The Helldrake looked like a dragon. Jeze had never seen a dragon in real life, only in pictures. The beast loomed before her with coal-black scales and a horned head. Its red eyes glared hungrily at her, and the Helldrake lunged forward as fast as a striking snake. Jeze rolled out of the way, and the beast's jaws snapped shut, creating a sound like thunder that echoed throughout the chamber. An arrow snapped off the Helldrake's cheek. The scales were hard like steel! For a moment, the monster's attention was diverted away from Jeze, and she turned and ran.
"Proven! We will show this beast what we are made of!" Dunar barked.
"Hurrah!" The others shouted back.
"For Glory!" Rolfe roared and banged his spear against his shield.
Helga fired another arrow but missed it as the Helldrake completely exited the portal. It loped forward on all fours. Its front limbs had bat-like wings curled to its sides as it ran with shocking speed. Jeze saw that beyond its hind legs was a long tail that ended with a barbed tip, like a scorpion. The monster was bigger than Rolfe and Helga combined! Jeze thought.
"Levitation formation!" Dunar barked. Jeze was impressed with his coolness under pressure.
"Are monsters able to come through Floor Portals?" Mikal asked.
"I don't know Micky, maybe we can ask the beastie nicely?" Helga responded.
Mikal scowled at her, and Ziplocke snickered from the shadows.
"Focus!" Dunar snapped.
The ground shook, and the stones chipped under the Helldrake's powerful frame as it rushed toward the Proven. With the Levitation formation, Jeze was supposed to be on the outer left flank near Dunar. Due to the Helldrake being able to breathe fire, the formation was more spread out with each member close to another with a shield. Rolfe and Dunar stood up front and apart from each other with their shields readied. Helga stood behind the Protector and off to the side, prepared to flank the beast. The warrior maiden held the two-handed mace she took from the Howler Elite as the blunt weapon was more effective against the thick scales of the Helldrake. Behind her was Mikal, who was completing full body gestures and glyphs as he Summoned and Shaped the Water aspect. Jeze Shaped and Controlled the Earth aspect to strike the Helldrake's hind legs with stone fists. Jeze wanted to cripple the beast, and she poured enough Will into her spells to take down a Hellbat. But even that much power had no effect on the large monster.
The Proven learned a lot from their battle with the Goreraptor. From what they experienced in that fight and what they read about Helldrakes, they had two different formations for those two types of large beasts. For the Goreraptor, which was able to deliver a more powerful charge, the Proven prepared the Titan formation, where they locked three shields together in order to halt the beast's charge. In that formation, Mikal and Jeze would circle to flank and aim to cripple the beast's hind legs with magical attacks.
From what they knew about Helldrakes, they did not anticipate the creature as having the charging power as the Goreraptor. Rolfe was confident he could halt the large monster on his own. However, the Helldrake could leap high into the air and glide as well as breathe fire. In addition, it had a poison stinger at the end of its tail. Jeze's role was to try to cripple the beast by striking at the joints in its hind legs and tail. Currently, her attacks had no effect, and she needed to do something more. Both formations involved Mikal casting his Flash Freeze spell.
Water moisture formed in the area in front of Rolfe, and when the Helldrake's charge entered the mist, Mikal closed his fists to complete the final Glyph of his spell. The mist froze instantly to ice and slowed the beast as it rammed its maw into Rolfe's shield. The Protector was pushed back a few steps, and he jabbed his spear repeatedly into the creature's chest, which caused sparks to fly off the heavy scales. Dunar attacked next, and he slashed his axe into the beast, unable to penetrate the armor-like scales. The Helldrake swiveled its neck to snap its jaws onto Dunar, but the Leader caught the toothy attack with the edge of his shield. The two warriors bashed with their shields and attacked with axe and spear as Helga circled to the monster's left. The Striker's mighty blow nearly knocked the creature to its side! Helga's chest heaved as she swung the heavy mace again and again. The round metal head of her weapon clanged loudly against the creature's thick scales.
