by C A A Allen
The Lich thrusts its staff, calling out a spell, and bolts fly from its tip, hurtling toward each of us.
“Clipeum, Clipeum, Clipeum.” Hans crosses his arms and then throws them wide open, creating a giant transparent rectangular shield. It absorbs the bolts with a crackle. “Somebody do something,” he demands. “This shield won’t last.”
Bella aims her staff forward and fires six glowing blue spheres. Two of the skeleton warriors get hit and disappear into a burst of black smoke. The other two riders dodge the projectiles and continue to run at Bella full speed.
“To the rescue!” Hans drops the magic shield and flicks a finger at the riders. “Immortuos, Immortuos.” Bolts fling from his finger, knocking the final two riders off their mounts where they puff into black smoke. “Take out the hounds!” he yells.
Salo sprints forward and uppercuts a hound under its chin with his mace. He then spins and slams it solidly down on another dog’s back, nearly folding it in two.
Biff launches his led projectile between a charging dog’s eyes, causing it to yelp and die in an awkward skid.
I dive-tackle the final hound just before it reaches Bella. As we roll across the ground, I jam the Keris into its rib cage twice. When we come to a stop, I kick the animal off with the full force of both my legs.
“Aaargh.” The Lich waves its staff and bolts fly from the tip. Biff gets hit in his groin, and Salo in the head. One strikes me in the chest, and we all get knocked to the ground. My skin burns, and the torturous heat sinks beneath my bones. I manage to prop myself up with one elbow to suck in a breath, just in time to see Bella and Hans dive into the trees, barely avoiding the strikes aimed at them.
Slim ducks under the blast and runs forward with his cane straight out. “Hova glova nivlan blizman.” A swirling gold light blazes from the eyes on the bust on his cane. The light crashes into the Lich’s eye-sockets, and its entire body flashes a bright white. It slumps over and floats downward.
I clutch my burning, aching chest. “You got it, Slim. You got it—”
The Lich convulses and floats back up. “Volumina.” Bolts crackle from its eye sockets to the green gem.
We’re not going to survive another round of this thing’s magic. The muscles in my arms and legs pulsate. What’s this? The Keris shakes and pulls my arm up and back. I get it, ranged weapon attack, the Keris wants me to throw it as a projectile. But I can’t afford to lose it if I miss.
The Lich rises higher than before and thrusts its staff above its skull. “Voluminaaaa,” the monster howls.
The Keris has got to be telling me something good here. I’m going for it. I run forward and launch the Keris at the Lich’s forehead. “Haaack!” The dagger soars like a supercharged rocket with a shower of glittering dust in its wake, and jams into the Lich’s skull stitching causing it to crack a quarter inch across the forehead.
“Volumin—aarghhh.” The points of light in the Lich’s empty eye sockets flash white, then turn black. It lurches backward then falls onto the ground with a final, weak. “Aarghh.”
“Got it.” I drop to a knee, hold my chest, and take deep breaths.
The lich rises up on its hands and looks forward with dim points of light fading in and out in its eye sockets. “Vol…um…in–”
“Not yet.” Slim sprints toward our fallen foe. “It’s trying to cast another spell.”
Skookum drops down from a tree limb and swats its dragon spade tail into the Lich’s head. The skull pops off its neck and rolls forward, tumbling across the ground.
Slim jumps up and bangs the bust of his cane down on the skull, pulverizing it into a cloud of black smoke. “You think I ain’t?” He drops the cane and wraps both hands around his own head. “Here it comes. Aaaah! Level drain.”
Bella rushes to his side. “Are you okay, Slim? What can I do?”
I pick the Keris up and wipe black dust off it onto my pants. This just might be what I have always needed to get the goblin job done. I sheath the weapon.
A WEAPONS STATUS HAS CHANGED: Your weapon ‘The Keris of Knaud + (5) Charge’ has been changed to ‘The Keris of Knaud + (4) Charge’
I shake the message off, causing my head to throb even worse. I hope four charges are enough to kill Setan.
