The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  “The decaemur knight will open the portal. It will most likely be destroyed instantly, but I will gain control of the portal as soon as it is opened. Once the gateway is stabilized, it might connect instantly to the lich’s domain or it might take a few seconds. I cannot know beforehand. I hope that it will deposit you at the top of the Mausoleum, but if it does not, you will have to fight your way to the top while you keep the hordes below from swarming you from behind.”

  “I have something that might help with that,” Richter told her. He showed them the Flammable Life Oil. “It causes eighty-five points of damage a second, and it does a whole lot more against Death creatures. By my calculations, the undead should lose almost three hundred points per second. Only problem is that it won’t last long. After I go through, I’ll smash a few of these on the steps behind us. Once I light it on fire, it should slow down the undead climbing the steps to get to us.”

  “That is a good thought, but do not use them all at once. The memory you shared showed more staircases on at least two other sides of the pyramid. Blocking the staircase nearest to you will buy you time, but you will still have to move quickly. If you are there too long, they will flank and overwhelm you.”

  “That’s why I’m counting on Mr Key to the City there,” Richter motioned to the mauler. “I have a few other ideas as well.”

  “Very good,” Hisako stated, grabbing the reins of the conversation again. “After the portal is open, Lord Richter will send the Labyrinth monster through the portal and will follow with a small group of fighters. Remember, the goal is to kill the lich, not to destroy his entire army. If the passage of the first wave of fighters does not have too much of a detrimental effect then we will send the Dungeon beasts through to attack.”

  This was a small point of contention, and Hisako raised her concerns to Richter a final time, “I completely agree that using your Call of the Dungeon to open the portal here is wise. There is always a chance that the lich’s forces might try to cross through here and, if the worst occurs, we can hold them off from the Barbican. As many benefits as there are to opening the portal here, however, I still question the wisdom of sending the Dungeon’s beasts through the portal as the second wave of attackers. You must remember that every person who crosses through the gateway will decrease the time I can keep it open. Every beast you send through increases the risk that you will be left on the other side with thousands of undead.” Her eyes flicked to her son, “That all of you will be left there. The damage a level twelve beast can inflict is much less than any one of my warriors. Might it not be more prudent to only send our strongest warriors?”

  She and Richter had already had this argument. He couldn’t deny that she was right. A Professed Sprite Warrior would definitely worth more than the Dungeon beasts, but the beasts were replaceable. The men and women of the allied forces were not. Richter knew that the lich had to be destroyed, but if he could have completed the mission risking no other life than his own, he would have. The chaos seed had grown a great deal though, and had finally learned he could not handle every problem himself, and that when he tried, others could still get hurt. He would lead his people and his allies into battle, but he would do everything he could to keep them alive. If that meant using the Dungeon monsters as battle fodder, he was only sorry there were not more of them to sacrifice. The other bonus was that while the beasts would worsen the portal’s instability, it was a one-way trip for them, and they would not need to factor in the effect of a return journey.

  Hisako was completely right about the beasts being outclassed though. The undead in Nien’s memory looked formidable. They didn’t have any information on the enemy’s exact levels, but they had been chosen to guard the Mausoleum out of the thousands of undead that were nearby. There was no doubt in any of their minds that the lich’s guardians would be extremely tough. In contrast, some of the Dungeon beasts were only level eight. Richter had already thought about that though, and had taken steps to even the odds.

  “I’ve had Roswan smearing Sun Lotus Poison on all of their tusks, spines, claws and quills. It will do fifty to seventy damage a second to any undead that get infected, if that’s the right word, for fifteen seconds. I agree that the beasts probably won’t last long, but it they do any damage at all, they might take some high level undead down with them.”

  Hisako nodded, “Very well. As I said, I am hoping that the portal opens at the top of the Mausoleum, but we are changing the spell slightly by forcing it open for an extended period. No matter where it appears, you must use part of your forces to protect it at all costs. If you lose that position, even if you destroy the lich, you may not be able to return.”

