by Jamey Sultan
And kept casting it.
Eventually he made it back to the battle, leaving the warlock far behind.
James appeared behind a Goblin who was standing over an unconscious Lucien. It was raising its club for the finishing blow when James stabbed him in the back of the neck, dropping him instantly.
Before any of the other Goblins could process what had just happened, James moved on to the next Shrieker. He teleported around the battlefield in this fashion, appearing in each Goblin’s shadow and alternated stabbing each Goblin in the neck with his dagger, or skewering them on his sword.
You have killed Goblin x 13.
+ 396 experience points
Level up! You are now level 15.
Your spell Shadow Step has ranked up!
Shadow Step (Spell Rank 4):
Teleports the caster to a nearby shadow.
Range: 20 Meters
Cast time: Instant
Cooldown: None
Cost: 70 Mana
You have gained 7 Skill Ranks in Small Blades.
You are now Skill Rank 11.
You have gained 3 Skill Ranks in Stealth.
You are now Skill Rank 13.
You have gained 4 Skill Ranks in Swordsmanship.
You are now Skill Rank 24.
You have gained 9 Skill Ranks in Sneak Attack.
You are now Skill Rank 10.
The blinking timer in the corner of his vision hit zero just as James killed the last Goblin. He felt the power rush out of his body, replaced with a numb pain. Ignoring it, James tried to use Shadow Step to reach Arik and Nidra, who lay unresponsive a short distance from Lucien.
His Mana bar flashed black, and a notification appeared.
You have used (5) Average Mana Crystals
This has caused extensive scarring, preventing you from accessing your Mana.
You should’ve listened to my warnings.
The message was accompanied by an intense headache. James clutched his head as he collapsed to his knees and vomited bright red blood.
That can’t be good.
Determined to check on his friends, James stumbled towards them. Just in time to see Eroi-Tul emerge from the forest.
The enraged Goblin saw James standing in a field of corpses and grinned evilly.
“Nowhere to run now, James.” The Goblin hissed.
James frantically looked around, but the Goblin was right. He couldn’t abandon his friends, even if he wanted to.
The Goblin cackled. “After I kill you, I’m going to kill your friends. Sytar should’ve picked a better champion. you’re an embarrassment to your God.”
James didn’t have time to think about the goblin’s words . He pulled out his sword and braced himself for the fight. He wouldn’t let this vile Goblin hurt his new companions.
How strong can he be? He’s a mage, after all.
Chapter 28
The Goblin’s first blow carried more force than the small creature seemed capable of, battering James’ blade with the force of a truck. Without his increased strength, James doubted he would have been able to block the blow. It collided with James’ sword with a sharp clang, sending a shower of sparks into the air.
With surprising dexterity, the Goblin disengaged with a smooth step back and unleashed a flurry of sword strikes that hammered at James’ defenses.
Each blow sent a shockwave of pain down his arms as the blades clashed. Stumbling back, James parried as much as he was able. Each time a blow landed, James felt his arms weaken further. Offense wasn’t even a thought on the horizon as James struggled to breathe under the onslaught.
As the fight wore on, James had increasing trouble lifting his sword, the tip wavering as his muscles quivered like Jell-O. His stamina was hovering dangerously close to zero.
With a particularly ferocious overhead chop, the warlock sent James’ sword to the ground at the Goblin’s feet. He backed away, defenseless, as the warlock advanced.
“It’s over,” Eroi-Tul hissed.
James pulled the dagger from his belt and threw it. He tried to activate Knife in the Dark, but a blinding pain brought him to his knees.
Eroi-Tul casually batted away James’ dagger and advanced.
“Nice try, but it’s time to die.”
The warlock raised his black sword.
A howl cut through the fog, and an enormous wolf appeared from the mists, launching at the warlock.
Greymane Alpha (Level 15)
The Greymane Alpha collided with the warlock, knocking him down as it tore at his armor.
The wolf had grown since James had last seen him and was now bigger than James was.
Four other wolves joined the assault, attacking the off-balance warlock, who was barely visible under the combined assault.
A burst of green energy pulsed underneath the wolves and the warlock slowly stood up, picking the wolves off of him, throwing them aside as if they were nothing.
Unfazed, the wolves continued their harassment of the warlock. Whenever he turned to focus on one of them the other four would attack from the sides and rear.
James could tell the Goblin was getting frustrated, his blows getting increasingly sloppy. Eventually Erok-Tul gave up.
The mage stared at James with hate in his eyes. “I’ll be back. And next time… next time these pups won’t be able to save you.”
He jumped into the air, calling out to his elemental, which formed underneath him as a vaguely horse-shaped mount of dirt, then rumbled off into the forest.
The Greymane Alpha gave James a nod as if to say, “Our debt to you has been paid.” The pack took off into the forest, chasing after the quickly dwindling form.
