Qing's Quest book 2, Chapter 4: The Blood Claws

Qing looked back. Far in the distance, the last member of the royal guard disappeared behind the horizon.

“So what’s the green dragon?” he asked.

“It’s a foul substance,” Knut said, shaking his head. “Addictive and enjoyable. It makes you feel seen, but not by the living, but by the dead. It rots your mind from the inside out. They can seem normal for periods when they smoke it, but the voices get louder with time, until you would kill your own family for just a few drops more.”

“So it’s a drug?”

“Yes, one of the worst. If the queen is in the green dragon’s claws, not only won’t she help, but she may be a dangerous foe.”

“I see,” Qing said, and they settled into an uncomfortable silence, the whoosh of sand moving across the dunes filling their ears.

Qing opened his character sheet. It was time to set the stat points.

After killing the Butchers in Shadowgrove, he had levelled up, and also gained two level two skill books. He’d learned Chain Lightning as they left the kingdom, adding an area-of-effect spell to his repertoire.

Elementalist Spell: “Chain Lightning” (Electric Damage)

A ranged spell that strikes an enemy with a bolt of lightning, dealing electric damage and jumping to additional nearby enemies.

Cost: Medium Mana

Cooldown: Medium

After levelling to fourteen he could select one more, but it might be better to hold off under he saw more of what they would be facing. Too many of the level two skills were enticing.

They had barely encountered any people on the journey so far. The tunnel had opened into this desert, which was held back by the gigantic mountains bordering the Whispering Woods. Stepping forth into that sun had been uncanny.

Fortunately, Jenny and Knut were experienced travelers and led them from watering hole to oasis.

What are we going to face in this place?

He took out the sorcerer’s circlet and ran his thumb along the smooth gold with a smile.

Item: [Circlet of Azure Wisdom, Level 17, Rare] has been added to your inventory.

Made from Zylphadian gold and set with the Seer’s Stone, The Circlet of Azure Wisdom has been used by Zylphadian sages for centuries. Most prominently was Maone, the one-throated, who served as court mage for five kings.

+15 to Intelligence

+20% to Mana Regeneration

(Circlet, Headgear)

But the smile faded as he refocused on the level. It had been a long time since he’d received something higher than his level. What did it mean? Was he now under-leveled for this part of the world? Was it just a powerful item with a high-level requirement? The hooded thwab he had received, a long-sleeved, ankle-length robe like those he’d seen used in northern Africa, was level fifteen.

At least he’d felt no pain using his magic during the attack. It had disappeared during their treck. And it had been easy to kill the bandits, especially with Chain Lightning. But they were human. Nothing seemed to indicate that toughness meant you could survive having your throat cut or be stabbed through the heart, at least for humans. But Vileheart and the Butchers had survived crazy amounts of damage. So what did levels truly mean? Qing and Jenny had arm wrestled, and he’d won, easy. She had been the strongest person he’d met, maybe outside of Baylor Svartsmed, whom he’d never tested his strength against.

But then there was the sorcerer? It had been difficult to defeat him with the powerful spell shield. Qing shifted uncomfortably on Smokey’s back. Was it even them who had killed him? All Qing did was interrupt his focus. The demon had slain him. Maybe they would have defeated him in the end, but they had been lucky.

He took a deep breath and scanned the map. Zylphadia was dangerous, despite the desert’s tranquil feeling. Even with Divine Light and being level fourteen…

We need to find Rufus fast and rescue Cleo. God knows what she was going through now.

He looked up into the sky.

And how much time does meimei have?

Having been on Earth, seeing the streams of the other champions, it had eased the burden somehow. At least he wasn’t alone in his quest to save the planet, but at the same time, he was in a race against time.

What if another champion succeeds before I do? Will I find a way to bring Divine Light to Earth or would I be sent back without it? What if I get stuck here?

He frowned and looked back at the others. Knut and Morgana’s camels walked along happily, as happily as camels walk, but Jenny’s struggled. This was the fastest it would go, carrying all that muscle and plate mail.

Why didn’t I see GG coming back from Earth? Why haven’t I heard anything, aside from the one quest to stop the bandits? The neighbour said I was the first one to make it back. Maybe that put scrutiny on me and they figured out GG helped me?

Anger soared within him, and his nostrils flared. Whoever was behind this…

He took a deep breath and pushed the anger away, opening his stat sheet and put all four points into intelligence, as he had done with the points from level thirteen, bringing it to forty. That gave him three hundred mana, just like his three hundred health.

Strength: 47 (25+22)

Dexterity: 26 (14+12)

Intelligence: 40                 -

Vitality:  30 (25+5)

Attack Power: 993

Defence: 705

Health: 300

Mana: 300

Qing was about to theorycraft around which spell to pick when the temperature dropped and he dismissed the windows, finding them riding through a light shadow. But there hadn’t been a single cloud in the sky since they started through the desert. He shaded his eyes and stared towards the sun, which was still bright to look at, but a darkness had moved in front of it.

“Is that a cloud?” he asked.

Knut rode up alongside him. “If that’s a cloud, then my piss tastes of gold.”

“Does it?” Morgana asked.

“What?”

“Taste of gold.”

“Of course not.”

