Grand Game 449: A Clash of Blades (Patreon)

Ghost reached me well ahead of the pursuing Blades. Skidding to a halt beside me, she flopped down on her belly and let her tongue hang out, panting heavily. 

“Now?” she asked.

“Not yet,” I replied, watching the players through my mindsight. Nature unchained had a range of a hundred yards, and while most of the Blades were inside that distance, a few stragglers remained outside. Chief amongst them was the orc, Yara.

“How much longer?” Ghost growled, her gaze fixed on the closest Blade. A real sprinter, he’d opened the distance between himself and the rest of the pursuing pack. Foolishly so.

“Take him,” I ordered, not answering her.

Ghost sprang. Belatedly realizing his danger, the sprinter skittered back. Too late. 

The pyre’ wolf’s formidable form hit him hard, her stygian claws raking through frail armor, and her magma maw biting into soft flesh.

Your familiar has killed Uglas.

In less than a handful of seconds the Blade was dead. His fate only seemed to spur his fellows on, though. Howling and shouting, they dashed closer. Most had bladed weapons in hand, a few crossbows, and fewer still carried slings and other short-ranged weapons. Only a handful bore wands or staffs. 

Not many magic users, then. Good.

“Now?” Ghost growled, scrutinizing the racing players.

“Just a little—” I began.

Grayson has teleported 23 yards.

Starblaze has chain-jumped 30 yards.

Ghost has passed a mental resistance check! Ogando has failed to charm your familiar.

The air popped and suddenly, out of nowhere, two Blades appeared on either side of Ghost. Near simultaneously, the Adjudicator reported the failed attempt on her mind.

I bit back a curse. Psicasters.

Whirling around, Ghost turned to face the Blade flanking her on the left. The player lunged. But the pyre wolf’s snapping jaw was quicker, and before her foe could skewer her, she trapped his hand in an iron grip.

Magma jaws closed—crushing bone, mangling flesh, and charring skin.

Your familiar has crippled Grayson!

The player shrieked, loud enough to disguise the movements of his partner, who—cunningly—had waited to launch his own assault unseen.

Unseen by Ghost that is. I, on the other hand, was watching him keenly and was primed to react.

You have teleported into Starblaze’s shadow.

Before the glittering tip of the player’s stiletto could plunge into Ghost’s rear, my own blade ripped through his throat.

You have killed Starblaze with a fatal blow!

At the same time, Ghost leaped forward, disemboweling the still-screaming Grayson.

Your familiar has killed Grayson.

Her mouth dripping blood and gore, Ghost turned to stare wordlessly at me. “Yeah, now,” I muttered in acknowledgment of her unspoken question and, reaching into the ring on my right hand, drew out the spell stored within.

Mage’s surprise activated. Spellhold casting released.

You have trigger-cast nature unchained. 

A wave rippled across the sea of grass. Centered on Ghost and me, it expanded rapidly, transforming the thin stalks of grass into wiry sticks of bamboo.

Shouts of consternation and confusion rose from the Blades. 

Ignoring them, I turned to Ghost. Just like there had been when Leafbright had cast nature unchained, there was a small patch of unaffected ground at the spell’s epicenter. Within its confines Ghost would be safe, as would any foe that managed to reach the spot.

“Stay here, and deal with any Blade that arrives,” I ordered. Assuming the players were familiar with the spell—and I had every reason to presume they would be, it belonged to a bitter rival, after all—they would know where to head to find safety.

“Where are you going?” Ghost asked.

“To deal with those who flee the other way,” I replied.

The pyre wolf bobbed her head. “Be careful.”

“You too,” I called in farewell, and plunging into the enchanted vegetation, I began casting.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have fully restored yourself with quick mend.

A blight pollen has failed to harm you. You are immune to this spell.

I rushed through the bamboo forest, ignoring the glowing pollen falling all around me. I, of course, still retained my immunity to the nature unchained spell and had nothing to fear from it. Equally, I ignored the passing mindglows I sensed.

They would not survive long.

It was the Blades near the spell’s outer rim that concerned me. If they were quick to react, they could flee the casting’s confines before they became too debilitated. Then, too, there were those who had been outside the casting’s area of effect when I’d released the spell. 

Like Yara.

To drive my point home, I would have to kill them all fast, before they had a chance to recover. 

Reaching the boundary of the enchanted forest, I slowed my steps. Twenty mindglows were gathered on the other side. It seemed like I was already too late—the Blades were already regrouping. From the sounds of it, Cine and Delkan were not amongst their number. Worse luck, Yara appeared to be in charge. 

I hefted my swords. Still, twenty players—non-elites, all—I could handle easily. I just had to take care of them before more gathered.

I checked my buffs. They were in place, and I was as ready as I could be. Still, I hesitated a moment to consider the psi skills I’d observed the Blades use earlier and what it boded for the upcoming fight. 

I could expect the players to be resistant to my telepathy, I reasoned. What’s more, they were likely experts with those blades they bore, and undoubtedly, had a few tricks of their own up their sleeves.

