“Steal!” Ivan growled as he passed behind the latest Owl-kin Watchman, and staggered, going into a roll to better recover his footing than to simply stumble along until he could manage them again.
As part of the ability he reflexively clung to anything he grabbed, but hadn't expected the full heavy breastplate to appear in his hands. It didn't steal away the similar item off the creature they were fighting, but it was still loot they otherwise wouldn’t get!
He quickly stowed the huge item away in the Shroud, grimacing at the mana cost of doing so with such a large and heavy item. Azalea lifted her head, raised both hands, and just managed to catch the thing as it fell into the space. She grunted and set it on her lap. All around her were little things Ivan had yet to think about ordering, but the Pathfinder was a creature of order, and had diligently set herself to sorting his various looted items out.
“Isaac!” Myrn growled, dashing around the fight with her bow raised, Longbow Pods firing to cover her.
For a moment Ivan thought she was aiming for him, but she fired over his head and the small hidden owl in the hedges Ivan had startled into almost taking flight and sounding the alarm died. The arrow stole it from sight, but Ivan had no time to look back.
The Watchman strode forward, its long curved bronze scimitar raised as it went after Myrn sensing that she was out of position. Ivan's first instinct was to Shadow Step as his Window of Opportunity Skill told him the creature was paying him very little attention, but that would still leave Myrn exposed.
Instead Ivan charged, using Adaptive Fighting to remove the mounted requirement from Horse Charge. Ivan slammed into the creature sidelong with Lance Strike, the ability gaining its natural bonus when used together with Horse Charge, but both abilities lacked the subtlety of his thief and rogue abilities and alerted the creature.
Aware of him it parried Lance Strike with considerable skill, and strength. Ivan's hands strung from the meeting of enchanted steel to enchanted heavy bronze blade, but he didn't back off. Myrn was still out of position for the moment, but had used the breath of space to summon up more Longbow Pods to cover her next move.
She dodged back, and struck out with her bow like a stave to keep one of the leashed mouse men at bay before its chained collar pulled upon its allies. That gave Marvin some luck in facing them down, but despite Ivan's battlefield awareness that was all he caught before it was time to focus on the Watchman.
Their blades met again, it's great curved heavy saber of a weapon crashing down on Ivan's own Knight's Longsword more like a great bludgeon than a one handed blade. For its size the Bronze Scimitar was certainly fitting to the creature who bore it, but to Ivan it could only be a short and heavy two handed weapon. Parrying it would not remain an option for long if Ivan intended to keep his fingers from going numb or his fingers breaking.
The Watchman struck out, holding the chains of its imprisoned slave warriors in one hand, while striking out with the other. Its great wing arms produced great shadows in the fog and made it difficult to read its attacks, but Ivan was ready.
Sparks flew as Ivan used Heavy Counter, a long cool down Fighter Skill, via Quixla's dagger in his offhand. He managed a successful deflection, but only bought himself time to strike out once with his Knight's Longsword in his main hand. The thrust landed in the creature's leg making it howl, but it came on seeming only to be more enraged than pained.
Ivan was pressed then as it used strange dancing martial skills against him. Ivan's hands stung with each parry and deflection alike, but he had yet to take any real blows. Myrn was firing again, but he had no time to watch anything but the blows of his single opponent as they came down upon him. Even being a standard mob the Watchman had skills and abilities just like Ivan himself, and though a hollow ghost of what it had once been the creature was still a deadly combatant.
“Keep it together Ivan! We're coming!” Andy called, but Ivan could only heed his words and trust their promise.
Ivan was forced into his Warrior Stances to keep up with the onslaught of his enemy. The set of stances provided martial skill-like abilities that traded potency for quantity. It was an efficient way of fighting, but using them alone would only slowly manage to down a combatant of this level. Certainly killing this creature the way he had the first would always be the best way with Quixla's dagger through the heart, but still his heart was singing joyously at a chance to test his skills in direct combat once again.
Rushing River Stance was the best option for this type of fighting. Fluid and graceful Ivan always felt this stance to have potential beyond what his teachers had first taught him. Through it he could channel the grace of the Thief Job's Nimble Feet skill, and his other sources of dexterity to turn his attackers blade away and occasionally give himself an opening. He even found himself striking back at the creature as it came on, too occupied by holding its slave creatures chains to attack him full on. It suffered for that, taking wounds from his main hand blade only, but the many shallow wounds took their toll eventually.
