by Taj McCoy El
She turned her attention to the stilettos and noticed a glaring fault with some of them.
“These aren’t going to work.” she held out about a quarter of Grax’s work
What? Grax asked sobering up. “So, I did all that for nothing?”
“Well, not nothing… we can still use these. But these have to be engraved in stages. Shaz! I’m such an idiot. The problem is that if you activate these the Light (W) and Acid (D) rune will be working together. What does the Acid (D) rune do to the stilettos?”
“Oh, yeah… melty metal runesticks.”
“And unless we turn this grenade into a grenade spike isn’t going to do anything except for the weesps it’s stabbed into.”
"Let’s get this flarf file sorted right now.”
Mayah plonked down indian style, pulled out her runebook and went to the section on fire runes. There were only four.
“Hmmm… I think our best bet is to go with this one.”
Over (F)
Creates a clinging film of fire that reaches out and smothers enemies in a 3-foot radius in every direction from where it’s cast. Each additional rune will up damage and add .3 ft to area of effect
Over (F)
Level:
1
Damage:
10-30 fire damage over 3 seconds. Damage is based on proximity and duration under attack.
Mana cost:
130MP
Duration:
3 seconds
Cooldown:
2 minutes
She pulled a stone and began scratching the rune into the stone. And then charged it. Right before she finished, she thought grenade and the enchantment clicked. She tossed the stone and shielded her eyes and waited.
"What is….” Grax was cut off by a pillar of flame that blanketed the grass as it burned for three seconds. It left nothing but a darkening of the grass three feet from where the grenade had landed.
“Whooooo…. Fireworks.” Margaret screamed and clapped her hands.
“We’re gonna make more of those right?” Grax asked eyes wide and on the edge of begging.
“Correction you’re gonna make them and whatever stilettos as well. Do one with an edge and 6 of these runes and let’s see how it acts as an edged weapon.”
Grax was practically drooling. “What’s the rune called?”
“Over (F). It’s supposed to cling and burn for three seconds.”
“Fire counts as light, right? We may be able to AOE the weesps to death.”
Mayah gave Margaret a finger gun and a click.
“Make sure it has at least one Light (W) rune as well."
Grax Nodded.
"Okay, it’s almost noon. Let’s talk thread arrows and fire bombings while we brainstorm over lunch. All in favor?”
Two hands and three paws were raised unanimously.
11.2 An explosive afternoon
So, let’s go over the plan one last time. Ziggs, your team is the dousing team. Gibson, your only job is to use earth shove to get dirt into that whole until the fire is smothered. You have three knockers with earth spells doing what they can to help and to keep the heat off you. The rest of the members on your team are there to make sure you get away. Without you, we don’t have anything. Myself, Sparbald, Gwentor, Chane, Nezerach and the Frintwin twins, gods that’s still a tongue twister, are gonna cast slows and traps after we lure that beasty out of its nest. We’ve got a thirty-second gap in our cast duration time, so we’ll be making sure to draw aggro and pull it away from the fire. If it gets loose though, dousing team make a run for it. Mephi, your team is the shield unit that will stand between the pit and the chicken. When it comes your way hammer it for all it’s worth, and then get out of the way. If it starts to chase you run away from the fire until we can hit it with slows. Once the fire is out, we all hit it as hard as we can. No use tiring ourselves out if it’s just going to regenerate. Bonkers your team is with Mephi’s
"Our goal is to put out the fire, and then take down the chicken so no heroics out there. We stick to the plan and everybody goes home right?"
Grumbles and jeers filled the air.
Mo jumped up on a stump and looked over the Knockers.
“You sorry sacks of shazzin’ shiftiness.” He glared at them murder very present in their enraged eyes. “That’s what they call you—and worse! Is that what you are?”
He saw the look in their faces as they sought for the answer.
“Do you behave like this because of what they call you or because that’s what you are? Have you let their words isolate you from redemption?
“I’ve just met you three days previous, and do I stand with you or with them? Why would I stand beside men who make skin crawl when they show their faces. The whole time I’ve been with you I’ve never seen you commit a crime. Sure, there’s the usual scuffle between you all and all the knife pulling…” Mo quickly pulled himself back on track. "Somehow, you’ve managed, beyond all odds to remain whole when even the world is trying to stomp out your flame.
“You have been faced with the choice to remain whole or fracture. and every day you make the choice to stay whole. Now, do you want to take that a step farther? To push back and right your cart?
“Then you need to put forth the extra effort—with everything you do. From speaking to your brothers to keeping your knives and anger sheathed. But for now, I just want to hear from your hearts in a simple yes or no, Do. You. want. To. Rise?” His finger thrusting with each word pointing out knockers stayed on the last knocker he pointed to.
"Do you want to rise?” he asked again only to that knocker, their eyes locked.
“Yeah…”
"Just yeah? How about a yes?"
“Yes?”
“Like your life depended on it.”
“Yes.”
Mo pushed his fist lightly against the knockers’ chest. “Pull it from here.”
