“This isn’t your fight thief,” Morgan sneered, ignoring his poor attempt at humor. “I suggest you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of before you get hurt.”
“Alas, I cannot,” Jerry replied, raising his hands in a futile gesture. “See, Grunt here feels threatened by your little friend,” he said, pointing at the Abomination. “He’s the competitive sort, and there’s only room for one mute giant in this city.” He cupped a hand at his mouth and added conspiratorially, “I think it may be a size thing.” This earned him an irritated scowl from Morgan.
Jerry turned his head slightly as he finished speaking, covering his whisper with a cough as he addressed Riley and Jason. “Grunt and I will handle Morgan. You two take Thorn. I ordered the rest of our troops back to the other barricades.” Jason nodded ever-so-slightly in response, belatedly noting that the Kin that had been manning the western line had retreated during their exchange with Morgan.
“I’m done with this talking,” Thorn interjected. “It’s time we finish this.” His eyes leveled on Jason. “Let’s see if you have used the time that I gave you wisely.”
Thorn disappeared in a flash of movement, reappearing only seconds later in front of Jason. He barely raised his staff in time to block Thorn’s strike, knocking his arm aside. And then the pair was a flurry of movement – Jason pressed on the defensive as Thorn attacked relentlessly, his arms and fists moving so quickly that they blurred as he struck. Jason’s attention honed to a fine point as he blocked and dodged, barely able to fend off each of the man’s attacks. Jason noticed movement in his peripheral vision as the others engaged, but had difficulty focusing on it with Thorn pressing his attack.
Grunt rocketed across the courtyard toward the Abomination, each step causing the cobblestones to crack and crumble underfoot. The two monsters clashed with tremendous force, every blow causing ripples of kinetic energy to explode out in a concentric ring as they slammed their meaty fists into one another. The force was enough to knock aside and pulverize any of the ghouls that were unfortunate enough to wander through the ruined barricade. There was no finesse or strategy to their attacks – the battle reduced to a simple brawl as they beat at one another with single-minded fury.
At the same time, Jerry had moved to assist his bodyguard and friend by engaging Morgan. The thief was a shadow as he bounced around at a blazing speed, his daggers held at the ready. A thin crimson aura once more coated his lithe body. Morgan wasted no time in retaliating. Her four hands wound through a constant stream of gestures, and beams of dark energy lanced through the air over and over again as the mage tried to blast the nimble rogue. Jerry deftly avoided the beams as the energy splashed against the ground and nearby buildings – the malignant mana eating through the material like acid.
Thorn smashed a hand into Jason’s side, causing the bones of his armor to crunch. Then the nimble man’s leg swept up to slam into his chest. A blast of dark energy suddenly erupted in front of Jason. Thorn backflipped out of the way just in time, giving Jason a momentary reprieve as he cradled his aching side. He coughed harshly, the coppery taste of blood on his lips. Even through his new armor, the single strike felt like it had fractured a rib. He couldn’t imagine what sort of damage the blow would have done if he had been unprotected.
And then Riley was beside him, slinging her bow over her shoulder as she drew the daggers at her waist. Her eyes shone with dark energy, blood-red circles now resting where her pupils should have been. The pair shared a single, wordless look before facing off against Thorn. This was just another enemy. Just another challenge. And they now had plenty of practice facing off against a stronger opponent.
“You’ve gotten better,” Thorn remarked, a small smile tugging at his otherwise placid expression. “But not nearly good enough.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished again.
Damn it, he’s fast, Jason thought. He could barely follow the man’s movements, even with his enhanced Dodge and Perception skills.
A blow crashed into Jason’s back as Thorn reappeared behind him, the force of the strike sending him to his knees. He felt his new armor splinter under the attack, and the crystals embedded in Thorn’s palm ignited, draining the dark mana from one of the minions that clung to his back. In a flash, its legs uncurled, and it dropped to the ground, creating a chink in Jason’s new armor. Almost instantly, the minion disappeared from the menu in his peripheral vision.
