Void Legion

by Terry C. Simpson

  Sigrid nodded, then brought her palms up in front of her stomach, thumbs and forefingers forming circles. A translucent pale blue glow like living liquid emanated from her right hand, coiling down her arm. Coral red suffused the left. Five nebulous motes drifted out from each circle, their colors matching the aether of the respective side.

  Sigrid splayed her hands out. The motes floated above her fingertips. Mikander’s Tears were a soft blue. Mikander’s Blood was scarlet.

  “Now for the Aura.” Her entire body glowed for a moment. A soft light appeared around the group.

  Frost immediately felt stronger. He stood straighter. He noted the Aura’s hour-long duration.

  Sigrid dropped her hands to her sides to signal her readiness. The globes remained suspended from her fingertips.

  “Alright,” Frost said. “I’m gonna hit them with Concussion Blast as soon as we get to the hall.” He eyed Gilda and Saba. “It’ll give you two time to set up Glacial Eruption and a Chain Snare or Lightning Trap. That’s gonna buy us the seconds we need for Sigrid to heal us up and cleanse any debuffs or DoTs. Then we’ll make a run for the maze entrance, jump in, go through three random doors together, clear that fourth room, and figure out our next move. Sounds good, Gilda?” She nodded.

  Frost looked to the others. “What do y’all think? It’s either that or we fight Setnana and them right here.”

  “You know me.” Dante ran a finger along the edge of his axe blade. “I’m all about the action. But I also love loot. I’m tempted to say fight here so we can go after the chests those spriggans are guarding.” He sighed. “And I know doing so most likely means no emperor. So, I say emperor.”

  Frost agonized over parting with the loot, also. He tried to think of a way to clear the room before Setnana and her group arrived but knew the feat was impossible. Still… he took another envious look at the five treasure chests. He could only imagine their contents, which helped him to decide. As much as they might hold something epic, any of them could be a trap or a classic mimic complete with massive teeth and slobbering jaws.

  “Saba?” Brows raised, he regarded the short-haired dresdor.

  “You said I liked running, right?” Saba gave a weak smile.

  “I am here to follow,” Sigrid said when Frost looked to her.

  The sound of spells had died from the room with the overseers. Setnana’s group would be pulling the room right behind at any moment.

  Frost took a deep breath. The air smelled of age. “Go, Dante.”

  “Stay close, people.” Dante charged into the room.

  The spriggans aggroed almost immediately, bellowing a challenge and waddling toward the group. A few of the ghostly creatures swelled in size. The void revenants spread their cloak-like wings and screeched. Black lightning crackled around their storm lances as they took aim and began to cast.

  Dante unleashed a Sentinel Shout while he ran. Sigrid was close behind him on one side, followed by Saba and Gilda. Frost brought up the rear. The mobs closed from every side. Frost struggled with the urge to stop and open fire.

  The hall seemed a great distance off as Dante wove a path through the room to draw the mobs away to the left. The group fled to the right. Dante veered back toward the hall entrance. Two bars of jagged black lightning shot from the revenants. Crackling, the bolts streaked toward Dante.

  The hair on the back of Frost’s neck rose at the sight of them. An Ice Pillar shot up from the ground to intercept one lightning bolt. The other bolt struck the marauder. Dante grunted and stumbled. But his legs continued to churn.

  “That shit hurt,” Dante shouted. “I doubt I can handle two more. And it left some type of DoT.”

  Frost snatched a look behind. Dante was right. The Damage over Time effect manifested as dark tendrils that throbbed around Dante every two seconds. There was no way to tell how bad the spell’s effect was, but Dante was sweating, his crimson complexion paling by the moment.

  Left with little choice but to help the lagging marauder, Frost stopped, fired off Concussion Blast up and over Dante toward the revenants, and took off running again.The mobs were gaining fast. Every spriggan had swollen to the size of a gargant. Behind him, the Concussion Blast struck with a hollow boom. Revenants screeched.

  He was smiling at the successful attack when void lightning blasted into his back. Frost yelped at the searing pain. Spots danced in his vision. The impact partially spun him, but he was somehow able to stay on his feet.

