Somnia Online: Fragments - Chapter Twenty-Four (Patreon)

Guarding Fear

The rock formation moved toward them at a speed Murmur hadn't thought it capable of. Its gait was smooth, and if it hadn't made the ground shake like an earthquake, she would have thought it was floating. 

All traces of elegant vanished the moment it connected with larger than normal Devlish's shield. Solid as the impact was, it still managed to push the dreadknight back several feet. He shook himself, hammer already in full swing and connected against its raised right arm. 

A resounding crack sounded through the area, and Murmur watched in horror as the hammer split down the middle revealing a strangely glowing golden gem atop the shaft. It flew through the air, a split second later as Devlish discarded it in favor of his cruel looking mace with slightly less pointed spikes. 

At the same time, the Guardian opened its mouth again, roaring in what seemed like pain, and spewed forth a cloud of the red spores, as it nursed its right arm, flexing its fingers.

"Don't breathe!" Mellow screamed while throwing two bottles to explode at the Guardian's feet. A cloud of pale yellow dust rose and sparked with the red breath, and in another moment the haze disappeared. 

Murmur glanced back at the witch, whose brow was furrowed, and knew instinctively they were calculating how many of this special concoction they could brew in this fight. Their expression lightened ever so slightly and they breathed a sigh of relief, finally looking up to meet Murmur's eyes, and nodded imperceptibly. 

The clash between mob and Devlish seemed magnified under the dome, and the monster had switched from using its right hand to predominantly left. At least the hammer had been good for something. Murmur saw Mellow pick it up out of the orner of her eye, and mentally noted to check on it later.

Apart from its bloody miasma of don't-breathe-me-in, the Guardian seemed to have a regeneration phase. At eighty percent health, it rolled into a ball, spewing cloud after cloud of dangerous spores into the air. It wasn't too difficult to avoid, as they all hid under Veranol's shield until Mellow's bombs managed to soak it up. 

Feeling more positive about beating it, Murmur allowed herself to perk up. Which probably set the next chain of events in motion. When it emerged from its ball, which seemed impenetrable, its right arm was whole again. Which meant that any debilitating damage it took during the between time, was going to be repaired while it was a ball, so eating at it with acid wouldn't work. Cracking it over time, wasn't going to work either. 

"That's odd." Havoc was pulling his own mind reading trick again. "Do we just beat him down slowly until he's passed through all of his phases. He didn't gain a percentage. He's still at eighty."

Merlin stood close enough to hear them. "I'm not sure what he's made of, but the area around where a heart would be anatomically seems to be made of a different type of rock, and it seems to be trying to protect that area if you watch the way it reacts to Devlish's attacks."

Murmur blinked, and spent the next minute watching it, while dodging spore attacks that now seemed to be thrown over directly in their way. Maybe it had super hearing. She blinked, a sudden idea forming in her mind. It couldn't be right though, that was far too ludicrous. "Is that... could that be?"

"Gemstones?" Havoc offered, his grin none too kind. 

"They appear to be charred to blend better with his body. But perhaps it's what we need to take out to kill him?" Murmur didn't like the hope in her voice, because she wasn't confident at all in her current idea. 

"Either way," Havoc began to move in close, directing his pet to attack in a different formation. "It's a straw we can cling to, right?"

"Sure. Shatter the gems and either kill the Guardian faster, or unleash an unknown element onto the battlefield." Mellow laughed as they readied a couple more bottles to throw at the next wave of spores. "Count me in."

"Okay then. Everyone aim for the charred area of its chest." Murmur watched the monster as its head swiveled and its gaze alighted solely on her. Apparently she'd called something right, because a sense of fear ran through her, suddenly rooting her to the ground. Shit. She couldn't move, and her limbs were heavy, like stone.

She saw Sinister turn toward her, mouth agape, and Havoc stopped his onslaught as his eyes widened in horror. Her legs began to harden, and her life leeched down after the massive initial blow, she thanked her impatience for allowing her to cast without her rapidly hardening fingers, and cast an arcane cure on herself, hoping against hope that this was magic based. 

