Joe stepped around the fat trunk of the tree and hurled the obsidian shards, sweeping his arm in a high arc. Training with [Grit Razor], he had come to realize that the motion of his arm was only half of what was needed to target the spell. The other half was mental; he had to will the grit to spread and fly as he wanted it to. He pictured the shards fanning out into a twelve-foot-long crescent, a devastating arc that swept through the lower branches of the tree on his right. As the black glass-like fragments chewed through the foliage and the apes, he threw one hatchet after the other at the closest ape on another tree.
He wanted to make the apes question retreating into the trees again and so far the plan was working. The crescent of charged obsidian splinters killed one ape outright and severely wounded two more. One of his axes sunk into the chest of his target. The other one buried itself in the tree a few inches off its mark. He was still not as good at throwing with his left hand as he was with his right.
Your skill [Grit Razor] has increased to rank 7.
Your skill [Versatile Weapon Expertise] has increased to rank 27.
To add to the chaos, an arrow punched into the chest of another tree dweller. On impact, the missile exploded into a cocoon of binding thorns, enveloping the creature and causing it to fall and land in a spike-shrouded heap on the ground.
Two more mundane arrows speared the pair of apes wounded by [Grit Razor], finishing them off.
In the first second of the fight, four apes were out of the combat, and one more was severely wounded. As Joe was the only visible target, the horde of apes on the ground grabbed their heavy missiles and hurled a barrage in his direction. Joe was ready for the attack. He sundered two of those aimed at his head, one with each claw. [Sundering Strike] blew the nuts apart, but it still felt like he was punching rocks. He healed and used the glowing crimson [Fetching Fist] to deflect another of the projectiles out of the air.
A couple of nuts slammed into his body and legs but [Stun Block] and [Steadfast] allowed him to stay focused and standing. Joe healed again, gaining a [Healer’s Ward], and charged the throng of howling simians.
RC went to work from her hidden location in the greenery. She entangled two more of the badboons with her bramble arrows. As he lashed out with his claws, he noticed more and more of the apes sprouting arrows sticking out of their shaggy hides. One of the beasts crept along the treeline trying to find her, only to discover her trap instead. A swarm of metallic-looking and sounding hornets burst out of the ground and attacked the beast, completely distracting the ape from its search for the archer.
Joe rolled behind the cover of a tree again and called a stone from his bullet-bag. As his magic started breaking up the rock, he commanded his red fist to get his axes, one after the other. This trunk was thinner than the first one he had started from. Joe could feel it shuddering under the impacts of the ape-hurled attacks.
One of the giant hazelnuts clipped his shoulder, making his left hand go numb. He had been careful to shield his right spell-casting hand. The hatchet dropped from his fingers but he knew he could get it back in a second. He shook out his benumbed fingers while invoking [Purge] to banish the last of the tingling. By the time [Grit Razor] hit full charge, he had feeling back in his off-hand.
This second spell he launched at ground height. The wave of slashing stones ripped into the apes by the edge of the water. He followed the spell with both hatchets again. He hit with both of them this time, though he had to admit it was a much easier throw with the target being both closer and not over his head.
Any ape he wounded became an arrow magnet a second later. Which was a good thing. [Grit Razor] was outputting solid damage but his axes, even with enhancing oil, were only marginally harming the burly hurlers. If he had been on his own, he would have had to fight this battle with just claws and spells and skip the hatchets. Granted, he was using a basic set of common throwing axes. He would have to get better weapons as soon as he could afford them.
Regardless of the disappointment from his axe damage, he and RC were mowing through the troop of badboons. Half of them were already down and many more were wounded.
Just as he was sure they had this fight in the bag, the remaining apes surprised him. The last seven of the scampering brutes bum-rushed Joe in a mass of pummeling fists and snapping jaws.
‘Oh, shit!’ was all he had time for before they crashed into him.
