The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  The last dregs of life drained from the chupacabra the adder had choked to death, allowing Alma to become aware of what was happening once again. She immediately cast about for her master and seeing Richter running towards the giant monster, she called to him in a panic. *Master! What are you doing?*

  He didn’t take his eyes off of the mauler, but he did spare a thought for her. His voice was gentle when he replied, *What I have to, my love.* Then he ignored anything else she had to say. His feet touched down on the mauler’s back and the creature noticed him for the first time. It redoubled its efforts to free its arms and a crack appeared in the side of the stone tomb that ran the length of its cage. Richter smiled with malicious anticipation.

  Too late, motherfucker!

  If Star Wars was right, there was only one way to kill a rancor-type monster. With a savage yell, he jumped off its back, sailing towards its head. His Cloud Running skill activated, letting him almost fly through the air with Black Ice held in both hands. With every ounce of his Strength, screaming in rage, he plunged the powerful weapon through the top of the monster’s head! Even with its high defense, it couldn’t resist the magically enhanced blade made of a level two metal. The entire weapon sank through its head and exited through the roof of its mouth while it screamed in pain. Richter grinned in intense satisfaction. He’d done it!

  That nice moment lasted 2.42 seconds. That was the exact amount of time it took for the rancor to rip one of its arms free, the stone cage exploding outward, and reach up with its gargantuan hand. It grabbed Richter, piercing his stomach with a talon the size of a pickaxe. Its talon punched through his armor like tissue paper, passed through his body and then exited out the other side, narrowly missing his spine.

  Blood fountained from the chaos seed’s mouth, spewing over the mauler’s head. Then he was flying through the air, having been thrown away like garbage. His Named Weapon remained embedded in the creature’s skull. The mauler had lost over a thousand health, but that meant nothing compared to the twenty-five hundred points it still had left.

  As Richter flew through the air, his body broken, he had time for one thought before impact. Fuck you, Lucas! Then he hit the ground hard enough to bounce twice. Darkness overtook him.

  Alma sped through the air, ignoring the mauler that had now gotten a leg free as well. The Labyrinth monster stared death at the creature that had hurt it. A creature that just so happened to be her master.

  *Stupid, stupid, stupid!* she thought to him with a cry. Her little heart broke at seeing blood run out of him so fast. The Dungeon drank it greedily, finding that it had a particular taste for the chaos seed’s life essence. Tears leaked from Alma’s eyes as a golden glow surrounded her quivering body. She cast Weak Slow Heal, Minor Slow Heal, Minor Stabilize, Summon Weak Life Wisp and Summon Weak Gold Fox in quick succession. Her mana dropped by two hundred and sixty-five points, but that was nothing compared to her total mana pool of almost a thousand. A roar sounded behind her as the mauler got its other arm free. Only one leg was still bound. She didn’t care. Richter was her life, and she would gladly sacrifice her own to save his. Perched atop her master’s chest, the cat-sized dragonling hissed at the gigantic monster, warning it to stay away.

  Healing magic slammed into Richter’s body and, impossibly, the bowling ball-sized hole in his body began to close. Ulinde and Sion abandoned their useless barrage and raced towards Richter’s prone form, hoping they could save him. Caulder stared after them, yearning to run to his liege, but the soldier was a consummate professional and did as he had been ordered, protecting Quasea and Zarr. Both casters were suffering from spell fatigue, having overexerted themselves with their strongest magics. They could still cast, but their concentration had taken a serious hit, making spell miscasts much more likely. Yoshi remained with the Hearth Mother, who had downed another mana potion and was starting to cast one of her strongest spells.

  Sumiko was pouring healing magic into the injured as fast as possible, but though she had initially been able to heal the wounds caused by the chupacabras, the wounds had begun to fester. All three melee Warriors, Terrod and even Randolphus had black lines spreading from their wounds. Whatever had been in the monsters’ bites and claws acted like a poison and a blood thinner. No sooner had the bleeding in one stopped than it began in another. Their health was falling so fast that she was having to hopscotch between patients.

