by Tao Wong
As Daniel waited, his gaze flicked over the information presented to him, stopping first on the War Leader before moving onwards. A Level 2 Orc War Leader, a Level 9 War Raider, Level 4 Warrior, the numbers ranged significantly. It was surprising, though their health and Mana levels indicated that many of them including the War Leader were multi-classed. It was likely that those with low Levels had recently changed Classes—a testament to the needs of the tribe. That was good, since low Levels meant fewer combat-related Skills.
That was all that Daniel had time for, before the group was on them. Together, the Adventurers moved forwards, hunkering behind shields as they charged forwards, triggering Skills to absorb the rush. Just before the group met, arrows and spells fell, forcing the Orcs who had shields to raise them above their head, leaving them open for retaliatory attacks. As the Orcs stumbled, the Adventurers slammed into them, sending targeted opponents flying backwards.
Of course, being seriously outnumbered meant that each Adventurer was facing more than one Orc. The few polearm-wielding Adventurers were much safer, their longer weapons forcing their opponents to stutter their steps and dodge around the threatening weapons. For those without polearms, they could only hunker down and absorb the attacks on their armor.
Daniel grunted as a cut skipped off the rerebrace on his arm after impacting and denting the metal piece. He staggered to the side, cradling his injured arm that had lost feeling as he struggled to keep his weakened fingers around the haft of his weapon. Groaning, he staggered back, opening a space in their line as he desperately blocked more attacks with his shield and jerked his arm as he tried to get feeling back in. All around him, he could hear the grunts and clash of battle, the sudden addition of unwashed body and newly spilled blood filling his nostrils.
Another blow took his shield to the side, opening him up to a stab. Rather than backing off, Daniel threw himself forwards, feeling the blade skitter off the side of his chest plate as he grabbed his opponent around the edges of his collar and yanked them downwards and close. Turning, he spun the Orc with him, as he retreated, dragging the monster with him to block off others. Even as the Orc struggled to strike him with his sword, Daniel kept his hand tucked close to the other and jerked it around, sending the majority of the strikes skipping off his armor.
The moment his hand grew strong enough to grip the hammer properly, Daniel shoved the escaping Orc down one last time before triggering Perrin’s Blow to smash his opponent into the ground. Even as he backed off to ensure the weakly struggling monster did not grab his legs, Daniel could see that the rest of the expedition group was not doing much better. Arrows from above were falling much less frequently, the Adventurers nearly out of projectiles. Only Vivian who had recovered her Mana could do much, and even then, the flaming arrows she sent down could only distract and disturb. In particular, of his friends, Daniel could see that Omrak was doing the worst, a particularly bad strike having torn open one of his thighs. The Northerner was badly off-balance and in front of the now-collapsed line, taking blows to his body constantly.
“Omrak!” Daniel cried out in surprise. The Healer shoved his shield in a feint as he began to pull together the spell formula to help his friend, cursing himself for forgetting to put himself next to his often-injured friend.
“Back!” Omrak roared.
Instinct told Daniel what the Northerner was about to do, but the other Adventurers did not move back. Rather than risk them, the Northerner threw himself forward into the middle of the Orc group, receiving another cut across his face for the risky action. In turn, he released the pent-up Rage, the red mist that collected around his body as each attack landed upon him with his Skill, the Lightning’s Call. Arcs of electricity shot from his body, jumping from opponent to opponent, sending them falling backwards.
In the disruption, Sumuhan’s maul crushed a head, Craig finished another stunned Orc, and Daniel finished his spell, sending a Minor Healing II towards his friend. Immediately, he began another spell.
“Switch!” Daniel called over to Bjarne who stood beside him. The halberd wielder swung his weapon one last time, injuring an opponent and stepping forwards and sideways as he forced a gap for Daniel to skitter around behind him. From above, a rain of arrows landed among the Orcs, taking advantage of their loose defences to injure and hurt as Omrak staggered back, bleeding from multiple wounds.
