AVARICE ONLINE: KEL'VAN RED HAND

by Titus Nettles

  Farrat waved his goodbye, and the caravan was on its way back to whatever they called home. They watched them till they were out of sight, and then they went to the task of cleaning their camp. So, as they finished cleaning up any evidence that anyone camped hear, Fer’shad as usual, was the first to ask the obvious question.

  “Captain, it seems we will not be waiting till level 15 to fight the aberrant Elemental?”

  “That’s what it looks like Fer’shad. I wish it was different. We’ve already mapped out almost all of the area. Except for the actual camps and what looks to be cities out there, there is nowhere else to farm kills. “

  “We are all close to 11 though, captain.” Perhaps we are strong enough to take on the monster down there,” Belar said with a sense of conviction.

  “She is right. We are not the same Ulgo’s that walked out that cavern captain. I have no contention that it will be a tough fight. But in the end, I believe we can stand before that elemental and defeat it,” said Fer’shad.

  Voresh just stood there with a sword on his shoulder, just smiling. Then gave the thumbs-up sign Kel’Van gives him after a successful hunt or cooked meal that tasted good.

  Kel’Van shook his head and gave his team the thumbs up sign himself. All things considered, they were right. They were in no way the same group that walked in that cavern so many weeks ago. Their newfound self-confidence was actually borne out of hard work and constant success. Preying on these Holmgren in order to gain power for themselves has given them an attitude of a winner. Like a football team that has been on an undefeated winning streak. The fact that they will be level 12 before two days wasn’t even a doubt. They could probably do that today if they push it. As proud as he was of them, he still had to look at the logistics. They were a 4-man team with no class skills or a healer, going up against a level 12 dungeon boss. They barely have an understanding of what it can and cannot do. Complicated or not, they only have one shot at getting it right, or they die down there.

  It will have to be enough…

  The team gave him back the thumbs-up sign, which just elected a roar of nervous laughter from all of them…. Yes. It will have to be enough because they are going to make it be enough.

  “Fer’shad, she is heading your way!” Belar yelled

  Their luck had to run out at some point, and today happened to be that day. They had planned the ambush correctly. They stalked the group for 20 minutes and anticipated their actions perfectly. As the group had turned around the cavern bend, Kel’Van had fired off a Heat wave attack, confusing and panicking the 4-man Holmgren group. Both Voresh and Fer’shad took them from the front while he and Belar would close off their means of escape from the rear. Kel’Van started blasting a cone of fire at the grey orcs as soon he was in range. Belar used the flame as cover as she turned around the first panicked soldier. Belar dodged under the swing as he swung his sword, then grabbed the armed towards her with her right hand while bringing her left forearm towards his elbow.

  CRACK!!

  The Holmgren’s arm was bent at a grotesque angle, dropping the sword in his hand as he immediately cradled the broken arm. Not missing a beat, she tackled the man, almost throwing him to the ground. Then grabbed his head with both hands while placing her knee in his back, then buried her mouth, tusks and all into his neck, ending his cries of pain.

  Four moves, five seconds of brutality.

  The other tried to ram past Belar only to have Kel’Van stab him stomach first, twist, then pull his weapon out. He then with a turning swing, slashed him across the neck. The Holmgren fell in a pile right on top of the body of his neck-challenged friend.

  And that is when everything went south.

  While the fight was taking place, two Holmgren had wandered into the Killzone. Four guards, and a Korai elf, looking at two surface orcs who seemed fairly familiar.

  “Well of course, it’s the surface adventurers,” she cooed.

  “Wait, are these the actual orcs murdering the sects’ military arm here? Why haven’t they left?” she wondered aloud with a finger pressed to her lips.

  Her eyes narrowed and a smile began to play on her face. They haven’t left because they couldn’t leave. There were only 3 reasons that made sense for their appearance here. Either the gate was too well guarded, they haven’t found the gate, or the monster itself was too strong. These surface orcs were hell-bent on leaving the depths, so there was an opportunity here if she could find it.