Salo stands over Biff who is laid out on the ground. “Some help!”
Biff sits up and hacks a stream of blood. “A colossal victory.”
I open my water skin and stagger over to Biff. “That Lich’s bolt gave me a hell of a jolt, too.” I kneel down and hold the skin his way. “Drink up.”
Biff looks up at me with a pale face and bloodshot eyes. “Do you have anything stronger?” He takes the water and sprays it into his mouth. “I may need a moment.” He straightens his back and winces. “Or two. A moment or two.”
“Is everyone okay?” Bella slides to a stop by my side and looks around. “I think we all just kinda survived a Lich attack?”
I rub my head in an attempt to ease the ache. “Our greatest challenge still lies ahead.” Time to regroup.
Hellhound (4) has been killed! For killing the monsters each survivor earned 150
experience points.
Skeleton Warrior (4) has been killed! For killing the monsters each survivor earned 47 experience points. *No XP awarded for monsters dispelled by a clerics magic.
The Whipstitch Lich has been killed! For killing the monster each survivor earned 850 experience points.
YOU MADE THE NEXT LEVEL! Max hit points increased to 48. Strength+1, Agility+1, and Luck+1 increased! Total Abilities now 63.
You were hit for 6 damage. Status: 16/48
PARTY STATUS: Multiple members’ status has changed.
REORDER THE PARTY: Yes/No?
Set the dungeon marching order of your party. Remember, only the first three members of a party can attack monsters with weapons. Note: Only NPC's are bound to follow marching order instructions. (* = NPC)
Jareth Orcslauter, Fighter.
HP: 16/48
AC: 4
LVL: 5
*Salo Fatback, Fighter.
HP: 15/55
AC: 6
LVL: 5
*Gregarious Slim, Thief.
HP: 21/32
AC: 5
LVL: 2
*Skookum Tortie, Belette.
HP: 8/30
AC:4
LVL: 2
*Biff Thunderpunch, Ninja.
HP: 2/65
AC: 7
LVL: 5
Madmartigan Galladoorn, Mage.
HP: 19/40
AC: 3
LVL: 3
Hans Talhoffer, Cleric.
HP: 15/45
AC: 2
LVL: 4
I stand and shake the menus away. “Okay team, I got good news and bad. Salo, Biff, and I all leveled up to five. We can officially enter the chamber.”
“This isn’t right.” Bella shakes her stat sheet away. “We just beat a Lich, but I didn’t level.” She shakes her head and her voice comes out small. “Unbelievable.”
This game can be stone cold. Bella leveling up would have been a great help against Setan, and she knows it. “Leveling is no good unless you can heal the wounds.” I point to Biff. “And that brings me to the bad. He’s down to two hit points.”
“I’m a mage, Riff.” Bella looks down at Biff. “Leveling would have recharged my current spells and given me at least one powerful new one.”
Biff coughs a splatter of blood across his lap and waves Bella away. “I will be—okay.”
“You need a heal.” Bella kneels and clenches her jaw. “Desperately. Lay down and I will fix you up.”
Biff lays on his back and hacks once again. Bella raises a finger and touches it to Biff’s forehead.
But before she can speak the spell, Hans kicks her finger off with the tip of his shoe. “Let him ride it out, Bella. We have two level-five party members. We don’t need three. He’s expendable. The truly good news is that I leveled up to four, replenished my
spell power, and learned new magic. I’m now at 4/3/1/1, including a new piece of wizardry that can freeze the goblin and give everybody time to land blows. Thanks to me, there may be hope for this party after all.”
Bella’s face reddens, and she returns her finger to Biff’s forehead. “I’m going to give you a double dose.” She chants her spell.
Two beams of white light spin around Biff and disappear into the ground.
He stands up and pounds his chest. “Better. Thank you, Bella.”
“Better off dead.” Hans huffs. “If we fall short on spell power, I’m blaming you, Bella.”
I check the status sheet. “That was a good heal. He’s now at ten hit points.”
