Beastborne

by James T Callum

  “Woah,” Noth said, looking at the changed room. The walls were the same, the floor and ceiling, even the windows. But it looked completely different.

  “Ye made us a bleedin’ tavern!” Donks said. He pumped his fist in the air, hooted, and turned on his heels to spread the word.

  All before Hal could explain that it wasn’t a tavern.

  101

  Hal looked over to the wide polished stone bar behind which a row of kegs and a dozen shelves of bottled liquor waited. The feeling as he looked over the place was bittersweet.

  It reminded him of Giel and his cozy tavern, the Gone Goose.

  “We’re going to need a bartender,” Hal said, a bit of weariness crept into his voice.

  Noth gave him a concerned look. “You do not seem very pleased,” she pointed out.

  “Giel.” It was all he needed to say.

  Noth placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. “I am sorry about his passing.”

  There wasn’t time to mourn a friend that was already grieved. Besides, the Town Hall didn’t really look like Gone Goose. The latter was far larger and even if it had a few stains and broken boards here or there, it was nicely decorated.

  While the Town Hall was undeniably beautiful - and Hal wasn’t going to complain that they didn’t need to furnish it - it lacked the refinement that Giel’s establishment had.

  This place was not meant to be a full-blown tavern, but rather a community gathering spot. Two larger rooms flanked the central chamber, each with different items in them.

  The first, on the left, held a couple of pool tables and some dartboards. A few tables with simple wooden seats had game boards for things like chess, checkers, go, and many others he didn’t recognize.

  On the right was a series of padded seats and cushioned benches all facing a miniature stage crammed into the corner. It vaguely reminded Hal of the bohemian coffee shops that once seemed so prevalent in his neighborhood back on Earth.

  The thought of coffee made him groan. He hadn’t had a drop of the stuff since coming to Aldim and though he was far from addicted to the drink, he missed it.

  Maybe with the dwarven connections he was amassing he could find a way to get it again. Barring that, maybe there was some natural wild-grown coffee in the Shiverglades. If that was even a thing. He didn’t know the first thing about coffee cultivation or even where it was from aside from vague recollection of “in the mountains.”

  It was a long shot and definitely not one that was a priority, whatever the case.

  But he resolved to ask Elaise about it when he saw the elusive barbarian again. Barring that, whenever he came across one of the Rangers.

  Hal took a look at the building’s information and gaped. He had, unfortunately, been wrong about the 30% improvement also applying to the building’s designation.

  It only seemed to apply to the base building. It made a certain amount of sense. The designation was, in some ways, magical in nature. Furniture and items simply appeared. Whereas the actual building had to be constructed.

  [Town Hall: Recreation]

  Effects

  EP Generation: +13% (+3% From superior building materials).

  Morale: +13.5% (+1.5% From superior building materials).

  -5% Workforce efficiency.

  Altogether, it was still a bigger improvement for his Settlement than he had looked for. With any luck, they might actually be Morale neutral by the time the Founder’s Day buff wears off.

  Provided they survived that long.

  With that potent reminder, Hal turned to Noth. “To the gap?”

  She nodded. “It’ll help clear your mind,” she said, dragging Hal around and out of the Town Hall. “If there is one thing I have seen again and again in my long life, Hal, it is that you cannot save everyone.”

  Hal looked at her blankly. Noth rarely opened up about her past.

  The erstwhile Reaper seemed to take that look for doubt because as she pulled him along into the colorless morning light, she said, “Knights, kings, queens, all of them - the kind-hearted at least - believe it is their sole responsibility to lift everybody up on their shoulders.

  “Do you know what that often leads to Hal? I shall give you a guess. It has much to do with how I met these people.” Noth held up a single finger as she spoke, letting go of his arm after she realized they had been walking for some time.

  “It killed them,” Hal answered automatically.

  “Yes, Hal. They died, trying to save one more soul. How many deaths did they cause by that single act? Had they learned to live with the guilt, with the worry, they would have stayed alive. That, is the burden of a true leader.

