Labyrinthine Read online

  Labyrinthine

  by Leto Spirit Blackman

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2019

  Wake Up

  ~

  {Wake up}

  My eyes flutter open and I hear an anguished cry resounding within the space, like that of a baby being born. I realize the sound came from me. The room is too bright, my vision blurry, and my eyes yearn to remain closed. I try to sit up, but my hands are covered in a gelatinous substance. I flail about and smack my head against the hard floor. My vision fades to black.

  {Wake up}

  This time my eyes fly open. “Hello?” I manage to croak out, my voice sounds alien to my ears.

  I squint, allowing my eyes to adjust to the bright room. I’m in a square chamber with no windows or doors. The walls are gray and bare. Searching about I can’t find where the light is coming from. The only item I see is a large mirror on the wall, about twelve feet tall and six feet wide. It’s adorned with an ornate silver frame.

  I look down at my body. My skin is slightly gray and covered in a dried substance that’s flaking off. I’m naked, and I notice I have no genitals. My mind reels at this revelation.

  A word flashes in my mind. Human. Yes, that’s what I am. Male? Female? I’m not sure. Who am I? Nothing comes to me. What is my name? I have no idea. What do I know? The sky is blue, yes that is something. Most people go throughout their lives without ever seeing a baby squirrel. Yes, this is something else I know, although arbitrary and utterly useless at this moment. My knowledge seems random and doesn’t help me understand where I am, who I am, or even what I am.

  I try to stand, my arms quiver as I push myself up. My legs are unsteady, and the room spins for a moment. I turn around in a full circle. There’s no obvious way in, or out, of the cube-shaped room. The mirror waits for me.

  Standing before the mirror, there’s an alien creature looking back at me. Moving my arm, the form in the mirror moves the same appendage in unison. That’s me. My body is the same shape as a human. But my skin is gray and lifeless looking. I am hairless and have no distinguishing features, like a mannequin. What do I do now? I reach out and touch the mirror.

  Mirror of Change

  The words appear in front of me, as translucent smoky letters. I reach out to touch the words, and my hand passes through them, causing the writing to swirl in the air before reforming.

  Male or Female

  I focus on the word female and the gray creature in the Mirror of Change morphs into a twenty-something nude woman. How did I know I could interact with the smoky text? I’m filled with hope and excitement that I can have some miniscule control over what is happening to me. I look down at my real body, and it is still a featureless gray mannequin. Faces, bodies, hairstyles, and eye colors flash in my mind, the possibilities endless. I know I can change what the woman in the Mirror of Change looks like. With a mental command the woman’s hair changes to red. I alter her height, skin color, breast size, age, etc. When I finish playing with the image in the mirror, a lovely redhead looks back at me. No. This is not me. The woman disappears, and the gray creature returns.

  Male. A generic looking white male stands in the Mirror of Change. I make him six feet tall with well-defined muscles, buzz-cut hair, and a generic face. No. This is not me. I start over. Being male feels more natural to what I am meant to be, so I stick with that gender. I form the image into a twenty-five-year-old man, six feet tall, slightly olive skin, shoulder-length white hair, green eyes, and toned muscles. Yes. This feels right. With that thought, my gray form begins to morph. The pain that goes along with it causes me to pass out.

  {Wake up}

  Was that voice in my mind telling me to wake up? What happened? I must have passed out. I get up, my body feels different. Stronger. Looking down I see that my skin is no longer gray. I reach up and touch my head. I have hair. It seems that I am now the man I created. The mirror is gone. In its place is a small wooden table with a quill and a blank scroll of paper. I know what I need to do now. I walk up and touch the paper. Words form in the air in front of me.

  Scroll of Naming

  I must choose a name. But why don’t I already have one? Names flash through my mind. Tom. Dick. Harry. Ku’Zanadar. No. That is an Orcish name. How I know that eludes me. I wish the mirror was still here. Seeing my face might help me choose an appropriate name. I notice there is writing on my forearm. It’s a tattoo in black block letters. BD-DC-009

  I’m not sure why, but the last number resonates with me. I write Nine as my name. As soon as I finish, the scroll bursts into flames, and is gone. The quill and table also vanish. Now there are pedestals along the walls. Twelve in all, three per wall. On each stand is a figurine, each made of a different type of mineral. I walk up to one made of jade and touch the small statue of an elegant nude woman with long flowing hair and a goblet in her hand.

