to do their best to empower the beastkin to survive this war.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com