The Devil In White: An AA Online Novel

"Wait, they actually just jumped on you and dogpiled at the end?" Amelia hadn't interrupted even once. They had been walking for over an hour and a half, and his story was filled with such mirth and joy she hadn't felt guilty about asking him and her heart hadn't hurt as much as it could have. She knew at this point what the stakes had been.

"No. They shielded me with their bodies." Aidan said. "I lived through the boss explosion."

Amelia halted and dragged him to a halt as well. They had been alternating hands, but she was still holding his and used it to jerk him back. "What? Did you live? Did you… But you woke up with them. Did you kill yourself?" She was shocked and asked the question bluntly. She didn't know what she would have done in his situation but that didn't seem like Aidan at all.

"What? No. I was angry as a wasp. Angry because why hadn't I thought of that? Two level 400 players shielding the 3rd? It was genius. We could have drawn straws." Aidan shook his head. "No, I was too mad to think about any of that. If I had survived then maybe but… The explosion had a secondary effect. The acid burned through me about two minutes later, and it had a paralyzing effect in large doses. It gave me plenty of time to be mad, and sulk, and think. When I showed up in the waiting area for respawning they were actually pretty bummed out. They had thought when I didn't arrive that they had saved me." Aidan looked to the side and away from Amelia so she couldn't see the flicker of unease and guilt on his face. His mouth turned sourly, as it often did when he lied. His expression stabilized and he turned back, the same as usual.

"Ah. I bet you got yelled at even though it wasn't your fault." Amelia smiled wryly, unaware of this whole moment thinking that he had turned away so she wouldn't see his sadness. "Lot of that for you is there?"

"Makes up for all the times I don't get yelled at and it is my fault," Aidan said, smiling back. "So there you have it. What do you think? Meet expectations for the final world showdown of a death game?"

"I think, Aidan, that there wasn't anyone else who could have done anything," Amelia said quietly. "That you're pretty good as a human being, and that your hands are kinda sweaty."

Aidan reluctantly released her hand and then smiled. "So will you go on a date with me?" He asked.

"Yeah. I figured you were gearing up. The hour and a half of handholding was kind of a giveaway. So here's a pro-tip from the guide. If a girl holds your hand, duration doesn't matter, you can ask her out." Amelia smirked. "Certain prerequisites are met at that point."

"Ah. So we could have walked normally for an hour! I'll keep it in mind." Aidan's smile faded. "I'm glad you were the one that was there when we woke up. It's been nothing but fun."

"Ironic isn't it? I'm not that fun of a person!" Amelia joked.

Aidan was looking at her oddly again as if he didn't understand. "You should have been looking for the other sociopaths Amelia. It's just a word after all."

"Hey, I have a conscience!" Amelia protested.

"Sure." Aidan grinned. "A very specific, honorable, and listed one at that."

"Goodnight Aidan. Please don't get killed in a plane crash on your way home." Amelia finally managed. He looked like he was about to ask her what she meant but then didn't.

"Goodnight, Amelia."

The next day was another whirlwind of activity, but Amelia pushed through. Everyone was busy and didn't stop by during the day. Raven had mentioned doing some shopping for clothes and cute armbands the night before, and Amelia imagined that Forsythe had gone with her to carry bags and to seek out new grocery stores. Aidan hadn't indicated that he was busy, and she was a little disappointed he didn't show up and sweep her off her feet. That was probably asking too much.

When Amelia logged on she found that she was early. Most of the group, and even Aidan, still remained offline. She spent her time with the craftsman on the 4th-floor entryway, looking over their work. Most of them had started cooking. Several were high-level chefs now and their food could be used to bolster health and defense stats, so they would distribute the food to the small army. Portable tables slipped out and cooking pots were arranged. The weapons and armor crafters had volunteered to help distribute food and they were all getting plates ready, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. It has to be mentioned that Amelia told herself repeatedly that even though the food they made looked good it still wasn't up to Forsythe quality. Unknown to herself she had joined his loyal fan club and despite her open-mindedness, kind of looked down on the food made by others in the game.

She continued to wander aimlessly, waving once in a while when someone stopped to say hello to her. She did her best even though she didn't know anyone. This was all MKC's fault.

