Ozrak charged at the mage only to immediately eat a burst of flame on his left shoulder knocking him backward. “Insolent elemental, you’d scorn my mercy. So be it you’ll die with them. Ozrak smashed the ground shaking the entire room causing many stones from above to start falling. “You idiotic elemental! Barrier Sphere!” Cawthorn appeared suddenly behind the skeleton crashing into the barrier. “The level of insolence here insults me. Fire bolt!” Cawthorn deftly dodged once again. “Familiar you are an annoyance. Be gone and I need not slay you.”
Emilie ran to Ozrak. “Strength boost, speed boost, regenerate. Get him” Ozrak glared at her “please.” The elemental stood up and charged another burst of fire hit Ozrak but didn’t even slow down. The massive fist towered over the skeleton for a moment before crashing down and shaking the room.
Serena once more began throwing her daggers. They didn’t pierce the cape. The cape lit up at the points of impact. “Die. Fireball.” A larger ball of flame passed Ozrak detonating behind Serena. The flames expanded singeing Serena’s hair as she evaded.
Emilie collapsed as her arm caught on fire. She dropped to the ground screaming and rolling to put it out. “REGENERATE!”
It put out her arm only for her to hear again. “Priest of the Golden Goddess, Die! FIREBALL!” Serena’s back caught on fire as she carried Emilie out of the way. She fell to the ground trying to put it out. The skeleton aimed again. “Suffer in death. Fire bolt!” Ozraks fist crashed to the ground sending the skeleton flying. “Insolent elemental I will discipline you. Excavate!” an invisible force hit Ozrak breaking his shoulder as the wall behind him crumbled. He fell to one knee holding his shoulder as pebbles fell from it.
“NOW CAWTHORN!” Still smoldering Cawthorn wrapped his cloak around the head. “Speed boost, prowess boost, Jolt!” Victor threaded the needle between Ozraks legs slicing off one of the skeletons hands.
Both of them disengaged as the skeleton pulled his cape back. “Barrier Sphere!” He looked at his hand and laughed picking it up and reattaching it. “That’s it? That’s your master plan? I’m going to enjoy torturing all of you. I won’t make it quick.” A deep evil laugh echoed through the room.
Victor looked to Serena and Emilie regenerating and knew what he had to do. “I am Victor Vogal of the Stars of Verdan. Who are you?”
The mage turned to him. “Oh one of you is capable of rational thought, unsurprisingly it is the mage. I am Jalk exile of the Hurava Necropolis. Are you begging for your life?”
“No, I was merely hoping to know something about you.” Victor paused waiting for an answer to a question he had not yet asked.
“Well out with it. I know you’re buying time but I’m enjoying their pain so I will allow this to continue.” He replied.
“How incredibly generous of you.” Victor waited.
“I always had a soft spot for my servants that obeyed. This one here was obedient after I took control of him but it seems discipline will be required. Now out with your question and we will resume.” The skeleton’s cold green eye stared at him as a fireball ignited in his hand.
“Are you a supplicant to Kokoxol?” Victor locked eyes with him as both of their capes billowed to the rushing water behind them.
“I am a disciple of Kokoxol. Are you also a follower of the Void Lord?” He stared back with cold eyes sockets.
Urgent Mission
Time to accept: 0:10
Kill Jalk: Destroy the head of Kokoxol’s follower.
Reward: Rank up 1 Luzuzal Skill.
Accept : Double your flow until Jalk is dead. Reject
‘Accept. Vitality boost, speed boost, strength boost, rigor boost.’ Victor smirked as his cape billowed behind him. He tilted his head. “Well you’re not far off.” A fireball whooshed past his head detonating behind him. The explosion dropped rubble between them obscuring his blade.
“Barrier sphere!” Jalk countered.
The sphere cracked slowing Victor but once again resulting in him being unhanded. “I messed around earlier. That was a mistake.” The skeleton picked up his hand as the others stood up. “I won’t make that mistake a second time.” Victor pulled back his sword. “Jolt!” It came from his hand bouncing off the new barrier Jalk setup. Victor tried to pierce it but this time only cracked it.
That was the moment Jalk saw Ozraks other fist. It crashed down on him with the barrier only giving him a split second to dodge. “Take me seriously? You die here no matter how well you fight!” One of the rings on his fingers lit up glowing red. “Detonate, Ruby Flame.” The ruby in the ring shot toward the far wall engulfing everyone in the room except for Jalk.
-186 health
Burning: -12 health every second.
Victor immediately downed a potion but the fire did not stop. He dropped to the ground to the laugher to Jalk who launched another fire bolt. Ozrak blocked it nearly crumbling from the blast. Emilie frantically cast “Regenerate! Regenerate!” She kept casting regenerate on them as Victor quaffed another potion.