  Teeth gritted, he fought through disorientation and forced himself to keep going. A second sensation replaced the first. It was as if something was gradually sucking the life from him.

  They made it to the hall.

  Frost’s vision was still a bit fuzzy, but he faced the incoming mobs and snapped off an Aether Bomb. The revenants had recovered from the Concussion Blast and launched four more bolts. Void lightning raced across the distance.

  An Ice Pillar rumbled up from the ground to block two lightning bolts. Gilda, herself, absorbed the others by way of her red and blue Aether Shields extending from her forearms.

  Concussion Blast had recharged. Frost fired it off again even as Gilda cast Stalactites and Stalagmites. She waited for the Concussion Blast to wear off before activating Glacial Eruption. A mob tripped a Lightning Trap Saba had found the time to place. The creatures were now all considerably slowed and disoriented.

  Sigrid tossed a red globe of Mikander’s Blood at Frost, which immediately made him feel like new. The rejuvenation lasted for all of a few seconds as the debilitation from the DoT kicked in once more. Sigrid cast Purifying Touch. Frost’s ailment and lethargy faded completely. Sigrid added Mikander’s Tears to gradually heal the wounds caused before she had cleansed the DoT.

  Beyond the snared mobs, Frost could just make out Setnana’s group in the throes of their battle with the draconid overseers. He launched an Aether Bomb at the revenants and spriggans.

  “Haul ass for the maze,” he ordered. “We’re gonna have to engage the mobs this time. Disorient them however we can. Heal us, Sigrid.” He turned. And swore.

  The new room had a gargantuan void revenant. Not just a GUM. A boss. Mezanir. Along with Mezanir, there were four groups of mobs, each with a draconid overseer, several grunts, and spriggans. Frost made to change his mind, to fight those behind them, and take on Setnana and her Battleguards.

  He never got the chance.

  Dante sprinted into the room and Raging Rushed at Mezanir. The moment he collided with the boss, he hit it with a Staggering Blow and released an Enfeebling Bellow. Even as the swing ended, he was dashing to an overseer.

  But the Staggering Blow failed to stun Mezanir. The void revenant screeched. Its entire body lit up.

  Frost shot off his abilities. Gilda and Saba did the same. Then they sprinted after Dante, who was three quarters of the way to the maze entrance with most of the mobs a step behind. Spells streaked toward the marauder, a kaleidoscope of elements intent on his destruction. Dante Sentinel Shouted.

  Sigrid flung out her hands. Blue and red globes left from above her fingertips and zipped toward Dante. Mikander’s Blood and Tears struck the marauder. Several spriggans and at least one overseer stopped giving chase to focus on Sigrid.

  But Dante Soul Screamed. Immediately, the mobs snapped their attention back to him. He was within two dozen feet of the maze’s entrance, a black doorway between two pillars set against an otherwise empty wall.

  Don’t go through, Frost said to himself. Please, don’t go through.

  He knew the consequences all too well. Aggro would fall on the rest of the group and the mobs were between them and the maze entrance.

  Yet, he could see no other way for Dante to save himself. Frost snapped a quick look behind to see the mobs from the previous room boiling into this one.

  Shit.

  H
e turned back to the debacle ahead in time to witness a blue glow flash across Dante’s body. A golden armored Warden appeared in the midst of the pursuing mobs. Dante stopped before the maze door, spun, and threw up his arms in Crossguard. Then, he Soul Screamed again.

  The Warden mimicked the skills. Every mob focused on the Warden.

  “Are you not entertained,” Dante hollered. He threw his head back and cackled maniacally.

  Frost grinned like a big kid. This was the old brash Dante Blackblade, the elite tank that he’d known and loved. He and the others skirted the melee as the mobs tried and failed to destroy the Warden. Together, they stepped through the maze door.

  IM warned Frost of a timer. Thirty minutes.

