by Jamey Sultan
Rank: Epic
+ 1,000 Mana
+ 100% Casting Speed
-90% Health
-90% Stamina
Was it worth it? Not for Audun.
James would have to think long and hard about whether he wanted to wear that ring. Sure, he was always complaining about his lack of mana, and he would probably never have Mana problems again if he wore that ring. But he was still a front-line fighter, and sacrificing that much health and stamina would be a bad idea. It would work much better for a pure caster who was able to shield themselves with magic, like the Goblin shaman. Or a mage who could put their enemies to sleep instantly like Audun could.
James tossed the mage’s ring in his pouch before moving on, leaving the rest of the mage’s gear for Nidra.
Sinew’s corpse was a disappointment. None of her gear was usable because, unlike everyone else, she hadn’t looked for cover and tried to weather the storm in the open. Her body had been torn apart by enormous chunks of ice that had smashed her gear to pieces, leaving nothing salvageable.
James moved on to the cart where he found a serviceable bedroll and a pillow and slipped them into his pouch. With any luck, his days of waking up with a stiff neck were over.
James then looked through the cart for the crossbow that Vegar had used to kill the shaman. He knew it was incredibly powerful, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find it. Orrel must have taken it without telling anyone. He shrugged and pulled out the last two interesting bits of loot: A chest full of coins and the shaman’s staff.
The chest of coins contained a few hundred gold. James dumped a hundred into his pouch and left the rest for the group to fight over, then pulled out the staff.
Deathrattle:
Rank: Rare
Channeling death spells through this staff greatly increases their power
James shuddered and slipped the staff into his bag. It wouldn’t be useful to him, but maybe he could sell it for some coin. He still wasn’t sure how much anything was worth.
Once he finished taking his pick of the loot, James sat down to finish his shift. The rest of his watch was spent practicing knife throwing and meditating.
You have gained 3 Skill Ranks in Knife Throwing.
You are now Skill Rank 5.
You have gained 2 Skill Ranks in Meditation.
You are now Skill Rank 7
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Night Vision.
You are now Skill Rank 8.
Lightly, James shook Nidra’s arm. She woke up with a start and immediately channeled her mana. The orange glow faded from her eyes when she realized it was only James.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Little on edge.”
“No worries, we all are.”
She stretched. “Did anything happen while I was sleeping?”
“Nope.” James paused for a second, thinking. “Well, Orrel left.”
“Left?” She asked incredulously.
James shrugged. “Walked away.”
“Where did he go?”
“No idea. He gave me this though.” James pulled out the token and showed it to her. “It looks like it can get me to a tribe called the Panther Tribe. Any idea what that is?”
She took the token from him and examined it, turning it over and running her finger over the designs carved into the coin.
“No idea. They’re probably one of the beast tribes that live in the glades, but I don’t know much about them.”
James sighed, slipping the coin back into his pouch. “Shame. Neither do I.” He pulled his newly acquired sleeping roll out of his pouch, watching Nidra’s eyes widen when she saw it. “By the way, I got a start on the looting, but I left you a bunch of stuff. Take what you want.” He frowned. “I think Orrel took the crossbow.”
She nodded in appreciation. “Thanks.”
James smiled and climbed into his bedroll, asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Chapter 27
James woke to a scream.
He rolled out of his bedroll and leapt to his feet, drawing his sword.
Nidra was trying to hold off a small green-skinned figure wielding a spear and shield.
A Shrieker.
Name: Vasili Orren
Race: Goblin (Shrieker Clan)
Level 14
Class: Warrior
Nidra had grabbed a discarded spear from the fight earlier and was waving it around erratically in an attempt to ward off the Goblin. She may have been good at magic, but close combat was clearly not her forte.
James watched as she made a poor attempt at a feint and tried to stab the Goblin with the spear. He easily batted the weapon away with his shield and taunted her. Whenever she tried to cast, another attack would make her lose focus.
The goblin seemed to be having a great time toying with her. His fighting style was reminiscent of a cat toying with a mouse. First, he knocked her spear to the side with his shield and retaliated with a quick, shallow jab that just barely drew blood.
But there was only one Goblin.
Where were the others? Why was the Goblin making so much noise? Wouldn’t stealth have been better?
He shoved those thoughts aside. His friend was in danger.
Lucien and Arik had also woken up to the clamor and joined him, staring in confused silence. The presence of his companions brought James back to the present.
“Come on!” he shouted, taking off towards Nidra. “We have to help her!”
The others followed James as he sprinted towards the Shrieker.
When the Goblin turned and saw three humans running towards him with weapons drawn, his eyes widened, and his expression turned from glee to fear. He jabbed at her ferociously, his spear scoring deeper as she barely dodged lethal blows. Until she didn’t. The Goblin saw an opening and, with a cry of excitement, plunged his spear towards her heart.
