Hero Scout

"It"s a Sobi mask, activates [Overdrive]," Bazza murmured, hand wafting over the item as if he were an x-ray machine, "an ability that deals damage while activated to the user, but also dramatically boosts strength, speed, agility and reaction speed for the duration. A good match for your troll body mate, although you might find that certain people have a direct affinity for the thing. No way to tell until you give it a red hot go."

"I can try it in various forms later, can it break the [Soul Anchor] though?" the d.a.m.ned gem continues to pulse and flare in the nearby table, Ellie staring at a haunting expression into its depths where the souls of her friends burned.

"Nah mate, it"s just an enhancement. But this upgrade gem...now that"s a real beauty."

Tentatively holding the gem high, Bazza appraised the fuzzy green sheen that was turned into fuel for the demonic taint encasing it. "We can make that Corrupt Spirit weapon you wanted with this, with any weapon, just hand "em over and I"ll combine then faster than Blake and some tinnies."

Without a thought, Kenji handed over Honour, Arthur"s family heirloom and Kenji"s longest held item. The d.a.m.ned sword was still fused with stone, if worn down by the blacksmiths of Tariak.

"Sorry Honour, I put you through h.e.l.l don"t I?" Arthur whispered as the blade was yanked from his hands, and taken over to Bazza"s barbeques. Peering over at Kenji, Bazza slapped the blade down on the grill and produced a hammer.

"Hey, what are you-"

BAM. Bazza smashed the gem stop the blade and began wiggling his fingers like a maestro above. The spiritual and demonic powers were already intertwined and drew greatly off the power of the flames below to wrap the steal and turn the stones in the blade itself into either a pure Jade green with a bright scarlet eye or deep blood red with a little spirit green crack,

Then the d.a.m.ned thing shattered all those high-grade fire crystals in the grill, power pumped in at an enormous rate.

"PUT ON THE MASK KID," Bazza hollered, holding down the blade with both hands as tongues of flame lashed out into the other barbeques and drew forth a torrent of their power too. No sooner had Kenji put on the Sobi mask did belching flame engulf him.

The demon fire filled his body, burning so much away, and yet a soothing green filled where it went. A sudden burst of spiritual energy was released nearby, a rush of Spiritual power following, his sobi mask cracked and exploded to reveal Kenji, emerged a new man. Arthur"s fire orange hair now waved and flickered upward like real flames, his hands felt hard as stone, while Honour floated in the air before him, several tendrils of green and red power tieing it to his arm.

"Oh now that"s rare," Bazza said with a great grin, allowing several shattered Spirit Crystals to fall free from his hands.

"What happened?" Kenji muttered, finding his voice louder, his feet lighter. "[Martial Aura]!" once activated his senses become keen as Ellie"s Butcher"s Blade, and the authority of the Truthblade helped to quash the slightest remnants of demonic taint within his mind. It still mewled in there, a pitiful thing, yet Kenji was well used to suppressing plagues of the mind by now.

"The blade was bound to you, something that can only happen if you have been close to an object for a great period of time. When the transformation occurred it picked up on that connection and...well in a way some of its power transferred to you as well. It would have failed, but luckily I had plenty of fire crystals and Spirit stones nearby, had to use "em all to get you as far as this. How do you feel mate? Because I"ll be honest, you look great."

Noticing Ellie staring, Kenji at first thought it was because his clothes had burnt away. But those eyes were hard, and soon rose to her feet.

Gritting his teeth, Kenji strode towards the [Soul Anchor] with Honour in his hands. Taking Ellie"s own, he positioned them with his on the hilt even though he felt Honour"s anger flaring across their bond. He pressed the blade"s will down and nodded at Ellie.

"We do it together, and then they can be free," Kenji said.

"Together," Ellie whispered, resolution building in her limbs as she helped raise Honour high.

"[Overdrive]![Full Frontal a.s.sault]!" Kenji cast in quick succession.

Crashing crystal, a burst of white. And then it was done.

Kenji spat blood to the side, [Overdrive] feeling like gnashing teeth chewing up his insides when activated, and while Kenji had grown stronger, the ability had only become more potent to match. If Kenji wanted to keep using it he was going to have to get used to having to repair the Boy Knight after each and every use, especially if he used [Full Frontal a.s.sault] which lowered his defensive value.

"The settlement will be yours to command when setup, but we have to get going. We have spent too long from Tariak, there might be news on my missing party member," Kenji said, the other adventurers gathering their equipment quickly.

"Settlement?" Bazza frowned, "and do you really need to be going? A mate of mine is real good with the flute and was going to-"

"We need to go. But we"ll be back, and if you would have us, I would set up a Hero Guild Branch right here. We"ll send our younger members to train, acquire items and grow strong. We could use a man like you Barry, a mentor to guide the next generation. Who knows, given enough time we might even be able to fight to the bottom floor and free you from this prison."

Bazza"s eyes were watering as he staggered backwards.

"Freedom? Barely thought about that in a hundred years...that"d be great mate, thanks, thank you so much!"

Freeing himself from Bazza"s bone-crushing hug, Kenji put on some shorts and sandals Bazza gave him, said his farewells, and got moving.

The path back to the copper leafed tree was a short one from here, and the portal home a welcome one. Stepping back into the safety of the Golden Goose Guildhall, Kenji allowed the smells of Tariak to wash over him, and ignored the excited buzz of those around him for a little while longer.

A sharp knock on the head caused him to scowl.

"What is it?"

"Put these on," Violet hissed, shoving a shirt and pants into his hands. Cheeks flushing red, Kenji had gotten so used to walking around with just his shorts on that he hadn"t really noticed his near-nudity.

"Sorry about-"

"Shut up. Sorry, but shut it for a second and listen," Violet snapped, looking at wits end with Kenji at the moment. "We found them, the spider tattooed gangsters. We know where one of their bases are, we can finally bring Tenko home."

Kenji stood stunned, his lips slowly pulling into a smile as if to feel thankful too readily would pull this illusion out from beneath his feet and be revealed as some cruel prank. But his smile did come wide and bright, and no one announced this was a sick joke.

"We"ve really found her - who did it? Which group tracked them down?"

"They"re here actually, they were new. We didn"t realise who she was though, not until they accomplished this quest with the same speed they did every other provided in the area," turning, Violet indicated a dashing oak haired youth in shining mithril plate, an upturned helmet-shaped into a silver swan and a sword with an aura all of its own at her side. Behind her stood a gigantic wheat haired priest, who looked terribly out of place with dirt on his nose and wearing enough brown cloth in his robe to cover a small family. Further behind him stood a pair of slim Silver Swan Knights.

"It is good to meet another servant of the Truthblade," the swordswoman said, her words coming sharp and clear as if they parried with words, "I look forward to testing your strength with my own. You can call me Arwen."

"Arwen, I think I"ve heard of you," Kenji mused.

"Arwen Swan is the General of the Northern Armies, and protected of the provinces within the northern frontier ring," Violet said, straining a smile, Kenji suddenly trying to do the same.

How the h.e.l.l had a general found Tenko?