by Adam Elliott
“Well, if you’re not coming, I guess I have to,” Cayden said, picking up speed with his shield before him as he drew back his sword arm.
The kick to his instep nearly buckled Cayden’s entire leg as it brought him up short, a pair of short jabs bouncing off the upraised shield in a way that made Cayden’s bones hurt just thinking about it. The only thing the Warden didn’t attack with was its short sword; the weapon kept close to its body, its edge turned to intercept Cayden’s attack, parrying it aside almost effortlessly.
Ah, so that is how it is going to be. Cayden frowned. There was a name for the fighting style, and a player class that practiced it, but both eluded him as took his turn to put distance from the boss. It explained the comparatively low HP, even for an underleveled boss. The Warden fought with active mitigation the same way he did; only it used a blade as its shield and its other limbs as its weapons.
He might not remember the name of the style, but he remembered why he’d disqualified it early on in his decision about what to play. It was great at martial mitigation, but it sucked at fighting mages.
“Swing away, Celia.”
“What?” The girl asked in confusion.
“DPS. Do damage.” Cayden insisted.
“You know I’m the healer right?”
“Just do it,” Cayden called back at her, taking a quick sidestep to dodge another kick and position himself more squarely between Celia and the Warden officer.
“… Okay. You asked for it. Skill Use: If life, death.” Celia replied. Immediately, one of her hands came up, palm perpendicular to the floor. Magical energy began to flicker around her fingertips, and in an infinity symbol beneath her feet, as she intoned the words of magic in a steady cadence. “If there be light, then there is darkness; if cold, heat; if height, depth; if solid, fluid; if hard, soft; if rough, smooth; if calm, tempest; if prosperity, adversity. If life, death.”
As the last words fell from Celia’s mouth the lemniscate beneath her feet shattered the glow of its magic forming into her hand before dark tendrils snaked out to ensnare the Warden. Cayden watched with a mixture of curiosity and horror as the stone of the Warden weakened and cracked wherever it was touched by the tendrils, as though decaying before his very eyes.
The spell, though powerful, was nowhere near enough to kill the officer, but it was enough to get his attention. It feinted, drawing a block from Cayden before it moved to circumvent him, stopped only by a roar from Cayden’s lips as he taunted, pulling the monster’s focus right back where it belonged.
“Hit it again,” Cayden demanded, activating his Grasp the World ability moments before he absorbed another hail of the Warden’s blows with the surface of his shield.
Celia was correct that she wasn’t DPS. The damage done by her best combat spell was barely on par with mid-level magic from a damage focused class, and its rate of MP usage could be best described as garbage, but it got through the creature’s defenses in a way no physical attack was likely to, which made this a damage race. One they would win, so long as the Warden didn’t have a second phase or some mystery skill.
It did turn out to have a mystery skill, several in fact. Yet by the time the Warden began opening up with its illusionary duplicates and high damage combination attacks, the terracotta foe was already in the bottom quarter of its HP bar, while Cayden had saved up more than enough MP to unleash some damage dealing spells of his own.
The fight ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. Well, and also the bang of Cayden’s Explosive Wave runespell.
A quiet ding chimed at the back of Cayden’s AR display as the force of Cayden’s magic sent the body of the Warden officer flying, it’s limp and already half decayed body collapsing into ash as it struck the nearby wall.
“Did you just?” Celia asked.
“I think I did, yeah,” Cayden replied. If Celia heard him, she gave no indication, too busy inside the same menu Cayden was all too eager to delve into. It took only a few button presses before he was rewarded with:
You have reached Guardian Level 11
+40 HP
+20 TP
He double checked that the quest from Azazi remained unfinished, then grinned when it was confirmed. That boss was worth the equivalent of two full levels, probably to make up for the fact that they had no other way to level.
“Huh. You know, terrifying death event or no, I could get used to XP gains like these.” Celia said.
Before Cayden could reply, Silver’s voice cut in across his headset. “There you are! Are you guys alright?”
Cayden opened his mouth to reply, then closed it when he looked at the level range of his party. Only he and Celia had gained any XP for the encounter.
He was alright now, but he might not be once Michael and Shifty got their hands on him.
Chapter Fifteen
Day Two â Night
Resources â F â 290 +10, Z â 295 +15, M â 145 +5, P â 220 +20, R +10
Completed â Keep Repair II (Dungeon)
âWelcome home, Field Marshall.â
âValserys.â Cayden inclined his head in the other man’s direction as he entered the strategy room, doing a rather poor job of concealing just how startled he’d been by the Elan’s presence. âI didn’t expect anyone to still be up.â
“I estimated your time of arrival and slept accordingly once the evening turn was over.” The officer responded curtly, though for once Cayden was sure he could detect a sliver of a smile hidden just beneath the twists of that neon mustache.
“You’re going to teach me how to do that sometime.” The young man was not so hesitant with his smile as he moved to join his officer. “I twist and turn all evening.”
âAn old soldierâs trick I am afraid. Once you spend enough nights with a rock for a pillow and two hours before march, it becomes second nature.â Valserys shuffled to one side to allow Cayden extra room in front of the War Frame. âI’ve left open combat results for your perusal.â
âAppreciated.â He nodded. âHow’d we do, generally.â
“Well.” The stern man drew his attention to a window on the left side of the War Frame that contained the statistics most relevant to his query.