James, not knowing what else to do, cast Shadow Step. He appeared next to the Goblin and tackled the creature from the side. The surprised Goblin dropped its spear, and the pair tumbled through the low grass. James had the weight advantage and quickly pinned the thrashing creature. It bit and scratched at James, covering him with small wounds.
James swore and headbutted the Goblin, caving its nose, then drew his dagger and stabbed the Goblin in the eye.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Small Blades.
You are now Skill Rank 4.
Wow. You’re getting really good at not stabbing yourself.
You have killed Vasili Orren (Level 14 Goblin Warrior).
+ 45 experience points
A war horn sounded in the distance. James looked up to see a long line of Goblins advancing from the trees where they had been hiding.
There were no potential escape routes, as the Goblin had maneuvered them too close to the cliff face. They were trapped.
Angrily, James kicked at the now-dead Goblin as plans churned through his mind. He could always use Shadow Step to escape, but he didn’t want to abandon his friends.
A singular Goblin stepped forward, clad in full plate. He held up his hand in a tight fist, and the line of Goblins stopped.
Name: Eroi-Tul
Race: Goblin
Level 19
Class: Earth Warlock
He pulled off his helm and grinned, revealing sharp teeth. “Hello, Jamesss,” he hissed.
“How do you know my name?”
“Oh, I know all about you,” The Goblin said, tilting his head so that James could see a flash of red glowing underneath his armor. James felt a twinge in his own brand as the goblin revealed his “I know that you come from another world.” At that, a few of the other Goblins shifted uncomfortably. “I know all about your brand.” His smile would make a dentist hang up his drill. “And your quest.”
James spared a glance at his companions. He could tell they wanted to talk about the revelation, but also knew that it wasn’t the time. James was annoyed. This smug Goblin acted like he knew all the answers, while James was still
in the dark. James snapped. “Well, that’s great! Maybe you can tell me, because they forgot to clue me in.”
Eroi-Tul ignored James. “So, will you come with us peacefully?” He asked.
James grinned and gave him the finger.
The Goblin smiled. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
His eyes glowed green as he channeled his mana, conjuring a magic circle of green energy. Ancient runes swirled around the circle, creating a light breeze that picked up loose dirt and leaves. The movement sped up until all James could see was a twister of dust and green energy.
It stopped as suddenly as it had started. A massive Humanoid creature made of dirt and rock stood in the center of the circle. It was twice as tall as James, with short stubby legs and lanky arms. Veins of the dark green energy pulsed ominously over its surface.
“Attack!” the warlock ordered, pointing at James. The creature obliged, stepping out of the circle and advancing on the small group.
Earth Elemental (Level 24)
The Elemental advanced, step after slow plodding step, each footfall accompanied by a small tremor.
The rest of the Shriekers followed the elemental, advancing on James.
He looked around. There was nowhere to go.
A bolt of flame shot past James, targeting the warlock. The Shrieker snapped his fingers and a shell of rock bubbled up around him, connected to the Earth Elemental by a thread of green mana.
The fireball impacted against the shield and burst apart, leaving a star-shaped scorch. The shield quivered and shook, sloughing off its outer layer before stilling. When James looked back at the Earth Elemental, the thread of Mana was still connected to the shield, but the elemental had shrunk.
That gave him an idea.
“Attack the shield! It damages the elemental!” James yelled back to Nidra. He then turned to Arik and Lucien. “On me! Protect Nidra! Backs to the wall!”
The three adventurers backed up against the cliff wall and formed a semicircle with Nidra in the center. Arik held his hammer and Lucien wielded a spear taken from a Goblin’s corpse. Nidra’s eyes danced with energy.
The warlock’s shield let out a quick pulse of green light. A war cry went up from the Goblin horde and they charged, overtaking the Elemental and mobbing the trio en masse.
The next five minutes were pure hell. James, Arik, and Lucien hacked and stabbed at any Goblins that got too close while Nidra continued her spell.
Every so often, James would realize that he had lost focus, intent on watching Arik. The Dwarf’s weapon had a mind of its own. As Arik blocked a slash from one Goblin’s sword, the upper half of his hammer liquified, flowing around the Goblin’s weapon and countering. Watching the Dwarf work was so interesting that James almost failed to block a spear thrust towards Lucien’s unprotected flank.
The kid clearly didn’t know how to fight with a spear, but he was holding his own. Lucien stabbed a Goblin with his spear and, using its momentum, flung the Goblin into one of its brethren.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Swordsmanship.
You are now Skill Rank 20.
The notification brought James back to the present as he brought his sword down on a Goblin’s head, its dark energy sizzling as it sliced the creature in half.
You have killed Kiros Helev (Level 17 Goblin Warrior).
+ 28 experience points
Why did I gain so little experience? And why haven’t I gained experience for the other people’s kills? James didn’t have time to wonder as another Goblin stepped forwards to take the last one’s place.
With an explosion of magical energy, Nidra finished casting. Eight bolts of fire blasted from her palm, each one targeting the warlock’s protective barrier.
