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2024-10-29 19:42:56Nodding after confirming that they understood, Edvard took the lead as they continued their struggle through the overgrowth.
Luckily, his blade seemed to be great at cutting through the particularly thick bushes. While Edvard didn't like doing so, fearing it might damage the blade, it had become necessary if they wanted to continue on.
While at it, he also made sure to do his best to keep an eye out for any movement. Never letting any animal get past him unaware. He even sniped a few, normally for dinner.
Finally, they made it out of the dense part of the forest. With the plants clearing up, especially the ferns and other ground-based vegetation becoming less, the brother and sister felt like they were now floating.
Being able to move without a constant struggle was a truly strange and wonderful feeling.
A few hours later they refound the road, and as the sun was going down, they arrived at the town.
Massive, white-washed walls with im
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Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 3 - Cost for housing)
"And how long would that be?" Edvard asked, trying to keep his dislike out of his voice. "Holy wars are normally only waged for anywhere from five to twenty years." The guard replied, he too didn't like the situation that the war placed them in. Though he would never admit it aloud so directly. He liked his cozy position; he also likes his head attached to his shoulders. "But... It has to be better further into the kingdom!" Vanja suddenly shouted, only for the guard to shake his head in sad denial. This caused her to shiver as she recalled the attack that had happened during their journey. Edvard had quickly taken care of it, and if not for him, she did not know if they would have managed to come out of it unscathed. Talking about fighting monsters was completely different from the real deal. That she had learned very quickly in their recent encounter. There was no warning, just a sudden attack. She realized that she and her brother would have missed
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 4 - Monster Hunter Association)
Edvard had no wish to rely on them for housing and food. He wanted to get to work as soon as he could. The sooner he started, the sooner he could start making some sort of network to help him gain a foothold and hopefully a way to search for the others. The money he made would also certainly come in handy when he needed things done. He most certainly didn't plan on relying on the two kids. The reason he had agreed to have them join was he needed someone who knew the way, however, in the end, he had needed to find the way for them in the dense overgrowth. Things go wrong, this Edvard had long since accepted. He might still be able to use the kids, thus he would keep contact with them. At the very least, they could be his backup. "I assume that means you aren't going to join me in signing up as a monster hunter?" Edvard asked and got the expected shake of the head. "No, I don’t wish to endanger Vanja by going on quests. I know there is no way sh
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 5 - Taking on gathering quests)
'This war seems to be a real problem for this kingdom.' Edvard thought, shocked that such a key part of the kingdom could be in such disarray. The monster hunter association was the only way outside of nobles fielding their own army to combat the influx of monsters. This, along with the condition of the roads and what the guard had shared, Edvard realized that the kingdom must be close to collapse. Making him worry for the others, the collapse of a nation most certainly will lead to harder times for all. However, it would also make a unique situation where he might be able to grasp some important role that could lead to him finding the others. First, he needed to secure his own life through confirming the coming dangers and opportunities. Edvard sighed as he turned to the young lady. "Alright then, I would like to sign up." "I'm sorry, but... You're not a knight, are you?" "I'm not, but I am confident in my skills." "Be that as it may,
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 6 - A black and green cat)
'This war seems to be a real problem for this kingdom.' Edvard thought, shocked that such a key part of the kingdom could be in such disarray. The monster hunter association was the only way outside of nobles fielding their own army to combat the influx of monsters. This, along with the condition of the roads and what the guard had shared, Edvard realized that the kingdom must be close to collapse. Making him worry for the others, the collapse of a nation most certainly will lead to harder times for all. However, it would also make a unique situation where he might be able to grasp some important role that could lead to him finding the others. First, he needed to secure his own life through confirming the coming dangers and opportunities. Edvard sighed as he turned to the young lady. "Alright then, I would like to sign up." "I'm sorry, but... You're not a knight, are you?" "I'm not, but I am confident in my skills." "Be that as it may,
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 7 – Dalibor’s journal)
The guards were slightly surprised to see him so soon again, especially with his backpack so full. Many leaves, roots, and stems were even sticking out from the top which was a struggle to stay closed. Edvard directly headed to the monster hunter’s association. The building wasn't impressive, in dire need of repairs. With several of the wooden logs beginning to splinter. Yet, strangely, Edvard found it more pleasing to the eye this time around. Hearing the swivel doors opening, Irena looked up in surprise. Shocked when she saw Edvard coming in. "You're-you're back!" She shouted while rushing out from the counter. Left speechless when Edvard took off his backpack and placed it onto one of the tables. "I brought a bit more than was requested. Hope I can get a fair deal, if not please tell me who might be interested." Irena nodded absentmindedly as she watched Edvard taking out the plants and starting to sort them. His haul was certainly impressi
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 8 - Abigail)
