Elusive Prey

by Cheek, Jason

  “What in the hell-” Nacario’s exclamation was cut short, as the wide bladed axe head was twisted around and was yanked back through the open wound.

  “Get over here!” Zeven’s guttural bellow of rage was more growl than words, as the Rogue was yanked backwards through the air.

  There was no mercy or remorse in Zeven’s heart as he faced off against this group of triple “A” players. These players were part of the sick fucks that had mercilessly slaughtered his people and laughed while doing it. These were the psychopathic mother fuckers who had made a game of mutilating his people’s remains. These assholes were going to be the first to experience the payback he was going to inflict upon the rest of the members of their guild.

  Unknown to the rest of the triple “A” group, the steel hook at the base of the two-handed Lochaber had caught on Xxnos’s spine. While the hook was specifically designed to unseat riders on horseback, it worked surprisingly well for what Zeven intended to do next. His long claws wrapped around the man’s neck as he caught the player in midair. Stretching Xxnos’s body taut, Zeven’s muscular front leg shot forward in a powerful kick. Sharply yanking the Lochaber’s shaft at the same time, Zeven yanked half of the PKer’s spine out as he ripped the steel hook free.

  For an endless moment, the rest of the triple “A” group could only stare in absolute horror at the massive hole that had suddenly appeared in the center of their friend’s chest. Unbeknownst to Xxnos as he howled in pain, two thirds of his body was barely attached to the upper half of his ribcage. In fact, it was only connected by the uncut skin to either side of the terrible wound, which was already stretching beyond the point of no return. Before his lower half could completely tear away, Zeven pulled the Rogue back to bare his vulnerable throat.

  In a move that shocked everyone, Zeven opened his jaws wide and chomped down on Xxnos’s jugular vein with his fangs. It just so happened that as he worked his jaws free, the added movement was just the right amount of impetus needed for the lower-half of the Rogue’s body to tear away. As Zeven ripped a bloody chunk of meat out of the PKer’s neck in a spray of blood, the lower-half of the Rogue’s body finally tore away as a mass of blood and internal organs made a sickening splat onto the ground.

  “I’m here to collect the first down payment for what you did to my people of Blaidd Ogof Hold, you sick fucks,” Zeven snarled, as he spat the chunk of flesh out onto the ground between them, before dumping the still living Rogue face first into his own steaming pile of viscera. The sight of their friend urgently trying to stuff his internal organs back into his body cavity made the remaining triple “A” players gag at the gruesome sight. Not giving them a second to recover, Zeven lunged at the nearest man, punching the Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta completely through his chest.

  Shuffling forward, Zeven twisted the shaft of the blade once again as his foot slammed into Muhrder’s gut. The blow forcibly shoved the Rogue’s spinal column onto the steel hook on the bottom of the Lochaber’s main blade. Keeping his leg stretched out to brace the enemy player against the blade, Zeven gave a massive yank as a large chunk of Muhrder’s spine came shooting out through the new hole in his chest. As the Rogue’s body crumpled to the ground at the edge of the net, Zeven whipped the halberd around in a wide swing as his Spirit Armor shattered into shimmering white light.

  “Don’t just stand there like a bunch of fucking idiots,” Nacario shrieked, as the wide blade of Zeven’s Lochaber sank deep into Carebear’s guts. “Take that asshole down now before he can finish us off!”

  “Get him off of me!” Carebear shrieked, as he stumbled back trying to get out of the Badger Kin’s attack range.

  Unfortunately for the Rogue, his back was to the massive Grizhawk mother and there was no place for him to easily escape to. As he knocked the Lochaber’s wide blade away and tried to dodge to the side, Zeven used the steel hook to snag the player’s armor and reel him back.

  While the blow hadn’t been enough to finish the player off, Zeven knew he’d hurt the man bad and that the bleed effect would more than likely drop him back down below a hundred points of health. Even so, Zeven knew that if he didn’t take these guys down quickly while they were still at low health or this was going to end badly for him. Accepting the agony shooting through his back as a dagger and short sword combo pierced his thick fur, the Badger Kin rammed the tip of his clawed thumb through Carebear’s eye as his fangs ripped half of the man’s face off with a chomp.

