“He just needs to be between us,” Hok said and the others nodded, “Next, old man Balard.”
The old man sat on one of the few chairs in the room, holding his staff, “You don't need to worry about me. I know my part, but you have to keep me out of what follows.”
“Huh?” Oz said.
“Yes,” Hok said, “after the old man activates the containment field, he pretty much losses his powers,” Fitch looked at the old man who smiled with both eyes closed, “so he’ll help with healing and stuff, but don't expect the devastating power of a wizard.”
“It sucks,” Jorgen said, “but a necessary evil.”
“From there we got one hour,” Hok said, “we either defeat him, or we lose all items and Balard’s powers. Simply put, there is no second chance.”
A moment of silence dominated the room. Fitch looked around, everyone looked at Hok, but no one radiated confidence. Perhaps everyone just started to realize the magnitude of the situation. One chance, one try, no second chance, no do over.
“Well,” Eric said, “we came this far.”
“Yes,” Hok said, “as soon as the containment is up we buff up and get ready for the fight. Use your best equipment and best food. This is the one and only fight. Two minutes max and we should engage. The battle will be extremely tough. This guy will summon his dragon and some dark soldiers during the battle. His dragon alone is more powerful than most bosses in the game.”
Again, faces grimaced and frowned. Fitch waited for a good part of this speech. Perhaps it won’t come.
“When the dragon is out, the main party switches to fight it. Diego here, with me, will work on kiting The Dark One. Keeping him busy away from the main party. We are talking a fifteen to twenty minutes fight here to bring the dragon down.”
“Holy,” Oz said, “and you’ll kite The Dark One all the while?”
“And he will summon dark soldiers in between,” the shock in most of the guys’ eyes pretty much summed their reaction. Some showed less reaction to what Hok said though. Maybe they heard it before, or been in so many similar fights prior. “Balard here will keep me and Diego alive, all the rest will focus on the dragon. When it’s dead, we go back to The Dark One.”
“And smooth kick ass sailing from there,” Oz said.
Some of the members shook their heads, “Actually this is where it gets worst.”
“There is worst?” Oz said.
“At about twenty five percent of his HP, he’ll summon The Reaper”
“Oh,” Oz said, “what’s the plan there?”
“You run,” the old man said.
~
The prep meeting qualified for a worst motivational speech ever award. Hok bombarded them with one bad news after the other. If anything, the speech served to show how unready this party was. But it was done and the party moved to their first phase now. Trap The Dark One.
Fitch’s luck paid through when they decided to place him closest to the city’s main gate. In reality, he was the less experienced amongst the pillar holders, so it made sense to keep him closest to the safe zone. Luck had nothing to do with it.
Hok and Jorgen rode their wyverns and proceeded to lure The Dark One. It didn't take long before he obliged and the huge dragon took to the sky. Fitch saw the flying beast in the distance and was glad he stood where he did. Yayoi and Bale hugged the walls of the city and moved away from the gate. Between the five of them, they formed a lousy pentagon, but a pentagon nonetheless.
“This thing is coming fast,” Hok said, “old man, you ready?”
“Don't worry, he’ll forget all of you when he sees what I’m about to do,” the old man said, “besides, I’ll lose this power soon enough, might as well make the best out of it.”
From where he stood, Fitch saw the old man accompanied by the rest of the party members. They punched a hole in the army and placed themselves between the five pillar holders. Oz, Rain and Borg looked like having more fun with it than the others. For a second Fitch wished he went with them, but then he remembered that they were supposed to be luring The Dark One and took those wishes back.
Some distance inwards, the party stopped and the old man raised his staff and slammed it in the ground. The tip sparkled and pure white lightning bolts streamed towards the surrounding soldiers. Where it touched, a gap in the dark army took place. Before long a huge circle of nothingness remained around them. Only smoke rose where once were soldiers.
