Grand Game 340: Enter the Lair (Patreon)

The fourth floor was a maze of corridors and after only a few seconds navigating them, Ghost and I were in danger of getting lost. Sending her ahead to scout, I followed more slowly.

“You there, stop!”

The shout had come from behind. I halted. I hadn’t sensed my questioner’s approach, which meant his mind was shielded.

Have I been found out already?

But no, the voice was relaxed—bored. Deciding to maintain my ruse, I pulled off my spectacles and, keeping them concealed in my palm, turned around.

The figure scowled.

The mage’s head was bare, revealing a heavily pockmarked face. My interest quickened. A possessed? I wondered.

“Lower your cowl,” he snapped.

Obediently, I did as I was told. At the same time, I reached out with my will and analyzed the mage.

You have passed a mental resistance check! A hostile entity has failed to pierce your disguise.

The target is Davin, a level 130 human.

On seeing my face, Davin’s scowl deepened.

“How can I help you?” I asked with pretended meekness.

“It’s how can I help you, Master,” the mage sneered. “Or have you forgotten who you are addressing, boy?”

I bowed from the waist. “Apologies, Master. I meant no disrespect.”

Davin stared searchingly at my face for a moment, then snorted, satisfied that I was sufficiently cowed. “What are you doing on this level? You know it’s restricted.”

No, I didn’t know that. I thought fast. “I’m delivering a message, Master.”

“A message? For whom?”

“It’s for Magister Avery, Master. It concerns the player.”

Davin’s eyes gleamed. “Has he been found?”

I bowed again. “I can’t say, Master. Forgive me, but I’ve been told the message is for Magister Avery’s ears only.”

The mage grunted in disappointment. “And I suppose you need someone to escort you through the wards?”

If that was what he supposed, then yes. I looked at him pleadingly. “Would Master be so kind? Thank you!”

Davin mouth twisted sourly as he realized he’d trapped himself in performing a menial task. Spinning around, he cut left through the corridors. “Don’t dawdle!” he snapped. “Follow me!”

Bowing my head to conceal my smirk, I hurried after the mage. Finally, it looked like I was getting somewhere.

✵ ✵ ✵

Davin led me to another stairway—the entrance to the fifth floor. Coming to a halt three feet before the first step, he glanced over his shoulder and barked, “Stay there and don’t move!”

I dropped my head in mute acknowledgment.

Swinging around, Davin began muttering to himself, and I suspected he was lowering the wards he’d mentioned earlier.

The fifth floor, it seemed, had had significantly more protection than the lower levels, and given that even the apprentices could not pass through without assistance from a higher up, it was clear that whatever occupied it was important.

I will find the possessed there, I thought.

“Should I go scout the floor?” Ghost asked from beside me.

I hesitated. So far, none of the possessed—not even  Castor—had been able to perceive the spirit wolf. But would the same hold true for their wards? Sadly, I did not know enough about the mages nor their spells to determine the probability of that.

“Better not,” I murmured. “Things seem to be going well. Let’s not needlessly trip ourselves up.”

Davin swung back towards me. “It’s open. Go.”

Without the spectacles of ward seeing, I had to take the bald mage at his word. “Thank you Master,” I said and ducked past him.

Behind me, I heard Davin whispering to himself again. I cursed under my breath. If the mage was renewing the wards, getting out might be a problem...

But I would worry about that later. I had another floor to explore. Forgetting Davin, I hurried up the short flight of steps with Ghost by my side. At the top, I found a closed door and two mages. They were facing the staircase with their backs to the entrance and held staffs at the ready. Guards, I thought.

Two hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise.

Both mages stared fixedly at me. Careful to appear unthreatening, I approached slowly while studying them in turn.

The pair had their cowls lowered, revealing unmarked faces. One had a deep laceration on his right hand though, and the other, a curved gash across the neck. Both wounds looked raw yet did not seem to discomfort the mages at all.

The pair were undoubtedly possessed. Reaching out with my will, I analyzed both.

The target is Gagan, a level 173 elf.

The target is Orlock, a level 151 human.

“Name and business?” Gagan asked in a bored tone.

“It’s Nell, Master. Here to deliver a message to Magister Avery.”

Orlock opened the door. “Go on through. You’ll find him in the casting hall.”

“Thank you, Master,” I said, a little amazed at how easy it was proving to penetrate the possessed’s defenses. They seemed even sloppier than the players I’d encountered in Nexus. If this was the caliber of protections I could expect in the lich’s court, then getting through would require no great effort.

Elron has overestimated them.

On that cheerful thought, I stepped through the open door.

Entrance denied! You do not possess the necessary access key to pass through. Detection ward activated.

Scanning commencing…

…

Scans completed.

The subject has no mage guild sigil and has been identified as a potential threat! 2 of 2 spell traps activated.

You have triggered a trap!

You have failed a magical resistance check! You are quad chained. Duration: 2 hours.

Quad chained is a tier 5 debuff that prevents you from accessing your mana, stamina, and psi pools, rendering any ability that draws from them inoperable. Additionally, it temporarily strips all your enchanted items of their magics. Note, passive abilities and abilities already active are not affected by the debuff.

You have triggered a trap!

A Maizon Prison has been activated. Duration: 5 minutes.

Before my right foot could make contact on the other side of the doorway, bars of brilliant white erupted from the floor to encase me in a spelled cage. Shocked both by the plethora of Game messages and my sudden imprisonment, I staggered backwards, accidentally touching one of the glowing bars.

You have failed to damage a Maizon Prison. It is immune to all forms of damage.

The two guards spun around. “By the Powers! What’s happening?” Orlock exclaimed.

“It’s an intruder!” Gagan yelled.