  Ignoring the Rogue’s horrified screams as he fell to the ground clawing at his bleeding eye socket and face, Zeven whipped around to face the last two players that were still on their feet. Both men momentarily backed away from the intense look on his furry face as he faced them with a chunk of Carebear’s face still hanging from his fangs. Spitting the chunk of bloody flesh at Nacario to drive him back, Zeven let loose with a wild slash at Stannis’ face to force him back as he quickly recast his Bark Skin and Spirit Shield. As the silvery-white glow shimmered into existence around him, both triple “A” players lunged at him.

  “You just fucked with the wrong people,” Nacario sneered at Zeven, “you sick bag of suck!” With that, the triple “A” player lunged at him and the fight was on.

  Zeven parried the short sword that was suddenly rushing at his face, only to have Nacario’s long dagger come up around his arm to pierce his shoulder. Instead, the blade harmlessly bounced off the Spirit Shield protecting him. As Nacario snarled in annoyance, Zeven head-butted him away only to have the Rogue’s crossed blades stop his follow-up attack. Before Zeven could strike again, Stannis was all over him, delivering flashy blade combos that kept him busy while Nacario recovered and rejoined the fight.

  Holding his Lochaber like a bō staff, Zeven kept the level 39 player off of him as they traded a flurry of blows back and forth. Getting a couple solid body shots on the other man, he was just bringing the Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta’s heavy head around to finish him off, when Nacario’s double blade combo struck. It was quicker than his eyes could follow as his Spirit Shield dissipated in white-silvery motes.

  “This doesn’t just end here you ugly son of a bitch,” Nacario snarled, as his blades hammered against Zeven’s Bark Skin. “I’m going to hunt your ugly ass down and rain terror on your Beast Kin peninsula of skank!”

  Spittle flew from the enraged tripe “A” player’s mouth as his blades began shredding Zeven’s thick fur as he fought for his life against the two much higher-level players. While he could keep up with Stannis’ flashy combos due to his Nightmare stats, Nacario was another story altogether. Again and again, the level 40 Rogue’s blades slashed and punctured his chest and shoulders as he did his best to meet the blinding strikes. With the constant combos coming in at him from either side, there was no way for him create the distance he needed between him and the Grizhawk or to change up his grip on the Spirit Lochaber so he could fight effectively and play to the halberd’s advantages.

  Due the severe disadvantage, Zeven was forced to switch up his attacks. Instead of going for the high point damage blows like the Rogues, he focused his attacks on the triple “A” players’ arms and legs. A twist of his shaft caused the Lochaber’s steel hook to tear a deep slash in Nacario’s forearm, while a smart rap from the shaft’s heavy steel butt caused Stannis to lose the grip on his dagger. As both Rogues paused in surprise to watch as the iron short sword skittered across the ground, Zeven released the ace in the hole that he’d been preparing for a moment just like this. Throwing back his head and sucking in a deep breath for three seconds, he changed his grip on the Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta while he opened his jaws and roared.

  The piercing scream that came from Zeven’s thick black lips immediately dropped Nacario and Stannis to the ground like sacks of potatoes as everything five yards in front of the Badger Kin was stunned. The rest of the team that were still alive sagged where they laid as the demoralizing and disorientation affects washed over them. The look of horror
on Carebear’s face was priceless as his numb fingers dropped the Health Potion he just popped open. As it rolled across the ground spilling out its precious red liquid, Zeven went on the attack.

  Stannis was the first triple “A” player to feel the wrath of Zeven’s Spirit Lochaber. Striding forward, he took the pissed off Rogue’s head off with a single chop. The next swing of the heavy blade relieved Carebear of his life. A quick glance at Xxnos’s corpse confirmed that the first Rogue he’d struck down had bit the dust on his own. Turning back the remaining two triple “A” players, Zeven’s next strike ended Muhrder’s life. While he could have let the player bleed out on his own like Xxnos, Zeven relished the panicked look in the Rogue’s eyes as he took the man’s head.

