Watcher's Test

by Sean Oswald

  Once again, Dave was blown away by the power of Emily’s magic. She could literally heal people back from the brink of death, and again, she displayed amazing power destroying over twenty of the skeleton creatures with one spell. He felt an almost reflexive surge of jealousy that he had to stamp down. It made him feel sick to his stomach. He wanted to be unreservedly proud of the things that Emily, or Mira for that fact, were accomplishing but even if he knew better, he still couldn’t help but be envious that they were getting to be the mage that he wanted to be. Sure, he could use magic, but it was all an extension of his combat or to make him a better fighter. He didn’t get to use magic just for the sake of magic. It was petty and stupid, even inaccurate in some ways and worst of all he knew that. Yet logic is a poor shield against the green-eyed monster. Fortunately, though, Dave had other things to focus on. While most of the skeletons in the immediate area had been destroyed there were still two groups of two of the monsters on opposite sides of the consecration spell’s area of effect. Not to mention that apparently there were still more of the creatures which Talvenicus and Jarvis were trying to delay.

  With a thought, Dave checked his mana total and found it sitting at 45, so he would soon be able to cast another Enlarge, but his current casting of the spell was set to run out in two ticks. “Just enough time,” he thought with a smile. Jumping out of the area of safety, he ignored the questions about what he was doing from Emily and engaged with the first pair of skeletons. This time though, instead of using his sword to dismember them which didn’t actually end up stopping them at all, he decided to just bull rush the closest one. He tackled it to the ground driving his shoulder into it while trying to protect his face from the bony clawing fingers. As he drove one to the ground the other leapt upon his back and tried to find a gap in the conjured chainmail he was wearing. This was exactly what he had hoped would happen for now with a push of his enhanced muscles he leapt into the air backward to land in the circle of consecration. In his arms, he held one skeleton and upon his back was the other while he twisted to try to land on his feet. He might not have the amazing Agility that Emily had, but he was no slouch and was able to affect the maneuver with little trouble. As he crossed the line of the enchantment in the air, both of the skeletons went limp and fell apart.

  Splitting his attention between the timer on his Minor Enlarge spell and the other pair of skeletons who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that they were now the hunted rather than the hunters, he realized he didn’t have enough time to duplicate the technique in the three seconds that remained. So he would have to do the other pair the hard way. Waiting for his buff to expire he pulled out his longsword. He figured he could throw the cut-up pieces into the holy circle just as easily. It would simply take more time and would delay him from going to Talvenicus’ help all that much longer.

  Before Dave could even take a step toward the two remaining skeletons, a crimson blur flashed by in his peripheral vision and materialized into a very rapidly moving man in bright red armor. His armor a sharp contrast to the dark ebony of his skin. Dang, this guy was moving fast. His charging motion ended with a trio of perfectly executed slashes that took off both arms and both legs with the final slash. Even as quickly as those attacks were executed, he still found the ability to block the incoming claws of the second skeleton. This guy moved with grace and an obvious skill with the sword that defied anything that Dave possessed. It was sort of what Dave imagined when his grandfather had read him tales about John Carter’s adventures on Mars. Then it was over almost before it began.

  The red armored warrior then turned to face Dave and those around him. “Is one of you the sheriff of Eris’ Rise?”

  Dave stepped forward, “That would be me. Do you mind if I ask who you are?”

  “Of course not, I’m Captain Smart of the King’s Purple and Gold.”

  Dave’s face scrunched up as he replied, “That might mean something to me if I wasn’t brand new to Eris’ Rise. All I know is that it’s part of some country called Albia and a duchy called Holstein. So I have no idea what the Purple and Gold is or even who the king is, but I’m guessing from how you said it that you are some kind of special forces operator.”

  It was now Max’s turn to display surprise, “What did you say?”

  Dave was never given the chance to answer that question though as Conrad stepped up and reminded him that the mayor and Jarvis were either dead or running for their lives trying to buy time for the rest of the town. With that solemn reminder, Dave asked Conrad if he could stay with his family to watch over them and assured the blacksmith that he would do everything in his power to save the mayor. The rest of the men there all went back to their families. While they were apologizing and bowing to Emily, Dave took a second and checked the party interface and saw that Talvenicus was alive but at just a little over 10% of his health left. That spurred him on further until Captain Smart placed a hand on his shoulder and looked meaningfully at Emily. “I will help you save your mayor, but I need to know who this elf is and what she is doing in a kingdom village.”

  Dave got very tense but figured it would be faster and far more successful to talk to this warrior than to fight with him. “IF you must know, that is my wife and a priestess of Shanelle.”

  “Easy their big boy. I don’t mean any offense, but it isn’t common to see a Moon Elf in Albia let alone out here in the boonies. I don’t mean to cause any more offense, but I suppose that she can prove she is a priestess of Shanelle?”

  Emily strode over and raised her hand to show the faint star marking.

