Team Player

There had been four Camps set up along the trail into the Pit. Each of them had its own defensive force of Grue; most of them had either stayed in place or had sent their forces to fight the beleaguered Salmons still trying to fight their way up the path.

Now there were two, and Alex was already aiming to cut that number down by one. She cut her way through a group of Soldiers, pushing her way further into the ranks of the Grue. Explosions danced around her as Joanna threw fire in all directions; Sam was to her left, cutting down Knight after Knight. The Grue were giving way, their howls and snarls growing desperate as their numbers dropped.

Clara, on her part, was a short distance further up the hill. She wasn't firing on the Grue themselves, instead concentrating on the last Camp. Her crossbow bolts punched further into the floating crystal, digging deeper with each shot. Some of the Grue were occasionally running down the trail from the Gravelyard up above, only for the Acolyte to cut off their attacks with a wall of thorns. They continued to howl and hack at the vegetation, but Clara ignored them and shot the crystal again, her hands working the mechanism of her crossbow.

Alex continued to hack her way through the enemy lines, grimacing as an arrow punched into her shoulder. She sent a burst of wind to scatter the follow-up shots and blasted the offending Killer with lightning in the throat. It collapsed, hands clutched around the wound, and she snarled as she shield-checked a Soldier down the trail.

Another crossbow shot snapped down the trail and punched into the far Camp's crystal. It fractured, a crack running across the facets of the floating crystal.

Then it exploded, sending a wave of purple fire and shrapnel across the trail. Grue all along the trail suddenly fell to their knees, their shadowy forms becoming indistinct. The remaining creatures grew even more panicked as half their number vanished, and Alex pushed forward to finish the few still in front of her.

The last of the Grue in front of her fell, and Alex sprinted down the path. She passed by the last remaining Camp crystal, ignoring it so that she could hit the last of its defenders in the back. They had just enough time to yelp in shock before she descended on them, her axe and shield working to hack and smash the Grue out of her way. Just a few strides ahead, she could see the Salmons struggling to fight past the Grue to safety, desperation clear on their faces.

Beyond them, she could see the horde closing in, with the Ogres in their midst. They were close. Too close.

She cut down another Knight and smashed a pair of Soldiers out of the way. A Salmon Surveyor staggered past a fallen Soldier, horror and gratitude on her face. Alex pushed past her to cut down another Soldier. "Get clear!"

The Salmon Surveyors fought their way free, staggering further up the trail. Alex heard the Camp shiver itself to pieces behind her, its fragments raining down, but the vanguard of the horde was already rushing up the side of the Pit towards her. She braced herself and broke the first spear on her shield, hacking down the Soldier who held the shattered remnants. A Knight rushed up, sword raised, and she burned its face with lightning before smashing it back down the trail. "We have to hold!"

Crossbow bolts started to rain down among the Grue, turning their fallen corpses into hedges of thorns. Joanna sent a burst of ice, turning the trail into a slick ribbon of hardened frost that sent the creatures slipping and tumbling back down into the Pit. Sam ducked beneath a Brute's hammer swing and stabbed at its knees, bringing it down so he could stab up and into its skull.

Alex stopped advancing, intending to just hold the line while the Salmons escaped. More and more Grue were pushing their way forward, clawing their way up the trail despite the blockages that they encountered. They howled with unending rage, scrabbling past the hedges, ice spears, and fallen bodies to throw themselves at her and her team, showing no signs of retreat.

She met them with all the ferocity and stubbornness she had. Every single Grue that came close, she ended. Those that met Joanna or Sam didn't fare much better, and every single one of them had to navigate the bramble that Clara was creating just to attack. Killers and Archers died to crossbow bolts before they ever had the chance to fire, and a combination of wind and ice tumbled entire groups of Grue in tangled messes.

Despite their success, Alex and her team started to give ground. They didn't want to stay on that trail forever, after all, just long enough to cover the others' retreat. As yet another batch of Grue went tumbling down the trail, Alex looked back to see what was happening back at the head of the trail. She saw the Salmons at the first curve in the trail, their blood-spattered armor standing out against the grey sky. There were Grue there, but she thought she could see other Surveyors as well. Had one of the other teams come to their assistance? Either way, they needed to pull back. The last thing they wanted was for—

A shadow fell across Alex, and her eyes widened. She looked up and saw a massive figure descending towards her out of the grey sky. For just a heartbeat, she felt her muscles lock in place, freezing for a crucial moment.

