Jack’s first impulse was to charge forward upon hearing the desperate cry ahead, but he wasn’t a complete idiot, realizing the terrain ahead was just perfect for an ambush.

“Scutum Glacies! Lapis Armis. Lapis Armis! Voco apis!”

He took a deep, steadying breath, casting his most basic, vital spells, protecting his head and torso with Elemental armor, his left arm now holding an transcluscent shield tougher than most, his blood bee quietly resting against his shoulder, wings utterly silent.

He was grateful his increasing skill meant that where before he would have needed 80% of his original to lock those 4 spells into place, now he was now reserving less than 60 points, leaving him over 70 mana to cast as needed.

Stealth check made!

And he wasn’t so foolish as to go charging around the bend either, and perhaps walking into a handful of spears or crossbows eager to perforate him as thoroughly as possible, even with his arcane enhancements.

Instead, he darted immediately for the thick undergrowth that had been allowed to abut the road itself, none of it trimmed away as it had been in other areas, and for all that he appreciated how the overhanging canopy warded him from the harsh, midday sun, it was also an ideal situation to spring ambushes, travelers having little warning of trouble.

He slipped a good twenty yards off the road before doubling back to where he had heard the commotion. He still heard screams, but he caught desperate battle cries as well. The sound of a soldier desperately rallying troops.

His eyes widened when he carefully lifted undergrowth sufficient to eye the tableau occurring a short distance away, and everything became clear.

This was not an ambush point at all, but rather the opening leading to a village in the center of a considerable clearing in the woods, and he supposed he should be grateful that the last day had been so damp, with a steady mist that was almost rain, or else the entire woods might be ablaze.

For fighting within the ruins of what looked to be a mining town, if the dilapidated shacks abutting the entrance to a mine could even be called a town. Half the buildings were ablaze, and the source of the screams was now apparent. A handful of young men and women wielding an odd assortment of armaments and arcana that gave Jack such a jolt to see, glimpsing what could be adventurers for the first time.

Adventurers in peril, if the handful of hunched over figures covered in flame that were shuffling toward the panicked-looking group, more than a few bearing burns and singe marks, was anything to go by.

“Sharon, cast your Void Bolt spell at the Flamers! Sin, see if you can backstab one of them! Lauren, have your wind spirits slow it down! Mitch, you’re with me,” said a young man with golden locks hanging past the lip of his half-helm, wearing shiny plate and male armor glowing a soft golden hue. On his left arm was a silver shield with an ankh symbol in its heart. He wielded a double-edged straight sword that looked the spitting image of the arming swords wielded by every hero in every fantasy game ever, complete with glowing silver alloy that flashed prettily when he struck out at the closest shambling humanoid mound of fire-covered flesh, only to bounce off with a clang, as if he had struck stone.

Before raising his shield as the monster spat a jet of flame at his face, the fire spraying harmlessly off the man’s shield.

A pale-faced scowling man with coal-black eyes dressed in midnight leathers who must be Sin flashed a vicious smile as he seemed to disappear in shadow, only to reappear a heartbeat later, eyes momentarily flaring crimson as he jammed a blade of ebony into the blazing creature’s back, earning nothing but the clang of metal against stone and a horrified bark of pain as his leather glove caught ablaze.

“Sin, get back here, or you’ll get caught in my wind-wall!” Cried a redhead wearing matching robe and hat at crimson silk, her attire hugging surprisingly generous curves as she looked at the world through her violet eyes, a pert nose, full lips and soft elfin features coming together in a strikingly beautiful package, for all that her eyes were wide with terror, crouched behind the seeming leader of the party Jack already thought of as their paladin.

“Wait for the right time, Lauren. Let’s take down what we can first!” snapped the girl with almond eyes and high cheekbones who must be Sharon, dressed in silk and velvet and wielding a crystal wand, her jet black glossy hair tied in a tight bun, with a golden diadem securely fastened upon it.

