by John Nest
Smoke noticed the blood-drenched tips of Pates' invisible vines move from its mouth down to the ground below it and press hard against it.
'It's not flying.' Smoke thought in a moment of clarity. 'It probably doesn't have just two, but many more invisible vines simply supporting its body from below.'
Berserker's Ring of Flames' duration came to an end and the Berserk status wore off. To Jane's credit, she managed to reveal Pates' life bar, which displayed (542,250/550,00 HP).
'I can't fight it head-on. I need to...'
Smoke's train of thought was interrupted when the stalactite he was hanging off of detached itself from the ceiling. Landing on the ground, he quickly sidestepped the falling spike.
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH
Behind him, he heard rocks falling into the water.
"...Oh no." he uttered. He quickly turned away from Pates and released Igniz from his metal compartment. "Fly ahead of me as fast as you can and shine brightly!" he told hastily to his symbiote and leaped over the water.
Pates seemed to stagger in the air as it recovered from the negative status effect it had been afflicted by. It looked around for the DarkElf who was offered to him earlier.
However, Pates only caught a glimpse of Smoke's cape as he was leaving the cave.
RUMBLE CRASH RUMBLE RUMBLE CRASH
Pates' earlier thrashing had damaged the structural integrity of the cave. With Igniz illuminating his path, Smoke managed to safely glide out of the cave in time and escape the cave-in, leaving the giant monster trapped inside.
After taking a glance over his shoulder at the cave's entrance, Smoke ventured towards the harbor alongside Igniz. He could sense more than eighty Pirates waiting for him on the docks. The two of them prepared themselves to fight more of the Skullcaps, when Smoke noticed a commotion over at one of the shacks.
With Telefax Vision, he saw Brax and the captive children struggling against seven Halflings. Four of the children fought clumsily with their bare hands, while the rest cowered behind them. Their life bars were at less than half.
Smoke abruptly changed route towards them, with Igniz flying closely behind him. He landed on the roof of the shack and let loose his poison arrows at the Skullcaps who had their backs turned to him, inflicting increased damage to them. One by one, the Pirates were taken out.
"Good job defending them." said Smoke as he jumped down next to Brax.
"I can't take the credit for that. Some of them were inspired by your actions, and realized that they could fight back and reclaim their freedom." Brax replied with a proud smile, but it quickly faded as he pointed to the captives who were shuddering. "Although, there are many who are still afraid."
At a loss for words, Smoke nodded and pointed to a nearby ship. "Same plan as before: you guys board a ship while I cover your escape. Don't worry, Captain Jane Snow won't be waiting behind the riverbend this time." he said reassuringly.
As Brax and the captives headed for the ship, eight Skullcaps ran after them, but Smoke blocked their path.
Coupled with Igniz's fireballs, Smoke killed three more Halflings using his weighted chain and sickle. His Cunning of the Dire Fox then sensed fifty Skullcaps in the direction Brax was headed. He turned around and saw them in the distance. He easily recognized the Pirate leading them as Nain, due to his red jacket.
Caught between two groups of Skullcaps, Smoke quickly gave Igniz an order, "Trap these five inside a fire cage, bud."
Igniz immediately surrounded them with firewalls.
"Finish them off and fly to me as soon as you're done." said Smoke as he glided over Brax and the captives, and landed in front of them.
Upon seeing Smoke, Nain picked up the pace and he and his group were now running towards Smoke, Brax and the children. As they got closer, Nain yelled, "Where's our Captain, you bilge rat?"
"Nain, right?" Smoke asked the Halfling in charge, "Pates ate her."
"Hold your tongue, liar! How dare you speak our lord's name in vain!" replied Nain angrily. "I don't know what you did to Cap'n Snow, but I'll get the truth out of ye one way or another." he said strongly, "Sick 'em, mateys!"
Fifty Skullcaps charged at him at the same time but were met with a line of firewalls that appeared in front of them. The Pirates immediately came to a halt, as they had learned their lesson from before. Igniz came to Smoke's aid in just the right time.
"Listen to me, Nain! Pates isn't a god. It's just a big monster." said Smoke with a straight face.
"Ha! Then how do you explain the agility we possess? The strength? The skill?" countered Nain.
"I don't know? You guys must be gifted fighters, I guess." replied Smoke.
"Nay, DarkElf." said Nain and shook his head. "Cap'n Snow took us in when we were nothing but hoodlums. She trained us day in and day out; told us every day that lord Pates be empowering us." the Halfling described their delusional life, "Those who couldn't last were brought to our lord. Thanks to their sacrifice, our lord transferred their energy to us and we became better, faster, stronger. We are now feared all over the Murray thanks to Cap'n Snow and lord Pates."
"Jane was crazy! She was imagining her conversations with Pates in her head." Smoke said strongly and raised his hand in frustration.
"You think that because you're an infidel! She is the only one who can understand the divine words of lord Pates." replied the Halfling.
