Riftside 2 - Chapter 55

And here we go!

----

“Edwin?” I asked, rising but already moving towards the hole in the wall. I shot Ming and Alex a glance, too, just to check they were alright. “What are your orders?”

“Chase!” Arclight snapped. “The prey cannot be allowed to escape!”

The commander was already back on his feet, and looking among his team members.

“Alex, how bad is she?”

“I’m fine,” Ming said. “Go get the damn thing before it escapes! I want my…” She trailed off, gritting her teeth in pain and wincing. 

“She’ll live if I stay with her,” Alex said, “And no command will tear me away. Despite the literal mountain of dirt on top of us, and by the healer’s holy riftrotten name, you’re picking up my tab tonight! For all of it!”

“You know I wouldn’t ask you to, and you know I will,” Edwin said, turning in a circle and taking a look around. For the first time outside of the Twisted Titan, the commander seemed unsure what to do. We were still in a monster’s lair, and there might be more monsters here. But splitting our forces too much might risk the lives of those going after Quarris. 

“Knut,” I said. “Will you stay?”

“Always good to defend life of friends,” the northerner said. “Edwin will protect golden bird this time.”

We all knew he couldn’t do much against Quarris, but against the smaller crystalkin? Yeah, I trusted him to keep them safe.

“I’m staying too,” Nabeeh said. “I’m not running after some damn monster I can’t even damage. Also, why chase it when you guys can do it.”

“You’re a sweetheart,” Alex muttered.

“Of course I am. Also, this way the commander will owe me one. Maybe he can take me out for dinner or something as a thank you.”

Edwin grumbled something and shook his head.

“Thank you, Nabeeh. And I’ll take good care of Eryn, Knut,” Edwin said, clearly mistaking who the golden bird was, and we were not about to correct him.

“We’ll be back,” I told Ming and ran for the tunnel. Rowan was already there and heading in deeper. 

“So, we’ve got no mages, and we’re low on mana,” Isaac said as he ran after me. I could hear another pair of boots clanking behind us, and figured Edwin was at our backs. Eryn was between Isaac and me, and probably the safest place to be right now.

“At least we’ve got our passives back, and the damn monster’s only half its original size now,” I said. 

“We’re down to half our team, too,” Eryn noted.

“But the stronger half is right here,” Isaac said with a smug smirk.

“That’s rich coming from the one who did the least damage to the monster,” Edwin called out from behind.

“We’ll see where it leads us,” the commander continued. “If it’s trying to get out of the cavern, , I’d rather chase it above ground than here.”

The tunnel led ever upwards in twists and turns and looked to be a mix of natural and hand-made, or rather crystal-made, as if the Crystalkin had found the cave and turned it into a tunnel. Several places looked like it would be possible to break through the wall, but every time the tunnel straightened we saw Quarris ahead, half bent over, and always just a little closer.

“Tank up front,” Edwin yelled once we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and he rushed past us as we slowed down. “Mana situation?”

“About three skills worth,” Rowan said. “No regeneration with all this running.”

“Same,” Isaac said, “But I’ve got enough for five.”

“I’m full up,” Eryn said. 

“Show off!”

“Don’t be jealous,” Arclight replied. “It doesn’t suit a soul weapon.”

“I’ve got a few, too,” I said, since we had plenty of carcasses for Roq to use for Armor Break and Forge Anchor. Though I couldn’t use the flashy ones.

“Armor Break IS flash!” Roq said. “It’s literally got a pretty red glow and everything!”

“I’m nearly good for another full rotation,” Edwin said.

He slowed as we neared the opening, wary of a possible trap, but he didn’t have to worry. There was no sign of Quarris outside, only its heavy footprints leading off into the gigantic steelhusk trees.

“The hunt is on!” Arclight said. “That way, wielder, and be quick about it! If you lose the prey I will be forced to shock you!”

A second later it added, “True. That was a lie. Forgive me, wielder. I would never shock you. But, please! Hunt!”

Edwin set a brutal pace, one only adventurers could maintain for more than short sprints.

“There!” Arclight said. “Shoot, my wielder, shoot!”

Quite far ahead, among the trees, I spotted pink crystals.

“Clear the shot,” Eryn said as she stopped, activated Snipe, and prepared to shoot all at once.

“Too far,” Isaac said as we kept running, but every one of us moved left or right.

