Chapter 20 - Will to live - Part One

Lash convulsed in pain, her mind unprepared for the extent of the damage inflicted on her body. Unable to tolerate the pain, she passed out. This cycle repeated four more times before Lash rallied and successfully pushed back against the pain. Gritting her teeth, she pushed back further and opened her eyes.

Lash was laying on a bed inside of Sanctuary’s Surgeon home. As near as she could tell, someone had stripped her down and redressed her in a loose-fitting hoodless robe.

“You are awake Mistress?!” A vaguely feminine voice chittered excitedly.

With monumental effort, Lash endured a fresh wave of pain as she turned her eyes in the direction of the voice. Relieved to find it was one of Tim’s Daemons, Lash almost relaxed but managed to catch her fading consciousness at the last moment.

The large rodent featured Daemon hurried to Lash’s side and gently yet firmly pressed its hand against her chest, “Mistress must remain still and allow the Healing magic time to mend your bones!” The Daemon insisted adamantly.

Lash glanced down at her right arm and was surprised to find her entire forearm and hand were bound with thin branches that heavily restricted her movement and were responsible for the pressure causing her pain.

“Br-kn b-nes?” Lash hissed through clenched teeth, trying to come to grips with what was happening.

The Daemon nodded, “Both the Lord and Mistress were caught in a devious enemy counterattack and nearly killed-”

In spite of the pain, Lash tried to sit up and saw that both her legs and her left arm were bound similarly to her right arm.

“You must rest!” The Daemon insisted, pushing her back down by pressing down on both her shoulders. “The Lord is...fine. He recovered from his injuries while fending off the enemy.”

Lash barely noticed the uncertain pause in the Daemon’s speech, but once she heard it there was no convincing herself she hadn’t. “W-nt t- see h-m!” Lash insisted, pushing against the Daemon’s artificial resistance and causing herself no small measure of additional pain.

Now thoroughly conflicted, the Daemon retracted its hands, “You need to rest!” It insisted, “The healing magic is already mending your bones, and we are unsure if the magic aligns broken bones or if the splints are required for optimal recovery!” The Daemon sounded well and truly agitated now.

Lash didn’t back down, although even sitting up in the bed like this was proving far more mentally taxing than she had thought it would be.

“Do not move Mistress!” The Daemon insisted again, this time with a pleading tone instead, “I...I will find some porters and transportation, just don’t move!”

Lash braced against the pain and nodded. She had not realised the extent of the damage she had taken until trying to stay upright under her own power.

The Daemon continued just standing there for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a couple of minutes at most.

Without warning, another female Daemon entered the room. “Mistress,” the Daemon bowed but did not raise itself back up again afterwards. Instead, the Daemon carefully braced its four arms along the length of Lash’s body and then in spite of her significant weight, it gently lifted her off the bed.

Brought much closer to the Daemon’s face, Lash vaguely recalled having seen the Daemon before, but the pain in her head made it difficult to recall if she knew the Daemon’s name.

Carried by the four-armed Daemon and escorted by the rodent-like Daemon, Lash was brought outside into the drizzling rain. Feeling the cold water against her face, and the immense relief that accompanied it, Lash realised that she had made a mistake. She glanced down at her right hand again, and could now see the intense medley of colours marking severe bruising as well as intense infection. If Lash still had the strength to speak, she would have ordered the Daemons to take her back. But she couldn’t. It was too late now, Lash was committed.

Having arrived at the Grove, Lash could vaguely make out the presence of two children and one tall but incredibly thin woman standing by the fountain.

“Why did you bring her here?!” The tall thin woman snapped, her rebuke causing Lash’s porter to shiver in response.

“Mistress insisted upon seeing the Lord,” the rodent-like Daemon replied nervously, “We have no right to disobey her. Mistress was causing herself harm attempting the trip herself, so acquiescence was necessary.”

“You should have kept her in the hospital,” the tall thin woman rebuked again, although with far less vigour.

“Sincerest apologies, Overseer,” both Daemons replied in unison.

“I guess it can’t be helped,” the woman both Daemons had recognised as Overseer grumbled irritably, “I suppose it is to be expected when you can’t read the stat screen to check on someone’s condition...” She paused for a moment, “Or when your caretakers are too stupid to attempt doing so on your behalf-”

“Sorry Overseer...” Both Daemons apologised in unison again.

Well past her breaking point, Lash could feel through their bond that Tim was nearby, but couldn’t see any sign of him.

“Take her upstairs. When her condition im-” The overseer was suddenly interrupted.

“Tim’s Mate stays!” A soft yet dangerous voice commanded.

The tall Overseer turned towards the children, “You can’t be serious?!” She demanded incredulously, “She is barely managing to keep her eyes open! Do you have any idea what Tim would do if-”

“-He is starting to fight back,” the voice interrupted again.

“Well, we can’t just leave her out here in the rain!” The overseer insisted, “As bad as things are now, imagine how much worse they could get if something happened to her?!”

