“Looks like the party’s getting started,” Ben said excitedly.
He was in high spirits after a good few days of grinding his skills with the city rangers and slowly trying to convert them to join their cause. Although the rangers weren’t great users of magic, Ben and Chloe figured it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a set of powerful archers on their side when the time came.
The others in their party had been pursuing similar efforts, affiliating more strongly with their classes and trying to harvest as much knowledge as possible in the city.
Talbot, Huk, and Leonie had made fair strides with the warriors’ guild, befriending some of the key groups and joining them on their quests.
Veronica had been working with the clerics, although she had recently informed Chloe that a great many of the clerics were being sent out to cure the ailments of towns within the king’s reach who had come under the shadow of sickness.
Blueballs, on the other hand, had been drawing the affections of the local ladies. Hammersworth took a very different approach to Killink View in that the guards had come to know the bright blue fluff and felt no qualms about having him stroll around the city.
Chloe’s only instruction to Blueballs was that he stay near the inn, and to his credit, he did. The ladies came to him, and he loved the adoration, purring affectionately as a great many hands stroked his fluff and cooed over just how cute he was.
Sure, Chloe had thought, arriving late one night to find three teenage girls who had taken a certain shine to the toffet. He’s cute now, but you haven’t seen him in battle. I know what those claws and teeth can do.
When they made it to the barn, Chloe was more than amazed to see at least three dozen people patiently waiting for her. They had arranged hay bales into raised platform seating, centered around a small clear area that would act as a stage.
And there was still time before they were due to start.
“This is good,” Gideon whispered.
Chloe nodded. Even if only a handful of those in attendance were magic users, it was definitely a start.
The KieraSlayers waited a little longer as more people dribbled through the door. There was a mix of races and statuses. A few grubby-looking humans, a group of clean-looking dwarf women, and, Chloe was surprised to see, the two gentlemen who had helped her build the Heroes-for-Hire board.
By the time they were ready to start, they must have collected almost a hundred city folk, eager and ready to listen.
Chloe began to speak, introducing herself to the room. She informed them of the party’s past and how they had found their way to Hammersworth. She cut no corners, telling the congregation exactly what had happened with KieraFreya and her armor, and how she had come to be wearing the entire armor now.
She held nothing back, wanting to keep no secrets. If these people were going to fight alongside her, she needed them to know the whole truth. Although part of her feared she was making a target of herself—she remembered the hungry lust in Tohken’s eye when he had seen her bracers—she knew this was the right path to take.
Tell the truth, and the rest will follow.
She continued speaking, telling them about the next phase of her plan—her desire to rescue Shikora and fully restore KieraFreya to her true form. For that, she needed help.
When she was done, the room was in stunned silence.
“Well?” Chloe asked softly. “Who’s with me?”
A few people shuffled uncomfortably on their seats. A stocky dwarf with dark leather armor rested his hands on the top of an axe and said, “That’s a very nice story, wee lass. But do you really expect us to believe a word of that nonsense?”
Beside him, three more dwarves sniggered.
“It’s not a tale,” Chloe replied. “On my honor, it’s all true.”
The dwarf snorted, turning to the others. “C’mon, lads. Let’s get out of this nuthouse. I could’ve seen my kids to bed tonight rather than listen to this pile of horse crap.”
The dwarves rose with a chuckle and sidled out of the barn. A moment later and several more decided to follow, shaking their heads and uttering similar words.
“You’re losing them,” Ben said out of the side of his mouth. “Pull them back, Chloe.”
“How?” Chloe asked. She couldn’t understand it; everyone she had met along the way had believed her. She had never had much difficulty bringing them around to the truth, no matter how ludicrous it sounded.
You’ve got this, Chloe, KieraFreya encouraged. Just make them see that it’s real.
It hit her; the obvious answer had been inside her all along. These people didn’t know her from Adam. They’d lived lives far from real adventure, so of course they struggled to believe the truth.
Because they hadn’t seen the evidence.
“Say that again, KF,” Chloe said aloud. A few heads turned her way skeptically.
What do you mean?
“Talk out loud, b—” beep!
“Don’t you call me a bitch!” KieraFreya exclaimed, the words booming from the armor.
Chloe beamed as all heads turned back to the center. Even those who were on their way to the barn door stopped and looked on with interest.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the Divine Goddess of Retribution, KieraFreya.”
“Erm, hello…” KieraFreya said, suddenly nervous beneath the spotlight.
“You’re not shy, are you?” Chloe laughed.
“You caught me off-guard,” KF replied. “What can I say?”
“Trickery!” one of the more skeptical attendees shouted back, pointing a finger. “I’ve seen ventriloquism before. Don’t be fooled by her cheap tricks.”
“Cheap tricks?” KieraFreya said through the armor. “Shall we show you what cheap tricks look like?”
KieraFreya took control of Chloe’s body, Chloe’s eyes turning white as she hovered several feet above the ground. She pointed a metal-clad hand at the man, and the next thing he knew, he had joined her in the air.
