by Adam Drake
The undead king looked down at Rob through the blue flames that enveloped them both, his expression was that of pure incredulity. “I- I was the first,” he said. He gazed down at Rob, pushing himself further back. “But it's you now.”
Then Perrin's face turned to rage, and he lunged forward to scream in Rob's face.
Through the agony and pain, with blue flames dancing between them, Rob screamed right back, their faces almost nose to nose.
Then Rob pushed up against Perrin's chest with his hand, the stone of Holy Might in his open palm.
The result was instantaneous. Perrin lurched back off of Rob as if yanked on a rope. He collapsed to the floor and flailed around, shrieking. Then he was on his knees, arms outstretched, blue flame sprouting from his finger tips.
“I was the first!” he shouted and then collapsed to the floor, his body crumbling to dust and burnt fragments of clothes. Perrin's remains burned with a dimming blue flame like an old cook fire.
The flames on Rob vanished. It was a small mercy. The pain was just as intense as before. The skin on his arms and face still felt like they were on fire.
“I want to go home,” Rob wheezed.
Then the last of Perrin's flames dimmed, and the world went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Rob moaned with pain in the darkness.
The agony he suffered was indescribable, biting down to the very core of his being. This was how burn victims felt, he thought. With melted skin and horrid faces. I'm one of them now. He'd need a skin graft.
The absurdity of the thought almost made him laugh. Skin graft. How was he going to get one of those in this world? Hell, never mind this world. How was he going to get any kind of help down in the belly of this tomb?
What a miserable place to die.
As if on cue, a light appeared. All around him the room's darkness gave way to a bright light. In moments, the tomb was fully lit.
Rob blinked against the glare and rolled onto his side to look around.
The massive room was alight in full detail, not a corner or crack in shadow. The source of the illumination came from everywhere and nowhere. Just like Jace's Light spell.
Jace.
He looked over to where the woodcutter lay. Arm's and legs splayed out, he was still, his clothes smoking.
“Jace?” he called out to him. His throat was tight and raspy. “Jace?”
Jace didn't respond or move. Was he dead?
The woodcutter's stats appeared before Rob and he focused on one of them.
Hit Points 1/85.
Damn. One hit point left. Jace was now on the very edge of death because he tried to help him. Rob had to do something for him, but what? He couldn't even help himself.
His own Hit Points bar appeared at the top of vision. Hit Points 9/100.
We just got our asses kicked, he thought. But he had to get out of here. Drag Jace up the stairs and go for help. Whatever it took, he'd do it. He had to get up.
As he tried to move into a sitting position, he found his forearm had fused to the leather straps of the shield. Using his free arm, he pushed himself up to his feet. A dizziness hit him like a brick and he staggered, but recovered.
I'm at the end of the line, he thought. Game over. When he died would he even come back like he did after his fight with the wraith? Would he appear on the beach on that damned island? Or wake up in his bed in his tiny apartment back in the real world?
His Hit Points bar dropped a point.
I could find out, he thought. Just plop down here and wait for the last of my life to ebb away in this horrid room. What would happen to my body? Would I drop any good loot?
He looked to Jace again, still hanging on by one hit point.
No, he needed to help him. It was the least he could do after all the woodcutter had done.
Suddenly, a message appeared before him, nearly causing him to lose balance and fall over.
Quest Complete. 'Restoring Honor'
You have destroyed the cursed king, and made your kingdom whole.
Reward: 2,000 Experience Points.
You have also unlocked your character's advanced stats which you will find on your stats page. More stats and abilities will be unlocked as you continue to level.
Rob swiped away the message with a curse. “Big damn deal!” he shouted, his voice echoing. “I don't need more stats! I need a doctor!”
A brief flash of light made him look over to where Perrin's remains had been. In their place was a small pile of items. Among the items stood six little bottles. He immediately knew what they were.
Potions.
Staggering over, he fell to his knees beside them, the pain nearly forgotten.
The bottles were made of clear glass showing the color of the liquid inside. Four were a deep red, the other two a sky blue.
He'd seen Todd's characters horde and guzzle these things a million times.
Fighting through the pain, he bent over to pick up a red bottle.
You have taken an item: Major Potion of Healing
Restores 100% of Hit Points over 60 seconds. Cannot be stacked.
Value: 10 Silver Pieces.
“Oh, thank God!” Rob said as he removed the bottle's cork stopper. Then he put the bottle to his lips and tipped it back.