Arclight hummed, the bow sang, and Eryn’s arrow flashed by us. Isaac scoffed, but I sped up, knowing Eryn could make that shot with Arclight’s help. Two seconds later, the sound of cracking crystal echoed out and was followed by a crash and splintering trees. Isaac cursed under his breath. 

I grinned in my helmet.

“Got you there, didn’t she,” Edwin said with a laugh.

“I’d call it a lucky shot,” Isaac said, “But there ain’t nobody that lucky. Damn.”

We emerged from the trees to find Quarris picking himself up from a furrow, Eryn’s arrow standing out from the back of his skull.

Dirt clung to his entire front, and he looked angrier than a bag of rock puppies left on a fire overnight. The crystal giant roared as I went left, Rowan right, and Edwin straight down the middle. Isaac shot an arrow at the monster’s face, but it blocked with its shield. 

 “Forge Anchor!”

I hammered the ground as Edwin charged. Steelhusk roots burst forth and dug into Quarris’ legs as he stabbed at Edwin. 

I almost expected the crystal spear to shatter, but it stopped the commander’s charge with a grunt and even pushed him back. 

Rowan attacked, but despite being rooted, the giant managed to twist enough to block him.

But that left it open to Isaac’s explosive arrow to the face, and whatever passives the archer had, they worked. Or perhaps the pylons had been buffing Quarris. This time the giant’s chin cracked, and a piece of jaw fell away, and light bled away from the wound.

“Armor Break.”

“Wish we could give it a Hammer to the Face,” Roq said. “Perfect way to get back at it!”

“We’ll have to make that happen the hard way.” 

Roq glowed red and I went for the giant’s flank.

It whipped its spear in an arc, aimed hip high. I leaned into my shield and accepted the hit on the edge, letting it stagger me, but continuing to move forward, and struck.

I hit Quarris’ hip and this time, finally, Roq tore out a huge chunk.

“THIS is fine dining!” Roq said. “Join me, Arclight!”

“Don’t try and stop me,” she replied, just before one of Eryn’s arrows struck it in the chest, causing it to shudder for a moment thanks to Arclight’s electricity. 

I struck the hip again, damaging it further, while Edwin used the same skill I’d seen Knut use so many times, and he leapt into the air. But unlike Knut, he used the opportunity to cut Quarris across the face at the top of his jump, widening the wound, before slamming down.

Quarris roared and threw his spear. 

But not at us, it instead went right for Isaac’s chest. He tried to dodge, but the spear came too fast.

Right before it hit, the air seemed to congeal around the archer, and the spear’s tip shifted away from his chest and instead carved along his left arm, sending him to the ground, groaning in pain.

“Warden’s Embrace,” Eryn said, calling her spell impolitely late, not that anyone would complain.

Rowan struck at the giant’s shield again and again, forcing it to keep defending.

“Why do you hunt me?” the giant roared, his voice paralyzing us all for a single heartbeat. “We are the same! I do not wish to go back to the Hivemind! It is Wrong!”

“Ready, Ash! Smash its face in!” Edwin said, and put the edge of his shield into Quarris’ belly and said, “Expand.” 

“Maybe we should--” I started to say, but stopped myself. In the end, it didn’t matter if the giant wasn’t a direct subordinate of the Hivemind. Who was to say that he wouldn’t fall under its control again later? That all aside, we needed its carcass to save our smithy, and to do that, I would do anything. 

The tower shield grew, surging down until it hit the ground, and then there was nowhere for it to go but up, lifting the giant off its feet, the steelhusk roots straining to hold it.

“Swift!” Arclight said. “Shoot again!”

“Sweeping Cleave,” Rowan said, and cut the shield in half. 

It spurred me on, because despite what I’d told Roq, I wanted the kill. 

I needed it.

The path out from under the silver tongued corruption of the nobles was right here.

Quarris slammed onto the ground, and I could see it had already given up and accepted its fate.

“Do it,” Roq said as I ran along its body, and I shortened the grip. 

I wasn’t taking any chances.

With a jump I landed on its chest. It went to grab me with its clawed hand, but I was faster, lunging forward and stabbing Roq’s spike right in its face.

“You will not have me,” the giant said, its last words barely legible, before the light retreated from its skull.

“Uh oh,” Roq said. 

“What?”

“Run! It’s going to blow!”

