Oblivion's Peril

by M. H. Johnson

  Swallowing, the bureaucrat jerked a nod. "That is correct, Valor Hunter. Are you saying you actually have the credits? I must warn you, it is a fortune."

  "He does not have it, and it doesn't matter even if he did!" roared Greengrove's would-be ruler. "He's a Terran monkey, and he insults the Dominion even to dare show his face here! Men, throw him out!"

  "Halt!" demanded the bureaucrat, ice-blue eyes no longer that of a mild-mannered functionary, voice belonging to a man well used to command.

  Almost despite themselves, the guardsmen froze.

  Administrator Snivelpuse spun about to face the slender figure, hands clenched into angry fists. "Counselor Kaupias, this is absurd! This monkey is hardly human! Why are you even wasting time with one such as this?"

  Counselor Kaupias stood straight, locking gazes with the man before him. "Valor Hunter of Guild Ottalaus is correct. This territory is in dispute. His claim is technically as legitimate as your own."

  "More," Val said, holding up the smallest portion of his wealth. "I am prepared to buy the territory outright. In my own name."

  Counselor and guards alike gazed at the flask containing several million credits worth of Elementium. Val smiled. "Rest assured, I can pay the balance as well."

  Snivelpuse drew his dwarven blaster, face blotched with fury. "No! We have humored this monkey long enough! I have invested far too much into this venture as it stands. I will not be outmaneuvered by some damned ape!" He glared daggers Val's way. "Guild Ottalaus should be defunct. I personally saw to that!" He blinked, sneaking a furtive glance Kaupias's way.

  Kaupias flashed a chill smile. "I am well aware of your maneuverings in local politics, Administrator Snivelpuse. Whether or not you've managed to persuade the local counselors to see things your way, the charter clearly states that any present or former member of Guild Ottalaus has the right of guesthood and the privilege of first refusal, should this territory ever come into play. I believe the previous administrator had a soft spot for his former rescuers, and took a number of steps to assure that their rights and privileges could not be arbitrarily dismissed."

  "They are monkeys!" Snivelpuse roared. "This is outrageous! I will see this interloper dead! What do you have to say about that, Kaupias?"

  Kaupias looked Val's way, his icy gaze revealing nothing. "It is acceptable in cases where multiple parties have a legitimate claim over a territory to decide the outcome by a trial of combat."

  Snivelpuse narrowed his gaze, nodding his head, mollified. "Good. But what is to prevent any more of those apes from making a similar claim?"

  "Historical precedent. If you remove all contesting players from the board, the lands become your own. Your rights cannot be contested from that day forward, subject only to the whims of your future Overlord."

  Snivelpuse's nasty little smile grew. "So all I need to do is wipe out the present party giving challenge, correct?"

  Kaupias bowed his head. "That is correct."

  Val blinked. "I came alone. You would pit yourself and your present squad against me, a lone player? You think that's a fair fight?"

  Snivelpuse flashed yellowed teeth in a vicious grin. "All is fair in conquest, boy. I will even have rights to all your wealth and land, all that precious Elementium you were foolish enough to show! You should have thought of that before you dared to cross me." He smirked. "And still you do not leave. That implies consent. Kill him, men!"

  And the air was suddenly alive with the crackling discharge of blasters, Val's shield popping up just before laser fire could score his helmet.

  A few whispered words and the light dimmed, Val charging forward with a roar.

  Haste successfully cast!

  Test of skills engaged! 6 Tier 1 blasters + 1 L5 sharpshooter vs. L10 PRM + L2 EM Mastery! Critical success! Enemy laser fire effortlessly blocked! (Too bad you can't say the same thing about battle-mech autocannons, hey, Val?)

  He did not need to see the faces of his foes to sense their panic, to catch sight of desperately shifting feet. For all that he reveled in the feel of energy surges sent skittering harmlessly away, he was no fool. He wouldn't dare such a brazen attack without Shadowmind were he not covered head to foot in armor, the gaps in his barbute helm more than covered by the giant shimmering shield he used.

