Fate of Camlan

by A. T. Gilbert

  I take a deep sigh. “We can do this,” I remind Balderdash13 and anyone else listening. “We’ve defended against more enemies.” I glance briefly at MadMachine.

  The tanks all are nodding, recalling previous battles.

  “We can do this,” I repeat.

  “Look, y’all,” TexBadass says, after finally having recovered his health. “We didn’t come all this way for nothing. It is our duty to see this through to the end. They are counting on us, and if we don’t do this, who else can?”

  He takes another minute or two to make sure my and 88EGG88’s health points are full and we’re all ready for the next leg of the journey. Erinocalypse casts the buff again, but we don’t get more than twenty feet before the familiar sound of flying arrows echoes around us again.

  Chapter 43

  This final stretch of traveling before completing our quest could have been fast. It could have been easy. But we only have one direction we can go, and there’s no escaping the arrows that fly at us from every direction. Our party keeps walking farther and farther into the clutches of an unseen enemy. I barely have time to look to see where the arrows have been fired from when I hear the muted thud of the weapons hitting their mark.

  “Tex!” Erinocalypse cries.

  “No!” I spin around to see three arrows jutting out of our healer’s torso.

  Whoever is attacking us knows where our party is weakest. Seeing TexBadass attacked repeatedly gives me chills. One single healer to keep all eight of us alive has made our whole group vulnerable. And someone knows that. Someone has been watching us. Someone knows right where to hit us.

  Something tells me this isn’t just any video game mob we’re walking into.

  Before I can even begin to start casting my one small healing spell, two more arrows come at TexBadass from opposite directions. I look up immediately to the top of the ravine where at least one of the weapons flew from. It’s only a second, only briefly, but I see the silhouette of a knight up on the horizon line, before he ducks again out of sight.

  “Where are they coming from?” MadMachine screams panicking.

  My eyes dart over the rock cliff of the ravine, up and up, looking for any other spot for an attacker to hide. If they are firing arrows, they can stay far away from us, hidden. Will they attempt the entire attack from a distance or can we drive them into the open? I nock an arrow, imbue it with poison and aim toward the horizon line above us.

  But while I’m looking one direction, the attack comes from another. The twang of a bowstring. I spin around to find the source, glimpsing maybe a small movement up ahead in the ravine. And again hear TexBadass grunt in pain as he takes another hit.

  “No no no no no,” Erinocalypse says under her breath. She has the same small healing spell I do, and she casts a couple times. It seems to be futile, though. His health is draining out faster than we can fill it.

  “A potion!” I call to the group. “Who has a health potion? Anyone? Hurry!”

  I rush to TexBadass’s side to help pull the arrows out. No potion will do any good as long as he’s still losing HP to the poison. As I watch, each one of the others zone out for a moment as they engage the game interface, checking their inventory as needed. One by one their expressions change to anger or frustration as they reengage with the game in front of them, but without a health potion.

  “Nothing?” I say, feeling desperate.

  TexBadass still has an arrow in his side, near his stomach, and I wonder how much internal damage it has done. He looks close to passing out, hopefully just from the draining points, and not from the pain. I wrap my fingers around this last arrow, put the other hand on his shoulder, to keep him from jolting or wiggling, and pull.

  I try not to freak out too much at the fact that he doesn’t even have enough strength left in him to cry out in pain.

  I cast Bestow Relief just once before I’m distracted by a sound up near the front of the party. It sounds like SteelFeather swearing, and when I look up I understand why.

  With our healer down, the attackers have taken this moment to show themselves. Striding down the ravine toward our group are no fewer than seven of what look to be the same knight NPCs that we had previously encountered in Summerrun. The same NPCs that had been under the direction of the Toterra ambassador and celebrity player Jargonaut.

  I don’t see the player, though. At least for now, it’s just us against NPCs.