I ripped Roq out and jumped down, kicking off for the nearest steelhusk tree.

Eryn had heard Roq and was already running for cover, telling the others to do the same. 

Rowan did.

Edwin didn’t.

He headed for his downed party member, pulling his shield over Isaac just in time.

I slung myself around a steelhusk tree a second before the giant exploded like so many of the Strikers had, but with ten times the force. The blastwave expanded and I felt like someone had punched me in the lungs when it hit, despite the massive tree soaking up most of the damage.  

Debris rained down, a storm of crystal shards and pulverized rock pinged off the metallic trees and then fell onto the ground. 

My ears rang, a high-pitched whine that threatened to drown out even Roq’s loud voice.

“Eryn! You alright? Over!” 

There was a moment of agonizing silence, and then Arclight relayed my message and I knew she was at least alive, or I wouldn’t have heard Arclight’s voice.

“I’m fine. Just a bit dusted,” Roq said in his Eryn mimic voice, and a weight lifted from my chest.

I risked a look and just then the familiar feeling of getting a level up hit me, and I was as fresh as Ma’s bread early morning. At least we’d gotten the last hit, and the biggest mass of experience in one go since getting past level 10.

Where the giant had been not even a minute before, was now a smoking crater, easily twenty feet across and half that deep. 

Edwin sat kneeling between Isaac and the crater. The commander’s tower shield was still huge, and the surface was blackened and pockmarked, and with a faint curl of smoke rising from its surface. 

“Are you alright?” I asked, walking along the crater’s edge.

Eryn and Rowan emerged from behind two other steelhusks, the man brushing dust from his shoulders.

Edwin grunted and swiped away his shield. “We’ll live. Isaac needs a healer, though. Soon.”

“I’m fine,” Isaac muttered, though he was a bit pale. “Just… fine.” 

Edwin took a step, then winced, a hand going to his own shield arm. He wasn’t as untouched as he pretended to be. The blastwave must have hit him pretty hard.

“Ash! Ash, listen to me! There’s something—” Roq’s said, but I interrupted him.

“Hold on.”

“How in the rift are you not blown away?” I asked Edwin. “Your shield looks like it wrestled a volcano.”

Edwin managed a wry grin. 

“Passives. Mine make me hard to knock back. The shield’s got its own. Combine that with Expand and I’m not going anywhere I want to. As long as my feet stay planted that is. It doesn’t make me able to walk through anything, just means I can stay rooted.” He flexed his fingers. “Tanking an explosion on my shield still hurts like a son of a thieving scavenger, though.”

“Ash! You must listen!” Roq said.

“Alright, alright, what is it, Roq?”

“The carcass! In the crater! I feel it, Ash! It’s got gem energy. A BIG one. Like that time with the Platemaw!”

I glanced at Eryn. 

“A class gem, Roq? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes! Yes! A class gem! I think so!”

My heart hammered and I grinned. A class gem. From Quarris. Thank the bells I negotiated for the loot rights.

“Can you tell us anything else about it?”

“I don’t know! No, can you, Arclight?” Roq asked, and even went so far as to use her name.

“No. I too sense the energy, but I thought it simply another Mind Gem,” Arclight replied.

“No. Definitely not a Mind Gem. Ash… maybe… maybe this is it? For my breakthrough?” Hope, raw and desperate, laced Roq’s tone.

I tamped down my own surge of excitement. What if he really broke through? It was a double-edged blade, one that would stop me from getting levels while leeching directly from the hammer, but him breaking through would also probably give me a great boost of power.

“Maybe? But don’t get your hopes up, alright? If nothing else, if it’s a class gem it will help us pay down the loan if we can find a buyer in time.”

Edwin was tending to Isaac’s wound while Rowan kept a watch for anything coming from the trees, his palms resting on his sheathed swords, breathing even, likely trying to speed up mana recovery. 

“Edwin, Isaac, Rowan. Would you stay put while Eryn and I fetch the others?”

Edwin nodded. “Good plan.”

Eryn stepped to my side, staring at the crater. “Monster balls, Ash…”

“Yeah. But we’re fine,” taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Let’s go make sure the others are still alive and well.”

We ran back towards the tunnel entrance.

“Alright, Roq. There’s one thing we need to deal with before we go any further.”

