The domed, black crabs skittered over the softly illuminated white sands, towards Fritz and his team as they set down their packs and readied their weapons.
"Aim for the joints connecting their claws and legs to their main shell," Fritz said, swishing his blade through the air as its opaline core glowed in the strange light of the stars overhead.
"Bert steps in to distract the big one, while we focus on fighting and finishing off the rest. Lauren, burn as many of the small ones as you can. Rosie keep an eye out for flankers and protect our backs," He ordered.
Having abandoned her shield, Rosie borrowed Cal's shortsword and paired it with her hatchet. He had offered her his own shield and spear but she had refused them, boasting of then showing off the hardness of her scales by sliding the edge of her axe head across them. She had held out her arm and displayed the dull, unmarred scales, prompting Cal to agree and keep his shield and spear for his own protection.
George stretched and swung a few practice swings of his sword then readied the long blade in two hands. Lauren had stored away her Treasure rod and was wielding her shortsword and buckler. She looked apprehensively at the fast-approaching monsters and steadied her breathing. Though the excitement never left her face and her eyes glowed and small motes of orange danced within.
Bert strode forward confidently to meet the crab's charge. His bracers glittered like the stars in the sky and he assumed the compact stance of the Arte Pugilist. Fritz cloaked himself in dusk and could feel himself fade from his team's attention.
The nine smaller crabs attempted to overwhelm Bert, but he was able to dodge around their claws and rain concussive blows that cracked their shells and threw them back. Lauren ran to one side and let loose her newest Ability. She took a deep breath and then a torrent of fire sprayed from her open mouth, coating half the smooth-shelled beasts with flame that stuck like tar. It was almost as if she had used her Treasure, though the Ability still had someways to go if it was to be just as potent.
Even if the heat was less intense and the sticky fire had less longevity, it was still enough, more than enough, to cook these beasts alive. The crabs burned, curling themselves up into balls as the flame stuck to their shells and they died.
Seeing Lauren had everything on the right under control, Fritz decided to join the other side with George, covering his back as he swung his shining sword. The man was fast, or faster than he had been. But Fritz could see that the armoured man's movements were not more precise. In fact, his strikes were more clumsy, inelegant, even though they were swifter than before. However, that didn't matter much with his new Might. His blade struck hard, arcing overhead chops carving clean rents into the smooth shells. The crabs' split domes spilt their thin blood in dribbling streams, staining the sands beneath bright blue.
Bert slammed a rippling fist into the great crab's close-together, pincered face. The thing staggered back and its legs shook for a second before it swung its claw like a hammer. He ducked, crouching low under the blow then sprung up in a devastating uppercut that threw the great beast a foot off the ground and sent it rolling away. Bert followed it, his attacks thudding off the hard shell leaving only tiny cracks in their wake.
A crab, steaming on one side skittered towards Lauren' shielded arm. In a blur, faster than Fritz could fully see, Rosie Interposed herself between the beast and the fire caster. She chopped wildly with her two red-wreathed weapons while the crab's sharp claws scratched harmlessly over the scaled skin of her forearms and legs. With more luck than skill she managed to hack off her opponent's spindly limbs and it fell, quickly bleeding out from its spurting wounds.
Cal helped, or tried to. The spear turned out not to be the most effective weapon against the creatures' hard shells. But he was able to throw the crabs back with his shield, shoving them away or into each other as they tried to surround the team.
Not content to stand back simply watching his team's new martial prowess, Fritz joined the fray. The monsters seemingly couldn't see him while he was cloaked. So he made the most of his advantage, severing legs and claws with Quicksilver's deadly edge and leaving the crippled crabs for Bert or George to finish off.
Soon only the huge crab remained, its shell seemingly tough enough to withstand a full minute of Bert whaling on it. He was uninjured, but Fritz could see he was beginning to tire. Using Concussive Blow so many times, no matter how much the Arte Pugilist reduced the cost, would take its toll.
"Clear the way! Lauren, cook the big one!" Fritz ordered.
She ran forward took another huge breath and blew out. At the very last moment, Bert rolled to the side and out of the Fire Breath's roaring stream. The fire clung to the crab's shell and it flailed, charging forward to trample the woman with its terrible bulk.
Bert kicked it, knocking it back a foot. His shin broke and bent at an unnatural angle. He fell with a yell even as the bone snapped back into place with a wet crack. The beast was still recoiling from the blow when George stepped up. His sword shimmered, coated in slippery, clear-white energies that rang with sharpness. He swung a horizontal slash that sliced clean through the creature's smooth domed shell like a knife through a purse string.
