by J D Astra
“I fixed those!” I pointed to him with surprise and a bit of pride.
He smirked. “I know.”
Rainbow shards of color whirled around us as I gave us both Magnus Armor, allowing us each to take up to three hundred points of magic-based damage with no effect. Then I re-upped our Searing Halo and equipped my Staff of the Enchantress. My stats shot up in an instant, and I felt ready to take on what the archive had to throw at us.
We exchanged a silent nod, then tore off down the long hall to the belly of the archive, sword drawn and fireball in hand.
Belly of the Beast
“WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?” I whispered as we cleared the third empty alcove. “Isn’t this studying prime time?”
It was a godsend that the alarm had stopped, but the absence of that noise made the sound of our approach painfully loud. We had dropped to a slow jog, and when we still jingled too much, dropped to a brisk heel-to-toe walk.
“I don’t know,” Otto growled as he took the left turn with a downward slice of his sword. “There must be more than one way in and out of the archive. Petraeus must have evacuated everyone with the sound of those bells.”
I popped open my map. “It must be secret then, because nothing else is showing up.”
We moved through the next empty hall, and Otto poked his head through the door-less entry of an alcove. “Light,” he said, and I put my arm through the opening, a fireball blazing brightly in my open palm.
I scanned the nearly empty room. There were two plain wooden stools pushed in under a narrow desk with an oil lamp, sheaves of parchment, and quills.
“Clear,” he whispered as he stepped hastily toward the next room.
I rolled my eyes in frustration. “Otto, I highly doubt the Bindings Book is going to be in any of these rooms. Why are we wasting our time?”
“I prefer not to be ambushed. Light,” he said as he poked into the room.
“The longer we take, the more time they have to prepare for us. We need to go, Otto!”
He rounded on me. “Your last suggestion got us where we are. We’re doing this my way.”
“We don’t have a plan!” I declared. “We don’t have a way out! We need to get there as fast as possible so we can get back up those two thousand steps to get back out of here!”
“Quiet!” he whispered with an edge of venomous rage. “I have a plan. Light!”
I thrust my fireball-clenched fist into the room and scanned it. Empty. Otto skipped the next room and jogged to the T-intersection. His stare went blank as I assumed he pulled up his map.
“This way.” He pointed down the right hall and took off at a jog. He skipped the following two alcoves and finally stopped at the third.
“Light,” he requested, his tone impatient.
My fireball lit up the room—same configuration of two stools, one table, lamp, and parchment. I panted, trying not to let the short bursts of speed drain my Stamina.
“Clear.”
He kept on down the hall, skipping two rooms before looking in another. That was the way it went on for another several minutes until we made the last turn before the massive room at the center of the maze of winding halls. The configuration reminded me of the labyrinth puzzles that would be pasted to the back of my cereal boxes when I was a child.
“We stick together, no splitting up, got it?” He wagged a finger at me and I nodded. Not like I’d ever done that to him before, but I guessed he just needed something to lecture me on to feel vindicated.
I hit us both with buffs and dropped my 5 saved skill points in Intelligence and Spirit. I had 5 unused proficiency points, and had my heart set on Blazing Weapon, but I didn’t want to make a mistake. I’d already spread my points thin by picking everything in the skill tree.
No, what the hell. We were going to need every bit of help we could get. I sunk one of my precious saved points into the new ability, Blazing Weapon, and read the description with excitement.
<<<>>>
Ability: Blazing Weapon
Harness the agility of a Blazing Javelin and transform yourself into a battle-ready warrior! The Blazing Javelin can be wielded for thirty seconds, but make sure you’re far away when the spell ends, as the Blazing Javelin will detonate upon expiring!
Skill Type/Level: Active/Level 1
Cost: 100 Spirit
Range: 2 feet on detonation
Cast Time: Instant
Spell Duration: 30 seconds
Cooldown: 20 minutes
Base Weapon Damage: 25
Effect 1: Summon a javelin of flames to wield or throw. At the end of the spell duration, the Blazing Javelin will detonate, dealing 2x your Character Level in fire damage to anyone in a two-foot radius. You can choose to end the Blazing Javelin spell early.
