by David Petrie
She drew her Feral Edge, flipping the sword so she could thread her fingers into the grip. Then she took her stance. He looked pissed.
Sparks flew as hits came at her in a furious push of raw aggression. Farn struggled to block, almost losing her footing in the sand. She slammed a closed fist against her chest and spat out the word, "Sure-Foot," to activate her new house skill. The loose ground beneath her feet suddenly firmed up, giving her the traction she needed to push back.
She rammed forward with her shield and attacked, hitting a wall as soon as he too activated Sure-Foot. Damn, probably should have expected that, she thought as he parried a thrust that she’d aimed at his head. He caught her arm with his claws as her attack flew off course. Then he pulled her close, drawing back his sword to impale her other kidney.
Before he could follow through, she head-butted him in the eye. Okay, maybe she wasn’t that against fighting dirty. Without her weapon bonus, the blow didn’t carry much damage, but at least it surprised him. Plus, it sent a clear message that she wasn’t food that he could play with.
Ripper hopped back, holding his head for a moment before refocusing on her. He extended his claws as his energy shield blinked out, leaving the Death Grip burning with an angry, red glow. He held it as shimmering particles began to spill from the gauntlet. They trickled from his palm like blood from a wound.
In retrospect, Farn probably shouldn’t have given him time to prepare the weapon. She froze as she recognized the sparkling, red light dripping from his palm. It was the health that he’d drained from Luka the night before. Farn gasped. The Death Grip could actually use a player’s life force as fuel.
Shit, like that thing wasn’t overpowered already.
Ripper rushed forward, planting his foot on the base of one the fire pots. He kicked off, knocking the support structure down in a crash of embers as he leaped into the air with his claws drawn back to strike.
For an instant, Farn debated taking the hit to her shield. If she survived, she could strike back while he was unguarded. No, too risky. All the unknowns that surrounded the Death Grip echoed through her head. What if it kills me outright?
Acting fast, she rolled to safety as Ripper’s glowing fist came down. She was glad she did. He hit the beach with an ear-splitting crack, shaking the ground. Even stranger was the wave scalding steam that exploded from the wet sand. It actually wilted the leaves of the potted plants nearby. Farn gasped as the steam cleared.
Ripped stood at the center of a crater of jagged glass. Shards of crystallized sand jutted out on all directions around him.
“Still comparing sizes?” His voice was raspy with a touch of madness. “The Death Grip stores the lives of everyone it kills. That attack was Luka’s. You remember her, right?” His words turned her stomach as he stepped forward, crushing shards of glass under his boot. “I’ve been busy, and I have plenty more lives stored up. Just think of what I could do with yours.”
Again, she couldn’t believe the raw power that a single contract item had granted him. Even with her shield up, she wasn’t sure she could have survived a direct hit from the gauntlet. How an item like that even existed was insane. Of course, she knew exactly where it had come from. It was born from the user’s mind, a representation of his mental state. The thought sent chills slithering down her body.
She glanced down at her sword and wondered what part of her the Feral Edge represented. It was power with a price, damage in exchange for her defense. She had always considered herself a protector, so why did her mind produce a weapon made for all-out attacks? It was a risk, and she hadn’t taken a risk in years.
She shook her head before she fell down that rabbit hole. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about her past. Ripper was still coming.
Without his shield active, he was free to attack with both hands. Claws bit into her arm, tearing streaks of red light across her stat-sleeve. Her health dropped fifteen percent as she realized his weapon bonus was applied to the Death Grip as well. Of course it does. She wasn’t even surprised anymore.
He was fast.
Too fast.
Too aggressive.
She had to even the odds.
Farn dove behind the nearest fire pot and deactivated the White Rose’s barrier. A little time, that was all she needed. A little time to breath.
Claws carved through the base of the pot. The wooden supports splintered and buckled under the weight of the steel bowl of flames. It rang like a bell as Ripper slammed his armored fist in the side, sending fire raining down in Farn’s direction. She was out of options.