The Helldrake recovered and spun so fast its movements appeared as a blur. It's tail spike struck Helga and the Striker yelped in pain as she fell to the ground. The monster used its powerful hind legs to leap high into the air where it unfurled its wing to propel itself higher.
“Mikal check on Helga! Jeze, do something that will hurt it! Rolfe to me!" Dunar barked as the Helldrake circled and gilded back around toward them.
Jeze nodded and used the Darkness aspect to fade into the shadows, where she was able to focus her Will without being spotted. The Scout began to Summon the Earth aspect.
"She's been poisoned," Mikal stated.
"I'll be fine, Mikal. Worry about the Helldrake!" Helga growled as she pushed herself back to her feet and unslung her shield.
Her face was pale, and she grimaced in pain from the wound to her side where the stinger pierced her armor. But she was right; Mikal had no time to heal her as the Helldrake prepared to engulf them in flame. Helga rushed forward and locked shields with Rolfe and Dunar. Mikal Summoned the Water aspect and Shaped it to form a curved wall of ice in front of them just as the Helldrake breathed a massive cone of fire. The chamber erupted with steam as the blast tore through Mikal's spell and splashed onto the shields. The Frostsworn warriors gritted their teeth through the intense heat and pressure, but their new shields withstood the attack! But the Proven were not given a break. After the fire blast, the Helldrake slammed into them with tremendous force. Dunar, Mikal, and Helga were thrown to the sides, and Rolfe was pinned under the beast.
"For Glory!" Rolfe roared as he pushed up with his shield and slowly got to his knees.
The Helldrake chomped and slashed the armored Protector, and its deadly tail slapped Dunar away like he weighed nothing. The Leader was thrown across the chamber, and he landed in a heap. Rolfe bled from dozens of gashes and cuts as the Helldrake knocked around his shield and bit deeply into his side. The Frostsworn screamed in pain, and Jeze watched in horror as Rolfe fought back less and less. He was trapped in the beast's maw.
Mikal was a short distance away with his eyes closed. He was completing precise gestures and Summoned the Life and Spirit aspects. He was attempting the Vitality Spring! Jeze thought and blocked out the crunching sounds as the beast chewed and slammed Rolfe to the ground like a rag doll. The Helldrake dropped Rolfe and turned its attention to the Healer as if it sensed a powerful spell coming. Jeze needed to do this right as the beast moved to attack the distracted Mikal. She Shaped the earth into a boulder and Controlled it with a tremendous amount of her will. The Helldrake prepared to leap when she launched the giant rock that slammed into the Helldrake's side. She missed the knee joint but was still able to knock the beast to the ground, with her boulder exploding into bits.
The Healer opened his eyes and held his hands up in the air. A golden glow emitted from his body, and Jeze looked down at herself and saw a similar glow form. The same aura surrounded Dunar, Rolfe, Helga, and Jeze, and they felt a spiritual connection to her team. She felt her Will replenish, and a rush of vitality infused her system. Helga stirred, but Rolfe remained inert. Mikal fell to his knees, his arms limp by his sides, but a smile was on his face.
"You did it! You cast the Vitality Spring!" Jeze cried.
With gritted teeth, Dunar stood to his feet and charged the Helldrake as it also rose from the ground. The beast responded in a blur of speed as it slashed its tail at Dunar. The Leader slid under the attack and continued toward the Helldrake. The monster brought its tail back, and this time, Dunar caught it against his shield. In a fluid motion, Dunar used his shield to redirect the tail attack to the side, where he chopped off the Helldrake's stinger with his axe.
"We will crush your bones to powder! We will defeat you! We ran with the Dire Wolves through the Deep Snow! We are the Proven!" Dunar chanted loudly as he advanced upon the howling Helldrake.
