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Chapter 21 fork: Hobbes' Help
Pannych says, "I think Phyr's right: we should find Warner, and if he's not there, then we can decide on a Plan B. This gives us the most flexible approach, as you said," nodding to Phyr, "And also the most exit routes if things go bad." The others accept this, and then the group disembarks along the loose gravel beach under the Sun’s last light.
As they walk along the rocky shore, Alice says, "Whoa, guys - darkness is coming."
Pannych says, “Yeah, the Sun’s going down, we know.”
“Not what I mean,” Alice replies sternly.
you could find a clearer way to introduce me, Alice’s shadow says as it rises from the ground. The others turn to the voice and bristle for combat.
Alice says, “Fine - guys, that darkness asshole is coming to tell us things. Happy?”
As the shadow’s eyes burst into flame and the blue stone glitters on their forehead in the moonlight, they continue: calm yourselves - i am not here to fight.
“You sent me to my death,” Pannych says bitterly. “I think that qualifies as fightin’ words.”
i sent you to the lowest-level enemy there was, they say patiently. it’s not my fault that you didn’t try to power-level first. besides, you seem no worse for wear. As darkness speaks, Pannych takes a long, deep breath.
Phyr thinks which of his spells he should cast first, but then realizes his mana is dangerously low after casting all day in his technomancer form. Relaxing his stance a little, he says, “Then why are you here?”
to tell you that you shall find the one you seek, but not the others. you should enter and leave as soon as possible. word of your deeds has spread over the stoneweb, and ceena’s paladins are not to be underestimated. The adventurers stand down as they try to guess how this advice could possibly lead to their doom, and Alice breathes a sigh of relief as the tension abates. also, do not ever forget that you have friends in this world, even though it seems sometimes that asking for help is shameful.
“Got it,” Phyr says, “The mission’s a success, straight in an’ out, watch for baddies, friends are great. Why not just ‘Thusly’ us on through?”
whatever. do what you want. With a wave of their hand, darkness melds back into the ground and Alice gets her shadow back.
“I don’t like that guy,” Phyr says, after a paranoid beat passes. “They’re creepy and weird. I’m trying to be genre-savvy here, but none of the options look good.”
“Not even the one where it all might just be good advice for now,” Pannych asks, “Even though we still shouldn’t forget it for later?”
“Yes, because getting bitten in the ass down the line is the part that sucks,” Phyr counters.
Pannych is stymied for a moment, and before she can process the irony of her telling Phyr he’s overthinking, Alice cuts in: “Can we please go now?” Pannych and Phyr nod at each other, and the four set off West along the shoreline.
Five minutes in, Phyr says to Pannych, “I still don’t like the fact that our only other interaction with that joker involved them lying and you dying.”
Pannych says, “They’re right. I’m fine now - I mean, I was consumed by self-loathing for a bit there, but that’s really all.”
“Dude, that’s still bad,” Vector says slowly.
“Eh, it’s life,” Pannych says with a shrug. “Same thing happens when I’m alone for too long with nothing to do. Or maybe in the middle of a random Tuesday afternoon. Point is, I’m still around doing things, so it’s fine.”
Phyr and Vector say nothing, both knowing that she does eventually get help outside. Alice is thankful for the quiet, and Pannych doesn’t want to talk any more, so they walk most of the ten miles in silence. At least it looks pretty in the moonlight.
They walk from the beach into the high desert at an angle, the dunes looming dark in the distance ahead. Phyr has his map out, Vector keeps an eye out, and Pannych leads Alice with her hand out while she Sees the guard situation ahead of them. The Southeast side looks least active - with bandit raids coming pretty reliably from the Forgotten Wastes to the South and West, and an ever-present pirate threat from the sea, this is pretty much as it ought to be. Vector has Invisibility prepared, but during their long approach, Alice casts Illusion to project the ground beneath them on a wide disk suspended above them. The effect is more or less optic camouflage, but magic, and it adequately masks them from the watchtowers while they cross open ground.
Once they pass through the city limits and are into the city proper, they dispense with the magical stealth and just walk down the night streets like they own the place, hearing taverns and parties and pack animals from all over. The city is definitely more active at night, now that they have a little breathing room between themselves and the brink of ruin. Pannych says, “We should get drinks at a tavern.”
