Finesse check successful. You have avoided injury!

It was all Jack could do to navigate the massive pile of shattered rubble as he raced down for all he was worth, more worried about not breaking his neck than anything else, and he thought it a miracle that they had made their way safely down, now utterly disregarding a safe, clay-covered route in Barlton's panic. Fortunately, their instinctive impulse to follow right in Barlton's thankfully manageable footsteps kept them from the worst of it, though Elof and Veti had both come close to tumbling head over heals, and now they were racing across the massive stone cavern, not quite so smooth as the massive stadium floor it was nearly the size of, but smooth enough, and thankfully covered in grit and sand that definitely aided their strides, leaving Jack more confused than ever as to weather this was a cavern or canyon and wondering if it really mattered.

"Best be ready boys, this might get hairy!" Barlton declared as Aroust cursed softly under his breath, and Jack frowned at the sight of a dozen or so Bugbears at the edge of what he now saw as a sparkling white fog, who looked to be struggling frantically at nothing at all...

Then Jack's eyes widened in horror as he saw one of the creature's screech and crumple, crimson spray spurting from its shoulders and covering what had seemed mist and air into the outline of a massive spider now covered in blood.

Jack's eyes widened, feeling a jolt of dread in his gut as his heart began to pound from more than just his sprint, as the outline of the massive phase spider slowly came into focus, Jack having to slow down and rub stinging eyes, feeling a flaring headache coming on.

Magesight skillcheck successful! Congratulations! You are now able to sense even the mana emanations of Phase Spiders! Magesight is now Adept Rank 1!

Infravision skillcheck successful! You can now sense even the faint heat emanations of Phase Spiders! Infravision is now Adept Rank 2!

Congratulations! You have improved your knack for sensing that which wishes to be hidden, as well as hearing conversations that are none of your business!

Perception has been permanently increased by 1 point to 15!

You have begun to forge the endless potential of Living Dream and make a tiny portion of it your own.

Wait, those skills have ranks? Jack shook away the extraneous thought as the formerly fuzzy heat signatures everything gave off now snapped into true, clear focus and he saw what now seemed like for the first time, the shimmering beauty of electromana radiation radiating off nearly everything! Everything from the faintest glimmer of mana and heat radiation from the relatively cool cliff overhangs and flooring, to the bright red heat signatures of the bugbears somehow meshing perfectly with their mud-colored hides and Jackal features, and finally, the faint almost crystalline outlines of the spiders they fought. Phase spiders, if his interface was to be believed, and the way they seemed to fade to even his heightened senses before flaring brightly just before attacking. An act which made their natures all too clear.

Jack frowned at the threat they now faced, still a good hundred yards ahead.

But if he had his way, they'd be no threat at all.

He took a moment to center himself, angling a bit away from his friends so they weren't in his direct line of sight as he jutted out his hand and aimed for his target.

"Sagitta Acidum!" he roared, hand jutting out as a stream of caustic globes shot through the air, Jack preparing to exert himself as much as necessary to assure they stayed airborn long enough to hit their target.

But remarkably, they didn't need any extra coaxing or mana expenditure at all, arcing through the etherial currents to strike exactly where he had aimed. Compared to the efforts he had expended earlier, holding globs of dissolvent against the rock overhead, this was as easy as lifting his own hand.

But his fierce grin of exultation turned to wide-eyed disbelief when his caustic agent splashed against the nearest spider, still a good 80 yards off, before all of it dripped in a puddle as the creature phased out of existance, the bugbear that had been fighting it stumbling right into the pile of solvent at its feet, now screeching as flesh melted from bone right before the spider phased back into existance and clamped it's massive mandibles into the vulnerable creatures neck, silencing it for good.

Jack had stumbled to a stop, gazing with horror at their prospective foes.

"Don't ya dare kill them at range!" Barlton roared, panic in his voice. "If ya close the rift before we get there, all o this was for naught!"

