Soulcatcher

by Sergey Zaytsev

  The boards creaked quietly with every step, but, in this perfect silence, the sound traveled treacherously far. Darkness waved below us, looking almost alive. The air, rich with sulfur vapors, burned the throat; the stench from the abyss was like that from the underworld.

  I had almost reached the middle of the bridge when something made me look back. And then came the feeling of rapidly approaching danger. I noticed something flickering on the column on the right side of the chasm. It just flashed and then disappeared in the thick shadow. Then I saw the same movement on the left. Another shadow. And many more. Vague silhouettes emerged from and disappeared into the darkness near the columns, creeping closer to the bridge under. I couldn't see, but I could feel on my skin the many eyes watching us from the darkness as well as the interest of those evil creatures and their frenzied hunger. The guys still stood near the beginning of the bridge, waiting for me to safely cross to the other side.

  Well, it was not fated to stay quiet for too long.

  "Go!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Hurry!"

  The "Hunters" didn't hesitate and didn't get involved in the fight. They just rushed over the frantically dancing flooring. Their escape worked as a signal. The shadows, no longer hiding, also fell from their seats and rushed at them from all sides. A shrill shriek of rage and the excitement of chase hung in the air. Hunched silhouettes, half the size of a regular human, were jumping on all fours. They reminded me of someone. There were a lot of them; tens, maybe hundreds, of them came together to form a dark, screaming and pounding avalanche.

  I grabbed the ropes with the intention of turning around and running away, but what I saw gave my shaved head the goose bumps. Enemies were charging at us from the other side, and were already jumping across the bridge. We were caught in crossfire.

  Well, it was fire time then!

  I hit the flooring with the "Flamespear", and several silhouettes burned like firewood, shrieking and falling into the abyss as if they were living torches. The rope on the right side caught fire and illuminated the stage, allowing me to finally recognize the creatures. Gybberkin! Gybberkin turned by the Destroyer, with big burning eyes, bared fangs and long claws. There was a place for them in his domain, too. We had no time for amazement. There were a couple of them in front of us, which meant that we had a chance to break through.

  "Grant, send Glutton to me! Owl, cut them off from behind with the 'Vortex'!"

  "Will do!" replied the weathermage, who then stopped, and began to cast. The others stepped aside, letting the "Turtangle" join me.

  "What’s on your mind?!" pinned to the ropes by Grant’s pet, Foxy had to scream to break through the uproar, but I had no time to explain, every second counted.

  "Grant! Use 'Ramming Charge'! Everyone, follow me, and fast!"

  Obeying the healer’s command, the "Turtangle" rushed forward like a torpedo.

  Around its body, the "Ultimate Shield" radiated with prismatic light, and the Gybberkin fell from the bridge from both directions, unable to escape the onslaught. A noticeable stream of experience flowed in. Having jumped off the dancing bridge onto the stony plateau, Glutton turned around, going back by Grant’s order, but I stopped it with a shout. Neither its "Charge" nor the "Ultimate Shield" recharged fast, so the second stampede wouldn’t have the desired power. Instead, as soon as Owl, who was the last, got off the bridge, I cut the rope with the "Uniq".

  Following my example, Foxy cut the rope with the "Bone Slayer", sawing the fibers that were tough as wire. Grant also drew his dagger. Owl and Gramps, who were covering us, unleashed the full power of their deadly magical arsenal at the crowd approaching from behind. The roar and the squeals were deafening.

  The rope-chopping was only half done.

  We were late and the shrieking wave of shaggy bodies was approaching too quickly.

  But Gramps found a solution.

  His hammer struck the right pillar with incredible force. I covered my head with my arms to protect it from the stone shards. Two more blows echoed in the darkness and the pillar collapsed. No sooner had the weight of the rope dragged it into the abyss, that the cleric was already destroying the second pillar. The reloaded "Flamespear", emerging from my palm, contributed to the battle by burning through the front ranks of the attackers. Red's arrows hit their targets, knocking down those who ran straight along the upper left rope.