Orlock swore. “How did he get this far?”

“Who cares?” Gagan retorted. “Get Avery.”

Helpless, I spun around in a full circle, searching for any weaknesses in my prison. Barely two feet separated the opposite ends of the cage, trapping me in the doorway and leaving me almost no room to maneuver.

Orlock rushed past me into the corridor beyond. I watched him go, powerless to do otherwise. My abilities had been negated, and my magic items had gone dark.

For once, I was out of tricks.

Two hours, I thought, examining the Game alert again. That was a wretchedly long spell. Powerful, too. It could only have been cast by an elite. This is Castor’s work.

I sighed. Even if I’d been wearing the spectacles, I would not have seen the spelled trap. I underestimated the possessed, I admitted glumly. Now, caught and stripped of my abilities, I was paying the price.

But I was not completely helpless.

My disguise hadn’t been pierced, and I retained the use of my skills. Notably, that included stealth. My void armor should still work too; it was a passive ability, after all.

I can still escape, I concluded.

I scrutinized my surroundings anew. A corridor stretched beyond the doorway. About a dozen yards ahead was a left side passage, and a few more yards beyond that, there was another going right.

I examined the staircase behind me. The most direct means of escape lay that way, but Davin had probably already renewed the ward I’d come through. Returning to the lower floor would not be easy and, perhaps, even entirely impossible. I looked at the second guard, who was scrutinizing me through slit eyes.

“You are not Nell,” Gagan spat. “Who are you?”

Ignoring his question, my gaze found the ethereal figure behind him. Ghost was still free, but from the wild look in her eyes, I could see she was panicking.

Would I be able to speak to her? I wondered. After all, mindspeech was not an ability but an extension of the telepathy skill. “Ghost, can you hear me?”

“Prime!” she replied, her voice heavy with relief. “Your mindglow disappeared. I-I thought… thought you were…”

“I’m alright,” I assured her with false cheer. “But I’ll admit things aren’t looking good.”

“Can’t you teleport out?” Not waiting for my response, she turned around. “Wait, let me find a safe spot. Then you can—”

“No, Ghost. That won’t work. My abilities have been disabled.”

The spirit wolf swung back around. “Then break through that cage. It doesn’t look strong enough to hold you!”

I shook my head minutely. “Can’t. It’s immune to damage.”

Ghost looked crestfallen. “You’re trapped, then?”

I nodded bleakly.

“What can I do?”

I wasn’t sure anything could be done, but I sensed the spirit wolf needed something to occupy her. “Scout the level and find me somewhere to hide,” I replied. “Return as soon as you can. I’ll play for time until then.”

“Yes, Prime!” Ghost replied, rushing off immediately. I watched her go, a forlorn expression on my face. At least, she could still escape...

I shook myself, breaking free from the despair threatening to overcome me. The task I’d set Ghost wasn’t completely without purpose. While the quad-chained debuff would take a ghastly two hours to dissipate, the Maizon Prison wouldn’t last more than five minutes—less than four now—and when it fell, I had to be ready to act.

“Answer me!” the elf demanded abruptly. “Who are you?”

I turned back to the guard. He was still glaring at me. “B-b-but Master, I-I… am Nell,” I said, maintaining my act.

“Liar,” he growled.

I stared wide-eyed back at him, keeping my expression meek and pathetic. I didn’t expect my pretense at innocence to work but if it delayed the guard from acting for even a minute, then the ploy would have served its purpose.

Before Gagan could respond, footsteps—many footsteps—heralded the approach of newcomers. Turning around, I spied nearly a full score of mages advancing down the corridor from deeper in the level. Leading them was Avery.

My gaze jumped from figure to figure, scanning faces, but I saw no sign of Castor and some of my tension dissipated. If the elite was absent, then even without my abilities, escape might still be possible.

Avery drew to a stop an inch from the bars, so close I could feel his breath on my skin. His face was tight as he studied me from head to toe. “So... you are a deception player too.”

I screwed up my face in affected befuddlement.

“You can drop the act,” Avery said derisively. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

I didn’t react.

“Is Taim even your real name? Or was the whole ‘explorer’ thing a ruse too?”

The possessed was perceptive, I granted him that. Still, I remained silent.

Another mage stepped forward; his motions hesitant. “Are you sure, Master? I know Nell. And this… person looks identical to him.”

“Don’t be a fool, Hedron,” Avery snapped. “This is the player we’re looking for.”

“But—”

“Silence!” Avery roared.

As Hedron’s mouth snapped closed, another mage advanced. “We’ll be going then.”

Avery’s eyes narrowed. “Going? Going where, Horlick?”

Horlick gestured towards me. “You’re certain he is the player?”

Avery nodded sharply.

“Then this is possessed business,” Horlick said. “You have the one you want and don’t require our aid. We will leave you to deal with him.”

I studied Horlick and Hedron intently. Both mages were unscarred, and I realized they were city born. Not possessed.

Avery’s mouth twisted, and I could see Horlick’s words had angered him. Still, all he said was, “Go, if you must. Take the other fools with you, and tell the Sevry, they may lower the dome.” His gaze found me again. “Our quarry won’t be going anywhere.”

Horlick nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the venom in Avery’s tone. He returned the way he came, four other mages trailing behind him. Including Gagan, that left sixteen mages for me to deal with.

Avery looked at the guard. “Have you sent word to Castor?”

Gagan shook his head. “Not yet. He is in the fortress with—”

“See to it at once!” Avery snapped.

Mutely, the elf spun around and hurried down the stairs.

Inwardly, I smiled. Avery had just confirmed Castor was out of play. Now, all I had to figure out was how to deal with the remaining fifteen mages.