Grand Game 146: A Flaming Mess (Patreon)

Day Seven. Morning.

The crinkle of shattering pottery echoed loudly in the tunnel’s silence. Still hidden and poised on the balls of my feet, I waited.

A heartbeat later, flames roared out of the activated projectile. Shooting upwards, they fell back down to envelop everything within a six-yard radius.

You have ignited a fire bomb, injuring fifteen hostile entities. An unknown number of hostile entities have failed to detect you!

I grinned. Crouched down outside the range of the bomb, I was untouched. Fortunately, I’d made certain to get detailed information from Gelar on his creations and had gauged my throw accurately. Even better, I’d chosen my target location well enough to hit the majority of my ambushers.

Meanwhile, pandemonium had broken out.

“Find him!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

“Down your darkvision potions now!”

Many players cried out in alarm, pain, or question, but more importantly, they moved, breaking the cloaks of concealment woven about them.

Two seconds later, the bomb’s flames vanished. But that mattered little. It had done what I’d intended.

You have detected a hidden entity.

You have detected a hidden entity.

…

You have detected a hidden entity.

A full twenty such messages scrolled through my vision, pinpointing the location of each of the ambushers.

Excellent.

Not delaying, I targeted the rearmost player—Forsyth—and shadow blinked behind him.

A hostile entity has failed to detect you!

Clearly, the spellsword hadn’t downed his own potion yet. Or if he had, it wasn’t helping him much. Whatever the case, the mage was oblivious to my presence at his rear. Nor did I alert him.

As tempting a target as Forsyth’s broad back made, I let the opportunity pass by and silently withdrew a second object from my pocket.

“God damnit, Zeera! Summon a bloody magelight!” the spellsword roared. “And the rest of you drink those damn darkvision potions already!” he finished before muttering under his breath, presumably to complete a casting of his own.

Unfortunately for my hunters, I’d anticipated their next move—the magelights, not the potions—and I had a counter ready. Hurling my arm forward again, I released the bomb in my hand.

You have ignited a smoke bomb, creating a smoke cloud.

Thick plumes burst out to blanket the tunnel in dense gray clouds, instantly blinding everyone caught in its grasp. The smoke bomb’s radius was twice that of the fire bomb, and this time, there was no escaping it.

I made sure to shut my eyes before the cloud rushed past my own position. My night vision was not proof against the smoke, and it would blind me as completely as it had the ambushers, but I didn’t need to see for what I planned next.

Keeping my eyes shut, I withdrew my other four fire bombs and tossed them blindly one after the other, transforming the tunnel into a killing ground.

You have ignited a fire bomb, injuring twelve hostile entities.

You have ignited a fire bomb, injuring eighteen hostile entities. Two unknown players have died.

You have ignited a fire bomb, injuring five hostile entities. Eight unknown players have died.

You have ignited a fire bomb, injuring six hostile entities. Four unknown players have died.

In a matter of moments, nearly three-quarters of the ambushers died. I’d spent my fire bombs lavishly to accomplish that much, but the enemy had given me no choice.

The player party had been too big for the wolves and me to handle, especially considering how well prepared they’d appeared to be.

My work done, I swung about and, using my hands to guide me, fled further down the passage. Once I exited the smoke, I drew my blades and turned about.

Only six of my hunters remained alive and, as shellshocked as they must be from their sudden transition to prey, I was sure most were only thinking of escape.

A second later, a coughing and red-eyed figure stumbled toward me.

It was Forsyth.

Flowing forward, I cut downwards with ebonheart while thrusting forward with spider’s bite.

You have killed Forsyth.

The mage’s mouth opened in a silent O of surprise as he died. Letting the corpse slide off my blade, I reset my stance and waited.

Another figure emerged from the smoke. An armored brute. Before he could spot me, I shadow blinked behind him and drove my sword straight through his torso while simultaneously casting piercing strike.

You have backstabbed your target for 100% more damage! You have killed Terry.