Joe flared both [Steadfast] and [Morphic Form] to gain the strength and steadiness to stay on his feet. For the most part, it worked. The horde drove him down to one knee but he shoved back forcefully and was pushed no further.
He immediately began slapping the apes, loading them up with one of his older spells.
Your skill [Deaden Flesh] has increased to rank 9.
He could cast this spell at range, but the physical contact helped him target amidst the frenzy of nails and teeth. It also felt like he had a more solid connection with the spell. Not one of the apes resisted his witch-class spell.
Your skill [Deaden Flesh] has increased to rank 10.
The numbed faces and limbs threw his attackers into disarray. It was the activation of his [Lavalier of Talons] that completely broke the badboon scrum.
Item [Lavalier of Talons] (Neck - Epic): When activated, a storm of slashing spectral claws surrounds you. All creatures in close range from you take moderate damage based on your Spirit for 5 seconds. The effect can be dismissed at will. Cost: Major Mana
Considering Spirit was Joe’s highest stat, the effect of the talons was devastating. Moderate damage from an epic item was already better than his claws and with almost twice as much Spirit as he had Strength, the ghostly swarm of claws tore apart the apes that had been trying to drag him off his feet.
The downside was the gore. In seconds Joe was covered in blood and scraps of simian hair and hide. He wiped his eyes clean and used [Hunter’s Pursuit] to roll out of the pile of living and dead monsters. He considered backing off and charging another chunk of obsidian but instead decided to stay on the offensive. Using his claws and his force fist, as well as a few more doses of [Deaden Flesh], Joe hammered at the remaining few hairy bodies.
A nut hit him in the ribs from a badboon left in the trees, but a thunk and a gurgle a second later told Joe that RC had his back.
A few minutes later it was over. RC sniped the last few that were trying to escape while Joe shook off the lightheadedness that came from such a massive mana use in a very short span of time.
“Damnit!” Joe swore as he used the towel he’d bought to wipe his face and hair clean.
“What?” the elf inquired, still obscured by foliage.
“I should have bought mana potions.”
“Yes. Yes, you should have. I am not sure how efficient your mana usage is,” Earcellwen stated as she stepped out into the clearing, “but you were tossing around resources there like there was no tomorrow. I have to admit, it was both quite impressive and a bit insane.” She reached into her belt pouch and took out a vial of purple liquid. “Fortunately, I have one to spare. I don’t pour through mana like you do. I’ve had this one for ages and have never needed it.”
“Thanks. I’ll pay you back.” Joe slipped it into his Alchemy Belt. He would recharge naturally this time but she was right he should always keep one on hand for longer battles. “You were excellent. You never broke cover and you cleaned up any of the ones I couldn’t get to. That was great!”
“Agreed. I was dubious about your ability to draw the monsters but you were very good at it. I was worried I was going to watch them paste you across the clearing.” Earcellwen pulled an arrow out of a fallen ape and began to check it for damage as she spoke. “You are in light armor and those nuts hit like cannons. Now I see why my father praised the Battle Healers of the Voiceless Dunes.”
“I think my favorite part was that trap of yours. When that swarm landed on the ape looking for you it completely lost its mind.”
“Thank you. I have been trying to get my [Bronze Ground Nest] to advance to [Iron Ground Nest] for a while now. I think it is getting close. Maybe at the next ape site.” Looking around the clearing she added, “Considering how well we did with this one, I think we will be able to address whatever advantage the next one has.”
Joe stopped looting the apes and turned to look at her. “What do you mean advantage?”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“I have noted that these multiple-target quests tend to get more difficult as they progress. I think we will find the next set of apes to either have slightly higher numbers than this nest or some sort of greater terrain advantage or possibly an additional combat ability. I expect the one after that will be even more difficult. Thankfully, there are only two more ape squads to go.”
“But isn’t it just potluck? If we had come at these ape troupes in a different order then they would not be getting progressively harder,” Joe suggested as he looted another set of fangs and a pair of opals from the next slain badboon. Uncut stones and teeth seem to be the primary loot items from these fallen foes.