“I’m out!” Elisa called out.
“Me too!” Tula said.
“Go!” Craig answered even as he forced his way forwards to help guard Omrak. “Omrak, get back!”
“I can still fight!” the Northerner suited words to actions, beating apart a hasty block to sink his blade into the chest of an Orc. He moved to kick the Orc away, only to lose his balance slightly and lose his opportunity, his sword pulled out of his hands by the collapsing monster. As another Orc threatened him with an attack, Omrak had no choice but to back off.
“Idiot!” Daniel said, slapping his hand down on Omrak and transferring the Healer’s Mark over before he yanked his friend off the front-line, the Orcs retreating a bit as they pulled their injured members off the front-line. “Drink a healing potion and go!”
Omrak grabbed his last healing potion, downing the drink before reaching sideways, withdrawing a shorter sword from his Inventory. “A Hero never abandons his friends!”
“Idiot!”
“Ropes!” Asin called out, having finally secured them. The Catkin began moving the ropes around, trying to ensure that the Merchants could grab hold of them as best she could. Once the Merchants had a grip, their ascent sped up significantly.
“We need to break off,” Daniel said as he twirled his hammer around his hand, focusing on another healing spell as the group backed up again, nearly to the edge of the cliff space.
“I’m open to ideas,” Craig said.
“I…” Daniel’s words were cut short as a screech from above drew all their attentions. The motion was instinctive, a leftover reaction from a time when humans and Orcs once lived in caves and feared the night and the monsters that existed beside them. The screech said it all, to their muted, civilized senses—something bigger, badder was coming.
From above, the mutated Nizhyne raptor fell, its wings tucked into its body as it targeted its prey. Beside it, smaller monsters flew, each of the smaller raptors the size of a large hound, the mutated raptor a monster that would make even a hippo quail. It dropped from the sky, seeking its prey. And, like prey the world over, they scattered and hunkered down, hoping they were not the ones to be picked.
Too late, the stooping raptor caught its prey, lifting one of the Merchant’s into the air. It flapped its wings, carrying the Merchant and his bags with it as it flew upwards, taking the man into the sky, his chest pierced by talons the size of Daniel’s forearms. Already, it circled upwards, the smaller raptors, brave in the presence of their larger brother attacking and tearing at Merchants, Adventurers, and Orcs in turn before they too departed.
“Move!” Daniel said as he finished shoving the raptor aside. He empowered his foot, sending Perrin’s Blow into a startled Orc before he waved the rest of the Adventurers up. “Let’s go!”
The Adventurers reacted first, turning and running for the slope and reaching for the ropes. Above them, Vivian and Rob threw the last of their magic spells, distracting and harrying their pursuit as the Adventurers scrambled up the slope. Under Daniel’s fingers, the coarse rope danced and twisted as those before him climbed, his feet slipping on the loose shale. Clouds of choking dust floated up, making him cough as he swarmed up the rope. Once upon a time, Daniel knew, he had had some skill at climbing. Portions of that skill, that knowledge, still lay within him, broken memories of hanging off ropes, squirming down the wet cord as water splashed on his face. Of shoving himself against rocks to squirm upwards. A memory. Broken and shattered, by his Gift.
Daniel shook his head, driving the thoughts away as he focused on the climb. Now was not the time, not w
ith angry Orcs that had recovered beneath and Merchants above. The strong Adventurer swarmed up the rope, using his strength to pull himself up bodily and found that he soon had overtaken the last Merchant in line. From above, the other ranged Adventurers had taken to throwing rocks down the slope, shards of broken rock skipping and slamming down on the crawling Orcs.
“Raptors!”
The cry from above had Daniel turning around, bringing his shield to bear. He snarled as he saw that the Mutated Raptor had discarded its gory prey at some point and was now coming back, intent on finishing off the rest of the expedition. As it neared, Daniel ran through his options. He had no ranged weaponry, no spells that could hurt the monster. No way to distract it.