Sweet, syrupy liquid rushed over his dry tongue and down his throat. He felt the effect of the liquid almost right away. The harsh, sharp pain that enveloped his skin quickly lessened to his relief. His Hit Points bar ticked upward toward full.
For several moments, Rob basked in the glory of the magical elixir.
Okay, he wasn't going to die. Not right now, anyway.
Then he remembered Jace. He quickly snatched up another healing potion and got to his feet. This time there was no dizziness and his balance was almost fully restored.
He rushed to Jace's side, kneeling next to him.
“Jace?” he said.
The woodcutter's clothes were burnt, and his flesh was black and charred. His red beard and hair were completely singed. He looked dead.
But he still had one hit point.
Rob uncorked the healing potion, then tipped it to Jace's lips.
Jace's eyes suddenly popped open, and he shouted in pain. He batted the potion away almost knocking the bottle out of Rob's hand.
He's gone mad from the pain, Rob realized.
“Jace!” He shouted at him. “Hold still! This will heal you!”
But Jace couldn't see through his agony. He flailed his arms and screamed.
“Damnit!” Rob said. He needed to get this stuff into Jace, quickly.
Rob pressed his shield against the woodcutter's arms and slid over on top of him.
Sitting on Jace's chest, the woodcutter's arms pinned beneath him, he leaned forward with all his weight and poured the potion's liquid into Jace's mouth.
Jace struggled, but the damage he'd take had greatly weakened him. After a little sputtering he yielded and let himself drink the potion.
In seconds, Jace calmed down and even his skin started to clear up, the charred blackness slowly fading away.
Rob looked at Jace's hit points. They were now climbing steadily just like his own.
Certain Jace was no longer in danger of croaking, Rob examined the empty bottle. It was small, no bigger than his hand, and made of a thick crystal, not glass. The image of a large heart was etched on one side.
Jace had recovered enough that his eyes could focus up at Rob. “My Lord,” he grunted.
“Jace,” Rob said. He was tremendously relieved to see the man hadn't died.
“I see you finally managed to accomplish your goal,” Jace said.
“Destroying Perrin?”
“No, sitting on me.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Rob slid off the woodcutter's chest, then helped him stand.
Jace looked over his burnt clothes. “Fumi will be very angry with me. There is no way to fix these.” His skin was returning to its normal color, the boils a
nd scarring fading away.
Rob looked at his own arms. The skin had almost fully repaired, with a bright red coloring, like a really bad sunburn. He'd take that for now.
Jace looked around. “Perrin?”
Rob nodded. “Dead.”
“How? Did you sit on him, too?”
“No, Saif gave me some stones of Holy Might. It did the trick.” Rob looked over to the little pile of items. “Looks like we have some loot to examine.”
He went over and kneeled next to the pile. His shield arm had healed enough that the flesh was no longer fused to the strappings, so he carefully slid it off and placed it on the floor.
Then he picked up one of the blue bottles.
You have taken an item: Major Potion of Restore Mana
Restores 100% of Mana over 90 seconds. Cannot be stacked.
Value: 15 Silver Pieces.
So now he had two Healing Potions left, and two Mana Potions. Cool.
He picked up each of the other items.
You have taken an item: Steel Helm
Durability: 30/30
Armor: 4
Value: 20 Silver Pieces.
You have taken an item: Leather Jacket
Durability: 35/35
Armor: 6
Value: 30 Silver Pieces.
You have taken an item: Steel Dagger
Durability: 25/25
Damage: 3-7
Value: 20 Silver Pieces.
You have taken an item: Fine Silk Cloak
Durability: 20/20
Armor: 1
Value: 50 Silver Pieces.
You have taken an item: Minor Bag of Limited Holding
Durability 30/30
This bag can hold any number of objects up to a total of 50 kilograms. The owner will not be encumbered by the additional weight. Cannot hold anything living.
Value: 15 Gold Pieces.
Cool, Rob thought, another magic pouch. He took one of the healing potions and checked to see if it would fit inside. It did. He did the same with the other potions including the empty bottles.
Then he turned his attention to the remaining items, one of which was a small cloth bag. When he picked it up, it clinked with metal.
You have taken an item: Money Bag – 10 Gold Pieces, 85 Silver Pieces, and 300 Copper Pieces.
Money! He dropped the little bag into one of the pouches.
Finally, there were four small rod shaped crystals laying side by side on the stone floor, each one a different color and no longer than his thumb.
Carefully he picked a red one up first.
You have taken an item: Minor Shard of Fire Magic
Value: 1 Gold Piece.
