In the wake of both the incredible gust of compressed air and the enormous cannon-like shot, silence stole across our small section of the battlefield. It felt like a passenger jet blasted inches away from my face right as the warlock was about to complete whatever spell he had been cooking up. Looking to the side, the dwarf was languishing on his side several paces away. The remnants of his protective bubble were completely shattered, shards tinkling on and around him. The arcane pieces of crystal sparkled before morphing into small motes of energy which evaporated into the air like miniature tornados breaking apart.
The fiend was not dead, though by the look of it wished he was. One arm was completely missing, only a shredded stump which he flailed wildly as blood gushed from the rent. The poor warlock hastily moved his other hand across his body, clamping down on the wound to either staunch the blood loss or halt the terrible pain he was experiencing.
I needed to finish him off, who knew what life-saving abilities the dwarf had at his disposal? Summoning my battle axe to hand once more, I looked to the side where the incredibly powerful burst had originated from, but only saw what appeared to be an armored dwarf peppering something robed on the ground with wild gauntleted haymakers. I was nowhere close enough to physically intercede with whatever was being pummeled, but it didn’t mean I was out of options.
Knowing time was of the essence, I nonetheless sighted my flintlock pistol at the plate-armored dwarf and pulled the trigger. This time, the weapon rocked back in my hand as it discharged its armor-piercing round. Barely able to make out the effects at this distance, the dwarf nonetheless dropped to the ground as the impact stole his remaining life.
Hopefully, the unfortunate person weathering the warrior’s beating would survive the brutal assault, but I had other things to worry about. Namely, ending this fight.
“Xaz, that was…” Stella started, paws pressed rightly to her cheeks. From my angle, I couldn’t see the anguish forming over her softly furred face.
I loomed over the fallen dwarf as he cradled his injured arm. No! I realized a split second later, not cradling the mush of shredded flesh. The dwarf was in the process of casting something! Ribbons of blood were being pulled from the injury, collecting in a slowly forming sanguine ball in the caster’s hand. He was using the pain and injury to fuel a spell!
A sneer reached the dying dwarf’s face as he endeavored to cast one last spell before his life expired. It looked like he was channeling his own life into the spell, a last desperate gambit to bring his enemy with him to death. The warlock was determined not to cross the threshold on his own.
Frostrend descended. The weapon’s electrified edge found no resistance, no magical protection flared, as the dwarf’s head separated from his body. The dwarf never halted in his efforts to throw one last spell, his eyes tinged with utter hatred even as my weapon sliced downward. His lone arm fell limp on his side, and an intelligible breath escaped his stained lips. A growing sphere of blood, now the size of a grapefruit, splashed over his body. Grotesque leech-like lampreys the color of midnight covered the dwarf’s robes, their tiny bodies convulsing as whatever magic sustaining their rapid growth ended.
“…Marrek.”
My head spun to the side, my eyes squinted with confusion. “What?” I asked disbelief etched into the single syllable. How could it have been Marrek? The last I saw of him… He was blasting dwarves with bursts of magic.
Before racing off, a glance to the side confirmed Ripley and Lowki, with Tallos’ support, had finished off the two plate-wielding dwarves and their lizard steeds. With the leaders of the invasion defeated, an eerie calm was settling over the flattened field outside the city proper. Hurrahs and cheers of victory filled the night sky as guards thrust their weapons high overhead. I rushed to where we last saw the wizard, Marrek. A small number of dwarves were retreating towards the back where we had spotted the catapult drivers dash off earlier. All thoughts of further conflict disappeared from my mind. Flashes of silvery light near a distant tree line implied some magic was at work, whisking the withdrawing dwarves away most likely, but it was none of my concern at that moment.
Stella gasped as we neared the downed figure. He was all blood and bruises, a layer of mud-trampled dirt clinging to his robes. My fingers went to Marrek’s neck after moving the soiled robe away from his face. There was nothing, not even a trickle of life. Jamming two fingers once more, hoping I simply had the wrong spot, I held my breath as I sought a pulse.
“Oh, no,” Stella muttered beside me. She floated down and rubbed a spot of dirt marring the wizard’s unmoving face.
“I can revive him,” I breathed without thinking it through. Pushing my sleeves up my arms, I closed my eyes and sought my center, my core. Surprisingly as black as a marble, nothing stirred at my command. Even the normally animated storms raging across my core’s surface were nowhere to be seen. No cool wisps of ice danced with snaking bursts of lightning. It was a cold void.
Confused, I turned to Stella, a question forming on my lips. She beat me to it, her voice shallow and devoid of any of her normal bright enthusiasm.
“Remember, you don’t have access to that spell. Not for at least another ten hours,” she agonized, a tear forming at the side of her face. “I’m so sorry, Xaz.”
