Heart of the Void: Sosaku Online - Book 2

by J. Arthur Klein

  The creature’s armored plates bulged, but in this instance did more harm than good for the creature as instead of exploding out of its back, the armor trapped the heat inside, causing even more of its organs to be cooked by the holy flames.

  A trio of elves moved forward and jammed their spears into a gap in its armored hindquarters, earning them a backhand attack that clipped one of their number and sent him spinning.

  My Cure Wounds spell met the injured elf as he hit the ground, giving him enough energy to get clear.

  The angered creature rushed forward, kicking Amenhotep back and targeting me with a massive attack that I had no chance of dodging.

  I winced in anticipation and raised my shield to intercept the attack. The force of the blow sent me sailing through the air to land in a jumble about twenty feet away. My shield arm was completely numb and dangled uselessly at my side.

  Seeing Amenhotep’s health take a dive, I pushed myself back to my feet and saw him struggling to rise. I hit him with a pair of rapid fire healing bolts and then he was dashing back into the fray.

  The lopholith had shifted its stance, keeping itself lower to the ground to protect its injured underbelly, leaving itself in an awkward position.

  Several of the creature’s legs snapped when our heavily armored tank struck home, the force of his shield rush overcoming even the thick chitin of the monster’s exoskeleton.

  A second later Mika appeared on Amenhotep’s flank and struck, each of his blades finding a home in the joint of one of the lopholith’s two remaining functional forelegs on that side of its body.

  The creature stumbled as the injured limbs gave out, causing it to partially collapse when the numerous smaller legs supporting its massive tail proved insufficient to support its bulk.

  That collapse was Kjara’s cue. She sprinted in and leapt upon the fallen creature, climbing its broken limbs to reach the plates protecting the creature’s nub-like head.

  Her blades danced and spun, each motion taking a chunk out of the protective plates and building in power. Her stamina began to drop by large chunks with each skill use, culminating in a massive overhand attack that split the creature’s shell down the middle and tore a large gash through to the delicate meat within.

  The creature’s health dropped down to a sliver and a pulse of black energy erupted from it, snuffing the life out of two of the remaining elven soldiers and sending all of those surrounding it to the ground writhing in agony.

  *** Arothrok Void Priest uses Void Nova! ***

  Kjara fell from her perch on the creature’s head and tumbled a short distance away, her body spasming in agony.

  I was far enough away that I only caught the edge of the effect. The chill seeped into my bones and dropping my health by a third but wasn’t enough to affect me with the debilitating pain that had stricken those closer to the epicenter.

  The lopholith, still alive, levered itself back into an upright position and brought its maul around in a flash, crushing Kjara into the dirt.

  *** Kjara has been killed! ***

  “No!” I screamed as her health bar went gray on the party interface. I growled as the creature tugged its maul free of the ground, Kjara’s red blood coating the grotesque weapon’s teeth.

  Amenhotep was almost to his feet, but I feared he was not the creature’s next target. I needed to act.

  Taking a running start, I activated my newest Awakened ability: Aspect of the Falcon. I felt an eruption of power rush through me as wings of fire burst from my back. It was the strangest sensation, feeling limbs that I’d never had before, and knowing exactly how to use them.

  With a single powerful beat of my new wings, I leapt into the air, reveling in the feel of the wind rushing past as I reached the top of my arc and started to descend. I tossed my shield away and grabbed my spear in a two handed grip, readying for what was to come.

  A simple spreading of my fiery wings could turn my jump into a glide, but speed was more important in the moment than my own safety, so I tucked them in and dove straight towards the back of the lopholith, spear leading.

  I crashed down on the creature’s shoulders just as it started its swing and buried my spear into the broken mess that Kjara had left behind. I felt the bones in my left leg crack as I made contact, but momentum carried me forward, driving the spear through its body until it hit the inner wall the creature’s chest plate and stopped.

  The last of its health bar disappeared and the creature tumbled to the side, leaving me without a perch.

  An instinctive flare of my fiery wings saved me from crashing into the ground, but as soon as I touched down, they vanished from my back and awareness.

  The corpse of the lopholith shimmered and then shrank, reverting to its original arothrok form, impaled on my spear from neck to groin.

  *** Your party has killed 10 Arothrok Warriors! Your party gains 1630xp. ***

  *** Your party has killed 15 Marcid Warriors! Your party gains 795xp. ***

  *** Your party has killed 3 Arothrok Captains! Your party gains 1884xp. ***

  *** Your party has killed an Arothrok Void Shaman! Your party gains 1685xp. ***

  *** You have gained 20 Divine Favor! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Spear! Rank 16 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Medium Armor! Rank 14 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Endurance! Rank 12 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Precision Strike! Rank 13 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Charioteer! Rank 6 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Charioteer! Rank 7 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient with First Aid! Rank 16 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient with Teamster! Rank 5 Achieved! Teams of more than two beasts now incur less of a handling penalty. ***

  *** Congratulations! You have gained a better understanding of the Soothing Touch spell! Rank 8 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have gained a better understanding of the Cure Wounds spell! Rank 16 Achieved! ***

  *** Congratulations! You have become more proficient in Aura of the Underworld! Rank 5 Achieved! In addition to its current effects, the aura will now apply a twenty-five percent penalty to healing received and in combat regeneration rates to all enemies affected. ***

  After wading through the wall of system text, I limped over to the shaman’s still form and pulled my spear free. I shuffled over to Kjara’s remains, trying to remember that this was just a game and she would be back with me shortly, but still not wanting to look on her mangled form.

