Between the tank and the game message, I have taken my attention off my opponent for too long.
[-2480 HP]
I groan in pain as the mace smashes against my shoulder, nearly buckling my knees and pushing me to the ground. Goddamn, that hurts!
“SirAsh3r, you dingbat!” TexBadass shouts at me from where he has stationed himself on the dais. “Get out of there! Let the tanks tank.”
I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the haze of pain. But I take too long again and the mace smashes into my ribs, knocking me full over onto the ground. The Blade of Burnical falls from my hands, clattering on the stone.
The warm, smooth wave of health washes over me, as TexBadass casts in my direction, but the Battle Troll continues to advance.
Chapter 19
The stones under my feet tremble as the enormous Battle Troll advances on me. TexBadass’s health spells are doing their job; I can feel my strength and energy returning. I reach for the sword, fingers frantically grasping for the pommel. The troll gets closer, and at the last second I throw my weight, rolling over and away from its oncoming steps.
The Blade of Burnical is in my hand as I climb to my feet a short distance from the Battle Troll.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Balderdash13 asks, exasperated. She brushes past me, aggressively taking on the enemy in my place.
I watch her trade hits with my troll, beating him back towards the wall.
“I got this one,” I insist.
“You absolutely, categorically do not.”
I have to admit: I’m impressed by her ability to be so articulate in the midst of battle.
“Come on, I have to practice!”
“Not in a battle!”
“Yeah-huh!”
I realize too late I sound like a petulant child, but I want this chance. I need to practice my sword-fighting somehow. In the time it takes for Balderdash13 to argue with me, she has subdued the Battle Troll, landed several hits and still has time to glance back over her shoulder at me.
“Fine,” she says, condescendingly indulgent. “Come on then. Come get this one.”
I step forward, a little disappointed that she did all the hard parts and all there is left is a killing blow. But I swallow my complaints. The troll stands dazed, almost leaning against what remains of the stone wall. I hesitate, adjusting my grip. Having Balderdash13 watching me makes me second-guess my instincts.
“Want some help?” she asks quietly.
I don’t even have to look at her to know she’s smirking at me.
“I got this.”
She laughs, and I hear her stepping farther away. I can still hear the roar of at least one or two other trolls around the room. She has plenty of other enemies she can focus on.
The Battle Troll in front of me shakes its head, stunned, and swings its mace out at me. It’s slow enough that I’m able to dodge without a problem, and I even swing my sword back, but I’m off balance and miss completely.
Damnit.
Okay. I can do this. I just need to get used to being at a beginning level again.
The Battle Troll regains its own balance, standing up straight. I check and realize its health points are slowly refilling. Which means I need to push my advantage now, quickly, before it regenerates any more.
I need to hit it.
I need to swing.
I need …
Damnit. My palm is all sweaty in the grip. This never happens when I’m shooting my bow. I don’t know how the tanks fight creatures like this up close over and over again.
I just go for it. Part of me even wants to close my eyes and just throw myself into the fight wildly, but I do actually know better. I swing the Blade of Burnical, again down and to the left. Again slicing the monster in the arm.
The hit drains enough of the troll’s health points to knock it off balance again, but not enough to kill it. I roll my shoulders, preparing for yet another graceless slash. I think I can reach its neck from here; I could slice through its jugular. It might not be the best fencing move, but it will be effective.
I easily dodge a wild swing from the troll’s mace and return with my own. Because the Battle Troll is so much taller than me, my angle to go after its neck is wide and awkward. But I’m focused. I know where I want the sword to land and I focus on that spot. Swinging high, I bring the Blade of Burnical down—
—And it pings off the chest plate of the Battle Troll.
Damnit!
With all the strength and force I put into that swing, I can’t recover my balance right away to go after it again. In that small hesitating moment, I am nudged aside as SteelFeather comes bounding into the battle.
I barely have time to blink, and the tank has already landed the killing blow, draining my Battle Troll of health points and life. The body crumples. It’s so large that the head nearly lands on my feet. I jump back, sword still in hand, trying to register what I just witnessed.
[+520 XP!]
“That was mine!” I say.
SteelFeather turns around, looking at me confusedly. “What?”
“I was gonna kill it. I almost had him.”
SteelFeather grins, chuckles, and then notices the look on my face. He frowns. “Wait, are you serious? Asher, you’ve barely touched it.”
I wave my sword awkwardly. “I was learning.”
“Oh, yeah. Okay.” I can tell he’s trying to appease me. “Sure. Well, why don’t you learn some other time when the rest of us aren’t going to be at risk?”
[+490 XP!]
I look around, after getting the game message, and realize that Balderdash13 and Erinocalypse have just dispatched with the final Battle Troll. The room is littered with enormous corpses, but the threatening roars have ceased.
As the last troll falls, I hear a light applause and turn to see the dryad Briaris clapping cheerfully.
“Oh, very good. Most encouraging. I see now why your party has been trusted with the Blade of Burnical. I am certain you will be the ideal Guardians of Camlan to help restore the Departed King.”
“What were those things?” Balderdash13 asks as she catches her breath.