Before Thorn could capitalize on his attack, Riley was on him, her blades flashing as she engaged. The one-eyed man ducked her first blow, palming aside her other arm as she whipped it around, trying to slice at his abdomen. Then he slammed his hand into her chest, a flash of dark mana erupting from his palm that sent Riley flying. Her health dipped precariously from the single strike.
Jason used the brief respite to regain his feet. He turned back to Thorn and swept forward with his staff. He struck repeatedly, trying to keep the man on the defensive while Riley recovered. He was just a hair too slow. His single-eyed enemy seemed to anticipate every blow and avoided his strikes with pinpoint precision before retaliating with a carefully measured punch or kick – each attack damaging or destroying one of Jason minions. If not for his new armor, he expected his body would already be riddled with broken bones and battered flesh. However, he wouldn’t have the extra protection for much longer at this rate.
Riley was suddenly back at Jason’s side, having chugged a health potion. The two squared off with Thorn and pressed the assault at the same time. Riley moved to flank their opponent and keep him on the defensive while Jason struck from the front. They were a whirlwind of strikes, blows, and parries – their weapons darting through the air in a blur of motion.
Then they finally caught him.
Riley was positioned behind Thorn to keep pressure on him, forcing the man to keep shifting to the side to maintain line of sight on her position. Her dagger swept forward, causing Thorn to duck and begin to side-step to counter. Yet her other blade brought him up short, and Thorn was forced to bat aside her wrist. His back was now fully facing Jason. Jason knew this was his opening and he didn’t hesitate. He struck with his staff, whipping the weapon forward with all the strength he could muster.
Thorn’s head tilted as though in slow motion, the man just barely catching sight of Jason’s attack. He shifted his weight slightly to avoid the blow – giving himself only a scant few inches of space. But Jason had a surprise in store for Thorn. He summoned a Soul Slash. The dark blade of energy arced away from the tip of the staff, giving him unexpected reach.
Jason’s saw Thorn’s eye widen in surprise as he noticed the malignant black blade. Acting in desperation, Thorn dropped to the ground, trying to avoid the attack. He was just barely too slow, the tip of Jason’s scythe ripping through his cloak and tearing through the bandages that wound around his torso while Riley’s daggers tore into his flesh. Then he hit the ground and disappeared.
In a flash, Thorn reappeared a few yards away, and Jason and Riley turned to face him. He shrugged off his tattered cloak and Jason could see that the bandages wound around his entire body, gray bands crisscrossing in a chaotic pattern. Droplets of blood sprinkled the ground, evidence that Jason and Riley had hit him – yet the damage seemed minimal, his back straight and his face unfazed. He must have avoided the brunt of Jason’s attack.
Jason didn’t know how he expected Thorn to react to the blow. This was the first time they had actually injured him in a meaningful way. What he didn’t expect was to see the broad grin that lingered on the man’s grizzled face. Thorn lifted his eye to look at Jason, and he saw a hint of madness there. “Finally. You are a real Keeper now.”
Thorn flexed his shoulders, his blood quickly staining the ruined bandages along his back and side. “All of the training I have endured – the hardships – they have led to this moment. I can finally take off the shackles that bind me.”
Before Jason and Riley could question what the hell Thorn was talking about, he to
re at his bandages, the stained cloth dropping away. Underneath was skin that was marred by an endless series of scars, not a single patch of unblemished skin visible on his neck and torso. It looked like Thorn had been through a blender, his skin shredded, regrown, and then shredded again. The result was flesh that had toughened into a rough leather. It was a wonder he could even move.
Thorn raised his lone eye to meet Jason’s gaze, a manic gleam sparkling in his iris. Without warning, he ripped off the cloth covering his other eye. What they discovered underneath wasn’t human. A glowing yellow gem rested in the ruined socket, scars radiating out from the crystal like the points of a star. The gem glimmered as it rotated to focus on Jason and Riley.
“What the hell is that?” Riley murmured.
