by M E Robinson
Gritting his teeth, Eric observed the connected Dart runes once more. Satisfied with their forms, he summoned his mana once more, drawing a wind rune sideways which he used to connect the tops of the Dart runes, creating a seamless magical formation. Without hesitating, Eric infused his mana into the formation, gritting his teeth as he felt his mana rushing through his mana pathways.
A sudden cry made Eric look up from the rune formation, watching with horror as Griffin failed to block a blow from the Swordclaw. The Swordclaw’s massive paw slammed into Griffin’s chest, lifting the half-orc bodily and tossing him backwards like a rag doll. Slamming into Mark who was caught mid-spellcast, the two went tumbling to the ground, low groans emerging from the pile of limbs.
Still infusing mana into the spell, Eric watched helplessly as the Swordclaw turned towards him, ignoring his companions as they struggled to extricate themselves from each other. The spell was still absorbing all the mana Eric sent towards the rune formation, it felt like a mana blackhole, requiring even more mana than even Multi-linked Flame Strike had required.
As Eric was desperately attempting to finish casting his spell, the Swordclaw bent low - its gaze fixated upon Eric. Gathering its strength, it pounced towards the half-elf, claws extended to rip him and his rune formation apart.
As he watched the Swordclaw soar through the air towards him, Eric’s face lit up. The spell formation glowed, signifying that the spell was ready to cast. Without hesitating, Eric aimed towards the leaping cat, firing his prepared spell. With the roar of rushing wind, nine enormous Wind Darts blinked into existence, appearing in a halo around Eric. The nine darts shot towards the Swordclaw, still mid-leap.
With a regretful expression, the Swordclaw could only watch as the nine darts came closer, emitting a whistling sound as they started to converge upon a single point in the air. Before the darts could meet, however, they met the Swordclaw in midair, slamming into the giant Lynx only a meter away from Eric’s position.
With another roar of wind, the darts exploded, slamming into the Swordclaw and releasing the mana contained within. Letting out a pained howl, the Swordclaw twitched violently, its paws flailing wildly as it experienced a pain unlike anything it had ever felt. Gale force winds also rushed out from where the spell had met the beast, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust as the winds scoured the cave, picking up dirt and debris that had remained undisturbed for centuries.
Eric swayed on the spot, a feeling of extreme tiredness washing over him as the spell finished casting. As his eyes slowly closed, the last thing Eric saw before fainting was the oncoming mass of claws and fur. Unable to dodge the oncoming Swordclaw, half-elf and Lynx collided in a mess of flesh and fur, skidding across the rocky cave floor as Mark and Griffin watched in horror.
Chapter 15
“Eric!” shouted Mark, losing sight of his friend as the dust cloud rolled across the cavern.
Coughing and choking on the dust, Mark and Griffin jumped to their feet, fumbling through the dust cloud as they made their way towards their friend’s position. Before them, a scraping sound could be heard echoing off the rocks ahead. Putting up his arm to slow Mark down, Griffin raised his shield, pressing forward cautiously.
Without warning, an enormous form soared overhead, causing the dust to whirl through the air like crazy. Whirling around, Mark’s eyes widened as he beheld the Swordclaw Lynx, heavily wounded with blood matting its fur, and dust marring its formerly glossy coat, but clearly still alive, glaring at the two.
Raising his mace, Mark prepared to fight as Griffin rushed forward, only to watch in surprise as the Lynx turned, limping off in the opposite direction. As the Swordclaw disappeared from sight, swallowed once more by the slowly settling cloud of dust, Mark let go of the breath he’d been holding.
“That was close,” he managed.
Griffin nodded heavily. “Do you think it’s actually gone?”
“I’m sure we’ll find out soon. Come on, let’s find Eric,” Mark replied.
Trudging through the thickest part of the dust cloud, Griffin was the first to find their fallen friend, stubbing his toe against Eric’s prone form. Bending down, Griffin checked for his friend’s pulse.
“He’s alive.”
Nodding, Mark knelt down, grabbing his rosary and casting a healing spell on Eric’s still figure. Watching nervously, Griffin grinned as Eric stirred, his eyes fluttering as he slowly came to.
“Ugh. What happened? Did we win?” Eric asked, sitting up slowly.
His head felt like it had just been torn apart and then reassembled by a team of half-blind chimps with hand tremors. Clutching his head, he checked his status, which instantly made it clear what sort of a state he was in. His mana was now at zero. Even after a small amount of time had passed, it still hadn’t regenerated, most likely due to the mana rebound status he was afflicted with. He also had numerous wounds and other status effects that were slowly disappearing, several as a result of the Swordclaw crashing into him after getting hit by his spell. The worst of which seemed to have been cured by Mark’s healing spell. Checking the remaining time on his mana rebound status, Eric held his head, feeling his headache slowly ebbing as the status faded. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Griffin and Mark, both of whom were looking decidedly worse for wear, having been coated in dust on their way over.
“What happened to you two?” Eric asked in amusement as he looked at their dusty clothes.
“Psh, you should see yourself. You look like something the cat dragged in,” Mark fired back.
