Adventures on Terra - Book 2: Escape

by R. A. Mejia

  Mary giggles once and responds, “Ok. Just one more?” I shrug, and she continues, “Yip Man.” When I don’t laugh, she explains, “Yip Man? You know, Y-ip Man.”

  I groan once I get the reference to Ip Man. One of my favorite martial arts series starring the amazing Donnie Yen as the martial arts master who would eventually go on to teach Bruce Lee. I look at the rest of the group and realize Mary, and I have been laughing by ourselves for a while now. Kitsune looks at us with fascination in her eyes. I guess she’s never seen two people yell out movie titles. Well, actually from her point of view we were just yelling out random strings of words since she’s never even heard of movies. Vrax, on the other hand, is sitting down again and has his head resting on his knees sadly.

  I get up and sit next to my kobold brother. I put my arm around him and tell him, “I’m sorry buddy. Even though we were laughing, we weren’t making fun of you. Mary and I watched…err…read the same stories about Kung Fu. We were just laughing at all the stories we know and imagining them with a kobold in them.” He looks up at me sharply, and I quickly add, “Not that having a kobold in them makes them funny. It’s just that a lot of the stories have huge powerful men or large groups of enemies in them and the idea of a single kobold beating them with just his hands, feet, and tail made us laugh.” Realizing how condescending that sounds, I add, “Not at the kobold but at the other guys, I mean.”

  I keep my most sincere expression on as Vrax looks up at me, studying my face intently. After a moment he smiles, hugs me, and says, “Oh, that fine then. You no tell me you know so many stories about Kung Fu. You tell them to me?”

  I hug my scaly brother back and say, “Sure. When we have a chance to rest for longer. I’ll tell you some of those stories. In the meantime, we should get back to clearing this level of the dungeon now that we know how to fight better.”

  With that, the four of us rise and get into our battle formation. Vrax and I in front, now without our weapons. Kitsune and Mary behind us. The four of us follow the tunnel for about ten minutes then take a right at the next junction. We follow that tunnel until it dead ends. There at the end of the tunnel, we find our next fight. This time, there are three Giant Skeletal Rats.

  The fight doesn’t take very long. Since Vrax’s [Backstab] doesn’t work on the undead, he and I just rush the skeletal rodents and start hitting and kicking them. From the last fight, we know that each one of the monsters has about twenty health, so the best way to defeat them is to deal as much damage as possible. Each one of Mary’s [Magic Missiles] does between three and six damage. There are three missiles in each cast of the spell so she can kill one by herself after only two castings. That leaves Vrax and me to deal with the other two. We each take one of the skeletal rats. It bites my legs a few times, but it only takes six strikes, two of which I miss, before the rat breaks down into a pile of bones. Vrax does less damage per strike but his punches are a heck of alot more accurate, and he actually finishes off his opponent before I do. Once Mary’s last magic missile kills the third monster, we heal up and rest. We get a couple more sets of rat’s teeth as loot and some more experience points.

  The rest of the level is actually relatively easy. Once we know the trick for dealing with the skeletal rats, it only takes a few punches and kicks from either Vrax or I to kill them. The dungeon level itself isn’t particularly complicated either. The paths are straight, and there are only a couple of dead ends where we find groups of undead rats. At a few of these places, we find not only skeletal rats but zombie rats. Zombie rats are a lot squishier than the skeletal ones. Thankfully they aren’t the kind of zombies from the Walking Dead. Even if these zombies bite us, they only do damage and don’t transfer any kind of zombie disease. The zombie rats have a few more hit points than the skeletal rats but don’t pose any real risk since we have the added damage from Mary’s spells and healing from Kitsune. Mary even summons Mr. Snuggle Butt, her pet wolf, to help clear out a particularly large group of undead rats and help clear the dungeon floor faster. All told we kill thirty-two undead rats and I get a total of seventy-two experience points. I also gain two skill levels in [Unarmed combat]. Not bad.

  It takes us about four hours of exploration until we reach the end of the level and the boss room. We know it’s the boss room because it’s the only room with a door that we’ve come across. After resting and restoring all of our mana and stamina, we open the door.