  Slas La Cav

  Deity of Love, Wine, and Sex

  Grants a twice per day Divine Ability: Charm

  +1 to Personality, +5 Rebirth

  These are the twelve Deities. I make a lap of the room, touching each of the figurines, all of which are all female. Each grant me an ability and add five to Rebirth, whatever that means. Only one calls out to me.

  Luminous

  Deity of Healing, Light, and Guidance

  Grants a twice per day Divine Ability: Grace of Luminous

  +1 to Wisdom, +5 Rebirth

  I pick up the figurine of Luminous, which is made of opal. The other statues around the room shatter into dust. The pedestals are also gone. I feel a substantial change in the way my thoughts are formed, and I realize the increase in Wisdom had an effect. The figurine is no longer in my hand, but now I have a new tattoo on my left forearm. There are five representations of the deity Luminous. There are also tattoos on the palms of each of my hands, which are a blue-green swirl, which I know is the symbol for Grace of Luminous.

  Suddenly there are six people in the room with me. They are me. The clones are not moving and are translucent and smoky, like the text that appears in the air. Each version of me is wearing a different outfit and holding a weapon.

  “Hello?” I say. My voice sounds different than the first time I spoke, this time like it belongs to me, and not some gray creature. There is no reply, just the heavy silence of the room.

  I walk up to one that is dressed in metal armor and holding a two-handed sword.

  Calling: Dark Knight

  Starting Weapon: Black Iron Zweihänder

  Starting Armor: Black Iron Breastplate

  Grants the Ability: Heavy Strike

  The other Callings disappear as I focus on the Dark Knight. The imposing figure comes to life and performs an attack which I instinctively know is Heavy Strike. The smoky Knight performs the attack in a loop, until I step away which causes the other Callings reappear. I walk up to each one of the versions of me.

  Calling: Sorcerer Of Eld

  Starting Weapon: Old Oak Staff

  Starting Armor: Heavy Robe

  Grants the Ability: Aether Missile

  This version is holding a Gnarled Staff, and there is a star-shaped stone imbedded in his hand. The Sorcerer holds out the staff and an orb of energy shoots out. I’m tempted to choose this Calling, as the power calls to me, no pun intended.

  Calling: Scoundrel

  Starting Weapon: Thug’s Dagger

  Starting Armor: Leather Jerkin

  Grants the Ability: Lock Picking

  Next, a leather-clad version of me is in front of a door, a small tool in his hand. He uses it to unlock the door. That is handy.
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  Calling: Cleric of Luminous

  Starting Weapon: Iron War Hammer

  Starting Armor: Chain-Mail Shirt

  Grants the Ability: Divine Smite

  Luminous? I instantly feel a connection to this Calling. A War Hammer rests in his hands, which he does not use. Instead he raises his hand and a pillar of smoky flames appears from overhead and strikes the ground.

  Calling: Silent Ranger

  Starting Weapon: Birch Longbow & Replenishing Quiver

  Starting Armor: Leather Shirt

  Grants the Ability: Bullseye

  A bow is in his hands, in a fluid motion, almost too fast to follow, an arrow is notched and flying. Interesting. Do these Callings impart weapon training?

  Calling: Wayfinder of Eld

  Starting Weapon: Iron Short Sword

  Starting Armor: Turtle Shell Breastplate

  Grants the Ability: Detect Secret

  This version has strange eyes. I lean closer and notice that his pupils are in the shape of a star, similar to the stone in the hand of the Sorcerer. I jump back as his eyes flash with power, and an outline in the wall glows. A hidden secret?

  Again, just like with the deity figurines, only one of the Callings resonates with me. I choose Cleric of Luminous. I am now wearing a chain-mail shirt, cotton pants and shirt, and wooden sandals. I have a new tattoo, this one on my left index finger. It is shaped like a ring and has golden flames surrounding it. That is Divine Smite. The thought pops into my mind. I heft up my new war hammer, and it feels right in my hands. Turning around I find the only thing in the room now is some of that smoky floating text.