  "Circle him and kill him!" Snivelpuse roared, the closest of the guards attempting just that. Val caught sight of pivoting feet, quickly snapping his hips, whipping his dwarven blade around in a sweeping backhand blow as he shield-bashed the nearest guardsman, the man stumbling back with a cry that turned into a scream. A surge of darkest satisfaction coursed through Val as jarring resistance was quickly cleaved through, the air suddenly alive with the stench of blood and entrails.

  Dwarven blade activated. Fatal strike! Your foe lies dead at your feet! Experience earned. Kill on!

  Val pivoted by the yelling guardsman attempting to jab his carbine into Val's eye slit, smashing with his shield even as he spun around, his blade emitting a furious whine, the edge glowing a brilliant blue as Val's Psions catalyzed the sword to full effect, effortlessly cleaving through his enemy's skull.

  "Sir! The blasters aren't stopping him!"

  Even as the panicked words washed over Val, he stumbled into a desperate roll, tasting the ozone where the streak of black lightning had almost hit him.

  Test of skills failed! Your obnoxious opponent is actually a highly skilled mage, using necromantic magics! The most difficult of all arts to parry via EM Mastery!

  Snivelpuse, blaster forsaken, now held a crackling black wand, chuckled evilly. "All you fools need to do is keep him busy. I'll handle the rest!"

  Val knew what he needed to do, but was given not even a moment to split his focus, quickly snapping up his shield as the sharpshooter among the guards fired shot after shot right where Val's eyes would be if his shield was not held before him, navigating by floor and glimpses of his foes’ feet and legs alone.

  "Kill him!" Snivelpuse roared, his men striving to do just that.

  Val ducked and spun, charging right for the firing men, all but sensing the dark gloating satisfaction of the marksman even now pivoting around him, lining up a shot for the back of Val's neck, eyes widening in almost comical surprise as a massive spear of pykrete blasted through the top of his skull.

  "Glacie Pilum! Glacie Pilum!" Val roared, his Adept rank with Ice Spear letting him cast it without penalty even with sword in hand, as long as one of his fingers was pointing forward. Val crashed to the ground a heartbeat later as he felt another black bolt of death crackling through the air where he had been standing just moments before.

  One of the guardsmen lining up a shot screamed before collapsing in a heap, dying flesh rotting away within seconds into a pile of smoking bones.

  Dark laughter from the man Val had thought but a pompous fool moments before. He could taste the buildup of deadly magics. Val knew he dared not hesitate a moment longer, flinging his sword at the pair of remaining guardsmen as his right hand gripped the shield, still parrying enemy fire, desperately summoning forth his Synergized Ward.

  "Now I have you, little worm!" roared the mage, necromantic energies blasting right for Val in his moment of distraction. And even with his hastily summoned ward, Val's chest still burned where necromantic energies flash-froze his flesh.

  Congratulations! You have successfully cast Boosted Synergized Ward. 50 mana spent. You have suffered 75 hit points of damage! Fatal Wound reduced to Medium Wound. Maybe you should quit splitting your focus when parrying death magics?

  Val knew he had been a fool even as he flipped his dwarven shield up and squatted, shield deflecting laser fire even as his suddenly lowered head spotted the two shooters perfectly, his foes having time only to hiss and step back before being torn off their feet, impaled by a pair of massive ice spears.

  "Glacie Pilum! Glacie Pilum!"

  His crackling Synergized Ward held before him, Val rose to his full height once more, slowly walking toward the furious dark m
age, this time focusing all his attention upon the wand his foe held.

  "Your paltry tricks mean nothing, ape! Clan Christos will have this land, the very terms of our contest assuring that not even the damned council can dispute our claim!"

  Kaupias, completely unfazed, actually smiled. "That's right, Administrator Snivelpuse. So long as you all obey Dominion laws, we care nothing for your arcane proclivities. The Christos Coven is welcome to lands lawfully acquired. Far better you work for our cause than partake of nasty, unnecessary rebellions that weaken your clan and do naught but anger our mutual masters."

  The darkmage smirked. "For all his power, my cousin was a fool. I am not. I can pay your paltry taxes and play your Dominion politics, so long as you leave my territories alone!"

  A single whispered word and Snivelpuse was surrounded in a brilliant crackling field. Val hissed and slowed his pace, eyeing the man carefully.