  Chapter 4.6

  The large wooden double doors creak loudly as hinges that haven’t been oiled in ages move again. Our group enters the dark room, still in previously agreed formation. The meager light from Mary’s light reveals a moderately sized room made of stone with a ten foot ceiling. The walls are as even as the ones in the tunnel outside and run for a length of fifteen feet. As we move forward, the back of the room comes into range of Mary’s light. Hidden, even from my [Darkvision], is a creature that reminds me of pure shadow. It doesn’t have a totally distinct form. Instead it seems to shift as it moves. One moment, it moves upon the ground on four shadow limbs, the next it walks upright on two legs. When I stare above it, I see that it’s called Stevie Shadows, Lvl. 5

  Before we can advance further, the doors close behind us and a low rhythmic music begins to play in the room. The dungeon master’s voice echoes, “YoHoHoHoHo! Welcome to the shadow room. Let me introduce you to the boss here, Stevie Shadows!” There’s a rumbling noise and a great deal of smoke. When the smoke clears, the shadow creature is standing on a raised stone platform in man shape. In front of Stevie are a stand and a row of white bones of decreasing size. In his shadowy hands are two percussive sticks. I look at the other members of my group and see looks of confusion on everyone’s faces. While I wonder what the heck is going on the dungeon master speaks again, “Before the fight begins, Stevie has asked to play something he’s been working on for the last couple of decades. Enjoy the performance and remember to tip your waitresses.”

  Wait, did he just say the boss monster is going to perform before the fight?

  As my brain processes the statement of the dungeon master, Stevie Shadows forms a third hand from his body and what should be his head coughs into it. The third hand disappears, and the two hands holding the percussive sticks begin to tap on the bones in front of him. Each stick hits one of the bones causing it to vibrate and produce a particular hollow sounding note. As Stevie continues to tap away on the bones in front of him, a definite melody develops, and I realize that he’s playing a bone xylophone. Two more arms and hands form and take up percussive sticks of their own. The four shadow arms work in concert to produce a musical sound unlike any I’ve ever heard before. The rhythm is steady and reminds me a bit of calypso music, but the melody is haunting and lonely. By the time the song is done, I find that I’ve taken a seat on the floor of the boss room and have to get up.

  The dungeon master’s voice returns as the song comes to an end, “Thank you, Stevie, for that wonderful performance.” I hear a sound to my left and turn to see Vrax clapping. Why not? It was a good song. I add my own clapping, and after only a moment, Mary and Kitsune join in too. Stevie Shadows walks in front of his instrument and takes a bow.

  “Now that the musical portion of the night is finished, we move onto our next event,” The dungeon master pauses for dramatic effect then says in a deeper announcer voice, “The Boss Fight!” Four globes of light appear in the ceiling providing enough illumination to light up the room, “On one side is the devil of darkness, the slippery shadow, the man, the myth, the legend, Stevie Shadows.”

  Stevie shadows raises his four shadow arms into the air and I see that he seems to be bouncing in place like a boxer.

  “In the other corner, we have the fearsome foursome, the quadruple killers. Welcome team Mary!” The dungeon master continues.

  I can see Vrax mimicking the shadow monster as he raises his scaled fists into the air and starts to bounce around on his clawed feet. I get into the mood of the occasion and take my fighter’s stance,
bringing my fists up to chest height. My left fist leading slightly in front and my right, cocked back to punch. I bend my knees slightly to prepare for the sprint to get to our opponent.

  The dungeon master finishes, “Both opponents, ready, set, fight!” The sound of a bell rings through the room, and Stevie Shadows rushes forward. There are about ten feet between us and Stevie. Vrax and I meet him in the middle in a flurry of punches, kicks, claws, and shadows. Vrax circles behind Stevie and attacks him with a flurry of punches. I keep myself between the boss monster and our more vulnerable team members and strike out with a one-two punch combo.

  Vrax deals damage: 3

  Vrax deals damage: 2

  Vrax deals damage: 3

  Damage dealt: 5

  Damage dealt: 3

  The shadow creature takes our blows and returns our strikes. The creatures four arms form clawed fingers that slash at Vrax and I. Vrax is able to dodge one of the attacks but takes a blow to his torso. Thankfully, his studded leather armor isn’t penetrated, though I don’t doubt he takes damage since the health bar that I have for him in the corner of my vision as a group member shrinks slightly. I’m not so lucky. Both shadow claws slash through the cloth shirt I’m wearing leaving stinging wounds.

