My scream of fright is thankfully drowned out by the high pitched shriek of the wagon wheel sized gears spinning like buzz saws at the sides of the lifter.

Wits save vs Fear: Success!

Somehow, I manage to steel my nerves and my head whips toward Cinnamon to see her big brown eyes filled with terror. I make a desperate grab for her wrist. With a strange flash of magenta, something brightly colored tumbles through the air and instead of Cinnamon's arm I find myself instead holding a small, squirming furry limb.

Bunnimon makes a loud squeal of protest and I let out a string of expletives that would make a sailors ears redden with shame. The sudden fright must have triggered her transformation curse and... Kryst! She was in Cinni's bag! I glance upward as I pull the struggling rabbit to my chest and see the disoriented fairy in the midst of an aerial cartwheel. With a flick of her gossamer wings to stabilize herself Kryst looks about confused then rockets toward us like a bullet.

"Too Tall, what happened?!" Kryst shouts over the rush of wind as she catches up, flying alongside the falling elevator.

"Dunno!" Is the only answer I can give. Plogz is clinging to the floor of the lift and I yank him to his feet. "Gotta get off!"

Platforms and catwalks fly by on either side of us. If Cinnamon hadn't freaked out maybe she could have jumped to one of them. Fright grips my chest. What do I do?!

Captain Reigns, already on her feet, snatches at my side. Her hands scrabble over me. My panic rises even further as the image of a drowning man dragging their rescuer down with them fills my brain. She spins me around however, and I feel her pull the leather buttoned straps off the side of my backpack, freeing my length of looped rope and grappling hook. By the time I've turned back around she is twirling it in a blur, looking over the edge of the lift at a fast approaching series of walkways.

Yes! Oh sweet Mary Mother! Please! This has to work! I unceremoniously shove poor Bunnimon into my pack hoping that I haven't hurt her while at the same time I practically kick Plogz into the Captains leg. The goblin needs no further prompting and immediately latches onto one of the shapely coco-skinned beauty's appendages like a lamprey.

We are moving so quickly even if the rope catches I sincerely doubt that we will we be able to hold on. If I wasn’t out of mana from my fall off of the rooftops before maybe I could have used my sword. An idea shoots through my brain even faster than we’re falling. The blade flies into my hand with quick draw and I shove it between a few of the belts on Captain Reigns hips.

"Magic sword! Slow fall!" I manage to shout in her ear as she sends the grappling hook sailing. I don't know if she understood and there is zero time for further explanation anyway. The hook strikes true and she tenses for a moment before both her and Plogz are pulled upward and off the lifter.

The rope lashes around wildly and I make a mad grab for it, seizing it before it flashes out of reach.

Brian Status: HP: 6 / 12      Stun: 18 / 22      Mana: 2 / 10

White hot pain bursts in my shoulders and up my arm as the rope goes taunt.

Strength check: Fail!

Dexterity check: Success!

Somehow I manage to keep my hands closed around the rope even as I slide down further toward the end, the rope slicing into my palms. Already far above me, the Captain doesn't seem to be sharing my dire predicament.

"Hold on, Brian!" Kryst shouts buzzing to my left.

Brian Status: HP: 5/ 12      Stun: 15/ 22      Mana: 2 / 10

"I'm trying!" I scream, but I'm still sliding fast and it feels like I'm trying to slow myself down by holding onto razor wire. Worse yet, I'm swinging in a wide arc straight toward the cliff face.

Strength check: Critical Fail!

Abruptly, I reach the end of my rope. It's simply gone from between my hands and I'm sent flying. There are no spinning gears to cover my scream this time.

A small flock of seagulls scatter in the air around me and I feel a strange unexpected purchase as my passive Elven Lightstep ability triggers when my foot touches onto one of the bird's backs.

Muscle instinct takes over and in a blatant disregard for physics the animal barely dips as I somehow push off of it in a controlled somersault toward the rock face.

Acrobatics: Success!

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Spinning about I angle my feet toward the craggy cliff face and hit it running, my boots scraping at the slight cracks and finger width lips of rock, propelling me upward. My elation is very short lived as I feel the tug of gravity attempting to take hold. Spider-man I am not.

In desperation I will my body to move, trying to keep my feet under me. Run-hop, jumping from small outcrop to broken crag, aiming for a hanging platform some twenty feet away. However the small protrusions of rock are now growing few, and way too far between.

"Kryst! I need you girl!" I yell pointing ahead to the wide gap of smooth flat stone between me and the rusty platform of salvation.

"What?!" Kryst shouts back but thankfully races ahead to where I've indicated, darting about like a humming bird.

"Gimme a boost!"

A smile of realization flashes on Kryst's face. She performs a quick martial movement, glowing with magenta energy then takes a readied midair stance.

I launch toward where the fairy is hovering, tucking my legs under my body.

Kryst uses Special Ability: Thunder Kick!

Special Effect: Double Knockback

Our feet touch and the force of her blow hits at the same time that I spring off, sending me barreling toward the platform; fired upward by the combination of my Lightstep and her bad-ass kung-fu.

