Grand Game 244: Unforgotten (Patreon)

You have entered sector 1 of the Forever Kingdom.

I re-entered Nexus to find the city bathed in light. Behind me, the portal’s glow faded—indication enough that the way back to the fifth level was sealed. Squinting in the harsh glare of the noonday sun, I studied the square.

It was as deserted as the day I’d entered the dungeon.

I shook my head ruefully. After all my preparations, finding myself in an empty square was almost… anticlimactic. But it was a welcome surprise, nonetheless. Looks like the city hasn’t changed one bit. Sheathing ebonheart, I headed for the nearest block of buildings.

Where to? I wondered.

I was in the plague quarter’s northeastern districts, and the south gate to the safe zone wasn’t far away. I’ll head to the emporium first and retrieve—

Stygian-black light flashed across the square, and mid-step, I froze.

An unknown entity has cast pulse of scouring dark.

You have failed a magical resistance check! Your lesser imitate spell has been dispelled.

I paid the Game message little heed, my attention captured by something else. The spell had not only destroyed my disguise, it had revealed the cordon of green bordering the square.

I was surrounded by mantises. Dozens of them.

They’d not forgotten me. If anything, it looked as if I was expected. Keeping my movements relaxed, I swiveled my head from left to right and counted off my foes.

There were at least forty assassins in the square.

So many. And all just for me?

Given their numbers, the mantises couldn’t have been waiting here the entire time. Even for assassins as relentless as Menaq’s disciples, standing idle outside a dungeon for over two hundred days and waiting for a mark was an absurd notion.

There was a simpler if less palatable explanation.

The mantises had been forewarned. They’d known to await my arrival today. It meant my suspicions had been right: someone had told the assassins I was in the dungeon. But instead of following me into the guardian tower as I’d expected, the mantises had chosen to ambush me outside—which admittedly was the better strategy.

I’d been hoping that after my many days in the dungeon, Menaq’s disciples would’ve given up or that, at the very least, their ardor would’ve cooled. It went without saying neither had happened, and I was sure now that unless I put a stop to their hunt, the mantises would dog my heels until the end of my days.

Before entering the dungeon, I’d formulated a plan for dealing with the assassins—a means of ending their hunt once and for all. But the scheme was risky, and I’d been hoping to avoid using it. Now, it seemed I had no choice.

First, though, I had to deal with the mantises in front of me. Easier said than done.

I turned about in a slow circle. None of the assassins had moved since showing themselves. I frowned, unsure what to make of their surprising passiveness. What are they waiting for?

Right on cue, two green-clad figures stepped forward, holding something large and ungainly between them.

It was a steel net.

That can’t be for I think it is… can it? Holding at bay my sudden trepidation, I reached out and analyzed the item.

The target is a magical net of ensnarement. It is a rank 4 item designed to entangle and hold a single subject immobile. The net’s enchantments nullify all abilities of tier 4 and lower.

For the first time, a spurt of fear shot through me.

Dying at the mantises’ hands didn’t concern me. In fact, I’d resigned myself to doing just that. But capture… that was an entirely different matter.

The only reason the mantises would try taking me prisoner was to remove me from the sector. If they moved me to their home sector, then they could kill me at their leisure each time I was reborn.

I can’t let that happen, I thought and unsheathed ebonheart.

At the motion, the mantises drew their own weapons. Half carried blades, while the other half held blowpipes. Given that the mantises intended on capturing me, I suspected the darts were dipped in something other than poison.

I grimaced. I would have to avoid both darts and net—somehow. Blade in hand, I waited.

The encircling mantises did not advance, however. With enviable patience, they waited while the pair bearing the net stalked forward.

Darting a look beyond the mantises, I began a psi casting. Unfortunately, there were no bystanders lurking nearby to bend to my use. That left only the mantises themselves to target.

My gaze flickered back to the two assassins drawing closer. The pair were raising the net—to throw at me, presumably—but my own spell was ready, and without delay, I released the casting.

You have cast mass charm.

Sixal has passed a mental resistance check!

Neewan has failed a mental resistance check!

You have charmed 1 of 2 targets for 10 seconds.

Neewan rocked to a halt, forcing Sixal to a standstill as well. I smiled grimly. My spell had succeeded, if only partially. But it was evidence enough that I’d come a long way since entering the dungeon, and if the mantises thought they were going to take me down easily, they were in for a rude shock.

