by Rick Scott
“Mine is still down,” Rembrandt cries.
“I got him,” Aiko says.
Aiko uses Stunning Blade.
Witgar resists the Stun.
“Damn it!” she curses. “He’s been CCed too much. He’s built up a resistance!”
The warhorn suddenly blows and Lyons begins shouting.
“Witgar, stop! I command you! What are you doing! You’ll kill us all!”
“No…” Witgar says as a vile grin spreads across his charred face. “I’ll just kill all of you…”
Oh no…
“Gilly! Becky! Run!”
The mages start fleeing just as the hammer slams down.
Witgar uses Wrath Asunder!
Huge bolts of lightning and sheets of ice radiate outwards, stripping my shadow. History repeats itself as everyone in my party save Val Helena flatlines. The wave of destruction continues, killing all the soldiers save Lyons, who is reduced to a sliver.
Witgar stands victorious, gloating at his godlike display of power.
“Pathetic,” he says. “Your job was to protect us…but in the end, you couldn’t even protect yourselves.”
What is he talking about?
He spots me then…still alive and at full health. He cocks his head to the side. “Eh? Still so hard to kill? Let us see if you can survive my hammer thrice, Shardling.”
He raises his crystal weapon again.
Witgar readies Wrath Asunder!
Holy crap!
My eyes go instantly to Val Helena who is down to 10% health.
I could recast Shadow Copy; I could survive one more blast.
But she can’t.
And if she dies…
I stare up at the hammer helplessly.
Oh God…
I look over to General Lyons, now breathing heavily with a grimaced scowl on his face. “It’s over, boy. None of us win. None save your useless king.”
He’s right. True death will come for him.
For us all.
Witgar glares down at me like I’m the embodiment of everything he hates. And perhaps I am. “Be gone, spawn of ma—!”
He stops mid-sentence and dashes his head to the side.
The ground trembles and a split second later Witgar goes flying off his feet, struck by some unseen force. He bellows in pain as his hammer flies from his grip, shattering upon the ground like glass.
“By the hells!” he screams, writhing on the ground, tossed back and forth like a rag doll. Blood erupts from his mouth and his HP bar drops to 30%, then 25%.
“What’s happening to him?” Val Helena cries.
Rivulets of blood form a roughly circular outline around Witgar’s torso. The air shimmers around him in a rainbow hue and slowly, white scales, fine like sandpaper, emerge as the massive form of the Frost Salamander takes shape, the body of Witgar firmly in its jaws.
Holy crap…!
Frost Salamander uses Savage!
Witgar takes 10126 damage!
“Foul beast!” Witgar cries as he punches the Frost Salamander in the eye, doing a respectable 2% damage with each hit. “Did my whore of a wife send you? Has she finally remembered who I am?!”
I got no clue what he’s talking about, but we can’t let this opportunity pass.
“Val, raise Gilly!” I say, recasting Shadow Copy.
“Already on it!” she says and raises her sword high to cast the spell.
Witgar throws a vile glance in her direction.
“No you don’t, you filthy half-blood!”
He then releases an ear splitting roar.
Witgar uses Fear of the gods!
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
Val Helena is Terrorized!
General Lyons is Terrorized!
Crap!
“I can’t move!” Val Helena screams.
Witgar continues to punch the Frost Salamander, taking it down to 80% health before it finally releases its grip. He scrambles to his feet as the massive lizard rears back its head.
Frost Salamander uses Frost Fire!
A torrent of ice and snow shoot out of its gaping jaws like a fire hose and hits Witgar squarely in the chest. I expect him to be nearly killed by the attack, but instead he drops to just under 20% and begins to laugh. “That bark will do you no good, beast!”
I check the log.
Witgar takes 104(1012) damage.
Witgar resists the Paralyze.
Witgar resists the Slow.
Witgar resists the Frostbite.
Dang it, he’s right! I need to get in there!
I recast Shadow Copy and look for some way to get into the fray, to take advantage of the distraction the Frost Salamander has caused, but it’s far too chaotic right now. The giant shields himself from another blast with his forearms, losing a bit more HP and then releases another huge battle cry. His skin bursts into ice-blue flames as his body literally grows another ten feet in height.
Holy crap!
Witgar uses Strength of Mountains!
He glances down at me with a leer from his new height. “Now you’ll witness true power, boy!”
The giant LM rushes forward at the Frost Salamander and grabs the reptile around its thick neck. The beast writhes in the chokehold as he releases a savage cry and in a feat that seems impossible, lifts the Frost Salamander right off its stubby legs.
“Where are you half-blood?” he bellows, spinning the beast through the air.
I glance towards Val Helena and see her still frozen in place just a couple dozen feet from Witgar.
No!
The giant continues his savage battle cry as he hefts the snarling, wriggling beast over his massive shoulder, preparing to body slam it right on top of her!
“Val!!”
I burst toward her with a Charge Strike, skimming across the snow-laden ground. The huge body of the Frost Salamander falls towards her as if in slow motion and she screams.
