by Skyler Grant
"We were necromancers before joining the House of Towers. The weak-minded and weak-willed frown upon it, so we formed our own Tower where we'd have to deal with neither," Malia said.
"Is that why you have a good relationship with the House of Bats?"
"The House of Towers is the oldest of the Glitch Houses. The mages were the first to master the flow of quintessence and bend it to their will. Members of the Black Tower helped forge that bracer you wear," Malia said.
"I didn't know that."
"You do now. Once you hit level five you'll start seeing far more quests appear and some of those could be any member of the Black Tower in distress. Advice for your future success, if you care to take it. When you see one of those quests, take it. We're some of the best friends you'll ever have, given who and what you are," Malia said.
"That doesn't sound self-serving at all," Ryn said.
"What can you tell me about my bracer?" Alex asked.
"A lot more than I am going to. You don't have the credit either with my House or with me. If you should survive this, look me up and score some points," Malia said.
They reached the sitting room and she snapped her fingers, a glowing fissure of light appearing in the air.
"That will take you back to where I appeared last time," Malia said.
"Kationa's lab at the keep then," Ryn said.
"Is there anything else you can do to help? The life of an entire city hangs in the balance," Alex said.
"I care not at all for the concerns of the living, Glitch Hunter. If anything, I find the thought of an entire city swirling away into a mass of black quintessence fascinating. If you should fail I fully intend to be there watching the city die—from a safe distance."
"Cold," Ryn said.
"You seem nicer than Kationa, but you're really not," Jess said.
"Yet I've helped you more than anyone. I simply make it clear that if you seek to appeal to my sentimentality for complete strangers, even an entire city, you'll never be successful," Malia said.
"The House of Bats paid your fee last time," Alex said.
"And if they still were I'd be happily tagging and making snarky commentary all the way. You've already had my advice. Rules—whatever you are working with has rules. Have you even made an effort to identify what kind of transformation you're dealing with?"
"I don't even know how to do that," Alex said.
"You won't yet, but in time you'll be hunting it just like you do anything else. When you do, fight smarter," Malia said.
It wasn't the first time she'd said something like that.
"Thank you for the rescue. I'll reach out when I've won and score some points," Alex said.
"Top of my gift list, I enjoy slaughter, death magic, and dancing," Malia said.
Alex stepped through the fissure and reality warped around him. The sitting room was replaced with the lab. Ryn and Jess stepped through as well. The fissure closed behind them.
Alex's stomach still ached from the wounds inflicted by the drake, but there wasn't time to fully heal. It was time to shut down another of the Coldflames.
37
“Wield two weapons I get to cut off both your arms. Crowds will love it.” Curga ‘Chopper’ Vrok, Champion of the Hovak Arena
The two Coldflames presented different problems. Alex still wasn’t at his peak fighting form and if there were an easier target to approach first, it needed to be the priority.
They called by the Windicott estate. They found Cass practicing her swordplay in the courtyard, squaring off against two men. Alex admired her skill, she fought with a two-weapon style using one long blade and a parrying dagger, and her skills were well-honed.
With a lunge she disarmed one of the men and turned in time to parry and counter the attack of the second that came in response. That also let her see her visitors and she signaled her opponents away before shelving her weapons.
"Alex, you're up already. I heard it was bad," Cassandra said.
"He really shouldn't be," Ryn said.
"There isn't a choice though. I'm going after another of the Coldflames and I wanted to get your advice on which is the least defended," Alex said.
Cassandra stared at him. "You want to wander into an army of Glitch when you’re still wounded? I won't allow it."
Alex started to protest. Cassandra raised her hand and gave him a glare.
"I'm not going to stop you, but I'm not going to just let our best hope to save this city die. I'll come along and bring some people with me. We'll want to deal with the Coldflame in the mountains," Cassandra said.
"Why that one?"
"The cavelings are mostly in caves nearby. The Coldflame itself is not. If we come in and position a force at the cave mouth, keeping those underground trapped inside, we can let you deal with the ones guarding the flame and do what needs doing."
"Your people aren't up to fighting waves of Glitch."
"Never tell me what my people are capable of. I have both a battle-mage and an alchemist on the payroll. We'll set a fire in the cave entrance and the few that make it through are going to be weakened," Cassandra said.
Ryn said, "And we can kill cavelings. They aren't like some Glitch. Swords are effective against them."
"You're still going to lose people," Alex said.
"I'm well aware. I'll thank you to do your job well and quickly so that I don't lose that many," Cassandra said.
Alex didn't see how he could refuse the help—much as he wanted to. Cassandra wasn't wrong, the survival of the city could very well depend on him being able to quench the Coldflames.
"And you come with us inside, Cass," Ryn said.
"No, if I'm going to lose people, I should be there," Cassandra said.
"Alex is wounded and Jess is kind of useless," Ryn said.
"Hey! I am not!" Jess protested.