  Arcane Perception Skillcheck made! The darkmage playing at being a Dominion administrator to backdoor his way into political power and assure shelter and safety for his clan has revealed his true potency at last! And so long as he plays by their rules, the Dominion couldn't care less! Always one for turning enemies into allies, and whichever one of you wins, the Dominion has one less headache and one more tool in their arsenal!

  The Dominion bureaucrat actually looks amused by the scintillating Synergized Ward Snivelpuse has cast. If it's anything like his dead cousins, you don't have a hope of breaking through! What will you do now, Val? One thing's for certain, Kaupias is enjoying the show!

  Snivelpuse's eyes glared with hate. He mocked a suddenly still Val with his laughter. "What will you do now, Terran ape? My cousin thought you were all spirits. Nonsense! I know you all to be fools. Die, monkey!" He jutted out with his deadly wand once more. "Saada Surmansa!" he roared, grinning fiercely when Val just stood there, eyes widening with surprised horror when the black bolt seemed to arc away from Val's form.

  "Saada Surmansa!" screamed a now exhausted-looking Snivelpuse, his death magics ricocheting away, blasting a rather expensive-looking chandelier free of the ceiling, crashing between them in a splash of candles and crystal.

  Test of skills engaged! Adept Deathwand vs. L10 PRM + L2 EM Mastery: Critical Success! +4 to future rolls against necromantic wands! You're now able to recognize the dark currents of power and effortlessly redirect necromantic energies from Snivelpuse's wand, so like the wand that almost fried you before! Focusing on the one figure who can actually hurt you through your dwarven armor has actually paid off, Val!

  But Val ignored the wry voice always echoing through his thoughts, just as he ignored the mage's outrage that Val even dared to live, focusing instead on bringing forth one of the few trump cards he had left, patiently waiting for his foe to unleash his vile energies once more, making sure he could truly hold his incredibly deadly, yet fragile artifact together with the electromana surges rocking through the ether.

  Congratulations! You have parried your enemy's spell once more! Critical failure avoided! Never one for taking risks seriously or retreating, you've actually dared to pull a Psiblade free of your rift and managed to recalibrate it in all its deadly potential, despite the constant fluxes of power! Your True Artificer skill has increased to Rank 3!

  Congratulations, your EM Mastery skill now allows you to stabilize and control the electromana flow all around you! Your skill Rank is 2. You can control electromana surges within 2 cm of your body or anything you are holding! This will double every Rank beyond 1. Cost to maintain this field is 5 mana/sec divided by Rank = 2.5 mana per second! Damage from all electromana attacks is automatically reduced by 10 hit points and one wound tier while this field is active!

  Val solemnly held up his Psiblade hilt. Snivelpuse hissed and lurched back. Even the far too savvy Kaupias looked surprised.

  Then Snivelpuse's grotesque, toadlike lips curled into a sneer. "Fool. No matter your Terran knack for finding baubles and trinkets, only a Highlord could use such a toy! And even if you could, the Psionicist's favorite tool is actually their weakest crutch! For all their vaunted power, that weapon is rendered inert by any surge of magic!”

  As if to prove his point, he jabbed his wand at Val once more. "Saada Surmansa!"

  Val smiled as the man's desperate blast of necrotic energies sent another chandelier crashing to an early grave.

  Both men stilled as four feet of crackling death erupted from the hilt of Val's weapon. He slowly approached an increasingly frantic Snivelpuse. "No, impossible! You can't catalyze that here, where mages rule. Nature itself forbids it!"

  Snivelpuse quickly dismissed his shield, his free hand now pointed straight at Val as he screamed words tasting of fire.

  Val's Synergized Ward was blasted with a massive cone of fire even as his foe struck with death magics far too potent to risk getting through, so Val suffered the burn to focus on pushing away the necromantic attack that could kill him, even as he endured the sting of his own seared flesh.

  Dragon's Flame hits Synergized Ward for 120 damage and Critical Wound! 30 additional mana spent! 30 damage and Light Wound blows through ward. EM Mastery field negates Light Wound and reduces damage to 20 HP! Save versus disruption made! Synergized Ward holds!

