Soulstone_Oblivion

by J. A. Cipriano

  “Chains of Frost!” Crash shouted, trapping the troll he’d blasted in ice-blue shackles erupting from the ground.

  As he ran at the captured troll, staff raised, I brought the sword down onto the world’s ugliest ice sculpture, shattering the creature into shards of light.

  That was when the first troll, the one I’d stunned, broke free and, turning toward me, threw a punch with his extra-long arm. The blow slammed into my shoulder, knocking me off my feet and sending me careening into a boulder. Pain exploded through me as my health dropped by ten percent. As I shook myself and tried to straighten, the troll got in my face and roared at the top of his lungs.

  His breath smelled like dead rats, moldy cheese, and a dozen more rancid odors I couldn’t identify. The stench sank into my nose and crawled down my throat, and as I started to cough, I froze in place, unable to move.

  Apparently, the troll had some kind of bad-breath stun, and since the only thing I could do was stare, I got the exquisite pleasure of watching the troll start winding up his arm like he was in an old-fashioned cartoon. Only with each revolution, his arm began to spark and glow violently.

  “Spectral Blades!”

  Crash came at the troll in front of me, his glowing blue blades slashing like crazy, and breaking the troll’s concentration. As the creature stumbled sideways, trying to avoid Crash’s attack, George broke off his charge toward us and leapt into the air while executing a half twice.

  “Seems like you got this one, Crash,” George hollered as waves of ice exploded from his tiny body, catching the troll Crash had cast Chains of Frost on right as it broke free of the binding spell. The first blast knocked the creature backwards half a step, leaving it wide open for the rest of George’s attacks. As the fifth ice bolt hit him, the troll exploded into frozen crystals with a sound like shattering glass.

  One troll left. Crash was still slicing at it with the Spectral Blades, but the creature was pushing closer, long arms reaching as it ignored the many wounds on its body. One huge, misshapen hand wrapped around Crash’s throat and jerked him forward. Crash’s arms went out, and as he gripped the creature’s wrist, black tendrils appeared in his skin, moving slowly up his face.

  That looked a lot like poison.

  “Boss, I’m out of juice,” George cried as the troll’s stun finally broke. I leapt to my feet and charged the troll as it whirled on its feet like it was going to slam Crash into the ground. Fortunately, that movement gave me the opportunity I needed because it left the troll’s back exposed. I gripped the sword, raising it as I ran at the creature, and plunged the blade into his back.

  The troll burst into shards of dark violet light. At the same time, a blue glow enveloped my body and Elizabeth informed me that I’d reached level 16.

  But I didn’t have time to celebrate. As the monster disintegrated, Crash swayed and dropped to his knees, gagging. There was a black band swelling around his throat. Definitely poison.

  I crouched next to him and held a palm against the swollen area.

  “Cure,” I said, trying to push as much as possible into the spell. A soft white glow traced my palm and spread over his skin, sinking into his throat and traveling up along the jagged black lines that marked his face. A moment later, the blackness faded back to normal skin color.

  I lowered my arm, and Crash shuddered and took a deep breath.

  “Holy shit, that was close,” he gasped. “Thought I was a goner. That troll poisoned me, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” I looked around for George and saw him hopping around where he’d exploded the frozen troll, sniffing a little. “You okay, George?”

  He looked up and started toward us. “I’m good. I was looking for loot. Didn’t see any, though.”

  “No drops?” Crash said. “Come on. They were trolls!”

  I didn’t see anything either. Shrugging, I held a hand out and boosted Crash to his feet. “I guess they’re the weak monsters in this area,” I said. “They do give EXP, though. I just leveled.”

  “Great. If these were the easy ones, I can’t wait to see the tough monsters.” Crash sighed, eyes distant like he was checking his stats. “I’m pretty close to leveling though. Guess they were worth the EXP.”

  “Well, there probably won’t be tougher monsters until we get to the dungeon.” I gave him a smile.

  We regrouped on the path and started moving again while I checked my stats.