“Yes.” The knocker stood a bit straighter.
“Again!”
“Yes!”
“Keep saying it.”
“Yes,” the knocker repeated.
In the gaps between the yesses Mo asked, “We can’t let him do this alone. Is he your brother?”
Knockers angrily looked around at each other to gauge their friends’ reactions. Mo got in their faces and pulled the dangerous attention back onto himself. He grabbed a knocker by the lapels and asked, “Do you really want to be the only one left behind?”
“No…”
“And do you see your brother standing there screaming his heart out.”
“Yes.”
“And do you want him to make it? to have a better life?”
“Yes.”
“Then help him,” He roared. The second knocker began to say yes with the first. The two knockers locked eyes and stood a bit taller.
Mo walked to another knocker. “Do you want to see them make it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want them to help you?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t you think you better step up!”
“Yes.” the knocker replied and the other two gathered him into their fold.
Mo jumped back up onto the stump and directed his words towards the knockers. “Go and help your brothers. Stop saying no to life, no to joy, and no to happiness. Say yes! Say yes to your brothers!!!”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” The chant rang out above the clearing. more knockers joining in with each repetition. They Began huddling around Mo as they did.
“Do you feel it in your gut?” Mo thumped a fist to his chest.
“Yes!”
He walked around on the stump thumping the men on their chests in time with their chant.
“Feel it in here! Let it be your heartbeat. You and your brothers, your hearts beat together. The heartbeat of your future. Reclaiming all the things that you’ve lost. Your heartbeat is your future and it starts here!”
The chant was all through the knockers everyone beating their chest as the
y said, “Yes,” in their burly murderous baritones, aggressive altos and Treegan’s sonorous bass.
Mo started yelling out in the gaps, “ARE YOU KNOCKERS?”
‘YES”
“ARE YOU MEN?”
“YES!”
“WILL YOU PROTECT?”
“YES!”
“WILL YOU DEFEND?”
“YES!”
“WILL YOU HONOUR?
“YES!”
WILL YOU LISTEN?”
“YES!”
“WILL YOU PROTECT?”
“YES!”
“STRANGER AND FRIEND?”
“YES!”
“WHO ARE YOU???”
“KNOOOOOOCKEEEEEERRRRS!!!!” the crowd roared.
“Alright!!! Get sorted and in position. We got Chickens to wrangle!!!” He clapped his hands. “Let’s move!”
Knockers rushed towards their team leaders and checked their gear. He walked over to where he’d left his kite team.
“You boys ready to move out?”
“Yes!" The seven responded fist to their chests eyes filled with murderous glares.
“Glad you feel that way.”
Being the first up at bat his teams' job was to draw aggro and pull the mob so that dousing team could get in close enough to do the job. Mo was on edge waiting for everyone to get in position. Over the party chat, he messaged everyone.
Booms: Kite team in position.
Ziggs: Dousing team in position.
Mephi: Shield unit in position.
Booms: Lighting up the cake.
Nezerach along with Bob and Dob Frintwin pulled out bows. They all crept forward.
“Sparbald keep that Earthgrab ready. You’ll start out our rotation. Let us know if you need to skip around. Your spell is gonna win us the day.”
“Better! Cause I hate using this magic. Reminds me of my old job.”
“Which was?”
“Horrible.”
“Sounds like.” Mo chuckled. “Alright archers, pelt the poultry.”
From about seventy-five yards away the trio started shooting at the flaming pyridae. The arrows weren’t all that painful to the chicken, but they were numerous and annoying. The chicken finally raised its head and spied the group sitting there. It turned to look for any other attackers and seeing none it flapped up out of its pit and made its way towards them.
About fifty yards out the arrows penetrated, and the chicken became angry. It lowered its head to charge.
"I think we got its attention. Run!”
Arrows missed more frequently as the pyridae picked up steam and ran after them like a velociraptor. Its body reaching forward as it used its wings to steady itself. It bounded and hopped quickly covering the sparse terrain and was ten yards away when Sparbald cast Earthgrab right in front of the bird. Its feet sunk as the earth reached up and grabbed its spurs and shanks. With its stretched-out posture, and its feet bound, its face slammed hard against the ground with a massive clacking sound.
You have attacked
Gallus Pyridae (Fire Mutation)
Level 14
-112 earth grab
- 34 arrows
Stunned
520/666HP
It’s stunned.
Mo yelled, “ROPES!!!”
Great chickens on silver platters!!! I got less than a minute to make this happen, He thought activating speed.
He pulled the rope from his shoulder and made a beeline for the head of the chicken. He hastily tied a knot around the beak wrapped the rope around the head a few times and pulled the head with all his might down into its chest. He passed the rope under a wing and back up around the chicken’s throat. Pulling to secure the head he passed the rope around one of the legs and pulled it through a loop tightening everything.
He looked at the timer for Earthgrab.
10 seconds left.
He canceled speed and backed off.
"Twin one hit it with a stun! Everybody else get wrapping."