Bella looks Biff over and then at her sheet. “I do need to save some spell power for the goblin. The smoke spell, in particular. I’m down to 0/3/1.” She looks up in the trees. “We’re losing light fast. We need to be in the Labyrinth before it is too dark to find our way.”
Slim drops a baseball-sized gem into my hand. “It took some serious thieving skills to pry this from that demon’s staff.”
I move the gem up and down in my palm. “Your cane spell was phenomenal, Slim. We received a lot of experience points from that encounter. I am sure you’ll gain back that level you lost for using that spell soon.”
Salo steps up to me, twirling the four spiked Hell Hound collars on his arm. “I know people in Cittadella that will pay a few thousand gold for a gem that size.”
I drop the gem in my bag. “You’re all going to come out of this run with some major coin. That’s for sure now.”
ADD POSSESSION: Emerald Gemstone
“It’s getting dark.” Bella plants her fists on her hips. “We need to move.”
We regroup and set a fast pace. It matches the quickening of my pulse as we get closer and closer to Setan. We meet no enemies on the path—as though they know we’ve just decimated a Lich, and we’re not to be messed with. After a quarter of an hour, we stand in front of a giant cave with three evenly spaced wood doors. All three are reinforced with iron bands and studs but have shifted on their hinges and are cracked open about an inch.
Biff pulls open the door on the right and turns to me. “So, this is the West Labyrinth.”
I wrap my fingers around the middle door’s handle. “Biff, the door you just opened contains a monster-infested path that has a lot to offer if you’re into fighting wererats. This one leads to Setan.” I pull the door, but it gets hung up in the gravel.
Salo grabs a hold of my door, too. “I have heard many horrific tales of what goes on behind the center door.” He leverages a foot against the cave wall. “On the count of three. One, two, three…”
TASK COMPLETE: Enter the West, North, East, or South-East dungeon.
For completing the task you earned 100 experience points.
NEW TASK: Take down The Monster Allocation Chamber force shield.
Use Hawkwinds Cadence to take down the chamber’s force shield.
CHAPTER 17
04:40:10 hours until DCQ server shut down.
I top off my lantern with oil and hold it out to Bella. She ignites it with a flick of her thumb. “Standard marching order, team.”
We step around boulders, duck stalactites, and follow a constantly winding path downward for over an hour to an open iron door set in the cave’s rocky hall. The ominous darkness presses upon us as if to remind us of the little time we have left. Beyond the iron door, we find a perfectly square room with a stone cut floor and walls. In the middle, a rusty iron spiral staircase leads down into darkness.
I’ve sent my Jareth avatar along this route more times than I can count, but everything looks and feels different in person. There are more threats, more dangers, than when navigating the pixelated screen.
I wrap a hand around the center post and dip the lantern into the stairwell. A cold stale air rises from the depths. “It looks sketchy.” I place my foot on the first step gently to see if it will hold my weight. The cross-piece creaks and buckles, but holds. “We’re good.” I take the next step, and my boot falls through along with half my leg.
Salo reaches out and catches my hand. “Sketchy.”
“Step lightly everyone.” I hold firmly onto the railing and adjust my footing. “Keep to the edges where the wood is more reinforced.”
We descend the staircase for what seems like endless turns. Spiraling our way down into a small oval stone chamber. A single bricked hallway leads into further darkness.
Biff comes off the last step and leans against the wall. “That was the longest flight of steps ever.” He taps his peg on the floor and massages his knee.
“Hang in there, Biff.” I check my Grimoire. “Just a little under three hours until midnight. We have no time to rest.”
“I told you we should have left him,” Hans says.
Salo bends over next to one of the walls and picks up a large bone. “This is not from an animal.” He peels off a strip of rotten meat. “My guess is it came from a full-grown Minotaur.”
I’d never encountered a Minotaur during my previous expeditions to Setan’s lair. It’s as if the game has gotten harder, as if it knows we’re here and wants to thwart us from saving it.
That will not happen on my watch.