The strike didn't kill the crab outright and it shied away from the gleaming sword even as the blade was covered again with that powerful sharp aura. This time the crab activated some Ability, its body pulsing as if it was pulling on the air around it. Then, as George got close, the pull reversed, blasting outward and throwing him off his feet. His armour rang like it had been struck by a mace and he crashed into the sand ten feet away.
The rest of the team felt lesser effects from the blast, stumbling from the sudden shock wave or falling to their knees to brace themselves. Fritz however was able to keep his feet easily and rushed towards the long furrow cut into the shell, plunging Quicksilver within and adding an activation of Gloom Strike. The creature barely noticed as the shaded blade tore apart its vital organs. The monster tilted to one side as it stupidly searched for the hidden assailant responsible for the numbing shadow pouring into its soft innards.
Too late its gaze alighted on Fritz, the crab was already staggering, then falling to the sand. The black orbs of its eyes drooped and its mandibles loosened, and it died. He ripped his blade free of the beast's leaking cavity and glanced across the flat dunes for any more threats. Only a few crabs were left alive, dragging their round bodies and attempting to flee on their remaining limbs. Rosie and Cal's side daggers quickly finished off the wounded monsters. Then they were staring around at the destruction they had wrought as a team.
"Any injuries? George, are you well?" Fritz called, as the too-sweet smell rising from the crab's blood suffused the area.
"Fine!" George asserted as he stood gingerly, his armour clanking. "Merely pushed back a bit."
"I have a cut," Rosie said, proudly presenting a long but shallow wound on her upper arm. "Missed my scales. Somehow."
"I'm well," Lauren provided. "Though my lips sting a little."
"You could try the grease," Fritz suggested.
"I'm not putting that vile sludge anywhere near my mouth," She replied.
"A too common refrain," Bert lamented.
Lauren's face scrunched in disgust as George chuckled and Cal choked out a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Rosie asked with a frown.
"Nothing," Cal said quickly.
"Oh. I get it, grease," Rosie lied, badly. "Ha ha," She added stiltedly.
"Anyway, let's crack these things open and strip them of their meat," Bert suggested.
"Let's hope they're better tasting than the lobsters," Cal said, approaching the largest corpse and sniffing it warily.
"It would be hard for them to be any worse," George observed.
"I have a good feeling about these crabs," Bert said. "Can you smell the ones that were seared by Lauren's flame? Mmm."
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Fritz had to agree, the scent of the blood was sweet, and even if the flesh was more charred than cooked, the delectable fragrance made him salivate.
"Should we cook some of the meat here," Cal asked. "Test it before we do all that work for nothing. Like last time?"
"No need," Bert replied, biting into some of the scorched meat. Blue fluid dripped down his chin and he chewed vigorously. Once he had swallowed he rapidly took another bite and gave the others a thumbs up.
"I ain't falling for that again," Rosie declared.
"I'll try it then," Fritz offered. "Bert."
Bert threw a hunk of crab and Fritz caught it without looking. A trick he thought made him look both dashing and mysterious, even if his armour was splattered a little with the flying fluids. With a shrug, he brought the meat to his mouth and bit into the crunchy, juicy crab. Its texture left something to be desired, the uncooked portion was gooey, and the burnt bit crunched like brittle bark. The flavour, however, was delicious. The juices were sweet and fruity, being almost berry-like while the meat itself tasted like a seabird or maybe slightly salty duck.
If this crab was cooked properly he knew it might rival some of the fabulous feasts and elegant dishes he had eaten on occasion as a child.
"Damn!" Fritz cried after swallowing. "Don't miss a single bit! This has to be the best monster meat I've ever had."
He looked over their fallen foes greedily, and after the team tried some for themselves they eagerly got to work, splitting shells and prying out the dark blue meat within. While they did so Fritz searched for somewhere to set up camp. He felt that this Floor with its clear views, obvious monsters and seemingly plentiful oases would be a safe enough place to rest. They needed it they were tired, only carried by the excitement of acquiring their Paths and Powers. That, and the restorative effect of the Well.
He knew that the elation would wear off soon and they would be feeling a bone-deep fatigue in maybe an hour or less. The perils of the previous floor had truly tested them and pushed them to their limits, and only getting some sleep would help the heavy limbs and gritty eyes. When the first yawn came, it would be followed in an exhausted chorus.