“What for,” Phyr asks. “I don’t think this is a good time to be drinking.”
“Not to get drunk,” she clarifies, “Just to have them. Four well-dressed people walking silently through the night streets are going to look suspicious. But four out-of-towners spending money at local businesses are a different story.”
Thus convinced, they walk into the Salt City Tavern, where Phyr orders four waters in ale tankards to go. He tips the bartender very generously, and they set off once more. Outside, Pannych holds Phyr’s “beer” while he navigates to Warner’s Wayfinding with his map. They make small talk as they walk, and politely say Good Evening whenever they cross paths with city guards.
Alice directs the adventurers on a crooked path through the streets of Salinas, Seeing ahead to steer them around the roving paladins, all patrolling in groups of three. She needed no admonition from darkness to think twice about fighting them, but she is glad the others heard it. As they twist and turn, dodging patrols by a block or two, she flits her Gaze hither and yon among the nightlife surrounding them.
About halfway from the Salt City Tavern to Warner’s, their path opens up. Looking more closely, she Sees a large gathering of paladins in an alley. She counts nine of them: three are crowded around a civilian, a young elf woman, while the other six block off both exits and keep watch. The scene is two blocks North along their path, and three blocks East out of their way.
After a moment’s consideration, Alice realizes that their path ahead is so clear because two neighboring patrols left their beats to join in. “Guys,” she says, pulling back on Pannych’s arm to stop the group. “There’s a, uh, situation.” The three turn back to look at her. “Nine paladins have someone in an alley, a few blocks out of our way. I don’t think it’s going to end well.”
The adventurers all exchange looks, and Phyr says, “What are they doing, exactly?”
“Just talking, right now,” Alice says as she ushers them to the corner of a neighboring building, out of the path of travel of passersby. “But three of ‘em got her with her back against the wall, and the other two groups are at each end of the alley. These are Ceena’s goons. What do you think is gonna happen?” She nods her head pointedly at Pannych.
“How many people are around,” Pannych asks, narrowing her eyes.
“Hardly any - it’s an alley off a side street, away from the main drag.”
Pannych’s nostrils flare, and she says quietly, “Yeah, Ceena’s all sunshine and happiness whenever she has an audience. But when she gets you alone,” she bristles, “That’s when the trouble starts.”
As Phyr furrows his brow, Vector nods and says, “So can we do anything about it? I mean, there’s nine of them, right?”
Alice nods. “We can’t take them in a straight-up fight. Vector doesn’t have his weapons, Phyr’s low on mana, and Pan’s probably a little rusty. No offense.”
“None taken,” she says with a shrug. “I still feel like I have a little bit of infinity hanging off my toe.”
“What,” Vector asks.
“Look, ask about that later,” Phyr cuts in. “Just how serious are these guys? Like, how many would you say we could take?”
“Two for sure,” Alice says. She screws up her face in concentration, and says, “Three or four would be a stretch. Being outnumbered is out of the question, with the state we’re in.”
“So can we get them apart,” Vector asks.
“I mean… probably?” Alice grimaces with uncertainty. “But even if we isolate each group of three, it’ll be a hard fought battle.”
“What if we get the drop on them,” Pannych asks.
“Get the drop on them,” Alice repeats skeptically. She shakes her head briefly and says, “Can you be more specific?”
“How complex can those Illusion spells of yours be,” Pannych asks. “Could you, say, make them think their boss was walking by? Then call one patrol off and tell the others to stay put but let the person go?”
Alice considers this for a moment, then says, “I need to See someone to cast an Illusion of them, but it’s possible. The trick is finding the bastard - I’m not sure where their headquarters is.” She tilts her head to one side in thought, then says, “But I can See where all the speaking stones in town are, and I bet there’s a communications hub somewhere… ah, there. OK, who looks important?” The adventurers remain silent and sip their drinks while Alice does her thing. After a few moments, she says, “Got her. OK, gimme a minute here, just to See.” A moment more, and she says, “We’re good. But then what?”
Pannych beckons to Phyr for the map, and finds the alleyway Alice indicated. Phyr and Vector lean in as she says, “OK, Vector and I will get up on the rooftops two blocks over, here and here. When we’re in position, Alice brings them to us. Then we just need a little distraction, and we can drop down on two of them. Phyr, can you neutralize the third one quietly?”