  Strength 1+

  Endurance .75+

  Agility .55+

  Dexterity .80+

  Intelligence .85+

  Wisdom 2+

  Personality 1.1+

  Points Available: 1

  This is me, boiled down to base numbers. I know an average adult human has a base of 1 to their attributes. It seems I’m left lacking in a few areas; I only have 1 point to spend. My first impulse is to use my only point on my lowest attribute. But I hesitate, I need to go over what has happened so far. I have been given abilities, armor, and a weapon. I will have to fight. I want more information. I try mentally focusing on one of the attributes, but nothing happens. It seems that the attributes are self-explanatory and yield no details.

  I decide I want to experiment before I choose. I run around the room and swing my war hammer. Almost immediately, I feel exhausted, and then I trip over my own feet.

  {Wake up}

  I sit up. The back of my head is sore. I seem to be making a habit of passing out. That was informative. My Endurance and Agility are a hindrance. I get up and walk over to the waiting text. Something is different. My Wisdom is now 2.01. It is a small increase, but that is not the point. The point is that I can increase my attributes naturally through my actions and thoughts. I try another experiment. Mentally focusing on the plus sign on one of the attributes. It didn’t work. I had tried to use only a percentage of my one point.

  Energy fills my body after I confirm my attribute point to Endurance. The floating text disperses, like fog on a sunny day. The room rumbles, and there is screeching noise, I turn toward the sound to find a wooden door, which is marred with scratches, burns, and crudely etched-in letters. Getting closer I see they’re are odd combinations of letters and numbers. They are like my tattoo. Were these etched in by others like me? Where are they now? Using the pointy end of my war hammer I start to etch in the first letter of my tattoo, but I stop, a thought entering my mind. I am not a series of letters and numbers. Instead, I carve in my name, Nine.

  +.01 Personality

  The smoky text forms and is gone a moment later. My hand rests on the latch of the door, but apprehension, and fear, stop me. I look back at the bare gray cube that has been my home for the last day. There is nothing in the room for me, but it is a haven. I feel like a baby bird leaving the nest for the first time. What’s a bird? I know that it’s a living creature that flies in the sky. But, as to what they look like, I have no idea. I shake my head, jogging myself out of the cognitive dissonance I had fallen into.

  As soon as I open the door text forms in front of me.

  Escape the Labyrinth

  A chill runs down my spine as the letters dissipate into the air.

  Naga

  ~

  A spray of mist assaults me as soon as I step past the threshold of the doorway. There is a long, dark passageway in front of me. There is a loud sound coming from the end of the tunnel as well as light. A few minutes later I emerge from the dark into the light of a vast cavern. The sound I have been hearing is a huge waterfall that pours into an idyllic pool of water. Rocks covered in moss adorn the edge of the clear water. There are three doors in this room. One wooden, one silver, and one gold. The wood door is to my left, and vines with purple flowers have grown over most of it. The silver door is to my right; it is tarnished and ancient-looking. Finally, there is a golden door. It is on a rocky overhang midway up the waterfall, with no obvious way up to it.

  Seeing the water sparks a thirst in me that I didn’t know was there. I take a step toward the inviting pool. With a startling splash, a creature leaps out of the water. It is a woman. Wait. No. She has a serpentine lower half. Naga. A creature of myth. Yet, there is one in front of me. She has a mostly human torso and head, but her skin has patches of scales. Her lizard-like tongue flickers out, tasting the situation. I notice that her fingers end in nasty-looking claws.

  “Hello... ma’am, I’m Nine. May I have a drink from your pool?” I ask, wondering if she can understand me.

  The Naga responds by hissing at me and slithering toward me faster than I am comfortable with.

  I begin backing up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I trip over my feet and fall on my behind. She’s going to kill me. My heart starts pounding in my chest. I make it to my feet only to trip again. I curse myself for not putting my attribute point into Agility. Something strikes my neck, and I feel warmth sliding down my back. “Wait...” I yell at the creature. She doesn’t wait.