  Zeven was just turning around to deal the final death blow to Nacario, when he saw the high-level player already climbing to his feet. Even worse, the Rogue was already upending the remains of Carebear’s Health Potion between his bloody lips. Obviously, the triple “A” player had some item that reduced the effects of being stunned, or his ten extra ten levels was enough to reduce the effects of Zeven’s spell. In the split-second it took for Zeven to process all of that, Nacario thrust his hand out towards him.

  “Nova Spikes!”

  At Nacario’s command, a typical Frost Nova wave of ice rush towards Zeven. Unlike the default Frost mage spell, this one shot piercing ice spikes deep into his thick fur as it lifted him off the ground. Seeing the ice wave wash over the Badger Kin, the Rogue superciliously sneered.

  “What a complete loser. You can’t even properly gank a group of nearly dead players without any mana.” A cruel look came to Nacario’s face as he began striding towards Zeven. “Now, I’m going to have to teach you a lesson in pain-“

  That’s all the triple “A” player got out, before Zeven slammed the Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta through the mass of spikes piercing his body. Immediately, the ice around him shattered in an explosion of shards as Zeven landed on his clawed feet and thrust the Lochaber’s point at the Rogue’s stunned face.

  “Gah!” Nacario screamed, as he dodged towards the Grizhawk to escape the devastating blow. It only partially worked as the blade carved through the side of his head and sliced his ear completely off. Parrying the heavy blade away, the triple “A” player gave Zeven a wild look as he plaintively demanded. “That’s not possible, you should be frozen and helpless!”

  Zeven didn’t bother answering the enraged Rogue as he silently thanked his dead friend for the Dirk of Torrac Tor’Narc. Without the dead Badger’s gift, this fight would’ve been over, Zeven thought, as he drew the Spirit Lochaber back for another blow. Unfortunately, the Health Potion the asswipe had swiped from Carebear meant that it was going to take a lot more work for him take this last triple “A” bastard down. Before either of them could strike again, a tremendous roar and the sound of snapping ropes and ripping nets made both men freeze.

  Zeven could only stare in stunned amazement as the massive form of the Grizhawk rose up onto its hind legs behind Nacario like that proverbial scene that every monster horror movie likes to do at least once. In that moment, Forest Claw of the Azure Sky was a sight to behold. Standing nearly eighteen feet tall in all of her immense glory, the Grizhawk mother angrily glared down at the hated creature that had tortured her and her cub. In that same moment, Zeven was surprised to learn that the monster’s hind end was more bird than Grizzly Bear and covered with feathers. While he was still processing that odd fact, the named boss slammed her tabletop-sized front paws down on Nacario as the Rogue’s shriek of fear was cut off midscream.

  The resulting explosion of blood and viscera that sprayed out from the Grizhawk’s ground shaking hit covered Zeven from the top of his furry ears down to his clawed feet as he froze where he stood. The Spirit Lochaber of Chieftain Diongmhalta felt very small in his clawed hands as he tried to decide whether or not he should run away or fight. Although, he didn’t dare to even move as the Volkswagen-sized head regarded him intently. For several nerve-racking seconds, he waited as the Grizhawk’s large nose sniffed his bare chest and bloody face. The force of the air from the large nose was enough to physically pull Zeven forward and pushed him backward as he waited for the chomp that would end his life, when, to his surprise, the boss’ name suddenly turned green to him.

  ‘I thank you for upholding the law of tooth and claw in my last moments of life, little brother.’

  A deep voice rumbled inside Zeven’s mind. Shocked, he had no idea what to think or say as an agonized groan shivered his soul and the Grizhawk collapsed to the ground. A bleating cry drew his eyes down to the baby cub that was now clutching its mother’s ruined muzzle as the rumbling voice continued inside his mind.

  ‘Hurry and end our lives with your fang of earth before the evil ones return.’

  ‘Hold up a moment, big momma,’ Zeven pleaded as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. A named boss was telepathically speaking to him instead of mindlessly trying to rip him to shreds. As if that wasn’t insane enough, the creature was now quoting excerpts of Lord Tennyson's poem from Memoriam A.H.H. It was almost too much to take in as he fumbled for an option to this unreal situation, when the answer suddenly hit him. Placing his hands carefully on the Grizhawk’s bloody head, he cast the only spell that might help her, Soothing Wind. ‘I can heal you!’

