Reward: Title- One Shot One Kill: +10 Agility, +10 Strength, XP bonus of 25% on any target killed in a single blow when not in a party.

  Emiri supposed that was impressive but didn’t really have the ability to focus on it. It was all she could do to cast Lesser Cancel Magic in its AoE form, hoping that it would be strong enough to destroy the silence shield.

  Moments later, people were swarming around her. She heard voices asking if she was okay while others were calling for her husband to be found or the healers to be brought.

  She hovered on the edge of consciousness while more notifications came through.

  You have defeated: 1 Brute Fiend Level: 37 and 1 Chain Fiend level 46. XP: 498 x 1.1 (numerical bonus) 547.8 x 1.5 for Brute and 2 for Chain (Tier bonus) = 973.5 x 2 (killing blow bonus) = 1947 x 1.25 for Chain Fiend (One Shot bonus) =2250 XP.

  You have 113 new character points available. Total of 288 unspent character points.

  Congratulations. Ding! You have gained sufficient XP to reach levels 30 and 31.

  You have gained 17 stat points. Total of 21 unspent stat points.

  You have met the requirements for a new quest. The path of the chosen is not only to redeem all who can change but also to stand firm against those whose time of choosing has passed.

  Gain Prestige Class: Chosen Slayer- Benefits dependent upon specifics of the monsters you slay as part of your pre-requisite.

  Pre-requisite to claim: Slay 100 fiends or undead of no less than 1 tier below you on your own.

  Time Limit: 77 days.

  It was too much for her to take in, but soon she didn’t have to. Soon Dave had her in his arms. He carried her to the bed. It was entirely different from any birthing experience she had ever had before, and she was already so weak. The labor dragged on for hours. Emiri was pleasantly surprised to find that the epidurals didn’t have anything on the potions and spells used by the midwives and healers.

  Ultimately, after a 26-hour labor, she heard the first cries of her newborn son. The cord was cut, and he was quickly cleaned before being handed to her. A flurry of activity followed as everyone made sure that both mother and child were okay. Then she found herself alone with her husband and baby.

  Time passed in silence as Dave climbed into the bed next to her and held her while she snuggled little Caiden. He was a gift to them. His presence was painful in one sense as it somehow seemed an even more definitive end to thinking of themselves as Earthlings. Yet he was also a sign of joy as Eloria truly was their home now. A new home for a new family.

  Emiri slept for a while. She couldn’t be sure for how long. When she woke it was sunny again, and she had the sense she had slept for quite some time. Caiden was rooting as he wanted to find his first meal in the outside world. It had been many years since Emiri had breastfed a baby, but it was the typical riding a bicycle thing.

  After a few missteps by both mother and baby, they found their rhythm, and he showed what a hungry boy he was. As she settled in and the initial wonder passed, Emiri almost jumped, startling the feeding baby and causing him to cry out plaintively.

  She calmed him and then got Dave’s attention. He had fallen asleep in a chair next to the bed. “Dave, what about Sara?”

  “Jackson went with the party to rescue the hostages. Sara’s note only said that she was going north to help someone. So, hopefully, she was trying to save the hostages as well, and Jackson will find her.”

  Emiri almost demanded to know why Dave hadn’t gone with their son to look for their daughter, but she caught herself. She knew the answer. As if reading her mind, Dave said, “I have been torn between going after them and staying with you. There is someone from the church of Shanelle who has been insisting on seeing you. I’ve kept them at bay so you could rest, but I didn’t want to leave until you heard what they have to say. There is definitely something imposing about them.”

  She wanted to argue but simply didn’t have the strength. “Fine let her in, but please stay with me. I’m suddenly nervous.”

  Chapter Five

  “When one stares into eternity it is better to be known than to know.”—Eris, Saint of Shanelle

  Baldora, Capital of Miromar- Emiri Nelson

  Emiri didn’t know what she had been expecting, but the feeble figure who was ushered into her room was definitely not it. This was who her powerful husband called imposing? The human woman was stooped over and wearing robes that were of high quality but simple design. She supported herself on a gnarled staff that made a sharp sound each time it struck the ground.