Hoping to head off the inevitable crash, Fritz turned to the closest oasis and looked for the smooth black stones he knew to be the domed crabs. He could pick out a couple of the larger monsters scattered around the gentle waters. Their shells poked over the tall green grass in a way that reminded him of the palace's domed roofs that, when it was raised, loomed over the Upper Ring's walls.
He began to form a plan to clear the oasis, thinking back on their first fight against the beasts. The lesser crabs were easy to deal with, the real threat was their larger kin. Fritz looked over the fallen monster, marvelling, with some envy, at the clean cut George had sliced into its shell.
"Was that Sever?" Fritz asked, pointing at the dead monster.
George glanced up and smiled proudly. "Yes, in combination with my Sharpen Blade. There's a real synergy there. Let me tell you," He boasted.
"You don't have to tell me. I can see it," Fritz said appreciably. "Truly devastating, must be draining though. Surprised you're still standing."
"It is draining and costs two mana, but I was able to choose a Trait with Essence of Metal. Sever isn't consuming my metal mana efficiently, but Blade is closely enough aligned to it for it to be used. And that's far better than using Stamina. I can attest to that," George said.
Fritz nodded, knowing what he said to be true, then pondered on the plan for their next fight. He recollected the small mistakes they had made, like himself not immediately cursing the largest crab he could see or Lauren not lining up her Fire Breath effectively. There was also the problem of Cal being particularly weak against the hard-shelled foes. The same went for Fritz's own strikes, powerful enough to disable the smaller beasts but likely ineffective against the largest.
He eventually decided on a plan to have Bert and George form up in a pair to take down the big beasts while the rest took on the lesser crabs. With Rosie to distract and pull back with Interpose, they could set up Lauren's Fire Breath to hit the majority of the swarming beasts without her having to constantly reposition to get the best angle. He relayed his adjustments to their strategy to the intently listening team.
"A sound plan," Bert said.
"I agree," Lauren said.
"I'm bait?" Rosie asked without heat.
"Yep, same as me," Bert said with a grin.
"Alright," She replied with a satisfied nod.
"Since you're the bait. Maybe you should take my shield now," Cal suggested to Rosie.
"Nah. I like having two weapons. I like being able to attack instead of just standing there and blocking. But I do wish this hatchet had a spike so it would work better with Puncture," Rosie said.
"I wouldn't mind a flail, or something heavy that I could use Heave to wield. That way I could help more in battle," Cal mused.
"It's just a bad match up, they happen. I myself probably couldn't pierce the big one's shells. Even with my ever-sharp and ever-trusty Quicksilver," Fritz assuaged. "I'm afraid we'll just have to be on clean-up duty."
"Fair," Cal sighed.
With the slippery, gelatinous meat collected in a large sack and the team ready to be on their way, Fritz led them towards the closest oasis. He took a circuitous route, avoiding the groups of smooth stone between them and their destination. Around half an hour later they had reached the edges of the grass and greenery around the still waters of the pool without incident.
"Bert lead the beasts onto the sands. We don't want to be burning all the grass and trees away," Fritz ordered as they got close.
Bert saluted in a mocking fashion, then proceeded to run into the grass and start harassing the beasts within. With chittering chitin, the crabs charged the invaders.
The battle went according to plan. Mostly. Fritz was able to weave his curse on the two biggest creatures and Bert and George were able to deal with the first easily. Sever landed like a screaming comet, this time splitting the shell vertically, an arc of blood spraying into the air. The second crab was another story. Having seen one of its kin eviscerated it would pulse its Shockwave Ability, repelling George every time he tried to close the distance.
Fritz wanted to help slay the difficult beast, but he was more focused on finishing off the few smaller crabs that had escaped the bonfire that had been suddenly breathed into reality. The bait-Interpose tactic had worked like a charm, gathering the crabs into a tight-knit, snapping clump that was easy prey for the wide effect of Lauren's flames. Most of them died, charred within moments, but some had been out of range or had taken cover behind their kin.
He watched Bert attempt to corral the great crab, yelling at it and slamming its hard shell with his fists to no avail. Finally, after a minute, the monster shuddered and with shaking legs it collapsed. It weakly swept its claws as it crawled, but no more directed pulses of force came forth from its body. Obviously, Lethargy had taken its toll and left it incapable of defending itself further. George, heaving like a bellows, trudged forward and swung down his sword with a screaming Sever. The blade and the clear white light bisected the domed shell with ease with another fountain of blue blood.
The armoured man fell and Bert dragged his limp body away from the small crabs scuttling towards them. Rosie rushed to help, kicking, swinging and stabbing the swarm in a flurry of motion.
