by Sean Oswald
The next moment, he was cursing himself though as apparently no positive thought goes unpunished. Max’s guard of woven steel faltered as the death knight shifted tactics and made a quick thrust rather than the heavy-handed slashing attacks he had been relying upon. The tip of the enchanted blade slammed into the red armor and pushed straight through into the chest beneath. The critical strike caused (204) damage but also opened up Max to a blow from a skeletal left hand sending him flying forward off the end of the sword.
With Max no longer in front and attacking Mira had a clear shot to cast her flame fan spell channeled into a narrow flame thrower which ignited the webbing still covering the death knight’s head and shoulders. If the creature could have felt pain, he would have undoubtedly screamed in agony as the webbing still stuffed into his skull went up in super-hot flame. Yet without any pain receptors even the (60) pts of damage couldn’t deter Draznei’kai from quick casting a new spell. He cackled as a hazy aura settled over him. Dave standing a few feet behind him immediately felt the effects of the Aura of Sickening. He instantly needed to empty his stomach. Only a successful Wisdom save allowed him to stay on his feet rather than falling to his knees even as he leaned forward retching violently.
While Mira played flamethrower and Max was incapacitated by the new aura spell, Emily landed a Minor Healing spell for (90) health and immediately starting casting Lesser Regeneration on Max. She focused on getting Max on his feet even as she was casting. “You have to get back out there.”
Max groaned, “I know.” He bravely tensed and tried to stand as frothy blood bubbled up past his lips.
With Max down and out at least for the moment, Draznei’kai turned to look at the sickened Dave. This was an opportunity to end one of the warriors and even better from what he had heard some of these elves were related to this one. The death of their protector would drive a spike of terror into their hearts and make the rest of this battle simpler. Dave was too weak to even lift his sword for a block while the death knight raised his sword high in the air at a 45-degree angle as he intended to chop down on the back of his neck. Dave was saved at the last second by a set of spinning translucent ice blades slamming into Draznei’kai’s back. While the monster was immune to cold damage at least the force damage was enough to throw his swing off making him whiff. Dave made a weak attempt to scramble away but wasn’t able to cover more than half a dozen feet before he was forced to dry heave all over again.
Mira was scrambling to think of what to do while all of her projectile type spells were on cooldown while both Emily and Jackson were working to get the Crimson Vanguard back into the fray. It was clear though that none of them could reach the death knight before his next attack decapitated Dave. Sometimes though it is better to be lucky than good because for the second time in a row Dave received a last-second reprieve as a flight of three arrows slammed into the leg of the death knight, piercing his armor and temporarily pinning him in place. Turning, Emily, saw a man in leather armor running forward at a full speed and a short distance behind him a warrior in plate mail.
The death knight pulled his pierced leg free even as Emily started casting one of her new spells and the newcomer in plate mail activated the same Bull Rush skill which Max had used earlier to surge past the archer and slam his shield into the back of the skeleton (67). Max was finally able to jump back up using a Spring Attack to fly 10 feet into the air coming down with his sword extended and driven into the back of the suddenly prone monster.
Max shouted, “Now Dave, he’s down.”
Dave tried to focus his thoughts to stagger forward so he could play his part in the plan but failed his concentration check as he tried to cast Minor Binding. His roiling stomach beating his will in this instance.
Max struggled vainly to hold Draznei’kai pinned to the ground but didn’t dare pull out his sword for another strike. The sickness aura was also beginning to affect him and had already dropped Engel to his knees. Dave looked on as he dry heaved again and wanted to scream in frustration. It simply wasn’t fair. This monster shouldn’t be that strong. They were working together so well and even getting help from Max and now these newcomers. Still, the creature while pinned was far from helpless, incapacitating them with this vile aura and not even below half health yet. At that moment, Emily’s spell went off as she cast Lesser Cancel Magic. It automatically dispelled the Sickening Aura since it was only a tier 2 spell. With that Dave, Max, and Engel all felt immediate relief.