I slam into her, pushing the giantess with all my might.
You Rescue Val Helena!
She flies clear just as the monster crashes on top of me.
Your shadow absorbs the attack!
I roll out of the way in a cloud of nano-dust and scramble to where Val Helena is now, getting up off the ground.
“Val, you okay?”
She nods. “Just wore off. Thanks.”
The ground shakes like an earthquake beneath our feet as the Frost Salamander thrashes about on its back, down to 60% Health from the body slam. Witgar stalks towards it, forming a new crystal hammer in his hands.
Witgar uses Frost Weapon.
“To the hells with you, lizard,” he says in his deep gravelly voice. “I have more important prey to kill.”
He lifts his hammer and slams the Frost Salamander in the head. The animal bucks and cries out in a whinny. He slams it again and again, removing 5% of its health each time.
My stomach turns as the creature continues to squirm and spasm helplessly with each hit, Witgar laughing like a madman.
“Do something, Shard Warrior!” General Lyons shouts from across the battlefield, drawing his sword. “Once it’s dead, so are we!”
As if to emphasize his point, Witgar lifts the crystal hammer into the air.
Witgar readies Wrath Asunder!
No!!!
I check his HP. He’s still sitting at 17%.
My heart is in my throat.
There’s only one thing I can do.
“Try to stun him!” I cry and Sprint towards a copse of trees just behind him.
I Wall Run up a tree just as Val Helena charges in with a Shield Bash.
Val Helena uses Shield Bash.
Witgar resists the Stun!
General Lyons rushes forward, spinning with his sword.
General Lyons uses Wheeling Blade.
Witgar resists the Stun!
No good. It’s all on me now.
I backflip off the top of the tree and disappear with Shadow Cloak. I pull my arm back with a Charged Attack and rele
ased it with a Backstab as I land on the giant’s back.
You Backstab Witgar for 4761(521) damage.
Witgar cries out as the Plunging Attack multiplier kicks in, but it still only removes a sliver of his health. I grab him about his neck and hang on for dear life as he releases a savage growl.
“Was that supposed to hurt me, boy?!” he bellows, his voice so loud it hurts my ears this close. “I fought across the wilds in the days of the iron sentinels, when your kind fell to weakness! As weak as you are now! Did you really expect me to die from a bee sting like that?”
I have no idea what he’s saying, but I have no time to care either.
“No…” I say, as I glance at his HP, now down to 14%. “I expect you to die from this!”
I raise my blade again and release a cry as I plunge it deep into his throbbing jugular.
Please work!
Witgar releases a blood-choked gurgle as his HP drops from 14% to zero.
You use Assassinate.
You successfully Assassinate Witgar!
You defeated Witgar!
You gain 175250 experience points!
A system-wide message then appears.
Reece has defeated Witgar!
I leap off the giant as his body crashes to the ground.
Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Giant amongst Men
You gain 200000 experience points!
You gain a key item: Favor of the gods.
Congratulations! You have earned a Veteran Point!
Congratulations! You have earned a Veteran Point!
I hit the ground with a roll and stagger back to my feet. I feel dizzy from adrenaline. I’m breathing like I just ran a marathon, my heart slamming against my chest, my knees weak.
I can’t believe I just pulled that off!
I look to Witgar’s body and can’t help but feel a sense of loss. Not for him, but for what he knew. I try to recall all the things he was saying—some great war in the wild…something about his wife?
The ground suddenly shakes beneath me.
“Reece!” Val Helena shouts.
I look towards her just in time to see the massive head of the Frost Salamander rise up from behind Witgar’s body. Its huge reptilian eyes fix on me and my heart stands still. It opens its jaws and I prepare to recast Shadow Copy, anticipating a breath attack or it simply to swallow me whole.
It lunges forward, but instead of grabbing me, it sinks its jaws into Witgar.
The giant monster shakes his limp body back and forth like a rag doll while still clutching it in its jaws, as if exacting some kind of revenge. The monster then peers right at me, as if examining my soul and subtly I sense some semblance of recognition within its huge yellow eyes. It closes them slowly and then opens them again, as if conveying some sort of thanks.
Congratulations! You have unlocked Animal Empathy!
Your Animal Empathy skill increases by 0.9.
Your Animal Empathy skill increases by 0.9.
Skill Up! Your Animal Empathy is now 2!
It then turns from me and slowly lumbers away with Witgar securely within its jaws, heading off into the night.
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and my knees go weak, but with relief this time. I look over at Val Helena and crack a weary smile. “Close one.”
She merely shakes her head, still staring at the Frost Salamander as it disappears into the forest. “What the hell was that thing?”
I chuckle. “An old friend of mine…”
“What?”
“Never mind,” I say. “I’ll explain later.”
I look for Lyons and see him leaning against a tree. He sees me and gives me a nod. “Well played, Shard Warrior.”
His Health bar is still in the red. I could kill him easily, but that’s not what I want to do here. There’s a bigger battle to win.