Sam slammed into her from the side, and they both tumbled into Joanna. As they tumbled across the dirt of the trail, the ground leapt up to meet them.

Alex tucked in her limbs and rolled to her feet. She looked back at where she had been standing and felt her heart seize in her chest.

It was an Ogre, standing with one massive foot planted where she had been. The Grue straightened up from the crouch and turned to look down at her, its gigantic eyes wide and fixed on her. Then it turned its face to the sky and howled.

Before it finished, Alex turned and pulled Joanna to her feet. "Get to the yard! Fall back!"

The Adept nodded, and both she and Sam took off at a sprint. Alex turned back to the Ogre and saw it start to raise a single gigantic hand.

Then it jerked, taking a single step back. It waved a hand as if trying to shoo a fly. As it snarled, making a noise like a grinding car engine, Alex caught sight of one of Clara's crossbow bolts striking at its face. She smiled, reaching for something in her pouch.

The Ogre stepped forward, its eyes now fixed on Clara, but Alex brought her arm forward and hurled a handful of Whispering Feathers right at the thing's eye. She felt a burst of triumph as the Ogre once again flinched back, and then turned to race back up the trail toward the curve in the road. There weren't any Salmons there, but she could see her own team waiting for her. Clara already had her crossbow back at her shoulder, ready to shoot again. Sam's mouth was open, shouting at her across the distance.

She heard a howl behind her and lunged to the left. A massive fist crashed down where she'd been; the impact was powerful enough that the ground seemed to drop away beneath her feet. When the Ogre pulled back, its claw left a crater in the dust of the trail. Alex thought of what a similar impact would have done to her and ran faster, starting to weave back and forth across the narrow track, even as the Ogre howled in pursuit behind her. Its footfalls sounded like cannon shots.

Alex sprinted as hard as she could, the breath coming ragged in her throat. She dodged right, almost purely on instinct, and a massive set of jaws closed on the spot where she'd been. A wash of hot breath spread over her, and a glimpse of the malice in its huge eye sent a bolt of fear through her heart. Another dodge saved her from being smashed flat by another palm strike, and she accelerated again, as fast as she dared with the curve of the trail coming up. The others had already pulled back, with Clara snapping off another shot at the Ogre's eye before she went.

It snarled and snapped at the air, pawing at its face, and the terror in Alex's heart faded slightly. Hope found root in her soul as she reached the curve and leaned scrabbled through the turn, trying not to notice the massive bulk of the Ogre behind her as she came around. She saw a group of Surveyors at the second curve, just a short distance from the top, and her own team almost halfway there already. Another short sprint and she'd be there with them, and she'd face the thing with reinforcements.

Then another Ogre lunged up from the side of the trail, clawing its way straight up the slope in front of her. It landed partway between her and the others, its claws digging furrows in the ground as it slid into place. Alex saw it turn towards her and had to make a split-second choice. Her immediate instinct was to stop and find a way around the behemoth in front of her.

Instead, she bore down and accelerated, running as hard as she could for the thing's feet. She ducked low as it attempted to backhand her with a fist the size of a semi-truck; she felt the breeze of it rush by her in a burst of wind. Alex rushed in between the Ogre's legs, striking at its ankles as she ran.

It was like trying to punch an iron pole. Her axe nearly rebounded out of her hands, and she forced herself to continue running faster. If they caught up…

The Ogre moved over her, and she lunged forward as its leg came sweeping around. It dragged a trench through the ground behind her, showering her with dust and rocks, even as the first Ogre came around the bend, its eyes still locked on her.

Alex ran harder, her eyes still fixed on the curve ahead. The other Surveyors had pulled back, and her own team had reached that turn. Joanna had left a trail of icicle spikes, spaced widely enough that she could dodge between them without trouble, but close enough that the Ogres would have to come through them. Clara was still firing the occasional shot backwards, even as Sam dragged her away. Another few heartbeats and she'd catch up.

