Riftside 2 - Chapter 49

I glanced around as I scrambled to my feet. The Strikers were still fixated on Edwin and attacked him with a fury, likely because of his taunt ability. 

More Strikers and Vanguards were coming in from the tunnels I’d planned to have Knut and Edwin hold. There were many more of them than I could have even imagined. My reasoning failed me, and all I could think of was that they’d expected us to return.

Riftrot! 

Knut’s back was pressed back against the wall on the side of the room. He’d downed one Striker, but three Vanguards were hammering at him, giving him no room to breathe.

Three Weavers still remained. If we could take those down, then we could mop up the rest with relative ease. But a light was pulsed along the wall, flowing towards Knut’s exposed back. If it got there and wasn’t a heal for any of the Vanguards, the spikes that would shoot out of the crystalline formations might kill him at worst, and break through his defenses at the best. 

A wave of frustration washed over me. If I still had Ironburst available, this would be a completely different fight. Using it in the last fight had been a mistake. This would be the last time I used it to just show off either way if we survived or not.

“Can my cloak’s spikes get through the crystals covering the Weavers?”

“Doubtful, fleshling! Crystal is stubborn. My magnificent head is better suited. Introduce us and I’ll take them for a spin!”

Monsters were pushing in from behind where Rowan was when I last saw him, and more were flooding in from the front. Who knew how many there were on the way or just about to reach us. This was bad. 

Edwin could handle himself and I had to trust Knut’s ability to soak up punishment.

I charged the nearest weaver still buried in the wall, trusting Isaac and Eryn to deal with the other one he’d exposed with his explosive arrow.

A smaller Crystalkin, one of the new ranged types, lobbed a jagged crystal at me. I ignored it as the projectile bounced harmlessly off my Crackenmail.

The light pulsing along the wall, heading for Knut’s exposed back flickered out, and a new stream erupted from the Weaver I was targeting, heading straight for me. 

I gritted my teeth and let it come.

“Arclight, kill the exposed Weaver. Now!” 

I sent the thought, hoping she’d relay the message to Eryn and they could kill it before its magic reached Knut. She did.

“For glory and gore!” Roq bellowed in my mind as spears of razor-sharp crystal erupted from the ground, aimed at my charge. 

I took a quick step and jumped to the side, angling my shield to intercept the spikes. They shot up from the ground and several crashed into it, knocking me on my side and into a roll. I came up in a half-crouch while leaning on one knee.  

I dashed forward as more spikes erupted behind me, but I was already mid-swing. 

Roq, the magnificent bastard that he was, smashed through the Weaver’s crystalline protection and right into the creature’s chest. The light within died and the surrounding crystals crumbled. The Weaver’s carcass tumbled to the cavern floor, or what remained of it after getting a hammer to the face.

“Yes!” Roq said. “It tastes like diamonds and gemstones! And maybe even…hmm…how do gemstones even taste like? No, never mind! You will have to buy me some so I can smash and taste them separately!”

“How would you know?” Arclight asked as heavy, grinding footsteps sounded beside me. 

I spun, Roq already swinging, as a Vanguard came at me.  The crystalline monster was a freak compared to the other Vanguards, much larger and well-protected as it had received a buff by the remaining shielded Weaver. The Vanguard had thicker armor plates, and it wielded a two-handed spear that trailed faint light. The creature lunged and stabbed at me. I caught the thrust on my shield, but the force behind it was much stronger than I was used to from its kind. Even a glancing blow sent me staggering back, bouncing off the crystal covered stone wall.

Riftrot! 

That pissed me off, and embarrassment burned alongside the anger. 

I’d led us into this crystal-laced deathtrap, and on top of it, I struggled to defeat some shitty vanguard, powered up or not. 

The Vanguard struck again, movement much faster than it should have any right to be. I brought Roq up, parrying the spear. A sharp crack echoed as my hammer shattered the crystalline shaft. The Vanguard paused, its featureless face locked on its weapon in what I guessed was shock. Before it could recover, I roared and did something I’d never dared do before. 

I pulled my arm back, and hurled Roq.

“FREEDOM!” the hammer screamed as he shot through the air like an arrow.  

It struck the Vanguard square in the chest, cracking the plating, and forcing it back a good step. 

I was already moving, yelling my own challenge as I charged, shield first, and slammed into it. Unlike my first meeting with a Vanguard, I was larger, heavier, and much more powerful. 

The impact rocked it back another step, buying me time to snap up Roq. 

“Chain Lightning!” Ming called, and white light filled the room as her spell shattered five of the monsters who had come out from the tunnels, buying us a moment to deal with the others.

“That was FUN, Ash! Let’s do it again! Throw me at the other one!”

“Later!” 

I smashed Roq into the Vanguard’s face. Fine cracks spread like a spiderweb. I took another step back and struck again. The head exploded into glittering fragments and the Vanguard collapsed.

“Did you see that, stick thrower?” Roq said. “I bet your strongest shot couldn’t get through its armor!”

“Silence, warmonger,” Arclight said. “Let my wielder focus.”

