Dol's Move

The building before them was roughly twenty stories tall. It was made of a similar material as the wall around Tensmith, only it was covered in cracks. Lines of green skinned warriors, craftsmen, and traders waited outside the fortress leading into the tower. Whether they had any real business in the building or were just for show was a mystery.

While we waited in a line that rarely moved Rudalpho stared between Doppel and I. Elena had a smile on her face while Tyrannus seemed only concerned with the long line. "Maybe if we had taken my guards, we could have used other means to make our positions known." Rudalpho said.

"They wouldn't have let us in the city if we had anymore guards. We were pushing it bringing Lady Aster along. Her darkling doesn't look like a pushover." Tyrannus sniffed the air. "My lady your control is admirable. I think my sister will like you." Tyrannus looked between Doppel and I. "I believe we have something to discuss the three of us."

"I'll say." Rudalpho turned to Doppel. "My lady while bestiality isn't a taboo it is highly improper to wear the scent of the aftermath. Have some decency." Rudalpho sighed and stared at each of them. "Though, I suppose it wouldn't be a problem if the goblings had running water."

For the next few hours, we waited in line while the building seemed to grow larger. Upon closer look the cracks in the building were much larger. Some seemed like slashes instead of cracks from age. Parts of the wall were missing, and the holes had been poorly patched.

"Do you think they intended to irritate us until we left?" Rudalpho said.

"Yes, congratulations, you figured out their plan. They're going to irritate us until we agree to any demand they make." Tyrannus stopped and looked up. I did the same and suddenly, I sensed static.

A clawing sensation of a foreign aura imposed itself across the city and poured out from atop the tower. Smog blotted out the sky from forges around the city but that didn't stop me from sensing the creature. I felt an aura from the smog itself before it changed. Fingers of the presence spread across the city anchoring to several key points. I felt each connection as it ran through my aura sense. Through the smoke a sound blared, and I covered my ears. What was going on?"

Whistling blared through my ears. My party was down. I was the only one on my feet. Their levels were cut down to a fourth. I needed to protect them.

Ping!

Quest: Defend Party Against Ambush

Reward: +20 END

I climbed back to my feet despite the sound. Goblings all around us drew their weapons. Arrows flew and I moved. My aura flashed black before out of it grew the tips of hundreds of javelins. Aura rush erupted and I moved using the flat of my blade what arrows couldn't be blocked with my blade bounded off my scales. Tiny holes filled my coat while I worked. Javelins fired from my aura. Those gobling archer too foolish to move after their shots died immediately.

Hundreds of goblings screamed and charged while I blocked oncoming arrows. Flames licked my blade and I sucked in a breath. I swung my blade and a white-hot line appeared across the charging avalanche of green. A moment later the entire group exploded where they line touched. Blue flames erupted and melted them in their own armor.

I raised my blade and sliced down. Flames erupted with each swing. My left hand glowed with red light. "Wyrm," A massive snake erupted from my red aura and coiled protectively around my party. The arrows were practically worthless against the snake's metallic scales.

Golden aura erupted around me while I prepared my only golden series spell. "I will protect Doppel and save Gwen." I said the words and felt them strike a chord with something within me. The spell felt different from what I'd experienced with other spells. Golden light erupted from my aura and I wasn't sure if I could control it. As if sensing weakness my golden light dimmed.

Gobling mages dressed in dark green robes banded together and waved their staves. Green aura gathered and one threw a seed. The energy struck the seed, and it absorbed the aura before growing rapidly. Its roots quickly flowed into the dead and the creature grew. Bark and roots twisted revealing diagonal eyes and tendrils of wood. I screeched and charged forward. As I prepared to rush forward, I stopped sensing a charge from behind.

Behind me while the seed formed into a creature, the warrior goblings prepared to charge. If I left this ground, they'd charge and kill Doppel.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I didn't kill this thing they'd die anyway. All I had to do was move fast.

Ping!

