“Before we get too comfortable,” Hawke said as Tava began to take her clothes off. “I wanted to let you know that Grognard has all the Soul Jars. Just in case.”
If he died before the Shattered Soul debuff went away, his inventory would go poof along with him. Grognard could be trusted with the precious resurrection items. Best to be safe.
“We could wait for you to be made whole.”
“I thought about that, but we don’t know what the Court of Thorns is doing. We’ve given them too much time as it is. Besides, the Deepest Pits zone is huge. It will probably take us a day or even two to reach the final boss. I’ll be fine by then.”
“Unless a minion gets lucky.”
“They’d have to be damn lucky.”
“We will see,” she said, getting into bed.
Things got fairly pleasant after that, and then they visited Saturnyx in her pocket dimension and got downright wild.
“We’re going to be all right,” he said as they all began to drift into sleep.
His last coherent thought was a prayer that he was right.
Thirty-Three
Kastor was a Half-Giant in plate armor, eight feet tall and weighing in at half a ton, looking fairly human-like except for his size. If anyone was going to lead the party to victory, he was the guy.
“Greetings, Lord Panadel, Lady Leara,” he told the leaders of the Fae contingent.
The two High Fae were in full battle-rattle: their Epic-Quality armor was of Adamant-infused Mithril that reflected the morning’s dome-light in blue hues; the suits were made of hundreds of overlapping plates that maximized flexibility, each carved with runes and sigils of protection. Panadel carried a two-handed axe and Leara wielded a bow taller than she was. Behind them stood a sullen-looking Desmond. And following them were seven Fae mercenaries.
Two were Silver Elf warriors, male and female, with armor that was in the same style and only slightly less impressive than what Leara and Panadel were wearing. Three were Sprite Ladies, glowing winged humanoids about twelve inches tall. Despite their size and cute appearance – sort of like if Tinkerbell had been made of pure yellow light – the Sprites had over three thousand Health apiece and twice as much Mana. They were clearly caster types – Hawke’s Archon senses detected their Tier 1 status. And Chaos-attuned, which he didn’t like one bit.
The last two were a pair of Cyclops Warriors. Ten feet tall, and wider than Ogres, they made Kastor look downright puny. Unlike the Elemental versions Hawke had encountered in Akila’s training room, these were made out of flesh and bone, and their single eyes were disturbingly human-like. They wore Adamant scale-mail and open-faced helmets, wielded maces and shields, and at level thirty-one they had over nine thousand Health apiece.
“You sure know how to throw a party,” Bak Sun-Ah said.
The multi-classed Eternal seemed mildly impressed by the raiding group he had joined, especially the Fae Lord and Lady, who were clearly above his weight class. The Korean player looked ready and eager to go fight Chaos beasts in the Labyrinth. Once again, Hawke found himself envying the guy a little bit. Must be nice to actually enjoy life in the Realms. Although he had to admit that when he got lost in the action he also felt, if not joy, incredibly alive. He wasn’t sure what that said about his character.
It was by far the strongest group Hawke had been part of, including the small army that Akila had sent to the Trogg undercity not too long ago. This group would have smoked the Chaos Incarnate at the Emerald Wing without working up a sweat. Hell, each of the contingents involved would have done it on its own. The Labyrinth Master didn’t stand a chance.
He didn’t feel as confident as he should, though.
* * *
“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you’d bring back help,” Amelia Blueflame said after taking a look at the new arrivals.
The Antechamber was beginning to feel a little crowded, especially with Cyclopes, Drakofoxes and Half-Giants filling up the place. Luckily, they wouldn’t be staying there for long.
“Yeah, and it cost a pretty penny to get them all here,” Hawke grumbled.
Nobody but Hawke had reached for their wallet when the gate guards had demanded twenty gold per passenger to send them to the Antechamber, so he had ended up paying for the whole thing. Maybe he could talk Akila’s authorities into comping him some of the expenses. He was saving their city from their own darn Labyrinth, after all.
“Everything okay with you guys while we were gone?” Hawke asked Grognard after everyone had been introduced.