“No!” Roq said. “Ash, don’t you dare! I helped! I did good. You got the kill for Quarris! Check your statistics, you’re nearly level seventeen! All that glorious experience! You can’t punish me for that!”

I reached into my spatial storage and pulled out his prized blood-red satin pillow. 

“NO!”

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed it to Eryn as we ran.

“My PILLOW! Traitor! Harpy! Give it BACK!” Roq shrieked.

Eryn raised her eyebrows at me.

“There are consequences to your actions, Roq,” I said, speaking out loud for Eryn’s benefit. “Consequences for lies, for omissions, for—”

“I didn’t lie!”

“—for trickery,” I continued, ignoring his outburst. “Every time we head Riftside, I trust you with my life, Roq. With Eryn’s life, Knut’s, Nabeeh’s. I can’t have you hiding critical information like this. Especially not one where I end up throwing away my weapon.”

“You hid the entire part where you got me the pillow!” he countered.

I chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. 

“You think me buying you a gift, a lovely surprise, is a valid defense against you tricking me into a skill you knew I wouldn’t want in its current state? A skill that made me look like a complete fool and nearly got you eaten?”

A beat of silence. Then, in a much smaller voice, 

“No. Probably not.”

“Good.” 

I swiped Roq into my spatial storage. 

Peace. For a moment.

“Think he’ll learn?” Eryn asked, weaving between the steelhusk trees.

“No?” I said. “I really don’t. It’s who he is, but I hope he will. Eventually.”

Eryn and I reached the tunnel mouth and headed down without meeting any monsters.

“Giant?” Knut asked as we joined the others in the throne room.

“We can now add giant slayer to our list of achievements,” I said, smiling at seeing them alive and well. “Ended up blowing itself up after I spiked its brain. Left a damn big crater in the ground where it exploded.” I gave them the short version of the fight’s end and the aftermath.

“Crystalkin tried sneaky tactic here, too,” Knut said, gesturing with his chin to a few piles of crystals. “Nabeeh and I made fools and pools of them.” His lips twitched. “Easy.”

Ming was on her feet, but looking a bit unsteady as she walked around the pylons, poking at their remnants together with Nabeeh. Alex was hovering, muttering about reckless mages and the importance of rest.

“Isaac got wounded right before the explosion,” I said. “He’s stable, but needs some healing.”

Alex nodded. “Then we go. Now.”

“In a second,” Ming said, picking up a fist-sized chunk of crystal. “Not sure what can be made with these, but the way they reacted to my magic… there might be something here.” 

Nabeeh nodded, stuffing several large pieces into her spatial.

Looters, the pair of them. Once they were done looting some more, Alex rushed us all up the tunnel.

When we made it back and Alex saw Isaac’s wound, his face darkened. 

“Rift-rotted hells, Ash! You should have told me how serious this was. We should have run the whole way!” He was instantly at Isaac’s side, hands glowing. “Hold still, you reckless arrow lover.”

Nabeeh peered at the wound over Alex’s shoulder. 

“Oh, that’s hardly worth getting all sweaty over. A good scar will just make him more handsome to his wife, wouldn’t you say, Isaac?”

Isaac grumbled, “My wife appreciates the classical type of handsomeness that my face represents, unmarred by age and explosions, thank you very much.”

Nabeeh’s lips curved into a sly smile. She turned her gaze pointedly to Edwin, who was watching Alex work. 

“Strange. The women I know simply adore a man with a few well-placed scars.”

The commander shifted uncomfortably, his hand unconsciously lifted towards the massive, faded scar that bisected the left side of his face, but he forced it down.

Ming let out a soft laugh.

While Alex tended to Isaac, I dumped the carcasses from my storage, giving the ones with Mind Gems to Knut and Nabeeh for them to store. 

Once the only thing left in my spatial storage was Roq, I focused on the crater.

There wasn’t much left, though bits were embedded in the steelhusks around us, and spread on the ground. But it didn’t feel right to just take any old bit. So I slid down into the crater and searched until I was sure I’d identified the largest remaining piece of Quarris.

I waved it at Eryn who gave me a beautiful smile.

“That’ll put an arrow through House Domitius’ plan,” she said. 

I swiped it into my storage, and the surrounding pieces all disappeared.

“It worked,” I said. 

Quarris, or what was left of him after the initial reformation in the throne room and the subsequent explosion, was neatly tucked away with Roq. Maybe if there was still consciousness stuck in his carcass, the two could have a nice chat.

