When I awoke—if that’s what you want to call it—I was standing just before the opening to Brinson’s room, unharmed as if nothing had happened. The tunnels were clear, and Mongrim was nowhere to be seen. Manalolz stood by my side, pink robe, long moustache and all. The rest of the party was there, too. Each had a look of confusion on his face save for Wolfgang.
I looked at my hands, hoping they would provide some kind of information about what had just transpired. Had I died? I couldn’t remember any pain. I’d avoided the beast’s attack. Perhaps he’d gotten me with some ability I’d failed to see.
Did the rest of the party die too? They must have. It was the only way we could’ve been standing there before the last boss without having to redo the entire dungeon. But how did the collapsed tunnels revert to their original state?
“Alright,” Wolfgang said. “Listen closely. There’re three things to keep in mind when fighting Mongrim. Whirlwind, shockwave, and—“
“We’ll figure it out. Let’s go.” Manalolz ran into the room.
“You are fools to have followed me,” Brinson said, just like he had the first time we entered the room. He rose to his talons and stretched out his tattered wings in the same way as well. He continued repeating the words from before as the rest of the party followed the healer into the room.
“I’m not doing this again if we die,” Wolfgang said to me. “One true death is already more than I was willing to lose in this low-level dungeon.”
“Don’t blame me for him running in,” I said.
“You’re the guild master,” Wolfgang said. “The healer may be the prick. The bard may have recruited the prick. You are the one who gave the bard the authority to pick the prick. As guild master, you have the final say.”
It seemed unfair at first, but no matter how much I tried to deny it in my mind, I knew the tank was right. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I assure you I’ve learnt my lesson. We’ll never have to deal with a healer like this again, I promise you that.”
Wolfgang nodded, unable to hide the frustration in his eyes.
“You have followed me to your doom!” Brinson continued with his familiar speech.
“There is still time to share your knowledge,” Max said.
Manalolz scoffed. “You want knowledge? Don’t stand in stuff. Don’t be a noob. That’s about all you really need to know.”
“Mongrim!” Brinson’s shout seemed louder this time around. My eyes darted to Mongrim’s tunnel. The beast rampaged toward us just as it had not long ago. It was like waking from a nightmare to find the monster standing at the foot of your bed.
Wolfgang met the beast’s charge, taking the form of a simple farm sheep along the way. The sheep bit the massive gnoll’s ankle, and the fight was on. Arrows flew into the boss as Hendrix’s song began. Mongrim barely seemed to notice. Nikk, the pets, and I charged together and engaged with the monster. Its attention now seemed split between Wolfgang and Scallion.
“Listen closely,” Wolfgang’s sheep form spoke in a loud, human voice. “He’ll do a massive whirlwind attack. You’ll know it when you see it. Run away once it begins, and keep your distance.”
“Come on, tank,” Manalolz said. “Do you think we were born yesterday? This stuff isn’t hard to figure out.”
“I speak for those who aren’t familiar with the encounter,” Wolfgang said.
“Right…” Manalolz rolled his eyes. “Forgot how many noobs we had in the party.”
“Quit using that word,” Hendrix shouted as he plucked his strings.
“Ignore him, Wolfgang,” I said. “Share your knowledge.”
The tank nodded. It was a comical gesture coming from a sheep, but I dared not laugh. “After the whirlwind, he’ll—”
“Too late!” Manalolz shouted.
Mongrim roared and went from a lumbering monster to a cyclone of wind and dust in an instant. Razor-sharp grains of sand buffeted me as I ran away from the storm. Nikk, Buttons, and Scallion were caught in the vortex—their shapes could barely be seen through the churning sand and dust. The storm moved around the room randomly. It was easy enough to run away from as long as the initial moment of transformation had been avoided.
The chief of gnolls reverted to its original form, and though it was no less horrifying, it was less chaotic. The beast charged for Wolfgang right away, and the fight continued as it had before the storm.
