Chapter 06

When the winged bear lifted onto its back haunches, that was terrifying enough. Then its great wings expanded so far that they seemed to melt into the shadows. The coat of the bear was brown and grizzled. Wrinkles of fur and flesh hung from the old beast. Its teeth gleamed with horrendous plaque against the light cast from Lep’s Hand of Flames. Massive paws raked the air for balance. Its great wings twisted for balance. With a mighty breath it let out a growl that crescendoed into a deafening roar.

With its roar came ripples of air that was tinted purple. After the sound of the boss’s roar, came the waves of purple tinted air. It passed through each of us harmlessly, but not without effect.

I suddenly felt small and the boss felt more powerful and bigger than a moment ago. I looked over my shoulder, keeping our escape in mind. My companions all shifted nervously. Foli’s steed of root and leaf paced about as though anxious.

“Tosin,” Pelle said, still beside me. “Our health bars. What do you think is happening?”

Each of our health bars were shivering every few seconds. When they shivered, they flashed a dull purple.

“Intimidation? Fear?” I said.

“We’re afflicted,” Pelle warned the rest of our party. “Be wary!”

“Great,” Vynk said. “This might be tough for me since it can fly.”

“Ready?” Arris said. “Attack!”

Lep’s two Hand of Flames were the first attack. Each massive hand soared over our heads. The mage expertly puppeted them using his own hands as reference. His sleeves swayed as he moved his hands outward. His fingers splayed and curled in a reaching clutch.

The boss began beating its wings furiously. It rose into the air, keeping its eyes on both approaching Hand of Flames. It doged both hands with ease, flying with the grace and speed of a small bird.

Foli charged in from the left, atop her steed, wielding her staff in both hands. Her Sphinx Wasp homed in on the boss and struck with fury as they collided together. The boss received several stings and bites. The monstrous bear was able to grapple a hold of the Sphinx Wasp and tear three gashes through the giant insect's abdomen. The wasp rasped and plummeted to the clearing, dead.

Vynk charged in, greatsword raised high. Arris charged in with great thundering stomps. Robern appeared below the boss, loading and firing conjured crossbow bolts in quick succession. Six bolts thunked into the boss’s thigh and it snapped its jaws in the direction of the pain it must have felt. Its health dropped by a small but sure margin.

Foli arrived below the boss first. Her steed of root and leaves bucked wildly. She brandished her staff at the boss who remained meters out of reach.

Arris’s Orb Weaver arrived next and its body swayed back and forth on skittering legs. It reared and clicked its mandibles in deimatic behavior. Vynk and Arris arrived soon after and neither could attack. They waited helplessly.

“I got this!” Lep said. “I’m going to force the boss down! You guys get ready to strike!”

“Get ready Pelle!” I said. She gave me a single firm nod.

Lep moved his hand up in tandem as though they were passing over a large incoming wave at sea. Both his Hand of Flames did the same and rose above the boss. Then the mage dropped both Hand of Flames and aimed for the boss. Each one grasped a flapping wing and the boss stretched and contorted in pain from the searing heat. Blood red steam rose between the fingers of each Hand of Flames as blood vessels and wing matter vaporized in an instant.

The boss tumbled to the ground, landing in a crash that shook the earth and threw Arris off his feet. Vynk was there to perform long swipes of his greatsword across an arm and the chest of the bear. Lep’s spells dissolved, leaving holes in the wings and exposed bone of the wings’ forearm.

The bear charged Vynk and the two clashed in a tumble of blade and teeth and claws. Foli, Arris, Robern, and our Orb Weaver fought by Vynk’s side, delivering successful blows. Large sweeps of the bear’s paws put everyone at a distance, delivering slashing strikes to each member.

Pelle and I cast spells simultaneously. Zekaidean’s Anvil began the first of 15 strikes. Star Armor promptly encased each of us. I cast Twenty of Gryf, targeting Vynk who was taking the most damage.

“Danera Wisps!” Pelle called out and flung her arms wide.

A large glass jar popped into existence before her, right in the center of her mana bar which fell by at least 25 points. The jar was cylindrical and a cork made of molten silver popped off and floated half a meter from the jar.

Inside were six glowing orbs that fluttered around in the same way that bumble bees ambled about. They bounced around clumsily. One by one that escaped the jar. Each wisp careened to a different target until there was one above each of us.

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Each wisp stuck with its target. In between strikes of Zekaidean’s Anvil, I could see the healing effects work from Pelle’s Danera Wisps. Those auric orbs healed by proximity.

The boss was a terrifying flash of muscle and teeth and claws. Everyone's Star Armor on the front lines had shattered almost instantly on the next strike. Between Pelle and I, we easily kept up with the damage they then received.

Arris grappled with the savage bear, dealing blows at every opportunity. Foli’s steed spun and bucked, delivering kicks that landed with sickening crunches to the boss’s face or ribs. Then her steed would turn back and Foli delivered punishing cracks with her staff.

A crossbow bolt was stuck in the bear’s eye. At least thirty more stuck from it’s neck and back. The boss’s health was nearly at half way and it was fighting furiously.

