Runeguard 042

When Night was done relaying everything of interest that she could see, I imparted the information to the Paragons.

Bayan’s brows drew down after I finished. “You couldn’t tell why the ratkin are concentrated to the town’s north?”

I shook my head. “The region is covered in smoke, but my guess would be that a contingent of Wardens are holding them at bay there.”

Bayan stroked his chin. “Perhaps. But given the number of ratkin in the vicinity, reaching them directly will be next to impossible. It will be better if we establish contact with the defenders through those in the townhall.”

“Which building is that?” I asked.

“It’s the large building in the town’s center that you mentioned.”

I nodded. “I agree. That’s where we should go first.”

“But how do we even get there?” Jorge asked. He pointed to the crowded field. “The moment we enter that, we will be overrun.”

“And even assuming we accomplish that minor miracle, how do we retake the town?” Lauren asked. “I’m not trying to be negative here, Dace, but even assuming we manage to round up everyone holed up in all the buildings, we’re still not going to have the numbers we need to free the town.”

She was right. “We can’t retake the town,” I agreed.

Gavin spun towards me. “What? I thought that was the whole reason we came here.”

I shook my head. “No, we came here to defend the town.”

The scar-faced youth scowled. “Defend, retake, what does it matter? How do we do either?”

“Look at your task again,” I told the youth. “What does it say?”

“‘Prevent every building from—’”

I cut him off. “Yes, every. To fulfill the task, we don’t need to recapture the town, or even defend all the buildings, just one.”

Bayan narrowed his eyes. “So what’s your proposal? That we try holding only the townhall?”

I shook my head. “I wish that we could, but I don’t think it’s defensible enough, and besides, that will leave all the players outside stranded and without help. Once the ratkin finish with whatever is holding their attention in the northeast of town, they will swarm the townhall, and then it will only be a matter of time before it falls.”

“What do we do then?” Beth asked.

I gestured south. “We hold that.”

The others’ eyes widened as they looked to where I pointed. “The amphitheater,” Jorge breathed. “Is it even part of the town?”

“My administrator says it is,” I said.

Bayan nodded thoughtfully as he studied the stone structure atop the steep hill and the single road leading up to its fortified gates. “This might just work, after all,” he said.

Beth’s gaze darted between the hill and the rest of the town at its base. “You want us to gather everyone and withdraw to the amphitheater?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’m betting we can hold there at least until nightfall, if not longer. But we will have to act fast to rally the defenders.”

“But that still leaves us with the problem of getting to the players in town,” Lauren pointed out.

“We don’t,” I said.

“What do you mean?” Beth asked slowly as if she feared my answer.

“I go into town. Alone.”

“That’s crazy, Dace!” she growled.

I ignored her objection and turned to the Paragon leader. “We need to split up. You and your team should head directly to the amphitheater and prepare for the assault that will surely come once everyone is gathered there.”

The guildmaster held my gaze. “You will stand a better chance of reaching the townhall if we accompany you.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure, I will.” Seeing the protests that were about to burst from some of the Paragons, I held up my hand. “Hear me out first, please.” 

They sat back and I continued on. “One: I have a rebirth token, and the rest of you don’t. That makes me more expendable. 

“Two: I’m fully armored in plate, and the rest of you aren’t. I can shrug off the ratkin’s blows. You cannot. Alone, I can cut through their ranks faster than if I had to defend the rest of you.”

Seeing the truth behind my words, the Paragons didn’t raise any further objections. 

“And is that all?” Bayan asked finally.

“There is one other consideration. If I do happen to die, the rebirth token will take me to where I need to go: the townhall.”

Beth muttered some choice curses under breath, but she didn’t object openly.

“A truly suicidal plan,” Jorge said, with a chuckle of admiration. “I like it.”

“Alright, Dace,” Bayan pronounced. “We’ll do it your way.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Five minutes later, we had thrashed out the last details of our plan and were nearly ready.

“Adi, before we begin, dump my spare Essence Points into constitution. I have a feeling I am going to need every bit of help I can get.”

I would have loved to have invested the points in my new tier four Essence instead. I felt they would have the best long-term benefit there, but right now, I had no Rune-related skills, nor did I even know what I could do with the Essence. Whichever way I looked at it, I didn’t think I could afford to invest in the Rune Essence just yet.

“Done, Dace.”

I nodded my thanks to her and cast lesser bless on myself.

You have increased your constitution Essence by 10%. Your max health has increased to 330 HP. Duration: 5 minutes.

I turned to the Paragons. “I’m ready for your buffs now.”

Beth, Lauren, and Jorge stepped forward, and raising their staffs, chanted softly.

Jorge has increased your movement and attack speed by 10%.

Beth has increased your damage by 10%.

Lauren has blessed you with waters of life. +30 restoration rate. 

Beth has protected you with a burning shield. 

“Wow,” I said, eyes darting between the System message and the shimmering bubble of translucent crimson encasing me. “What’s this?”

Lauren grinned. “Beth and I got our Class Stones from the dungeon. The waters of life is my Class ability.” 

Beth nodded. “And the burning shield is mine. It’ll stop all blows from reaching you—until it’s overloaded of course. Then you’re on your own.”

“Impressive,” I said, glancing between the two women. “Mind telling me your Classes?”

Beth looked at me askance for a moment. “Maybe if we survive all this,” she said with a laugh.

I smiled in return. “I’ll hold you to that,” I replied before turning to Bayan. “I’m all set. You know what to do?”

He nodded. “Good luck, Dace.”

“You too.”

With a last nod of farewell to the Paragons, I drew my longsword and shield, before turning to face the open field before me.

Behind me, I felt the others fade back into the forest. They would circle around until they were further south and scale the hill holding the amphitheater from that side, out of the ratkin’s sight. After I was sure the others had left, I took a deep breath and strode out of the trees.