"We got bigger things to worry about than any prize, Barlton!" Jack hollered. "My globes don't to shit to those things!"

Jack felt a certain hard satisfaction when at least a few of his teammates stumbled and gazed back at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"They phase in and out of existence, Barlton! And they're killing those bugbears! How the hell are we supposed to close?"

But the Dwarf seemed to be beyond reason, just shaking his head and drawing free his war-hammer like pickaxe and shield. "By timing our strikes, boy!" he roared as Aroust started to curse, crashing into the frey at that very moment, powerful blows at least backing up the nearest spider, even if none were actually connecting.

"Damn fool!" Aroust snapped, before turning to Drake and Veti. "You two know what to do, just try to do it around the Dwarf!"

"But what if it doesn't work?" Veti whispered.

"We have no choice, and nothing to lose. Do it!"

The pair nodded and the air rang with whispered enchantments and words of power.

"Tarda!"

"Forsvaga!"

And Jack could sense the waves of mystical energy and a shout that seemed to rock reality itself slam into their foes, as they were both weekend and slowed, and that was just the first pair of attacks that, much to Jack's relief, seemed to effect the phase spiders whether or not the dwarf's powerful cleaves or Aroust's deadly fast glaive managed to score their flesh or not.

"Sicco Impetus!" Veti cried out in her falsetto voice, and the closest pair of spiders, now effected by three banes both draining and weakening it, actually stumbled half in and out of phase, just when Barlton's warhammer came crashing down on the closest one.

"Orestrike!" The dwarf roared, and Jack's eyes widened to sense a power blow so like Mitch's own, his weapon now taking on a superluminal aura as it pounded right between the creature's eyes, it's cephalothorax exploding in chitin and gore as the corpse manifested fully in the material plane.

Jack frowned, as his friends gazed about with wide, anxious eyes, all except the dwarf, making a beeline for the next spider now pivoting around to Aroust's side while the remaining 3 spiders at the edge of the mist continued to battle bugbears that had also been slowed and weakened by his friend's spells.

"Aroust, look out ya damned fool!" The dwarf roared, and Jack immediately saw the problem, even as he summoned his Blood Shield, his other protective spells already in place.

He and Barlton were the only ones who could see the spiders clearly, the Bane spells that had hit only doing so because most of the spiders had also been in close proximity to the bugbears.

"Barlton! None of them can see the phase spiders when they're out of phase!" Jack cried, even at that moment sprinting forward, just when the closest spider was about to rip open Aroust's throat.

"Jacio Funda!" Jack cried out with what he so often thought of as his most worthless spell, an inch long stone blasting from his fingertip, streaking through the air to smack the phase spider with a shot that Jack doubted would do more than dent the carapace.

But it was enough.

For the creature had instinctively phased, just before its fangs could tear into Aroust's throat.

But Aroust, to Jack's surprise, had already spun around, glaive jutting high as if only just realizing how close he had come to peril.

"You almost got hit by a phase spider!" Jack shouted.

Veti's eyes widened with alarm as everyone save for a warring Barlton stepped back, weapons at the ready. "We only see them when they pop up. They could be anywhere! Back away. We have to back away!"

"Keep your cool!" Aroust roared, gazing pointedly at Jack. "You can see them, can't you?"

Jack nodded. He could indeed see them, and he knew that was significant. Even if it was just a combination of Magesight and Infravision allowing him to see the sparkling orange afterimage of the pair of phase spiders who had now turned their way, in addition to the one stalking Aroust, he was still sensing their presence.

Insight check made!

And if he could sense their emanations...

"Drake, backup! A pair of phase spiders are heading for you and Veti! 9 o'clock!"

His friends blinked in surprise. Jack hissed in frustration. He had no good way to communicate, save with his fingers. "There, Drake! A pair are heading toward us from that direction! Aroust! One's behind you, duck!"