  The second pillar finally collapsed, and the bridge crashed down with a rumble, taking the Gybberkin into the embrace of the stinking abyss.

  The experience flooded us.

  Loading time: 03.16

  "Your turn, Wise bro," called Grant, having finished filling the jar in the spring. "After you’re done I’ll push Glutton in. That will take a while, so take your time."

  The "Oasis" was the first of three points of rest located on our way.

  A small, well-lit oval hall, masterfully carved into thick stone, was able to accommodate two dozen travelers eager to rest. The narrow entrance allowed me to protect it single-handedly, if necessary, while my companions were performing water rituals. The floor was covered with mossy, granite slabs. Near the walls were a couple of flower beds. Shoots of climbing plants crawled up the fixed wooden bars, covering the whole room all the way up to the ceiling with dark, deciduous greenery. Light, which shone from a huge obsidian lens on the ceiling, was enough to keep the local vegetation from withering.

  In the center of the hall, placed on a high pedestal made of white marble, stood a three feet tall statue depicting a "Drider" – a being created as a result of experiments with dark magic by the drow. Above the waist, the creature had a human torso and an almost human face, elongated ears and sharp features gave away its dark elf origins. But the hands, upturned in a threatening gesture, ended in claws. Below the waist, the creature had the body of a spider.

  Although it was just a statue, it left a rather creepy impression.

  We were yet to meet the "Drider", but, for now, we had the opportunity to relax. The spring was in the far end of the hall, opposite of the entrance. There, another statue was embedded into the wall – a chained, human. His face was distorted with eternal torment; crystal water flowed from the deep wound on his marble belly, filling a small pool, about six feet wide, recessed in the floor. It was always full, but never overflowed, as there was a drain somewhere in there. Placed on both sides of the spring were stone benches, but my clanmates sat on the flower beds, absorbing the natural energy. After all, it was difficult to restore stamina in the caves made of stone. Therefore, areas with vegetation were in demand.

  Further away, Tinnie was having fun; waving her wings, she pretended to run over the water. The little one was cheerful for some reason. But I wasn’t in the mood for fun. Putting aside the shield, I wearily knelt down and drank from the cupped hands. The water was so cold that it hurt my teeth, and yet, surprisingly tasty. Even the air seemed sweeter after waving your sword for a few hours.

  Having filled the flask, I sat down onto the empty seat next to the redhead.

  The last fight got both Red and Gramps to level seven. Grant reached level eight. They were very focused. When you deal with distributing free skill and stat points, there’s no room for talks. My gaze fell back onto the statue. Only now did I notice that there was a small altar near its feet; a metal bowl on three straight legs, under which lay a stack of dark brown wood, palm long and wrist thick. According to Cavalier, the "Oasis" was considered a safe zone so long as you didn’t stay there for more than twenty minutes. Otherwise, evil guys with dark faces would come and fill the altar with your blood. How romantic.

  I had a lot to deal with, too.

  At my sign, Tinnie flew up and landed on my hand. The fairy looked happy, although her body wasn't glowing as brightly as before. She was now the only unscathed member of the party. Not just because it was hard to hit a little girl like her, but because the fairy didn’t participate in battles and, therefore, didn’t accumulate "aggro". During the journey, she spent three "socs", an
d was no longer asking for more. While the energy of the previous remained unconsumed, she was unable to absorb any more and, accordingly, receive additional experience. At level three, a second talent opened for Tinnie, so it was time to take advantage of the quiet and calmly deal with three skill points presented by the system.

  The development of pets was approximately the same as that of the players.

  The development of talent ranks depended both on the frequency of their use and the points invested. A special scale allowed you to follow their growth, and each distributed talent point increased their strength and reduced energy cost per use by 1%, opening the possibility of "branches", wherever they were provided. Grant had told me about it along the way and the "Glossary" provided additional help. Alas, neither the "Firefly" nor the "Awareness" had available branches. But at least I got more information about the previous skills.

