Valentine is the de facto pirate of all pirates. He’s tall, like Boriss tall, with broad shoulders carrying a scale-pted coat with massive pauldrons and a flowing bck cape. The pauldrons have the depi of a monstrous maw oher side with glowing eyeholes. The rest of the coat is simir tards jacket, where it hugs closely aends to his knees ih. Unlike her jacked, the coat is covered in armored scales with eadividual scale having a carved rune on it.
Atop the man's head rests a resple leather tri with glowing red bones decorated throughout the headpiece. Atop the hat, a single crimsoher extends a foot above and flows zily to the movements of the wind.
Underh the coat, runed Boher jackets and pants match the aesthetics of the man tri while the runed scale greaves match the man's jacket.
The ey of the man's clothing screams of a quality and expense only a kingdom provide, if even that.
Below the hat, Valentine's hardened human face rests. The man is old on at of the wrinkles on his skin, but flowing bck mane reveals no sign of aging, nor does the vibrant green eyes dis a loss of mental ability.
No, Valentine is a man in his absolute prime, and he fully knows it by the slightly crazed grin on his fad resti hand on the singur sheathed cutss at his hip.
Just as they tinue walking towards the tral tower, I realize quickly that all of them are pletely dry. When they get close enough, I find out why.
The rain stops p, and when I look up, I find that it is being blocked by some kind of barrier. Looking more closely, I notice the barrier is a bubble, and that the ter of the bubble is Gazania, the Hurrie.
I guess a [Storm-Fe Navigator] is going to have some way of tering a storm. Hell, the woman is known as the Hurrie. She probably make a damn hurrie.
“That staff is amazing.” I hear Emma whisper.
Figuring I have a moment sihey seem to be walking rather slowly towards us, I focus upon the glowing staff i-woman's hand.
Name
R Aurora
Rarity
Legendary - 56 Runes.
2(8-- Greater Mana Efficy)1(10 - Greater Aurora shielding aura]1(30 - Create Aurora)Description
This staff reduces external mana expenditure by 75%. This staff reduces the effect of an aurora by 90% in its viity. This staff cast Create Aurora at will.
Sustain
2.3% Mana Regeion Per Minute
Create Aurora: 4317 Mana to activate
That's legendary? Doesn’t seem that impressive. Well, maybe it is, depending on what an Aurora does in this world.
Before I ask, Valentine arrives within speaking distance. He stops and stares down all those present until he locks eyes with James kneeling at the tower's entrance.
“When I came here, I wasn’t expeg to be greeted by the tower idiots,” Valentine says mogly.
o me, I find Simon balling his fists. Apparently, the ma like his religious order being called idiots. Thankfully, the man has the self trol to keep his emotions in check.
James, ever diplomatic, bows. “The Tower Ecclesiasticus ences all to make pilgrimage to the divine ear.”
“Harr harr harr,” Valentine ughs. “You idiots uand nothing and prehend nothing.” The man tinues ughing and then abruptly stops. “I should end you all for even thinking I’d do something like e here for a pilgrimage.”
Every single person goes pale at the man's words. Even Simon, the level 57 that he is, tightly grasps the hilt of his longsword nervously. The man is clearly willing to fight to the death, but he ’t help stop the fear rising up in him.
Then Valentine smiles. “But I have a better idea, and an audience would do well. Now move aside!”
James and everybody around the entrance quickly shift to the side, allowing valentine a view of the entrance.
“Harr harr harr.” Valentine ughs again. His ugh is odd, gritty, and ced with a bit of crazy.
He walks forward, up the steps, and then stops at the entrance. He raises a hand forward, and then stops at pears to be an invisible barrier.
“I always wondered what these towers are for and why there is a barriered entrance.”
Immediately, Valeracts his hand, balls a fist, and punches forward. The sound of a gunshot goes off as his fist breaks the sound barrier. When his fist makes tact with the invisible wall, no impact be heard as though all kiic force was absorbed.
The man steps bad ughs again. “Now, I know. It’s all fame.” He turns around and looks back at his crew. “And I am not a pyer.” His eyes focus on the singur Gemma. “Drevis, tell me what’s inside.”
fused looks spread throughout the pilgrims at Valentine's words. Looks that the [Pirate-Prince Captain] thhly enjoys the look of.
“Yes, [Captain].” Drevis excims fidently.
Valentine grins. “Not your [Captai. Prove to me the worth of your story and I will let you join my crew.”
The Gemma nods fidently. He walks up the stairs and stht o Valehen he raises a hand forward and is met with the barrier. Then he applies a little bit of pressure.
The ey of the Tower Ecclesiastibsp;gasps in surprise as Drevis hand passes to the other side.
“Harr harr harrr.”
Valentine's ughter echoes throughout the clearing from the surprise of all those present. Now, every word of heresy that has e from his mouth may now be sidered as gospel.
“Harr harr harrr.” He tinues his joyous dark ughter. Thes a hand on Drevis shoulder. “Wele to the crew.” Then he pushes Drevis fully through the barrier. “Now go inside and tell me what you find.”
When Drevis looks back, the man's expression is fused as though he 't see anybody. He puts his hand ba the barrier and thes outside. When he does, he gives everyone a fused look.
“What happened?” Valentines asks.
“Nothing. I just ’t see outside the barrier.”
Drevis walks bato the tower. He gives o look and then jogs deeper inside. Once he is out of visie, Min Daiyu steps behind Valentine.
“[Captain],” She calls. She raises a hand with aended finger pointing directly at me. “There is a sn here.”
Shit!
Valewirls rapidly in my dire at a speed I barely track. When our eyes meet, the man rexes and starts ughing.
