“He’s picking us off!” Naruto said, sounding on the verge of panic. “We need to send someone after him.”
“He’s almost out of ammo,” Kaiser said calmly. In his mind, he pictured himself scooping the wannabe ninja’s eyes with a spork, which helped him focus a little.
He had counted the rounds Hawke had fired. Seven total, resulting in three kills. He only had three rounds left for the Dragunov. He hadn’t used the Roland carbine yet, but the assault weapon didn’t have the stopping power of the big gun.
“Suck it up and keep fighting,” he went on. “After the Event is over, the mist will go away and we can hunt him down. We’ll take him alive and make him beg us to kill him!”
“Oorah!” K-Bar shouted back. The rest of the guild followed suit, albeit somewhat half-heartedly in Kaiser’s opinion. Well, the beatings will continue until morale improves, he told himself.
Phase Two Has Begun.
The Nerf Herders’ Last Stand, Part Two
The Lords of Bone and Hawke’s rifle claimed five more Herders by the time Phase Two was over.
The giant monstrosities were too tough to be taken out quickly, and there were dozens of them. Several made it to the Herders’ entrenchments. And Hawke was always there, hidden in the mist and firing a shot or two at the worst possible time. The last Dragunov shots took out two healers, leaving only two casters with area heals. The Herders had to make do with their personal recovery abilities and potions, and the supplies of the latter were high but not inexhaustible. People were running out of the high-powered potions and making do with minor ones that only restored a fraction of their Health or Mana.
Hawke switched to the Roland. He shot Gerrod three times; a Lord of Bones skewered the wounded Warrior, finishing him off, then broke through the barricade, creating a hole in their lines that almost doomed them all. Kaiser himself had to get in there and stop the monster as it headed straight for the casters and ranged fighters. He’d destroyed the Undead, but it took out Zippo when the stupid bastard went crazy with the Fire magic and ran out of Mana. The monster bit the Pyromancer’s head off while the idiot was trying to drink a potion.
It might have been worse if they hadn’t been loaded with spell scrolls and dozens of one-shot devices from their raid on the Council of the Wise. They burned through most of those, but they took out the remaining giant monsters without losing any more people.
Phase Two Completed
Lords of Bones Slain: 32/32
Kaiser looked at the terrified Herders, knowing that the only thing keeping them from routing was their oath to the guild. Deserting was punishable by Final Death. Damn cowards. Sure, they had suffered over twenty-five percent casualties, but life was rough. If they routed, they were all dead.
“We’re doing fine,” he told them. “One, maybe two more Phases, and this is over, and then it’s just us and that asshole.”
All in all, things could have been worse. Hawke was out of bullets; his last shot had been fired in the middle of Phase Two, and there had been plenty of opportunities he would have taken if he had any rounds left. The Herders’ own guns were also empty, unfortunately, but it didn’t matter much. The new weapons hadn’t been the game-changers he’d hoped they’d be. Maybe those resources would have been better spent elsewhere.
In any case, all they had to do was power through the next phase or phases. If Hawke wanted to join in, he would have to come close enough to become a target, mist or no mist. Kaiser still wanted to take him alive, but at that point he would be satisfied if they sent him off to respawn. By the time he came back, the Herders would have reached Orom and taken over. The town’s defenders must be pathetically weak; they hadn’t joined in on the Event, where their numbers might have tipped the scales if they had any real power. They had to be a bunch of NPCs and low-power Eternals.
It never occurred to Kaiser that Hawke might be trying to spare his people’s lives.
The next few minutes were spent in tense anticipation. Potions and scrolls were shared around. Kaiser handed spare magical weapons to people who’d broken theirs in the brutal fight with the bone giants. People readied spells, renewed buffs, and prepared for the worst. Which turned out to be worse than anything they’d expected.
Phase Three Has Begun
A section of the mist cleared, revealing a spectral figure on a skeletal horse. It wasn’t alone: another horde of skeletons and dozens of Lords of Bone stood behind him, with no telling how many other remained hidden in the fog. Hawke Lightseeker rose above the army, riding a sinuous, white-furred winged monster that clashed badly with his black armor. Lord of the Dead. Kaiser clenched his jaw so hard he broke a tooth.