“Then make a shelter for her!” The other voice insisted, “Wake up the Fallen Angel-”

“You can’t be serious...” The overseer gasped in shock, “Healing her the first time...It nearly killed him!”

Lash wanted to demand where they were keeping Tim, but as soothing as the rain had been initially, it had also leeched most of her strength and left a pervading sense of numbness in its wake. Each passing moment made it more difficult than the last just to keep her eyes open, but even that had become too much. With one last desperate look towards the fountain, Lash shuddered and succumbed to the pain.

*****

Barely aware of my surroundings, I felt incredibly ill. Completely restrained from head to toe, I couldn’t even move my head or open my mouth. Incapable of speech and forced to listen to the monotonous cascade of water refilling the fountain, I had no other company besides my own thoughts.

I had become so desperate for interaction that I even imagined Toofy singing the counting rhymes I had taught her.

As time continued dragging onwards, I wondered how long I would be capable of surviving without medical intervention. There was a very real possibility of becoming hypothermic or pneumonic if I was left immersed like this in the water. With so much of my body temperature being leached by the water, every fresh breath through my nose caused me to shiver and involuntarily exhale through my mouth, spraying and spluttering water between the roots clamping my jaw firmly shut.

The last thing I remembered before waking up in the fountain, was the deafening sound of an explosion and being caught in multiple blasts of concussive force. As near as I could tell, there were no lingering signs of damage from the blast. But since I couldn’t feel my arms or legs, that was of little comfort.

Checking the group Status was what kept me both sane and stopped me from resisting my improvised imprisonment.

[Tim - HP: 56/56 - Least Mana Addiction, Restrained. ] [Lash - HP: 41/41 - Unconscious, Moderate Infection. ]

I had witnessed Lash’s Infection condition regress from Extreme down to Moderate and my own Mana Addiction turn from Lesser to Least as time slowly passed by. As relieved as I was that Lash had survived and was being cared for, I was terrified by the prospect of what I would do if I was released or escaped before the Mana Addiction condition disappeared entirely. My unease was only compounded by the fact that I felt none of the compulsions that had been present every time I swallowed a manastone.

So as maddening as my near-complete submersion in the fountain proved to be, I deemed it the lesser evil by far.

However, just because I accepted the necessity of my restraints, it did not make the incessant and maddening splashing of the fountain any easier to bear. So I willed myself into a nearly unconscious state and ignored as many external stimuli as possible.

When I became thirsty, I drank. When my stomach protested its hunger, I drank. But in all other things, I ceased to exist.

I had no real idea how long I spent in that state of sensory deprivation, but even before I opened my eyes, I felt that something was different.

The fountain had grown dark, cast in deep shadows from the faint illumination provided by the glowing fungi growing on the trunk of the central tree. Even though I suspected something had changed, besides the lowered visibility, I still couldn’t see anything different to the last time I had opened my eyes.

A noise from somewhere above me drew my attention, but I had no way of seeing what had caused it. The noise came again, but again, I couldn’t make out what it was. I was rendered close to functionally deaf by the spouts of water pouring into the fountain.

“TIM!” Having waited for the noise to repeat itself, I was surprised to recognise it as a voice and my own name.

*Splash*

A cascade of water splashed into my eyes, and a half-second later a wave crashed over my head and forced me to hold my breath.

As I blinked away the water, I very nearly choked as I gasped upon laying eyes on my unexpected visitor. Coughing and spluttering through my nose and the gaps in my teeth, I resisted the urge to continue blinking, for fear that she would disappear.

Towering above me, Lash promptly dropped to her knees, sending another wave of displaced water to crash over my face. Unfortunately, her added mass to the fountain had raised the water level and I was now forced to hold my breath to avoid drowning.

Visibly distressed, Lash cupped her hands around my face, as if rubbing my cheeks. However, it quickly became apparent that she had ulterior motives and pulled hard at the branches or roots that were restraining my head.

As painful as it felt, I couldn't help but smile up at her in relief as limited mobility returned to my neck. Being rendered incapable of moving for so long had left an intense stiffness in my joints, Worst of all in my neck. I very nearly cried out in surprise when angling my neck above the raised water level caused the vertebrae to pop loudly in my ears.

As much as I appreciated Lash’s company, my sudden relief nearly turned to panic as I remembered what I had last seen on the group Status. There was a reason I had been restrained, and another for why Lash should not be exerting herself like this.

[Tim - HP: 56/56 - Normal, Restrained. ] [Lash - HP: 41/41 - Least Infection. ]

As relieved as I was by the absence of the Mana Addiction, Lash’s persistent infection had me worried. Contrary to what most people think, an elevated temperature is important for fighting off certain forms of infection. So even though cooling down could feel incredibly relieving, it was often detrimental to the healing process.

Unfortunately, by the time I managed to find my voice, The short-sleeved robe Lash was wearing was thoroughly soaked. “You...need...to...rest...” I croaked insistently, my urgent tone undercut by a quaver caused by the bruising on my throat.