Amelia stopped when she saw a young woman carving wood figures and talismans. "Those are beautiful." She said appreciatively. The young woman looked up and smiled mid-stroke on a small fox carving.

"Yes. I learned the other day that when I have time I should make something bigger. These small things when gazed upon give status effects like minor resistances or avoidance after my rank up. They also raise my reputation when they're admired. I figure something bigger that I can display might give out longer duration boosts or other neato perks." The small red-haired woman put down her carving and held out her hand. "I'm Schulia."

"Amelia." She shook the hand, but the small carver smirked at her and admitted she already knew who she was.

"I know." Schulia grinned. "I've been watching your older streams in the evening. Wow, you've got it tough. I don't know if I could put up with the crazy ideas your party gets. Singing to monsters?" Schulia's nose wrinkled as she smiled. "Who thinks of that?"

Amelia snickered and was surprised that she wasn't off-put at the idea that people were actually watching those videos. "They make me look good. Saner than the normal person at least."

"Oh, I don't know." Schulia was staring at her staff. "May I?"

Amelia handed her simple staff over, wondering what the interest was. Schulia held it in front of her and turned it around a few times. "Examine." She said. After a moment she handed it back and sighed wistfully. "I knew it. I'm going to have to find a partner."

"Partner?" Amelia took her staff back, frowning.

"Yeah. I leveled up my wood carving and a weapons menu appeared. I can't MAKE the weapons, that's a different subset apparently. What I can do is add designs to it." Schulia said. "It's a tricky business though. My skill in carving just now allows me to start trying, and if it's like other carving the best gains will come from using items that already exist and are of good quality. So I'll have to find someone that makes magical staves and beg them to let me carve on them." Schulia explained. "The alternative is buying simple wooden staff models from stores and practicing on them. The experience would be lower and I'd actually have to pay for it."

"You can't carve your own staff?" Amelia frowned.

"I can!" Schulia admitted. "If I want to buy lumber, or go out and hack on trees with an ax."

"Ah. It's a question of time and effort then. I get it. You don't want to waste your time when you could be doing fun things." Amelia nodded.

"For me, the carving is one of the fun things. That's why I'm here you know, with the Alliance trade agreements the materials I get for helping to make things like arrows gets me scrap lumber and wood shavings that I can use to make carvings. The show isn't too bad either! I was thinking about heading to the coast after this and helping to carve the sh.i.p.s. I think I probably will. I've never tried carving a figurehead for a ship before. I don't want to do carpentry so that's why I'm not 'carving' on boats. I'm up in the air about it. It seems cool but I dunno. We'll see." Schulia explained.

"Wow. That's tough then," Amelia admitted. Schulia could technically be using carving to branch out into carpentry or into weapon making but she had no interest in either. A really precise and specialized interest. "Still leaves you a lot of options though."

"Oh?" Schulia leaned forward. "Go ahead, I'm dying for ideas."

"Well, a lot of the Residents are religious. You could make them figures of their gods, or small animal ornaments for their children, wives, husbands, and friends. I think they'd be pretty popular among Transients too. I mean each one you make is unique. They could be gifts." Amelia started, trying to think of cool things Schulia could do. "You could also carve ON trees. You know, not just cut them down."

"That'd be cool," Schulia admitted. "With the levels in Ranger I'm betting I could even just walk through a lot of the forests without having to fight. That would be ideal." Schulia looked up, somewhat surprised at the idea but grateful. "Hey, thanks, two heads are better that one!"

"No problem." Amelia was glad her half-baked idea made her happy, and hurriedly gestured to the half-finished carving to change the subject before she got asked for more ideas. "Do you mind if I look at it?"

Schulia motioned for her to go ahead and Amelia looked it over. It had the ears and the nose and the tail but the body was unformed. It's pretty cute. "Examine."

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"Unfinished Winter Fox" - Quality Good. Carver - Unsigned.

It depicts a small fox lifting its face toward the sun, squinting happily and trying to warm up. Gazing upon it fills you with happiness, and you feel like something lucky might happen to you.

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"Wow, that is neat. I love how they all get their own flavor text." Amelia handed it back.

"Yeah. Half the reason I carve is to see what the game thinks of it." Schulia admitted sheepishly. "Very rewarding."