  Upon seeing it, the red warrior’s entire demeanor seemed to change. He wasn’t fumbling over himself to bow to her like the people of Eris’ Rise, but his aggressive posture become one of deference. “My apologies, I honestly didn’t know that there were Moon Elves who worshipped Shanelle or that any Daughter had been sent out here.”

  Having already learned how to play the part Emily responded, “It is nothing to worry about, but now you must help my husband to save our town.”

  Then with the air of one who is completely in control of the situation, she turned back toward treating any of the wounded who were unable to move on their own.

  For his part, Dave just snorted and then started to run in the direction that the party interface indicated Talvenicus could be found in. Max started to follow him, when he turned and said, “Oh, by the way, I don’t know if you know anything about this, but there was a half-elf adolescent who had been stabbed.”

  This brought all the Nelsons to a standstill. Dave simply waved to Emily and Mira while saying, “You go, he will need you. I have to take care of this.” Then he started to run again.

  With his considerable speed, Max caught up with Dave almost immediately. The worried father turned to him and said, “Thank you for letting us know about our son.”

  A sudden sad look passed over Max’s face. “You should go be with your wife and daughter. They shouldn’t have to face that on their own.”

  “Trust me, I want to be there, but I can’t be. Besides, Emily is the healer. If anyone can save him, it is his mother.”

  “Well, you would know best. I just don’t want anyone else to have to lose a child.”

  Dave wondered at that particular turn of phrase but decided now wasn’t the time to get personal, now was the time to focus on the business at hand. “So not to change the subject, but do you want me to invite you to our party? I have one open spot.”

  “You can’t. I am already in a party with half of my remaining squad. We do that as a way to keep track of each other. Besides, it looks like we are here.”

  Sure enough, they had arrived at the eastern edge of town and were greeted by a rather gruesome sight. Jarvis or what remained of him lay spread out over a twenty-foot streak along the ground. His entrails having been pulled out and his flesh torn away in chunks all strewn along the ground. He was clearly dead, but it had been a hard death. A few feet from him with his back against the wall of th
e sawmill was Talvenicus. His staff lay on the ground and the older man was holding up his hand with some sort of bluish-white shield formed between him and half a dozen partially destroyed skeletons. All across the ground were skeletal arms, legs, and even heads all moving as best they could, trying to get at the mayor.

  Both Max and Dave took in the situation in a second and made their own assessments of how it should be handled. Max, used to being in charge, snapped out an order, “I will take the pressure off him, while you try to get him to safety.” Then, without waiting to see if Dave agreed to the plan, he burst forward activating his skill Spring Attack. The declared attack allowed him to leap 20 feet forward and 10 feet into the air to come down with a devastating attack that literally struck his target with so much kinetic force that the skeleton took (874) dmg and its bones literally shattered as the energy of the strike was conveyed through its body. The crimson vanguard didn’t stop there but instead triggered another stamina skill called Whirlwind Attack. The attack was a stamina hog, but it was almost unequaled in dealing with a swarm of lower leveled opponents, at least in as far as Max’s experience went. He literally began to spin around like a tornado, his sword lashing out and striking each standing skeleton within range, most of them with a double strike. The might of his arm and the magical blade he wielded was such that each blow landed for well over 100 damage, and the skeletons were soon disassembled.

  For his part, Dave didn’t wait for Max’s first leaping blow to land but immediately sprang into action. He ran at full speed straight for the wall, past Max who was sailing through the air almost as if in slow motion before he descended with a freight train-like force on that first skeletal target. Dave felt the air disturbance created by the force from Max’s attack but didn’t actually see its impact. He was too busy with his own plan. As he reached the wall instead of stopping, he ran straight up it using quick cast bindings with each stride and as he hit the wall he reached out and around the back of the mayor’s magical shield so that he could grab Talvenicus. Another quick cast binding to hold his hand to the back of Talvenicus’ robe. Then before you could say Jack jumped over the candlestick, Dave was pulling the older man up onto the roof of the sawmill. As they both came to a stop at the top, the two of them looked down in awe at the storm of steel and death that was Max. The skeletons had been very difficult to destroy, but his sword seemed to find each piece and lash out as he continued to spin over the area where the mayor had been making his last stand. His little tornado also moved back along the path they had taken. He scoured the skeletal remnants from around Jarvis’ body with whirlwind fast but surgically precise strikes. Within less than half a minute it was over, and Max stood a full thirty feet from where he had started having covered all that ground in the form of a veritable steel tornado. Even after spending nineteen stamina, the crimson armored warrior was still not breathing hard. Such was the primary power of a crimson vanguard.

  From his place sitting on the edge of the sawmill’s roof, Dave uncorked and downed another mana regeneration potion. Then shouted down, “That was pretty incredible.”

  “Glad to be of service but these don’t really present much of a challenge, they are just a little more durable than you might think at first glance. Not quite like Night of the Living Dead.”

  Dave’s mind was churning after that statement. It was the second incongruous comment made by this Captain Smart. “Was it possible?” Before saying anything, he cast his Assess Enemy spell. He hoped it would reveal some useful information.

  Captain Smart - Human - Level 24

  Class: Crimson Vanguard

  Health: 640.