  Richter nodded. She had made that point abundantly clear before. That was why there were four ten-ton blocks of marbled quartz in front of the Barbican and forty mist workers to move them. There were also a collection of small boulders and ten more mist workers to carry those. If they were going to appear at the top of the Mausoleum, there was no reason he shouldn’t make gravity work for him and send the enemies below a few presents.

  The chaos seed had described the metal structure of the Mausoleum to Zarr and asked if the dwarf could make some sort of wall to keep the undead army back, if only for a little while. The geomancer said he could affect the shape of metal, but that it was much harder to use that medium than stone. In this particular case, it might also be impossible as the metal in question was part of a Core building.

  They had come up with another option. The dwarf said he could slightly alter the shapes of even large blocks of stone a small amount without too much difficulty. He could soften the bottoms of the marbled quartz blocks so that they could conform to the shape of the steps. He could even make a magic mortar that would bind them there for a short time.

  From the image in Nien’s memory, they had guesstimated that the central stairway was about twenty feet across. Each of the white stones was five feet by four by three. If Zarr could get them in place, then the allied forces could establish a combat fort to defend the portal. It would only offer protection from the undead climbing up the stairway, but seeing as how the several thousand-strong undead army would be somewhere below them, it was definitely worth doing.

  The only problem was that none of them knew if the Mausoleum would inhibit Zarr’s Earth magic. Both Earth and Water bordered Life magic in the Basic Element mandala, and so either could be inhibited by the Core building’s powers. If that turned out to be the case, the Mage would be almost helpless and had no place in this battle. They just had to hope that was not the case, because if Zarr couldn’t help, then it might come down to hand-to-hand combat against thousands of undead. Only time would tell.

  “Are you ready, Zarr?” Richter asked simply.

  The dwarf looked back silently, the weight of his responsibility clear in his eyes. Richter could see the hesitation and doubt, but then Zarr received what all heroes need. Someone they can’t afford to disappoint. “Of course, he is,” Quasea answered for him placing her hand in his. Zarr looked back at her with an expression that left no doubt about the burgeoning romance between the two of them.

  “Of course, I am,” Zarr echoed, meeting Richter’s gaze, his voice sure and strong.

  Hisako nodded and continued, “The rest of our forces will remain behind and will only enter the portal if needed. The most important thing is speed. You must hurry. In addition to the portal’s instability, remember that I will be draining mana from my people to fuel the spell. The longer you take, the more I must drain them. If I drain too much, the mana deficit will not only prevent them from imbuing their arrows, but it will also make it hard for them to think.”

  Richter knew exactly what she was talking about. Bottoming out your mana was like a tequila hangover. It was a “bad experience.” Hisako met the eyes of everyone gathered to make sure they understood her. Once she was satisfied, she reached into her robes and withdrew a small plant. It was a green sprig with two leaves sprouting from it. Both were round
and slightly concave. Richter’s Herb Lore skill triggered.

  You have found:

  Twinleaf of Zanlu Tree

  Durability: 7/7

  Herb Class: Scarce

  Herb Quality: Succulent

  Weight: 0.03 kg

  Uses:

  Novice: Can aid against sonic attacks

  Initiate: Component of an itch salve

  Apprentice: When separated and ingested, allows for psychic long-distance communication

  “You have got to give me one of these trees when we’re done,” Richter told her. She had just given the strike force comms!

  A faint smile creased her serious face. “That can be arranged.”

  “Just how much distance are we talking here?” Richter asked, looking at leaves.

  “That is dependent on the Herb Lore skill of those involved. My own is master rank and so herbs are 312% more effective. You are an apprentice, correct?” Richter nodded; it was his second-most advanced skill at level forty. “Then, factoring in the succulent quality of the leaves, it will allow us to communicate across several miles for several hours. More than enough in both distance and time to use during the battle, but only as long as the portal is open. Once it closes,”

  “My black butt better be back,” Richter interrupted with a smirk. Even on the eve of battle, alliteration was fun.