“You would think so but it never seems to work that way. I have found that no matter how I have approached multi-stage quests, they always seem to get more difficult as they advance,” the elf said with a shrug as she recovered another arrow.
“I’m calling One Above shenanigans,” he said. ‘That means you, buddy.’ he thought to Hawking. “Wait how do you know there are only two more?”
“Look at the quest, Joe,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which to a resident of Illuminaria, it was.
ENCROACHING APES (Uncommon)
Badboons have overrun the trail to Mount Serabuk. Clear the Badboon troops. Additional rewards are available for determining why the primates have moved from their territory onto the mining road.
Glenwood Pool Nest complete: 1 of 3
Reward (Glenwood Pool Nest): 400 gp & +20 Reputation with the Adventurers Guild
“Got it! I should have figured that one out.”
Joe finished looting the apes while RC salvaged arrows. He ended up splitting with her a large pile of the fangs, which she said were sold as spell components, a few hides, and a nice handful of uncut gems and semi-precious stones.
He also found the remnants of his staff. The badboons must have discovered it and vented their anger on the poor weapon. There was not a single piece of wood longer than three inches. Even the end caps were bent and flattened.
“Are you ready?” the elf asked, as she swapped out her quiver from a dimensional locket she wore around her neck. “We should start looking for the next nest.”
“I’m good to go,” Joe replied, feeling quite happy with how that went, even with the loss of his old staff. He was finally getting to be the explorer he had hoped to be. Additionally, Earcellwen was a good fighting partner for him. She dished out great damage while he was able to take the hits. He would be more than happy to quest with her again after this one was completed.
----------------------------------------
Between her hunting skills and Joe’s nose, they tracked the next band of badboons to a steep hillside crowned by a cluster of willow-like trees. The nuts on these trees were as large as those at the pool but they were oblong instead of teardrop-shaped; more pecan than hazelnut.
Joe saw that his companion had been right. These apes would have a serious terrain advantage. The long drapes of ribbony branches gave the apes a complete screen of cover. Conversely, the hillside possessed only a few scrubs and a coating of knee-high grass. He and RC would be totally exposed getting into range while their adversaries would be thoroughly shrouded within the dangling canopies.
“You didn’t knock on wood, did you back there?” Joe muttered glumly.
“What wood?” she asked, giving him an odd look.
“Huh, I would have thought that one would have translated. It’s a superstition, slash, expression where I come from. The belief is you can avoid summoning a problem you have spoken about by tapping on a piece of wood.”
“Does it work?” Earcellwen inquired with a very earnest expression. “Can’t think of all the times I have had a worry only to have that exact thing occur. My father always says ‘To speak of an ill is to invite it to dinner.’”
“Yeah. Happens to everyone, I think. The knock of wood is a superstition, so I have no idea if it really works,” he admitted. “But we are getting sidetracked here. This is going to be brutal. Do you have any cool skills you haven’t shown me yet?”
“I can summon a stag mount. Does that count?”
His first thought was just how cool that sounded but his second was how it might be just what they needed. “It might,” Joe stated, tugging on his ear, thinking. “How fast would it be on that hillside?”
“Very,” the ranger answered, staring at the knoll. “Though I would have a hard time shooting if it was running full-out across that terrain.”
“You would just need enough shots to get their attention while I crept into range. If I could reach a couple of those bushes,” Joe indicated, pointing at one of the larger patches of shrubbery, “I could try and defoliate their screen with a few [Grit Razors]. I think it would only take a couple of blasts. Better if I could do so from a few different spots. If we could see them, we could make a good fight out of this.”
“Your [Stealth] is pretty awful, Joe,” RC stated bluntly. “So I hope you would be willing to accept a boon from me.”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Joe pondered, surprised that this was even a consideration.
“I teamed up with a warlock a few weeks ago and he got pissy every time I offered to buff him,” she replied with a shrug. “You are not nearly as arrogant as Lexaroth was so I should have known you would not be as unreasonable.”