The Fighting First (Formation)
Type: Infantry (Elan)
Level: 1 (70% to Next Level)
Unit Count: 98/100
HP: 69/100
MP: 0/0
TP: 82/100
Bastion’s Second (Formation)
Type: Infantry (Elan)
Level: 1 (35% to Next Level)
Unit Count: 95/100
HP: 63/100
MP: 0/0
TP: 82/100
The Pointy Third (Formation)
Type: Infantry (Elan)
Level: 1 (30% to Next Level)
Unit Count: 100/100
HP: 75/100
MP: 0/0
TP: 82/100
The Undaunted Fourth (Formation)
Type: Infantry (Elan)
Level: 1 (20% to Next Level)
Unit Count: 99/100
HP: 74/100
MP: 0/0
TP: 82/100
Cayden winced as he studied the numbers before him. âThis is ‘well’?â
“When fighting an enemy that cannot suffer from negative morale? I’m afraid so, Field Marshall.” Valserys frowned. “The Wardens don’t rout the way a living soldier would. They still lose much of their combat effectiveness once their formation is broken, but even individual soldiers will fight to the last rather than turn tail for their safety.”
“From Hell’s Heart, they stab at thee.”
Valserys smiled wanly at the quote. “An apt description.” The Elan touched thoughtfully at the edge of his mustache. “I ought to give you more credit.”
âFor quoting Star Trek?â
âI was under the impression that quote came from a bloodline poet called Shakespeare?â
&nb
sp; âErr… yeah, that too.â Cayden laughed.
“Casualties may still rise as we finish the cleanup, as such we won’t have the final total until the midday turn, but I expect few if any additional losses.”
âThey didn’t attack on the evening turn then?â
“As you expected, Field Marshall, they did not,” Valserys confirmed.
“Well, I’ll take small blessing where I can get one,” Cayden said.
They’d known with near certainty that the Wardens would launch an attack to retake the entrance to the tomb on their midday turn, but what they’d had to count on was that the damaged Warden units wouldn’t launch a second attack in the evening if doing so would end up destroying their units. It was a gamble, but a fairly safe one.
It had proven correct. Unable or unwilling to suicide to deal damage, but with nowhere else to retreat, the Warden units just stood there, which meant that Cayden could have his units spend the next two turns defensively beating on heavily damaged Warden units, simultaneously soaking up the XP and minimizing casualties.
Valserys eyed him briefly, then turned his attention back to the displayed figures. âThe first influx of civilians began to arrive while you were gone. I took the liberty of conducting a census upon entry, and we’ve more than enough military capable lads to replace the ones we’ve lost in the field once the units return.â
As Cayden’s expression darkened, Valserys softened. âField Marshall… Cayden, if I may?â
Whatever dim path Cayden’s thoughts had begun to tread upon was lit bright as day by the mere sound of his name from the Elan’s lips. It was easily enough to snap him back into focus. âBy all means.â
âI didn’t think it was my place to interject when you and Lady Silver-â Cayden snorted at the word Lady, but Valserys continued unabated. â-were discussing this upon our arrival. But to some extent, she is correct.â
âI need to accept losses.â
âNo. You need to be willing to expend lives.â
Cayden blinked in surprise, but before he could speak, Valserys continued. âLet me be clear, I am not suggesting anything akin to the wanton disregard for Elan lives that she suggested.â That much was clear by the way his body language stiffened even discussing the idea. âBut she was correct that you cannot fight the way you are now.â
âWe’ve won every battle thus far.â Cayden pointed out.
âBy fighting not to lose.â Valserys shot back. âYou put yourself, Lady Silver, and by extension, all of us at risk to prevent a handful of casualties.â
âYou heard.â He winced.
“I did.” For the first time, it struck Cayden just how large the age gap between him and his advisor was. He’d been treating Valserys as a peer, despite the fact that the old soldier had at least a lifetime of experience on him. “And I understand why you did it. Just as you need to understand why you cannot continue this way.”
“Because I’m fighting not to lose,” Cayden repeated.
Valserys stepped away from the War Frame, pacing a short distance to look up at a nearby painting of the castle and its surrounding area. The elder man sighed briefly, one hand twirling the edge of his mustache as he searched for words.
âWhen I was just a tad older than you, I was given my first command. A hundred men with a focus on hunting and killing a band of brigands who had been going up and down the Teri-Taneth valley demanding protection money. I had a force that was more than sufficient to put down my enemy, but I was young and ambitious. I didn’t want to merely defeat my enemy; I wanted to crush him without losses.”
Valserys continued to study the image before him, as though it somehow bolstered his memory of the event. “It was a disaster, as you might be expecting. I didn’t suffer a single casualty, but the villages I had been sent to protect suffered hundreds. I spent days manoeuvring my men to pin the thieves against a river so that not a single one would escape, days that they spent pillaging and killing everything they could get their hands on.”
