The Path to Peace

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “It’s fine,” Marysue said as she began to cast another spell.

  Tiny slapped one of the Brute’s hands away, only to blink in surprise when it grabbed the shield. “Uh oh,” Tiny said as he was lifted off his feet and flung aside, his legs flying over Gerald’s head, forcing him to duck.

  “Gods damn, this is stupid,” Gerald said as he hacked at the Brute. He lunged backwards as the Brute grabbed at him. Letting out a sigh of relief as the mob missed him, he grinned. “Just be ready to dodge and—”

  Gerald was cut off as the Brute lunged forward faster than anyone expected and snagged him by the wrist. Wide-eyed, Gerald yelled as he was thrown away after the others.

  Karen had finally gotten back in range, but suddenly wondered if it was a bad idea. Her daggers carved into the mob before she began to back away. “Al? Help?”

  Fluff came blurring out of the woods, her claws slashing the arm that was grabbing for Karen. Deep wounds began dripping black fluid where her claws carved into the creature. The Brute paused in the grab, before its other hand suddenly darted across to grab Fluff.

  Karen’s daggers cut into the wrist of that arm, forcing the hand up and away from Fluff. Alburet stopped throwing his own Fire Blasts and pulled his maul, flames silently springing up from the head of the weapon. “Coming,” Alburet said, running forward.

  It turned out he was a little late as both hands reversed position and grabbed Fluff and Karen. With a deep growl of rage, the Colossal Brute slammed them together before tossing them away, which left Alburet alone in melee with the mob. “Well fuck,” Alburet cursed as he slid to a stop just short of the Brute. “Gerald?”

  “Coming,” Gerald said as he blurred out of the wood, slamming into the Brute as it took a step towards Alburet. “Stay back and use ranged,” Gerald told him as he backed further away, out of arm’s reach this time.

  Alburet did as suggested, running towards Stacia and Marysue and putting his weapon away. Turning back to the fight, he was just in time to watch Gerald go airborne again a moment before Tiny and TJ rushed in at the beast.

  Three Fire Blasts hit the Brute in near unison a moment later. Fluff and Karen came out of the woods on each side. “This is going to get old,” Karen snarled, rushing back into combat as TJ took to the air again.

  “Maybe we should stay out until we can all go in at once,” Fluff said as she reached the mob and cut into its side.

  “That’s a good idea,” Marysue said, continuing to heal the group as they came back into the fray. “Al, I can’t heal Tiny and TJ and they’re going to need it,” she said.

  Tiny went flying a moment later with an angry yell. “Tiny, come to me before you re-engage,” Alburet told the Destroyer, who vanished into the woods.

  Gerald came charging out of the woods, dodging as the Destroyer went sailing past him. “This is the most ridiculous mob we’ve ever fought.”

  “Gerald, don’t engage it; Fluff, back off,” Marysue called out as Karen was backhanded and sent flying. “Just stay out of its reach and wait for the others.”

  Both of them backed away from the Brute as it turned its head as if seeking its target. TJ and Tiny came out of the woods, each at almost half health. Alburet dismissed TJ as Tiny came running over to him and the Brute focused on Marysue once again. Slapping Demonic Vitality and Demonic Haze onto Tiny, Alburet was about to have him cut off the Brute when Stacia touched Tiny, giving him health via Comforting Touch.

  “I have a plan,” Stacia said. “TJ and Tiny take his left leg, while Fluff and Gerald take his right. Then, Karen hits him from behind and puts him on the ground. Once he be down, we pile on top and see how much damage we can do while they be tryin’ to keep him down.”

  Gerald nodded and rushed after the Brute, which was lumbering at Marysue again. Alburet Copied Tiny and brought TJ back into existence while Fluff went with Gerald, angling for the tree trunk sized leg they were focused on.

  Karen came sprinting out of the woods behind them. “Take him,” she called out as she lowered her head.

  Bob and BJ slowed their barrage of Fire Blasts, so as to not interfere with the plan. Tiny and TJ hit the left leg in unison, their arms wrapping around the limb and trying to stop it from moving. Gerald and Fluff were not as coordinated, but also managed to tie up their leg. Karen was only a second behind them, and as the Brute teetered in place from the added weight, she hit it with her full weight, driving her heels into the middle of its back.

  With a roar of pain, the Brute toppled to the ground, Karen riding it all the way down before rolling over the top of it. The quartet on the legs struggled to keep it pinned as the Brute started to shift, trying to get to its knees.

  Stacia and Alburet rushed forward a few steps behind Karen as she spun back towards the mob. Her blades dug into its neck, scoring double criticals, as Alburet brought his flaming maul around into the left shoulder. Twin Fire Blasts struck the Brute in the back as Stacia reached out and took 5% of its life away with Essence Drain before drawing her blades and beginning to hack at its other shoulder.

  The quartet was just enough to keep it from getting the necessary leverage to push itself upright. Alburet and Stacia had to dart back out of reach once or twice when it tried to grab at them. Karen kept twisting her daggers around its neck, trying to sever the head from the body.