Lash shook her head determinedly and continued snapping my restraints, “They say you had to be tied up,” she said quietly, “To keep us safe from your curse...” Lash hesitated for the briefest moment before viciously snapping another branch.

Even though she hadn’t asked, I nodded “Too...many...mana...stones....” I didn’t remember eating them, but that was a disturbingly familiar enough experience in and of itself. Besides, there was no other way to explain the Mana Addiction I had seen on the group status.

Lash’s brow furrowed in concern as she continued to work, “The little one, Ril. She says the water helps, but you were...you were already gone...” Her expression sank and she avoided looking me in the eye. Lash wiped at her eyes with her forearm, easily masking any tears with transferred water from the fountain, “Doesn’t matter,” she insisted, sniffling quietly, “Daemons say you are better now and can come out!” Lash glared pointedly above and behind me, presumedly where RIl or Gric were currently located.

“Mistress!” The familiar pleading tone was familiar, but I couldn’t immediately match the female voice with its owner, “I merely insisted that your wellbeing was my highest priority!” The Daemon whined, “We only wished for the Lord to stay in the fountain another hour longer for observational purposes!” A telltale chitter of agitation at the end of the Daemon’s justification gave her away. It was Wraithe, which made some degree of sense, given her choice in Class.

Lash glowered balefully, assumedly at Wraithe, for a few moments longer before determinedly continuing her efforts to free me.

“Wraithe?” I croaked questioningly, but immediately had to cough from overstraining my throat.

“Yes, Lord?!” Wraithe’s familiar rodent-like features appeared over the rim of the fountain.

I took a moment to ease my throat before speaking again, “Have...Qreet...remove...my...restraints,” I croaked and gave the Daemon a determined glare to make it clear I would brook no argument.

Wraithe fidgeted nervously and glanced about as if seeking a hiding place or reinforcements. Neither seemed to be forthcoming. “As you command, Lord,” the Daemon acquiesced and backed away from the fountain.

Despite the assumption that Qreet would soon arrive to finish setting me free, Lash didn’t seem keen on waiting, so she continued doggedly pulling apart the roots and branches.

I wanted to tell her to slow down to preserve her strength. But I was worried that Lash might take it as a sort of challenge. My throat was in no condition to express my thoughts clearly in a timely manner, so I decided to remain silent for the time being and hoped that Qreet would show up soon and render the point moot.

For all her determination, Lash had definitely begun to tire in the few minutes it took for Wraithe to pass along my command to Qreet. Similarly, despite her best efforts, Lash had only managed to free a small portion of my chest. However, as Qreet began magically withdrawing the remaining bindings, it became obvious why Lash had been struggling to make significant headway. The restraints had not only been interwoven and linked through one another, like a tightly packed net, they were also multiple layers thick and provided no real handholds to enable leverage.

Thankfully, Lash was able to catch me before I slid below the water. No longer supported by the restraints, I still hadn’t regained enough feeling in my arms or legs to support my own weight. I tried giving her arm an appreciative squeeze, but I had no idea if she even felt it.

Pulling me to my feet, Lash then propped me up onto the rim of the fountain.

I very nearly gasped in pain as a half dozen different muscle groups suddenly cramped. Doing my best to stretch through the worst of it, I distracted myself by taking in our surroundings. More or less as I had expected, the pair of Daemons were our only company within the Grove. “When was...Lash treated...last?” I asked Wraithe. There was no way I was going to be able to get a good night's sleep knowing that she had not received the best possible care first. Especially after very likely exacerbating her condition.

Wraithe shifted uncomfortably, “I will fetch a Hospice Surgeon at once Lord!” She replied instead of answering the question.

Qreet watched the other Daemon leave and shook her head slightly in either disapproval or amusement, although her feral features made it difficult to be certain which. “Shall bring I both you and Mistress to your chambers Lord?” She asked helpfully, “Or perhaps renovate the quarters occupied earlier by Mistress?”

“Tim’s room,” Lash replied hastily before I had a chance to even consider. “I told Daemon I did not want to steal places in the hatchery!” She growled angrily.

Qreet only shrugged and smiled as she took hold of me beneath the shoulder and helped me to my feet. Even though she was not nearly strong enough to fully support me on her own, between both Qreet and Lash together, they seemed to have a relatively easy time negotiating up the stairs to my room. In spite of the fact that Qreet was forced to anchor every other step by latching the hooked claws of her feet into the steps and open railing due to a lack of space.

A single change caused me to momentarily just stand at the top of the stairs in surprise. Someone had actually tied a number of large thick hides over the exterior doorway. Recalling how embarrassed I had been by the lack of privacy since leaving the Inn on the first floor, I very nearly cried at the prospect of the minor step back towards an element of normalcy.

“Toofy made it,” Lash explained somewhat awkwardly and with a little confusion, “She has been making things with her hands,” she wiggled her hands a little, as if the motion would better explain it.

I nodded then discreetly gave Qreet a questioning look.

