Kedryn followed closely after Captain Glade, doing his best to keep his breathing under control. The pace may not have been at breakneck speed, but running up a constant grade in robes while carrying his improvised shield sapped his stamina faster than he had anticipated.
Doing his best to ignore the growing stitch in his side, Kedryn accessed his status page and placed one of his 7 remaining free points into stamina.
The relief was immediate. Not only did he get a second wind, but the run became much easier to handle.
Riya would have lectured him on not wasted an attribute point on a physical stat, which he would normally agree with. However, he didn’t want to be exhausted and useless once they got there. That was simply asking for trouble.
To say the last few days had been the best of his life was a gross understatement. Sure, there had been some unforeseen challenges along the way. Like the lack of accessible showers. And toilet paper.
Beyond those small discomforts, he was living his greatest dream.
Kedryn did a quick once over of his status page, just to be sure there wasn’t anything else he needed to shore up.
Name: Bei’Kedryn Serevlir (Royal Elf)
Age 19 Level: 5
Experience: 3740 Next Level: 5500
Health: 90 Stamina: 120 Mana: 200
Attributes
Strength: 11 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 9 Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 9 Charisma: 15 Chance: 10
Brands
Courage Perseverance Intellect
Sacrifice Passion
Titles
Bei (First Born) House Serevlir (Royal)
Languages
Elvish (All Dialects) Dwarfen (Reaches Dialect) English
Skills
Concealment: Lvl 3: +6% to concealment; +6% chance to identify suitable terrain.
Fire Magic: Lvl 6: +2.5% mana efficiency in Fire Magic
Naturist (Natural Lore): Lvl 8 - +16% potency; +8% identification
Perception: Lvl 4 - +8% to perception
Quarter Staff: Lvl 1: 1% stamina reduction. +1% damage/accuracy.
Small Blades: Lvl 2: 2% stamina reduction. +2% damage/accuracy.
Abilities
Passionate Growth
Shared Bond with Glade (Perk)
Specializations: None
Attunements
Air: 0% Water: 0% Earth: 0% Fire: 13% (Sympathetic)
Light: 0% Shadow: 0% Astral: 0% Corporeal: 0%
After taking a quick glance, Kedryn put one more point into chance. It may not have been the wisest choice, but he firmly believed luck was a major cornerstone in developing any character. Besides, he felt he could use all the luck he could get.
Thus far, he had followed Glade on every assault. There was no doubt his commanding officer was skilled. In fact, the Captain was downright scary when it came to eliminating whatever he saw as a threat. It was like watching a real life John Wick up close and personal whenever a fight broke out. Ok, maybe not John Wick, but like a young Ethan Hunt from the first Mission Impossible.
Either way, this upcoming assault was Kedryn’s chance to prove himself. Sure, Glade was taking point as per usual. But once they got past the kill zone? Well, that would be his time to show that he was capable of so much more.
The fact Glade was purposefully placing himself in the most dangerous position wasn’t lost on Kedryn. Being willing to be the first to take a crossbow bolt was part of what made Glade, well, Glade. Intense, no-nonsense killjoy that likely had a plan to incapacitate or eliminate everyone and everything in a room at any given time.
No wonder the team had given him the callsign Major.
If only the man wasn’t so rigid in his thinking! It had been a real struggle every time a new gaming concept was introduced.
Not that Kedryn was blameless in creating some of those struggles. He was strong enough to admit that some of his earlier miscommunications were… not well thought out. But he had recovered! In fact, he and Riya were on much better terms now.
Even the Captain had started listening to him. Mostly. At times.
All Kedryn had to do now was show he was more than just a brilliant fire caster.
That brought his mind back to Krazzik’s pyro statement. Naturally, Kedryn could understand the dwarf’s shock at seeing a royal elf. According to Riya, royal elves were rarely seen outside of their sprawling forest cities.
But the tone Krazzik had used was just… off. Like even being associated with fire was wrong or something.