“A gift from the Order,” Thorn replied, the same mad grin still painted on his face. “A relic, stolen from the air mages in a time long past.”
“If we cut you once, we can do it again,” Jason growled. “That gem won’t help you.”
“Ahh, there you are wrong,” Thorn murmured. “With this eye, I can see your future. You die here today – both of you.”
Then Thorn was moving again. He launched himself forward at an incredible pace, his body a shadowy blur as he charged the pair. Jason and Riley immediately retaliated, yet their weapons struck only air as Thorn nimbly dodged around them. If he had seemed fast before, he was on an entirely different level now. They simply couldn’t touch him.
Thorn stepped forward, twisting his body and curving around Jason’s last attack only to come up inside his guard. Riley lunged at Thorn from behind, but even with his back to her, he seemed to be able to anticipate her strike. He merely stepped aside before slamming his fist into Jason’s chest. Thorn released the dark mana he had stolen from his minions in a blast of energy that sent Jason flying backward, his back crashing into the boards of a nearby building and splintering the wood.
The world spun as Jason vainly tried to catch his bearings. Red notifications flashed in his peripheral vision, indicating that the single blow had blasted through half his remaining health – the occasional glancing blow and Soul Slash had already left him weakened. If not for his new armor, he expected that strike would have slain him. As it was, he had already lost eight of his new drones, their ivory bodies crumbling and falling away.
Thorn’s reflexes are beyond insane, he thought. He couldn’t understand what had happened. The man had been fast before, but he almost seemed to be able to see their attacks coming now – even without having eyes on his opponent. That couldn’t have been his hearing. A chaotic battle still raged in the courtyard as the Kin tried to fend off the ghouls, drowning out the sounds of their fight.
Jason looked up to find Riley taking on Thorn by herself, the archer’s body covered in a crimson glow that eerily reminded him of Jerry. Riley lunged, her dagger stabbing at Thorn’s stomach. He neatly caught her hand and pulled, tugging her off her feet before he pivoted and used his momentum to launch her into the air. Riley slammed against the ground with bone-shattering force, the cobblestones cracking under the impact. Jason saw her health plummet and Thorn’s hand rise into the air to finish her.
He felt rage blossom in his chest, and a roar at his lips. Before he knew it, Jason was already charging toward them, his feet pounding the ground. In an instant, he was there, sweeping forward with his staff as he channeled a Soul Slash. Thorn leaped back to avoid the blow, and Jason crouched protectively overtop Riley. He just needed to give her a chance to chug a health potion and re-enter the fight.
He glanced down at Riley, still keeping his attention focused on Thorn, although the man seemed content to give them some space, a sneer curling his lips. Riley looked like hell. Blood stained her teeth and cuts and tears marred her armor. They had both taken a beating, barely managing to keep up with Thorn. For all of their training, for all of the hours spent in the challenges, this was the best they could manage? They were still losing.
Thorn stood there, the same mad gleam in his eye. “Is this it? Is this all you’ve got?” he demanded. Jason could only grit his teeth in response, glaring back into the yellow gemstone that twinkled in Thorn’s ruined eye socket.
What is he waiting for? Jason wondered. The only explanation was that Thorn wanted Riley to heal herself so that he could keep fighting. But why? This didn’t seem to be about vanquishing the old gods anymore. Something else was driving Thorn.
“Jason,” he heard Riley murmur below him.
“You need to heal,” he replied. Snatching a potion from his bag, he tried to hand it to her. “Quickly, drink this.”
“No.” She grabbed his wrist. “It won’t be enough. Too powerful... One way left…”
“What are you talking about?” Jason demanded.
“I’m sorry. I-I didn’t tell you everything… about the last challenge,” Riley said, each word costing her and coming out in a pained gasp.
“What do you mean?” Jason asked, confused. She had already told him about the passive buff she had received. He had no idea what she was talking about.
“The challenge… it gave me another ability. You can win this… with my sacrifice.”