His body floated over the crowd and hovered next to Chloe’s. His own eyes turned white as KieraFreya manipulated the etheric to enter his mind and show him a series of vivid pictures, pictures of her and Chloe during their adventures.
When she was done, she gently lowered the man to the floor. His knees buckled, and he landed on all fours. He was suddenly breathless, unable to comprehend what he’d just seen.
“Well?” KieraFreya said. “What do we think now?”
The man nodded emphatically. “True, it’s all true. The… The friggin’ goddess is in the armor!”
Chloe grinned, her eyes returning to normal.
“Thanks, KF. Stellar job.”
“Anytime,” KieraFreya replied.
Chloe cast her eyes around the rest of the attendees, many of whom had now returned to their seats and leaned forward with great interest.
“I know this quest is a lot to ask, and I know that for many of you, this might be your first real foray into something big. But we need all the help we can get to make this happen. Work alongside us, and we can do something great together. We can return a goddess to her home and help her take her place back in the stars before darkness takes the realm and claims it for its own.”
A pause, then, “I ask again…who’s with me?”
This time there wasn’t any hesitation. The majority of the room stood up, holding their fists in the air. One or two shook their heads and exited, clearly overwhelmed by the enormity of the venture.
Chloe beamed, instructing everyone to meet here again in two nights, bringing along anyone and everyone they could to join their cause. There she would divide them into groups and begin their training.
The atmosphere was electric. Chloe couldn’t believe the change in attitudes in such a short time. However, the attitudes would change again all too soon.
As Chloe stepped out of the barn and into the night sky, she heard the first wild calls of animals growling in frenzy and saw
the silhouettes frantically sprinting toward them from the forest.
Chapter Eighteen
“What the…”
At first, Chloe couldn’t make out what she was seeing. None of them could. They all stood frozen, squinting into the darkness.
The creatures were tall. Two arms, two legs. They moved quickly. For a half-second, Chloe thought they might be human—a group of terrified humans sprinting toward them from the depths of the forest, chased by some mighty beast.
That is, until they were within an uncomfortably close distance and they began to shriek again.
“Chloe?” Gideon urged.
Chloe used Creature Identification and sighed.
She had been right in some respect. These creatures were humans…of a sort.
Creature: Infected (Lv 5)
HP: 312
Resistances: Dark, Water, Earth, Poison
Weaknesses: Fire, Close-range attacks
“They’re infected?” Chloe uttered, drawing KieraFreya’s sword and preparing herself for combat. “Infected with what?”
She felt something pass her ear, then heard the arrow’s whistle as it found its first victim. “Who cares?” Ben said. “They don’t look friendly, now, do they?”
Chloe raised her voice, her tone commanding, powerful. “Prepare for battle, everyone. This can be our first test.”
The majority of the group looked at each other uncertainly before drawing their weapons.
They hadn’t been armed for battle when they’d come out to find out more about Chloe’s quest, so all they had were a few low-level warriors with basic swords, a couple of rogues with knives, a ranger with a bow, and a handful of mages who looked like they’d rather be anywhere in the world right now than out in the dark under attack by infected.
Chloe didn’t mind. All great leaders were able to work with what they had. She hadn’t lost a battle yet, and she was determined that this one would be no different.
The KieraSlayers flanked Chloe, the rest of their mini-army behind them. The infected ran closer. They were low-level threats, but with the numbers they had, it still made quite the challenge. She could see around fifty of them now.
“They’re weak against fire and close-range attacks,” Chloe called to her troops. “Any magic users with flames, I suggest you get yourselves ready.”
Gideon prepared Purple Blaze. Chloe closed her eyes, connected to the etheric, and summoned her own.
“Hey!” she called to the nearest infected, now just twenty yards away. “Catch!”
Her free hand flung a monstrous orb of purple fire. She propelled the orb forward, the magic speeding through the air and swallowing the infected whole. A second orb followed, the light illuminating the horror of the creatures coming for them as they doubled their pace.
She heard gasps of surprise behind her as she imbued her blade with flame and ran into the throng, her sword whistling and leaving afterburns in their vision as she attacked.
The other members of her party wasted no time getting involved. Blueballs fell to all fours and bounded into the crowd, his large paws swiping and sending infected flying.
Ben took a step back, finding a space next to the shaky ranger. He spoke words of confidence, teaching and encouraging as he used his Double Shot to slow down the onslaught of attackers. The ranger beside him fired several shots, his aim off at first, but growing ever more accurate as he got bolder.
Huk and Leonie broke free of the formation and worked as a synchronized pair. Although short, Huk’s strength stat was high, meaning that even a glancing blow to an infected’s leg did enough damage to cripple them. When they were down, Leonie would deliver the killing stroke, sending heads flying across the field.
Talbot watched the other two, his sword clutched in his sweaty palms. He took his own steadying breaths, and when an infected spotted him and came straight for him, he managed to find his courage, driving the blade into the infected’s lower hip before withdrawing it and slicing across its stomach.
