Grand Game 342: Out of Tricks (Patreon)

Ghost’s words hit me hard, and for a moment, I closed my eyes, tasting defeat like ash in my mouth.

Stone has cast revealing light.

Light blossomed in the T-junction, but I was already far enough away that the few rays that managed to reach my position failed to disrupt my stealth.

“I’m sorry, Prime. I didn’t think there was any choice. That blizzard looked nasty.”

I waved Ghost’s concerns aside. “You did the right thing. Staying in the main corridor was not an option.” I glanced over my shoulder. The possessed had split again, seven hanging back—presumably on the other side of the ward that Rice had erected—to guard the T-junction.

The other seven, under Avery’s command, were advancing steadily, strengthening their defenses with every step. They were in no hurry, and I easily outpaced them. Then again, they likely already knew I was trapped.

I faced forward again. “This corridor must lead somewhere. What lies at its end?”

“An open room with soft chairs, cushions, and tables,” Ghost replied. “I have no idea what purpose it serves.”

“It’s a lounge,” I murmured.

“Oh. What’s that?”

“A room where you sit.”

“Sit? Only sit?”

“That’s right,” I replied, amused by her confusion despite my grim circumstances. “Sometimes you can talk too.” The lounge still hadn’t come into sight, and I realized the corridor was a long one. Closing my eyes, I took a moment to get my bearings. “The sitting room must be right up against the tower’s outer wall. Are there any windows?”

“A few,” Ghost answered.

I smiled in relief. Escape was still possible, then.

A moment later, yet more good news arrived in the guise of another Game message.

You are no longer weakened.

The wilting spell had finally dissipated, and I straightened from the slouch I’d unconsciously fallen into. I didn’t turn on my pursuers though. I had learned what I’d come to. And as much as it galled me to flee, now was not the time for more heroics.

Besides, the possessed mages were well-prepared for any counterattacks. Their buffs were cast, and their shields were up. Striking at them now would not be smart.

Quickening my steps, I padded down the corridor and into the lounge.

✵ ✵ ✵

There were four windows in the room.

All were barred.

“Damn,” I cursed, seeing my chance at freedom slipping away. Hurrying to the closest window, I inspected it carefully.

Three vertical rods were planted in the window frame, each a two-inch thick bar formed from solid steel. I tested the gaps between. They were large enough to squeeze a limb through but not an entire body.

“Will you fit?” Ghost asked.

I shook my head. I could cut through the steel rods with ebonheart, but it would be noisy and take time—I glanced back at the lounge’s arched entrance—time, I was sure, Avery would not give me.

That left only one option.

I sighed. “We will have to deal with the mages first.” No easy feat, given how few tools I had at my disposal. I scanned the room.

It was brightly lit and held several large pieces of furniture: couches, tables, and chests mostly. At the very least, there were plenty of hiding spots, but beyond that, the room’s contents were of no use.

I glanced up. The ceiling had been built high, presumably to accommodate the magelights floating beneath. I couldn’t put out the glowing orbs, but the room’s height gave me an idea. I had one other advantage not dependent on my abilities: my agility.

It gave me greater maneuverability than the possessed would expect. Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out my climbing gear.

You have equipped a set of cat claws.

Ordinarily, mages were at their most dangerous at range. If I was going to have any chance of surviving, I would have to close on them quickly and unseen. And the best way to do that…

…would be to drop down from above.

Soft whispers floated in me from the corridor. The possessed were drawing closer, and my time had run out. Sprinting silently across the room, I launched myself onto a table. Weaving deftly through its clutter, I reached its far end and leaped, hands extended.

My claws found purchase.

But my hold was far from secure. “How far?” I rasped, clinging tenaciously to the stone wall.

“You have a few seconds still,” Ghost replied, not needing me to elaborate further.

A few seconds would suffice.

Extending my arms, I rushed diagonally across the wall in spiderlike fashion until I was directly over the lounge’s arched entryway. Reaching my chosen perch, I scanned the wall quickly and spotted a deep groove between two bricks.

