Chapter Sixty Three - 063
The wind blew hard across the desolate city, though it barely moved the heavy fog that clung its streets. The sun had risen an hour ago, filling the sky with jeweled tones and providing much needed light for his warriors. Grimmar stared once more into the sink hole, the entrance to the Holy Depths less than a mile below.
So close, but...
"Lord Champion," a youthful voice said from behind him. Grimmar turned and beheld a youngling, kin barely grown into his beard but wearing the armor of a Warrior proudly. The youngling flinched when he noticed Grimmar's regard.
"Does something trouble you, warrior?" Grimmar said through his teeth. He knew exactly why the youngling flinched, why most of his warriors no longer would meet their cheiftain's eyes. They are in awe of the gift She has given. In awe of ME.
"No, Lord Champion. I have come to tell you that we have found traces of the escaped prisoners," he all but quivered with relief as he finished. Grimmar burst into a delighted laugh, which only grew stronger when he noticed the youngling cower.
"Excellent! And the Angry One?"
"Her body was not found. All signs point to her being with them."
Grimmar clapped his hands, a rush of powerful wind expelled by the motion. "Then we begin. Send half our warriors and all of the Circle to find the prisoners. If they cannot be returned, kill them all. The rest shall come with me."
"W-with you, my lord?" The youngling's voice cracked, and Grimmar decided to give him an encouraging smile.
"Into the Labyrinth. We seek the center. No matter the cost."
Grimmar turned away, already contemplating the descent. He did not see the youngling's face pale at his smile, but he could smell the fear in his blood.
It smelled delicious.
As they ran, Felix kept toggling his notifications.
Your Companion Pit Has Gained A Level!
+2 VIT! +2 PER! +4 AGL! +4 DEX! +3 WIL! +1 END! +2 INT!
Pit's Bite is level 18!
Pit's Rake is level 20!
Pit's Skulk is level 25!
Pit's Skulk Has Reached Apprentice Tier!
Your Companion Gains:
+5 PER
+5 AGLThis chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.
+5 DEX
Energy swelled within his Companion's form as power from the System poured into him. This close, Felix felt the vibrations of a song blare out before fading to silence, like triumphant horns. Fascinated, Felix focused on the sensation, both with his eyes and the unique pact sense buried in his chest. Pit relaxed in his arms as the energy soothed away his remaining hurts, the stat bumps fuel to the fires of his regeneration. Felix had always healed a touch faster after leveling, so it was the same with his friend.
Companion Pact is level 18!
That wing is gonna be a problem, though. It hadn't healed much, though it didn't appear to be bleeding anymore. Felix imagined they should set it or something, but he didn't have the foggiest idea on how to do field medicine. He decided to keep an eye out for herb or something that might help, though he felt that was a long shot.
Focusing on Pit was a good distraction for Felix, because Magda pushed them at a punishing pace, intending to put as much distance between them and the giants as possible. It had been at least an hour so far and he kept up easily enough, but that wasn't the issue. A storm of energy still raged in his belly, flaring around his core and traveling in uncomfortable flashes to each of his limbs at random. When he had stumbled for the third time, she had explained.
"You're feelin' the after-effects of Tempering your Body," she said as they navigated a path densely coated with half burned inscriptions. They were traps, his Analyze said, and those he could see were all discharged. Magda continued. "You get decent gains dependin' on the type of Body you Form, but it's almost always an upgrade. So what your feelin' is your new Body beginning to work for the first time. Your like a...really strong baby."
Felix huffed a laugh, easily done through the low level pain. He'd experienced worse only a half hour ago. "Big Strong Baby Body, that's an image."
Magda flashed him a grin through her heavy breathing. "Honestly...I'm kinda jealous at what sorta boost you got from those Rare Essence Draughts."
"They're better than Iron, yeah?" Felix asked.
"Definitely better. But not in the way you might think. It's more about...particulars. The Essences offered...by the higher rarity daughts are obscure, arcane, and specific. Iron Draughts woulda gotten you something like Hard or Unforged, both of which mon enough to metal Essences, if broad and general."
"Hey," Felix said, hoisting Pit farther up his shoulder. He was getting big. "Unforged was one of my options for the Orichalcum draught."
"Sure. It's a metal. They all got things in common. But the difference between iron and somethin' like orichalcum is great, so you'd still have gotten a better boost." She paused, her torn armor creaking as she shift her weight and hopped off a small stone ledge. It was a five foot drop and the path continued onward. Another trap, already set off. "If ya...don't mind me askin'...did you pick that one?"
"Nah. Picked Mountain." Felix half shrugged, careful not to disturb his sleeping Companion as he also hopped down. "Unforged sounded bad."
Magda coughed and held up a hand for a break. They stopped, leaning against a wall covered in withered plant-life. Ten seconds later she looked back up and nodded. They started up again. "Unforged isn't bad. It's about potential. Iron can be made into passable weapons and armor, perhaps great if a powerful Smith was involved. Orichalcum is used to build city walls and magical weapons. They're not in the same league."
Felix considered that as they kept moving. It made sense, as a higher rarity generally meant an increase in value, at least in the games on Earth. Interesting that there could be the same Essences for different draughts. The quality of materials affected the result apparently, orichalcum over iron for instance. How did alchemy get involved? He itched to find out more about that particular skill set, the idea of mixing potions and powers a strong draw, but he shook off the impulse. That was for another time. If they survived.