"Are you a carver in real life?" Amelia asked.

"No, I mean since I started doing it in the game I try a little more seriously when I'm fiddling in the real world, but here the tools work better and the assist skill based on your skill level makes it a true joy," Schulia said, and then she turned her head. "Looks like they're gearing up, hero." Schulia winked.

"Hero?" Amelia scowled. "I like your name, I'd appreciate it if you'd use mine. Can I friend you?"

"Sure! Let me know if you think of anything else!" Schulia waved after her as Amelia turned and went looking for Aidan in the throng of people that were beginning to gather near the entryway.

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"This one looks pretty straightforward." Aidan greeted her and turned to point ahead passed the entryway. It was a general rule that until everyone arrived no one went exploring in case they attracted the attention of monsters people weren't ready to fight. Amelia peered down the large opening and was surprised that it was a long hallway. By no means narrow, it was approximately 10 meters across, but it didn't seem to turn at any point. It just continued on as far as she could see. Bones and cobwebs, broken armor and weapons, and all manner of other crumbling and rotting materials littered the path. It looked empty though.

"Traps?" Amelia wondered. It was bizarre that there was this much space with no enemies.

"I think so. Everyone is kinda muttering about it. The General is about to send his shield wall forward and we're all going to file behind until we figure out what we're fighting." Aidan said. "Ah, there we go," he said matter-of-factly.

They started walking with each other, and one-by-one their party channel companions started to log onto the game. Raven and Forsythe both gave brief greetings before hastily going silent. Amelia guessed that they were late. Elisha logged on moments later and likewise went silent. Khiafin had been online for some time but hadn't been around until the army party actually started moving. He fell into step somewhere near the front, saying something to the man in front of him. Amelia recognized him as Gabriel. As he turned around and saw who was making the comment, he smirked at Khiafin. She wondered if they knew each other.

Hunter got on a bit after that and muttered sleepily about how she was sorry. Apparently, her group had actually waited for her, further baffling her. "I'm happy they waited but they shouldn't waste their time for someone who slept through their alarm like me." She explained.

As they advanced nothing happened. No attacks occurred, surprise or otherwise, and no traps sprung. The group wasn't relaxing though if anything it made each step seem more perilous. They were about 5 minutes into their straight march when the walls and ground shook. It wasn't an earthquake per se, as it only lasted about one second. It almost seemed like the entire tomb had been struck by some huge unseen hammer. Warily the group advanced, and twice more the vibrations struck the hallways as dust and long rotted ornamentation fell from the walls in response. It almost seemed like the commotion was coming from above them. Regardless of the direction of the tremors and vibrations everyone immediately zeroed in on the action that was beginning to take place in front of them, looking expectantly into the distance at the end of the hallway.

The first wave of monsters didn't appear at the end of the hallway, however. Instead, the bones and armor and weapons in front of the groups that had been sitting in dusty piles began to pull themselves together. Skeletons with burning eyes and broken jaws began standing. They formed ranks with their swords, smacking their swords and maces against broken and rusty shields in anticipation of the clash with the living who had dared enter their hallway.

Orders were shouted and the group began to form for battle. However, before anything could happen a tremendous crash deafened Amelia and forced her to the ground. Dust in a large wave spread throughout the hallway before almost immediately being dispersed like steam. Light filled the hallway and spread and flashed golden in arcing waves, almost like lightning but with no danger and no damage. The players weren't the only affected. The Residents and the enemy undead were all thrown back from that light that had suddenly interceded between them. The light began to dim slowly and her eyes began to adjust, in that light there appeared a woman. A woman wasn't right, she thought. It was some sort of spirit.

She didn't kneel when she appeared, or straighten. She was already upright, proudly straight shoulders and a striking face that began glancing at the horde of skeletons, and then at the forces arrayed to meet them. She smiled, and it was one of the most incredibly compassionate smiles Amelia had ever seen. Her features shifted as if her real beauty could not be measured in any calculations. Incredibly and additionally, her features shifted from one beautiful woman to another every few seconds, her dress stretched to the floor in golden yellow and hung from two straps on her shoulders. It almost looked like a wedding gown but it was the wrong color.

"Examine."