Effect 2: For the duration of the spell your Intelligence value is swapped with your Agility, and your Spirit is swapped with your Stamina.
<<<>>>
I licked my lips, salivating at the thought of becoming a badass, spear-wielding flamemonger.
“I’m ready,” I whispered as I closed the menu.
“We will succeed.” Otto put his hand on my shoulder.
A dozen negative thoughts swirled in my head. We didn’t know where the Bindings Book was, we didn’t know what was going to be in our path, definitely not nothing, and we didn’t have a way out that wasn’t half a mile up and surrounded by a giant glowing wall of electricity.
“Yeah, we’ve got this.” I smiled.
He patted my arm and turned to the next hall. I cast a fireball and held it tight as I followed behind him, doubt swirling in me like inky water. We’d come out of bad scrapes before, and this was no different. We’d get the shit, kill anything that got in our way, and get back to DrinkZzz.
The final hall was devoid of alcoves, and at the end of the hall was a massive wooden door with an iron loop to serve as a handle. Otto put his hand against the door, then his ear. After a moment he pulled back, locked eyes with me, and tapped his ear. I listened carefully, but the swooshes of moving air was all I could hear.
I took a deep breath, and another, getting my fluttery heart pumping hard. I turned the jitters to juice, fueling my anger and my fight with the fear of death. I was ready to mess some shit up.
Otto grabbed the handle, whispering, “One, two.” The door opened silently on its massive hinges, and Otto struggled to slow it down before it smashed into the back wall. Any advantage, even one as small as a quiet door, was a boon we couldn’t waste.
I sprung forward on quiet, soft boots, my Wildfire robe swishing as I went, and crouched at the opening of the door. The whooshing of air had been just that, but the things pushing the air around were a wondrous, terrifying sight to behold.
We had picked a floor that was near the top of the massive open room, which was the length of a football stadium and at least three times that in height. It was well lit by massive orange orbs hanging from thick chains that interlocked and crisscrossed. There were huge wooden bars suspended above and around the orbs, all covered in a white substance not unlike the chalk from the quarry above.
The levels of this area spanned thirty to forty feet, with only a two-foot barrier between the walkway and plummeting two hundred feet to a squishy death. Each level was lined top to bottom with books protected by the same purple lightning shield that cordoned off the archive from the city.
That was the wondrous part.
The terrifying part was the whooshing noise we’d heard from the other side of the door. At least ten [Hundun Broodling], flying fox creatures, flapped through the air on powerful owl-like wings. Their eyeless faces turned this way and that as their ears twitched, listening for intruders like us. Some were the size of minivans and others just the size of large dogs, but all of them had naked underbellies and feathered manes at their necks.
V.G.O. was never satisfied with just owl beasts, or fox beasts. No. It had to be foxes with owl wings, four times larger than they ever should be, with fro
nt claws like razor blades and gnashing jaws that could sever a human arm.
Otto and I stayed low and crept to the two-foot retaining wall.
Oh. Holy. Shit.
The lesser Hundun weren’t even close to the most terrifying part. At the bottom of the book pit sat an altar. On that altar, like some sick Indiana Jones joke, sat the rebels Bindings Book, in front of which was [Hundun, Archive Guardian].
Unlike his brood, Hundun had a body the shape of a very muscular, very nude man, and two sets of owl-like wings jutted from his back. His face was something between a fox and a man, with a long, hairless maw full of sharp teeth, and taut skin where eyes should be. Nightmare fuel upon nightmare fuel. I knew when I met up with an Illusionist next, this would be the creature they summoned to scare me.
I had some very choice words that began with the letter “f” I wanted to start screaming, but the damn Hundun Broodlings’ ears were twitching at every little sound, seeking us. At least we could see it, the Bindings Book. It was there at the bottom of this crapshoot, just begging to be stolen. It was as if my quest to collect the directory had purposefully been tailored to suck ass.
