by Rick Scott
Hang in there, Val. We’re coming!
Val Helena’s shield bucks on her arm like a jackhammer, pulsing with the force of multiple hits. Her health bar chips away with each one. She slashes back at the soldiers with her longsword and kills one of them in the process, but it’s not nearly enough. There looks to be thirty soldiers at least. Nowhere near the numbers Ziegfried alluded to, but still far too great an amount for Val Helena to fight alone.
We press on, halfway there now.
Val Helena uses a couple of abilities, her armor-clad body flashing with emerald and blue polygons before ending in a cast.
Val Helena uses Spirit Sword!
Melee attacks now restore TP.
Val Helena uses Divine Poise!
Your next spell cast is immune to interruption.
Val Helena casts Cure II!
Val Helena regains +150 HP.
But as quickly as her HP returns, it’s gone again and so is her TP.
A trumpet sounds and the soldiers release a battle cry. They press into her and Val Helena’s HP drops even faster.
Val Helena751/6012 HP
Val Helena647/6012 HP
“No…!” I cry. “VAL!”
I hear her voice come back through the party chat but it’s only a series of painful screams now.
They’re killing her!
“We need to get there!” Aiko says, flying forward with a Charge Strike. “Go! Go!”
I charge ahead with Sprint, my heart in my throat. I watch Val Helena’s HP on my HUD as we close the distance foot by foot.
Val Helena535/6012 HP
Val Helena463/6012 HP
I burn with a determination like never before. It’s all come down to this. The entire nightmare of this labyrinth is almost over.
We just need to save her!
“We’re coming, Val!”
I buff myself with Shadow Haste as we finally get within range and then a primal scream comes from behind me, scaring me half to death. I glance up to see my brother soaring overhead, his body bursting into flames.
He flies through the air in a martial pose.
Maxis uses Fists of Rage!
Defense and Counter greatly decreased. Area Effect Damage greatly increased.
Maxis lands in the middle of the mass of soldiers, sending a shockwave rippling through them. I expect them to be stunned like the floor-stomp move I’ve seen him use before, but this time a huge wave of fire shoots across the ground. Instead of being blown back, the soldiers are sucked in towards him by some unseen force.
Maxis spins like a top with their midst, kicking multiple targets at once with his flame-covered feet. Their HP bars all drop by 25% and then even more as Rembrandt fires AOE blasts into the dense crowd, attacking them en masse. I finally engage along with Aiko, going all out.
I attack with reckless abandon, giving no thought to dodging or my HP.
We just need to get these soldiers dead!
They start to retaliate and Maxis’ HP drops into the red, but he keeps going, his fists shooting AOE blasts into the crowd. The first of the soldiers begin to die and XP notifications scroll up my HUD.
Maxis defeats the Company Spearman!
You gain 12000 experience points.
Aiko defeats the Company Spearman!
You gain 12000 experience points.
Maxis defeats the Company Spearman!
You gain 12000 experience points.
Rembrandt defeats the Company Spearman!
You gain 12000 experience points.
They come more rapidly as their HP bars collectively drop to less than 10%.
The morale of the soldiers breaks and they begin to flee in a panic. We kill a few more and then finally the battlefield falls silent as the few remaining spearmen and archers escape, running across the caldera and into the night.
I’m breathing hard, along with everyone else. I look for Val Helena. My knees go weak with relief when I see her still standing there…alive.
We did it.
Val Helena parts her lips in a weary smile.
“What the heck took you guys so long?”
* * *
Val Helena’s comment gets a few smiles and equally weary laughs.
I check her stats.
Val Helena Level 85 Paladin
HP 224/6012
STM: 42/430
TP: 77/390
God, that was close.
We all rush in to embrace her, but Maxis reaches her first and amazingly picks the Half-Giant right up off her feet. It’s almost comical to watch as he holds her in his arms like a giant tree trunk and plants a deep kiss on her lips.
Aiko stalks forward, unfazed by the display of affection. “Where’s Becky?”
Val Helena glances at Aiko forlornly as Maxis places her back on the ground. “They’re both here.”
Val Helena steps around the dead giant and kneels next to two robed figures that lie on the ground. I nearly choke up when I see Gilly again, her body pierced with arrows, the same as Becky.
I walk toward her slowly.
“I’m sorry, Reece,” Val Helena says, her height equal to mine as she crouches down. “I only just managed to raise her before they attacked. She was weakened and only had a couple of hit points. I don’t think she even got to open her eyes.”
I shake my head. “Val, I don’t care. You were able to raise her, that’s all that matters. You brought her back from the brink.”
She smiles and lets out a little chuckle. “You can thank my Divine Poise ability for that. I think I must have taken a hundred arrows casting that spell.”
That gets another series of chuckles and the atmosphere lightens a bit. My body is still pumped with tension and adrenaline. It feels like I’ve been running nonstop for the last day and a half. Aiko embraces her Half-Giant sister and then reaches down to Becky.
“I’ll raise her,” Val Helena says and then stands lifting her sword into the air.
Val Helena casts Raise on Becky.