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Vienne - Lady of Those Beyond Expectation Lvl ?????

Presence: You stand before a god of the World.

[Awe] is passive.

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15 health bars appeared under her name. No other stats were available for viewing and even her description was so simple as to be overpowering. Vienne turned as the skeletons seemed, though cowed by her presence, willing to attack her. Hate shone in their eyes and their movements quickened to an ungodly speed as they ran.

"Stop," Vienne commanded. The Skeletons crashed into each other and even their bodies fell away from their feet so swiftly did they come to a halt. "Disappear." A simple command and a wave of light rose from Vienne's palm and rushed through the hallway over the undead. With a great crashing and clanging, they all fell into piles of their constituent parts, the burning fire fading from their empty sockets.

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Level up, level up, level up, level up, level up.

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Amelia gasped. The entire raid had just received all the experience for every skeleton, monster, and creature in the entire hallway. With a wave of her hand, she had just decimated the floor. Not only that but the loot indications were going off making everyone squint. So much loot at once was being randomly distributed that no one could fully appreciate what they were getting or what anyone else was getting.

"Show off," Aidan muttered, one of the few who looked utterly disgusted.

Amelia elbowed him hard. "Don't anger the nice god," she said through gritted teeth.

Vienne turned her attention to the group and began walking. She was very tall and covered the distance in seconds. She stood before the Residents and the Transients, and as one, the Residents legs gave out and they fell to their knees. Many of them stared dumbly up at her. She gently placed her fists on her h.i.p.s and regarded them all with a brilliant smile. "It took longer than expected to gain entry into this place. Who would think that the voice that woke me from my brilliant dream would come from a place so foul, the seal of old enemy and hated foe." Even her voice was unreal. Like it came from all forms of communication. Amelia felt like she was hearing it through whisper, friend, party, and normal speech all at once.

Hunter suddenly came onto the party channel. "There… is a woman here… who just blew away the floor." She drawled slowly.

Elisha replied. "Here too." She sounded like she was trying to be small and quiet.

"You march toward shackled sleep. To undo the failing ward. To 'lease Void, Evil God of Envy on the world once more." Vienne suddenly laughed. It was almost too loud. The air seemed to shake. "The Children are most resigned. Though they did bar me entry for as long as they could. Ixiol in this place, is most displeased with my presence, for though we are a friend we are never Ally. He knows that if he strays into Evil domain I would cut his heart out and eat it." Vienne's eyes flashed and her lips twisted into a snarl that momentarily marred her intense beauty, and she glanced upward as if staring directly at the Horse God of the Brack Kingdom. Vienne returned her gaze upon the dumbfounded group, and let loose a slow and happy sigh. "That such stalwart forces once more gather to defend even the Halls of the World, and still they will not interfere beyond their measure. It is a rule put in place that all of your gods will not interfere. They will not do, for instance, as I have done and destroy the legion of filth that perpetuates this very hall."

No one spoke. No one moved. The Residents would have backed away, Amelia was sure, if they thought they wouldn't have been cut down instantly. Such was the amazing presence of the woman before them.

"Fear is expected, though in one of you I sense no fear. Most peculiar. What trial must one face to garner such resolve? No. There are two. The other is the one who called me, though he avoids my gaze for the moment. What a worthwhile time to be alive, look at you all! Risking the world in order to seize the future and destroy wretched past! You should all be grateful to be born into this era." Vienne's eyes scanned the crowd, and her smile grew. Her smile stretched so wide it was hard to think of her as a terrible awe-inspiring force.

Amelia liked her immediately even if she thought Vienne was insane. The group of Transients began to relax in increments. They had obviously stepped into some event, and they probably would not be attacked until the dialog had finished.

"I have come to claim one of mine. The first in generations. The first since the last, and in my opinion, the greatest of the four heroes. Do you know who I am here for?" Her smile was teasing, her voice laughing. Everyone was glancing around nervously. Amelia was starting to get excited, and she could feel her lips spreading and turning upward unbidden. She was talking about the fourth hero, the one no one knew anything about. They had obviously been one of her chosen!

