Beastborne- Mark of the Founder

by James T Callum

  But there was a rage in her that he had never seen. A driving desperation that spurred her on.

  Elora and Ashera pulled Hal along to a small shelter where a boulder-sized chunk of stone had fallen from above and blocked the sight of the Shoggoth for the most part.

  Hal was still reeling from the shock, his legs felt like jelly. Giel was laying against the sheltering chunk of ceiling, his chin resting on his considerable chest. A large gash alongside his head bled profusely, leaving a trail down his bicep and onto the floor.

  Ashera knelt by him while Elora tried to rouse Hal.

  “Hal!” Elora placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing his wandering eyes to her own. They were more blue than gray today, a pretty steel-blue. “Snap out of it! We need you to tie up the Shoggoth for a little while, can you do that?” Hal’s vision drifted a bit.

  Why can’t I focus?

  Elora slapped him. Forcing his gaze - and his attention - back to her. “Can. You. Do. That?”

  Hal nodded woodenly. “I can do it,” he said, slurring his words. Elora turned away from him, cursing and muttering. She unslung her bow and fired into a nearby tentacle that was snaking its way toward them like some blind feeler.

  “I can do it,” Hal muttered to himself, gaining more confidence. Dying, it seemed, was a deeply disorienting thing that wasn’t so easily shrugged off.

  Hands placed on the ground, Hal concentrated as the world came into sharp, bright focus. The flow of mana was replaced by the surging torrent of Elysian energy. It wasn’t a trickle like he was used to, it was like the gush of a broken dam.

  Chains as big and thick around as Giel’s torso leaped from every surface in the room. The dozens of thick cabling tendrils of the Shoggoth were restrained and choked. No matter how much the creature bulged or shunted its mass somewhere else, the chains bit in and the Shoggoth let loose a terrific screech that nearly made Hal faint.

  Hal rose unsteadily to his feet and froze. His heart stuttered. There on his left was the Reaper, standing with arms crossed and an expression of unbridled fury on her pale, almost purple-blue tinted skin.

  He was so caught up in the appearance of the Reaper that he didn’t notice the Shoggoth wriggling one thickly-cabled tentacle past the confines of the chains. It bore down on Hal like a freight train.

  The Reaper jerked her chin at it, and Hal only had enough time to realize why he could see the Reaper again before the Shoggoth would crush the life out of him.

  38

  Hal threw up his hands in a vain attempt to block the bone-crushing blow. He shut his eyes against the incoming pain.

  A shiver of cold passed through him. The blow he braced for never came. Hal opened one eye, then the other. The arms he had raised to block were there, unharmed.

  And translucent.

  The realization startled him and he took his attention from the Shoggoth, looking at his hands. Looking through his hands.

  Am I already dead?

  Hal looked around for the Reaper. She stood where she had before, arms crossed over her chest. Though the scowling expression was replaced with one of wide-eyed surprise.

  A moment later the Shoggoth’s tentacle whipped through him as if he were no more than a ghost. Hal didn’t even register it. A shiver rippled through him again and his hands solidified once more.

  So that’s ethereal instability, huh?

  It was the only thing that made any sense.

  He felt empowered in a way he never had before. There was a thrilling hum in his veins begging to be released. Glancing at his HUD, he saw something that made no sense. His HP, SP, and MP were all full but his MP bar was shimmering and glowing like it was radioactive.

  His Ultimate was steadily filling up with golden energy, catching up to Mira’s nearly full bar. She had retreated, leaving the boss chained up as it slowly wriggled free more tentacles.

  Enchainment, Hal realized, could adapt to any size but they could do nothing against the Shoggoth’s grotesquely unique manner of shifting its mass forward to squeeze through the chains. There was a finite number of chains conjured at once. And as the Shoggoth squeezed itself through them, it made slow but steady progress out of the binding ethereal metal.

  With one last look at his party menu, Hal dropped to the ground. He planted both palms flat, feeling the vibrations of the Shoggoth through the cracked stone. He cast Enchainment again, once more the trickle he had been used to came out as a flood of mana he could barely control.

