The dagger wiggled and jumped at Krug. He ducked and the weapon sailed over his head. It bounced for Tarka and Cleave.
The kobold gasped when the barking dagger leapt for her. Krug tried to grasp it but was short. Tarka saw the weapon going for her wounded friend and jumped in front of it. The blade pierced her shoulder and burrowed into her skin, barking and wiggling as it did.
“Ah, piss buckets. What the hell is this thing?” Tarka cried out.
Krug took hold of the dagger and pulled it from the wound. Tarka immediately pulled a bandage and started dressing it.
The dagger turned at Krug as he held it. It leapt from his fingers and jumped at his face. He swatted it aside. It landed on the floor and came at Krug again. The giant suffered a slash against his boot as he pinned it. It wiggled and whimpered beneath the sole of his foot.
“Just our luck to get a weird magic item,” Tarka said, making sure her wound was covered. “Did you happen to find the ring?”
Krug pulled the silver ring he found from his inventory.
“Did you want to try it out?” Krug said.
“I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” Cleave said.
“Yeah, it’ll probably spontaneously combust once you put it on,” Tarka said.
Tarka wrapped the dagger in several bandages and stowed it in her pack. She gave the staff the one skeleton had to Cleave and he used it to walk.
The party slowly made it toward the surface. When they reached the entrance, five people in armor, four in black leather and one in plate, drew weapons and pointed them at the party.
All of the warriors wore black veils over their faces. The man in plate stepped forward.
“I see you’ve disturbed the sanctity of this place for the dead,” the man in armor said.
Cleave craned his head forward. He might be able to fool anyone else with a mask over his face, but he knew those dark eyes anywhere. Even in the night and dense fog, the elf knew who it was.
“Padwin,” Cleave gritted his teeth and coughed.
“Cleave, I think you’re name is? That’s what one of the merchants told me anyway. You shouldn’t be so free with information. It was child’s play to figure out you came here. We’ve been following you the whole way.”
“I knew I smelled something rotten,” Tarka muttered.
“Now let’s not get too hasty, I’m not here for a fight, if we can avoid it.”
“Then why are you here? What do you want?” Krug said.
“Just anything you found in the cave, I’m not here to take your money or any other belongings,” Padwin said.
One of the black clad warriors strode toward Cleave. Krug and Tarka raised their weapons and all of the other warriors surrounding them took up battle positions.
The half-giant and kobold stood down as Cleave handed over the staff.
“Okay, you got it, now leave us alone,” Tarka said.
“I think you’re missing something,” Padwin said. “There was a ring in that crypt. Give it to us.”
“What are you talking about?” Cleave said.
“We didn’t find a ring down there,” Krug added.
“Please don’t be coy with me. I know there was a ring in there. Hand it over,” Padwin said.
Krug sighed. “Okay, you’re right. I didn’t want to hand it over. I’m sorry.”
The four warriors tightened their grips on their weapons but Padwin held up a hand. “Give it here and then we’ll let you leave.”
Krug took out a cloth and held it firmly. He placed the cloth in Padwin’s hand and it began to wiggle. It barked and jumped at his face.
Padwin knocked it away. “What the hell?”
Krug brought his warhammer down on the nearest warrior in black. The warrior dodged the attack and brought his sword up to clash against Krug’s shield. Tarka ran toward another warrior. She traded blows with him before rolling forward between his legs. She took hold of the warrior’s ankle and pulled, bringing him to the ground. Another black clad warrior slashed at her, but she brought up her weapon in time to block it.
Cleave rushed the final warrior in black. They traded blows before the elf dodged the strike left. He turned the pommel of his sword around in his hand and quickly thrust into the warrior’s neck. Two more strikes to the head ended his opponent.
Padwin walked toward Cleave with his sword drawn. He smirked. “It would be unwise to fight me. Remember what happened last time. Just give me the ring and all will be forgiven.”
Cleave brought up his sword and Padwin charged. The elf remembered their last meeting and knew he wouldn’t last long against the warrior. However he had to buy his friends enough time.
Krug fought the warrior in front of him, vigorously bringing his warhammer down against his opponent’s mace. His opponent was shaken each time he blocked a strike. Any attack his opponent launched came up against Krug’s shield.
Two of the warriors chased Tarka around. One of them saw the difficult position his friend was in against the giant and turned to help. Krug bull rushed the warrior in front of him and knocked her down.
The other warrior ran forward with his sword aimed to strike. Krug reached into his inventory and pulled out the silver ring.
“Tarka,” Krug screamed.
Tarka ran toward him, staying ahead of the warrior behind her. The half giant threw it to her. It sailed past the man charging the half-giant end over end toward the kobold. She leapt up and grabbed the ring. The warrior chasing her slashed at her tail, hitting it dead on.
Tarka shuddered as pain spread through her body and put on the ring. She held it up.
“Okay trees, come to my aid and kill these goons,” Tarka said as she continued running.
Nothing happened.
The warrior behind the kobold jumped and slashed at her. He missed wide, far wide and came down beside her.
The kobold twisted her body and rammed her sword into his arm. The warrior turned and swung at her, missing by a mile. Tarka ran in and jammed her short sword into his gut. He opponent grabbed at his wound and fell to the ground.