Blood spurted from its wounded tail, and it took to the air again. Before it could spread its wings, it was knocked down by a boulder that slammed into it. It turned with rage-filled eyes on Jeze. With surprising speed, it pounced toward her! Jeze dove out of the way just in time as the beast slammed into the ground with clawed feet. It moved too fast, and it was too close for Jeze to do anything. She needed to buy time, and the boulder spell took too long to cast.
The Helldrake whirled on Jeze with snapping jaws, and the Scout barely dodged the attacks. Her teammates were too far away! Jeze was on her own at this moment. Her mind scrambled with options, and she found peace in them. Clarity came to her. Was it because of Mikal's spell? Or her training? Jeze did not know, but she had drilled hard on many Aspects and skills for their utility. She had a tool for every occasion, and even though death loomed before her in the form of a giant monster, she was calm. Jeze tapped her Affliction channeling tool and completed the quick gestures to Summon, and Shape a curse. With a smoothness that came from hours of training, she Controlled the spell to strike the charging Helldrake. It sneezed and shot puffs of flame from its nostrils. This brought Jeze enough time to sprint away as fast as her legs could carry her. Behind her she heard the Helldrake take a deep intake of breath, and she rapidly changed direction as a blast of flame struck the stone floor. The cone of fire followed her, and she felt the intense heat on her back. Jeze activated the enchantments on her armor but feared it would not be enough if the flame caught her. She was so focused on sprinting for her life that she didn't realize that she was near Dunar. The large warrior stepped forward and caught the cone of fire on his shield, and Jeze let out a sigh of relief.
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"The beast cowers before our might. Who are we?!?" Dunar roared.
"The Proven!" The others shouted back.
Jeze was relieved to see Rolfe had risen. His body looked battered, but there was a fire in his eyes. Helga also rose shakily to her feet. Her face was pale from the Helldrake's poison, but the warrior maiden hefted her two-handed mace and howled in response to Dunar's chant. The Helldrake took a deep intake of breath and a red ball of Affliction energy struck it. Instead of shooting flames, the monster was wracked with a coughing fit. Jeze's eyes were wide as she saw that Ziplocke had cursed the monster.
"Knuckleheads! Stop your cheering and slay the beast!" The Goblin shrieked.
The Helldrake took to the air but was knocked back down by Jeze's boulder spell. Dunar slashed the creature's eyes and nostrils with his axe. The Helldrake snapped forward with its head, and Dunar caught its teeth on his shield. The monster still moved incredibly fast and dodged a boulder attack. In a flash, it pounced on Dunar and pinned him to the ground. Despite Mikal's Vitality Spring, Jeze was feeling depleted and could not summon the Will for another boulder spell. With gritted teeth, she drew her sword and battle axe and charged into the fight.
Mikal healed Dunar's wounds as the Leader struggled in vain against the monster that was on top of him. Jeze slashed her axe and stabbed with her sword at the Helldrake's eyes and face. The monster responded with a swipe of its tail. Jeze jumped and flipped over the attack and continued her assault, but her weapons barely scratched the creature's scales. Helga slammed her mace into the creature's back knee and cracked bone. This wounded the Helldrake and slowed it down, as now it could only limp. Dunar fought his way back to his feet, and the three pounced on the Helldrake with renewed fury. They all felt victory was near. Even Mikal joined in and stabbed with his spear. The beast was hurt and overwhelmed, but it furiously snapped out with its powerful jaws and slashed with its forelegs. This kept the Proven at bay until Helga landed a devastating blow to the creature's head with her two-handed mace. The beast stumbled to its side. For a moment, its underbelly was exposed, and they heard a fierce, deep roar. Rolfe had ditched his shield and charged forward with his spear in two hands and plunged his weapon into the creature's chest! The Helldrake spasmed and fought a few moments longer before collapsing with its tongue hanging from its open mouth. The battle was won.
“For Glory!” Dunar roared.
"Hurrah!" The others shouted back.