"Quite a number of things, but the most pressing is..." Edvard explained his encounter with the dark-green beast, leaving the girl shocked speechless. "Are you sure?" She asked and Edvard nodded, asking why she seemed so shocked. "It is just, how did you survive?" "What do you mean, it was just hungry." "You don't understand..." She stopped and decided to drop it, she only knew rumors in any case. Normally, no one lived to share their encounter with this beast. The rumors around it were similar to those surrounding dragons, but even more mysterious. "I'm Abigail." "Nice to meet you, I'm Edvard" Edvard smiled, realizing that she wanted to change the topic, so he asked his next question. "Right, my next question would be why you are not wearing any armor and why you have a staff. It isn't a good weapon for fighting beasts." "I am wearing armor; this isn't just a frail piece of clothing." She said, showing Edvard how thick it was
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 9 - A little about magic)
"As for seeing if you can manipulate the Ether, that is far harder. While Erendale has over 200 knights... Before the conscription..." She added this with a hint of sadness, quickly throwing it off as she continued, "The total amount of apprentice mages was only 20, 8 of whom were conscripted..." 'So, being a mage is about ten times as rare as being a knight. Then... Is it possible to be both?' Edvard wondered and asked. "It is, but I have never met someone so talented. The two paths of using magic aren't exclusive from one another. But it isn't easy to accomplish, normally the one would lag behind the other so much that it becomes useless in combat." "Of course, you only have so much time to spend training." Edvard nodded, wondering and asking if being a cleric was exclusive. "It is. Due to them gaining their power from their god. Training in another path is considered blasphemy and would lead to them not just losing their blessings but receiving a c
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Erendale (Part 10 - Vedran)
"Of course. That is why I have this!" Edvard said, flaunting his bow that could be called bad at best. "They can't hurt me if they don't even realize they died," He said with absolute confidence, causing Irena to pray that the worn string wouldn’t snap at the wrong time. After boasting, Edvard fastened it to his back again through a simple hook mechanism he had made. Storing it took a few seconds of fiddling, but when needed he could pull it without any fuss. Irena smiled as Edvard's confidence boosted her own, after wishing him the best she couldn't help but blush. His confidence was just too infectious and calming. Ignorant that another girl had started to think strange things of him, Edvard headed out and stopped by his camp first thing. 'No animals disturbed it,' He thought, having left a few things here and in particular the curing hide of the fox. 'I am going to need to get a place inside the walls if I want to cure their pelts... I wond
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- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
Epilogue (2)
It was like this energy was a part of him, yet it was clearly a foreign substance. Apparently, the first step to learning how to become a knight was channeling it into a blade. Most swords made for knights were made of special magical metals and enchanted. The glow that Edvard had seen so often was the process of the metal being filled with ether. Activating its magical properties, and naturally, the effects of the enchantments. Edvard’s blade was apparently different from the norm. It did not glow when he pushed the strange energy into it. Though, Edvard suspected that was because the amount he could gather and focus was too little to affect the magnificent blade. While Edvard still had a thing or two to nit-pick about regarding the Vespes prince, he had to accept that he was only alive thanks to the prince’s ‘gifts’. While hell, the illusion had truly prepared him for the harshness that this world was filled with. “Can you teach me how you form spells?” Edvard asked. “I can’t be
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
Epilogue (1)
Edvard stirred, his entire body afire. Grimacing, the previous events slowly came back to him. ‘So, I survived…’“Careful now.” Abigail instructed, bringing a cup to his mouth and having him take a few small sips.The herbal tea helped soothe the blazing fire in his throat, sadly it did little for the rest of the flames. Trying to force out any words caused his chest to explode in pain, so he remained quiet. Taking sips as Abigail offered them.“I can’t believe how reckless you were.” Abigail said, Edvard noticing that they were in the shade of some tree. The gentle sound of a stream was barely audible. “I really thought you were going to die on me when you didn’t stir for two days.”Unable to form any words, Edvard simply held his peace. Listening as Abigail detailed what had happened after he had lost consciousness. Atop the horse, she had rushed with him along the main road, heading deeper into the kingdom. Stopping long after night had arrived.That night, she had cleaned most of
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The orc horde (Part 11)
“He made it…” Edvard forced out these words as he continued to shoot arrow after arrow. No longer was it possible to keep the rooftop clear of orcs. The best he could do was kill them as they gathered their footing.The continuous pulling of his bow was showing its strain on his untrained body. His shoulder acts, his fingers burned, and his arm trembled. Yet, he pushed on. He had to. He couldn’t die here.He still needed to find Yawen. He still needed to find a way home.The screams from below had long since died. The knights had fought valiantly. But valiance was not enough to turn the tide of a battle.“Are we going to die like this?” Abigail asked, forcing herself to stay calm and take deep, steady breaths. Collecting her focus and doing her best to gather the ether in the surrounding. Thanks to overusing magic and a lack of sleep, her mind was already foggy. Yet, she pushed on.“That… isn’t… part… of… the plan.” Edvard replied between the twang of his bow. Luckily, he had more tha
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The orc horde (Part 10 – Salvation)
