by Dylan Keefer
The problem was that such a raiding party would have to teleport everyone here or go through at least seventy Ogres just to attack this place.
Even if you used Sliverine, which is a powerful spell that uses a lot of magical energy. An excellent Black Mage could only do three before they have to drink a potion to replenish their energy.
So attacking this base on a large scale was difficult.
“Hey Xavier, Neil come on, we have to go.”
They turn towards me. I wave them over with my arms, Neil nods at Xavier and they advance. We traversed outside, Victor was leaning against a short tree with a wide breadth of branches, leaves drooping downward. The fruits were orange but tiny huddled up like a group of children in class.
I step up to Victor and nudge him slightly to get a frown.
We advanced out, our maps were pulled up for us to see. We had to be careful, the further in, the thicker it gets. Surrounded by Flourish and foliage that held us from the feet to the knees, our eyes were ever moving.
Our breaths held in suspense were always on our mind. Even the slightest movement could result in them hearing us.
A branch snapped, I looked to my left, a few leaves fell from a tree branch. I whisper “Roma,” a one sign seal shadow spell that keeps sounds ten feet of the area I am in silent to others outside it.
Another snap, was that a growl? I stiffen, Neil rushed forward, two trees capsize in a flurry as a rush of dirt gets stirred up and thrown in a vast wall.
Covered, I swerve to the side to avoid the brunt of it. Looking up, Xavier was beside me, Victor and Neil were in a fierce battle with a stone club wielding Ogre.
It flexed its muscles and tried to round them, I cast, “Void Circle, Black Wonderful… Unlodius!”
The club passes right through Neil who responds with a swipe behind the Ogre’s knee. The Ogre cries out, good thing Roma is in effect. The last thing I need is his friends coming.
Victor goes for the head while Neil strikes fast at the legs in an effort to dishevel the beast. Victor swings after punching him in the nose. One knee to the temple, Victor flies off the head and grabs the Ogre’s neck.
Tightly, the nails crush deeply inside the Ogre’s neck. Victor had a hold now. Neil trips the Ogre, I call, “Now Victor!”
The roar he bellowed had me shivering. The Ogre was briefly still, then he surged up with arms swinging wildly. Neil parried the fists with his sword and then fly kicks the Ogre in the face sending him back to the ground.
Victor roars again. The Ogre moves its arm slightly perturbed, then they fell flat on the ground. Victor slowly lets go, the Ogre twitches, so it is not dead from what we can see. Neil grips the sword tightly as he rolls his head over the downed Ogre.
Victor slides himself from under the Ogre and begins, “you think…”
I try to Identify but the Ogre soared up, Neil and Victor shot back armed and ready. But the Ogre docilely turned to Victor with a remorseful nod.
Victor relaxed and stood up contently.
I breathe out, “Good, I am glad that is over. Let us bring him back and then we can properly patch him up.”
We went out again after that and took twenty more battles but we gained two more Ogres to call friends.
Chapter 34
“You know…you are an idiot.” I said.
Chester looks at me quite thoughtfully. His arm reaches for something as I drop back against the chair I was sitting in.
“You really quit for that?” I ask him.
He does not answer, I hear a crunch as his arm returns to his side. His lips moving in a round motion, I gesture towards him with my left hand, he watches me.
“Hey, I am talking to you, you really quit for that!?”
He frowned at me, “Yeah, they are annoying, what did you expect me to say?”
“You cannot leave for such dumb reasons. I needed you dumbass!”
“You have a funny way of needing me.”
“So what, just because I sent you on those espionage missions…? What, can you trust Neil and Joshua with that?!”
“Not in any form of hell…”
“So why would you want me to send them rather than you? Actually you should have told me you did not want to go on them. Don’t hold it against me and then come and leave the group after complaining that we did not give you anything fun to do.”
Chester laughed at how I said that but I wanted to unload much more anger on him. He really was childish in a way. The only reason I sent him on those missions with Killon was because he was heavily shadowed, making it hard for anyone to track him from afar on the map.
