Party Hard

by David Petrie

  Kira slid down Farn's back as the ship righted itself, ending up sitting on her rear on the floor with one arm around Farn’s boot. Kegan and Corvin dropped as well, the mage ending up on the floor while the Leaf found himself sitting across Ginger's lap. He smiled at her for a moment before she shoved him off so that she could adjust their flight path to one that would keep them in the cover of the ring.

  Farn rushed toward the front, stepping over the mage sprawled out on the floor on her way. She leaned on Ginger's seat so she could see over her shoulder to look for Max. "Do you see him?"

  "Not yet," Ginger answered, before adding, "Wait a sec, I think that's him."

  "Oh damn," Farn said on reflex as she saw Max dangling from a ledge by his fingertips. The ship blew past him without slowing. Farn shot Ginger a questioning look.

  "What? I'm not slowing down. You want us to get shot?"

  Farn thought about it. Ginger was right. Max was pretty well hidden where he was, but the ship would have to get under him to pick him up. As it was, there was only a small area of space around the stone ring that was safe for the ship. If they went any lower, they'd be in the open. Farn glanced up at a hatch in the ceiling above her head, wondering if she could climb up and try to catch him. Ginger put a stop to that line of thought.

  "Open the side door!" she called over her shoulder to the guys in the back, who were just now getting to their feet. They probably would have questioned her plan, but there wasn't enough time. Instead, Kegan pulled on the handle of the wide door that ran along the side of the cabin. It slid to the side about an inch, then stopped. The close encounter with Famine on the way down must’ve damaged the door’s track.

  Farn rushed to help, grabbing the edge of the door and shoving it with all her strength while the others pulled. It opened with a metallic scrape, and she grabbed the handrail to lean out. There he was. Farn caught his eyes for a moment. Then he dropped.

  The ship tilted with a sudden lurch, throwing everyone inside against the wall of the cabin as Ginger banked to the side to angle the open door upwards. She timed it perfectly.

  Max, however, did not.

  Something squishy hit the craft, followed by a loud, "Son of a..."

  Farn looked up to the door, finding Max hanging halfway out. It must not have been easy to land on top of a moving aircraft. Farn lunged for his hand as the ship leveled out again, catching it in time to pull him back in before he slipped off the side. She stumbled backward as she did, causing them both to fall on top of each other in the cabin.

  An involuntary, "Yarg," left his mouth, only to be cut off when his face impacted against her neck, his mouth feeling both soft and weird against her skin. She righted herself to the sound of Kira snickering.

  Max took a moment to take in what was happening as Famine fired a beam at the ship. It missed, unable to get a solid bead on the craft with it flying faster than anything it was programmed for. Recognition fell across Max's face. Then he looked at Kira. "I guess I did ask for a crazy plan."

  Kira cast a quick heal on him, then took a deep bow, a Cheshire grin reaching from ear to ear. "Ask and ye shall receive."

  Farn helped him back to his feet, and he gripped the handrail to the side of the open door.

  "Everybody that can, start shooting," he ordered, taking back leadership of the team without skipping a beat.

  Kegan began firing before he could say another word, using a charge skill to boost his damage, while Corvin got a combination of debuff spells to stick. Unable to add to the attack, Kira cast Flight on everyone in case one of them fell out. She added on every buff she could before sitting down to regenerate her mana.

  Farnsworth took that as her cue to open the bag that they had tied to the bottom of Ginger's seat. Inside was every explosive that the party had among them. Well, except for a few small bombs that Ginger had insisted she might need later. Farn grabbed a handful of fireworks and fired the crude missiles by lighting the fuses and holding the sticks at the ends to aim. They were low tech, but they did decent damage and lit up the map like the Fourth of July.

  She looked to Max, who grinned wildly as he unloaded two magazines at the boss. It was working. Before long, Famine's health was down to half, and they still had plenty of explosives, arrows, and bullets left. That was when its attack pattern changed.