“Nameless depths which seethe and yearn, grant my foe the gift of dissolution from which they will never return!” Cried the girl, stumbling to one knee as a stream of shimmering silver-green missiles shot forth from the tip of her wand, smashing into an approaching Flamer, as the party had put it, about to strike the still cursing assassin from behind.

The thing of rock and flame let loos a whistling shriek like a kettle on the stove as the silver green orbs splashed into its body with caustic hisses, massive chunks of stone dissolving into rust covered goo running down its sides, as if it were iron being pitted by the most caustic substance imaginable.

The creature stumbled forth several additional steps before suddenly collapsing, its pitted body hissing as the last of its flames expired, revealing nothing but cratered rock.

“Nice one, Sharon!” Cried Lauren, still hiding behind their Paladin as the final member of their party, a stocky yet powerfully built man covered in mail armor with axe, shield, and the largest shoulders Jack could recall seeing anywhere, charged forward, expertly flipping his axe head for the rear-end spike as he smashed into the Flamer closest to Sin.

The fighter managed to bowl his target over over with an audible clang of his shield against stone before lashing out with a powerful overhand blow, an explosion of flaming stone erupting from the target. Though it was not enough to stop it completely, its body was now covered in cracks and one of its arms had completely broken off. Best of all, it seemed unable to rise upon clumsy legs of stone, the hot flames covering it immediately expiring as it hissed and sizzled on the damp ground. Jack's eyes widened with awe, realizing that the fighter must have toppled and shattered a half ton of stone. He couldn't help wondering if the warrior had accessed a hidden feat or ability of some sort. The power of his shield bash and blow had been so powerful and so well coordinated that it seemed more the province of heroes, than something that anyone of mortal strength could hope to accomplish.

Now the party had two less targets to face, all their attention focused on their foes, and Jack’s eyes widened, catching sight of what was emerging from the mine entrance behind them.

An additional half dozen of these flame covered stone golemn-like horrors.

Heart hammering with dread, Jack made his decision. For all that he had done everything he could to avoid contact with anyone for weeks, if he didn’t at least holler a warning, these adventurers were as good as dead.

“Six more are behind you!” he screamed, earning several confused glances his way, before their focus split between the two closing in and the six behind, the girl known as Lauren screaming and falling over, tripping over the paladin, and Jack caught the sudden despair in the axe-wielder’s eyes, seeing death coming for them as the pair of Flamer’s hemmed them in while the six from the mine entrance charged forward.

Heart hammering, Jack mentally commanded his giant killer bee to charge into the closest Flamer while he lashed out with the stone shot spell he had spent countless seconds building up, only finding he could hold a loaded shot ready, so to speak, upen finally hitting novice rank five.

“Jacio Funda!” he cried, jutting his finger at the closest fire covered stone sentinel as his bee struck its target. Only for his blood bee to burst into flame while his stone ricocheted off harmlessly.

In that terrifying moment he had never felt so worthless, Lauren’s desperate chant turning to a high pitched shriek as the knocked-over Flamer managed to grab her leather boot, which immediately began to smoke and hiss.

But at least her Wind Wall spell had been cast successfully if the shrieking whirlwind surrounding the players was any indication. Unfortunately, even though the other Flamers were held at bay, the one who slipped through the barrier, latching onto the caster, was now trapped in there with him.

Even over the shrieking wind, Jack could see and hear the now somewhat blurry paladin in their group crying out in incoherant fury as he slammed his shiny sword against the lumbering golemn’s blobby head and hand ineffectually, and Jack almost thought he could see the man’s skin reddening, hair crisping in just seconds.

“Jacob! We gotta move!” Cried his powerfully build companion. “Sin! Sharon! Get out of here!”

“It’s no good! We’re pinned!” Sharon shrieked, her cool demeanor now torn away as her friend shrieked and sobbed, futilly trying to kick the monster slowly crawling over her body, bathing her in flame.