And flying behind Hawke was the bird-pulled balloon of the City Watch, filled with Adventurers and Eternals. Some chick was riding another furry dragon, this one wreathed in flames. And, worst of all, Jacobus, one of the leaders of the Council of the Wise, was there as well, atop a drake mount, glowing like a falling star as he let his full power show. Without Aristobulus and Zippo, the Nerf Herders didn’t have a prayer against a max-level wizard. That bastard Hawke had been saving the best for last, and Kaiser’s guild had run out of bullets, magical devices, and hope.
They were screwed.
“Fight to death!” Kaiser ordered before summoning his Elemental Steed and leaping onto its saddle. K-Bar tried to grab him, but Kaiser chopped off one of the Marine’s hands before having his mount leap over the barricades and gallop into the mists that still surrounded three-fourths of the camp. Time to save what could be saved, namely his own damn skin. If he could break through the Undead circling the hill, he’d be fine. And if they killed him, he would be fine as well.
Warning: Abandoning your guild mates in the midst of battle will break the Nerf Herder Charter. Breaking the Charter will render all oaths null and void.
“Screw it,” he said through clenched teeth as he ordered the steed to run faster.
And that was the end of the Nerf Herders.
Thirty-Nine
Why are they still fighting? Tava asked Hawke through Saturnyx as she shot from Luna’s back. Down below, a Berserker-Gladiator with more Health than common sense dropped, a flaming arrow driven clear through his skull.
Some Herders – former Herders; Hawke had received the notification that the enemy guild had been dissolved – had dropped their weapons or tried to run away into the mist like their leader had. About a dozen of them were still fighting back, however, despite Hawke’s order to surrender. The Undead were overrunning the Eternals’ camp, led by their ghostly commander. The Eternals’ position was hopeless, but people could be stupidly stubborn, something Hawke knew only too well.
They know what they’ll get if we take them alive, he replied as he had Blaze swoop over the camp and dose the die-hards with a full stream of Mind-Fire. Two more ex-Herders went down. Naruto, who had thought he could sneak out of the hill, had time to scream before Hawke and Blaze spotted him and roasted him to death.
Jake Duchamp followed him on his Battle Drake, each hand holding a glowing sphere of power. Spells and missiles bounced harmlessly off him, and every time he gestured with one of the spheres, a Herder staggered, losing seven or eight hundred Health. Some targets didn’t get up. The handful of Defenders in the balloon had landed and joined the Undead in the final charge. The barricades had been overrun and the remaining fighters were surrounded by enemies. The fight was as good as over.
“You’re in charge here,” he told Tava. “I’m going after Kaiser.”
Time to end this.
* * *
He found the former guild leader in a small clearing, fighting a handful of skeletons. Not too far behind was the body of Kaiser’s Elemental Steed, next to the remains of a Lord of Bones. The Wrecker had almost made it past the Event’s area of effect. Almost.
Kaiser finished off his opponents with a flurry of sword strokes and turned towards Hawke, who had landed and was walking into the clearing.
“I guess it was
always going to end like this,” the wannabe king growled. “To the death, then.”
“Nope,” Hawke replied. “To the pain.”
“First Die Hard, and now The Princess’ Bride? Spare me the movie quotes, asshole. Do you think you can take me in a fair fight?”
“Probably. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t fight fair.”
Blaze flew over the clearing.
Kaiser’s buffs were strong, but the stream of white energy destroyed most of them. A Twilight Step and backstab dropped his Health by two thirds. Kaiser screamed like a damned soul and swung his black blade, putting a dent on Hawke’s Shield of Order. Hawke parried a second swing, but the close contact to the Soul Drinker triggered a Chaos-Soul effect that drained Hawke of two-thirds of his Mana. Nasty. Only a quick potion dose from his Dispensary kept him from dropping dead. He responded by breathing his own stream of Mind Fire right into Kaiser’s face, staggering him.
