Zetsumei

 

Two days. It's been two days since my 'resurrection’ and Frost still hadn't said a word. She passed out the moment we made it to the inn in...whatever this place is called. Some troll village. My take is it's the Alabama of this world… The second day was crying and holding. She didn't say much but I held her as she cried and did the tickle on her back. At this point we were nearly out of coins, so something needs to give before were out again and at risk of ambush.

 

Through all this I've yet to see a mirror, apparently Trolllabama doesn't believe in mirrors. That and this is probably the first chance I've had to think since this all started and why am I recapping two shitty days? Well. Regardless, my character screen is pretty hot. Definitely felt weird seeing full girl mode going on after all these years of hiding who I am. I need time to process this. And see how interacting with others goes…

 

Looking at Frost's sleeping form I opened up my character sheet again. I'm so happy I'm not in greens anymore and a sea of purples greet me when I open this. And two reds. That was a surprise, I forget where they rank in rarity but I think 'Ancient' was the term? They never cleared alpha back when the game first launched, yet here they are. My twin blades, "Blades of the Reaper". Special attribute, damage is modified by Magic Affinity; deals spell damage. So naturally Strength is a done for stat. I mean, between the blades and the fact that my transformation doubled all my stats I think I'm good on strength. So Stamina and Magic Affinity are my dump stats now and good lord are they high up. 

 

I flicked over to my talent screen which now had several options. I had to take the first one I saw. Shatterblades : You're weapons now deal direct damage to your opponents equipment. I mean, that's a hell yeah ability. I didn't have another talent point to spend right now but I saw some nice options. Soul Reap looks to be my next one unless something cooler unlocks. Basically it upgrades my Life Drain, where I heal by draining another's life, into an instant effect. Supes important in a death game…

 

Looking at Frost, who's still asleep btw, I decided it was time to see what I can find out. I should probably add that it's probably about midnight or close to it, so it'd be weirder if she wasn't sleeping. I gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head, adjusted her covers to make sure she was snug and left to explore the city. The entire place is a safe zone no damage can be taken, except from falling of course, so I felt safe leaving her to rest. I left the inn and walked down the thoroughfare to find a seedier part of town. Tons of fantasy book binging tells me that's where I'll hear the juicy stuff. Y'know, having anthropomorphic legs, or whatever this knee bending the other way thing is called, seemed like it would be weird. I mean, between that and having hooves. Oddly it isn't. I wonder what it would feel like to get my hooves pedicured… hooficured? Hmm. Cornicure, no that's my horns? 

 

I was still trying to figure it out when I smelled it. The shittiest bar in the city. Literally. As I stepped inside I had to step carefully to avoid getting anything… unsavoury on me. This is the worst part of having hooves by the way. It's not a shoe stepping in squishy ick anymore, now it's just me and my 'foot'. Ew. The bar was dark, a handful of candles lit the room. Fortunately with my transformation I didn't notice the dark. I know it's dark but it doesn't affect my ability to see. Something to do with being undead is my suspicion. The bar was typical fantasy fare, wood floors, wood bar, wood mugs, blood stains. And it seemed like everyone in the bar had the same dark hooded robe on. And are staring at me, how droll… Best I sit I reckon. So, a seat at the bar it was. 

 

A blueish troll, a few inches shorter than I approached. Very stereotypical btw. Mohawk, goatee, lots of skulls for clothing. I braced myself for a bad Jamaican accent, "Ey mon. Y'here for de pit fight?"

 

Pit fight? Uh… "How'd you guess?"

 

He shrugged, "Ya look like da adventurer type. Follow me mon." 

 

I raised an eyebrow as I followed. Apparently, having breasts and an obviously feminine face and body did not exempt one from being a 'mon'. Maybe i should respond with pika pika, no wait that's… that's electric, I don't do that. What pokemon would I be? 