The Halfling opens her eyes as the spell completes and Aiko tackles her with a hug. “You made it, Becks. We got you home.”
Becky merely pats Aiko on the back, while looking directly at me.
I get a PM.
Becky: Thank you for going back for her.
I don’t really know what to say to that. My decision to run back to help Aiko, perhaps did save her life. And knowing what happened to Val Helena now, I don’t think I would have been able to do much to prevent the outcome.
Maybe I made the right call after all.
“One left,” Val Helena says as she smiles at me and then raises her sword into the air once more.
Val Helena casts Raise on Gilly.
My heartbeat quickens.
Bright light surrounds Gilly’s body with feathers as she lifts into the air.
Her eyes open as her feet touch the ground and I run forward to catch her.
“Gilly!”
She gasps with a scream as I take hold of her.
“No! No!!”
“Gilly! I’m here!” I say, crushing her in an embrace. “It’s me, Gilly. You’re all right! You’re safe!”
I hold her a moment more, her body stiffening in my arms, until finally she calms down and goes limp in my embrace. Relief exudes from every pore of my body as her warmth combines with mine. I almost don’t want to let her go. She sobs as I hold her and I can only imagine the relief she too must feel after being saved from that nightmare world.
We finally pull apart and her big green eyes search mine.
“Reece. I… I saw them…I—”
“I know,” I say. “Don’t worry about that now. You’re safe now. You’re here again.”
Tears form in her eyes and I kiss her on the forehead before embracing her again. “You don’t know how good it feels to hold you again, Gilly.”
“Same here,” she says and squeezes me tight. She finally ends our embrace with a kiss and then glances about. “Where are we?”
“You’re safe, Gills,” Rembrandt says, grinning at her. “That’s all that matters now.”
Gilly’s lips part with another huge smile. “Rem!”
She leaves me to give the cyberpunker a hug. She then gives everyone a hug—from Maxis to Aiko and then Val Helena.
Finally, she sees Becky.
“Oh my gosh!” Gilly says, her eyes wide with excitement. “Are you her? You’re Becky?”
Becky smiles back awkwardly. “Yes. Hello, Gil—”
Gilly slams her with a hug as well and we all laugh.
“Sorry,” Gilly says after finally letting her go. “I feel like I pretty much know you already. Besides, your character is just too darn cute not to hug!”
That gets more laughs.
She looks around again, tears streaming from her eyes. “I’m just so happy to see all you guys. Honestly.”
“We’re happy to see you too, Gilly,” Maxis says. “I feel better already now that you’re back.”
“Hear, hear, love,” Rembrandt says.
We take a few moments more to revel in our relief. It does indeed feel good to have Gilly back. And not just for me, for everyone it seems, just like Maxis said. She cajoles with my brother some more and pokes fun at Val Helena and Becky even though she’s just met her. Like always, her joyous spirits manage to transcend the circumstances of our present ordeal, and even the one she just went through herself.
I realize then that Gilly is not just a center of happiness for me.
But maybe for us all.
* * *
Bruce Peters watched in awe, along with the rest of the board, as the status bars on the comm device changed from red, to green. There was no mistaking it now. The brainwaves were there.
His Gilly was back!
Dr. Evelyn Munroe darted a stare at Dennis. “So does this mean what it looks like to me?”
Dennis was slow to respond, a bead of sweat on his brow. “More than you even know.”
“Just answer plainly, Dennis,” Bob Shultz said, irritated. “Does this mean the excursion team is alive or not?”
Dennis sighed with equal irritation. “Yes. They’re alive. All of them.”
The software engineer’s eyes were unsteady as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
A round of cheers went up and both Martha and Evelyn rounded the table to give Bruce a hug.
“I’m so glad your daughter is safe, Bruce,” Evelyn said.
Bruce released a breath. “Thank you…me too.”
“I suppose you’ll be off to give Barbara the good news,” Martha said, smiling. “I can only imagine how relieved she’ll be.”
Bruce nodded. “Yes, yes she will be.”
But there was someone else he needed to tell first. Bruce reached for his comm device and switched from the vitals display to dial a number.
A groggy voice answered on the other end.
“Bruce?”
“Gina,” he said, “Check your comm device.”
“What?”
“It happened, Gina,” he said, barely able to contain his smile. “The miracle….Your boys are alive.”
* * *
A warhorn blows in the distance.
It cuts through the merriment of our reunion and places firmly in my mind that we’re still far from being out of danger here. Already I can see the fires of Braxus’ camp igniting in the distance. He’s even erected a small fort of sorts and it reminds me that while it’s only been a matter of hours for us, a day at least must have passed out here. And he’s had plenty of time to plan our demise.
“We need to figure our next move and fast, people,” Maxis says. “They’re sending reinforcements.”
I look at the state we’re in. “We’re in no shape to face Braxus right now.”
“Reece, I don’t know if he’s even important anymore,” Gilly says. “I saw the monsters you saw. I saw what they can do.”
