Divine Bond: 20. Infuses you with a sliver of divine energy while in combat with evil forces. Cost: 1 faith point/10 minutes. Additional damage dealt to fiends and undead equal to 10%/level as holy damage, which they have no resistance to. Also in general turns you into a fighting machine. Grants +25 health/level, Damage Resistance: 2/level, Improved Critical Damage of +5%/level. Increases chance of Dual Wield and Double Strike by 15% +1%/level. Mana Regeneration functions at +15%/level.

  When skill ends, you will be physically drained. All physical stats reduced by 70%, which regenerates back at a rate of 10%/hour of rest. May not be accelerated by any means.

  That dropped her down to 177 character points, but she was committed to this course. She quickly chose two more skills in the Divine Hybrid Tree as well as another prereq skill.

  Preferred Enemy: 15 (Fiend)—choose a creature type. You gain expertise in fighting this type of creature, including knowledge about its habits, strengths and weaknesses. Gain 3% damage per level against that creature type, +0.2%/level crit chance and +3%/level critical damage. Applies to creature type up to double the level of skill.

  Smite Evil: 15. Cost: 1 Faith for 2 ticks. Gain Damage Resistance: 10 +2/level against fiends and undead. Gain 50% +5% attack/level and 20% +2% damage/level against fiends and undead. Cooldown: 1 minute.

  Judgment: 15. Cost: 4 Faith. Duration: 10 ticks. Cooldown: 1 hour. Area of Effect: 2-foot radius/level. All undead or fiends within the area of effect are randomly assigned a negative status effect for the duration. Resistance is against your Wisdom. Possible effects include Blinded, Chilled, Confused, Dazed, Pained, Slowed, Stunned.

  The decision to put a smaller amount of points into each of the three skills was made because she really wanted to access Judgment. Unlike all the other fiend-fighting skills that would only benefit her, that skill would make the monsters around her more vulnerable to any of her allies as well. Also, from what little she had been able to learn about them, both undead and fiends were largely immune to magics that affected the mind. Thus a skill like this could turn the tide of a battle if it was applied at the right time in the right place.

  The decisions were becoming harder now though. She only had 132 character points left and far too many skills that she wanted. Emily started running through the remaining options to make sure she wasn’t missing anything.

  Spring Attack would allow her to close the gap with an enemy and make better use of her agility during battle.

  She likely needed to put at least a few points into Esoteric Senses. She had witnessed the skill being useful to both Dave and Mira. Now, even Jackson had points in it, so she didn’t want to be the only one limited to five senses.

  There were some basic ways she could increase her damage output against mages. She already had twenty levels in Improved Critical, but what would go better with an increased chance of getting a critical strike than Improved Critical Damage.

  Of course, there were other ways to add more impact to her attacks. She could put points into Take Down, which used Teamwork to knock an opponent down and thereby made it vulnerable. She could use Bleeding Strike, which would add what Dave called a DoT to her attacks by making the enemy take continual damage from an open wound.

  There was also the combo of Targeted Strike and Crippling Strike, which would aim to trade multiple attacks for one very precise attack that could do extra damage. Or once the crippling part was added, could apply a variety of disabling effects depending on what part of the enemy’s body was struck.

  Another option would be to take one or more of the skills that would allow her to make extra attacks or get to hit first, like Opportunist, Cunning Initiative, or Active Surge. Any of them alone would increase her combat response time and options, but particularly in conjunction they could give her both the first and the last strike in any encounter, while allowing her to take advantage of any opening her opponent left.

  Then there were a couple of defensive specialty skills that she really wanted, as they would be tailored directly for someone who was fighting mages. Deflect Spell did pretty much what the name said, but the ability to turn aside a spell might be all the opening she would need to close the gap with an enemy. Centered Mind also appealed to her, since it would create a calm, still place in her mind and protect her from the less physical aspects of magic.