Edvard took a deep breath and calmed his heart. Abigail was next to him, responsible for blasting any orcs who made it to the roof, back to the ground. She was still tired. Unlike Edvard, she had no sudden recovery thanks to a strange magical sword.Yet, she was determined. She took deep, steady breaths, focusing on the surrounding and doing her best to remain calm. The destruction of her hometown had certainly sent her heart into shock. She was ready to accept that none of her family had made it out.Even so, she had many friends in the town. She hoped and prayed that some of them might still be alive.“You ready?” Edvard asked, his targets in his sights.“Yes, let’s do this!” Abigail replied, determined to fight to the last. Even if their mission ended up unsuccessful, she wanted to kill as many of these damned orcs as possible before her dying breath.“Right.” Taking another deep breath, Edvard could feel a strange energy filling his lungs. Distributing itself to the rose patterns
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The orc horde (Part 9 – I’m no strategist)
The roses imprinting themselves into Edvard caused him to glow. Abigail gasped in awe at the sight, his entire body lighting up like he was some sort of angel. Until it all vanished, leaving only faint outlines of the roses. Like fading tattoos.“A-are you alright?” Abigail asked.“I feel great!” Edvard replied with a warm smile. Filled to the brim with energy and more confident than ever. “Let’s go see if the town is still holding out.”Edvard took the lead. The two followed the path created by the orcs when they had chased Edvard, having cut down all plants in their way, allowed the two to move swiftly and in an almost straight line. Their return taking them no time at all.Smoke was the first thing they noticed upon exiting the forest.“Ahhh—” Edvard moved quickly, stopping Abigail from making any further sounds.“Look carefully, the smoke isn’t acting normal. I think someone is controlling it to give cover to survivors.” Once he was sure she wasn’t about to shout in concern, Eldri
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 8 – Tree of light)
Edvard slowly stirred, fighting the sleepiness that filled his entire body. He fought to simply stay conscious. Sleep was a tempting mistress, but his years in the illusion taught him never to let sleep dull his sense. He needed to confirm the situation. The last thing he recalled was seeing Abigail among the carnage.Abigail was sitting near a fire, her clothes a mess of blood and tears, having used her clothes as bandages for Edvard's wounds. Forcing himself upright, Edvard smiled. She was a beautiful girl, far too young for him, but he could at least enjoy the sight as the fire illuminated her hair. Her hair was no longer a shiny bright green but rather a deep dark green. Yet it was still enchanting as a shine would come through as the flames of the fire played in the wind. Edvard was lying atop some large leaves, close enough for the fire’s heat to reach him. His own clothes were tattered, his toning muscles reflecting the light of the fire. A few more months, and he would be at
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 7 – Their struggle)
As the despair grew and the atmosphere became heavier, it was all too clear that no one thought victory was possible. They had sacrificed so much just to stall the orcs on the walls yet here they were. Some had been optimistic, believing they could stop the orcs in their tracks. Sadly, even the wilds gate where the orcs had attacked in rage had managed little against the far lesser number of orcs. The other gates had lost far more and killed far less, this fact added to the heavy air of despair that filled the air. None were still optimistic. Everyone understood just how terrifying their enemy was. In their retreat they had not given up. A number had taken shelter in the abandoned homes. While some of those were praying not to be found like cowards, most were waiting. Waiting for the movement to strike. When they could make the largest difference while sacrificing themselves. For if they were to die, they would have it be in an effort to save their families. Sadly, even this was
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 6 – The siege)
The rivers going through Erendale had done nothing to slow the orcs. They had not even needed to deviate to the bridges to cross them. The rivers were after all not that deep nor that strong.As a result, all three gates had been assaulted with little difference in timing. Locking everyone inside the town with no way to escape. The orcs ramming the gates protected underneath their shield of fireproof logs.Jaune looked at the charging orcs with a slight smile, they had been truly bothered by the orcs’ patience thus far. The gates would not last long, they needed to thin the orcs on the walls before falling back to the keep. Sadly, the keep could not hold everyone. Some had to die here first, they could only retreat once it was clear that the walls were lost and after enough had died. It was terrible but it was their best bet. The attack had simply come too fast.Luckily, now it appeared that the orcs would indeed scale the walls, all thanks to Edvard. And to top it off he had taken ha
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 5 – Image of their god)
Edvard could feel that his body lacked the strength to fight on. Lacked the basic energy required for him to move. He had long since started running on fumes fuelled by his will, and even his mind was becoming foggy. As he was slipping on towards sleep, a welcomed sleep. The eternal sleep, Edvard’s mind flashed with his Yawen’s gentle smile. His body recalled her warm embrace. Her tender love. This flash of memories long past filled him with endless warmth and strength. It soared through him as he realized that she could very well be somewhere on this planet. He prayed that her situation was better, but if it was not. ‘I cannot allow that to happen!’ Edvard looked at the charging orc, his determination like fire. His will and bloodlust so strong that the orc paused for just a second, a second was enough. Edvard stood next to the orc, his sword dripping with blood. Taking a deep breath, he recalled this smell, he relished it. He suddenly recalled his last moments in that hell. ‘I s