  CHAPTER 36

  Nomarch Setnana opened the second to last treasure chest, letting out a puff of air that smelled of age. She licked her lips. From one of the earlier chests, she had acquired a shard for Empowered Ameliorate. Now, she prayed these last two contained Suppression and Rejuvenate. But the chest held only a glimmerwand.

  Heaving a sigh, she approached the last chest. Her Battleguards readied themselves all around her. A precaution should the chest prove to be a ravenous mimic. They had already killed one such creature.

  She paused a moment, a flutter in her gut that was equal parts anticipation and dread rising together. Clenching her stomach against the feelings, she flipped the lid back. There, lying on golden cloth was a glowing blue shard with Rejuvenate written upon it. As with the other spell, the three slots in it were already filled.

  “Yes! Praise be to Nif.” She took the shard and added it to her inventory.

  The Cure

  Objective Complete

  Retrieve Empowered Rejuvenate

  Acquire one of three skills to cure the Gray Death:

  2000 experience points

  2000 Khertahka dominion credits

  2000 Ignis dominion credits

  “Yes! Praise be to Nif.” She took the shard and added it to her inventory.

  She let out a whoosh of breath. One more spell and the zhua, Benediction, and Perihy could be healed. She smiled. Finally, the mission was proving its worth.

  A glance at the next room wiped the smile away. The group with Drelan Frost and Adesh Hamada had fled yet again. She growled under her breath. The way that group fought was revolting. They had no finesse. No beauty. Skill. They resorted to the cheapest of tactics–luring monsters onto her group, perhaps hoping her people might be overran.

  “Fools.” She studied the monsters in the room.

  The largest was a dungeon guardian, Mezanir. A gargantuan void revenant. Revenants always seemed to be some god’s grotesque imitation of a raven. At least in terms of the its cloak of black feathers that brushed the ground.

  But no raven ever had a face that was a white skull with a bone beak. Nor did they possess two horns between which rose tendrils of dark void energy. Beneath those horns were four red glowing eyes. The mockery of a raven was complete with clawed hands and a humanoid body beneath its feathers.

  She frowned. What other monstrosities waited in the next room after this one? How many areas were left before Emperor KiGyaba? The frown became a glower. If only the stupid guide hadn’t died to the dvergar outside Imanok Sanctum.

  “They must have gone through a door we cannot see from here,” Khafra said from beside her, interrupting her thoughts. “We can catch them if we go now and skip the monsters as they did.” His eyes glinted with the ravenous need for vengeance. It had consumed him ever since he woke from a grand mystic’s healing.

  The temptation to do as Khafra suggested ate at her. Adesh Hamada had to pay for hurting Khafra. He had to pay for his role as one of Blue Sky’s leaders, as one of the people who, along with Anefet Frost, had engineered Papa’s death. Which brought her to Drelan Frost himself and her promise to wipe the Frost name from Mikander.

  They had both made her look a fool, had brought about her current punishment, which had taken her away from her beloved Perihy. At every turn, when she thought she had them in her grasp, when she could taste justice, they employed trickery and deception to slip through her noose.

  Not this time. This time she knew it was their group just ahead. And yet, there was the chance this guardian, Mezanir, might drop a weapon or hierka that could see her attain her other coveted goals, or better yet, the last skill shard needed to heal Perihy.

  At the same time, she could not let them reach the emperor first. They could not be the ones to find Benediction.

  She almost laughed. Almost. Perhaps the dreamers were right, and this was all a game. In it, the gods had chosen her to play. They had conspired against her but then brought everything she could ever want in one place, teased her with it, then told her to choose.

  But there was only one real choice in this moment. No matter how much she wanted the others. No matter how much it hurt to give them up for now.

  “We shall kill Mezanir, then we go after them.” Her lips curved into a grim smile as she basked in her thoughts. I will get everything I want in the end. Patience and strength. I have both in ample amounts.

  Khafra glowered at her but slapped his right arm to his chest, his korbitanium vambraces ringing against his armor. He bowed. “As you wish. Can we at least kill them all at once? It would save us time.”

