Griffin Ward POV:
My eyes fluttered open, but a thick fog blurred my vision. A dull ache pounded at the back of my skull as I struggled to sit up. My limbs felt heavy, every movement stiff and unfamiliar. 'Tired... and sore,' I thought, my mind sluggish.
I lift my right arm to my head and....
"Wait... how can I move my arm?" My right hand flexed open and shut, the movement seamless yet alien. The fog in my vision lifted, replaced by the sharp gleam of metal catching the light. A faint hum buzzed in my ears, metallic and rhythmic—coming from my arm.
My breathing quickened, my body was shaking and I could feel my face turning pale. But before I could pass out a second time a voice to my left drew my attention.
"Finally you're awake, thought you'd sleep forever. You could have given Sleeping Beauty a run for her money. Thought I would have to wake you up with true love's kiss." The young man that killed that old monster before and saved the little girl Tia.
He was tending to Tia, she had a few bruises, from what looks like falling. The tiny creatures I'd seen earlier hovered around her, their movements weaving a faint, healing glow over her bruises.
But back to my arm—it looked like it was made of old wood, with silver and bronze lining. Then as I was about to ask I saw another screen appear before my eyes.
[Saint Lachtin's Arm]
{+5% to Strength}
{+10% to Constitution}
{Skill Acquired: Saint's Protection}
{Saint's Protection: Physical strikes land with diminished power, as if the force is striking through water. Magical attacks fizzle against the barrier, creating bursts of harmless golden sparks. With each attack the user's mana is used to compensate for the damage that would have been dealt.}
This was a powerful ability, but how did the wooden arm attach itself to me. The only possible way was this man.
The wooden arm moved as if it had always been mine, but I could feel the faintest hum beneath the surface, like a heartbeat I didn't recognize. What had this man done to me?
The man whose name I didn't yet know. I was about to try to tackle the man, and force him to answer my questions, but something stopped me.
A blue-winged creature swirled around my head, its presence calming my racing mind. I calmed down and started to ask him my questions. With the first part being the most important. "Who are you?"
Main Character's POV
"Who are you?" The question from Griifin rang in my ear. I was tending to Tia. She would be important in the fight to come. I stopped bandaging her wounds and looked at Griffin.
He was clearly already getting used to [Saint Lachtin's Arm]. The movement of the wooden arm was perfect, almost as if it was his old arm. I knew his body could integrate well with it. But I had yet to answer this question from the soon-to-be knight.
"I'm Alex Gliroy, the man who just gave to that new arm." Griffin's face contorted. Shock I assume. He would have to get used to this strangeness quickly, we've got a boss monster to kill.
"Why did you give me a new arm?" A valid question.
"You look like the kind of person that could be useful in this crazy situation." It was a true statement I would just have to omit the part about what his future would be like.
"What exactly is the situation we're in? Cause I noticed in the elevator that you were avoiding my questioning." His body was getting tense and defensive.
Griffin was questioning everything, and while his distrust was inconvenient, it wasn't surprising. He'd come around—he had to. For now, I just needed him functional.
Although he was not out right confrontational. If he wanted to he could kill me easily. I had to answer honestly. "Well I mean look around the world as we knew it has changed. Literal bodies without heads or any signs of a heartbeat parade the halls outside. We are in a world different from our own."
His brain was wracked with what I had just told him. However I could see his [Calming Aura] healing his mental stability. He would be fine eventually. There were more pressing matters. Like the horde of bog bodies outside.
I had a plan involving Tia but with Griffin awake he wouldn't allow me to put her in any kind of danger. Especially what I just told him about the new world we were in. So I had to think of a new plan.
Griffin was still reeling from what I just told him and Tia was concentrating on healing herself. Even without being told she was using this time to regenerate. Those with legendary talent really do know what was the best to do.
So while they were doing that I had to think of a plan.
I could make Griffin to go out and face the horde. With the [Saint Lachtin's Arm] he should be able to face five at once, except there is probably more than five outside. So he would get easily overran. This would impact on any future plans.
The plan with Tia couldn't work now. I planned to use her latent ability which would only come out at times of struggle or danger. It would however sap away her life force. This would force her to age rapidly. This was how she died to Eric the Red.
I saw it with my own two eyes. She floated in the air. 30 years older than she looked now. The celtic spirits ciculated around her providing their strength as Eric the Red was covered in blood and charging towards her.
She casted a bright green beam from her body that vaporised the surrounding area. The spirits dissipated one by one until Eric was no more. But so was she. The only thing that remained was her flower tiara, the legendary arifact [Emerald Wreath of Éire]. The item I must get her.
But back to the present. Griffin would kill me since the effects of the ablity were noticeable. However I noticed a small air vent and smirked. "This could work." I then saw a locked drawer, with different kinds of metals inside. With one labelled rubidium.
My voice was the final straw that awoke Griffin from his stupor. "What could work?" He was clearly more calm than before. His brown eyes locked onto mine, demanding answers.
I pointed toward the door. Conveniently, a wet bang echoed from it, punctuating my words. Griffin shot back placing his now awake body in between Tia and the door.
"Don't worry it can't get in. I think." I say this as I start to take off the air vent next to me. Clearly not big enough anyone in my group even Tia. From the looks of it only a mouse could fit in there.
"We've got to get rid of them and soon." I speak as I start to make my way over to the resting Tia.
"Can't we just wait for the police to rescue us?" Griffin was slightly more worried, with the rushed nature of his voice telling me so.
"No. The police won't come. It's only been two hours and I think even in that short time frame the police and other emergency services have already collapsed. It's a new world, the old institutions that once kept us safe no longer can. We've got to protect ourselves."
I place my hand on Tia's shoudler waking her from her concentration on her regeneration.
Griffin then spoke up. "Well how are we going to get out of here? We have to keep her safe." His face was tense, his determination unmistakable.
"Don't worry—I won't let her face any danger." I was lying. "She'll just need to use her spirits to distract the bog bodies. They need to make as much noise as possible drawing them away. Then we'll simply slip out without them even knowing we escaped."
"I looked into her wide, trusting green eyes. It wasn't hard to lie to a child, but something about the way she nodded so eagerly twisted in my chest. "She won't face any danger," I said, forcing a reassuring smile.
"Then what we get on the elevator?" He question me.
"No we can't the elevator is broken." It wasn't but I need the reward from this dungeon. It was the only way to protect my sister.
"Fine I'll trust you for now." He looked down to the little girl his brown eyes filled with pity. 'The girl would never live a normal life. But what could you do?'
'Time to get the plan started.'
End Chapter