The Paladin cried out words that echoed strangely in Jack’s mind as the entire area began to glow a golden hue, which did absolutely nothing to stop the seven Flamers that had now joined hands and were closing in.

Sin hissed. “This is bullshit!” he snapped, before disappearing in shadow, only to emerge a heartbeat later on the other side of the whirlwind now encircled by the Flamers, sparing Jack a cold glare before running for the trees as fast as his legs could take him.

“Sin! You have to help!” Shrieked Sharon, and Jack could hear her words with odd clarity even as the localized tornado shrieked away. “Please! The windwall will fall as soon as Lauren goes unconscious!”

But the man cloaked in midnight leathers was already gone.

Save versus mental paralysis successful!

Jack shuddered as the party members devolved into pure panic, lashing out even as they began to burn, realizing he was just standing there, rooted by shock and terror, doing nothing to help.

Insight check made!

Realizing he was being a complete fool.

He had at his fingertips exactly what he needed, no matter that he had only practiced with that worthless spell for form's sake.

He laughed at his own madness as he charged forward, his brilliant shimmering ice shield sheltering him in icy coolness as he approached terrible heat, smelling the sweet scent of cooking flesh, ears awash in the desperate screams of men and women dying in flame.

Jutting out with his hand, finally doing what he’d never forgive himself for not doing a full 15 seconds earlier.

“Aqaua Effusorium!”

You have successfully cast Water Spout! Cost to maintain at your level of skill is 2 mana per second.

It was a gamble, really. Jack could only hope his spell would effect the underlying monster, deadly as it was. If all it did was annoy it, and Jack lost his balance or nerve for even a second, he was as good as dead.

But if the extinguished patches on the parts of the golem that had fallen to the damp ground were any indication...

Knowing he was courting death, he still forced himself forward, maximizing the impact of his spell, racing around the circle of closing Flamers, massive gouts of steam forming as he drenched them in water, ready to dart away at a moment’s notice, if they turned to face him.

And turn to face them he did. Hideous faces that looked like twisted caricatures of man made of melted stone and iron slag opened wide their maws and screeched like teakettles as the shambled toward him in unison.

Jack’s blood ran cold, a jolt of panic racing down his spine.

Willpower check made!

But he did not give in to terror.

Rather, he felt a furious sense of satisfaction.

Because the party was no longer surrounded, for all that only the pair of men were upright, both of them covered with burns and shaking. And just as importantly, the shambling golems had slowed their lurching pace, the stone hissing and cracking as Jack’s incessant spray of water steadily put out their flame.

Igneous Homunculus destroyed! Experience Earned!

Igneous Homunculus destroyed! Experience Earned!

Igneous Homunculus destroyed! Experience Earned!

Warning, Less than 10% of maximum Mana remains!

Jack hissed, realizing how close he was cutting it, cutting off his water spray the very second he tripped over a fragment of shattered rock.

Immediately the deadly Flamers attacked, for all that they were now little more than hissing sputtering stone, only one still brightly ablaze, two others with massive cracks and barely flickering flames, the final one smashing against Jack’s hastily raised shield with his fist.

Skillcheck made! You have successfully parried a direct strike from a superior foe!

Igneous Homunculus fist does less than 30 damage. Shield integrity maintained! Note. 10 Heat damage absorbed by shield. Shield integrity is now 20 points.

Skillcheck made! You have successfully parried a direct strike from a superior foe!

Ice Shield shatters!

Finesse skillcheck made, you have successfully regained your footing!

Quickness check made: You are successfully outpacing Igneous Homunculus hoard.

Jack’s frantic breath came in panicked gasps, having barely escaped a deadly barrage of stone fists and blazing heat, amazed to find that he was still alive, having felt the impact of at least one blow against his back. Yet strangely, he felt nothing save the slightest tingling throb.

Desperate eyes scanned the battlefield, miniature whirlwind gone, noting the pair of wounded warriors dragging their incapacitated companions away, and Jack was careful not to go anywhere near them, instead making a slow angling beeline for the far forest, slowing his frantic sprint to a jog he could hopefully maintain as his mana ticked up, second by second.

