Ducking down between two tall stacks of wooden crates, Joe strained his ears to listen for sounds of those hunting him. He knew they had to be close. A creak sounded from the floor not too far off, and a hissing whisper issued from further away. He could see almost nothing in the gloomy space. It wasn't until a notification popped into view that he knew he had been spotted.
A hostile entity has detected you. You are not hidden.
There was no time between the warning and the attack. A white form slammed into him, cracking his head against the boxes and sending stars across his vision.
[Stun Block] has failed to resist a hostile condition. You are stunned.
“Hiya, rat! We’ve been looking for ya. The Duke wants a word with yeh,” an oddly slurred voice gloated from above him. Joe looked up into the eyes of the leporine bounty hunter. The white furry creature’s expression was smug and cruel. Without actively meaning to, Joe assessed the man pinning him.
Lemek Kirejon: Haragun: Bruiser/Vigilante 16
A long, heavy foot was pressing against Joe’s throat, stopping him from regaining his breath. Even though air would become an issue soon, the spinning from the stunning blow was more problematic. Joe needed to be able to think. He blinked his eyes and managed to get them into focus. He locked his vision onto the furthest pile of crates he could see in the dim lighting and activated his medallion.
“Son of a seacat,” Lemel barked. “The rat’s a blinker!” the haragun shouted to his teammates, as he spun to reorient on his target.
Joe was about to dive between two more crate stacks when he spun from a sickeningly painful blow to his shoulder. Looking down, he spotted an arrow lodged into his flesh. Worse yet, even in the dim light, he could see something had been applied to the barbed head. The location of the arrow was not life-threatening, clearly shot to incapacitate instead of kill, but whatever was on the bolt could take Joe out of the fight if it wasn't dealt with immediately. He yanked the shaft free. His head swam from the pain of the toothed arrowhead tearing out of his flesh, but thankful this time his skill activated.
Your skill [Stun Block] has increased to rank 5.
The woman already had another bolt loaded and was bringing the weapon back up to bear. Joe didn’t wait. He didn’t have a lot of offensive tools in his bag and possibly his best one he was not a fan of, but in this case, it was his life or his moral qualms. Qualms be damned.
He aimed his left hand at the woman and activated the [Band of Beguilement].
“That’s the guy you’re after! Not me!” he yelled, swinging his arm to point at Lemek.
You have overcome Myrin Tramora’s mental resistance. She is compelled.
As Joe watched the huntress retarget her aim to lock onto her hairy companion, he slapped a hand to his wounded shoulder and cast.
Your skill [Purge] has increased to rank 2.
Fluid spurted out of the wound, leaving Joe feeling a tad lightheaded. The gush of blood must have washed out the toxin because he immediately felt better afterward.
“Aw, bear balls. Myri don’t!” The rabbit-like bruiser rolled away. She tracked his path and fired, barely missing her target. Lemek was incredibly fast. In a second, the elf had reloaded and was moving after her white-furred prey.
[Healing Touch] refilled his health and closed the wound, even though his shoulder still hurt from the recent abuse. Joe used this moment to dash away from the pair of bountyhunters. He jogged through the stacks, trying to be light on his feet but clearly failing as his [Stealth] refused to activate.
As he rounded the corner of one pile of boxes, a burning red glow stepped out in front of him. Joe slid to stop out of reach of the man and was about to bolt in another direction when a thud sounded from in front of him. The man dropped the heavy curved blade and slapped a hand to his temple, swaying on his feet.
Albero Stanton Human: Fighter/Duelist 11
Joe could see an angry red flare with his woundsight over the man’s right eye. The bladesman shook his head and looked around only to have the weighted end of Ha’roo’s rope-dart strike his face again, this time to his cheek. Albero stumbled and dropped to one knee, still clutching his molten blade.
Not waiting for the galeling to strike again, Joe dashed forward and smashed the heavy end of the shipping gaff straight down on the crown of the hunter’s head. Joe’s strength might not have been much, but the momentum of the weighted staff and two previous blows proved enough to knock the swordman out cold.
“Well done,’ whispered Hah’roo as she appeared at his side. “Not so much for this finishing blow but for the other two. That was cleverly done. How long will your enchantment last?”
“No idea. I’ve only used it once before on a lion. It lasted a couple minutes that time.”
“Then we should move now while we have the advantage.”
“Ye don’t missy,” a voice slurred from above. A blur of white fell on them. A powerfully driven foot slammed into Joe’s gut, hurling him off his feet and sending him tumbling away. The polearm launched from his hands, disappearing into the gloom. At the same time, Hah’roo cried out as the rabbit’s weighted truncheon smashed into her forearm, resounding with a dreadful crack. Lemek followed his attack up with a series of powerful blows battering and slicing open wounds in the huntress. The haragun drove her back, striking repeatedly without mercy.
