Page 59 of Code Bound
I sit there for a while longer, flipping through the menus back and forth, trying to decide which Glitch I should pick and which would benefit me the most. At some point, Locke stirs awake, lurching up from his nap with a violence that makes me jump. When he realizes where we are and that I’m staring at him, he shoves his hair out of his face and sighs.
“You still haven’t chosen yet. How long has it been?” he grunts.
“I’m being careful,” I growl.
“Well hurry it the fuck up, Hyena.” He pops open his map. “There’s a safehouse close by we can go to once you’ve chosen. We need to start moving if we’re going to get there before dark.”
As if remembering the Killing Trees, he glances around us, doublechecking we’re not in fact being eaten by a fucking tree. But his words do catch my attention and force me back to the menus.
Hyena. A hyena. I flip back through the menus until I find the Beast Bound glitch again and stare at it.
“If I chose this one, Cipher, are you going to allude to your disappointment and then refuse to tell me about it?” I ask out loud, staring at it.
“I am not permitted to give my full opinion on which Glitch you should select, however, I am capable of stating that the Beast Bound Glitch would look good on you,” he replies.
I take a deep breath. “Alright. Then that’s what I’m going with.” I tilt up my chin and reach up to the floating interface in front of me. Beneath the Glitch, there is a button floating. I hesitate for only a second before I tap it. “Accept.”
The menus close and a zing flows through my body that makes me straighten and shiver. All of the hairs on my body stand on end as a feeling of wild excitement flows through me. I suddenly feel more in touch with the ground beneath me, with the trees around me, with the animals just outside of my perception. My throat itches with the urge to growl, not in aggression, but in revelry. How strange.
A new notification pops up on my interface before I can really sink into the feeling.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED
You’ve selected beast bound as your glitch. Congrats! You must really love monsters. Good luck not turning into one.
REWARD:this loot chest
A small chest appears in front of me at the same time as one appears in front of Locke. It hovers in the air and begins to spin, lighting shining from around it. Locke scowls up at the sky.
“What? I couldn’t get this when I selected earlier?” he grunts.
“It was more efficient to give you your loot chests at the same time,” Cipher responds haughtily. “I could always take it back.”
Locke grabs his chest from the air and holds it tight. “Not a chance, asshole.” He pops it open and looks at the items inside carefully. “Looks like some more Harrow Coins, another shard, and a new weapon.” He lifts up a pretty normal looking hammer. “Gotta be better than that rusty sword, huh?”
“Probably,” I shrug. “Everything’s better than the sword.
I open my own chest and stare at the few items inside. “Six Harrow Coins, a shard . . .” I reach in and lift out the weapon. “Oh, thank fuck.”
The menu pops open and explains what the weapon is.
BLOODSENSE FANG– Initiate Beast Bound weapon
Type: short blade / ritual fang
Material: bone and dark iron, bound with sinew
Handling: close-range, off-hand friendly
Special attributes:
-Scentwake: fresh blood slightly sharpens the wielder’s senses for a brief moment. No damage bonus, awareness only.
-Instinct anchor: while wielded, panic effects are mildly reduced, but aggression is marginally increased.
-Beastmarked Grip: the weapon subtly reshapes to the wielder’s hand over time. Cosmetic only at Tier One.
“Wow,” I say, studying it closer. “This is way more in depth than the other weapon descriptions were.”