  Damage received: 8 (Shadow Slash)

  Damage received: 6 (Shadow Slash)

  The damage from the attacks isn’t horrible. I still have forty health, but what is more disturbing is the cold draining sensation that races through my body after each slash. I feel the muscles in my body stiffen after each attack and I leap backwards out of range of Stevie’s shadow arms. I can’t attack him at this range, but at least I’m away from those dark claws.

  A green glow appears around my torso. I glance behind me to see Kitsune holding out her palms in my direction, and while my cloth shirt still has the slash marks from the attack, my body is whole again. I nod my thanks and rush back into the fight. I lash out with a front kick and strike the center of Stevie’s shadow body. Three magical purple bolts hit him at the same time as my kick.

  Damage dealt: 4

  Mary deals damage: 3

  Mary deals damage: 4

  Mary deals damage: 3

  I notice that my punches and kicks don’t seem to be doing as much damage as they should. Stevie must have some resistance to physical attacks. I receive another shadow slash to my leg but am healed just as quickly. However, the attack causes a further spreading of cold throughout my body, and I find it harder to move my muscles quickly. Stevie’s extra set of arms lash out at Vrax. While my Kobold brother is able to avoid the blows, he’s unable to get in range to attack back.

  I decide to abandon physical attacks since they don’t seem to be doing much damage and shift around to the right of Stevie. I spellwrite the arcane symbol for ‘fire’ onto Stevie’s body, but before I can send my mana to the symbol to activate the spell, he lashes out with three of his shadow arms at my face. I instinctively leap backwards to avoid the strikes, but the move disrupts my attempt to spellwrite. Vrax takes advantage of the attention being given me and strikes the boss monster three more times before moving back out of range of its attacks.

  Vrax deals damage: 3

  Vrax deals damage: 3

  Vrax deals damage: 2

  I can see that there’s only a sliver of red on the health bar above Stevie Shadow’s form. Before I can strike out at him with either a magic or physical attack, his body morphs and changes shape. It seems to shrink into a pool of shadow on the floor. I don’t know what to make of the change in form, and while I stare at the puddle of shadow, it moves. Faster than I can blink, the shadow pool races between my legs and snakes towards Kitsune and Mary. I turn to yell out a warning, but it’s already too late. The pool of shadow strikes at Kitsune with a tendril of darkness hitting her three times. She stumbles back and falls onto the stone floor in an attempt to put more distance between herself and her attacker.

  I don’t get notifications for the exact damage it deals her, but I see the miniature health bar for her in the corner of my vision shrink to half. I start to move towards the attacking shadow pool but before I can take a single step a cloud of smoke appears between Kitsune and the shadow pool. From the cloud of smoke, I hear a growl and a large grey blur streaks to the new form of Stevie Shadows. The dark liquid shadow is pushed back as the grey form tackles it with teeth and claws. I recognize the grey form now as Mr. Snuggle Butt, the wolf Mary summons with her spell [Nature’s Ally]. I look up and see the last of the magical summoning spell fading from the flying fairy.

  I return my attention to the battle and am unable to take my eyes from the spectacle before me. The inky black shadow has wrapped its tentacles around Mr. Snuggle Butt, the sharp ends of each tentacle lashing wildly causing wounds all over the wolf’s body. However, Mr. Snuggle Butt has the main body of the shadow creature in his canine jaws and is whipping his head back and forth. After what seems like forever but is likely only a moment or two, the battle comes to an end, and the limp liquid form of Stevie Shadow’s falls from the jaws of Mr. Snuggle Butt with a soft splat.

  You’ve helped kill Stevie Shadows, lvl. 5. You receive 13 XP.

  Instead of dealing with her own injuries, Kitsune scrambles to the wounded wolf and uses her healing spells to attend to the summoned animal. I see tears in her eyes and realize she’s not crying because of her own pain but because of the pain that the wolf must be feeling. Mary flies down to Mr. Snuggle Butt and begins rubbing his head and ears. I hear her saying, “Who’s a good shadow killer? Who’s a good shadow killer?” Once the wolf is healed, I see its tongue loll out of its mouth, and it sits to take the praise and pets that both Kitsune and Mary are giving it.

