Heralds- The Proving Grounds, page 32
Sam missed a step. “That’s a relic? Holy shit. And you didn’t tell me?”
The haft of Bulorn’s axe caught her upside the head, sending Sam spiraling to the ground.
Kail stepped in front of her with his hands held high. They’d been weapon enough before and Bulorn wasn’t likely to break them. Anna moved in closer to support him.
Bulorn chuckled. “Eyes on the prize, princess. And that thing is no prize. A weapon that can’t hurt players is pointless.”
Hank glanced at his wrist again. “Okay, this is you. I have to get moving. They’ll be back in Morblina soon.”
“Consider it done.”
“Prefer not to take chances.” Hank swung his arm wide in front of him,
Anna, Kail, and Sam stopped. Still as statues.
Bulorn relaxed his shoulders a bit and lowered his axe. “I could have handled it.”
“I’m sure. So handle it. Your respawn point had already been changed and your character is flagged for recustomization, as agreed.” Hank vanished.
Bulorn scoffed at the space Hank had been. “Cheeky little…” He shook his head and turned back to Kail and Anna. “Well, no time like the present. Nothing personal.” He lifted the axe.
Jen closed her eyes when the axe fell. She couldn’t do anything about it… but she didn’t have to see it happen.
When she opened them again Anna was lying in the dirt and Bulorn’s name had turned yellow. Anna hadn’t been able to fight back, but she had collapsed just the same. The paralyzing effect only applied to the living.
Jen swung her eyes to the place the screen displayed buffs and debuffs. There was one there. Paralyze.
It was counting down.
Seventy eight seconds.
She just had to make it through somehow.
Bulorn shook his head as he hefted his axe again. “Never had anything against any of you. Well, Sam. Maybe. Too prideful for her own good, and it’s me saying that.”
He swung the axe again.
Kail fell limply to the dirt. Bulorn’s name turned red. A warning to others that had no ability to act on it.
Fifty six seconds.
Had Sam figured it out? Jen slapped the headset to put it into camera mode. Her phone was lying on the desk. She mashed the buttons with the silly gloves to call Sam.
It went straight to voice mail.
Jen stared at the phone while the message played. “What?” She blinked. “Oh. She’s probably trying to call me.” Jen hung up and shoved the phone into her pocket to wait.
When she could see the world again Bulorn had stepped over Kail and Anna’s still forms. He was only a pace away from Sam, looking at his axe.
“Too bad, really. You, at least, deserved a decent fight. Cest la vie.” He lifted the axe high as he stood over the frozen form of Sam, already on the ground. She hadn’t had a chance to get back up.
Bulorn leaned forward but nearly dropped his axe as he scrambled to keep his balance.
He had tried to step forward but failed. He looked down.
Skeletal hands were wrapped around his legs, the arms standing out of the ground.
Jen blinked.
A smile blossomed on Bulorn’s face. “Hello, Poe. Would you believe this isn’t what it looks like?”
Poe’s voice echoed around them. “It looks like you’re killing my friends.”
“Oh. Well then I guess it is what it looks like.” Bulorn swung his axe low, breaking the bony arms that held him. “Your name isn’t on the hit list, kid. Walk away. I’ll forget you were here.”
A black robbed figure stood at the top of the hill near the buildings. “Not going to happen.” He held up his hands in front of him.
The ground cracked and rumbled.
Bulorn stared up at the young man. “You’re level thirty six. I’m fifty and then some thanks to Hank. What do you really think you can accomplish here?”
Jen couldn’t see the young man’s face, just his black robes against the bright sky. “She said Hank made you stronger. And he did the same for me once.”
Cracks appeared in the ground. Sand dropped down into them even as green light, bony arms, and skulls emerged.
Bulorn held up his axe. He smashed the first skeleton that came close into dust and took out a second on the back swing.
More were coming.