 

We went through a door in the back and the smell of copper and bad b.o. hit me like a hammer to the face. I heard grunts and the clanging of metal on metal. I caught a brief glimpse through the crowd a moment and saw a giant bipedal cow skewer a little goblin through the chest on his spear. The crowd went wild, so did my stomach. If those are players this is supposed to be a safe zone… The troll grabbed my wrist and pulled me along through the crowd. I guess I was taking too long. He pushed through and we went into yet another room. Inside was, I blinked in surprise, a human male. In a nation of other races it was pretty unexpected. 

 

"I gotcha nudder one mon." The troll pulled me forward to stand slightly before him. I looked at him with anger for the rough treatment but my attention was quickly turned to the human.

 

"What is all this? Are those players out there?" The man gave a curt nod and a frown. "But. They...they're killing each other!"

 

"Did you come here for a reason demon or just looking to lecture? They," he waved past the door, "come for riches and fame. This may all be new but the sport is ancient and many wish to find the fame of the arena. What of you? Why do you come and claim my time?"

 

He stared at me but not so much as a person, more as though he were appraising my worth. Like I was an object. It feels pretty weird to see that on someone at least 2 heads smaller than me. "I came seeking knowledge. I'm tracking someone. An elf, half his face is melted and burnt."

 

"Knowledge. Of an elf? How disappointing but I suppose it can be arranged." He looked distant for a moment and then glanced back at me, "Yes, I accept the terms. I'll have the information found on this burnt elf."

 

"Terms…?" Instead of answering, he smiled and suddenly my stomach fell out from beneath me and he rushed past in an instant as I fell down. The wind was knocked out of me as I struck the floor. I only saw him for a moment as he stared down at me through the trapdoor that opened beneath me and then it was shut and I was trapped in the dark. "Mother fucker!"

 

What terms?! Given the kind of person my captor was, even from that brief encounter I could tell, I knew screaming wouldn't help. I looked around with my able to see in the dark vision and found nothing helpful just too smooth walls and no openings other than the one above me. I tried climbing but couldn't get a grip, I tried jumping but it was a few feet too high. And so, in defeat I sat. All I could do now was wait. Wait and then slice my way to freedom when the time came…

 

The sound of chanting startled me awake. Apparently a dark cavern with boredom is a great way to fall asleep. A portal stood before me and through it I could hear chanting from a large crowd but I couldn't tell what they were saying. With no other options I stepped through. 

 

"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill" and on and on the chant went. At least now i knew what they were saying. I looked around and found myself standing on a small stage, seemed like a traditional wrestling type stage. A lot of faces were staring up at me. And behind me. Oh.

 

I rolled to my right and felt air sweep past me. I came to my feet and summoned my twin blades. Turning to where the attack had come from I found a large cow man swinging his fork, er spear? Fuck it. It's his fork, at my head again. I swung my right blade at the shaft in a block and never felt it connect. My blade passed straight through and the spear turned to ice and then shattered into little shards in the wake of my blade. "What the fuck dude? I didn't even know we had beef!"

 

I didn't know cows could make that face but oh he's pissed. Does not like cow jokes...His fist swung up almost faster than I could see and suddenly I was staring up at the ceiling with something hard in my mouth. He was there picking me up in a manner most inappropriate as he grabbed my breastplate. I spit whatever it was out of my mouth and it landed in his mop of hair. Oh! It's a tooth! He growled at me much unlike a cow, "Time to send you back to hell."

 

"Oh that's not even a pun. Come on…" He responded with a yell as he threw me back into the ground. I heard a few cracks my ass region and cried out, one hand outstretched to plead, "Wait! I just need to know…" 

 

He hovered above me one leg raised to stomp my head but he seemed to pause. 

 

"What do you call a cow with no legs?" Even as I finished the question, my outstretched hand summoned a blade and slashed down through both of his legs. They turned to ice and just like the spear had before them, they shatter beneath the cow. He stood before me on his stumps a shocked and pained expression on his face. "Ground beef."

 

He didn't laugh. How rude. Twisting my face up in disappointment I stood up and delivered a kick into his sternum. There was a wet crunch and I felt warm liquid coat me and pain shot through my back. Blood. Everywhere. And I looked back to see my misshapen tail. That explains the cracking. I looked ahead of me and saw the cow with a gaping hole in his chest, his insides various stages of liquid. Note to self, high strength, plus hooves equals icky. Ohhhh this is gross. I yelled above the crowd, "Kay. I'm going to go shower now. Just mail me the info."