  Next to her was a young acolyte from the temple of Shanelle. The poor girl looked like she wanted to help the older woman but seemed afraid to reach out, even when the woman wobbled.

  Interestingly, there was a scarlet rag wrapped around the woman’s eyes. It must have completely obscured her vision, but somehow that didn’t surprise Emiri. She felt Dave’s presence next to her and heard the soft sounds that Caiden made while he slept in her arms.

  “Greetings, daughter of Shanelle. It is a blessing to stand in the presence of a chosen one.”

  Emiri sat up a bit straighter.

  “You honor me, but I fear I don’t know your name.”

  “I am simply called the Seer by most. I have had many names over my long life. But by the grace of Shanelle, I persevere.”

  “Then I will also call you Seer. May I know why you have asked to see me, Seer?”

  “Of course, what good would it be for me to see if I didn’t share with others,” the old woman’s voice warbled but still displayed a deep strength.

  Dave asked, “You are able to see despite the cloth across your eyes?”

  The old woman smiled. “This body’s eyes were lost decades ago, but I still see many things thanks to the mercy of the Goddess and the splendors of magic. Perhaps, though, you should ask all these others to leave the room. What I have to say is for the ears of the daughters of Eve and sons of Adam alone.”

  That very Earthborn reference made it clear to Emiri that this woman must know more. She called out for all the staff to leave the room. She had been constantly attended to since giving birth, but now they needed the room.

  As soon as the door closed behind the last servant, Emiri asked, “How do you know that phrase? Were you sent by the Watcher?”

  “Sister, so much is lost in translation between our universes. I see visions of odd things which make no sense to me. Carts that travel without a horse and buildings made of stone and metal that reach up into the sky are but some of the ones that I can put words to.

  “Let me assure you though that the one you know as the Watcher was but a servant—and a misguided one at that. His intentions were honest but flawed, yet even messy beginnings can have glorious endings. His power is long gone from touching upon Eloria, but the ripples will continue to be felt, such as what you know as the ongoing provisions you receive.”

  The way she spoke left Emiri without words. She clearly knew a great deal, and yet like a trope from a book or movie, her words didn’t make anything clearer.

  “Right now, you are probably wondering why I don’t speak any more clearly. And no, I can’t read your minds. I only speak the words given to me by the Goddess. Much of what I have to say is confusing to me. So I have three prophecies to reveal to you. I think some of it may be obvious and others not so much. Are you willing to hear them?”

  Emiri looked at Dave. He was her rock. He seemed unfazed by all this strangeness and squeezed her hand. “I’m ready to hear, but may I ask questions after each prophecy.”

  “You may, but I don’t have any answers beyond the words I will speak.”

  That was what she had been afraid of, but it hadn’t hurt to ask. Emiri nodded her acceptance without thinking about the woman’s blindness, but she needn’t have worried as the Seer began to speak.

  “The first prophecy is regarding your children. As best I can, I will speak plainly to assuage your worry and try not to use typical seer speech. The babe in your arms is vital to the redemption of Talos, but not through any action of his or yours. It is a simple matter of his existence. As a child of two worlds, he is already producing a shift within the order of Talos that will only become apparent in the future. Know this is the will of the Goddess to restore abundance to these exiles.

  “Your other three children all have roles to play and are exactly where they should be. Be concerned but don’t give in to worry. You have planted good seeds within them, but they must emerge from the shade cast by you and your husband to grow in the sun themselves. I, too, was once a mother, so I won’t say anything as foolish as to instruct you to not try and find your daughters, but in my visions, it is best if you allow things to unfold naturally.”

  Ugh. It was Emiri’s greatest nightmare. The two great loves of her life were her family and her faith. She didn’t want them to be at odds. This was going to be hard for her.