  His first reaction was to stop casting altogether, to halt the deluge.

  No. Hal batted aside the instinctual urge to hold himself back. He pushed down the fear and embraced the torrent of Elysia that coursed through his body.

  The massive spectral chains that burst through the walls and ceilings were even larger than before.

  The errant tentacle that had swiped through him was pulled down to the floor ten feet away, mid-swing with a teeth-rattling vibration.

  I wish I had something more. All I can do is hold it in place.

  Your Enfeebling Magic has risen to Level 5.

  +1% Enfeebling success (+5%).

  +2% Enfeebling duration (+10%).

  +5% Enfeebling magic resistance (+5%).

  Your Enchainment has risen to Tier III.

  +15% Duration.

  -20% MP Cost.

  Enchainment III

  MP: 18

  Range: 12.5ft Radius

  Binds target(s) with spectral chains, rooting them to the spot. Any damage inflicted upon them once bound breaks the chains. Must be touching the same surface as the creature stands upon.

  Spell Evolution: Bloodrake.

  School: Enfeebling

  MP: 45

  Damage: 1

  Bleed Damage: 3

  Range: 12.5ft Radius

  Binds target(s) with bladed, spiked spectral chains, rooting them to the spot and inflicting Bleed damage. Damage inflicted upon them does not break the spell. Must be touching the same surface as the creature stands upon.

  Even as the thought came to him, he found the mana that rushed out of his veins and into the spell subtly shift and change into something else. The chains grew angry spikes and wicked curved blades. They bit and cut into the Shoggoth, spraying toxic fluids across the room in streaming black arcs.

  The damage was minimal, about 3 damage every few seconds from the chains, and a heftier 9 bleed damage on top of that. He wouldn’t be winning any damage awards, but while the Shoggoth was restrained at least it was taking damage.

  And that’s what they needed, most of all, Hal realized. They didn’t need his Beast Magic, they needed the creature’s range of motion limited. That way they could attack with impunity.

  No matter how great his Beast Magic might be, there was no way he could ever compete with four other coordinating fighters. He knew his role here.

  Black ichor splashed on Hal’s back, burning through his clothes and boiling the skin beneath. His spell faltered and he nearly lost it entirely as his concentration wavered. He buckled down, gritting his teeth against the pain and denying his weakness even as the acid ate through his HP, dropping it by a full quarter.

  Every other time Hal cast a spell, it was always a one-time affair. But now, he channeled the magic that flooded through him, maintaining a constant connection to the spell. He evolved and changed it even as the Shoggoth fought to slip out of its biting bonds.

  The room filled with the sounds of screeching metal and the disturbingly high-pitched overlapping squeals of the Shoggoth’s cries from its multitudinous mouths.

  Hal’s blood roared in his ears. Cruel chains leaped from the walls, slicing down onto newly formed tentacles and cutting them free. The cancerous creatures that formed were immediately pounced on by Mira, seeing her opportunity to get back into the fray.

  Hal’s Ultimate bar shimmered a brilliant gold and a surge of adrenaline scoured his veins. The gathering fatigue and weariness he was feeling was swept away.

  Your Ultimate is fu
lly charged.

  Echoes of the Damned unlocked.

  <“Hal, you’re alive!> Mira cried with excitement. She gored one writhing tentacle and then flung it aside. The thing splattered against the wall. <“My Ultimate’s just about ready, you wanna go together?”>

  He had no idea what she meant, her words came at him from far off through the roaring sound that filled his mind like static.

  But he was never one to turn down an opportunity for something new. <“I’ll follow your lead,”> he answered.

  There was no time to ask questions. He’d have to learn how to do it just as he was learning how to use his magic right then.

  Through his connection to the chains, Hal knew that he was fighting a losing battle. Despite his swelling mana feeding constantly into the spell, the Shoggoth was shedding the dead and dying appendages faster than he could keep up.