Cawthorn called out. “TWO MORE RINGS!”
“I have six rings you incompetent BIRD! FIRE BOLT!” He launched another blast at Cawthorn.
“YOUR AIM IS TERRIBLE!” Cawthorn mocked him.
“FIREBALL! DIE YOU DAMN BIRD!” He blasted.
“YOU ARE THE MOST PATHETIC SKELETON EVER MADE!” Cawthorn pooped directly on his green sphere. Cawthorn circled near the water as fireball after fireball missed. “COULD YOU EVEN HIT A BARN? CAW CAW HAH!” Emilie had been rapidly healing them while Cawthorn taunted him.
Emilie whispered. “I’m sorry I’m so low on mana I can’t heal all four of you for a few moments I have to regenerate mana. It’s too much. I have to drop the boosts.”
They began drinking potions as Cawthorn called out. “LET ME SHOW YOU THE POWER OF THE GREATEST BIRD TO EVER LIVE!” He swooped down trying to grab his eye sockets. He hooked his claws in and started beating his wings. Flap after flap the skull loosened. Jalk missed a point blank fire bolt as Cawthorn evaded it.
Finally Jalk gripped the bird with both hands looking him dead in the eyes. “Any last words.”
Cawthorn blinked before ripping off three fingers and laughing. “CAW CAW HAH MY MAGE WILL KILL YOU!”
The rings with fingers on them rolled toward the group. “NO!” He released Cawthorn and dashed toward the rings only to be met with a massive fist from Ozrak sending him flying back.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Victor picked up the four rings from the three fingers. One sapphire and another ruby ring now decorated his hand. Victor formed a fist with his left hand and pointed it toward Jalk. The giant gap between all of them victor prayed would be enough, so he repeated the words. “Detonate, Ruby Flame.” The gem shot forward faster than even Cawthorn. Cawthorn dove into the river. Ozrak turned his back to the skeleton and covered the three of them. Ozrak’s arm finally fell off.
None of them could see the corpse. Victor frantically looked at his interface asking the question. ‘How do I see the activation words for this item?’ It didn’t show activation keywords. He scrambled to get out Swordie. “Swordie! What’s the activation keyword?!”
“That is an elemental sky gem. It likely contains lightning bolt, therefore the activation keyword is likely fly sapphire bolt” Swordie said. Victor quickly swapped the ring to his right hand sure of what was about to come.
Evil laughter could be heard echoing throughout the room. The boney hand gripped a rock near the river. Serena dashed toward him with her mace slamming his hand but instead connecting with “Barrier Shield.” His clothing and cape nearly burnt off. “I’m going to burn all of you to just enough to cripple you and then purge you to the trap outside this room. When I am done your bones won’t even be left to reanimate.”
Emilie still recovering cast “Regeneration! Speed boost!” again on Victor.
“Why is this corpse still talking?” Victor smirked taking off toward him low to the ground. Every step seemed to catch on loose stone letting him take off like a runner setting his feet to the block. No matter where he stepped he didn’t slip.
A fireball blasted by, then another. “Barrier shield.”
‘Focus, it will do so much more damage through my blade.’ Focus he did as the words began to leave his mouth he felt energy welling up in him traveling through his hand and arm to his blade. “Fly, Sapphire Bolt” From his blade lightning blasted forth through the entire swing destroying the ceiling above and cracking the barrier like an egg. The lightning blasted down on the creature’s neck beheading it. Sending its head into the water behind him, the destruction did not stop however with the skeleton as Victor soon found himself submerged. The floor collapsed beneath him as he swept downstream with the head.
Serena started running toward the water. “VICTOR!” She tried to dive in only to be caught mid-air by Ozrak. “LET ME GO I HAVE TO SAVE HIM!”
“MY MAGE!” Cawthorn screeched diving into the water. Cawthorn found the skull and began grappling it underwater.
“That river follows a labyrinth of paths. If you jump in you will be lost. I will help you find the one who freed me.” The one armed elemental held her back. “I know the caves nearby here. There are dangerous creatures within these mountains so we should go.”
Serena calmed down. Emilie turned to her. “If he didn’t drown immediately he should end up unconscious on the shore of that river somewhere. We might be able to save him if we move now.”
“We need to go.” Serena ran forward to the other room. “Victor fell into an underground river killing the undead mage! We have to go!”
Emilie rushed to them. “If we go soon and he didn’t die we can rescue him.”
“I will make my way to the top floor and wait for you.” Ozrak leapt through the middle from floor to floor avoiding the chains in the center.
Yriada began walking slowly behind them as they took steps up. Jenora watched the two of them run ahead. “I will fall behind and Yriada can’t keep up. You two should go ahead with that elemental.”
Emilie stopped dead. “I can’t just leave you. Let me use Pure Heal on you.”
