by Adam Elliott
âYou something like think that will put her down?â Cayden scoffed, putting his back into a shoulder rush as he drove one of the officer’s bodyguards back into the path of a mighty uppercut from Asch. âCheck her HP. She is barely under half!â
As if on cue, Sarah’s voice echoed from the top floor of the burning building, a blur of motion erupting from its roof. “Personal Skill Use: Dragon Hammer Flash: Disaster!”
The officer had been under no more illusion that his attack had killed Sarah than Cayden had, but his preparedness meant nothing in the face of Sarah’s speed. The spear came up to meet Sarah as she plummeted from the sky, but she dodged its point with an almost disdainful ease. It would have still been enough to keep her from her intended target if he had been her intended target to begin with.
Instead, the falling ax kick scythed clean through the torso of the officer’ mount, killing the statuesque creature in a single instant and dropping its rider unceremoniously to the ground. Just in time for Sarah to lay a knee to his chest and begin a positively epic beatdown.
If what had come before was superhuman to the point of absurdity, the beating Sarah laid to the officer was charmingly in the realm of reality. It had more in common with a UFC fight night than some Shonen anime, her slender body pressing down onto the officer with all of its weight, while her fists and elbows engaged in good old-fashioned ground and pound that would have been right at home in any back ally brawl.
There was no skill used, let alone any skill use as Sarah rained blows down upon her pinned opponent. It wasn’t even much of a fight, with Sarah in her element and the officer entirely out of his. If nothing else it reminded him of how far downhill a game of Dungeons and Dragons could go once a player figured out the grapple rules. A referee would have stopped the fight, and despite the danger, they were all in, Cayden couldn’t help but mutter a quote under his breath. “Stop, stop. He’s already dead.”
If only it were so simple.
A lance of stone erupted from just out of view, the head of it catching Sarah cleanly in the abdomen as she drew back for another punch. The force of the magic sent the blue haired girl sprawling, her HP dropping precipitously into the red.
Its source was nearby, the robe-clad Warden already working his hands through the motions of another spell that might have been enough to finish the job. And Cayden was in no position to stop him.
“No, you don’t! Personal Skill Use: Throw Object!” The words were Dinah’s, punctuated by a grunt of exertion as that enormous great ax left her outstretched fingers. It tumbled end over end towards a mage who was suddenly far less interested in completing his spell than he was remaining alive. The caster threw himself sideways, narrowly avoiding the scything blade as it embedded itself in the wall of a nearby business.
“Return!” Dinah instructed, the weapon rematerializing in her hand, it’s owner already at a full run towards the mage. “I’ve got him; you cover her!”
âSarah! I’ve got… damnit!â Cayden swore. He was too late.
Potions, like most MMO consumables, were limited in their use. You could drink any potion you wanted, but once you did, there was a timed period before you could use another. In Babel, this took the form of toxicity. If he were to take another potion within a few minutes of his first one, the second would apply a potion effect commensurate to the strength of the benefit the potion could have provided. Drinking too many potions could literally poison you to death, so if you were going to use one, always use the best.
Which made it immensely frustrating to watch as Sarah finished downing one of her quick slotted items, a medium strength potion that didn’t even return her to half health, rather than the full healing elixir he held in his hand.
“Just cannot catch a break tonight,” Cayden growled, sweeping aside the downswing of a hammer as one of the small train of Warden soldiers that had been following them finally caught up. Two quick swings of his sword and a single Southern Cross thanked the soldier for his bravery and left Cayden with just enough time to think.
Things were going downhill fast. They were already nearing the end of the Minor Smoke Inhalation debuff, which meant Silver was well on her way into the medium variant. He knew for a fact that she wouldn’t be able to hold up for long once the severe version kicked in, no matter how good her moves were.
He had to make a decision.
“Help Dinah,” Cayden told Michael.