  “Are we to attack madam?” the leading officer asked.

  “No,” Ora’El stated with her chin high. “Not just yet.”

  Voresh had paired off with a duel wielder. He was keeping him on the defensive by slashing at his legs and moving to his side when the gray-skinned orc would try to step into his space to get close enough to land a hit. They circled each other again, measuring each other to find an opening. Voresh stabbed forward instead of swinging his sword at an angle. The grey orc spun his body toward him, avoiding the attack and again closing the distance. Voresh again sidestepped and swung his sword, but instead of aiming at the legs as he had in his previous attacks, he had swung his weapon high toward his opponent's arms. The grey orc had anticipated a low counter swing as it was Voresh’s actions whenever he got close. So, he had jumped high to avoid the blow and close the distance quickly and strike.

  He did not jump high enough.

  Voresh’s strike, instead of hitting his arm, clipped the Holmgren's legs, tearing one knee cap completely off while cutting deeply into the other leg. The force of the blow made the grey orc somersault in the air, landing with a crash on his back. He twisted in agony, clutching both his short swords in each hand as his back arched from the pain his missing knee cap and legs were sending. Voresh quickly ran up and plunged his sword in the middle of his enemy’s chest, then twisted right then left. With his foe vanquished, he hurried to Fer’shad’s side to finish this battle.

  The last Holmgren was already on the ground panting when Voresh and the others rushed to Fer’shad. He had shield bashed her in the face, then front kicked her in the chest, which sent her sprawling on the ground. She was on her hands and knees when she looked up and saw four green orcs bearing down her in a semi-circle. Face bleeding and lip busted, she sneered defiantly at her enemies. It was all over for her though. Both she and these green-skinned killers towering above her knew it.

  Out of nowhere a black wall raised out of the ground, blocking her vision of the four surface orcs. In shock, she looked around hurriedly and spied four tattooed Holmgren running towards her.

  “Run you, idiot!! Get reinforcements!!”

  She was surprised but not addle-brained. The orc got up and sprinted as fast as she could to the nearest camp to warn the others; they have been infiltrated by Ulgo’s!

  “Fer’shad and Voresh, take the high ground, me and Belar will follow her! GOOO!! She cannot live to tell this tale!” Kel’Van screamed.

  Fer’shad and Voresh quickly put their weapons and shields across their backs. They then started climbing the adjacent hill beside them, then started running across it. Belar and Kel’Van ran around the stone wall and chased their quarry down the murky ravine-like path. Kel’Van thought about using his long-range fire spell but quickly discarded that idea. Though it was a distance casting spell, it was best used on stationary targets. Its radius was area-based, and target specific, so using it here when she could run past its area of effect or A.O.E. was not a good idea. So, he would have to physically get in range with either his sword or a cone of fire.

  They ran down the ravine gaining on her second by second. Fer’shad’s attack must have really hurt or drained her because at the rate she was running, they would indeed catch her before the others cut off her path of escape, Kel’Van mused. As they came close enough to hear the grey orc gasping for air, both Kel’Van and Belar almost twisted their ankles as they fell forward. Belar noticed both her feet surrounded by black stone hands gripping her legs like a vice. She turned to Kel’Van
and saw his body was in the same predicament.

  “Fucking Ora’El is helping them or someone with the same abilities!” Kel’Van cried out.

  “Where is she!” Belar screamed. Trying in vain to pry open the stone hands, fastening her to the ground.

  “Never mind her! We worry about the witch AFTER we stop the girl from warning the others!”

  Belar, her face now a picture of hate, cried out a warning to the others. “Fer’shad, she is heading your way!”

  The tired Holmgren turned her eyes toward her chasers. Her breathing labored, she then resumed her ragged running pace, now wary of someone launching out of the shadows thanks to Belar’s screaming. The swelling on her head was getting bigger and painful, making it even harder to think. The next camp was only a short run away with at least some guards on post that might help her.

