Watcher of Fate

Elara's consciousness stirred, drifting upward through layers of darkness. A dull ache pulsed at the back of her head, and her limbs felt leaden as if weighed down by unseen chains. She became aware of the cold, unyielding surface beneath her, a slab of rough stone pressed against her skin. A coarse blanket, scratchy but warm, was draped over her.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and the room's dim light slowly became focused. The air was damp and carried a faint, metallic scent. Silence enveloped her, broken only by the distant drip of water and the muted murmurs of voices she couldn't quite make out.

"Elara! You're awake!" Quill's voice resonated with palpable relief and anxious energy. The small, ethereal figure materialized beside her, his luminescent eyes wide with concern. He fluttered erratically, his usual composure replaced by nervous agitation.

"Quill?" Elara's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. She attempted to sit up, propping herself on one elbow. A wave of dizziness washed over her, but she steadied herself, clutching the blanket to her chest. Then she noticed the absence of her armor, the familiar weight that had always been a constant. A flush of realization hit her; beneath the blanket, she wore nothing. Vulnerability prickled at her skin.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes meeting Quill's earnest gaze.

Quill hovered closer, his light casting gentle shadows on her face. "The Drow has captured you," he explained, his tone grave. "They took all the gear you were wearing. We're in some sort of underground complex, a series of pits dug into the ground. You're in an individual pit, but others... others are in group cages."

Elara's mind raced as fragments of memory resurfaced: the ambush, Thorne falling, the arrows, the suffocating embrace of sleep poison. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, her fingers gripping the coarse fabric. "The others... our companions?"

Quill's glow dimmed slightly. "I saw some of the merchants in another pit nearby. They're scared but unharmed, as far as I can tell. But I haven't seen Kael, Lily, or Owen. They might have escaped, or..." He trailed off, uncertainty clouding his features.

Elara's heart tightened. She swung her legs over the edge of the stone slab, feet touching the cool ground. The pit walls rose around her, smooth stone with no discernible handholds, stretching to an iron grate that sealed the opening above. Through the bars, she could glimpse a sliver of the cavern beyond, where shadows moved, the [Drow Guard]s, ever vigilant.

She reached up instinctively, fingers brushing against something cold encircling her neck. A collar, metallic and unyielding. A surge of anger and panic welled within her. "They've locked a collar on me?"

Quill nodded solemnly. "It's suppressing your ability to cast spells. I noticed you still have access to your [Spirit Domain] since I can move freely in and out of it. You might be able to pull items out."

Elara closed her eyes, focusing inward. She reached for the familiar space of her [Spirit Domain], and felt a flicker of connection. Relief washed over her. At least not all was lost. "I can still access it," she confirmed. "Maybe I can retrieve my gear and find a way out."

Quill hesitated, his wings fluttering softly. "Even if you managed to get out of this pit, without your magic, you'd be at a severe disadvantage. The Drow are masters of this environment. And don't forget the sleep poison. They could easily subdue you again, and next time, they'd make sure you couldn't escape at all."

Elara clenched her jaw, frustration boiling within her. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"We need to think strategically," Quill replied, his voice steadying. "First, you need to finish your core. That will significantly increase your strength and help counteract some of the collar's effects."

Elara pulled up her status screen and quickly focused, trying to bring up her energy core statistics.

---

Name: Elara Crowhurst

Race: Human(Norn)

Class: The Watcher of Fate

Level: (313,465 of 343,000) 34

Quenya: (251,939 of 253,000) 31

Resources:

HP: 5,892 of 5,892 (16.1/min)

Energy: 4,234 of 4,234 (4.0/sec)

Attributes:

Armor Class: 0

Strength: 42

Dexterity: 173 (190)

Constitution: 86

Perception: 211 (348)

Intelligence: 54 (59)

Resolve: 158 (229)

Free Points: 21

---

She sighed, "I tried to bring up my core energy stats, but I can't access them fully. My intelligence stat is too low at only 59. I need at least 100 to have the more advanced options. I can still weave, but I would be doing it blind to seeing what the System thinks of my progress."