Glade’s raised hand interrupted Kedryn’s train of thought, bringing his attention back to the present. The flame hovering over his shoulder lit the corridor ahead of them just enough to see where they were going.
However, now that he was looking, Kedryn noticed wavering torch light coming from just around the corner.
Glade made a series of hand movements that Kedryn interpreted as ‘be ready, we’re about to attack.’
Of course, he didn’t really know what the choppy signs meant. For all he knew, they could be Glade’s rendition of their initial meeting using shadow puppets.
Instead of following his initial reaction, which was to hide his lack of understanding by simply nodding along, Kedryn decided that honesty was the best choice. He really didn’t want to betray the newfound trust he had so painstakingly built.
Instead, Kedryn waggled his fingers and shrugged his shoulders, a clear indication he had no idea what his commanding officer was trying to communicate.
Glade gave him an intense stare before giving one decisive nod. He then leaned in so close, Kedryn could feel the man’s breath on his ear.
That was the moment the lack of toothpaste and toothbrushes were added to his growing list of unforeseen challenges.
“At least 4 Gnolls,” Glade breathed, so softly Kedryn could barely make out the words from centimeters away. “Wait and listen for 30 seconds.”
Kedryn gave the thumbs up sign, glad he hadn’t pretended to know what Glade was trying to communicate earlier. That would have been embarrassing.
A half-formed question why the Captain hadn’t used telepathy was there and gone in a flash, his mind already reoriented on slowing his breathing while simultaneously straining to hear past the thundering of his racing heart.
Faint, rhythmic tapping echoed down the tunnel, like mining picks hitting rock from hundreds of yards away.
Tap – Tap – Tap
Tap – Tap – Tap
Kedryn was no expert, but the noise struck him as odd. He assumed the sound came from the dwarven captives tasked with clearing the tunnels, but did they always strike rocks in perfect synchronization?
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Tap – Tap – Tap
Tap – Tap – Tap
That was all he heard. Just the tapping. There was no yelling. No cracks of a whip. Not even a howl from a single Gnoll. Nothing but…
Tap – Tap – Tap
Tap – Tap – Tap
“Trap,” Glade whispered in his ear. “Change of plans. You throw fire, duck back under cover. Draw ranged attacks. Then we charge. Same plan as before.”
Throat dry, Kedryn nodded more out of reflex than the confidence he had felt just moments ago, the weight of the situation settling on him like a lead blanket.
“Be quick,” Glade breathed. “You’ll be fine.”
The Captain’s words were surprisingly encouraging. It didn’t help his nerves any, but the gesture itself was appreciated enough that his heart was longer trying to tear out of his chest.
Moving as silently as he could, Kedryn approached the bend. What he wouldn’t give for a stealth skill right about now!
Expending a full ten mana points, he grew the fire over his shoulder to the largest size possible. At least, as large as he could currently make it.
Breathing deeply, he leaned forward, readying himself to glance around the corner, throw his fire, and duck back, hopefully all without getting a crossbow bolt to the face.
Just as he was about to move, Kedryn saw a micro-sliver of the room beyond.
There wasn’t any indication of Gnolls or a potential trap, but Kedryn could make out the barest flicker of a torch at the tunnels entrance.
Kedryn’s nerves vanished as a brilliant idea blossomed in his mind.
This was going to be easier than he thought.
----------------------------------------
Gredka the Flayer bounced on the toes of his massive hind paws, anxious for the prey who thought they were hunters to fall into his carefully laid trap.
He had smelled the intruders approaching long before he had heard their shuffling feet and beating hearts. Well, he supposed they had heard those loud cracks first, but that mattered little. Two were coming at them fast.
Gredka repressed a growl. One was most definitely a human. Their scent was unmistakable and he looked forward to practicing his craft on that one’s body.
The other smelled… odd, like a strange mix of forest and flame. It was hard enough to separate scents underground, but combined with the burning torches and disgusting dwarves, it was near impossible for most Gnolls.
