Openings
Page 30
Fighting mental battles as well as physical ones, Chris sighed as the soothing pulse of Healing Light released him from his paralytic prison.
Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
You are healed for 7 health and have 26/48 Health.
Shoving the self-doubt down in his mind, Chris tried to think things out. If he was keeping track right, the ghoul on his left had 22 health, and the ghoul on the right had 33 health left. Chris tried to reassure himself that he was not in danger of being killed during the next round. But with the Dark Embrace spell, neither of the ghouls could be eliminated in a single round either.
Chris was worried that with only 26 health, missing two blocks in a row would prove lethal. Sure would be nice to know what the chances of that are, he thought with regret. With Healing Light whittling down the ghouls’ health, Chris decided to forego attacking. He could not take out one of the ghouls this round anyway. Instead, he decided to drink a healing potion if he did not get PARALYZED.
Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave.
You successfully block the attack.
Another flash of light shot across the opening above. Chris glanced up and saw the Witch King in his wooden mask peering down into the pit. He too had a flask in his hand. His was not red like Chris’s. Instead, it was a glowing neon green.
Both Chris and the Witch King tipped their heads back at almost the same moment. Above, the Witch King’s body pulsed and changed. He morphed into the now familiar frogre. It’s froggy, toothy face seemed to smile down at Chris before it sprang out of view.
In the pit, Chris’s potion was much less dramatic.
You drink a Healing Potion. You heal 1 health and have 27/48 Health.
Shock, horror, and even a little panic bubbled up into the brew of Chris’s voice. “How can this be another dud? Marcus! I want a refund!”
Strong Ghoul attacks you. You successfully block the attack.
Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
You are healed for 7 health and have 34/48 Health.
The ghouls should now be at 19 and 30. Chris muttered to himself, “At least I’m ahead of them.”
Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave and touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.
Wishing he had not said anything, Chris thought to himself, “Though apparently, not for long.”
You have been critically hit by the Strong Ghoul for 21 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.
You have 15/48 Health.
Just like that, Chris was one more critical hit away from being dead again.
The ghouls would be at 16 and 27 in a moment. A max damage hit from Chris was 22 points. But, the Strong Hide and Dark Embrace would knock 7 points off of that. That meant he could only do 15 points of damage at the most. But, he would get his aura’s three points at the end of the round. That meant 18 total damage on a perfect roll. So with his aura, he could kill the ghoul on a roll of 10, 11, or 12. Hmmm, three out of eleven possible rolls. Those were not good odds.
Both Strong Ghouls take 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
You are healed for 7 health and have 22/48 Health.
Marcus’s potions did not seem to offer much better odds. At best, he would be at 30 Health. He would then be one crit away from the same situation. Besides all of that, what were the chances of another dud? What kind of apothecary could not brew po...
An image of the Witch King and his neon green potion flashed into Chris’s mind.
“Is Marcus on their side?”
Christopher McKnight made up his mind.
He needed to take out one of the ghouls.
He could not trust his stash of potions made by a possible turncoat.
The only option to break out of cycle was to go on the offensive. If the pattern of the ghouls’ attacks held, this would work. Chris could use one block for the Icy Hand ghoul, and then use his extra attack for being Level 4. If he hit with both attacks, he would need two terrible damage rolls not to eliminate the weaker of the two ghouls. Then, he would never be paralyzed for another attack. Thank you, Healing Light.
Feeling a little sick to his stomach at taking the risk, Chris swallowed his pride and prayed, “God, please, help this one work out.”
Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave.
You successfully block the attack.
So far, so good. Chris pulled back and took a huge forehand swing with his hammer and brought the hooked part of the weapon back to bear with a backhand for the second attack.
You attack the Strong Ghoul twice and hit it once for 11 damage. Its Strong Hide absorbs 3 damage. It resists 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
“NO!” He had missed with the forehand first stroke when the ghoul had leaned back. Only the weaker second stroke had hit. The ghoul’s hide and spell knocked the eleven damage down to a mere four!
Strong Ghoul hits you for 8 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.
You have 16/48 Health.
Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
You are healed for 7 health and have 23/48 Health.
A max crit would kill Chris. He had missed badly with his stronger attack. He had even prayed about it. Fat lot of good that had done.
What should he do? Terror began to well up in his chest. He could feel his breath coming even faster, his heart racing even more. This was no game. Everything about this was all too real.
Full block!
He could not even think of anything else.
Full block!
The next round flew by in a blur.
Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave and touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.
You have been critically hit by the Strong Ghoul for 12 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.
You have 11/48 Health.
Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
You are healed for 7 health and have 18/48 Health.
How much Health did the weaker ghoul have now? Chris was confused. He tried to get a hold of himself. That number in front of “Health” on his display seemed like the timer the first time he was killed by the ghoul in the graveyard. It was just ticking down now until he died.
Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave and touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.
Chris wished he had done things differently. He hoped that he had not gotten Brother Aleksandr killed by the Witch King. Would Chris be able to get back to his village in time to help Nathaniel and Ku defend it? Wait, what would happen to all his equipment? It would all fall right there. How would he get it back?