  The Healer frantically waved at Roswan, who was still standing near the portal to the Entrance Chamber. More mist workers formed and began to carry the wounded to safety. She downed her last mana potion even as she poured more magic into prolonging the lives of the wounded. The sprite cast a worried glance at Richter’s body across the cavern, but the mauler was almost free. She wouldn’t help anyone if she rushed forward and was killed by the creature. Instead, she stayed with her patients, saving the lives that she could and telling herself that even if Richter died, he would be reborn. The tears falling from her eyes gave lie to the false comfort.

  Yoshi stared at the mauler as it finally freed itself. He had already decided that if it got close enough, he would trigger his strongest attack, Flurry of Blades. For three seconds, the damage and speed of his attacks would increase dramatically. The attack drained 45% of his max stamina, and would probably have no effect against the mauler, but it might give Hisako the time she needed to escape. He had taken a small wound from the chupacabra as well, and blood ran down his side even as magical poison ate away at his organs. The sword adept still stood tall, fueled by an iron will and an unyielding dedication to the focal principle of his life. He would stand between his loved ones and those that would do them harm. He would stand tall until the last beat of his heart and shout, “No.”

  He glared at the monster that had endured his strongest attack, both blades held at the ready. His chest heaved, struggling to draw in air as he readied himself for the last moments of his life. Yoshi glared at the mauler as it glared at Richter.

  While all of this was happening, Hisako had been preparing some of her strongest healing magic. Only the secret adept rank perk of her Light Magic skill let her cast magic so far away from her target. She had already cast a diagnostic spell, and knew that while Alma’s quick healing had prolonged Richter’s life, it wasn’t enough to ensure it. A roar almost made her miscast, but she finished her spell, sending a bolt of healing energy at her ally that was one-part lifesaving, one-part electric shock. Even though she finished her casting, her face drained of blood. The mauler was free and her spell had drawn its attention. It had abandoned its focus on Richter and was coming straight for her.

  Hisako used almost all of her remaining mana to summon a protective wall. It was the same spell of golden light she had used to defend against the bugbear attack months before. The shield was ten yards wide, ten high and three deep. The spell was active, so she could feed more mana into it, but it also meant she would suffer horribly if the spell form was destroyed.

  *Wake up, master! Wake up!* Alma had been screaming into her master’s mind. Her voice could not reach him, but Hisako’s electrifying healing magic made him feel like he’d just been jump started by a car battery. His wound healed completely and pain shot through his heart. As Alma screamed as loudly as she could, *MASTER! WAKE UP!* his eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly.

  “Ahhhhh!” Richter screamed, grabbing at his heart. “Who’s been dancing on my chest?” he shouted, looking around wildly. He had lost a massive amount of blood and his wits were addled, but the mauler’s roar brought it all flooding back. His hand shot down to his abdomen, expecting to find a bloody hole. Instead, his fingers found only tender, unbroken skin. It didn’t escape his notice that there was a bowling ball-sized hole in his chest armor.

  “Richter!” Hisako screamed. “We need to leave! I cannot hold it back!” Putting proof to her belief, the mauler attacked. That very first blow made cracks in the transparent gold barrier, and Hisako felt it like a spike into her brain. Another blow shook the shield and
a small vessel in the Hearth Mother’s eye exploded, flooding the white orb with blood.

  “Richter!” Hisako cried again, but weaker this time. She let loose a grunt as she was forced to one knee by another hammering blow. Yoshi prepared, both blades ready and pointing towards the mauler, poised to attack the moment his lady’s magic failed. Blood flowed freely from one of her nostrils, tracing over her lips and chin. The other party members had all retreated to the shimmering energy field that would let them leave the Dungeon and hopefully escape. They all knew that if they lost this battle though, there was no guarantee that the mauler wouldn’t follow them and enact a horrible revenge.