Nikk and the pets were battered. Their health was low. I glanced at Manalolz while maintaining a consistent flow of wrench strikes. The healer showed no intention of healing anyone but the tank. I’d hoped our confrontation on the subject a while back would’ve stuck with the healer, but I was wrong.
Scallion let out a cry as Mongrim turned its gaze toward the pet and clobbered it with the flail of a mighty arm. The loyal wolf’s health fell to zero, and his body lay limp on the cave floor. Brinson let out a long laugh. “You will learn the folly of your actions.”
We ignored him and continued dealing damage to the massive gnoll.
Manalolz danced and jumped around, never straying too far from the tank. He blew powder over the battling sheep, and Wolfgang’s health never dipped below seventy-five percent. Nikk, however, thrust his spear with all his might while hanging on for life at just below ten percent. I gritted my teeth and glanced at the healer, hoping I wouldn’t have to confront him again. Perhaps he was just waiting for the right moment to act. Maybe this was another one of those things where my lack of knowledge was evident.
“Mongrim, smash!” The beast roared and took to the air.
“Run behind the boulder!” Wolfgang shouted as he dashed toward Brinson’s rocky perch. I followed, as did the rest of the group save for Buttons, who remained fixed on her quarry. Wolfgang and Manalolz were the only ones behind the boulder with me. I poked my head around the corner to find Max and Hendrix running toward us while Nikk was still latched onto the airborne boss, jamming his spear into any pockets of unmarred flesh he could find.
The boss crashed to the ground, radiating a wave of energy from him like violent ripples on a disturbed water surface. I pulled my head to the safety behind the boulder and closed my eyes. Crashing and shaking surrounded us. Hendrix groaned in pain. I opened my eyes to find max and the bard bloodied, barely able to stand. I poked my head around the boulder. Mongrim ran our way. A bright green egg lay at the center of the room beside the motionless body of Buttons.
Brinson laughed again. I clenched my jaw and glared at Manalolz, but the healer showed no remorse for letting Nikk die, nor did he show any intention of healing Max or Hendrix.
Wolfgang leapt out and caught the monster’s attention. Hendrix plucked at his strings though the song did lose some of its initial pep. Max’s arrows came in slower intervals, and we were now without Nikk and the pets' extra damage.
I gripped my wrench tight and unleashed my frustrations against Manalolz on the gnoll chief’s knee. The healer crafted more potions. I saved my complaints in case he meant to use them on the ranger or the bard.
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He pocketed the completed product and kept his eyes fixed on the battling sheep. He jumped from left to right, never paying any mind to his injured party-mates.
“Heal them!” I couldn’t hold it back any longer. “You’ve already lost a party member, don’t lose another.”
“Oh. You mean the guy who was stupid enough to stay on the boss’ back as he performed his shockwave?” Manalolz scoffed and flicked his wispy moustache. “I don’t waste my heals on idiots.”
A shadow came over us. Brinson’s wings were spread again. He held a bow and knocked an arrow. “Here is your payment for resisting the Dark Lady’s will! Prepare to die, ranger.”
“Max!” Wolfgang shouted. “Make sure the boss is between you and Brinson!”
Max, who’d been standing close to Brinson’s perch and releasing arrows a long-range away from Mongrim, dash toward the towering gnoll. Brinson’s bowstring released, emitting a note as loud and clear as those from Hendrix’s lute. Max was fast, but the distance was too great.
The elf grunted and fell to his knees. A massive arrow, the size of a small spear, planted in between his shoulder blades. A flash of light blinded me momentarily and cleared to reveal another green egg.
“Dammit!” Wolfgang spat. “He’ll do that again, so be ready for it. This could’ve been avoided.”
He was right. It could have been avoided if the healer had simply let the tank explain the fight before running in to start things off. I was the only damage class left alive. Our chances didn’t look good. Manalolz’s impatience was likely going to result in us having to start over again, though I doubted he’d be able to see the irony.
“Is there anything else we should be wary of?” I asked, finding it difficult to keep the rage from rasping my voice.
