“What is she doing?” Cassie asked, groggily, as she got to her feet with Mack’s help. Alarm grew louder in her voice as the spinning became faster and faster and faster. “Guys, what is she doing?”
They found out in that next moment. A blast of lightning came out of the hammer in every direction. It struck each of them, sending them all flying until they hit the walls and slid down to the ground. Luke’s body jerked and jittered, and there was a black, smoking hole in his armor. He was down to 25 percent health. Everything hurt. He could hardly move. But he knew that if he didn’t get up, he would never be getting up. The others were still lying prone on the ground. Alicia was approaching Mack and Cassie. There was an almost sad smile on her lips. She raised the hammer. She was going to smash them out of existence.
Luke was not going to let this happen. Being this low in heath might hurt like hell, might make him move like an old man, but it also meant that he could use Coldfire. The magic might not be harmful against the queen in her ethereal form, but maybe it would be now since she was in Alicia’s body.
He brought his hands together, and summoned Coldfire, screaming the spell’s name. A blast of ice and fire struck Alicia’s back. The queen was knocked out of Alicia’s form while Alicia sank to the ground. Two hundred and fifty hit points flowed off of the queen, but she still had 800 hit points. After only a second’s hesitation, she turned and slashed at Alicia with her sword as the orc was still dazed from the possession. Alicia’s health bar dropped also to a quarter. The queen brought her sword up, and swept it across Alicia’s face. Alicia’s health bar drained to near zero. She toppled over, like a massive tree would.
Luke staggered to his feet, and stumbled towards the queen. He slashed at her with Dragon’s Claw. She easily blocked his blows, but she stabbed him in the right shoulder. Coldness filled him, and he dropped his sword onto the ground with a clatter. He let out a weak cry as his health bar drained down to a tenth left. He staggered back, and tripped, landing on his back. The queen stepped forward, and stood above him. Her expression was again sad.
“You are worthy. But you are not strong enough,” she told him, and raised the sword above her head.
Luke waited for the final blow to fall. He wondered if he would go into the Character Creation Area like his friends had when they had faced Marty, or if he would truly die. Forever. He had so many regrets. He regretted his last words to his mother. He regretted becoming angry at Christopher. He regretted not spending more times with his friends.. But his greatest regret was that he had failed his friends. His family. Everyone.
Father was right. I am not strong enough to survive this place myself, let alone keep others safe.
The queen’s sword descended in almost slow motion. But then a burst of purple light streamed over him, and hit the queen squarely in the center of her chest. She went flying backwards, and soon was out of sight. Luke, though, still could not move until he was surrounded by a warm red glow. His health bar started to fill. Luke could breathe again, and, soon, he was able to get to his feet. His head spun, and the hunger for power was a constant beat in his veins, but he was up and alive. He turned towards where the purple light had come from. It had streamed from the direction of the stairs, and on them, stood Christopher.
“Holy crap, Christopher, you used an offensive spell!” Mack let out a delighted yet shocked laugh.
Christopher’s face was set in a determined look as he glared at the queen who was slumped against the far wall. Christopher’s arm that held up the staff began to shake, and he dropped his arm down, unable to keep it up any longer. Winter, who stood beside him on the steps, nuzzled his hand.
“Luke?” Christopher asked. His eyes sought out Luke’s. “Are you… are you all right? She—she was going to…”
Luke saw that his friend was in shock. Christopher had just done something against his basic core beliefs. But he had done it to save Luke. To save all of them. He had used the power of the staff.
“I know, Christopher,” Luke said gently. “It’s okay. Thank you. Thank you so much. Just keep us healed and shielded now. We can do the rest.”
Christopher gave a shaky nod. The golden glow of Shield swirled around them, and Luke felt that he could truly breathe again with that protection.
Everyone was back up on their feet. As one, they turned towards the queen, who was also now standing. Christopher’s spell had done significant damage. She had only 500 hit points left. Luke’s eyes narrowed and his jaw set. They would take her out. Cassie drew her bow and nocked an arrow. Gloria twirled her daggers. Alicia adjusted the Reckoning in her hands. Without any words, they moved as one against her.
