by Jez Cajiao
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Beware! You have been stabbed with a Midnight’s Helper Dagger, and have lost all feeling in the affected area. This effect will remain until the dagger is removed.
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Beware! You are Bleeding! You lose 5…17…32 points of health per second until your wounds are closed.
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Congratulations! You have created a new spell: Remote Revival!
Using this spell, you can make a connection to a failing spell at a distance and renew it. Be warned, however: this is an imperfect method, and the cost is significantly higher!
Cost: 50mana to cast, plus 3x original spell cost.
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Congratulations! You have begun healing your wounds! Bleed effect has been reduced from 32 points of damage per second to 11, to 4 points of damage per second. Please remain in the circle of healing to fully regenerate yourself.
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Beware! This spell has run out of mana before you have been fully healed! Recast or use another method to stop the bleeding quickly!
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Beware! You are being fed upon! You are losing 10 points of health and mana per second…
The last notification was the worst, and I suddenly realized that I could hear another sound as I was shifted slightly. A strong arm levered my left pauldron further out of the way, and I felt the sucking resume, as something bit down and drew more of my life from me.
I laid there, paralyzed, filled with fear as I saw my health bar dropping even further, as something fucking fed on me, and I frantically forced my right hand to make the gestures I needed, even as I sub-vocalized the words, working as quickly as I could.
It was taking forever, and I saw both my mana and my health dropping before I was roughly dropped onto my front as a scream of fury erupted from whatever had been feeding on me.
I laid there, the sound of running feet and cries of horror and fury filing the air, even as I tried to maintain my focus. I was halfway, and I couldn’t afford to start again.
I had just enough left, I hoped, and I kept at it, ignoring the shouts, the screams, and the sound of feet nearby, of weapons clashing, and of orders being shouted in an authoritative voice.
I stared at the woodgrain of the plank before me, focusing on the spell and drowning out the rest of the world. The words caught in my throat, and being forced out audibly as the last of them came, meant they fell from lips covered in clotting blood and phlegm.
I felt it unroll, and a half second later, the blessed relief of the last of my wounds sealed, of the flames of the spell burning into me, and rooting out any impurities. I coughed, feeling the clotted blood expelled from my throat and I managed to lift my right hand and place it flat against the floor next to my face.
I took a deep breath and pushed as hard as I could, rolling myself over and onto my back, finding the grey, storm-cloud filled sky above me, and the fight that continued amidst the heavy rains all around me.
There were two of them, both facing off against the Drow that had attacked me, I managed to tilt my head, seeing Giint and Stephanos driving him back.
Giint was dual wielding a kill-stick and an axe that glowed blue, while Stephanos was using his bow like a staff, both desperate to drive the creature back from me.
I grunted and tried to sit up, coughing up blood, and feeling my flames burning the phlegmy gunk from my airways in a hot rush of air that tickled on the way down.
I ignored the flaring mana migraine, suddenly down to the dregs of my mana, thanks to the casting, and I reached out a shaky hand, gripping the dagger in my right leg, and yanking hard enough that I almost passed out.
I heard a boom from nearby and a screech of fury from the Drow, as the world was lit by a huge Fireball that screamed past us, slamming into the deck of one of the ships that was closing in to board us, and I felt Oracle!
She was close, and that knowledge alone lifted my heart and soul like nothing else.
I dragged the right-hand dagger free of my leg, then went for the left. As some feeling returned to the first limb, I reached down, wrapping my fingers around the rough grip, and hauling back, tears filling my eyes as the pain flared, and I furiously blinked them free, looking up as I heard a shocked gasp, and the fast footsteps of the fight close by all but stopped.
I looked up, the dagger forgotten, as I saw Stephanos slowly fall backwards, a dagger like the one I now held, driven up to the hilt in the center of his chest.
I locked eyes with him, as he slowly toppled backwards, his body paralyzed, even as his heart shuddered, pinned by the needle point of the dagger.