"We could really use a strong fighter at our side. We need you backing us up, more than your people need you shouting orders," Ryn said.
"Fine," Cassandra relented.
The mountains were several hours ride from town. Cassandra brought twenty men along with her battle-mage and a wagon filled with barrels of alchemical fire. They came to a halt where the mountains were getting steep and advanced on foot so they could get a look at what was ahead.
A cave mouth loomed going into the mountain, a narrow trail working a way up the slope towards it, before reaching a wide plateau in front of the entrance. About halfway across the flat area was a stone brazier where a blue flame burned.
There were half-a-dozen spindly and hairless creatures walking around outside. They had large eyes and vicious-looking claws. Alex focused on them from a distance to get a read.
Caveling
Alignment: Brown/Green
Level: 4
Hitpoints 49/49
Grimoire Entry Unlocked
Cavelings
Cavelings as their name suggests are primarily found in deep caverns. They are able to see in pitch darkness but have issues in bright light. Incredibly agile they are capable of great speed that lets them dodge many attacks. In darkness they are possessed of powerful regenerative capabilities but these can be disrupted by sunlight or fire.
Vulnerabilities
Cavelings primary defensive attributes are their speed and regenerative properties. They have no unique resistances to mundane weapons and are vulnerable to magic, harmonized steel, and fire. Flame oil, flash bombs, and poison are all effective. (recipes unlocked)
That was good news, Ryn hadn't been wrong about their vulnerabilities and Cassandra's plan with the fire should be especially disruptive. Alex took a few moments to load up three ampules of fire into his potion-caster.
"The plan looks good. Swords will work, their main defense is in healing and their speed. The fire will stop their healing," Alex said.
"With my men at the cave mouth the speed won't help them much. They're going to have to come right at them if they want to get outside and protect the flame," Cassa
ndra said.
"Be careful, they're still pretty durable."
"My men brought spears. The goal is to keep them at a distance and to keep driving them back into the fire inside the mountain. Will that work?"
"It’s a good plan," Alex said.
Cassandra called out orders to her people, who moved into position.
"As soon as they hit the cave entrance we move. I know you're going to object, Glitch Hunter, but I think our plan should be to watch your back while you get rid of that flame," Cassandra said.
Alex did object to that. The men at the entrance would have a fire inside the cave to drive the cavelings into. The cavelings in daylight might be a little slow from the light, but they'd still have to be faced head on.
"Agreed, but I'm going to hit a few with fire on the way," Alex said.
"We'll take whatever help we can get," Cassandra said.
Several men put a shoulder to the cart, now unhitched from the horses, and manhandled it to the lip of the plateau. Then they pushed it at a run, building up speed. They released it to vanish into the dark mouth of the cave.
The battle-mage stepped forward, robes flapping about him as raised an arm and a bolt of fire shot from his hand into the cavern. An explosion shook the mountain, and an eruption of flames spewed from the cave mouth. Men with spears ran up to form a line, blocking any escape.
Alex ran forward towards the Coldflame.
There, two cavelings bounding in his direction. Given their agility Alex didn't try to hit them directly, instead aiming at the ground between them and letting an ampule fly from his potion-caster.
When it hit the ground it exploded into a gout of fire, sending the cavelings stumbling back.
You have hit the Caveling with your Basic Flame Ampule
9 Flame Damage
Vulnerability Exploited
13 Damage Dealt
You have gained 16 Fury
You have hit the Caveling with your Basic Flame Ampule
5 Flame Damage
Vulnerability Exploited
10 Damage Dealt
You have gained 13 Fury
You are at 29 total Fury
Cassandra was on one of them as soon as the flames had cleared, runes on her blade glowing as she severed a leg out from beneath one of the cavelings.
Alex could have engaged the other cavelings, but there were none between him and the Coldflame. He charged up the hill. The run wasn't easy on his chest wound and he was bleeding under his armor by the time he made it to the plateau.
Alex focused on the Coldflame and the runes surrounding the pedestal.
Coldflame
Mer Vor Est Del Sal Kal
Coldflame is a complex magic that is designed for the purposes of converting human life force into quintessence. The most common variant is black but this is a rarer variant focusing on red. Those that are the focus of the flame are compelled to reach into it whereupon they will be killed. The flame absorbs the essence of their life and transmits it to a mirror of the flame located elsewhere.
The same runes as last time, although in a different order. Alex still didn't know how spell construction worked, or even what information exactly his bracer was accessing when it showed him this. Still, Malia advised that he take the runes in reverse order and it worked before.
Alex drew his blade from the scabbard just enough to clench his palm around it. Then he chanted, “Kal,” before pressing his bleeding palm on the symbol.
Red light flared and a rush of power crashed into him. Alex could tell that something had changed since last time. Then, whatever corruption happened seemed inadvertent, but this time the magic reached for him even as he shut it down. Rage, lust, and passion flooded into him.