  “Quite,” she said told him, with a faint smile. She explained that Richter just had to think of the person he wanted to address and the herb would carry his thoughts. She only had two more of the scarce herb which she used to make a bond between herself and Yoshi, and between Yoshi and Richter. Testing them out, they worked perfectly, though the mental communication had a distinctly different “flavor” than what he could do with his Psi Bond.

  “Well then,” Richter pronounced. “The time has come.”

  A few minutes later, Richter had handed out the potions to the initial strike force. Unfortunately, there were only enough health potions for most of the fighters to receive one each. He also gave a special bottle to Sion with very specific instructions. The sprite had looked at him like he was crazy, but had agreed and accepted the item.

  While that was happening, Yoshi formed a warband. The half-sprite’s journeyman rank in War Leader made him a Battle Leader, allowing him to lead hundreds of fighters. This time though, the attack squad was only twenty strong. It included Yoshi, his second-in-command Damien, Richter, Caulder, Sion, Kentyiro, the Mist Village Warriors, the Rogue Hanso and two of the village’s Mages, Quasea and Zarr. The rest of the party were made up of sprite Professionals that had undergone the Uddo Rengai, the Hearth Tree’s equivalent of special forces training. Terrod’s jaw was tight watching the war party form and being excluded from it, but the man would do his duty.

  All conversation ceased as a grumbling and almost tearful Beyan walked through the Barbican with his undead pet in tow. Sumiko handed over the finger bone of eldritch magic. Beyan looked at her in anger, blaming her for the loss of his decaemur knight. What he saw in her face disarmed him though. For once, there was no derision when she looked at the necromancer. Seeing the pain the Death mage was in, she felt nothing but sympathy. Richter hadn’t really considered that Beyan might be emotionally attached to the decaemur knight, but seeing the gnome now, he realized he should have. The knight had been Beyan’s loyal companion through many battles. Richter had emotionally bonded with the shale adder and still missed it. Why couldn’t a necromancer bond with an undead?

  As upset as Beyan was, he didn’t hesitate to do what he had agreed to, for the good of the village and for his liege. He gave the bone to the knight and had it walk forward, until it was almost obscured by a column. Then he gave it a final order. It looked at the glowing green bone in its hand. For a moment, nothing happened. Then it was silently enveloped in green flames and the Dungeon filled with the sounds of torment.

  A wailing like the keening of tortured souls filled the air, seeming to come from the skeleton’s gaping mouth. It stood there, burning and screaming, as a ragged line of neon green energy appeared in front of the knight. Every member of the allied forces cringed and several of the beasts wet themselves in fear. The only person completely undaunted was the Hearth Mother.

  She looked down from her place atop the battlements and raised both hands. Her expression was implacable, allowing for neither doubt nor failure. Though she stood only four feet tall, her presence towered over them all. The air was thrumming with energy, a feeling that spiked as twin beams of golden Life energy shot from her fingers towards the rent in space. It writhed, like a living thing seeking escape, but soon began to stabilize. The neon green color of the rip began to soften and gold tinges could be seen here there. Through it all, the decaemur knight had stood in place, its bones blackening in the eldritch flame. Then, all of a sudden, the bones of the decaemur knight exploded outward, small shards flying in every direction. The undead had been utterly destroyed. From its unnatural life essence, the portal to the Mausoleum was born.

  In the first second, it was as tall as a man. In the next, it was as high as the battlements. A moment later, it shrunk to four feet in height. All that could be seen inside of it was a chaotic sea of green energy that was occasionally tinged with gold. The portal kept fluctuating, but as Hisako poured more magic into the gateway, the neon green of eldritch magic was slowly replaced with the warm gold of Life. The doorway began to stabilize and a faint but fetid stink poured through it into the cavern. The scent of death filled everyone’s mouths and nostrils. Sumiko raised her arms as well, and two more beams of Life energy struck the gate, anchoring the magic on their plane.

