What the hell? Lanek thought as he shook his head to clear the panic-inducing effects of the voice.
You have resisted the status effect, Despair.
Lanek glanced around and saw that Ograch and Liv were not faring so well. While the animals seem to be doing fine, the hobgoblin and human had clearly failed to resist the status effect, looking almost as if they were about to break and flee. He gestured to the two fear-stricken individuals and nodded toward the buildings a few dozen meters behind them. Their animal companions understood and pushed their future riders away from the prison.
When they reached the buildings, his companions snapped out of their terrified states, looking at Lanek in confusion. He quickly explained the status effect and how he had been able to resist it.
“So, what do we do now? I can can go in with Kazuma and Sanguineus if need be while you wait here.”
“I want to try again.” Liv said. “With some status effects, simply being made aware of it can make it easier to resist.”
“How about you, Ograch? Want to give it another try?”
“Yes. I’ll not flee from a damn voice if I can help it.” The hobgoblin said while Reaver radiated approval for her companion’s resolve.
“Fair enough. I have to ask though, do we want to put Yuri in that kind of danger? There is definitely something strong in there.” At his words, Yuri’s mother stood on her hind legs and roared towards the prison.
Liv smiled before answering. “I think that’s her way of saying that the thing in there can fuck off if it thinks it can get Yuri while she’s around.” The giant bear chuffed in response, clearly agreeing with Liv’s interpretation.
“Alright, here we go. However, I’m not going to turn back again, we need the node and we don’t have a lot of time to get it. The matriarch could make her move any day now.” Lanek stated before addressing their animal companions. “Yuri, Reaver. If they freeze up like that again, get them out of there. Understood?”
Liv and Ograch started to object when they looked in surprise at their animal companions nodding to Lanek. They turned to look suspiciously at Lanek, but he only shrugged.
“They know what’s good for you and that this order will keep you two alive. I imagine that’s the only reason they are listening to me.” He explained, although he did wonder if beastmaster was having an effect on his friends’ tamed mounts.
You do what you think is best. Lanek sent silently to the mother bear. She rolled her eyes, clearly having decided to do that already.
Lanek laughed and started approaching the prison. As he approached, the voice started prodding at his mind again, but it was merely annoying at this point. He reached the large open gate leading into the prison before stopping to look behind him. Both Liv and Ograch were sweating and appeared to be struggling, but they pushed on regardless. The cold was getting more extreme and Lanek’s limbs were beginning to go numb.
Lanek felt himself getting irritated and he absolutely did not want to wander the corridors of this damn place going for the node while whatever was lurking around hunted them. From what Caelis had described to him, her node was in a secure chamber located in the warden’s office on the third floor. It should be safe, then.
He held up his hand to bring his companions to a stop. “Screw this, I’m not playing this bastard’s game. Get yourselves into whatever positions you think best out here, I’m bringing it out.” He growled.
As he said these words, he could feel Kazuma and Sanguineus’ approval. Liv proceeded to step alongside the wall to the left of the gate, shield out and spear at the read while Yuri and his mother stood next to her, Yuri standing a bit behind his mother and tamer. Meanwhile, Ograch sprinted a few meters away with Reaver, setting himself up behind cover with his bow. Kazuma and Sanguineus took the right side of the gate.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Lanek walked into the courtyard alone and called out. “You know, every time I’ve fought something since coming to this godforsaken city it feels like I’m just fighting by their rules or in their territory.” The unintelligible voice stopped and Lanek could almost feel its confusion. This was not how its prey was supposed to act.
“So, I’ve made a decision. That shit ends today.” With those last words he raised both of his hand and triggered [Ethereal Salvo]. He didn’t care about collateral damage to the building. He didn’t need a prison and he knew that the dungeon would try to repair the wall.
Despite his loss of [Soul Shackle] and the weakening of his salvo, his increased spirit gave him a lot more shots. He could now fire 22 shots per salvo and had enough mana to do it twice. Lanek grinned like a maniac as he spread his shots across the courtyard, striking every wall, the explosions tearing open the exterior of the building and revealing the interior. Not waiting for a target to appear or for the dust to settle, he triggered another salvo, every shot going into the much less durable interior of the prison and doing far more damage.
Lanek turned and casually walked out of the gate with a satisfied smile on his face. His companions stared at him as if he’d lost his mind and it didn’t help his case when soon after a keening wail rose from the devastation behind him, he only smiled wider. He positioned himself in the open, clearly visible through the gate and drew his weapons.
Despite the apparent madness of his approach, Lanek was thinking clearly. He had hoped that the explosions would either shock the creature into stopping with its skill or shock his companions out of struggling with it. It wasn’t clear which had happened, but his companions were no longer sweating and on the verge of panic, so he was satisfied.
Moments later, a rapid shuffling approached before a giant figure burst through the gate, standing as tall as the great bear accompanying the party. The shuffling sound came from the manacles chaining its legs together at the ankle. It wore rusted armor and carried a circular cage strapped to its back. Within the cage was a swirling blue mist that turned out to be the source of the voice as a spectral figure would form, clasp the giant’s head, and begin whispering into one of its ears. Once that specter faded, another would appear and continue the process.
At this voice, the giant figure’s face would crumple in despair and shame. In its hands it bore a massive sword and shield. The figure whispering into the monster’s ear would change every time, wearing a new face, but causing the same despair to appear on its face.
As Lanek observed the monster, he noticed that the cage was not strapped to it, but was rather chained to it. Cruel, barbed chains extended from the cage and through the monster’s flesh and armor. Lanek felt no pity, but was surprised at the sight. Sure, he had seen some horrible monsters since coming here, but nothing that seemed to be tortured by its own existence.
The Warden
lvl 50
Rael was a former resident of the city of Caelis, having lived his entire life in service to the city. Throughout his life, he worked his way through the ranks of the city guard before being offered the position of warden in reward for his years of service. While Rael was warden, his treatment of the prisoners was considered fair and impartial. There were no rumors or whispers of mistreatment for none of that occurred on his watch.
However, that all changed on the night the Ashen Depths broke and Rael’s courage broke with it. As the monsters slaughtered their way through the city, a terrified Rael ordered the gates of the prison sealed and refused to allow the guards to leave, convincing himself that closing the gates was the only logical choice. Hundreds of civilians died before the closed gates. When the monsters began breaching the gate, he left those under his command and the inmates to die as he made his escape. He fled via an escape tunnel built by a previous warden who had feared a prison riot due to his mistreatment of the inmates and died an ignoble death in the streets at the hands of the dungeon monsters.
The spirits of those he betrayed, the inmates, guards, and civilians cursed his name in death, forcing him to rise as the tortured figure now known only as the Warden. At all times he is plagued by the insidious voices of those he killed with his cowardice, forced to listen to his shortcomings and the details of how those individuals died. Reminded over and over again that he could have possibly made a difference for he had been a talented warrior once.