As initiative shifted back to Yarex’s team, the light around them all increased in intensity. Energy burst forth from the lantern as the glow from the Beacon’s lamp became ever more brilliant. Tarn could feel actual warmth running along his skin on the side of his body that faced Vestai, as if the sun itself had come down to the docks.
INCANDESCENT 2:
* All allies within 50 feet are healed 10 AP at the end of the round, and lose their oldest negative status effect
* All enemies within 50 feet will have their damage reduced by 10 AP.
Enemy status: Yarex / Morph / Level: 4 / AP: 100 Geron / Brute / Lv: 1 / AP: 50/70 / Status effect: toughness [i] Tona / Aerialist / Lv: 1 / AP: 40/40 / Status effect: flying [i], clouded [i] Vestai / Beacon / Lv: 2 / AP: 50/50 / Status effect: incandescent 2
A roar thundered across the harbor. Tarn couldn’t turn to see it, but he felt it in his bones as Geron unleashed a furious attack on Bog. He heard the orc’s cry, as what sounded like shattering wood connected with her. There was a moment of silence, and then a distant splash in the harbor.
His interface told the story. Bog was out of the fight, at least for another round.
DEEP FLY (Melee / Brute)
The Brute strikes an opponent with the tree branch, dealing 30 AP damage. If the target is undamaged, they are also moved 40 feet in the opposite direction. Any target they collide with will take 10 AP damage.
This may only be used on the Brute’s first pulse, and the Brute may not make another action this turn.
It might be. It could be. It is!
Damn. Another low damage, high impact attack. Bog was down for their next turn, and Urthin was effectively out as well. Isca was forced to close to melee where she was less effective, and Tarn himself had been lured away from the Beacon. Only Lash was in position to engage the glowing figure, his tiny form barely visible against the light.
A strategy was starting to present itself, and Tarn’s unease grew. Yarex knew his lower level team couldn’t beat Tarn’s, but they weren’t trying to.
This was a stall, but for what?
Tarn could only hope that Lash had something prepared for Vestai to keep her from reaching another level of [Incandescent]. A shout of anger came from above him, as another had seen the gremlin’s threatening position.
“Stay away from her!” Tona shouted, turning his back on Isca. Reaching over his shoulders and grabbing his azure wings, he tore from his back with a pain-filled cry. He then plummeted toward Lash, a blue missile-like shape forming around his descending body.
Dive Bomb (Ranged / Aerialist)
The Aerialist drops directly onto an enemy target below. That target takes 20 AP per 10 feet of altitude lost, up to a maximum of 60 AP.
The Aerialist will lose the [flying] status effect, and cannot regain that status this battle.
All love can lead to desperation
Tarn watched the man fall in panic, unable to make a move against Tona. To his shock, Yarex seemed similarly concerned.
“Tona, no!” the Morph shouted. “You idiot!”
Helpless, Tarn waited for the sound of impact, but instead he felt a rumble underneath his feet. With a shower of earth and stone, the ground around Lash began to crack as a green shape emerged from underneath.
JOINED INITIATIVE: Narsol (Obelisk / 2) ERUPTION (Off-pulse / Obelisk)
The Obelisk may sacrifice all actions in a round. If he does so, he select a target in battle within 60 feet, line of sight required. If that target is attacked, the Obelisk will appear at that target’s location. The target will be inside the Obelisk’s structure, and may not attack or be attacked.
Adds 30 temporary AP.
Hard choices require dead hearts.
A golden translucent pyramid erupted from the earth, sending dirt and wood in all directions. Narsol stood within, his arms spread wide. The structure burst forth from the grass soil next to the docks, encompassing the startled Lash. Unable to stop his descent, Tona slammed into the side of the eight foot tall construct. Grunting with the impact, he slid down its smooth sides and crumpled to the ground.
Narsol? Tarn gaped at the orc ship captain in shock. He has a gem too?
He couldn’t argue with the results, though. Tona’s attack would have left Lash with a fraction of AP, an easy target for Vesta, Geron, or even Yarex.
Yet Yarex seemed just as worried for Lash as Tarn had been. Confused, Tarn looked back at his attacker, only to see the monk’s eyes glazed over, as if he were looking through him. The monk’s shoulders clenched, faint vibrations running through the. It was an action Tarn recognized, though he thought only his team could feel it.
