A Spawn of Xat, oozing vile liquid from an arrow in its neck, dodged Octave’s second attack and lurched towards me, ignoring the Chipmunks crawling over its body. I reacted too late and the Spawn brought its clawed hand sweeping downwards in a slash that cut through my robes and tore the skin of my chest into bloody ribbons. With a cry equal parts pain and terror, I fell to the ground as blood spurted from my wounds.

  My body went into shock. Time seemed to slow down. From where I lay, my eyes followed the track of Octave’s arrow as it sliced through the air. My brow furrowed.

  Huh. Octave looks upset? Sad to see an Angel so afraid. Ord’s Mercy, look at this creature. Why do the Gods suffer such an abomination to exist and why must I be the one to fight it? I don’t want to be a ‘Chosen One.’ I just wanted a small, country Church near Ordheim where I could heal others. I want to share an ale and debate scripture at the old Tavern with local folk who trust in me and believe in the Gods. Now I’m going to die. I’m dying…

  “By Ord’s Sacred Oath, heal yourself, Kenric!” Octave was screaming in my face. I stared at him for a moment then slapped a blood stained hand over my chest and cast Greater Heal. Mir’s power flooded into me, sealing my wounds and removing the pain moments later.

  “Thank you, Octave. I…”

  “There is no time!” Octave pointed at the figure of Abbot Caspendeau. The possessed Abbot’s eyes were glowing purple and the spirit raised a hand to point it directly at me. He hissed a single word.

  “Heretic!”

  The final Spawn finally succumbed to its wounds and collapsed upon the floor in that moment, but I didn’t spare it a glance. From where I still lay upon the floor, my eyes were locked onto the area just in front of where Abbot Caspendeau stood. The Planar Frog, surrounded by a ring of summoned Chipmunks, stared back at me.

  “Curmlough, how much time left on your spell?” I called out. The Aulos, which I had heard playing all this time, finally ceased and I heard the Satyr gasp in exhaustion, his wind spent.

  “Ten seconds! I can’t play anymore!”

  “Heretic! Brother, you will surrender to the will of Xat! He has shown me the way! He has shown me the Truth! Fall here and be reborn as an instrument of his sacred plan!”

  My eyes never leaving the Planar Frog, I slowly rose to my feet and cast Congruency Darts. A ring of sharp needles appeared and began to orbit around my wrist.

  Just stay right there. Don’t move…

  I didn’t know how many times Curmlough’s Chipmunks had managed to purposely or inadvertently had managed to touch the Planar Frog, but I knew I was likely to not get the achievement for doing so if I didn’t land a hit on it myself. Abbot Caspendeau hadn’t been affected by Wik’s Lesser Turn Undead or Mir’s Harvest Moon. That meant I had to next try to drive the Void Abomination out with Purgation and sacrifice a point of my Luck. I didn’t know if Sul’s Web would provide additional Luck growth, which meant every point I currently had was precious.

  If I cast Purgation now, the Planar Frog will be caught within the spell’s effect too. Will that count as a hit? I want to fire my darts, but the Abbot could block them and the frog might escape! Ord, how do I both save the Abbot and tag that little beastie without getting us all killed?

  Abbot Caspendeau took the decision out of my hands. He either grew tired of waiting for me to cast away my staff and back down after his ultimatum or he had been playing for time. Either way the light of Harvest Moon finally dissipated as the spell ran its course and there was a shudder as the book floating above the altar began to hiss and steam as if about to boil over. The Abbot, or the Void Infestation controlling the Abbot, began to cackle.

  “Yes! The Book opens! Its secrets shall be revealed at long last! The truth hidden away by the Purgatorium Mystics will be known to all and the Gods of this world will fall as Ara did.” I stared in horror as a bright light began to leak from the slowly opening book and the orbiting purple runes eagerly began to crowd closer as if they possessed an intelligence all their own that sought to enter and corrupt whatever mysteries the book held within. The Book fought back! It was fighting to remain closed, but it was a fight it would soon lose.

  “Surrender Brother, you cannot win now! Your faith is misplaced as mine was. Come, we shall present the Book to the Master of Hadaeon’s Descent and our reward shall be to ascend by the power of Xat!”