“Yes. Aristobulus tried a couple of things to see at the other end of the portal without going in, but nothing worked.”
“That’s fine. We’ll see if the reinforcements can do something about it. We’re going in either way.”
Hawke turned to Kastor. The Half-Giant spoke briefly with the party members who had been left behind, asking basic questions about their preferred moves and tactics. After he was done, he formed a new party with everyone but the Fae. Hawke accepted and found his effective level raised to thirty, the cap for the zone:
Hawke Lightseeker (Archon, Human, Eternal)
Level 25 (30 with Leadership bonus), Tier 1 Entity
Twilight Templar, Monster Trainer, Mana Mystic
Health 3,672 Mana 7,236 Endurance 2,203
The improvement was noticeable. And if he went full Archon, it would be huge. On the other hand, Panadel and Leara, even at the capped level, were even more impressive. For the first time since he’d met them, he saw their stats as something more than a bunch of question marks.
Panadel (Fae)
Level ?? (30) Fae Lord, Tier 2 Entity
Health 10K Mana 12K Endurance 10K
Leara (Fae)
Level ?? (30) Fae Lord, Tier 2 Entity
Health 9,176 Mana 11K Endurance 9,205
And those basic numbers didn’t take into account their abilities, skills, and magical powers, including Glamour. Compared to them, Hawke and his team were a pack of noobs that either Fae Lord could probably defeat single-handed. Well, maybe. His team was getting pretty good, even the Nerf Herders. And he had Blaze and Luna on his side.
He glanced at the Drakofoxes. They had shrunk down to baby size to make the room less crowded, but still radiated power like a pair of furry blast furnaces. Tava was checking the dozen arrows Hawke had enchanted with the Seal of Order. He was out of bullets for the Dragunov rifle, but Tava could ruin any Chaos’ creature’s day with those boosted arrows. She smiled at him, reminding him of the eager Ranger who’d joined him in battle against the monsters of an Undead Lair. It felt like a lifetime ago.
We’re just getting started, he thought.
“Is everyone ready?” Kastor said. The mages the Half-Giant had brought along hadn’t been able to peer into the Deepest Pits. Neither had Leara or Panadel. But everyone nodded in response.
“Tanks first,” the War Chief said as he activated more abilities. Hawke felt a rush of power; the damage of all his abilities was raised by fifteen percent. “Harragh, Krom, and Hawke, plus Hawke’s pet. You’re up. After them, if you please, Lord Panadel, send in your Cyclopes. Establish a perimeter fifty feet around the entry point.”
Hawke prepared himself. All his auras and defenses were in place. He drew Saturnyx and summoned the Shield of Hades as he activated his Titles: Curse-Breaker, which gave him a 25% bonus to resist curse-type spells and effects, and Liberator, which provided a 30% bonus to any ability or spell that disrupted control powers. He was ready to tank.
He and the Fists’ tanks went through the portal and entered the Deepest Pits.
Thirty-Four
They stepped out into a thick mist. It was gray and lifeless, unlike the mold clouds Hawke had encountered earlier, but was far from harmless. As soon as he reached the Deepest Pits, notifications popped up.
You have resisted Chaos Mist’s Fear Curse.
You have resisted Chaos Mist’s Paralyzing Fog
He looked at his companions. Digger, now at his full elephantine size, seemed unfazed. The two Ogre Warriors (Elite Warmasters, to be precise) were also unaffected by the fog. They spread out in a loose circle, searching for enemies through the thick pea-soup clouds surrounding them. The exit point was located on top of a shallow hill; the ground around it was on a gentle downward slope except for one side that was much steeper, a near sheer wall of rock that disappeared into the mist. Nobody was around; Hawke’s Archon Awareness allowed him to map his surroundings a hundred and fifty-one feet around him. The hill was surrounded by rough terrain and was empty. But the fog itself was laced with Chaos and Undeath energy; it was the source of all the curses and afflictions that had tried to affect them on arrival. There was no ceiling within range of Hawke’s senses, just more fog. The area felt like an outdoor space, although it could just be a colossal cavern. He’d been in enough of those.