WARNING
Corruption Detected
You have gained 3 Red XP
Red, not black quintessence? Did that matter? Of course it did, if whatever was behind these events was really using this to gain power, it wasn't a creation completely of black quintessence.
A Caveling has been killed
You have gained 2 brown XP
You have gained 2 green XP
Cassandra must have killed one of them. Alex got a full share, that wasn't the case if Kationa was involved. Did that confirm Cassandra wasn't a Glitch or a proto-Glitch?
It was difficult to even think through the rush of power. Alex had to keep going. “Sal,” he said, before slamming his palm down on the next rune.
Again that power exploded within him. Perhaps because it was red quintessence instead of black, and his bracer could less effectively filter it? Was that why the bracer discouraged using other types?
WARNING
Corruption Detected
You have gained 3 Red XP
You have been hit by the Caveling
Dissonant Claws
15 Dissonant Damage
8 has been absorbed by your armor
9 Slashing Damage
4 has been absorbed by your armor
12 Damage received
Alex hadn't seen the caveling creep up behind him, but he sure felt the claws as they cut through his armor. Spinning around he unloaded a flame ampule into its face.
You have hit the Caveling with your Basic Flame Ampule
18 Flame Damage
Vulnerability Exploited
25 Damage Dealt
A throwing dagger came out of the darkness and imbedded in the caveling's back.
"I got this. It slipped past us," Ryn said.
Ryn had never looked so good to Alex's eyes. It was the red quintessence coursing through him, it had to be. From anger to lust, any passionate response was coming easier. Alex forced himself to focus.
Alex had to trust that Ryn really did have it handled and he turned back to the brazier. One after another he tackled the runes and the sensations grew more powerful with each one. Alex knew what he was trying to do with this—identify the threat and shut down these flames. But if he was right about the spellcaster altering the spell to corrupt him even more, he didn't know what they were hoping to accomplish. Was it an effort to control his mind? To break his connection with the House of Bats?
When the last rune had been shifted from blue to red, and the flame in the brazier sputtered and died, Alex was unsteady on his feet. It wasn't exhaustion—he felt energized. It was too much energy. Jittery, and as if his skin didn't quite fit.
Ryn and Jess were urging him along towards the horses. They passed plenty of caveling corpses on the way.
Cassandra was already on her horse. The fires near the cave had died out and smoldering bodies surrounded the cave mouth.
"How many did you lose?" Alex asked, as he climbed into the saddle.
"Over half, Glitch Hunter. They did not care how many they lost, they just kept coming through the fire. Had I not brought a mage I'd have lost them all."
It was a lot of dead bodies, yet today was still a win. The Coldflame had been shut down and there was only one more to go. The force behind events had been prepared today, and it would be even more prepared tomorrow.
"I'm sorry," Alex said.
Ryn and Jess had mounted their own horses and Cassandra urged them into motion, what was left of her men forming up around them.
"You didn't ask for them to take those chances, I did," Cassandra said.
It was true. And tomorrow he was going to need every bit of help he could find.
38
“A tiny mathematical error caused the catastrophe in Voora as the golems viewed all in the city as trespassers instead of simply those in the commander’s office. This should not discourage the use of golem armies in the future.” Report on the tragedy at Voora, Guild of Artificers
After the return to Falkirk Alex made his way back to the keep and filled Sabrina in on the day’s activities—everything that happened after she gave him the teleportation stone.
Alex downed another healing potion. He was practically living on the things now. The jagged wounds of the caveling cla
ws were new dissonant injuries, although not on the scale of what the drake had done to him.
Sabrina looked over Alex's wounds as he undressed before bed.
"If you are going to keep up in this life you need better armor. You're going to make a try for the last Coldflame tomorrow?" Sabrina asked.
"I am. I'm running out of time. I'd like to borrow some guards to help me reach it. Cassandra contributed some of her men today but she lost many."
"I'd rather lose a hundred of her thugs than one loyal soldier. Still, with the town at stake how could I refuse you," Sabrina said.
"Easily, I'm sure. You've never been one to shy away from an unpopular decision," Alex said, setting the last of his clothing aside in a pile. It had become habit. Overnight the servants would see the clothing and armor cleaned and mended.
Sabrina hadn’t undressed yet, stretched out on the bed with her back against a pile of pillows and staring over at him.
"I'm sorry you lost your companion. Having another Glitch Hunter around would surely help in what you need to do."
"Kationa said it would be weeks until she could get her back. Of course, if Kationa is behind things that might have been a lie. I should have checked," Alex said, feeling suddenly exhausted. Things were slipping past him.
Sabrina patted the bed beside her. "Come, sit. You said Cassandra has a mage on her payroll. You can check in the morning. Just because something has slipped doesn't mean you can't pick up the slack again."
Alex took a seat on the bed and Sabrina leaned against him.
He said, "I know you refused to leave before, but when I quench the last of the Coldflames I’m going to know who is behind it all and things are likely to escalate quickly. Leave town, even if just for a few days."