After a few seconds, Hah’roo recovered her balance and began using her inhuman grace to sidestep the hare’s furious assault. Unfortunately, with a broken arm and a weapon that could not be wielded one-handed, she had no means of fighting back. Joe scanned around for the gaff, but he could not see it. He drew the goblin knife, trying to think of what he could do. [Deaden Flesh] could level the battle, but it required him to get into close range. The pair of combatants were bounding around so much that Joe could barely track them, let alone close the distance between them and him. If both of them did not have stark white limbs, Joe would have lost them already. Instead, he stumbled after the pale white blurs, as he regained the wind Lemek had knocked out of him.
He was not sure what he could do with the little goblin blade, but he didn’t have anything else. The band was recharging. He would be just as likely to hit Hah’roo as the Lemek with the [Slow Stone]. The talisman took too long to lock onto a spot. The time it would take for him to focus, they’d be long gone. A combat useless ring and an alchemy belt were no help either.
Joe racked his brain until he remembered he had one more item, one he had completely forgotten about. He reached into his belt and pulled out the [Goblin Card]. He had no idea if it would help but another ally could only be a good thing. He focused his attention on the scrap of parchment and it began to tingle in his fingers. A second later, it dissolved, and a mishappen ugly green face peered up at him. The squat creature stared unblinking, clearly waiting for a command.
“Go get the rabbit. Help the blue-haired woman,” Joe ordered. The small thug snatched the blade out of Joe’s hand and, with a warbling cry, it dashed after the somersaulting white combatants. Joe grabbed a prybar that he saw on top of a nearby crate and hurried to catch up.
Joe was not sure how long the little guy would stick around for, and he began to worry as the two of them ran back and forth across the box-covered floor, always trailing far behind the dueling acrobats. Just as he worried they would never catch up, Hah’roo launched herself past them, diving between Joe and the goblin. Lemek followed, hot on her heels.
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In that brief instant, he was within reach.
The little green thug trilled a warcry and drove the blade into the passing hunter. The razor-sharp knife cut a long deep furrow from Lemek’s armpit to his hip. Joe also did not waste the opportunity. He swung the heavy bar as hard as he could, just managing to clip the hare’s ankle as it passed.
Lemek shouted in pain and curled himself into a controlled tumble. As he came up, favoring the leg Joe had not mashed, he was met with a roundhouse kick from the woman he had been chasing. The three of them pounced. Joe battered the man with his prybar while the goblin hacked away, and Ha’roo unleashed a flurry of kicks. At one point, Lemek almost broke free, until Joe clunked the metal bar down between the long floppy ears. The haragun’s eyes rolled up into his head, and he toppled to the floorboards.
Joe turned immediately to Hah’roo and placed his hands on her blood-soaked skin. He healed again and again, closing the kaleidoscope of wounds the pick had cut into her and easing the truncheon-bruised flesh. As he worked, he heard the goblin knife clatter to the wood and a gust of swampy-smelling air washed over them. Turning around, Joe saw the goblin had vanished, having completed the task Joe had set for it.
“It’s not over yet,” Hah’roo breathed. “The worst of them is still to come.”
“Well, you should take a minute. I’ve healed you back to full health but you are still going to be sore for a while. My healing does not completely alleviate the pain of the wounds healed. The bone is knitted for your arm, but it is going to hurt.”
“I’m aware. We can take a minute, but we should be on our way momentarily. I will knot us a few charms while the soreness abates.” Reaching into a side pouch, the galeling drew out a round bundle of string. Stretching her arms wide, she pulled a long line off the ball and snipped it free with a tiny blade she had dangling from a leather thong hanging around her neck. Her fingers began flashing through loops and knots, turning the single cord into a woven maze.
When she was done, she had two wrist charms both very different from the mana renewal bands she had woven for Joe previously.
“We’ll need to capitalize on what we do best. I cannot afford to be stunned as the bunny did to me, putting me on the defensive. This will increase my physical resistance, specifically against debilitating conditions.” She reached out and began to knot the other band she had made around Joe’s wrist, right below the fucshia bangle. “I noticed you having issues with getting into range for your spells. It’s unlikely you will be able to touch me during this battle. This charm will extend your ranges by one increment, making touch and immediate spells extend to close range, close to medium, and so forth. That should give you the distance you’ll need.” As she finished the last knot, she tapped the [Band of Begilement]. “How long before your domination ability is recharged?”
“Not anytime soon,” Joe sighed regretfully. He still thought mind control was a bit sleazy, but when someone wanted to deliver him to an entitled noble to be tortured, he’d rather have it than the alternative.
“Unfortunate. We’ll have to make due as best …” her voice trailed off as she cocked her head and listen to the wind’s whispers. “He’s here.”
A minute later, the door to the office opened, and a man stepped through. He was broad-shouldered, wearing a long leather coat and the wide-brimmed hat that the bounty hunters seemed to prefer. He snapped his fingers and balls of light appeared around the area, brightly lighting it. Clearly able to see, Joe observed the man had deep red hair, braided like a dwarf, as well as a very dwarven beard, but he was far too tall to belong to the mountain race. He had feathers woven into his braids, and around his neck was a leather cord festooned with various long fangs and claws.