Cassie’s arrows streaked past them. Three of them thumped into the queen’s chest. One in each of her shoulders, the third in her left leg. Each hit for 35 hit points apiece for a total of 105 hit points taken. Gloria launched herself into the air again. She landed on the queen once more, and did her double backstab. One hundred and fifty hit points were exhausted. Luke lunged at the same time, and while the queen was trying to fend off Gloria, he slashed at her legs three times.
“Amplify!” he shouted.
He only had enough power left in his purple bar to amplify one of his blows. That one took off 125 hit points, and the others 40 hit points a piece. There was less than 100 points left on her health bar. He should use Drain. He was starving. He should do it. But she was a person, not a monster. It would be wrong. So Luke backed out of the way as Alicia swung the Reckoning one last time.
It struck the queen in the center of the chest, and her health bar went to zero. She fell to her knees. All of them froze, not sure what was going to happen next. The queen raised her head, and smiled at them.
“I see that the Reckoning is in good hands. I offer my soul to all of you. To protect you. To destroy your enemies. To bring freedom to Neverfall,” she intoned.
And then the light that made her up streamed back into the hammer that Alicia held. The torches burst back into life. The room was now truly empty of anyone but themselves.
Luke’s HUD said, Congratulations! You’ve gained 2000 experience points, and have leveled up!
29
THE DARK PATH
All at once, all of them turned towards Christopher, who was picking his way carefully down the steps, holding his robes around him to keep them clean. He glanced up, only to find all eyes upon him.
“Is something wrong?” Christopher asked.
Cassie let out a laugh that was also a choked cry. She then dashed across the room, and threw her arms around her brother, who accepted the hug with bewilderment.
“Oh, Christopher, you wonderful, wonderful, wonderful little brother! You are the best brother in the world!” she enthused.
“I am? I mean I am. Of course, I am.” Christopher raised his eyebrows at Luke.
Cassie only released her brother when Winter whined piteously to be held, too. She dropped down to her haunches, and held the wolf to her, telling it that it was such a good boy to come down into the big bad forge.
“Christopher, you used the staff’s Turn Undead magic,” Gloria said softly.
Luke’s head jerked towards her, afraid she would mention the Dark Path, and he didn’t want Christopher to regret anything. But he need not have worried.
She continued, “You are truly a gifted magic user to have used the staff in such a way.”
Christopher’s head ducked, and his cheeks pinked. “Oh, well, thank you. I—I suppose it could have been beginner’s luck though.”
“Not in the least. I foresee you as being one of the most powerful clerics in Neverfall,” she said kindly.
Mack went up to Christopher, and regarded his friend in silence for so long that Christopher ended up shuffling his feet. Finally, Mack grabbed him around the legs, lifted him up from the ground, and spun him around.
“You clever bastard! You clever, clever bastard! I will never complain again about you just healing and shielding us!” Mack cried as he lowered him
to the ground again. “We needed you. We need you.”
Again, Christopher lowered his head, and blushed. “Yes, well, I will make sure to never leave you again.”
“How did you get down here? I thought that the chamber would be locked until we made the queen yield,” Alicia said, as she stuffed her cudgel into her drawstring bag, and slung the Reckoning over her back on a hook at the rear of her armor.
“The key had merely fallen out of the lock. I… I knew I should not have stayed upstairs from the moment you disappeared below. I tried to tell myself that you truly didn’t need me,” Christopher explained.
“We needed you,” Luke assured him, as he came over to Christopher, and gripped his shoulder. “You have no idea how much.”
“I heard your screams. They were louder than the queen’s.” Christopher’s eyes went distant for a moment as if he could still hear them. He shook himself though, and focused on Luke once more. “And when I saw her over you, about to… I couldn’t… I couldn’t let her hurt you. I couldn’t have that happen. Not when I could do something about it.”
