Book 2: Chapter 76

After running down the dimly lit cavern tunnel for a few minutes, the group came across the first split in the path.

“Orrin, please tell me [Map] is working,” Daniel bounced from side to side trying to see into the gloomy darkness of either way.

Orrin mentally crossed his fingers as he brought the skill up. He let out a sigh. “It’s a freaking maze. Give me a second to figure it out.”

Madi hugged Brandt and checked him over as Orrin drew lines in the air with his finger. He cursed and moved back.

“Any time soon would be great,” Daniel poked.

“Not sure you’d be doing any better, asshole.”

Madi hushed Daniel. A few seconds later, Orrin whooped. “Got it. Left path. I’m going to need somebody to take my arm and keep me from running into a wall. I have to concentrate on this.”

Orrin had them turn left twice, then right. They ran into a three-way split and took the middle route only to turn around and take the left path instead.

“Sorry.”

“You’re doing great, Orrin. Keep it up.” Madi had one hand on Orrin’s elbow and clasped her other in Brandt’s hand. Her weapon swung at her hip.

The echoes of feet and yells from behind spurred them on but no guards had caught up to them yet. Orrin was hoping they were splitting up along each path to check they didn’t double back to the castle.

After thirty minutes of frantic turns, bumping into walls and scrapping skin, and Daniel’s grumbling, Orrin took his eyes off his [Map]. “Straight shot from here. D, can you see any light?”

Daniel was quiet as he peered ahead. “I think so. Good job, Orrin. I knew you could do it.”

As they moved forward, Orrin went back to removing Brandt’s collar. He grimaced as one of Madi’s butterfly lights revealed his handwork on the knight’s neck. His fingers had brushed and acid burnt the skin in long stripes.

“Sorry about this,” he mumbled but Brandt just smirked.

“I’ve been through worse. I haven’t seen the sun in over a hundred days. I lost count somewhere around ninety-five. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

They could see the light of the cave entrance. The sound of water breaking filled the tunnel. Daniel ran ahead and waved them on. Orrin’s [Camouflage Ward] had worn off. He’d been focused on his [Map] and only kept the stat buffs going so Madi and Brandt didn’t fall over.

“Hurry up.”

Orrin felt the collar begin to give, with some metal melting. It burned his hand but he ignored the pain for now. Finally, with a faint crack, it fell off Brandt.

“Daniel, he’s out. Invite Brandt…”

As Daniel turned, Orrin pointed behind him. A group of robed figures stepped in front of the exit and raised their hands in unison. Fire, ice, lightning, and more raised from the fingers of all the mages present and struck the [Hero] in the back.

Orrin was close enough to see Daniel’s face. He’d been smiling in excitement. He always enjoyed a challenge and even though he’d complained about it, breaking Brandt out was secretly scratching all his heroic itches.

As the spells hit him, a frown of puzzlement flashed across his brow followed quickly by shock and pain. Orrin’s [Ward] had been obliterated. Daniel glanced down at his armor in surprise. A bolt of ice stuck out from the center of his chest. His right knee to ankle was covered in vines that dug into the skin, blood pouring out like a river.

Their eyes connected and Daniel’s mouth popped open in a little “Ouch.” Then the [Hero] fell forward, hitting the ground. Gertrude slipped from his fingers.

The sound of the waves crashed in Orrin’s ears. Distant shouting and screams were a mere annoyance as he took one, then two steps toward his friend’s body. He’d get up and smirk any second. He was going to be so pissed that he dropped his sword. He might need a heal or two, that ice spike might have done some damage to him.

A small part of Orrin screamed at him to get down. He didn’t want to listen to that part of himself. He needed to get to Daniel. His feet were moving so slowly. Had his [Increase Dexterity] worn off? Orrin checked his status by reflex. Nope, still there. Did Daniel’s buffs wear off? Was that why he wasn’t moving?

Orrin used [Identify] on Daniel.

Daniel

Hero Level 18

HP: 0/400

MP: 360/380

Strength: 24   (100)

Constitution:   20

Dexterity: 15   (100)

Will: 8 (38)

Intelligence:   10 (40)

Zero health. Orrin read the status but couldn’t comprehend it. Why isn’t he moving?

Orrin noticed movement. The mages were rushing in. They were going to try and take Daniel before he got up.

“No.”

Orrin slipped into Formless stance from [Way of the Water]. He heard Madi shouting but didn’t need any distractions. Activating [Mind Bastion], he stepped over Daniel. With one last glance over his shoulder, he caught Madi’s attention. “Take care of him.”

Orrin exploded into movement. He didn’t attack but went into Ocean stance to slide between the different assailants. He blood cycled when attacks hit and reapplied [Ward]. The healing from cycling kept him at full health.

He started using [Toxic Touch] indiscriminately, boosted with [Remetabolize]. People screamed but he kept going. Scorpion Fish Strike to Returning Tide. Raising Wave before falling back to Formless. Two mages tried to attack from separate directions. Orrin moved into Mist and jumped forward, dodging both the spear of light and the ice shard. Coming up from his forward roll, he returned to Ocean and darted forward. The [Ice Mage] fell with a hole through his chest. Orrin pulled his hand out and continued.

“Enough!”

Orrin’s falling kick missed. The mage still sparkled with radiant lightning flickering across her skin. She moved back and knelt toward the entrance with her remaining comrades. Of the twelve mages who had attacked, only four were still standing. Six were dead and two were unconscious.

Backlit against the ocean and sun behind him, Lord Sanerris the ruler of Odrana entered the cave.