  Richter blinked in confusion, but started getting up. Hisako called out one final time, her voice cracking as her mind was overwhelmed, feeding mana into a defense that was too weak to withstand the fury of the behemoth before her. “This reptile is beyond us!” she cried as she collapsed to the ground. Few in The Land would have had the pure will needed to maintain her spell while suffering the agony that racked her body, even as the mauler continued its Rage-fueled attack.

  Her final words pierced the haze his near-death had conjured. Richter stood, Alma flying up into the air, ready for whatever he needed her to do. Yoshi dropped his swords once the Hearth Mother fell to both knees and, cradling her, began running towards the portal. The defensive spell moved with them but the mauler followed, continuing to rain blows on the golden shield and the Life Master’s mind. More cracks appeared with every blow, and Hisako let out a low moan of suffering.

  At Caulder’s order, the rest of the party had retreated to the entrance portal with the wounded. They were bleeding and battered, but still were unwilling to abandon the two Masters, not until Caulder made it an order. A lifetime of leading soldiers gave the sergeant’s voice a snap that could not be refused. He planned to see them to safety, then return for his liege, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

  Another blow struck the shield, and this time the cracks spread from one edge of the shield to the other. The mauler’s talon punctured the defense, only to be stopped by the last fading integrity of Hisako’s magic. The sprite Master nearly lost control, but managed to pour the last drops of her mana into her spell. It was clear to everyone that the next attack would destroy the only thing keeping them safe.

  Richter made a decision. He began running towards the mauler once again. Alma flew above him.

  *What are you doing, master?* There was panic in her voice. She was sure her love was once again about to do something stupid. *If we bond, I can keep you safe!*

  *What I have to, my love,* came his reply. His tone was resigned to whatever would happen. *I need you to distract the mauler with a Psi Blast. Do this for me and we can win!* He hoped she couldn’t hear the lie in his words. While he did need the creature to be distracted, the real reason he wouldn’t bond with her was because he would probably be dead within the next sixty seconds. He could live with that, but he would not take her with him.

  The mauler drew back its arm to attack one more time, and Richter triggered his Ring of Shadow Shift. He had promised himself that he’d never enter the Shadow Realm again at less than full strength, but there was no choice. Once again, the contrast of light and dark was enhanced and the shadows seemed to reach for him. Richter wasted no time, stepping into the shadow cast by the floating red gem at the center of the cavern and a broken red column sticking up like a decayed tooth. The mauler’s arm arced down to steal the lives of his friends and family, but then time slowed to a crawl. The monster’s descending claw slowed like it was moving through honey. Alma slowly beat her wings, her mouth open in a silent scream of protest at him risking his life yet again. A countdown timer appeared on the side of his interface showing the five seconds of “real time” he had to exit the Shadow Realm.

  The mauler roared in fury, but it sounded like a distant echo to Richter. The counter ticked down to four. The chaos seed tensed, remembering the shadow bat that had done him so much damage, but he didn’t see any shadow creatures and he didn’t plan on staying around long enough to be found and attacked.

  As the boss’s arm continued to slowly fall, Richter ran up behind it as quickly as his aching body would allow. With the time-dilating effects of the Shadow Realm, he had more than enough time to cross the chamber. Once he was in position, he took two items from his Bag of Holding. The first was the last silver potion in the village. He downed the Potion of Selak’s Luck in one go. He’d need every ounce he could get if he was going to trade his soul for the lives of his people.

  The next item he summoned from the interdimensional space of his bag was a simple, innocuous brown leather pouch. As was so often the case, however, it was what was inside that counted. He had never used this item before because of the massive danger it posed, but as his granddaddy always used to say, “Don’t worry about spilling water when you’re on a sinking ship.”

  It was time to roll the dice.

  The chaos seed opened the pouch as the counter ticked down, showing he had only two seconds of real time left. A sound like the slow and muted breaking of glass reverberated through the Shadow Realm. The mauler’s arm had connected with Hisako’s shield and the magic was shattering. Richter turned his head to look at the Hearth Mother. He saw that even in her confused state, there was an expression of profound sadness upon her face. Yoshi’s head was turned away and he was hunched over his liege, using his own body as a shield, loyal to the last.