Smoke and Nain were still in a heated argument when they heard a loud noise coming from the collapsed cave. Smoke used his Telefax Vision to discover what he already half-expected: Pates had dug itself out of the cave.
It moved surprisingly fast as its invisible vines traversed over the river and headed directly for the harbor. It only slowed down once it reached the docks, and started destroying everything in its path. Pirates and captives alike were being killed as their bodies were picked up by Pates' vines and thrown into the air together with debris and rubble from the shacks near the docks.
"See, this is what I was talking about." Smoke told Nain and pointed to the giant monster that was almost upon them.
"No, it can't be. Lord Pates has never harmed us before." said Nain in disbelief, "We must have done something wrong and incurred his wrath." As Pates got even closer, the Halfling could see it attacking Skullcaps and captives that were running for their lives.
"Cap'n Snow...we need you! Where are you, Captain?" Nain was panicking and kept looking in various directions while repeating the same question.
The pirate next to him hit Nain's shoulder with the back of his hand. "Nain..." His eyes were fixated on something.
He pointed to the lower part of the monster's body. The leader of the Skullcaps looked up towards Pates.
"No..." Nain let go of his dirk and dropped to his knees.
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" the Halfling kept yelling in horror once he saw Jane's cutlass sticking out from among the vines.
While still relatively far away from them, Pates grabbed one of the Pirates near it with its vines and sent him flying into the wall of a shack that was close to Smoke and Nain.
"Why??? Why did you do it, lord Pates?" Nain screamed at the monster, "She...she was...Jane was..." An image of the beautiful Pirate Captain caressing his face appeared in his mind.
As a tear fell on the ground in front of him, Nain gritted his teeth and stood up. Wiping his eyes, he picked up his dirk.
"Skullcaps!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The Pirates all turned towards him. Nain climbed onto a nearby wooden barrel and addressed his comrades.
"Our lord has betrayed us! He killed our captain. He killed Captain Snow!" His voice was filled with rage, but his teary eyes revealed sadness. "And, cross my heart, we will make him pay!" Breathing heavily while the Pirates looked at each other with surprised faces, Nain spoke out once more.
"Remember well the sound of coins, the taste of rum, and everything else your hearts hold dear. Let the fear of death quicken your feet, and vengeance guide your hands. Because tonight, lads, our blades sh
all make a god bleed!"
He raised his dirk above his head and yelled, "In the name of the great Captain Jane Snow, I order ye: charge, Skullcaps! Chaarrrrge!"
As he brought down his dirk and pointed it at Pates, the group of fifty Pirates went around Igniz's firewalls and rushed straight towards the giant monster, ignoring Smoke and the others.
"Alright, time to make a run for it." Smoke told Brax and the captive children. Igniz extinguished his firewalls and all of them made a mad dash for the closest ship.
As they were running, Smoke glanced at Nain, ready to fight him if he tried to stop them. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw that Nain paid them no mind, jumped off the wooden barrel and joined the charge.
Together, Smoke and Brax made preparations for the ship's departure. They pulled out of the docks in no time at all. After they gained some distance away from the harbor, Smoke used his Telefax Vision and observed the ongoing battle between Pates and the Skullcaps.
The giant monster still had 70% of its life bar, while Nain was issuing orders to around thirty surviving Skullcaps. He surmised that the Halflings would be wiped out soon, but then he noticed that more Pirates were coming to their aid from across the bridges that connected the rocky islands. Now, Smoke was no longer sure which side would win. He had a desire to join in and have a three-way battle royale, but Brax's safety was his top priority.
"You want to go back and fight them, don't you?" Brax suddenly asked him.
"No, of course not." Smoke said and hurriedly shook his head, which made it obvious that he did want to go.
Their vessel speedily sailed through the waters. They had almost reached their gateway to freedom...the riverbend...when two pirate ships appeared out of it.
Smoke groaned and hit his hand flatly across his face. He took a deep breath. Slowly lowering his hand, he said, "Here we go again..."
* * * * * *
Twelve hours passed before they finally arrived at the branch of the river that led to Sans Valeur. Vex, Forte and several other villagers carrying harpoons had gathered in front of the village, as a runner had warned them of an incoming pirate ship.
Vex cheered loudly as soon as he saw Brax standing on the deck. The crowd of defenders lowered their harpoons and joined Vex in shouts of joy.
As the ship dropped anchor, Vex ordered one of the defenders to run back ahead of them and tell the great news to other villagers.
"Brax is back! Brax is back!" shouted the defender as he ran through the village.
Once the dinghies carrying Smoke, Brax and the children got to shore, Vex ran to Brax and hugged him tightly. "I thought you were a goner for sure."
"I'm tougher than I look, Vex." chided Brax.
"Indeed you are." agreed Vex and released his hug, "Listen, I have to tell you something. I asked Father not to..."
"You don't have to say anything, Vex. I understand. And you were right, I didn't want you to try to save me." said Brax as he cut off his brother's explanation.
