Vondaire held a glass of wine, swirling the burgundy liquid slowly as he leaned against a wall in an alley. Was it too similar to his days as a Unity Force operative?

Perhaps.

From what other angle was he going to see such a perfect view of the destruction?

Someone had been careless, or something more than careless. Incompetent?

Half the tenement block still smoldered on the northern side of Minolitana Prima. What looked to some like a horribly unfortunate event was clearly set up to hide the evidence of a fight.

The berserker aura still hung in the air, even if it was so faint as to not be noticeable to most. Berserkers weren’t made for stealth in even the slightest sense. Their abilities left evidence, whether it be blood or otherwise.

A little invisibility would allow him to sneak right inside the remains and investigate for himself, but if one of Magna Regum’s elites are nearby, it would only be bothersome. It was better to let them investigate the murders in their city.

What interested Vondaire was the golden chainmail armor still sitting in the ruined building, nearly untouched by the flames. Only one group was pompous enough to wear such bright, shining beacons, asking to be stabbed.

Someone had assassinated a Golden Bull, or two. There was no evidence that the second charred skeleton was from a Bull, but there was nothing to suggest it wasn’t. The fire had been too intentional for the second corpse to be from the berserker. Whoever had activated a Rift Aura certainly didn’t die. That was too powerful of an ability in close quarters.

Vondaire took a sip of his wine as he strode into the street.

“Civilians aren’t allowed,” a Magna Regum hero said.

The shard hummed as it lifted from Vondaire’s shoulder.

“Shard Hero, I apologize.” The hero bowed his head.

“Who caused this fire?”

“We are trying to find out, sir. There was a man dead in an alley on the other side of the city. With all these tourists trying to see that goblin, I don’t know if we’ll find the culprit. Are you assisting us?”

“No.” Vondaire took a long drink, finishing off the glass. He handed it to the hero. “I wouldn’t bother. You’re right. You won’t find the one responsible.”

Vondaire vanished in a puff of smoke. The teleport only brought him to the end of the street, but combined with invisibility, it truly did look like he completely vanished. The hero looked around, then ran to another Magna Regum hero, already gossiping about Vondaire.

While in the Unity Force, there had been rumors of hero company spies. Legends is perhaps the better word. Nobody was ever able to verify, as any military sent into the field with the purpose of spying seemed to die.

Did that stop the militaries?

No. They just found new heroes.

If it was true, which all evidence points to the spies existing, why send them when the tourists are already swarming the city looking for Owin? What is there to gain? Are they spies or are they assassins? Do they want to report his movements or do they want to know how powerful he’s grown?

Too many variables.

While in the Unity Force, he only worked as a portal guard or in Taralim’s squad, which was primarily for arresting dangerous individuals, or killing them if they resisted. Taralim loved when they resisted.

Legends of the hero company spies that somehow continually beat the militaries were only ever fringe stories. Taralim would never bother with rumors.

Vondaire still had plenty of time. How long would it take to find these legendary spies?

***

Nothing Owin had seen was quite the size of Katalin’s pipebomb explosion outside Ligala Lepis. Even still, Shade’s grenades had launched Owin through the doorway, back against the brick wall by the herengo corpses.

Hitting his back and head on the wall took a small chunk of health away, enough that he reached for a potion as soon as the water calmed. It cleared his headache before it could even fully start.

Myrsvai was on the ground nearby, covered in burns. His face was scrunched as he sat upright, wincing with each little movement. “That damn skeleton.”

“Are you okay?”

Myrsvai tried to reach over his back into his backpack, but his one arm was mostly helping him stay upright.

“Here.” Owin grabbed a health potion and carried it over.

Myrsvai took the red potion and drank it immediately. “Do you see my staff?”

“Uh.” Owin looked around the small room. Unless it somehow ended up around the curve, it wasn’t nearby. That meant it was still in the fountain room. Owin adjusted his bag and turned to the door, but before he could step, a purple spell smashed into his chest. Owin felt himself flip as four more arcane spells struck him ,one after the other.

Mrysvai rolled out of the doorway and used the wall to help him stand. “I can’t cast spells without that staff.”

“I know,” Owin said through clenched teeth. Even with the armor, each spell felt like a hammer blow. Bruises were already forming, making each movement ache.

A cetanthro wizard was two rooms away. Too far to Examine, but not too far for its spells. Violet energy swirled around its staff.

Owin pressed himself against the wall on the opposite side of the door from Myrsvai.

“Your armor is cracked.”

Owin looked down. His breastplate looked like it was seconds from shattering. “That’s not good.”

“How are we going to do this? You’re fast, but not fast enough to avoid arcane spells.” Myrsvai tried to peek around the doorway but another spell flew through the opening.

“Did you see your staff?”

“I didn’t see anything. This boss and the ones beyond are going to be a real challenge now. We had it easy on the first floors. Sprinting in will only get you hurt, if not killed.”

“I can send Shade in as bait again.”

“Arcane Barrage will seek a new target when Shade vanishes. Your bait wouldn’t last long enough to get close.”