“I was trying so hard to keep it in check before…” Poe’s voice was quiet, almost apologetic. Jen had trouble hearing him over the fighting. “Looks like he never turned it off.” The final words were devoid of emotion.
Countless skeletons poured out of the earth. They swarmed over Bulorn, cackling all the while. He swung left and right in great arcs but no matter how many he cut down more filled in behind them. They struck him in the back, the sides, wherever his axe was not.
They were ignoring Jen, other than moving around her like she was a rock or a tree.
Fourteen seconds.
Bulorn’s voice rose to an angered cry as he swung at the endless swarm. They weren’t taking much health from him, it was only just down to eighty percent… but given time and the seemingly endless supply he wouldn’t hold out.
Eight seconds.
Bulorn held his axe out and spun in a circle. A bright orange trail followed in his wake as he spun like a top. Bits of skeleton were thrown back and into the air.
Three seconds.
There was a brief lull as the space just around Bulorn was momentarily clear. He was leaning on the axe and panting a bit. “That all you got, kid? I’m not impressed. Like ants.”
Jen lurched to life. She almost fell forward onto her face but managed to get the character moving to catch herself. She shook her head a few times and moved her arms about to make sure everything was in order.
Bulorn noticed. He turned to face her. “Didn’t think that would last forever. Hoped you’d all just go down quietly. Easier for us all.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and leveled her sword. It gleamed in the bright sunlight. It caught hints of the green light coming from the ground now and then, too.
Jen spared a quick glance around. Sam was still lying motionless. She had been hit with the paralyze effect long after Jen. The same timer would take a bit to run out. Poe was still up the hill, opting to use his skeleton army for the heavy lifting. Smart. His level was far below theirs.
“Make a path for me, Poe. I’ll take care of this.”
Bulorn stood back to his full height and hefted his axe up onto his shoulder. “I didn’t expect pride from you. Sam, sure. The monk maybe. You’ve always wanted to play diplomat.”
The skeletons made a circle a few paces out from Bulorn with a path leading out to Jen. They closed in behind her as she walked, stopping when she entered the circle. “No pride here. If I lose Poe will finish you off.”
It would give Sam time to get free but she didn’t want Bulorn trying to find her in the midst of the skeletons. She’d lost sight of Sam as she closed on Bulron. They were hiding her rather well. Likely intentionally.
Bulorn shook his head. “You still don’t get it. I’m not like you anymore. He gave me more. Made me better.”
Jen tilted her head a bit. “Him, too.” She pointed off towards Poe with her left hand.
“He’s still weak. I’ll finish him next. Doubt it will take two swings.” He looked down at Jen’s shining sword with open scorn. “You sure you wouldn’t rather try punching me? That thing’s useless.”
The soft glass chimes played again. No one else seemed to notice but Jen could hear it clearly. No honor adjustment this time. That narrowed things down a bit. She didn’t know what the sword was trying to tell her, but she could hear it.
“Soulshine is not like other relics. Hank said so himself. It’s not meant to shape the world.” She turned it a bit in her hands, ending up holding it high with both. “It cant even hurt players unless they’ve gone red. Like you just did, asshole.”
He lifted an eyebrow as she charged headlong across the open space. He moved his axe down to put it between him and the sword. Sparks and a chunk of wood flew from the axe as he took a step back.
There was only so much space to retreat. Countless bony shapes waited at the circle’s edge.
Bulorn changed his grip on his axe, opting for something more offensive. “Oh please. You’re no warrior. You only play at it.”
He was right of course. She pulled the sword down in front of her, a defensive posture.
She didn’t see him move, but she also didn’t expect to. At this point the trick behind his axe was nothing new.
The force of it was surprising. Sparks flew as she kept the shining metal up in front of her. She held Soulshine’s hilt in her right hand with her left against the flat of the blade. She would swear her feet were skidding backwards…
Her voice rose to a high pitch as she shoved forward with all her might. Blue light surrounded the sword and moved forward in a bright wave that pushed him back a step.
