Divine Awakening - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Two level increases unlocked far more spells, so many it forced Ash to filter them for utility in unarmed combat. He found six spells that might work well with his style.

Name: Iron Fist

Description: Unarmed attacks are enhanced with magical energy, increasing damage and allowing strikes to break through armor.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 30 minutes per charge

Duration: 5 minutes

Damage: +2 physical damage to all unarmed attacks. Ignores 10% of target’s armor.

Name: Muscle Memory

Description: Increases speed and reaction time, improving dodging ability and attack speed.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 30 minutes per charge

Duration: 5 minutes

Effect: +20% movement and attack speed. +15% chance to dodge incoming attacks.

Name: Cluster Lightning

Description: Unarmed attacks cause lightning damage with every touch. Successful attacks will propagate up to three additional clusters of lighting targeting nearby enemies for half damage.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 20 minutes per charge

Duration: 5 minutes

Damage: +2 electrical damage to all unarmed attacks.

Name: Flame Strike

Description: Unarmed attacks are imbued with fire, dealing extra fire damage and igniting flammable objects.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 20 minutes per charge

Duration: 5 minutes

Damage: +2 fire damage to all unarmed attacks. 5% chance to ignite targets.

Name: Glide

Description: Glide over any surface with no loss in momentum.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 30 minutes per charge

Duration: 10 seconds

Effect: Convert velocity in any direction into a controlled glide.

Name: Earth Shatter

Description: Empowers a ground strike that creates a shockwave, destabilizing nearby enemies.

Max Charges: 3

Recharge Rate: 20 minutes per charge

Range: 15-foot radius

Effect: Enemies within range are knocked down or lose balance interrupting any Charge or Channeled Spell.

Two utility spells had snuck into Ash’s list. Glide because it almost counted as flying, and Earth Shatter for its ability to interrupt an opponent’s focus. Ash wanted all six but only had two points. With reluctance he decided to hold off on the utility-focused ones. They’d remain on his short list for the next few Spell Points though.

Iron Fist and Muscle Memory reluctantly came off the list as well. Ash already did physical damage with his body and while ignoring armor made the spell more valuable than just its extra damage, it wasn’t valuable enough to save the spell from his pruning knife. Muscle Memory might soon become necessary, but so far, his chakras and training gave him a significant edge over the beasts he’d faced.

Ash placed a point in Cluster Lightning and Flame Strike. These two spells had unlocked at a higher level than Frost Touch and both added two points of damage instead of one. If he used the three of them in conjunction with his necklace that added one necrotic damage, every strike with his body would do six extra damage, spread out across four different types of magic.

The chances of a creature resistant to all four damage types had to be small, and encountering one that had a weakness to one of them wasn’t unlikely. As fast as he could strike, the extra damage should allow him to mow through enemies.

 Ash closed his displays and stood in the dark tunnel. Using Lesser Ripple, everything came into immediate focus. He summoned his pack, dressed, and returned it to inventory before going back to the cavern.

Blueprint’s shift had long since passed and Checkmate had taken her place. Checkmate studied Ash intently, as hyperfocused as he’d been in the helicopter staring at the lights of the cockpit. The dark-skinned man displayed no trace of the superiority complex some geniuses carried like a badge of honor.

Ash slowed and then stopped. “Hey Checkmate, did I miss anything exciting?”

Checkmate paused before responding, as if analyzing every word he planned on speaking. “Exciting is a subjective measure, making an accurate response impossible.”

“You got me there,” Ash said as he leaned against the tunnel entrance. “I knew this girl who was really into rocks. Doesn’t get much more boring than that.”

“What kind? Igneous? Metamorphic?”

“Are you serious? You like rocks?”

Checkmate studied the tunnel for a few seconds before returning his attention to Ash. “Many contain interesting patterns.”

Ash had a hard time figuring Checkmate out. His words and body language contained less emotional context than normal, giving Ash’s Throat chakra difficulty. With such even tonal responses, he guessed Checkmate could successfully lie to him.