  In the end she decided that there was no absolutely perfect answer. That left her free to go with what she felt. She first dropped ten points into Esoteric Senses and then ten points into Bluff as a prerequisite for Targeted Strike. She then added forty points into Bleeding Strike, thirty-two into Targeted Strike, and the final forty points into Crippling Strike.

  Bleeding Strike: 40. Cost: 5 mana per successful bleed. Every time target is wounded by a sharp weapon, the chance of bleeding wound is 1%/level. Bleed causes 0.25 health damage per tick for 0.2 tick/level or until the wound is magically healed or properly bandaged. Bleeding wounds may be stacked 1 additional time/10 skill levels.

  Targeted Strike: 32. Cost: 1 Fury per attack. A called shot has a base reduction in attack accuracy of 50% but inherent bonuses based to damage potential based upon where the attack targets. This skill reduces that penalty by 1%/level. Once the penalty has hit 0%, the skill begins to increase the damage of these called shots by 2%/level up to a maximum of 100%.

  Crippling Strike: 40. Cost: 1 Bravery per attack. A called shot, it benefits from the bonuses provided by Targeted Strike. If the called shot is successful, then it has additional effects. The base chance of a successful called shot inflicting a status condition is 30% +1%/skill level up to a maximum of 80%. Possible effects based upon body part targeted:

  Head: Stunned (resisted by Constitution). Duration: 1 second +0.1 second/level. Duration can be eliminated or reduced based upon resistance.

  Neck: Quadruple bleed effect.

  Spine: Paralyze. Base chance is 0% +1%/skill level.

  Kidney: Pained (resisted by Endurance). Duration: 1 tick +0.2 ticks/level. Duration can be eliminated or reduced based upon resistance.

  Lung: Breathless. Base chance is 0% +1%/skill level.

  Arm: Reduction in attack and damage using that arm by 1%/level. May stack.

  Groin: Pained (resisted by Endurance). Duration: 1 tick +0.2 ticks/level. Duration can be eliminated or reduced based upon resistance.

  Leg: Reduction in movement by 30% +0.2%/level. May stack.

  It took her a long time to get to the point where she was comfortable with her choices. In the end she decided that she would stick with the Targeted Strike and Bleeding Strike combo. It offered her the best combination of damage and versatility. The first strike would be a free attack, and the second would deal additional damage. She felt that it would be the most effective way to deal with mages.

  Now that she was decided, though, Emily felt that it was the right path for her. There was something so freeing about deciding to go full bore into this new life. That feeling of freedom led to excitement, though, and that excitement to a desire to train.

  Daichi was correct, she hadn’t been ready to form her own team, what the elven nobles called a Kirun Sisuta. Elves were not like humans, and as her absorbed cultural knowledge seeped into her very being, she realized that not only had she been wrong to try to apply Earth standards in Eloria, she had also been wrong to act like she was purely a human.

  The lesson of Eris’ Rise was one she was so proud of. Unity between the races was not only possible, but it made them stronger. Yet she could no more pretend to be human than she could pretend to be a bear.

  She was not just a human who had been placed in the body of a moon elf by the Watcher. Her thirty-nine years’ worth of memories on Earth as Emily Nelson were a part of her. Wife, mother, nurse, missionary, activist—she had done so much. Those memories helped to shape her.

  So too, however, did the cultural download she had received in the moon elf capital. She was not a human wearing a moon elf costume. No, it was time for her to accept that she was a moon elf noble with the memories of a human.

  She was still, of course, proud of her human husband and didn’t look down on anyone else for being human. But this wasn’t one of Dave’s games. This was their lives now, and in this life she was a moon elf, with all that meant.

  To truly be Lady Emiri, she had to embrace what that meaning was. Her people were deeply in touch with the world around them. That was simple because it built upon the person she had been on Earth. Finally acknowledging Eloria as her new home had made all the difference. She felt that connection to the world around her.

  Yet it wasn’t a connection of peace. Her people were proud hunters. They were not violent by nature but fierce still and unafraid of the harsher aspects of life, including violence and death. Eloria was conflict, after all.

