Grand Game 274: Wolf on the Prowl (Patreon)

After a satisfying, if rushed, meal, I headed back to my room. There was a reason I’d asked for a room on the top floor. It gave me easy access to the roof in case I needed to make a quick exit.

Putting out the chamber’s only magelight, I opened the shutters and peeked out. My room overlooked the tavern’s main entrance. My original plan had been to leave through the front door, but I’d already attracted too much notice.

Best to avoid further attention.

Peering left and right, I studied the street and spotted Pitor. The same two groups of thugs kept watch on the tavern, but I was sure they would leave soon. From what Saya told me, I knew the Marauders manning the blockade changed shifts twice daily.

Once they left, I would follow.

Equipping my cat claws, I ducked out the window and climbed to the roof, no more than another blotch of darkness in the night. The tavern’s ground-floor exits were being watched, but I was sure no one would think to surveil the roof itself.

Pulling myself onto the roof, I ran silently across its tiled surface and peered at the adjacent building. It was a smaller structure, only three stories high, and was separated from the tavern by a road, but the gap was easy enough to ford with windborne. Calculating my trajectory, I materialized a solid ramp of air and slid down to the neighboring building.

I touched down lightly with nary a sound.

Staying crouched, I extended my senses and waited to see if anyone had noticed. No alarms were raised. Smiling tightly, I made my way to the opposite end of the building and, using my clawed gloves, descended to the street below.

✵ ✵ ✵

Slipping out of the safe zone was a trivial matter.

The walls around the village had been destroyed, and no one bothered keeping watch on the players streaming in and out any longer. Reaching the treeline, I cloaked myself in shadow and cast facial disguise, taking the guise of an unremarkable human fighter.

Even at this hour, players still moved through the forest. Most belonged to companies of soldiers, returning to the safe zone to take shelter for the night. Despite the changes in the valley, players remained afraid of the darkness, although this time around, the monsters they feared were other players.

Scaling a tall tree on the village’s northwest perimeter, I turned about to keep watch on players exiting the safe zone. Saya hadn’t been able to get the exact location of the Marauder’s encampment. If I had to search for it myself, I knew it would take me the greater part of the night to find. Much easier, I decided, to follow my marks to my destination.

An hour later, as the stream of incoming players slowed to a trickle, my quarries appeared—two dozen of them, to be precise. Shaking myself alert, I carefully examined the faces of the approaching Marauders. Sadly, Pitor was not among them.

It’s the group from the other blockade, I thought.

Pitor’s team could not be far behind, but while I’d been relishing the opportunity to silence the human warrior, one group of Marauders was as good as another.

Rising into a half-crouch, I tiptoed across the tree bough, stalking my prey from above.

✵ ✵ ✵

The Marauder team headed dead west, traveling parallel to the mountain slopes. Tracking them from high above in the trees, I went unnoticed.

For thirty minutes, I did nothing but watch and analyze my foes. The group consisted of a mix of spellcasters, fighters, and rangers—a substantial number of rangers, which was perhaps unsurprising given the environment the Marauders were operating in. Best of all, though, every player’s level was below my own—a welcome change from my usual encounters.

The main body of fifteen traveled in a tight-knit group under a half-dozen magelights while the nine rangers formed a large screen around them. But surprisingly, none of the party’s scouts took to the trees. That will make this easier.

Unfurling my mindsight, I scanned the surroundings again. This time around, I detected no other players nearby except the Marauders. Satisfied we’d ventured far enough from the village not to run into anyone else, I cast my buffs.

Your Dexterity has increased by +8 ranks for 20 minutes.

You have gained an encumbrance aura for 10 minutes.

You have trigger-cast quick mend.

You have cast facial disguise. Duration: 1 hour.

I peered down through the branches one last time. The column of warriors and spellcasters, laughing and joking amongst themselves, were still oblivious to my presence. Time to act, I decided and dropped back to wait for the rearmost scouts.

The rangers were traveling in pairs, two on each flank, except at the front, where there were three. With my mindsight opened, I sensed the mindglows of the scouts guarding the party’s backtrail before I saw them. Their stealth is quite good, I thought grudgingly as I waited for the pair to draw closer.

You have detected 2 hostile entities.

Sunchild is no longer hidden! Krato is no longer hidden!

Two hostile entities have failed to detect you!

The scouts were almost directly beneath me now, and the main body had marched out of sight. Spinning psi, I slipped tendrils of will into the minds of both players.

You have cast slaysight. You have hidden your presence from 2 of 2 targets for 10 seconds.

Perfect, I thought as the spell went off without a hitch. Lowering myself off the tree branch, I dropped to the forest floor and landed with a soft thud.

The first scout froze. “You hear that?” Sunchild whispered.

Krato broke off from scanning the surroundings to frown at his partner. “Hear what?”

I was directly in front of the pair—less than two yards away, in fact—but blinded by slaysight, they didn’t see me. Drawing my blades silently, I rose to my feet.

