Chapter Fifty Six - 056It was extremely dark within the capital building. Squinting in anticipation, Felix was forced to reactivate his Manasight, but instead of a wash of purple-white energy he saw the now routine glow of earth and shadow Mana. It was a balm to his senses, and Felix reveled in his restored capacity. He had felt almost crippled without the additional sense, one he easily considered his most useful Skill. The hallway they were now in was short and straight, only ten or fifteen feet long, and lined with the usual assortment of bas-relief murals and nature motifs. The exits consisted of the door they had entered and another metal portal leading out. Presumably into the central chambers they sought. Turning toward the others, Felix saw that almost everyone was grouped together in the dark, each of them with their eyes glowing a bright green.
"Wh-" He began to ask, but a hand clamped onto his shoulder and squeezed. Not very tightly, certainly not hard enough to hurt him, but it made Felix look; he could tell it was Vessilia somehow, though her body was only a vague outline in the dark filled with hints of green-gold life Mana and bare flashes of other colors. She raised a finger to her lips.
Right. The plan. Harn had already disappeared, no doubt poisoning the giant's food as they waited.
Two minutes passed before Harn returned, his armor moving near soundlessly, and two more minutes before the first groans could be heard. Felix felt his breath quicken and his palms dampen, usually flying by the seat of his pants, this careful patience reminding him uncomfortably of hiding from the Razorwing Skinks in the bushes near the coast. Or worse yet, of the Dread which lurked just beyond the shore, waiting and watching for Felix to dare return to the Bitter Sea.
Worst part of Keen Mind, hands down. Felix shook himself, trying to dislodge the perfect memory of orange eyes in brackish water and endless tentacles fitted with hooks and barbs. The memory was fixed though, at least for a few more weeks; even then, his chance of perfect recall was still higher than he appreciated. Felix wasn't sure why the thought of the Dread bothered him so, why it had been creeping back into his consciousness, and could only reassure himself that it was simple nerves.
The rustle of Guilder bodies pulled him from his dark reverie, the impression of barbed appendages fading into the vault of his mind once again. Felix's allies rushed forward down the short hall before bursting through the metal door, now a rectangle of brilliant light.
The groans and roars of the giants went from murmurs to a crashing wave of sound as Felix entered, the flurry of activity almost overwhelming even as his hands hissed with the unreleased might of his Skills. Four giants were on the ground, clutching their stomachs and voiding their poisoned meals, while two others were more or less standing. Harn and Magda darted out, axes and shields swinging as they engaged the standing warriors. Felix loosed his Acid Stream directly into the eyes and mouth of the closest crippled Risi, causing the giant to rear back in agony even as it wretched. Foul bile and blue blood poured from its face, disorienting it and leaving it open for a single Corrosive Strike to its melting nose.
You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!
You Have Gained XP!
Corrosive Strike is level 21!
Make An Entrance is level 4!
The giant's face pulped against Felix's hand, it's skull bursting like a rotted melon. It surprised Felix, not expecting such an easy kill; but he moved on, not willing to tempt fate by investigating quite yet. The next Risi Warrior was already dead, their body pierced through by a silver spear even as it burned with vivid orange flames. Nodding at Vessilia and Atar, Felix kept moving. Harn was trading blows with a Risi guard that apparently had barely partaken of the tainted food, his twin axes smashing against the crude might of the giant's club. That left two more. Felix spotted the next sickened guard and the giant cauldron, bubbling atop a bonfire made of icy white flames.
Relentless Charge!
Felix's body clenched as a powerful sensation of magic surrounded and enveloped him, even as he ran forward at a greater clip than he anticipated. His Agility stat made him fast, but with Relentless Charge Felix reached the giant before either of them were prepared, hurtling bodily into the Risi Warrior and smashing them into the white bonfire. The giant attempted to roar in pain, but only choked on the rising bile that spilled out of its mouth even as flames ate at its ice demon fur and beard. Felix grimaced in disgust.
Relentless Charge is level 2!
Dual Casting!
Acid Stream!
Pushing extra Mana into the spell, Felix sought to make a quick end. Twin jets of acid shot from Felix's hands like firehoses, quickly and easily coating the giant in his empowered acid magic. The fire went out. The guard's pained cry became a messy, sobbing gurgle before he saw another kill notification.
You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!
You Have Gained XP!