  She might have chosen to become a moon elf because she thought it looked pretty, but now she embraced her role in the world. She was a hunter. More than that, as a noble ruler of this land, she was a protector. She would become strong to better serve her people, both human and elven.

  She was on the verge of becoming a true leader. A leader who understood the value of unity and how it strengthened the whole. She regretted much of how she had acted the past few months. There would come a time for apology, but now the best apology she could offer was to change, to become more.

  Now she had to pick the blades of her Kirun Sisuta. These had to be people she trusted implicitly. The first person who came to mind was Balayria. Emily didn’t have a closer friend than the half-orc.

  As she had gotten to know Balayria, she knew how she fought against what she perceived to be the violent tendencies of her orcish side. The truth that Emily now realized was that in their own way the elves were every bit as violent as orcs. Yet they were a much more civilized race.

  Balayria’s creative side exulted in her painting and the joy that brought her. It was probably in part an attempt by her friend to stifle the violent urges she felt. Yet Emily could see sometimes in the way that the half-orc moved that she was strong and fit.

  She had proven to have effective magic and to be willing to take a stand. Yes, Emily had decided. She would ask Balayria to be her first blade, a part of the Kirun Sisuta.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “There is not your truth and my truth, there is only Truth. Oh, there may be many lenses that we filter that truth through, but a lie can never be the truth. The first and greatest sacrifice is to that Truth. It isn’t an item offered, for genuine sacrifice rarely is. It is the denial of the self-identity you built up based upon your experience. For experience is a fragile thing and rarely perceived accurately. That self-identity must be sacrificed in order to gain a deeper understanding of what your true identity is. Many can never accept this, for it defies their beliefs about self-determination and destiny.”—Archbishop Diocletes from his “A Brief Reply to the Calls for Purge.”

  Eris’ Rise—Emily/Emiri Nelson

  The next month passed in a blur. Emily—or as she was more often going by now with everyone but her family, Emiri—spent long days filled with training. Several hours each day still had to go to her duties as the leader of Eris’ Rise.

  Dave still helped, but the way they broke down the responsibilities had him mostly dealing with the dungeon and those experiments as well as developing offensive options. Emiri focused more on the day-to-day running of the town and kept tabs on the defensive buildup.

  Winter was fully upon them, and most of the time there was at least twelve inches of snow on the ground. Every third day or so served to add more to replace what had melted off. At least the temperature never got super cold, but instead hovered around the freezing point.

  She was definitely impressed with the way the construction continued despite the cold. The wall was now complete, and they were building up guard towers, weapon emplacements, and adding further enchantments to the wall. Even the roads were being kept clear, which was saying something given that most of the roads were still dirt roads.

  The actual clearing was handled by some new snowplows that Dave and the dungeon blacksmiths had developed. The farmers took to that task quickly, using horses to pull the sleds and Shaping Magic, or as they often called it, earth magic, to keep the cleared roads solid and free of mud. The many uses of magic truly were a marvel and thrilled her. She had given up on missing her modern comforts from Earth, but she was proud of how far Eris’ Rise had come since they’d first arrived here.

  Thinking of magic made her think of the most badgered man in town. Talvenicus stayed busy as the chief administrator but had to split his time between the dungeon and the town. Sir Morganthal was the effective military leader of Eris’ Rise without much oversight from Dave or Emiri. Even his second-in-command, Ozakai, spent most of his time in the dungeon.

  No, the man who was most sought after in Eris’ Rise was Hiroto. Even with three apprentices, he couldn’t begin to keep up with the demand for his enchantments. Which only made sense. The military wanted him to enchant existing weapons, add more layers to the gate, string enchantments over the entire wall, and help the blacksmiths with new weapons.