But he wasn’t like most Gnolls. His sensitive nose and superior intellect were but two of the many reasons he had been elevated to be of the fourth circle within their Rake while the rest of his pack mates stayed simple hounds.
“Stop fidgeting!” He hissed at the runt standing next to him. It was one of their younger pups who hadn’t even received a brand yet. Barely sentient enough to hold the crossbow he’d been given.
“But I cans smells them!” The pup whined. “Why not gets them? I’s is hungry!”
Gredka cuffed the nameless pup with his off-hand hard enough to make the runt stagger. There wasn’t any reason for them to name him yet. Besides, this one was one of the stupider of their Rake.
“We wait!” Gredka hissed, flourishing the long whip he held in his other hand. The smaller Gnoll cowered, tucking his tail between his legs.
Gredka nodded his approval. The lesser hounds, especially the runt, should show him deference. He was mighty. He had a name!
Glancing up, Gredka glared at the other two older Gnolls he had placed on either side of the tunnel entrance. They didn’t have names either and also showed him the deference he deserved. Their large clubs held ready to beat their prey into submission.
“When the cowards finally show themselves, what do you do?” Gredka asked, making sure these peons knew what they were supposed to do.
“I shoot the first one!” The pup said, a glint of malicious excitement returning all too quickly to its young eyes.
“Capture the other,” the two Gnoll’s by the entrance yipped.
“Yesss,” Gtredka said, pleased with his plan. It was fool proof. One would die. He would make sure of that. He really hoped it was the human. They were as common as houseflies and tasted better than most other sentients.
The other they would capture and enslave. The one that smelled of forest and flame would likely be worth a great deal more than a mere human. But either way, he would eat well and get a bonus for capturing another slave. He might even be raised to the third circle if he did this right.
Gredka’s thoughts were interrupted as he heard their targets slow to a stop, right around the corner of the tunnel. The others heard it as well, their excitement a palpable flavor on the air, which in turn fueled his own thirst for blood.
Seconds passed as the group waited in anticipation of their prey’s inevitable, and foolish, attack. Then more seconds came and went. And more.
“What is taking them so long?” Gredka hissed.
That was when the torch next to the tunnel entrance erupted into a ball of fire, spreading out in a wave that singed all but his hair.
“Ahh!,” cried the runt, pulling the trigger of his crossbow as he recoiled away from the fire, the bolt slamming harmlessly into the cave wall.
Gredka cursed the runt as the others were fully distracted from the sudden burst of flames, which was exactly when the two would be hunters charged from around the corner.
The human was in front, which was fine by Gredka. He would use the extra reach his whip provided to subdue and distract while the others came up from behind.
As he readied his strike, the human surprised him, making a sharp turn into one of the two still distracted Gnolls.
A loud crack filled the air, followed quickly by an overpowering smell of burnt air, which made no sense. No one could burn the air!
Gredka stared in horror as the Gnoll facing the man jerked back with a massive hole in its chest. That was when the other would be hunter came running out of the tunnel.
Gredka didn’t know what surprised him more, the fact that the other was an elf, or that the elf turned the opposite direction of the human and smashed a large silvery shield into the Gnoll’s face that was waiting there.
It was like the two had known about his cleverly laid trap from the start!
Pulling back his arm to strike, Gredka had another shock as the Gnoll the elf had hit fell screaming to the ground. There was no way the scrawny elf had the strength to knock a Gnoll down in one swing!
That was when he noticed the slime latched onto the Gnoll’s face. The elf had used the slime as a weapon!? How?
Rage filled Gredka, as he heard two more loud cracks in quick succession.
Something slammed into his chest, stealing his breath. He paused long enough to see the runt was already lying on the ground. The weakling. Gredka would show them. He would show them all.
He roared his defiance and lashed out with his precious whip.
A second crack filled the room as blackness wrapped around Gredka like a dark embrace.