Chris could not change where he was looking. He had been shifting his gaze toward the second ghoul to attack.
He was stuck watching as the ghoul crouched down.
It drew back its claw as far as it could.
Chris tried to pray, but he could not manage it. God had let him miss last round. What could God do now?
In his mind Chris screamed, “Just get it over wi...”
The ghoul burst into flames. For just a moment, Chris wondered if it had gone Super Saiyan on him in preparation for a massive punch.
But instead of launching its attack, the monster stayed paused in a crouch, burning.
The flames began to lick up over the ghoul’s decaying features. Finally, in a sigh of release, the corpse slumped to the ground, dead for a second time.
Just like the cleansing fire had washed over the ghoul, relief flowed over Chris. His mind returned to a semblance of order, though the joy that welled up threatened to throw him into chaos on the other end of the emotional spectrum . Chris could not shout his joy because his vocal chords were just as paralyzed as the rest of him. He could not wait for the flash of his aura’s cleansing power. Just befor
e it came, he saw Nathaniel with his bow waving from the edge of the collapsed ceiling.
As the aura flashed, healed him, and set him free, Chris saw something that turned his shouts of joy into a cry of alarm.
Behind the battle mage’s excited form was the hulking man-frog of the Witch King. With barely a flick of his too long arms, the Witch King shoved Nathaniel down into the pit with Chris and the one remaining ghoul. Then, their enemy launched himself through the air and out of Chris’s rather limited sight.
Concern for Nathaniel made Chris want to run over and check on him. But, there was still one ghoul trying to kill him, and that was probably something he should deal with first. Chris was at 25 Health after his last aura. The ghoul should have been at fifteen or twenty maybe? Too much had happened for Chris to be really sure. He knew it was way below thirty. Besides, if Nathaniel was incapacitated by that fall, the ghoul might be able to crit him. Better to distract that thing right now and not let it get any ideas about the newest addition to their little play date.
Chris shouted, “High-yo Silver!”
If he was wrong, it would not count as an action. If he was right, it should get the ghoul’s attention for sure.
He was right.
You cast Novice Light Cavalry and summon a Ethereal Horse for 1 minute.
You have 10/18 Mana.
Chris had not had time to try the spell the night before. In fact, he had not even been certain that he had actually picked this ability out of the three new ones he could have gotten. So, he was as surprised as the ghoul when a glowing, translucent horse suddenly grew up underneath the paladin.
The horse reared and kicked at the ghoul. Chris’s body seemed to answer the call on its own as he leaned and squeezed with his legs, staying in the saddle he knew not how.
Ethereal Horse attacks the Strong Ghoul twice and hit it twice for 10 damage. Its Strong Hide absorbs 6 damage. It resists 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
“Well, Silver, I wasn’t expecting you to be an offensive juggernaut..” Chris tried to reassure his new mount. Unfortunately, the ghoul was not nearly so sensitive.
Ethereal Horse is hit by the Strong Ghoul for 12 damage. Its Hide absorbs 1 damage.
Ethereal Horse has 13/24 Health.
“See, that’s okay, because that’s not me, and it’s not Nathaniel. And, I can summon another horsey in a minute if this one dies. Whoah, you’re not gonna die, Silver, don’t worrry, boy.” As if to prove Chris’s point, his Healing Light aura fired off again.
Strong Ghoul takes 7 damage from Healing Light. It resists 4 damage by Dark Embrace.
Ethereal Horse is healed for 7 health and has 20/24 Health.
You are healed for 7 health.
You have 25/48 Health.
Chris went on the offensive again, taking the two attacks he now got at Level 4.
You attack the Strong Ghoul twice and hit it twice for 29 damage. Its Strong Hide absorbs 6 damage. It resists 8 damage by Dark Embrace. It dies... again.
“YES!” shouted Chris without restraint.
Your party receives 1250 XP for defeating 2 Strong Ghouls. Your share is 500 XP.
Weakly, a voice called from the rubble, “Hey, I’m almost to Level 4. How did that happen?”
Chris jumped down off of Silver. He did not even notice that the horse disappeared when he dismounted. He was too busy scrambling over the rubble to get Nathaniel. “You killed one of the ghouls that I was fighting, and you’re still in my party even though you’re supposed to be back in Fish Guts.”
Nathaniel sat up holding his head as Chris reached him. A wave of healing light rippled out from Chris over the rubble. Nathaniel took his hand down from his head as he began to feel better.
The battlemage’s gaze went in and out of focus as he looked up at Chris. Nathaniel seemed to lock in on his leader’s face by an act of will. He asked the paladin, “Has Brother Aleksandr beaten that witch yet?”
“I don’t know. Is that what’s going on up there? When I fell in here, Brother Aleksandr and the envoy were just watching me sit on the throne. How did the Witch King sneak back in here?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “As Admiral Akbar so accurately observed, it was a trap. From the very beginning, we were getting set up. Wish I could say that I suspected it, but I was just tagging along in case the Witch King was ambushing you with his withdrawing troops. He wasn’t.”
