by Rick Scott
“A large monster, you say? Do you mean Lakota?”
“Yeah.”
Wilbur’s eyes widen. “That beast has not appeared for years. Perhaps it is your felling of the Goblin Queen that did it.”
“What?”
“We used to possess control of the meadows, but lost it when the goblins took over. If Lakota has appeared, it means the herd is about to move.”
“Move? To where?”
“To some other village, perhaps. Lakota does not stay for long. It’ll disappear soon, and take the herd with it. If we had the strength to defeat it, the herd would remain for a few years more.”
“How soon will it disappear?”
“I don’t know. An hour maybe?”
Crap! “And they’re all gone to this quarry, you say? How far away is it?”
“Not too far. I’d say twenty minutes each way if you run.”
Double dang! I’ve got to make a choice here. There’s no way I can go looking for them at the quarry. The LM will have disappeared by then. But maybe I could engage it in combat to keep it from disappearing. I’d just have to kite it until they showed up. But would that be the same out here as it was in the game? “Wilbur, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Can you send someone to the quarry for me? Tell my friends to get to the meadow as soon as possible! I’m going to start the fight without them.”
“That sounds dangerous. Are you sure?”
You have been offered a new Quest: Taming of the Herd
Do you wish to accept? (Y/N)
“I think so,” I say. “Please tell them to hurry!”
I accept the quest and take off at a run, heading back to Gilly.
I’ve got no idea what I’m doing here, but an opportunity like this won’t come by again. Plus, those buffalo were dead easy to tank. An LM version of them shouldn’t be too much harder. I hope. I just need to keep an eye out for the AOE attacks and keep Shadow Copy handy. I’ve got to remember I still have that game breaking ability to draw upon.
I can do this.
I’m a Dodge Tank.
* * *
“Gilly!” I shout when I reach the meadow again. “We’re going for it!”
She looks at me, perplexed, as she stands from where she was sitting in the tall grass. “What?”
I give her a quick rundown of what Wilbur said. She’s biting her lip by the time I’m done. “Are you sure about this?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I have to try. If it starts going bad, we can just run away, right?”
She doesn’t look hopeful. “I suppose so. You want to wait it out some? It hasn’t really done much besides stand there.”
I focus on the giant white buffalo again, but don’t see any kind of timer. The only thing I know is that I just wasted a good half hour or so running to the village and back.
“Fifteen minutes, tops,” I say. “After that, I’ve got to engage it.”
We go over a simple strategy while we wait. Gilly will stay just within casting range, but as far away as possible. And if it performs an AOE attack, her job is to run away, just to make sure she isn’t hit by it. My plan is to play hide-and-go-seek with it. Just like I did those dockworkers back in Swifttide. Backstab, run away, Shadow Cloak, repeat. I give my character sheet a check and make sure all my points are spent.
Name: Reece
Class: Ninja
Level: 80
Strength: 6+25
Dexterity: 80+5
Agility: 80+5
Intelligence: 4
Mind: 6
Vitality: 17 +20
HP: 982/982
Stamina: 277/277
TP: 166/166
I have 6 points to spend and decide to dump them all into Vitality again, raising my HP by 120 points, bringing my total to 1102/1102. Finally, four digits. Hopefully, that will be enough to take a stray hit. My stomach flip-flops at the thought of it. This isn’t the game anymore. If I’m wrong, I won’t just have to re-spawn, I’ll be dead.
Dead, dead.
The idea sends weakness to my knees.
“What should I spend my points on?” Gilly asks. “Mind?”
“I guess so,” I say. But then I think again when I recall that arrow she took from the Goblin Queen. “Maybe save some for Vitality, as well. You’re our main healer. We can’t have you falling down on the job.”
I smile at her, and she chuckles a little, but I can tell she’s really nervous. So am I. But I can’t chicken out. The victory will be worth the risk. Not only will killing this LM fast-track Gilly and me toward our goal of leveling, we’ll be able to leave sooner to help Val’s friend. Plus, it’ll help the village and give us a lot of nano, I hope. That’s still the ultimate reason we’re here—get nano to save Citadel. To save my mom. We won’t be able to do any of that if I let opportunities like this slip by.
I’ve got to be brave here.
I’ve got to tank the crap out of this.
My heart is racing with anxiety when I see the timer I set in the corner of my vision pass the fifteen-minute mark. “It’s do or die time, Gilly,” I say.
“Maybe not the best choice of words there, sweetie,” Gilly says, but she leans in to give me a hug and kiss. “If it gets hairy, just run away, okay? Promise me.”
I nod. “I will.”
She smacks me playfully on the rump. “Go get ’em!”
I smile at her, and then cast Shadow Cloak before vanishing.
* * *
I trek through the tall grass toward Lakota, fearing that at any moment the huge white buffalo might disappear. It’s toward the far side of the meadow, which is a couple of football-field lengths away. Surrounding it are about a dozen normal buffalo, but they’re not too close or anything. In my mind, I do a calculation of the time it took me to run to the village and back, and what it might take a villager to run to the quarry, as well as the time it would take for my brother to get back here. It feels like one of those stupid math problems I did in school. Dang it. I guess my mom was right that it might come in handy someday. If I’m right, then they shouldn’t be much more than a couple minutes away. Assuming they can run as fast as I can. And assuming my math doesn’t suck.