My normal resolute, unbreakable faith in my abilities crumbled as comprehension finally found a foothold in my mind. There was nothing we could do. “He cast the spell that slammed into the warlock, didn’t he?” I asked.
“He did,” Stella said between soft sobs. “I think he heard me yell out. The damnable warlock was casting a horribly perverse spell. Marrek must have turned away from his fight and risked throwing a spell powerful enough to break the dwarf’s magical protection.”
The fight replayed in my mind, the defeat gnawing in my chest at my inability to stop the dwarf from doing whatever he pleased. His protective barrier had been too much for my axe to quickly break through. The blast likely saved my life, but the attention Marrek diverted to help cost him everything. If I had access to my spells, all of this could have been avoided. I may not have needed the intervention.
The rest of our group, Ripley, Lowki, and Tallos wandered over to where we were kneeling. Tallos’ hand on my shoulder sought to relay some compassion. He didn’t say anything, instead opting to provide what emotional support he could as we mourned.
“He said he was done helping this city,” I lamented, the words difficult to form as I choked up. “When the time came though, he didn’t hesitate. He rose to fight for his fellow man. Marrek was… a hero.” I rested my palm against the man’s forehead. The skin carried a layer of sweat laced with fine granules of dirt. Closing my eyes, I wished the man find a spot in the afterlife, if there was such a thing, reserved for heroes.
Noticing a stillness in the air, the many cries of victory absent, I opened my eyes and looked up. Standing nearby were hundreds of armored men. Blood, grime, and sweat covered almost every spare inch across the countless breastplates and battered expressions looking our way. Some of these very men may have been those responsible for apprehending Marrek, stringing him up for some public spectacle, like a beast to slaughter.
Not a single eye held malice or anger towards the fallen man. When these men found themselves in a tenuous position, having difficulty defending against a near-invisible foe in the dead of night, the man lying on the dirt before them had come to their aid. Like a blazing beacon, Marrek stood by their sides, saved lives, and fought beside them. Bonds forged in battle are as strong as titan steel.
What happened next started with one of the closest soldiers, repeated by another, and another. Like a silent wildfire, every nearby person dropped to a knee in respect for the fallen hero, for Marrek. Stella and I gazed across the field, seeing every soldier following suit.
“A hero he was,” a resolute voice affirmed from somewhere in the kneeling group. “Godspeed, Wizard Marrek. Go with our thanks for your sacrifice and bravery.”
As one, every man thumped a hand to their chest. The peal of metal on metal resounded as the men of Mammoth paid their respect. Returning to their feet, the guardsmen resumed searching the battlefield for survivors, a somber mood firmly entrenched in their faces.
“We will see him buried, with the respect and honor he deserves,” an approaching guard said. Turning to the voice, I recognized it as the same voice who spoke moments earlier. A bearded man with a shallow cut across his brow closed the distance. His armor had embellishments, unlike the regular guards around him, marking him as their captain, or perhaps the commander. With a snap of his finger, two leather-clad soldiers rushed to either side of Marrek before placing a litter under his body. The pair moved off, carrying Marrek towards the city and what would become his final resting place.
A short while later, after Stella returned from the downed demonologist’s body, looting what equipment and gear he had, she suggested we check it out the far end of the field. She helped me recall the flashes of light we spied as the dwarves retreated. Moving out, near a thin line of trees we found some rather odd standing stones. Glinting bricks, a foot long and half as tall, were stacked atop one another creating an arched doorframe about five feet tall. We couldn’t detect any active magic, and if I hadn’t suspected what they were, I would have sworn the archways served no purpose.
It was the material composition of the bricks which clued me into its purpose. “This has to be a gateway, something like the travel nodes we found earlier,” I remarked, laying out my suspicion, though I was certain Stella had already come to the same conclusion. “Can they still be activated?”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
I had no desire to follow the retreating force, even if we could, but the worry of another assault was not something to be dismissed so soon after battle.
“Possibly, but it would take a dwarf with innate knowledge of the gate’s working to turn it back on,” Stella said as we inspected the arch. In total, there were three of the stone doorframes nearby. “My guess is they had a small force of dwarves come here late in the night and called up these gateways with some kind of power. These can be turned on from the other side, so I’d suggest we smash these to pieces.”
It was sound enough advice for me, so, with Ripley’s help, we made short work of the silvern doorways. The bricks could hold some value since none carried the normal toxic taint, so each slab went into my inventory. Each weighed close to five pounds, but with the magical properties of my bag of holding, none of it translated into how heavy my bag felt on my side.