James wanted to call out in thanks, but he was too tired. When he tried to stand, he found that his limbs were made of lead. But he had to get up. He had to save his friends. Groaning, he stumbled to his feet.
He must have blacked out for a second, because the next thing he knew he was by his companions.
James bent and checked them each individually, making sure they had a pulse and were breathing.
They couldn’t stay where they were. More Goblin ambushes were sure to follow. That meant they needed to travel. But James was exhausted. He could barely stand as it was.
He didn’t want to do it, but James rifled through his pouch and pulled out a few doses of Soldier’s Nettle. This time only one of the doses was for him. He had learned his lesson on moderation from the crystals.
He popped a pinch of the herb into his mouth and chewed.
Minty.
After the first swallow, a warm, soothing feeling spread from his stomach across his body, easing his muscular pain and the burning numbness in his Mana channels.
You have used Soldier’s Nettle
+ 1,000% Stamina Recovery
James’ stamina bar climbed steadily higher. His muscles twitched with a nervous energy. He needed to move.
This stuff is amazing! He had already forgotten his exhaustion and was bouncing in place. No wonder it was addictive. He felt like he could run for hours, and he hated running.
James grabbed Arik by the shoulders and shook him. “We need to go. Now!”
“Are we dead?” Arik groaned, opening his eyes and blinking slowly. He looked around. “Where did the Shriekers go?”
“There’s no time,” James said, repeating the process with the other two. He ignored their questions and handed each of them a heavy pinch of Soldier’s Nettle.
“We need to go now. The Goblins are going to be back soon.” James said, getting up and jogging towards the woods. He beckoned for the others to follow him, his movements quick and spastic.
The others exchanged glances but, trusting their companion, pushed themselves to their feet, groaning. One by one, they popped the Soldier’s Nettle into their mouths and jogged after him.
“So, where are we going?” Nidra asked between breaths.
“Away,” James replied. “The warlock is going to be back soon.” James ex
plained what had happened after they went unconscious.
When she heard about the Mana Crystals, Nidra gasped. “You used five Mana crystals at once?”
“I know,” James sighed. “It was a bad idea.”
“Probably a little more than a bad idea,” she said. “What happened?”
James explained that his Mana channels were burnt and that he wasn’t able to use any mana. He asked if she knew a way to fix it.
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, the damage is permanent.”
James swore. “Perfect. Just what I needed.”
An hour later, James heard the howl of wolves. His friends glanced around nervously, but James reassured them that the wolves were there to help.
The Greymane Alpha burst out of the trees ahead, letting out an earsplitting howl. It looked at James dead in the eyes and a notification popped up.
A Greymane Alpha is attempting to establish a telepathic link with you
James waited patiently to see what the wolf had to say.
Your skill level in Beast Bonding is not high enough to communicate with the Greymane Alpha
Why can’t anything work the way it was supposed to?
The constant struggle for his life was starting to wear on James and had put him in a terrible mood. “Sorry. I can’t understand you.”
“I don’t think it speaks common,” Arik chimed in helpfully.
James didn’t respond to the Dwarf other than to glare at him before he looked back to the wolf and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
The wolf gave him a baleful glare. It tossed its head back and howled again in clear frustration.
James stared at the beast in confusion.
Pawing at the path, the wolf sniffed the ground and looked back to James.
James had no idea what it was trying to say. He finally settled on simple. “Thank you for your help.”
He could almost see the creature roll its eyes in annoyance. It pawed at the path again, letting out a soft whine. This time the wolf walked over to the edge of the path and nosed the plants.
A war horn blared from the tree line in the distance.
James cursed. “How did they find us so fast?”
The Greymane Alpha stared at James in what could only be called astonishment at his inability to grasp the simplest concepts. It pawed at the path again, this time staring at James pointedly while it did. Suddenly, James realized how stupid he was. He looked around. They had been so busy trying to put distance behind them that James hadn’t even noticed that they were running on a well-tread path. Not a great place to lose pursuers.
“Shit.” He turned to the others and gestured at the ground. “We’re idiots. We’ve been following the path.”
His statement was at first met with blank looks as the group processed what he had just said, their eyes widening when they came to the same realization as James and understood just how stupid they had been.
“Off the path! Now,” James told them, hacking into the dense undergrowth. He nodded his thanks to the wolf, who gave him one last exasperated glare before disappearing back into the woods.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Beast Bonding.
You are now Skill Rank 2.
The path forward was difficult. He was covered in shallow scratches from clinging thorns as he attempted to clear a path for the party through the thick brush. With each stroke of his sword he let out a low curse, the noise dampened by the fog. His only saving grace was the thick leather that protected him from the worst of the brambles.
“Why does… this have to… be so damned thick?” he huffed between strokes. “All I wanted… was to shoot lightning.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Nidra asked, ignoring his complaints. How she wasn’t covered in blood was a mystery to James, but she seemed to move through the forest with grace as she casually slipped through the branches without a sound.