“No…” I whispered, shock and horror filling me, even as I saw Giint lunge forward to be kicked aside almost contemptuously by the Drow, no match for it.
He turned to me, sneering, and smiled evilly, wiping his mouth, where I could see the sheen of red blood. My blood.
I screamed in fury and did the only thing I could, triggering ‘Soaring Majesty’ and hurling myself at him.
He caught me as I left the protective circle of my flames, and twisted at the hip, throwing me off the side of the upper deck to crash into the lower, almost making me pass out from the pain of all my wounds flaring at once.
I laid there, stunned, looking up at him in horror as he leapt casually from the upper deck and landed lightly next to me, reaching down to grab me by the throat and drag me upright to hang in the air.
He slowly increased the pressure on my throat as I flailed at my bags, trying to reach a weapon, only to have him contemptuously slap my hand aside each time.
I reached up, making one last attempt as the world started to grow dark, punching at his throat and having my hand smacked away again… before something hit him and sent us both sprawling.
I forced myself to roll back over, coughing and looking up, and, I saw, my heart surging with hope, Lydia!
Lydia was alive and conscious!
She was half dressed, armored to the waist, wearing only a tunic on the top, but she looked by far the healthiest of us all, and she was different. By the gods, she had changed, I realized, as I saw the great golden wings that shimmered in and out of reality on her back. The feathers flared and moved, as though blown by a heavenly breeze that I could neither see nor feel.
She wore her shield on her left arm and carried her mace in the right hand, and she fairly glowed with power.
The Drow glared at her, then blurred forwards, reaching out with a dagger in either hand, only to have the left smashed free and the right blocked, before Lydia ‘Sparta’ kicked him in the chest, sending him skidding backwards in a spray of water.
The Drow staggered, clearly shocked and unprepared for the counterattack, and Lydia rushed him, her mace and shield flashing.
He dove aside, rolling to his feet, clearly wounded already, and spat on the floor in fury. Hissing angrily, he glared at me and spun around, running for the side of the ship.
He reached it barely ahead of Lydia and leapt, bracing one foot on the edge of the railing, and diving out as he ripped something from his belt and snapped it in half. He was suddenly enveloped in a black glow, and he faded from sight, even as he fell.
I laid there in shock, filled with horror at the death of Stephanos, joy at the sight of Lydia upright, and awe of the changes in her, when I felt Oracle reach out to me.
“Jax! I’m here!” That was all she said, but as I looked up, knowing instinctively where she was, a ship rocketed past, and she flew from it. A huge roar of a cannon being fired reminded me of the fireball from before, and I realized this was the second time I’d seen this ship fire in defense of us.
I reached up one hand weakly, and Lydia was there, crashing down to one knee on the ground nearby and hauling me upright into a hug.
“I thought I was too late!” Lydia said brokenly. “I was for poor Stephanos… I… I…”
“No,” I said, hugging her back, hard. “You saved me. I failed him, not you.” I whispered, closing my eyes, and seeing the look on his face as he fell
again and again.
“Our lives for yours,” came a voice nearby, and I opened my eyes, seeing Yen as she stepped in close, taking in my damaged body, and the glowing wings that even now were furled on Lydia’s back.
“It shouldn’t have been… but… ” I said quietly as Lydia helped me upright, and I looked up, seeing Oracle covering the last dozen meters in a blur.
“But it has to be,” Miren said softly from nearby, her tear-streaked face showing she’d seen her friend fall. “Without you, all of this is pointless. He saved you, and he’d never regret that.”
“I know,” I managed to grunt out, accepting Stephanos’ choice and his bravery.
Oracle slammed into me, staggering me back a step, even with her barely corporeal form, with as little mana as I had for her right now.
I felt her as she leaned into me, and I held he, as the others gathered around. We looked out, seeing the second cruiser being harried by our savior, and far behind, close to the waves far below, the black ship rocked and fought to stay in the air.