  “No,” I whispered fiercely. I grit my teeth in a snarl and raised both my hands upwards in a supplicating gesture. “I deny you! Let Ara’s Light cleanse the void from your body and soul, Father Abbot! Return to Great Ord’s side! PURGATION!”

  The spell was a golden light that spread beneath our feet in a quickly expanding circle that captured myself, Abbot Caspedeau and the Planar Frog within its circumference. The spell’s effect upon me felt different this time. Memories flashed before me. My Mother reading to me from the Book of Ord as a small child, playing with toy boats with my brother Tanis near a stream, laughing with the Novices of St. Ioven’s as we all struggled with facts and figures as we struggled with learning the Treasurer Profession. I felt tears spring to my eyes, but my spirit was uplifted and I felt hope fill my heart once more. The effect upon Abbot Caspendeau and the Planar Frog were radically different.

  Abbot Caspendeau began to wail as wisps of void energy began leaking from every part of the old monk’s body. His eyes, nose, mouth, ears and even his fingers were evacuating corruption, but that same void energy began to reform itself until it took a horrifyingly familiar shape.

  Elite Spawn of Xat

  Level: 21

  The spell washed over the Planar Frog and I could only stare in wonder as the frog seemed to shift, split and fragment into different colorful aspects of itself before reforming into a single Planar Frog that seemed every bit as confused as I was. It broke the spell by letting out a loud CROAK and I reacted by launching my host of Congruency Darts, willing each one into the frog.

  The first of my darts hit! Then the next! Two hits and each time the Planar Frog croaked and launched another glowing item from its mouth. The third missed as the frog regained its senses and angrily vanished. The fourth and fifth dart bobbed and weaved in their mathematical configurations. One sailed over my shoulder and I didn’t see where it landed, but the final dart I redirected into the Elite Spawn of Xat who roared, displaying its roar of sharp teeth before charging me.

  I ignored and willed away the notifications I had been blasted with before slamming my staff upon the ground and raising my Bell shield just in time to block the first slash from the Spawn. It took damage and howled in rage no less than a foot from my face, but I calmly cast Bane Strike.

  “Stone, Entanglement, Gravity!”

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  The tip of my staff formed a solid piece of jagged quartz that I slammed into the head of the Spawn, my enhanced strength making its head snap back like it had been hit by an ogre. Its body wrapped in thick vines and it was brought to its knees as its own weight became too much for it to bear by my other two enchantments. Next to Purgation, Bane Strike was almost certainly the strongest spell in my repertoire.

  This Spawn was wary. It was hurt, but I had yet to take a scratch from it. Of course, it couldn’t know that my Bell shield was on cooldown, but I wasn’t about to let it formulate any plans either. I leapt forward swinging my staff horizontally. It was faster than I and managed to dodge aside while backhanding me with claw. I took the hit, but my ward spell returned some of the damage. I grimaced as I felt a bruise forming on my left shoulder where it had struck. I wasn’t finished yet.

  My mana was low, but I hadn’t bothered to try Mana tapping as Spawn never seemed to use any magical attacks, only relying upon their claws and teeth. I spared at glance at Abbot Caspendeau, but the spirit was sprawled on the ground and seemed to be losing consistency with every passing moment. I needed to end this.

  “Octave, Sunburst!” The Cherub complied and I shut my eyes and heard a satisfying screech as I saw a bright flash from beneath my eyelids. I opened my eyes and emptied my mana with a final Bane Strike.

  “Fire, Bane, Gravity!”

  The Elite slammed into the ground, its oily skin afire and its movements weak. I gave its head one final slam with my staff and its head exploded into brackish paste. Some of it landed on me, but I hardly cared. I rushed to the Abbot’s side.

  “Father Abbot, can you hear me?” I reached out, but as expected my hand passed through him. “Great Ord, show your servant mercy and restore him so that he might redeem himself in your eyes!” I prayed.

  “No, young one.” The Abbot’s voice was weak. His spirit continued to fray. He no longer had legs or a lower torso. I shook my head in consternation.

  “I don’t understand! This didn’t happen with the other monks when their spirits were freed? Why are you degenerating like this?”