No more time to stall.
I ready my blades and quickly rebuff my spells before taking a position behind Lakota’s back left leg. I prepare Backstab and then jab my katanas into the wooly white hide with a yell.
You Backstab Lakota for 612 damage.
The beast lets out a bellow, and I prepare for it to turn toward me, but a massive hoof comes flying at me instead!
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
Holy crap! I totally wasn’t expecting that! This thing attacks way too fast. The buffalo bucks again and turns, shaking the ground like an earthquake. My heart is pounding. I’ve got to hide from it now! I use Retreat to gain a bit of distance, and then Sprint away. The ground continues to shake as I scream for the smaller buffalo to get out of the way. They soon get the message when they see their bigger cousin steamrolling behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see the huge bull-like animal has nearly reached me already, even with me running at top speed!
This isn’t going to work.
I can’t outrun it!
I can’t hide!
This was a mistake. A huge mistake!
I turn and prepare to cast Shadow Copy again, but Lakota is charging toward me so fast, I don’t have time. Its huge horns tear up the grass like a combine harvester as it lowers its head to the ground. My mind snaps, and I run on instinct toward it. I leap at the last minute above its huge nose ring and engage Wall Run as my feet touch the nape of its neck. I smash into the beast’s body and lose 10% of my HP, but quickly regain my footing as I grab onto its thick wooly hide and clamber up its body toward the hump on its back.
“Reece!” Gilly screams at me in party chat. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know!” I shout back as Lakota releases another bellow and bu
cks wildly into the air. My stomach floats in freefall as the ground zooms away from me. Lokota lifts me at least fifty feet into the air, and I brace myself as the huge animal comes crashing back down again. I slam into its back and lose another 10% HP—and nearly my grip, as well.
“Reece, get off that thing! It’s going to kill you.”
My impromptu rodeo ride takes a turn for the worse as Lakota begins to buck in a circle, threatening to throw me off to the side as well as bash me into a pulp against its hide.
-10%
Ow!
-5%
Ugh!
-10%
Argh!
“I can’t get a heal off on you!” Gilly cries. “You’re moving too fast. Let go!”
Easy for her to say!
As I’m tossed up into the air and hanging on by its wooly fleece, my HUD registers a new target on its back, but it’s gone too quickly for me to see what it was. I absorb another 10% HP blow, gritting my teeth, and try to see what it is, but once again, it blips on and off too fast for me to see.
I’m down to 55%. I can’t take much more of this. This thing is killing me!
I take a desperate gamble and let go when Lakota spins, tossing me off its back at high speed. In midair, I use my flight time to cast Shadow Copy and a split second later, I crash into the ground for zero damage.
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
Dang! Wish I’d had time to think of doing that when I was falling in that mine shaft. My aches and pains suddenly subside when a white glow envelopes me.
Gilly casts Heal III!
You recover 456 HP.
I’m topped up to full again, but instantly, Lakota gives a bellow in Gilly’s direction. Crap, not enough hate on it! I get to my feet and blaze across the tall grass with a Charge Strike. I slam into Lakota’s side for a whopping 1% damage, and then yell at it for good measure with War Cry. The LM finally sets its massive blue eyes on me and snorts a blast of hot air through its nostrils.
Guess my idea of hide-and-seek is out the window now. It’s time to straight up tank this thing! I get in two quick slashes on its nose before it leaps into the air again in a buck. I have to roll out of the way for it not to land on top of me.
Your Evasion increases by 0.3!
I get to my feet and pop Active Dodge in order to avoid a swipe from its giant horns. Yikes, that was close! I need to focus. Get my head in the game. I back up slightly as it tries to trample me with its front hooves and get in a series of quick strikes to keep its attention. My heart is racing, my adrenaline spiking with both exhilaration and fear. I can’t screw this up! I can’t get hit!
And then a message appears on my HUD:
Lakota readies Great Bellow.
“Gilly, run away,” I cry as I cast Shadow Copy.
I see her running across the meadow a good hundred yards away, past casting distance and hopefully out of the AOE’s range. The huge buffalo rears its head back and lets out the loudest moo I’ve ever heard, almost as loud as that shadow monster wailing at me.
I cover my ears as my shadow gets stripped away. And then I see something that terrifies me.
Lakota uses Great Bellow!
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
Holy crap!
The ground shakes again as every buffalo within range releases a bellow of its own and charges in my direction. I freeze in fear as the mass of wooly bodies come at me like a tsunami.
Oh God . . . I’m about to die!
Chapter 15: Where’s the Beef?
I’m staring down the barrel of two dozen angry buffalo and their super pissed off mom. Or is it their dad? Crap! I can’t even think straight right now. I can’t do anything! My heart is in my throat. I hear Gilly shouting my name through the party chat, but it’s drowned out in the thunder of hooves and the rapid beat of my heart.