  “Is rushing into that burning building - likely at the cost of your own life - worth it to save the single person inside? Even after you saved dozens already? And, in all likelihood would go on to save dozens more?”

  They wound their way down a beaten dirt path the karaks used to drag materials to the construction sites, this one bearing them south toward the gap. “Some would argue that is what a hero does,” Hal said.

  Noth sniffed disdainfully at that. “Those that throw their life away and call it heroics do not value their life much to begin with.”

  Hal shrugged, not because he didn’t agree but because he had heard something to that effect before. “A man that does not value his life sells it for cheap,” he repeated.

  That earned him a slight grin from Noth.

  “But,” Hal added. “I am not mortal. Not anymore. Losing my life is now an inconvenience. And that tips the scales of whether or not it is worth it to throw my life away far in the other direction.

  “What goodly person could say that it was not worth a broken bone or a few days convalescing in bed to save another’s life? Without that act, one that I will surely recover from, a life is simply gone. And there are… other reasons to look to such acts of heroics.”

  Clearly just about to ask him what he meant, Noth opened her mouth to speak but her words were lost as a ragged shout erupted from the south. They were nearly at the gap, and whatever was causing the commotion was on the other side of the defenses being constructed.

  The pair exchanged a look, and then took off to the south.

  Hal Spliced aberration and eldritch, rolling fumes of electrified blood-red mist came off his body. He drew [Emissary] from the sheath at his hip and using Convergence, soon caught up to Noth’s burst of speed.

  The woman had her scythe out and at the ready, a look of anticipatory elation on her face. The thrill of battle after the recent quiet was particularly enticing. And Hal knew that he had the same expression on his face.

  Extending a party invitation to Noth, the Dark Knight quickly accepted.

  Together, they rushed up the sloping Earthen Bulwark and leaped down to the other side. Mid-air, they assessed the threats. Two dwarves were laid out on the ground, and another pair of dwarves - with many more rushing to the battle - were facing off against the strangest monster Hal had ever seen so far.

  It was all green tentacles and writhing root-like vines that supported a flat oval head. Several rows of black teeth neatly bisected the head. A hundred smaller feelers twisted and writhed atop its green skin.

  Supported by no less than a dozen writhing vines or tentacles, it moved with surprising alacrity and whipped out one such vine at the nearest dwarf who only had a hammer to defend himself.

  Dwarves were not cowards, however, and so it was hardly a surprise when the dwarf roared back at the sightless thing’s approach. Standing nearly twelve feet tall and with a head half as wide, it could easily swallow two or more dwarves whole.

  And yet the dwarf stood over his downed comrade protectively. Right up until the vine smacked him back into the half-constructed Palisade wall with a bone-rattling impact.

  As Hal landed, knees bent to absorb the impact - Hal’s eldritch-fueled Convergence absorbing the shock his legs would have struggled with - the creature turned on the lone dwarf still stan
ding.

  It drew in its breath, a great rush of air pulled the long blades of grass toward it and nearly pulled the lone dwarf off his wide-set feet.

  A moment later Hal saw the glowing orange of Premonition in a wide twenty-foot-wide cone. Right where the dwarf stood vigil over one of the unconscious workers.

  A green putrid miasma spewed forth from the creature’s maw. A reek like no other nearly made Hal wretch. Noth gagged next to him on the noisome odor. The dwarf, however, fared much worse.

  He swayed, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head as the fumes assaulted him. The creature glided toward the paralyzed dwarf. The way it glided on its dozens of vine-like tentacles was unnerving.

  The creature flowed toward the dwarf just as Hal and Noth reached it. Noth leaped into the air, her black scythe raised high above her head.

  Hal, sword leading, conjured Goblin Rush to harry the creature and hopefully distract it from its helpless prey.

  The shadowy image of a rushing goblin struck out several times at the passing creature, drawing deep gouges in its green hide that leaked a foul sap.