“The captain told me you like patterns, so I guess that makes sense.”

An awkward silence fell between them as Checkmate stared intently into the dark tunnel. The man didn’t display any signs of discomfort though, so Ash didn’t move. He wanted to make a real effort at getting to know his team.

After twenty seconds, Checkmate spoke, still studying the dark passage. “My mother is a bomber pilot stationed at Ellsworth. I grew up walking dry creek beds with her looking for Fairburn agates and arrowheads.”

“I don’t know what Fairburn agates are.”

“They’re only found in the great plains—sedimentary rocks with intricate banding and vibrant colors.”

“Are they hard to find?”

Checkmate turned from the tunnel to Ash. “Do you really only have four toes?”

Ash laughed, surprising Checkmate, his confusion obvious. Ash could sense the man withdrawing.

Holding up both hands, Ash quickly responded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend, but I was just joking about that in the helicopter. I have all my toes, although I did lose one once in an unfortunate baby alligator incident.”

Checkmate displayed even more confusion, but he’d stopped withdrawing. Ash’s comment sparked the man’s curiosity. “What do you mean by “once?” Isn’t something like that permanent?

Ash realized, too late, his attempt at keeping Checkmate engaged shed light on things he’d rather keep to himself. Oh well, Checkmate had provided a glimpse of his mother, so Ash would too.

“My mom fixed it. Her Root chakra could heal things like that.”

“Regrowing limbs?”

“Well, it was a pinky toe. I never gave her the chance to regrow anything larger.”

Checkmate’s focused concentration gave his gaze a weight that Ash felt. People rarely had the ability to discard the distractions around them, but Checkmate did.

“Anyway, they call me Shamrock because my abilities look like luck to others.”

“Can you do what your mother did?”

Ash shook his head. “No way. She was the best.”

“I understand,” Checkmate said gravely. He returned his attention to the tunnel and answered the question Ash had asked earlier, as if the sudden jumps in topic were natural. “The agates are hard to find. I learned to fire a pistol protecting myself from rattlesnakes. The trick to agate hunting is bringing a spray bottle. After a while, you get a feel for what the rocks look like, but you usually can’t be sure unless its wet. The dirt hides the banding. Licking them reveals it, but a spray bottle is easier on the tongue. It's like a treasure hunt.”

“I thought rock-licker was just an insult.”

Checkmate shrugged. “People usually insult things they don’t understand. It’s easier.”

That comment carried a little emotion, not as much as when Checkmate spoke about his mom, but still more than his normal emotional flatline. Ash guessed Checkmate’s subdued personality had not made him popular with other kids growing up. That at least was something Ash could relate to.

“I’m guilty of dismissing what I don’t understand,” Ash said seriously. “I should’ve paid more attention to Maria’s collection. Maybe someday I can take her agate hunting to make up for that. It sounds kind of fun.”

Checkmate analyzed Ash’s face, his eyes darting across Ash’s features as if searching for a pattern there. “You’re serious?” Checkmate finally asked.

“Yeah, I’m a flawed guy. Especially when it comes to relationships. I spend too much time alone or with old people. Makes it hard for me to relate, you know?”

Checkmate nodded gravely. “I do.”

They stood in silence for another ten seconds, but it didn’t feel as awkward to Ash this time.

“Does your mom still fly bombers?” Ash asked.

Fifteen seconds passed as Checkmate watched the dark passage but visibly struggled with the decision of a response.

Ash remained silent, giving the normally quiet man time.

“She does,” Checkmate said. Then in a whisper he continued. “It’s why I’m here. To fix this before she needs to fly for real.”

Ash’s Throat chakra had no problems detecting the truth in that statement.

Checkmate reached into the top of his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Silver links held a setting with a half-inch stone. He licked it; in the light of the cavern, concentric patterns of red, orange, yellow, and white glistened vividly in the dark rock.

“If we fail,” Checkmate whispered, “all the real treasure disappears forever.”