  {Wake up}

  I am back in the gray cube room. Adrenaline coursing through my veins causes me to bolt up into a sitting position. My head whips back and forth looking for the mean Naga. Once I realize that I’m safe I calm down. I need to be more careful talking to creatures. I also need to study my surroundings before acting.

  +.01 Intelligence

  +.01 Wisdom

  The smile that started to mark my face turns into a frown as I notice that the five tattoos of Luminous on my arm are now in fact four. I used a Rebirth. What happens when I use them all? I know the answer, but choose to not think about it for the moment.

  My chain-mail shirt and war hammer are gone, but I still have on my clothes and sandals. I stand up, but my body is a little shaky from coming down from the adrenaline high. I look at the wooden door with dread. What am I supposed to do? I look down at my tattoos. You are not helpless. Fight. I leave the room and walk down the dark passageway. First thing I notice is there is a body. A dead body, with a missing arm. Dried blood surrounds whoever this poor guy was. I look around but see no sign of the Naga. I tiptoe and lean over the corpse. Where did this person come from? Did the Naga kill him? That is me. I feel like an idiot, but, to be fair, it’s not every day that I see my own dead body. Plus, I created this guy today, so I’m still not entirely familiar with my own face. Wait. What was I before today? The question makes my brain hurt. So I stop thinking about it.

  I set about the grueling task of taking the chain-mail shirt off the dead version of me, all the while casting nervous glances at the not-so-idyllic pool of water. I pick up the war hammer that is lying on the dried blood. Maybe I should just try for the door? I could cut through the lush plant life and stay off the path that goes right by the pool. As I take a step forward, the Naga jumps out of the water.

  “I don’t want to hurt you... and I reall
y don’t want you to hurt me.” I notice a human arm dangling from a rope at her side. Her gaze follows mine, and she picks up the human appendage and takes a bite. “Oh... that’s gross... why?”

  The Naga hisses at me.

  Without hesitating, I raise my hand that has the ring tattoo and activate Divine Smite. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and I yelp out in surprise as a raging pillar of fire descends from a rent in the air above the Naga. The monster woman screams and thrashes on the ground. It seems fire doesn’t agree with her. After the divine flames disappears, the Naga is left twitching on the ground. I immediately feel bad for her and almost use Grace of Luminous on the poor creature, which I assume would provide healing. Don’t be a fool. End her suffering. I know my inner monologue is right. I walk up to the charred monster, raise my war hammer, and with a grimace on my face, cave her head in like a meat-filled watermelon.

  +.01 Strength

  +.01 Personality

  +.01 Divine Smite

  -.01 Divine Smite Cooldown

  It seems fighting is rewarding. I notice my ring tattoo is dimmed in color, except for a small section that appears to be creeping around my finger at a slow pace. I look down at the dead monster. I feel bile rising in my throat, but before my body can finish that thought, the Naga’s body turns to the same blackish smoke that forms the floating text. It doesn’t develop into letters, but a shimmering, translucent floating globe, about the same size as my head. Now what? I look at the pool of water, and my thirst is still there. I step around the globe, not wanting to touch it. I’m about to dip my hands into the clear water to get a drink, but I stop when I see that my hands are covered in blood.

  +.01 Wisdom

  Instead, I lean my head down and take a long gulp directly from the pool. The water is fresh, cold, and hurts my dry throat for a moment, and then is glorious. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. I drink until my belly sloshes around when I move. Feeling satisfied, I wash my hands off and splash my face with water.

  Feeling better, I stand up and look around the room. Three doors await. I hear a growl and spin to face the noise. Nothing is there. “Hello? Is anyone there? I swear I’m not a mean killy Naga.” Another growl. It’s my tummy, I’m hungry. I blush at my foolishness. Looks like I will need to find something to eat. I walk around the globe again, giving it the stink eye, and make my way over to the silver door. It is about twelve feet tall and four feet wide with a rounded top. I try the latch, but the door doesn’t budge. That’s when I see the keyhole. I need a key.