Jenora shook her head. “Yriada can look after me. I’m fully healed but I’m just too slow from the broken bones. Save your instant spellcasting and go after him, he might need it.”
She rushed up the steps far behind Serena finally arriving completely out of breath she reached the two at the top of the steps. “You are too slow.” Ozrak picked up Emilie in his hand and began leaving only to see the barrier still up.
“Impossible, this barrier should only still be up if-” Emilie started confused.
“If the mage is still alive…” Serena dropped to her knees.
Ozrak released Emilie. “A barrier this weak will not stop Ozrak!” He barreled toward it breaking through it only for it to reform after he passed through. The two of them ran up to the barrier bashing on it. Ozrak wound up a punch breaking the barrier again letting the two of them pass through.
“Jenora will be trapped!” Emilie screamed.
Ozrak started running east. Serena grabbed her and started running. “We aren’t going to just leave her. That barrier will fade if we kill the mage and we’re going to come back no matter what. I swear to you I won’t leave them behind.”
Emilie’s anxiety rocketed faster than they were traveling. “OZRAK HOW FAR ARE WE FROM THAT CAVE?”
He paced his movement with Serena. “The cave is far it will take more than 20 minutes traveling at this speed to reach then we must check all the underground spillways. Many creatures wander the halls of these caves but few will fight an elemental.”
Serena asked. “Ozrak how many spillways are there?”
“I know of 11. Most of them are safe but a few lead to very dangerous monster dens. It’s early today as the sun is still high. Those monster dens should be completely empty until later this evening. We have several hours.” Ozrak nodded. “If we do not leave however before nightfall I fear that death comes of us.”
Serena calmed down with Emilie still in her arms. “Good, we still have a chance.”
“Do not rush into a fight once we reach the cave. We must avoid them as we have much ground to cover.” Ozrak insisted. “After I repay my debt to him I will be leaving. The Green Goddess bid me an eye for an eye and a life for a life. This applies both to taking it and saving it.”
Emilie smiled. “I’m so glad our Goddesses agree on that. The Golden Goddess has a similar rule. Do you know the story of why they are friends?”
“I do not.” Ozrak replied.
“The story is that long ago devils invaded Verdan and devastated this world. The Golden Goddess saw this begin and decided she had to intervene to save the weak mortals from the terrifying claws of those infernal abominations. Through the efforts of both of their followers and the mortal heroes of the realm at the time Verdan was saved. Though no oath was sworn and no vow taken the Green Goddess felt forever in her debt. Millennia past by and one day heaven fell under siege from the devils. The Green Goddess learned of this and sent her most valiant followers to defend heaven and with their help victory was achieved and heaven saved as well. From this point onward both agreed to add that to their philosophy. Pay good unto good, and evil unto evil.” Emilie smiled recounting the story. “That was what I learned in the nunnery at least.”
“It’s a good story, and a fair one. I have no quarrel with any of you. I owe you all. I will pay my debt. With that debt paid I will return to my normal life. It’s possible my family remains in this area.” Ozrak nodded.
“Thank you for this Ozrak. I will not forget your dedication.” Serena nodded slowly running out of breath.
Ozrak picked up the two and put them on his large flat shoulder holding them as he ran. “You are too slow.”
“Thank you for that.” Serena panted.
“I pray to the Golden Goddess we reach him in time. I was just starting to tolerate him.” Emilie sighed.
“Just yesterday you threatened to let him die! I didn’t want to say anything because we had no choice at ALL! You threatened to effectively kill him and ALL of us! How immature can you possibly be?” Serena chewed her out.
Emilie shrunk back. “No group has ever stood up to me on something like that before. No one would ever question the demand of a priest because if they leave the group then everything will get much harder, take so much longer, and cost much more. He practically told me to my face he didn’t need me after making the WRONG CALL! That skeleton was a slaver, kidnapper, and murderer. He was at best a mad alchemist with some useful concoction that would murder you to use your blood in it. Victor was WRONG! So why do I feel bad about it.”
Serena shook her head. “Because all he wanted to do was help someone in need of help. You wanted to execute a prisoner that you only knew one thing about. You were right he was scum but you took action for the wrong reasons. If the dryad turned out to be the mad alchemist and he turned out to be an innocent forced to become an undead you might have felt a bit different and so would Victor.”
“But I wasn’t wrong.” She crossed her arms.
“You’re missing the point. Victor is basically the opposite of a serial killer. He’s a serial savior. He saves lives indiscriminately because it’s who he is. If you still don’t want to travel with us because of that, fine, but he will try to save another undead someday and next time think long and hard about if it deserves death before just deciding to take a swing.” Serena lectured her before stopping. Emilie stopped deep in thought her eyes watching the mountain go by as they rode on Ozrak.