I direct the lantern down the hallway and strain to see ahead. Running into a Minotaur would be bad. Running into whatever killed it would be worse. From experience, I know it’s best to make it to the monster allocation center with no labyrinth encounters. The tight corridors make combat very dangerous.
We follow the hallway for thirty minutes and come to a four-way intersection.
“Okay Bella,” I say. “I know the route through this labyrinth like the back of my hand, but keep your eye on me, this real-life version is crazy. If I make a wrong turn, don’t hesitate to knock me upside the head.”
“I’ll knock you upside the head.” Hans peers down each of the halls and looks at me bug-eyed. “Keep your mind in the game.”
I square up to the tunnel on the right, raise my right hand, and point straight ahead. “Follow me.” I lead the party down to another four-way intersection where I turn right and stop just before walking into what looks like a bottomless pit. “Oops.” I hold my arms out to block my party from advancing into the abyss. “That was supposed to be a left.”
“I really hate being to fool who follows,” Hans grumbles. “Are you sure you know the way?”
“Yes,” I blow out a breath. “I am sure.” We turn around and continue. The corridor curves to the right, then zigzags left and right several dozen times before a long hallway ends at a T-intersection.
Biff rests a hand on the wall and lowers his head. “You are positive we are on the correct path, right?”
It’s disorienting walking a route I’ve navigated so many times with a mouse and keyboard. “These directions are etched in my head. We’re good.” I pivot to the right, stop, and pivot left. “This way.”
We continue down a long straightaway that ends with a right turn, left turn, then down a steep set of stairs. A chill zips down my spine. Before taking the last step, I freeze and motion for the party to stop. Something is wrong here.
I crouch down and look over the rectangle vestibule before me, scattered with broken white stone chunks. An arched entryway leads into the large room, dimly lit by flickering torches.
I’ve never seen this room before.
I look back at the team and lower my voice. “This area is not in the game.” Did I take a wrong turn? Impossible. I’d descended into this section of the maze more times than I’d cooked a bowl of mac n’ cheese.
Bella crouches next to me. “I don’t recognize it either. It is weird that it is lit.” She points ahead. “There is something going on outside the entryway. The floor looks like it is moving.”
“Slim.” I gesture him forward. “You, Biff, and Salo take the left wall. Bella, you and Hans are with me to the right.” I douse my lantern’s flame and return it to my
pack. “Quietly.”
We slink along the walls, kneel, and peek around the side. One short step takes you down into a large square room jam-packed with a variety of wandering cats. Some are big. Some small. Some solid. Others are multi-patterned in color. They move slowly, winding in and out of each other in random directions, and cover the floor completely. A noisy meow-purr hum mixed with periodic shrieks, growls, and hisses fills the room.
“Why is there a clowder of house cats in a dungeon labyrinth?” I recognize some familiar breeds like a coatless Sphynx, an elongated Siamese, and a spotted Bengal.
“My—um—Kurht was a big, big cat guy,” Bella says. “Look at them. They are all so cute.” A fat belly cat with a squashed face, torn off tail, and missing patches of rotted pumpkin colored fur waddles by and hisses in our direction. “Except that one.”
“Why are you cowards hiding?” Hans steps from behind the wall to the center of the archway. “Cats are harmless. There’s a door on the other side. Let’s get going.”
Salo leaves his spot on the wall and leans over the step. “Don’t be so sure. Things are not always what they seem in a dungeon.” He rubs his eyes with both hands and sniffs. “These felines look evil and suspicious to me.”
Skookum squeals and ducks under Slims hat. “Skook agrees with you, Salo.” He adjusts the cock of his headwear. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Biff sits down on the step. “Feeding cats brings wealth and good fortune. Does anyone have a treat for them?” Several cats rub against his peg leg as they continue with the flow. “Here, kitty, kitty.” He extends his fingers toward a fluffy white Ragamuffin.
The feline sniffs, and then rubs its head against Biff’s fingers.
“Awww.” Bella kneels next to Biff. “Looks like you found a friend. If a cat gives you a lick, it means she accepts you as a member of her family and establishes territory by marking you with her scent.”