Quest: Slay enemies before they can harm the party

Reward: +20 AGL

White lightning flashed and blasted the charging goblings. It was Elena but her lightning wasn't enough. Her level had been cut to a fourth. I slashed down. A white line appeared across the creature's bark. It took a step before bursting into flames. I thought it was over but the aura within it didn't dissipate. Green sap shot out of the wound before vines began closing it. It raised its arms and wooden stakes lined them.

I stood in front of the line of fire and the golden power erupted. Strength unlike anything I've ever felt filled my body. When I opened my mouth to speak the spell no sound came out. The words were there but the spell wasn't. Something was missing despite the increase in power, I couldn't utilize the spell it its fullest. What did it need?

The forty-foot tree man cackled, and the stakes rained down. I put my sword in front and hoped for the best. The stakes flew at an agonizingly slow but continuous rate. There were too many they filled my vision, and I knew that behind me goblings prepared to charge. The green bastards were setting up fortifications around us even while I struggled.

I parried, sliced and split against the inevitable. Every stake that threatened to kill Doppel was destroyed. My wyrm didn't move from its protective position but I was on the defensive. Three more seeds were tossed, and three more giant wooden soldier were created. The other goblings hadn't charged because they knew this would be enough.

Four massive monsters of nature raised their arms to bury us in stakes. Golden light wrapped around me more deeply. I could have grabbed Doppel and flown away. That wasn't what I wanted. It wouldn't have been me to run like that.

"Darkling, focus on attacking the trees stop worrying about us." I turned to see a barrier appear around the rest of the party. Elena rested in Tyrannus's lap. She had been exhausted by the fight.

Aura rush took me to the trees. I brought Armageddon's chainsaw down. Bark and green goo splattered across the ground while I tore into my enemies. As I moved, I unleashed javelin after javelin at archers and magic users. The archers occasionally slipped out of the way, but the casters were too slow. When they fired a line of sight attack at me, they were dead.

Tyrannus held up a large two lingballs and tossed them. A Noble Imp and an Abyssal Giant appeared. Each was a plebe like I was. Their levels hadn't dropped, and they immediately joined the fray. Doppel struggled before heaving herself out of the coils of my wyrm.

I put a stop to the understanding of the more complicated spells. After that I devoted all my processing to two spells.

Ping!

Quest Completed: Slay Enemies Before They Can Harm The Party

Rewarded: +20 AGL

Agility 156

Ping!

Quest Completed: Defend Party Against Ambush

Rewarded: +20 END

Endurance 182

Ping!

Black: Raise Grease Zombies – Raise an undead with half the level it had in life and turn it into a boiling grease sack. Tier 1

Red: Fire Ball – Gather aura into a ball of explosive heat and throw it. Tier 2 Cost 1000. DMG 100 – 2000 x (+1% x INT)

"Black Aura, Parade, Raise Grease Zombies," the corpse on the ground began to move. Black aura flew from my body and filled them with my will. Most fell apart and were devoured by the spell. I shoved well over 10,000AP into the spell. Soon the dead rose on all fours. Their torsos had become large boiling pots of grease. One popped on the spot spraying its fellows with flesh melting boiling grease.

Goblings wearing white soon entered the scene. They pointed their staves at my newly formed zombies, and I had to fight them for control. I raised my hand and a fireball gathered. There wasn't a need to speak the spell aloud. It was simple enough do with aura control alone. All I had to do was gather a hefty sum of aura and pack it together until it ignites. Dawn was much more complicated to do with aura.

I fired on the grease zombies. They exploded and poured flaming grease on everything near them. I didn't have to get them close.

An unfamiliar hand grasped my shoulder. I turned to meet Tyrannus's eyes. They were solid black like Gwen's. "I need you to go into that building and kill Zet. I'll back you up when we have things under control here." Tyrannus yelled over the explosions.

I opened my mouth to ask what happened. "I don't know. These wards aren't like anything I've dealt with. Everyone of knight rank had their levels cut down to a fourth. It can't be easy to maintain." That wasn't all it did. I did the calculations. My xp was stolen by the wards as well. Half of every kill's xp was taken by the wards.

"Fine, I'll go, just make sure Doppel survives." Tyrannus looked pleased. I couldn't be reading his tentacles right.