“It’s over, general,” I say, approaching him. “Serve me and we can get rid of that ‘useless’ king together.”
He cracks a wry smile.
“You’ve impressed me this night, boy, no doubt, but you misjudge me again. You have only two options: Kill me…or run.” He stares up at me, still smiling, but his steely gaze spells zero compromise. “Either way. I have my orders and this army will not stop hunting you, with or without me at its head.”
I huff out a breath. “I guess that’s that then.”
“That’s that,” he says matter-of-factly.
I nod. “I appreciate your honesty, general.”
“And I, your tenacity,” he says with a strain as he pushes himself up from the tree. “Do see to it that it’s not misplaced.”
He begins to walk away then, holding his side.
I watch him leave.
He’s not exactly like Lady Diana, but his resolve and sense of duty makes me respect him much the same. If things were different, I’m sure I could learn a heck of a lot from him.
Val Helena limps next to me, her HP also in the red.
“We need to go, Reece…”
A war horn blows in the distance. General Lyons stops and looks over his shoulder at me.
“Raise your dead, boy,” he says. “You’ve earned yourself a head start.”
* * *
Val Helena raises Gilly and then the two of them Raise everyone else. We get back on our feet and Val Helena and I give them the quick version of what just transpired.
“A what ate him?” Gilly says, perplexed.
Aiko gives a cackle laugh. “Glad we didn’t kill that thing, ‘eh Reece?”
“What does she mean, ‘glad we didn’t kill it’?” Maxis says, eyeballing me.
“I’ll explain on the way,” I say, looking westward. “How long till we reach the caldera, you think?”
“Took us about 5 hours before,” Aiko says. “With that army after us, I say we’ll probably have to do it even quicker.”
“And then we still need to get through the wild,” Rembrandt says with a sigh.
More war horns sound in the distance, and I half wonder if it’s Lyons again giving us a warning and a bit more time. We made it out. We fooled an entire army. But there’s still miles to go yet. We still have to reach New London and get through the wild. Still have to find our city and save it, still have to save my mom and hopefully find my dad as well.
There’s still so much yet to do.
I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
Rembrandt drops into a low crouch and verbalizes my thoughts. “I’m dead bloody tired, mates. So tired.”
“We all are,” Maxis says.
“We’ve got to keep moving,” Becky says and casts a Second Wind spell on Rembrandt. “Chin up! As you New Londoners say, right?”
Rembrandt chuckles at her. “Aye, you’ve got it, love.”
“There’s one more problem,” Val Helena says.
We all look up at her.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“There’s still a camp back at the caldera guarding the entrance to the wild.”
Crap…I nearly forgot about that. “You really think there’s an army left back there?”
Val Helena shrugs. “Remember who we’re up against here. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Braxus. Just the thought of him causes my stomach to sour.
“She’s right,” Maxis says. “We can’t take anything for granted anymore. We might not be out of the thick of things yet.”
My brother is talking sense. Still, I can’t let that deter us now. Not when we have so much yet to do.
“Whatever the case,” I say. “Our path is clear and we need to go. Lyons is still coming for us.” I then look to the west and the unknown that lies ahead. “We’ll have to face what we face when we get there.”
Chapter 52: Epilogue
Bruce Peters felt better about the world today.
The data on his HUD said differently of course.
It was 4:37 AM. Nano reserves were down to 35.4 percent. Inflation on the Shard servers was ris
ing. And worst of all, physical systems were staring to fail. Still, there was a sliver of hope. And not just hope. Because now…perhaps there was even a cause.
He walked with purpose through the oven-like heat of the power converter room, heading for Carl’s office. He had called him twenty minutes earlier. The compile had completed, deciphered whatever encryption was being used to mask the voice Dennis was speaking to on the other end of that conversation.
Their world was crumbling around them, but Bruce felt better, because if Dennis was somehow behind all this, then this would give them the evidence to confront him.
To stop him even.
Bruce gave a rap on the Hab door and Carl cracked it open.
“Evening, boss,” the tech said.
“Evening, Carl.” Bruce stepped into the Hab. “Let’s see what you got.”
* * *
We run at top speed through the belly of the caldera. My lungs are working overtime, sucking in the cool crisp air under a clear night sky. It’s been three hours since leaving Camp Star Fall and my legs are on fire, but with Gilly, Becky and Val Helena all casting Second Winds, we haven’t had to slow down once.
On my HUD I study the odd drop I received from Witgar. I shared it on the party chat an hour ago, but no one has ever seen anything like it before. And the more I study it, the more I wonder just what it will do if I activate it.
Favor of the gods
You have performed a task so great that the gods themselves are in debt.
Single use. Untradeable.
It’s important, whatever it is and I guess the only way to find out what it really does is to use it. I’m almost tempted to do so, out of pure curiosity, but we have bigger things to worry about at the moment. I glance behind me at the tree line and still don’t see the first signs of General Lyons’ army, but I know he’s coming.