The old man was right; as soon as that happened the huge dragon ignored Hok and Jorgen and crashed in front of the old man and his party. The Dark One dismounted and walked towards the old man circled by the others.
“Now!” Hok shouted, “the pillars.”
Fitch struggled to do something that by now should be second nature to him. He stumbled like a newbie going through the menu and locating the pillar. He looked up one more time and saw a huge dark smoke pillar rising from where Hok stood. Same with Jorgen. His eyes shifted to Yayoi and Bale, at least he won’t be the last to activate.
Something blunt hit his back and Fitch lost his balance and stumbled to the ground. The menu screen vanished. He cursed under his breath; maybe he will be the last to activate after all. He tried to move but his body didn't respond. Paralyzed.
“What the hell?” Fitch panicked. Hok’s words of having one chance to do this played in his head. Everyone counted on him. People’s lives were at stake.
“You thought you could cheat us out of our glory Eric?” a man shouted behind Fitch.
Fitch’s view shifted around the battlefield. The Dark One battled the old man and his escort. The four pillars were up, waiting for the fifth. He will be the last to activate, if at all.
“Are you kidding me?” Eric said in the party chat.
“Who the fuck is that?” Jorgen said
“It’s the God damn Realm Defenders,” Eric said.
“What’s those freaks’ problem?”
“I kind of promised them two spots in the battle,” Eric said, “we had to give it to Oliviera’s men in exchange for the help and I forgot all about them.”
A white bearded man in white robes approached Fitch and shouted back towards Eric, “we rather see the realm die than you stealing the glory from us,” he turned around and punched Fitch in the gut, “you broke the covenant”. The punch didn't hurt as much as it delivered a statement, to Fitch at least. For some reason Fitch recognized the man. He was the healer fighting the Treant King back when Fitch acquired the pillar.
“I can’t move while the pillar is activated,” Hok said, “and I can’t turn it off.”
Fitch heart raced, pounded furiously trying to escape his chest. His body pinned to the ground and refused to respond. He couldn't even open his menu. Another sword slashed his back and a kick followed. Only one chance, Hok said again in his head.
“Bastards,” Oz said and an arrow whizzed by. Fitch heard the dull clang of metal and the arrow bounced on the ground. A Paladin stood in front of Fitch and planted his humongous shield on the ground blocking his view and whatever else tried to pass.
“Damn it Graham,” Eric said, “this is not the time. We can pay you back later. Please, people’s live’s are at stake.”
The man in white robes bellowed. “I rather watch you and yours dead you traitor.”
Damn it. This was unfair. Everything they did to get this far and it ends this way? Without so much a fight? People stood to lose their loved ones and those role-playing idiots chased other priorities.
“Gods damn it,” Eric screamed. Eric broke from his party racing towards Fitch. But from where Fitch stood, he won’t make it in time. None of them could.
A man grunted behind him and Fitch braced for another hit. But it didn't come. Instead, a body covered in white flew from the back crashing into the Paladin in front of Fitch and the two stumbled few feet ahead. A man in dark blue armor appeared before Fitch and slashed the healer who screamed some profanities. The man raised his shield and his armor glowed bright wh
ite. He used Absolute Shield.
He turned around to look at Fitch who just broke out of paralysis; it was Talion, “Sorry for everything earlier, please help free Tala.”
Another life on the line to help. Another one depending on that one chance. Fitch jumped in the menu and took out the pillar. Few options presented themselves. Use.
Any ability overused in battle builds resistance on those casted upon. It’s more evident on status ailments inflecting abilities, but the resistance build up is a fact of all abilities.
Casting the same elemental magic or ability on an opponent builds resistance on the same elemental making consequential casts less effective. You need to vary your use of abilities to be more effective in battle, especially those prolonged ones.
44 – The dark calling
It must’ve been the fifth or sixth death since that black dome came up, but Maia didn’t care enough to count. The XP she accumulated amounted to nothing to write home about, but she enjoyed herself too much to care. Loved the chaos. Every time she inched closer to the dome, to steal a glance at what lied beyond, but death stole that joy before she could.
