by TJ Reynolds
Their eyes burned ether-blue, and their movements were much faster than they should have been.
Ether-blighted, he mused. That doesn’t sound like it will be something that favors us in this fight.
When the muskrats got within ten feet, Kai unleashed Flame Spear.
He heard and felt the other dragons unleashing their spells behind him, one at a time.
A gust of cold came first as Anatoth used Winter’s Wrath. Freya’s Fire spell caused a counter-current of hot air to stir the dungeon air.
Then Hazel’s party buff landed, filling Kai’s body with power and rejuvenation.
Thrice more, Kai blasted the rats with Flame Spear.
When their initial wave broke, he fought on with his glaive. Kai thrust at the nearest muskrat. His blade missed the beast’s chest as it dodged to the right at the last minute.
In a flash of blue, the gash along the monster’s shoulder healed.
It jumped up at Kai on overpowered legs, and he had just enough time to bat it away with the butt of his glaive.
Rhona blurred beside Kai, exploding the rats one at a time with her new skills. Her Spirit Flow allowed her to move far faster than any creature had a right to.
Even though it was technically less powerful than Spirit Surge, Kai still found it more impressive to watch.
Where she’d once simply disappeared, moving so quickly she couldn’t be tracked, Rhona now seemed like a vengeful phantom fighting beside him.
Kai slashed at another group of muskrats, cutting one down in his attempt. The other two got past his guard and came at him.
He spun and kicked one away, his armored boot shattering its face.
The other crashed into his left greave. A chink of metal hitting the ground alarmed him, and he looked down to see the monster had bitten a piece of his leg armor off.
Kai sunk his glaive into the monster’s head, then tossed it away before reverting to Flame Spear twice more.
The gouts of Fire and Wind ether burned a dozen more of the rats. Half of those damaged started to heal after, however, which alarmed Kai.
Having bought a momentary reprieve, he glanced back to see how the fight was going for the others.
Rhona alone fought with ease.
Anatoth stomped and growled. He was killing many of the monsters, but they were so numerous and quick that the dragon was already bleeding from a half-dozen wounds.
The others struggled as well, but poor Calreem had at least ten of the monsters latched onto his hide in various places.
All dragons had some resistance to Fire, but Kai didn’t want to test if Calreem could withstand Flame Spear. Instead, he shouted to Rhona, Hold the front! I’m needed elsewhere!
Kai ran through the center of the diamond shape, passing the others as they finished the last of the monster surge.
Greg labored at the rear of the formation. It was obvious the champion had taken grievous wounds as well, but Hazel had noticed, using her tail to clear some of the beasts away while Greg killed those around him.
Finally, Kai called out his approach in hopes of avoiding being struck by the young dragon’s tail. Calreem, focus on the ones before you. Keep your tail under control. I’ll kill the ones on your sides and back.
The dragon didn’t respond, but he stilled his flicking tail.
Kai jumped in the air and slashed through the spine of a muskrat tearing into Calreem’s scales.
When he landed, Kai thrust three times in quick succession.
Each attack landed since the monsters weren’t focused on him at all.
By ones and twos, Kai cut the muskrats down.
A minute of frantic fighting passed and then the flow of monsters reduced to an intermittent trickle.
Panting, Kai stepped back into the center of the diamond. Save your mana. Use only physical attacks for now. This fight is almost over. He hoped it would encourage the battered dragons.
Rhona emerged from her skill and stared at him wild eyes. Crimson 1? she asked in disbelief. Something is wrong with this dungeon!
I know, he replied, filtering his thoughts so only she could hear. Keep calm. I don’t want the dragonlings overly worried. They need to focus.
She nodded as she turned back around and crushed another muskrat with a downwards kick to the head.
Kai caught his breath and started casting healing spells on the dragons, starting with Calreem. By the time he’d finished, the muskrats were gone.
He called for a short break, and the dragons sat down in the dungeon amid the piles of monster corpses.
Rhona brought Kai the waterskin she’d taken with her.
Then, as his pool of AE refilled—much quicker thanks to Hazel’s buff—Kai started casting Barbed Barkskin on their entire party.
They were obviously going to face a lot of monsters in this dungeon. Might as well make the bastards pay each time they wound one of us, Kai mused grimly. And the added speed might just save our lives.
14
He Who Holds all Eight
Rhona
“I say we press ahead,” Kai said firmly. “Yes, the risk is high, but every aspect of this adventure has been dangerous.”
Rhona nodded, feeling the same. “Let’s just be cautious, then. And hopefully, if we can clear this dungeon, the reward will be worthwhile.”
Kai walked back to where the dragons were waiting and told them the plan of how they would proceed.
Rhona watched him, arms folded over her chest. By Andag’s beard, she thought. He’s becoming the Elder Dragon in truth, and he doesn’t even realize it. I only hope he can do so without the soft bits inside turning hard.
She waited while Kai finished up, and then the two of them were plunging deeper into the dungeon yet again.
Another few empty chambers were all that greeted them at first, but then they came to a vast cavern. Crystals clustered around the walls and hung from the ceiling.