Finally, she grinned.
Light erupted from her sword as the blade’s edge split apart. A plane of razor-sharp energy poured out, almost twice as long. Farn cleaved the fire pot in half with a streak of crimson ferocity as she dashed through the explosion of embers, thrusting forward with both hands.
“Mine’s still bigger!”
Ripper’s face twisted in anger. He tried to block by raising his arm. If he’d had his shield active, he might have been successful. Instead, the Feral Edge impaled his wrist, coming to a stop with its tip resting in his shoulder. He gritted his teeth with a growl and prepared to strike back with his claws.
“I don’t think so.” Farn planted her boot in his stomach and shoved. Her Sure-Foot skill gave her all the footing she needed to send him flying into the small bar by the patio. The NPC ran for his life as Ripper crashed into the counter.
Farn didn’t stop there.
Ripper shook his head, recovering enough to duck a swing that severed one of the supports that held up the bar’s grass roof. It collapsed, taking the shelves of bottles with it. A cacophony of shattering glass echoed across the beach.
Farn caught Max in her peripheral, clapping his hands while giving her an approving grin. Didn’t he say something about destroying a bar in Tartarus earlier in the week?
Suddenly, a bottle flew at her head as Ripper made a break for the water’s edge at the center of the beach. His claws began to glow.
“Not that again.” Farn sprinted to close the gap, hoping to stop him from burning another life to fuel the Death Grip’s special attack.
He retreated on to the stone bridge that lead to the throne.
Farn followed, the water surrounding her on both sides. I’m not letting you off that easy. She let out a wild growl from the back of her throat.
Swords clashed, steel against crackling energy. Ripper fell back again, apparently unable to strike without canceling his gauntlet’s charge. Finally, he ran out of space. Farn landed a hit to his leg that dug into Berwyn’s throne behind him. Somehow, she didn’t feel bad about it. In fact, from what she could tell, she was actually winning.
That was when Ripper made his move.
His grabbed the hilt of her sword, allowing her to cut deeper into his thigh. Then he backhanded her in the jaw with his gauntlet.
Stars detonated across Farn’s vision as thunder cracked against her skull. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if her head was still attached to her body. She couldn’t feel the ground beneath her feet as gravity shifted around her, the beach flipping end over end. I guess this is as far as I go.
That was when a whisper pushed through the confusion. sounding close, like she was right there next to her, “Don’t give up.”
Kira?
The fairy’s voice reached over the house line, snapping her impact-rattled mind out of her stupor. Water splashed around her as she landed in a crouch with nothing but the sea beneath her. Then things got weird.
She didn’t sink.
Confusion returned as Farn slid backward, skimming the surface of the waves like it was covered by a layer of wet ice. Light from Kira’s spell danced all around her in a cascade of droplets of water thrown up in her wake. She threw her arm out, holding her sword to the side for balance as she came to a stop in the middle of the artificial surf.
One question consumed her. How the hell am I doing this? Either I’ve suddenly become Jesu
s, which I doubt, or… The answer hit her like a palm to the forehead.
Sure-Foot: Temporarily fight while standing on any surface.
Her heart leaped for joy as she stood back up. She couldn’t find much in the way of traction, but she wasn’t about to complain. It wasn’t every day that she found out she could walk on water.
Farn suppressed her excitement and glanced at her stat-sleeve. She immediately wished she hadn’t.
HP: 50 out of 5888
The irony was not lost on her as an imaginary weight settled across her shoulders. This is what it’s like for Kira all the time. One wrong move. That was all it would take.
She shook off the thought. Fifty hit points were better than none. In fact, she might have gotten lucky. From what she saw of the Death Grip’s power, a charged attack should have one-shotted her. Maybe she survived because he hadn’t hit her with a full punch, just a backhand to the mouth.
Farn clenched her jaw and flicked her sights back to Ripper. His horrible smile cracked across his face as he stepped on to the water’s surface like it was merely a continuation the land. Obviously, his Sure-Foot skill was still active, too. His claws began to glow.