"But what qualifies such an emergence? Have I chosen they who have proven themselves worthy? Or am I elevating someone to the ill.u.s.trious status of worthy? Each of the Children have their own faithful, their own pious, their own chosen. The Children boon those who aid them, who suffer for their value, and who need them. They protect those that live within their realms and keep balance." Vienne was lecturing to them. Amelia began to wonder what this windup was all about.

"The truth is that there is no such thing as worthy. There are only those who are within expectation and those beyond. Those within are the ones who mete out their futures in a path they themselves choose, for good or ill, and march forward with impossible purpose til the last ember fade. Yet there are those, mine, who are beyond such expectation. When met with their path they vigorously test it, surpass or move in incredible fashion, they react in such a way that the gods themselves peer down from the other worlds and take an interest. What will these people do? They ask themselves. There can be no greater compliment." Vienne paused in front of the Residents of the first line and began calling them by name. She smiled at them and told them that they were doing well on their paths. They had chosen their allies well, and bravely, and she personalized each encounter as she walked down their line by calling them by name and remarking on events that had occurred when they were born. The Residents, though proud of the recognition, looked terrified as they thanked her for her attention, and some even fainted after she had turned her gaze away.

It didn't stop with the Residents, however. She knew all the names of the Transients, and always found something kind to say. Even some of the nervous Transients who generally didn't do many good things in the game were greeted with a polite compliment and a passing gaze. Whatever mischief or evil they had perpetuated wasn't even a flicker on her radar apparently.

"Tania. Your friends do not know, do they? That in addition to being a warrior of unshakeable and reliable character, that you sew to relax yourself. This year alone you have been making clothing for the people at no cost, merely for the joy of seeing your goods worn by those in need."

"Breakfast. Your name, my friend, has always been a source of delight for me and when I deign to eat it is my favorite meal."

"Jelial I have always admired the way you resolve conflict, my friend. With a smile and a joke you defuse those who would have otherwise been enemy."

"Oh. You are Schulia. Did you know that what you carve stirs heart? Seek ye out Queen Catherine of the Silf and show her your carvings."

One after another, she moved among them, everyone stared at her not knowing what to do, wondering what she would say, and looking thoughtful when they heard it. As she spoke the hallway lost it's dusty and old appearance, and slowly seemed to be taking the image it had had long before it fell into ruin. Candelabras began springing flames down the hallway and portraits faded and rotten on the floor disappeared and resumed their former splendor along the walls.

"Khiafin is it? You're very peculiar for a man who kills other men. You are welcome to join me when the time comes, but it has not come today. Did you know that Tenebrim has started attacking the other murderer guilds? You have inspired greatness from those who the world views as degenerate. You have lifted those who sought wickedness. It will not be long until they are welcome in my hall." Khiafin stared at her, shock on his face, and he could say nothing. The way he moved his head indicated that he had started an intense conversation with someone on his friends' list as a result of the information. She moved away from him and he stared after her.

"Aidan. I do not know where to start." Sheer aggravation in her voice. Amelia could understand that. "I stand before you and you are not cowed. You are not afraid. You are one who fears me not at all. Terror is a useful tool, and it is one I have long wielded to keep those who would stray on the path that they should be on. You care not for paths, cutting through walls and belief alike. You go toward your enemy simply because he has dared to threaten the only belief you have. That what belongs to you shouldn't be touched by others." Vienne sighed then, sounding sad. "You will not be there in the end standing against the visage lord."

"We'll see." Aidan replied indifferently to her prediction, and then reached out with his staff, and incredibly, poked the amber end into the stomach of the goddess. "Hmm. You are really here." He mused aloud. Terrified chatter erupted around him, the Residents, in particular, looked like they were about to pass out, and the ones who had fainted before actually did so once more.

Vienne stared down at him, and she actually bent over slightly as she started to laugh so hard she couldn't maintain a straight figure. She wiped ephemeral, perfect, and glistening tears of mirth from her cheek, and finally, her laughter came to an end. "I suppose we shall. Know the enemy before you decide. He is an agent against Void, the great evil, yet he is not allied to the world. He would ruin the world so that Void can gain no purchase. This is the foe you face." Vienne lifted a hand, and an image of a man in a long dark cowl appeared. An image alone, but incredibly detailed. Silver rings and bracelets adorned his hands and arms, dark piercing black eyes and blonde hair fell to shoulder length. If he hadn't been holding a staff with a Silfen skull mounted torturously on the end and surrounded by shadow, he might have been handsome if pudgy. "Behold. Mourning. Lord of Visage, bringer of calamity." Aidan said nothing, actually provoking a moment of irritation on Vienne's face while he was staring at her blankly. "He does not wait for you specifically, for he knows you not. Let someone else go, just this once, my friend." Vienne's voice was quiet, sad like she knew she was imparting suggestions to someone who would not listen.