That and Chester’s Bain was a reptilian Bastil race. Bastil’s were quite resourceful, being able to swim, climb and move well in almost any situation. A normal Human would require the assistance of items or magic to do certain things. Not a Bastil, they surge forward with no problems, coupled with an Uta’s speed and maneuverability they would have made a good pair.
Damn Chester’s embroiled ego.
“Hmm, look that stuff is not for me, I just want to play this game with some amount of reason. I want to wake up to play this game. You make me want to not wake up at all.”
“Me?!”
He laid out his palms, “Hold on, what I meant is this business thing, I am working not playing. That is what it feels like.”
Calming down I reply, “You do realize you will work when you get older right?”
“I do not want to grow up yet.”
“You are an idiot.”
“Stop calling me that. You are already grown up, me I have one more year.”
“What... one more year? Wait, you have months…five months to be exact, before you have to learn how to grow up. Chester what is school for, if not to prepare us for the real world?”
“We mostly live in a fictional one. Also, you are starting to sound like my mother, better yet, your mother is more fun than you.”
I almost roast him for that comment but I close my mouth at the last second just thinking on that. I might be sounding like my father, I cringe at the thought. I need a bath now.
Sighing, I declare, “Mother is going through that age. I am trying to finish this for my project, nothing more. We could have fun even in business. You know like when you work and it never feels like work.”
Chester stares and leans back suddenly, “It feels like work to me. The Witches of Light may be done because Gwendolyn stopped talking to them but you still have a lot to fear.”
“So what, you leaving me like this, when I need you the most?”
“I am talking to you right now. I ain’t leaving you, I just cannot stand Neil, I was there before. You give him leadership responsibilities like he deserves it.”
“Neil can lead, plus he has way more charisma and likability than me or you. Everyone can agree I can be abrasive when I am ready.”
“Ain’t that the truth!”
“Hey don’t get cocky with that.”
Chester snickers, I smile as I say, “Joshua and the other new members should not make you feel inferior. You need to grow up.”
“I ain’t getting any taller than this.”
“That is not what I meant.”
Chester growls, “I am fine Celina, I am fine.”
“Whatever, I expect you to keep your lid closed.”
“Oh, come on my brain is chained to your throne Queen of Darkness.”
I could not help smile at that, “Good night Chester, Forever Life.”
“Ya, Forever in the Life, good night…”
Chapter 35
“Fireball!” Alvain shouts.
I brace myself as the fireball hits. Xavier pulls aside from Alvain shielding us as he draws the attention of the rampaging Long Tongued Demon.
The damage as usual leaves me with the Burned status and with a lot of damage done. I cast, “Black Rainbow!”
Alvain casts, “Blazing Veins!”
My body shivers as I feel the healing from Alvain’s spell. The Demon jumps to punch
at Alvain, Xavier slips in and guards with a elbow. He slips under and swings his accursed blood soaked longsword into the Demon God’s neck.
It veers and purposely takes the hit in a effort to try and capsize Xavier off his small island. He digs in with the back of his right heel and lunges with a heavy strike.
Within that spilt second the Demon falls back only slightly hit, blasted God. It is just as Joshua described so long ago, this God identified as Beliar Fire God…the Destroyer. Really tall and rather handsome face, he had horns, his skin was white and slightly paler than you would expect.
But the beauty ended there. Eyes deep red, it curried your spine with chills. His feet were covered in hair and fat, with hoofs on the end. His tongue was long and slender stretching to his belly button on that stomach laden with abs.
We had me and Alvain for healing, Medpack to shore up our defenses, Xavier as a Tank, Opa and my mother would be the attackers.
We could not carry anyone else because the way this boss fought, he loved to spread his attacks over everyone. We could wear no gear, he would destroy any clothing or equipment. So all of us except Xavier, were wearing nothing at all, which meant we were in our underwear like on the first day we played this game.