  Two more arrows dig into TexBadass’s chest, fired from somewhere else in the ravine. When I look up to the horizon, I see that those knights are no longer hiding themselves either. All seem to be out in the open, intent in their attack on us.

  I hurry to pull the new arrows out too. While fellow players in Camlan Realm can’t kill each other, NPCs can. TexBadass is dying. He’s dying, and while he will of course respawn, it’ll be far back on the west side of Camlan in Summerrun. And then our party will be without an effective healer unless we wait for him or—

  I can’t worry about that. Thinking about all the things that could go wrong isn’t going to get this done right now. With the new arrows pulled out, I cast Bestow Relief again. It’s so weak that I feel like I’m wasting my time.

  Another arrow flies at us from on high, embedding itself in TexBadass’s thigh.

  “NO!”

  I slam my fist against the ground in frustration and repeat the entire process over again, pulling out the arrow, casting my tiny spell. All I am doing is barely keeping him clinging to life. Around me are clangs and shouts, noises of battle as my party fights off the NPCs, but here in this moment it’s just me and Tex.

  And we’re losing.

  Another casting of Bestow Relief after my cool down. I try to take deep breaths to calm myself. Being frantic isn’t going to help me protect him.

  He opens his eyes and smiles at me. “You best get some good loot from killing these jokers.”

  “Stop,” I tell him. “You don’t have to talk. I’ve got this.”

  Even before I finish the sentence, three more arrows fly towards us. I see one coming and try to put my body between it and TexBadass.

  [-3200 HP]

  Attention! Debuff received: Warrior’s Bane

  Description: You have been affected by poison. You lose 1% HP every ten seconds for two minutes.

  The other two arrows find their mark, lodging into TexBadass’s ribs. I grit my teeth against the pain of an arrow in my arm and desperately try to care for the other man first. The pain in my arm makes my hand shake and it takes a couple attempts before I can pull the arrows out of him.

  Tex is barely breathing. Even casting another Bestow Relief doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effect, and before I can pull the second arrow out, he’s hit two more times. I want to cry, I’m so frustrated. I can’t fight this. I had told him I’d take care of him and I can’t, and now I’m even more injured.

  [-340 HP]

  I try to say his name, but it just comes out as an anguished moan. Around us, the tanks are doing their best to defend and protect, but in front of me our best hope for getting through this fight alive is fading away.

  I have one hand on his shoulder when TexBadass lets out his last breath, the body settling into the ground and the game flashing a message in front of me.

  TexBadass has left your party!

  We’re on our own now.

  Chapter 44

  I don’t have enough energy left to yell or curse. Losing our healer, TexBadass, in the middle of a battle and so close to our objective, has deflated me. I know the rest of the party got the same game message I did, so at least I don’t have to be the one to break the news to anyone that he is out of the game.

  [-340 HP]

  The arrow that I tried to protect TexBadass from still sticks out of my arm, keeping my health from regenerating. With my left hand, I reach across my body to pull the arrow out, the disappointment mixed with adrenaline numbing me to the pain.

  When I finally look up, I take stock of our situation.
<
br />   The rest of the party continues to fight all around me; in the chaos I can’t even count how many of the knights there are that we have to take down. With the damage to my bicep, I have a hard time aiming my Bow of Eternal Rest, but I do my best. This army of NPC knights are all armored up so I can’t really see an easy place to send the arrow. SteelFeather, Balderdash13 and MadMachine each swing their heavy melee weapons at the oncoming attackers. As I stay on the ground, kneeling next to the body, I notice 88EGG88 flashing in and out of sight as she drops into Stealth. The magic wielders, Erinocalypse and ElJugador, stand back to back, facing outward toward the ravine walls and casting a variety of spells, only some of which I recognize.

  An arrow lands in the rocks next to me. I look up to see one of the knights that had been up on the horizon at the top of the ravine is now climbing his way down the rock face. Whoever is in charge of this attack must be determined, because that is a difficult place to climb down to the ravine. I fire an arrow at the back of his legs, the only tiny bit exposed from the armor.