There was no other description for it.
Rob held it up to Jace. “What is this?”
Jace shrugged. “As far as I know it contains magic.”
“You use magic, though,” Rob said.
The woodcutter shrugged. “Just because I can cast a spell or two doesn't make me a mage. Just like someone who picks up a sword and starts swinging doesn't make them a fighter.”
Okay, Rob thought. He'd ask Saif about them.
He took a green shard next.
You have taken an item: Minor Shard of Nature Magic
Value: 1 Gold Piece.
The next one was rust colored.
You have taken an item: Minor Shard of Stone Magic
Value: 1 Gold Piece.
The last one was solid black.
Well, that's ominous, Rob thought. He looked to Jace in hopes of some guidance, but the impassive man only shrugged.
Rob picked it up.
You have taken an item: Minor Shard of Summoning Magic
Value: 1 Gold Piece.
Finished, he looked at the floor. No more loot. He placed the crystals into one of the pouches and asked Jace to put the rest into his backpack.
“Don't you want to put these on, my Lord?”
Rob shook his head. “Later. I just want to get out of here now. Which reminds me!”
He looked around at the floor where he thought he'd tossed the stones of Holy Might. Thankfully, he found both of them and each appeared to still be fully intact. He dropped them into a pouch.
“Okay, let's get out of here,” Rob said, if they could. He looked across the room to where they'd entered.
The stone slab was gone and the stairway leading up beckoned to him.
Oh, thank God! Rob thought.
“My Lord,” Jace said. “I believe you are forgetting something.”
“Huh?” Rob said. His mind raced, but he drew a blank. “What did I forget?”
“The cornerstone,” Jace said with a hint of disapproval.
“Oh, the cornerstone!” Rob said. His mind was such a jumble after killing Perrin it had completely slipped his mind.
Upon saying the word aloud, a grinding noise emanated from the floor where Perrin had died.
Surprised, Rob drew his sword and Jace hefted his axe.
A small square opening appeared in the floor and a marble pedestal rose up from it. Atop the pedestal sat a block of white stone.
Rob gazed at the block. Its surface was smoothly polished and its edges were sharply crafted.
Jace whistled. “That is the beginning of your castle, my Lord.”
Rob reached forward and picked it up. It was amazingly light and about the size of small shoe box.
You have taken an item: Cornerstone
When buried at a chosen spot this cornerstone will allow for the construction of a Castle: Phase 1.
Value: 1,000 Gold Pieces.
Rob whistled. Wow, a castle. Finally. He grinned like a little boy on Christmas morning.
“Shall I put it in my backpack?” Jace said.
“Nah, I got it,” Rob said. This baby wasn't leaving his sight! He held it in both hands, cradling it in his shield arm. Then he nodded toward the distant stairwell.
“Okay,” Rob said, “let's go see what's happening outside.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
They walked out of the tomb and into the graveyard.
There were no skeletons to greet them and that suited Rob just fine. He'd had enough fighting for one day.
He looked up through the forest canopy in the direction of the wall.
It was gone.
Rob blinked several times and looked again, just to be sure. No wall. Just blue sky speckled with white clouds.
“Well, that's a pretty sight,” Jace said from beside him. “But how do we know it didn't move and we're just stuck on the other side?”
“One way to find out,” Rob said with a grin.
They raced through the forest until they emerged at the road.
The bridge was there, but without the wall cutting across it. A river rushed beneath it, the water no longer obstructed.
Now Rob could see the road continuing southward to wend its way through more forest. He could see hills and mountains in the distance.
He looked north, half expecting to see walls at the camp, but none were there.
Jace laughed and shook his fist in the air with joy. “They're gone!”
It was the most emotion Rob had seen the stolid man display, and it made him feel happy.
We did it, he thought. The walls are gone.
He allowed himself a deep sigh of relief. The panic and anxiety which gripped his heart like a vice let go.
There's a weight off my shoulders, he thought. He looked down at the cornerstone in the crook of his arm. Time to add a different kind of weight onto it.
They crossed through the bushes to the road, then stopped to look around.
Far in the distance to the south, he could see a handful of people walking toward the bridge.
“Looks like kingdom folk, my Lord,” Jace said, his smile widening. “They were trapped on the other side and now can come home.”
Kingdom folk, Rob thought. And he was their king. That weight of panic and anxiety threatened to slip back onto his shoulders, but he tried to ig
nore it.
He watched as the distant figures spotted them and waved. Jace waved back, enthusiastically.