I can see the fear in her eyes and it tears my soul apart to know that she had to endure something like that. But she’s right of course. Whatever those things are, they’re a threat to us in ways we don’t yet understand. There are so many puzzle pieces now and I need time to sit down and fit them all together.
“We need somewhere to regroup,” I say.
“We can head back to Brookrun,” Gilly says. “We’ll be closer to the mine then.”
“If only we could get back there so easily,” Val Helena says. “Man, what I would give to have Fast Travel right now.”
“We could cut back through the wild to get there,” Rembrandt says. “Although it would be a longer trek than before. And we probably couldn’t make it in this state. We probably wouldn’t even make it past Braxus and his men.”
“You’ve been through the wild?” Becky says.
“More often than we’d like to admit,” Val Helena says.
I look to the forest to our east. “What’s that way?”
“The trade routes,” Val Helena says. “But not for miles. That was the long way around the mountains, remember? It’d take us weeks to get back to Brookrun.”
“Well there has to be something in there,” Maxis says. “A village or something we can find to hold up for a while.”
“My thoughts exactly, mate,” Rembrandt says.
Aiko folds her arms across her chest. “What if we don’t find anything? That army is going to be after us soon. We could be on the run for hours or even days. And we’re in no shape for that either. They’d catch up to us eventually.”
The warhorn blows again and I take Gilly’s hand in mine.
“We’ll need to take our chances,” I say. “We need to pray we find someplace in that forest to hold up. Even if we have to run all night.”
Chapter 22: Relief
Bruce stood with Gina Roberts on the deck of the observation lounge. The multiple stasis pods of the excursion team members lay before them, their vitals healthy and green. Bruce couldn’t take his eyes off Gilly. The joy of knowing that she was still alive up there on the surface brought on an excitement like nothing else and countered the sleep pulling at his eyes.
It was late. Well past midnight now.
But he had to come here to see her. To see the angel-face of his sweet little girl again and pray that one day soon he would again see her emerald eyes.
“Do we even know what happened?” Gina asked.
Bruce shook his head. “I don’t even bother asking for explanations anymore. But something’s watching out for them up there, that’s for sure.”
Gina wrapped her arms about herself, as if for warmth. “Or someone…”
Bruce smiled.
“Thank you, Bruce,” Gina said, looking up at him.
He chuckled. “I can’t think as for what. I’m as clueless and grateful for this outcome as you are. I can’t really claim to have done anything to make it happen.”
She gave him a smile. “Maybe it was just how you never lost faith, despite not knowing anything. I appreciate that.”
That warmed his heart.
“It’s late,” Gina said. “I’d best be going.”
“I’ll walk you,” Bruce said.
“No, no…” Gina gave another smile. “I’ll be fine, Bruce. You go home to your wife. Plus, it looks like you could use a little rest yourself.”
Bruce laughed. “You can say that again.”
“We still need to finish having our tea though,” Gina said warmly as she pulled on her overcoat to leave. “You’re welcome at any time.”
Chapter 23: Refuge
The first rays of sunlight beam down through the forest treetops, given form by the light snow that has begun to fall.
I can’t believe it’s morning already. When I said we’d run through the night, I didn’t imagine that it would only take a few hours. But then I had no idea it had been so close to morning either.
Leaves and fresh snow crunch under our feet as we push through the light foliage between the towering pine trees. The terrain is mostly flat and w
e’ve travelled a good distance with the time we’ve had, running at a light jog against the cold.
Rembrandt is on point as usual, followed by Maxis and Val Helena. Gilly sticks with Becky in the middle and Aiko and I bring up the rear. I’ve been looking over my shoulder all night, half expecting to see scouts or dogs come running through the trees after us.
But so far so good.
There’s no sign of Braxus at all.
“How far do you think we are from the Vale now?” I ask Aiko.
The slender elf glances over her shoulder, frost coming from her breath as she answers. “I say we’d be lucky to be breaking twenty miles. Maybe less.”
“Think that’s far enough away to throw them off?”
“Maybe they didn’t set out after us till dawn,” Becky says from just ahead of us. “Armies do stuff like that, don’t they?”
“Maybe the main force,” Maxis says. “But probably not the scouts if they sent any. We need to keep pushing. We don’t see them yet, but they could be right behind us.”
That thought makes my stomach sink.
I send Gilly a PM.
Me: You okay, Gilly? You hanging in there?
Gilly looks over her shoulder at me. Her face is glossed with sweat despite the drop in temperature, but other than that she looks chipper. She gives me a smile.
Gilly: I’m good. (:
Just seeing that smiley face emoticon fills me with warmth. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Despite the situation we’re now in, it feels a thousand times better than what we just went through in the labyrinth. I thank God that we were able to all make it out alive. But our mission is far from over.
The threat of Braxus is right behind us, but even more so, I ponder on what Ziegfried told me about Diana. The thought of her fate burns me in my soul. That sick freak. I’ve got to do something about Braxus…permanently. But then those words from Aiko come back to haunt me as well. Still more quandaries to deal with. And then, on top of everything, there’s saving Citadel and my mom and figuring out how these monsters, these Others, play into everything.