Well for this watery adventure, we all looked the part. Beach party anyone?
Anyways, it was hard to draw his attention. So we decided to not bother with the usual bait and switch tactics.
We had to consider a small group, Xavier will protect Me and Alvain, while Medpack, Opa and Mom would move around trying to draw his attention, whoever he attacks Medpack will immediately cast Symbolic or Ulato.
If the God attacks Medpack, she would cast Casnova Aftershadow. We noted this boss loves to attack with his strongest first and foremost and since he was fast it was a constant problem.
But Medpack was faster, her casting speed was way faster than me or Alvain, so she could cast her defense just before his attack hits, whether it be a fireball or him lunging at her.
The Demon walks the very water Mother is floating across. He looks her way, Xavier holds his ground as we wait for the Demon’s next move.
It disappears, a rushing punch at Opa.
“Ulato!”
The punch hits a splash of black shadows behind an eight sign seal, Opa whips his head back, hammer cocked and twisted in a swirl. He jumped around and swings in the Demon’s thin ripped side. It winced and punched again, the Ulato spell circle followed the punch and kept Opa from taking the very brunt of the hit.
He was gone, he had quickly switched targets now to Medpack but she straight dodged it. Mom immediately rushes over to attack the Demon as planned.
The Demon smartly jumps away and returns to Opa. Opa swung, it jumped over him and threw a fireball.
Alvain casted, “Variousio!” the fireball hits the seven sign seal and breaks up into a rush of hot air. Opa slipped across the water into a stop, splashing up a nice wave just behind him.
We could only get one Plume Shoe, it is a really rare item but it allowed Opa to walk on water. Me and Alvain would not need it since we had to be stationary.
Mom chases the Demon and lifts a wide cascading torrent of water hitting the Demon.
“Yes Mom, now chain the attack together, ready yourself Opa!”
Opa swings his hammer as the Demon tries to break out of the upsurging rush of water, only to get hit again and again by sprouts of water.
I cast, “Castomon!” Opa jumps into it and head butts the Demon and starts walloping him midair. Opa gets thrown off but he got a good few hits in.
We continue just like that, slowly taking down his life. But I was wary about what will happen when we are close to beating it? We never got that far and this battle might become completely different, we might not survive.
The time came after some minutes. Beliar stopped moving all of a sudden. Just in front of Medpack, she was taken aback. But she rushed forward. Beliar moved suddenly with his lighting speed he moved to attack Mom in a glow of blue light, but she swerves and kicks up a wave of sea water.
Beliar was not done yet, he jumps away from the falling wave and rushes Xavier in that same light. Xavier guards and both of them disappear which sends both me and Alvain into shock.
“What the…?!” Alvain utters frighteningly.
Mom calls after me, “Celina, behind you!”
The Demon was behind me, the blue light is blinding, it opened its mouth over me. I feel the hit and the rush of water around me only to feel the familiar thud of the ground.
Blinking, I rush up.
“Celina!”
I look to my right to see Xavier. We were not out at sea. But we were surrounded in this closed off area. The ground was hard and gleamed with this metallic sheen. It was flat, the walls rounded and curved upward into this sort of dome.
Xavier beside me, I bring up my map and party screen and map. I can see me and Xavier here.
“Ahhhh!” A dull thud echoes.
Three people are on the map now, we look and see Opa getting up.
I get frustrated, “Is this guy teleporting us here, why?”
Xavier twists around, “this place…”
I did a mental call to Medpack.
“Hey, Medpack…Forever Flair, why won’t she answer?”
“Hey Celina look!”
“Huh?”
My eyes flow over the party screen to see that Mom’s life bar was going down rapidly. What the hell?
I cast, “Black Miracle!”
I hear a high-pitched ping, then a voice, “Out of Range.”
The dread hits me like a sudden sinking ship, that bastard separated us! We are doomed.
