“Oh no!” I heard Halcyon yell as a strobing ball of multicolored light corkscrewed through the air towards the Queen, slapping weakly across the creature’s body, exploding like a fluffy snowball. “Shit!”
The spot then erupted with fountain of glowing ichor.
“On second thought, oh yeah!”
Wailing in pain, the Queen’s eyes fixated on us, as if noticing us for the first time. Her massive scythe-claws slicing out toward Drace, Constantine and I as we charged towards her.
“She has a fixed reach!” I shouted as I leaped over one claw, and rolled under the second. I heard a shout of pain, as the massive claw struck Drace. “Get in close and she won’t be able to attack us!”
As if hearing my words, six balls of blue energy coalesced in front of the Queen’s face, shooting out towards Drace, Constantine and myself.
“Oh, maybe not!” I quickly cursed myself for jinxing the fight, paying the price as one of the orbs slammed into me.
A [Ætherwarped Webwood Queen] hits you with [Arcane Bolt] for 34 (40) points of damage!
Oh, thank you resistances for blunting that, even a little bit! I winced as the bolt sent me down to just over 50% of my total health, kicking myself for not having found a way to heal in between fights. Deal with it best you can!
A few strides more, had me practically on top of the Webwood Queen, leaving me staring upwards at the humungous bulk that stretched nearly twenty feet tall. How the fuck do I even attack this thing?!
I saw a pair of arrows thud high into the creature’s throat, Sierra able to easily pepper the creature from a distance. The beast cried in pain as it withdrew a massive claw, holding in front of its face as a shield to Sierra’s arrows. To Sierra’s credit, she adjusted by lowering her aim to shoot into the creature’s deformed abdomen, though for whatever reason the arrows didn’t cause the beast as much pain.
“Lyr! Boost!” Constantine’s voice snapped me back into the present, quickly turning to see Constantine running right at me.
“Right!” Following whatever Constantine had planned, I quickly fell to one knee, dropping Razor to the ground as I interlaced my fingers. “Ready!”
Constantine stomped into my hands at a full sprint, at the same instant I heaved to throw him into the sky. Leaping through the air like a flying Praying Mantis, Constantine sailed under the defending claw and slammed into the bulk of the Warped Queen burying his Daggerfangs right up to the hilt in the creature’s abdomen.
Digging his knees into the roiling skin, Constantine yanked downwards, rending a massive hole in the Queen’s gut as the skin tore with ease. Black bile began to pour from the glowing wound, covering the creature’s front as Constantine pulled his Daggerfangs free, landing on his feet.
I think he’s onto something here!
Picking up my blade, I charged at the creature, burying it halfway into the lower half of the Queen’s abdomen and began to saw upwards, more bile gushing out at my feet. Out of habit, I cast Shocking Touch, only to have the spell fizzle as it came apart.
Stupid, Æther distortion! I swore as a second cast simply caused my hand to flicker with a green light then vanish. Fuck!
“Move, Lyr!” Drace barked his voice barely masking pain. “Coming through!”
With barely a second thought I tore Razor from the creature’s belly, stepping to the side as Drace leaped at the Queen with his Bladeclaw held high over his head. My eye noted that Drace was missing the upper third of his shield, along with a fair chunk of his shoulder.
That didn’t stop the half-giant warrior from quite literally splitting the Queen in two. Drace’s Bladeclaw caught the lower lip of the tear that Constantine had started in the creature’s abdomen and aided by his strength and weight, carved straight through the leathery skin to the weeping wound I had just torn Razor from.
The result had the Queen’s abdomen splitting open like a ripe fruit, as it erupted with rotting viscera and bile. The torrent of black liquid washed over Drace and I, sweeping the both of us off our feet as the Queen’s bulging abdomen rapidly shrank, Constantine somehow being fortunate enough to get out of the way.
I splashed through the vile liquid, my stomach instantly clenching to vomit so hard I was concerned I would shatter my spine. I rolled over, trying to find some way I could wipe my face clean before I threw up a second time.
“Drace…” I called his name, loud enough to be heard over the wounded screams of the Queen.
“Yeah, Lyr?” Drace gurgled, clearly affected the same way.
“Fuck you.”
“Heh… yeah…” Drace spat to clear his mouth. “Fuck me… I saw that going differently in my head.”
Pushing myself off the floor and onto my feet, I felt them skid on the loose spider entrails covering the ground, my gorge rising in response.
Just kill the Queen, then you can throw up all you want and maybe burn this armor. I started to repeat to myself as I squished through the gore.
Looking back at the Webwood Queen, she now looked like a deflated balloon, her chest split right open, exposing a huge empty cavity within the creature that glowed a bright blue.
The magic was rotting her from the inside out. My eye noticed something moving rhythmically inside the cavity. Holy shit! Is that her heart?!
Engorged beyond belief, the massive heart pulsed urgently, sending glowing blue blood throughout the creature’s body.
“By the Father…” I heard Donovan retch.
“Shoot the heart!” I shouted while pointing.