On their journey back, Brax had already asked Smoke why he was the only one there to rescue him. Smoke explained the reason truthfully and did not change a single word Vex said.
Vex gave Brax a simple nod, as a sign of utmost respect.
Together with the rescued children, Smoke, Brax and Vex headed straight to Prex's home. Along the way, the villagers were lined up on the tight and crooked streets. They were all shouting praises and thanks to their goddess Fleuve. Brax was greeted with a hero's welcome. Rumors had immediately spread of how he had saved the children from the Skullcaps, and was only helped by the DarkElf on occasion. In response to this, Smoke kept a low profile and followed meekly behind Brax. Vex followed Smoke's lead and had Brax lead their way.
Finally, they reached Prex's bamboo house and Brax hurriedly ran to his father, dropped down to his knees and said, "Father, I've returned and with me are..." Brax was not allowed to finish his report as his father hugged him tightly.
"Praised be Fleuve for her mercy and protection. She really heard my prayers and sent you back to me." cried out Prex and hugged his son even tighter.
Smoke interrupted their reunion as he brought the children in and cramped the bamboo house. "These are the children the Skullcaps took from other villages. Rescuing them was Brax's idea. If it were up to me, I would have wanted to save them another time, when I would have had more people with me." he said with admiration, "But not Brax. He wouldn't leave the place he was kept in unless we brought all of the children along with us."
The old village chief looked at his son. "Brax, you may not have the respect of all the adults here yet, but you already have the loyal devotion of the next generation." he said proudly with a smile and then turned to the children, "I shall have our strongest fighters return each and every one of you to your villages." Prex paused and looked at them sympathetically, "In the unfortunate event that any of them no longer exist, you are welcome to live here in Sans Valeur. We shall build homes for you here and you will be treated properly."
The children smiled and cheered as they hugged each other. Tears flowed down their faces as they finally felt that they were safe.
"Father, thank you for that." said teary-eyed Brax, "But we wouldn't have made it back if it weren't for Smoke."
Prex then turned to Smoke and called for him to come closer. "There are no words to describe how grateful to you I am for bringing back my son to me. If you ever need anything from Sans Valeur, please don't hesitate to ask."
A notification window popped up.
+ Completed Quest: Steal from the Thieves
You have successfully rescued Brax from the Skullcaps. The villagers of Sans Valeur now recognize you as the helpful DarkElf.
Rewards:
* Intimacy with Prex has increased by 90
* Intimacy with the residents of Sans Valeur village has increased by 40
* 300,000 exp
Smoke's experience bar increased by a small amount and was now close to being full. He shook Prex's hand and said, "Thank you for the trust you put in me. I will always treasure my time here."
Prex nodded and smiled gratefully to Smoke.
Brax then tapped Smoke's shoulder and said, "This isn't expensive, but it's one of my most treasured items." He took out a handcrafted toy model of a fishing boat and gave it to Smoke. "It was a gift from my mother. It has no special attributes, but it's what kept me going after she died. I'm afraid this is all I can offer as your reward for your great service." said an indebted Brax.
Suddenly, a notification window popped up.
+ Your Intimacy with Brax has risen to 'Blood brothers'
Smoke was already more than satisfied with the experience reward. He knew there was no way Brax would leave the village and join his army, but he treasured the sentiment. He took the small fishing boat and stored it safely in his backpack window. He then turned to Brax and said, "I have something for you as well."
He took out the purple-colored jacket and hat. "These should help you protect your village if the Pirates ever come back. Be sure to practice your fighting abilities daily. Once you become the village chief, you will need to be strong enough to protect and inspire those around you."
Brax's eyes grew wide with amazement. "I've never seen such equipment. No, I can't possibly accept these. I'm sure they would be very useful to you." Brax strongly shook his head and refused.
"Take them. Consider them my parting gift to you. You'll greatly dishonor me if you don't accept it." said Smoke convincingly.
With his arms stretched out, Brax humbly received the equipment set. "Thank you. You've helped me beyond measure. If I had the power, I would have given you the title of one of Fleuve's saints." he said sincerely and gave Smoke a small bow.
Although the purple-colored equipment proved to be useful, Smoke needed to keep wearing Sable Wizard's Surcoat for its boost to received exp in order to catch up to Tristan and Amahan. And since he wouldn't have access to the set's equipment ability with just the hat on
, he decided it'd be best to leave both items with Brax.
This assured him that Brax could survive on his own and protect Sans Valeur until the time comes when Smoke finds himself in need of its residents' help.
Smoke then stood straight and spoke to everyone in the room, "I'm sorry, everyone, but I must go." He then turned to Prex and said, "I'm sure that Brax will be a great successor to you." He gave them both a bow and was about to leave the bamboo house when a runner arrived with some news.
The runner took a deep breath before giving out his report. "Honorable Prex, a group of Murlocks and Lamias was seen heading to the entrance to the branch of the river that leads to our village." he said joyfully while breathing heavily, "With this, we should be protected by their Siren Song from both Pirates and monsters alike."