  It lands its mark and the knight pauses briefly in his climb down to reach behind him, pull out the arrow and continue on his way.

  I’m about to shoot another arrow in the same spot when a desperate cry arrests my progress. When I turn to look, 88EGG88 is fully visible, out of Stealth, cradling one arm that even from this distance I can see is completely broken and shredded. The knight looming over her holds a mace in his hand, the round, spiked head as big as 88EGG88’s head and clearly the weapon used to crush her arm.

  I hastily cast Bestow Relief in her direction, but only once as another of the knights has reached me. He’s too close for me to fire an arrow at him, but I have just enough time to scramble to my feet and back away, putting more space between me and his battle axe. In doing so, however, I turn my back on the other knight still climbing down the rock wall. I can’t keep my attention on both of them, and in the process of trying, I miss 88EGG88 getting hit again twenty feet away from me.

  She cries out, and by the time I look over, her body has already collapsed on the rocks.

  88EGG88 has left your party!

  I’m stunned, and freeze for a moment. Even knowing we have lost our healer, that first death happens much sooner than I expect.

  ElJugador has left your party!

  “What?” I say, looking for him. I didn’t even see that he was in trouble. How are we going to take down all these knights with so many fewer players?

  The knight in front of me continues his stalking toward me, axe raised. I catch a glimpse of the skin on his wrist and fire my arrow, hitting the exact tiny spot I need to. I let out a brief sigh of relief as he jumps back, dropping his weapon and putting his other hand to the injury. The poison from my Bow of Eternal Rest must be pulling more of his health and I ready another arrow to fire as soon as I see an opening.

  The Warrior’s Bane has finally made its way through my system, leaving my health at only forty percent of what it should be. Without a healer, or any potions to refill my HP, all I can do is try to keep from getting hit again. The HP will regenerate on its own eventually. Can I last that long?

  I glance behind me at the knight climbing down the rock and realize he has already reached the ravine floor. Fewer than fifty feet away from me, I should be able to fire on him, assuming I can find a section of his person not armored. As I watch, breathless, ready, a spell beam flies over my shoulder and the knight is frozen in place, a waiting target.

  I spin to see Erinocalypse concentrating hard, pouring all her mana and energy into freezing our attackers with Petrify. Thank god for her. One by one, holding back the tide almost by herself. This tactic has worked in the past, and she must be leveling up to give it longer affect time.

  I fire an arrow at the petrified knight, aiming for the small space between his helmet and pauldron, but miss. The gap is too small for my skill level. I don’t know how much longer I can reliably ignore that attacker, but I turn to help out where I can.

  Between the two of them, SteelFeather and Balderdash13 have taken down three of the enemy, the carcasses littering the shallow water at the shore of the stream. On the other side of the water, MadMachine battles his own knight, with a second frozen by Petrify not much farther away. Progress, but not fast enough and not substantial enough to help the other players we have lost.

  Both of the knights closest to me are still frozen, and almost too close for me to use my bow efficiently. I equip the Blade of Burnical instead. As I am pulling it out of my inventory, I run up to the closest of the two and swing. It’s not graceful, and it’s not even that strong of a swing—note to self to add more attribute points to Strength—but it works. His armor is heavy and offers protection, but only so far.

  I know I’m using the sword like a blunt force trauma weapon, instead of the elegant blade it’s supposed to be, but I don’t have time to be particular. With the force of the weapon, I manage to smash a dent in the knight’s chest plate and inflict a small amount of damage. He can’t even move to defend himself before I’ve swung again, this time aiming the blade right for his neck.

  That narrow space between the helmet and pauldrons is much easier to aim for from this distance, and the blade slices through the NPC’s neck. It’s just luck that I hit the jugular, and the blood flows all over the front of his armor. I cringe. This is why I don’t tank. Killing someone from this distance is too much for me.