“First, I fully expect you to accept my heals and cures, right.”
Earcellwen smiled back at him. “Good point. What’s the second thing?”
“Anyone who names their kid Lexaroth is clearly trying to raise a douche-noggle.”
RC covered her mouth and giggled loudly. Joe usually did not laugh at his own jokes but her chortle was so infectious he could not help but join her.
“He really was. That was such a bad day. Bad quest.” She snickered once more before getting back to business. “Ok, great. Woodland concealments are my specialty. I have a spell [Cowl of Forest] that will give you a major boost to your ability to blend into vegetation. I like your stag plan. If they are focused on me, you will be able to move and throw your shards. Once you tear down their cover, we switch roles. I hide and snipe while you draw their attacks again.” She nodded her head looking speculatively at the stand of willows. “This could work.”
“Thanks. I think so too. I have an oil that can add a minor hiding boost,” Joe stated looking down at the pouch on his belt. “Should I use it?”
Earcellwen waved the suggestion away with a gesture. “It would be wasted. Save it.” She looked about and pointed at a thick stand of trees a few minutes walk away. “Follow me. That would be a good spot for me to summon the stag.”
Joe followed her. When she entered the tiny glade, she pointed at him and then at a spot by a tree. He stopped and waited there. She moved a few yards further before kneeling down in an open spot among the stand of huge rough-barked trees. The towering giants look very similar to oak trees but their leaves did not have that specific lobed shape.
RC closed her eyes and whispered something that Joe could not hear. A moment later he sensed something. There was a scent in the air that seemed to seep out of everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It smelled like cut-grass and horses. It reminded him of spring and summer. A green-white haze spread between two of the great trees and from it, a large pale stag stepped into view. Joe could not tell if it was gated through that haze or conjured by it. It was just suddenly there.
The creature was far bigger than any deer from Earth. Joe would have thought it was a male elk, but Earcellwen had said ‘stag’. Its coat was a pale green, almost white. The gaze it leveled at him was not the soft shy look of a deer either. The antlered beast assessed him with a proud surety that had no sense of the skittishness that Joe normally associated with these creatures.
The beast was possibly the most beautiful and regal animal Joe had ever seen.
“Wow,” he breathed, standing perfectly still.
“Come and meet him,” the ranger urged, gesturing for Joe to come closer. “His name is Naenaeon. Oof, um. It does not translate well into common. I guess the best would be ‘Fearless runner under the dappled sky’. Naenaeon has answered my call several times now. He is becoming a good friend.”
Joe reached out a hand and, when RC gave him a large nod, he placed his palm on the creature's neck. The fur was a little coarser than he expected but it was the animal’s warmth that really surprised him.
Naenaeon’s head and Joes were at the same height and they met eyes. “Hi,” was all he could think of. Normally when meeting a new dog, Joe would ramble warm-sounding nonsense but he felt like that would insult this dignified creature.
The stag dipped its head back at him and leaned against Joe’s hand, returning his greeting.
“I don’t know about this, Earcellwen,” Joe uttered, suddenly feeling unsure about their plan. “I would hate to see him get hurt.”
“Don’t worry. Naenaeon can take care of himself,” she replied and was interrupted by a snort from the stag. “Ok fine. We will take care of each other.”
“Wait? Can he understand us?”
“He understands ideas and intents more than he does actual words,” she answered, scratching her fingers through the glacial green coat. “The white stags are as much beings of spirit as they are flesh and forest. He likes you. That is a good sign.”
“Let me guess. He was not a fan of ol’ Lex,” Joe guessed.
“Oh lords no. I thought he was going to run the man over instead of the shellycoats we were fighting,” she replied with rolling eyes.
“Well, I hope he knows I think he is amazing. If you are sure, then let’s go tackle nest number two.”
Earcellwen wrapped her [Cowl of Forest] spell around Joe and vaulted onto Naenaeon’s back.
“Nest number two,” She agreed.