“I’m no warrior. I’m a paladin.”
Bash was a paladin thing. He was a pile of offense, built up by Hank to be more offensive. But she was a pile of defense, no matter how much she tried to be something else. Her, and all paladins like her, were meant to defend others. To stand in front of them and take what they couldn’t.
Soulshine wasn’t an offensive weapon. It was a blade that protected people, even if it had to protect them from the person swinging it. Unless they deserved it. It was a blade of vengeance. It was about setting things right. It opposed everything Bulorn was.
Bulorn squinted his eyes from the burst of light when she swung. The glass chimes played merrily in her head.
He got his axe in front of him in time. It didn’t help much. The haft was split in two as the glowing blade kept on going.
The horizontal slash was a paladin attack and a blue trail should have followed it, but this was something Soulshine was doing. All Jen could see in it’s wake was white. It was difficult to even see where the blade was along that trail.
The light persisted even after the blow landed.
Bulorn fell away from her and landed on his back. His hands still held bits of the axe haft as he raised his arms to shield his eyes.
He wasn’t dead… but he was pretty damned close. His health was at maybe fifteen or twenty percent.
She really needed to turn on that numbers over bars setting one of these days.
He gingerly moved his arms aside as he looked up at her. His eyes narrowed. “Well? Get on with it.”
Jen held the sword before her. It chimed in her ears.
Bulorn rolled over and propped himself up on his hands and knees. “What are you waiting for? Finish it.” He glared up at her. “My god, you’re weak. I would have killed you three times over by now.”
She tilted her head a bit as she watched him. So mighty. So superior. He had sold them out to Hank for a few prizes. Sold out everyone that played the game. Killing him wouldn’t be permanent. No way around that. Anna and Kail would be back when the event was done too, just like everyone else.
Jen lowered her sword. “You’re beaten, and I’m not like you. I won’t harm someone who is defenseless.”
He ground his teeth. “Pathetic. Fucking pathetic.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You think?” She turned her head a bit as she put Soulshine away. “He’s all yours, Poe.”
Bulorn’s eyes grew wide as the circle of skeletons erupted into raucous laughter and charged in. They wove around Jen as she stepped away from the slaughter.
32
There were some rather unsettling noises behind Jen. She tried not to think about it.
Sam was right where she had left her. Still motionless. Not so much as breathing. Her eyes were wide and her hands were splayed on the ground like she was trying to get back up.
Jen knelt down and extended both hands in the healing gesture. It might not free her from the effect but she was down a few hit points.
And Jen could use the distraction.
Sam’s health bar had just capped off again when she started moving. “Holy shit.” Her voice was soft. “Fucking hell.”
“Language young lady.”
Sam arched an eyebrow up at Jen. “Fuck you.”
“Well at least you’re okay.” She held out a hand and helped Sam to her feet.
Poe was only a few steps away. He gave them a weak smile. “Hey.”
Sam rounded on him. “What took you so long?”
His face swapped to confusion in an instant. “I logged in as fast as I could.”
Sam took a few steps toward him, irritation plain on her face. She stood there for a moment just staring him down… before she burst out laughing and hugged him. “I’m just messing with you. Yeesh. Thanks for coming.”
Jen tilted her head. “Wait… you called him? How?”
“With my psychic otherworldly powers. Also known as my phone, duh.” She let go of Poe.
“Wait, what? Since when do you have his number?”
Poe shrugged a bit. “I told you about what she said that got me to come back before-”
Sam held a hand up in front of his mouth. “Which we agreed you would never speak of.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Fair enough. We’ve kind of been friends since.”
“Uh-huh…” Jen still felt kind of out of the loop on that one. She’d had other issues to deal with.
“Wait…” Sam turned her eyes back to Poe. “When did you see her? I haven’t seen you online since you ran off.”
“He was here the other night at like 2 a.m.”
“Oh really, now?” Sam glared up at Poe. He didn’t seem tall when seen alone, but Sam was only just eye level to his nose.
