Rune Seeker

“The Ritual of Summoning? What is that?” Nivian asked.

“Something bad, from the sounds of things,” Seena said.

“Then we should probably stop it,” Hiral said, looking up the ramp at the keep. “Hey, was there purple light there before?” He pointed at the area that looked like a platform higher up.

“Not that I remember,” Seena said.

“There wasn’t,” Left confirmed. “I suspect that’s where we’ll find this ritual.”

“Change of plans, boss?” Wule asked.

“Yes. Let’s have Nature’s Blade. These things are too tough to go easy on them,” Seena said.

Wule nodded and held up his hand. Another plant grew out of his palm, this one with petals shaped like swords.

You have been buffed by Nature’s Blade.

Increases damage inflicted by 10% for 570 seconds.

“Nice,” Hiral said before looking at Left and Right. They nodded to indicate they’d also received the buff. Very nice.

“Uh, fair warning, Hiral—this may look pretty creepy, but it’s effective,” Seena said, and a thorny vine similar to Nivian’s whip grew out of her hand. This one only got to be about six inches long before the woman pulsed with solar energy, and the vine turned to dust.

Almost immediately, there was a tickle on the back of Hiral’s shoulders, and he got another buff notification.

You have been buffed by Lashing Vines.

Vines will make independent attacks to enemies within range for 570 seconds.

“Vines?” Hiral asked, only to notice six-foot-long thorned vines hanging from the backs of everybody’s shoulders. A quick glance confirmed he also had the new appendages. “Yeah. Creepy.”

“Nine and a half minutes left,” Nivian said. “We need to move.”

“Heading for the platform will take us into the path of the patrols instead of sneaking up behind them,” Vix pointed out.

“Nothing we can do about it. Nivian, let’s hit that first group,” Seena said, tapping Nivian’s shoulder. The tank barrelled up the ramp with the others close behind. “Hiral, watch the…”

“Already on it,” Hiral said, his eyes scanning the rope bridges crossing above them.

“Incoming!” Nivian shouted as they crested the top of the ramp, and the man cut a hard right straight into three surprised-looking Troblins.

Vix and Yanily were already moving to engage, the distance apparently too close to make the strange teleport ability worth the cost, but movement above caught Hiral’s attention.

Two Troblins, one on each side of the path, emerged from concealed doors, something like crossbows in their hands, and rushed to the edge of the balconies to get a better shot.

“Right, catapult,” Hiral said, dropping to a knee and cupping his hands.

“I hate this idea!” Right said, but the man rushed over and put his foot in Hiral’s hands.

As soon as the foot was in place, Hiral heaved

and poured solar energy into his Rune of Rejection.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaate!” Right repeated as he shot into the air toward the Troblin on the left, arms and legs flailing.

Hiral didn’t wait to see if his double made the jump—he’s pretty durable either way—and instead spun to face the Troblin on the right as it took aim at Seena and Wule. His left hand snapped out, and power flooded into his Rune of Attraction at the same time the Troblin squeezed the trigger. The crossbow twanged, but the sudden yank off the side of the balcony ruined the creature’s aim, and the bolt buried itself in the wooden wall instead of the side of Seena’s head. The Troblin hit the ground a heartbeat later.

Still, the twenty-foot fall wasn’t enough to finish the creature off, and despite one of its arms clearly bending in the wrong direction, it got to its feet.

“I’ve got this,” Left said, rushing past Hiral with his Dagger of Sath already swinging.

Shockingly fast, the Troblin got its mangled crossbow up to intercept the dagger, a chunk of wood flying away at the impact, but then the two Lashing Vines on Left’s shoulders activated. They cracked like whips as they struck the monster, the thorns tearing bark-like flesh and leaving lines of green blood in their wake, but doing only mild damage. The distraction they provided, though, gave Left an opening to bury his blade where the Troblin’s neck met its shoulder.

More blood spattered into the air, leaving the Troblin staggering back in pain and fear, which let Left rip the weapon free. Finally, the injuries were too much for the creature, and it fell back against the wall and slumped to the ground, where it lay unmoving.

Just to be safe, Hiral kicked the crossbow away from its still hand, then ran up the last half of the ramp to join the rest of the group, where Yanily was burying his spear in the final prone Troblin as he arrived.

“Hated that plan,” Right said as he also caught up, a line of leaking solar energy from the bare left side of his chest.

“You okay?” Hiral asked.

“Good enough,” Right said, poking the wound and wincing. “No idea why I can feel pain, though.”

“Stay close, everybody,” Wule said, a plant with blood drop-like leaves growing from his palm.

As soon as the flower reached maturity, a wave of refreshing energy pulsed out from the healer and across the entire party, Right’s wounded chest closed up as Hiral watched.

“Thanks,” Nivian said as he rubbed at his hip, where dried blood stained his broken wood armor. “Those little bastards hit hard.”

“Good to keep moving?” Seena asked. “Eight and a half minutes now.”

“Let’s go,” Nivian said. “Which way?”

Hiral took quick stock of the massive main building to their left, and the treehouse-like connections ahead, then pointed to an angled rope bridge ahead and to the left. “There. That will take us to the second level of the keep, and from there, we can cross over to the platform above us.”