  Mika and the five remaining elven warriors joined me shortly all looking the worse for wear. I made the rounds and healed everyone back to full, earning a few skeptical, yet thankful nods.

  One of the elven men bowed. “I am sorry for the loss of your friend. As a child of the Valerian, we will make a place for her in the glades of the Vale where her spirit can rest with the gods.”

  I looked at them confused and then I realized they thought she was an NPC and shook my head. “She will return. Her life is not limited to a single death.”

  A light seemed to turn on behind his eyes. “Ah, one of the reborn like Cynnedwyn over there.” He said, gesturing towards the body of the elven woman now laid out as if she was resting.

  “She returns as well?” I asked, and when they nodded, I asked them to bring her body closer so I could see about assisting her trip back.

  I performed a general blessing on the druid’s body since she had died earlier and would likely benefit from it the most. I struggled for the words, but eventually came up with something, saying simply, “Child of Nature, Daughter of the Valerian Court, may your walk through the lands of death be swift and painless,” and sprinkling some soil over the body.
/>
  *** Funeral rites… successful! ***

  The moon elves seemed a bit weirded out by a Saa Priest performing a funeral rite for one of their own, but didn’t do anything to interfere. If they thought that was weird then the next bit was probably a real shock to them.

  I knelt down beside Kjara and closed my eyes. “Lord Anpu, God of the Dead, Master of the Underworld, I call to you to grant Kjara, Ahn’ep of the Temple of the Restless Dead quick passage through your realm and strengthen her spirit as she passes through the gates of death.”

  *** Funeral rites… successful! ***

  The elven warriors were gathered around Mika who was talking with them too softly for me to hear, hopefully giving them the details so I wouldn’t have to explain why I was saying a Saa prayer over their moon elf cousin.

  Once their conversation was done, Mika and the elves started moving around the clearing, looting the Kchil while I settled down and cast Call the Dead, opening the shimmering portal for Kjara’s return. No way I was going to make her walk all the way here from Va’pu.

  This time there were no strange spell glyphs pulling at my attention, so I was able to keep things nice and smooth until Kjara arrived from the portal a short while later and collapsed into my arms.

  …

  41

  Getting squished by a massive shark-headed maul was not a pleasant experience, but at least whatever mystic functionality the developers had implemented to remove most of the trauma from the experience was effective. I’m sure the pile of loot from the Kchil army helped brighten Kjara’s spirits too.

  According to the elven soldiers, they were a small scouting force that had been cut off during a routine patrol and chased until they were able to take shelter on the hill above.

  They spoke very highly of the druid Cynnedwyn who had miraculously raised a wall of thorns around their entire position just in time to keep them from being overwhelmed by the enemy.

  We helped the remaining elven warriors dig a grave for their fallen comrades, deep enough to keep the bodies safe from the carrion creatures of the area until a wagon could be sent to return them to the forests of the Vale for their final rest.

  The druid’s corpse had disappeared at some point while I was waiting for Kjara to return, but that was to be expected when she respawned at her bind point.

  Mika and the rest had piled the various weapons, armor and other sundry bits next to the remains of my once magnificent chariot. Most of it looked like complete trash. Bits of coral or fishbone fashioned into something suitable for use by the arothrok or higher level skreel.

  There was a small pile of more valuable fare: gems, jewelry and coin from all over the continent, and an even smaller pile that held the loot from the elite arothrok and the void shaman.

  I looked through the last pile, using Analyze as I went to get a better idea of what we were dealing with.

  There was a wicked looking dagger carved of a pinkish red coral that had a bonus to critical damage and a good chance to inflict a bleeding wound; a bracelet that increased strength by one; a potion I was unable to identify; and the pièce de résistance, a completely unreadable bundle of scrolls containing a map of the surrounding area.

  One of the elves looked over the map and said, “We need to get this back to the Vale. The enemy have been pushing harder and harder of late, but the council may be able to make use of whatever these scrolls contain to send the creatures back from wherever they came from.”

  “Of course,” I said. “We are headed to the Vale. We need to speak to the council, specifically the High Priest of the Valerian.”

  Mika looked at the loot piles with his eyes darting hungrily towards the gold and gems. “What should we do with the rest then?”

  The elven soldiers glanced to each other and nodded, sharing some sort of unspoken communication. Their spokesperson turned to us and bowed. “We owe our lives to your timely arrival, so the spoils are rightfully yours.”

  Mika immediately started sorting the gold and jewels into three piles and then gesturing to the items. “Any of those useful? That dagger looks nasty.”

  I nodded. “Dagger’s probably pretty good for you. Increased crit and bleed, although not sure how it will hold up if you hit something too solid.”

