by Rick Scott
“Maybe not the best choice of words there, sweetie,” Gilly says, but then she leans in to give me a hug and kiss. “If it gets hairy just run away, okay? Promise me.”
I nod. “I will.”
She smacks me playfully on the rump. “Got get ‘em!”
I smile at her and then cast Shadow Cloak before vanishing.
I trek through the tall grass toward Lakota, fearing that at any moment the huge white buffalo might disappear. It’s toward the far side of the meadow, which is a couple of football field lengths away. Surrounding it are about a dozen normal buffalo, but they’re not too close or anything. In my mind I do a calculation of the time it took me to run to the village and back and what it might take a villager to run to the quarry and for my brother to get back here. It feels like one of those stupid math problems I did in school. Dang it, I guess my mom was right that it might come in handy someday. If I’m right they shouldn’t be much more than a couple minutes away. Assuming they can run as fast as I can. And assuming my math doesn’t suck.
No more time to stall.
I ready my blades and quickly rebuff my spells before taking a position behind Lakota’s back left leg. I prepare backstab and then jab my katanas into the wooly white hide with a yell.
You backstab Lakota for 612 damage!
The beast lets out a bellow and I prepare for it to turn toward me, but a massive hoof comes flying at me instead!
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
Holy Crap! I totally wasn’t expecting that! This thing attacks way too fast. The buffalo then bucks and turns shaking the ground like an earthquake. My heart is pounding. I’ve got to get out of here to hide from it now! I use Retreat to gain a bit of distance and then Sprint away. The ground continues to shake as I scream for the smaller buffalo to get out of the way. They soon get the message when they see their bigger cousin steamrolling behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see the huge bull like animal has nearly reached me already, even with me running at top speed!
This isn’t going to work.
I can’t outrun it!
I can’t hide!
This was a mistake. A huge mistake!
I turn and prepare to cast Shadow Copy again but Lakota is charging toward me so fast I don’t have time. Its huge horns tear up the grass like a combine harvester as it lowers its head to the ground. My mind snaps and I instinctive run towards it. I leap at the last minute above its huge nose ring and engage wall run as my feet touch the nape of its neck. I smash into the beast’s body and lose 10% of my HP, but quickly regain my footing as I grab onto its thick wooly hide and clamber up its body toward the hump on its back.
“Reece!” Gilly screams at me in party chat. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know!” I shout back as Lakota releases another bellow and bucks wildly into the air. My stomach floats in freefall as the ground zooms away from me. Lokota lifts me at least 50 feet into the air and I brace myself as the huge animal comes crashing back down again. I slam into its back and lose another 10% HP and nearly my grip as well.
“Reece get off that thing! It’s going to kill you.”
My impromptu rodeo ride beings to take a turn for the worse as Lakota begins to buck in a circle, threatening to throw me off to the side as well as bash me into a pulp against its hide.
-10%
Ow!
-5%
Ugh!
-10%
Argh!
“I can’t get a heal off on you!” Gilly cries. “You’re moving too fast. Let go!”
Easy for her to say!
As I’m tossed up into the air and hanging on by its wooly fleece, my HUD registers a new target on its back, but it’s gone too quickly for me to see what it was. I absorb another 10% hp blow, gritting my teeth, and try to see what it is again, but once more it blips on and off too fast for me to see.
I’m down to 55%. I can’t take much more of this. My body is killing me!
I take a desperate gamble and let go when Lakota spins, tossing me off its back at high speed. In mid-air, I use my flight time to cast Shadow Copy and a split second later crash into the ground for zero damage.
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
Dang! Wish I’d had time to think of doing that when I was falling in that mine shaft. My aches and pains suddenly subside when a white glow envelopes me.
Gilly casts Heal III
You recover 456 HP!
I’m topped up to full and instantly I see Lakota give a bellow in Gilly’s direction. Crap, not enough hate on it! I get to my feet and blaze across the tall grass with a Charge Strike. I slam into Lakota’s side for a whopping 1% damage and then yell at it for good measure with War Cry. The LM finally sets its massive blue eyes on me and snorts a blast of hot air through its nostrils.
Guess my idea of hide and seek is out the window now. It’s time to straight up tank this thing! I get in two quick slashes on its nose before it leaps into the air again in a buck and I have to roll out of the way for it not to land on top of me.
Your evasion increases by 0.3
I get to my feet and pop Active Dodge in order to avoid a swipe from its giant horns. Yikes, that was close! I need to focus. Get my head in the game. I back up slightly as it tries to trample me with its front hooves and I get in a series of quick strikes to keep its attention. My heart is racing, my adrenaline spiking with both exhilaration and fear. I can’t screw this up! I can’t get hit!
And then a message appears on my HUD.
Lakota readies Great Bellow.
“Gilly, run away,” I cry as I cast Shadow Copy.
I see her running across the meadow a good hundred yards away, past casting distant and hopefully out of the AOE’s range as well. The huge Buffalo rears its head back and lets out the loudest ‘moo’ I’ve ever heard, almost as loud as that shadow monster wailing at me.