âWhat? No. Where you go, I go.â
He turned on the armored man, eyes narrowed. “Michael, this is not the time for this. The two of you can take down that mage if you land that Unstoppable, but we won’t be able to get the Officer with the mage shooting at us. Let’s take some kind of win out of this.”
Cayden made it three feet before he felt Michael’s hand on his shoulder. âCayden, you aren’t-â
“Michael.” He replied, his voice icy. “You wanted to be part of our party so bad? Well, part of that means doing what you are told. Go help Dinah, or find yourself another party.”
With the helmet on, Michael’s expression was inscrutable, but his body language was not. Frustration, anger, perhaps even humiliation. And then, without a word, acceptance.
Sarah’s battle with the officer had progressed a significant distance down the smoke-filled streets by the time Cayden looked back. The Warden Temujin, was on the offensive once again, his attacks slightly more reserved this time. He’d had some respect for Sarah before, but if Wardens could feel fear, this one certainly showed all the signs.
It was a stalemate not at all in Sarah’s favor, not as the flames licked out and the fire grew thicker. So Cayden changed it.
His body rocked into the side of Temujin’s body as his Leap Attack concluded. The damage was minimal, but it broke his balance in a way that Cayden was more than happy to exploit. A swing of his other arm came next, a shield bash whose stun would only last a tiny fraction of its normal duration against a higher-level boss mob.
That fraction was all Sarah needed.
“Custom Skill Use: Psycho Dragon combo!” Sarah cried, bounding forward with a four-hit combination. A left-hand jab inflicted another stun on the wounded officer, then a blow to the body from her right doubled him over. A second jab removed his balance almost entirely, just in time for the final kick to strike him along the jawline, the whole sequence finished in just under a second.
Cayden realized he probably looked as surprised as the stumbling officer did. Custom Skill Use was a comparatively little-known facet of Babel. Use most often for PVP; it allowed a player to modify the pattern of an existing skill to make it more difficult to dodge, at the cost of being immensely more difficult to utilize. The game offered no assistance with custom skills, and they had to be performed flawlessly to avoid a penalty.
That Sarah not only had a Custom Skill but was able to use it this well despite how rusty she must have been was startling. Asch wouldn’t be the only one with questions for later.
“Sarah, it is time to go,” Cayden said, moving to put himself a step between Sarah and her downed foe.
âOnce we’ve got hi-â
âNo Sarah. Now.â Cayden pressed. âHow long do you have before you start choking?â
âLong enough.â She scowled.
He moved to take another step between them, but Sarah brushed passed him, rushing Temujin once again as the latter sought to bring his spear into action. âSarah! You… ugh!â
âCayden.â Silver’s voice reverberated in his ear. It cut in and out, it’s clarity increasing as Sarah pressed Temujin further and further down the street. âThe Wardens have broken through. They’ll have the whole curtain wall within the minute. I think it is time for us to go.â
âWe aren’t going to get there anytime soon.â He complained. He’d blindsided the Warden officer once, but that wouldn’t happen again. They were just too fast, their moves too crisp and practiced for him to edge in upon their
battle. âGet everyone out and have Victoria close the portal. We’ll find our own way home.â
A second passed, then Silver replied, his headset indicating that she’d switched to a one on one channel. âBe careful, okay?â
âPerish the thought that other people might hear you care, huh?â He teased.
âHoped you wouldn’t notice. Aren’t you a little busy?â Her voice positively dripped with sarcasm.
âI see all!â Cayden said in his best, over the top ‘voice of god.’
Laughter played through the connection as Silver giggled in spite of herself. âDon’t die. You idio-.â
If either had anything more to say, there was no more chance to say it as his comm went dead once more. Whether by luck or by design, Sarah had turned the battle back in his direction, her pressure presenting him with the officer’s rear as the Warden was driven back in his direction..
âSkill Use: Leap Attack.â Cayden uttered under his breath, not wanting to draw attention to his re-entry into the battle.