  As he examined the dagger himself, I glanced to Kjara and continued, “The bracelet gives a bonus to Strength. That helpful for you at all?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. All my abilities are tied to Agility. Probably best for you to hold on to and boost your own power a bit.”

  I thought for a moment and shrugged. “Okay, I’ll hang on to it for now. I want to see if Amenhotep can actually use items.”

  Mika looked up. “Oh yeah! I didn’t even think of that. If Mumm-Rah can use it that’d be perfect,” he said and then gathered up one of the piles of gold and gems.

  I gestured to the elves. “Please take my share of the gold. I’m sure the families of those who fell today can use it more than I.”

  Kjara was in the middle of gathering her own share and looked up at me for a second and then sighed, pushing the pretties into a pile with my own. “Mine as well.”

  The elves looked surprised but grateful and quickly scooped up the gold into a pouch filled with what looked like the personal effects of the slain, some still wet with blood.

  *** Your reputation with the Rangers of the Vale has increased! Suspicious -> Neutral ***

  Kjara and I shared a grin at that. Being generous had its rewards. Mika just looked at us like we were mad, but I couldn’t really fault him for wanting to keep his share.

  I retrieved my shield and tried to find a way to salvage the remains of the chariot, but even with the repair kit that had somehow survived the crash without a scratch, there was only so much I could do.

  In the end I did my best to conceal the wreckage with branches taken from what was left of the wall of thorns and said my goodbyes. At least for now.

  Kjara smiled at me and chuckled. “Is your baby all tucked in and comfy for its nap?”

  “Hey. That chariot was awesome. Don’t tell me you didn’t have fun mowing through the skreel,” I said with a laugh.

  She gave me a quick hug and replied, “It was fun. I won’t lie. Maybe once we get to the Vale the council can send somebody out to retrieve it with the rest of the dead and give it a proper burial.”

  “Or repair it,” I responded.

  “Or repair it,” she agreed with a smile. “But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Not a lot of horses in the Vale.”

  I sighed and put my arm around her as we left the wreckage of my once glorious war machine behind.

  The elves gathered the weapons and armor that looked like it could be repurposed by their forces and readied it for transport.

  We hiked back to the road and then onwards towards the Vale. After another hour or so travel the forest appeared almost out of nowhere, the desert ending abruptly where a line of large trees had sprung from the ground in a way that just screamed “Here be Magic.”

  As we passed into the shade offered by the canopy overhead, I looked around in wonder. Everything was green. Dark green, light green, and thousands of shades in between.

  The canopy overhead was a vibrant green. The moss on at the base of the massive trunks was a deep muted green, and the spearhead not six inches from my face was a very memorable shade of emerald.

  “Lay down your arms, Saa, or prepare to meet your jackal-headed god,” the moon elf holding the spear said as the magical camouflage that had somehow hidden him from even my blessed sight fell away.

  I raised my hands as several other elves appeared out of the woods surrounding us. The elven soldiers we were traveling with called out to their companions to put up their arms, but even with those whom we had saved to speak for us, the border guards were none too keen to have a Saa within their lands.

  Our companions were at least able to convince their kin to let us retain our weapons and not travel at spearpoint, so at least there was
that.

  “Why have you come to the Vale of Dreams, Saa?” the leader of the border patrol asked.

  “We are here to assist in the defeat of the Kchil who have invaded the Moonwell. I must speak with the High Priest of the Valerian as soon as possible,” I said, trying to make use of my obscene Presence stat to at least convey the seriousness of my need.

  He sniffed and spat off to the side. “We will see. The council has declared martial law, and the border is closed. We’ll bring you to the captain and see what he has to say about your request.”

  I nodded and looked to Kjara and Mika who both shrugged. We didn’t really have an option unless we wanted to get murdered by a bunch of elite elven warriors.

  “Let’s go see the captain then,” I said and gestured onwards.

  The majority of the border guard returned to their patrol, leaving only their leader and one other to escort us onwards.

  They led us to a small encampment nestled into a clearing in the wood. We probably would have walked right past it if not for our elven guides. The undergrowth was shaped perfectly to obscure the clearing from sight and muffle any sounds within.

  The camp itself was bustling with people. Moon elves, sun elves, and a smattering of some of the other more nature-based races were in evidence, going about their business. Some brief flashes of info text within the crowd revealed a decent number of them were players.

  I nodded greetings as we went past, but with our escort hurrying us onwards we didn’t have much of a chance to do more than that.

  Our guide took us to the center of the clearing where a large tent had been erected and left us in a small sectioned off entryway to wait while he headed into the tent to speak with their captain.

  “Captain,” our escort said, clearly audible through the leather flap that served as a doorway. “We’ve intercepted a small group entering the border on the Sand road. Five of our own rangers, a moon elf swordswoman, a dýrafólk from the north… and a Saa.”

  “A Saa?” the vaguely familiar voice responded. “Hah, bet that didn’t go over too well with your guys. What did you do with the body? Did he have anything nice on him? Come on, let me see it.”