“Run,” James wheezed. “We run far.”
“Where are we running?” Nidra’s ability to move through the forest with ease was annoying James more than he cared to admit. He was constantly being whipped by branches and stumbling over roots while the elf looked as if she were on a casual stroll.
“No idea,” James growled.
“That’s a crappy plan,” Nidra replied snippily.
Enough is enough.
James stopped abruptly and snapped at the elf. “I’m sorry, but why am I suddenly the leader?” He gestured wildly. “I got us out of the cages! I saved us from the goblins! It’s someone else’s turn to figure this out.” He turned around and continued his assault on the bushes.
“Great. You got us out of the cages. And we’re in such a great place, now. I think—”
“I might have a suggestion.” Arik interrupted, snapping them out of their argument.
“Fantastic,” Nidra said. “Let’s hear it.”
“The Iron City,” Arik said proudly.
“The Iron City. That’s your plan?” She scoffed.
James wanted to ignore them and keep running, but his curiosity got the better of him. “What’s the Iron City?” He asked.
“The largest Dwarf stronghold in the world!”
“It’s also hundreds of kilometers away. We would have to cross the entire Crimson Mountain range to get there, and none of us are even close to the zone level requirement.” Nidra interrupted.
James looked at Arik. “Is that true?”
Arik rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Yes.”
James sighed in annoyance. “Great. Anyone else have a plan?”
“I can get us there in less than a month.” Arik said.
“Really?” James could hear the sarcasm mixed with disbelief in Nidra’s voice as she challenged the Dwarf. “You can get us from here to the top of the mountains in two weeks. Impossible.”
Arik crossed his hands across his chest and glared at the elf. “Possible.”
“Fine. How?”
“I can’t tell you,” Arik said.
“Great.” She threw her hands up in the air in defeat and turned to James. “He can’t tell us. Sounds like a great idea.”
“You have a better idea?” James asked. “Seems to me that you haven’t really contributed much.”
She held her hands out, calling on her mana. Flames licked her arms and warmed the group, casting dancing shadows across her face and darkening it. “I contribute this.” She growled. “I light shit on fire. If you don’t like it then you can go fuck yourself.” Suddenly she burst into tears and her fire winked out, leaving them especially aware of the cold and damp of the fog.
James was shocked. He had no idea how to react.
Was it something I said?
Lucien mumbled something, and James jumped on the opportunity to change the subject. “What was that?”
“I said we should trust Arik.”
James sighed and turned to the Dwarf. “Fine, but can you at least tell us why you can’t tell us where we’re going?”
Arik nodded, rubbing his beard. “If one of you gets captured before we get there, then the Shriekers could torture the information out of you.”
James sighed. “Lead the way.”
Arik grinned at him. “You won’t regret it.”
The distant sound of a horn spurred them onward, this time following Arik as he wound his way through the forest much more deftly than James had. Probably due to the spinning metal blades that he had formed from his war hammer to clear the forest ahead.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” James called out as they picked up speed. Forest travel was much easier when it wasn’t him leading the way.
Over the course of the next few hours, whenever one of their stamina bars depleted, the others would slow, taking the time to rest and recharge before continuing.
It was during one of their rests that Nidra finally brought it up “So, what did that Goblin mean when he said you were from another world?”
James talked as they walked. He explained how
he’d woken up in a cave and been attacked. He hesitated before bringing up his brand, but decided that if he couldn’t trust these people, who could he trust. They’d been through a lot together.
Nidra rested a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry. We’ll figure this out.”
Arik grinned, “yeah, you’re not alone anymore.”
James spared a glance back to check on Lucian, who hadn’t reacted to the revelation, but couldn’t read the teenager’s face. Before he could comment on it though, a horn sounded in the distance and the group sped up.
The chase was back on.
***
As time wore on, the sounds of the war horns faded. With the benefits of the Soldier’s Nettle, they were leaving the Goblins behind. But still, they ran. About four hours into their run, the trees grew sparser as the soil changed from a rich brown to a loose, dirty red.
The Crimson Mountains loomed over them, casting a dark shadow.
Arik thumped his chest proudly. “Majestic, eh?”
“A bit ominous,” James replied.
“Nah.” The Dwarf smiled at him. “You smell that?”
James sniffed the air. Now that the Dwarf mentioned it to him, he could. The damp smell that permeated the forest had given way to a dry, dusty smell. “Yea, I smell it.”
“That’s the smell of home!” The Dwarf chuckled.
“So how much farther?” He asked.
“Not far now.”
The forest abruptly ended, giving way to a narrow meadow that ended in a steep drop into a chasm of red stone. James stopped his run just in time and teetered on the edge before Lucien grabbed his arm and pulled him back. James thanked the teenager and Lucien nodded. James looked around the meadow. It was a grassy field with the forest behind them and the chasm in front of them. To either side, more forest and more chasm. They were stuck.