Edwin cut down one of the two Strikers still harassing him, and planted his shield close to it, and braced for the explosion.

Eryn and Isaac stood at the entrance to the cavern, releasing arrow after arrow. Arclight aimed at the final Weaver across the chamber from me. It was still covered in crystals, and the Weaver’s light was speeding towards her across the floor. 

“Eryn! Watch out!”

Sparks snapped and crackled near the far tunnels as Ming unleashed an area-of-effect spell, bathing the area in front of Knut in electricity.

Then the floor in front of Eryn began to glow. Spears of crystal erupted from the floor, shooting for her throat, just as she released her arrow.

Her shot cracked against the wall-bound Weaver, sinking deep into its skull.

The deadly crystal spears aimed at her neck dissolved into fine dust, drifting harmlessly across the front of her Toothbound Jerkin.

Goosebumps pricked my skin as the terrifying closeness of the moment hit me. Losing her wasn’t an option.

“Great shot!” Roq said, and for once it felt as if he meant it. 

Isaac loosed his twin arrows, trailing black smoke, and killing the two smaller ranged Crystalkin.

Eryn, already drawing again, sent an arrow into the knee of one of the Vanguards battering Knut, likely not trusting a quick shot to kill it. 

The monster collapsed.

Knut roared like a berserker and smashed  his mace into the last Vanguard left standing. 

“More killing, Ash! Less standing around!” Roq demanded.

I shook off the lingering fear for Eryn and ran over to Edwin, bringing Roq down on the back of the last Striker’s head. It died too fast to explode. 

“Go help Rowan!” I yelled. Edwin nodded an affirmative and headed for the tunnel as I rushed to Knut’s side. 

The northerner was trading blows with a Vanguard who seemed to have resisted Ming’s spell, while two more Vanguards and a Striker lay spasming on the ground. 

Knut’s mace slammed into the Vanguard’s chest. Its fist hammered his shield. He smashed its face. It smacked against his titanfang plate covered chest. Neither was doing much more than chipping away at the other.

The Striker exploded on its own or from the electricity, and shards shot out in all directions.

“Ming!” I called. 

She understood my intention and cut the electrical field just as I darted in behind the Vanguard and swung Roq into the back of its neck, destroying it.

As the two incapacitated Vanguards tried to rise, two more Strikers charged in from the tunnels.

I activated Smash and killed one in a single blow to the head. The other fell to Knut’s blows.

“Kill stealer,” Roq muttered.

The two new Strikers barely made it two steps into the room before exploding from well-placed arrows from Isaac and Eryn, pieces pinging off Knut and I.

“How are you doing, big man?” I asked Knut.

He let out a roar, blood and spittle flying as he slammed his mace against his shield. 

“Good fight! Need ale! And the F word! Will need visit good doctor to check for wounds!”

I grinned at the enthusiasm.

“Good to continue then?” I asked.

The Northerner nodded, his eyes already scanning for the next target. A trail of red ran down the white plate of his mace arm. The Titanfang plate had held against the worst, but he wasn’t untouched.

“Go see Alex. Get that arm looked at,” I said, taking up a position to cover the tunnel mouths. 

Knut grumbled but obeyed. 

With Eryn and Isaac’s support, we easily took down another seven monsters, no weavers, as they tried to pour from the tunnels. Ming merely watched, fingers tapping on her staff, ready in case of emergency.

With a final, satisfying crunch, I smashed Roq through a Striker’s head before snapping my shield in front. The monster exploded, rocking me back a step.

I lowered my shield and went to peer into each of the tunnels. 

“Aww,” Roq said. “No more friends to play with!” 

“Eryn, Isaac, watch the tunnels,” I said, just as Rowan, Edwin, Alex, Nabeeh, and Knut walked into the main chamber.

“Everyone alright?” I asked.

Rowan gave a curt nod, his voice a low rasp from beneath his hood. “Good warmup. Nine. Two at a time.” 

He almost sounded pleased.

“Feel like training dummy,” Knut said with a growl. “Need bigger, badder monster.”

“Why is that?” Ming asked, her brow furrowed.

Knut just grumbled something unintelligible into his beard.

Ming glanced at Nabeeh, who shrugged. 

“That’s Knut-speak for ‘I’m embarrassed I didn’t spot the ambush and I’m annoyed I got smacked around by a bunch of rock puppets.’”

“Would have won,” Knut muttered, “if just…” He trailed off, looking at his mace.

“Just what?” Ming pressed gently.

“Not good at killing tanks,” Knut admitted, his gaze shifting to me. “Too slow. Not enough damage.” He looked pointedly at Roq. “Need new weapon from Pa. Then you see real me!”

I nodded. 

“Soon as we deal with these silver-tongued snakes from House Domitius, I’ll help Pa forge your new two-handed sword and the axe.”

Knut nodded.

I looked around the now-quiet chamber. 

“Everyone else okay? Alex, how’s Knut?”