“Yeah,” Manalolz said. “Be wary of being a noob.”
“I didn’t ask you!” Spit sprayed from my frothing mouth. The healer recoiled at my bark. His reaction sobered me. What kind of guild master allowed such animalistic hatred and rage to control him like that? I took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm myself. “Wolfgang…”
“He basically repeats the same things over again until he dies,” Wolfgang said, “the whirlwind, the shockwave, and then Brinson’s arrow.”
The boss indeed repeated the same attacks. The whirlwind was successfully avoided, as was the shockwave. When Mongrim’s shockwave failed to hit a target, the boss became stunned for a few moments, allowing us some time to freely damage him without having to worry about any damage coming our way.
The shadow of Brinson’s wings returned faster than we’d anticipated. “Here is your payment for resisting the Dark Lady’s will! Prepare to die, bard.”
Hendrix was standing near the boulder perch as Max had been. He’d gone there to avoid the shockwave and must’ve forgotten about the upcoming arrow. “Run, Hendrix!” I shouted. “Make sure the boss is between you and the arrow!”
“I know!” His song stopped as he sprinted forward, eyes wide and jaw clenched.
Wolfgang ran toward the bard, with the boss in tow to close the distance. It was a tactic that showed the tank’s experience. Impressive, but it wasn’t enough. Just as the two sides were about to meet, Brinson’s arrow lodged itself into Hendrix’s back. He fell to the ground and groaned.
The lack of his song was felt in my bones. That vibrant might was gone, replaced by sinking despair. A touch of hope reignited within me when I realized Hendrix still hadn’t turned into an egg. It would’ve happened by now.
“How are you still alive?” Wolfgang asked. “That arrow takes ninety percent of your health, and you were already down to about thirty.”
“I…” Hendrix’s voice was barely audible. “I bought a potion… in Firemane’s Run…”
Wolfgang grinned. “You sure picked the right time to use it.”
I cheered and attacked the gnoll with all my might. Hendrix struggled to his feet and, with a slow, labored motion, strummed the strings of his lute, filling the party with vigor.
Manalolz jumped and performed a dainty spin in the air.
“Heal the bard!” I shouted. This healer would be the death of my voice.
He simply rolled his eyes, flicked his moustache, and focused on Wolfgang.
I gritted my teeth but swallowed the rage. There was nothing I could do about it. Either the healer would choose to heal, or he’d decide not to. All that was up to me was how well I performed my duty. I studied the boss. “Only thirty percent? Why is this taking so long?”
“If we manage to get him between us and an arrow,” Wolfgang said, “it hits him for about a third of his health. He’d be dead by now had we succeeded in just one of those instances. Also, losing two-thirds of our damage dealers doesn’t help.”
I didn’t say anything out loud, but I was quite sure Wolfgang was being generous when implying that I was worth one-third of our damage. Nikk and Max were sure of themselves and competent. We lost a lot more than two-thirds of our damage when they fell.
Hendrix coughed. Blood sprayed from his mouth to the ground. He stood in a wavering stance, barely able to keep himself balanced at less than five percent of his health. A quick potion from the healer would have easily brought him back to half-health. I released the tension in my jaw for fear that my teeth might shatter and shot a poisonous glare at the prancing healer.
“Whirlwind!” Wolfgang shouted the warning, and the tiny sheep form fled from the crouching boss.
I ran toward Hendrix in hopes that I could help him avoid the swirling gnoll. There was nothing I could do. Hendrix could barely take a step without falling. “Heal him! Quickly!”
The healer was hopping around on the other side of the room, refusing even to look our way.
“Just leave me,” Hendrix wheezed. “Three of you can finish this without me. Tank, healer, and one damage dealer, it’s all you need. The boss is almost dead anyway.”