“What? No! We’re stronger together,” Jason said, trying to pull away, but her hand was like iron on his wrist. “This is what we’ve trained for.” Even as he said the words, he wasn’t certain that he believed them. Thorn had already bested them easily.
“It’s the only way,” Riley said, looking at him with determination shining in her eyes. “Just… kill him for me. Make him pay for what he’s done.”
As Riley trailed off, her health finally hit zero, and her chest stopped moving. Jason just stared down at her, the hot, burning rage in his chest suddenly turning cold at the sight of Riley’s corpse – her face covered in her own blood. Thorn had killed her. Had killed his people and threatened to destroy everything that Jason had created and built. He couldn’t handle it anymore. Jason raised his eyes to meet Thorn’s.
I’m going to fucking kill him…
Before he could move or react, Riley’s body exploded, vines erupting from her chest in a shower of blood. The tendrils stretched into the sky all around Jason, curling and coiling. He glanced at the vines in shock, noting belatedly that Thorn was sprinting toward him, a look of concern finally marring his expression. He was instantly met by a wall of thorned vines that lashed out at the agent, sending Thorn flying backward.
The cage of thorns tightened on Jason, obscuring the courtyard from sight. He could feel the tendrils wrapping around his armor before wriggling into the cracks between the bone plates, and he squirmed as he tried to struggle out of the death grip the plant had on him. Large thorns riddled the vines and soon punctured his skin, each prick a burning star of pain. Struggling only dug the spines further into his flesh. At the same time, he could feel some sort of energy enter his body like molten lava, flooding his veins and mixing with his frigid mana.
What is this?
The vines tightened again, more thorns stabbing into his flesh until it felt like his entire body was being simultaneously frozen and burned, the sensation alternating so rapidly that he struggled to stay conscious. As the power swept through him, he began to lose control, his vision swimming before going completely dark. It was difficult to think clearly. He was surrounded only by darkness and pain.
Riley’s face appeared out of the darkness, unblemished and unharmed. The contrast was painful after witnessing her death. She stared back at him, a smile on her face; the same one he had seen during their date at Cerillion Entertainment. It was filled with a sense of nervous excitement and a sparkle of mischief. This was the girl he knew. The warrior. The friend. The beauty that had filled his thoughts and dreams for years.
“You can do this,” she murmured.
And then, in a flash, the image was gone, and the power began to recede. Jason blinked rapidly, his vision clearing slowly. He found himself standing in the courtyard once again. A cage of vines encircled him, an
d Riley’s body was gone. Blood-red roses had bloomed along the vines, their petals drifting open even as he watched.
At the same time, a notification crashed into his vision.
System Notice
The player Riley has used a hidden spell, Guardian’s Sacrifice. She has willingly given up her life to protect and empower her Keeper, transferring power to her ward. The nature of the corresponding buff and its activation conditions are unique to the Soul Guard’s class and abilities.
You have been granted the buff, “Fire and Fury” – allowing you to channel the incarnation of vengeance for a limited time. For two minutes, you will be granted a 300% increase to damage, a 300% bonus to your base statistics, and a 300% increase to your total health pool.
Destroy the heretic! Take his life and crush his soul. Send a message to any others foolish enough to attack us. No one shall challenge the darkness and live. – The Dark One
Jason skimmed the prompt quickly, an endless barrage of questions filtering through his mind, but he didn’t have time to consider them. The vines peeled away and curled back into the ground, soon vanishing from sight, and leaving him standing in the courtyard with Thorn watching him from only a few dozen feet away.
Energy raced through Jason’s veins in a torrent. The sensation was tantalizing. It felt like he could do anything. Scale a mountain. Fight a dragon with his bare hands. Crush, rage, and destroy anything in his path. Dark mana peeled away from his body in tendrils so thick that they were almost tangible, and the energy lashed at the air in time with his heartbeat. Rope-like bands of darkness sprung from his back, curling into the air to form phantom, bat-like wings of obsidian energy.
The darkness called to him – whispered to him – asking him what he wanted. What did he desire most? He knew he only need ask, and the power would grant his wish.
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 63