  So a tier 3 classed individual with more than twice Dave’s health. He didn’t know what a Crimson Vanguard was, but it clearly was some type of melee offensive class.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  We are all pieces moving upon the board in a game of such scope as to be outside of our understanding. —Alucien the Heretic, excerpt from his pre-execution monologue

  Just as Dave was about to ask him about the movie reference a loud bellowing was heard as a large figure was seen walking rapidly down the road from the bridge. Upon first glance, it appeared to be covered in some sort of rough brown cloak or robe like you might have expected to see on a medieval monk. As the figure got closer though, it became apparent that it was wearing plate armor under that cloak. When he was within thirty feet, he pushed the cloak off to reveal a full set of dull black plate mail engraved with what appeared to be runes in gold. It wasn’t that or even the flaming longsword which he drew out that was so shocking. Rather it was that underneath all of that plate armor was a bleached white skeleton, but comparing this monster to the skeletons which had come before would be akin to comparing a house cat to a lion. The white bones were thicker than they had any right to be, more like beams than bones. He must have stood at least several inches past seven feet and exuded a palpable aura of terror. Dave recognized that it was a magical effect, but he still couldn’t help but clench his hands and felt himself break out into a cold sweat. Next to him, Talvenicus was practically shaking. Looking down at Captain Smart, it didn’t seem to be affecting him much, but Dave wasn’t sure if he would be able to confront this creature if it came to combat. Even though his mana was sitting at 27, he still spent the 2 mana necessary to target the newcomer with Assess Enemy

  Death Knight - Level 28

  Class: Death Knight

  Health: 970

  “Holy crap! This guy is even stronger than Captain Smart. Do we even stand a chance against this guy? Maybe if I go down and beg him for mercy, he will spare Emily and the kids.” Dave’s thoughts started to turn in a foreign direction. He tried to shake it off, but even knowing that it was a magical effect, he still couldn’t seem to shake the effects. Then he saw a new notification.

  Will Save Partially Successful. You have resisted the effects of Death Knight’s Terror Aura in part. You will not flee in fear but will continue to be affected. Reactions and Initiative reduced by 25%, Resistance to Subsequent Mental Effects reduced by 25%.

  Then behind him, he saw Talvenicus awkwardly scrambling down the roof and hanging from the edge as he tried to lower himself on the far side of the building. “What are you doing Talvenicus?”

  His voice broke and wavering, the mayor responded, “I have to get away from that thing.”

  Dave just shook his head. He knew the power of the terror aura and so couldn’t fault the man, but he also couldn’t spare any time to help him. This sort of fear could only be confronted head-on. So he jumped down from the rooftop to stand next to Captain Smart. Drawing a certain margin of confidence from the might he knew the crimson armored warrior possessed.

  Max spoke out loudly in an attempt to take charge of the situation, “So what is it that you are doing in the kingdom of Albia?”

  Instead of responding, Draznei’kai first leaned his head back and broke out into raucous laughter. He continued on far past a reasonable time, so much so that Dave and Max turned their heads to look at each other in puzzlement. Finally, as the laughter subsided, a voice as cold as the grave spoke, “Oh, you are a wonderful bard, a teller of tales. It has been some time since I laughed like that. For that alone, I will offer you a quick death. There is no kingdom of Albia. This gathering of hovels which you call a kingdom is no more a nation than when the town boys play barons and brigands in their free time.”

  With a confused note, Max responded, “You think that this tiny village is the entirety of the kingdom?”

  “No. boy. I know well the borders of your so-called kingdom. I knew it when it was home to nothing more than the beasts of the field and forest. No, the problem is that you have never seen a true kingdom.”

  Even while the death knight was rambling on, Max whispered, “Can you get your wife back here? We are going to need a healer.”

  “Boy don’t speak while I am speaking. That is part of the problem with you exiles. You don’t know your place.”

  Catching
onto what Max was doing, Dave chimed in, “What do you mean by exiles? Are you from somewhere else?” Dave only hoped that real-life villains in Eloria liked the sound of their own voice as much as the stereotypical Earth baddie.

  Unfortunately, Draznei’kai was undead and while a sentient undead, he still had only the barest of connections to the emotions that he would have felt while a living being. So for him, the moment of levity and interaction had given him all the emotional content he needed or could handle. Without so much as another word, he stepped forward in a quick lunge and brought his flaming sword down in an overhand chopping motion meant to cut Dave in half. With that motion, the world leapt into that super high-intensity slow motion which had characterized so much of Dave’s time in Eloria.

  Aiming to sidestep and deflect, Dave moved at a 45-degree angle forward and to his right while simultaneously bringing his sword up to slap the descending blow away. It felt like hitting a metal light pole with an aluminum bat. He didn’t really change the trajectory of the descending blade by more than a couple of degrees and the force of even that deflected blow vibrated down his arm. There was no way that he would be able to trade blows with this monster unless he was enlarged and that was still a full two minutes of mana regeneration away. The question was how to survive for two minutes.