Time slowed down. Nick winced. It was so hot. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this battle. Phantom always weaseled his way out of fighting, anyway. It was as much of a joke as his name.

Roll for initiative.

Nick closed his eyes, letting out a tiny sigh. He rolled the d20, and it clattered on a thirteen. A +2 gave it a fifteen, and time resumed again.

Roaring, Hraktar threw himself forward with his great sword, swinging it toward the thief closest to him. The thief had a gold pattern on his hood, and Hraktar caught his shoulder with his great sword, causing a deep cut. The thief let out a shout of both surprise and of pain, gripping his shoulder as he glared at the fighter.

Time slowed down for Nick, and he chose his hell dagger.

Roll for attack.

Nick grabbed the d20, glancing around to see what the best way to attack would be. There was a thief right next to him, but if Grizzizzik helped Hraktar, then he’d get the sneak attack bonus, and he was close enough to make it. Sneak attacks were essential, especially since he only had his hell dagger. It was better than a regular dagger, but he really wanted that rapier back.

His dice landed on a sixteen. The +4 made it a dirty twenty. Two d6’s appeared, and he grabbed them both, giving them a firm shake before letting them drop. They combined to a nine, plus an extra two, with eleven total damage. Sneak attack was amazing.

Time resumed, and Grizzizzik ran next to Hraktar. The thief hardly had the time to notice before the hell dagger sliced his throat open. Blood sprayed everywhere, getting all over Hraktar and going straight through Tyler. Tyler covered his face, gasping as the blood never splattered on him. He uncovered his face once more to glance at his perfectly clean clothes and gave a shudder.

“I’m going to need so much therapy,” he muttered as Hraktar wiped his face with his arm.

The thief dropped dead to the ground, and Hraktar nodded his approval. “Nice one.”

Grizzizzik twirled his hell dagger around. “Thanks.”

“Still your fault we’re fighting this,” Hraktar said.

The rogue shrugged.

A bolt from a crossbow sliced right through Grizzizzik’s arm, and he cried out in surprise as he gripped the wound. Hraktar and Grizzizzik both turned to see Milo holding a yellow, glowing crossbow. “My bad!”

“Goddammit Milo! Aim your magic bolts somewhere else!” Grizzizzik shouted as he lost three hit points.

Milo cupped a hand around his mouth so his voice could travel easier. “In my defense, you were right next to Phantom!”

Grizzizzik and Hraktar turned to see Phantom a few yards away from both of them. Nick gave Derek a look, who shrugged. “I hate nat ones.”

Phantom marched over to Clarissa, swiping with his left hand, then his right. They watched as Clarissa tried to dodge out of the way, but the scimitar sliced through her side. The other one thankfully missed. Clarissa’s hit points dropped from a ten to a five, and Nick was reminded that Clarissa and Milo were still level one. The cut was deep, and the druid groaned as she gripped the wound.

Milo lowered his crossbow, concerned. “Heal yourself, Princess. That looks bad.”

Clarissa stumbled back, looking pale. In one blow, Phantom had cut her health in half. Nick realized he wasn’t focusing on the right things in this combat. If Clarissa died, Akshi and Torraq could get into Elmwood.

The thief Grizzizzik had been threatening popped up and sprinted toward Milo. While the mana fusor was talking to Clarissa, he didn’t notice the thief until he made a blow. Milo got a cut on his shoulder, and he grunted, gripping the wound.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Milo?” Clarissa asked.

“Fine!” It came out more like a croak than anything as his hit points dropped to seven. “I’m fine. I’ve got this.”

The final thief, the one with a red hood, sprinted straight for Grizzizzik. This thief as well went for a stab, slicing through Grizzizzik’s arm. The rogue snarled. “I will slice your body to ribbons if you don’t return my gold.”

“Try and find it if you really are the son of Akshi,” the thief said.

The rogue growled at that.

Clarissa began her chanting as gold mana weaved into the deep cut on her side. Four hit points were added, giving her nine total. She backed away from Phantom, pulling out her own scimitar, preparing.

“You are far weaker than I remember, pretty girl. And what happened to your green hair?” Phantom said.

Clarissa’s blue eyes darkened.

Hraktar gave a wide swipe at the thief in front of him, but being nimble on his feet, he easily dodged out of the way.