  Snivelpuse gazed at Val's mildly scorched form in disbelief, quickly darting back even as Val walked through the flames, the grand chamber now ablaze, a coughing and slightly singed Kaupias steadily retreating from the pair, for all that his ice blue eyes were fastened intently upon their duel.

  "No! You should have received worse than a sunburn, damn you. You should be a burning pyre!"

  Snivelpuse's hot gaze turned to a shocked expression of disbelief, furious protestations turning to an awful gurgling cry as he looked down to see the massive Ice Spear that had blasted through him. He crashed to the ground, his face a rictus of agony as blood and intestines spurted from the massive rent in his bowels.

  Val's cold smile grew. "You were paying so much attention to my right hand, you ignored what was in my left. You panicked, dispelling your shield for greater damage and maneuverability, forgetting the very attack I used to kill half your guards."

  He bent close, whispering into the ears of a wheezing Snivelpuse, eyes already wide with the horror of approaching death. "You fell for the simplest of illusions, fool. I didn't need a Highlord's weapon to kill you. I only needed your fear and the most basic of spells that all Terran mages start with!"

  Val raised his hand, holding the crackling sliver of death before the dying man's eyes, smiling when his foe gasped his horror, the deadly blade suddenly disappearing as if it had never been.

  "See? Simplest illusion," he said, loud enough to catch the ears of the bureaucrat gazing at him so strangely.

  Val pointed fingers emanating clouds of frost, his Ice Spear ready for instant casting.

  Snivelpuse's eyes widened with growing horror. "Please don't kill me. We've already lost so much. Please..."

  Val met the dying mage's gaze. "Make it worth my while."

  The man trembled with desperate hope, even as he coughed up blood. He turned to meet Kaupias's cold glaze, now looking far more like a powerful judge than a petty official. "Honorable Kaupias. The Christos Coven withdraws all claims to the Greengrove Estates. I formally yield to my foe. He has bested me fairly in a trial by combat. Please. Declare the victor!"

  Kaupias pitilessly shook his head. "I cannot do that, Snivelpuse. This is a trial by combat and a verdict has not yet been reached.”

  The mage began to sob, agony and terror taking their toll.

  Kaupias's gaze was almost one of pity. "Do the right thing, Valor Hunter. Torment is your privilege, but a clean kill would be your grace."

  Val frowned. "The battle is not over until the field is cleared of everyone save the victor and his sworn followers. Correct?"

  Kaupias dipped his head. "Of course. Do you truly have access to invisibility magics?" He peered around the room, clever eyes missing nothing. "I did think y
our kills remarkably quick. Do Dauda count themselves among your number?"

  Val peered down into the dying mage's eyes.

  "Please show mercy. I beg of you, end the pain!"

  "Swear yourself to me."

  The mage's eyes flickered open, pain warring with desperate hope. "Yes, yes, anything! But permit me to drink my healing potion, or I am worthless to you. And I could teach you so much!"

  Val solemnly placed his palm on the dying man's forehead. "Swear that you will obey me in all things. Swear that you will teach me and my associates what magic arts you know to the best of your abilities should I request it, warning us of any arcane peril or danger as well. Swear that you will tell no one of the bindings I place upon you, and that you will do absolutely nothing to free yourself or encourage others to free you of my binding. Do you swear to this?"

  The dying mage frantically nodded. "Yes, yes I do, master, just please..." And his eyes widened. He began to shake and thrash as Val's Greater Oath locked a vice of compulsion upon him, the mage's natural affinities fighting against the fearsome binding for long moments before he finally stopped, submitting to the terrible compulsion at the last.

  "I am yours," he said with a sob, and Val nodded.

  "I accept your oath. You will find my touch upon your destiny to be far lighter than you might fear. But first, let's take care of that nasty gut wound. Drink from this water flask. Good. Your healing will not be easy."

  Val then pressed his hands upon the man’s abdomen before channeling healing magics both brutal and life-saving. Congratulations! You have successfully cast Searing Cleanse and Season's Mending! 50 mana spent!

  Val met the disbelieving gaze of the functionary even as Snivelpuse writhed and screamed. "I take it that fulfills the terms of our match? None live, save those men who are sworn to my service."