The mantis on the left turned to stare at my bespelled minion, and I could feel the gazes of the other mantises swapping from me to their strangely behaving companion.

Now, I thought, while they’re still confused. Drawing more psi, I prepared another casting.

I wasn’t sure if it was happenstance or knowledge of my limitations—or rather my previous limitations—but the circle my foes had formed around me was outside the range of a tier one shadow blink. Of course, since upgrading the ability, I had doubled my teleportation range—leaving more than a few of my foes within easy range.

Rushing through the aether, I emerged behind one of the blowpipe wielders.

You have teleported 19 yards.

Once more, the maneuver caught the assassins off-guard, and before my target could so much as stiffen, I plunged ebonheart through his back.

You have cast piercing strike.

You have backstabbed Ashyran for 4x more damage!

You have killed Ashyran with a fatal blow.

“Attack,” I ordered as I pulled free my bloodied blade from the lifeless body. My charmed minion reacted instantly. Dropping the net, Neewan unsheathed his own sword.

Finally, realizing something was amiss, the mantises surged into motion. The swordsmen rushed in my direction while the blowpipe wielders raised their weapons. Spinning around, I threw myself forward, narrowly escaping the volley of darts fired my way.

You have evaded 9 unknown hostiles’ attacks.

But only half the projectiles had targeted me. The other ten had been aimed at my minion and thudded into him while he was still swinging into motion.

Neewan has been struck by a sleeping dart! Your minion has failed a physical resistance check and has fallen unconscious.

Neewan has been struck by a sleeping dart!

Neewan has been struck by a sleeping dart!

…

…

Neewan has suffered a critical overdose!

Your minion has died from a fatal heart attack.

My lips twisted sourly.

I’d been right about the darts. Worse yet, the mantises had caught onto my ploy quicker than I’d liked. No matter, I thought, rolling back to my feet. I had other tricks up my sleeves.

More darts hissed through the air. This time, the volley was sporadic, though. Having learned from Neewan’s death, the mantises took pains to spread their fire. Still, I’d anticipated the attack and two-stepped over the volley. Dropping back to the ground, I wove an erratic path out of the square.

The melee fighters chased after, closing the distance rapidly, but I judged I had enough of a  head start to beat them to the nearest building. Drawing close to the stone wall, I flung myself upwards, taking two quick steps on blocks of solid air to land lightly on a window ledge.

Unfortunately, the window was closed, its rickety shutters pressed together. It was not all bad news, though. The lock holding them closed looked flimsy and easily broken. Perched precariously on the thin stone still, and with my left hand clinging to the top of the window’s wooden frame, I bashed at it with the pommel of ebonheart.

Risking a glance over my shoulder, I saw the blowpipe wielders racing closer. I must’ve fallen out of range of their darts. As versatile as the small weapons were, they had their limitations too. Below me, the other mantises had sheathed their own blades and, setting hands to the rough stone wall, had begun to climb.

I sighed. I wasn’t going to lose my hunters easily, it seemed.

The lock broke beneath ebonheart, and I threw myself forward into the room beyond. Rising to my feet, I swept my gaze across the chamber. It was empty and thick with shadows.

There was a door at the far end, and my first instinct was to plunge straight through. But I hesitated, my eyes darting back to the window. Let’s see if I can’t thin my pursuers’ numbers. Pressing my back against the adjacent wall, I faded into the shadows and wove psi together.

A hostile entity has failed to detect you! You remain hidden.

A head popped into the view in the open window, and I wasted no time in slipping tendrils of will into his mind.

You have cast slaysight.

You have hidden your presence from Gieryn for 10 seconds.

Oblivious of my nearby presence, the blinded mantis climbed into the room. Ignoring him, I drew more psi and flung it at the other three assassins making their way up the side of the building.

You have charmed 1 of 3 targets for 10 seconds.

Good enough, I thought, ordering my new minion to attack his former companions. Having bought myself some time, I slipped up behind Gieryn.

The mantis was scanning the room warily, searching for me, no doubt. Lunging forward, I ran him through without remorse.

You have killed Gieryn with a fatal blow.

Letting the corpse slump at my feet, I unfurled my mindsight. The progress of three climbing mantises had stalled, but others had begun scaling the building as well. Soon, I was going to have more company than I could handle.

Time to leave.

Ducking through the open doorway, I plunged deeper into the building.