Daylight was beginning to creep over the horizon, bringing with it a radiant warmth my center seemed to soak up. We had been in darkness for so long, the sunlight felt like a balm on weary skin. Picking up the final wedge from the third archway, a message popped up in my vision. I had been silently wondering if the System would reward us for everything we did recently. I was not disappointed.
Congratulations! You have completed a hidden quest, ‘Nearly Torn Asunder.’
Discovering an impending threat against the human citizens of Mammoth, you and your party worked tirelessly to neutralize a Silvern invasion. Without your direct intervention, most, if not all, the people who call Mammoth home would have been tortured, slain, or scuttled below the surface to function as little better than slaves. Though the battle was hard fought, with many lives lost, your team’s actions proved the fulcrum for final victory. Fight on, honorable Hunter.
Objective One: Help the guards of Mammoth defeat the dwarven ambush. COMPLETED.
Objective Two: Help prevent as many deaths as possible among citizens residing within Mammoth. Citizens survived (79%). COMPLETED
Objective Two: Help prevent as many deaths as possible among the guard force within Mammoth. Guards survived (51%). COMPLETED.
Objective Three: Eliminate or dispatch the Dwarven Catapult threat, 5 of 5. COMPLETED.
Objective Four: HIDDEN.
Objective Five: HIDDEN.
Objective Six: Eliminate or dispatch the Dwarven Commanders, 3 of 3. COMPLETED.
Objective Seven: Eliminate or dispatch the Silvern Waypoints, 3 of 3. COMPLETED.
Calculating Rewards… Please stand by.
Notice! Quest rewards have been increased due to the survival of at least half of the citizens of Mammoth.
Notice! Quest rewards have been increased due to the survival of at least half of the guards of Mammoth.
You earned 31,250 experiences (Base 20,000)
Congratulations! You have earned a quest reward, the title ‘Hero of Mammoth.’
Congratulations! Your renown and reputation with Mammoth have significantly improved. Its citizens and guards will look upon you favorably from this moment forward.
System Notification: You have been granted a new title, ‘Hero of Mammoth.’
Your actions have marked you a hero among the common and noble folk of Mammoth. Long will your name live on, held in the highest regard, for your actions towards the city’s defense in a great time of need.
Title Benefits: Permanently increases all damage you deal to hostile invaders during a city’s siege by 10%. Your presence on the battlefield increases friendly morale by 5% and increases damage dealt by friendly forces by 5%.
Would you like to change your Title to ‘Hero of Mammoth?’ Note – Title benefits remain regardless of the displayed title. Yes/No?
Selecting ‘no,’ the notification disappeared. I wasn’t sure when the title’s benefits would come into play, the likelihood of defending another city under siege seemed remote. Still, it could come in handy one day.
Closing out the latest notification, a golden light radiated from far overhead, washing me in refreshing power. The effect spread to anyone nearby, instantly returning our party and several soldiers to peak health. Another bout of cheers rang from the lips of those affected.
Level Up! You have earned enough experience to advance to level 24. Tier 3 class characteristic attributes have been applied. You have 7 attribute points to distribute.
Congratulations on reaching level 24. As a Wraith, you are able to choose one of the following class-appropriate skills or spells. Please know that it is possible any skill or spell not selected may be found elsewhere in the World. Additionally, another set of skills or spells will be selectable at level 26, and level 28. When level 30 is reached, a tier 4 class will be available. Choose wisely.
“Ready, Stell?” I queried my small friend. She bobbed her head enthusiastically in response. The first option appeared before us and was a skill I had not been expecting.
Option 1: Skill [Minion Resurgence] – Instantly resummon your recently defeated minion. Upon use, your enhanced skeletal minion, Ripley, will appear fully healed at your side regardless of injuries previously sustained. Additionally, your minion will receive a combat buff increasing maximum health, stamina, damage, and all attributes by a moderate amount.
Note – This skill has a moderate cool down, reducing in duration as this skill increases.
Note – This skill levels four times faster than normal skills.
“At least it levels quickly,” I jested after reviewing the skill. “Ripley has only died like two times so I can’t see this skill being of much use to us. Still, when she drops, it means we're in a tricky spot. Being able to recall her to the fight instantly, could turn a defeat into a victory, if not helping a quick getaway at least.”
“That combat buff would help in those situations,” Stella offered as she swiped a paw in the air, interacting with an Accelerator-only screen. “Ah, good to know. The increase in her potential is based on the recent damage she sustained, meaning if she died rather quickly, the buff would be far more powerful. It also lasts as long as she remains in active combat.”
While I preferred acquiring new spells when I leveled, this skill which allows a buffed Ripley to return to a challenging fray couldn’t be dismissed out of hand. I said as much to Stella before turning our attention to our second option. As the new screen appear, Tallos mentioned he was going to see if any of the men nearby needed some assistance. I asked Lowki to stick by him, just in case. I didn’t expect anything would happen but wanted him a modicum of protection since his aid could take him beyond our group’s line of sight.