  A lot of games broke boss fights up into phases that would change as their health depleted. It was usually a nice feature that stopped things from getting boring and kept the players feeling challenged. That being said, using the transport ship in the fight did feel like cheating. Which was why when it happened, a part of Farn felt like they deserved it.

  The bell tipped to one side, pausing for a second at an angle.

  "That can't be good," Max said, speaking the obvious before it swung hard in the opposite direction to ring itself.

  A shock wave radiated outward from the bell, hitting the ship and throwing everyone against the wall again as the craft took the impact. A wave of dull pain echoed through Farn's head. She checked her sleeve. She'd been hit hard, and it wasn't just her. Everyone but Kira had lost two-thirds of their health.

  "We can't take many hits like that!" Ginger called back, looking at the damage gauge on the ship's controls. "Not if we want to stay in the air."

  Without the use of items, it was all up to Kira to get the team back up to fighting condition. She had enough mana to get them back to full, but it wouldn’t last long. Fortunately, the basic enchantment on Kira's new Ring of the Willing seemed to be doing its job, as the slight increase in luck had caused Famine's area attack to miss her. Although, they couldn't count on something like that happening a second time.

  Max hoisted himself back up to the handrails. "That was probably triggered when we got its health below half. We're gonna have to change the plan."

  "You think it's time?" Kira asked as she rested on the floor.

  "Time for what?" Farn shifted her eyes between the two of them.

  Max held up one hand flat and shoved his fist into it. "We ram it."

  "What?" Ginger shouted back from the cockpit.

  "We light a fuse on the bomb bag and kamikaze the thing just before it does that attack again," he answered, sounding far too casual about it.

  "That might actually work." Farn glanced out at the bell, then back at everyone in the ship. "Especially if everyone flies out and attacks from the sides. We could do a lot of damage all at once."

  Corvin turned to Farn, joining in on the planning. "Could you hit it with a melee attack just after the impact? Something really strong?"

  "Yeah, I have something that might work," she said, patting her hand on the handle of her sword. "Especially if I get some buffs first. Although, I'd fall into the lava afterward since I can't use Flight while wielding a weapon." She turned to Kira. "Think you could come get me?”

  "Sure," the fairy nodded.

  As if sensing their plan, the bell hit them again with its chime attack, the damage hitting them just as hard as before. This time Kira's luck ran out and her new bone charm faded out of existence, leaving her defenseless. Another hit would kill her.

  "We need to be ready for the next one," Max turned toward the cockpit. "Ginger, take us back down below the ring. We'll let everyone out, so we can attack together."

  She growled at the whole situation. "Okay! But I'm doing this under protest. And someone's gonna owe me a ship."

  "I think Alastair will take care of it," Max replied as Kira started to heal the team. He stopped her. "Don't bother; it's all or nothing. Full health won't save us, and you're going to need mana to stay airborne."

  She nodded and just refreshed everyone's Flight instead. Then Ginger took the ship down to dispense the team around the ring to take positions against its outer walls causing Famine to fire erratically as targets spread out around it. Beams pummeled the stone, unable to hit any of them as they hid in the cover of the ring.

  The ship came back up with only Kira, Farn and Ginger on board.
Kira swiped open her spell-craft menu, setting up a spell for Farn to give her the maximum strength and dexterity values. As soon as she was finished, the fairy took one step toward the open door then stopped, turning back to Ginger. "Make sure you say something cool just before you bail out."

  To which Ginger grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, just get out already."

  With that, Kira gave a quick good luck to Farn, saluted dramatically and dropped backward out of the door.

  "Okay, just you and me, Farn," Ginger said, before letting out a sigh, adding, "I was really starting to like this ship."

  Farn placed one hand on the back of her chair, a little unsure of what to say, not having been alone with the Coin before. "It served us well. At least there's that."

  Ginger nodded, "Yeah, maybe I should give it a name. A ship should have a name. That would be respectful, right?"