Farn gripped her sword. She wasn’t going to win, that much was clear. She just hoped she could force him to use his killer move. That was the whole point of challenging him. If she couldn’t learn anything, then it would all be for nothing. Well, not nothing. She’d at least ruined Kira’s date.
Farn rushed him, not wanting to give him enough time to charge. Each step sent a ring of sparkling droplets up around her feet. She swung with a growl as her blade tore through the air.
Ripper dodged, jumping back before countering with a swipe. His claws streaked past her face, leaving ribbons of crimson light lingering across her vision. Flashes of red lit up the night as the Feral Edge and Death Grip clashed.
Her reach was greater, but he was faster. They were both low on health. It was a fair fight. After trading blows across the water, they had circled back to stand on the stone bridge that lead to the throne at a stalemate. An icon of a boot faded from Farn’s wrist as she stared down the length of her blade at her enemy.
“Looks like Sure-Foot just wore off. Want to call it a night? We seem to be evenly matched.”
“No fight is even, best you learn that,” he growled as he raised his gauntlet the same way he had with Luka the night before. He was done with her.
The attack hit unlike anything Farn had ever felt.
There was no warning.
No animation.
No moment to dodge.
Just a sudden feeling of discomfort and… loneliness.
The sensation gripped her spine and sent her virtual body into spasms. Farn’s knees buckled, her face hitting the wet stone of the bridge. She swung her arm wildly, hoping to catch his leg with her sword. The blade of energy shattered along with her heart.
Ripper grinned as he stood just out of reach, his claws held up as if picking fruit from a tree. “I’ve heard that it doesn’t really hurt. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s not what does the job.” He crouched down as if to see her eyes better. “No, it’s the loneliness that kills you. It makes you give up.”
The world went cold as the life in her body began to seep out in a trickle of red light. She cried out, in a defiant howl as raw anger burned her throat. Her chest throbbed. It was as if he had reached inside her, his claws caressing her fragile heart.
She struggled to cling to something, to someone, but images flashed through her mind, one after another. The family that cast her out. The friends that turned their backs. The birthday cake she never ate.
It wasn’t fair.
She was happy with who she was, so why wasn’t anyone else? Then it just stopped, like the hand crushing her heart had been slapped away.
“Enough!”
A sound like a clap of thunder exploded, followed by a roar of wind. Ripper vanished from the bridge, launched by some kind of impact. A string of confused expletives erupted from the man as his body skipped like a stone across the water before sinking.
Farn’s discomfort faded as a healing spell swirled around her, washing away the loneliness. In its place, she felt warm. She rolled over to find Kira hovering over her. The fairy tucked her hands behind her as her bare feet touched down on the stone.
“Sorry to interrupt. I couldn’t watch that again.”
“What did you do to him.” Farn pushed herself up on her elbows.
“Overcast pulse, like what I did to Ginger the other night,” she lowered her head sheepishly, “but with one hundred percent of my mana.”
Farn observed the splashing man struggling to stay above water while in full Shield gear. “You didn’t kill him.”
“Nope, it still doesn’t do much damage. But it looked cool, and it knocked him away from you, so I’ll take the win.”
“You broke the Death Grip’s hold.”
“Must be a range thing.” Kira shrugged.
“Good.” Farn let out a sigh of relief. “For a second, I thought you might have asked your pendant for help.”
“I’m not that dumb.” Kira reached down to help her up.
“Thanks for coming to save me.” Farn took her hand but made sure not to put much weight on her.
“No problem.” Kira glanced back at the others standing on the beach, looking worried. The rest of the pyramid’s guests had gathered around to watch as well. “I should probably get back to being a good honeypot. I hope I didn’t mess things up.”
Without another word, the fairy shot into the air, only to drop back down in front of Berwyn a second later. She rubbed at the back of her neck and bowed as if apologizing. He seemed to laugh in response.