“You got to be more careful,” Jade said in the party group. She stood next to Maia, but they preferred to use the party chat since the chaos around them insured poor voice communications.
“You are not the boss of me,” Maia wanted to say, but Jade was too sweet to her so far. She was not sure why she had such animosity towards her. Her artificial beauty? Or the fact that she had a boyfriend in the game? And in real life perhaps? “It’s ok, I’m enjoying myself too much to care.”
Jade looked at the black dome once more. Her lips curved downwards. It didn’t occur to Maia earlier, but while she continued enjoying her time here, Jade fretted over her boyfriend. Or was it her husband? Maia couldn’t remember. Or couldn't tell really. What a bad friend she’d been so far.
“I’m sure he’s ok,” Maia said, “We can go elsewhere if you feel uncomfortable here.”
“I’m ok,” Jade said, “I’m more angry for not joining than worried about him.”
There was that too. While Maia had no hope in joining, Jade had every right to. Eb insisted otherwise and now she got stuck outside with Maia. It’s like running a marathon and being told you can’t run the final mile because of your sex.
Maia felt anger at first when she received the bad news. Then realized nothing she or them could have done to help her. Her anger, and jealousy, mounted when she got excluded from the planning meeting. They tossed her out like used rags. And to top it all up, when they were done they just up and took off executing their plan. No acknowledgement, nothing. She would’ve at least wished them luck. At the very least Eb argued with Jade for some time. Rain and the old man just smiled her way and said their goodbyes. Borg did the same, but she never really heard him talk before.
When they walked off the city gate, Maia went up one of the watchtowers, alongside Jade, looking at the action. She couldn’t make out much aside from a huge flying dragon heading towards them and landing next to the party. Few moments later a black dome covered the area and all went silent.
The dark soldiers outside the dome looked lost, confused. A leaderless army. It didn’t take long before the city guards noticed their sudden loss of direction and started their offense. The battlefield came alive within minutes.
The far end players reached deep within the huge dark circle. The city troops broke forward to meet them half way. Airships soured above raining death to friend or foe alike. Everything and everyone was in motion. All but that big dark spot that made the dome. It called for Maia every time she stole a glance at it. Beckoning.
They tried at first to play as a party, but the battle proved too hectic to manage. Every few seconds she lost sight of Jade or the other way around. And every time Jade tried her level best, but failed to keep Maia alive. Maia saw no point in holding her back.
“I think we should do our separate thing,” Maia said, “I mean let’s face it, I’m holding you back.”
“I’m ok, not like I’m getting XP or items out of this.”
“No, but I’m enjoying myself way too much. Means someone must be suffering for it,” Maia laughed and Jade smiled.
“Ok, keep the party just in case.”
And so they did. Maia kept creeping behind soldiers and high-level players. Sneaking a spell or a ranged attack here and there. The dark army stood no chance against the defenders, but they were still large in numbers. It looked more like a mass genocide rather than war proper. Through it all no one seemed to have forgotten the elephant in the room. The big dark dome putting a pause in the battlefield. Maia stole her way until she stood close enough for it to devour her view whole.
This close, Maia noticed how not so solid the dome looked, unlike how it appeared from afar. Swirling smoke clouds gently rotated in huge circles. Try as she might, Maia could not see anything beyond the darkness. No sound, no smell, nothing escaped it. Maia got closer, close enough to touch it, and she felt it calling to her. Like an electrocuted fence with the words “Don't touch” on it.
She raised her hand half way up, paused, then brought it down. She sighed and raised her hand again, but paused few inches off the dark cloud. The dome pleaded, urged her to continue. One more push.
“It won’t bite, you know,” a voice declared next to her. She turned to see a mountain of a man in a shimmering gold armor smiling back at her. He placed a hand on the dome, “See, nothing.” He put down his hand, “my only regret is I got here late.”