That feeling of relief still didn’t prevent Draznei’kai from finally shrugging Max off of his back or from standing up with Max’s sword still stuck in him. The death knight turned toward Max while his arm swiveled unnaturally backward to pull the blade from his back. Then with a sword in both hands, he strode toward the Captain. Engel realizing Max was unarmed moved to put his body between the pair of descending blades and his leader as he activated his Shield Other skill. The blades came down hard, one hitting a half-raised sword, but Max’s sword drove into the space at the hip joint causing a critical strike which took Engel out of commission. Leaving Max’s sword where it impaled Engel, Draznei’kai raised his now empty hand and performed a very mana-intensive quickened and multiplied Lesser Ray of Enfeebling split to hit each of the party. Quickened, it took less than a second to go off. Ronald launched an arrow and Dave swung his sword, but neither blow would hit before the magic went off.
As a ball of inky blackness formed in the outstretched skeletal hand, Mira cried out simply, “No!” Then everyone could watch in slow motion while the ball split first into four bolts and traveled inch by inch toward each of the men. Rather than streaking out at the speed of light, they moved a bare foot per second. Long enough for both arrow (18) and sword (52) to land and still the spell crept through the air. All eyes were on that odd display rather than Mira’s face which was strained, her nose pinched up with effort. Then, just as slowly as the rays had started to expand, they all began to shift back together aiming toward Mira’s outstretched hand. Mira screamed in pain and then experienced a breakthrough. The four rays sped up and all merged into her palm where they swirled for a second before with a dramatic pushing motion the little slip of a girl heaved the ball of darkness forward as if it weighed a ton. The moment the ball left her hand it streaked forward almost faster than the eye could follow to slam into the chest of the death knight.
Congratulations!
You have mastered the final core skill of a Metamage. You have seized the active spell energy of a hostile spell, made it your own, and redirected it as your own weapon. Your modified Lesser Ray of Enfeebling has struck for double impact on your target and lowered the target’s Strength by 40.
You have now met the requirements to gain the rare class: Metamage. Do you wish to accept this class?
Squealing in glee even amidst the horror of the fight, Mira instantly chose Yes.
Congratulations!
XP gained: 1000
Ding!
Levels gained: 15, 16.
Stat points gained: 6. Character points gained: 50
Class Obtained: Metamage- Tier 1. (Rare)
Class Benefits: +30% Intelligence. Mana cost of all spells reduced by 10%. Innate ability to sense magic.
Class Restrictions: May never learn stamina/bravery/fury/faith/teamwork skills. No melee/rogue skill may exceed 75% of lowest magic school level.
Class Purpose: Control and manipulation of mana and spell forms whatever their source.
Class Advancement Requirements: unknown
Life is conflict and manipulation is often a subtle conflict behind the scenes but no less real of a conflict.
While Mira read her notifications, Max, Dave, and Ronald all leapt in to try to finish off the death knight. Dave was the closest and landed a kick which easily toppled over the heavily armored skeleton now that he was deprived of almost 80% of his Strength. As the monster fell to the ground, Dave quick cast a Minor Binding to secure the center of his chest to the ground before moving on to bi
nd each hand and then his feet. At the same time, Ronald had drawn a short sword and dropped his bow. For his part, Max seized the death knight’s sword from where it had fallen to the ground. Then all three men were hacking the limbs off of the fallen, weakened and bound monster. Even with his limbs bound to the ground, it took a surprising amount of swings to sever each limb and eat through the remaining 500 health the monster had. After its head and limbs had all been severed, it still didn’t show a notification for having defeated the monster, so Dave reared back with his sword in a two-handed overhead strike bringing it down in a thrust with all of his considerable Strength straight into the disembodied skull, splitting it in half. That triggered a notification, but not the one which Dave had been expecting.