  It turned at once, managing to pivot its large bulk in an instant to round on Hal. He skidded to a halt and threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding a crushing pair of vines that stretched out from its body and dented the soft ground where Hal was a moment ago.

  Just as Hal got to his feet, he saw the blades of grass drift away from him and felt the rush of air pull at his [Shaper’s Coat]. He looked up just in time to see the orange light of Premonition surrounding him in a cone.

  102

  Even with his Convergence enhanced speed, Hal knew he wasn’t fast enough to get out of range in time. But that didn’t stop him from trying. Everything seemed to slow down to a crawl.

  For the briefest moment, Noth hung motionless in the air, her body arched back to deliver a powerful scything blow to the creature who was wholly focused on Hal.

  Pouring on every bit of strength he had, Hal leaped to the side and scrambled away as fast as he possibly could.

  Somehow, he got out of range but only just.

  The [Morbolger | Lv.40] uses Bad Breath.

  The grass withered and died where Hal had been. A moment later, Noth’s scythe connected and the world seemed to lurch forward.

  It took him a moment to realize it was his new perk, Preternatural Dodge, taking effect.

  Noth’s scythe cleaved clean through the upper half of its head and she would have continued the downward stroke if not for the trunk-thick vines that snapped out at her.

  Using the scythe embedded in the creature as a pivot point, she twisted and kicked off its body, leaving the scythe within. Performing a graceful backflip over the swiping vines she landed no less than five feet from Hal.

  Extending her hand, she called back her scythe. The Morbolger flailed and let loose a hideous screeching sound that filled the space around them. Her black scythe ripped through the creature and pulled itself free, harkening to her silent call.

  Just as the scythe slapped into her waiting palm, Hal summoned forth Bomb Toss. Mana swirled and condensed in his upraised hand, taking the shape of a cobbled-together goblin-made bomb.

  He chucked it at the wide-open mouth of the Morbolger. He suspected it was a plantoid and as such, would likely be weak to fire.

  As the Bomb Toss exploded in a fiery conflagration within the creature’s mouth, Hal understood his mistake.

  He was wrong.

  Very, very wrong.

  Not only did the fire seem to deal almost no damage to the creature, but whatever accounted for the thing’s blood was highly flammable.

  In no time at all, it burst into flames. A twelve-foot-tall abomination of burning hatred slithered toward them. The flames hardly seemed to bother the frightening creature.

  Hal wasted no time in casting Feather Barrier and spreading it to Noth with Empathy. Blocking those flaming limbs would hurt almost as much as getting hit with them.

  Noth looked slowly at Hal, her face incredulous.

  “I didn’t know!” he replied, just before a flaming double-slam of vines forced the two farther apart.

  “No more fire, Hal!” Noth cried out.

  The pair dove and rolled to get away from the burning vines that lashed out from every angle. The heat was intense and though Hal was partially resistant to fire, they still hurt when one came too close and blistered his skin.

  Dwarves ringed the scene, scrambling about to put on armor and join in on the fighting. No strangers to the dangers of fire, the dwarves weren’t stupid enough to rush in and set themselves - and their very flammable beards - ablaze.

  Instead, as Hal and Noth kept the Morbolger’s attention focused solely on them, the dwarves were able to rescue their fallen brethren.

  Deeply wishing he had a water aspected spell, Hal lunged forward and cast Divebomb. The shadowy visage of a diving bird of prey lunged at the Morbolger. Temporarily confused by the image, the creature swatted at the spell, its twin flaming flails swept through the air harmlessly.

  “This is going to florking suck,” Hal muttered under his breath. He knew what he needed to do. After witnessing how little damage his spells did - aside from the horror show that was Bomb Toss - there were really only two options.

  He could hack away at it, all the while the thing would be aflame and hurting him. Or he could get close enough to finally use Soul Drain. Dominate wasn’t much of an option.

  Without any other monsters nearby, and the strength of this creature, he didn’t want to spend the steep EXP cost.