“Tarka, where are you?” Krug called out.
The half-giant was hard pressed as the two experienced warriors backed him toward the mouth of the cave.
The dagger shook itself free from the cloth and barked. It jovially bounded toward one of the warriors and buried itself deep in her calf. She screamed and fell back as the blade wreaked havoc on her calf.
Tarka rushed toward the remaining warrior fighting Krug. Her body was cloaked in a strange, wavering shadow. The warrior’s eyes went wide as the kobold appeared behind him.
“Tarka, there you are,” Krug said.
The warrior was able to spin around and block Tarka’s strike. However he wasn’t able to stop the savage hammer blow that crushed his helmet and most of the bones in his skull. He fell dead.
Padwin pushed Cleave back as they fought. The elf managed to score two small hits on his opponent’s arms, but for the most part, the human outclassed him.
Padwin worked cleave’s sword up and scored a vicious slash on his hip. He brought his sword around and stabbed it into his calf.
Cleave Lvl. 7
HP: 70% (-12%)
Stamina: 41%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Healthy
Cleave fell to the ground. Padwin went to strike a fatal blow but the elf knocked the sword away. Padwin stabbed but his sword only found the ground as the elf rolled away.
Cleave got to his feet and hobbled toward the forest. Padwin ran behind and managed to catch the elf. He pinned him to the tree, but the elf slipped his grip and brought his sword down against Padwin’s stomach. The weapon bounced off his armor.
Padwin strode forward, sword at the ready. He took a shield off of his back and crouched. He rushed forward and attacked Cleave with a flurry of blows. The elf tried to match the human’s speed, but again, he was outclassed.
The armor clad warrior worked Clea
ve’s sword high, stepped back and thrust forward.
Cleave only saw the sword coming toward him for an instant before it became lodged in his stomach. Blood spewed from the elf’s mouth. Padwin twisted the sword and pulled it out.
Cleave Lvl. 7
HP: 40% (-30%) (-1% every 30 seconds)
Stamina: 29%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Bleeding (Continual Damage)
The world spun and Cleave fell back to the ground. His body seized up and his sword slipped from his hand. The grim specter of Padwin stepped over him and grinned.
There was a loud cry and thundering footsteps coming toward them. Krug swung his warhammer and Padwin managed to back away before it connected.
The half giant stood between his injured friend and the armored warrior. He stepped forward and attacked again. Padwin dodged under the strike and thrust his sword forward.
Krug caught the attack on his shield and bashed the pommel of his warhammer against Padwin’s head. The human stepped back and received a crushing thrust into his shield.
Padwin dug his feet into the ground and slid back a few inches.
Krug swung his warhammer twice. Padwin managed to duck the first blow but the second caught his shield, leaving a small dent. The human stumbled backward and crashed into a large oak.
Padwin shook himself and horror came into his eyes as his large enemy rushed forward. He stood against the tree as the large man planted his feet and brought the warhammer down on the knight’s head.
Padwin smiled and tumbled forward, rolling behind Krug and slashing out at the half giant’s leg. Krug growled and spun around, bringing his warhammer with him in a wide arc.
The knight ducked the attack and leapt to the side in front of the half-giant’s shield arm. The attack threw Krug a little off balance and he had to plant his right foot, creating an opening.
Padwin took advantage and lunged. Krug tried to bring his shield around but couldn’t stop the sharp bite of the blade from entering his flesh. The knight threw himself into the thrust then pulled upward, rending flesh and causing a large splatter of blood to fall to the ground.
Tarka looked up at Krug. Even though she was shrouded in a strange combination of ethereal darkness and smoke, he saw her.
“Go,” Krug mouthed.
Tarka didn’t want to leave her friend but at the moment she had no choice. The kobold grabbed Cleave and drug him behind the tomb and away from the battle.
Krug stumbled backward and another slash at his leg and a swift kick from Padwin brought him to his back.
The knight walked forward and caught a weak blow from the warhammer on his shield. He kicked the giant’s strong arm and knocked the massive weapon out of his hand.
Krug tried to bring up his shield but Padwin’s sword was at his throat. With a snarl he plunged the sword into the half giant's neck.
Krug gurgled blood for a few seconds before his hit points drained away and he was still.
SEVENTEEN
Tarka drug Cleave away from the battle, a short distance down a path in the forest that she found behind the tomb. She kept going, as fast as she could until her legs began to cramp from lugging Cleave and his equipment around. When she felt like she was far enough away from the battle, she quickly took off his armor and bandaged the wound in his stomach.
Cleave grunted as fiery claws tore into his stomach as Tarka tended his wound. When she was finished, she told the elf to bring up his character screen. He did.
Cleave Lvl. 7
HP: 30%
Stamina: 29%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Healthy
Cleave told her that he was low on Stamina and health but he was okay.
Tarka heard the sound of clanking in the distance and a shadow approaching. There was a jovial humming coming from the approaching figure.
“Tarka, Cleave, come out and finish what we started,” said the voice of Padwin.
He continued jovially humming, casually walking toward Padwin and Tarka’s position.