The sensation of an incoming message on his gem. Yarex allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips, happy with whatever he had learned.
“Enough!” he called out, looking over his shoulder. “We have what we need. Tona, I will speak with you later. Vestai, remove us!”
Yarex then turned back to Tarn.
“Until next time, agitant.”
He raised his right hand high in the air, again snapping his fingers. Vestai nodded, holding her brass lantern aloft. Letting forth a cry of agony, snow-white energy leaked from her gem and snaked to the candle within her lamp. A sunburst of radiance exploded from within, burning Tarn’s eyes painfully until he forced them shut.
After-images still throbbing on the back of his eyelids, his interface sprang to life.
BLINDING BRILLIANCE (Ranged / Beacon)
The Beacon raises her lantern in the air, sending forth a sphere of light that affects all enemies within 60 feet, preventing vision until the end of the pulse. (This affect includes those in a [shrouded].)
Requires: Incandescent level 3 or higher.
The Beacon loses [Incandescent].
Nothing is more blinding than good intent.
Tarn blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear the spots that danced before them. He was sure of what he would see even before his vision restored itself. Yarex and his team were gone, off into the Shroud and undetectable. The docks and surrounding area showed the scorch marks and debris of the battle, but their opponents had vanished.
We have what we need, Yarex had said. This had all been a diversion, but for what?
Lash and Isca were by the pier, fishing a soaked and swearing Bog out of the harbor. Ramad and several soldiers worked with Narsol by the orc vessel, helping the remaining wounded and children onto the pier. Those both represented problems, but they would have to wait.
He turned to the one man he needed to see. Urthin stood next to him, hands clasped behind his back, his posture as rigid as ever. Yet one thing was new upon the monk, a look of confusion and betrayal Urthin had never shown before.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“What’s the story, Smiley? Who is this guy?”
Urthin pulled in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as if it pained him to do so.
“He is of my order, as you no doubt recognized. Yarex is an exile, but still a monk of the Shattered Stone. I never expected to see him again, in any circumstances. To say this was unlikely would be an understatement.”
“Smiley, no one’s blaming you.” Tarn rubbed his side where the initial bowshot had landed. “But if Yarex is an exile, why? I didn’t even know the monks kicked anyone out. And what did he call me – the center? An agitation? I mean, I know I can be frustrating…”
“Humor is your defense, not mine.” The frown on Urthin’s face grew deeper. “The answer to your questions is linked. Yarex is Sighted. There are those in my order whose understanding of history is so vast and complete, it allows them to see the patterns in the fabric of events. In short, Yarex can use the past to partially predict the future.”
“And he called me the center?”
“A belief among Sighted is that there are certain individuals who act as… agitations to the natural course of events. Men and women whose power and influence are so great they force history to flow around them, like a great stone in the center of a river. Lurim is one such individual.”
Urthin’s voice already deep voice lowered even further. Tarn could see the shame written across his face, the frustration.
“Some believe that these agitations inevitably cause suffering, no matter their intent. The Shattered Stone was aware of Lurim before he took power. My ancestors saw the danger he represented, but in accordance with our beliefs they did not act. Even among the Sighted, the purpose of our order is to preserve history, not shape it ourselves.”
“I take it Yarex feels differently, and was kicked out for it?”
“Yes,” Urthin nodded. “It was ten years ago, not long before I met you. Yarex’s Sight showed him a new center was coming, one who would be cloaked in good intent, with power thrust upon him rather than seeking it. He claimed to see an entire people’s destiny would be darkened by this new power. A new Lurim would replace the old.”
I’m the new Lurim? Since emerging with power from the Sword, Tarn had done nothing but try to avoid the call of leadership that Ramad and others kept insisting was his responsibility. The last thing he’d want would be to have power over anyone.
But Urthin was not disputing the accuracy of Yarex’s visions. Only the decision to do something about them.
“That’s… that’s a lot to take in.” Tarn rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. This was too much to absorb right now, he needed to stay tactical. He knew the who and the why, he could explore the validity later.
We have what we need. Yarex had left the moment he had received a message. But from who?