Good enough, I thought and jammed the claws on my left hand into the hole. Anchored in place, I peered down.

I was twelve feet above the floor and positioned directly over the room’s only entrance. Pulling off my right glove with my teeth, I stowed it away and drew ebonheart.

I was ready.

✵ ✵ ✵

Eight hostile entities have failed to detect you!

It didn’t take the possessed long to emerge from the corridor. They didn’t immediately spread out, though.

“Where is he?” one asked in a hushed tone.

Avery rolled his eyes. “Hiding, obviously,” he said, not bothering to lower his voice. The possessed leader scanned the room in predatory fashion, the tip of his staff glowing and ready to unleash whatever magics he had prepared.

He would have to die first, I decided and measured the distance to the mage. If I threw myself to the left, I would land directly atop him.

“Rice, Lake, check the right side of the room,” Avery ordered. “Johir, Sylver, start at the chests on the left and work your way to the windows. Gordon and Mikane, look beneath those tables. Haril, you stay here with me.”

Eight hostile entities have failed to detect you!

I delayed my assault as the possessed dispersed to do Avery’s bidding. So far, none of the mages had so much as glanced upwards, and I judged I would go undetected for a while still—leaving me with a few more precious seconds to time everything perfectly.

While I waited, I scrutinized my targets and prioritized threats. Thankfully, analyze required no energy and still functioned despite me being quad chained.

“Are we sure he is even here?” Haril asked. He was the lowest leveled of the possessed, and the most nervous.

“Where else would he be?” Avery snapped irritably.

Haril licked his lips. “Maybe, he’s—”

I stopped listening. The possessed had spread out enough. It was time. Slipping my left hand free of the clawed glove, I pushed off the wall with my legs and launched myself at Avery.

Mid-air, I drew faithful.

At the last second, the possessed leader sensed something amiss and spun around to look up. Barely a few feet separated us, though, and I bowled into him feet first before he could bring his staff up.

Your target’s shield has blocked your attacks, absorbing its damage.

I struck Avery’s defenses and not the man himself, of course. Still, the momentum of my assault sufficed to knock the possessed off his feet and send his weapon flying.

Behind me, Haril yelped.

Ignoring him, I leaped forward and onto the downed mage’s shield bubble. The spelled surface was slippery, and its curvature made sitting awkward, but I was agile enough to not only maintain my perch, but to strike down at my shocked foe with both my blades.

Your target’s shield has blocked your attacks.

Haril lowered his staff to point at me. The other possessed were also turning in my direction. Very soon, an avalanche of magic would be descending on me.

I had no choice, though, but to ignore the danger. Now that I had sprung my ambush, I had to finish off my prey. Leaving him alive would be to court even greater danger.

My swords a blur, I struck down repeatedly, each attack ricocheting sharply off Avery’s defenses.

Your target’s shield has blocked your attacks.

Your target’s shield has blocked your attacks.

…

…

Avery raised his hands, magic boiling to life in his palms, but the possessed leader was already too late. My sword fighting skills had come a long way since I’d last fought a mage. Even unempowered by whirlwind or piercing strike, each hit from ebonheart and faithful inflicted huge swathes of damage.

Your target’s shield has been destroyed!

Before Avery could finish his spell, his defenses collapsed, and I dropped down onto his chest, leaving him gasping for air.

“Don’t do—” he began.

Not waiting to hear what he had to say, I buried my swords hilt-deep in his chest.

You have killed Avery with a fatal blow.

My triumph was short lived, though, as the rest of the mages unleashed their spells near simultaneously and enveloped me in a storm of magic.

From behind, lightning struck.

From the left, jets of fire and poison.

And from the right, twin whips of light and darkness.

Haril and the others had finally rallied, and any inclination they might have had about leaving my corpse unmarked had vanished.

You have failed 4 magical resistance checks!

The lightning bolt fizzled, rebuffed by my void armor. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky with the remaining attacks.

A spray of venom has hit you. You are poisoned.