Ivan danced into openings and rushed back at its crushing advance before closing again with Quixla's dagger threatening to deal real damage each time he managed to get close. But in a forward fight like this the tall creature was raising and stomping its great taloned feet at Ivan always threatening his legs. Each toe ending in a dagger like claw that practically a match for the dagger in his hand.
Eventually the creature abandoned the chain coming for Ivan at full force, both avian hands put to the weapons grip above its head with Ivan nearly cornered against the end of the hedge maze. Yet the blow never fell. Myrn's arrow and several darts slammed into the creature at once, and then Marvin appeared to sever the creatures arm at the elbow with Andy close behind; the militia Skill, Shield Charge being enough with the big man's Strength attribute to knock the stunned creature flat upon its back in a spray of feathers.
Marvin then once more let his great blade fall upon the watchman, its death rattle silencing the last sounds of battle, but their own heavy breathing. Ivan finally had time to see that he had very nearly been pushed into an open courtyard. He backed away and into Myrn as she too sought to bring him back from the edge. The group retreated, eyes turned high above and ears open listening for the flapping of wings.
Ivan let his weapons fall into the Shroud and out of his shaking hands. His heart was beating like a drum, he was terrified, and terrifyingly excited. He had never felt that sort of rush before, and never fought a creature so much larger and stronger than him one on one, and blade to blade like that.
“You okay Isaac?” Marvin asked between heavy breaths, his voice subdued.
“Fine. I think..” Ivan answered honestly.
“You seem pretty shaky. Maybe that should be it for today.” Mryn answered. “We have a clear way back, or should, but we'll have to keep our eyes out.”
Andy seemed to be nodding.
“Last time I came in here it was with a group of eight. It's tough with so few, but we're doing great. Let's not push our chances too far.” The big fighter agreed.
Marvin nodded.
“A bed for wounds sounds better than my bedroll besides.” Marvin put in, his left hand gauntlet held in his right hand as his left checked the bandaging on the inside of his armor near his ribs. He had taken a Lizard-man spear there, but was able to fight on with the tenacity given him by having earned the Adept Rank Mercenary Job, one Class Rank above Fighter.
“There's a chest right over there.” Ivan found himself saying, a hungry grin fixed on his face.
And indeed across the thirty meter wide courtyard there was a chest. A stone thing before a shrine of some kind that was already tempted with gold coins spread before it beside steaming baskets of freshly made food and other useful mundane offerings. How could any of them guess at what else might be inside?
“And thirty meters of nothing and no cover with the flying boss still up.” Davian added.
Ivan rolled his eyes, but nodded.
“What do you think Myrn? What if I tried to sneak around the edge?” Ivan asked, still feeling terrified, but too excited at what might be inside to keep his mouth shut.
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He was sort of amazed with himself again. For all he felt it he didn't sound the least bit terrified to his own ears. He just sounded excited!
Mryn shook her head, but smiled at him.
“The Boss is still up. If he passes where he can see you he will.”
Ivan nodded and finally managed some grip over himself.
“We go back then?” Ivan asked.
“We go back.” Myrn affirmed.
They started moving to get on their way. Ivan summoned up his Scroll where he had noted their path with a blue line. Myrn looked over the red scroll with its blackened edges, and smiled sadly at Ivan her comment hidden behind her eyes, but it was obvious enough to him. And yet she still smiled at him and as they took to their formation her eyes softened on him for a few moments before they turned sharp and vigilant once again. Ivan felt he should speak with her, but now wasn't likely to be a good time.
They were more or less sneaking back the way they had come after all. Myrn had her bow at the ready, arrow knocked, but not drawn as Marvin and Andy took direction from Ivan. Each even attempted using their own mana to move the scroll with them, but only so much as to not drain themselves. After a little while Davian took up giving directions and used his sufficient mana pool to orient the conjuration properly. That allowed Ivan to sink into the shadows inside the Shroud and either move ahead around corners unseen to scout the way ahead, or to linger behind as an unseen vanguard.
The group moved through the fog, thick and up to their waists like they were wading in a stream. The fog left a strangely vacant taste on the tongue but clung only to enchanted metals. It was a strange substance Ivan meant to gather samples of when he had the time later. Right now things were a little too dangerous.