  Farn pushed open the hatch in the roof near the cockpit. "Frank?"

  Ginger snorted. "Yeah, okay, that's good enough."

  Farn hoisted herself up, kicking Ginger's seat as she wriggled through the small door. "Why the hell is there no ladder?"

  "Ladders cost money!" Ginger called back up.

  Farn shuffled around on top of the ship to get her head back to the hatch so she could look down into the cockpit. She activated her shield to keep the wind out of her face. "I feel like Frank is worth a ladder." She patted the ship with her gauntlet, so it made a low clanking sound.

  Ginger, in turn, patted the bag of explosives. "Not for much longer," she responded as she pulled in closer to wait for the Famine to stop firing and tilt back.

  Farn turned her attention back to the boss. It fired, but Ginger weaved to the side, the beam passing by close enough for its heat to warm Farn’s cheek. She ducked down lower just in case. Then it started.

  The bell tipped away and Ginger punched the throttle. It was all about timing. They had to use the moment before its chime, when it stopped firing, to approach without being shot down. After that, they still had to hit it before it swung back and killed them all with the area attack that followed.

  The craft rocketed toward it, the massive bell seeming even larger up close. Farn looked down at the Coin as she placed her fingers to the end of a short fuse that stuck out of the top of the explosive bag.

  Ginger started to speak, then for an instant, she paused, a stupid look falling across her face. "Oh, crap, I can't think of anything to say," she blurted out before snapping her fingers against the fuse and running toward the door.

  Just before impact, Farn leapt off the ship and hovered above as the craft slammed into the boss's side, detonating in a spectacular display of destruction. She watched as one burst of smoke and fire after another rocked the helpless Nightmare, the shock wave blowing her upwards as she fought to stay in place. She hid behind her shield to protect herself, her hair whipping behind her with the force of the blast. The impact pushed the bell backward, interrupting its attack and Famine's health dropped to only ten percent remaining.

  The explosions subsided as the burning wreckage of the ship toppled down to the fire below. It was Farn's turn. She drew her sword, canceling the Flight spell and activated the contract item's enchantment for which it was named, Feral Edge. In an instant, the glow of her gauntlet went dark and her overall defense dropped by half. Energy surged up her arm from her shield generator, pulled through her body to reach her blade as she began to fall. The weapon split down the back and red energy flowed out, wrapping around it to form a blade, both wider and longer by double its original size. It was an all-out attack she almost never used, since it reallocated half her defense stat into her strength while in use. But defense didn't matter now.

  She didn't really mean to slide down the side of the unsuspecting dungeon boss, but she wasn't able to get decent footing with her momentum. The result was a beautifully executed attack that slashed the entire bell as she skipped along its surface, leaving a trail of sparks behind her until the tip of her crimson blade got stuck near the bottom. Fortunately, the brass knuckle grip of the Feral Edge kept her grasp firm as she swung up and around the handle, shaking it loose. It may not have been on purpose, but it sure as hell looked like it was.

  She continued to fall as the others let loose from all sides. Max unloaded two mags worth of custom rounds. Corvin hit it with a few Shrapnel spells, thanks to the rune that Kira had purchased for him earlier. Kegan unleashed a handful of arrows. Ginger even turned up firing off a few fireworks after swinging up and over the stone ring from a line to stop herself from falling.

  The team came together as Farn fell away from the series of explosions. She didn't panic. Instead, she just sheathed her sword and held her arms out wide. She couldn't help but smile as she looked up at Kira who slowed their descent to a graceful stop, pixie dust dancing across her skin.

  It was actually over. Famine, the first of the Nightmares that threatened their world, fell into the molten rock, sending a tidal wave of fire splashing against the walls below as it sank.

  The party regrouped to a round of celebratory high fives and fist bumps. Farn even took a bow for delivering such an impressive blow. She bent low at the waist, placing one hand on her stomach while the other stretched out beside her. A stupid grin covered her face. At least it did until she heard her name echo through the cavern in an uneven voice. "Farnsworth!"

