Surrounded by darkness, Tarn’s senses slowly came back to him. He sensed the ground under his feet, and he could feel a thin rock-like texture through his boots as if he were standing on gravel. The air was stale and slightly warm, with a hint of smoke.
I’m still in the dungeon. His hearing confirmed this as well. The same omnipresent drips of unseen water were all around him, as was a low thrumming that beat through the air like a heart.
His eyes were open, but for a moment he still could see nothing. Then text began to scroll out, blue letters unfolding within his mind.
//FINAL DUNGEON COMBAT
//ADVANTAGE: YAREX
The first of the combatants to arrive at the final arena gains their choice of three setting selections for the combat. All three choices must be selected before the battle, but only two will be revealed at the start of the combat.
The second of the arrivals will be allowed to make one selection from the remaining options.
Choice 1: COMPRESSION: Only one action is allowed per-pulse.
Choice 2: SETTING: The participant with the advantage may select a setting for the combat from a group of choices.
Selection made: Floating Islands – Combat will take place on a series of small land-based platforms. Participants may not leave their platform voluntarily while opposed. Unless possessing the [Flying] status effect, a combatant knocked off these platforms will have their AP reduced to 0.
CHOICE 3: Hidden
Around him, his vision was slowly returning, but everything was blurry as if he were viewing the scene underwater. The world was blues and greens, but no detail.
Tarn frowned at the selections Yarex had made to his advantage. They were strong choices, all designed to negate some of the advantages his team might bring to bear. He had been left with a single selection.
//DISADVANTAGE TEAM LEADER – MAKE ONE SELECTION:
1. Recovery: Both teams gain the [Recovery] action. Damage that would reduce a target to AP 0 may be prevented with this action, but the taker of the action will lose AP equal to the amount prevented.
Either no one dies today, Tarn thought as he selected the [Recovery] option, or we all do. It was telling that Yarex left only that option on the table for him to pick. Narsol had repeatedly asked him what would he be willing to give up to achieve his goals? Yarex was willing to sacrifice his team if it meant winning.
//CONDITIONS: Team leader (Yarex / Tarn Arisfal) must be reduced to 0 AP. Other participants will be removed after reaching 10 AP.
The Axe must have its blood, the Sword had told him. Now it was time to see whose blood it would be.
//SELECT TEAM – SIXTY SECONDS
Tarn hadn’t given his choice of teammates any real thought until now. No point, until he knew what he was dealing with. The arena and challenges chosen by Yarex made at least one selection easy. Given the floating islands and the advantages that would allow Tona, he quickly slotted Isca into the first position.
As he did so, she appeared standing next to him, the details of her form slowly coming into focus as if she were emerging from a waterfall. She brought one hand to her head, rubbing her antennas in disorientation. Tarn wished he had time to bring her up to speed, but the clock was running.
He measured Bog’s ferocity against Lash’s versatility. Either would be a solid choice, one bringing damage and the ability to off-tank, while the other gave him crowd control and critical healing. The thought process was a quick one, as Tarn wanted the fight to be. Bog would end the fight faster, while Lash could only prolong it. The quicker Yarex was put down, the better.
But the final slot was a struggle. He quickly eliminated Jental and Aryo, despite the former’s recent level-up. Aryo was too inexperienced for this fight, and Jental was a bit too unpredictable. If Bog was going to be here, he couldn’t have two members of his team who might go off script.
But what about Narsol? He had experience in this fight, and the choice between him and Urthin was difficult, as each had strengths that lent them a reason to be here. Narsol’s experience might be something Yarex had no answer for, and the orc had handled Geron quite adeptly on the bridge. And he had the passion of fighting to reach his homeland.
Brains win wars, Rykin had once told him. But hearts win battles.
Stoic or not, Tarn was sure no one would bring more passion to this fight than Urthin. The vision from Vestai had wounded Smiley in a way Tarn had never seen before. He deserved the chance to bring that pain to this battlefield.
//COMBAT BEGINS IN SIXTY SECONDS – FIRST PULSE: YAREX
The blurriness that had filled Tarn’s vision suddenly lifted as the world shifted into clear focus. He was standing on a field of dirt and grass, circular and about fifty feet wide. The blue sky was all around him, both below and above. A crisp wind blew through the space, and though Tarn was certain they were still within the confines of the Axe, as far as his senses were concerned this was an open and endless sky, populated by a few platforms of floating rock and sand.