  With the party’s help exterminating the various Sporelings that cropped up, they had managed to fight the Shoggoth to a tentative stalemate. But he knew that the creature had more stamina than he had.

  The damage they had done to the creature seemed more of an annoyance to the abomination than anything else.

  Already the bright glow that surrounded his MP was dimming. And every second he channeled his mana he could feel the flood of Elysian energy ebb.

  Without him restraining the Shoggoth, he didn’t like their odds very much.

  <“Heads up, Hal! I’m about to show you what a Dragoon is truly capable of!”> Mira called out.

  The Dragoon landed lightly ten feet away from Hal. Her spear pointed accusingly at the main bulk of the Shoggoth on the opposite side of the room nearly twenty feet away.

  Bloodshot eyes blinked angrily at the Dragoon and the Novice beside her. With Hal constantly struggling against the titanic strength and disturbingly fast regeneration properties of the monster, it was unable to bring its full might to bear and crush the immobile Dragoon.

  Blue light gathered around Mira’s body, serpentine scaly forms swirled around her and gathered at the tip of the spear like a blinding star.

  Mira readies Ultimate: Azure Wrath.

  She spun her spear, flipping it over in her hands and whipping it about in a frenzied action. All the while azure energy crawled along her lithe form and a shadow began to loom over her like a protective guardian.

  The air split with a sharp crack.

  An ethereal azure dragon appeared over Mira, its wings spread wide. Its fanged maw let rip a chilling roar that stilled even the Shoggoth’s constant wriggling and fighting.

  The spell, Bloodrake, vanished to the back of his mind. Distantly, he was aware that he was maintaining the spell and even capitalizing on the devastation that Mira was wreaking.

  Azure flames spread from the dragon’s maw and as one, Mira and her dragon guardian flew through the air on azure wings. They plunged into the depths of the cancerous creature that, upon realizing the intent of the Dragoon, desperately tried to split down the middle.

  Hal’s chains held it down, slowing its progress enough for Mira to crash into the creature. The room shook with the violence of the impact, producing a spraying shower of gore and stone dust that clogged the air.

  Mira uses Ultimate: Azure Wrath.

  Reaching down into himself, Hal called upon his newfound Ultimate ability. He felt it there, waiting for him to take hold. The room darkened. From every shadow crawled a figure. They flickered and shifted within the cloud of smoke that Mira’s Ultimate had created.

  Hal readies Ultimate: Echoes of the Damned.

  The chains on the Shoggoth shifted and Hal stood to his feet, hands thrust out toward the thing. As if they were an extension of himself, and without the contact of a connecting surface he usually needed, the chains tightened as Hal closed his fists.

  He made a ripping gesture through the air, pulling his arms to the side.

  The resulting scream that echoed in the chamber was one of the most disturbing sounds Hal had ever heard. A hundred different mouths, each with their own voice, cried out in overlapping torment.

  The bladed chains pulled what remained of the Shoggoth’s core in two, splattering the halves against opposite walls.

  It wasn’t just the terrifying scream that stole the warmth from Hal’s blood. It was the shadowy forms that he had summoned. He recognized them.

  They were him.

  There were dozens of shadowy forms, from a quick count there were roughly three dozen, all cut from the same cloth. They lacked distinct features but he knew his own shadow when he saw it.

  The shadows all bore altered shadowy visages of Hal, as if he had somehow called several different lives from parallel dimensions to aid him. As unlikely as that might have been, he felt deep in his gut that the truth was darker still.

  Unbidden, the Echoes unleashed brutal savagery upon the Shoggoth. Some carried large swords that rivaled Giel’s, others used bows, crossbows, halberds, katanas, one that stood out as more solid than the others wore a sword and shield, marching into battle with grim determination.

  The Shoggoth tried to strike out but it seemed petrified. Even its typical undulating motion ceased.

  Between Mira’s recent attack and the army of shadows, it was overwhelmed. Each of the shadows leaped into the fray, slashing, bashing, hacking, and spellcasting.