Luke squeezed his shoulder. He gave a heartfelt, “Thank you, Christopher. I’m never going to suggest you stay behind again.”
“I’ll never give you reason to leave me behind.” Christopher smiled.
“So, are you going to use offensive magic from now on?” Mack rocked back and forth on his heels. “That was pretty damned impressive.”
Christopher stroked the staff. “I will not rule it out.”
“That’s more than you’ve ever offered before!” Mack beamed.
“We’ll try our best to not put you in a position where you have to use that magic,” Luke promised.
“I know that. You would fight for all of us, Luke. But I am here to fight for you,” Christopher told him with a steady look.
Luke smiled broadly back. The hunger that plucked at him seemed to recede a little bit.
“While this place doesn’t feel like death anymore, I want to get out of here, build a fire, eat something and sleep,” Mack said.
“Should we upgrade here?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t think we should stay here any longer. Night has definitely fallen. Bonecall could arrive here at any moment,” Gloria said.
Luke nodded. “We should upgrade at a camp.”
“Wait! We cannot forget these!” Mack picked up Denarius’ tools. He patted the other dwarf’s skull. “Rest well now, Denarius. Your tools and the Reckoning are in good hands.”
Mack tucked the tools into his drawstring bag, and then they all tramped upstairs. They were still laughing and rehashing the battle when they reached the entrance to the forge, and stepped outside. They were so focused on each other, they did not see the dozens of still, silent figures that were standing twenty feet away under the moonlight. When Luke did, his voice died. All words failed him.
“Luke, what’s wrong? I… oh, my God,” Cassie whispered, as she saw the figures, too.
There were over 100 of them. Ghosts, Ghasts, Zombies, Nagas, and other dead things brought back to life, and all were facing them. Among their still forms danced a spindly figure swathed in a long robe that tittered as it moved.
“Bonecall,” Luke murmured, the name wrenched from his lips.
The tittering thing stepped out in front of the creatures that he had created. That terrible voice Luke remembered from reality and the Dream Weaving rose up, “Dragon Prince, how pleasant to see you again! Yet, once more, you have something that belongs to me.”
“Marty was our foe! Our kill! You stole him!” Mack shouted. “Just like you are trying to steal the Reckoning!”
Luke thought of the key stone. Could it still keep evil at bay, but then he realized that Christopher was holding it, and Bonecall was not repulsed. Whatever magic it had contained must no longer have been working. He grimaced.
“You cannot have the Reckoning,” Luke told Bonecall as dread settled into his stomach like ice.
There were too many monsters. They could not defeat them all. But even if they could cut a swath through them, there was Bonecall himself to deal with. The necromancer held that terrible box. Luke felt like he was going to vomit.
“Of course I can, and I will. You are nothing compared to me, and my associates!” Bonecall tittered.
“Associates? You mean the poor beings that you have twisted, and turned into monsters!” Christopher snapped, all the righteous fury he felt reflected in his voice.
Bonecall’s hooded head tilted to the side. “What a strange belief for a high elf cleric to have.”
“I am nothing like you, Bonecall! You have corrupted the class of cleric from healer to death dealer. I will never be like you!” Christopher yelled back, seeming more certain of that now after using offensive magic than before.
“You say this, and yet, I know you played a role in overcoming good Queen Evender using that same magic you claim to detest,” Bonecall taunted.
Christopher paled, but answered, “Only to save a friend. Only when I had no choice.”
“Think how many more friends you could save right now if you but knew more spells of that kind? If you were but stronger. But you are not, because you choose to walk in the Light.” Another titter exited Bonecall’s hidden mouth.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke felt as much as saw Gloria step up to his side. She touched his back, and in a fierce whisper that only he and the others could hear, said, “We need to run. Do you understand? We will die if we stay. We have no chance against him and his creations. We must run.”
Luke’s gaze took in all of the monsters that formed a half circle around the forge. The Zombies were not fast. But the Ghouls and Ghasts were. He was betting the Bone Nagas could slither like lightning, too. Could they truly run fast enough to get away from these creatures?