He frowned at the struggling dwarf, realizing that despite his perk, he had only managed one good hit, even if he was able to batter them aside with his fearsome weapon when they dared phase in on him.

And knowing he was risking peril, he did the only thing he could think of, racing for the closest spider about to pounce on Aroust once more. "Stay there! Drake and the others are backing up! When I give the word... move!"

Aroust's eyes were wide with barely controlled fear turned to near berserker fury against a foe he couldn't even see. But he managed to jerk a tight nod nonetheless.

Heart in throat, Jack waited... waited as he sensed the other pair getting close to his friends...

"Drake! Back everyone up now!"

Waited as the closest phase spider pounced for Aroust's throat.

"Move!" Jack roared, not waiting to smack his friend aside as Blood Shield met maxillae, and Jack's fist as well.

"Ignis Sanguis!" Jack roared, pouring all the mana he could, boosting his tier 1 spell as liquid flame washed down the throat of the lethal spider even now shrieking and phasing away as it's smoking thorax stumbled back. But it didn't matter, Jack thought with a fierce smile, heart racing with terror and exhilaration as he raced to the pair of spiders skittering for his friends while the one he had struck continued to writhe and burn, phasing unable to stop the internal blaze as Jack held tight to his sense of the flame, his own hot blood burning it from within until it was nothing but a crumpled up mass of scorched shell and curled up limbs, visible once more as a smoking husk.

Contest of Wills with +4 bonus successful! You pierce arcane wards with Bloodflame! You have extended the duration of the blaze for half base cost per second.

You have slain Phase Spider.

Experience Earned!

Blood Flame has leveled up. Blood Flame is now Elite Rank 1!

And Jack wanted to howl with exultation as much as terror as he sensed his friend's imminent peril.

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"Drake! Shout! Shout now!"

Drake looked at him in confusion, just as the closest spider phased in and struck his friend from behind,

"Drake!"

Veti screamed as Aroust roared, darting about and plunging his glaive into the closest of the spider's eight eyes for the heartbeat it was vulnerable, the inhumanly fast warrior managing to score a crippling foe, the spider immediately phasing back out as Drake crumple to the ground.

"Jack!"

Jack caught Aroust's panicked gaze, just as the second spider pounced.

Jack's heart lurched in terror, before the creature was sent hurtling back, the shell of its sternum shattering as Drake's whisper carried the weight of an Avalanche.

"Brista!" Drake's voice somehow drowned out even Jack's furious howl as he crashed into the momentarily stunned monster and plunged his fist in it's shattered sternum, filling the squeeling horror with flame now even phasing could save it from, once Jack clamped his will upon his deadly flame, compelling it to burn on and on, until his foe was no more.

"Drake!" Only then did Jack snap out of his fury, sharing a panicked look with Aroust as Drake's eyes widened and he wheezed for air.

"Elof! Give Drake the healing bracelet, now!" Jack screamed as he raced to his friend's side, whispering the words to his one healing spell as trembling hands pulled out one of the crimson potions Lord de Leone had purchased on their behalf. And he could only hope the man truly had spared no expense, because even though his armor had spared Drake from having the back of his throat torn out by the jaw-like mandibles these horrors had evolved, it was clear that at least some poison had gotten through.

"Come on, Drake. Drink this!" Jack urged, senses alert to the third spider, even now trying to take him unawares.

You have successfully given your ally 1 Greater Healing potion.

And after desperate seconds, he was able to massage a few sips down his friend's swelling throat, gratified to hear a rattling wheeze when before their had been terrible silence, in the very heartbeat his doom struck.

But Jack was already flat on his back.

"Ignis Ventus Sanguis!" Jack roared, glaring at the monsters as he encased it in a roaring maelstrom of liquid flame that actually sent it catapulting through the air with the strength of his blast for the second he dared hold the spell, a shriveled smoking carapace all that remained that exploded into ash the moment it hit the ground.