The beasts are nearly to me. Less than twenty feet away with nowhere to escape.
Is this it? My knees go weak as I brace myself. Mom, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry . . . !
“Get down, mate!”
I glance over my shoulder to see Rembrandt running in with both pistols blazing.
The ground in front of the smaller buffalo ignites in a wall of blue flames. They slam into it and stop short as if hitting a barrier. Lakota rears back as well, sparing me from another hit from its horns.
“That won’t hold them long,” Rembrandt shouts. “Move it away from the herd!”
I find my senses as relief washes over me.
Thank God!
I use Retreat to back away from Lakota, and see Val Helena charging into a group of six or seven buffalo. She cries out as she spins her massive axe, cleaving into all of them at once with an AOE attack. Their Health bars all reduce by a third, and then a third again as she hits them once more. Rapid-fire shots from Rembrandt finishes them off, and Val Helena quickly moves on to the next group of enraged buffalo.
A message pops onto my HUD.
Maxis has requested to form an alliance with your party. Do you accept? (Y/N)
When I hit yes, Maxis, Rembrandt, and Val Helena all join the party list.
“I don’t know what the heck you’ve gotten us into, Ryan,” my brother says through the chat, clearly pissed, “but if you’re gonna tank that thing, then tank it!”
Maxis sprints past me, headed toward a group of buffalo that have skirted around the blue flames. He stomps the ground when he reaches them, and the buffalo are hit with a stun. He then flies into them one at a time with fists and kicks, draining their HP gauges in just a couple of seconds each. XP in the low thousands trickles in from each kill, and I see Gilly gain a level.
“We’ve got the fodder!” Val Helena says, sinking her axe into another buffalo. “Stick to the LM!”
I focus back on Lakota. It’s still hampered by the wall of blue flames, but the fire looks to be extinguishing shortly. I use the opportunity to rebuff myself with Shadow Haste and Shadow Tendrils, and then cast Shadow Mist. Purple haze emerges from my palms and jets toward the massive beast.
You cast Shadow Mist.
Lakota resists the paralyze!
Lakota resists the poison!
Lakota is slowed!
That’s better!
I use my War Cry again, and then take off in the opposite direction just as the blue fire barrier falls. Lakota thunders after me, shaking the ground, but I’m in more control this time. I’m not trying to outrun it. I’m just repositioning it, pulling it away from the rest of the herd in case it does that bellow move again.
Once I get a fair distance, I turn about and launch into the charging behemoth with a Charge Strike. We collide. Somehow, my stun manages to land and I don’t take nearly as much damage as I feared. Although it’s still enough to take 10% of my health and make my head a little dizzy. I recover as Lakota lunges at me and evade the slowed attack with ease.
Confidence builds with the success, and I feel myself calming down. Somehow, knowing my friends are here removes my fear. Dang, it feels good to have backup! I strike at the massive buffalo’s head with my purple-hued blades and dodge nimbly to the side as it tries to gore me with its horns again.
“Try to hit me!” I goad it with another War Cry. “Come on!”
A flood of warmth rushes through me as Gilly heals me up to full.
I catch sight of her about a hundred feet away, looking flustered from running halfway across the meadow to heal me.
“Gilly, with m
e!” Rembrandt calls to her, and I watch as Gilly joins him in a tactical position facing Lakota’s flank. The cyberpunker begins to unload into the beast’s hide, his twin pistols firing in rapid succession.
“You guys came at just the right time!” Gilly says in the chat. “Reece was gonna get creamed!”
I feel a flush of embarrassment as she says that, and nearly screw up avoiding another hit. She’s right, though. I totally froze up again. Without Rembrandt’s quick thinking, I would have been dead. I don’t know what would have happened. “I really owe you guys one.”
“We’ll talk about what you owe us once this thing is dead!” Maxis says. “Now shut up and fight!”
Gilly: Eesh, he’s really pissed off. D:
Me: Tell me about it.
I do what he says, though, and pay attention to what I’m doing. With Lakota’s attacks slowed ,I can finally focus on debuffing it some. I go through my spell rotation and lower its resistance to fire. “Use fire on it if you have it, Rem!”
I check the damage we’ve done thus far. With chagrin, I see that Lakota’s pretty much at full health. What the heck? Are we doing any damage at all? I check my combat log.
Lakota misses you!
Lakota misses you!
You hit Lakota for 376 damage.
You hit Lakota for 385 damage.
You hit Lakota for 391 damage.
You hit Lakota for 388 damage.
Maybe it just has a ton of hit points. “Go all out, guys! We’re not hurting it!”
Gilly gains another level as Val Helena and Maxis finish with the smaller buffalo. I think she must be 54 by now. They then join us to focus their attention on Lakota. Maxis changes his stance to Fists of Fire and goes into an endless series of punches and kicks. Val Helena bursts into a red glow as she buffs herself and hacks into the LM’s wooly hide like she’s chopping down a tree.