  Voresh had hopped off the crevice they climbed earlier. It mirrored the ravine path, but without rocks and water being an obstacle, they were able to outrun both the team of Belar and Kel’Van and the escaping Holmgren.

  “You know that witch from the caves is helping her right? “said Voresh as he hopped down to the ravine.

  “That or someone like her, no doubt. But it matters not. The mission is to get the girl before she escapes. How does the captain say it? We will cross that bridge when we get to it, yes?” Fer’shad answered.

  “Okay, but when this is over, you are going to have to explain what he meant by a bridge.”

  As soon as the grey orc rounded the corner, a shiny metal sword bit into her arm.

  “ARRRGH!!!”

  She then tumbled forward, rolling past the two surface orcs landing on her back.

  “End of the line,” said Voresh. “It was a good chase though. You are to be commended for making it this far.”

  The injured Holmgren spit blood in their direction. Her aim missing the mark and landing on stone. Fer’shad shook his head, then raised his sword to end the grey-orcs life. The bloodied stone reached up and encased both Voresh and Fer’shad legs in their embrace, immobilizing the two where they stood.

  “Gaea’s tears!” cried Fer’shad

  The Holmgren rolled over on her back and began running while holding the now limp, and bloodied arm with the other. Shortly after, Kel’Van and Belar ran up behind them, breathing heavily.

  “Where is she!” gasped Belar

  “She just ran down the ravine trailing blood. You can catch her!” said Voresh.

  “Look, the stone hands only last for a minute, come after us once it’s gone!” said Kel’Van. Then they were off to follow the trail of blood.

  “There she is!” Belar almost screamed. The Holmgren heard her and turned around. Seeing both her pursuers brought new energy to her plight. She hobbled quicker, shiftlessly pushing one foot in front of the other. While the two began to gain ground on their prey.

  “Damnit!” whispered Kel’Van. He pulled Belar’s arm as she passed him. “Get low.”

  They both crouched down by some rocks, out of plain sight with just the long weeds to hide them. “Why are we stopping captain, we can catch her!” she hissed. Kel’Van just shook his head angrily and pointed.

  “Because of that.”

  She couldn’t believe it. There was a cadre of orcs. Better, they bore the colors of her sect! She immediately began screaming.

  “Intruders!!!! Intruders!!”

  They saw her arm and immediately began to give her a bottle of red liquid to pour down her throat. She took it as if she was dying of a weeklong thirst. Once she came up for air, she screamed again, “Intruders!”

  “Where?” asked one of them.

  “Back there, two are chasing me, but they are being followed by two more. One of the Korai ones provided an escape for me. I do not know the number.”

  “Which sect attacked you if not the tattooed ones?” cried one of the sentries.

  “They were surface orcs!”

  They looked at each other, took the injured orc with three more covering their rear, and made their way back to their camp.

  Kel’Van and Belar watched the scene as the other orcs took in their quarry and began their way back to wherever camp they were in. Kel’Van’s visage was the very picture of righteous anger. Not only did they fail to get the girl, but she had also succeeded in reaching other Holmgren. At the same time, Voresh and Fer’shad had reached their position. Stealthily positioning themselves next to the tubular in the weeds.

  “Captain, what do we do now?” asked Fer’shad.

  “We leave. There isn’t a doubt in my mind she is telling everybody who will listen that a group of green-skinned orcs laid waste to her patrol. I don’t know how long it will take them to muster up a group, but it’s going to be soon. When that happens, we need to be gone from here.” Kel’Van said bitterly.

  “That damn witch…” whispered Fer’shad. She had to be the person helping her!”

  “Did anyone see her?” Belar asked

  “No one was even looking for her,” said Kel’Van. “That isn’t even the point now. We need to get out of here and get to that cave. But if we meet that bitch on the way there, we will get some satisfaction.”