They exchanged blows and spells for a few moments before Blaze came running, bit one of Wrecker’s legs, and shook him until the limb came off, flinging the mutilated body to the edge of the clearing. Kaiser’s screaming got louder and higher-pitched.
It wasn’t over, though. Hawke chopped off the warlord’s arms as well.
“Why?” Kaiser gasped, looking at the bleeding stumps on either side of his torso.
“I meant it when I said ‘to the pain.’ I didn’t do it for kicks, though. I just need you to be in agony so I can do this.”
Hawke cast Communion on the helpless target.
It was as bad as he’d expected inside Kaiser’s mind. What was worse was the Whisperer entity dwelling there.
When Kaiser had been near death at the swamp where he had begun his Eternal Journey, an Avatar of an unknown Maker had made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. She had taught him spells, strengthened his body, and guided him out of the swamp. She had helped him become the leader of the guild. And he had sacrificed dozens of Eternals to her, delivering their immortal souls in return for greater power.
The shadowy form whispered to Hawke, promising him even greater power. He ignored her. She tried to force her will on him, also without success. And then she recoiled when she sensed something was already in his mind, something that terrified her. The Whisperer fled, abandoning Kaiser to his fate. There would be other Champions for her Maker’s cause. Hawke was able to see those thoughts, but he still couldn’t identify the Demiurge responsible. It hadn’t been Vazalak or the Madwoman; that was all he could tell. And what scared her off? He didn’t know, either. It was worrying, but he had a job to do, so he set it aside.
The mind of a psychopath is not a pretty place. Unlike the time when he had gone into Girl’s memories, he didn’t find some terrible trauma that explained his behavior. Kaiser had been an asshole almost from birth, someone who just saw people as tools, to be used up and discarded at whim. He hadn’t murdered anybody on Earth, mostly because he hadn’t thought he could get away with it, but had ruined quite a few lives in a long career of swindles, cons, and politics. His time in the Realms and his deal with the Whisperer had let him give full rein to his ambition. That was all there was. The slime filling Kaiser’s memories made Hawke feel like he was back in the sewers of Akila, swimming in the foul stuff.
He erased Kaiser like he had erased Greg the Necromancer, and hoped he wouldn’t have to do that ever again. He had a feeling he would, though. There were a lot of Eternals in the Realms, and many of them needed to be taken out. He had made it his job to do so.
After it was over, Hawke moved quick and managed to grab Kaiser’s weapons, armor and any loose gear on his body before it disappeared; the content of Kaiser’s Inventory was lost forever, unfortunately. Always loot the ones you kill. Loot was power, and power was the final answer to the Realms’ challenges.
He had to admit that he’d enjoyed ending Kaiser. Enjoyed it so much that it scared him a little. Nobody should find joy in killing, and he was sure it didn’t say anything good about his character.
I hope you’re right.
Quest Completed: Defeat Kaiser Wrecker
You have gained 14,400 Experience (+20% Triune Goddesses bonus, 1,800, diverted towards Leadership, 1,800 diverted towards Node Mastery).
You have found 2 Soul Shards and the Shield of Hades (Death- and Darkness-Attuned level 28 Legendary Artifact).
You have earned +200 to Global Renown, +100 Reputation with Triune Goddesses.
Current Global Renown: 975 (Famed)
You have gained a new title: Eternals’ Doom. While active, you inflict 30% extra damage on Eternals. This damage can come from physical attacks, spells, or abilities.
For slaying your foes, you have earned 39,038 Experience (4,879 diverted towards Leadership, 4,879 diverted towards Node Mastery).
You have found 1,287 gold, 4 Master Mana Potions, 3 Master Healing Potions, 1 Master Rejuvenation Potions, 8 Major Mana Potions, 10 Major Healing Potions, 6 Major Rejuvenation Potions.
Congratulations! You have reached Levels Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, and Twenty-Four!
You have gained 18 Attribute points to distribute.
Your Leadership has increased to Level Thirteen! New abilities available.
