by Rachel Aaron
It took almost the full hour to get her fully re-equipped. While nothing had had as dramatic an effect as the amulet, Tina’s head still swam with each new piece she donned. Once she had all her armor on again, she was strong enough to pick up her sword and shield. The massive bulwark was still a tower shield by her new standard, but Tina was painfully aware of how the slab of metal was no longer something that could flatten a car just by falling on it.
Everything was like that. Her armor was still beautiful and legendary and powerful, just….smaller. And in this new world, that mattered a lot. Still, Tina felt much more confident with her full set equipped.
“I have so many questions about density and the conservation of mass right now,” James said as he healed up all the extra health her new stats had added. “I don’t think the universe works the way we think it does.”
“Says the guy casting magic,” Tina replied, laughing. “Thanks for the help, by the way.”
James nodded, but his eyes were more worried than ever. They were getting her now slightly too-long cape arranged over her shoulders when the tent flap opened, and a huge figure entered the tent. Tina froze, hand falling to her sword before she recognized the golden armor and dour expression of her favorite fortress boss.
“Hello, Garrond,” she said, hiding her nerves with bravado. “Come to get your tent back?”
“No,” Commander Garrond said, giving her a fed-up look. “I’ve come to inform you that the Order will not be taking a side in this disagreement.”
“Didn’t think you would be,” Tina said, sliding her sword into its sheath, which had thankfully resized itself at the same time her weapon had. “But at least this means I don’t have to worry about you helping Cinco.”
“I would never,” the paladin said distastefully. “This is a matter of honor. You have been a frustrating ally, Roxxy of the Roughnecks, but I hold great respect for you as a fellow warrior. Foolish as I feel you are being, it is your right to demand satisfaction from one who has wronged you as CincoDeMurder has. I wish you good fortune, and may the Sun’s blessings shine on your righteousness this day.”
“Thanks,” Tina said, but Garrond didn’t wait for her response. He was already walking away, leaving her staring at his giant back as he strode across the camp toward the circle of players that was already forming at the gorge’s edge.
“Right,” she said, fixing her shield on her arm. “Let’s do this.”
Wincing at the cold wind that bit her exposed ears as she strode out of the tent, Tina wished she’d thought to make herself a helmet back at Camp Comeback. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal back when she’d had metal hair and a stone skull, but now that she was oh-so-breakable flesh and bone, the lack of protection seemed like a serious oversight. But while her head felt dangerously exposed, Tina could feel the power in her grip when she clenched her fist. It was impossible to know for sure without an interface, but she was pretty sure all of her base stats were back to normal, minus a few bonuses from going from stonekin to human. She really hoped that lost racial two-percent armor bonus didn’t come back to haunt her, not that there was a choice. For better or worse, she was doing this, so she pushed her braided hair over her shoulder and held her bare head high, striding as fast as her short legs would take her toward the steep ravine at the camp’s edge.
The clearing near the edge of the gorge was packed with players from both guilds. When Tina reached the Roughneck group, they parted to make a path for her. Seeing her in armor, shield and all, NekoBaby started clapping. Others joined in, and the applause rapidly grew to cheers. By the time she reached the battlefield, her raid was going wild. If she hadn’t had her game face on, it would have made her cry.
“Thanks for being here, everyone,” she said when the applause subsided. “I can’t say how much it means to me. Now keep your eyes peeled, ‘cause I’m gonna show this fool what happens when you step on the Roughnecks.”
“That’s my line, darlin’,” called a voice behind her.
Wincing, Tina turned around to see CincoDeMurder standing with his spear drawn at the edge of ravine, right where he’d said he’d be.
“Took your sweet time,” he said, pointing his spear at the dull afternoon sky, the brightest it got in the Deadlands. “Not too late to beg for mercy.”
Walking into the empty space between the two guilds, Tina stamped her feet on the dusty ground. “I could say the same to you,” she growled, drawing her sword. “Remember the rules! This is a one-on-one duel to the perma-death. Loser doesn’t get a rez.”
“And winner gets your gear,” Cinco said, looking her up and down. “All of it.”