“Don’t stick together,” she urged. “Run in all directions. Don’t look back. If some of us are captured, the others will come to rescue them later. But do not stop now. Do not even turn around. Do not hesitate. Run like your immortal soul depends upon it, because it does.”
Luke focused on Bonecall’s box. He didn’t want to leave his friends. He didn’t know if he could keep running if someone else got caught. But he knew, intellectually, that Gloria was right. If even one of them remained free, then that meant the others could be rescued. But if they were all captured, there would be no hope left.
“What is that rogue telling you? She’s a liar! She’s a traitor to her own kind. Oh, and she is weak, too. What a combination!” Bonecall laughed cruelly.
“Thanks for the tip, bastard!” Mack said with a friendly wave.
“I have a smoke bomb. I will send it towards them. That will give us a moment’s distraction,” Gloria whispered, ignoring Bonecall altogether. “And then we run. We meet up at The Drunken Dwarf. Understood?”
Luke still wanted to object. But he still knew she was right. They were outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and, figuratively at least, outgunned. They had to run. They had to split up. They would find one another afterwards.
Everyone gave a slight nod.
“NOW!” Gloria cried, and she tossed a bomb towards Bonecall.
It exploded into a thick blanket of green smoke that obscured them from Bonecall and the monsters’ view. With his heart in his throat, Luke took off towards the left where he had seen no monsters blocking his path. The others went in different directions, and he soon lost any idea where they had gone. He thought he heard shrill cries from behind him. Was that Cassie? Or Christopher? Was that Mack shouting something? Was that Alicia snarling? Had Bonecall used his powers to take their souls? Luke’s desire to go back, and save his friends, was almost greater than the need to feed.
Keep going. You can rescue them if you survive this. Keep going.
His legs pumped as fast as they could. Soon, he was out of the smoke, and dashing across the open fields. The forest was just ahead of him. It was nearer here than where they had exited it earlier. There were more cries fro
m behind him. Shrill screams. He heard the thunder of Reckoning’s lightning bolts.
I’m going to make you suffer, Bonecall. For every harm you do to my friends, I am going to make you pay. And then I am going to Drain you, and use your power to destroy anyone else who would hurt my friends!
Luke ran faster, but he took a chance, and looked over his shoulder. There were a dozen monsters chasing him. The Ghasts loped after him with their long scarlet tongues hanging out of their obscene mouths. The Ghouls made high-pitched sounds of delight, and slavered, likely at the thought of feasting on his flesh. Bone Nagas slithered after him, their bones clicking together like castanets. But they were over 100 feet back from him. He ran even faster. He just had to get to the woods. If he could get to the woods, he could lose them among the trees.
He hoped.
The woods were fifty feet away then forty, then thirty, then twenty-five, then twenty and he looked back again. The monsters had gained on him. They were only fifty feet behind him now. He turned back at the last moment, almost hitting a tree, but managed to swerve, and avoid it. He stumbled between two trees, his pace slowing considerably as the ground became uneven with roots and underbrush. He nearly fell half a dozen times before he was fifteen feet within the forest. He could hear the monsters crashing behind him. Tree limbs slapped against his face, drawing lines of blood. Brambles and thorns covered him, leaving red trails across his cheeks.
There was a stitch in Luke’s side, and his chest was heaving. He had run full out, and now he was having to use just as much strength to avoid tripping and falling flat on his face. The thought of the Ghouls and Ghasts swarming him, and leaning over him to rip off pieces of his flesh gave him extra strength.
He saw ahead of him a quest marker. His brow furrowed. What quest was this? Was this the one that would lead him back to Lethbridge to return the tools to Taig? But he didn’t have the tools. Mack did. Was this some part of his dragon lineage quest? Regardless, quests normally meant danger, and he didn’t need any more than what was following him.
Neverfall: The Dark Path (Book 2): A Gamelit Lit RPG Series Page 28