Mephi and the shield crew came over to see what was going on. The dousing team was still doing their job of extinguishing the fire.
“So, what happened to the plan oh great leader?” The skunkman inquired.
"We got lucky. Dumb chicky here decided to fall and knock itself out for a minute so I decided to tie its head to its wing and leg. I figured that would hamper it enough that even if did get loose it wouldn’t go far.”
"Yeah, that looks awkward.”
"Should be easier to carry, though." Mo sniffed. The smoke was getting to him.
Ziggs: How’re things over there?
Booms: Mostly under control. Keep going on that hole.
Booms: All earth and water spells to the fire. put that thing out.
Booms: All other hands on ropes. Let’s get this chicken trussed and bussed.
They managed to get the chicken tied up and a hood over its head and it was being carried off by another three knockers to meet up with the main porters.
“beep- I sure love it when tactics work. -boop”
“Shaddup, ya trashbot. Our glorious leader just needed a win and the gods decided to make it look like a complete fluke.” Mephi bopped a fist onto Ziggs
“beep- Total Fluke. -boop”
“Hey, I take free candy!!!” Mo exclaimed. “Not from vans, but that was clearly signed, sealed and ready to be delivered.”
“Yeah that did come out easy,” Mephi agreed.
“beep- Glad we didn’t have to deal with the regeneration. But even still it was extremely -boop----beep- Anticlimactic. -boop”
“And now we gotta watch our backs,” Mo scowled at Ziggs.
“Why?” Mephi asked.
“You tell the universe your chicken dinner is anticlimactic, and the universe is for sure gonna give you a climax.”
“Thanks for that Brick Floatington.” Mephi scowled at Ziggs.
“Brick Floatington? I like it.” Mo gave Mephi a high-five.
Bonkers popped up startling everyone.
“Frazzing Bonkers man!!! You’re gonna kill someone like that.”
“Oi know. Oi meant to scares’ya. Peepers and plates. I stood in view for a whole minute afore I snuck up on ya.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s on me then.”
"beep- Always is. -boop”
“Knockers ready to move?” Mo asked looking around,
Bonkers pulled up his map in the party chat and pointed out two possible targets. One was in a section of a large creek. The mark was on a rift that slowed the whole flow and created a marshy bank that was hundreds of yards wide.
The other was on a ledge of the side of a cliff.
Mo studied the map intensely. “I’m gonna say the cliff looks like it needs to go onto tomorrow's roster. We’ve got three out of ten and if we get another three or four I’ll consider it a good day. We don’t need anybody falling off a cliff because we don’t have the right gear.”
“That sounds fair. Ziggs‘ll be out of the running for that, too.”
“beep- You do not know my specifications, Mephi. Do not assume I cannot climb walls. -boop”
“Ziggs can you climb walls?” Mephi probed.
Ziggs froze, and then shook as it’s circuitry swirled pink. Mephi barked out a laugh.
Ziggs went red. “beep- No. -boop”
“So, as I was saying Ziggs'll be out for that one. Sorry for the assumption there. Didn’t mean to imply anything.” Mephi looked content and smarmy as he stared down upon Ziggs.
Ziggs began vibrating in place with an audible hum.
Mephi stared at it casually. The smug smile was still plastered over his face and his eyes were locked onto Ziggs baiting it.
This made Ziggs start to vibrate faster and the reds in its circuitry were strobing through different shades.
Mo felt like a seizure was coming on and closed his eyes and had to turn away. He yelled, “Hey! Kill the light show!” When he turned back around, he saw Bonkers rubbing his eyes.
“Oi’
m of a nerve to say that escalated a’moight too quick.”
“What is wrong with you two?”
“Yeah Ziggs, what’s wrong with us?” Mephi goaded the box of lights.
Ziggs just spun 180 degrees and floated away.
“Hey Brick! Don’t be that way!” Mephi yelled over his shoulder with a smug grin.
Mo looked at him with so many questions and Mephi just shrugged. Mo gave up with a sigh and turned back to the map.
“So, where were we?” Mo glanced over the map again. “Okay water it is then.”
“Nothing like mucking it up for money.” Mephi groused.
“And reputation. Plus, it might wash the stink off’a ya.”
Mephi gave Mo an evil stare.
“Did’ya ‘appen to notice? Oi kept moi knoife sheathed?” Bonkers asked with more than a little excitement.
“Congratulations Bonkers! How did it feel?”
“Easy, once I remembered not to pull it, anyways. it’s like I wasn’t paying attention to it, and’en it was in moy hand. Seems loike moy hand always wants to go to it unless oi’m actively thinking for it not’ta. That’s a proper dodgy look oi’m starting to see on me and moy boys.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here for. Maybe we can get the boys thinking about their hands later on. We already have them figuring out how to do quest together.”
“Sorry about that. I don’t know whatever gave you the oidea that we were rookies, but we’ve been doing this for years. We’re just following orders because you usurped control and we wanted to see how well your tick tocked. Sorry, how well ya brain worked. Ya’re not half bad if a bit green in your bowers.