“There is little point debating with you,” Yarex called from across the field. His hood pulled back, Tarn could see the conviction in his eyes. “What I do now, you have forced me into. Whoever dies today, it is on your conscience.”
Tarn laughed back.
“If you want to play guilt games with me, Yarex, you’re about six months too late. My conscience is clear. You do what you need to do, and so will we.”
“Yes,” the monk said as the timer ran out. “I suppose we both will.”
//BEGIN COMBAT SEQUENCE – ASSIGNMENT //Hidden advantage revealed: The leader of the group with advantage may assign the combat pairings.
Tarn’s eyes went wide as Isca, Bog, and Urthin promptly vanished. He was frozen in still-time, looking on as Yarex made his selections. They were nearly instantaneous choices, and his opponent had clearly thought through all the possible variables.
On an island to his left, Tarn saw Isca’s hovering form materialize next to the hulking Geron. To his right, Urthin was paired against Tona, while on a slightly more distant platform, Bog was faced with the lantern-wielding Vestai.
Damn it, those are good choices. Isca was very outmatched against the huge Geron, who had enough health to absorb her attacks, which focused on damage over time. Tona’s aerial mobility almost completely negated Urthin, who had few ranged options and nowhere to shroud and hide on the tiny platform. Of the three, only Bog seemed to have the advantage, though Vestai had not shown what offensive capabilities she had.
//COMBAT: GERON v ISCA
Tarn was still frozen. He was unsure if this was how combat worked in the final chamber of the Axe, or if this was another of Yarex’s selected advantages.
The lumbering Geron went first, swinging his arms wildly as the enormous tree branch was summoned into his grip. As with everything the brute did, there was no finesse to this attack. The huge club was lifted high over his head and came down on the hovering Isca like a fly being crushed. She went down to the ground with a painful cry and slammed down to the dirt by the huge limb. A staggering 40 AP fell from her total, bringing her to nearly half in just one hit.
To her credit, she recovered almost immediately. She soared back into the air while firing her wrist launchers, attacking while placing herself out of the range of Geron’s tree limb. The brute was not badly hurt, and the poison damage associated over time was weak, but it was a start.
She wobbled a bit in mid-air as she did, but looked back at Tarn and offered him a shaky thumbs up.
//COMBAT: TONA v URTHIN
Tona had already deployed his wings and was flying about ten feet off the small platform. As combat began, Urthin’s innate [Shrouded] ability activated, and he vanished from Tarn’s sight. As always, Tona seemed to be in pain from the simple act of using his wings, and his grunts of exertion could be heard over the light wind running through the chamber.
“You hurt her, monk,” he hissed down to the empty air beneath him. “I haven’t forgotten that.”
Reaching down to his belt, the man pulled out a small pouch and simply dumped its contents into the air. A dark, sparking dust fell out and quickly began to burn in a wide cloud of fire that drifted to the surface of the platform.
As the flaming powder made its way to the ground, there was a man-shaped concentration of small bursts. With nowhere to avoid an attack that hit the entire area, Urthin received 20 AP damage as well as a count of the [Burning] status effect. The damage brought him flickering into view, where the pain on his face was briefly visible.
Though he had a few low-damage ranged attacks available, Urthin decided his best option was to reenter the shroud, as he used his only action to again vanish from view.
COMBAT: VESTAI vs BOG
Their combat was a bit more distant, but it was easy for Tarn to find the larger Bog as well as the lit lantern of Vestai. While the first two combats had the mismatches he worried about, he was hopeful that this one might go more in their favor. Yarex watched with rapt attention though, a confident smile on his face.
Vestai thrust her lantern forward and a golden flaming shield formed around her, encasing her in an energy sphere of fire. Bog immediately took 10 AP damage and a count of [Burning] just from the proximity. As her turn came, she predictably slammed into the shield with her axe. The sound of the impact rang across the chamber, but the results were less impressive. Vestai only took 10 AP damage herself, while the shield absorbed the remaining 40. Bog also gained a second count of [Burning], meaning she would take 20 AP damage at the start of the next round.