  “Peace, Brother. It is alright.” The Abbot raised a hand and looked me full in the face. Now that the Spawn was gone, all I saw now was a tired old man, yet one with a kindly, if exhausted face. “I was too long held by that thing’s power. It is to my eternal regret that I was one of the first to fall to Prior Sandoval’s machinations. Oh, Ord forgive me!”

  “The Prior is dead, Father Abbot. I defeated him and have freed many of our Brothers! I shall free the rest and set things to right, I swear it in the name of the Gods!”

  “I can hear it, Brother.” Abbot Caspendeau looked past me towards some far away place and a smile tugged at the edge of his lips. “I can hear the singing of Ord’s Angels…”

  “I’ll bet they don’t sound as good without me there.” I heard Octave gripe behind me, but I ignored him.

  “He will forgive you, Father Abbot. But you must tell me! What creature did the Prior release? What did you have hidden here in the Abbey that has done all this?” For a moment, I feared the Abbot was already too far gone, but he answered, his voice growing weaker.

  “A relic of Ara’s Priesthood. A device that traps demons. It was locked in our treasury for centuries, forgotten by all, but the Prior found and released the monster, the poor fool. It hid itself among us, spreading fear and disinformation. We were once an Abbey of all Faiths, but we turned upon one another. We let ego and self importance replace rationality and humbleness.”

  Abbot Caspendeau was nearly gone and I prayed aloud for his soul. It seemed to comfort him, but I felt conflicted. I was disappointed the monks had let themselves be tricked. I was angry again at Prior Sandoval for his role in releasing the demon, but also more determined than ever to enter the Red Portal and confront the Dungeon Boss who was undoubtedly this demon that had been trapped within the relic.

  “Young Brother, I commit to you this Abbey. Please, restore it to what it once was. Let it again be a place where all are welcome. Let all who walk its ancient halls know it as a place of study and reflection of all Faiths.”

  “I will do all I can, Father Abbot. I promise you,” I whispered sincerely. Abbot Caspendeau faded away smiling and was gone.

  “Hmph. He’ll have some explaining to do when he stands before Great Ord.” Octave said. The Cherub flew closer. He had hung back while I spoke to the Abbot and I saw that his breastplate was stained with Spawn spume.

  “Got a bit close to one, did you?” I said with a weary grin. The Spawn and the Monks had all dissipated and I had received some Quest updates I wanted to look over.

  “Nah, they just die really dramatically. Like a popped balloon.”

  “What became of the Planar Frog? Curmlough, what do you have?”

  The Satyr was practically skipping about the area. He held a jeweled goblet in one hand and was dragging over a large roll of cloth.

  “Oh, he’s gone. Once a Planar Frog realizes it’s being chased it doesn’t stick around for very long, which is why you have to hit them quick…which we did!” He held up the Goblet and the roll of cloth, which revealed itself to be a cloak. “It also dropped a weird key, but I couldn’t pick it up. I think it’s for you.” I nodded, but examined the goblet and the cloak first.

  Goblet of Sweet Dreams

  Cloak of the Wild Hunt

  Two very different items, but both very welcome. As the cloak was Human sized, it was clearly for me, but without Lore Sight I was only privy to its name. The goblet, I assumed, had dropped for Curmlough since it had been his summoned Chipmunk that had been squished when the Planar Frog landed upon it. A stroke of good luck for the Satyr. Curmlough certainly seemed to think so. He was licking his lips as he read the description of the item, which he was able to see.

  “‘When water is added to this goblet, it transforms into wine or ale at the imbibers preference. Those who drink from it will experience good dreams that night.’ Water into Wine! Gor has blessed his favorite Chosen! Haha!” The Satyr capered about while Octave scowled and watched him jealously.

  “You should share that with me! My arrows distracted the frog so that it didn’t notice your rodent was underneath it.” Curmlough put a finger to his lips and grinned devilishly at the Cherub.

  “Well, that’s your opinion, I suppose. I might be tempted to let you have sip…if you start calling me Sir Curmlough the Clever!”

  “Never! You…you selfish, goat-faced…!”

  Shaking my head, I walked away to look for the strange key the frog had dropped. While I looked, I pulled up my notifications I had been ignoring and smiled triumphantly when I read them.

  You have struck a Planar Frog for 18 points of damage! Damage Negated!