  I turn to look at Vrax and see that he still has a few wounds but is making his way to me. When he gets close enough, I pat him on the shoulder and say, “Good fight. You did some pretty good damage.”

  He nods in acknowledgment but looks at the wolf getting all the praise and asks, “Why he get all the pets? Didn’t we do most of the damage to the shadowman?”

  I laugh, understanding what he means. Here, he and I risk life and limb to go toe to toe with the monster and even though we do the majority of the damage that caused his death, we aren’t getting any of the love that the wolf is getting. Instead of complaining, I start to rub my kobold brother’s scaly head and murmur in a baby voice, “Who’s a good Kung Fu Kobold? Who’s a good Kung Fu Kobold?”

  It takes Vrax a moment to realize what I’m doing, but when he does he gives me a sharp toothed smile and starts to rub my stomach over my shirt and says, “Who is a good punching human? Who is a good punching human?”

  The familiar high pitched voice of the dungeon master rings through the boss room, “YoHoHoHoHo! I didn’t know your group was that close.” I stop my play petting of Vrax, and he snatches his hands away too. I don’t know why we did since the dungeon master can’t really see what we’re doing. The voice continues, “Congratulations on your victory over Stevie Shadows. This will be your safe room while you rest. You’ll notice that I’ve kept my word and provided you with food and water. Additionally, along the far wall, you’ll find a thick vein of copper running through the stone. This is the bonus resource you get for being so entertaining. Rest well, in the morning you’re off to the next level.”

  I look in the far corner of the room and see a new stream of water falling from the ceiling into a hole in the ground. Near the stream is a new patch of large mushrooms. New to the menu though is the body of a giant mole-like creature. It’s not moving, and soon its body disappears in a flash of light leaving a loot bag. On the wall opposite the water and mushrooms is a shiny brown vein of metal running vertically along the stone wall.

  After looking at the copper vein of metal in the wall, I look up to the ceiling and yell, “How are we supposed to get the copper?”

  I don’t get a response, so I guess the dungeon master isn’t listening anymore. I shake my head in frustration and turn back to my team.
I find Mary and Kitsune sitting next to Mr. Snuggle Butt. The girls are looking at me but are still petting the wolf. Vrax is standing in front of me holding the wooden handle of a pickaxe.

  “Where’d you get that?” I ask him. He points to the area where the body of Stevie Shadows was and says, “Loot from the boss.”

  Oh, I guess that’s how we’re supposed to get the copper from the wall then.

  Chapter 4.7

  Since it only took us four or five hours to clear the first level of the dungeon and defeat the boss, we have an unusual amount of time to rest. The dungeon master said he’d be back in the morning, which means we’re stuck here until then. The group separates to attend to different tasks. After meditating and recovering her mana, Kitsune heals Vrax of the last of the wounds he received during the boss fight and then takes care of her own injuries. I can’t say I approve of the order in which she decides to heal but I can’t fault her dedication to taking care of the team.

  After praising Mr. Snuggle Butt some more, Mary dismisses him, and he vanishes in a puff of smoke. Mary and Vrax move off to harvest the mushrooms and drink some water. I, on the other hand, find myself standing in front of the vein of copper in the stone wall, pick in hand. I’ve never done any mining before, but we still have to get that metal out of the wall if we’re going to make anything out of it. So, I take hold of the wooden shaft of the pick in a two handed grip, swing the head of the pick high above my head and bring it down hard onto the stone wall. The metal of the pick head strikes the wall with a clang causing vibrations to radiate down the shaft into my arms. The jolt sets my teeth on edge, and I inspect the damage my first strike does to the stone wall. There’s only a small gouge in the stone. I sigh. I guess this won’t be easy. I take a wide stance and swing the pick above my head and bring it down again and again. Slowly, my pick starts to break away chunks of the wall and copper chunks the size of my fist start to fall. I pick up one of the oddly shaped copper chunks off the floor. I expect to see the chunk made of stone and have copper running through it but instead, the entire chunk is made entirely of copper. When I ask Mary about this, she says that dungeons can bring pure refined metals for adventurers to mine as a resource, no smelting of raw ores required. It’s one of the reasons dungeons are a valuable resource. After the explanation, I go back to swinging my pick at the wall, and ten minutes later I get a notification.