  * * *

  Character: Kahn

  Alignment: Neutral

  Level: 16

  Health: 343

  Mana: 289

  Synchronization: 90%

  Strength: 20

  Dexterity: 20

  Constitution: 20

  Wisdom: 20

  Intelligence: 20

  * * *

  That’s when I realized I’d gained 25 health and 15 mana. Sweet.

  It didn’t take long to near the castle. It was on a massive rock shelf with a huge, jagged cave entrance below it. There were twelve-foot-tall wooden doors with iron ring-bolt pulls closing off the cave. And as the structure came into view, that was when I realized there was a problem.

  There was a figure in front of the doors, dressed in white. A slight glow over the figure’s head said it was a player.

  At least the Caves of Despair wasn’t a PVP zone, but I really didn’t want to bother interacting with other players. I wanted to get into that dungeon, grind some levels, and hopefully, get another soulstone.

  This dungeon quest really seemed like the kind of place that would have one.

  As we approached, the figure resolved into a female player in light blue pants and tunic with a hooded white robe. She was slender and quite pretty, with blue eyes and long, dark hair done in an elaborate braid held with thin golden ropes and decorated with beads and feathers. She also had pointed ears, and she held a black wooden staff in one hand. Her display said that her name was Nova.

  She watched us until we were within ten feet of the doors, and then she stepped forward and her eyes met mine. That was when I noticed that she’d been crying.

  “Oh, please tell me you guys are here to run the dungeon,” she said, gripping the staff tightly before her with both hands. “I need help. My sister’s trapped in there, and I think she might be dying. If she’s not already dead.”

  5

  “Sorry. Can’t help you,” Crash said before I could even start thinking about the crying girl’s question. “Come on, let’s go.”

  I grabbed his arm as he started for the dungeon doors. “Hey, what’s your problem? You didn’t even—”

  “I don’t care. The answer’s no.”

  “Er. Can you give us a minute?” I said to Nova as I steered Crash back along the path to a distance she wouldn’t hear us talking if we kept it quiet. “Dude, we should at least think about helping her. Look how upset she is.”

  George piped up. “Yeah, and she’s also hot, too. I’m with the boss.”

  “I didn’t say we should help her,” I said. “Just that we should think about it.”

  “There’s nothing to think about.” Crash cast a worried glance toward Nova. “That’s an instanced dungeon, which means if we join her party, we’ll have to fight at whatever level they already started with. It’s probably way higher than ours, like everybody else’s in this place is. Plus, she’s a stranger.” He frowned severely at me. “Remember the last time we picked up a stranger, and she kidnapped our barbarian?”

  “Wow. The priest actually has a point,” George said. “I thought Sabre was hot too, but she turned out to be a total bitch. I miss Tubby.”

  “We all miss Two’ Manchu. And that’s my point.” I looked at Crash. “If we want to get him back, we have to level up fast. I bet we can get all the levels we need right here, in one go, if we hook up with a higher level party. Otherwise we’ll have to finish the dungeon, and then find somewhere else to grind, and who knows how long that’s gonna take?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, gr
eat plan. Except what if she’s level 70?”

  Ever since we heard about Wynn being level 70, Crash kept saying that number like everybody else in Ruul had to be at least that by now, if not higher. I was getting a little sick of it.

  “We don’t even know what level she is,” I said as I stole a glance in Nova’s direction. She still stood by the dungeon doors, trying to look like she wasn’t paying attention to us when she totally was. “Besides, if we fight at a higher level, we’ll get crazy phat loot. And I’ll bet you the Titan Gate championship title there’s a soulstone in there.”

  Crash gave me a look. “Why would you think that?”

  “Doesn’t this seem a lot like the Skeleton King to you? I mean, that was more like Battle of the Five Armies and this is a dungeon crawl, but look.” I started ticking off fingers. “It’s a huge side quest that seems like a waste of time. Hardly anybody else is bothering to do it. And somebody asked us to save the town, both times.”

  “You forgot a similarity,” Crash muttered. “They both have a high probability of death. Actual death.”