The fighter died with as little protest as Forsyth. Leaving him where he had fallen, I returned to my original position and readied myself again.

~~~

No other players came through.

A minute after the last wisp of smoke disappeared, Duggar and Sulan emerged. “How many did you get?” I asked the wolves.

“Four,” Duggar replied.

I sheathed my blades. “Good. Then, that’s all of them. Will you two stand guard while I loot the bodies?”

At the pair’s nod of acquiescence, I slipped past them to check on the corpses. Those that had been caught in the raging fire had been burned nearly to cinders. Little remained of them except scorched pieces of plate armor, all of which were too heavy for me to lug around.

More surprising, none of those who made it out of the flames carried anything of value either. It was almost as if the ambushers had prepared for the possibility of defeat.

I smiled wryly. I guess that means they’re taking me more seriously now.

As I walked back to the wolves, I attended to the waiting Game messages, investing my new attribute points in the process.

You have reached level 74!

Your sneaking has increased to level 61. Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 48. Your light armor has increased to level 41. Your telekinesis has increased to level 45.

Your Magic has increased to rank 5 (+2 from item).

“Now what?” Duggar asked as I rejoined them.

“Now we find the wyvern,” I replied. “And hopefully the shield generator.”

~~~

It took us nearly an hour to traverse the remainder of the tunnel and reach the larger caves at the top of the cliff. While we journeyed through the rock, I worried at the mystery of finding Forsyth and his ilk here.

How had they known I’d be here?

Hyek could have told them, but I didn’t think that was likely. From what Talon had said, it seemed clear that the Howlers had broken all ties with the Awakened Dead and thrown in their lot with the Tartan legion.

Worca, I decided. It had to have been her.

I had questioned the elven mage about the generator’s location, and Ishita’s sworn must have set up the ambush on the off-chance I would discover its location.

Pity they didn’t come themselves. I would have enjoyed killing more of the Power’s lackeys.

“Wolfkin,” Duggar said, drawing my attention. “We’re here.”

I blinked, turning my attention outwards again. The narrow winding passage we’d been traveling through had come to an end, terminating in a t-junction. The new tunnel, stretching away into the distance to my left and right, was many times larger.

Big enough for even the wyvern mother to fit through.

“Something is not right,” Sulan said.

I glanced at her. Another ambush? “What do you mean?”

The white wolf sat down on her haunches, her eyes darting back and forth down both ends of the corridor in a troubled manner. “I sense too many life signs.”

I straightened, hand unconsciously dropping to my blades. “More players?” I asked.

“Likely,” Sulan pronounced. “But there is no immediate danger,” she said, sensing my tension. Jerking her head to the left, she said, “Far down that way, there are four minds concealed in the same manner as the players we encountered below.” Gesturing to the right, she added, “And about the same distance that way, there are two consciousnesses. One is the wyvern mother. Even from here, I can sense the power of her mind.”

Two minds? My brows furrowed. “What is the other?” I asked, looking to the right.

“I’m not sure,” Sulan admitted.

My frown deepened. “Could it be a hatchling?”

Sulan shook her head. “No, the other mind is definitely no wyvern. Their minds are distinctly… serpentine.”

“I see,” I said. The white wolf’s revelations were troubling, and as grateful as I was to her for them, our time together had come to an end. I realized in the tunnels’ confines that my original idea of using the wolves to distract the wyvern was too risky. I would have to uncover the mystery on my own. I glanced at Duggar. “This is where you must leave me.”

“Are you sure, wolfkin?” he asked. “We can aid you further if you allow us.”

“It’s too dangerous,” I said. “You have done more than I could have hoped for by bringing me this far, and I am grateful, but now it is time for you and Sulan to turn back. The rest is up to me.”

“Don’t be foolish, pup—” Sulan began.

I slashed my hand downwards. “No, Sulan. This time I will not allow myself to be swayed. The wyvern mother is too grave a threat.”

“You think you can face her alone?” she retorted.

I shook my head. “I don’t. But if I die, I will be reborn. You will not.”

Sulan growled deep in her throat. “Still, this is—”

“Leave him be, Sulan,” Duggar interjected. “He is right. And besides, this is the scion’s decision to make.”

In the face of her alpha’s childing, the white wolf subsided. Duggar turned to me. “This is farewell, then.”

I nodded. “But we shall meet again, I promise.”

The pack leader turned about and slipped back into the small tunnel. “We shall, scion, and good luck.” Without further ado, he disappeared.

Sulan waited a touch longer. “Do not disappoint us, pup,” she said. “We are depending on you.”

“I will make sure the wyvern does not threaten the pack again,” I assured her.

“I’m not referring to the wyvern mother, foolish human,” Sulan said, holding my gaze. “You are more important to the pack than that. You carry with you the promise of Wolf. Only you hold the key to the ancients’ return.” She turned about and slipped into the tunnel, following in the wake of her pack leader.

“Don’t disappoint us, pup,” the white wolf repeated. “Remember, we are counting on you.”