  "Awareness"

  (active)

  Rank 1 (0/100)

  The gift of seeing the hidden. Your pet is able to detect poorly disguised stashes and traps.

  Without saving, I invested all three points in "Firefly". No effect. I was clearly missing something. Perhaps the effect of some abilities became visible only after you confirmed the skill points. A pity. I put the points into "Awareness".

  The result was immediate. With a worried expression, the fairy took off from my palm and quickly flew around my head. It was like she had sensed something and was trying to understand what it was. Determined, she flew to the altar, grabbed a wooden bar and tried to pull it out of the stack. Her wings buzzed considerably louder, but the burden was too much for her, and she did not even manage to move the bar. I stared at the description of the item in surprise.

  "Fossilized Oak Wood"

  (used for the task "Valuable Hardwood")

  I immediately rose, forgetting the fatigue, and came to the altar. There were five pieces of wood, exactly half of the needed amount, so I put them all in my backpack. Two more "Oases" were in our itinerary, and I gave out a satisfied "hmm". The wood looked perfectly ordinary to me before Tinnie had touched it. Without further hesitation, I invested Tinnie's points in "Awareness" and immediately got the third rank (1/300). What a useful thing.

  Turning around, I saw that the two freshly leveled players had already dealt with their stats and were watching me. There was nothing else to look at, to be honest. Gramps followed their example. Pretending to be asleep, he was looking at me through half-closed eyes. Only Grant was truly occupied; his eyes clouded, and fingers touching the "Turtangle’s" shell, which was glowing pale green. He was checking how well the damaged areas had healed and was providing energy where necessary. That was the right thing to do, as Glutton was our lifesaver, after all. The "Turtangle" had performed perfectly in battle, and we were yet to meet an opponent who could defeat it. Glutton's abilities didn’t change, even though it reached level six. But its life, armor and weight grew significantly: 600,300, and 1200 points, respectively.

  "Why hide the wood, Wise?" Owl asked, puzzled.

  "For a quest." I explained.

  "Why didn't we know that?" immediately asked Foxy, very interested.

  "Well, well, what kind of quest?" asked the cleric, "waking up" instantly. "Why didn't you share it?"

  I explained the quest to them, but when I tried to share it, it turned out to be impossible. The quest was personal, as one could only take it directly from Ears. Upon finding out that the reward for it was unknown, everyone lost interest. Gramps grumpily advised not to stack trash in the bag else I wouldn't have the space if I find something really interesting. Nonsense. I could always free up some bag space, but it would be impossible to return for the wood. This was a one way trip.

  I sat down next to Grant and watched him perform the ritual. Pets required care, but they were worth it. Grant let Glutton drink from the spring. After some time he looked at me and finally managed to ask:

  "Are you... not mad at me anymore?"

  "No," I shrugged, grinning awkwardly. "I left all of my personal problems outside the dungeon."

  There were no more grievances with the mage, especially after we had covered each other's backs in battle. However, something inside of me still required that I make an additional apology. Maybe it was my conscience?

  Even though Cavalier explained the raid to the tiniest detail to us, no one, and I mean no one, remembered to tell me that a pet sacrifice would be required for it to be completed. "The Destroyer's" dying attack meant certain death to whoever got hit. If a player got hit, they'd lose all of their saves; if a pet got hit, the player could, if they so desired, sacrifice one save to bring it back. Having that in mind, sacrificing the pet was the lesser evil in this scenario.

  "And yet," Grant shook his head. "I should have told you about Alice."

  "I understand why you couldn't. So don’t worry about it. Besides, there's a silver lining. There would have been no clan if it weren't for the lair incident. So it's all good. And sorry about that punch…"

  "What punch?" the mage grinned, pretending not to understand what I was talking about. I involuntarily smiled in response, feeling better. I didn’t know what he had suffered from after the "Temple", but he was the same Grant which I had met in "Daisy". "Wait, Wise. What's up with your Tinnie?"

  Tinnie was, circling around the "Drider" statue like a bee around a flower full of nectar. Had she found something again? Or had she sensed danger? I got up and came closer, looking cautiously in the direction of the entrance.