New High Sidhe Perk available. New Spells are available.
The Earth and Realms Defenders Guild has risen to Level Four. New Guild Powers available.
Current XP/Next Level: 202,930/150,000. Leadership XP/Next Level: 79,754/100,000
Current Node Mastery XP/Next Level: 31,618/35,000. Current Guild XP/Next Level: 7,876/10,000
“Eternals’ Doom. Don’t I feel special,” Hawke muttered, his eyes on the spot where Kaiser’s body had vanished. “It’s weird how much I hate this place. And how much I love it as well.”
* * *
He returned to the hill. The Event was over, and Legate Marcus Pertinax and his dead troops had returned to their graves, never to rise again. The surviving Herders were in two groups: thirteen prisoners and seven former slaves. with the captives under the careful watch of Grognard and City Watch Centurion Antono Jules. Tava was consoling one of the prisoners, a sobbing woman. Rowena had been Kaiser’s personal pet for several months. Knowing from Girl’s reports what the bastard had done to her, Hawke knew she would need a lot of help to recover.
Maybe he’d been too kind to Kaiser by killing him quickly. But making him suffer wouldn’t have helped his victims. Removing him permanently, on the other hand, had ensured that there wouldn’t be any more victims, and that was the best that Hawke could do. That, and doing his best to fix the damage the bastard had inflicted.
“What shall we do with them?” Tava asked, her gesture encompassing both groups.
“We’ll offer sanctuary to all the victims, of course. They can stay in Orom, join us, or do whatever they want. Same goes for all the slaves we freed at the compound, now that they are free to leave.” He nodded towards the sullen knot of prisoners. “They will face Imperial justice. Final Death for many of them. Maybe all of them.”
“Some were forced to go along, on threat of death,” she said. “Maybe they can be redeemed.”
“I’ll speak to them, and if they turn out to have been unwilling participants, I will speak on their behalf. Maybe I can pay for their freedom and take responsibility for them. But they’ll have to earn their pardon.”
Having a few high-level Eternals would bolster his ranks, but he didn’t want murder hobos and petty tyrants in his guild. Getting involved was going to be a mess, getting tangled in Akila’s legal system – a system that included such enlightened practices as judicial torture. He wasn’t looking forward to that, but dead people couldn’t fix anything, and if any Herders deserved a secon
d chance, he would try to get them released. Victory could be almost as troublesome as defeat, sometimes. Maybe more so, since defeat usually meant death and the end of all your troubles.
You’re such a sweetheart, Auntie Nyx.
The sword was right, though.
Interlude: The Path to Power
Five days later, Hawke sat down in the Oval Office and started to update his ‘character sheet.’
That was the first time he’d had a couple of hours to himself. He’d had to fly back and forth from Orom to Akila, now that the city authorities had exempted Blaze and Luna from the anti-dragon wards, and had a bunch of meetings with the city prefect, merchants, and the Sterns. Then he’d flown back to have meetings with Kinto, the Town Council, and the guild’s officers. Non-stop meetings, flying, making Domain improvements, and a little quality time with Tava and Saturnyx; they had taken up all his waking hours. Things were settling down a bit, but there was the matter of the caravan from Akila that would be leaving the next day. He was going to keep an eye on it, so he was going to be busy again for another week or so. It was now or never.
Hawke had 18 Attribute points to play with; he put 4 on all Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, and 3 each on Willpower and Intelligence. In the last few fights, he’d been swinging Saturnyx as often as he’d been casting spells. He needed to keep his physical and mental stats balanced; it was the way of a hybrid character.
High Sidhe Perks were next. New perks had become available after level 20, and the bonuses to older perks had been increased, so he checked the entire list carefully:
Arcane Knowledge: Unlock a new Element, Force or School of Magic, learning three spells.
Gifts of the Sidhe: +6 to three Attributes, or +12 to one Attribute (bonus increased after level 20).
Glamours: Unlock the Glamour School of Magic and gain two Glamour spells.
Guilds at War: The LitRPG Saga Continues Page 29