Brian Status: HP: 2/ 12      Stun: 4 / 22      Mana: 2 / 10

Even if it does feel like she may have shattered a few of the bones in my foot still I manage to twist and hit the wall just above the ledge. Using my shoulder and side armor to absorb most of the impact I roll onto my stomach to avoid crushing Bunnimon between my body and the platform. The maneuver causes me to slide a good 10 feet before friction and my flailing limbs stop me.

Brian Status: HP: 2/ 12      Stun: 1 / 22      Mana: 2 / 10

The corroded metal protests and bolts snap like gunshots. The section of the platform buckles and the end I'm on drops. Blackness and spots of white flood my vision but with my fingers digging into the grill style metal work I manage to cling to it and not tumble off.

I dangle by one arm, feet searching for traction. My guts tighten and muscles like steel springs bunch. I grit my teeth and hand over hand, yank my body up.

General Skill: Climbing: Success!

Finally my waist clears the edge and I shuffle crawl forward, gulping in massive breaths of air then plop down into a sitting position and take a Recovery. I try to get my thundering heartbeat under control and steady my nerves to stop my hands from shaking. It proves to be absolutely futile. Most likely because there is probably more adrenaline pumping through my veins than blood at the moment.

Darting over the edge of the platform Kryst appears with magenta hued sparkles trailing from behind her wings. A look of relief washes over her face.

"You see! What did I tell you before, Too Tall? The sky is no place for amateurs." She gives me a shake of her head and a side cocked smirk. "Good thing you elves are so light on your feet."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou..." Ignoring her 'aim to aggravate' dig I snatch the little Barbie doll fairy in both hands and shower her face, neck and most of her upper body with kisses to express my undying gratitude.

"Alright, enough of that." I hear an uncharacteristic giggle from Kryst and her little arms push my face away. She then gets a mischevious glint to her eyes. "Besides you shouldn’t go starting what you ain't prepared to finish."

Kryst places her hands on either side of my lips and leans forward to plant a kiss on them. Her tongue can’t be any larger than the tip of a pencil, but when she darts it out to flick the edge of my own a sudden and near overwhelming sense of euphoria races through my body.

My muscles, every one of them, stiffen as the pleasure centers in my brain flash on and off like Christmas lights. Kryst pulls back and just as quickly the endorphin fueled rush disappears. Wiggling free of my grasp Kryst gives me a stinging but playful slap on the cheek with a teeny hand then takes to the air.

My face flushes and I can only hope my dark indigo skin tone is hiding my embarrassment. A taste lingers in my mouth, a nectar or honey like sweetness and there is a pleasant tingling feeling on the tip of my tongue.

I want to ask what it is, what exactly she did to cause me to have such a reaction. Never mind why she did it. I manage to refrain, keeping my curiosity in check. She was probably just trying to push my buttons.

More than a little self-conscious I look away from the fairy and peek over the edge to see a cloud of dust at the base of the cliff where the lifter must have impacted. I'm still a little wary of the stability of the platform we are on too. It seems to be some kind of aged scaffolding that has fallen into disrepair from lack of use or just plain neglect. I start to stand but agony lances through my foot, up my leg and I crumple back onto my backside with a bang.

"What in the hells happened up there? Some kind of mechtanical failure? " Kryst says fluttering over to land on a pipe and glancing upward, "I always thought goblins were supposed to be masters crafters with Geartech construction and the like."

"It wasn't an accident." I say, thinking back to the figure I saw on the crane pallet. Something about the way they had blended into the dark recesses and the blurring of its movement reminded me of my own Shadow Meld ability.

Was it a Drow that attacked us? I search around looking for where the container filled pallet was being lowered and spot it far above on another platform. People and goblins are rushing about along the walkways and I concentrate on the various group, trying to pick out the would be assassin in the confusion.

Perception: Fail!

It's no use. Whoever they were they must have slipped away by now, or simply blended in with the crowds.

Shrugging off my pack I lift the flap. Bunnimon is curled up in my clothes, shivering slightly. I reach in to pet her soft fur while making a soothing shushing sound. She seems to relax a little more when I pull her out of the bag and place her in my lap, stroking her ears.

"It's okay, Cinni-bunny. We're okay now." I coo-say to her.

"You sure about that? You don't look so good." Kryst says, giving me a questioning raised eyebrow.

The fairy is right. Now that I'm not in danger of a 'tumble down to splatter on the rocks' death, everything is hitting me all at once. I've managed to at least catch my breath but it's easier to figure out what parts of my body don't hurt in comparison to what does.

Brian Status: HP: 2/ 12      Stun: 22 / 22      Mana: 2 / 10

"I think I'll be alright." I try and push the agony out of my mind, "What happened to Plogz and Captain Reigns? Did you see if they made it?"

"I was a little busy chasing after you.” Kryst replies.

"Yeah. Thanks again for sticking with me." I say even as my eyes dart about searching for any sign of the goblin and female swashbuckler.

Perception: Success!

"Wait there they are." I say spotting Captain Reigns and Plogz moving along a series of connected walkways and bridges, working their way down to us.

Followed close behind by a dozen or so city guard.