He shrugged. “I asked her not to tell anyone.”
Sam’s glare shifted to Jen. “And you didn’t tell me why?”
Jen rolled her eyes. “Because he asked me not to tell anyone. And I had no idea you’d care anyway. Why should you?”
“Because he’s my… friend.” Sam’s face twisted up with irritation. “Okay, fine. In the future, you tell me that sort of thing.”
Jen shrugged helplessly. “No can do. Not if I am asked not to.”
“Ugh.” Sam shook her head. “You play a paladin. You don’t have to stick to it that hard.”
“It’s more fun if I do. Especially around you.” Jen smiled sweetly.
Poe was frowning down at Kail and Anna. “Is there anything we can do for them?”
Jen shook her head. “Hank turned our immortality off. They’re locked out for now.”
Sam nodded. “Anna’s already been yapping my ear off. She’s sending her husband’s character to Morblina to help them.”
“Wait, she’s married?”
“I know right? She’s like thirty five apparently. Has two kids too.”
“Weird. Huh. Well no wonder she didn’t just write you off. She must know how to deal with unruly children.”
Sam glared at Jen. “I know where you sleep.”
Poe glanced back and forth between them. “Okay so… what do we do now?”
Jen shaded her eyes as she looked up at the buildings. “First thing, I guess, is we need to see if the table still works. If it does we can use it to get to wherever Hank is and help with that. Jesse said something about a raid, I think?”
“Why?” Sam tilted her head. “What’s the point of that? Raids are about gear.”
“Well, that and difficulty. Bragging rights.” Jen shrugged.
Poe frowned. “A challenge then. If what Sam told me is right, this Hank guy used to work there and he’s messing with them for some reason.”
Sam tilted her head. “Hating them is a reason.”
“No, I mean we don’t know what he’s after. But if I wanted to mess with people I didn’t like in here, and had the option, I’d probably try to find the worst content I could. Like make them clear a raid they haven’t had time to prepare for.”
Sam narrowed her eyes. “That’s a dick move.”
Poe shrugged. “Sounds about right, honestly. And seems like the kind of thing to kill some time.”
Sam nodded. “Hank has been throwing road blocks at us from the start. Time matters to him. No idea why, but that gives us something to aim for in screwing him over.”
Jen frowned and looked down at the sword at her hip. Jesse had said they might need it. So that was what she had meant. “I’d say we have a destination, then.”
Jen held her breath as she hovered her hand over the map table. She had moved it to observe Morblina, as she had so many times before.
Hank hadn’t said anything about turning off their ability to teleport around, only their immortality. Maybe he still wanted Bulorn to use it. The implication had been he could only turn Herald powers off for everyone. His talk of unflagging them and finding more back at the start of all of this must have been a bluff.
Sam touched Jen’s arm. She almost jumped.
“Hey, we need to drop further out.”
Jen glanced up from the map. “Why?”
“Well I’m not super welcome there. At least I shouldn’t be. After two attempts on their lord and master, I doubt they’d be happy to see me regardless of the circumstances.”
“Well, that’s probably true.” She turned her eyes to Poe. “Take him out to the hyena people desert. Between you and the army of darkness it shouldn’t take long to get him up to speed. I’ll see what I can find out and get back to you.”
Sam lifted her eyes up to Poe. “Time to train. Hope you’ve got the eye of the tiger and all that jazz.”
Poe frowned. “Seems like I could be of more use.”
Jen shook her head. “The day isn’t over yet.” She moved the map around and zoomed in as close as she could get it. She was looking right at the tent she had teleported here from. At least she thought it was that one. They all kind of looked alike, especially from above. There were blue dots in the area but none of them inside. She had always appeared at ground level, so if she aimed the thing just right it could save her a few minutes of walking.
She gave Sam and Poe a nod. “Be quick, eh?” She double tapped the back corner of the tent and hoped the damned thing was as precise as she wanted it to be…