He thinks for a moment and says, “I guess I could Ethergrasp a guy and hold him still for a couple turns, but he’d still be able to talk.”
“That’ll do,” Alice says. The four then head to their own alley two blocks West of the inquisition of paladins (“inquisition,” of course, being the collective noun for such a group).
Once out of sight of the main road, they finalize their plan, make last-minute preparations, and get into position. Then Alice casts Illusion on herself to impersonate the commanding officer she had observed, and walks the remaining two blocks to the alley. She hustles her bustle when she sees one paladin raise his fist to the unfortunate woman and then strike her - but she dare not run, lest she blow her cover. Her anger rises as another blow lands, and a few seconds later, a third. The other two are just about to join in when a lookout spots “their commanding officer” coming down the block. There is a bit of commotion, and the Illusion cocks an eyebrow as Alice gets within earshot and hears the woman scream for help.
“What is the meaning of this,” she says impassively to the three standing erect at the alley’s mouth as she draws within spitting distance.
“All under control, Commander Aurellian,” the nearest one says coolly.
Alice waves them aside, and they just barely hesitate to part as she walks unhurriedly into the alley. She Sees the three halfway down the alley, the civilian now in irons, and she strides up to them. She senses a tinge of anxiety in their posture as she approaches - good, at least this is officially something they’re not supposed to do. I can work with that, she thinks to herself. She cocks an eyebrow and looks at each of the paladins before her in turn, then silently opens a hand to the one holding the young woman, as if producing a sandwich from thin air for him. The woman is not visibly marked, but clearly in pain.
“She’s a necromancer, Commander.” He nods his head decisively. “We found her traveling the alleys with a swarm of enthralled rats. We drove them off, and we’re bringing her in.”
“No,” the woman says pleadingly, looking well above Alice’s head to where the paladin commander’s eyes ought to be.
Alice silences her with a stern look from the Illusion and says, “Very well.” As the paladins take a deep breath in unison, despite trying to disguise their relief, Alice decides to roll the dice: “I’m assuming you’ve checked her character sheet? I don’t want another situation like there was across town the other night.”
The Illusion of Commander Aurellian stares impassively, but Alice sets her jaw as the paladins try not to look like someone just put a gun to each of their backs. Her gambit pays off: one paladin swallows hard, and Alice says in Aurellian’s voice, “Unbelievable. All right, you three come with me. Bring the girl.” She raises her voice and says, “The rest of you, don’t move an inch. I’ll be back for you shortly.” She fixes the trios at each end of the alley with her iciest stare, then beckons the foursome to follow her.
As Alice nears the trap, she says loudly, “This had better not become a pattern.” One of the paladins starts a half-hearted reply as they pass the alley, and Phyr, right on cue, walks straight into the three armored soldiers as they pass the mouth of the alleyway.
“Ho, sorry there,” he says, sloshing his “beer” away from them. He looks to the tankard with disappointment, then looks back to the paladins with concern. “Oh, I - I’m sorry,” he stammers, backing up into the alley, dropping his tankard and raising his hands plaintively to chest level. Two of the paladins take a step forward while the third pulls back on the civilian woman’s irons.
Pannych nods silently to Vector, both of them coiled into a ready crouch on rooftops straddling the alleyway - he jumps into the air and Pan, now fully armored in her power form, drops down a heartbeat after he reaches the apex of his leap. They land simultaneously on the two guards who have followed Phyr: Vector with a double-footed stomping kick, and Pannych with her blade pointed down. Right as they land, Phyr says, “Ethergrasp,” and his spectral hand seizes the third paladin while he is still surprised by the drop attack on his partners.
Vector’s attack lands true, and his unsuspecting paladin crumples under his weight to the sound of snapping bones and grinding armor plates. Pan also hits home, Hawkmoth’s tip sinking into the base of her target’s neck, the blade sliding down through the opening in his gorget. In the Holy Order of the Cycle - renamed from the Church of the Stars - a shield is seen as cowardice, a saddled mount as sloth, and a helmet as vanity. Accordingly, the paladin’s torso is pierced through past his diaphragm.