“That was the agreement,” she admitted. “But getting to keep my own armor is a pretty shitty prize for me, so how about this. If I win, I’ll let you live, but I’m the boss from here on out. I say jump, you say how high, no back talk.”
“Deal,” Cinco said with a hungry smile. “Not that it matters, since you’ll be dead.”
“We’ll see about that,” Tina growled, jerking her head toward Commander Garrond, who was watching from a safe distance with his soldiers. “Since Garrond’s neutral, he can start us off. Would you give the signal, Commander?”
The paladin nodded and lifted his sword. “Remember that the Sun bears witness to all our actions,” he proclaimed in his booming raid boss voice. “Fighters, prepare yourselves!”
CincoDeMurder twirled his spear, its long crimson blade gleaming wickedly in the dim light of the Deadlands. When he was done showing off, he stepped into a fighting stance, putting both hands on the weapon as he leveled it at Tina.
“Ready!” he called.
Tina raised her shield and drew her own blade. The point of the heavy, black-and-red–runed short sword quivered as she hefted it into guard position. Cursing silently, she stamped her feet in an attempt to banish the shaking that had never really stopped. For the first time ever, she wished they’d had some booze in camp. A shot to steady her nerves would have been really nice right now. Terrible idea, but nice.
“Ready,” she said.
Garrond nodded and slashed his sword down, the golden blade falling like the day’s last sunlight through the dust. “Fight!”
The word had barely reached Tina’s ear before CincoDeMurder launched himself at her. The massive man charged in like a freight train, his spear tip moving so fast she couldn’t have seen it if it hadn’t been going straight for her eyes. Tina stepped back instinctively, throwing up her shield. She wasn’t sure if it was luck or raw experience, but the top of the tower shield came up on time to deflect the blow over her head.
But not quite far enough.
Tina gasped in pain. Cinco’s thrust had missed her eyes, but the edge of his razor-sharp spear still grazed the top of her scalp, slicing a gash across her unprotected head. Immediately, hot, wet blood began to pour down the side of her face. The wound wasn’t actually deep, and the pain was minimal once the initial shock was over, but it still stopped Tina in her tracks.
What followed was a fear that was hard to put into words. She’d been hurt plenty of times before, and far worse than this, but Roxxy’s blood had been silver and cold. Now, hot, coppery, red blood was running into her eyes and down her cheek, bringing with it an inescapable feeling of mortal danger that she’d never experienced as a stonekin. That was her blood coating the spear tip Cinco was pulling back for another strike. Her soft, not-granite skin he’d just sliced open. Not Roxxy’s, not her character’s. Hers.
All at once, Tina couldn’t breathe. She staggered away from Cinco, raising her shield in pure human terror. When the dreaded red spear came flying at her again, she moved her shield frantically to guard her face. In her panic, though, she left her legs exposed, and Cinco’s blade flashed down to stab her in the thigh.
Pain blossomed again, much worse than the scalp wound. As she frantically tried to adjust her position, Tina saw Cinco’s eyes flash red, the tell-tale sign of the Berserker’s Frenzied Strikes ability. Panicke
d, terrified, Tina reflexively activated Iron Wall.
It was a stupid, wasteful move. As Killbox had explained to her after their duel, Frenzied Strikes rooted the Berserker in place, meaning she could have just stepped out of the way. But she was not thinking, and Iron Wall was the most comforting of all her defenses. The ability took over her body, overriding her fear-induced fumbling and forcing her limbs back into the correct positions as a powerful series of attacks came in. Enchanted metals screamed as Cinco’s spear slammed into her shield with all the highly geared Berserker’s weight and strength behind it. Iron Wall forced her to duck a split second later, saving her unguarded eyes from the spray of sparks, but the supernatural skill couldn’t last forever.
Like all of her defensive abilities, Iron Wall’s duration was measured in seconds, and not many of them. Tina took the chance to slash wildly at Cinco while the ability kept her shield-work flawless. The massive Berserker parried her short attacks with ease, laughing at her as he did. He didn’t even seem to care that her shield blocked every one of his blows. He just kept thrusting, hammering her with all his strength as her boots slid back in the dust.