I looked to Otto, who seemed about at wit’s end. His eyes found mine and we exchanged a look of how we’d been dealt in. We’d accepted this quest, we’d said we could get the Bindings Book, knowing that the difficulty level was Infernal. Shit balls.
He pointed to the fireball in my hand and then made a “cut it out” motion. I dismissed the spell with a pop and leaned in at his beckon.
“Jump onto the flying beasts, ride them down, surprise attack Hundun.” Otto whispered in broken sentences, trying to make as little noise as possible.
I’d already fallen several hundred feet today and wasn’t interested in trying to descend to the depths of our doom on the backs of creatures I had no control over. But, I wasn’t seeing a better option. There was no way down but to go back into the maze, work our way down several more levels, and then go back through the maze again. We could descend each level the way we had before in the archive entrance, but that would make too much noise and aggro the whole brood.
Goddamn Otto with his goddamn ideas that were literally the best and only plan. Heck it. I stood and took two steps back, then hiked up Wildfire. Otto was making some wild “stop” gesture, but this was what he wanted, right? Ride the beasts down. Here we go.
A lion-sized Hundun Broodling flew above our ledge in an arc, its body soaring as it turned down. I watched the trajectory of the beast as I bolted for the edge. My stomach clenched as I stepped up onto the ledge with my right leg and pushed myself off with the left. There were three seconds where I floated on the air, my legs and arms splayed out like a skydiver. I tried not to think about missing my target as I stretched out my hands and reached for the monster.
I “oofed” as I landed on the Hundun Broodling’s back and grabbed fistfuls of the creature’s back feathers. The creature shrieked, turning its head from side to side wildly. I wrapped my legs around each side of the thing and looked back to see Otto leaping far less gracefully from the edge than I had.
He grabbed one about his size around the neck and slipped around to the front. Otto’s legs dangled for a second as his Hundun Broodling snapped razor-sharp teeth next to his ears. I gasped as my unwilling mount flipped swiftly and without warning. I tightened my grip in all places and lowered myself to the beast’s back as we dropped, closing my eyes against the battering wind.
I could hear the furious cries of the other Broodlings as we twisted, my creature losing control of the descent. The wind whipped over my body and I turned my weight, trying to force the creature to roll out of the death spiral. My mount screamed in syllables, and for a fraction of a second I swore it was saying “my back.”
A second later, as a claw dragged across my back trying to get a grip on me, I knew it had been crying out for help. Pain seared up my spine as 5% of my Health was ripped away. I looked over my shoulder, dug my heels into the creature’s belly, and raised one hand for Raging Inferno Blast.
The thunderous boom of my spell halted the flapping of wings, and for a beat, the room was quiet... apart from the ripping flames that shot from my open palm a fraction of a second later. The Hundun Broodling on the receiving end of that fire wailed as its feathers ignited, and it went down in flames.
I cut the spell and grabbed hold of my angry mount. I pulled myself up and wrapped both my arms around its flailing neck. The ground was drawing ever nearer, and the thing was still upside down.
A voice, deep and eerily human, rumbled throughout the massive hall at an unnatural volume. “Minions! Come!”
Hundun, Archive Guardian
“COME!” THE VOICE BOOMED again, and my Hundun Broodling mount evened out, dropping with purpose.
Now that I was back on top, and I didn’t need to hold on for dear life, I checked for Otto. He was above me at least fifty feet, still clinging to the underside of the Broodling as it snapped at him.
I activated Fire Inside, grabbed a Spirit potion from my inventory, then rapid-fire hit every Hundun Broodling in range, except mine, with three Burning Afflictions each. The creatures’ oily feathers acted like accelerants, and flapping only seemed to make the fire burn brighter. The more they pumped their wings, the faster they charred.
Naked, burnt bodies dropped out of the sky, splatting against the ground around Hundun, and I gave a victorious howl. But the Broodlings kept coming, completely oblivious or uncaring of their fallen allies. I sucked my Spirit potion dry and returned to work, hitting every passing creature with Burning Affliction and watching them drop. I had seriously underestimated how many Broodlings there were in the room. We were so close to the bottom that the falling Broodlings weren’t dying on impact, just bouncing and shrieking.
