“That’s why you wear a helmet, idiot.” Kaius thought to himself, drawing his sword back to stab his blade into the knife-wielding rogue’s back.
The rogue blurred, reacting like he had eyes in the back of his head. Gods he was fast, far faster than the swordsman.
Before he knew it, the rogue was inside of his guard, and he felt the kiss of the man’s blade three times.
Kaius gasped—blood welling from the wounds.
The rogue backed up, looking behind Kaius at the slain bodies of his companion.
“Typical,” the man spat. “Should’ve known better than to trust a report. At least it’s less of the pot to share.”
Circling along the wall, the archer drew back her bow—aiming for him.
Sinking into his guard, Kaius accepted the momentary reprieve—every second was another he could heal.
“Who are you?” he asked, keeping his tone even and casual.
“No one you would know.” the rogue replied. “Looks like you’re all on your lonesome now, though. Might be best you just give up, save us all a bit of hassle.”
Kaius’s eyes widened, heart slamming in his chest. He didn’t take the bait and look behind him, but he could feel through his bond that the man was right. Porkchop was out—his mind hazy and indistinct.
Killing the swordsman had taken the last of his brother’s strength, and he’d fallen under the sway of the poison.
They’d lost.
He knew that by himself he had no chance against the remaining members of the team. Undoubtedly the leader, the rogue was in a league of his own—he moved like a ghost, and his daggers felt like they hit as hard as the swordsman’s heavy blade. Worse, he felt the numbness creeping up his neck, the weight on his shoulders, and the pooling fatigue that made his limbs feel like lead.
He had little left to give.
The only thing he could do is make them work for it.
He rushed the rogue, a sudden Hateful Nail forcing the archer to evade. Flowing into a cycle of slashes, Kaius did his best to hem the man in.
Yet for all of his advantage in range and strength, the man was impossible to hit. He simply flowed around his strikes like they were moving at half speed—dashing in and out of his guard to whittle away at him with a dozen light cuts.
He was being toyed with—a fact that burned. Every cut was light, sinking just deep enough to cut the muscle, even when it would have been easy for the rogue to leave mortal wounds.
All the while, arrows flew—punching into his legs and arms, hampering his ability to respond.
The archer needed to go.
With only a few more casts left, Kaius used Expedient Shunt—soaring straight for the irritating woman. She only used a movement skill of her own—a surge of wind carrying her out of his reach while she landed three more arrows in his hip.
Howling in frustration, Kaius abandoned his pursuit and whirled back to the leader—his wild swing hitting nothing but air.
**Ding! Rapid Adaptation has added a new Resistance: Dream!**
Feeling the ding of Rapid Adaptation growing used to the final component of the toxin that coursed through his blood, Kaius hoped for a moment that it would be what he needed to turn the tide.
It wasn’t—even burning with renewed vigour, the poison only slowed. He could feel it now, clouding his mind. Every thought was hazy, like he’d only just woke up, and his wounds crawled with an unnatural chill.
“Who hired you? The Onyx Temple?” Kaius gasped, sweat dripping from his brow. Clumsily swiping through the air, he missed an arrow, the projectile slamming home into his upper arm.
The leader ignored him. His form dissolved like smoke on the wind, racing inwards. Kaius tried to ward him off—only for a dagger to punch through his hand.
With a grip of iron, the rogue yanked his arm upwards. His blade slipped free, clattering to the ground with a loud ring.
“You’re strong—I see why they want you.” the man murmured, his voice guttural.
Kaius bared his teeth. Lightning cracked in his free hand, and he swiped for the rogue—trying to free himself so he could grab A Father’s Gift.
An arrow slammed home into his shoulder, rupturing the joint. Crippled and poisoned as Kaius was, the rogue simply stepped to the side, letting his spell splash harmlessly behind him on the red stone of the plateau.
“Your magic is strange too.”
Blurring inwards, the rogue’s dagger grew dark and indistinct. Ruthless in his assault, he smashed the pommel into Kaius’s temple.
His vision went grey, legs collapsing as whatever skill the leader had used sapped all of his strength.
Flipping his dagger into a reverse grip, the rogue used another skill—his blade glowing with internal light. The dagger slammed home into Kaius’s clavicle, drawing a final quiet gasp from his throat.
The poison in Kaius’s body went berserk—tripling its rampage through his body as the rogue’s final skill inflamed it to new heights.
Barely holding on to the precipice as he was, it was too much.
He slumped—just barely aware of his surroundings, his vision little more than an indistinct haze.
A set of boots hit the ground in front of him, another illusion dissolving. Half delirious as he was, Kaius absentmindedly noted that they were utilitarian—knee high brown leather that looked well worn, like the kind he was wearing under his sabatons.
All but paralysed as he was, that was all he could make out—his eyes half closed and his neck immobile.
The rogue turned to the new arrival.
“You gave me bad information; now I need to go through the hassle of finding more men.” the rogue said, his tone biting.
“You’ll be paid for the difficulties—this was outside our anticipation.” the new arrival appeased in a smooth baritone.
“I better be—no sane man takes out a contract on a greater meles.” he hissed. “The elves have ears everywhere. If this blows back on us, me and Chance will have to flee past the dukedoms if we want to keep our skin. Even that might not be enough”.
The stranger winced. “That was my mistake—I never got within a half-league of them while I was tracking them. It’s my first time seeing the beast this close.” Taking a deep sigh, the stranger turned, looking down at Kaius. “Not to worry—I'm sure he’ll simply be ransomed. The other one though….he’s proven even more interesting than was expected. Expect to be paid handsomely, in addition to what was promised.”
The conversation died to a murmur, and Kaius felt his grip on consciousness grow tenuous.
It was only when manacles clicked over his hands that he returned from the fog, the sudden shock of his mana and stamina growing sluggish and immobile jolting him back.
“Let’s go, Old Yon is expecting us.”
Kaius had just enough wherewithal to fight through his confusion, committing the name to memory before the heavy weight of the Gravebound Slumber tugged him back to unconsciousness.