"I Hate you I hate you I hate you!" She screamed. Her shrieking battle cry rather than her, mostly ineffective, strikes seemed to get their attention and they turned to surround her. Once they had gathered again she streaked to Cal's side with blurring speed and Lauren spat forth another torrent of flame. She stepped back gradually as the beasts burned and looked around for any more threats, holding her sword and buckler steadily before her.
The remaining foes were finished off quickly and simply, leaving them with a host of charred and cut crabs and an empty oasis. Well, empty save the trees and grass that swayed in the gentle almost nonexistent breeze.
Fritz glanced over his team and asked, "How's George?"
"He'll be fine. I think he just used up too much Stamina with that last strike," Bert said.
"Good. Everyone else okay?" Fritz called out.
"Not a scratch," Rosie said smiling smugly.
"My mana is mostly out. Though I'm healthy in all other respects," Lauren said.
"I'm good," Cal supplied.
George groaned, coming too and staring around blearily.
"Ouch," He grumbled.
"We should rest here for tonight. I'm off to find a spot to camp," Fritz said.
They nodded and Rosie yawned. One by one the yawn caught on, as he knew it would, and tiredness sunk its teeth into the team. They sat or started harvesting the plentiful monster meat as Fritz left them.
He didn't take long to find a small out-of-the-way patch of sand hidden among the grass and trees, somewhere where they could light a fire and remain mostly hidden. He returned with haste and led them back to the grounds he had found for them. Bert had to carry George over one shoulder, but he barely complained even when the armoured man apologised profusely for his weight.
"Never mind all that. You have the heft and weight of a real man!" Bert proclaimed.
"It's the armour," George protested, his cheeks seeming to redden.
"What even is a 'real man'?" Lauren asked rhetorically.
"It's uhh... about honour?" George said as he hung limply.
"It's about earning your way?" Cal hedged.
"Wrong! It's all about muscles," Bert corrected. "Big and bulging," He elaborated flexing his arm.
Fritz rolled his eyes as did Lauren, they caught each other's expressions and smiled conspiratorially as they continued through the grass.
More yawns and a few stumbling steps reassured Fritz that he had been right about their limits. While they were far stronger, far more powerful than before, they still needed to sleep and recover from the tortuous day. Fritz himself succumbed to a yawn as they walked.
They set up a basic camp with a small campfire and although they were tired, Cal got to cooking the crab flesh. As it boiled and the meat puffed up into thick, fluffy chunks of light blue. He decided to add a little water to the pot when the blood thickened too much. When the food was deemed firm and hot enough he ladled it out into the wooden bowls they had brought.
They ate it like a stew, the meat was wonderfully light, slightly salty, yet hearty and the blood had reduced into a sort of sticky, sweet syrup. It was wonderful and Fritz declared it the best meal he'd had in years. And he wasn't even lying.
"This isn't bad at all," Lauren allowed, some surprise lacing her tone. "It's a bit like roast duck with blueberry sauce."
"Best thing I've had," Bert said slurping down his meal.
Rosie nodded along vigorously stuffing her face with as many chunks as she could fit.
Cal ate slower than his sister, but just as gracelessly, preferring to eat rather than talk.
Once their dinner was done and they were falling into post-feast drowsiness, Fritz purported his plan for the next day or two.
"We're going well, two floors in less than a day. Almost a third done with this Spire," he began. "I think we can take some time to refine our tactics and strategy on this floor. We'll find the Stairway first, of course. Though I'd like to spend some time fighting the monsters for more practical experience. And while we do that, perhaps search for some Treasure."
"Sounds good," Cal yawned as he unfurled his bedroll. The rest of the team copied him, setting down their own bedrolls in the small sand clearing and around the warmth of the campfire.
Exhausted as she was, Lauren didn't even bother to move away from the rest of the team, seeming content sleeping next to Rosie. Fritz realised he too was nearing on collapse, so he set up by George and Cal, not wanting to be anywhere near the storm that was Bert.
Bert offered to take the first watch, his greater Stamina recovery easing some of his need to sleep. Fritz accepted gratefully, and as he lay his head down he wondered about that for a moment, surely Endurance should make it though they had to sleep less? It didn't really matter right now. Though he knew that Climbers still had to sleep, he didn't know why. Maybe he'd ask Lauren in the morning.
If there is a morning in this place, he thought dazedly.
He stared up at the glittering sky and drowsiness dragged him away.
Asleep under the cold stars.