COMBAT: YAREX vs TARN ARISFAL
“You seem pretty happy about all this.” Tarn glared back at Yarex. “I mean, you’re enjoying it. You admit that at worst I’m misguided, but you’re excited to kill me. What does that say about you?”
“A good question.” His brow furrowed for a moment, then he softened. “It means my people – the great and all-knowing keepers of history – were wrong. They’re wrong to be so damn stoic and cold, and they’re wrong about the price of inaction.”
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“No.” Tarn shook his head. “Tell yourself that if you need to, but this is about proving they were wrong about you. I’m not the only one who might be doing harm with good intentions here.”
Yarex’s jaw clenched as the smile drained from his face. That one hit.
“You won’t live long enough to commit your changes upon this world.” Yarex thrust forward as a pair of ebon blades came into his hands, mirrors for Urthin’s daggers. Channeling one of the monk’s strongest attacks, Tarn groaned as the pair of strikes hit. The damage was significant, but even worse was the status effect.
[Cursed: Melee] May not make a melee attack in the next two pulses. This status may be cleared by taking 30 AP damage.
“Armor up all you like.” Yarex’s smile was devoid of its usual dark charm. “Thanks to your team’s abilities, I have so many ways to chew through it.”
Team. At that moment, Tarn finally had a reason to smile back. He’d been saying it from the beginning, that was the one difference between the two groups. Yarex had gone to great lengths to set up the most advantageous matchups possible, planning to isolate each of them into one-on-one combats they were designed to lose.
But nothing said they had to fight one-on-one. They just couldn’t leave their platforms. Tarn activated his bow, drawing a surprised laugh from Yarex.
“Half-damage when used at melee range,” the Sighted reminded him. “Hardly worth the effort.”
“Only if I’m aiming at you.”
Tarn shifted his focus to his right, happy to see that Tona was an available target. He wanted something that would bring the Aerialist to the ground, but unfortunately, none of his ranged attacks had such an option. Fortunately, he wasn’t limited to just his own.
//PULSE LINK – URTHIN (Hobble)
The pulse-shifted Captain selects a target within 50 feet. That target takes 30 AP damage as well as gaining the [Hobbled] status effect.
[Hobbled] – All movement-based abilities and status effects are canceled and may not be activated for a full pulse.
With a cry of surprise, Tona fell to the solid ground of the platform with a satisfying thud.
//COMBAT: GERON vs ISCA
Tarn looked over to the island where the brute faced off against Isca. She returned his gaze with a nod and braced herself. Beneath her, Geron conjured up a large boulder and tossed it in the air in her direction. The rock connected with her, sending her backward several feet and taking another 30 AP off her total.
It was concerning, but the rules of engagement lent him some confidence. With her nod, Isca showed she understood not all these battles could be won, what was important was they won the war. That trust, even more than teamwork, was what might just get them through this.
Ignoring the bellowing Geron beneath her, Isca too launched a volley of darts at Tona. The poison-tipped projectiles found their mark, slamming into the surprised human’s back. The damage over time wasn’t needed, merely a byproduct of the ability. The 40 AP damage itself was enough to drop Tona to 10 AP, meeting the defeat requirements of the arena.
With an audible pop, Tona simply vanished.
//Participant removed: Tona //FREE MOVEMENT: Urthin
A translucent path appeared between the now-empty platform and the three remaining islands. Already shrouded, Tarn enjoyed the fact that Yarex had no idea where the monk was heading. Tarn was sure though that he’d be making an appearance in just a moment.
//COMBAT: VESTAI vs BOG
As the Beacon thrust her lit lantern in Bog’s direction, Tarn wondered if she had even seen what had happened to Tona. A yellow beam shot from the lantern, striking Bog in the eyes and afflicting her with the [Blinded] status effect. Under normal circumstances, the melee attack debuff would be a problem, but Tarn was pretty sure Bog was already on to what was going on.
Yarex’s people were skilled mercenaries, but they were not used to working in a group. Tarn trusted Bog’s situational awareness would be higher than Vestai’s.
Sure enough, instead of attempting a low-accuracy melee attack, Bog launched a powerful shout into the arena, the force of her cry echoing off the walls.
//FIERCE ARE THE YEARS (Unique / Bruiser)
The Bruiser foregoes an attack this round, instead letting forth a shout that affects all allies within sixty feet.
Each affected member of the ally’s team gains 30 temporary AP and loses their oldest negative status effect.