The air, permeated with dense ether, made the entire place glow a brilliant blue.
So much ether, Kai muttered in her mind. Makes me worried about facing whatever boss monster we might come up against.
I know. And the fact that the muskrats’ ascension levels seemed out of line with their power… feels like somehow this dungeon has been steeped in far too much ether for far too long.
Rhona followed behind Kai as he walked down a spiraling ramp that led around the outside wall of the cavern.
All was silent but for a dribbling splash of water.
Glancing up, Rhona saw the stone spears the water had formed over the years as it drained into a wide pond in the center of the room. If anything is in here, it’ll be in the water no doubt.
Kai chuckled softly. Almost like you’ve been in a dungeon before. Yeah, I am thinking so too. Maybe it’ll just be some fat fish we can roast up for dinner. Sounds nice.
The crunch of gravel beneath Rhona’s boots and the shifting plate mail on the dragons’ backs made for a noisy descent, but still nothing emerged.
A single tunnel exited the cavern, but other than the blue haze of ether, she couldn’t see anything down the passage.
Arriving at the bottom, Kai called out a few orders. Make your way around the pond. When we’re in position, I’ll stir things up. See if we can’t drum up something to fight.
Rhona stood twenty feet to Kai’s right, and the dragons walked around the pond, finding positions at even intervals. The water was dark and clear, seemingly deep though it was impossible to tell.
Their party was large enough to wrap around the small pond. At only forty to fifty feet across, Rhona hoped nothing too large and overwhelming could be hidden in the depths. That wasn’t an assumption she was willing to risk, however, so she stayed ready for anything.
When Calreem faced the water, some twenty feet to Kai’s left, Kai extended his glaive and slapped the water’s surface.
Nothing happened.
The water rippled back and forth across the surface until it stilled once more.
A roiling ball of fire ruptured the pool’s stillness. The sound echoed sharply in the cavern, reverberating time and again.
If there’s anything in here, that is sure to rouse them, Rhona mused, crouching a little lower with fists raised.
Then, as the water began to settle, flickering blue lights shone up from the depths.
“Get ready!” Rhona cried out, prepared to trigger Spirit Flow at a moment’s notice.
The moment stretched as everyone watched the lights weave and circle in the pool. As one, they rose to the surface.
Perhaps testing to see what was outside, a single fish jumped out of the water. It arced gracefully, long, pale fins draping behind it. Four feet long and possessing a terrifying set of teeth, the fish had the same ether-blue eyes as the muskrats.
Rhona had just enough time to inspect the creature.
Starving Cave Carp
Ether-blighted Fish
Crimson 1
As soon as the fish plopped back in the water, a dozen more jumped out. Their mouths opened and fist-sized spheres of raw ether shot out in all directions.
Rhona dodged hers, but Anatoth and Freya yelped as the ether burned their scales.
Kai had kept the barkskin spell in place, but it did little to protect against magical attacks.
Before the fish retreated again, Kai thrust out with his glaive and split open one of the carp. Its punctured abdomen distended, and when it fell beneath the surface of the pool, it exploded.
Thick, liquid ether splashed everywhere, some spraying across Rhona’s arms. It burned on contact, and she grimaced as the ether made her muscles twitch and hop from the overload of energy.
Another group of carp emerged, but even as their group countered and dodged, an endless shattering echoed from above and all around.
Crystals fell like jagged rain.
Then the air above them filled with the flapping of countless wings.
Rhona looked up and saw a plague of bats dropping down towards them. These, too, opened their mouths and released ether attacks. Like the screeching bats Ban had favored in his old dungeon, these used sound waves to cause damage.
In moments, the cavern was in chaos.
Kai’s glaive flashed, and Flame Spear roasted a few of the crystalline bats. Their bodies seemed to be made of stone, though, and the fire did them little harm.
The stupid fish continued their own assault, and all the while, their party took a slew of minor wounds.
In a flash of intuition, Rhona could see the battle going to hell. The dragons and Kai would rely on their spells and bring the crystal structures on the ceiling crashing down on them.
The fish and bats would swarm their party and slowly but surely bring an end to their ambitions.
No, Rhona thought. There has to be a way to deal with this. Think, girl!
An idea popped into her mind that she couldn’t ignore.
With a piercing intensity, Rhona screamed out with her mind so all could hear. Dragons! Use your wings to stir the air. Flap hard and push the bats away! Kai, Greg, and I can take out the fish while you do.
For a few chaotic moments, the dragons were unsure what to do.
Kai sent a Flame Spear arcing into the air. Do as Rhona said! Do it now!
Then the beasts turned their backs to the roiling carp and unfurled their wings. Anatoth had to back away due to his extensive wingspan, but soon a tremendous wind was buffeting the cavern.
As she’d hoped, the bats were thrown off by the torrent of wind.
Their sonic attacks became less frequent, and many missed altogether.
Rhona locked eyes with Kai for a second, letting him know she was with him.
Then she slipped into Spirit Flow.
Her battle sense was immediately overwhelmed. Her body crawled with the tingle of anticipated injuries. She focused her mind and avoided the most prominent warnings by sidestepping away from a carp’s ether attack.