#

"Murmur?" Sinister's voice was filled with worry, hints of panic leaked through. 

"I'm okay." Murmur lied. It was taking far too long for the cure to work, and the rest of them were still battling for their lives. She raised her voice as best she could. "Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with it."

Because, of course, it was a wonderful turn of events when the monster had Medusa like capabilities. Maybe attacking its crystal heart wasn't the solution. Maybe curing it was...

Wait.

Why would the statues drop a hammer that seemed so vicious to their kind? Thoughts ran through her head as she desperately wished for the unstoning process to hasten. Granted, it was probably only taking a minute, but it seemed like a lifetime. Both Veranol and Sinister had HoTs on her, so her life was pretty safe, and she could still cast because her mind wasn't frozen. 

The gem on top of the hammer's shaft looked a bit like a wand. What if the wand could re-activate the charred heart? She could also be completely full of shit and hallucinating, but it was worth a shot. "Hey, Mellow."

The witch glanced over and grinned as they moved to stand next to her. "It's odd seeing you immobile, Mur."

"Hardy har har." Murmur was pretty pleased with her own pun, but Mellow just rolled their eyes.

"What's up. I have to time these bombs, so while it might look like I'm standing here looking pretty and doing absolutely nothing, I am, in fact, not." The twinkle in their eyes was even noticeable when they weren't looking directly at her. 

"You picked up that wand, didn't you?" She really hoped she was right.

"Wand..." Mellow's brow furrowed, the expression foreign and yet oddly familiar on their locus face. Then their eyes lit up. "Oh! You mean the stick with the -- wow, you're right, it's just like a wand."

"I think we need to use it to reactivate the heart of the Guardian. It's obviously guarding something, and why is it a Guardian and not a Gatekeeper. If it were evil, or at least, if it were originally evil, then wouldn't it have a different name?" Her theories were just spouting from her mouth like a waterfall. Maybe she was clutching at straws, but this battle was going to get hairy before it got won, not the least because it was mana intensive on the healers. She was getting a little desperate about how they were going to defeat this.

"It sounds possible. I mean, what are we going to lose apart from a stick with a yellow gem on it?" Mellow's smile was kind, the words soft. Murmur felt a swell of fondness for her friend. It was nice being the one put at ease.

"And here's the impossible. We either need to get it to Devlish and convince him to use the wand." Murmur could wiggle her fingers again and feeling returned gradually to her thighs and then calves as she spoke. "Or, we could give it to Rash. She can jump high, she can dodge, surely she can get it where it needs to be."

Mellow nodded, a frown creeping onto their face. "I don't like either of those options."

Murmur sighed, because they were right. "Neither do I." She looked around, finally able to wiggle her toes, and turned to survey the area. Her slows and weakness spells were already applied to the mob, there was nothing else much for her to do in this fight. Stuns didn't work against stone, so she couldn't even offer respite. 

The dome was getting thicker, closer to red. And the Guardian's life was dwindling down toward sixty percent. Her gaze fell on Merlin, and she got a sudden idea. "Merlin!"

He moved over, never ceasing his near useless arrow barrage into the target. "S'up Mur?" He winked at her, barely preventing the groan Murmur had to suppress. His shots weren't even doing a fraction of their usual damage, but it's what they had to chisel away with.

She took the wand off Mellow and held it in front of her, hopefully hidden from the gaze of the Guardian, which meant it had to be hidden from Riasli. "I think this might unharden its heart?"

Merlin frowned at the wand. "Great, and what do you want me to do about it?"

"Do you think this could be shot into the blackened gems its protecting?" She almost held her breath, so desperate was she to get this fight over with. They were winging it constantly in Somnia, and she wasn't used to going in so blindly unprepared. 

Merlin shook his head. "The balance is off, Mur, I can't successfully shoot that thing anywhere." 

Murmur tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. She'd known it would be a long shot, and groaned inwardly at the pun she made to herself. About to turn back to the sixty-two percent fight, Merlin stepped in front of her. 