Looking down at his own body, Eric winced. His armour was torn in multiple places, with bloodstains and dust lining every visible crease and tear in the leather. His skin was also caked with grime, the blood and dirt having mixed together to give his normally pale skin a strange dark colour as they ran together across his now uncovered arms.
“Is the Swordclaw gone?” Eric asked, accepting Griffin’s proffered hand and hauling himself to his feet.
“We think so?” Griffin replied.
“You think so?” Eric echoed, arching an eyebrow at his friend.
Griffin shrugged helplessly. “It limped away in the other direction. But we have no idea if it’s gone or if it’s just hiding and waiting for the right opportunity to attack.”
“Well as long as we’re not in imminent danger of being brutally murdered I suppose,” Eric said dryly.
“I hope not. Because that was the last of my mana that I used to heal you just now,” Mark added, brushing some dirt off his clothes.
“So what now?”
“We look for the wolf pup I guess.”
“Any idea where that is? I can’t see shit right now,” said Eric, squinting at the dust that was slowly drifting through the still air of the cavern.
The crack that the wolf pup was hidden in had disappeared from view, obscured by the dust. Resolving to look for it once the dust had settled, the trio began to search the cavern slowly, occasionally picking up the pieces of their gear that had been scattered in the fight. Staring sadly at his broken bow, Eric stuffed it into his storage pouch, resolving to have Craig look at it later.
“Guys, I think I found where the wolf was,” Griffin called out from the opposite side of the room.
Making their way towards his position, Eric and Mark found themselves staring at the corpses of the two adult wolves, barely visible now that they’d been coated with dust. Approaching the wall, the trio began to search for the crack where the wolf pup was hidden. As Eric searched, a sudden system prompt appeared in front of him.
[Quest Updated: Red-maned Killer]
You’ve driven off the Swordclaw Lynx, the killer of the red-maned wolves, and saved the trapped red-maned wolf pup. This seems to have satisfied the red-maned wolf’s spirit. Find the spirit of the deceased Red-maned wolf to receive your rewards.
Reward: The red-maned wolf’s spirit will give your party a reward. An extra reward will be given to the savior of the wolf pup. Additional rewards may be
earned based upon your interaction with its spirit. Tip: The den may not be as simple as it seems.
“I found the puppy,” said Mark, breaking Eric out of his reverie.
Moving over to Mark’s side, Eric could see that his friend now held a shivering wolf pup in his hands, the tiny animal pressing itself into Mark’s robes as Eric approached.
“You’re scaring it,” Mark said accusingly, holding the puppy gently as he hid it from Eric.
“Am not. The poor thing’s just terrified because it’s being held by a man in a dress, let me hold him,” Eric insisted, reaching towards the wolf pup.
“I, uh, think we might have something a little more pressing over here,” said Griffin.
Turning, Eric and Mark’s jaws dropped as they beheld the sight in front of them. Floating in the air above the corpses of the dead wolves was the ghostly apparition of a large wolf.
Letting his hands drop to his sides, Eric simply stared at the ghost wolf, unsure of what to do in this situation.
“Thank you for saving my nephew,” a deep voice rumbled throughout the cavern.
Looking at each other incredulously, the trio looked back at the wolf spirit.
“Was that you that said that?” Griffin asked curiously, breaking the silence.
“Naturally. Like I said, thank you for saving my nephew. The Swordclaw was after something hidden in this cavern and did not care that this was our home. This wolf pup, my nephew, is now the last survivor of our pack,” the wolf spirit intoned, his voice a rich baritone that echoed off the walls of the cavern.
“Are you the spirit of the wolf we passed earlier? The one that died with grievances?” Eric asked.
“Of course. Unless you’ve accepted the request of another deceased wolf recently.”
“Wouldn’t all of your pack members have died with grievances? I know that I generally don’t look too kindly upon my killers,” Eric continued, spreading his arms as he asked the question that had been bugging him since they’d gotten the quest.
“I was the Alpha of this pack. As such, I was both the strongest, and also the one entrusted with the secrets of our heritage,” the spirit explained. “But enough of this. You have all done well to save my nephew and rid our home of that hateful monster. As such, I am willing to grant you a gift. I shall allow my nephew to travel with you. He will grow quickly and become a useful companion in your travels. All I ask is that you treat him well, and that you raise him with kindness.”
“We’d be honoured,” said Mark, giving a short bow as he cradled the wolf pup in his hands.
The wolf pup had gone silent once the spirit had appeared, staring up at the apparition of his deceased uncle in awe.
“How will we decide who gets to raise him?” Griffin asked, looking between the wolf pup and the spirit.
“Normally, I would have entrusted him to the strongest among you. In this case, that would be the one who was most instrumental in the defeat of the Swordclaw,” replied the spirit. “However, it would not be appropriate for me to entrust my nephew to the one who killed several of our pack,” it continued, turning to glare contemptuously at Eric.
“What? But your pack attempted to kill me and my companion first. It’s not our fault that we were stronger,” Eric protested.