“It’s Mal, isn’t it…” I said quietly.
“Who else?” Oracle whispered, her voice filled with pride and love as she gazed at me. “Who else would, or even could, fly a ship through the heart of a storm to find you?”
“God, he’s going to be insufferable…” I muttered shaking my head even as I felt my heart swell with relief, in sharp contrast with the heavy depression that threatened to take me over the loss of my friend.
I cast about the deck, seeing that most of the Gnomes were gone, but four arrow-ridden corpses remained, showing that they’d paid even more of a cost for my interference in their lives than they had already.
I looked back, finding Giint as he stumbled down from the upper deck, one hand rubbing at his chest, as he stumbled to the central node the other gnomes had been working on.
He fell to his knees, pulling tools out of his bags and going to work, and I watched him with a pang of sadness, unsure if they were tears or rainwater that dripped from his chin and nose.
Leaving him to his work, I turned to look over the edge once more, seeing the second cruiser rolling over and diving faster and faster towards the murky waves far below, as Mal raked the side of their ship with another shot, tearing the engines free and making two explode.
The ship fell in a barrel roll that picked up speed, figures being thrown from the decks as it fell, until it hit the water with a boom that we heard and felt even over the thunder and lightning of the storm.
I let myself relax, as Lydia and Miren were joined by others, and I was led back to the wheelhouse, Jian forcing the door and rushing to the controls.
He slipped in and looked over the crystals, seemingly seeing things I couldn’t, as I was helped to a seat, bleeding from dozens of minor wounds, and running low on health as well as mana.
“Are there any potions?” Oracle asked quietly, and Lydia shook her head, speaking up.
“I don’t know…”
“I’m here…” Arrin grunted, staggering into the room, and letting in a wild gust of wind and rain alongside himself. He hurried over to me and hit me with a healing spell, before grunting and clearly being hit with a mana migraine as he bottomed his own reserves out.
I let out a groan of relief as his healing spell closed the last of my open wounds, and I sagged back slightly, drew in a deep breath, and nodded to myself.
It was time to make the most of my new gifts and use the second ability that the Air Elemental Essence Core had given me.
I closed my eyes, and began to meditate, activating ‘Peace’ as I did so. I felt the world seemingly grow quieter, and a light but constant cool breeze picked up, stirring the air around me.
I saw in my mind’s eye a plateau, high in the mountains. It was in a small bowl-shaped valley, surrounded on all sides by higher peaks and walls, but here, the trees swayed gently, and large-footed hares ran across the sparkling snow. I felt the breeze grow stronger, suddenly carrying a cool, clear, and crisp layer of air around the wheelhouse, and I sighed, drawing it deep inside and letting it out.
The air grew cooler still, but stopped at the point where cool freshness became true cold, just a few degrees above the level of discomfort. Instead, it seemed to everyone in the room that they were at that perfect temperature, where the body is awake, and the mind is invigorated.
I felt my mana and health regeneration lifting, and I began to construct the box, building it all around me, making the walls, the floor, and ceiling‒all of it, in fact‒from solidified mountain air, cool and crisp.
I felt my mana dip and my body healing, and then I buoyed upwards again, building even faster, as I felt Oracle release our shared mana pool.
Several minutes later, I sensed her reaching out to me, and with a palpable sense of regret, I released that meditative mind state.
Most of the squad were gone, either scouring the ship to make sure it was clear of DarkSpore or helping the injured. I could hear the rain lessening on the decks outside.
I looked around, finding Jian and Tenandra at their joint station. Lydia stood nearby, watching me with a smile on her face, and Oracle sat in my lap, solid and ‘life-size’.
As soon as she saw that I was fully awake, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, hard, while Lydia laughed and made a comment about waiting outside.
I heard the door close, but I’d missed my love too much to pay too much attention… until she broke off and spoke up.
“That’s because I missed you…” she said huskily, before slapping me hard enough to make my head ring like a bell. “…and that’s for sending me away!”
