Seething Davren makes his way through the grassland that is getting progressively taller and thicker. He stops for a moment watching Javen with the healer on his back console Jada as they slowly follow behind. The grass slowly sways making the clearing less visible. I. DON’T. CARE! Jada yells, Davren shakes his head, their lives are on the line and this is still going on. He turns to begin walking again but stops himself. This will not be how it ends; she needs to fall in line, even if he has to force her to. Looking back he sees them at a distance, more frustrated he yells WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG!! Surprisingly they don’t seem to hear him in the midst of their arguing, well more accurately Jada yelling at his brother.Thinking how he now has to save them from themselves again he starts the walk to them. When did they move so far ?he thinks, barely able to see them now. Jada’s shrill screaming is now just a muffle with the grass now swaying faster, a violent wind seemingly moving it in a frenzy. Safe behind his sovereign shield he barely noticed the wind in the first.
Javen! He called as the wind picked up in intensity. Jada! Healer girl!! The rogue stirs again in delirium but Davren holds him tightly. Now he knew this was a trap, how did he let himself get caught in this? With the fate of these people in his hands he couldn’t make rookie mistakes. The Pathfinder on his actual team would have ribbed him for this. Roluth, his best friend started just like this lump on his shoulder, he was a rogue. Since the team usually used him for scouting and sneaking missions which his five foot four inch frame was perfect for, Roluth began choosing ability upgrades that involved discovery and cartography. This led to him choosing to specialize as a pathfinder when he hit B rank. Davren was often amazed when the curly haired guy with the nondescript face either found hidden individuals, routes or treasures. They were saved from many sneak attacks and bandit ambushes due to his abilities. One of the things Roluth constantly got on him for was missing the details when traveling. Davren knew that in his frustration he definitely missed details. The wind suddenly blowing, the grass that was blasted by Jada’s concussion ability apparently regrowing and the fact that his little brother couldn’t seem to keep up although Davren wasn’t moving that quickly. Roluth would have had him remove his shield beforehand as it blocks out outside force in an area around him, that includes wind, rain and nature as well as attacks. As a minor noble he has restricted access to the sovereign abilities and those he will be able to access will be weaker due to his standing but this shield has saved his life multiple times. Although it can only take a few hits from beasts his rank and maybe a hit from a higher rank depending on build he keeps it active as long as he can in a dangerous battle zone. He has currently trained enough for it to last forty minutes before having to refresh it. It also only needs two hours to recharge between uses when it is maxed out. This is the constant argument he had with Roluth, why put myself in danger when there is no need. Roluth would eventually be able to feel planetary vibrations and changes in the atmosphere so it made sense for him but Davren is a battle build, he hits and gets hit unless he can avoid it.
Finding his brother in this, whatever it is, was his main priority so he released his sovereign shield and equipped a long silver shield with the engraving of an Artonian Growler. The beast with the mane of a lion and the mammoth size outmatched by none that he has seen lives unchallenged in the Artonian wilds, its wings can produce powerful winds with a motion. That is the aspect he needed to use. This would take a chunk of his stored system reserves but this is a life and death situation, he thought. Pointing the shield currently in his offhand a few feet to the left of where he remembered seeing his brother he quietly says “Minor wind”. A powerful counterwind overtakes the torrent, sending grass flying towards the cave they entered in. Seeing the surprised look on his brother's face he used another ability of the shield “minor roar” to magnify his voice so it is heard over the winds.
HURRY YOU IDIOTS THE GRASS IS GOING TO GROW BACK!!
Javen grabs the hand of his girlfriend and they rush to make a way to Davren. He urges them on as blade by blade the grass shoots out of the ground replacing lost plots as the wind dies down to normal again. Reaching Davren Javen hugs him, I thought we lost you, I thought the grass swallowed you. With a slight pat on the back Davren replied, let's get going who knows what is in store for us next. He forced Jada to carry the healer while placing his brother in front of the group directing him to swing his big sword to cut the grass. Follow. Directly. Behind us, he said slowly as if talking to little children. Jada pouted but Davren threatened to leave her behind to Javens dismay.
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Finally moving with a good speed Davren marveled at the grasses properties and how it immediately grew after being cut. If this area had been populated already we would all be dead, he said making sure everyone heard him. The dungeon seemed to have populated the guardian first, we need to get to the next safe zone before anything new pops up here. There was no visibility here. They exit the grass to the clearing he saw earlier with what he thought was a pond. Up close he realized it was a huge lake, a closer inspection revealed that it was empty, this was probably going to be filled with life soon enough also. Stopping for a moment he placed the rogue down after having noticed Jada, with the healer limping behind her heading towards the lake. Taking off using a speed skill he tackles Jada just as she nears the mouth of the lake.
Do you have no survival skills? He asks.
Javen, clueless as usual, turns when he hears Jada screaming for Davren to get off of her. Grabbing her by the arm and hoisting her tall frame he drags her to his brother as the healer limps towards them. Team meeting, he demands, after a few moments he notices they are all listening. Addressing them he begins, First of all I am going to talk and you can respond or grumble to yourselves later when I can’t hear, agreed? He takes their blank faces and Jada’s scowling silence as approval. This is not the dungeon we entered, I assume we are still in the same location but it is changing somehow, the rogue he said, pointing to the prone figure on the ground, knew it. I don’t understand why none of the rest of you do. I have run this place numerous times before I left for the university and this, he gestures to everything around him, was not here. I am talking to you so you understand, I do not know what is going to happen, I do not know what we are going to face, I am guessing on respawn times as this dungeon is acting unlike any other I have been to. That water, he pauses to make sure they looked, could be poison, it could also be a trap like the grass obviously is. I do not have an item to check it on me so for now DO NOT TOUCH!! We are headed there, he points to another clearing with what looks like a tunnel on the other side of the grasslands. We can discuss strategy there, for now take a drink from this flask, he tosses a snakeskin pouch, which holds a silver flask he received from his father after his first dungeon run. That flask refills itself with fresh water every hour so no need to worry about what we will drink, he said, remembering his fathers joy after creating it. That invention made their family a minor fortune until it was copied by some merchants quickly putting an end to that business idea.
I am team lead now so what I say goes, no one goes off on their own because doing so means you likely die. She, he points to Jada, does not give orders or suggestions unless you hear me tell her to, he said internally shaking his head as he would never give her that authority. Javen you are in front again, keep a quick steady pace as I have a feeling this room is mimicking the outside and will be dark soon. If there is a night guardian you ALL are dead, if you get stuck in the grass you are dead, if other areas are populated and you talk too loudly you are dead. Do we understand each other? Pale faces from the girls and silent resolve from his brother tells him they FINALLY understood. Good, now Jada carry the healer this time, she is slowing us down.
Moving in silence Davren thought how glad he was that he was able to keep his voice from cracking and was glad that no one heard his heart practically beating out of his chest. It seems he was the only one to notice the red that was beginning to color the grassland they just exited. He hoped the next safe zone gave them at least a few hours of sleep and they could get lucky and find something to help the rogue because neither these teens or himself could survive this pace forever.
B rank would not be enough for what is coming.