I cover my ears as my shadow gets stripped away. And then I see something that terrifies me.
Lakota uses Great Bellow!
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
A Mountain Buffalo is enraged!
A Mountain Buffalo attacks you!
Holy crap!
The ground shakes again as every buffalo within range releases a bellow of its own and charges in my direction. I freeze in fear as the mass of wooly bodies come at me like a tsunami.
Oh God… I’m about to die!
Chapter 15: Where’s the beef?
I’m staring down the barrel of two dozen angry buffalo and their super pissed off mom. Or is it their dad? Crap! I can’t even think straight right now. I can’t do anything! My heart is in my throat. I hear Gilly shouting my name through the party chat but it’s drowned out in the thunder of hooves and the rapid beating of my heart.
The beasts are nearly to me. Less than twenty feet away with nowhere to escape.
Is this it? My knees go weak as I brace myself. Mom, I’m so sorry…!
“Get down, mate!”
I glance over my shoulder to see Rembrandt running in with both pistols blazing.
The ground in front of the smaller buffalo ignites into a wall of blue flames. They slam into it and stop short as if hitting a barrier. Lakota rears back as well, sparing me from another hit from its horns.
“That won’t hold them long,” Rembrandt shouts. “Move it away from the herd!”
I find my senses as relief washes over me.
Thank God!
I use Retreat to back away from Lakota and then see Val Helena charging into a group of six or seven buffalo. She c
ries out as she spins her massive axe, cleaving into all of them at once with an AOE attack. Their health bars all reduce by a third and then a third again as she hits them once more. Rapid-fire shots from Rembrandt finishes them off and Val Helena quickly moves on to the next group of enraged buffalo.
A message pops onto my HUD.
Maxis has requested to form an alliance with your party. Do you accept (Y/N)
When I hit yes, Maxis, Rembrandt and Val Helena all join the party list.
“I don’t know what the heck you’ve gotten us into, Ryan!” my brother says through the chat, clearly pissed off. “But if you’re gonna tank that thing, then tank it!”
My brother, Maxis, sprints pass me and heads toward another group of buffalo that have skirted around the blue flames. He stomps the ground when he reaches them and the buffalo are hit with a stun. He then starts flying into them one at a time with fists and kicks, draining their HP gauges in just a couple of seconds each. XP in the low thousands trickles in from each kill and I see Gilly gain a level.
“We’ve got the fodder!” Val Helena says sinking her axe into another buffalo. “Stick to the LM!”
I focus back on Lakota. It’s still hampered by the wall of blue flames, but the fire looks to be extinguishing shortly. I use the opportunity to rebuff myself with Shadow Haste and Shadow Tendrils and then cast a Shadow Mist. Purple haze emerges from my palms and jets towards the massive beast.
You cast Shadow Mist.
Lakota resist the paralyze!
Lakota resist the poison!
Lakota is slowed!
That’s better!
I use my War Cry again and then take off in the opposite direction just as the blue fire barrier falls. Lakota thunders after me shaking the ground, but I’m in more control this time. I’m not trying to outrun it. I’m just repositioning it away from the rest of the herd in case it does that bellow move again.
Once I get a fair distance I turn about and launch into the charging behemoth with a Charge Strike. We collide and somehow my stun manages to land and I don’t take nearly as much damage slamming into the creature as I feared. Although it’s still enough to take 10% of my health and make my head a little dizzy. I recover as Lakota lunges at me and I evade the slowed attack with ease.
Confidence builds with the success and I feel myself calming down. Somehow knowing my friends are here removes my fear. Dang it feels good to have back up! I strike at the massive buffalo’s head with my purple hued blades and dodge nimbly to the side as it tries to gore me with its horns again.
“Try and hit me!” I goad it with another War Cry. “Come on!”
A flood of warmth rushes through me as Gilly heals me to full.
I catch sight of her about a hundred feet away, looking flustered, perhaps from running halfway across the meadow to heal me.
“Gilly, with me!” Rembrandt calls to her and I see Gilly join him as he takes a tactical position, facing Lakota’s flank. The cyberpunker begins to unload into the beast’s hide, his twin pistol firing in rapid succession.
“You guys came just at the right time!” Gilly says in the chat. “Reece was gonna get creamed!”
I feel a flush of embarrassment as she says that, and nearly screw up avoiding another hit. She’s right though. I totally froze up again. Without Rembrandt’s quick thinking I don’t know what would have happened. “I really owe you guys one.”
“We’ll talk about what you owe us once this thing is dead!” Maxis says. “Now shut up and fight!”
Gilly: Eesh, he’s really pissed off. D:
Me: Tell me about it.
I do what he says though and pay attention to what I’m doing. With Lakota’s attacks slowed I can finally focus on debuffing it some more. I go through my spell rotation and lower its resistance to fire. “Use fire on it if you have it, Rem!”
I check the damage we’ve done thus far. With chagrin I see Lakota pretty much at full health. What the heck? Are we doing any damage to it at all? I check my combat log.