"Give it to me. I have an idea. It's not like I'm doing any good damage wise anyway. I can activate jumpshot and switch out this for my bow, right?" His words were barely above a whisper, but he had that elfish troublemaker look on his face, that meant she wasn't about to talk him out of it. "Put yourself in Exbo's group if this all goes wrong, okay?"

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed the wand out of her hand and dashed away. She could have stopped him, could have stunned him in his tracks, mez'd him, charmed him even. It wouldn't change anything about how they fought the monster though. They either had to try this, or fight for the next thirty minutes which would probably run them out of power, or else, the Guardian might have another surprise for them once it hit sixty percent.

She watched, almost in slow motion as Merlin activated his jumpshot, choosing the moment before the apex to swap his bow for the wand, and sailed down through the beasts defenses, so much that Murmur couldn't see him any longer. An agonizing heartbeat passed, and then a blinding golden light exploded outwards from the Guardian, sending them all tumbling back with the force of the blast, and Exbo nearly off the side as the viscous red barrier was replaced by a golden one. He only saved himself by managing to dig the end of his bow between two of the rocks that made up the floor.

Even Merlin ended up just in front of Murmur, his elven face grinning widely. "What a fucking rush!" His eyes glowed so brightly Murmur wondered if the effect was permanent. 

A scream echoed throughout the catacombs, from beneath them, from around them, from everywhere at once. It was impossible to pinpoint its origin, but it sounded like someone in pain, and Murmur couldn't help the vindictive thought that it was Riasli. NPC or now, Murmur held no fondness for her.

The giant guardian was curled into a ball again in the middle of the dome. Its black rock surface had turned to a gleaming and new sandstone, weathered with just enough time to make it smooth, and have the milky lines flow perfectly into one another. Where the red pustules that had spouted there spores once resided, were beautiful golden orbs, filled with a sparkling dust that remained hidden within. 

Slowly it unfurled and revealed the precise opposite of what it had been while they fought it. Murmur chalked it up to being freaking lucky, or in tune with the system. One of the two anyway, maybe a mixture of both. 

You have freed The Guardian of the Cenedril Catacombs from the curse placed upon it. As a reward you receive undying gratitude, because stone never truly dies. Even as sand weathered and worn down through the ages, you will be remembered with fondness. You have found a powerful ally, do not betray its trust.

You have gained experience

DING

You have reached level thirty-three.

 Murmur blinked at her experience as the brief notification disappeared from her screen. Three quarters of the way through already. Which was good considering the amount of time they'd been doing nothing since completing Hightower.

The Guardian held one hand over its now golden and repaired heart. Sandstone held it in place, protecting the majority of it in a casing. When it spoke, the voice held hope and wisdom contained within a gentle rumble of words that soothed and put them all at ease. "For what you have done, I thank you. We thank you as one, here in the Catacombs. Thank you for freeing me from the torment of greed, from the jail of hatred, and from the cause of my pain."

It bowed down to them, low and humbling. Murmur wracked her brains for what it was she had to do. How did one respond to that? 

"Thank you." She intoned as graciously as she could.

"You are welcome." It moved toward what was now a glowing white rock, about as tall as her. She hadn't noticed it before. "I grant you each a reward. You may claim it later, or choose it now, but if you choose it now you must hurry. The darkness still lingers beneath me, and there is only so long I can fight it on my own. I require that you aid me in freeing my domain from the infestation that changed it so much."

You have been given the opportunity to help the great Guardian protect his domain, to combat the darkness still lurking within, and to probably come away with some really cool stuff. Keep in mind, these catacombs have been changed from what was originally intended, and it's best to use caution along the way.

Murmur glanced around her at the others, and figured she spoke for them all when she answered. "We'd be glad to assist you in restoring the ruins to their former glory."

The Guardian beamed a smile, quite literally. Turning in a circle, the beam of light shot out, illuminating the walls and stairs in light, transforming them back to the cream colored bliss of sandstone. Statues stood all over the halls, in crevices, in alcoves. As the light passed over them, their faces transformed from judgmental snarls, back to pleasant half smiling expressions. 