Quill's eyes brightened. "You have 21 unallocated stat points, don't you? If you apply them all to intelligence, that brings you to 82 with your bonus. Plus, your [Living Steel Armor] in your [Spirit Domain] still has the [Verdant Charm] attached, which adds 13 intelligence, and with your bonuses, that totals up to 96. You're only four points short."

She considered this. "I have those demon guards we acquired during the Youdu Crystal Reserve heist. I haven't had a chance to go through their gear yet. There might be something useful."

"Exactly," Quill agreed. "It's worth checking."

Elara stood up slowly, the blanket wrapped securely around her. "Alright, that's one problem we can work on. But there's another issue of the sleep poison. My [Affliction Resistance] is only at 6. That's far too low to withstand their toxins."

Quill fluttered closer. "You'll need to raise it significantly, perhaps to at least 20. Remember those scorpion tails you have from the [Desert Scorpion]? You could use them to expose yourself to controlled doses of venom, gradually building up your resistance."

A wry smile touched Elara's lips. "Poisoning myself to get stronger. Desperate times, I suppose."

"It could work," Quill insisted. "And don't forget your [Shadowstrike Dagger]. Its ability, [Entropy Embrace], might also help in developing resistance."

She nodded, determination hardening her features. "So, to recap—we need to finish my core by increasing my intelligence, finishing the braiding and wrapping it in my shadow mana, build up my affliction resistance to counter the sleep poison, and then plan an escape."

"Precisely," Quill affirmed. "It's risky, but it's our best shot."

Elara took a deep breath, feeling a spark of hope amidst their situation's bleakness. "Alright. Let's get to work. You keep watch for any guards coming."

As Elara delved into her [Spirit Domain], the familiar sensation of entering that ethereal space washed over her. The world around her faded, and she stood in a vast expanse dominated by a magnificent [Spirit Tree]. Its branches stretched upward, intertwining with the deep hues of the purple skies above. Wisps of light, spirits, floated gracefully among the leaves, their forms shifting and shimmering like fragments of stars.

She considered the following steps carefully. The dry dirt floor felt solid beneath her feet, grounding her amidst the swirling spirits that danced in the purple skies above. The stone tower loomed nearby, and around its base lay the organized piles of gear and items she had accumulated over her journey.

Her gaze settled on the inert forms of the two [Lvl 24 Demon Guardian]s and the two [Lvl 16 Demon Sorcerer]s that she had stored here after the encounter at the crystal reserve.

Determined to make the most of the resources at her disposal, Elara walked over to the pile of equipment beside the stone tower. She selected a finely crafted knife, its blade sharp, a tool she had acquired in earlier adventures. The knife felt comfortable in her hand, its weight balanced and familiar.

"Time to see what secrets you hold," she murmured, approaching the nearest [Demon Guardian]. She removed the demon's armor, unfastening the intricate clasps holding the heavy plates together. The armor was surprisingly well-crafted, each piece interlocking seamlessly with the next. As she lifted the chest plate away, she observed the complex knotwork inscribed on its inner surface.

With the armor removed, Elara focused on extracting the demon's magical core. She recalled that powerful demons often housed a core of condensed mana that she could feed to Quill to further empower his growth.

Using the knife, she made precise incisions, guided by her knowledge of demonic anatomy gleaned from the last time she removed a demon core under Malakar's watchful eye. The process required steady hands and a keen understanding of where the core was located.

After careful effort, she extracted a glowing orb from within the demon's chest. The orb's pulsating core emanated a deep crimson light. The core felt warm to the touch and humming with latent power.

"One down," she said softly, placing the core into a secure pouch within her [Spirit Domain].

She repeated the process with the second [Demon Guardian], meticulously removing the armor and retrieving the core. Each core held unique properties, and she knew they could prove invaluable in enhancing her own abilities or crafting potent items.