“Fucking, magic isn’t doing-” Caius shouted right before a brilliant red line shot from his palm, scarring the wall behind the Queen, then a portion of her head before winking out. “Shit! How do I do that again?!”
“Someone fucking help me!” Halcyon was stuck levitating a foot off the ground, seemingly completely unaffected by gravity and thrashing as he tried to find a way to move.
“Halcyon stop moving!” Sierra yelled as she bumped the flailing mage, sending him gliding through the air. “Oh shit!”
“Sierra, shoot the heart!” I yelled, moving to intercept the floating mage. “I got him!”
The Queen conjured another wave of glowing missiles through the air, this time targeting Sierra, Caius, and Donovan, forcing them all to scramble. It was then she spotted Halcyon, floating helplessly in the air.
“Halcyon! Brace yourself!” I shouted, instantly wondering how he would do such a thing.
Scything out a massive claw the Queen aimed to slice the levitating mage completely in two. Leaping just before the claw hit the mage, I grabbed him and bore him straight to the ground, canceling out whatever magic perverted his original spell.
A roar of pain told me that one of Sierra’s arrows had found the creature’s heart, quickly followed by Halcyon thrusting his hands out in the air behind me, successfully conjuring his Force Shield.
The same instant the Queen brought both of her claws down on us.
Halcyon grunted as he was pressed into the ground from the fury of the blows, but managed to keep his shield intact.
“Shit! Thanks!” I gasped, knowing that the blade would have gone through me like butter.
“No worries,” Halcyon gasped. “But, can you get off me, please? You’re heavy.”
“Right!” I rolled off the mage, catching a glimpse of Constantine leaping into the split open chest of the Queen.
Instantly the Queen roared in pain as her massive claws retreated to guard her chest, a spray of multi-colored magic glancing off a claw.
“Got to go!” I called out to Halcyon as I rolled back onto my feet, running to get back into melee range. I quickly scanned the room, trying to spot Drace, but instead saw a tan colored blur sprinting straight towards the Queen’s gaping chest cavity.
I had no idea what the Puma was hoping to achieve by killing the Queen, but at this point, I was happy that it had decided to finally reveal itself. My boots squelched with bile as I sprinted after the beast, trying my best not to lose my
footing as I ran.
I can’t let it kill the Queen! No idea what that will do to it!
Barely ten steps behind the creature, I saw my Nemesis tear past the Queen’s defensive claws before it could react, leaping inside the gaping chest cavity unmolested. As I desperately tried to catch up, a massive claw slammed down in front of me, blocking my path.
“Dammit!” I swore, grinding to a halt as the scythe-claw swung forward to sweep me away with the flat of the blade, only to be intercepted by a charging Drace, stopping it cold as he caught it on his shield.
“I got you, man.” he croaked as he leaned into the creature’s arm. “Go! Quick!”
“Thanks!” I called to Drace as I leaped over the Spider Queen’s arm, finding myself right at the edge of the Ley Line.
What the?! My eyes bulged in surprise as I saw the raging river of energy that was the Ley Line streaming straight through the Queen’s innards. She… grew, right over it, her heart is literally suspended over the Ley Line!
Looking into the gaping wound, I saw the Queen’s heart hammering at a desperate rate, spurting Æther infused blood wildly from a number of wounds. Clenching onto the heart with a Daggerfang thrust deep into it, I saw Constantine holding on for dear life, hanging barely a foot over the Ley Line. All while the Puma tried to dislodge him from his precarious perch, its claws digging deep into the inner walls of the Queen’s chest as it bit furiously at Constantine’s hands.
“Lyr!” He shouted once seeing me. “Help! I’m going to fall in!”
“On it, buddy! Just hold on!” I called back, my mind trying to come up with a plan.
The major problem wasn’t just rescuing Constantine, but finding a way to do so without having him fall into the Ley Line or letting the Puma kill the Queen.
My brain froze. I had nothing.
“Lyrian!”
Oh, to hell with it. I leaped forward, arms outstretched as I slammed into my Nemesis, quickly wrapping my arms and legs around its body.
“Kill the Queen, Constantine!” I shouted, throwing my weight against the Puma’s grip, tearing it free of the wall.
Taking it with me as I fell into the Ley Line.
***
Raging energy coursed through my body as we sunk into the Ley Line, sending lightning bolts of pain through every single nerve my body had. I felt my Nemesis thrash wildly in my grip as it struggled to find a way to escape. It burned to keep my eyes open, the vibrant blue energy of the river distorting everything I saw.
Oh! It burns! I felt the Æther shoot through my mouth and lungs as my body took a deep breath out of shock, inhaling the bright liquid. The pain was unbearable, past anything I had ever experienced in game before.
Why aren’t I dying?! The thought raged through me as I felt the Puma escape my grip. Please, just let me re-spawn! I can’t take this!
I felt the Puma bite into my shoulder, sinking its teeth deep inside me, my collarbone snapping under the pressure. Its front paws wrapped around me, claws digging into my back as it latched onto me and began to shred my stomach with its hind claws.