Aidan said nothing, and his gaze did not follow her as she moved away from him. Vienne continued down the line of players and tradesman, speaking kindly of their virtues and past deeds. She passed Gabriel, which Amelia thought was odd, but didn't have time to think of it because the goddess stood before her. She was much larger when she was standing in front of you, Amelia thought. Beautiful, compassionate, regal, as if she had been formed from a model of perfection. Even though her face changed Amelia never once thought that her new face surpassed or fell short of the beauty of the old one.

"Well. You are a curious one." Vienne mused, startling Amelia. Amelia startled again when lines began appearing from her own body and moving toward Vienne. She realized with a start as words began to form that her equipment, stats, job, character, and inventory were appearing before the goddess in Amelia's vision. A window opened and every single page of her Chronicler turned at lightning speed as if it were being read by a ghost. Vienne was examining Amelia! An NPC examining a Transient!

"I like you, but you are not welcome in my hall." Vienne smiled at last, and Amelia frowned with disappointment. "Don't look at me like that! You are already witnessing spectacles the like of which have never been seen, one after another as if summoned by every next drumbeat. You stand before me looking annoyed! As if meeting me wasn't enough! You are a greedy one aren't you?" Vienne laughed, and after a moment Amelia heard Aidan snickering nearby and she turned her head to scowl at them as Vienne laughed airly and moved on to the next person.

At last, 20 minutes later, Vienne had finished talking individually to the hundreds of people milling around in the hallway. She moved to the front of the group back toward the now harmless skeleton piles. "Bestow."

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Global Announcement

[Growth] has been unlocked- An attribute added to items allowing the items to evolve based on experience and level. The bonuses of these items will increase with time and experience.

[Growth] will now appear on crafting lists. Goods made with exceptional quality and skill will have a chance to be imbued with [Growth].

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Local Announcement

Everyone in 4th Floor Tomb Behind Royal Apothecary will be granted [Growth] on all worn equipment.

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"My time dwindles, so I must be brief. I have come to one of mine. One who woke me from my slumber and called me to one of the most terrible places in this world. This is, of course, a marker, for those who are beyond expectation. He prayed to me, without even knowing my name. He called out values and virtues that belong to my domain. He did not complain about his trials, nor ask me for power. Merely, he asked me to reveal myself that he might serve the glorious purpose. I am speaking of you Gabriel." Vienne pointed at him, and everyone around him jumped away from him like he was on fire. She continued speaking.

"Let me find the places where I will make a difference. Explore the regions where I may make roads for those unable. Fight even against the gods should I feel them unjust. Make enemies of those deemed good if the need arises." Vienne paused and then smiled at him.

"Without. Even. Calling. My. Name." She made a tongue cl.i.c.k.i.n.g sound and punctuated every word with a slight pause. "What to do with you. I admit I am conflicted. How does one who knows me not, know my charge? The Children are not enamored of you which tickles me admittedly. You tried to be their servant but were displeased with their narrowness and inflexibility. You railed at their constraint when others did not even see it." Vienne leaned in toward Gabriel, and to Amelia's surprise, he didn't shrink back. "But I find myself enamored of you. So you are mine now." A simple statement devoid of choice, as no matter what he said it was so.

"I will make a door to a place where you will be tested. You will return in time for your glorious battle only if you pass in time. You will return in time also if you fail magnificently and speedily so I suppose that is a path open to you as well. I will not give you power or boon beyond my fleeting attention and guidance, for it is not my way to impose my will upon you heroes and vagabonds of this world. I have no d.e.s.i.r.e to meddle in the rightful path of the world, yet I find myself in a precarious situation once again. The world-ender Void, outsider, will reappear, and though it is against the rules I will intervene at whatever cost, destroy whatever must be destroyed, save whoever must be saved, and KILL whoever need be killed, within my purview and within my sight - which is quite far. Will you follow me onto such a path of madness?" Vienne smiled, and it was the kind smile one receives from a teacher who knows the way ahead is hard but expects nothing less than success. "You will be unable to return to this world until the trial ends." She reminded him again. "Who knows how long it may last, but I have faith you will return in time."