Farn walked back to the beach, passing Ripper’s panting form as he swam to shore. Max and the others ran to join her as soon as she reached dry land. Even Berwyn came to congratulate her.
“That was one hell of a duel.” His attention quickly shifted to Kira. “I’m not sure you need a guard after that, though.”
She brushed his praise away with a musical laugh. “Not quite, I used all my mana.”
He eyed her incredulously. “Then how did you fly back here?”
“Oh!” Kira’s blushed a little before spinning around and hooking a thumb over her shoulder at the crystal heart on her rear. “Magic butt.” Berwyn cocked his head to the side as Ginger stepped in to explain.
“The emblem is a backup mana supply. Our crafter has an odd sense of humor.”
Berwyn glanced down before suddenly snapping his eyes back up as if he hadn’t realized what he was staring at. “Umm, yes, quite funny.”
“Sorry that Kira disrupted the duel though.” Ginger inclined her head.
“Yeah, sorry,” Kira added.
“Nonsense, it was entirely understandable.”
Nix joined in, “Plus, it never hurts to remind Ripper not to rely on his contract, no matter how powerful it might be.”
“True, in that case, you did me a favor.” Berwyn nodded.
“Probably going to take a rain check on that drink, though.” Kira gestured over to the rubble off to the side where an awkward looking NPC stood next to a pile of broken glass. “You know, 'cause the bar is kinda closed.”
Berwyn laughed. “Yes, tomorrow might be better after the palace resets.”
That was when Ripper crawled out of the water, breathing heavy while resting on all fours. Nix took the opportunity to humiliate him further.
“You just got your ass handed to you by a Breath Mage.” She offered him a hand, but he slapped it away and stood up on his own.
“Shut up, the fairy got me by surprise.”
“Said no one ever,” she continued as she splashed around him. He responded by placing a hand directly on her chest and shoving her with all his strength. She fell backward in the shallow water. He then stormed up the beach, recovering his poise as he reached his Lord’s side.
Farn took the moment to show that she was a
good sport. “I think the win technically goes to you, considering I was saved by the player I was supposed to be guarding.”
Ripper glared back at her but eventually nodded.
With the fight over and the formalities done, the two groups parted ways for the night.
Farn fell in line behind Max and Ginger as Kira bounced along beside her on the way back to the suite. As soon as they made it inside, Ginger went into the washroom to change, throwing Kira’s gear out before closing the door. The fairy shrugged and wriggled back into to it, keeping her bathing suit on underneath. Once that was done, she threw herself on to the sofa.
Farn stretched before sinking in beside her. It felt good to sit down. She kicked her feet up and settled into the cushions, shutting her eyes for a moment to help herself relax.
“I wouldn’t get too comfortable.”
She cracked one eyelid again, finding Max standing over her. She groaned. “I think I’ve done enough for tonight.”
“That’s okay.” Ginger reappeared to join him. “It’s this one that we need anyway.” She tousled Kira’s hair which was already pretty messy from the beach.
“I think I’ve done enough too,” the fairy pouted.
Max leaned down with a smug smile plastered across his face. “Too bad, you’re not the only one who has been busy.”
Ginger joined him. “Yes, and we have a surprise for you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Ta-da!” Kegan posed like a magician at the end of a trick.
A latticework of string filled the hallway behind him where he and Corvin had slaved away on for most of the night.
Kira blew out an unenthusiastic sigh. “I guess I should have expected this when this guy dragged me into bowels of the Fire Tomb?”
“Oh, I didn’t drag you here.” Max stepped past her.
“I don’t know. I saw some shoving.” Farn folded her arms.
“Gentle shoving,” Ginger added.
Kegan gestured to the hall. “Well, what do you think?”
“It’s good enough.” The Coin shoved her hands into the pockets of her new coat.
“Good enough?“ Kegan marched over to her. “I’m sorry, is it not impressive enough for you? I mean, we only built an exact replica of the laser grid in the middle of an active dungeon.