As the bolts of energy connected, a pulse of Mana flowed from the Elemental back into the shield as the Elemental shrunk by half. It was now around James’ height and covered in small cracks. It had also just reached them.
The Elemental slammed a fist into the ground, sending a shock wave of earth straight at Arik.
The Dwarf jumped into the air, but was caught by the creature’s other fist, which sent him flying. He landed in a crumpled heap on the ground.
“Arik!” James shouted. He cast Shadow Step and appeared next to the dwarf, dropping down to check his pulse. It was faint, but present.
He turned back to the battle. They were getting absolutely wrecked and there was nothing he could do about it. His storm pendant was still on cooldown, and he didn’t have any area of effect attacks. It was time to take a risk.
He cast Shadow Step.
James disappeared, leaving a confused Goblin in his wake. He reappeared on the other side of the Goblins, directly next to the warlock’s shield, and started attacking. Each blow from his sword sent a pulse of energy from the Elemental into the shield, healing the shield but damaging the Elemental.
James Mana was flashing low. Seventy-two. One more cast.
His plan was working. The Elemental had turned and was rumbling towards him. Back by the cliff face, his friends fought fiercely as they tried to push back the waves of Goblins. But it wasn’t enough. Nidra had long since run out of Mana and was fighting with a discarded spear. Lucien was covered in blood, and Arik was holding back the entire force basically on his own. As James watched, the Dwarf’s eyes turned silver. He pulled a second hammer off his belt and let off a rapid series of attacks, pushing the Goblins back.
“Hey, wasn’t I your target?” James called out to the Goblins as he cast his last Shadow Step.
James reappeared by the tree line, then immediately took off and ran towards the dense undergrowth. Maybe he could take the heat off of his friends and lose the Goblins in the woods.
A heavy rumble accompanied the warlock’s shield breaking down. The Elemental reformed into a mound of earth and the warlock stepped on it, riding it like a surfboard.
Shit. Why was the Elemental suddenly so fast?
James sprinted through the undergrowth, ducking a branch to avoid poking his eye out.
He leapt hurdled a fallen log but landed poorly, twisting his ankle.
Stumbling to his feet, James kept going. He could feel the rumbling of the earth as the Elemental gained on him. James started to slow down. There was nowhere else to go.
Breathing heavily, James held up his hands in defeat.
The Earth Elemental came to a halt and sunk into the ground, leaving Eroi-Tul standing in front of James, wearing a nasty grin.
“Giving up so soon?” he asked. “I was just getting started.”
“If I go with you, will you leave the others alone?”
The Goblin tapped his chin, a dark glint in his eyes. “Nope.”
“Wait, what?” James was flabbergasted. “You need to let me give myself up for my friends. It’s the noble sacrifice of the hero. It’s an important plot point.”
The Goblin stared back, unimpressed, and pulled a cruel black broadsword from a sheath behind his back. “Then goodbye, hero,” he snickered.
“I’m sorry?” James asked as he backed away slowly, hands in the air. “Aren’t you going to take me back to your leader or something? This seems rather final.”
Eroi-Tul raised an eyebrow in confusion. “We want you dead. Why would I give you the chance to escape?”
“Don’t you at least want to start a long-winded explanation on why I’m here and how you’re going to stop me?” James threw out desperately.
“I’m good,” the Goblin said, swinging his sword.
James closed his eyes as the sword descended, throwing his hands out in a reflexive attempt to save himself as his life flashed before him.
Wait.
The Mana Crystals.
James remembered Audun cracking a Mana crystal and becoming infused with power.
With movement reinforced by desperation, James grabbed a fistful of the crystals out of his pouch and cracked them all at once.
You have used an Average Mana Crystal.
+ 500 Mana
for 5 minutes
Warning: Each consecutive crystal will lose a large portion of its potency. Using more than one crystal is dangerous and can cause permanent damage.
You have used an Average Mana Crystal.
+ 250 Mana for 5 minutes
Warning: Each consecutive crystal will lose a large portion of its potency. Using more than one crystal is dangerous and can cause permanent damage.
You have used an Average Mana Crystal.
+ 125 Mana for 5 minutes
Warning: Each consecutive crystal will lose a large portion of its potency. Using more than one crystal is dangerous and can cause permanent damage.
You have used an Average Mana Crystal.
+ 62 Mana for 5 minutes
Are you stupid? Can’t you read?
WARNING: EACH CONSECUTIVE CRYSTAL WILL LOSE A LARGE PORTION OF ITS POTENCY. USING MORE THAN ONE CRYSTAL IS DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE PERMANENT DAMAGE.
You have used an Average Mana Crystal.
+ 31 Mana for 5 minutes
Was it worth it?
With a rush of power, James’ Mana bar filled up, but not with its usual blue color. The bright violet energy bar showed 968 mana. A blinking timer appeared in the corner of his vision, counting down the five minutes before his Mana bottomed out again.
Ignoring the confused warlock, James cast Shadow Step.