The Helldrake was defeated, but the Proven still had work to do. They looked at the Floor Portal. It glowed ominously and filled the chamber with the threat of another Helldrake emerging.
"Jeze, can you repurpose the Portal?" Dunar asked.
She scowled at the Leader. "Of course I can, but first, I need to see what the stranger did to it."
"Are you mad?!? We will not survive another attack!" Mikal cried.
With determination, Jeze went over to study the Runes that encircled the Threshold of the Floor Portal. Rolfe inscribed the Proven runes beside the Helldrake they defeated and puffed out his chest in pride. Dunar ordered the others to gather their healing potions and recovery broths.
"Bring me my pack," Jeze asked her teammates.
"You can't be serious? Dunar, we must repair this portal immediately and then repurpose the exit portal. This has to be turned into a Safe Zone. Our survival depends upon it," Mikal pleaded.
"Jeze, you need to hurry," Dunar said.
"I know that!" She snapped back. Jeze nodded in thanks as Helga delivered her pack.
"This is no time for research," Mikal said.
"You want to work these Runes? Be my guest, but know this. If you make a mistake, you may invite an even stronger beast to come through or worse. You may cause this entire chamber to explode," Jeze screamed at the Healer.
Mikal backed away. Helga looked more pale than usual.
"Micky, I don't feel so well," the Striker said and collapsed to her knee. She was still poisoned from the Helldrake!
Mikal immediately rushed to her aid and started to tap into the Life aspect. Jeze returned to copying the Runes that the mysterious saboteur had inscribed into her journal. She squinted and studied the scratches the stranger made and it reminded her of the same scratches she found in the Pyramid. Someone was intentionally damaging the Thresholds!
"Could they be related?" She asked out loud.
"What do you mean, knucklehead?" Ziplocke asked.
The Goblin was beside her and studied the Threshold along with her. Jeze explained her theory that the same people who sabotaged this portal also did the same at the Pyramid. Ziplocke tapped his pointed chin.
"Like a secret cult that wants to free the Fiendish Lord?" He asked.
That thought horrified Jeze, and she added, "And they are hidden among the Guild with no one the wiser!"
Ziplocke cackled. "That would be delightful!"
Jeze glanced at him sideways, and the Goblin cleared his throat. "And horrible as well. Us Goblins know how bad the Fiendish Lords can be. They have oppressed my people for as long as we can remember." But he couldn't help himself and snickered as he imagined the looks of horror on all the mortals' faces when the Demons conquered the realm. But then, he would have no place to play. That final thought caused the Goblin to become serious.
"You must fix this!" He shrieked.
That was not difficult for Jeze. She had done this before at the Pyramid and practiced many hours under Seb on how to manage the Portal aspect. The difference here was that the mysterious stranger not only sabotaged the portal, but they repurposed it as well to allow the Helldrake to emerge. Jeze guessed that Helldrakes are more prevalent higher in the Spire and that if they were to enter this portal, they would be taken there. She shuddered at that thought but paused.
This was just a theory, and she asked Ziplocke, "What if they could bypass all the levels and go right to the top?"
Ziplocke laughed and then quieted. "You are serious?" He stated.
"I'm thinking this could save us so much trouble," Jeze replied.
"Knucklehead! What if you are wrong and you are taken straight to the Abyssal plane? You do not know where a tampered Portal will take you!" Ziplocke nearly shouted. His outburst drew the attention of the others.
"Jeze? Everything alright?" Dunar asked.
"Yes, we are good. I can fix this," she replied.
Ziplocke was right. It was best that she repaired the tampering and revert the Portal to its original purpose and that was to transport a party of five randomly to the next level. The Floor Portals were connected somehow and she was not sure if her tampering would cause irreversible harm, especially since it was believed that adventurers were at the higher levels. Using her amber resin and the Portal Channeling tools, she felt the energies snap into place.