It didn’t matter, the Warden officer was ready for him.
As Cayden descended upon him, the officer swept the point of his spear through a wide arc, forcing a retreat from Sarah. Then, in the same breath, it stepped back, driving the butt of it’s weapon skywards to intercept Cayden without even glancing back to acknowledge his existence.
Temujin’s Western God hits you for 1296 Physical/Magical
With just the haft?! He thought incredulously, the whole of his body weight held motionless on the rear end of the Warden’s spear as though he’d been impaled. If it had been the business end of the weapon, he probably would have been.
He was to Temujin, what Temujin’s rank and file had been to him.
âCayden!â Sarah shouted in alarm as the Warden began to advance, finally tossed the young man away with nothing more than a flick of its wrist.
Then just as quickly it stopped. Its head turned in Cayden’s direction as he struggled to his feet, stone features twisting together into an expression of malice. The transformation alone was an unsettling sight, to say nothing of the fact that it was the first real emotion they’d seen from any Warden.
âCayden.â It repeated his name in an unnatural voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once, attention now focused more on him than the immediate threat posed by Sarah. âThe commander and the thief. You will suffer in measure to your authority!â
âSkill Use: Grasp the World!â Cayden cried in alarm. His heels dug into the cobblestone bracing his body just in time to receive the point of his enemy’s spear on an upraised shield arm.
Temujin’s Eastern God hits you for 891 Physical/Magical [Perfect Block]
Shield destroyed!
The shining speartip, infused with the power of the enemy’s technique, pierced his shield. It pierced his arm as well, but that was somewhat lower in the grand scheme of things compared to the fact that the enemy had nearly killed him through a perfect block. Right below the fact that the Warden was readying for another attack, in fact.
âNatha Sere.â Cayden invoked the runes of teleportation without a thought as he reached out a hand as stroked the nearby conflagration. It was a short jump, one that carried him barely a handful of feet to a burning pile of refuse at his opponent’s rear. The jump was disorienting for him, but equally confusing for Temujin who found himself spearing cobbestones rather than flesh. Neither distraction lasted long, however, the Warden officer already whirling for another attack as Cayden brought his sword up, point outstretched and level with his shoulder. âSkill Use: Justice.â
His body lunged forward under the control of his skill, the tip of his mageblade biting deep into the side torso of the Terracotta warrior who had failed to arrest his charge. His body lingered there for a split-second, before the grip on his sword twisted, a horrendous crunch accompanying the action as he slashed the now horizontal blade out of side of the wounded boss monster, a bright line left in its wake.
Your Justice hit Temujin for 316 damage Physical (Reduced)
Your Justice heals you for 1312 HP.
Temujin roared in agony and fury, the haft of his spear sending Cayden tumbling end over end once again. A regular attack rather than one of his special moves, the damage dealt by the swipe was comparatively minor, meant more for opening distance than causing serious injury. He’d pissed it off. More than that, Cayden thought he’d actually hurt the Warden.
Pity he wouldn’t have the chance to do it again. His shield hung in two halves from the remaining straps on his left arm, and the cooldown for Justice was a full sixty seconds. And considering the Warden had all but killed him in less than ten… nah, he’d be fine.
âNot a chance.â Sarah shouted as Temujin began to advance upon Cayden once more. Even in the Warden’s rage, her blows were not to be ignored, it’s attention drawn squarely in her direction after a few short exchanges. Its attacks were a more wild this time, less elegant artistry and more terrible ferocity. It thrust and parried, swiped and retreated as the two began their dance once again. A dance with an abrupt hitch as Sarah took the lead. âCustom Skill Use: Psycho Dragon Combo.â
Temujin’s Western God Desdaemona for 717 Physical/Magical
Something wasn’t right. The counter had been fast, too fast in fact. In one fraction of an instant, Sarah was on the offense, her fists raised as she sought to land a variant of that same four hit combo from a minute earlier The next, Temujin hand thrust, the point of his spear struck deep into Sarah’s belly, reducing her HP to an alarming low.