On Nick’s turn, he grabbed the d20 and gave it a quick shake. His only option was a dagger, because his bow and arrow would be at a disadvantage this close during battle. The dice landed on a six. Even with the plus four, it wasn’t enough. Instead, Nick mentally chose bite for his bonus action. He could use this once per rest, and he didn’t like the idea of not hurting a thief when Clarissa was in danger.

The d20 landed on a thirteen. +2 was added, and a d6 appeared.

“Yes,” Nick said, grabbing it and giving it a good shake. It landed on a five. A -1 appeared, dropping it to a four.

Time resumed. Grizzizzik went for a stab, but again, the red-hooded thief was nimble, easily leaping out of the way. Grizzizzik lunged forward, his canines lengthening, biting down on the thief’s shoulder. Nick and Hraktar watched on in horror as the snake tore a chunk of flesh out of the thief’s shoulder. He threw his head back and swallowed, then smiled as blood dribbled down his chin. His health bar returned to full. It was hard to tell who was more horrified. Hraktar or the thief.

“I hate it when you do that,” Hraktar said.

Grizzizzik shrugged. The fighter leaned over, dry heaving as the thief backed away. It was so much worse seeing it in real life than having Tyler describe it.

Milo struck the thief next to him with a dagger, cutting into his chest. He grunted, backing away as Milo then raised his crossbow, pointing it at the thief. Electric energy sizzled off the bolt as it struck right in the neck. The thief stumbled back, jaw clenched. He collapsed on the ground, alive, but smoke rising from his body.

“Woo!” Derek threw his hands in the air. “Level one is still a threat!”

Phantom went again with two strikes at Clarissa. The first sliced way too deeply into her stomach. She gasped, backing away enough that the second swipe missed. Clarissa’s hit points plummeted to one. She stumbled, falling to the ground.

“The Princess is down!” Milo shouted.

“I’m still awake.” They could hardly hear the druid’s words.

The thief raised a dagger to stab Milo, but the mana fusor easily stepped out of the way. Clarissa coughed, raising her scimitar, and stabbed Phantom’s foot. He chuckled as it easily bounced off his boot. Clarissa moaned again as she clutched her stomach, groaning.

Hraktar took the opportunity to run straight for Phantom. The red-hooded thief tried to make a swipe at the fighter, but missed. With a shout, Hraktar made himself the bigger threat and slashed his great sword toward Phantom. With a grunt, Phantom backed away from the deep cut in his shoulder. Hraktar used the opportunity to place himself between Phantom and Clarissa. “Don’t touch her.”

As time stopped, Nick again chose the dagger, then rolled. He needed to fight this thief. Milo had the other one distracted, and Hraktar would fend off Phantom.

He rolled the d20 and saw it land on a five. He winced as the numbers fizzled out and time resumed again. Grizzizzik shot forward with the dagger, but the thief blocked it with his own. Grizzizzik growled again, and time froze.

Roll for perception.

Confused, Nick did what was asked. The dice landed on fourteen, and with an added four, that gave Grizzizzik an eighteen.

Time resumed, and Grizzizzik smiled. Nick waited for the understanding to hit, but it never happened. Despite the heat of the day, goosebumps rose up Nick’s arm as his rogue turned his smile toward him.

Milo tried again to shoot the thief with his crossbow, but the thief knocked it to one side, sending the electric bolt into the ground. At the same time, Phantom swiped at Hraktar twice. The first one missed, but the second one pierced Hraktar’s collarbone, and he shouted in pain. Hraktar’s hit points dropped to sixteen. Still a lot better than Clarissa’s one. Hraktar shook off the pain.

The thief fighting Milo tried to stab him, but it missed as the two of them wrestled with the crossbow.

Clarissa once again gripped her stomach as golden mana flowed through her, the mana keeping her from bleeding out. It raised her hit points to four.

Hraktar went for another swipe at Phantom, who dodged out of the way. Hraktar grunted, then gave his head a good shake. His hit points filled back up to twenty-four, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before preparing himself.

It was Grizzizzik’s turn, and Nick was ready. He mentally clicked the dagger and went to grab the die, when his hand froze. He frowned, then glanced down at it. His hand was stuck, like it was frozen in time, too. He tried reaching for the die, but his hand refused to respond.

Despite time being frozen, Grizzizzik’s head slowly turned. Nick glanced up, right as the rogue made eye contact. Nick wanted to gasp but was too afraid to. His rogue shouldn’t be doing this. How was this possible?