“Shit, he must have followed the indentations in the dirt of when I drug you here,” Tarka growled as Cleave picked himself up.
Cleave picked up his armor. “What do you want to do?”
There was a long shadow on a tree near them and they saw a glint of armor turning down the pathway.
Tarka looked up at Cleave. “Run.”
Tarka and Cleave took off. Padwin heard the sound of their feet hitting the ground and came after them.
Cleave pumped his legs as hard as he could. Luckily the foliage wasn’t as thick here. So he was able to rely on his elven heritage to sprint through the forest with ease. Tarka was quick but small. She had a great deal of difficulty keeping up with his long strides. When they came to a fork in the road, the elf had to wait for his smaller companion before they chose which path to go down.
They varied their choices, sometimes going left, and others going right, doing whatever they could to confuse their pursuer. They ran until the forest was gripped in night, sometimes stopping to rest for a few seconds to regain some stamina, others running at full speed.
Eventually they came upon a small, circular grassy clearing. They stopped and listened. There were some snaps and a few animal calls from deep within the forest. Cleave and Tarka feared that Padwin had followed them there and was walking up behind them, ready to plunge his sword into their chests.
They stared into the darkness behind them, waiting for him to emerge with a sinister grin on his face. But, he didn’t.
Cleave and Tarka drug their weary bodies over to a tree and plopped onto the ground. They took of their packs and the kobold clenched her fists.
“That bastard, that fucking bastard!” Tarka said.
Cleave punched the ground, flattening the grass beneath his fist. “The next time I see that son of a bitch I’ll kill him. I don’t know how, but I’ll kill him.”
“What the fuck does he want? Is he still pissed with us about the thing with the druids?”
“Probably,” Cleave said. He ripped some grass up by the roots and threw it. The blades floated slowly to the ground. “Guess he’s been tailing us ever since we left the Fey Wilder and waiting for the perfect time to strike.”
“Guess so. But if that’s the case, why didn’t he just sneak up on us while we were running errands for our guild? If he’s been watching us for this long, surely he’d have the opportunity to strike at us before now.”
Cleave nodded. “That makes more sense. I don’t think he’d be wasting his time just watching us. He said we needed to be careful what information we gave out. Do you think he found out about the ring somehow and followed us to get it?”
“I don’t know how he would’ve found out about it. The only people that know about the ring are us and a few in the guild, that we know of anyway. He must have found out about it some other way or was in Clearwater for another reason.”
“I don’t know why he’d be in Clearwater. There’s nothing there that would interest him or the Crimson Kingdom.”
The Crimson Kingdom was a guild Padwin was a part of. He led an invasion into the forest so he could kill the dryads to harvest dryad essence, small, magical crystals in the dryads’ trees, so they could create wands that were capable of producing magic that could warp plant and animal life.
From the stories they heard from Estelar, everything the Crimson Kingdom did was done in an attempt to increase their power. This normally happened at the expense of others, PCs and NPCs.
“There’s probably some hidden thing him or his guild wants there. Either that or he’s just dicking around.”
Cleave didn’t know Padwin personally, but he didn’t seem like the kind to mess around. If he was in the area, then there had to be a reason. Why would he want to hang around in a city hostile to elves where the local guard was shaking down merchants?
Cleave sat up straight as inspiration struck him. “What if that is
the reason he’s there?”
“Huh?” Tarka said.
“What if he’s causing all of that stuff that’s going on in Clearwater?”
“You mean the guards robbing the people and all that?” Tarka shrugged. “That could be possible, but I doubt he could do it alone.
“He probably has people helping him. He is a part of a guild that sent over a hundred players to attack the dryads last time. It’s not too farfetched to believe they have a few people there causing mayhem and trying to do whatever it is they’re doing.”
“If he is involved, then we definitely need to figure out what’s going on in Clearwater. If the Crimson Kingdom is trying that city over, who knows what they’ll be able to do.”
“Then we’ll go back tomorrow and start looking into it. I don’t know what you, me, and Krug will be able to do, but we have to try something. Krug should be okay by the time we get there tomorrow. Good thing we set our respawn points in our room at that inn.”
Tarka reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out the ring they got from the tomb. “Hey Cleave, before we log, can you cast your spell on this? I want to see what this ring is.”
“Isn’t it the Ring of Treesoul?”
Tarka shook her head. “I tried to use it to command trees but nothing happened.”
Tarka held the ring out to him and Cleave cast his spell.
Your skill with divination spells has increased to 7!
Your skill with spellcasting has increased to 3!
You’ve made it to level 8!
Cleave closed these pop up windows and another came up.
Ring of the Nightwalker
If donned during the nighttime hours, the wielder of this ring becomes shrouded in ethereal shadow and is difficult to detect. The user receives a bonus to stealth and a deflection bonus because of the wavering shadow it places them in. This ring has no effect during the day.
“That’s pretty cool, but I wonder where the Ring of Treesoul is?” Tarka said.
“I don’t know. Maybe we can find more in Clearwater. Until then, let’s get some rest.”
Crisis at Clearwater - A LitRPG Virtual Fantasy Adventure (Book 2 Unexplored Cycle) Page 9