  She considered the idea for a moment. The last room with void revenants and spriggans had been a test when they applied the same strategy. The fight made her wonder exactly how the smaller and weaker group had managed to defeat any room. Perhaps their luring had been the better strategy. Making someone else do their dirty work. She ground her jaw.

  “No. We kill them as they are. As four separate groups. Then we deal with Mezanir. I don’t want any more deaths before the emperor.”

  “Understood. I will pass the orders.” He stalked off to speak to the remaining Battleguards and Deathguards.

  “Give him time.” Ihuet leaned on his staff, his gaze riveted upon Khafra. “You must understand no one has ever hurt him as Adesh Hamada managed to do. Khafra wants to face him. He wants to be the one to deliver the killing blow.”

  “I will grant him that chance. But curing Perihy comes first.”

  “Of course, Nomarch.”

  Khafra returned to her. “We’re ready.”

  “Proceed.”

  Khafra gave the signal. A marksman shot an arrow at the first group’s overseer. The creature roared and charged toward the marksman. Its minions followed in its wake.

  Setnana eyed the other groups of monsters, prepared to call a full engagement if they had noticed their counterparts’ aggression. But none had. They continued with their business, talking amongst themselves.

  The first monster group had covered perhaps fifty feet, when her plate-armored reaver, Djare, used Onslaught to charge across the distance at several times his normal speed. Shoulder first, he crashed into the draconid. In the same instant, Djare flung his two-handed sword past the creature. Aether emanated from the weapon like a cyan mist. The blade spun in an arc, carving a path through the minions, aether connecting one beast to the other like beads on a string in a skill named Boomerang Blade. The weapon returned to Djare’s hand. With a snap of his wrist, he yanked every creature to him.

  The remainder of her group engaged and killed the monsters. They healed and repeated the process until only Mezanir remained.

  “Flawless,” she said, beaming. “Now, for this brute. Two warriors to hold it as a precaution. One must be a dementer.”

  “That would be me.” Khafra stepped up, resplendent in his blue, black, and purple armor. All the colors of erada elite. Splatters of blood and grime covered his korbitanium bracers.

  Setnana smiled. “Good.” She had hoped he would embrace the role. Return to a semblance of his former self.

 
; He returned the gesture and nodded despite the tightness in his eyes. He faced the raid group. “Listen up. We haven’t fought this one before. But as with any other time, we shall take the cautious approach.”

  “Mystics.” He gestured to two robed Azureguards, Utunet and Ahaten, and to a human Bloodguard. “Djare and myself are your primary responsibility. We die. You all die. Utunet.” He nodded to the erada man then indicated the reaver. “You’re taking care of Djare.” Khafra turned his attention to the female mystic. “Ahaten, you are on me.” The two eradae bowed, but Ahaten’s face had paled.

  Setnana smiled at Ahaten’s fear. The woman was right to be afraid. Dementers often took a great amount of damage. And Khafra was known to kill those he found lacking.

  Khafra eyed the human, lips curled in distaste. “Your job is everyone else.”

  “Yes, sir.” The man dipped his head several times.

  “The rest of you… if this creature curses you or places some other type of ailment on you, run away from everyone else as a precaution. A mystic will purify you if the spell can be removed. Use any potions you deem necessary.

  “If you’re a sorcerer, stormcaller, windwalker, or shadowmancer, manage your damage. This is not the time to flaunt your prowess. If you gain the beast’s hate, get your asses away from the group so it does not piss on everyone. Also, for you sorcerers, have Aether Shields and Barriers ready to protect the ranged group.

  “Other than that, let’s take this bastard down. And then see what treasure he holds. Ready?”

  “Ready, sir,” they yelled.

  Nomarch Setnana felt a lightness in her chest. She actually grinned. It had been a long time since she had ventured out on a hunt such as this one. She missed those days. Missed this feeling. She reminded herself to see to it that she called weekly hunts.

  Khafra and Djare strode ahead of everyone. They shared a knowing glance. Khafra nodded. They broke into a run. After the first seven or eight strides, Djare employed Onslaught, covering the distance to Mezanir in a blink. Khafra Spurted, his body a blur. Djare bellowed.