“How many times am I going to have to watch you die?” A tear stung the corner of my eye. I wasn’t used to the newly discovered rules of life. Something deep within me still regarded death as final and tragic. I knew I’d see him again, even if we failed and had another true death, but seeing my friend in such a battered state, barely able to breathe. I doubted I’d ever get used to it, nor would I want to.
I nodded, gave his shoulder a friendly slap, and ran away from the furry maelstrom raging our way. The swirling dust and sand swallowed the bard and spat out a glowing green egg. The whirlwind ceased, and Wolfgang latched onto the gnoll’s ankles with his sheep teeth.
I glared at the healer. There must’ve been something in my look, for he could not seem to avert my eyes as he’d done previously. “Look, he should’ve been able to avoid—“
“No!” I interrupted. “This is new to us. This is what learning looks like. If we’d ever come back to do this place again, we’d know to expect the whirlwind, shockwave, and arrow. We’d know to position ourselves properly to anticipate each event so that we can adequately react when the time came.”
“The boss already went through each of his phases once,” Manalolz said. “If that wasn’t enough for you guys to learn, you don’t deserve my heals.”
“Quit arguing and heal me!” Wolfgang roared.
The healer and I shot our gaze his way and gasped at the sight of a battered sheep hanging on at two percent of his health. Manalolz scrambled for his satchel and pulled out a potion. He ran for the tank but was too late. A green egg lay where the sheep had valiantly fought.
“You bastard!” Manalolz glared at me. “You distracted me with your whining, and now look.”
“Don’t you blame me for this! I’ve been swinging my wrench while arguing. You could’ve easily been healing.”
“What kind of level forty tank takes so much damage in a low-level dungeon, anyway?”
“Now you’re gonna say the tank shouldn’t have been getting hit by an enemy?”
The healer’s eyes shot open. He pointed past me. “Look out!”
I turned to find Mongrim staring me down. It seemed with Wolfgang gone, I was the boss’ preferred target. I hurried to the boulder perch at the center of the room and ran around it. Mongrim shifted directions once I skirted the boulder. I stopped and ran in the opposite direction, and he changed again. I used this to my advantage.
“What are you doing?” Manalolz cried. “You have to hit him if you want to kill him.”
I ignored the healer. I moved side to side over the point that seemed to trigger some need for Mongrim to change directions. Every few seconds, I’d risk running in close enough to hit him with my wrench before returning to my inexplicable defensive strategy.
“Do you know how long this is going to take?” Manalolz sighed.
He was forgetting something.
“This is why I let your bard friend die,” the healer said. “You guys are idiots. Noobs. I’d let you die, too, if you weren’t the only one left. But I want to finish this run so I can be done with the lot of you.”
In a sudden fit of rage, as if the anger I’d tried to suppress shot out of me at once, I chucked my wrench at the cave’s ceiling. It struck a glowing blue formation of rock, dislodging it at its base. The projectile plummeted toward the ground and landed directly on the healer, knocking him, his pink robe, and his tall hat to the ground.
Manalolz sat trapped beneath the heavy debris, unable to move. “What have you done? What is wrong with you?”
“Why didn’t you just avoid it?” I smirked as I continued to exploit whatever was causing Mongrim to change directions.
“I didn’t expect my own party mate to do something so stupid.”
“Right,” I said. “It’s difficult to avoid things when you aren’t expecting them, isn’t it? Like if you were going through a dungeon for the first time and your healer never let your tank explain the fights.”
“Whatever,” Manalolz said. “You went too far. This is crazy. You’re going to cost us a true death. All of this just to prove a point?”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Here is your payment for resisting the Dark Lady’s will! Prepare to die, gadgeteer.”
I dashed out into the open as Brinson pulled back on his loaded bowstring. Mongrim followed. Drool flowed from the boss’ maw as it eyed me like a fleeing supper. It raised a massive, matted arm and grinned when I stopped to face it.
A loud thud echoed through the room. The gnoll yelped and fell to one knee, its health at zero. I grinned and nearly cheered aloud, but something was wrong. The boss’ health was down to zero, but it wasn’t dead.