Beginner's Luck: Critical Mass 3

Fluke twisted and threw the fishing net on top of the falling Outsider. The stones that acted as weights, let out a soft blue glow, and wrapped themselves around the warrior. The Librarian used his hand hold on the ankle of the downed assailant and rolled into a straight ankle lock of the creature's lower leg. With a short yell of exertion, several audible fleshy and bony pops could be heard, which made Fluke's stomach turn for a moment. The Outsider shrieked and panted now unable to escape the net or run. The Librarian took short gasping breaths lifting his mask for a moment to breathe easier.

"Bastard broke some of my ribs..." The Librarian moved slowly to all fours spitting onto the sand in front of him. A red splotch of blood and shard of a molar landed on the sand. Standing to his feet slowly, the Librarian stood over the Outsider and pulled his mask off his face. The battered face of their enemy now looked up. Each row of eyes betrayed a different emotion. The top eyes were full of fear, the middle set of eyes were filled with venom, and the bottom set were consigned to defeat. The Librarian kicked the beast in the head and their whole body went limp.

"Mark him Fluke. Give him all of your bad luck." The Librarian stepped back and Fluke rushed forward and placed a brand on the now limp body before him. A rush of burning energy poured down his arm, as if it had been numb and now returning to normal. Adrenaline stilled pounded in Fluke's veins despite him doing very little in the fight, and he felt like throwing up.

"We were Lucky. In more ways than one Fluke... It would seem our goddess is really looking out for us. You being her champion made all the difference, I think. " They stood in silence for a moment just staring down at the foe before them now unconscious and incapacitated. The waves crashed on the beach, and a cold wind suddenly chilled them both, and that's when an agonal cough broke their moment of disassociation. Turning, they looked at the other assailant now struggling to breath.

"Come boy. It's time you earned your mask." The words were cold. Fluke felt so many conflicting feelings. He didn't want to kill anyone or anything. He didn't want to do anything but live a normal life. But what was a normal life? He only knew this existence, and this world was telling him that violence was the only way forward. Looking up at the Librarian for a way out, he found his mentor was once again wearing his mask. The slits for his eyes pointed slightly down but all other emotions were hidden behind the pearl mask. The Librarian moved toward the beach and the dying warrior.

"Come. Let us end its misery. If it was us in its place, we would want the same mercy." Fluke felt his teeth grind together anxious, angry, and scared. As they walked, the Librarian shared a word of wisdom.

"Normally, you would have had time to find your path. You would have found a passion to guide you, or a skill. But Fluke, I think you will just have to have Luck guide your steps. If you feel anything instinctually come to your mind, hold onto it and it will be a part of your masks foundation." They both stopped and looked at the warrior clinging to life before them. Fluke reached forward and placed a good luck brand on the warrior, and for a moment it seemed to ease their suffering. Fluke then struggled with what he must do. His hands shook, and he steadily grew more sick with apprehension. He saw life before him, dwindling and weak, but life none the less. He only wanted the strength to protect those who protected him. He needed the ability to grow in strength, and he wanted to protect those weaker than him. These thoughts swirled through his mind again and again.

The knife that the Librarian offered him felt heavy and awkward as he held it with both his hands. The blood that ran over his fingers was hot. The sigh of a final breath. Each detail seemed to carve itself into his soul. He felt the blade drop into the sand as the Librarian whispered.

"For my sons. For my brothers. For all those who come after."

Fluke felt the muscles in his face pull down and begin to quiver and shake. Fluke felt the hot tears running down his face. A sob shook its way from the depth of his soul. He cried silently, and he felt his mentor pull him in and hold him. It was all a bad dream, right? All of this death, all of this fighting, the goddess, the gifts, the island, the masks, the blood, the fear, the sand, the cold wind. Why was this happening? Why did they hate humanity so much? What had he done to deserve any of this? He was a child, wasn't he? None of this made any sense. He pulled himself away from his protector and looked at the lifeless corpse. A new mask lay inexplicably in the sand beside the fallen warrior. It had not been there a moment before.

He felt drawn to it, and as he inched his way towards it, a single line of thought burned in every fiber of his being: I will grow stronger to protect humans, and I will see the root of this pain with eyes unclouded by hatred. Picking up the mask, he slid it on and felt his body rush with a mix of sensations of supernatural power adding itself to his body and mind.

"Boy... You have an emblem already. It's an eye centered on your forehead." The Librarian spoke in reverent disbelief. Fluke reached up and felt the outline, upon touching it he felt it heat up slightly and that's when he saw a glowing shimmering gem of radiant yellow hovering slightly above the fallen Outsider.

"Librarian... Do you see that?" Fluke stepped towards the gem, pointing at it.

"The.... body?" The Librarian answered in confusion, which led Fluke to believe he couldn't see it. He reached out and grabbed the gem and words appeared on the inside of the mask.

"Imbue on mask? Yes/No"