Yet she couldn't quite trust that possibility, not with the speed of the things behind her. She quietly grabbed another pair of items from her pockets, even as she poured on a little more speed. At least on the level ground in the Gravelyard, they would have the chance to spread out and surround the Ogres. On the narrow trail, they had nowhere to hide. If she wanted to live, she needed to get past that last curve and reach the higher ground.

As she reached the curve, she felt another burst of triumph. Then she heard icicles snapping behind her, and a desperate glance told her she was about to be crushed beneath an Ogre's fist.

Alex slammed the two Oathstones she was holding together, combining them in a final desperate bid. An impenetrable dome formed over her, one that she nearly slammed into as she skidded to a halt. The Ogre seemed to blink in surprise, but its fist plowed forward all the same, as unstoppable as a freight train.

Then it met the edge of the dome, and Alex's heart leapt as the shield stopped it cold.

Shock showed clearly on the Ogre's canid face; the clawed fist skidded off the surface of the dome as if it was slippery. Off balance, it staggered a little farther forward before rearing up and attempting to kick at her. The blow bounced off a second time, though this time the dome fractured beneath the force of the hit.

Alex didn't wait to see the result of a third blow. She dropped the Oathstones and ran for the vanishing border of the dome. She caught a glimpse of the Ogre behind her lunging for her, and dodged close to the arc of the curve; its snapping jaws just barely missed her legs, and a claw smashed the ground to her left. The first Ogre was climbing up the side of the trail the way the second one had, swiping at the Surveyors gathered at the top of the trail; they fell back, launching blasts of magic that seemed to have no effect on it at all.

She added a burst of Whispering Feathers, hoping they would be unnoticed among all the projectiles, and ran for the exit. The Ogre behind her was snarling, the one in front of her was shaking its head with a hand to its face. There was an opening, one she could use…

Sam shouted, pointing behind her, and she dodged right. A pair of massive beams carved into the ground beside her, melting furrows in the dust. She glanced back in shock and saw the magic fading from the Ogre's eyes; there was satisfaction in its face, even though it had missed.

Then she looked forward and had half a heartbeat to recognize that the one ahead of her had lashed out blindly. Its massive fist was coming around towards her, unavoidable and unstoppable. She had just enough time to get her shield up.

It hit her. Something snapped in her shield arm. Her vision went dark. She tumbled through the world, skipping off the edge of a cliff like a stone across the water. Alex hit the ground hard enough for a flash of pain to spread through one leg, followed by numbness as she continued to roll across the packed earth. When her vision returned, it was just a jumble of grey stone and grey sky, all spinning too fast to track.

She rolled up and over some sort of ramp and flew through the air. Alex had a moment as she flew where she could see the Ogres turning to look at her. There were six of them at least, surrounded by a horde of smaller creatures still swarming up the trail. Surveyors stood at the top, their magic still lashing out. They were so far away.

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Then she hit the ground again, a painful tumble across stony ground until she fetched up against something solid enough to stop her. Her head filled with a ringing sound that made her nauseous. Pain flowed through her in waves. She thrashed, trying to get back to her feet, and nearly passed out as both her shield arm and right leg screamed at her.

In pain, she unleashed a burst of lightning in all directions, trying to make sure that no Grue were close by. She heard a pair of cut-off snarls and felt a dull burst of satisfaction. Still, she had to stand, or she'd be finished. Blood filled her mouth; it burned as she coughed and spat it on the ground, a bright orange and yellow flame. Forcing herself up on her right arm, Alex got her left leg under her and lurched back to her feet.

The motion nearly didn't work; the world swam in her eyes, flickering between darkness and light. She slumped against the thing she'd run into, using it as a brace.

Orange text flickered into being in front of her.

[Impure Coalescence Contacted]

She blinked and looked at the object. It was then that she realized she was leaning up against the hovering crystal of a Camp. Its guardian Grue had all joined the horde swarming up the trail; the single pair of Soldiers that had stayed were thrashing on the ground, their bodies singed by her lightning.

As she tried to process the situation, she saw the Ogres turning back towards her. The Surveyors launched attacks at their backs, but the things just ignored them. One of them leapt from the top of the trail, crashing down to the earth in front of her. Its broad face bore the small marks of her attacks. One of Clara's crossbow bolts stuck out from a nostril, like a splinter or a piercing.