“Those were Battle Trolls,” Briaris says. “The darkness in Camlan is reappearing. The creatures are evolving, becoming smarter and more dangerous. Enemies like that will continue to try to destroy you. The closer you get to restoring the Departed King, the more they will hunt you down.”
“Lovely,” TexBadass says.
When we loot the bodies of the Battle Trolls, I collect a ton of Gold Crowns, which almost replace what I spent in Summerrun. I also get a few small bottles of a deep purple potion that look like they will help increase strength and blow accuracy.
Name: Brawn Boost
Description: +5 Strength for 60 seconds
Name: On the Mark Serum
Description: +20% accuracy for 60 seconds
This looks helpful. I wonder if I can find the recipe for them somewhere too.
The game flashes me a reminder message and I realize I have an attribute point to allocate. This one goes straight into Magic, especially since I know we’re getting closer to Smeaton and my alchemy lessons with every foot forward. And, you know, since I may not ever get good at sword-fighting.
“So, then, what is our next step?” I ask, as I give my attention to the other players again.
“Well,” Briaris says with a wide grin. “First we need to decide if you are actually going to accept your duty as a Guardian of Camlan and work to bring back the Departed King.”
Quest Offered: The Return of King
Description: With Camlan Realm falling into darkness and danger, the only one who can restore goodness and order is the Departed King. Through a series of tasks and quests, you will take the steps to restore the Departed King so he will rule over the kingdom once more.
Reward: Unknown
I hesitate a moment before accepting the quest. The reward not being specified could make this a huge risk. It’s
either going to bring us an immense reward, or we’re going to spend all that time for next to nothing.
Perhaps, if our mission for Fountain Games International is to be the priority, embarking on such an enormous and mysterious quest isn’t the most strategic decision. But, still. When will I have this chance again? This game is big, and opportunities like this aren’t everywhere. Even if FGI’s tasks consume our foreseeable game play, it will be done eventually. All the more reason to try to be successful, so we can return to quests like this.
“The next step in restoring the Departed King will come to you,” Briaris says as we all save our new quest. “Simply continue your journey through the kingdom. Help will find you.”
“Good luck, Guardians of Camlan. Remember, the fate of Camlan is in your hands.”
Chapter 20
After accepting the quest to restore the Departed King, and saying respectful good-byes to the dryad Briaris, we leave the stone Ruins of Trevena. The forest continues on the other side of the ruins, and as we walk between the dimly lit trees, the group grows quiet. I equip my bow while SteelFeather and Balderdash13 take the lead. We creep deeper into Dyrnwood.
We still have a long way to go before even getting to the Pendragon Mountains, let alone to the King’s Road on the other side. I wonder if they are all thinking the same thing I am: how will Camlan falling apart affect the job that Fountain has set for us? Does he know about the stories and quests set in the game? Is he planning for those?
He had implied that he had a source at Toterra Online, so I have to hope he has all the information he needs and isn’t sending us into a futile battle.
Every few minutes, SteelFeather steers our path slightly farther north around a Raptorial Bush. These things are really thriving in Dyrnwood, and their presence explains why we haven’t encountered many creatures in this part of the forest. Usually I would expect to have battled a boar, or flock of crows or something. Instead, it seems as though the carnivorous plants are keeping all animals away.
As long as we can stay out of the Raptorial Bushes’ grasp, we may be able to get all the way through Dyrnwood without a scratch.
Of course, that would also be without gaining any XP or rewards, but I suppose I can’t have everything.
I’m a little surprised we haven’t encountered a messenger from FGI, since we have gone so completely off the original plan. We were supposed to go north, and now we’re going a full ninety degrees off that. But I trust that as long as we keep moving, we’ll get to where we need to be eventually. Fountain promised repeatedly they would have a way to get to us and help if needed. We can either trust that is true or panic.
And panicking sounds like a waste of time.
After another hour of walking in silence, around the predatory plants, and not even finding a rat to kill, SteelFeather stops and holds his hand up to signal to the rest of us to stop as well.
Balderdash13 frowns, concerned. “What is it? What did you see?”
He waits another beat before answering. “Nothing,” SteelFeather says with a sigh. “I thought maybe there was movement up ahead by that big tree, but I don’t see it now. There’s nothing here but those weird meat-eating plants. Let’s keep going.”
If I were in the lead and had possibly seen some movement in the forest ahead, I probably would be a little more cautious, but that’s not SteelFeather’s way. He thunders on ahead, weapon ready, but walking steadily through the forest, not looking carefully at where he steps. I hang back a few paces, keeping my Power Perception activated in case anything dangerous appears. The Raptorial Bushes glow with an intense red, grabbing my attention over and over before I realize what it is.
It’s when my attention is turned toward one of the bushes that up ahead SteelFeather lets out a cry of surprise. I look back to see Balderdash13 rushing to his side.
“What is it?” she asks, frantically looking around. “Where are you hurt?”
Before he can form a sentence, right before our eyes he sinks a foot lower into the ground and releases another anguished cry.