You have successfully slain Phase Spider.

Windfire is now Apprentice Rank 3!

"What the hell are you doing, Jack?" An alarmed Aroust roared, now patting out a smoking pauldron as desperate eyes looked for further foes.

"Drake!" Jack cried, castigating himself for an idiot almost as loud as a singed Aroust did, so filled with fury that he had risked frying his friend with the reflected heat blast that he alone was now immune to.

But thankfully, all he saw was a laughing Drake, the first degree burns on his cheek healing seconds as he shook his head with wonder. "Third tier spell, right? By all the gods that's powerful!"

Jack couldn't help it, he laughed for relief and hugged friend. "Thank the gods you're alive!"

Drake smirked. "I feel quite the same." Intent, suddenly serious eyes locked with Jack's own. "Thank you, Jack. Again."

Jack flashed his friend a grateful smile, taking a quick slug from his one opened healing potion that thankfully came to his hand with a thought from his Soul Pouch, furrowing his brow as he caught sight of Barlton, fighting the remaining spider, amazed and alarmed to see the tank-like dwarf block strike after strike and pound only his foe's legs in the heartbeat they were vulnerable, so well did he time what Jack had once thought were slow blows, wondering why he didn't just finish the beast off.

Then hissing when he saw the blood leaking from a pair of wounds the dwarf had suffered.

Eyes widening as he suddenly understood.

"Come on guys. We have to move!"

Aroust frowned. "What are you talking about Jack? We have to pull back, now!"

"No!" Jack roared. "Barlton's on his last leg. He's keeping that final phase spider from dying... he's keeping whatever mist gate they have effectively wedged open with a boot in it! He needs us to come, now!"

Drake frowned, but didn't hesitate to follow when Jack grabbed his arm, Veti just behind.

"Why's he not saying anything then?"

Jack swallowed, guts twisting at the thought of yet another friend being in peril. "Because the poison's affecting his breathing. He can only hope his dwarvish constitution keeps him going at least a little longer."

He then glanced back at the pair who still weren't moving.

"Come on, Elof! Your mentor's dead if we don't hurry!" He said, choosing just the words to compel even the anxious youth forward as Aroust cursed and followed behind.

"We can't even see it, Jack!" Aroust snapped.

Jack nodded. "I know. So let me light it up for you!"

And with a roar and shout Jack did just that, blasting the horror with flames that burned even when it tried to phase out, Jack's mastery of Bloodflame now so great that even creatures out of phase would feel its heat, whether or not it revealed itself for the heartbeat in time Jack needed to trigger the spell. With no Willpower check needed.

Elite Bloodflame perk chosen! Deathpyre! A perk even Fire Adepts will fear! Your Bloodflame spell can now singe enemies normally out of phase, immaterial, or otherwise only partially present on your plane! All Fire immunities now only work at half strength against Deathpyre perk! You and that which you hold are the only things truly immune to your deadly flame.

Note. Bloodflame elements of your casting means Deathpyre spell will continue to burn indefinitely, so long as half original mana cost is expended maintaining this spell. Secondary fires triggered will continue to burn with the same intensity and perks as your original casting, so long as base mana cost is paid, after which fire becomes mundane flame and will grow or extinguish itself normally.

"That was a close one!" Wheezed a grateful Barlton after Jack whispered the words to his healing spell thrice, his friend's massive forearm sadly too big to make use of Jack's greater artifact.

"That was incredibly stupid, Barlton!" Aroust snapped as the dwarf took a small sip of the red potion that looked so tiny held so carefully by his thick fingers. And the dwarf flashed a sheepish smile. "I know, it truly was!" Then his gaze hardened as he stepped forward in the mist. "And we'd be doubly foolish to waste the opportunity we have been given. Come, lads, through the mist! Our fortunes await!"