“That is quite enough. You dare to come into my house and take my prisoner? You kill my guards and my students?” The blond hair was not as perfected tousled as it had been when they last met. Orrin could tell they’d made Sanerris run to catch them. “You cannot escape. I will make you beg for death.”

Orrin cast [Lightstrikes] at the man before he finished his last sentence.

Sanerris snarled and waved a hand. Orrin’s attack faded in front of him.

He tried again. He sent inversed [Increase Dexterity] at Sanerris. He tried his new spell [Gust] with a hundred mana invested. Sanerris’s robes didn’t even stir.

Orrin ran at the man. One of the mages stood up and Orrin’s freshly summoned [Fire Sword] decapitated him. The blade continued its burning arc toward the leader of Odrana, who stood still with a bored look on his face.

“That’s enough.”

Orrin’s sword stopped in place. He tried to move his arm, his leg, or any part of his body but it was like he was frozen in place.

Sanerris sneered at him. “I thought you were special.”

He stepped past Orrin and snapped his fingers. “Collar him. I want to know his class and skills.”

One of the mages stood up and pulled a metal circle just like Brandt’s out of his inner robes. It snapped shut around Orrin’s neck. He kept fighting, trying to do anything. He couldn’t even blink and his eyes started to water.

No. I have to be able to heal Daniel.

“Hey asshole,” a voice from behind him taunted. “Let my friend go.”

“Daniel?” Madi’s gasp of disbelief broke through the murmuring of the other mages surrounding Orrin. “You’re alive!”

“I never want to try that skill again. Ouch, you bastards back a big hit.”

Orrin couldn’t see his friend but let the tears flow fast. Of course, he’d forgotten about Daniel’s skill [Edge of Death]. He couldn’t remember the exact wording but knew it was supposed to bring him back if he took too much damage. A final heal-failsafe. Orrin had threatened to kill him and activate it multiple times but seeing the mangled body of his friend had thrown that right out the window.

“The [Hero] of Dey,” Sanerris scoffed. “Is that little Catanzano back there? I guess the information I let slip about your knight reached you. I was hoping I could lure one of you here but to see all three of you… and you even got so close.

Sanerris laughed. “There are no elves to save you this time, [Hero]. Put down your sword and let’s talk.”

Orrin was pointed in the wrong direction and couldn’t see. He tried every spell and skill he had. Nothing worked. He couldn’t tell if it was the collar or whatever Sanerris had cast on him. He couldn’t even see the System boxes but felt them right out of reach.

“I’m warning you once. Let Orrin go. We’ll leave and that will be the end of things.”

Orrin cheered at his friend.

“And if I don’t?”

Orrin could hear the smile on Danie’s face. “We have a saying where I’m from. Fuck around and find out. You don’t want to find out.”

Orrin had a moment’s notice. The forward motion from his earlier swing kept his momentum moving forward and the pressure holding him still lifted. He almost faceplanted but was able to roll into a crouch.

“Collar the [Hero]. You can kill the other two.”

Orrin tried to use his spells but nothing came. Two mages nearby moved to grab him. The last moved toward Daniel, frozen in place just like Orrin had just been.

Time magic? Orrin was just thankful that he’d learned [Way of the Water] the hard way. The collar locked out his spells and his party options but he could still fight. His stats were still increased for… two more minutes.

The two mages went down with barely a sound.

“Daniel, get ‘home’ with them. I’ll find a way out,” Orrin shouted, drawing Sanerris’s attention. Madi and Brandt moved in front of Daniel’s unmoving body.

“Orrin, we’re all going together,” Madi argued.

“Nobody will be going anywhere.” Sanerris flicked his fingers at Madi.

Brandt threw himself in front of her. His body flipped end over end and his already frail body hit the ground hard. Orrin let out a breath when he pushed himself back to his feet. His right arm was broken, bone sticking through. He’d landed on the hand with missing fingers to soften the blow, sacrificing the bad arm so he could still swing his sword.

What a fucking badass. Orrin admired him for a second.

A pain behind his eyes began to fester. The same spell that Sanerris had tried on him in the elven forest bloomed. He’d never taken [Mind Bastion] off but the proximity and intensity were ramped up this time.

“Sit in the corner and stop killing my students,” Sanerris yelled.

“Eat me,” Orrin yelled back, running at Sanerris. He feinted left and then barreled his entire frame into the man. Orrin wasn’t a match for the taller man normally, but he still had the full weight of one hundred points of strength behind him. Sanerris bounced back, unharmed but flying over Daniel and Brandt.

Madi finally landed a [Shimmersight] on the last mage and pierced his neck with her spear. She spun the shaft twice in the narrow hallway and yelled at Orrin as she swung at Sanerris. “Run.”

Orrin ran toward the danger.

“No, you idiot. Get Daniel and get out of here.” Madi sent bursts of light at Sanerris. Everything failed to hit.

“When he stops me, you convince Daniel to get the three of you out of here,” Orrin whispered quickly. He didn’t wait for a response and charged Sanerris again.

“You still haven’t learned,” the man held his hands out to the side as Orrin ran at him. “You can’t touch me.”

Orrin screamed as he rushed at the man. His pristine clothes were banged up but they hadn’t done any lasting damage. Orrin whispered to the system. “Now’s the time to activate some crazy skill. Suck his powers away or something. C’mon!”

Nothing happened and two feet from hitting him, Sanerris froze Orrin with his time freeze spell.

“I’m going to have fun with you.” Sanerris pointed his finger at Orrin. He glanced beyond Orrin and his face twisted. “No! Where did they go?”

Orrin felt a catch in his breath even through the spell. They escaped.

Lord Sanerris began to beat Orrin in a rage.

End of Book 2