  Rather than cry now, though, she said, “And the second prophecy?”

  “War is coming. It is inevitable, but the shape and outcome of the war are still yours to influence. Strength, wisdom, and charisma will all be needed to forge the best future. Neglect any of them and many will suffer needlessly. It is who rises from the battle of nine nations that is most important for the future of your family, Talos, and all of Eloria.”

  Emiri sighed. It wasn’t that she wanted to hear about war. It was rather that this was the type of prophecy she expected, and while it would impact her family, it wasn’t directly about her children. She saw the admonition to her that she continue to grow. Most importantly, forewarned was forearmed.

  Dave summed up her thoughts when he said, “Thank you, Seer. Knowing that it can’t be avoided can help us channel our energies correctly into forging alliances and preparing to save what can be saved.”

  The blind woman nodded and said, “The last prophecy is further out and dependent upon the survival of your newest babe, the actions of your other three children, and the rise of a warlord. Visions that are contingent upon other events—ones yet to happen—are always the hardest to see.

  “Suffice it to say that a viper is within the nest. It seeks to claim your new home for its own, and compassion will only be weakness. Its head must be crushed and its power over Eloria destroyed forever. This is the curse of the Watcher’s actions and a burden that falls on you. You have already resisted the whispers, but you have yet to face the roar.”

  Then, without another word, she turned and walked from the room. Emiri and Dave looked at each other. She wasn’t sure if they should try and stop her or simply let her go. Neither spoke, and eventually, the Seer and the acolyte with her were both gone.

  Dave asked once the door closed, “Do you want to talk about that now?”

  “No, I want you to go help our son. Maybe you will find Sara, maybe you won’t. Either way, I’ve got a lot to think and pray about. I also need to reach out to Yua to check on Mira. Oh, and I hit 4th Tier with that battle. It obviously hasn’t been on my mind, but I need to take some time and think about my advancement.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with me leaving you here alone?”

  “Yes, I’m not helpless, you know.”

  Dave laughed. “Don’t I know it. I used to say you were the only woman in the world I was afraid of. Now my insecurity is gone, and I’m made bolder by your strength.”

  Emiri’s hand reached out and rested on Dave’s arm. He could put his foot in his mouth sometimes but other times… well, suffice it to say that if she hadn’t just had a baby, she would have pulled him down into the bed with her. Actually, that brought up another issue. She was going to have to learn what people in Eloria did for birth control. Four kids really were enough for her, at least for now. Who knew what she might want in the future? After all, elves supposedly lived a very long time.

  All that went through her head in the span of a single breath, but all she said was, “Brownie points scored. Now, go help our son, but you heard the Seer, don’t get in the way of his destiny. I need time to process this all, and I’ll be okay. I already sent for Daichi and the rest of my honor guard to come to Miromar as well as my Kirun Sisuta.”

  Dave leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She tilted her neck a bit more and got the kiss she wanted on her lips. Then she watched as he strode out of the room. There was such power about him, and Eloria had been kind. He cut quite the figure now. Obviously, the Goddess loved her to give her such a man as her husband.

  Emiri allowed her thoughts to wander for a bit before contacting Yua via the ring she had been gifted. It was shocking to hear that they had just learned that Mira had disappeared.

  The archdruid Hidenori said that a powerful summoning spell had been used to pluck her out, but that was all he knew. Yua seemed worried that such a spell could pierce the defenses of Tsukishiti, but it had happened, and she lamented with Emiri.

  What was most shocking was how calmly Emiri took the news. She ended up feeling in a bit of a stupor while she tried to process her emotions, but then Caiden stirred and needed to be fed. It was the little things that helped guide life.

  As soon as he latched on, she started thinking about her options.

  Watcher’s Preparation- ongoing: As a result of reaching character Tier 4, 4 of your prior life skills will have their base level doubled. Each tier gained will provide an increase to a decreasing number of these skills, and only the skills enhanced at this Tier will be eligible for future improvement.