“You don’t sound happy?” Nabeeh said.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m ecstatic, and I owe you all a debt I’ll gladly spend my life repaying,” I said. “I just… I was half hoping we’d need your max-level storage for him, Edwin.”

“Why?” Ming asked.

I shrugged.

“The explosion was so big. Felt bigger than even his original size. Most important is getting the kill, but I’d sort of hoped we’d get the gigantic giant version of him to craft with, and not the second version.” 

“I’m just glad we got it and everyone’s still breathing,” Nabeeh said. 

A few minutes later, Alex straightened. 

“He’s stable. He’ll be sore as a boil on a Blightpede’s arse, but he can travel.”

And so, the nine of us began the trek back to Sentinel Station.

*

We were all laughing at one of Isaac’s stupid dad jokes as we crossed the killing zone when I saw them. 

Serona and Benedict stood near the gate, Isabel Pine at their side, the three of them were in discussion with a couple of guards I couldn’t name. They were inspecting the reinforced gates. 

Unless we wanted to circle around the wall we’d have to pass them, and there was no way I’d go out of my way for that hag. We mostly fell into silence and waited for them to notice us. Once they did, she stopped her conversation and arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, taking in our battered state. 

Her gaze lingered on Ming’s bandage and the bloodstains on Isaac’s armor. She waved Isabel away, who scurried towards the rift like a lizard released from a child’s torturing grip, and glided towards us. Benedict trailed in her wake.

“Well, well,” Serona said. “Look what the Stonefang dragged in.”

“Shardfang,” Eryn corrected, a thin smile on her lip. “At least try to pretend you’ve been Riftside long enough to learn the local monsters.”

“Where have you lot been, playing in the mud?” Serona asked, ignoring Eryn’s jab.

Alex opened his mouth, but Edwin put a hand on his arm, a slight shake of his head. Then the commander nodded at me. It was my call what to tell her.

I decided to be diplomatic.

“We’ve been doing what adventurers are supposed to do, Miss Serona,” I said. “Fighting monsters. Keeping Noros safe.” 

I let the implication hang in the air. She, an adventurer by class, should be out fighting, not playing politics.

Benedict scanned our faces, that annoying smirk on his face. 

“Looks like a successful hunt. A big one, too, by the way Rowan’s holding himself.” 

“Oh, yes,” Serona said. “You used to run with these…adventurers, didn’t you.”

“I most certainly did,” Benedict said. “You getting close to getting Lisandre classed, eh, Rowan?”

Rowan drew his swords and snarled as he stepped towards the mage. 

“Keep my mother’s name out of your riftrotten mouth, Benedict! Not even this wench here will save you from my blades.”

I stared at the usually quiet and calm warrior, but Benedict just laughed dismissively and waved a hand. 

“Relax, old friend. Just reminiscing. Think of all the hunts we completed. You’d be far further from your goal if it weren’t for me, wouldn’t you? Who was it that saved your life when Edwin lost the attention of those twin fire lizards and they decided you’d be a far tastier snack?”

Rowan’s knuckles were white where he gripped his swords.

“Silence, Benedict,” Serona said, and he gave a small bow, stepping back. Her attention was fixed on Edwin. “Commander, you should know better than to involve yourself in these matters. House Domitius’ current dealings are with our debtors. This has nothing to do with the guild.”

Edwin’s expression didn’t change, nor did he raise his voice. 

“I’m not here in my capacity as commander, Lady Serona. I’m simply participating in a raid as a member, reporting to the raid leader.” He inclined his head towards me. “Ash Aldrich.”

Serona’s eyes snapped to me. 

“Raid leader?” She glanced at my wrist, clearly wondering what prize we’d claimed. Her mouth pursed. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stalked towards the rift portal, her back ramrod straight.

Benedict turned to watch her go, licking his lips, before sighing dramatically and offering us a lazy wave and a completely insincere smile before sauntering after her.

“Look forward to paying debt. Should tell her to gargle monster muck. And maybe explode. Or something,” Knut muttered. “She one ugly witch.”

“Hah! Witch! Wait, then I’m a witch too if she’s a witch with being a magician and all,” Nabeeh said, slapping Knut’s arm. “Take that back!”

I smiled, genuinely happy that we’d all made it back one more time. 

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Knut. Words of wisdom indeed.”