With only twenty or so feet to the bottom, the Hundun boss was just in range. I snapped open another Spirit potion and held it in my teeth as I let Inferno Blast blow past my mount’s head and into the Hundun guardian’s face.
He roared with fury and rolled to the side, sneaking out of my range. I drank back my potion, filling my Spirit bar completely, and leapt from the back of my burning Broodling mount. I summoned my Blazing Javelin with a snap, feeling my body automatically shift from an awkward tumble to a graceful descent as my Intelligence swapped with my Agility value.
I tucked and rolled, holding my fiery spear close to my chest. I sprung to my feet, dashing at the advancing Hundun boss as the claws of a Broodling swiped into my path. I dodged each mauling attempt with ease, a wicked smile coming over my face as I slashed at their groping claws, rending tendons and sometimes bellies with my sharp spear end.
Hundun bellowed, his massive wings flaring out in an intimidating show of power. Then, he spoke with his unnatural growl. “Intruders will die!”
I popped Hundun with three Burning Afflictions and a quick follow-up Leeching Smolder to help recoup my almost completely depleted Spirit. Hundun’s leathery skin rippled and peeled back as the fire blazed up his double set of wings, dropping his Health by a percent each second.
Otto landed with a grunt, his bloodied sword sticking halfway into the Broodling he’d ridden to the bottom.
“Nice of you to join me!” I taunted as I darted in at Hundun, scoring a scorching hit against his exposed abdomen. Hundun swiped at me with his massive owl-taloned hands and I dodged with a grin. Why had I waited so long to get Blazing Weapon? It was awesome!
I slashed again, taking a good 5% chunk of the boss’ Health as I ripped open his bicep. Broodlings cried out above me, and I gasped as talons dug into my collarbone, lifting me from the floor. A new pop-up appeared at the forefront of my vision.
<<<>>>
Debuff Added
Punctured Lung: You have suffered a punctured lung; Stamina regeneration reduced by 15% for 5 minutes.
<<<>>>
I stabbed the Javelin up into the hulking creature who was trying to make off with me, burying the fire weapon deep in its gut.
The talons released me, tearing flesh on their exit, and I cried out as I fell back to the ground.
My Health dropped by 10% as I landed on my back and the air left my lungs. Pain rippled through me as I coughed and sputtered, trying to get a breath in. The timer for Blazing Weapon flashed in the corner of my vision and I saw the countdown blinking a violent red: 3, 2—
The impaled Broodling split in half as the Javelin wedged in its belly exploded. Blood rained down on me and I rolled left, avoiding the disgusting spray. I climbed to my feet and finally took a deep breath in.
The minions of Hundun were swiping down at Otto, making it impossible for him to get in and hit the boss, who was charging straight at me. I ran for the altar, my hands beginning the complex movements required to cast Smokescreen. The spell went off just as a massive Broodling swooped in, and the area just above the altar filled with thick black smoke. The Broodling careened into the white stone block, gasping for air, and the Bindings Book fell to the floor.
I dropped low, knee sliding toward the book, and scooped it up. It was in my inventory faster than I could blink, and I flipped around, smacking the Broodling with a fireball. The creature flipped onto its stomach, gaining its feet as fast as lightning and lunging at me with powerful back paws. Shell of Molten Ash appeared at my thought, then disappeared in a flash as the Broodling smacked into it with powerful jaws.
Its maw, though burning and blackened, kept coming. The Broodling plowed into me teeth first, digging its razor-like claws into my gut as it did. I gurgled a scream as the monster ripped my stomach open, spilling my intestines onto my lap.
Blinding pain radiated from my gut to my skull and back again. Hot agony throbbed in my chest as my eyes blurred from the pain. The room spun and another notification popped up. I dismissed it and pressed my hands against the Broodling’s face, triggering Inferno Blast.