You have delivered the final blow to a death knight. You now have the option of transforming into a death knight. Should you choose to do so you will gain the following benefits:
Constitution: +50%, Strength: +25%, Endurance: +100%, Wisdom: +25%, Charisma: -50%, Perfect Darkvision 180’, Aura of Terror 15’/tier at will, Immunity to Cold and Electricity, Damage Resistance- Piercing:15, Slashing:5, See Invisibility at Will, Command Lesser Undead at will, Darkness Sphere 2/moonrise, Symbol of Pain 40’ radius 1/moonrise, Immortality.
If you choose this transformation your class and race will both become death knight irrevocably. This is an Epic Class and you will gain 5000 XP. If you choose not to absorb this essence to power the transformation, then it will eventually be reformed in the phylactery of Draznei’kai Shutan unless otherwise absorbed. Phylactery process may take anywhere from 1 week to 100 years depending upon various factors.
You have 6 minutes to decide minus the time it took to read this notification. Failure to choose will result in the choice being made for you randomly. If chosen voluntarily this process will forever damn your eternal spirit.
So, 5000 XP and some amazing abilities, not to mention immortality and all he had to give up for it was his eternal spirit. Dave laughed out loud, quickly selected no, and then when asked about the laugh explained about the notification he got. The immediate question from Emily was, “So you mean we have to fight that thing again in the future?”
Dave could only shrug. “It’s not like accepting that was a real option.” Then it was Emily’s turn to nod along.
About that time, everyone started to get a host of notifications.
You have won the military-style event: Defense of Eris’ Rise. Combatants on your side: 54. Friendly combatants killed: 8, Non-combatants killed: 4. Number of Enemy combatants: 82 Enemy combatants killed: 81. XP gained: 4984 each participant on the victorious side receives 23 XP per level possessed before any personal bonuses or penalties.
Leaders of the Battle: David Nelson and Maxwell Smart receive faction points. Kingdom of Albia +15, Duchy of Holstein +10.
There were so many more notifications that Dave needed to go through and then, of course, there was the loot that would have to be divided up, the remaining fires that had to be put out and the wounded or dead which would have to be tended to in their respective manners. None of that mattered though as the Nelsons drew off on their own away from Captain Smart and a cluster of others who had just arrived and must have been the remaining members of his squad. Dave was only concerned about learning what had happened to Sara. After hearing the story from Jackson, he did his best to assure his son that he wasn’t to blame and then they started talking about what to do now. It was obvious that someone would have to go after her, but none of them possessed any tracking skills which of course raised the question of if any of their new friends might be able to help with that.
Turning to go and ask Max that very question Dave was met by a striking blond around thirty in rather form-fitting leather armor who was even then walking over from the cluster around the captain.
“Sheriff, Captain Maxwell Smart would like to speak to you about what happens next.” Dave was completely uncomfortable with how she spoke to him with a honeyed tone and an all too intense gaze. Emily must have felt the same because her hand tightened on his forearm. In an attempt to make a joke about the situation and defuse any tension, Dave said, “Maxwell Smart, huh? What does that make you, Agent 99?”
The blond’s face held a completely baffled look at his question, but almost like lightning, the captain whirled on his heels. “How do you know about Agent 99?”
Epilogue
Captain Martin Radick had never been so tired as he was today. He wasn’t lying down more because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get back up than because of any second wind. The fighting had increased to an all-new level for the last three days and despite pushing back wave after wave, he now found himself inside of the command tent a full ten miles east of the original border. His mind wandered a bit as another one of the officers was giving General Eikhorn a detailed reporting of available supplies. The perpetual retreating had eventually caused them to fall back past some of the smaller border villages. None of the civilians had been killed if this droning report was to be believed but numerous homes, businesses, and some good farmland had been lost already.
“Captain Radick…” Martin was pulled back from his musings by a voice calling his name. “Who… wait, was that General Eikhorn?”
“Good of you to join us again Captain. I know you have been fighting for days without sleep, but all of us are exhausted too. Can you please let us know what information your scouts have been able to discover?” The General’s voice wasn’t cruel, but it was firm like the man and brooked no failure.