Qreet nodded nearly imperceptibly in return, “It is one of her Class Abilities, a crude production ability that substitutes mana for certain common reagents and materials. Apparently, it carries a reasonably high chance for failure, but the results are almost instantaneous.”

Taking a closer look at the hides, I quickly realised both my mistake and the importance of what Qreet had just explained. I quickly found that they were not actually hides at all. Toofy had transmuted the raw scaly beast hides into tanned leather. Making a mental note to check in with Toofy sometime tomorrow, I allowed Lash to none to subtly pull me away from Qreet and half drag me towards my bedroom.

Taking the hint, Qreet bowed and saw herself out.

I groaned in equal parts pleasure and discomfort as I laid down on my bed. Having sat still so long in the fountain, my back muscles in particular felt thoroughly abused, and the short walk up the stairs hadn’t helped.

Now moving somewhat sluggishly herself, Lash sat down on the bed beside me.

I hadn’t noticed before, but the short-sleeved robe she was wearing was split at the back and tied together at the waist like a hospital gown. Vaguely recalling having described the garment to the surgeons while detailing best practices for long term patients, I was still rather surprised to see an adaptation of a patient gown here of all places.

Perhaps mistaking my lingering attention for something else, Lash smiled coyly back at me and pulled apart the knotted belt of fabric holding the gown together, revealing a larger section of her back and buttocks. She had just begun to slip free of the sleeves when sudden movement by the door drew her attention, and my own a few moments later.

“Lord? Misstresss?” A female Serpent-Kin called out uncertainty, “I was told to provide treatment?” She added a few seconds afterwards, upon hearing no immediate response.

Lash seemed a little put out, but also quite relieved. She stripped off the robe entirely and dropped it to the floor, “Come in,” she called back and somewhat shakily rose to her feet.

As much as I wanted to admire Lash’s form from this unique and flattering angle, the imminent invasion of our privacy drove me to snatch up the robe from the floor and hurriedly drape the sodden garment over my completely bare crotch.

Still dressed in a chest wrap and loincloth, Lash at least still held a pretence of modesty, not that I supposed she particularly cared. But with the exception of the Daemons, and even then only in unavoidable emergencies, I didn’t want to make posing naked in front of my people a habit.

To her credit, the Serpent-Kin Hospice Surgeon did a thorough check over Lash’s hands and feet, paying particular attention to her toes and fingers before casting the Healing spell. She had suggested seeing to me as well, but Lash only allowed the poor Surgeon enough time to cast a healing spell on me before directing her towards the door. Taking the hint, the Surgeon promptly left.

Seemingly reinvigorated, Lash turned her attention back to me, a downright predatory gleam in her eyes as she stalked towards the bed, her chest wrap and loincloth deftly falling to the floor...

Feeling thoroughly abused, but grinning in spite of it, I appreciatively drew Lash closer and attempted to think of ways I could delegate the day's duties to Gric and Hana instead so I could avoid leaving my bed. An obvious shortcoming of my relationship with Lash was that our spending personal time together effectively halved the available leadership of Sanctuary.

Wondering if perhaps I would be able to sleep in, I forlornly disregarded the thought almost immediately. Our enemies were already moving against us and we had no plan of defence organised to resist them. Furthermore, the expeditionary team might be returning soon. I needed to check in with the apprentices Ushu had left behind to see whether they knew about the group's progress through tracking Ushu’s Ward. So as tempting as appreciating my amazon goddess would be, it would have to wait until later.

Or, I could multitask.

Since waking up in the Grove Fountain, I felt..different. There was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. So I decided that I had procrastinated that particular issue more than enough for the time being. “Status,” I whispered quietly, hoping Lash’s loud snores would drown out my voice entirely. After however long of being exposed to sensory deprivation specifically caused by audio-based stimuli, it surprised me how soothing I found the indefensible racket of her snoring to be.

[Tim - Ogre Runt: 2 ] [HP: 56/56 ] [MP: 10/10 (5) ]

[Class: Ogre Warlord 13. +4 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Willpower, +10 HP.] [Exp: 28050/65000 ]

[Party: Tim’s Party] [Lash’s Mate]

[Strength: 15* (19*) ]

[Agility: 8 ]

[Toughness: 21* (23*) ]

[Intelligence: 10 ]

[Willpower: 15* (16*) ]

[Presence: 3* ]

[(Racial Ability: Thick Hide {Rank 0}): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]

[(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 0}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]

[(Racial Ability: Iron Gut {Rank 1}): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]

[(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by your minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(482200)]

[(Class Ability: Thundering Strikes {Rank 5}): The roar of thunder announces your presence on the battlefield and serves as a final warning to your enemies. Expend MP to imbue your attacks with additional {Concussive} damage on impact. {Strength} increases the area of the effect.]

[(Class Ability: Warlord’s Will {Rank 3}): Subordinates place their fate in your hands, requiring Enemies Abilities that target them to contend with your {WIllpower} first. {Willpower/Presence} increases the range of effect.]