âPerfect is the enemy of the good.â
âQuite right Marshall. Quite right.â Valserys smiled. âWhat I’m saying is that I understand your reticence. I even appreciate it.â He gestured to the War Frame as he continued. âI’m sure the men do as well. But with everything that is at stake you cannot continue this way. Fighting not to lose means taking no risks, and making no sacrifices, even necessary ones.â
âI understand what you’re saying.â Cayden frowned. âI really do. It’s just… that isn’t me. I’m the guy who restarts a stage when I take replaceable losses, the one who keeps replaying over and over until I get a perfect result. I’m like that with little pixel men, and you’re asking me to knowingly send living people to their deaths.â
âTo save others.â The older man conceded. âIf you had these abilities, to try over and over again, my council would be different, I assure you. I am neither asking, nor suggesting that you throw away lives. Only that you measure them carefully against the lives of everyone, and everything else. And that as a result, assure that those that do fall, are doing so with purpose.â
The young man considered his elder for a moment, before at last nodding. âI’ll try.â
âThat is all I can ask of you, Field Marshall.â
âStill not willing to stick with Cayden?â
“No sir, no I am not,” Valserys replied, that hint of a smile once again frustratingly close on an otherwise serious face.
Chapter Sixteen
Day Four â Morning
Resources â Size 2, F â 320 +5, Z â 340 +15, M â 160 +5, I â 280 +20, P +25, R +10
Completed â Lower Township Repair III, Upper Township Repair I
“Gotta say, Roberta, this is one hell of an improvement.”
âWhy thank you Cayden.â His elfin advisor replied absently. She was focused on the task at hand, though apart from that focus, the process looked positively effortless. A swoop of one hand caused the air to glow, particles of glowing energy coalescing into iron nails that hovered in the air. At a command, the nails struck home, the barrage creating a staccato noise like gunfire as they pierced the wooden frame that itself had been held in place only by the force of the Elan’s will.
He watched as the process repeated itself twice more, then as new joists levitated to the top of the now solid frame. Cayden had to admit; he was impressed. What might have taken a modern building crew hours to do properly, she was doing in seconds.
Hundreds of similar buildings in various stages of completion lined the streets of what had been a ruined city only days before. Even more encouragingly, dozens of new citizens could be seen on their way up or down the common road, most moving with a decided purpose in their steps, busy on one task or another.
Apparently satisfied, Roberta lowered her hand and at last opened her eyes, turning away from the half-finished building to grace Cayden with a smile. “Come to survey your kingdom, Field Marshall?”
âI-â Cayden started, about to frown when the teasing dimples at Roberta’s cheeks gave up her mischief. âNo, I just wanted your advice and didn’t want to drag you all the way back to the keep.â He admitted, before adding. âThough now that you mention it, it probably wouldn’t hurt for the workers to see me once in a while. Perhaps I ought to put on a hard hat and kiss a few babies?â
Roberta stared at him in bafflement.
âIt’s a thing that human politicians… you know what, nevermind.â
“I seldom do,” Roberta replied. She took a brief aside to direct a few workers to attend to the work she’d started, discarded the heavy workman gloves that seemed entirely unnecessary for someone who was doing no real work with her hands, then turned her attention fully to Cayden. “How can I be of help.”
“Well, we’ve got some short-term planning to do an
d some long-term planning. Where do you think we should start?”
âWhat was it that Shifty said the other night? Dealer’s choice?â Roberta grinned.
âIt still amazes me that Elan never developed card games.â Cayden murmured. Of all the oddities he’d experienced inside the tower, walking in on Shifty and Silver attempting to teach Valserys and Roberta how to play poker the previous evening was still surprisingly high on the list.
At least it hadn’t been strip poker.
“Let’s start short and go long,” Cayden announced, shaking his head vigorously to clear that particular mental image away. âThe War Frame tells me the city grew overnight. We’re now Size 2?â
âI thought it might, with the new housing all complete.â She replied. âDid you bring it with you?â
âIt?â He asked with some confusion.
âThe War Frame.â
Cayden’s eyebrows raised. Her voice sounded serious, but the question was nonsense. âNo Roberta. I did not carry the War Frame down to see you.â
âWhat?â It was her turn for incredulity, followed swiftly by a roll of her eyes. âCayden, you do realize that the War Frame is portable, yes?â
âI… did not.â He admitted.
“That explains why you left it behind with Valserys…” Roberta thought aloud, the pieces of what must have seemed like bizarre behavior from her perspective now falling into place. “I’ll join you there this evening and show you how. It shrinks down to a miniature of itself on command.”
Cayden balked at the explanation. âIs there anything else about the Frame I don’t know that I ought to?â
âI had thought to ask you the same thing, Field Marshall.â
âTonight then.â Cayden frowned. âBack somewhat more on topic.â
âYou’d like suggestions on where to focus the new citizens.â
He nodded âHit it in one.â
The growth in size had opened up a new set of options on the War Frame when he’d gone to check on it that morning. He’d found a banner in the miniature courtyard, a banner that represented the new citizens of Bastion. The moment he’d touched it, the Frame had drawn back, giving him an aerial view of the city and its surroundings, with each hex labeled with a small indicator to inform him what sort of resources it would produce.