He couldn’t help but laugh when he was suddenly struck by flickers of ancient memory, back when he would kite multiple groups of higher level enemies while recouping his mana, once upon a time. Of course, being as he had always been level 0 or 1, a single misstep would have resulted in a brutal death.

He kept his enemies focused on him as they ran about the ruined town in lazy circles.

Before turning abruptly about and blasting the lead golem with a gout of concentrated water as it stumbled to a halt, screeching that teakettle shriek that made Jack’s ears bleed. So he sprayed it right in the mouth, with the same carefully honed in accuracy he had practiced mastering with his Firestream spell.

The flaming golem’s stony head abruptly exploded, the remains collapsing upon the soaked ground, flames flickering out as the stone cracked and crumbled before Jack’s eyes.

He flashed an exultant grin, kiting the remaining slower golems at an easy jog, jetting streams of water over their howling faces and roaring with exultation each time one exploded, until fragments of stone nicked his face and he reigned in the fierce euphoria he felt, just at having survived, having suffered the equivalent of only 2 Light Wounds and minimal damage, carefully eyeing the field and making sure that all his opponents were indeed dead.

All the fires had been extinguished.

Only damp stone remained.

Congratulations! You have successfully taken out 7 Igneous Homunculi! Experience earned!

Shield and Weapon skill is now Novice Rank 4!

Shield and Weapon skill is now Novice Rank 5! For nothing beats the crucible of combat when it comes to mastering the arts of survival!

Ice Shield is now Apprentice Rank 2!

Elemental Armor is now Apprentice Rank 1! For nothing beats the crucible of combat when it comes to mastering the arts of survival!

Geyser is now Apprentice Rank 1!

Geyser is now Apprentice Rank 2!

Geyser is now Apprentice Rank 3! For nothing beats the crucible of combat when it comes to mastering the arts of survival!

Jack’s eyes widened with something close to awe, when he gazed at the skill increase notifications within his mind’s eye. Considering how many hours he had trained unable even to break past Novice Rank 5, for him to skill up in every spell he had used that battle the way he had would only have been possible if he was channeling all his experience into skill use, and had taken on a group of foes far beyond his level.

He wasn’t sure how he had managed to level Elemental Armor, until he looked down at his chest, catching sight of the enormous crater in his thick stone cuirass that could have been his shattered rib cage. Thank god that spell, unlike his shield spell, absorbed all kinetic force up to its damage threshold.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, grateful just to be alive.

Then he cautiously made his way to two warrior-types, frantically tending to their fallen companions.

“Jacob, do something, man! Lauren’s dying, and Sharon isn’t much better!”

“I’m trying, Mitch! But after casting my buffs, my build is locked. I can’t change it up til I meditate. You know that!” He licked desperate lips. “I know it’s not safe to mix skills, but I’m trying to cast that Minor Healing Ritual the shaman tried to teach us after we completed our last mission… I just can’t get the mana to flow through me right!”

The powerfully built warrior known as Mitch gave an angry shake of his head. “That’s because you chose Paladin class, just like in our game. Your buffs last all damned day, but they anchor on your mana. You thought you were so damned clever min-maxing your build that you left room for zero mana reserves! You should have picked Healing Touch last level, not the Circle Bluff. You wouldn’t be fucking Mr. Berfect, but then you could be healing Lauren instead of wining about it!”

“At least my buffs are keeping them alive, and us from being crippled with pain, asshole! I don’t see you doing anything to bring the girls back, so quit giving me grief!” Jacob snapped, the air crackling with sudden tension, before he gave a tired shake of his head.

“Look. My build’s not perfect. Don’t you think I know that? All I did was play to its strengths, exactly the way we're taught to. How the hell was I supposed to know that this would happen? I didn't see anyone else with a crystal ball in their hands, did you? If I could go back in time and grab the Healing Hands perk, you know I would do it in a heartbeat!”