Each member of the ally’s team gains 30 temporary AP and loses their oldest negative status effect.
Tarn felt the relief as the poison left his body, and watched his AP numbers increase to 90 AP. He wished he could see the look on Vestai’s face for her reaction, but the Beacon was too distant.
Yet Tarn was able to make out Urthin’s form as he stepped out of the shroud and slammed into Vestai’s shield with his twin daggers. The additional damage awarded from the stealth attack was more than enough to overwhelm the flaming sphere of energy, and it shattered like ice around the stunned woman. As still-time came to freeze them all, she found herself with Bog on one side, and Urthin on the other.
//COMBAT: YAREX vs TARN ARISFAL
“Very clever.” The smile had drained from Yarex’s face, replaced by a look of determination. “I had not considered this strategy.”
“Thanks.” It was Tarn’s turn to smile. Seeing the Sighted look even slightly unconfident was a win in itself. “Maybe this makes you wonder if there was more you were wrong about? We don’t have to keep doing this.”
“Without this combat, neither of us leaves the Axe.” He reached into that satchel on his waist, pulling out a small scroll. “And you were not the only one to use the dungeon to your advantage.”
//SCROLL: PERSONAL SHIELD PERSONAL SHIELD – For 3 pulses, no one can enter or leave the 5-foot radius. Use of this scroll does not count as an action.
As Yarex tore the paper in front of him, a dome of energy sprung up overhead and encompassed them both. Although this barrier was initially translucent, shadowed streaks of color began to fly from Yarex’s gem-like ribbons, rendering the surface of the shield more and more opaque. In heartbeats, they were nearly encased in darkness.
The implications of the shield were clear, this was now between the two of them. Though he expected Isca to fall to Geron, Tarn’s team would likely defeat Yarex’s group. He was confident Bog and Urthin together would be more than enough to handle an already injured Geron. But that was as far as they would go.
In the end, this fight was only about the team leaders, and now it was truly one on one.
Yarex conjured up [Sword Strike], the conjured longsword bursting into flames. The blade left streaks in the low light as it swung toward Tarn in an arc, striking him for 20 AP and reigniting his [Burning] status.
Tarn could feel the wall of energy at his back, pushing against him. He was down to his last 10 AP and had no way to prevent the [Burning] from triggering the next turn. As his timer began to count down his last thirty seconds, he knew this was the final choice of the battle.
He quickly keyed into his interface and began scrolling through abilities. Of all his gambles, this was the one he wasn’t sure would work. Pulse-link didn’t require line of sight but would it work through Yarex’s shield?
Isca’s abilities weren’t available, and Urthin had nothing he could use to do enough damage fast enough. Bog had one ability that might work, but there was no further time to check and see what the resultant combined ability would do.
//THUNDERING IMPACT (Pulse-shifted Captain) The pulse-shifted Captain charges at an opponent within 10 feet. That opponent is struck for 50 AP damage. The pulse-shifted Captain is then struck for 10 AP damage recoil.
Tarn was already moving forward as the ability’s text ran across his thoughts, a mix of crimson and orange energy covering him like a running fireball. He had only a heartbeat to wonder which effect the Axe Dungeon would count first before he collided with Yarex. The last thing he saw before the world around him exploded in color was Yarex’s eyes turning wide with shock.
The arena then faded away. The mists came back, swirling around Tarn and becoming thicker and thicker until he felt fresh stone under his feet. Though he was certain the combat was over, the power of still-time still held him in place. Tarn blinked again and saw he was back in the central chamber, standing before the stone pillar.
There was a massive metallic door now present on the far wall. Tarn guessed it was at least thirty feet in height and was of a polished brass-colored metal that shone in the torchlight. A crimson wall had appeared around the stone pillar, and both he and Yarex now stood frozen inside it.
Tarn was relieved to see all of his team gathered together on the opposite side of the wall. Tona, Vestai, and Geron were there too, but each of them was encased in red-colored spheres of energy. The brute pounded on the walls of his, while Tona shouted incoherent obscenities. Vestai simply sat cross-legged, her lantern in her lap.