  Almost a minute after they took it to the ground, the mob shuddered as the last of its life was finally taken. Panting, the group slumped to the ground, or lay where they were, and Marysue stopped casting damaging spells onto the monster.

  “That was definitely interesting,” she said, looking at Alburet.

  “We still have to do four more of them,” Alburet huffed from where he sat. “How the fuck is a normal group supposed to handle that?”

  “We don’t know what would have happened if it reached its target,” she reminded him. “It bashed those that got in its way. Maybe it stands still and squeezes its prey, allowing the others to carve into it unimpeded.”

  “Not going to find out,” Gerald said, pushing himself upright. “If you’re getting damaged, then how are we supposed to heal you?”

  “If it chooses someone different next time, maybe we should find out,” Marysue said as she made sure they were all healed up.

  “Make one of us the guinea pig,” Karen grumbled as she got to her feet. “I don’t think I want to find out, if we can just tackle them.”

  “You weren’t trying to hold it down,” Gerald told her. “It could easily overpower any one of us if we tried holding a leg alone.”

  “Let’s get moving. We still need four more Brutes, and to find the Necromancer’s Lab before we head home for the night,” Alburet said as he helped Fluff to her feet.

  “We should try and find out if we can,” Fluff said. “Maybe it’s easy to deal with them if they get their target.”

  “Thank you, Fluff,” Marysue said.

  “Barring Marysue, I’ll agree,” Gerald said.

  Karen rolled her eyes as she vanished. “Fine.”

  “Master?” Tiny rumbled, asking if that was his will as well.

  “As long as it’s not Marysue. If it targets her, tackle it again,” Alburet told the Destroyer.

  “As you wish,” Tiny rumbled and took up position near the front again.

  “Stupid Brutes,” Gerald mumbled as he started to lead them down the path.

  Further down the path they were following, the next Colossal Brute appeared. Everyone paused as the Brute seemed to look at each of them. With a roar, it locked eyes with Alburet and started lumbering towards him.

  “Fuck me,” Alburet sighed and stepped into the middle of the group. “Give it a path, and don’t hit it until after we know what it does.” Hands flexing, Alburet resisted the urge to pull his weapon or summon fire to hand.

  A few feet away the creature slowed and came to a stop, three feet away from Alburet, but still easily within its reach. It stared at Alburet, its head tilting to one side. “Mrgh?”

/>   Alburet glanced at the others, at a loss, “Mrgh?”

  The Brute’s lips twisted into a horrific smile as it mirrored Alburet’s posture. The moment stretched on, until Alburet shrugged, “I give up.”

  “Mrgh,” the Brute shrugged, looking at the others like Alburet had.

  “It be copying ya,” Stacia said, as surprised as the others.

  Rubbing his chin, Alburet watched the Brute, “Anyone have any ideas?”

  “Mrgh?” the Brute said, rubbing his chin.

  “If it’s focused on you, we can all get easy criticals on it,” Karen said, her shimmering form not far from the monster. “I can get a really good bonus since I’m still in stealth.”

  “Maybe that’s the easy way to deal with them,” Gerald shook his head. “Either way, it’s creepy watching it mimic you.”

  “Okay, everyone get ready to hit it as hard and as fast as you can,” Alburet said, giving the Brute a big grin. “Goodnight, Gracie.”

  “Mrgh,” the Brute grinned back. The grin vanished the instant all five melee hit it and Bob’s twin Fire Blasts splashed over it. With a thunderous roar it spun in a tight circle, knocking them all away from it.

  “It’s almost dead,” Marysue said as she threw another spell at the beast. “We can finish it, Bob,” she called out to the Imp.

  “Sure thing, sweet cheeks,” Bob called back, and another wave of Fire Blasts hit it.

  Fluff and Gerald were back first, both of them using their Charge Abilities to cover the ground before the others could. Their two attacks landed alongside Marysue’s spell, and the Brute slumped to the ground, dead.

  “Well, that was easy,” Alburet said as he came walking back onto the path. “Odd, too. I wonder why they act like that?”

  “It seemed like he just wanted a friend,” Fluff said, looking at the Brute with sad eyes.

  “Friends it can throw around like rag dolls, maybe,” Karen said, giving Fluff a hug. “It’s a monster, Fluff, we have to.”

  “I know,” Fluff said, the melancholy still obvious in her voice.

  “Three more and a Lab,” Alburet said as he laid his hands on their shoulders. “Then a shower at home before dinner.”

  “Aye,” Stacia said, “a shower sounds like a good idea.”

  “Okay,” Fluff said, feeling their eagerness to help pull her out of her funk. “I’ll try not to let it bother me.”

  “Sorry,” Karen said softly as she kissed Fluff’s cheek. “Sometimes we have to do the hard things, right?”

  Nodding, Fluff gave her a quick peck back. “I know. I’ll be fine, let’s go.”

  They spent the next hour wandering the paths, finding and killing three more Brutes, but without finding any sign of the laboratory.

  “Maybe we’re not going to find the lab,” Gerald grumbled as they took another branch of the path.