  You have struck a Planar Frog for 15 points of damage! Damage Negated!

  Achievement Unlocked! Today You Found It, The Rainbow Ejection

  You have successfully landed an attack upon a rare Planar Frog.

  Reward: 25 Green Nodes, 8 Blue Nodes, 4 Red Nodes, 1 Rainbow Node

  You have exorcised a Mournful Brother!

  You have slain a Spawn of Xat!

  You have…

  Ding! You are now Level 12!

  You have received 2 Green Nodes!

  You have permanently lost 1 Point of Luck!

  Purgation has reached Tier II! Upgrades available!

  Quest Updated!

  Part 1: Exorcise the tormented spirits of the monks within the Abbey.

  Monk Spirits Exorcised: 35/40

  Spawn of Xat Eliminated: 35/40

  Part 2: Locate and use Purgation to destroy the Limbus fel shards growing within the Monk corpses!

  Monk Corpses Purged: 0/54

  Quest Updated!

  Part 1: Locate Prior Sandoval (Complete)

  Part 2: Locate Abbot Caspendeau (Complete)

  Part 3: Locate the Shard of Ara

  Success: TBD

  Failure: Loss of all Faction

  You have gained +100 Faction Ord!

  There was more to go through and I had Nodes to spend, including a new Rainbow Node. I was very interested in what those did. There was also an upgrade to Purgation to decide upon, but first I had spotted the key the Frog had dropped.

  I knelt down and picked up a key made of clear crystal. It fit in the palm of my hand, so I assumed whatever lock it fit must not be very large. I examined it further, but as with my cloak and the goblet, could only see its name.

  Sul’s Key of Unlocking

  Hmm, an interesting name. Sul means for me to unlock something then. Wik take it, I need Lore Sight back as soon as possible!

  “You know, hitting a Planar Frog once is incredible, but hitting it three times is astounding!” I heard Curmlough say as he darted around the room, waving the goblet behind him as he teased the pursuing Octave. “That spell you used really did something to it, Kenric.” That’s right. The Planar Frog had been affected by Purgation too. I wondered why? I pulled up the spell’s description again and noticed it had updated.

  Purgation: Fate Skill

  Description: The power of Fate does more than cleanse and cure, it also reconnects past, present and future where it has been severed. Remove that which is the antithesis of the Aeon Rift Arcanum and restore the flow of Positive Energy.

  Reconnects past, present and future? Well, that Frog definitely moved fast enough to move through time. Maybe that’s its secret? A beast that knows Time Magic? Ha! Gor only knows. What in Cel’s name is an ‘Aeon Rift Arcanum?’

  More questions. I was getting used to it by now, but I was also aware that time was passing and there was still a Murk Worm to fight. Yet, I had also succeeded in my goal of protecting the floating book. It still hovered above the altar and was now closed and no longer surrounded by runes trying to force it open. I approached it and was finally able to read its title.

  The Revelations of Cel

  “So this is a book written by another Prophet?” I murmured, glancing over the cover. It was blue in color and felt rough and keeled to the touch, like the skin of a reptile. The Abbot’s magic had been trying to open it, but failed. No, that hadn’t been the Abbot. The Spawn had been behind the attack.

  I stood before the altar and when I reached out to my surprise the book settled into my hands without issue. I received an updated description.

  The Revelations of Cel

  Description: Holds the Prophecies of the ‘Mad Monk’ Drakos, Librarian Priest of Cel.

  To read it or to destroy it? That Spawn certainly wanted to read it! Does that mean I shouldn’t? Some mysteries might be best left alone. Gods, I know I said I wouldn’t destroy a book, but now I’m not so sure. You don’t need to decide this now, Kenric. Focus on the now.

  “We have only so much time until the Void Portal opens. Does anyone need to rest?” Neither Octave nor Curmlough answered and I turned around. Both had a hand gripped around the base of the Goblet and were looking at me expectantly.

  “Do you have any water skins in your Inventory by chance?” Octave asked sweetly.

  “We have a Murk Worm to fight,” I said with a sigh.

  “Are they big worms?” Curmlough asked as he tried to jerk the goblet away from Octave, but the Cherub held firm.

  “Big enough,” I murmured, not meeting his eye.