Phyr wrestles his victim to the ground as he shouts in surprise, but no one is within earshot. Vector gathers himself up into a crouch, straddling his enemy, and pummels him with a flurry of punishing blows supercharged by Etherblade cast on his fists. Pannych wrenches her target to the ground and withdraws her blade carefully before he bleeds out.
As Vector finishes beating his enemy to death, Pan stalks over to the one Phyr is pinning down to slit his throat as he screams in protest, while Alice keeps watch and maintains her Illusion. The encounter is resolved in only three turns; then Vector casts a lasting Invisibility spell on Phyr while he and Pan drag the bodies out of sight behind miscellaneous alley clutter. As Pan and Vector climb back up to the rooftops, Alice casts Open on the civilian’s manacles and tells her to go straight to the nearest Inn. A wad of bills pressed into her palm short-circuits her questions, and the woman runs down the block to the major traffic artery just West of them all.
Alice heads back to the alley with the half-dozen paladins still standing in it while Phyr follows her invisibly and Pan & Vector traverse the rooftops. Alice rounds the corner to confront the six of them talking together in a group; she says, “Hey! I told you all to stay separated. I’m taking you all in for statements - you three, come on. I’ll send someone else for the three of you.” At the beckoning gesture of “Commander Aurellian’s” hand, the three closest to Alice break away from the group and walk with a mixture of bravery, shame, and guilt as the last three hang back.
Phyr walks slowly and carefully around them, looking up at the rooftops to see Pan and Vector getting into position. He watches Pan count slowly down from ten fingers to Vector while the remaining paladins mumble to each other in the alley below, and then when Alice has hopefully gained enough distance, they spring into action yet again. Everything goes smoothly, and the three paladins are dead and hidden in short order.
The adventurers then link hands, and Vector casts the same lasting Invisibility spell on the three of them. Pan, in the center, leads them in a shallow V at a hurried walk to catch up to Alice and the three remaining paladins. They get into position, make their planned signals, and attack: Phyr seizes one with Ethergrasp while Vector successfully lands a surprise grapple. But Pan botches her surprise attack, and instead of slipping Hawkmoth inside her target’s armor, the blade glances off harmlessly. As Invisibility breaks on all three of them, Pan’s target spins instinctively away while she recovers from her shit roll.
The paladin gasps in surprise and reaches for his speaking stone. Thinking quickly, Alice shouts, “Flame,” and then whispers, “Illusion.” Her disguise breaks, but the unhurt paladin’s speaking stone appears to burst into crackling flames, and he drops it in surprise. While Phyr and Vector wrestle their targets to the ground, Pannych squares off with hers, who leaps back to draw his blade.
“Consecrate,” he says resolutely - a circle of glowing orange light materializes on the ground in a six-foot radius around him. While the spell is maintained, no harmful magic can affect anything or anyone in its area. Alice had warned them that this might happen, and a breath passes while everyone reassesses the situation.
Pannych runs wide to flank the unscathed paladin while Vector beats his enemy on the ground. Phyr releases Ethergrasp to cast a small Mana Blast just below his own victim. The last paladin standing casts Greater Heal on his partner beneath Vector, and risks a glance at Alice revealed. She backs off with a scoot, not moving her Gaze from the group, but moving well out of the armed paladin’s melee range.
Pan lunges into the glowing Consecrated ground as she swings her katana on a diagonal cut to bite into her target’s neck. She easily strikes home, as he is focused on supporting his indisposed allies. Vector makes another Melee roll to snake an arm around his enemy’s throat, and then wraps his legs around the paladin’s waist, finally arching his back into a punishing chokehold. Phyr casts Mana Beam in a short, narrow burst - but he puts his last couple dozen mana into it, producing a lance of brilliant green energy from his hand that shoots painfully into his victim’s torso.
As the downed paladins struggle against Vector and Phyr, Pannych fights conservatively against her own target. But soon, the boys join her after dispatching their own foes, despite a desperate rally. Pannych has lost her momentum and the paladin is overpowering her with Push spells and sword strikes, but Alice casts a couple of judicious Great Heals to keep her topped up, and soon it’s a four-on-one battle.
A few tense turns later, it’s all over.
To CONTINUE READING, click here (coming 9/12).
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