Grunting with the effort, Felix cut off his streams, shaking out his hands as if that could alleviate the sharp pain he felt in his channels. Was that too much magic at once? Did I not shape it correctly? The excess Mana in his attack felt like sandpaper on his insides for a moment at the end, which wasn't something he'd experienced often. Why--?
"Felix! Behind you!" Vessilia cried.
Throwing himself forward into a roll, Felix still felt something clip his back as he tumbled to his feet. The nearest giant had disengaged with Evie and had whipped a long dagger in his direction. Felix snapped his head along the blade's path, seeing it shear into the ice on the far side of the room, sending an explosive cascade of crystalline shards raining down upon Vessilia and Atar. Perception screaming at him, Felix turned and flared his second most useful Skill.
Reign of Vellus!
Lightning exploded around Felix as the Risi Warrior's lunge was halted moments before connecting with its massive club. Pushing with all his magical might, Felix hurled the giant backwards, sending it careening into the warrior Harn was battling. With a series of rapid slashes, Harn finished both giants.
You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!
You Have Gained XP!
You Have Gained A Level!
You are now Level 20!
+3 to WIL! +2 to INT! +4 to DEX! +1 to END! +2 to PER! +2 to VIT! +4 to AGL!
You Have 5 Unused Stat Points!
Finally!
The rush of earned stats and experience flooded Felix's senses for a moment, feeling as if his body and mind were buoyed up on a thrilling raft of light as orchestral music blared a heavenly crescendo. When he came back down, the fight was over. Panting, flesh tingling pleasantly, Felix turned toward the others who had slowly gathered closer.
"Hah, hey," Felix nodded at Vessilia and Atar. "You both ok?"
Atar nodded, flexing his hands and rubbing them together. "The falling ice wasn't too bad, didn't have enough to bury us or cut into us, but this cold is getting awful."
"You are right about that," Vessilia agreed, tucking her spear under her arm as she brushed some frost and ice chips from her armored side. "But had that blade been an inch closer...It almost clove into me as it was."
Evie hopped over, chain whipping around her shoulder to store itself. "Vess! You ok? Can't believe that bastard got a cheap shot like that in! I--"
"Evie! I am fine. The blade barely nicked my belt." Vessilia held out her hands in a supplicating gesture toward Evie, staving off her guilt. Felix's quick glance took in some of the thin steel plates of her armor had been dented and a nice notch had been gouged from her thick leather belt.
She's right. Any closer and that would have gutted her. Felix swallowed and glanced around the chamber. We got all of em, right? Wait, who..?
The sound of metal on metal still crashed around the chamber. Across the room eight foot tall metal doors had been thrown open, and a gaggle of beleaguered and injured people had stumbled inside. Magda had thrown up one of her yellow force bubbles and was trading blows with one of the survivors.
"The prisoners," Vessilia whispered. "Why is Magda fighting them?"
The giant had barely hit the ground when Callie's eyes met with the tall, gore covered warrior just beyond it. She didn't move, just stood there and stared.
"Ma'am? W-who is that?" Bodie asked her, his adam's apple bobbing nervously. "What's going on?"
"That's the Shieldwitch!" Someone cried behind Callie, Vivianne probably. Still, their leader stood stock still, unwilling to move.
This isn't real. It can't be. She was still in the Labyrinth. They had never gotten out. An agonized moan of mounting horror crept from her lips, even as her face creased into a snarl. Not this. I will not fall for this trick again, Geist!
So caught up was Callie in her internal struggle that she couldn't react in time to the cage of steel that clamped around her body, pinning her to the monster before them.
"GERROFF!" Callie twisted her body, attempted to slip the fearsome grapple, but the creature's powerful limbs only clamped harder. "I know your tricks, you rat! ACK!"
"Shh, calm down Callie. It's ok. I'm here." The familiar voice battered against her senses, pushing her mind to accepting what was clearly another illusion. Callie reared back before slamming the thickest part of her skull directly into the creature's fake face, causing the monster to snap its head up in reaction.
Fluid Shift!
The arms, loosened incrementally, slipped from around Callie as if she were made of water, and the treasure hunter dropped into a wide split before kicking into a backwards roll. Flipping back to her feet, she took a run at the automaton wearing her ex's face, long daggers summoned to her hand with a brief pulse of her Mana.