“Don’t!” Daniel said as he turned to Omrak. The Northerner, eyes intent on the incoming flock relaxed, shooting a glance at Daniel who shook his head again, all the while forming a healing spell in his mind. The Northerner was wrapped in red, a pale reddish-pink mist across his body as the injuries he had sustained and still bled from fueled his Rage. It gave Omrak strength and allowed him to ignore the damage and even lessened the damage he received, but it did nothing to alleviate the damage he already carried. The Northerner could not take another beating, even Daniel’s repeated healing was barely doing anything more than keeping the man alive and moving.
As the raptors began their final descent, another of their party acted. Tula stood up from above, swinging her arms and tossing small, frayed pouches down the slope. They struck the ground and the rocks and Orcs below, spreading their fetid and slimy contents. Daniel could swear he saw the way the mutated raptor’s eyes shifted, its attention drawn to the new source of smell, to its prey. As quick as a thought, the creature shifted its trajectory, its counterparts following suit.
The Orcs bellowed in anger and surprise at the smelly attack, the War Leader looking upwards and then raising his hand and releasing another shout. This one froze everyone, the raptors on their final descent freezing or twisting away as the Skill took effect. Even the Merchants and Adventurers froze, their bodies locking up under the Skill’s assault.
Some of the raptors including the mutated Nizhnye raptor managed to shake the Skill off, but they were too close to the ground and were forced to land with flared wings. The Orcs, angered by the assault, switched their attention, launching strikes using Skills or just reaching over to smash the grounded birds. A few of the flock never managed to shake the Skill off in time, slamming into the ground at full speed and expiring. As for the rest, they circled upwards, beating their wings as they took to the air for another assault.
“Thank Erlis,” Prek said as the majority of the raptors landed below them. Daniel, crouched next to him with his shield ready to deflect the monsters, looked over and truly saw the Merchant for once. “I thought I’d never get to fish again.”
“Fish…” Daniel’s eyes widened, turning to look down. Beneath them, the Orcs had received another group of reinforcements while the mutated raptor swung its beak, pushing its attackers back as it got ready to fly away.
“Quickly. Release your boat,” Daniel said, gesturing down at the group below.
“What?” Prek said.
“Drop your boat on the raptor. If we can injure it, it’ll be forced to fight the Orcs,” Daniel said. “It’ll give us time to run.”
“But my boat…”
“Do it!” Daniel snapped, glaring at the Merchant. Prek gulped and raised his hand, calling forth his Skill and the boat that was stored away. A hole appeared and from it, the boat appeared, falling onto the ground. Under the weight of the wooden vessel, the unsteady shale slipped, tumbling down along with the vessel itself. The wooden vessel rumbled down the slope, throwing up shards of rock and dust as it fell. The nimbler Orcs threw themselves aside but the mutated raptor, hopping on its clawed feet, could barely get away before it struck a wing, cracking bone and throwing the monster to the ground. As it struck the ground and the monster, the boat finally gave way, the wooden decking splitting apart and sending splinters and wooden shards everywhere.
“Good job!” Craig called out and then waved his hand. “Now, get moving!”
Prek moaned, seeing the shattered remnants of his boat.
“Come on. I’m sure Sava will buy you a new one,” Daniel said, shoving Prek’s shoulder. The Merchant let out another low moan, but he took to the ropes, scurrying up the cliff. Behind him, Daniel took one last look below him as the Orcs and raptors fought, entangled in a skirmish that neither one could fully break away from.
“Daniel!” Tula grabbed the Healer’s arm as he came up the rope, and the remaining Adventurers retrieved the remaining climbing aids and helped the Merchants to recover their energy. Beneath, the fight between the Orcs and the mutated raptor was coming to an end, the overwhelming numbers of the Orcs having won the day. However, beneath the feet of the raptor, numerous corpses lay, a testament to the strength and savagery of the creature.