  CHAPTER 22

  They hurriedly made their way back towards their kills, more out of habit than necessity. There was nothing on them they really needed since they were about to escape through the portal. They got their xp as soon as they were killed, neither was looting the bodies to hide their kills since the escaped Holmgren was probably spilling her guts out about the “green-skinned” orcs at this very moment. Gods! That was what was burning him up now. The fact they had to leave earlier than they needed because of some prissy princesses’ interference. He didn’t have proof it was the same one they helped. It could be any korai that decided to help that Holmgren, but he could have sworn he heard that particular voice tell the grey orc to run. These were the seething thoughts in his head when the very object of his anger was standing over their kills with 4 other goons beside her.

  “Why, hello adventurers! It’s a pleasure to- “

  “Shut it witch,” Kel’Van stated, his speech dripping with venom compared to Ora’El’s conversational tone.

  Ora’El, who for a minute seemed genuinely taken aback, recovered quickly. “I don’t believe you are in a position to tell me to do anything adventurer. I am here to offer conditions for your surrender.”

  “Here is my condition Ora’El, your severed head underneath my boot.”

  Ora’El herself was forcing her emotions down. She had been taught since she could walk how to address and be addressed when in negotiations. Both when in a position of power and below it. This…person did not seem to understand the situation, and she was going to have to show him.

  “With respect adventurer, I do not believe you understand your situation. We outnumber you 5 to 4. Even if by some small chance you defeat us, it will cost you time. Time that is limited, since your escaped Holmgren is undoubtedly informing the sects exactly who is killing them by now. Time you could be using to return to the surface.”

  She had thought this through. Kel’Van said to himself. This was not done on a lark. The biggest problem here wasn’t with her but with himself. He has never done well with betrayal.

  Ever.

  In his mind, there was no reason for it. You were either with somebody, or you weren’t. You don’t fight with me, just to turn around and snake me in the back after. Be upfront about where you stood first, then he could at least respect you. The fact that he saved this woman only to have her knife him later at the worst possible time burned his ass.

  But she was right.

  He had to look at things as they are and not how he wishes them to be and make decisions. Even more so, like it or not, his troops were right beside him. If he let his emotions cloud his judgment, he then gives them permission to do the same. Decisions based on pure emotion almost always ended badly. So, he would stall his anger and hear what she had to say.

  For Now.r />
  “What do you want, witch?” he said icily.

  Ora’El closed her eyes to slits at the green orc’s temerity. “I demand you surrender yourselves. You will be taken to my domicile where we will decide how best we can be both benefit from each other.”

  “Are you kidding me?” said Kel’Van incredulously. “You want us to just follow you to your home and hope that we aren’t ripped to shreds?”

  “You have my word that you will not be harmed.”

  “With all due respect,” Kel’Van said with condescension, “Your word means nothing after the actions you have done today. I’d rather fight here and take my chances cutting your head off as promised.”

  Kel’Van meant every word of it. She didn’t know about his long-range fire ability, and if push came to shove, he was already poised to launch the three-second cast then have his troops rush them afterword’s if things went south. But what he needed from Ora’El was for her to believe it as well. That he would rather fight than go with her under these conditions. Regardless if it’s the truth. Which it fully was.

  “I don’t see how you have any choice here, captain.”

  “You try me,” he answered, “and like you said time is a wasting, so if there is a reason we should be deciding what is beneficial for both of us, you should just say it. I’m going to start attacking soon. As in seconds.”

  Silence from Ora’El.

  She stood there, trying to figure her position from here. If she wanted his help, she had to give him a reason, and right now, she admittedly could not see any reason for Kel’Van to capitulate at this point. When the whip does not suffice, maybe the sweet cake will encourage a better result, her mother would sometimes say.

  “You want to escape to the surface; I know the way out,” she said.

  “I already have that information, so you have nothing to offer, and neither have you stated what would be beneficial for both of us. Ten seconds left.”