“I swear I heard a—” Sunchild began.

Darting forward, I rammed ebonheart through his throat, stopping him short.

You have killed Sunchild with a fatal blow.

Krato gaped at the sudden appearance of the bloody hole in his companion. His shock lasted only a heartbeat, though. Recovering, the ranger whipped his head back and forth and grabbed for the weapon at his waist.

He didn’t stand a chance.

Flowing deftly around the scout, I plunged both my blades through his back, ending his life as abruptly as I had his partner’s.

You have killed Krato with a fatal blow.

Letting the corpse drop at my feet, I listened intently. The main column of Marauders had not broken off their advance, nor did I hear any other scouts approaching.

My kills had gone unnoticed.

Sheathing my blades, I looted the bodies, then took off in a curving run south.

It was time to take out the other scouts.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have killed Heron.

You have killed Lilith.

You have …

You have acquired 7 x caches of miscellaneous items.

You have reached level 136.

Your shortswords has increased to level 121 and reached rank 12.

Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 112 and reached rank 11.

Your telepathy has increased to level 111 and reached rank 11.

Taking out the other rangers was almost child’s play. Using a combination of charm, slaysight, and shadow blink, I’d cut a deadly arc around the party, eliminating their scouts one by one.

Now, it was finally time to deal with the rest of the Marauder team. Perched on a tree and directly in their line of march, I waited for the main column to appear in the clearing below.

“… think I stand a chance?”

“Don’t be daft! Geta will eat you alive.”

“Yeah, man, listen to Mel.  That wench likes a man with a little more meat on his bones.”

“Ask Turton. He knows exactly what I’m…”

My lips twitched upward. The spellcasters and fighters appeared none the wiser of their companions’ fate. Dumb and happy. And coming to me like lambs to the slaughter.

Just the way I planned.

Drawing upon my psi, I sent tendrils of my will rushing into the center of the enemy column, simultaneously breaching the mental defenses of eight players.

You have cast mass charm. You have charmed 8 of 10 targets for 20 seconds. Two players have passed a mental resistance check.

Hosen has detected your mental intrusion!

Ah well, I thought as two Marauders resisted my attempted bewitching. I supposed another perfect result was too much to hope for, but eight minions could manage the job as well as ten.

Even if one of the Marauders had been alerted.

Hosen’s head swung back and forth. He hadn’t spotted me, but he clearly sensed something amiss. “Ambush!” the priest yelled. “Draw your weapons!”

The orc at the front of the column swung about and frowned. “What are you on about now, Hosen? There’s no one—”

I was still choosing individual targets for each of my charmed minions to assault, but in the wake of the priest’s warning, I realized I couldn’t afford to be picky.

“Attack,” I whispered.

Eight players drew their weapons and threw themselves at their former companions, slashing with blades, chopping with axes, or unleashing their magic with staffs and wands.

It was glorious mayhem.

Blood spurted. Limbs were hacked off. Entrails were spilled. Fireballs roared to life. Ice expanded underfoot. Roots thrust up from the ground.

And through it all, players died.

Your minions have killed Turton.

Your minions have injured Melancholy.

Your minions have injured…

…

“What are you fools doing!” the orc roared. He still hadn’t realized what was happening. “Stop this at once!”

“I told you, we are under attack,” Hoosen shouted from inside a dull bubble of ash. “There’s a psionic lurking nearby.”

My eyes narrowed, having no trouble overhearing the two above the clash of blades and spells. The priest was more perceptive than I anticipated. I’ve got to do something about him.

That was easier said than done, though. Hosen was already shielded and surrounded by five other unaffected and angry players—one had died already. But there was no reason for me to risk myself in melee combat. Shrouded in the trees, I had the upper hand.

I’ll do this from afar, I decided and formed two astral daggers in my hands.

“Well, find him then!” the orc bellowed.

“On it already,” Hosen snapped back. A moment later, a white star exploded in the clearing. Ducking my head, I shielded my eyes from the harsh light.

Unfortunately, the priest’s casting was more than a simple light spell.

Hosen has cast seeking star of shadow.

You have failed a magical resistance check! You are shadow touched. Duration: 60 seconds. For the length of the debuff, you cannot hide from any player bearing a Mark of Shadow.

You are no longer hidden.

Raising his hand, Hosen pointed unerringly at me. “There he is!”

“Damn,” I muttered, letting the half-summoned astral blades fade away. This was not part of the plan. I had not intended on letting the Marauders catch sight of me, not when I could use mass charm to whittle them down from the shadows. A faceless demon in the woods was much scarier than a foe to whom you could put a face.

But now, I had a choice: run or fight.

“Well done,” the orc crowed, spinning around to glare at me. “Now dispel his casting, and let’s kill the pest!”

I fight, I decided my face hardening.

My overarching plan for dealing with the Marauders required them to fear me, and that would not happen if I fled with my tail between my legs at the first sign of trouble.

Drawing psi, I stepped through the aether and into the chaos raging in the clearing.