“Yes?” Daniel said, following along behind Tula. She brought him over to the small entrance that the Merchants and Adventurers were squeezing through, pointing at the low slope between and Sava who stood there.
“You were a Miner before, were you not?” Sava said.
“You want me to break down the walls?” Daniel said, catching on almost immediately. He turned his head, regarding the stone and then shook his head. “I don’t have a pickaxe. And this is granite. If I had Mining Skills…”
“You don’t?” Sava said frowning.
“Never took them,” Daniel said. After all, a Skill that broke more rock or located cracks in stone for optimal strikes might be useful for a Miner but would be useless for him as an Adventurer. Or so, Daniel had thought. Now, he was reconsidering.
“Out of the way!” snapped one of the Merchants as he pushed past, entering the small tunnel.
“Damn,” Sava’s lips pressed together and then he shook his head. “I guess I’ll have to use it.”
“Use it?” Tula said, eyes narrowing.
In reply, Sava took out his pouch a simple-looking clay block, one that was filled with runes. Tula gasped while Daniel just looked puzzled.
“It’s a temporary abode enchantment,” Sava said. “It’ll create a clay tent. Useful for when the weather turns very bad.”
Daniel looked between Sava and the entrance, then at the struggling Adventurers who streamed past and nodded. At Sava’s gesture, Tula and he entered, leaving Sava to bring up the rear. In short order, they were about ten feet in and the Merchant had turned around, placing the enchantment on the ground and triggering it. He then hurried back, waving the inquisitive Daniel back as well.
At first, the enchanted block glowed, then it began to grow. Slowly at first, small shifts, then they exploded in size. First, it doubled, then doubled again, then it gained in size at an ever-increasing rate. The small gap between the walls in the cliff were soon filled, the magically enchanted walls of the clay block forming and shattering as they came into contact with the unyielding edges. Once empty space filled as stone cracked and grew, filling the gap between the walls as the magic continued to play out even when the initial enchantment was broken. In seconds, the enchanted clay was five feet tall and it kept growing, filling the space and moving towards the watching pair.
“When is it supposed to stop?” Daniel said, backing off slowly as he eyed the still-growing blockage.
“I… don’t know,” Sava replied.
Another crack, and the clay plug bulged again. The clay grew explosively, nearly taking up half the space they had left. Jaw dropping, Daniel turned Sava around and shouted, “RUN!”
Behind them, the creaking and groaning of pressurised enchanted clay and granite resounded as the pair beat a hasty retreat, waving the rest of the team onwards. At least, Daniel thought as he ran for his life, the gap had been thoroughly plugged.
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Epilogue
Two weeks later, the group stumbled into the village w
here they had set the expedition wagons. Tired, weary, but with no other losses, the Merchants and Adventurers collapsed in exhaustion. The few guards and villagers took action, helping the tired and worn expedition to rest and heal. Even if Daniel had used his Mana and Gift to care for the team, constant healing and fixing left its own scars and a wearied mind and body.
No further signs of the Orcs had appeared. Whether they had lost the clan or the clan had taken so much damage that they had to break off, the expedition were no longer bothered by the Orcs. On the other hand, Sava and Craig had refused to slow the expedition down, keeping them moving at a good pace for the better part of a week before exhaustion had finally forced a pause.
At the camp, Tula broke off to report to the older Ranger while the rest of the team relaxed, many falling asleep the moment they made their way into the tents and other temporary accommodation provided for them. As for Daniel, he took a seat by the campfire, liberal use of his Gift allowing the Healer to stay up. Seated by the village center’s campfire where a cook had placed a roast, Daniel stared at the fire until Asin dropped down beside him, resting her light form against the healer.
“That was interesting,” Daniel said to his oldest friend.
Asin purred in answer, eyelids drooping.
“Think she’ll leave us?” Daniel said, looking to where the Ranger had disappeared to.
Asin shrugged but then roused herself enough to add, “Dungeon better.”