Screaming and breathing in even more Æther, I flailed uselessly at the beast. My one good arm trapped at my side. Stop!
Before I knew what I was doing, my head shot forward, fueled by a deep primal instinct I never knew I had.
I bit into the side of the Puma’s throat, using the only weapon I had left, my teeth. I felt the fur give way, biting harder until I felt hot blood spill into my mouth. I felt the creature buck under the unexpected assault and bit even deeper. Red blood billowed into the Ley Line all around us, before being whisked away by the current.
Now panicking, the Puma kicked off me, pulling its teeth out of my ruined shoulder and slapping me in the face with a massive paw as it floated away.
My head snapped back as the claws tore through my face, my vision suddenly going dark.
Oh, fuck! He got my eyes! My heart flipped in terror, as my hand touched ruined bits of flesh and bone. Why won’t I die?!
The blinding pain of losing my sight quickly magnified to even greater heights. The Æther began to seep into my open wounds. Writhing in pain, I paddled my working arm aimlessly as the Ley Line current slowly spun me, trying to find some reference to where I was.
Waving uselessly through the burning river, I was a hair’s breadth away from giving up and forcefully logging myself out of the game when I felt a gentle caress across my face, right along my missing eyes. Startled, my hand waved in front of my face to ward away the unexpected touch but found nothing as it passed.
Gradually, the constant burning sensation of the coursing Æther began to mute, and a pinprick of light appeared in my vision. I gasped with relief as my sight began to return, showing me a crystal clear torrent of energy, the distortions that marred my vision before completely gone.
There! I saw the Puma, paddling wildly, biting at something on its body. Wait… what is that?
Coiled all along the creature I now saw countless black strands, wrapped around its body, constricting every time a limb moved. Around its head I saw a mane of broken strands, billowing in the current around it. I could see the Puma struggling to crane its neck to bite at the strands covering its paws, each bite tearing a handful off itself. The strands visibly tightened, causing the Puma’s expression to grimace in pain.
What am I seeing? I asked myself, waving my good arm to steady myself in the current as my legs touched something solid. It’s trying to free itself from the strands! But… what are they?
For a dozen heartbeats, I watched the Puma struggle to tear the ink black strands off of it. Slowly it began to tire, the strands then beginning to re-attach themselves around the beast. A look of defeat crossed the Puma’s eyes.
Oh, fuck me if I’m wrong about this!
I kicked off the ground as I swam along the current, flying towards my Nemesis. Sensing my motion the beast looked at me, eyes echoing with the familiar sadness I had seen earlier in the day. This time, the eyes did not change to anger, watching me with the detached acceptance of something that had given up all hope.
The rest of the body, however, twisted in preparation for impact, black strands straining to move the creature’s limbs. Just before I collided with the creature, its head shot out, biting into its own arm. I slammed into the Puma’s shoulder, weakly hooking my ravaged arm around it. The black strands shivered with what I could only describe as fury, my good hand reaching towards the mane of broken strands I had seen before.
My hand raked through the tattered strands, feeling a sticky, tar-like consistency as I tore them free from the Puma’s body. The creature’s eyes widened in surprise, having expected to feel a killing blow. It bit deeper into his paw, struggling to keep it under control.
Hissing in pain as I felt the hind claws pierce into my legs, I continued to claw at the inky strands coating the Puma’s body, feeling them dissipate the moment I tore them free. For every handful I tore off the creature, the remaining strands constricted even tighter, forcing me to physically dig my nails into its flesh, sending clouds of blood billowing around us.
I lost track of how long I tore the corrupting strands off the creature, wrestling with limbs, not under its control. The more strands I removed, the less the creature fought me, even going as far to assist in tearing threads off of it before they could regrow. My hand came down on a particularly thick nest of strands, my fingers sinking deeply into it as I struggled to tear it free.
I felt something inside the strands bite at my fingers, sending shooting pains up my arm. Gritting my teeth, I pulled, gradually ripping the mass free. Underneath, gleaming like a pearl, I spotted a single silver strand, pulsing with a weak light. Without hesitation I grasped it, feeling it mold to my hand.
A prompt appeared in my vision, surprising me so much that I almost let go.
Yes! I screamed, feeling a searing warmth shoot up my arm. Instantly the remaining tar colored strands flared white, burning away from the creature in a flash of light.
A second wave of energy shot through me, as a new awareness dawned upon me.
Interlude
Purgatory
“SISTER!” Destruction’s voice raged across the cosmos, a delightful treat to Creativity’s ears. “YOU HAVE CHEATED ME!”
“Why hello, sister!” Creativity cheerfully beamed at Destruction’s arrival. “What an unexpected delight! Shall I conjure some tea? You must tell me about your day!”
“You have broken the Rules!” Destruction frothed as she approached Creativity, almost daring to strike her. “I demand recompense!”
“Broken a Rule?” Creativity cocked her head in confusion, not the least bit intimidated. “Are you certain? It would be quite serious if I did, as I’m sure you know. I cannot break the Rules.”
Ascend Online Page 31