  Richter’s attention was laser-focused on the portal, but he still couldn’t ignore it when Futen suddenly flared with light and a prompt appeared in his vision.

  Your actions have led to an update to the Quest: Unlock your Power III

  By opening a portal to challenge the eldritch lich Singh, you have contested one of the greatest threats in your domain. The ripples of this action will spread through the River Peninsula and perhaps the world, but one thing cannot be denied. If you are successful, it will change the balance of power in this region and will awaken one, perhaps both, of your remaining Powers! You are committed. This Quest cannot be refused!

  Success Conditions: Defeat the Lich.

  Optional Success Conditions:

  Deliver the Final Death to the Lich.

  Destroy the source of his Power.

  Reward: Unlock 1 or 2 of your Powers.

  Penalty for failure or refusal of Quest: Cannot be refused.

  Fare thee well, Master of the Mist Village!

  Really, Richter thought to himself. Now?

  That was what Richter wanted to ask Futen, but there was no more time for questions. Hisako spoke into his mind via the power of the twinleaf, *Be ready! The portal will stabilize any second!*

  He dismissed the quest prompt, not even having time to think about the repercussions of killing the lich, of what it would mean for his people, of the new dangers and monsters it would bring. What he had to focus on now was the danger the lich posed. That was all he had time for.

  *I’m ready,* he responded to Hisako, his mental voice strong and unyielding. They weren’t idle words. No matter what the portal would ultimately show, he would meet it head on. The gateway was barely fluctuating now and seemed to be stabilizing at about fifteen feet in height. Richter prepared to rush through with his bow in hand, but then a thought occurred to him. A question that he might never be able to ask again. *Hisako,* he mentally projected. *I have to know something.*

  Her response was tight with strain, but also softened by love and respect. She knew he might never come back through the portal, and if he needed to share final words, then she would listen, *What is it, my ally?*

  Richter paused for just a moment before asking, *That curse you cast on me the night before the party, when you made all the soul stones, that wasn’t real, right?*

  *Now! You want
to discuss this now?!* her voice was a whistling shout in his mind. Only the Universe knew that she was apeing his own sentiments of just moments before.

  *I need to know if you did something to me as a joke, but forgot to reverse it. I’m going into battle!*

  She sent the psychic equivalent of an irritated grumble, but still answered, *It was only a jest. The magic was real, but all it did was negate the effects of any herbs you would have taken for the next twelve hours.*

  Richter sighed in relief. He had been pretty sure she’d been joking, but sprites had a real weird sense of humor. He focused back on the portal, which, with a flash of light, stabilized and locked into position. Through the gateway, he could see a view of grey metal steps, so dark they were almost black. Nothing else could be seen. He realized the portal must not be upright but was at angle. It was the kind of irritating, real-life detail that they just never accounted for on Stargate. Still the gateway was ready and there was a battle to be fought.

  With a shouted, “For the Mist!” he ordered the mauler through the portal and jumped through himself. As he cleared the portal, Hisako’s last words echoed again in his mind and, for the first time, true fear gripped his heart.

  Oh shit! The star zenia!

  CHAPTER 99 – Day 150 – Kuborn 39, 0 AoC

  When Richter landed on the steps, the mauler was already roaring, and he had no more time to worry about contraception. The Labyrinth monster had already been struck with two arrows. While that would have been completely ignored by Richter’s pet, eldritch energy was worming out from each wound. The arrows were obviously enchanted and were causing more damage every second.

  Alma launched herself into the air. Her wings flapped quickly and soon her black armor made her impossible to spot against the ceiling high above. As she flew, she fed everything she saw to Richter, giving him another perspective as he quickly took stock. Above and behind the Mausoleum, he could see the cruel-faced statue of what Hisako had thought was an Exile, a member of either the Light or Dark Court, towering above them all. Neon green magic was being siphoned off each of the four arms and was accumulating in a massive ball of snapping energy in front of it.