The group seemed relaxed ahead, but knew enough not to talk. Yet even then Ivan could barely hear their footsteps when he hung back. Further ahead he could most clearly see his scroll and Davian's outline with it. If he spotted anything moving over the hedge it would take only the briefest movement of his hand to dismiss the scroll and send the team into hiding. That too was part of their plan.
Ivan moved steadily in the fog far enough back to where he thought it would cover his whispers from Davian's and Myrn's sharp senses.
“What do we have?” Ivan asked.
Azalea sat up in the center of the shadowy garden, surveying what Ivan had stolen from the Dungeon Monsters.
“You have a bronze enchanted breastplate of some kind, several similar bronze Owl Masks that contain some manner of enchantment, a few bronze daggers enchanted only enough to compare with iron weapons or so I would think. They are certainly nothing compared to the Dagger Lady Quixla lends to you master. To be honest I think none of this gear would match you or your colleagues very well. It seems plain and very out of date. Perhaps it is all better off being sold to the smiths and resident mages of Dentennek for coin.”
“It's to be expected from trash mobs. You've done what you can Ivan and stolen a good deal. You've been growing more proficient with Shadow Magic too. Close as Shadow Magic is to Dark that's not surprising, but we'll need a source of true Dark Magic soon.” Penelope added.
“He has that. His Mana Drain Hex is a Dark Magic effect though it takes very little active mana to use.” Azalea retorted.
Penelope tsk'ed and shook her head.
“I mean something more like a Doom or Hex Bolt. Hex upon wounding is a great effect, but it's a passive mana use not an active one. I doubt he even feels the mana drain even at this point with such a small pool.”
“There can't be just bolts for everything.” Ivan whispered, smiling in spite of himself. His two unseen companions were happy at the moment, likely reflecting his own mood, but nonetheless it was nice.
“And why not?” Penelope asked, looking up at the dark unseen sky inside the Shroud. “I have a Shadow Bolt Skill and a Chaos Bolt Skill. They are both incredibly useful and powerful!” Penelope said, with a small stomp of her hoof.
“I hope to manage a Holy and Unholy Bolt, but surely I will at least get some kind of Fire Bolt spell through my Pathfinder Job Master. Perhaps something more melee aligned would be to your taste. In the same vein there are potent touch spells for almost every effect you can think of. A Hex Touch Skill would be deadly dangerous as touch is the easiest means of afflicting a target with any magic. Imagine lacing an enemy with a dozen hexes with just the touch of your hand.” Azalea proposed, gesturing in a spell like manner before fluidly clenching it into a fist.
“I like that thinking little lamb. You may be a pathfinder, but you're a vicious little creature aren't you?” Penelope asked with a laugh.
“With respect Lady Penelope it is my destiny to one day contest with deadly spirits and demons such as yourself. I will do my best to learn from you as I serve Ivan, my Master, but I will not forget my original purpose of my creation as I train and grow stronger. Whatever I can learn or use to accomplish my tasks for him, or on my own I will learn and use.” Azalea answered, sounding resolved and confident.
Penelope raised her eyebrows at the seated Pathfinder and paused for a long moment.
“That was a rather vague threat wasn't it?” Penelope asked after a moment, smiling down at her with her usual semi-aroused malice showing as her eyes narrowed on Azalea.
“Of course not Lady Penelope. You, like me, are sworn to Master's service.” She answered perhaps a little too primly and with a bit of mirth on the edge of her voice.
“For the time being.” Penelope said, raising one finger.
Azalea paused and looked over at Penelope, the act just a movement of her ragged oversized blue-gray hood. Ivan wouldn't have been able to see her smile, but it was clear by her broadcast amusement and by his almost omniscient sight within the Shroud that she was smiling.
Penelope clapped her hands and chuckled to herself.
“You are really demons after all aren't you?” Penelope asked with a smile.
Azalea said nothing as she arranged Ivan's loot neatly. She even folded the ragged cowls attached to the masks he had looted and set them in neat little rows like she was placing them in a drawer.
“Can't I just buy a book for you to read and use the spells?” Ivan asked, again in the softest whisper he could manage.
“I suppose. At least if you wanted me to learn fire magic as it is known to your world. It could prove useful to be a fully fledged Pyromancer in that way.” Azalea mused.
“Otherwise teaching is limited by immense amounts of time and effort. You're better off than most given your Scholar Job Ivan. It allows you true freedom and potential mastery of many spell schools regardless of your sparks. There’s costs to doing magic without the proper affinities, but it's the fact that you can do that magic at all is what I'm talking about.” Penelope explained.