Hawke updated the party’s map and sent a message through Blaze to the other side of the portal, warning them about the mist, just as the two Cyclopes arrived, towering over the seven-foot-tall Ogres. They grunted when the mist tried to affect them and failed miserably, and moved into position. The five tanks changed their formation a little, leaving the sheer side of the hill uncovered, and waited for the rest of the party.
Panadel, Leara and Desmond were next, followed by the rest of their party. As soon as the Fae Lords arrived, the mist receded in all directions, creating a clear area some two hundred feet in radius centered on each of them. Leara moved off to one side, creating her own clear circle. Useful trick, Hawke thought.
“Undeath everywhere,” Panadel muttered. “Somewhat unexpected.”
“The Labyrinth was linked to Crystal City. This need not be the only entrance,” Leara added. “We may have found those we sought. The two Court of Thorns operations could be parts of a greater whole.”
“In which case we might not have brought enough power to bear,” Panadel said.
“No time to go back. Can’t you feel it? In the very air around us?”
Hawke used Advanced Mana Sight and realized Leara was right. A magical working was taking place, powerful enough that he could see its energy even through the mist. It was miles away but it was creating the magical equivalent of earth tremors all over the place. He didn’t know how long it would take to complete whatever was happening, but he had a bad feeling that they had even less time than they’d feared.
More Adventurers and Eternals followed. Hawke’s tanks showed up to shore up the outer perimeters, along with a full-sized Blaze, who trotted up to Hawke and gave him a companionable head butt that almost knocked him down.
Easy there, fur face.
Agreed.
A few minutes later, everyone was there. Over twenty high-level people, creatures, and entities. Hawke was bothered by the Undeath filling the place. None of the other levels of the Labyrinth had been touched with anti-life, only Chaos. But he shouldn’t be surprised; the Court of Thorns had been using anti-life all along. And if Leara was right about her suspicions, Laryn and his fellow Revenants might be around. Leara had developed a countermeasure spell against the Undead critters’ level drain ability, but it wasn’t one-hundred percent effective against multiple draining attacks. He watched the Fae Lady as she placed the protective spell over each member of the party, hoping to learn it, but soon discovered that it required Soul magic. Dammit.
Leara looked at him. “The Templar discovers his limits. How droll.”
“I’ll unlock Soul magic eventually.”
“Perhaps you’ll unlock it now. For a small price.”
Crap. Never make deals with the Fae. Saturnyx had been drilling that into his head ever since he’d known the sword. But he had broken the rule before. He’d even let Leara into his head. And they needed every power-up they could grab to deal with whatever was out there.
“What is your price?”
“You once learned a rare and powerful spell. Chaos Funnel. You no longer have the power to use it, but the knowledge remains with you. Give it to me, and I’ll give you Soul magic and three spells, including the one that will protect you and yours against the Revenants.”
Hawke looked around. The raiders were still getting organized, with mages summoning pets and Kastor picking out a scouting party to go ahead. He could spare a few minutes. He waited for Saturnyx to tell him it was a bad idea, but the sword remained silent. Okay, then.
“It’s a deal.”
“Then let us commune mind to mind, and exchange knowledge.”
“You forgot to swear you will not use anything you find in my mind to harm me or mine, now and in the future.”
“How careless of me. I do so swear. Would you like to hear me do so thrice?”
“Nah. The Fae are as good as their word, or so I hear.”
They touched minds once again. This time the connection went deeper and they saw more of each other’s true selves. Leara’s inhuman psyche was beyond Hawke’s understanding, but he saw that she – all Fae, probably – felt emotions differently than humans. Happiness and joy quickly faded away, but negative feelings – hatred, pain, anguish – lingered forever. Leara was still suffering from the torture Necromancer Greg had put her through. She would never forget or forgive an offense, but gratitude or goodwill were gone in a matter of days, maybe weeks. Their entire species was made up of assholes; there really was no other word for them.