“Well, General, the latest reports are only an hour old and are showing something changing behind the enemy lines. For the last few days, they have been pushing harder than ever before. We have seen more casters and more of their specialized monsters than has ever been recorded. Then all of a sudden last night the waves slowed down. From one every two or three hours it was reduced to only two waves last night and then there hasn’t been another attack since dawn.” Martin paused to make sure that the significance of what he was saying was sinking into everyone around him before continuing.
“This, of course, provided an opportunity for me to get scouts out in the field. Something which I might add has been all but impossible when the fighting was hot and heavy. What they have reported back was so confusing that I immediately sent out another unit to confirm and they did indeed confirm just an hour ago. Had it not been for this meeting, I likely would have gone out myself.”
“Well, cut to the chase, man. We aren’t children that you need to wind up with excitement before the big reveal. How bad is it?” This from another of the Captains who only went silent when glared at by General Eikhorn.
“It isn’t bad at all. Or if it is bad, it’s bad in some way my poor soldier’s brain hasn’t figured out as of yet. You see the reporting is that the enemy has only left token guard posts about two miles west of this tent all up and down the border and that all of their caster and specialty troops along with the bulk of the goblin horde have withdrawn. We don’t know exactly what the plot is, but they seemed to be moving en masse to the northwest.”
“And have you drawn any conclusions from this, Captain?” asked the General.
“It isn’t the role of a scout to draw conclusions only to report data, sir.”
“Don’t give me that. I wouldn’t have you in your position if you didn’t have a brain inside that lump upon your shoulders. I am not asking your scouts to draw a conclusion. I am asking one of my command officers for his analysis of the information.”
“That's just it sir, and I mean no disrespect, but I don’t know what to make of it. None of this makes any sense. To push so hard and lose hundreds or more likely thousands of goblins and then to withdraw makes no sense. Even the stupid greenies have to know that we will be able to overrun the guardposts they set up without any difficulty. So to me, either they have run out of steam and we just got very lucky or something worse is going on. For my money, scouts don’t live very long if they depend on
being lucky, so I have to assume that something worse is going on. I just don’t know what that is yet.” Martin ended his report and clapped his mouth shut. He had speculations but they were just that. Now was not the time to rock the boat. He just needed to see what the General wanted him to do.
Everyone in the tent seemed to become very quiet as General Eikhorn stared at the young scout captain. He looked him up and down and then made what would have been for anyone other than a trained observer such as a scout commander an almost imperceptible nod of his head as if checking off something in his mind. “Very well. This is what I want you to do now…”
The castle which King Harold Borstein’s grandfather had built was typical of other similar buildings in this era in many ways. Not the least of this was the network of hallways that crisscrossed through the castle for the sole purpose of not being seen. These were the servant’s halls or as some of the nobles joked, the bowels of the castle. Yet those ignorant nobles who made such jokes didn’t understand the true power of the servants in any such edifice. Kings may make decrees, but cooks, chambermaids, and pages ensure that the castle runs smoothly to establish the glory of the king. Nothing embarrasses a lord more than inefficiency in the castle, especially amongst an austere people such as the Albians. While the nobles may have called this the bowels to those employed here, these silent pathways were known as the veins, carrying the lifeblood of the king’s reign from one end of the castle to the other.
At the center of the veins was the heart. In this case, the heart was the head chambermaid, Melani. Melani was significant in two particular ways which interacted together. First, she was very young to be head chambermaid, not even thirty yet, and still she had held her position for over two years. Her efficiency and commitment to excellence along with a particular knack for navigating the distance between the nobles and the servants had caused her to rise. The second was that in all the years of his reign, she was the only woman to have caught the King’s eye. The only mistress he had ever taken to his bed. Her beauty undoubtedly had a part to play in that for she was quite striking, the quintessential Albian, but it is also some intangible element about her. The way that she was able to be both invisible servant and at the same time seemed perfectly at ease around nobles including the king. Over the last year, she had become the king’s bedmate and confidant as his guilt over the affair pushed him further and further away from his lady queen.