Trysten Valeza Human: Hunter/Bloodhound 24
Twenty-four!? Joe’s stomach sank. He quickly looked at the woman beside him and assessed her as well
Hah’roo Galeling: Ranger/Dancer 22
Well, that was something. She was only a few levels below the manhunter. The man stalked confidently forward, casually stepping over the unconscious form of the elven markswoman.
“This’ll be interesting,” the man drawled with something similar to an American southern accent. He extended his hand downward, and a weapon flowed out of a ring from the palm side, filling his grip. It was a long-handled hammer with an armor spike on the backside. His left hand unhooked a heavy-looking chain from his belt. When he let the majority of black metal links fall, holding just the end, the metal seemed to ripple and sway, lashing around like a lizard’s tail instead of plain iron. Hah’roo rope dart was at least three times longer, but the chain would give the man a long and painful-looking reach.
“Care ta walk away, missy? I just want him. I got no bounty on you,” Trysten’s twangy voice smirked.
“Please. You are the last in a long line of fools to seek us out. Turn around now and I’ll let you go.”
The man’s smile grew wide and he nodded his head. He barked a word and a barrage of green-black spikes materialized in the air, rocketing towards Hah’roo. She slid sideways, avoid most the spines but a couple of them clipped her. Joe wasted no time and cast [Healing Touch] from where he was, removing the damage. He looked again and saw she had a skull and crossbones condition marker, poison. He purged the toxin, making sure to keep an eye on their attacker.
It was a good thing he did so. As he was casting, the chain launched itself at him. Joe managed to slap the heavy links with the crowbar before they connected.
Your skill [Parry] has increased to rank 13.
While he managed to break the attack from connecting, the prybar tangled in the links and was ripped out of his hands. Trysten’s smile widened once again.
“Yer pretty bad at this, boy. Why not save yer lady a thrashing and surrender?”
“I could, but I’d rather shut you up.”
“And just how do ya see that happenin’?” the man chuckled, amused by Joe’s seemingly idle threat.
“Like this,” Joe pointed at the man’s mouth and shouted, “Deaden Flesh!”
You have afflicted Trysten Valeza with the Numb condition
Your skill [Deaden Flesh] has increased to rank 8.
The witch spell smacked into the bloodhunter’s mouth, both preventing him from any further verbal casting as well as distracting the hell out of the man. Hah’roo took the opportunity to yank the man’s feet out from under him, dropping him onto his back.
Not sure if he would get another chance to surprise the man again, Joe decided to unload on him. He targeted the man’s hammer hand and cast the numbing spell again. This time it was resisted, but he didn’t stop. On the third try, he got it. As Hah’roo kept pulling his arms and legs, refusing to let him regain his feet, Joe moved to the other arm. That one took three tries as well. One leg he got on the first casting but the other one just wouldn’t land.
By that point, Joe was scrapping the end of his mana. Thankfully being three-quarters numbed pretty much took the fight out of Trysten. Hah’roo didn’t need long before the red-bearded man joined the other hunters in slumberland.
Hah’roo quickly searched all the downed adversaries, recovering a bloody linen cloth from Myrin and Trysten. While she was doing so, Joe sat on the floor holding his splitting head. Power-casting down to single-digit mana left him feeling like someone was hammering nails into his skull.
The pair fled the warehouse, loping as quickly as they could through the city streets. Joe downed a mana potion the rope-dancer handed him, which helped considerably. By the time they started to tire from their flight, Joe felt steady enough to cast [Efferous Endurance] on each of them.
Finally, the sounds of revelry trickled through the night air, calling them into the security of crowds. They passed the first taverns, still brimming with over-indulgent merrymakers. It wasn't long before Hah’roo stopped in front of a large white-washed inn bearing a flashy signboard of a dolphin tucked into a cozy-looking bed.
“This’ll do. It’s not the first or last inn we could have chosen and it’s more well-to-do than they might expect from a vagrant such as yourself. It’ll cost us more than I care to spend, but better we be safe and get the rest needed, than worry the night away somewhere more affordable.”
“I think we can afford it. I still have the coin pouch Jink …” Joe felt around for the heavy purse but instead only found a smaller bag he had never seen before, which held a few pretty colored shells. Sometime during their parting, Jink must have made the swap, and Joe had been none the wiser. “Nevermind. I still have some of the coins left from what the Tide Dancer folks gave me. I have no problem spending it if it lets us get this day over with. I’m done in.”
“Then let us get you to bed. I think tomorrow shall be no less grueling.”
“Great,” Joe moaned. He really was kind of looking forward to some real weapon training, but at this point, he just did not have it in him to be enthusiastic about it. Morning would come soon enough.