  Richter began to scream in rage that he was too late, but then he saw something that he had missed before. Lying almost at the mauler’s feet, there was movement. Two eyes phased into existence as the Harbinger made sure that this invader would regret coming into its Dungeon. With his heart thudding in his chest, the timer ticked down to “1.” Two heartbeats later, a smile grew on his face. In the slowed time of the Shadow Realm, Richter could tell that the high steel adder was moving up faster than the mauler’s arm was falling down. He nodded in appreciation at his old pet even though it couldn’t see it. The snake had given him the only thing he needed to defeat his enemy.

  Hope.

  Without much time left, Richter poured sparkling red powder into his hand.

  Be warned! Using magic beyond your skill level can have serious consequences. Do you truly wish to use Blood crystal to augment your Blood Magic? Yes or No?

  Grimly, Richter entered the fortifications of his mindscape and thought through his decision one more time. There was only one thing he knew that could save him, the Deeper Magic of Blood. If he could tame the mauler, he could make it his own. The problem was that the creature’s level was so high that he couldn’t even see it with Analyze. That meant its level was at least fifty or higher.

  The success of his Tame spell was normally dependent on his skill level in Beast Bonding vs the level of the creature in front of him. If the mauler’s level had been equal to his skill level of eight, there would have been a fifty-fifty chance to ensnare it. In the best-case scenario, if the mauler was level fifty he would have a 14% chance to win. The only thing that gave Richter any hope was his own Dragonkin nature and his bond to Alma. They gave him another +20 and +14 levels when taming a reptile. It could increase his chances to almost 50%... if the mauler’s level was as low as he prayed.

  Richter knew that wasn’t the case.

  That was why, in this realm of shadow, he was preparing to risk his very sanity. There was one way to make his Blood magic stronger… but there would be a cost. When Sion had shown him the patch of Blood crystal growing in the crystal garden, Richter had known it was powerful. The prompt he’d gained had proved the same, but as with all things in The Land, power and danger were close bedfellows. He had already lost himself once to the fury of Blood magic. What would happen if he used the red crystal to greatly magnify its effect? How could it not increase the cost as well?

  This fear was why he had never used the Blood crystal before. He had been content to simply wait until his skill was higher before he
tried to tame stronger monsters. As the countdown ticked down to “1” though, he knew his time had run out. Richter looked at the prompt again and chose “Yes.”

  The Blood crystals rose from his hand and formed a mini tornado. It flared slightly, as if lit by unseen lightning, but even this light was muted by the Shadow Realm. Before Richter could do anything, the crystals shot into his eyes, nose and mouth. The whites of his eyes grew blood red and his hands began to tremor uncontrollably.

  In his mindscape, Richter’s avatar saw a tidal wave of blood sweep over the surrounding forest and break over the village. It covered everything he could see in thick red liquid, reaching almost to the ramparts of his mental fortification. If not for the defenses he’d created with Alma, he would be drowning in rage and emotion. Though it was just a mental construct, Richter couldn’t help but shiver at hearing the lapping of the blood waves.

  You have used Blood Crystal to augment your Blood Magic! The +25% boost to your Blood magic spellpower is increased a further +25% as this crystal was grown from your own blood.

  Know This! A Blood Coven has noticed that higher Blood magic has been accessed. They seek the one who infringes upon their domain.

  Know This! Your Necklace of Scry Defense protects you from their tracking magic.

  Power surged through him! His Blood Magic flared in his soul, demanding to be used. It was only his mental defenses and his Self-Awareness skill that allowed him to retain his sense of self, that allowed him to remain free from the unfettered emotion of the Deeper Magic. Not much time remained for him to stay in the Shadow Realm. Sighing, and praying that he wasn’t about to become a red smear on the ground, he stepped into a nearby shadow cast by a pillar.