  Amid the shadows swarming the Shoggoth, a shadowy dragon appeared, the twin to the azure creature Mira had created. It let loose a silent roar and tore into the Shoggoth, ripping what remained into a mass of gore that oozed and bubbled. Its acidic secretions ate through the stone around them.

  <“Holy. That was awesome, Hal! Do it again!”> Mira cried, staring in awe at the shadowy copy of her dragon Ultimate.

  Hal uses Ultimate: Echoes of the Damned.

  The [Shoggoth Spore | Elite] takes 750 points of damage.

  The [Shoggoth Spore | Elite] is afflicted with Terror.

  Ultimate Synergy: Echoing Doom.

  The [Shoggoth Spore | Elite] takes 598 points of damage.

  You and me both.

  You defeat the [Shoggoth Spore | Elite].

  You gain 12,500 Experience Points.

  You earn 12,500 Sparks.

  You absorb 200 Aberration Essence.

  Your Enfeebling Magic has risen to Level 6.

  +1% Enfeebling success (+6%).

  +2% Enfeebling duration (+12%).

  Your Bloodrake has risen to Tier II.

  +2 Damage.

  +3 Bleed damage.

  Bloodrake II

  MP: 45

  Damage: 3

  Bleed Damage: 6

  Range: 12.5ft Radius

  Binds target(s) with bladed, spiked spectral chains, rooting them to the spot and inflicting heavy Bleed damage. Damage inflicted upon them does not break the spell. Must be touching the same surface as the creature stands upon.

  You obtain:

  [Corrupted Core]

  [Unidentified Cuirass]

  [Unidentified Boots]

  [Unidentified Jerkin]

  10 [Vials of Acidic Ooze]

  Hal watched with a sense of loss as each of his echoes vanished. They stood out, for just a moment, bright and clear to him. Paladins, Rangers, Mages, and every type of Class he’d ever considered.

  One, in particular, the Paladin-looking echo, looked over his shoulder at Hal. He held Hal’s gaze for a fraction of a second before he vanished. The curving scar that went from his temple to just beneath his eye stood out sharply before he and all of the rest vanished.

  The chains vanished as Hal let go of the spell, thoroughly drained.

  The effect of Elysian Surge wears off.

  From the Shoggoth’s melting body came dozens of Sporelings closing fast on the group. He looked over at the hiding spot of Ashera and Giel. A quick glance at his party HUD told him that Giel was wounded but on the mend and that Ashera had bottomed out her MP doing so.

  Hal stooped down to his weapons, ready to grab them and rush to their defense. A chill
passed through him. His hands swiped uselessly through both weapons and into the stone below as if he was a ghost.

  No, no, no. Not now.

  Driven by anger and worry over his friends he frantically clawed at his weapons, trying to get them to no avail.

  <“The Sporelings are coming from the Shoggoth’s corpse!”> he warned.

  Mira was too far to help, even with her supernatural jumps that let her soar through the air, she would never make it in time to help.

  Elora’s bow hummed with a continuous melody as she nocked and fired with unerring accuracy. But even to Hal’s untrained eyes, the Ranger was going to be overwhelmed soon.

  39

  Ditching his futile attempts to collect his weapons, Hal concentrated and summoned the ethereal bladed chains of Bloodrake. The mana that flowed through his veins was back to normal.

  Elora readies Ultimate: Empyreal Arrow.

  The Ranger adopted a crouched stance. One Hal immediately recognized from back in the goblin cave.

  <“Hal, a little help?”> Elora asked, her voice strained with the effort of conjuring her Ultimate.

  The Reaper floated nearby, a look of sincere confusion on her face. Hal motioned to Elora, and the Reaper shook her head. Demonstrating her point by swiping her hand through a pile of stones near her feet.

  With no other help forthcoming, Hal fell within himself. He knew it left him vulnerable to any Sporeling that came across him but he didn’t care at that point.

  Reaching deep within, he tried to match the distance and strength of his previous supercharged spell. His mana dropped like a rock as he pushed Bloodrake beyond its limits.