“Like you.” Ivan shot back.
Penelope actually blushed at that.
“Yes, Master, like my own Scholar abilities. Yes. But that's only to your benefit. Already you have seen how I can conjure things in your memory for our Little Lamb to read, but it's still just that. Reading. It will serve well to push her toward getting the job as well. Yet without the Scholar or Librarian Job to quickly catalog and bind the contents of books to one's mind it's fairly difficult to memorize spell after spell. With practice one might learn the formation of a spell through ritual work, spell weaving, or any other odd number of mundane ways, but they will need to use it time and time again before earning that spell as a ready to use combat skill.”
“How is that any different from what I can do as a Scholar?” Ivan asked.
“Think about it Ivan. You can magically conjure a surface and just focus on the design of a spell to display upon your scroll. With an appropriately clear and concise mental image you can have it done and ready to use in seconds just as it appears in your mind. Now imagine trying to draw out that same complex pattern time after time, perfectly in time, or in great need during combat no less. Even with light projection magic to replicate the effect of your scroll their body movements must accurately describe the runes perfectly for the magic to work.”
“I thought speeding through that repetitive process was the point of the Student Job.”
“It is as it exists in your world Ivan. It's meant to skip the lengthy fundamental instruction that took up most of your childhood to focus on specific knowledge. Istania was blessed with patience enough to make sure that started by the time you were able to walk and up until you were practically an adult. For many their lives as students last only a handful of years alongside other instruction leading to their adulthood jobs. Most common in your world is apprenticeships as you well know. If it wasn't for the Student Job's Rapid Advancement Skill earned at level five few would bother with going past gaining the fundamental skills of Reading and Writing.” Penelope said, breaking into a lecturing tone.
Ivan nodded, eyes scanning the fog around him and the tops of the hedges.
“Student gets better as it advances don't be mistaken Ivan, but in your world it's heavily underused and underestimated. Just like Scholar and Librarian are in almost every other world I've been to.” Penelope explained.
Ivan nodded, but drew his weapons. At the smallest sign of a shape moving in the foggy dark above the hedge he closed his hand and gave an effort of will focused on dismissing his scroll. The Conjured Scroll vanished in a blink of an eye and his team dove toward the hedges after a startled silent moment.
Ivan crouched low into the fog with his eyes still up on the top of the hedge. He started moving ahead slowly when he saw a dark shape take up its wings and sail into the air from the row just beside their own. The world itself seemed to go still but for the flapping of the creatures great wings until it passed. After that a sound like a groan of relief made it through the fog before voices called out to Ivan dulled to murmurs in the dense fog.
“Isaac!” Came the urgent whispers.
He went following the call of his false name, long used to it now.
“So I should find a spell, either in a book, or by using the Infinite Library that I want to use in combat?” Ivan asked, likely his last chance to speak to his internal companions for some time.
“Yes, and you should find some time to practice it. The next time within the Dungeon here would be good since those things seem weak to Shadow Magic to my eye. Odds are Dark will do just as well. Find a spell you like and that your friends will accept and prep it before every fight. Use it, and then get down into the melee again however you like.” Penelope answered.
Ivan hurried along to his friend's side.
“Gram's Stinking Breath the damn boss was in the alley next to us!” Davian whispered in a half panic.
Myrn shushed him and pushed the others forward.
“He's in his search phase. I told you about that. Quickly now. We have to move!” Myrn urged.
Marvin and Andy said little, but each had their helm visors up long enough to grin back at Ivan who matched their expressions with one of his own.
“You've been tucking away stuff this whole time haven't you? That bronze shit sells great!” Andy whispered.
Myrn shushed him this time as they got up and started a slow jog. Ivan summoned his scroll and called up the map.
“I've got a few neat little piles in the cloak.” Ivan said with a smile.
The two fighters ahead bumped arms and elbows as they ran, soft words of excitement passing between them that weren't loud enough to convey their meaning through the fog. The group took a few turns with Myrn keeping her eyes up on the hedges alongside Ivan, but eventually the exit came into sight and slowly step by step the group broke into a full sprint seeking escape presented so close at hand.
Smiling, and with quiet laughter passing between them as they rose out of the mist they passed through the Dungeon gates like thieves in the night.