Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Choose your css’s seventh skill: Bindings of Regret - Reaping Cycle - Cim the Remains of Power

  Well, that’s not daunting at all. Not even a simple choice like [Wound], [Raise Dead], or [Entomb]. It’s like getting Wiz-inator, Rising Lord of the Dawn, and Conspiracy Theorist all as one, except in this case they’re odd skills. She’d only skimmed the skill book provided by the Grave Society. It was a reference book, there had been no point in reading it until you knew your options.

  Thorne returned with a grimace to the women's lodge.

  “How does the situation look?” Harmony asked, hoping for a distraction.

  “It’s quiet, Lady White. Too quiet. It had been hard enough to deal with the wraith storm and a tier three and four entity. While the attacker's presence did disrupt the deadwoods they had to invest a lot to get something so powerful to assault the fort to distract me."

  The authority from the group was still rolling in filled with anger and annoyance. “I don’t think they’ll give up so easily.”

  “I agree. I fear they’ll try to ambush the princess on the way back to Naewauld. If that is their goal. I can only do so much to protect her. That spirit, while strong won’t be able to use their [Evict] skill for a while.”

  Yet another reminder that guild mistress Thorne was nothing like Hemlock. She seemed to care. “I managed to hit level twenty-four from the fight and have to choose my seventh css skill. I could use some advice.”

  “I can’t choose for you. But I can rey my experiences if I’ve run into simir skills. Considering your css, Jin might be able to provide more solid advice.”

  The outcast Grave Society necromancer wasn’t on her trusted list of people. With the choice needing to be made soon. Harmony could see if his opinion matched Thorne's. “These are my options…”

  “Bindings are usually a restraint skill, while regret feels like a penalty or curse effect. Reaping is damage, but I’ve seen cycle used in two cases, one that it builds up for a powerful attack or for ones that take a person’s full attention as an ongoing effect. Ciming is about taking things or putting a mark on a target. I’ve never seen any of those particur skills, but most necromancers in Naewauld stick to the Grave Society core skills.”

  She didn't need to mention that outside of this small Kingdom choosing the necromancer css was often akin to choosing death, so hadn't run into any outside of here. “Thanks for the Information. I will check with Jin before making my choice.”

  Why hadn’t she talked to Tyler and Len? Neither was dumb. [Keen Investigative Awareness] Let the answer kick in quicker. They had opinions and biases she knew of. With strangers, she could take in information and let herself decide uninfluenced.

  Harmony knocked on the hut’s door. “What?” yelled the necromancer in an exhausted tone.

  “Lady White, here to ask for a moment of your time.”

  “Oh, come in. It’s not locked.” Harmony opened the door to Jin’s small abode, he y on the cot looking exhausted . “I should have heeded that warning I gave you. I nearly burnt myslf out handling the wraith storm.”

  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. “

  “Oh, it was no problem. I gained a couple of levels from that mess. Conflict inspiring growth.”

  Just say it. “Speaking of growth, I leveled to twenty-four. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion of my options as a fellow necromancer?”

  “Ha! I’ll help any way I can. This calls for a celebration.” The man reached behind his bed and pulled out a familiar bottle.

  “Sober opinions first. The choices I’ve been offered. Are [Bindings of Regret], [Reaping Cycle], and [Cim the Remains of Power.] “

  “I’ve never seen a [Bindings] that didn’t tie something up. Bone, spirit, blood, flesh, now that’s a messy one. Regret means it will make them sad too, probably weak against dungeon monsters, but if you need some time to escape it’s no entomb, but it works. The only reap-style skills I’ve seen are cutting attacks, a cycle is usually over time, I once saw a [Cycle of Decay] take down a guardian, but they needed two tanks to keep it off of them while they channeled the spell. [Cim the Remains of Power], that's an interesting one. Rarely do you see an unevolved skill so long in the words. [Cim Undead], lets you wrest control from other necromancers, the dungeon, or the Deadwoods. [Cim Soul], that’s second evolution stuff, pluck someone right from their body. Remains almost always deals with the dead, you’re lifting power from the dead. What power? Who is to say?”

  Jin poured himself a drink and downed it. Then he filled up the gss again and offered it to her.

  “No thank you.”

  “You want to know what I would pick if it was me?” Jin asked before he downed the second drink.

  “No need. What girl doesn’t want a little more power?”

  The way Jin’s grin widened even further made Harmony wonder if maybe he’d get along with Abbess Violet as well as Len. The Grave Society may have had good reason to send him here. He started cackling.

  Harmony left him to his drink and went back to the bunkhouse.

  “You decide?” Throne asked.

  “Yes. Please keep an eye on me while I make my choice.”

  Choose your css’s seventh skill: Bindings of Regret - Reaping Cycle - Cim the Remains of Power

  [Cim the Remains of Power] A hungering hollow isnd joined her other skills, one that sees and seeks, grasps and takes, for all does not need to remain lost. It can be hers for the taking. Heavily connected to [Renew Spirit], [Final Silence], [Analyze], [Awareness], and a streak of [Manipute Dead] but more spiritual than physical. That empty space, a bubble, a crystal sphere, a terrarium waiting to be filled, just the right shape to be filled by a skill.

  Harmony’s long hard work at what she considered soul sight popped on as she opened her eyes. [Cim] filled in so many needed holes.

  Thorne’s skills throbbed inside of her and Harmony could more accurately feel what they did but her sturdy level of advancement made them hard to picture as clear as others. Soul strike was about to get leagues better, because even now it felt like not as much effort would be needed to reach out and touch that space.

  “Lady White, are you feeling alright?” Throne asked.

  Harmony had to give herself a little shake and blink her eyes, stopping that effect. That hollow spot in her felt extra empty. “Sorry. The choice finished and it took a lot out of me. I think I’m feeling quite hungry and could use a good meal.”

  “Yes, you were looking at me like I was a cupcake. Maybe we could all use a meal. I’ll gather up the team.”

  The leveling up had helped with the current rising authority. But how it was causing this newest skill to act up might be a problem as it’s hunger mixed with all the other upset skills emotions in her body. Maybe [Cim] had been the wrong choice? A gurgly stomach reminded her that yes, Harmony, you could actually be hungry too.