  “See? They’re practically the same thing,” I said with a grin. “Come on, man. We survived the Skeleton King. We can survive this.”

  “Yeah, we did,” he said. “With a lot more help than we have now.”

  Even though he was still basically saying no, I could see him thinking about it. “Listen, let’s just get some more details from Nova and find out what level she is,” I said. “Then we’ll decide.”

  He sighed. “Fine.”

  “Okay, then. Come on, George, let’s … uh, George?” I said as I looked around for the rabbit.

  I didn’t see him anywhere. I glanced around, starting to panic a little when Crash nudged me and pointed back toward the dungeon.

  There was Nova, sitting on a rock pile next to the big doors with George nestled in her lap as she stroked his fur. And he was clearly loving it.

  I rolled my eyes and walked back to them. “Comfortable, George?”

  He glanced up with a guilty look. “What? It’s not my fault the ladies can’t resist me.”

  “Is this your pet?” Nova said as she kept stroking the bunny. Up close, I noticed that her eyes were really, really blue. Inhumanly blue, like Liv Tyler when she played Arwen in Lord of the Rings. She really had this hot elf chick thing down.

  “He’s adorable,” she went on. “You must’ve got him in Silver Gables, right? I didn’t know you could tame those rabbits.”

  George huffed. “Hey, sister, nobody tamed me. I just decided to hang out with this loser.”

  I noticed that despite taking offense, George wasn’t even trying to move from her lap. And I couldn’t help thinking that any second now, she’d do something unpleasant. Like grab him by the scruff, pull a knife, and say something brilliant like you’re coming into this dungeon with me, or the bunny gets it.

  But she picked up George, stood and set him gently on the ground with a final pat, and then grabbed the staff she’d leaned up against the rocks next to her. “Well, you haven’t left yet,” she said. “Does that mean you’re going to help me?”

  “That depends. What level are you?”

  “Also,” George said as he scratched his ears with a hind leg. “Are you secretly a psycho bitch who just seems nice because you’re hot and you give good scratch?”

  I stared at him. “Really, George?”

  “Hey, why not ask, right?” he said as he gave me a totally innocent expression.

  “It’s okay,” Nova said with a faint smile. “No, I’m not a secret psycho bitch. At least, I don’t think so. And me and my sister are both level 20. What about you guys?”

  “I’m 16, he’s 15,” I said, pointing to myself and Crash.

  She deflated a bit. “Oh. I was hoping you had a little more … experience.”

  “Ouch,” George grinned. “Bet that stung.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” I looked over at Crash, who’d hung back with a thoughtful expression. “What do you think, man? I mean, we can probably handle level 20 monsters, right? They’re not that much higher.”

  Crash stirred and took a few steps forward. “Actually, they’d be level 18. Instanced areas use the average of your party to generate the difficulty settings, so those four levels are 71 total, divided by four, which is 17.75. That would be rounded up to 18.”

  “Wow,” I said. “Nice mathing. Not sure I could’ve done that in my head.”

  “What about me?” George said as he hopped closer. “I’m level 10. Won’t that bring it down?”

  Crash shook his head. “It’s the average level of the players. You’re a pet.”

  “I prefer the term sidekick,” the bunny sniffed. “So, are we doing this or what?”

  Nova looked almost hopeful again. “You know, I didn’t even think of the averages,” she said. “I was worried I’d have to carry you guys, since you’re so much lower than me—”

  “Hey. Four levels is not ‘so much lower’.” I happened to think we were doing pretty damned good for only being in Ruul for two days.

  “But maybe not,” Nova finished, and looked right at me. “Will you help me save my sister? Please?”

  I looked to Crash. His expression said fine, but I’m not going to like it.

  “Okay. We’re in,” I said as I gave my stats a final quick check. I was almost halfway to leveling again, so maybe I could hit 17 at the first challenge, which should be relatively easy. Crash should be able to reach 16 soon as well.

  She smiled. “Thank you so much. You guys are my heroes.”

  “And me, right?” George put in.