Alex stared up at it as it approached, joined by another Ogre that hadn't been as high up. She saw her death in those strides, and knew that whatever it did, there would be no healing from it. It wouldn't even need to punch her. A simple stomp would finish things. No magic, ability, or item would save her. Liliana's victory was assured.

Then she looked at the crystal. An idea formed. Alex coughed and forced a smile with bloodied teeth. She threw her axe into the dust at her feet, outside of her reach.

"Liliana! Come finish me… yourself, coward!"

It was a harsh, choking shout, one that drove another spike of pain through her chest. Something was broken in there, but Alex forced herself not to worry about it yet. She had to stay focused, stay standing for the next few moments.

She felt the presence form behind her. That same leering, hateful stare. Alex glanced back and saw the Shade waiting, staff in hand. Its form flickered, as if Liliana was having to fight to keep it stable. The Ogres paused, their lethal blows stayed for just a moment.

The Shade stabilized. It took one step, then two. Liliana's staff rose, and a vicious smile formed on its indistinct face. Alex met that smile with one of her own; the woman had always been petty.

Then she reached inside herself and placed her right hand against the face of the crystal. Blood dripped from her chin as she spat at Liliana's feet. The Storm answered her call. "Burn."

What happened next was only clear afterwards. Alex pulled on the crystal, funneling the power of the Storm through it the same way that she did the small Impurities that she gathered from Soldiers, shattered Camps, and Mages. She'd figured that it would give her at least the same kind of output as the smaller crystals, maybe enough to banish Liliana and free the Ogres from the Shade's direct control. Alex would still be dead, but at least Sam and the others could escape.

Instead, the world seemed to vanish as everything turned orange.

Magic howled through Alex, a fount of power that seemed never-ending. She heard agonized howls rise around her, screams of animal terror that she couldn't understand, and yet somehow burned straight into her mind. Agony ripped through her again, a burning blaze that started in her heart and spread through every limb in a fraction of a second.

In that same sliver of time, lightning exploded from Alex. She had no control; it lashed out in all directions, crawling like a dying spider with tree-thick limbs across the grey soil. One glowing bolt drove itself like a spear through Liliana's chest; the Shade vanished as if she had never been. Others stabbed up at the Ogres, striking at heads, elbows, and knees. Even more shot away out of her line of sight. Explosions burst and cut-off howls rose, barely heard through the chaos of that screaming power within her.

It seemed to last an eternity, but the power flooded through her and was gone in only a moment. Alex blinked, and the crystal was suddenly gone. She staggered without the Camp to brace herself against. Smoke rose from the joints of her armor, and her breath was a shaky, uncertain heaving of her lungs.

The ground shook, and she looked over, half-blinded by the blood dripping into her eyes, to see the Ogres collapsed onto the earth. One of them lay utterly still, but the other one, the one with Clara's crossbow bolt in its face, was still alive. It scrabbled at the dirt with one flailing claw, even as white smoke rose from its lightning-savaged body. Sightless eyes searched for her, still desperate for the kill.

Alex paused. She bent painfully into a crouch, tugging her axe from the soil. Her numb fingers searched for a Shattered Rage, a remnant of a Brute. With limping, agonized steps, she approached the crippled Ogre. Every movement seemed to be an agony.

She raised her axe. Then she crushed the Rage, letting its power flow through her. It forced her to grit her teeth against a new wave of pain, but she still brought the axe down with force beyond anything she could have done on her own. Her axe bit through flesh so tough it might as well have been armor. The Ogre went still.

[Motion Trance increases to 15!]

[Battle Maneuvers*** increases to 24!]

Alex collapsed to her hands and knees in the scorched dust of the Quarry, unable to force her legs to bear her any longer. Her heart was beating too hard in her ears for her to hear clearly, but she was sure that the Grue would be coming for her still. Even without the Ogres, she was behind the lines, and she could barely see or stand. Even a Soldier could probably finish her off without much of a problem.

She started to grab the corpse of the Ogre to pull herself up, only to yank her hand back as it began to burn. Alex frowned, not understanding. The bodies didn't burn while the battle was still happening. There should have been plenty of Grue still nearby. Where were they?