  His health is draining out, down forty percent, then sixty, then more. I take another swing at his head, finishing him off. The corpse falls to the ground.

  One more down.

  I turn to take stock of how many more of the enemy we have to kill and my gaze lights on one of our tanks, battling two of them at once. Balderdash13 is fierce and dangerous as she twists her body around in almost unnatural angles to dodge the blows from her attackers. I equip my bow again, to try to help her from this distance, but the knights are moving too fast for me.

  I watch, carefully, keeping my poison arrow trained in their direction but I can’t find a good opening. One of the knights turns its back to me and I get a quick glimpse of a vulnerable leg, but he has turned again by the time I fire. The arrow lands uselessly in the rocks just past them.

  The movement must surprise Balderdash13, because she hesitates. In that moment, one of her attackers bashes the side of her helmet with his axe.

  I gasp.

  She remains on her feet for another few seconds but is too stunned to fight back. I try firing again, but my hands shake and I miss. The second knight on the other side of her takes his opportunity to end her, stabbing deep into her back where the armor is lighter.

  She collapses.

  Balderdash13 has left your party!

  I stifle a cry, watching the life leave Balderdash13’s body. I know she’s fine. I know this is just a game and her real life and real body are perfectly safe somewhere in Virginia. But on top of losing TexBadass, ElJugador and even 88EGG88 this feels like a tipping point. How will we be able to get out of this without her?

  Chapter 45

  With Balderdash13 dead, the two knights she had been battling turn their attention to the next closest tank—SteelFeather. He has just dispatched with another of their comrades and turns eagerly to take on two more.

  I have to look away to deal with my own enemy. Even with Erinocalypse’s constant help and spells, she can’t keep all of the NPCs at bay all the time. The knight closest to me is released from the effect and immediately starts toward me.

  I fire my arrow immediately, but he turns his body and it doesn’t seem to have much effect. I nock another arrow, hurrying to get it off before he gets too close, and this one lands near his hip in the gap just under his chest plate. While the knight pauses in his advance, and I successfully knock off twenty percent of his health, he’s not delayed for long.

  Before I have a chance to equip my sword for hand-to-hand battle, the attacking knight is frozen again by a Petrify spell. I look around to thank Erinoca
lypse, but in doing so my attention is drawn to SteelFeather taking hit after hit from the two knights on him. One arm hangs uselessly at his side, and the tank is nearly doubled over against his other injuries.

  As I watch, one of the knights swings another blow, taking out SteelFeather’s leg and dropping him to his knees. His expression looks furious, as though these knights are attacking him on a personal level instead of simply in the game. He lifts his sword weakly, swiping right and left and trying to inflict as much damage as he can before all of his health leaves him.

  SteelFeather has left your party!

  Crap.

  Damnit damnit damnit.

  With as close as all the NPCs are now, I have to rely on my Blade of Burnical, in spite of the fact that my sword-fighting skills are so low. It’s not going to be pretty, and it’s not going to be efficient, but this is the best I can do.

  In the split second I am distracted by changing weapons, the knight behind me is released from Petrify and comes at me hard. I almost drop my sword when he smashes his blade into my arm.

  [-2870 HP]

  I spin around as fast as I can, plunging my sword into the first thing I can find—his thigh. The hit hurts the NPC but not enough to stop him. We trade parries, each periodically landing a hit or a slice, each cutting into the other’s health. I am far overmatched in sword skills, but I can be more agile than my opponent.

  I lose my balance momentarily and in the brief moment of vulnerability, the knight’s sword comes down at me from high above. I close my eyes against the blow.

  But it doesn’t come.

  Instead I hear the clang of blade against blade. When I open my eyes again, I realize MadMachine has come to my aid, using his own weapon to deflect the hit against me. Before I can recover myself he is in battle with the knight, pushing him back and blocking his attacks, though not able to land any more of his own.

  I try to approach, sword in hand, but I don’t know how to find my opening. This is all moving so fast, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing or time to learn.