“Harr harr harr.” his ugh echoes for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, his hand bitchsps Min Daiyu with enough speed and force to send the woman flying into the ground..
“That's a [Shifter] you bitch!” He corrects her. “Check the ext time.” He warns the woman before turning away from her.
Damn, he’s brutal.
When I look at the woma, her hood is peeled back to reveal a very asiaage. Her cheek is now very red and her expression is oddly one of bliss on at of the smile and blush. She quickly stands up and lowers back her hood.
But, the damage has been done. Valentine's i is on me.
“A [Shifter] that transform into a Sn. Today just keeps gettier aer.”
Valearts walking towards me with a creepy grin on his face. “I’m going to have to know how you got such a transformation.”
Before he walk the distance, Simon steps in front of me and uhes his longsword in warning.
“[Captain] Quasi is a guest of the Tower Ecclesiasticus, and is thus part of my prote. So long as I live, I will not allow any harm to e to him.”
A, you’re trying to protect me. That’s adorable… It was niowing you.
“Harr harr harr. A [Captain] you say? A [Shifter] and [Captain]? This just gets better aer.”
Valeeps forward, pletely unbothered by Simon's uhed longsword.
I see the shift in Simon's posture. The man is ready to rush and attack. Probably die too sidering the differen levels.
The moment just before Simon is about to attack, Valentine pletely stops. The man’s eyes harden wheices another person nearby.
“Well, if it isn’t the old fart. Today is full of surprises.”
I hear a grumble, and then Myers steps forward with a hand readily on his e.
“It’s been awhile, Valentine. I wasn’t expeg to meet you here.”
“Harr harr harr. So this is where you’ve been hiding. I don’t suppose you’ve got the brat with you?”
“The child is not your .” Myers answers.
“Harr harr harr. Not mirue. But there are many who’d pay a kingdom's ransom for the kid's death.”
“You don’t care for . You never did.”
Valentine ughs. “True, true. What is the point of when the best things in life are priceless.”
Myers grimaces. The old man tightens his grip on his e which causes Valeo smile wider and wider.
Thankfully, before a fight could happen, a screaming man rushes out of the tower. Not a moment ter and a horse-sized brown scorpion with three glowing pincers rams directly into the barrier with enough force to shatter crete. But, the barrier easily holds. The scorpian strikes the barrier several times with its cws and even pincers, but nothing happens.
Then, after gng about, turns around and disappears deep into the tower.
Only o is gone, does the attentiourn to Drevis. The Gemma is on the ground. His axe is missing and a massive bloody hole is on his left shoulder.
pletely distracted now, Valeurns away from Myers and rushes to the drowned man. When Valentine arrives, the gemma starts vusling.
“Ghaahhhhhh.” The man screams. His formerly e-grey stony skin starts turning a slightly violet hue.
Valentine reaches down to pick up the man.
“Don’t touch him,” Gazania warns. The woman's eyes are aglow as she stares at the writhing form. “He’s been poisoned by scorpis venom. If even a little bit enters your system, it be lethal.”
Valeops reag down and takes a step back with a frown. “Are you saying he’s going to die?”
Gazania nods. “The venom is called Scorpis Grasp. Oneone is ied, the person's mana regeion increases by several hundred fold until they die from overdose. Once dead, the Scorpis e the mana-rich corpse.”
“There is no cure?”
“Maybe by a [Healer], but not by me.”
Valentines eyes swerve immediately to James. “It’s a good thing we have a [Rejuvenating Archmagus] in our presehe [Pirate] points at the Gemma, “What do you say? Save my man here and I may let you and your flock go.”
“Yes!” James answers. He rushes to the writhing man and kneels down. He reaches into his robe aracts a runed wand. He ys it on the Gemma, calls up his mana… and the Gemma ceases movement.”
“He just died,” Gazania excims. “Too slow.”
“No!” Valentine Roars in e as his foot sms down on James chest. James screams in pain under valentine's crushi.
“JAMES!” Simon yells. The [Faith-Guardian Captain] rushes forward with longsword raised to strike. He moves fast, faster than you’d expeeone in full pte.
But before he even reaches Valentine, a bolt of lightning rips through Simon's upper body, pletely obliterating the man and spraying several dozen people in brain matter.
The corpse falls to the floor not a moment after. Valentine g the [Padin] and then the asian woman. Min Daiyu’s arm is extended and a dagger is missing from her waist.
Valentine snorts. He looks down at the struggling James.
“I find someone who ehe fug tower, and he dies. I wasted my precious time on this.” Valentine adds more weight, wherein James screams.
“L-let me go!” I turn to my right and find a woman g and attempting to rush towards Simon's corpse. But several [Sailors] keep her back from making the same mistake.
Holy, I kinda feel bad. The Simon guy seemed pretty nice. He even put his life on the line for me. Maybe I should add Valeo my future kill list? Then again, I only knew Simon for a day.
“FUCK!” Valentine roars. The man is now fully pissed and his smile is pletely devoid of amusement.
He looks at all those present, sing them for something.
“Hoy,” he calls out, “anyone here able to ehe tower too?”
He applies more pressure on James. “e on, don’t be scared,” He says, looking hopefully.
“How about a deal, eh?” He looks about, even more crazed now. “You go into the tower, tell me whats inside, and I’ll leave everyone here fug alone!”
Oh? Now that sounds like a pretty good deal. Though, if the tower is dangerous, I could also die. Then again, what’s the ces the man might kill me or my crew anyway? Decisions decisions.
“e on, it's a good deal.” Valearts ughing. A manic, crazy ugh. He reaches into a pocket arieves a scroll. “I’ll even give you a map to where you find some nearby treasure.”
“DEAL!” I yell out.