  She expected it, of course. They had just beaten a Nightmare after all, so a contract had to go to someone. She just didn't think it would pick her.

  The voice echoed through the chamber, rumbling like thunder so deep that Farn could feel it in the pit of her stomach as it dragged out her name. It was the voice of the mankind’s first Nightmare. The fear that children learn before all others. The darkness. And it had chosen her.

  Of course, it wasn't really the age-old darkness calling her name. It was just a system message given a creepy voice, but that didn't stop her from cringing as it brought her back to the point in her life when the still hid under the covers, afraid of shadows in her room.

  Farn lifted her head with caution. "Yes?" she said, sounding unsure.

  The darkness responded. "Make your offer!"

  Farn stood up straight feeling a little less scared as she fell into the routine of forming a contract, which she had done twice before. "Oh, okay," she mumbled as she shoved a hand into her item bag and began rummaging through it for something to give. Her hand came back out with a scrap of cloth meant for crafting. "Umm, here you go," she added as she tossed the item over the edge toward the sinking bell, getting a few odd looks from the others at the fact that she had chosen something so random. Following that, she waited for a long moment. It was almost as if the voice was waiting for her to relax before speaking again.

  "Accepted!" it called out, sounding satisfied as Farn felt a cold chill encircle her wrist just above her party readout where a pair of black beaded bracelets materialized.

  Kira hopped a little closer to see, but before she could ask what they were, a section of the stone ring collapsed. It crashed into fire below, sending another wave of molten rock into the walls, signaling that they should probably get out of there. The fairy recast Flight for the party and pointed up at the hole in the ceiling.

  Max looked over the edge at the red-hot remains of the fallen horsemen then gestured back to Farn’s new bracelets. "I hope you got something good ‘cause we have three more of these things to fight."

  Chapter Nineteen

  Max strode onto the bridge of the Nostromo with his chest puffed out, feeling pretty damn pleased with himself after pulling off such an impossible win. He might have looked cool if it weren't for Ginger shoving past him.

  "You!" she shouted at an unsuspecting Alastair, one finger pointing in his direction. "Pay up." She closed the gap and poked him in the chest. "I could have sold that ship."

  He looked down at her finger and then back up at her, slowly pushing her hand away with his own. "How much would it have gone for?"

  Ginger paus
ed a moment before answering. "Six hundred dollars." She inflated the price by at least double. Max had sold a similar ship once before, so he knew what they went for.

  Alastair rolled his eyes at the amount. "Currently, we are unable to issue a transfer due to the block on your accounts that came with taking on the quest, but I'll have Jeff send out a check."

  "Jeff-with-a-three," Kira corrected, grinning at the annoyed elf and getting a confused look from Alastair.

  Ginger stepped away, her hands shoved behind her back. "Oh, thanks," she said in a meek voice that seemed almost out of character for her. She probably didn't expect to get away with overcharging him.

  "Hey, since you're giving things out. Can I get a free ship?" Max butted in. "Maybe like … a black one?"

  Alastair sighed. "Sure, why not. Free ships all around."

  The mention of free stuff prompted a loud, "Wooooo!" from Kira, doing her best impression of a bachelorette party.

  Farn joined in, obviously still feeling pretty good about her new contract. Max couldn't help but wonder what it did.

  Alastair's face grew serious, cutting the levity short. "Gather round." He motioned them toward the captain's chair.

  They approached, Farn leaning against a railing with Max taking a position next to her. Kira hopped it altogether, floating over the rail as she found a perch next to him.

  "Now that the first boss is down, we have been able to view a recording of the fight," his expression softened, "and I have to say, wow. How you were able to turn that around was incredible. But–" He paused for a moment as a serious expression returned to his face. "Despite the overall success, it was absolutely terrifying how close we came to losing."

  Max felt less proud of his performance as the severity of the near loss set in.