“Nivian,” Seena said, adding the familiar tap on his shoulder, and the tank was off.

The party raced down the walkway, eyes peeled for more secret doors, then turned and ran up the rope bridge, the whole thing swinging as they piled on.

“Careful,” Nivian said, forced to slow or risk tumbling off, but the now familiar sound of a secret door opening at the top of the bridge had Seena tapping his shoulder rapidly.

Nivian’s shield came up just in time as a Troblin reached the top of the bridge, crossbow in hand and firing without taking aim, though the bolt still thunked into Nivian’s shield. Two more Troblins joined it a second later, their axes swinging solidly into the bridge supports.

“Can’t you move any faster?” Yanily yelled from the back, though a resounding thunk told the party Nivian’s shield had just caught another crossbow bolt.

“We need to stop those axe users!” Seena shouted, beginning to gather solar energy.

Her Spearing Rootswill take too long.

Spinning in place, Hiral ducked under the rope railing of the bridge and jumped clear. No sooner had his feet left the wooden planks than he pointed at the ground ten feet below him and engaged his Rune of Rejection.

Shooting straight up like he was caught in a geyser, Hiral cleared the level where the Troblins struck their second blow against the bridge supports, then reached out with his left hand and used his Rune of Attraction

. He jerked to the side so hard, he almost popped his shoulder out of joint, but the maneuver whipped him straight over the three surprised Troblins, his Lashing Vines striking the two axe wielders on the way by as an added bonus.

Then he hit the wall with a resounding crunch and dropped to the floor.

Ouch.

The world tilted. He struggled to draw in a breath, but movement to the side reminded him he didn’t have time to lie on the ground, even if his body refused to move.

Good thing he had two other bodies to work with. Hiral cancelled his summons of Left and Right. He lost the solar energy he’d invested in them—he’d only given them ten percent each before—then immediately activated Foundational Split again.

Left and Right burst out of him and charged the approaching Troblins while Hiral got himself up to his hands and knees. His lungs still felt like hollow pits in his chest, but with the aid of the wall at his side, he pulled himself to his feet and then leaned his back against the rough-grained wood.

I really need to find a new shirt.

Left and Right fought with the axe wielders, deftly dodging the heavier weapons and scoring their own hits, though these Troblins looked even bulkier than the last ones. Thankfully, Nivian burst off the ramp at that point, actually getting under the crossbow-wielding Troblin and lifting it on top of his shield. From there, he simply tossed it over the side to crack on the ground somewhere below, then lashed out with his thorn whip to get the attention of one of the others.

The axe-wielding Troblin twisted at the infuriating pain, then took two slashes from Right’s Lashing Vines—the ability lasted through getting absorbed and resummoned?—and a right hook that spun it in place like a top. When it finally got its feet under it properly, it took a staggering step straight into Yanily’s spear. The first strike tore out the side of its abdomen, while the second, third, and fourth rapid blows cratered the bark-like armor on its chest.

That just left one more—and between Vix, Left, and a swarm of splinter-like projectiles from Seena, it toppled to the ground a bloody mess.

“Are you crazy?” Seena shouted at Hiral as she ran over.

“I knew… you’d… back me up,” he said, forcing the words out as he finally caught his breath. “Besides, I had them.” He pointed at Left and Right.

“And what if more Troblins were waiting where we couldn’t see? Or came to cut the bridge and separated you from us?” The anger on her face shoved him against the wall like physical pressure.

But there was more than just anger on her face. There was worry there too.

She was worried about me…?

“I… I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. It was reckless of me… but it was all I could come with on the spot to make sure they didn’t cut the bridge.”

Some of that fury drained from her shoulders. “Damn right it was reckless,” she hissed. “But if you realize that, it’s a start. When we get out of here, we all need to work together and practice as a team. We’re not used to you, and you’re not used to us. That needs to change. You’re a member of this party now, and I won’t lose you. Understood?”

“Understood,” Hiral said.

“Six minutes,” Vix said. “Looks like one more bridge, though that purple light is getting stronger.”

“It’s giving me the willies,” Yanily added.

“I’m ready when you are,” Hiral said, standing straight up without the aid of the wall, but not moving a step until Seena stopped glaring at him.

“No more being reckless,” she said, but then her face softened. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Just got the wind knocked out of me. I’m good.”

Seena gave him a look, like she was trying to tell if he was just faking it, but finally seemed satisfied with whatever she saw. “Buffs are still good. Nivian…”

“Actually,” Hiral interrupted, “let me and Right go first. We can get up there faster, and if more Troblins are waiting to cut the bridge…”

Seena narrowed her eyes at him.

“Not trying to be reckless,” he said, holding his hands up defensively in front of himself. “You’ll all be right behind me, right?”

“Right. I get it, go,” Seena said after a moment’s consideration.

Without another word, Hiral dashed toward and up the final rope bridge, Right on his heels. Energy gathered in his Rune of Rejection in preparation as he crested the edge of the platform, but he needn’t have bothered—there weren’t any Troblins waiting for them.

Instead, in the middle of the platform, what had to be six Troblin Shamans sat bathed in smoky purple light in a wide circle, all facing inward. In the center of the group sat another, larger pillar of the same ominous light, and within it, two eyes almost as big as a person looked at Hiral.