[(Class Ability: Warlord’s Banner {Rank 2}): Claim dominance over the battlefield and embolden your Allies. Requires a suitable object to serve as your banner. The effect will end if the banner falls or is claimed by an enemy. Slaying enemies within range of the Warlord’s Banner grants Allies additional damage resistance for a duration dependent on the strength of the enemy slain. Maximum number of Banners is determined by {Presence} (0:1)]

[(Class Ability: Heart of the Clan {Rank 1}): Your very presence inspires and empowers your Allies. Allies within range benefit from Racial Abilities available through your Primary Settlement Totem. {Willpower} and {Presence} increase the range of the effect.]

By the time I fully came to grips with the changes before me, Lash had begun to stir, which piqued my curiosity in the changes I knew had to have taken place for her as well.

[Lash - Deep Orc: 0 ] [HP: 41/41 ] [MP: 10/10 ]

[Class: Deep Orc Warden 11. +2 Strength, +3 Toughness, +1 Willpower, +5 MP, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 350/33000 ]

[Party: Tim’s Party] [Tim’s Mate]

[Strength: 14*(16*) ]

[Agility: 14 ]

[Toughness: 15* (18) ]

[Intelligence: 8 ]

[Willpower: 14* ]

[Presence: 5 ]

[(Racial Ability: Bloodlust {Rank 2}): Deal additional damage while {Bloodied}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]

[(Racial Ability: Contempt {Rank 3}): Takes less damage from smaller enemies. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]

[(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 2}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]

[(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(352200)]

[(Class Ability: Bastion {Rank 5}): Expend MP to generate a temporary {Barrier} that expels enemies and negates hostile {Spells}. {Toughness/Willpower} increases the range of effect.]

[(Class Ability: Hearthguard {Rank 4}): Deal additional damage and take reduced damage when fighting within range of a Settlement Totem. Expend MP to temporarily share the effect with nearby [Group] members.]

[(Class Ability: Retribution {Rank 1}): Expend MP to return damage taken against an enemy within range. {Willpower} increases the range and damage of the effect.]

[(Class Ability: Bulwark {Rank 0}): Parry and block enemy attacks with increased momentum. {Strength} increases the effect.]

Most of her Status seemed the same, but what drew my attention in particular was the missing suffix from Lash’s species. She was simply referred to now as a Deep Orc, rather than a Runt or Drudge like myself. I wondered if perhaps that meant Lash was close to evolving, and if it did, what exactly Deep Orc’s evolved into.

Even though my own changes were more significant, they gave me far more cause for concern than anticipation.

During my blackout, I had not only somehow managed to change my Rulership Class, but also consumed enough manastones to rank up my species.

The complete lack of progress I had witnessed up until now, in spite of forcing myself to consume the largest available manastone each day, had led me to believe that ranking up and evolving would not be possible until reaching a higher floor of the Labyrinth, or at least trading for higher tier manastones.

To rank up so suddenly...I actually felt somewhat sick. What had I done in order to facilitate the rank up? Guiltily shifting my attention to Sanctuary’s registry of citizens, I was both profoundly confused and relieved to find that no one had been marked as deceased. In fact, there had been a baby boom instead.

During my absence, twenty-four Serpent-Kin and seven Deep Orcs had hatched and been registered to Sanctuary’s Totem by Lash, Hana and Gric. Feeling a twinge in my lower back, I realised that perhaps my absence hadn’t been the only motivator behind Lash’s urgency last night. Although that raised a serious question, could I even get her pregnant? With how blasé everyone had been regarding our relationship, it left me with the impression that they expected one extreme outcome or the other, which was incredibly unhelpful.

Lash seemed to take that as her cue to finish waking up. However, just as I had done, she prioritised wriggling deeper into my arms over facing the waiting challenges of the day. Smiling contentedly back at me, Lash sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Releasing a deeper and more serious sigh that came close to sounding like a groan, she reluctantly pulled away and sat up on the edge of the bed. “There is much to do,” Lash grunted disappointedly as she set about clothing herself in her loincloth and chest bindings.

“I know,” I groaned in agreement, already having accepted the inevitable myself and well past the ability to justify procrastinating any longer. Pulling on the sleeveless robe, I did my best to ignore the fact that it was not even close to covering the expanse of my ass and just tied off the cord. I had no other options for clothing immediately at hand, so it would have to do until I bought something from the vendor downstairs. I wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of spending our limited supply of coins on something as mundane as my own clothing, but given the lack of other options coming to mind, I would just have to suck it up.

Catching the tail end of Lash’s smirk as she watched me head for the door, I wondered if perhaps she had done this on purpose...

To my immense relief there did not seem to be many people up and about just yet, and fewer still within the Grove. So I was able to buy replacement boxer shorts for those I had lost. Since they were relatively cheap, I decided to avoid purchasing other clothes for now. There was a very real possibility of whatever I chose to wear being damaged beyond repair from a single engagement with the enemy anyway, so why throw away money?