It took the ratkin a while to notice me. But when they did, they surged towards me. 

I ran to meet them. 

Narrowing my eyes, I measured the distance between me and my foes. “Now, Night,” I whispered when the closest creature got to within twenty yards.

The black dragon spirit flowed out and formed around me.

You have been buffed by Night’s lesser fear aura.

10% chance that nearby hostiles will be terrified and flee your presence.

Some of the ratkin took one look at the smoke-filled draconic shape in the air and fled. No matter that they hadn’t even felt the touch of Night’s fear aura yet.

The rest kept coming, though.

Bravely—or idiotically—the ratkin ran into the angry cloud that was Night, and a few more fled, succumbing to the touch of her fear aura. But more than enough were unaffected to swarm me. 

Lowering my shield, I tucked my head behind it and braced for impact. I didn’t slow down. In fact, I had no intention of standing still, not unless I was forced to.

I crashed into the smaller ratkin, and despite their numbers, ploughed through their ranks. Ratkin threw themselves at me by the dozens.

And bounced off.

I smiled. Beth’s shield was remarkable and repelled every fang, blow, and claw that hurtled towards me. I was invincible.

At least for the first dozen yards.

Then with an audible pop, the crimson dome around me burst, and the ratkin converged inwards onto me.

Claws raked me. Hands pulled at me. Gaping maws bit at me.

I felt none of it.

My heavy armor stopped every blow from penetrating. Yet as formidable as the steel plate was, even it couldn’t stop the ratkin from slowing me. The little creatures clung to my legs, leaped onto my back, pulled at my neck, and yanked at my arms.

Grinding my teeth, I strained to keep moving, but as more of the creatures piled on, my momentum ground to a near-halt. Still, I forged onwards. 

I looked up. I was nearly at the town’s boundary. I inched forward, step by step, until the weight bearing down on me became too much, and I couldn’t advance anymore.

“It’s time, Night,” I said.

“Are you sure about this, Dace?”

“I am. Do it.”

The smoke enshrouding me lifted to hover momentarily in the air above before swirling into the shape of a dragon’s snout. “Brace yourself,” Night whispered. Opening her jaws wide, she unleashed her dragon’s breath.

Directly into the ratkin. 

And me.

Indiscriminate flames scorched the ground, bathing everything in fire. The creatures clinging to me howled in pain. 

As did I. 

My skin melted. My armor blackened. My hair crisped. I was cooking alive. But in an instant, the area around me cleared as the ratkin fled. 

“Enough Night,” I gasped, forcing open half-burnt eyelids.

The field before me was empty, but I couldn’t expect it to stay that way for long.

I could move again. And I did. Despite every instinct screaming at me to curl up in a ball and howl in misery, I moved. 

Slowly at first, then faster. 

“Status, Adi,” I snarled as I jogged into town.

“Your health is at 70% but is climbing back up to full health quickly.”

I bit back my surprise. I was in better shape than the pain suggested. But the agony that gripped me was fast fading, I realized. Already my wounds felt like little more than unpleasant memories as Lauren’s spell and my own restoration skill worked to heal the damage.

“Good job, Night,” I panted as I rounded the corner of a building. 

“Let’s hope, I don’t have to do that again,” she replied.

I agreed—fervently. 

I dashed past another building, and finally caught sight of the townhall. It was directly ahead of me. 

But so were more ratkin.

They were gathered around the hall’s barred doors and clambering to get in. The creatures spotted me at the same time as I did them, and a dozen peeled off to charge at me.

I glanced to my left and right. No other ratkin were converging on me just yet. Good, I thought, willing my shield back into my inventory and taking my longsword into a two-handed grip.

“Should I attack them, Dace?” Night asked.

“Yes, flame them. But break off your attack when I reach melee range.”

The black dragon spirit rose steeply, before diving down and scorching a line of fire across my attackers.

The ratkin’s charge broke and the creatures scattered, but I gave them no chance to recover as I dashed into the midst.

I slashed down on a ratkin on my right, cutting it nearly in half. Whirling left, I plunged my sword through the heart of another. Dancing forward, I swept my blade through two more.

The unarmored creatures were no match for me, especially in such small numbers. Sensing the danger I posed, the ratkin at the townhall’s doors rushed to their companions’ aid.

I took a second to assess their numbers. There were over four dozen. I glanced backwards. More ratkin, alerted to my presence, were converging on me from elsewhere in the town.

I would be mobbed again soon. 

I sighed. “Night, wait for the ratkin to surround me. Then roast them.”

The dragon spirit floating in the air above didn’t respond immediately. “Alright,” she said finally, “but I’m not sure if this willingness to burn yourself counts as bravery or stupidity.”

 I didn’t reply, sensing both the amusement and concern lacing her words. Instead I kept hacking at my attackers. A ratkin leapt at me. I cut it down. Two more shoved into me from the left. I elbowed them away. Another leapt onto my back. I yanked him off. Three gripped my sword. I tried to shake them free but failed.

I swayed. 

The creatures’ numbers were finally telling. More ratkin climbed onto me and I staggered, struggling to keep my feet. “I could use some help here, Night,” I snarled. “Whenever you’re ready, go ahead and toast these—”

My world turned white as flames bathed me anew.

I gasped and fell to my knees.

Bowing my head, I waited for the inferno raging around me to abate. I don’t know if it was because I was becoming more accustomed to transforming into a living torch, or if it was because Night had unleashed a shorter burst of flames this time, but the pain wracking my body subsided faster than before.

I creaked to my feet and looked around. In all directions the streets had emptied. I smiled grimly. “Good work, Night.”

Movement up ahead drew my attention. The townhall doors were opening. Sheathing my sword, I staggered towards it.