“This was a distraction.” Tarn began to pace, walking across the grass as his mind worked. “Keep us busy while Yarex had another team getting him something.”
“Plausible.” Urthin looked up at the orcish ship. “The timing is too convenient to be a coincidence. Not just you but your whole team in one place. Given his Sight, Yarex may have foreseen the orcs arrival. He would know that would draw you here.”
“But what is worth stealing, that he would need us busy in order to grab it? The most powerful thing we have is the gems, he somehow has one of those too. The only difference is our gems are from inside the…”
The Sword Dungeon. Shit, the key!
“Lash!” Tarn whirled, running over to the side of the docks where Bog and the others sat. While Lash bandaged a wound on her arm, Bog was pounding one huge fist into her other hand. Isca focused her goggles on Bog’s gem, while taking care to avoid Bog’s angry demonstrations.
“Boss!” Lash scurried over. “Bog good, just wet. Mad and wet. Wing-girl looking at gems and-“
“Lash, never mind that!” Tarn’s heart was pounding. He was pretty sure of what Yarex’s real plan had been, but he needed to confirm. “You need to contact your assistant back at the Spire. I think they’re going to tell you someone just stole your key to the Sword!”
Lash turned a dark shade of green, his huge eyes growing somehow bigger. Nodding, he scampered off and headed for a nearby grove of trees, hand clutching to his gem.
“A likely theory,” Urthin said. “Though I cannot guess as to why Yarex would want the key.”
“Wherever he is!” Bog’s voice boomed as she got closer, rubbing her jaw. “That’s where we need to be going, Tarny. I need to repay that giant for showing me a new pain!”
Isca pulled her goggles up over her head, antenna swaying slightly. Tarn had come to understand she did this when she was excited.
“One mystery solved,” she said with a small smile. “I think, anyway. You mentioned your abilities acting strange back the other day. The same this time with Bog. Well, I think it’s somehow your new friend. I was watching during the fight, and I could see a faint trail of energy shoot from Bog’s gem to Yarex’s, just before her leap.”
“He’s messing with our gem abilities?” Bog looked at the Kithikin in confusion. “I was still able to leap though, and-“
“No,” Tarn interrupted, snapping his fingers. “He’s not ‘messing’ with them, he’s copying them. He used my bowshot ability, and Urthin’s shrouding. Now he has Bog’s jump. His class was a ‘morph’ – that must be what they do!”
“Yes.” Isca nodded. “That makes sense, in a crazy kind of way. I don’t know how it works, but if he sees us use an ability, I think he can copy it and use it himself.”
“Boss!” Lash shouted from the tree clearing. He spoke constantly as he ran back to them, he words a babbling flow. “You right! Talked to mage girl and she saw shadow men broke into laboratory. Mages and guards fought, but shadows too fast. They steal-“
“The key,” Tarn said, sighing as he saw Isca’s face fall with recognition. “They stole the key to the Sword Dungeon.”
Lash stared up at him for a moment, then burst into giggling laughter.
“Lash not stupid, Boss.” The gremlin chuckled. “Lash know people might want key, want gems inside sword. Lash hide real key, leave fake one out. Shadow men take wrong key. So we have head start!”
Feeling the weight lift off him, Tarn reached down and ruffled Lash’s ears.
“Lash, you brilliant little gremlin! I can’t believe you thought to leave out a fake key just in case – wait. Wait, what do you mean… we have a head start?”
Lash’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at his feet.
“Well, Lash did hide key, it safe.” His voice got quieter. “But notes to make key were taken. Shadow men could make another one. Lash should have hid notes too, didn’t think thieves would know to look.”
“That we have a key at all is thanks to you.” Isca knelt next to Tarn, putting her hand on the gremlin’s shoulder. “My road home is still ours. But how long would it take for them to make another?”
“Maybe week?” Lash shrugged his shoulders. “Components rare, but monks smart. If many monks trying, could be faster.”
“Yarex will head to the Sword then,” Urthin said. “Perhaps he hopes to prevent you from whatever he thinks your agitation will be.”
“Then we should go there now!” Bog pointed off to the distant Cairn Plains, where the Sword Dungeon still stood. Waiting. “If this friend of Smiley’s is going there, let’s ambush him!”