Balderdash13 scrambles to back up, but gets caught in the same trap SteelFeather has found.
My Power Perception reveals a deep red glow all around them both. I don’t see any Raptorial Bushes and am not certain what is happening. It’s all so fast.
“The roots!” Balderdash13 yells.
She sinks another six inches or so into the ground. I realize they have been caught right by the enormous tree that had earlier attracted SteelFeather’s attention. The movement he had suspected he saw was in fact the tree’s thick roots undulating and advancing.
I grab Erinocalypse’s arm and drag her back, away from the tree and hopefully away from its range, while I examine the tree for details.
Name: Snare Tree
Description: This tree pulls in its victims using its strong roots. Many animals—and people—are sucked down, under the tree, never to be seen again. While fire is usually effective in controlling trees and other plants, you’ll need to get past the fire-resistant thick bark of the Snare Tree first.
I curse myself for getting rid of my Bow of Elements. The Snare Tree moves like the Noose Vine, and I suspect fire might be quite effective against it, once we get past the bark. But instead all I have is a sword I don’t know how to use and the Bow of Eternal Rest. With nothing to lose, I fit an arrow and aim for the heavy tree root, close to the trunk.
Aim.
Fire!
My new bow offers significantly more power than my last did and the arrowhead embeds itself into the wood of the tree. The root I hit seems to flinch, but only barely and not nearly enough to stop its attack of our tanks.
Erinocalypse sends a Fire Bolt right at the root pinning down Balderdash13, but it fizzles out without catching fire.
“The bark is fire resistant,” I tell her.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” She shoots me an exasperated look.
I recognize her Petrify spell next, holding my breath in hopes that it actually has an effect.
“Yes!” she says under her breath.
Where Petrify hits the root, the five-foot radius of tree freezes. It’s not the whole root, and the spell will only be effective a few seconds, but it could be just enough. We grin at each other, grateful that we have found something that stops the Snare Tree’s progress.
It only takes half a second for us to realize the mistake.
The root has frozen solid for a few seconds, but during that time it still keeps the tank pinned underneath. SteelFeather looks at us with wide eyes. His sword is all but useless from the position he is frozen in, and he uses his free hand to try to dig his fingers into the root wrapped across his waist. He pulls and strains, trying to loosen the tree’s grasp.
“Heal him, Tex!” I shout.
“I’m trying, boy,” he shoots back at me.
Another root creeps across SteelFeather’s chest, pinning his arms down and stopping his thrashing. From my distance I can see that he still tries to hack at the tree just moving his hands, but that’s not nearly enough to make a dent in the Snare Tree. The weight and strength of the root draws him down down down.
I inhale sharply and our tank disappears from sight.
Chapter 21
“Is he dead?” Erinocalypse asks. “Oh, god, is he dead?”
“Not yet,” TexBadass says through gritted teeth. “I can still see a tiny piece of his shoulder. I can keep him alive as long as he’s in sight, but we have got to get him free.”
“Keep trying, Balderdash13,” I call.
She nods and rolls her shoulders to prepare for another swing of her sword. I nock and aim another arrow at the same spot she seems to be eyeing: the widest tree root crossing over SteelFeather’s chest. She throws the weight of her attack into slicing through the root with the sharp edge of her sword and I quickly follow it with the point of my arrow. Erinocalypse is right behind with a Fire Bolt, cutting through the air and singeing the cut-open bark of the Snare Tree’
s root.
Even with all three of us focusing on the same spot, it still takes four more cycles of the same attack before we are able to break all the way through the single root, but SteelFeather remains imprisoned by several others. In that time it took us all to free the other tank, Balderdash13 has been surrounded by another thick root. She is now pulled down into the tree to her waist.
I mentally start preparing for the possibility that we will have to lose one or more of our tanks. I wonder where they will respawn when they die, if we’ll have to go back to meet them at Summerrun and help keep them safe from Jargonaut and his men.
SteelFeather still seems fragile, in spite of all the health casts TexBadass sends his way. But even in a weakened state, the tank is able to wriggle a tiny bit. Maybe if we can destroy another root holding him he can help pull himself out.
“Again,” I yell, aiming my arrow for another of the roots wrapped around the tank.
Balderdash13 pales; the roots pull her deeper into the ground. She gasps as the root wraps tightly around her waist, but she rallies and raises her sword above her head. The moment she brings the blade down, creating a nick in the tree’s thick bark, I loose an arrow at the same spot. The wedge in the bark widens, giving Erinocalypse another target for Fire Bolt.
The beam of magic illuminates the root, burning through under the bark and weakening the Snare Tree’s hold on the tank.
“Move, SteelFeather!” I command him.
The tank struggles, straining under the weight of the solid root crossing his chest. Sweat pours down his face, and I see the muscles of his forearms pop under the effort of trying to extricate himself.
“Again,” I yell again, desperate now. Balderdash13 is being pulled deeper into the tree and has almost lost all movement in her upper body. She has maybe one good attack left in her before she too is trapped beyond moving, and then I don’t know what will we do. I have my Blade of Burnical, but there’s no way I can be as effective.
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