 

The crowd did not part. Rather the portal opened again but before I could step through two pissed off looking Orcs stepped through. Given their bare chests and certain perky features I'm gonna go ahead and say it was a female duo. One brandished an enormous war hammer and the  other two small blades dripping with what I assume is poison. Fuck me. I gripped the one with the poison blades with my purple shadows and ripped her soul to me, placing a blade in the shadow just before her body snapped into place. Another one down, turned to chips of ice. This is going to be a long day…

 

***

Frostina

 

I awoke to numbness. After two days the pain was missing, now I felt cold. I lay there with my eyes closed for a bit. After so much pain the emptiness was strange but not unwelcome. I was cold on the inside and wanted to cuddle to feel some connection, to not feel alone and isolated. I reached back for Zet, she would cuddle me and stroke my hair and tell me it'll be ok. The space behind me was empty. I opened my eyes and turned, she wasn't in the room at all. "Zet?"

 

After a few moments and no answering calls, I frowned. Where is she? I checked my party screen and saw her health dip suddenly. I felt a surge of fear. We were supposed to be safe in the city but her health had just dropped to almost half! I pulled up my map to check her location and saw she was in the city, down near the docks. I rolled out of bed, my husband needed me and I'd save her this time, damn it! As I rushed to the door I remembered something and stopped. I opened my inventory and found what I was looking for. A scroll. 

 

After Pyria died two items had fallen from her hand. A book and a scroll, I've been debating on the scroll since. It seemed similar to Zet's scroll that had temporarily taken her from me. I'd been afraid to try it but now I think I needed to. I removed it from my inventory and inspected it again. Mark of Celestia. With the power of friendship, you got this. Together. Not a very helpful tool tip. I crushed the scroll and golden energy swirled around me. The golden thread expanded into a rainbow of energy and suddenly it was pouring into me and I could feel my body growing stronger. As suddenly as it started the cascade was over, a faint glow of light seemed to surround me. I checked my stats and found they had all nearly doubled, my Magic Affinity and Speed had an asterisk next to them. I focused on it and another window popped up. *Ancient Passive* The Power of Friendship. When near a friend these stats receive a 100% increase. Inactive when a weapon is equipped. Max stack: 1. 

 

Well that sounds nice. I double checked that Zet was on my friends list and then headed off. I couldn't waste anymore time. I took off running for the docks. Seeing she was in a building I quickly entered it and strode inside. Careful to avoid a pile of shit in the doorway. It was some kind of rundown old type bar. Ew. It had a 'sibling fucker' vibe to it. Kind of like Alabama...A blue troll approached me, "Ey mon! What-"

 

"Quiet Branch. I'm looking for a demon girl, taller than you, pale purple skin." I had no patience, I checked my party window again and saw her health was back to full. And now it's at a quarter! The troll was staring at me, a look of concern on his face. . Oh, fuck this. "Move!"

 

I shoved him out of the way to the sound of mild protest from the troll and followed the arrow on the party screen. I shoved open a door, literally. It came right off the hinges and flew to the ground. I'm going to need to learn my new strength… I walked into a fog of bad b.o. and saw a crowd gathered around something. A something my party window said is probably Zet. I shoved my way through the crowd and found Zet surrounded by over a dozen corpses and piles of ice? What? Why is there a cow with no chest…?

 

Focusing on Zet, I saw she was facing about 8 goblins and one was on her back stabbing her repeatedly. Oh fuck no! I charged up and sent a healing ray into Zet with one hand and fried the little turd muffin with the other. The cast time was insanely fast post-scroll, it was almost enough to get me excited for this fight. Zet looked over at me and smiled. I have to admit she was terrifying right now. She was covered head to toe in blood and her grin was chilling against that backdrop. But God did she make me feel warm down below standing there having held her own against so many. I smiled back at her, "We got this together…"