A fire lance has hit you. You are burning.

Death’s touch has injured you.

A light ray has injured you.

Void armor charge remaining: 78%. Your health has decreased to 57%.

I staggered under the onslaught, alive, but dazed and reeling. Matters were only getting started though, and in the next instant, the toxins coating my body ignited.

You have detonated.

Contrary energies tugged at me, pulling me in multiple directions at once and threatening to rip my body apart. Bones splintered, sinew tore, and skin stretched, but just as it felt as if I’d reached breaking point, the explosive forces receded.

An explosion has critically injured you! Fire damage incurred reduced by 45%.

You are bleeding, befuddled, deafened, blinded, and crippled.

My void armor saved me.

Leeching away enough of the volatile magics, it had kept me intact. It did not prevent me from being treated like human flotsam, though, and I cannoned into an unyielding stone wall as if smacked aside by some giant uncaring hand.

Void armor depleted.

Quick mend triggered, restoring 20% of your health!

3 of 5 status effects healed. Remaining effects: crippled and blinded.

More of my bones fractured, but I barely noticed. My body was already a quivering mess. What was one more injury heaped upon the others? Nearly senseless with pain, I dropped bonelessly to the floor.

Warning! Your health is dangerously low at 13%.

7 of 7 hostiles have been knocked down.

Unconsciousness beckoned. I resisted its call.

I had to drag myself to safety, but where that was, I had no idea. The explosion had robbed me of sight. Blindly, I reached for the shadows and cloaked myself.

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

My skin was blackened and my armor was smoking, but I was alive. I am alive, I repeated, trying to distract myself from the searing pain riddling nearly every inch of my body.

I would not remain that way if I didn’t act further, though.

Thankfully the explosion had knocked back the possessed too—but they were shielded and would’ve weathered its effects better than I did. Rolling onto my stomach, I lifted my head and peered about.

I saw nothing, of course.

Until I healed myself fully, I would remain blind—I glanced down at my limp right leg—and crippled. But blind and broken did not mean senseless. I inhaled deeply.

And tasted ash.

The tower had shaken under the explosion, and I could only imagine that the room was filled with smoke. It would help, but I was under no illusions. Sooner or later, the mages would find me. Already, I could hear them picking themselves up and calling out to each other.

“Avery, you alive?” Rice shouted.

“H-he’s… dead!”

“Haril, is that you?” Sylver yelled. “Where is the player?”

“I s-saw him… thrown.”

“Is he still alive?” Mikane asked.

“I’m n-not… sure,” Haril coughed.

“Find him!” Lake roared. “Castor will have our heads otherwise.”

“Who put you in charge?” Gordon asked sourly. “I say we retreat and come back with the others.”

“I agree,” Johir chipped in.

“Shut up, you fools! Listen to Lake, or I’ll take your heads myself,” Rice threatened.

All seven mages were alive and at least some of them were determined to find me. Not good, I thought—which was an insane understatement.

My circumstances were dire enough that I would have downed a potion if I could. But, like my other items, they had also been stripped of magic. There was no getting around it. For the next two hours, I was going to be defenseless—and useless.

Perhaps it is time to give up the fight. I grinned evilly. It was not like any of the possessed would want my corpse now, anyway.

“Prime! Prime!”

“I’m here,” I gasped. “Still alive.” If barely.

“What should I do?” Ghost asked, sounding miserable.

I had no cunning plan, though. I was out of tricks and disabled to boot. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Whatever you can.”

For a moment, the spirit wolf said nothing, and even without access to her mindglow, I could feel her frantic turn of thoughts as she searched for a way out of our predicament.

“It’s alright, Ghost,” I said, regretting my careless words. “I don’t think getting out of this one is possible.”

Ambushing the possessed had always been a gamble, and my assault had only been partially successful. Avery was dead and his followers left in disarray. But I had ended up blinded and crippled in the process.

Now, all that there was to do was hide and hope. Maybe the possessed wouldn’t find me.

Maybe.

Resigned to my fate, I closed my eyes.