With those words he stepped forward into the mist and everyone else followed, linked hand in hand, for all that Aroust was cursing softly under his breath, and Jack was anxiously looking all around him for the ambush he just knew was coming as they stepped through mist laden caverns that seemed to lengthen and twist in unnatural directions, but somehow never did.

"Heaven's grace, I think I'm going to be sick, Elof whispered as the forced themselves to take the sharp turn Barlton had to hold back from sprinting along, Jack nodding as he choked back the bile in his own throat, feeling as if he was roaring forward with the speed of a fighter jet even as their pace slowed down to a crawl with the steep incline that, in the blink of an eye, turned to a slick limestone shute they were now all hurtling down with desperate screams and Jack's eyes widened at the sight of a massive network of spiderwebs and egg sacks he saw overhead before finding himself flying through the air with a terrified shout as he tumbled end over end before crashing into the crystal clear waters of an underground lake, momentarily awed by the sparkle of brilliant crystal he saw in its depths before bursting from the surface, dizziness quickly abating as he took grateful lungfuls of air, grateful that the ordeal was finally over.

Or so he hoped.

Only then did he think to look for his friends, the relief of seeing a spluttering Veti and Aroust, treading water as easily as he was quickly turned to horror when they all caught sight of their remaining friends struggling to emerge, covered as they were in steel armor.

"Jack!" Aroust shouted. "We have to help them!"

"I know!" he said, instantly dispelling his own arcane armor that though incredibly light, was not helping his swimming. An eye blink later he was all but naked, finding that he could place even his gambeson and leggings in storage whether or not it was in his hands with a single act of will, but in too much panic to care. A second later he pulled out a rope, tossing one end to Aroust. "I know you're stronger than me! Can you swim to shore and pull them up? Veti, can you help him? I'll hand them the rope then help you!" He said, pointing to the shore backed by a rockface covered in silvery ore just a handful of strokes away, Jack having sensed no trace of movement or danger with infravision, thought he magic he was sensing in this place was nearly blinding.

And with a tug and quick nod from Aroust, already swimming for shore, Jack was already diving down in a desperate bid to rescue his friends.

His heart broke for the wide-eyed panicked dwarf, but he already knew the order of rescue, what it had to be, first wrapping a loop of rope around Drake's struggling form, grateful to see he still had it within him to at least claw a bit up the rope on his own before tying it off around an unconscious Elof.

And in a handful of second that felt like hours, Jack had swam back to shore, and in less than a minute he and Aroust had dragged a desperately wheezing Drake and then Elof backto shore.

Jack wasted no time, giving them each a healing potion even if it would only take minutes to recover. "We don't have minutes!" He screamed before anyone could think to protest. "We'll all have to work together to get Barlton out, and he weighs a fucking ton!"

Surprisingly, no one argued, nor sought to take his place when he grabbed the rope once more, diving down the good ten feet and gazing into the dwarf's still conscious, terrified eyes, looping the rope tightly about the massive figure before a jolt of mad whim overcame him. Because really, what did they have to lose?

He unfastened the helmet and put his temple against Barlton's own. "Give me full access to everything you own, I'll store it!" He screamed in his mind, knowing telepathy didn't work that way, couldn't work that way, so when he suddenly felt an odd shiver of ownership and willed his soul pouch to claim it all, and was suddenly faced with a very naked and impressively endowed dwarf, he gave the rope a double tug and was surprised by how quickly they all managed to get a desperately gasping and sobbing dwarf on shore, who immediately kissed the ground and swore he'd never, ever go swimming or take another bath, so long as he lived.

Veti winced, "Um, you really don't have to take it that far, Barlton."

And Jack pretended he didn't see her bite her lip with something besides disgust when they all got a close look, perhaps too close a look, at just how massive and muscular their friend truly was. Were it not for his thick matting of hair, he would have brought a dozen Conan's to shame. And far from looking grotesque, on his powerful frame, his musculature was nothing short of striking.