Still trying to lurch to her feet, Alex swung around in a clumsy, stuttering circle. The ground around her was blackened and burnt. Fragments of blasted Camps were scattered around her. There had to be at least half a dozen of them. Outposts had been left in ruins as well, their few remaining defenders reduced to ash. Those few that remained were cowering in cover, as if trying to avoid her notice. Why weren't they charging?

Convinced she wasn't seeing clearly, Alex shook her head. She nearly fell over as a wave of nausea and disorientation washed over her. Stubbornness kept her standing. The longer she lasted, the farther her friends could go.

She looked back towards the trail, thinking that she'd see the horde still flowing up the path to the top of the Pit. Instead, she saw the Grue running. There seemed to be so few of them, now. Had they taken that many casualties? Even the remaining Ogres withdrew, their forms seeming somehow less substantial than before. As she watched, a burst of sunlight caught one and nearly knocked it down the slope as it clutched at its face.

As the enemy pulled back, the burning bulk of the dead Ogres seemed to provide her with camouflage. None of the Grue were retreating to Camps nearby her, not that any were left. Instead, they seemed to avoid her, with the Ogres stomping back towards the Anchor Point without looking back at their fallen comrades.

Alex watched them go, still not entirely understanding. She watched as one small group of Grue angled towards her, apparently aiming to rejoin their companions at a Camp that remained intact. They saw her, still half-crouching in the shadow of the burning Ogres, and howled with panicked rage.

She grimaced as they charged—only for one of them to jerk and fall to the ground. The other two yelped in shock and ran, their feet pounding the scorched dust. Alex recognized the shape of Clara's crossbow bolt in the fallen Soldier's skull and turned her attention back to the trail.

The Acolyte was standing on the side of the trail, already reloading her crossbow. Joanna had apparently built steps made of ice to help them descend, and Sam was racing along them, his eyes locked on her. Alex blinked, her thoughts moving slower as the adrenaline receded and the pain encroached. What were they doing? Why were they still here?

She managed to stay standing until they reached her, and then everything went black.

Alex woke a few minutes later, jarred back to wakefulness by the sheer agony tearing through her.

She tried to lash out, but firm hands kept her contained. Joanna's voice pierced the fog. "Watch it, Valkyrie. Clara's not done yet."

Alex snarled, her hands clenching as she fought for a few more moments. Then something was pressed to her lips, and the cloying taste of a healing potion filled her mouth. She almost choked before she drank it, but as she did, another wave of agony spread through her body.

Her vision started to clear, however, letting her look up at the grey sky. She saw her friends clustered around her, with Clara's hands glowing green. Sam stood nearby, pacing around her with his eyes searching for any signs of threat. Alex looked back at Joanna, who was already uncorking another potion. "Where—"

"Shut up and drink." Joanna pushed the next potion to her lips, and Alex shot her a glare even as she did as she was ordered. Another flare of agony ran through her, but she thought she could feel the bones in her arm and leg snap back into place this time. "Those potions cost us a few favors, by the way. Alessa and Audrey said they'd be collecting soon."

Alex coughed as she finished the potion. She looked at Clara, who nodded grimly. "Did they see?"

Sam cleared his throat. His eyes darted to the side. "See what? We were all too busy with the Ogre and the horde at the top of the trail."

The tone in his voice made her frown. She followed the direction of his eyes and found that Earl was still with them. An intensely curious expression dominated the Observer's face.

"Surveyor Morrison, I am glad to see you are all right." His eyes grew a bit sharper. "If you have a minute, I have a few questions—"

Clara shot him a furious look. "Not the time or the place, Observer."

He gave her a reproachful glance. "It's my responsibility to report accurately on the incident today."

"Then you should have come down into the Pit with us." Alex coughed as something else shifted back into place inside her, a painful but necessary adjustment. "It's not our job to make up for you."

Earl winced. He glanced at Sam, who shrugged at him. "I would still appreciate an explanation."

She looked at him for a moment. Then she smiled. "I bent the rules."

Sam glanced at her and tried not to collapse into laughter; even Joanna smiled. Earl looked around at them, and his frown deepened. "That's… not very clear."

Alex shook her head, glad that it didn't swim nearly as much anymore. "Too bad." She looked at Joanna. "How long was I out?"