“I remember the proceedings a little differently. Something to do with an arrow killing a sleeping wolf inside the den. Like you yourself said, we wolves don’t look too kindly upon our killers. Regardless, you are excluded from the rewards I give your companions,” growled the wolf spirit, the glow around its form intensifying for a moment as it towered over Eric.
Stepping down unwillingly, Eric watched as the spirit turned to Mark and Griffin.
“As for the two of you, decide between yourselves which shall be the one to raise Ulfir. Once you have decided, I shall grant a skill to the other as compensation.”
With an apologetic glance towards Eric, Mark and Griffin began to confer excitedly.
“What type of skill is it?” Mark asked, holding Ulfir tight as he did so.
“It is an attack skill, useful for close range fighters,” the wolf spirit responded.
Mark nodded. “In that case, allow me to raise Ulfir. My companion is better suited to melee skills than I am.”
“Is this arrangement okay with you? I can sense that you would also make a good master for Ulfir,” the wolf spirit asked, turning to look at Griffin.
Griffin nodded. “That’s fine.”
“In that case, let it be so. May you both live without regretting this decision,” said the wolf spirit.
With a blinding flash of radiance, the wolf spirit disappeared, reappearing suddenly in front of Griffin. Extending its paw, it placed it upon his forehead. With another flash of light, it disappeared once more, appearing before Mark this time.
“Live well, Ulfir. Do not forget the teachings of our clan,” the spirit said gently.
Dimming slightly, the spirit began to diminish in size, the light that made up its form flowing gently into the solemn wolf pup. As the last ray entered the pup’s forehead, it began to whine, burying its head back inside Mark’s robe.
Watching the spirit disappear, Eric looked at his friends enviously. Griffin seemed to be having an epiphany, staring vacantly at the cave wall and occasionally moving his arms in strange ways. Mark on the other hand was cooing softly to the wolf pup that had buried itself inside his robes, gently petting the back of its head to calm it down as it snuggled into his chest.
“This is bullshit,” Eric grumbled to himself. While he was happy for his friends, it was him who had found the wolf den after all. Why did he have to be punished for killing monsters that had spent the last few days attempting to kill him? Eric thought indignantly.
As Eric was stewing internally, secretly contemplating whether or not to try and entice Mark’s wolf pup to let him pet it, a system message appeared in front of him.
[Hidden Quest Received: Swordclaw’s Vengeance]
You were successful in saving the wolf pup. However, you were unable to kill the Swordclaw Lynx. The Wolf Spirit is angry that you killed members of its pack and has excluded you from the normal rewards for this quest. But the Wolf Spirit understands that you had your reasons for killing his pack members and it is willing to give you the chance to prove yourself. Should you succeed, you will earn an even greater reward.
If you can avenge the Wolf Spirit’s pack, it will reward you greatly. It has linked you and the Swordclaw together using wild magic, both of you will be able to sense when the other is near.
Actions have consequences, and while you definitely shone the brightest in the battle against the Swordclaw, you’ve also imprinted yourself in its memory. Should you meet again, it will not hesitate to attack.
Primary Quest Objective: Survive. Either find a way to kill the Swordclaw or find a way to prevent it from continuing its hunt.
Secondary Quest Objective: Avenge the Wolf Spirit’s pack. Prevent similar massacres from happening.
Hidden Quest Objective: ???
Rewards for Success: The Swordclaw will not brutally maim and murder you. The Wolf Spirit will greatly reward you. Hidden Reward. ???
Rewards for Failure: You will be brutally maimed and killed by the Swordclaw. Dying to the Swordclaw will cause this quest to fail.
Seeing the quest, Eric paused.
“Did you guys just get a new quest?”
“Nope. But now that I think about it, we haven’t actually received a quest completed notification yet either,” said Mark, looking up from the wolf pup which was yawning gently.
“Yeah now that you mention it, the quest only said that it was updated, didn’t it?” Griffin added.
“Yeah. Did you get a new quest Eric?” Mark asked curiously.
Nodding, Eric told them the details of the quest he’d just received.
“I thought it was weird that you didn’t get a reward,” said Mark.
Griffin whistled. “A hidden quest? I’ve never seen
one of those before. What do you think the reward will be?”
“Well the main reward is not dying a horrible death, so with luck it’s something a little better than that,” Eric said dryly.
“It’s a hidden quest, so the rewards should be pretty sweet. Especially since it’s from the wolf spirit himself. But ignoring that, what do you think we have to do to complete this quest? It’s still on my quest log so it’s pretty obvious we’re not finished yet,” said Mark.
“Didn’t the quest text say something about searching the den itself? Why don’t we do that? Maybe there’s buried treasure or something,” Eric suggested.
“Maybe. I guess we can give it a shot,” said Griffin, giving his approval.
Acquiescing to the will of the majority, Mark also agreed, and the three of them began to comb through the cavern, stirring up the dust that had just now begun to settle down.
After a few minutes of this, Griffin waved his friends over excitedly. “Guys! I think I found it!”
Rushing over, Eric found himself looking down upon a set of wooden slats, embedded into the floor of the cavern.
“Is that a trapdoor?” Eric asked curiously.
Griffin nodded excitedly. “There’s a handle and everything.”