He’d beaten her back almost five feet before Tina realized she had to get a grip. This desperate flailing was going to get her killed, and in a really pathetic way, but it was just so hard. Roxxy had been more than just extra height and weight. She’d been Tina’s foundation, her rock in every sense of the word. Without her, Tina felt exposed and vulnerable, weaker than even Cinco had accused her of being. If she didn’t find a way to pull herself together fast, though, her life was going to end at the bottom of a ravine.
That macabre realization was still passing through her mind when Iron Wall ran out. All at once, her supernaturally perfect shield work stopped. A heartbeat later, a stab slipped through to puncture the armor over her left arm. More pain, more panic, more red blood on the ground. Gasping, Tina hunkered down behind her shield for better cover.
Cinco must have been waiting for that. The moment her shield went up, he grabbed the top, armored fingers digging into the metal. The sight made her panic even harder. She didn’t know how much Strength his gear had, but it was a lot more than hers. If Cinco ripped her shield away, she—
“Tina!” someone shouted in an elven voice. “He’s not Malakai!”
That was obvious, but the statement still hit her like a punch, knocking her out of her panic. Good grief, what was she doing? The pain and blood were scary, yes, but she’d only taken three small wounds. She wasn’t fighting Malakai or Sanguilar or even King Gregory—bosses whose every hit could be fatal. This was just another player, one whom she outgeared. Yeah, he’d gotten some hits in, but Tina wouldn’t even have called for healing on something this small in a normal fight, so why was she acting like she was dying now?
Why was she acting like she’d already lost?
Furious with herself, Tina planted her feet, using her superior leverage to rip her shield out of the Berserker’s grasp. The sudden loss of his grip left Cinco overextended, and Tina seized her chance, slashing up with her sword. He must have been getting comfortable whaling on her, because Cinco’s face went slack with surprise as her sword shot past his completely open guard to slice a deep gouge through the chain mail covering his leg.
For a shining moment, Tina felt victory flowing into her as blood dripped out of Cinco. But even though his spear strike was still overextended, the Berserker didn’t miss a beat. He didn’t even seem to feel the wound as he turned and slammed his bloody knee into her armored stomach.
Tina grunted. She had plates guarding her torso, so the blow didn’t actually hurt, but it did drive her back with a whoosh. Still, the fact that he couldn’t mangle her armor with an unarmed attack helped her further realize the truth that had been shouted at her earlier. This wasn’t the Malakai fight. Cinco was stronger than her by seven, maybe eight hundred Strength. That was a lot, but it was still small potatoes compared to a raid boss. She shouldn’t be this afraid of him. It was unbecoming of the world’s best tank.
That small spark of shame quickly burst into a bonfire. She’d shrugged off way worse beatings than this. Aside from the new color of her blood, there was nothing scary at all about what had happened so far. Good thing, too, because if Tina wanted to win, she was gonna have to step up. Cinco had the advantage of strength and reach, but she had HP and experience. It was time to be a damn tank.
Fired up, Tina charged Cinco head on, slashing at him with each step. He danced back easily, calmly keeping up with the storm of jabs. He even found time to counterattack, his spear moving lightning fast. Two jabs bounced off her shield, and she parried a third, but one got her in the arm again. The cut wasn’t deep and didn’t hurt much, but it still made her blood boil. She was attacking this guy all out, and he was still getting hits in.
Fuming, Tina forced herself to stop charging like a mad bear and pay attention. She’d avoided PvP at all costs back in the game. She hadn’t needed the gear, and arena fights were pointless and frustrating. Also, she was a very bad loser. But she couldn’t play as much FFO as she had without learning to recognize a true pro when she saw one, and Cinco was most definitely that. Unlike her, he didn’t make any big risky moves. His attacks were compact and endless, flowing together in a way that turned his offense into his defense. Every time she messed up, he was quick to exploit it, and while he’d been full of insults earlier, he didn’t waste his breath talking smack now. Instead, the Berserker’s eyes were locked on her hands and feet, his face a mask of intense concentration as he circled to her left. Taking note, Tina pivoted with him, keeping her shield up to catch his countless strikes as she scrambled to think of a way to trick him into using his stun.