Rhona then jumped high enough so that three of the fish lined up. She kicked, activating Tiger Spear.
The lance of ether slashed through all three fish, and they fell into the pool and exploded one by one.
Rhona twisted, avoiding a large spray of liquid ether. Then, suddenly filled with excitement, she dashed around the edge of the pool. She ducked ether attacks and dodged the sharp claws of swooping bats.
All the while, she waited for moments when the fish would intersect with one another or come close.
In half-speed, and aided by her battle sense, the task was manageable.
Rhona skewered two fish and then four with her spear attacks. One carp emerged close enough that she could touch it.
She gripped its flipper in one hand and swung it out of the pool to flop at the feet of a dragon.
Rhona fought until her ether pool was nearly drained, killing over twenty of the great fish. By the time she emerged from Spirit Flow, over half of the carp were dead.
Kai’s glaive was a thing of devastation. No longer seeming slowed by her skill, she witnessed the true level of his ability.
Gone was the lanky and awkward glaivier he’d once been.
Kai struck, slashed, and thrust with an unerring precision. The carp fell quickly to the sharp blade, and he simply ignored the splashing ether that burned his skin and face.
Greg, too, had been busy.
His long javelin was ideal for skewering the fish.
Since Ban wasn’t occupying the champion, Greg fought on heedless of pain or injury. His armor was thick plate mail, but it covered less of his body than Kai’s. Greg’s hands, elbows, and face smoked as the acidic ether scorched deeper and deeper.
Finally, all of the fish were destroyed.
Kai nodded to her before turning to the dragons. The fish are down! he shouted mentally. Now we need to bring down those bastards! Hazel, give us another Blessed Breeze.
As the cooling wind rejuvenated their party, Rhona took a deep breath.
She didn’t want to usurp Kai’s authority, but another idea came to mind. Stop flapping your wings! And no spells, or the ceiling crystals might fall down on us. I think there’s a better way to deal with the bats.
Kai nodded at her to continue.
When Anatoth folded his wings last of all, she laid out her meager plan. Use your mouths. Bite the bats out of the air. Greg can use his targeted javelin attack, and Kai can use his glaive. And if you feel something on your back, it will be me. I am going to fight by jumping from back to back, okay?
Kai confirmed the plan, and the dragons showed their acceptance by lashing out and snapping at the bats nearest to them.
Anatoth and Freya both crushed one apiece.
It was a good start to the rest of the battle.
Rhona saw she had a third of her AE left. It was refilling quickly thanks to Hazel’s spell, but she would need to act quickly.
Triggering Spirit Flow, Rhona raced up Calreem’s back leg and up his spine.
Her battle sense told her to slow. She avoided the ether blast aimed at her face and then jumped in the air.
The bats had massive wingspans, stretching well over three feet, but their bodies were only ten or twelve pounds. She didn’t need to use Tiger Spear or Bangled Paw to kill one.
She’d also been wounded countless times, and so she used the ether absorbed by Blood Sunder to empower her attacks.
Briefly, she regretted that the skill couldn’t actively refill her Available Ether pool. That could cause a near-endless cycle of power that would let her unleash hell with her skills.
Still, when she tapped the bat in its chest with two outstretched fingers, the thread of ether she released was enough to shatter its ribs and burst its heart.
Rhona moved like a deadly wind, leaping from dragon back to dragon back.
At last, she found herself high upon Anatoth’s shoulders as she destroyed last few bats.
They fell in
half-speed, bodies giving off clouds of ether already as they died.
In the short time she’d used Spirit Flow, Rhona had killed twenty of the bats that were foolish enough to fly close to her.
Kai had taken several more along with Greg, and each dragon had fangs covered in the monsters’ blood, evidence they’d done their part in the slaughter.
Rhona dropped her skill and stood panting.
The cavern grew thick with released ether, which flooded her core and cooled the pain in her body.
Rhona tipped back her head and sighed, relieved the battle was over.
She still held on to a large amount of ether, but rather than keep it for a future fight, she used most to heal her countless tiny wounds.
Rhona tried to walk down Anatoth’s back, but she slipped in a patch of slick blood.
The young dragon’s head was suddenly beneath her.
She landed heavily on his scaled head, but was otherwise unharmed. Thank you, Anatoth, she groaned as he set her down on the ground.
Anything for you, fierce monk, the Azure replied.
The dragon’s way of addressing her surprised Rhona briefly. Thinking about the fight from his perspective, however, she could understand how the dragon’s opinion of her might have changed. It was in large numbers and modest-sized foes that her own skills truly shone.
The other dragons each thanked her in turn, and yet all the while, the ether in the room kept pouring out of the fallen monsters.
An outrageous amount of ether had been gained from the fight, and she couldn’t find it in herself to regret the pain it had cost them.
When it was all said and done, the dragons each gained another level.
They were Amber 3 now, and on the brink of reaching Golden ascension.
Rhona checked her own advancement and found she was over halfway to attaining Viridian.
“This dungeon is amazing!” Kai gaped. “The ether-blighted condition must have somehow stuffed them full of raw ether.”