//JUDGEMENT: VICTORY TARN ARISFAL //BLOOD REQUIRED: 1000 blood points (250 BP per participant)
Yarex cried out in pain, stumbling backward before falling to the ground. His body began to burn at the edges, blood-colored flames licking at the edges of his hands and feet. He looked up at Tarn, shocked. He reached out to him, and Tarn took his hand. Despite the strange fire now encircling his fingers, his skin was ice cold to the touch.
Hearing Geron’s confused cry, Tarn looked over to see the three globes Yarex’s team were encased in had begun to fill with blood. The liquid was already at the giant’s waist, while the shorter Tona and Vestai were nearly submerged to their necks.
Yarex pulled a single crystal from his pouch. It was light blue, with what looked like a tiny flame dancing within. With a grunt, he threw it to the stone, where it shattered. Looking exhausted from the effort, he crumpled back to the floor.
//Homing Portal Activated: Shattered Stone
There was a thunderclap by the three spheres, and the blood vanished from the one containing Vestai. The woman looked back at Yarex as she began to fade, while the dark liquid continued to rise in the other two spheres.
“Vestai, I never meant for you to be hurt,” Yarex said, pain cracking his voice. “I send you back now. You will be cared for, such as you can be.”
Vestai simply opened the brass lantern she had been carrying since Tarn first saw her, and blew out the candle within. She then knelt inside the circle, slowly fading away. In a heartbeat, she was gone and left only the empty sphere behind.
“No!” Tona screamed as he began to slip beneath the surface. “She’s gone? This was not the deal! You said you’d take care of all of us! You prom-”
Tona’s cries were cut with a shocked gurgle as he dropped completely under the blood’s liquid surface. His thrashing form could still be seen through the dark fluid, its movements slowing. Geron too had already slipped under, despite his sphere not yet being full.
“I am … confused.” Yarex’s voice came in short gasps. The fire was now raging across his body. “This is the moment my Sight led me to. But this – this is not how it should be.”
“You said you had a benefactor?” Tarn knelt closer. He recalled their conversation from the bridge. “Maybe you were lied to.”
“I am … Shattered Stone.” Yarex looked into Tarn’s eyes. With a trembling, burning hand he reached out, placing his fingers on Tarn’s shoulders. “I cannot be lied to, but I cannot see the moment I came here to witness. My Sight … how could it be wrong?”
“Let us help you,” Tarn said, grasping at his hand. “Maybe we can-“
Yarex pulled away. Both of them knew it was a useless gesture. Tarn saw the anger in the man’s eyes. The frustration, not in losing, but in failing. Yarex had believed he was right to stop Tarn and still did. Now he would die worrying about the future he was trying to save.
“Look, I’m still going to try to do right.” Tarn looked into the monk’s eyes. The fire was now running up and down his body, slowly turning him to white ash. “I will think about what you said, I won’t let anyone get hurt-”
“This can’t be right…” Yarex's eyes flooded with confusion as a thin puff of powder fell from his lips. “I have … seen your failure. History. Does not lie.”
The flames were all-consuming now. The air around him became too hot to stay close to. His limbs no longer enough to hold him up, Yarex fell back onto the stone. He looked up at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. In a moment, there was nothing left but a vaguely man-shaped pile of ash.
Tarn became aware of Urthin standing next to him, arms folded as he looked down at his former fellow monk. Both outcasts now, he reminded himself. Urthin’s face gave no hint of his emotions, but Tarn felt loneliness on his behalf. Like Yarex, it was possible he may never go home again.
“I’m sorry, Smiley.” Tarn sighed. “I wish there had been another way.”
“I do not grieve for Yarex.” Urthin shook his head. “There were only two outcomes possible here, and this one is preferable. I cannot account for his insistence on his vision, but I have come to agree with some of what he believed in.”
“Really?” Tarn looked back in surprise. “You think he was right about me? About what we will do?”
“I cannot say, I have not the Sight to see. No, what I agree with is his view that the Shattered Stone cannot always stand outside the events of the world. There are times when action is needed, and we are in one of those times.”
“Then I’d say it’s time to leave, Smiley. Let’s go do what we came here for.”
“That’s going to be a problem,” Bog said. She and the others were staring at the far wall, where Tarn could now see no changes had happened. The massive metallic door loomed over them all, dully reflecting their features across its surface, still closed and immovable.
They had fought their adversaries to the death, just as the Axe Dungeon had asked. The blood price had been paid, but the great door had remained shut.
They were trapped.