Once he was done, the Guardian lifted a large hand and waved it over them. Golden dust cascaded down, giving them all a faintly glowing sheen before it sank into their skin through their armor. Strength welled inside Murmur, and she watched as her MA went up another fifty points, and her mana and hitpoints as well. Snowy suddenly seemed to get bigger, his chest broader and more powerful. 

The reset of her guild echoed her own gasp as they too observed their own increase in strength. 

Murmur had to push down the urge to feel invincible, because she knew that in face she was not, and turned to face the giant Guardian head on. At least, as its gaze met her own, she realized in this form it didn't turn her to stone, but instead infused her with a warmth as a shield covered her from head to toe.

"It seems that you are in need of my protection the most. I would hope that your friends agree with my protection of you." Its eyes were kind, though Murmur wasn't sure how she could tell that through the golden lights that shone from it.

"Of course! Maybe she won't slow us down so much!" Beastial's jovial voice rang out. And even as Sinister cuffed him over the ear half-heartedly, the rest of them laughed. 

But even as they bid the Guardian farewell, filled with renewed strength and buffed to the max, Murmur couldn't shake the feeling that they'd only made things worse.

#

Somnia Online
Firtulai Continent
Richnai Fortress

 Exodus had gathered its too best groups to venture into Richnai Fortress. Located in a well hidden set of caves between Brevint and Malaise on the Firtulai Continent, Jirald knew they were pushing it with their levels. Masha was the only level thirty, and only Ishwa and one of the tanks were twenty-nine. The remaining nine were levels twenty-seven and twenty-eight, which made Jirald somewhat uneasy. Thirty plus were the rumors he'd heard. The mobs inside would be that level, so they'd begin conning orange to anyone twenty-seven or below, thus creating diminishing returns for their damage. Even so, it was worth a shot. With one healer and their warrior tank sitting higher than most of the rest, they should at least have a good chance.

Jirald was inching closer to twenty-nine too, and he was hoping to hit thirty inside.

"Stop calculating so many things in your head. It makes you look even less approachable." Masha was suddenly next to him, that familiar smirk on his lips. Jirald wanted to smack it off his face, but again, Masha had a point, and his knowledge of that caused grudging respect to overrule his violent impulses. There had better be some god damned getashi in there, or Jirald had the feeling Sidius was going to skin him alive.

"All stocked up?" Masha continued as if he hadn't just insulted the rogue. 

"Poisons, daggers, and a couple of new tricks up my sleeve." Jirald smiled, baring his locus teeth. He still couldn't believe he'd guessed right. Murmur rarely played a human species when there were others to choose from. It just so happened that this game offered the stellar opposite of human, and he knew she'd not be able to resist. 

He rolled his shoulders, starting to feel the adrenaline coursing through his body as he got ready to enter a dungeon for the first time. These caves appeared to be lower level at first, but on closer inspection, they had entrances into a whole other level of fortress. It spanned the mountain top above them, but they'd sent out scouts and found no way in through the top. It lived up to its name, impenetrable, unless you went in through the cellars. 

It pleased his rogue heart that they'd essentially be breaking and entering. 

"Sounds like you're ready then." Masha paused, and looked Jirald directly in the eyes. "Don't make me have to heal you more than usual. You were a good healer, and you know what pisses us off more than anything else, so don't piss me off, okay? I know you know better."

Jirald scowled, even though he knew Masha had a point. He still resented that the cleric felt the need to lecture him. "I know not to step in shit. I've been not healing DPS for years if they do. Don't worry."

"Good, I won't then." Masha grinned. "At least one of you I don't have to worry about fucking up. Now the rest of them, are going to learn the hard way."

Jirald couldn't help but laugh, because he knew exactly what the cleric meant.

Ishwa finished arranging groups and spoke to the raid. "Follow Masha's lead, don't step in shit, and let Eslan pull for crying out loud. If you pull accidentally, just let yourself die and don't run it to the raid."

The gnome waited for the whispers to quiet down, the steel in his eyes a definite deterrent to talking. "Time to head in and get ourselves one of those keys."

A small cheer went up from the group as they began to file into the darkness of the cellar. Jirald felt the cold wash over him as they passed through the door. Finally, finally they were going to start giving Fable a run for their money.

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