I sighed. Perhaps, this battle would not be as easy as I assumed. Still, I had one advantage the Blades could not so easily counter. Darkness and my wolf senses. I would have to maximize their use.

But to begin with, something familiar. 

Closing my eyes, I drew psi.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have cast slaysight.

Casting slaysight had two purposes. One, it would serve as a test of my foes’ mental defenses, and two, even if the spell only partially succeeded, it would distract the Blades.

Gathering the psi I’d marshaled in my mind, I flung it into the middle of the twenty Blades. Then, edging up the forest’s boundary, I peeked through the bamboo to observe the spell’s effect.

The first thing I noticed was that there were thirty players, not twenty as my mindsight had reported. Ten Blades had shielded their consciousness. Damn. 

That was not the only surprise in store for me either. 

Your mental intrusion has been detected!

A second before my will could crash into my foes’ minds, a stocky gnome cried out. “Ware everyone! A spell’s incoming.”

“Wha—?”

“The bastard is attacking our minds!”

Interesting, I mused as I waited to observe the spell’s outcome. The gnomish Blade had sensed my casting before it hit. Still, that did not prevent slaysight from doing its work.

4 hostile entities have passed a mental resistance check! 

3 targets are protected by psi shields and are immune to mental manipulation.

You have paralyzed 3 of 10 targets for 60 seconds. 

“Deke, what’s wrong? Your face…”

“He’s been paralyzed!” the gnome replied curtly.

“Gajan too!”

“Mase as well!”

“It’s the intruder,” Yara snapped. “Zheck, Tum, find him! The rest of you, retreat! He must be hiding in that damned forest.”

I sighed, deflating slightly. Slaysight’s performance left a lot to be desired. But to be honest, I’d been expecting something like this. Let’s see if charm does any better, I thought, drawing more psi.

You have cast mass charm. 

“He’s casting again,” the gnome warned.

“Casting what?” Yara demanded.

“A… charm spell, I think,” he reported.

The orc cursed. “Damnit! Zeek, get a shield—”

But it was too late. The weaves of psi I’d sent forth had reached my chosen targets. Delving into their minds, it assaulted their defenses.

You have charmed 5 of 10 targets for 20 seconds. 

My second psi spell performed better than the first, but that was only because I’d taken care to exclude the mind-shielded players from my targeting. Some of the Blades still managed to resist, though.

“The spell is completed!” the gnome cried.

“How many did he get?” Yara snapped.

“Five!”

“Five?” Yara asked incredulously. “By all that is holy, how did he—”

Not waiting to hear what else she had to say, I ordered my new minions into play. Simultaneously, I slipped quietly out of the bamboo forest. It was time to take a more direct hand in matters.

✵ ✵ ✵

22 hostile entities have failed to detect you! You are hidden. 

I stalked unseen through the long grass.

Yara was still snapping orders while the rest of the Blades were backing away from the five players I’d bespelled. Disappointingly, my minions had not managed to kill any of their former comrades yet.

I didn’t shadow blink, nor did I use windborne. But I suspected I would need both of those abilities soon enough, as an escape mechanism if nothing else. And if I was being honest, I was a bit worried the gnome might sense my psicasting. 

So, instead, I crept up on the three paralyzed Blades. Not trusting the bamboo forest and what it may hide, the rest of the group had backed away—leaving the trio unprotected—and I went unnoticed.

 Reaching the first paralyzed victim, I unbent from my crouch, and slit her throat.

You have killed Ester, a level 166 human with a fatal blow.

Then I did the same to the other two.

My eyes fixed on the rest of the Blades, I eased the last of the corpses quietly to the ground. Thanks to the darkness, my kills had gone unnoticed.

Nog-dog has cast mental freedom. You have lost control over 5 charmed entities.

My brows rose at the Game message. It was not entirely unexpected. And once again, it was the gnome—Nog-dog—who was responsible for fouling my plans. Still, I’d come off better from the exchange. The enemy had lost three of their number and didn’t even seem to know it.

Time to rinse and repeat.

Drawing more psi, I cast again—once more making sure to only target unshielded players.

You have cast slaysight.

You have paralyzed 5 of 10 targets for 60 seconds. 

Your mental intrusion has been detected!

“Yar!” Nog-dog shrieked. “He’s done it again!”

“Done what?” the orc growled.

“Cast paralysis!”

“Dammit, Zeek!” Yara spat. “I thought I told you to shield everyone?”

“I’m working on it,” a human player retorted. “But the spell takes time, and I have to cast it one by—”

“No more excuses,” Yara growled. She spun around to survey the darkness. “How did he do it, anyway?” she muttered.

“Do what?” a confused Nog-dog asked.

“Cast paralysis again. His first spell should still be—” The orc fell silent, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the missing trio. “He’s killed them,” she whispered.

“Killed who?” a perplexed Nog asked.

Ignoring him, Yara raised her voice. “On guard people, the intruder is close. Lake, Stern, magelights! Thieves, lay down some traps, and everyone, watch the damn perimeter!”