Maia looked back at the dome, “I don't know why but I feel like it’s calling me.”
“Strange indeed,” The man murmured, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened, then he beamed with a smile, “where are my manners? The name is Halvar, General of the Aargal army. Pleasure to make your acquaintance ma’am,” he placed a hand on his chest and bowed.
General of Aargal’s army? Maia wondered what was it with her that attracts NPCs. “Maia, the pleasure is all mine Sir.”
Halvar stepped closer to Maia, his eyes on the dome, “I owed Hok and his friends my life for saving me from the dome in Ladara and so I wanted to help them here. I came alongside some of my men. Yet I found him trapped in another dome.”
“Well-” Maia said but stopped when she saw two dark soldiers charging towards them. One raised an axe and screamed unintelligible gurgle, the other with a big sword in hand joined in the screams.
“Step aside milady,” Halvar said and Maia happily obliged. Any man calling her “milady” should be listened to as far as she was concerned.
He took out a golden hilted, thin sword and stabbed the air before him. A small shockwave exploded towards the axe goon. It slowed him some, but he kept racing towards them. The other dark soldier got his focus on Maia. She took out her staff and started a fire-based spell. Halvar stepped in her way and blocked the attack with his shield. The soldier stumbled back. Maia did not manage to stop the spell and it went off hitting Halvar in the back. A small fireball bounced off his golden armor leaving a small trail of black and a smoke wave. “Oh my God I’m so sorry.”
Halver raised his hand and slashed again, the dark figure screamed and scattered in the air. He looked back at Maia with a smile in his face, “a flesh wound and an honest mistake. I was honored you were trying to help me milady,” he turned around and drove his shield in the other soldier’s face, followed with a stab and the soldier went by way of his friend.
“The place is not safe,” Halvar said looking towards the city gate, “you’ll be better off behind those walls.”
“And miss out on all this fun? Besides,” Maia looked at the insisting dome. The constant hum called her. This looked to her like the moment in games where she knew something big was about to happen. Where the player was supposed to trigger something. Her hand moved again, trembled, stopped. She looked at Halvar, “are you not feeling this? Hearing it calling?”
His face answered before his mouth, “What exactly are you
hearing ma’am?”
Growls and screams rose behind them. Halvar spun around, sword and shield at the ready. More soldiers. Five, six, seven, Maia stopped counting.
“You better run milady,” Halvar stepped in front of her.
“Don't worry, won’t be my first death today,” she stepped besides him, staff in hand.
Halvar smiled and charged towards them. He blocked an incoming arrow and brought his sword behind him. It glowed bright blue before he unleashed it to three of the approaching soldiers. A trail of blue light followed his sword’s path hitting everything behind it and sending the soldiers scurrying to the ground. Two more soldiers ganged and locked him in a sword dance. Maia raised her staff but neglected to notice the arrow flying her direction. It hit her stomach, shaving one third of her HP. It felt like a puny punch to her gut, not painful, but annoying in heavy doses.
She placed a hand on her stomach, smiled then looked up, too late. A charging soldier rammed her chest with his head. This felt like a tad stronger punch. Still not painful, but sudden and jolting enough to throw her few feet back. She broke to a stop when she hit a solid wall behind her. She used her hand to balance herself off it.
The calling stopped. That constant hum in the back seized to exist. She realized how annoying it was once it seized. A rush of relief washed over her. But something felt wrong. Her hand felt restrained. Weightless.
Her hand hung half buried in the dome. Where it touched, the clouds swirled and hissed in a fury of circles. Where her hand touched the dome cracks of large white thunder grew in all directions along the wall of the dome. The scars pulsed and expanded.
She pulled again. The dome pulled back.
45 – Run and hide
Everything went to darkness and for a second or two there was nothing beneath Hok where a wyvern should’ve been. A moment later the weight of his body came back and he felt his feet standing on solid ground. Everything jumped to existence right after that.
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