âIs it…â Cayden murmured, his eyes growing wide as he cut away the remnants of his shield. âSarah! He is a bugger!â
The girl’s expression was one of total bafflement for just long enough to worry Cayden. He could explain his theory further, of course, that the enemy before them was just like the armies Cayden was now sure it commanded. You could fool it once, but the same trick would never work twice. It had suffered at the hands of his leap attack, then it had expertly countered his leap attack with Western God. Sarah had pummeled it half senseless, but the next time it preempted the very first blow.
Just as worry started to settle in, Sarah grinned. She sunk lower in her posture, hands coming up in a new form of guard as her eyes sought out those of her opponent. âLet me show you some new things then.â
What followed was a chain of skills, each thrown one after another with barely a second of gap between them. The point of her elbow thrust up against an exposed jawline, a hard kick to the left instep, an over the shoulder throw, even a flying side kick that would have looked at home in any number of Bruce Lee films. She applied pressure with every move, adjusting her posture, stance and positioning to keep him pinned with his back to one of the towering infernos that lined the city street.
âIt is over.â She declared as Temujin slumped to a knee, the Warden’s HP bar down to the final hint of red. âSkill us-â
Her skill choice was interrupted by a cough. Then another, and another. Unable to talk, she lashed out, taking another sliver off that insignificant tick of health. But she couldn’t do enough, not as it seized upon her weakness, not as the hacking cough made any sort of skill use unbearable.
So close, yet so far. Even damaged as he was, without Sarah, this was a lost battle. The Warden would gut Cayden if he were fool enough to advance without some sneaky tactic or well thought out plan, and he had neither. And even if he could, the only skill he had left to use that could do any damage at all was Southern Cross, an attack that would never land without Sarah in the wings drawing most of the Warden’s attention.
There was only one thing to do, as much as he hated to do it.
âIleiaâ Cayden whispered, drawing on his mental fortitude as he formed the runic magic into a physical form. The stones of the street lifted, flying in large numbers directly towards Temujin, who predictably raised his g
uard at their approach. The projectiles stopped short however, soon joined by hundreds, then thousands more as the street became a stone wall, a several foot thick barrier that should buy him just long enough to-A crack like thunder disrupted Cayden’s plan, his wall exploding outward in a shower of rubble that peppered him with stinging, but non-damaging debris. On the other side of the impact, stood Temujin, none worse for the wear even as part of the stone wall collapsed just to his left.
âYou have got to be…â Cayden said in dispair. He began another wall, then a second, a third and a fourth, dispelling one of his own personal buffs to free up unused MP as he advanced. Each new spell was accompanied by the sound of an impact, of stone shattering into fragments at the hand of the Warden general. It was everything he could do to keep ahead of it. And even then it might not be enough.
âNatha Sere!â Cayden cried out with everything he could muster.
What he didn’t do was focus. Simply speaking the runes was not enough to invoke their power, which was good, because Cayden didn’t want to. Instead, he knelt beside Sarah’s crouched down body and spoke two more words, hoping that the cracking flames and the officer’s own attack would conceal the sound of his voice. “Teri Antha.”
One of his hands was outstretched, palm facing towards the wall as the Warden broke through, the other wrapped tightly over Sarah’s mouth, doing everything he could to muffle the sound of her coughs.
For just a heartbeat, Cayden thought they were dead. Temujin stared directly at them, violet painted eyes all but glowing in the firelight as the Warden loomed impressive and powerful. Then his head turned left, then right. The fury of its expression softened to mere frustration as one hand rose to its temple and its drew closed.
Not the time to be meditating. Move you dumb bastard, move! Cayden inwardly begged. Summoning wall after wall had depleted the majority of his remaining MP, and his illusionary barrier was not a cheap spell to begin with. Thirty-five, no, forty seconds at the most.