At least when he finally put the bare minimum of clothes on, Jack thought to himself, because he most definitely had not been staring at the man even now sobbing his gratitude and swearing life-long friendship to all of them with jealousy.

Most certainly not.

Drake looked Jack's way and winked. "Some people are just lucky, I guess."

"Shut up." Jack turned away from his teasing friend, now truly taking in their final stop, filled with a sense of awe at the sight of the magnificent crashing waterfall that, granted, had almost killed them, for all that they were left with the spectacle of a perpetual mist generated rainbow thanks to the water droplets and the glowing crystals embedding the ceiling, reflecting as well off the far cavern walls that shimmered with the brilliant inner fire of obsidian streaked with striated layers of either quartz or gemstones, and through it all were thick veins of a silvery substance that absolutely blazed with magic so bright Jack had to consciously will his Magesight to dim to see anything at all.

"And this lads, this is where our fortune will be made!" Barlton shouted triumphantly, holding up his pick and gazing at the entire magnificent chamber with pride and triumph flashing brightly in his gaze. He then bowed low to Jack. "And if it hadn't been for you, boy..." he swallowed, shaking his head. "If it hadn't been for all of you..."

"It's okay, Barlton, you don't have to say it," said none other than a sympathetic Veti, gently taking his massive hand into her own. "We're a team. We have each other's backs, and were there for each other through thick and thin."

Barlton flashed the diminutive arcanist a grateful smile. "Thank ye, Veti. Ya have a heart almost as sweet as yer smile."

Jack blinked at this but Veti's cheeks had flushed. She was positively beaming.

The dwarf then turned to Drake, Veti still holding his hand. Or at least a few of his fingers. "This, Yer Grace, is what all the fuss was about, what compelled me to embrace such darin' on our first ever adventure together, and I truly hope you can forgive me takin' those terrible risks. Because the fortune we all make here will assure nothin' but happy smiles for your friend Barlton when we sing our tale to the bards in the days and years to come!"

Jack grinned at those words, before taking in the shellshocked look on Drake's face.

Jack frowned, suddenly alarmed.

His friend was actually trembling and looked ready to faint.

"Drake!"

Had Jack not just brace his shoulders, he would have fallen to the ground.

"Drake, what happened?" Jack's heart lurched in sudden fear. "Is it the poison again? Did we not wipe it out? Are you breathing okay? How about you, Barlton?"

But Drake was just shaking his head. And Jack realized his look was not the shocked surprise of someone who's time was up, the but the look of awe one got when one's dreams had stepped free of imaginations unbroachable barrier. When one's wildest flights of fancy became real. "Jack, do you even now what this is?"

Jack frowned, slowly shaking his head. "Not really. I see a lot of very pretty crystals and silvery ore. Is it silver? Lots of silver glowing with magic."

His friend gave a sheepish smile. "You already know who my father is. Who I am." He swallowed. "What you might not realize is that it means a lot of responsibility is put on me. Even if I won't be the one who rules, I'll be a trusted member of my cousin's inner circle. Mostly because I don't play petty politics, and I'd never stab family in the back. Because who the hell would want the headache of managing a million restless citizens when there's spells to learn and money to be made?"

Jack smirked. "I get it. Power and privilege, and your soul is still that of a good-natured idealist who will do what's right for his duchy and family. What future king or queen wouldn't love to have you by their side?"

"Jack, what I'm saying is... I've visited our nation's most prized resource. The prize that keeps both Velheim and Erovering at bay, and has them both eager to claim our duchy as a vassal state."

Jack swallowed, feeling a cold chill race down his spine, equal parts awe and dread. "You're going to tell me it's that ore, right? It's more than just magical silver."

His friend flashed a bemused smile. "As Barlton can tell you, silver ore does not come out of the ground looking like that."

"Because it ain't silver at all, laddy!" said Barlton. "This here is mithril. An empire's worth of pristine mithril that's been saturating in myth and dream since time began, and is now ours to claim!"