The Adept grimaced. "Hour and a half. I think if we move fast, we might be able to make the time limit. As long as Liliana doesn't stop us."

An image of the Shade being obliterated by lightning appeared in Alex's memory. "I don't think that'll be an issue." She shifted, forcing herself back to her feet. Joanna reached out to give her support, and Sam paused from his sentry duty long enough to make sure she wasn't going to collapse again.

For a moment, Alex teetered on her legs. Then she put a hand on Joanna's shoulder and felt her balance return. "I think I'm good to move. Are we clear?"

Sam and Clara glanced at each other before he answered. "Yeah, we can go." He took the lead, while Joanna and Clara followed after, with Alex propped up between them. Earl trailed after them, still looking unhappy as they started out across the other world. She kept moving, even as Clara continued to heal the pain. Hopefully, everything would be fixed by the time they reached the portal.

In the end, it took another two hours of painful travel to reach safety.

Their journey was much easier in some ways, given Liliana's sudden absence. Patrols still crossed their path, but they came in singletons rather than groups, and even with Alex virtually out of commission and the others limited by the need to protect her and keep Earl alive, they were still easily dealt with. None of them felt any particular need to rush, either, which meant that Clara could guide them around the trickier ambushes that they ran across.

All the same, the journey was painfully slow. Alex couldn't seem to regain any of her stamina; even a fast walk robbed her of her breath, and no matter how much Clara healed her, she kept feeling flares of pain at random moments. Attempting to use her axe or shield made her feel like she was moving through mud; even Earl seemed to be quicker on the uptake than she was, and any magic was completely unavailable to her.

Luckily, despite her lack of participation, the patrols still counted towards her total for the objective. By the time they staggered their way into the Factory, she had long since received the notification that she'd completed yet another part of her mission for the day. It was an encouraging bit of news after so much effort.

When they approached the portal, they found a team waiting for them. The Salmon Run Surveyors had seen better days; all of them looked like they could have used the same amount of healing that Alex had received, though they all looked fresher than she did. Their Observer was scowling at all of them, as if impatient, but their team leader was just returning the glare with one of her own.

Then she caught sight of Alex and brightened. She murmured something to her teammates, who started to file through the portal. Alex grinned to herself as the Screen displayed a message for her moments later.

[Priority Objective Completed]

The Salmon Run leader approached carefully. "Valkyrie, we owe you. If you hadn't come for us—"

Alex shook her head, trying not to show how fatigued she was. "It's what we do. We're on the same side, here."

She saw the Surveyor pause. Then she grinned. "We are indeed. Still, we owe you a debt. I won't forget it." The woman nodded to Alex's friends and then followed her team through the portal.

Joanna sighed. When Alex looked at her, she shrugged. "Well, at least she waited a little for us. I still think we're going to be the last ones coming home, though."

Alex nodded. It wasn't the best look, but on the other hand, everyone would be coming home. "It's worth it." Then she heard a howl behind them and grunted. "Still, no reason to procrastinate…"

They filed into the vortex, and the light flowed over them…

[Mission Report]

[Completed an Objective. +20 Experience]

[Priority Objective Completed. +90 Experience]

[Additional Objective Completed +120 Experience]

[Additional Objective Completed +120 Experience]

[Additional Objective Completed +60 Experience]

[Additional Objective Completed +110 Experience]

[All Objectives Complete +80 Experience]

Alex stared at the words wearily. If she'd known what she was going to end up doing, she'd have included a few more Camps among her targets. Then again, if she'd known that, she might not have gone at all.

[Current Portal Status: Diminishing, Magic Level Decreasing]

[Current Portal Level: D3 -> D2]

[Local Area Population: 6 D ranks, 1 E rank]

Apparently, they hadn't been the only team left, after all. Maybe one of the Goldiron teams was taking their time. She felt a brief moment of worry for them, but at the same time, she wasn't exactly in any shape to watch out for them. She had to survive first, after all.

[Battle Maneuvers*** increased from 21 to 24!]

[Motion Trance increased from 12 to 15!]

For how much fighting she'd done, it didn't seem like very much of an increase, but all the same, she was mostly just happy to have lived through the experience. The image of blasting Liliana out of existence was also something to cherish as well. Even if she did end up in last place.

With a grimace, she let herself fall forward and embraced the light…