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Local Announcement

Quest Available: Gabriel - Hidden Level Zero

The Goddess Vienne has offered to take you to Haven, a place where you will be tested.

Reward: Prestige Class - Vienne's Templar

Reward: Temples and Cathedrals dedicated to Vienne, the god of Unrelenting Justice and Chaos may be opened and built in places inhospitable to other faiths.

Decline Penalty: None

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Gabriel was trembling, and he looked back briefly at Khiafin, who had no answer for him and merely shook his head quickly and shrugged his shoulders with a 'don't pull me into this' look. Going to a place where you could only be returned by a god seemed like a failure option. In the worst case scenario, Vienne could lose interest and refuse to return him to the world. Amelia got the impression that Vienne was kind and compassionate, but merciless and mercurial as well.

"Of course." He finally answered. He straightened up. "So how do we? Uhhh?"

"Now. Even before you may bid farewell." Rings formed around Gabriel and he was gone before he could even gawk. Vienne turned toward the group, gave a short, childish wave, and vanished just as abruptly.

The group was silent, and before long they all sat down and started talking. There wasn't any need to continue fighting their way down the hallway, nor even to pick up materials that the skeletons had dropped. A quick inventory check informed players they had randomly received items the monsters dropped.

"Agggh," Khiafin yelled shrilly over party channel.

"What?" Amelia asked, shocked out of her Chronicler book.

"I'm friends with Gabriel, so I tried to message him. The Lady screamed at me that he was busy, over all my channels, and told me to go away." Khiafin's voice shook. "Nearly gave me a heart attack. Her damn face even took up my vision. I would have peed myself in real life."

"So much for figuring out where he went," Aidan replied, snickering quietly at Khiafin's shock.

"Ah man, you guys have to tell me what you're talking about." Complained Raven, the only one who hadn't seen Vienne. Apparently, pirates were of little interest to Vienne, or she hadn't appeared because Raven wasn't at one of the ancestral tombs.

"Amelia is streaming. You can see it tonight." Forsythe at least seemed unaffected by absolutely everything that happened.

"Something different happen there?" Hunter wanted to know. "She came and talked to us for a while, and then called us by name and talked about who we were. She told us that we were going to face an evil god maybe after the Visage Lord, gave us Growth on our items, and left."

"Yeah. She took Gabriel, one of our Transients with her when she left." Amelia explained.

"Wow!" Elisha exclaimed. "We thought it was pretty amazing she cleared the monsters in front of the boss for us before she left. That and she seemed really strange around Forsythe. The boss stood there and it just sorta waited for her to be done, and now we're getting ready to hit it. Are you guys hitting yours too?"

"Strange how?" Hunter wondered aloud.

"Shy and flirty..." Elisha said carefully after a hesitation.

"..." Hunter.

"It's being discussed." Aidan admitted, getting back to Elisha's question about hitting the next bosses. "You're on 5? We're going to walk through 4 and see what our 5 looks like."

"Hope it's nicer than here. The vegetation is making everything humid and damp." Hunter noted sourly.

"She was three places simultaneously? Color me impressed." Raven remarked. "I have trouble keeping track of just you yahoos."

"Yeah. Hey, we're going to go hit the 5th floor, our General just made the decision." Amelia apologized. She didn't like cutting off Raven when she talked. It seemed like an invitation for waking up with marker on her face.

Aidan suddenly made a pinched face and then laughed.

Amelia cast him a questioning look, "what?"

"I tried to message Gabriel, but the message I sent was for Vienne. I asked her if I was welcome in her hall. I got the same thing Khiafin did but it was just one word." Aidan bent over a bit and started laughing hard again.

"What did she say?" Amelia wondered.

Aidan finally got a hold of himself and let out a long breath as if he were out of breath. An impossibility in the game. "Rejected."