Another thirty minutes passed this way, with Magda taking the left tunnel at each intersection.
As obviously dangerous as this place was, Felix was continually surprised at the amount of death and destruction he encountered. The walls were scorched, pierced, and liquefied in spots where deadly traps had triggered, and they found bit and pieces of humanoid bodies scattered all around. It was clear that the imprisoned Guilders had died over and over to push this far into the Labyrinth. The only upside, as far as Felix was concerned, was that they hadn't encountered a single armed trap themselves.
Pit was feeling better, at least able enough to run on his own. They made better time that way, and unburdened Felix was able to truly feel his new Body in motion. The ease of movement was exhilarating, each step smoother than before, an explosive power in his muscles that had not been there previously. With Magda in the lead and Pit taking up the rear, Felix let himself revel in the sensation.
That, of course, was when he stepped into the trap.
They had entered a "T" shaped room, two twenty foot wide corridors set perpendicular to each other, the walls carved with the same flowing, intersecting lines as always. The floor was dressed fieldstone, big rough blocks of blue-grey stone placed into the ground in whatever combination fit, and half of it was coated in a thick moss. As Felix stepped on an innocuous stone, he heard a terrifying clicking noise, likely the last thing many prisoners had heard in this life.
Then the wall beside him exploded in green fire. He was hurled sideways.
"AAAH-!" Felix howled, cut short by a sudden impact into the far wall. He felt the wall give slightly as a deep crack formed in the stone, and Felix fell heavily to the ground.
Fire Resistance is level 19!
"Felix! Get up!" Magda shouted from what seemed a very far distance away, but Felix's vision was blurry and his ears were ringing. A sense of alarm and fury radiated into his chest. Then the clash of steel and low pitched snarls pushed passed the buzzing in his ears. With a snap, his vision and hearing refocused, and Felix came to his feet.
Nearby, Magda was fighting two huge serpents, each the size of a school bus and made of a solidified green fire. She blocked and smashed at them with her shields, but they were strong, and between the two of them were wearing down her shields quickly. Pit was launching Frost Spears at them from a distance, but the ice was melting before it hit their fiery hides, doing only minimal damage. Since she was tanking both of them, Magda kept getting in Felix's light of sight, so he gathered himself and rushed into battle.
Relentless Charge!
Mantle of the Long Night!
Felix blasted forward, ripping up the moss between him and the monsters in a wave of concussive force. He moved faster than ever, appearing before one of the two serpents almost as if he had teleported. Without hesitation, Felix let loose his aura skill, hoping his ice might have more benefit than Pit's. A wave of freezing wind radiated outward from Felix, spinning in a ten foot radius and instantly coating the moss beneath his feet with a layer of frost. He heard Magda curse slightly but didn't have time to apologize for catching her in the radius. The serpent struck.
Corrosive Strike!
Meeting it's darting head with his own fist, Felix watched almost in slow motion as the emerald flames dimmed within his aura, leaving it vulnerable as his acid-coated fists clobbered the serpent right in the snoot. It's face crumpled, burning blood squirting in all directions as he broke the skin and cartilage that made up this nightmare beast. He threw Analyze at it.
Name: Greenfyre Serpent
Type: Elemental
Level: 30
HP: 735/981
SP: 555/562
MP: 156/234
Lore: Composed of poisonous flame, the Greenfyre Serpent is dangerous to engage in melee. Attack from a distance.
Strength: AGL, DEX
Weakness: INT, WIL
Already committed to his actions, Felix shrugged off the warning and waded in with another three strikes.
Corrosive Strike!
Corrosive Strike!
Corrosive Strike!
The serpent's head snapped back each time, more and more of its burning blood launching up into the air and sizzling against it's own flames. His Mantle was hurting it more than his unarmed attacks, so Felix took a chance and dropped his fists. The serpent immediately struck, flinging its wide open mouth in the Nymean's direction. Moments before its maw snapped closed, Felix put a hand on the upper and lower jaw, stopping the beast in its tracks. With a burst of Willpower, he flared his Mantle, shaping it's effect directly into the serpent's open mouth. Not all of the aura moved how he wanted it, but his 182 Willpower was not to be denied and most of it shaped into a wide blast of icy wind. A flare of purple-white light went off above Felix's left shoulder, and the Serpent's green flames flickered and died in seconds.
Mantle of the Long Night is level 11!
Mantle of the Long Night is level 12!
It's body fell limply to the ground, now a dark, burnished looking brown. Felix panted lightly, surprised at how easily it died. He turned and saw Magda still using her shield to bash her opponent senseless, its body-fire guttering. As he watched, the Greenfyre Serpent reared back and struck, lightning quick, clamping onto Magda's left arm with his huge fangs.
Before Felix could react, a barrage of yard-long icicles speared the creature's head. He grinned at a panting Pit, whose mouth still glowed from the icy discharge. The serpent fell with a resounding thud, it's mouth opening and releasing Magda. Unwilling to take a chance, Felix ran forward and blasted it with Acid Stream. Devoid of lifeforce, it's body began melting almost immediately, so he cut it off.
"You ok?" Felix asked, putting a hand on the shield warrior's large shoulder. She had fallen to a knee, cradling her left arm close. A few seconds later, Magda leaned back and looked up at him.
"Yeah," she breathed, her eyes red and jaw clenching. "I'll be fine."
Her arm was pierced straight through, a large yellowed fang still embedded in the flesh. It glowed an awful, sickly green.
She was poisoned.