  “We have no idea what it might look like,” Karen added.

  “I’d say a square hut,” Bob said from above them. “Like the one further up the path and off to the left in a clearing.”

  “Or we can find it while complaining about not being able to find it,” Marysue chuckled.

  Following Bob’s directions, they were able to find the barely visible game trail that led to the hut. Fluff frowned as they walked down the trail. “Something big came through here a while ago, but it’s starting to grow back now.”

  Karen nodded. “I can see the broken branches that have healed over now. Good spotting, Fluff.”

  Smiling, she flexed her hands, claws sliding in and out of her fingertips. “I wasn’t sure at first, but thank you.”

  “It’s likely the Brutes originally came from here,” Gerald said as he continued to lead them down the trail. “Be ready, just in case.”

  The hut sat silently in the center of the clearing with no sign of life or unlife. Gerald walked to the large door and tried to open it, but it didn’t budge. No windows were visible in any of the walls.

  “What are we supposed to do?” Marysue asked.

  “Find and destroy it, is what the quest says,” Alburet replied. “Tiny, see if you can break that door down.”

  Everyone cleared out of the way as Tiny lowered his shoulder. With a roar, he sprinted forward and slammed into the door. The thud echoed as he bounced off it, staggering back with a surprised look on his face.

  “Fucking hell,” Karen said, “now that is a tough door.”

  “Master?” Tiny asked, perplexed by his failure.

  “Hold up,” Alburet said. “Ideas, anyone?”

  “If he couldn’t break through it, I don’t like my chances,” Gerald said. “Neither the door, nor the wall, flexed when Tiny hit it. Maybe we can fashion a battering ram and try it?”

  “Mayhap we can all hit it in unison?” Stacia suggested.

  “Worth a shot,” Gerald said, putting his sword away. “Everyone on three?”

  “It’s only really wide enough for four, maybe five people,” Fluff pointed out.

  “Tiny, TJ, Gerald, Fluff, and me,” Alburet suggested. “We should have the highest Strength out of all of us.”

  “Yeah, I’m mostly Agility,” Karen agreed.

  “Okay, on three,” Alburet said as they lined up.

  Gerald counted down, and on three they ran forward together. They slammed into the wall in near unison, and the wall seemed to flex only the barest amount as they staggered back.

  “It flexed, just nay enough,” Stacia said as the group came together again.

  “If we can’t do it, then how in the hell is it supposed to get done?” Karen frowned.

  Silence fell over the group as they considered their options. “I think I have an idea,” Fluff said after a few moments. “The Temple was designed for a Trapsmith. Some of the other dungeons have heavily penalized pet classes. Maybe this is designed for a Necromancer?”

  “Because they can charm undead,” Marysue said, nodding as she saw what Fluff was getting at. “Charm one of the Brutes and get it to help demolish the building.”

  “They mimic their target,” Karen said, her eyes widening slightly. “If we can go find one or two and lead it back here…”

  “Oh gods, some of these zones are just weird,” Gerald sighed. “That would explain why the mobs act that way, even if the whole setup is off.”

  “Well, let’s go find a friend or two,” Alburet said and turned back for the trail. “We can finish this then turn the quests in tomorrow.”

  It didn’t take long to find a Colossal Brute and get him to follow Karen back to the hut. Once she got the Brute to understand running at the hut, the group watched as it blasted straight through a wall. A bright green flash came from the dark interior of the hut, followed by a roar of pain.

  The group readied their weapons, but the Brute didn’t come back out. Gerald approached cautiously, with Tiny and TJ beside him. Lips pursed, he shook his head, “It’s dead. The center of the building has a green rune inscribed on the floor. What’s left of the Brute is dissolving as I watch.” Pulling away from the hole, he looked at the others. “We didn’t get a quest completion message.”

  “Might take one or two more,” Karen suggested.

  “Oh boy,” Alburet said, “let’s go find more friends.”

  “I wonder iffin the dead one would have counted for the other quest?” Stacia asked in a thoughtful manner as the group headed back out to find more Brutes.

  “That would make sense,” Marysue nodded. “Let’s grab two more just in case, that way we don’t have to go back out again.”

  “Make it four more,” Fluffball added. “I think Stacia is onto the trick. Five people in the group, five deaths needed. Bring them all here and get them to run into the walls.”

  “But there are only four walls,” Gerald pointed out.

  “Yes, but after holes are punched in the walls one of the corners might still need to be demolished,” Fluff suggested.

  “Fair enough,” Gerald sighed as they walked back down the now widened trail.
“At least the Brute gave us an easier path to walk down.”

  The sun was about done setting when the fourth brute slammed into the corner of the hut, and the entire thing finally collapsed in on itself. The group gave a small cheer as they got the notifications that they’d completed their quests.

  “Thank gods that’s over,” Gerald breathed out heavily.

  “Back to Stormguard,” Marysue said as she pulled out her Homestone. “How long until dinner?”

  “Less than an hour,” Gerald said. “The meal is at the Victory Lap, so don’t overdo the shower.” He looked at Alburet with a sardonically raised eyebrow.