Since Lash had more experience with organising defences and commanding clan warriors, I decided to leave that area of preparations to her while I held a meeting with the human soldiers.

Making sure to bring my morningstar, I waited for the Captain at our designated meeting place. It was somewhat amusing to use the quest system to issue a meeting, but with our enemies prowling about the area, it was a convenient means of conveying information without additional risk.

As Cpt. Klive and his entourage of lower-ranked officers came into view, I noticed that Klive’s uniform had changed, and so had the other officers. Both Sergeants were now wearing armour that looked the same as what Lt. Felix had been wearing last I saw him, and Felix was wearing armour I had come to associate with the Captain himself. I could only assume that Klive’s promotion had been confirmed and that he had promoted his own trusted officers in turn.

Both excited and a little nervous, Klive and his entourage hurried over while doing their best not to appear hostile. “Good morning!” Klive held out his arm in greeting.

I made the obligatory arm clasp and nodded. “You have been promoted,” I observed conversationally.

Klive nodded and briefly removed his helmet to thumb over the strange markings engraved on the brow, “My promotion was confirmed late last evening, I am a Colonel now!” He seemed a little surprised.

Thinking for a moment, I mentally ran through a simplified list of military ranks I had seen advertised by Australia’s Army reserves back on earth. “You skipped a rank,” I muttered quietly as I realised what had happened.

Col. Klive grinned wide and nodded, “Two actually,” he corrected goodnaturedly, “Which is great news for our relationship moving forward. As a Colonel, I can make damned sure any nobles and merchants are kept on their best behaviour!”

I nodded appreciatively. Even though monsters were our biggest concern right now, I wasn’t so naive as to think that problems wouldn’t begin cropping up after we managed to drive them off. Although another thought came to mind as I recalled the possibilities presented by Ril’s Rift Binder Class. “You said that your superiors would give you free rein over this floor of the Labyrinth, but that was only for a lesser promotion. What about now?” I asked bluntly. There was little real reason to disguise my motives, and even though they didn’t know about Ril’s Class, the Portals themselves were common knowledge.

Col. Klive’s grin wavered, “That would very much depend on context,” he replied diplomatically. “Say you feel the need to stretch your legs and explore the wider Labyrinth, I could organise a force to accompany you and keep everyone civil. But approaching any of the adventurers Guild Footholds would be a big mistake, and as I am sure you already know, roughing it out in the wild poses its own problems.” Col. Klive shrugged apologetically, “Why would you even want to leave anyway? If this is about that rival clan and the Undead problem, you have my personal assurance that the Kingdom of Asrus will support your people through these trying times! I had originally planned on bringing through a thousand fresh recruits for advanced training, but I have talented commanders arranged to accompany them as well!” He pumped his fist determinedly, “Once you give the go-ahead to occupy the transformed ground, I can set my men to fortifying it and rooting out our enemies!”

For some reason, it had never really clicked that the army would bring so many soldiers. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised such an outcome should have been expected. Col. Klive had been incredibly upfront about the prospect of bringing in more soldiers since the beginning, and there were already a hundred or so camping within Sanctuary’s borders.

Even so, I really began to wonder how many soldiers the Asrus kingdom actually had if they could just assign one thousand more of them to such a low-level floor of the Labyrinth at such short notice. Paying wages and upkeep for soldiers was never cheap on Earth, so even assuming the lowest ranked soldiers were conscripted and paid very little, their daily food requirements and equipment would still prove considerably expensive.

It was another stark reminder that I knew almost nothing about the world beyond the floors of the Labyrinth I had visited so far. How big was the Asrus kingdom? Who were its neighbours? Did they wage war on each other? And if they did, what sized armies did they take to the field? And what were their expected casualties like?

My partnership with Col. Klive was quickly proving to be a more important relationship than I initially anticipated. “The preparations should all be completed,” I confirmed and pointed in the direction of the ground soon to be occupied by the humans.

Qreet and the other Druids had raised a low Briarwall around the territory similar to Sanctuary but only a quarter as tall. They had also created a deep trench around the briar wall and filled it with water as well. As much as it seemed like we had done Col. Klive and his men a favour, it was actually in our own best interest. If he or his superiors turned on us, the Druids would have little problem turning these defences on the humans while allowing us to attack where we willed.

With twelve Serpent-Kin serving as my escort, despite only being armed with clubs and spears, I accompanied Col. Klive and his officers to inspect the grounds for his new camp.

Whatever the more junior officers had expected, it clearly wasn’t this. They made no attempts at hiding their shock and surprise at the open expanse of land laid out before them. In particular, they quickly approached the central fountain and tested the clear water spouting from the tree.

“It's clean!” The more boisterous of Felix’s shadows declared and began cupping another mouthful.

“Just don’t fall in,” his stern compatriot warned and pointed towards the larger pool on the opposite side.

Since there was no Ward currently active in the area, there were perhaps a few dozen of the ravenous piranhas swimming around less than an inch below the surface. Assuming they installed a Ward after moving in, the Piranhas would not respawn after being fished or starved out, so they weren't really a problem.

