To Kieran’s disappointment, the day was fading too fast to allow him a proper examination of the goblin corpses. He had just enough time to move them out of the cathedral, promising himself a closer look in the morning.
Then he set up his own little camp by the firepit. It took some effort to get the fire going, but he managed it right as the sun dipped below the horizon.
The day’s exhaustion finally began catching up to Kieran as he warmed himself by the fire. Even when tired, however, he was still a very careful man. Before letting himself get too comfortable, he rigged up some simple noise traps using the rope from his pack and the empty bottles left behind in the campsite.
Satisfied with how he’d hidden the makeshift tripwires, Kieran settled in by the fire. He’d always been a light sleeper. He felt confident that he would be woken up by the noise if anyone tried to sneak up on him in the night.
Suddenly, Kieran realized he felt neither thirst nor hunger. He retrieved some dry rations and a waterskin from his pack anyway. His medical experience had taught him that skipping on either could have lasting consequences. Still, he found it strange that after such an active day, he didn’t feel the need for food or drink.
“It might have something to do with being a Chosen Contender,” he whispered to himself between bites of dried fruit. “But I can’t know for sure until I meet other ‘Contenders.’ If I meet others, rather. Or anyone except goblins.”
His thoughts turned to the days ahead. Would he wake up to a new quest from Vahr’Khul? Or would he be left to wander alone? Then again, if no directive came immediately, was he supposed to stay where he was and wait until the god had a new quest for him to pursue?
He grimaced. The constant following of orders reminded him of his army days.
Kieran decided that he wouldn’t wait around for another directive before continuing his journey. That ‘city’ carved into the mountainside seemed like a suitable goal. The wider world was open before him, and he was not going to miss this the chance to explore it, no matter what Vahr’Khul thought.
“After I examine those bodies,” he vowed. “Even without the right tools, they should yield some fascinating insight.”
Kieran’s mind turned towards Vahr’Khul. He wondered if the entity was causing this constant cold. The chill Kieran had felt both times he wielded Last Breath was just a spike in the pervasive iciness that had gripped him since he woke up in this new world. Even now, huddled by the fire, he couldn’t get fully warm.
Was this because Vahr’Khul was somehow nearby, watching Kieran closely? It was a logical conclusion. Every interaction with the entity, whether directly or through the bracelet on his wrist, had left Kieran chilled to the bone after the fact.
For a moment, Kieran found himself glancing over his shoulder. His eyes strained to pierce the shadows beyond the fire’s cheerful glow. He had always been comfortable in darkness, but the thought of being watched by an invisible god was unnerving.
Then again, did it even matter whether or not Vahr’Khul was watching him? If the entity refused to speak, its presence made no difference.
Kieran forced his gaze back to the fire. He had never seen the point of worrying about factors beyond his control. It was a waste of valuable resources. His time and energy would be much better served investigating observable data.
Such as, for example, his newfound abilities.
Kieran looked down at the bracelet on his wrist. It struck him again how much the black gem, ringed in orange light, looked like the images of black holes he’d seen back home before being transported to this new world…
A minute passed, then another, then several more. Slowly, Kieran became aware that his attention was getting absorbed by the gem, just like light being devoured by a black hole. It took a focused effort of will to drag his eyes away from the bracelet.
Kieran blinked several times to clear his mind, pondering the gem’s seemingly hypnotic effect. Was there any connection between this ‘black hole’ resemblance and the fact that Vahr’Khul was the god of death?
What did people in this world think about death, anyway? Vahr’Khul certainly had a variety of titles. One in particular stuck out, surfacing in Kieran’s memory like a tolling bell: the Promised End.
That certainly had all the mysterious finality of a black hole.
Were the people of this world aware of black holes? Did they know anything about the celestial dance happening overhead? Maybe astrology hadn’t even started here, or maybe it was entirely forgotten. The latter would not be surprising, actually, what with the ongoing invasion.
And speaking of the invasion…
The quest screen had mentioned a new spell as Kieran’s reward for retrieving the ring. He ran his finger across the bracelet, summoning up his skill screen.




Mend / Maim, Recall
Total: 200 essence




Kieran tapped ‘Recall’, bringing up the next screen.




Skill: Recall
Spend an hour to mark a location. At will, return to the marked location via teleportation. The spell can carry the user and one other willing creature.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
A new location can always be marked by spending an hour there.