"It's done," Jeze said.
"How do we know if you did it correctly?" Mikal asked.
"Be my guest and go through it," Jeze motioned to the shimmering Threshold.
Mikal remained quiet. Rolfe and Helga laughed.
"Go on, Micky! All you need to do is find the next level's Exit Portal. We will wait for you at the base," Helga said.
Mikal glared at her, crossed his arms, and turned away from them.
Dunar barked, "That's enough!" The others quieted, and the Leader continued in a calm voice, "Jeze, please establish a Safe Zone. We are still injured; we need to resupply, and the Guild needs to hear of this treachery."
Jeze respected Dunar's rationality and ability to lead, and she got to work. In moments, the Exit Portal was repurposed to operate in two directions. Those on the outside can now directly enter this chamber.
"I wonder how much gold we can make from this Helldrake," Rolfe said and rubbed his hands eagerly.
Dunar used the Communication Scroll to inform the Guild that the Floor Portal room is now a Safe Zone. "Let's leave now before we are beset by more monsters," he ordered.
Outside, the Proven were greeted with cheers. To their surprise, they saw Carl Jorgenson and Berserker Orn among the small crowd.
"We are proud of you," Carl Jorgenson stated.
"I am glad to see you are well. We heard rumors that you made it to floor five," Dunar replied.
"Aye, we did. It took great wisdom for us to decide to exit," the Carl replied.
"We ran out of food!" One of the other Carls stated with a piercing laugh.
Berserker Orn approached and looked at each of the Proven with his piercing blue eyes. He stared at them long and hard, and Jeze felt he was looking into her soul.
"The pups have grown," the Adept-ranked adventurer observed.
"What do you see?" Jorgenson asked.
Orn nodded his head slowly and smiled widely. "I see growth!"
Rolfe and Helga glanced at each other with anticipation. Jeze was also excited, but there were more important things to discuss.
"We bring news of treachery," she stated.
The Carls' and Berserker Orn's faces turned serious. Dunar nodded to Jeze and explained how they saw a stranger sabotage the second-level Floor Portal.
"Is this true?" Lady Kalina arrived and asked. Beside her was Miss Heng.
"It is," Jeze replied.
"Do you have proof?" Miss Heng demanded.
Jeze scowled at her. Nearby, Jeze spotted Drake and his team of Elite Legionnaires. Were they the ones responsible for the sabotage? Jeze did not trust them, nor did she trust Miss Heng's judgment and loyalties.
"Be careful," Ziplocke whispered into her ear.
Jeze nodded in agreement and did not respond to the Amber Guard.
"Speak girl! You make wild claims without proof," Miss Heng hissed.
Orn clapped his hands, which made a thunderous sound that caught everyone's attention.
"Let us all go to the Second Level Floor Portal and see for ourselves, no? The Proven have changed, I can feel it in my bones," the Berserker loudly stated.
Lady Kalina crossed her arms and asked, "What type of change?"
There was a twinkle in Orn's bright blue eyes. "A change that needs to be assessed. Let us go and see what they have accomplished."
"Assessed? Is that what I think it means?" Rolfe asked. Eagerness was in his voice despite the beating his body had recently taken.
"That is a bold claim, Berserker Orn. But I agree. Talking is pointless. Let us see the evidence and decide from there," Miss Heng stated.
It always surprised Jeze the level of respect the two showed each other. It made her wonder if maybe Miss Heng was not all that bad. Drake continued to watch, and his face reminded Jeze of a scheming serpent. Helga gripped Jeze by her shoulders in her powerful hands.
"Don't look so gloomy, little Scout! We are about to be assessed! We defeated a Helldrake, you know what that means, ya?" The Striker said.
Jeze narrowed her eyes and asked, "What?"
"Oh, ho! You are clueless!" Helga exclaimed and leaned close to Jeze. "We will become Carls! Or, as you would call it, Adventurer-ranked!"