Moving on to the [Lvl 16 Demon Sorcerer]s, Elara noticed that their robes were woven with threads of dark magic, shimmering subtly as she removed them. The fabric was lightweight yet durable, inscribed with arcane patterns that hinted at spell-enhancing properties.

With deliberate care, she retrieved the sorcerers' cores, which were smaller than those of the guardians but no less potent. The orbs glowed with a red light and pulsated gently.

As she secured the last core, Elara took a moment to survey the items she had gathered. The armor pieces, robes, rings, earrings, necklaces, and magical cores represented a wealth of potential.

Organizing the collected items, Elara placed the armor and robes alongside her own gear near the stone tower. She kept the magical cores close, pulling [Quenya] from its place of honor in her [Spirit Domain]. She fed it the four cores as she examined the rings, earrings, and necklaces to see if any provided in.

After examining all the pieces, she decided that two earrings, two rings, and one necklace would get significantly over her 100 int requirement. In some ways, the pieces were even better than her random assortment of jewelry previously. It was jewelry for a caster first and not the combination caster fighter that she was. Happy with her decision, Elara carefully placed the items back in their respective places beside the stone tower. She took a moment to ensure everything was organized and the gear ready for when she might need it.

Turning her attention to the next phase of her plan, she reached out and summoned the [Scorpion Tails] from her pile. The barbed stingers gleamed menacingly, the venom within potent yet controlled in her hands. Alongside them, she retrieved her trusted [Shadowstrike Dagger], the blade absorbing the ambient light and seeming to pulse with its own shadowy energy.

As she willed herself back to the physical world, the ethereal landscape of her inner realm began to fade. The purple skies and the towering [Spirit Tree] dissolved into the recesses of her mind, replaced by the dim confines of the stone chamber. The cold air brushed against her skin, contrasting her [Spirit Domain]’s warmth.

Elara stood in the center of the pit, the coarse blanket still wrapped around her like a cloak. The [Scorpion Tail] and [Shadowstrike Dagger] were now in her hands, tangible and real. She concealed them swiftly beneath the folds of the blanket, aware that any sign of contraband could spell disaster.

"Any luck?" Quill inquired.

"Yes," she replied with a hint of satisfaction, listing off the freshly acquired gear to Quill.

---

Ruby Ring of the Wise (Excellent): Int 13, Con 11, Res 7

Amethyst Band of Focus (Good): Per 11, Int 7

Opal Hoops of Inner Fire (Good): Int 11, Res 7

Pearl Drop Earrings of Serenity (Excellent): Res 13, Per 11, Int 7

Diamond Pendant of the Archmage (Excellent): Int 13, Res 11, Per 7

---

"Excellent," Quill beamed. "Now, about the affliction resistance..."

Elara grabbed one of the scorpion tails, its barbed tip glistening ominously even in the dim light. "I'll need to be careful with this," she said, eyeing the venomous stinger.

"Start with a small dose," Quill advised. "We can monitor your condition together."

She took a steadying breath, steeling herself. "Alright. Here goes nothing."

With meticulous care, she made a tiny incision on her forearm using the tip of the stinger. A sharp sting radiated from the wound, followed by a spreading warmth. Elara focused inward, observing the effects as they coursed through her system.

A notification flickered before her:

You have been poisoned.

"Slow and steady," Quill reminded her. "We can repeat this process until your resistance is where it needs to be."

Elara nodded, determination set in her eyes. "I won't let them keep me here. We'll do whatever it takes."

"That's the spirit," Quill encouraged. "Once your core is complete and your resistance is higher, you'll be much stronger. Then we can figure out how to deal with that collar and plan our escape."

She glanced upward at the iron grate, the shadows of guards occasionally passing overhead. "They won't see it coming."

Quill settled beside her, his presence a comforting glow in the gloom. "We'll get through this, Elara. Together."

She offered him a grateful smile. "I know. Thank you, Quill."

As the dim light waned, Elara sat down cross-legged on the stone floor, the blanket wrapped around her like a cloak. She closed her eyes, centering herself. There was much to do, but she felt a glimmer of control, a path forward for the first time since awakening in this dark place.