  ‘While I thank you for trying, your magic cannot help me, little brother for we are not soul bound together. If you wish to honor me, soulbind my cub and make him part of your family.’

  As soon as the words stopped inside Zeven’s head, a system window opened before his eyes.

  Do you want to soul-bind a Grizhawk cub?

  Accept: Yes / No

  ‘You must hurry, the evil ones come.’

  The Grizhawk said, letting a loud snuff as if it had caught a whiff of something nasty. There was no time to think all of this through. The excitement of finding something unique was mixed in with the horror of this nightmarish situation and the need to take revenge on these triple “A” players that had slaughtered his people. What better way to take out his vengeance than by beating them down and taking that which they’d fought so hard to get? Justice and satisfaction filled Zeven’s heart as he mentally selected “Yes” and the system dialog box updated.

  Congratulations! You are now soul-bound with a Grizhawk cub!

  Congratulations! You have acquired a Combat Mount. Please enter a name for your new mount:

  Looking down at the battered Grizhawk cub clinging to its mother’s neck, Zeven’s eyes focused on the silver star in the center of the little monster’s chest. It was the only marking on the cub’s black furred coat. Wanting to also give honor to the cub’s mother, he gave the first name that came to his mind.

  Congratulations! You have selected “Bright Claw of the Azure Sky” for the name of your soul-bound Combat Mount. Names have power in The World and your Combat Mount will take on aspects of your chosen name’s meaning.

  Combat Mount: Bright Claw of the Azure Sky (Grizhawk)

  Level: 0

  Strength: 10

  Intelligence: 10

  Spirit: 10

  Agility: 10

  Stamina: 10

  Charisma: 10

  Attack: 1-10

  Speed: 0.5

  Weight-Carrying Capacity: 10 lbs.

  Special Abilities: None

  Shared Experience: 10% (up to a max of 50%)

  Additional Information: Your mount is bound to your soul. Unlike regular mounts, this mount can participate in combat alongside its owner like a summoned creature or tamed pet. At each fifth level, combat mounts can choose additional feats. To access the feats available for your combat mount, open the properties of your pet to choose from the available selection. Should your mount be slain in your service, your mount will lose all of its current level experience and remains unsummonable for the next twenty-four hours.

  ‘Now take my cub and go, little brother.’

 
; Forest Claw of the Azure Sky voice sounded in Zeven’s head, as the urgency in the Grizhawk’s mental voice filled him with dread.

  ‘While you still can!’

  Zeven knew the mother Grizhawk had the right of it. Most graveyards were positioned anywhere between three to four and a half minutes away from anywhere you died. At least, they were so far as he knew from his limited time playing the game. While he wanted to spawn camp these sick fucks for what they’d done to his people, now wasn’t the time for his revenge. He had to save his still living people first. Eyeing the anxious cub looking up at him, he realized there was something he could do. Digging around in his bag, Zeven held up the three Health Potions that he’d been holding in reserve to the mother Grizhawk.

  ‘I have a plan,’ Zeven thought, picturing what he intended to do. Getting an affirmative snuff, the Grizhawk lifted her massive head and opened her maw wide as he poured the three potions down her throat. If they were lucky, the potions might heal up the worst of her wounds and buy them the time they needed to get away. As soon as he’d finished, Forest Claw of the Azure Sky spoke to him one last time.

  ‘You must go before my health rises above one percent or I will be forced to slaughter you both, little brother.’

  Zeven didn’t understand exactly what rules were in play, but he didn’t wait to find out the hard way either. Gathering up the net that the triple “A” players had used to entrap the Grizhawk, he threw it in his Rucksack of Holding and turned to Nacario’s body. The only thing that wasn’t turned to Human-jam was the scumbag’s head. As he shoved the Rogue’s loot into his bag, a wicked idea came to him as he decided to throw Nacario’s head in along with everything else. Wait till the triple “A” guild got a load of what he was planning, Zeven thought, as he quickly gathered up the rest of the loot and heads. Finished, Zeven gathered up Bright Claw of the Azure Sky into his arms and took off in the direction of Lonsalindel as Forest Claw of the Azure Sky let out a tremendous roar behind him.