  Hal took a deep breath, just as the Morbolger did the same. His eyes widened in surprise. He shouted a warning to Noth and poured on every ounce of speed he could.

  Rather than run away, as the Morbolger assumed he would, he cut a path at an angle to the creature, getting closer. As he neared, and the orange light of Premonition lit up below his feet, his hope was confirmed.

  Being a conical-shaped ability, the Morbolger’s breath attack covered more area the farther out a person stood from the creature. Up close, near it’s massive - truly terrifying - six-foot-wide maw of serrated black teeth, the attack was barely a foot wide.

  Throwing himself into a roll, Hal came up and around the side of the flaming creature. Oppressive heat rolled off the Morbolger but that was nothing compared to the stream of flaming breath that rushed out, singing Hal’s coat even though he was at least a foot away from the attack.

  The Morbolger’s Bad Breath became Napalm Breath and coated a wide swath of grass in burning goo. Had the dwarves not already saved their fellows, they likely would have burned alive.

  With a yell that was more to steel his resolve than anything else, Hal lunged forward. His right hand drove [Emissary] to the hilt into one of the thick flaming vines that supported the creature like some crazed plant-based octopus.

  His other hand slapped hard against the flames and pressed to the creature’s sturdy flesh. The flames bit and scorched his hand. He screamed. He burned. But he held on.

  The Morbolger tried to lift him by raising the vine into the air, but Hal had prepared for that. [Emissary], driven into the Morbolger’s flesh, acted like an anchor that kept Hal in contact with the creature.

  Awareness blossomed in his mind and for a scant second, he was without pain. The Morbolger’s essence was there for the taking. He understood how to use Soul Drain to drain the Morbolger’s considerable VIT, its STR, even its HP.

  But Hal wanted none of those.

  With a grimace against the resurgence of agony, Hal found what he was looking for. The Morbolger wasn’t immune to fire, only highly resistant. Enough that the creature could likely stay on fire long enough for it to leave their Settlement, find a pool, and leisurely dunk itself to put out the flames.

  A vine cracked against his back and he felt the air rush out of his lungs. Another vine smacked against him taking 7% of his HP off in a bone-cracking smack.

  It took time to lock onto the Morbolger�
�s resistance to fire, but once Hal did he pulled on it with all of his might. If the Morbolger understood what Hal was doing, it didn’t show it.

  Bit by bit, what felt like an eternity of torture to Hal, the Morbolger’s fire resistance was drained away into Hal.

  As Hal drained half of the creature’s resistance it began to notice the flames. Rather than attacking Hal, the Morbolger began to frantically swat at the flames that hungrily ate at its now susceptible flesh.

  The fire that had once burned and scorched Hal’s skin began to feel soothing and gentle. Morbolger flesh that was green and plump withered, crackled, and turn to ash before the onslaught of the ravenous flames.

  Every point of fire resistance that Hal pulled away caused the already rampant flames to do the work of ten men. The Morbolger let loose another hideous screech, and Hal felt a sudden inrush of air.

  He redoubled his efforts, draining every last bit of the creature’s fire resistance as fast as he could.

  Angling its head down at Hal, the Morbolger breathed liquid flame all over him.

  It should have burned him to ash. His flesh should have melted. The way Noth screamed bloody murder told him that, to any bystanders, he looked to be consumed by the Napalm Breath.

  But it didn’t hurt. As Hal drained away its fire resistance, something funny happened.

  When the Morbolger’s 98 fire resistance was added to Hal’s 25, it added up to more than 100 fire resistance. And as each point ticked up above 100, the Napalm Breath began to heal Hal.

  The creature died, consumed by its own flames. And, inadvertently, its last act of defiance not only failed to hurt Hal, but it healed him back to full HP.

  Sitting at 123 fire resistance, Hal felt his burns and blisters close up as swiftly as if somebody had just cast a healing spell on him.

  You defeat the [Morbolger | Lv.40]

  You gain 1,300 Experience points (+4%).

  You earn 130 Sparks.