Xavier looked at my face and at the screen, “Hey…”
I begin shooting my eyes around in this dome, “I need…oh!”
Throwing off my pack I open the pack, three teleport scrolls. I better make this count.
They need my healing. I unwrap the scroll, the seal circle shone and I felt the shaking that stopped as I felt my feet hit water.
I pull myself up to see a fireball.
I breathe in sharply.
“Variousio!” The fireball dissipates quickly into nothing but hot air. I still get the Burned status without the damage. I heal and try to swim and reach the island Medpack was on.
“Celina, where is Opa and Xavier?” Alvain asked. The Demon was moving more frantically, jumping around Mom marked him like a soccer defender man to man.
I cast, “Black Wonderful! Getsomody!” I floated my eyes at the scene, I shout, “be careful it can teleport us somewhere else, it is trying to break us up!”
Medpack and Alvain nodded to that, suddenly I see that blasted Demon was behind Alvain in this blue light.
“Look out!”
His tongue hits a mass of water, as Beliar is pushed back, I see Mom’s body slip out of the torrent of water like she was being dropped off. But she only touched the water and started skating across it with haste swerving round to flank the Demon.
A explosion, a huge cloud of steam shoots out, Beliar rolled out in the air. Then I did not see him, Alvain almost got hit with this bright blue light but a upsurge of water prevents it.
I yell to everyone, “That blue light must be it.”
Mom mentally calls out, “even more, he is only trying to do that to the slow ones.”
Beliar engaged Mom now, with a flurry of fireballs and rushing punches. I was trying to cast keeping close to Medpack.
“Medpack!” The Demon was in front of her and razed in blue light. He opened his mouth and his long tongue lashed out, Medpack swerved to the side, but the Demon shot out a fireball causing the water to splash as Medpack is caught in the blast.
No, it twirled the tongue and hit me.
I blink and get up.
Xavier and Opa were over me.
I get up and take out another scroll, I look at it.
Me, no, I look at Opa and see him staring at me.
Grabbing Opa’s collar,
I drag him close, “Listen to me, that Demon teleported us here to isolate us from the others, I cannot heal them from here. Go back do that trick, it is the only way.”
“But we need your…”
“No you don’t, I already healed Mom she should be fine for now. I cannot dodge that bastard. Mom can now. Medpack and Mom should do, go!”
I push the scroll in his chest, it unwraps and the seal circle on its white parchment glows. A blast of light emits and shutters, he is gone with a loud boom and wisp of smoke.
Shielding our eyes, we let down our hands.
I say finally, “Alright,now we wait, I can do nothing more.”
“Ah Celina?”
“Yeah, what?”
He pointed, I looked, the ground was breaking apart now, a bright red light shining from the depths. Me and Xavier had to position ourselves as the ground sectored off into these big squares.
They floated away and levitated over a huge pool of lava. The heat had me fluttering my eyes. The pressure hits my body and I get this nauseating feeling. Great, just what we need.
“What do we do now?” Xavier asked tensed.
I was still watching the party screen. Almost all of their life bars were half. At least no one was dead yet, but still, it was not looking so good.
Suddenly one of the square platforms falls ungracefully into the molten earth, becoming absorbed completely.
“Not good,” I say to myself.
“We need to leave.”
“Hold on, I think that Demon might use that ploy again, we have to wait here for the next victim.”
“You say that. But if you die it won’t matter.”
He was probably right. But I could not give an item to a player out of my range. I need to make a judgment call.
A whooshing sound, a dull thud caught my attention, Alvain? He had been dropped on a platform separated by two other ones. He groaned and twisted as he blinked his eyes.
Before I could speak on that, another dull thud, Mother was now behind me. Mother saw me and tried to get up, the platform immediately lost altitude in free fall.
“Mom!”
She was in shock, the platform hits the magma with a heavy splash. The rebounding flow of molten rock falls over her, a great bellow of steam shoots upward sending the skirt I wore high. Xavier shielded his eyes, “what is this?”