  Emiri made her choice quickly. She dropped Speak Languages from the skills she upgraded. Sure learning more languages would be nice, but it was relatively inexpensive to learn languages in terms of character points, whereas she felt the other skills might have some future advantage.

  Running went from 8 to 16. She had seen the astounding speed that Mira had now and realized this was something that could benefit her… uh, what was it that Dave always called it? Oh yeah, her build.

  Swimming hadn’t benefitted her yet, but it was a practical application skill so she doubled it, taking it from 16 to 32. Even though she reached the Apprentice level, there was no new perk for the skill, but she could live with that.

  Next was First Aid. This was the skill that she had gamed the system with before. She had managed to get the Grandmaster Perk for it despite it only being at level 32. Then because of gaining a synergy perk with her healing abilities, she had put 40 more character points into leveling it further—the most she could at that time.

  Even looking at the perk now showed her how amazing it was. It increased the power of all her heals significantly. And as they had come to believe recently, no one else was getting these bonuses from the Watcher, so it would be insane not to make the most of it. With this skill, she might just be the most powerful healer in all of Eloria.

  No, she looked at the perk again and shook her head. Maybe not all of Eloria. Who knew what other parts of Eloria were like, but maybe in all of Talos. For now, the synergy perk allowed her to increase her effective casting level for heal spells by ½ her First Aid level of 36. With a Tier 3 Heal, that enabled her to add an additional 168 to the amount healed after it stacked with her class bonus.

  Now she pushed the base of First Aid up to 72, so with the points she had already added it would reach a proper Grandmaster level at 112. She did gain one more perk.

  Master Level Perk: Training others in first aid is a natural skill for you. Others may gain up to 1/4th your level in First Aid without spending character points and without regard for their character level.

  The final skill to double was Balance. This went from 120 to 240.

  You have maxed out Balance. Further improvements cannot be added through the Watcher’s Provision of character points. You will also gain the bonus perk of Air Walker. You may now spend 1 mana per minute to walk through the air as though it were solid ground.

  She laughed. Mira was gonna be so upset that she wasn’t the only one with this cool trait. Thinking about her daughter caused her to worry for a moment, but she focused on her breathing and was able to move past it.

  Next, she decided to focus on her character points. Most of that was easy. Her recent experiences had shown her how powerful her anti-fiend skills were, and her quest made it sound like she might be fighting more of them. So why not. She added twenty points to Divine Bond, Preferred Enemy, and Smite Evil.

  Then she also added another twenty to Sneak Attack, Short Blades, and Short Blade Specialization because they helped so much with her damage. Then she thought about adding points to Gather Shadows, but the defensive bonus wasn’t enough value added, and the skill was primarily used to increase her damage output.

  That left her with 168 character points, so she plunked twenty down onto each of Abjuration, Conjuration, and Essence Magic. That was when a new wonder occurred.

  A shift in the balance of Eloria centered on Caiden Nelson has been detected. Henceforth you will be allowed to gain one new spell in any school when you raise the spell school to a new Tier. Spells will be automatically assigned. This effect will spread across Eloria over time.

  Spells gained:

  Radiant Shell: Target must have a +2 or higher alignment. Creates a magical aura that appears like an intangible rainbow wrapped around the target but does not impair their movement. The radiant shell negates any necrotic attack of Tier 5 or lower. It also causes radiant damage to any enemy coming within 5’ of the target. Damage is 50+5/level and may trigger against any number of targets—but those targets will only take damage once per tick. The radiant shell also negates all hostile spells of Tier 1 and provides a 1%/level chance of reflecting those spells back to their caster while also delivering radiant damage as if they had touched the shell. Duration: 10 minutes + 1 minute/level. Cast time: 2 seconds Mana: 120 Cooldown: 1 minute. Tier 4