I blinked, trying to see again, as a blinding array of lights filled my vision, and I reached up with my right hand to rub at my jaw.
“What the hell?” I muttered. “…and where the hell is my helm?”
“I took it off, obviously,” Oracle said, glaring at me. “Now you’ve some explaining to do, Mister! Starting with where the hell the rest of your arm is!”
“I cut it off…” I muttered, rubbing my chin again. “Seriously, Oracle? Damn, that hurt!” I said, wincing.
“It was supposed to!”
“Well…”
“Oh, thank the gods!” Jian said from behind us, and I twisted around to look at him. He slumped back on his chair, grinning at Tenandra, who was staying small and trying not to draw Oracle’s attention.
“What’s happened?” I asked, standing up and walking over. I could feel the phantom aches that were always left behind after a healing; despite knowing I was fully healed, I always felt like I should be limping or whatever.
“Those crazy little bastards did it,” Jian said in amazement, pointing to a gently flashing crystal. “That’s the ship’s mana reserve… and it’s climbing.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” I said, clapping him on the back and grinning. “Well done, Jian, and you too, Tenandra! Fantastic work!”
They both smiled at me, until Oracle moved over to stand by my side and held out her hand, palm up next to Tenandra.
“Well done, Jian! And welcome to the team… Tenandra… let’s quickly get each other up to date on… things…” Oracle said, her voice clear and sweet, yet carrying an undeniable threat, much the same as an entire carrier group does when it asks a tugboat to ‘please move aside.’ It’s a request, but unspoken is the knowledge that they both share. ‘You can move,’ it says, ‘or you can be crushed… I’m only asking to be nice…’
“Uh… maybe we should go somewhere else?” Jian asked me quickly, and Oracle fixed us both with a sunny smile.
“That’s a great idea; I’ll be right out to join you…” she chimed sweetly, and I nodded.
“Fine, but don’t be long with this. Bane and Tang; hell, half the crew needs our help…” I muttered, making sure she understood just how dog-tired and on the edge we all were. Oracle smiled at me again, and I felt a sense of reassurance and soothing love flow though the bond, making me smile at Oracle’s possessivenes
s as I moved to the door, forcing it open and stepping out into the fresh air.
“You forgot this…” Jian said quietly, passing me my helm, and I put it into my bag with a quiet thanks.
I walked out to where the others stood, looking out over the side of the ship. We stood for long minutes, all in silent contemplation, until Lydia spoke up.
“He was a good man… despite how much he stroked his wood.” We all smiled unthinkingly at that, memories of our conversations around the fire as we traveled, about how often he’d oil and rub the Drow bow he used.
Stephanos used to comment that it was simple courtesy, looking after the weapon that protected him, but we all ribbed him mercilessly about it, especially because it let us ignore the fact that, for most of citizens of the Tower and the continent, touching a bow like that was akin to touching ten times more gold than they’d ever earn in their lifetimes.
“You remember the fight to free Oracle?” I asked the group. “The first time he fired that damn bow, and he fell in love with it on the spot.”
“And how much he played up to the group that it was ‘his’… but he asked me quietly if I wanted it and offered to wait for another one…” Miren said, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
The others all spoke up, and for a while, we forgot our pain and laughed, as Stephanos lived again in our hearts.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The rest of the day was spent in a blur of healing those who were injured and stabilizing those who needed more in-depth work, like Tang and Bane, before meditating and getting ready for the real healing to begin.
There was also a substantial effort required for carrying out basic repairs on the ship and making sure none of the gnomes fell off the side, as they were all too stoned to walk straight.
I’d agreed when Frederikk had come to me, asking for a bonus, ostensibly for the entire group, but I’d been fine with it.
At this rate, we only had enough ‘stash’ for a few more days, but I was hoping things would calm down for a few weeks, at least, and hopefully, knowing the ingredients as I did, we could figure out how to make more for them. I’d started to get used to their ways, after all.