Option 2: Spell [Charged Detrimental Abeyance] (Average) – At triple the normal mana cost, and ten times the typical casting time, the caster of this spell is able to hold up to three separate damage over time spells in temporary stasis. Once enacted, the arcane spell forms are shunted to an undetectable pocket dimension and will only degrade after a moderate period of time has elapsed. Upon mental command, all stored spells are instantly cast on a target.
Note – A small amount of mana will be reserved to hold each spell in stasis, increasing moderately with each charged spell.
Note – Maximum target distance is set by the lowest distance among the stored spells.
Note – This spell levels two times faster than normal, and is considered as a damage over time effect when calculating bonuses, et cetera.
“Oh, I like this one,” I gawked. Being able to cast three spells at the start of a battle instantly would be incredible. “This would allow my spell damage to ramp so much faster. We’d probably want to use our hardest hitters, but it frees me up in combat instead of standing still for the first few second's casting initial DoTs. I’m not going to lie, I really like the feel of this one.”
Once more, Stella shifted through her unseen screens, looking to find any tidbit of information she could to help in our decision. “It’s a clear contender. That part about it being considered a damage over time spell means your class benefits will apply, which is nice to see.”
I hadn’t put much thought into the last footnote about the spell, but at her words, I reread the information. “Well, I’d imagine my duration buff from Wraith will automatically be taken into account,” I said, pulling up my character screen to remind me how my DoTs were impacted by my class selections. Wraith increased the total duration of each DoT I cast by a set percentage, depending on the tier of the spell. My tier one necromancer class benefited by doubling spell damage, while also enhancing how quickly the spells increased in level. “Wait, for my tier one benefit, will the increased leveling speed be added as well?”
“It will,” Stella replied. “After taking a fifty percent boost from necromancer, an additional hundred percent of that will be added to this spell. Meaning it will level really quickly, for sure.”
“Can you see the benefits of the spell as it levels up?”
“Yes, but we won’t know more concrete numbers unless you choose the spell,” Stella replied, her eyes darting from side to side as she sought the answer to my question. “From what I see, each level will decrease the reserve mana needed to hold the charged spells, and… Nice! It will also eventually increase the number of spells you can store! Can you imagine it? Casting all or most of your DoTs instantly at the start of a fight would be impressive to see.”
“Between the two, I’m definitely leaning towards this charged ability,” I suggested. “So far, our options have been incredible. I can't wait to take a look at the third.”
With a mental nod, the final option popped up.
Option 3: Spell [Pyroclastic Funeral Pyre] (Average) – Upon casting, this spell directs a fast-moving blast of superheated ash and particulates at a target causing a considerable amount of damage over time. The target is afflicted with the debuff, “Burial Pyre,” which causes moderate damage to other nearby hostile targets. Additionally, friendly targets and party members close to the affected target will receive a small attack speed buff and a minor health regeneration.
Note – This spell's secondary effect does not cause additional threat generation for the caster.
Note – When this spell expires, a random hostile target damaged by the “Burial Pyre” debuff will have a new instance of this spell placed upon them. The number of times this secondary effect triggers is dependent on spell level.
“Remarkable, this one will definitely lead in dealing the most amount of damage among all my DoTs,” I commented. “Even better, it has a small area of effect that harms anything hostile nearby, all the while buffing friendlies to boot! A trifecta.”
“Yeah, that last note cuts the cake,” Stella agreed. “If the original target dies, or the spell’s duration ends naturally, it automatically jumps to another enemy. The System doesn’t tell me yet how many times it can happen, but probably at least twice at level one. Give me a second..." Stella tapped away at her interface. "I want to see if the spell can be cast multiple times against different enemies.”
Stella worked through her invisible screens for a minutes before continuing. “From what I can see,” Stella said as she tapped the air as if proving an important point. “This spell has a slightly longer cool down but can be cast to cast on multiple enemies, even those affected by the secondary AoE. The overlapping damage would work wonders against larger groups of mobs.”
“Overall, all three are good options,” I noted while running a hand through my hair. It was matted in several places and tiny bits of dirt fell away as I pulled my hand back in mild irritation. I would be taking a nice long bath, I promised myself, as soon as we had the option to do so. “So, what do we think? An instant revive for Ripley, a triple spell charge, or a burning DoT and AoE?”
Stella tilted her head up at me as she pressed a paw to her lips before shrugging. “I’ll take the hit, and sound like you every time we get the choice. ‘I want all three,’” she replied while attempting to mimic my voice.
She brought a smile to my lips as I patted a hand against her back in good humor.