  Virtually every other craftsman wanted him to enchant their work. Tailors, potters, jewel crafters, leatherworkers and such—all could benefit from having enchanted goods to sell. That didn’t include the list of farmers who wanted fences enchanted to keep animals in, henhouses that would promote egg production, and plows that would break the ground up more easily. Then there were housewives who wanted enchantments for their stoves, bakers who wanted ovens that never burnt bread, the mess hall wanted plates that kept food warm, and brewers wanted mugs that would automatically refill themselves.

  Hiroto was but one of many who had been unable to keep up with the demand for his work. He was an old man, but he was still their only master of enchantment. It was said that he was the best in all of Talos, and Emiri tended to agree, having seen the wonders that he could work. Truthfully, he even seemed younger than when she had met him for the first time. Having a purpose in life will tend to do that.

  She also had her duties as a Chosen of Shanelle, but with the extra healers now, she was rarely called upon to do that. More often she was asked to provide training for those healers. This was one area where her Earth knowledge of anatomy really came into play. Still, it was a small part of her day.

  The largest part of her day was spent in training. This was also the most time that she got with her daughters, but they both seemed to appreciate and understand why Mom had to be so busy. It is impossible for a mother not to feel some guilt when she is only seeing her kids an hour a day and maybe in passing at meals. Especially when that hour a day was during fighting training under Daichi. Still, it was for the best. Mira had her enchantment training, stints of researching, and leveling in the dungeon. Meanwhile Sara had her monster friends as well as painting classes, tutoring about Eloria, and playtime with the children of the village whenever she could sneak away.

  Overall, this was a good life, and Emiri was settling in quite comfortably. The only real moments of stress she felt were when she thought about the impending goblin invasion. The druids said that the snows might end early this year, so the enemy might be on the move in as little as two months or as much as three. Rather than give in to worry, though, Emiri was determined to be the best.

  Today’s training had Daichi watching her and Mira spar. Sara was considered too young to spar with weapons, but the old monk had been pushing her to spar with her firstborn with weapons for over a week now. Both of them had progressed quite a ways, and with three druid healers and the new elven priestess of Shanelle on hand for healing, it was fairly safe.

  Besides, Emily was honestly interested in testing herself against an opponent who could react more intelligently than the monsters she and her Kirun Sisuta had hunted outside the dungeon or the ones they had faced during their survival-mode rounds. The three levels she had gained meant she was now level twenty-eight and closing in on the fourth tier.

  In traditional style, Emiri was on her knees, meditating as she faced Mira, who was maintaining the same position even if she wasn’t really into the meditation.

  Daichi stood in the middle, dropped his hand, and shouted, “Hajime!”

  Behind the monk she heard the members of her Kirun Sisuta cheering for her. Balayria, Deoca, an elven forest warden that had become her second blade, and Hannah, a former farmwife who as she leveled learned she had quite the gift for fighting, was her third blade. It was an odd group, two elves, a half-orc, and a human, but they were all sisters now, united by a month of joint training, hunting and fighting.

  With the command, Emiri popped up, moving forward, with her right hand pulling a dagger from its sheath while her right hand was outstretched. She shouted the word to trigger her Acid Spear as she lunged forward at her daughter. Emily Nelson could never have gone this hard at her own child, even in sparring. It simply wasn’t in her. Lady Emiri, however, knew that Eloria was a deadly world, and only the most pathetic of parents failed to prepare their children.

  The acid spear went in aiming dead center at Mira and only left her hand a few feet before they made contact. There should have been no way for Mira to dodge it, and even if there was, she was coming in just as fast with her dagger down low. With the speed of movement she had honed over the last month, she expected one of her two attacks to land. A part of her felt that this fight should be over quickly. While she might not have a chance against Mira in a casting battle, this was the exact thing that she had been training for.

  Mira was, however, not nearly as helpless as Emiri thought she was. Her enhanced reaction time from Cunning Initiative combined with her Grandmaster-level balance and air-walking ability to get around any attack she could see coming even with less than a second to respond. She spun to her left and launched herself at the acid spear, dancing out of the way at the last second, her feet stepping onto the air as though it were solid.