“Agitation?” Isca looked at Tarn in confusion.
“I’ll explain later.”
“Tarn.” Urthin’s hand came to his shoulder, gripping with surprising intensity. “We should not underestimate Yarex, but I agree with Bog. I do not recommend allowing him to dictate the next engagement.”
“Thanks, Smiley,” Tarn nodded, as the monk stepped back. “I’m not going to let him get the jump on us again. I don’t know about an ambush Bog, but we were headed to the Sword anyway. This just gives us another reason to go, and go sooner.”
He watched as the worry drained away from Isca’s face, even as it was growing on Urthin’s.
“Then let us go!” Bog looked over her shoulder at Narsol and the other orcs. “I am restless to leave here, to be … anywhere but here.”
“Me too.” Tarn looked off to the gathered group at the end of the pier, where Ramad was staring at him, as if his eyes alone could strap stones to Tarn’s back. “I need to talk to Ramad and the council. I’m not asking permission, but they should know we’re going. Urthin, get everyone together and whatever supplies you can scrounge up.”
“Lash can port soon!” The eagerness was clear in the gremlin’s eyes, right alongside the exhaustion. The gremlin had already ported them once today, and then had gone through the battle on the pier.
“Lash.” Tarn knelt down. “This isn’t your fault, far from it. If not for your quick thinking, Yarex would have the key instead of just notes. Get some rest. For me?”
Lash grinned up at Tarn, nodding.
“Tarn forget Lash gremlin,” he chirped. “Guilt human thing. But palace beds are best beds. Me go find Lurim’s!”
“You requested I get ‘everyone’ together, Tarn. May I ask who ‘everyone’ includes?”
Tarn turned back to Urthin. Just as with Lash, he saw no remorse or guilt in the stoic monk’s eyes, but he did see the carefully disguised worry. But worry for who, he wondered.
“If you’re asking if I mean Jental, Smiley. Yeah, she’s too good to leave behind. But you and Bog talk to everyone we’ve trained here in the capital. Make sure they know what they are getting into. Take anyone who’s willing to come.”
“Your boss won’t like that, Tarny.” Bog grinned faintly, pointing over in Ramad’s direction. Tarn was glad to see her humor was still there, but it was muted. Like Urthin, she had a lot to process.
“I’ll handle Ramad,” Tarn said. “You three just go build whatever team you can. I figure Lash needs a good four hours of sleep. We’ll meet back here on the docks around sundown then.”
“Understood.” Urthin turned to leave, yet Bog stayed where she stood. The monk paused for a moment, then continued. “You will find us inside, Bog.”
As Urthin and Isca walked away, Tarn looked over at the orc ship. A group of elderly orcs slowly shambled from the vessel, while Ramad and Narsol continued to talk. Tarn felt a sense of relief at the sight of the two as they no doubt discussed what was to be done with the orcs.
“It won’t be easy for them,” Tarn said as Bog stood silently next to him, her massive arms folded. “They may be refugees, but a lot of people here aren’t going to forget all the Blood Summers. And they don’t know the land, how to interact with humans.”
“Are you telling me to stay?” Her voice was flat, nearly as stoic as Urthin’s. Yet he could hear the strain. “Are you telling me they are my responsibility?”
“Bog, look at me.” Tarn gently took hold of her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I would never tell you what to do. And I’m the last one to give you a speech about responsibility – I’ve heard enough about that from Ramad. I just wanted to know how you are feeling.”
“You say they don’t know this land or the Realm. You’re right, Tarny. But I don’t know their land, those people. They are orcs, I am Bog. It’s as simple as that. I can help them without being with them. The best place for me is in the Dungeon with you, trying to stop whatever harm is coming. That is what I am for.”
“Fair enough.” Tarn nodded. In his own mind, the choice was just as clear. He just wished Ramad would be as understanding with him. “If that’s true, why did you stay behind?”
“For you,” she said. She smiled and tapped the gem in the center of his chest. “This crystal, it’s power. It is not you. Ramad will try to make you forget that. Tarn Arisfal is not a gem. I am Bog, and Tarn is you. You know where you and I make the most sense.”
Slapping him on the back, she turned to follow the others into the palace.