The scorched paladin turned desperate eyes toward the sound of Jack’s approach. “Please, I don’t know who you are, but if you have any skill at treating burns...” the man broke out into sobs, gazing down at the unconscious girl covered in third or maybe even fourth degree burns all over her body, a horrific contrast to the strikingly beautiful girl of just a few minutes ago.

Jack winced in heartfelt sympathy, gazing at the second girl who didn’t look much better, both of their thick, vibrant manes seared right off their scalps, the golden tiera he had seen visibly warped by the heat that had seared at least one scalp. Had it not been for the Windward spell Lauren had cast, the Flamers would have no doubt butchered them within seconds.

As it was, the monsters had still managed to halfway cook the party alive with their radiated heat while trying to push through, only managing a few armor-denting blows before Jack had successfully lured them away.

Jack felt a fierce ache in his chest, not hesitating the very few healing potions he had left to his name, made beside his mother, so parting ways with them was especially meaningful, but he couldn’t bare to watch these girls suffer, perhaps die, somehow knowing that even the best of circumstances his limited healing magics didn’t have a hope of cutting it.

“Prop this up, I have to trickle this down her throat," he said.

The Paladin’s eyes widened with awe. “A healing potion. Those things are priceless. Why the hell do we never stock up on healing potions!”

"We can never afford them, remember?" Said Mitch with a frustrated shake of his head. “Always spending our coin on permanent items as opposed to sort term usage potions, and we think we're so damned clever, doing so.” He glared down at Sharon's warped tiera. "But buying elite equipment doesn't do us a lick of good if we're too dead to make use of it."

Jack ignored their patter, gazing intently at Lauren’s chest, trickling his potion at a steady rate and only daring to leave her when her ragged breathing steadied at last.

Much to his relief, Sharon’s breathing was steady, spared the wheezing and gasping of seared lungs. But his heart went out to the broken girl, her scarred face a tortured caricature of the striking raven-haired beauty she had been before suffering life-threatening burns at the hands of their assailants.

Though it might seem superficial to some, he carefully poured a good third of his final healing potion upon each girl’s face, trickling the remainder down Sharon’s throat. Only then did he place his hands upon Sharon’s brow and channel Lesser Healing through himself and into her, firmly pushing away the bitter flashes of past horrors endured, the exhaustion even now seeping through his every pour as he flooded both girls with healing magic until their faces were as whole and pristine as they had been when first Jack had caught sight of them, and the wicked burns on their bodies had already faded to shiny scar tissue, the flesh underneath whole, at least, and he could only hope he had spared them the burden of constant neuropathic pain.

He desperately wanted to rest, but the groans and grimaces of the pair of men finally forced to bear the agony of their wounds without the numbing effects of terror was too much for Jack to just ignore.

He tried to pace himself, grimacing at the exhaustion he felt each time he tapped his mana in that one difficult art. Instead of feeling the fierce sweet rush he got with every other spell he cast, he felt like he was running a sprint uphill, panting with exhaustion whenever his mana dipped close to zero, slumping over until he recharged once more.

He did his best not to meet their gazes, so filled with confusion, gratitude, and embarrassment in equal measure.

As if ashamed of needing his help at all.

He thought he had patched up the worst of it, pushing himself to the brink of zero mana over and over again, when he finally blacked out.

Only to come to, shivering, a few minutes later.

Congratulations! You have pushed past your limitations, casting Lesser Healing multiple times upon fellow party members in dire peril in an active quest zone. Lesser Healing has transcended Novice Ranks and is now Apprentice Rank 1! You will suffer less impairment with multiple castings of this healing spell.

You are directly responsible for saving the lives of 4 Originals who would have perished without your intervention. You have claimed a portion of their endless potential to shape their world that would have been lost with their deaths.

Experience earned! - It appears you got more out of your healing session than you had originally thought!

Lesser Healing is now Apprentice Rank 2!