“A quick return to a home location, then.” Kieran nodded approvingly as he dismissed the screen. “Useful.”
The idea of new skills was intriguing. Could he only acquire them as a gift from Vahr’Khul? Or would he be able to create new ones himself? Alternatively, could he acquire skills from other gods, if he were to meet them?
Kieran considered the cold sensation he felt whenever he pulled on his abilities, how it seemed to emanate from the gem itself. It was certainly an awe-inspiring power. And if its true source was Vahr’Khul, as he suspected…
Kieran gasped.
A chill was creeping up the base of his skull, sending a shiver down his spine. As it continued up through the skull and into his brain, he felt a sort of understanding settle into his thoughts.
A new connection was being formed. Or maybe it was already there, and he was just now realizing it.
Kieran’s mind filled with memories of the Veil Between Worlds, the moment when he came face-to-face with the hooded figure of Vahr’Khul. He remembered the snap of the figure’s crystalline fingers and the blackness that followed. He felt again the shock of cold that coursed through him whenever he used one of his skills.
All of it caused by, or in some way related to, Vahr’Khul.
Kieran’s clinical mind went into overdrive as many of his questions were answered all at once. The connection between him and Vahr’Khul was more than just words. Whenever Kieran used his abilities, he was drawing on a power outside of himself. The bracelet he’d been given was not the source of this power. It was merely the conduit, the connecting point between Kieran and the true source.
Vahr’Khul.
After so many years spent in the study and service of the dying, Kieran now had direct access to the power of death itself.
If that was the case, and all of Kieran’s logic confirmed it was, then it answered another question. The entity was almost certainly watching him, if for no other reason than to provide him with this power.
An actual, tangible connection existed between him and Vahr’Khul. When needed, Kieran could use this connection to pull some of the entity’s power through to himself.
But was that all the connection could do?
Kieran’s thoughts continued racing, coolly and efficiently. Given enough time and practice, could he tug on this link to communicate with Vahr’Khul? Could he harness it to make his current abilities stronger, or even create new ones?
His eyes flashed. Anticipation surged in his gut.
“When in doubt, there is only one way forward,” he said quietly, his voice barely disturbing the still night air. “Experimentation.”
First, he closed his eyes and calmed his thoughts. Next, he thought about the way he called on his powers. The action was as natural as moving his limbs. But, just like movement, there had to be intent behind it.
Kieran focused himself entirely on that cold thread in the back of his mind, reaching for and through it to the source of his power.
Cold washed over him, causing him to shiver. Pushing through the cold, however, Kieran felt something else in that thread: a current of what felt like energy, flowing constantly through the connection and into his body.
He reached beyond, casting his thoughts through the current, searching for signs of… anything.
His metaphorical hand brushed against something impossibly cold.
In that fraction of a second, Kieran’s mind filled with images. A vast void. Stars twinkling far, far in the distance. A singularity so close to him that a shock of true fear ran through his heart for the first time in years.
Kieran pulled away immediately, snapping out of his meditative state with a gasp.
His fear died quickly, but it left a nagging sensation in its wake. He had the distinct feeling that he had just glimpsed something that wasn’t meant for him to see or understand. Not yet, at least.
Oddly, he found himself thinking of the myths and old stories his mother had enjoyed. Kieran never had much use for them, but she had told them so many times when he was a child that they were branded firmly into his memory. Several tales spoke of gods hiding their true forms in order to talk to mortals. He had to consider the possibility that what Vahr’Khul showed him at their first meeting was simply a mask.
Which meant that Kieran had just encountered, ever so briefly, Death in all its fullness.
Kieran’s heart beat strangely fast. It took him several minutes to quiet his thoughts. The little experiment had inspired many more questions, but he pushed them away, adding them to his mental list for later.
Yet questions were not the only result. When he was finally able to focus again, Kieran realized that he could more accurately pinpoint the flow of energy through his body. He could now trace it clearly, with as little effort as a passing thought.
Kieran then tried to tug on this stream with his mind and guide it with his thoughts. The stream shifted readily, focusing more energy through to the bracelet on his wrist.
Another surge of anticipation rolled through Kieran. Not only was the connection a tangible one, but he was learning to control it.
He ran his fingers over the black gem, bringing up the list of abilities. To his surprise, a new entry on the list greeted him:




Skill : Chilling Touch
A creature within sight is grabbed by the freezing hand of death.




A rare smile spread across Kieran’s features.
Ranged attack.
Backing out of the description, he wondered if Mend and Maim had also changed. He opened both in turn, seeing one sentence added to each.
“Channeling the ability increases the potency of its effect,” he read aloud.
Kieran shook his head, considering how powerful these channeled versions of the abilities would be. They were already plenty strong, at least against goblins. He didn’t see the point or practicality of making them stronger just yet.
Still… it was good to know he had the option, at least.
Kieran closed the list and returned his gaze to the fire. Night had fully enveloped the world around him. The darkness made Kieran think again of the Veil Between Worlds, and the stars reflected in Vahr’Khul’s flesh.
The flesh of a god.
A god with whom Kieran now shared a tangible connection.
Just how far he could explore that connection? Before his mind broke under the immensity of the knowledge he was trying to comprehend, anyway.
But would his mind break? How powerful could he become by making use of this link? Even a brief glimpse had already made him stronger, or at least enhanced his abilities.
Out of nowhere, exhaustion rose up in a wave, interrupting further musings. Kieran suddenly realized his whole body was aching.
“Hardly surprising,” he reflected as he dug another blanket out of his pack and prepared for rest. “Two quests, eleven goblins dead… quite a first day.”
—
Kieran’s sleep was restless, beset by visions of crystalline terrain, black stone buildings, never-ending cold, and unfamiliar constellations.
When he woke up, he was glad to leave his dreams behind. He was even more glad to see that all of his things, including the noise traps he’d rigged up, were completely undisturbed.
“No one around,” he said, his breath faintly visible in the crisp morning air. “Perhaps I can examine those goblins in peace.”
But before the words were fully out of his mouth, a screen popped up:




Quest
Eliminate Gnoll Lookouts — Tracking Active
Reward: 300 essence
Two gnolls have taken up residence in the woods surrounding Eon’s Peak. Their presence is an urgent threat. They are serving as scouts and watch points for the invasion. Blind the legion’s eyes, my Contender.




Gnolls…
Curiosity sparked in Kieran’s mind, drowning out even his disappointment at yet another delayed dissection.
Finally, something other than a goblin.