That was the Berserker’s big move. If he stunned her, she’d be left defenseless while he had open season on her weak points. Even by not using it, Cinco had the advantage, because she couldn’t use any of her big moves without worrying the stun was coming. If she gave him an opening, he’d slam her senseless, bring her health down with Frenzied Strikes, and then use Execution for a finishing critical hit.
That combo wouldn’t be enough to kill her normally, but it would be if she let him keep whittling her down, which was probably why Cinco was sticking to small attacks. She needed to do something definitive while she still had the higher health pool, so Tina decided to take a chance and give him what he wanted.
Steeling her courage, she charged in, swinging her shield at him like a car door. Thanks to her new short arms, Cinco hopped out of the way easily, leaving her entire front open. It was irresistible bait, if such madness could be called bait, and she knew he’d taken it when she finally saw him crack a smile.
Sure enough, the butt of his spear flew up, shooting right toward her head for the Berserker’s infamously long stun. But Tina had already learned the hard way that abilities were predictable, and he was using Head Slam in a textbook manner. All it took was a single step back and a lift of her arm, and Cinco’s spear crashed into the back of Tina’s sword rather than her head. Another turn of her wrist, and the spear’s shaft was caught between the ridiculous serrations on the back of her crimson-runed tanking blade. Twisting her hilt back, Tina trapped his weapon and then pulled hard.
But not hard enough. Cursing, Cinco pulled back, using his superior strength to drag her forward instead. As her feet slid across the dirt, Tina activated Steady Ground, and her whole body rooted itself in place. This resulted in a very satisfying look of surprise on Cinco’s face as his momentum stopped cold. The Berserker’s superior strength was useless against her immobility, and the sudden change threw him off balance, giving Tina the edge she needed to haul CincoDeMurder completely off his feet and straight into her oncoming shield.
His nose made an immensely satisfying crunch as her Bash ability collided with his face. Shield Bash was the Knight class’s stun. It only lasted two seconds, not nearly as long as the Berserker’s Head Slam, but two seconds was all she needed. As Cinco stumbled back inco
herently, Tina grabbed the shaft of his spear with her shield hand and yanked. When the weapon didn’t come free, she chopped down on his arm with her sword.
That got his hand open. He dropped the spear with a gasp, and Tina tossed it over her shoulder into the gorge behind them. Cinco’s eyes went from calculating to furious as his weapon clattered down the rocky slope, and then he bared his teeth like an animal.
“You fucking bitch!” he roared. “I’ll make you die slow for that!”
“Big talk from a guy who leaks that bad from two scratches,” Tina shot back, smirking at Cinco’s bloody arm and leg. “Are you wearing any Stamina at all?”
Cinco’s answer was to rush her, his empty hands going for her shield again. Snatching her bulwark back, Tina stepped in and slashed with her sword instead, happy to let Cinco choose which hand he wanted to lose. He blocked on his right bracer, but the red steel was too thin. Tina felt the hit all the way up her arm as her sword connected and sprayed Cinco’s blood across the ashy ground. It wasn’t quite enough to actually chop off his hand, but the wound was deep.
That didn’t stop him, though. Roaring like he was an actual berserker, CincoDeMurder grabbed Tina’s wrist with his bloody hand. He seized the base of her sword arm with his other, and then, using her arms like a lever, he hauled her off her feet.
Tina had never felt the loss of her stonekin more as her legs flew kicking into the air. Roaring with fury, Cinco lifted her high over his shoulders, and then the world went spinning as he threw her down into the bloody dirt.
The impact knocked the wind out of her and made her drop her sword. A normal person would have lain there trying to get air back into her lungs, but Tina had fought too many raid bosses to make that mistake. Stopping was fatal, and her body knew it. She was already throwing herself sideways, chest seizing for breath as her arms scrambled across the dirt to push herself up. She’d just managed to get back onto her hands and knees when Cinco’s crushing weight landed on top of her.