  “Yes, you too,” she said, reaching down to scratch his ears.

  Just then, Elizabeth spoke up. “Player Nova has invited you to join her party. Would you like to accept?”

  I was about to accept when I remembered something important. Once we were party members, she’d be able to see my name. And I had a bounty on my head. That was going to be risky no matter how I handled it, but maybe I could find out a little more about the odds she’d turn me in. “One more question. It’s gonna seem random, but bear with me,” I said. “How do you feel about Wynn?”

  “The leader of the American Guild?” Her expression twisted, and I was surprised she didn’t spit in protest. “He’s a world-class douchebag and I hope he gets eaten by a dragon or something. Look, if you’re in with him—”

  “No, we’re absolutely not,” I said, holding up a hand. “It’s cool.”

  I accepted the invite. When I did, Nova’s eyes glazed as she looked at her HUD, and then she glanced at the spot just above my head with a half-smile. “So that’s why you asked about Wynn. You’re that kid he’s after.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I said carefully, waiting for her to expound.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m not turning you in,” she said. “I just want my sister back. Besides, any enemy of Wynn is a friend of mine.”

  I smiled. “Good to know. So, are we ready to do this?”

  “Any time you are.”

  I was definitely ready right now.

  6

  Getting into the dungeon was easy. All I had to do was knock on one of the massive doors with the ring bolt, and it creaked right open. The space beyond the doors was pitch black. I figured there had to be something inside, since Nova must’ve been in there already, but I still tested the darkness with a foot to make sure there was actual ground to walk on.

  “Light,” I said as he gestured into the dark space. My spell cast a pool of blue-white glow that only reached about five feet, but at least it showed a solid cobblestone floor.

  “So, who’s going in first?” Crash said as he came up next to me and looked back at Nova. “I think she should do it. She knows more about this place than we do.”

  Her expression wavered and her eyes darted to the right for a second, but then she firmed with resolve. “All right. I will, then.”

  Nova moved cautiously between us, hesitated briefly, and then walked
right in.

  When she didn’t instantly die a horrible death, I shrugged and followed her. “Come on, George—”

  “Wait a minute,” Crash said nervously. “Do you mind if I go next?”

  Oh, right. I forgot that he hated going in last. “Sure, go for it.”

  Crash nodded and stepped through. I ushered George inside and brought up the rear, trying to stay inside the weak pool of light cast by the spell. It should’ve been a lot stronger, but apparently this dungeon was extra-dark. I only hoped we didn’t have to crawl the whole thing without being able to see more than five feet at a time.

  As soon as I cleared the entrance, there was another ominous creaking sound and the door closed with a massive, hollow bang that seemed to echo forever.

  “That’s not a good sound, is it?” George said as he hopped further into the light circle.

  “No, it’s not.” Crash stared at Nova, who stood frozen in place as the echoes of the door slowly died down. “Is that supposed to happen?”

  Before she could answer, there was a flump to our left as a torch flared to life, revealing the stone wall it was set into that reached up endlessly into gloom. Seconds later, another torch flamed up around fifteen feet ahead of that one, then another, and another, like dominoes. The flaring torches continued ahead, turned across a back wall that looked very far away, and then marched toward us on the right, each one building on the illumination until the circle was completed. And when the last torch was lit, a small bonfire flamed itself on near the center of the room, fully revealing our surroundings.

  At least I didn’t need to hold the Light spell anymore.

  The cavern was massive, practically the size of the arena for the Titan Gate tournament. Even with all the torches lit, the ceiling of the place was still hidden in gloom and shadows. Past the bonfire, about two-thirds of the way back, was a large, polished marble slab altar, and behind that stood a stone statue of a four-armed … thing. Kind of like the Shiva statue from Temple of Doom, only a lot meaner and uglier. It was twenty feet tall easy, and that was in a cross-legged seated position. Its snarling, inhuman face stared with blank stone eyes, and each of its clawed hands held a large crystal that glittered dully in the firelight. Four hands, four crystal colors: red, blue, yellow, and white.