He always had the option of his own spells and his wands, but a real wizard could use the spells faster and with more power than Owin ever could. Even if he shot his own Arcane Blast at the wizard, it would have enough time to hide behind the wall or block the attack.

“I don’t have any other ideas. None of my spells are going to hit and I don’t want to waste my wands.”

Myrsvai furrowed his brow. “What if . . . What if you send Shade inside, attack with your wand, and run? Shade will give you an opening to attack, and your attack should keep Shade alive long enough for you to get to the other side of the room. I’ll search for my staff, which might make me bait as well. If I find it, I’ll summon Suta immediately to assist with the boss.”

Owin pulled the journeyman wand from his belt. He checked to make sure it was the one with Arcane Blast. “This doesn’t seem like a great plan.”

“You said you had no ideas.”

“I still don’t. That doesn’t make this a good plan.”

Summon the Withered Shade

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Shade poofed into existence and immediately flattened himself against the wall beside Owin. “I made a mistake, didn’t I?”

Owin nodded without looking at the skeleton.

“Well, how can I apologize?”

“You’re going to sprint at the boss. Go to the left side of the room as you run in. I’ll try to stop him from killing you.” Owin held up the wand. “Ready?”

“You had decided that Shade would be a fitting name when it should really be Bait.” Shade adjusted the scarf around his neck. “Fine. I guess I can be ready. I just run? What if I reach the boss?”

“Punch it.”

Shade made fists. “Understood, Commander! Off with his head and all that!” He sprinted around Owin and went straight through the doorway without hesitation. At times like this, immortality seemed nice, though Owin still didn’t really understand the skeleton.

As soon as Shade was through the doorway, Owin turned the corner and launched an Arcane Blast over the fountain at the opposite door. A barrage already flew from the boss, zipping through the water toward Shade.

Myrsvai also fully committed, nearly tripping over Owin as they both stepped through the door.

There was no time to protest or wait. Owin leapt over the small table that had held the cetanthro’s tea and landed near the far right wall.

The first part of the barrage hit Shade, fully destroying the skeleton in a single hit. The rest of the violet spell turned to Myrsvai, who was the next closest. The magus was bent over, reaching for his staff as the first of the spell hit his ribs, right under his arm. He hit the wall as the spell battered him.

With the opening, Owin finished crossing the room and jumped with all his strength through the doorway. He crashed into the cetanthro, knocking them both to the ground. Owin rolled, sliding his knife out in one quick move.

The cetanthro was sluggish in its movements, even if its spells were incredibly fast. By the time it raised its staff again, Owin had managed to slash its throat and drive the lich bone through the skull.

Wizards were strong, until he got close.

He stared at the corpse for a moment, before his attention snapped back. “Myrsvai?”

“Alive.” The magus had his staff and was standing, though his leather chestpiece had a hole on the right side. The skin was burnt and twisted from the arcane spells.

“I can give you—”

Myrsvai smashed his staff down, summoning Suta in a burst of abyssal flames. The familiar didn’t even wait a second before gesturing for Myrsvai to crouch. Suta pulled a health potion from the magus’s bag and shoved it into his hands.

“Sorry,” Myrsvai said after drinking the potion. “I didn’t want to lose you for the rest of the floor.”

Suta chittered and grumbled.

“Owin didn’t want to use me as bait. That was Shade’s job.” Myrsvai used his staff to gesture to the cloud of gray dust. “He tried.”

Summon the Withered Shade

Shade poofed into existence beside Owin. The skeleton crossed his arms and tapped his foot. “Are we going to wait all day for you two?”

Suta crossed the room and tackled Shade so quickly that Owin hardly had time to step back. Suta tore the skeleton’s head off and punted it into the wall, causing it to poof into dust.

Owin sighed.

Summon the Withered Shade

“Okay, take your time.” Shade put his hands up. “Do whatever you want, I guess.”

“He’s angry,” Owin said.

Suta nodded and put his hands up to fight.

Shade tried holding his arms higher, but they were already fully outstretched. “Leave my head attached! I need it for talking!”

Suta moved, causing Shade to flinch.

“Be nice,” Myrsvai said. “I’ll be fine. We can find new armor. We all know I needed some.”

Owin gave him a look.

“Yes, Owin. I know you’ve been telling me that.”

The wizard’s room was decorated with some cathkabel statues and mosaics. Nothing was damaged in Shade’s explosion, which was odd compared to other buildings he had seen. When looking back in the fountain room, Owin realized the tables were still there, as were the mugs. The explosion had shifted the water and launched him and Myrsvai, but it didn’t touch the furniture, the fountain, or the walls and doors.

A chest was nestled in the corner, behind a pedestal holding a statue of what looked like a cathkabel priest, though Owin could be wrong. It was difficult to tell since the cathkabel all had such similar appearances. The statue had wings that were spread wide. From what he had seen, even Graliel as a deacon had wings less than half that size and some unnamed cathkabel in the fortress hardly had wings at all.

Owin opened the chest and pulled an orange potion out.

“That’s all yours,” Myrsvai said.

Suta nodded.

“Strength buff? For this weakling?” Shade reached down and nudged Owin. “Get it? Weakling?”

Artisan Strength Buff

+30 Strength

Duration: ???