  It was all quiet.

  Tinnie flew up to one of claws of the statue and pulled it. Her intentions, although futile, were clear. I pulled the stone hand and it came crashing down. Some sort of fine dust poured from the crack. The fairy flew up and demandingly pointed her finger at the second hand. I did the same thing to it. A crash was heard from the direction of the pedestal, and the stone went through the floor, opening a secret recess.

  I immediately came down and had a look.

  Everyone gathered around the hole and rummaged through the findings. No one had any objections about to whom the newfound item would go. My leather jacket was quite thin, so I just put the new item on top of it. Foxy drove everyone away, so that they didn’t interfere, and helped me tighten the clasps on the sides.

  "Guardian’s Breastplate"

  Protective gear for the torso.

  Durability: 65/85

  Defense: 195

  Restriction on use: "warrior" class

  Having finished fiddling with the clasps, the girl retreated a couple of steps and, along with the rest of the party, admired my transformed looks. I moved my shoulders, picked up the "Uniq" from the floor, and improvised a few quick air-cutting attacks. Segmented armor didn’t restrict movement, and was made from the same material as the shield; black, hard to the touch, almost weightless, and quite complex in design. The embossed breastplate and the upper back were solid. Overlapping plates, connected to each other from the inside with belts, rivets and fasteners, reached all the way to the thighs. I felt like a completely different person in this armor. Envious, Owl snorted. Grant nodded in approval, and Pops' inscrutable face remained unreadable. Well, Red was happy for me, and I liked it.

  "I remember someone wondering what good could a fairy be, eh?" The girl laughed. "Eat your heart out for not having such a pet."

  "She does it for her master, that much is clear," said Gramps. "I wonder if she could find anything for us…"

  Flattered by the attention, Tinnie nodded busily, and flew to the spring, near which, having quenched its thirst, slept Glutton, saving its new stats. Hovering above the pool, the fairy pointed at the water. The cleric didn’t keep her waiting and, having rolled up his sleeves, started to meticulously search the bottom. And then, with an astonished cry, he took out a gleaming, silver "Simple Ring of Wisdom", which granted 50 mana and 10 wisdom points, and was perfect for his class.

  "How nice," Gramps put on the ring with a grin and sat on the flower bed. Plants had alr
eady managed to dry up, as our group had pulled almost all of the energy in the area. However, some of it still remained.

  The clanmates were teasing my Tinnie and asking for more goodies. What if Tinnie had known about the stash in the pool, but had chosen to show only the things that suited me? Every new discovery added to her experience bar not more than an absorbed "soc" did! I ordered her to look for things for everyone. Tinnie spread her hands in confusion; she had found everything she could.

  "Okay, guys, this is great and all, but time is running out," recalled Grant. "Red, Gramps, we'll move once you explain your new abilities."

  "Could have started with yourself," reminded Gramps.

  "I won't be getting anything new from until level ten," explained Grant. "New points only strengthen already available abilities. So it's not about me."

  "Ok then," agreed the cleric. "I got 'Purge', and can now remove a couple of buffs off the enemy. The cooldown is very fast – ten seconds."

  "Useful stuff," Grant nodded. "And you, Red?"

  "I got 'Split Shot', a self-buff applied before the 'Spectral Shot'. Energy arrow multiplies and hits up to five enemies. The damage is weaker than from a single shot, but, you might consider it an AoE. I'll show you, I still have leftover attack points from the last fight…"

  Nobody managed to stop her. The rogue took her bow and shot a beam of glowing lines. The central arrow struck the head of the "Drider" statue, blowing it to smithereens.

  "Shit, Red, why?" exclaimed Grant with annoyance. "Some guests we are…"

  "Nothing to worry about," Gramps waved his hand dismissively. "Everything will be as good as once the place re-loads…"

  He never finished his sentence.

  The silence reigning in the corridor was suddenly broken by a rustle, which was quickly developing into a threatening hiss.