“Keep up your strength!” Chloe shouted. “Find your courage! We cannot fail as long as we fight!”
Chloe’s sword seemed to draw the attention of most of the infected. In the light from her flame, she watched their monstrous forms.
They might once have been people. Many of them had the same features as anyone Chloe had ever met, the main differences being the pallid, waxen look of their skin, the dark veins that stood out, and the blank expressions in their eyes as they tried to scratch and bite the fighters.
What the hell were they infected with?
“There are too many zombies,” Gideon cried. He was fighting near Chloe, his display of purple fireworks keeping the infected from getting too close to him. “We can’t hold them off.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow as she launched a fireball into the air. It arced twenty feet high before crashing down into what she had thought was the tail end of the horde.
She turned full-circle with her sword, slicing flaming violet trails across the infecteds’ stomachs. When she was finished, she glanced over to see where her orb had landed…
And saw even more infected coming from the trees. Another fifty or so, at least.
“Crap,” she hissed.
“We need to get out of here, Chloe. I mean, your guys are strong, but we’ll be overrun.”
Chloe heard a clang and felt a bony finger bounce off her armor. She raised an elbow and knocked an infected—which had gotten too close for comfort—unconscious.
She blasted another fireball, staving off those nearby, and turned to see how the others were getting on.
The few warriors, clerics, and mages they had seemed to be in great spirits, taking down any enemies that made it past the KieraSlayers, but it seemed as though they hadn’t taken into account the other infected coming to join the battle.
Chloe assessed their situation. There were at least fifty fighters on their team. More infected were now coming from the forest, taking the total up to several hundred at an estimate. She and her band were around half a kilometer from the city gates, and she guessed they could run faster than the infected, although that theory was yet to be tested.
“Retreat!” Chloe shouted, sheathing her sword and conjuring two enormous fireballs. She tossed them one after the other, illuminating the terrifying expressions on the infecteds’ faces. “Fall back to the city!”
The fighters who had met at the barn looked up, surprised at the number of infected coming at them in the dark. Without needing to be told twice, they turned on their heels and began to run.
Chloe called to the KieraSlayers, who nodded and shepherded the new additions to their teams. Ben ran and occasionally turned to fire an arrow into the crowd.
“Gid, any chance you want to try something new?” Chloe asked as she sprinted behind the lot of them.
Gideon nodded. “Always.”
“Try this.”
Chloe wasn’t sure if it would work, but she had yet to turn down a challenge.
She paused very briefly, summoning Purple Blaze, only this time, instead of focusing on creating fireballs, she straightened her arms and turned her palms to the ground. She parted her arms slowly, feeling elated as the flames took to the grass, following where her palms pointed until a thick line of purple fire a good twenty feet in length scorched the ground.
Spell power increased: Purple Blaze (Lv 4)
You’re on FIRE! You’ve found a new way to manipulate your spell. Your spells-dex will keep a record of any and all manipulations you discover. Continue with your experiments to unlock bigger and better forms of your Purple Blaze spell, Hot Stuff.
Manipulations:
Fireball: Summon a fireball to throw at your enemies. Size varies dependent on focus and mana invested in the spell.
Scorching trail: Mark your territory, create barriers, or just draw pretty pictures with the purple flame. Size and duration dependent on focus and mana invested in the spell.
Bonuses: +1 etheric potential, redu
ced cast cost (n x 18MP)
Skill increased: Experimental (Lv 2)
You’ve discovered a new way to manipulate a spell! Keep pushing the boundaries of common thought to discover bigger, better, and more efficient ways to enhance your abilities and further your knowledge of Obsidian.
Bonuses: +2 intelligence, +1 dexterity, +1 endurance, +2 etheric potential
(NOTE: Increases in skill override any previous bonuses gained from the skill).
Gideon nodded, impressed. He copied Chloe, and soon they’d created a flaming barrier. The infected paused, momentarily confused by the flames. Chloe and Gideon were able to retreat a good distance before several infected realized they could go around the flames.
Chloe ran on, growing breathless. The gap between the city and their group closed, but there was still some way to go. Despite her initial observations, she was perturbed to discover that the infected were gaining on them. They were faster than she had thought.
“Keep going!” Chloe called, not that the others needed encouragement. Blindly, she summoned fireballs and tossed them behind her as she ran, hearing the infected falling but knowing it wouldn’t be enough.
When they were within shouting distance of the gate, those at the front of the procession cried out to the gate guards. Torches lit, indicating that they had caught their attention, but the gates didn’t open.
“Please! Open the gates!” a man at the front shouted, taking a deep breath between each word.
“They’re coming! They’re coming!” another shouted.
It wasn’t until they were a stone’s throw away that the guards’ eyes lit up, suddenly taking in the swarming mass that was coming for them. They called down orders and the gates began to slowly open, their bulk taking some effort to move.
Chloe chanced a look behind her, heart sinking as she saw them on her heels. If she didn’t do something now, they wouldn’t have time to filter through the gates and close them in time to stop infected from making their way into the city.
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