“Wound’s superficial,” Alex said, hands on his hips. “Got his bell rung a bit, but—”

“Not like there’s much there to damage anyway,” Nabeeh interjected with a grin. Then her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, realising it wasn’t just the four of us. “Oh, by the Dragon’s breath, I… I’m…”

Knut chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest as he glanced at Rowan. 

“Nabeeh not like Katherine. Not see wisdom of few words.”

“I’m so sorry, Knut!” Nabeeh said, her cheeks flushed. “Just joking, you know.”

“This is known,” Knut said, and patted her shoulder a little harder than necessary. “Is fine.”

“This must be why there was so much more crystal growth along the walls and floor,” I said, refocusing the conversation. “They must have been preparing since our last visit. We have to be more careful. No, I should have been more careful. If we weren’t this strong, or if we’d come with just our party alone, this could have gone very, very badly.”

I met Edwin’s eyes. He didn’t need to say anything, but we both knew that me using Ironburst in the last fight had been a stupid rookie mistake that made me think back on Benedict and his glory hunting back during our first raid. 

It hadn’t been necessary, not really. I’d just wanted to show off and prove I was strong. In doing so, I’d put us in a tighter spot here, increasing the chances of someone getting hurt. 

We nodded to each other and I could see he knew I understood.

“How long for mana regeneration?” I asked.

“Full in five, maybe six minutes,” Ming said. Nabeeh echoed her. Knut just grunted. 

Rowan simply stated, “Ready.”

“Roq, any gems in these carcasses?”

“Only one, Ash. A Striker. Eryn’s kill.”

I swiped in that carcass. 

“Loot up, everyone,” I said, and they set to clearing the room.

“Did you get a sense of whether any of the ones Rowan killed had gems?”

“We should not be unduly greedy, Ash,” Arclight said. “Taking kills in which we did not participate is… unseemly.”

“Not looking to take those, Arclight. Just curious about the overall drop rate. Good to keep an eye on it.”

“Understood,” Arclight said. “A logical pursuit. I shall endeavor to maintain an accurate tally.”

“Hah! She only has eyes for what’s directly in front of her pointy nose!” Roq scoffed. “I’ll give you the real count, Ash, and faster too!”

I chuckled.

“Alright, party, quick rest. I’ll watch the tunnels leading deeper. Edwin, can you cover the other entrance?” 

He nodded.

I took off my helmet, hung Roq from my belt, and swiped out a ham and cheese sandwich Eryn had made for me with bread from Ma. I bit in and let the familiar taste of the bread calm my nerves as the others began to chat.

“Do you have family here in Dawnwatch, Nabeeh?” Ming asked, her voice softer now that the fighting was done.

“None here,” Nabeeh said, cheerfully, a bit too much so. “They are all back in Azbara.”

“Your family is noble, are they not?” Edwin said from his post across the room where he stood drinking from a flask.

I glanced behind to see Nabeeh straighten. 

“Yes, technically. Not in direct line for the throne or anything so dramatic, but I was… eligible for a noble marriage.”

Edwin went quiet.

“Though I’m not looking for one anymore,” Nabeeh added swiftly, a touch too brightly. “I was betrothed once. Turned out he was a rather nasty criminal.”

I exchanged a quick glance with Eryn. Nabeeh sharing this so openly with Edwin’s party right here? It was… surprising. Then again, this was Nabeeh. She was bold, disarming, and probably testing Edwin's reaction.

Edwin just grunted.

“Now,” Nabeeh continued, a playful lilt returning to her voice, “I’m looking for a solid sort of fellow. A good man.”

“Like my wife,” Isaac said, his expression utterly serious.

Alex chuckled. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Nabeeh asked.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” Isaac said flatly. “That is precisely the point. I am a solid and good man. Therefore, you must be similar in preference to my wife. She married me after all.”

“Oh,” Nabeeh said, a slow smile spreading across her face. 

Ming laughed. 

“Isaac’s humor takes a bit of getting used to,” she said. “It’s drier than your desert sand.”

“My wife and children appreciate my jokes immensely, thank you very much,” Isaac retorted, though the corner of his mouth twitched.

Rowan let out a quiet chuckle.

“Speaking of wives and children,” Nabeeh said, turning her attention back to Edwin. “You were in the middle of asking some personal questions, Commander?”

Edwin cleared his throat. 

“Just trying to understand the members we’re fighting alongside. Don’t want… miscalculations.”

“Perhaps,” Nabeeh said, her voice filled with mischief, “You could offer me some private lessons sometime, Commander? Share some wisdom from a tank’s perspective on how best to function within a team here in Tharungia.”

“You mean, because he’s such a good guy, he should help you?” Ming asked, her voice laced with amusement.

“And he has such a solid amount of knowledge?” Alex added, grinning.

“Yup!” Nabeeh declared, utterly unrepentant. “All of that!”

A comfortable silence fell, everyone seemingly waiting for Edwin’s response.

But before he could utter a word, I heard the faint scraping of crystal on rock.

“Form up!” I said, swiping in my sandwich and plopping my helmet back on. “Monsters!”