“So quick to judge,” she said after the mental communion was over. “But you can’t help yourself, can you, Archon? A Sidhe-blooded Archon. What a delightful combination. You will rue the day you made that deal, Hawke Lightseeker.”
“I’m always full of rue. And rage,” he told her as he went over his notifications. He felt warmth coursing through his Mana channels as Soul energy permeated it. It didn’t conflict with any of his other Elements or Forces, perhaps because its source had been inside him all along. It was nice not having to deal with a civil war inside his body for a change.
You have unlocked a new Force: Soul.
You can infuse select Darkness, Life, Light, Mind, Order and Twilight spells with Soul magic. See individual spell entries for more information.
You have learned three spells: Aegis Against Undeath, Soothe Soul, Soul Whip.
Aegis Against Undeath (Soul, Life)
Time to Cast: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Cost: 75. Duration: 1 hour. Range: Touch. Effect: Creates a defensive aura that neutralizes Undead drain attacks. The aura will absorb up to (Caster Level x 20) levels of drain. Draining attacks that exceed that total will affect the subject normally.
Soothe Soul (Soul)
Time to Cast: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute. Cost: 50 Mana. Duration: Permanent. Range: Touch. Effect: Removes any magical or supernatural effects that instill fear, mental trauma or decreased morale. The effect is permanent, but subsequent magical or supernatural effects can affect the subject again.
Soul Whip (Soul)
Time to Cast: 1 second. Cooldown: 3 seconds. Cost: 250 Mana. Duration: One attack. Range: 150 feet. Effect: Inflicts 50 points of Soul damage per level; this attack bypasses all non-Force defenses and reduces resistance values against Forces by 120%. This damage is doubled against Beyonders, Demons, and the Undead.
Enhancing the spell with Order magic is possible, but the effect works only against Chaos, Demonic, or Undead creatures. This increases damage by 50 points of Order damage per level and the cost to 1,000 Mana.
Well, well, well, Hawke thought as he moved Soul Whip into his combat spell rotation. That was going to be one of his choice single-target attacks. And the anti-drain spell would come in handy if they ran into Revenants. Three spells and one new Force for a single spell. The deal he’d made with Leara had paid off handsomely.
>
I’ll add it to the list. Somewhere below ‘Survive the next nine hours.’
“Time to move,” Kastor said.
While Hawke made his deal, the party’s numbers had been increased by over twenty summoned creatures, including Elementals, Fae monsters, and a pack of Snow Tigers Sun-Ah had called forth. That was plenty of cannon fodder, and the party had yet to summon short-lived critters like Hawke’s own Nature’s Guardians.
The not-so small army moved towards the source of the magical disturbance, looking for trouble.
Thirty-Five
“We’ve got movement at two hundred yards, straight ahead,” Sun-Ah said. His tiger pack was scouting in front.
“My Whirlwind has spotted a large group coming from our left,” Amelia announced a second later. “Two hundred and fifty yards, closing fast.”
“Same from the right,” Panadel added after one of the Sprites alerted him.
The party had trudged on for about fifteen minutes without incident. Now they had three groups of enemies converging on them. That level of organization wasn’t normal in Labyrinths, where random monsters moved, well, randomly until the party aggroed them. But they hadn’t been expecting anything normal from this Labyrinth.
“Form ranks,” Kastor said. “Strike when you have a target.”
Glowing cursors guided everyone in the main party to their assigned spot. Digger, Hawke, K-Bar and Blaze were placed on the right flank, with the rest of his original team acting as ranged support or reserve tanks. Six Nature’s Guardians joined them shortly afterwards, Gosto’s summons. Leara joined them; her presence helped push the fog back a full two hundred feet. That wasn’t a lot, but fortunately there were other ways to deal with the omnipresent fog.
Hawke’s Mana Sight was partially obstructed by the mist, but he spotted the shapes moving toward them at around four hundred feet. Some of them were big. Twenty feet tall, at least. Dozens of smaller critters followed the giant types. He put them on the map, providing targets for his team, as well as names: Chaos Titans and Chaos Maulers.
Court of Thorns: A LitRPG Story Page 24