Lakota misses you!
Lakota missed you!
You hit Lakota for 376 damage!
You hit Lakota for 385 damage!
You hit Lakota for 391 damage!
You hit Lakota for 388 damage!
Maybe it just has a ton of hitpoints. “Go all out guys, we’re not hurting it!”
Gilly gains another level as Val Helena and Maxis finish with the smaller buffalo. I think she must be 54 now. They then join us to focus their attention on Lakota. Maxis changes his stance to Fists of Fire and goes into an endless series of punches and kicks. Val Helena bursts into a red glow as she buffs herself and hacks into the LM’s wooly hide like she’s chopping down a tree.
I use War Cry every chance I get to keep it focused on me. I check Lakota’s HP and see it dip down to 92% but then bump back up to 95% again. What the heck?
“I think it has some kind of regen ability,” I say. “It keeps healing back up. Like a lot.”
“I’m on it,” Rembrandt says and stops firing to change the magazines in his pistols.
Rembrandt readies Bleeding Shot.
I dodge another swipe just as Rembrandt unloads with his new ammo. Lakota lets out a low moan as huge spurts of blood erupt from where the shots land, staining its white hide. I then see its HP begin to drop steadily as Val Helena and Maxis continue to hammer into it.
They’re doing a lot of damage now. It’s bound to be building up rage, maybe getting close to using an AOE move soon. I prepare for it by casting Shadow Copy and narrowly dodge a head-butt and a trample from its hooves in the process.
We get it down to around 70% when it happens.
Lakota readies Great Bellow.
“Get ready to heal us up, Gilly,” Val Helena shouts.
Gilly and Rembrandt back up, while Maxis switches to Fists of Iron and Val Helena does a couple of moves that cover her with a shell of blue polygons.
Val Helena uses Defender!
Attack decreased but Defense increased.
Val Helena uses Guard!
Armor rating increased by 20%
The giant buffalo rears back and lets out its ear shattering moo.
Lakota uses Great Bellow!
Your shadow absorbs the attack.
Maxis and Val Helena both drop down to around 15% and my heart nearly stops when I see another message appear.
Lakota readies Avalanche.
Oh no!
“Gilly!” I cry. “Heal them up! Quick!”
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Gilly says in a panic as she fumbles with her spells. “Which one do I use?”
Gilly casts Great Heal!
Gilly gains 0 HP!
Rembrandt gains 0 HP!
Reece gains 0 HP!
Val Helena gains 250 HP!
Maxis gains 250 HP!
A white light cover each of us and Maxis and Val Helena’s health bars go up by 10%.
Crap! That won’t be enough!
“Use Heal III on her!” Maxis shouts as he changes stances again. “Don’t worry about me!”
Gilly does what she’s told and tops Val Helena up with a couple of casts. Maxis glows brightly as his fists take on a green hue.
Maxis uses Healing Blow!
Your attacks now recover HP for 50% damage done.
Maxis uses 1000 Fists!
Speed and damage of normal attacks are doubled and no longer use stamina for 30 seconds.
My brother becomes a blender as he tears into Lakota’s side and his HP tops up with each hit. I’m so mesmerized that I nearly forget my own defense. I cast Shadow Copy right before the attack goes off.
Lakota uses Avalanche!
Huge chunks of snow and ice appear from nowhere and fall from the sky in a single massive sheet. I lose my shadow and Val Helena drops down to 15% again. My brother powers right through it, dropping to maybe 30% before his HP tops right back up to full.
I almost forget I’m tanking and barely miss a trample as Lakota goes back into i
ts normal routine. I use another War Cry to keep up with the damage.
“Good work guys!” Rembrandt says. “We should practice this more often, yeah?”
“What do you think this is?” Val Helena says with a goddess laugh.
My brother doesn’t say anything. Still peeved I guess. He keeps slugging into Lakota’s side like a boxer working a heavy bag. We get the LM to about 30% and then suddenly it breaks away and begins running back to the herd.
What the heck?
“What happen?” Maxis shouts at me. “Why didn’t you keep hate?”
“I don’t know!”
“Guys look!” Gilly points to where Lakota has stopped in the middle of the meadow about a hundred yards away. Bright white light begins to emerge from beneath its hooves and the same begins to happen for the rest of the Buffalo standing around it.
“Oh no,” I say absently. “I think I know what this is.”
I check the log to confirm it.
Lakota readies Recall the Herd.
“It’s going to teleport away!” I cry.
“What?” Maxis says.
“Wilbur said it would disappear in an hour. I didn’t think it would happen if we were fighting it. That’s why I attacked it ahead of you guys getting here.”
“We took too long?” Gilly asks.
I shake my head unsure. “I guess so?”
Maxis curses. “So now all that goes to waste? I blew my 24 hour move on that thing.”
I look back to the giant white Buffalo now regenning at 40% health. No way we can kill it in time.
Unless…
I take off sprinting toward Lakota as a crazy idea pops into my head. That thing on its back I saw. Could it be what I think it is?