Col. Klive had removed a large square of folded paper from a pouch at his waist and eagerly opened it up to reveal rough plans for his encampment. Unable to read the notes accompanying each smaller diagram, I could still make out obvious structures like a mess hall, walls, a barracks, what could only be watchtowers of some kind, and a very formidable looking gatehouse.

Noticing my curiosity, Col. Klive opened his base plans wider so I could get a better look, “The engineers will have to make some adjustments to account for the fountain. But clean drinking water takes precedence, so the barracks will probably have to be moved to provide adequate room for the parade and drilling grounds.”

Cpt. Felix and the other officers nodded in agreement.

“Lord!” One of the volunteers serving as my escort came rushing over from the entrance to the briar wall and was pointing frantically to the east, “Enemiess are headed thiss way! You musst return to Ssanctuary!”

I drew my morningstar and rushed towards the three other Serpent-Kin still remaining at the entrance to the camp. Looking out past the moat I could see a dozen Deep Orcs charging through the swamp towards our position.

The remainder of my escort, as well as Col. Klive and his officers had now joined us and were taking in the situation just as I had done.

Theoretically, we outnumbered the Deep Orcs, but that singular advantage didn’t count for much when only the human soldiers had armour that was worth a damn and the enemy was protected by thick plates of iron. Furthermore, my escort only had wooden weapons, and as per our agreement, Col. Klive and his men had not brought any ranged weapons with them.

Rather than feeling intimidated, I felt...insulted. This land was mine! How dare they trespass into MY territory?!

Before I fully realised what I was doing, I had already begun charging towards the Deep Orcs. Again, rather than feeling afraid or concerned, I curled my lips in contempt and willed mana to begin flowing through my body. With my heartbeat thundering in my ears, I threw myself towards the closest and largest Deep Orc, pivoting slightly to slam my morningstar into his side as I narrowly avoided his axe as it scythed past my neck.

*BOOM*

A deafening peel of thunder erupted as my morningstar made contact with the Deep Orc’s armour, the latter shattering like broken glass as the thoroughly surprised Deep Orc was violently launched through the air and fatally collided with a tree close to two dozen feet away.

Before anyone had the chance to react, I caught the next closest Deep Orc under the chin with my left fist.

*BOOM*

Thunder erupted as the Deep Orc’s skull did the same, blood showering out of the helmet’s visor as the Deep Orc’s body was thrown up into the air.

In amongst them now, I ignored a glancing blow to my back and brought the head of my morningstar down on a Deep Orc’s shoulder.

*BOOM*

The Deep Orc collapsed beneath the blow and slammed into the ground, its thick pauldron crumpling like tissue paper.

Backhanding another Deep orc trying to move into a flanking position behind me, I struck another Deep Orc already behind me with my elbow by accident instead.

*BOOM*

My original target drew back his axe and brought it swinging down towards my head.

Baring my teeth, I leaned slightly backwards, but rather than attempt to dodge the blow, I whipped my head forward instead.

*BOOM*

The axe exploded into a withering hail of iron and wooden splinters directed entirely towards the now disarmed Deep Orc.

“FOR SSANCTUARY!!!” The cry momentarily caught me unaware and I turned around just in time to see one of my escorts leap high into the air and drive their wooden spear down through a gap in a Deep Orc’s chest armour.

The call to arms was taken up by a half dozen others, although they met with only middling levels of success now that the Deep Orcs had managed to overcome their initial surprise.

Feeling the mana in my veins begin to ebb, I released fresh waves and kicked a Deep Orc in the back.

*BOOM*

The Deep Orc was sent flying off into the swamp and landed in the farther reaches of the moat.

With their numbers dwindling by the second, the implacable Deep Orcs seemed to be reconsidering their actions and began falling back, with the exception of the largest Deep Orc still left standing.

Throwing down his axe, the Deep Orc gave a phlegmy roar of defiance before throwing himself at me in a crude tackle.

Some small part of my brain warned me against meeting the obvious challenge, but I was already drunk on adrenaline and braced to meet the charge head-on.

The Deep Orc’s ragged nails clawed at my arms as he fumbled for a hold.

I allowed him no such opportunity. Blinking away the repeated black Status Alerts flashing before my eyes, I grabbed hold of the Deep Orc’s right arm, turned my back on him, bent down and threw him over my shoulder in one smooth motion.

*BOOM*

The Deep Orc hit the moat back first, sending water and more than a few stiff piranhas flying in the process before I let go of his arm. The Deep Orc’s back had been shredded open and set upon by hungry piranhas as it sank into the depths and out of sight.

Looking around for another Deep Orc to fight, I felt an unexpected surge of disappointment when I found the survivors had already gained a significant lead. Even still, I felt the impulse to chase after them and take their severed heads to serve as a warning to others...

As that feeling passed, my attention was drawn instead to the black Status Alerts still lingering in my lower peripheral vision.

[ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]

[ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]

[ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]

...