“Why wouldn’t you just say it’s not a cloud?”

“It was a simple analogy!”

“No,” Jenny said.

They all turned to look at her.

“That was a hyperbolic conditional statement and not an analogy,” she said, scratching at one of her scars, staring towards the sun.

“Well…” Knut said and shared a glance with Morgana.

Qing snapped his fingers. “Knut. Be serious. Tell me what you see.”

“It is moving too fast to be a cloud, and…” he pointed at the sandy dunes. “Unless the wind is different up there, it’s moving against it.”

“Could it be a flock of birds?” Qing asked. “Ravens?”

“In the desert? Not a chance,” Knut replied. “No. This is worse. Whatever that is…its bad. They…whatever they are, are the size of humans, with black wings.”

“Are we in danger?” Morgana asked.

Knut held up a hand, and they stopped, sitting in silence as he stared up. Suddenly, he ripped the bow off his back and set about stringing it. “Yes, we are. That’s a damn flock of harpies, large enough to kill a hundred men.”

Qing looked behind. “Could they be chasing Abdul and the Thutmoses?”

“Not much else for them to hunt in the desert.” Jenny said.

“We’ve got to hide!” Morgana said, turning her camel in a circle. “Quick!”

“Hold,” Qing said.

“Even if we turned and gave chase, we wouldn’t catch them in time to help,” Knut said. “And that’s if the harpies don’t descend and attack us first.”

“I know,” Qing said.

We can turn off the path and hide, leaving them to slaughter Abdul, or attract their attention and face an impossible fight.

“How many are there?” Morgana asked, panic rising in her voice.

“Too many,” Knut said. “Maybe a hundred?”

Qing’s jaw clenched tightly, and he grasped the reins painfully.

We need to let the harpies pass and focus on the quest. I can’t risk the Earth for a hundred men I barely know, but… It doesn’t feel right.

Fear roiled inside him at the sight of the dark cloud. He could make out the individuals when he squinted, as tall as him and with a wingspan half again his height.

“Qing?” Morgana said. “If you don’t make a decision soon, it’ll be made for us!”

The experience points for defeating the harpies might go a long way towards a new level, but he didn’t know how dangerous they were, and he only had one life. One chance to complete the quest and get back in time. He thought of meimei. She had to be alive. Even a thousand men wouldn’t be worth her life. This wasn’t the right fight.

“Take us away,” Qing said. “Out of their path. Find a place to hide.”

Knut tugged on the reins of the camel and whacked its hind with his bow. “Hyah,” he said, and the camel hopped forward into a loping gait, moving at twice its normal speed.

They headed straight off the path, towards a rocky outcrop in the distance, a tall dune with an abnormally steep side. Smokey passed Knut’s camel to take the lead, and Qing turned to look. Morgana followed right behind Knut, but Jenny lagged, her camel struggling with her weight.

“Are we sure they are hostile?” Qing asked.

“As sure as…” Knut started, before looking at Morgana. “Yes, they are hostile,” he finished.

The sound of heavy wingbeats reached them, growing louder, as if a thousand birds came flocking together. Qing reached the dune first, breaking line of sight.

He hopped off Smokey. “Stay,” he commanded, before scrambling up the dune and crawling the last feet.

Jenny was nearly at the outcrop, but Qing realised it would be too late. The harpies were nearly on top of them.

I waited too long. Damnit. Will the harpies care?

He held his breath as the flock passed above, and he looked at Jenny. She passed into safety.

Then, Qing’s belly sank as part of the flock detached and descended in their direction. They couldn’t hide.

“Incoming!” Qing shouted as he stood and scrambled down the sand in a loping run. With each step, his feet sank deep, sliding more than walking, arms wheeling, nearly falling.

Wait. I’m going about this wrong. I need to remember who I am now.

So he kicked off and soared through the air, landing far down, sand splashing around him as his thighs absorbed the impact. With a grunt, he hopped again, soaring even further, covering the distance down in a flash, arriving as Jenny did.

She hopped off her camel, hauled off her pack, and pulled out her dual-wielded axes.

“I count thirty,” she said, clanking as she stomped forward.

“Thirty?” Morgana said as Knut tied the camels in a row behind Smokey. “Shit! That’s too many.”

“It’ll have to do,” Qing said, equipping his axe. “We’ve done worse before.”

“Not harpies,” Morgana said and shook her head. “I’ve read they are strong, vicious, and intelligence. Not to mention they can fucking fly. A bit different than a zombie, isn’t it?”

“No,” Qing said. “It’s not. Because we are stronger. That’s what you need to understand, Morgana. You’re no longer fighting as an individual. We are a team. You protect our back, we protect yours. Use your whip wisely, and we’ll get through this.”

Her mouth was a thin line, but she nodded, taking out her crossbow. “I’ll get off a shot first.”

Qing nodded. “Here’s our plan. Knut is the main damage dealer. Given time, all it takes is thirty arrows. Jenny, you tank, attracting their attention. I’m second damage dealer, and will be ready to heal. Morgana, you’ve got one job, and that is to keep them of Knut.”

A scream filled the air, voice like honey, as if a teenage popstar had been auto-tuned to perfection.

“Prey, listen. Watch us in wonder as we tear you apart!”