Owin took the cork out. “If you ever want to keep a buff to use for yourself, you can.”

“It would never be as helpful for me to have a temporary boost as it would be for you to have a permanent one. Even if I find buffs on the isolated floors, I will be collecting them to give you after.”

Owin opened his mouth.

“No argue,” Suta said quickly.

“Fine.”

The salty strength buff made him shiver.

Strength +30

Hero

Owin

Deficient Wizard

Nimble Hog Hero Company

Level: 1

Strength: 416

Constitution: 310

Dexterity: 275*

Intelligence: 275

Wisdom: 169

Charisma: 160

He shook his arms out. He never actually felt stronger, faster, or smarter after a buff. It wasn’t until it counted that the differences were noticeable.

But he crossed 400 for strength. That had to mean something.

“I—”

Before he could keep talking, his breastplate fell apart. Chunks of chitin drifted into the water, leaving only a thin pale layer where the armor had been.

“Ew.” Shade poked it. “It’s almost squishy.”

“It said my armor can molt.” Owin poked the breastplate. It did feel almost squishy. “What’s that mean?”

“Many shelled animals molt to help them grow. They then regrow a new shell.” Myrsvai looked all over Owin, checking the different pieces of chitin armor. “I suppose armor made from crabs could do the same. It should regrow, though the speed will likely be different than an actual crab.”

“I would recommend not getting hit in the chest until it grows back,” Shade said.

“Thanks. That’s helpful.”

“Whether or not you’re sarcastic, I will always accept gratitude when it is passed to me. You can never have too much. Even when every person in the world lines up to thank me, I will still be humble.”

Owin stared at the skeleton for a minute. Was it helpful to say anything? Or to insult him?

Suta opened the next door, which led back outside. It was dark without any lamps on the outside of the building. A few hundred feet away was the next structure, which was also sitting within a boundary wall.

“Are you ready to keep moving?” Owin asked.

Myrsvai nodded.

A series of explosions rumbled nearby.

“Whoever is being attacked hasn’t moved,” Myrsvai said. He pushed past Shade and Suta to stand outside. Owin slipped past and looked up.

What looked like a long ramp spiraled all the way around the seamount, leading to the top where Owin could still spot the silhouettes of a few distant cetanthro.

Another explosion rumbled, sending a flash of light from past the bend of the seamount, somewhere midway up the ramp.

“How are they still alive?” Owin knew there was no way Myrsvai had an answer, but he had to wonder. If he had been the one being bombed for so long, he couldn’t imagine surviving.

“There is one way we can find out.” Myrsvai strode through the opening. About three steps into his walk, a grenade hit the ground nearby. Suta sprinted past and tackled Myrsvai, who had been uninjured from the explosion.

Owin backed into the doorway, knocking Shade over. “That was from above!”

More cetanthro had gathered high above. With how dark it was so far beneath the surface of the ocean, the fish were difficult to see, and any grenades dropped were impossible to notice.

“Send me out!” Shade jumped over Owin, fell, and rolled. He looked up. “Oh, that is so many grenades.” He scrambled back inside and pressed himself against the wall.

“Run!” Owin yelled.

Suta grabbed Myrsvai’s arm and pointed at Owin. Before they could move, a grenade hit the ground a few feet ahead of Owin, causing him to stumble back. A shard of stone hit his chest, cutting through the soft breastplate and lodging itself in his muscle. Owin winced.

“Go for the next building,” he shouted.

Suta pulled Myrsvai toward the next door as more and more grenades hit. Within seconds, the space between buildings was lit like daytime.

“Abyssal Armor!” Magenta armor formed around Myrsvai as shrapnel and broken stones flew across the opening.

Shade pulled Owin backward as more grenades landed nearby and sent shrapnel flying through the doorway. “You need to take that out and heal immediately.” Shade grabbed a health potion from Owin’s bag and shoved it into his hands.

“But Myrsvai and Suta.”

“You dying from a stone near your heart doesn’t help them.”

Owin actually looked down at the piece of stone. He had just ignored it before, but it was fully impaled in his muscle.

“Oh,” he whispered. Dizziness hit and caused him to stumble.

Health 61/310

Shade let him fall to the floor, then sat on Owin’s stomach. The skeleton made sure Owin had a good grip on the potion with his right hand. “As soon as I pull it out, you drink that.”

“I still have health,” he mumbled.

“For now.”

Health 60/310

“Oh.”

“Stop talking and get ready,” Shade said.

“Pour it on.” Owin mimicked pouring the potion as he almost dumped it on the floor.

Grenades continued exploding outside.

“On what?”

“T-the stab,” Owin said. His brain felt fuzzy.

“That’s not how health potions work!”

“Do it,” Owin said weakly. He clenched his jaw and shoved the potion at Shade.

The skeleton sighed. “Fine. If you die and I end up in purgatory again, I will be pissed.” The skeleton wrapped his hand around the stone jutting from Owin’s chest. “Stay alive or I will find a way to haunt you. Well, I might already be doing that, but I will keep doing it. I’ll haunt you more.” The skeleton ripped the stone free.

Health 15/310

Owin blacked out.