An icy chill swept down my spine in the wake of the battle as I considered how incredibly stupid I had just been. Carefully looking myself over to check for injuries, I was surprised to find that I had only taken one point of damage, which I was fairly certain came from recklessly headbutting the blade of an axe. I couldn’t feel a cut, but my brow did sting a little, which was actually somewhat of a relief. Even though my Group Status Condition still registered as ‘Normal’, it was good to know that I had nothing to fear from a lingering magical infection.

“Are you alright?” Col. Klive asked anxiously, his eyes scanning my bare chest and arms for signs of the Ghoul’s touch.

“My Condition is still normal,” I replied with far more confidence than I felt.

Col. Klive let out a deep sigh of relief but still seemed to have lingering doubts.

Since I was unwilling to invite him into my party to confirm it, he would just have to live with his doubts. I had spent long enough away from Sanctuary already, and the recent attack only made me more nervous.

“If everything is satisfactory, you can begin moving your soldiers,” I told the Colonel, making it clear that I was leaving.

*Thump*

Something hard smacked into my left arm shortly after leaving the cover of the briar wall. Momentarily stunned, all I managed to do was look down at the iron-tipped arrow at my feet.

*Thump, Thump, Whish, Thump, Thump, Whish, Thump, Thump*

A large group of lightly armoured humanoids had suddenly materialised from the morning fog and loosed a volley of arrows from what looked like short bows before suddenly disappearing back into the fog.

Thankfully, the ambushers seemed to have marked me as their intended target, and only one of my escorts was caught by a stray arrow. The wound was not deep, the arrow having only grazed her shoulder, but I was paranoid now, and after waving everyone back into cover, I checked everyone’s Group Status.

[Vishek - HP: 19/21 - Poisoned.]

Even though one member of my escort was a Surgeon, it did not seem wise to advertise that fact until the situation grew dire enough to warrant it.

“Poisoned,” I declared loudly so Col. Klive and his officers could hear me. While they did not have ranged weapons, they each had shields that could help provide cover if the ambushing archers attacked again.

However, contrary to what I had expected, Col. Klive, Cpt. Felix and the other officers were now standing next to a portal easily twice the size of the ones I had used to traverse the floors of the Labyrinth. After less than a few seconds, heavily armoured soldiers in a traditional western plate and mail armour stepped out from the portal, raised their shields and slowly began marching over towards the opening in the briar wall.

Stepping out into the breach myself, I was almost disappointed by the lack of response from the ambushers. All the same, I motioned for the smaller group of my escort to regroup with the others. The last thing I wanted was for any of them to get ganked under the ‘fog of war’. All the more so since the fog was growing worse by the moment.

With the last of my escort having dashed over to rejoin the others, I followed suit and stepped back into cover. Fearing the worst for Sanctuary, I hurriedly prepared and issued a standing defence quest for all allies of Sanctuary. Titled simply, Hidden Fog Ambushers. Rewarding all participants for their contributions in fending off the ambushers, the title of the quest gave the most important warning, while the brief description and bonus reward specifically mentioned the enemies poisoned arrows.

Knowing that a war was just about upon us, I made a last-second change to the quest that rewarded participants for ‘recovering’ the enemies weapons and armour and turning them in to a representative of Sanctuary for processing. Not wanting to give away the entire leadership of Sanctuary, I left the representatives as myself, Col. Klive and Cpt. Felix. I would have added some of their other officers, but I didn’t remember their names and had more important things to attend to.

The plate and mail vanguard had begun taking positions to block the briar wall entrance with their own bodies and shields. Close to three ranks deep, it looked like there were about forty of them and an officer I had not met before. In typical Hollywood fashion, the middle-aged man had deliberately removed his helmet.

Even though it was probably in an attempt to better make out the surroundings in the poor visibility, and the fact that he still had both a padded cloth coif and another made of mail over the top of that, it still made for a tempting target.

Motioning my escort farther back, to keep them well and truly out of any potential ricocheting arrows or debris, I found it difficult to look away from the man. It truly felt like he was daring them to take a shot at him.

*Thwip*

Just as I had expected, an arrow whipped through the fog and was two feet from striking the officer in the face when a shimmering haze suddenly materialised in front of the arrow. As the arrow attempted to pass through, the head of the arrow melted and flew wildly off course, while the rest incinerated and turned to ash.

“HAHA! Found the blighters!” The officer cheered in triumph and pointed his free hand off into the fog, “Fireball!” A small marble-sized ball of amber coloured fire materialised an inch from the officer’s outstretched finger and silently sped off into the fog, leaving a relatively clear tunnel of air in its wake.

*Thwump*

There was the sound of a muffled impact in the distance, then nothing.

*BANG*

A loud detonation ripped through the silence like a summer thunderstorm, hot air blasting away the fog in all directions

The officer nodded with a grim sense of satisfaction, his eyes becoming unfocused for a moment while most likely reading his Status Alerts. He snorted quietly and shook his head, “Why can’t all my personal assignments by the crown be so profitable?”