Chris suddenly had a flash of insight. Things fell into place. “That wasn’t the Witch King out there on the lake was it?”
“Nope.”
“He was with us the whole time, wasn’t he?” Chris wanted to facepalm, but wearing metal and leather gauntlets made that a bit more dangerous that it typically was. “And, my map wouldn’t show a single enemy unit, just the troops. That was clever of him. I should have known that envoy’s English was too good. Why would a goblin know English?”
“I followed behind you guys in a boat with Ku and the prisoner. We brought him to show us the way if we got separated from you guys, which we did.”
“You left Scout behind in Fish Guts and brought Ku?”
“Yeah, so?”
“At least Ku could have given orders in case of an attack...”
“Scout has Leadership. He gives a bonus to the troops; Ku doesn’t.”
“What?”
“Scout took an Ability called Leader of the Pack when he leveled last time. It gave him Leadership. So, Scout was the best ‘person’ to leave in charge of Fish Guts.”
Another flash of light blasted across the opening.
Concern clear on his face, Chris looked up and said, “We’ve got to get up there and see what’s going on. They’ve been fighting for a long time. One of them has got to be close to losing.”
“Yeah, let’s hope it’s Frogface McFroggypants that’s about to go down.”
Stunned, Chris looked over at Nathaniel. It was like everything else in the world faded away as Chris stared at Nathaniel. In what seemed like a complete non sequitor, Chris said, “You lied to me. Why did you lie to me?”
Uncomfortably, Nathaniel shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He tried to seem shocked at the question. “What are you talking about, Lord Fish Guts?”
Chris just stared, wide-eyed at the other person in the pit with him. “You’re Jack. You’re my brother. He always used to call people Whateverface McWhateverpants, especially people he didn’t like. I asked you. Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”
Nathaniel had a grave expression that looked even more severe because of the weird glow of Chris’s aura in the dark part of the pit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am Nathaniel of Fenton. If I was actually your dead brother, there’s no way you would use me the way you should in battle. Not to mention the fact that IF I was your dead brother, and IF I admitted it to you, I would probably be immediately replaced by another volunteer as an Out of Character penalty. So, whatever you happen to believe, it would probably be best if this line of questioning was totally done-zo, right?”
Like he had just gotten out of a washing machine on the spin cycle, Chris’s head was flying in circles. ‘Done-zo’ was another one of Jack’s pet words. He loved to say it when he beat a level boss in a game or a villain got defeated in a story they were reading.
Nathaniel did not have Jack’s eyes by coincidence. He had them because he was him. Or, had been him. But, he was not him now? Chris could not handle this new information. This was too much.
***
Pointing in a mix of relief to change the subject and excitement, Nathaniel shouted, “Look! Somebody’s letting down a rope! Let’s get out of here.”
He was talking about both the pit and the awkward conversation.
Chris’s aura reached its duration limit and finally winked out. The edge of the pit where they were suddenly became much darker.
Nathaniel thought to himself as he grabbed Chris by the arm and practically dragged him across the sunlit rubble, “I hope him knowing doesn’t change anythi
ng. We’ve got to save Abby. Jeremy was alway nice to me. I can’t believe he ended up going off the deep end. I guess I was only ten when I died. Not like I had a whole lot of wisdom and perception when it came to gauging other people and their motivations.”
Out loud, he shouted, “Come on, Lord Fish Guts! Your tutor and the future of your side is depending on you getting up this rope right now! Abby’s depending on you!”
***
His sister’s name seemed to splash cold water on Chris. He grabbed the rope and climbed like he had in PE class. It was easier since he had a nicely elevated Strength score now. Even with the extra weight of his armor, he hand-over-handed his way to the top with ease.
As Christopher pulled himself up over the jagged wooden edge of the pit, he saw a horrible sight and got a stream of notifications.
Far across the open space at the center of the town, Ku was on the ground, bloodied and not moving.
Brother Aleksandr was ten or fifteen feet further away, muddy, stooped, with no Light Armor up.
On the far side of the former monk, standing between two huts, the Frogre was shaking its head back and forth. It looked like there was a chunk of Ku’s spear wedged between the roof of its mouth and its jaw.
You have entered a new combat zone.
Aleksandr has 15/58 Health, is POISONED, and is 56 feet from you.
Ku has -4/32 Health, is POISONED, is AT DEATH’S DOOR, and is 44 feet from you.
Witch King is DISARMED (Bite) and is 62 feet from you.
Remaining to act during this combat interval are: Aleksandr, Witch King, You, Nathaniel.
It was as if time was dilated just a bit for Chris as he chose his action. He wondered if Nathaniel was feeling the same thing. Chris decided to charge the Witch King and hit him as hard as he could. He would be in range of Ku before the end of the round, and as long as the Witch King did not hurt Ku more, Chris would be able to heal him with his Healing Light and get him up and going again. Chris hoped that Brother Aleksandr was planning to put up his Light Armor and protect Ku’s body.
As he finalized his choices, it occurred to Chris that Brother Aleksandr would not know that Chris was going to arrive in the middle of the round with his healing aura.