Another Hand of Flames sailed toward the boss and grappled with a wing. The boss leaned back in agony, leaving its midsection vulnerable where our frontline leapt in to deal as much damage as they could. Lep’s Hand of Flames melted through the wing and the boss leapt back half a dozen meters. Before anyone could advance, it let out a horrific roar. The same waves of tinted purple air rippled outward, coasting through each one of us.

Everyone’s health bar shivered and flashed purple at double speed. Thoughts of escape entered my mind. I checked back over a shoulder once more to be sure the path back was still an option of escape.

Foli’s Steed of Elwohire screamed like ten thousand rustling leaves. It reared back far enough to throw Foli off. Then it sprinted away and tumbled apart in a mess of dead roots before it got very far.

Foli’s health dropped a bit, but not enough to warrant the inaction she was experiencing. She sat up on the ground and simply stared at the boss.

Seeing a potential kill, the boss lowered its defense and accepted more damage from our frontline in exchange for performing a large swipe that knocked Vynk and Arris off to the side, and killing the Orb Weaver. Then it turned and marched toward Foli’s immobile body. Her health bar was shivering and flashing purple nonstop.

“Get her out of there!” Pelle said.

Not a moment later I was running across the clearing. I wielded my flagstaff with one hand, thankful that my training had paid off and I could swiftly make distance with it. With every step I ran, it was becoming clearer to me that I would not make it in time to pull Foli out of danger. I swung the flagstaff before me and called out, “Fist of Wind!” aiming for the bear.

The tumbling fist of tangled air smashed into the bear, only slowing it briefly. It was not enough to stop its course. Foli was still immobile, staring ahead, sitting straight, with her arms to her sides. I had to do something and fast.

“Fist of Wind!” I said once more and changed my target. I aimed for Foli. The spell of tangled wind and shadow careened toward the ancienne in a race to get there before the bear. A moment before the bear bore down on her, my spell smashed into Foli and sent her flying forward. Her health fell as she slid across pine needles and into the void of shadow. The Danera wisp above her lagged behind. It was a dim glow in the distance.

The boss dug its claws into the earth beside where Foli had been only a moment before. Then its snapping jaw came down and caught nothing but air, pine needles, and earth. Another Hand of Flames clamped down on the remaining wing. The bear reared back and howled. Its eyes were wide and mad with rage. Its muscles bulged twice their size and its skin and fur split at every bulge.

“Second phase!” Pelle said. “We’re almost there!”

The boss’s health was quickly diminishing.

Vynk caught up to the boss and cast his health bar around himself. I could almost hear the pumping of his heart as the bar throbbed like it was its own creature made of blood vessels. The warrior lifted his greatsword back over his head and chucked it at the boss.

His greatsword sailed right over the head of the boss, missing by a wide margin. It spun and just when it fell right behind the boss, Vynk said, “Replace Blade!”

Our warrior’s health bar drained halfway. He leapt into the air and suddenly he disappeared. In his place was now his greatsword. The boss was nearly cleaved in half at the waist, and it fell over just as Vynk’s greatsword clattered to the ground. Behind the boss was now Vynk, landing heavily on his feet.

Pelle ran to him and ripped out a scroll from her bag. Her mana dwindled to near empty when she activated the scroll. After a flash of light, Vynk’s health returned to near full.

The boss’s health hit zero. Its body began to vaporize in torn shreds and smokey filaments. While the dungeon chest spawned, we all gathered together.

“Save your potions, Pelle,” I said. “I’ve got enough mana to heal everyone to full.”

I cast Zekaidean’s Anvil once, and then cast Twenty of Gryf a number of times until everyone was back to full health.

Robern was already opening the chest and going through all the loot. We crowded around.

“Eight copper, four silver, and one gold coin,” he said. “There’s also a chainmail shirt, a pair of drinking glasses, a sewing kit, a bundle of torches, and a map.”

We split the bundle of torches, then each of us negotiated one item except for the map. I ended up with the sewing kit. Foli took all the coins for safekeeping.

The map was a crude rendition of a dungeon floor plan. We all looked over Arris’s shoulder while we tried to figure it out.

“This can’t be a map of this dungeon,” Foli said. “It’s more like several squares. I don’t know if those are walls, or what they are.” She pointed to several odd symbols on the map

“This is the first chain item,” Lep said. “It’s probably a map to the next dungeon.”

“There’s an X in the top right square,” I said. “Think we’ll have to dig?”

“Could be the boss,” Arris said.

“What are all these?” Foli said, pointing to several more T symbols across the map.

“They’re either hammers or levers,” Robern said. “My guess would be levers. The first chain was full of traps. Dungeons with traps often have other mechanics like levers, gears, and switches. I wouldn’t be surprised if traps are a theme in our dungeon chain.”

“If that’s the case,” Vynk said, “then they’ll probably become more and more dangerous as we go on.”

“Turn it over,” I said.

Arris flipped the map over. On the bottom corner was the dungeon name.

Pathless Vegetation. Swarm for the King.

“Off to the second chain?” Vynk said. “Or should we stop by the guild post first?”