Chapter 17

I needed to focus and keep my head on straight. Antoine and Samantah depended on me, and the warriors depended on Samantah. As long as we weren’t ambushed by the boss, we’d be able to coordinate a strategy. This dungeon boss was more than likely to have at least one phase. Samantah warned that it was possible the boss may have a second phase. These were things we discussed as we went on, huddled in our cloaks against the mountain wind and a few flurries of snow.

Seeud and Samantah walked abreast ahead of us, discussing our strategy. Only when the mountain ridge finally wound down the cliff face, and we had some barrier from the wind, did we stop to confer.

“Seeud and I have discussed how we’ll handle the boss,” Samantah said.

Seeud crossed his arms, grimacing, but seeming content with how the two have agreed to do battle. We all listened attentively, and I shifted my weight from foot to foot to get the blood moving while we stood there.

“I will coordinate the battle from the backlines,” Samantah continued. “I will direct our defense, and our attack.”

“Agreed,” Seeud said, eyeing his comrades, the nodding for Samantah to go on.

“I will direct us through our first attacks,” she said. “Then I will adapt our strategy when we find out what the boss’s tells and phases are. Tosin and Antoine. You will focus on me unless Henrick, Seeud, or Jorge are in grave danger. Understand?”

Antoine and I nodded vigorously.

“We’ll be using power techniques,” Seeud said. “The boss will first perform its tell. Samantah will be on the lookout to identify what that is. After the attack that follows its tell, we will use our power techniques to deal maximum damage. Wait for Samantah’s guidance. Save your power techniques for those moments.”

“So the usual then,” Henrick said.

“Yes, but this time, a healer leads the battle. It’ll allow me more focus on fighting,” Seeud said.

“I’m not sure how I feel about a healer directing us,” Jorge said.

“I have a better vantage from the back lines,” Samantah said. “I get the whole picture. When you’re defending yourself behind that shield of yours, what’s the next move for your companions to make? Even if Seeud directed you, he’ll be equally preoccupied in combat. I can safely focus on your health, the boss battle, and the tells. That means you have less to worry about.”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” Seeud said, leveling a glare at Jorge, who presented his palms in surrender. “I’m curious to see how this goes. After our battle at the gate, Samantah has earned my trust.”

“Well that’s good enough for me,” Henrick said.

Jorge said nothing more, but I had the feeling he wasn’t too bothered by it. I got the impression that he followed Seeud’s orders no matter what. Jorge was the first to lead us onward.

We traveled on a cliffside trail that overlooked the expansive valleys and mountains below us to our right. An occasional wild wind tugged at the articles of my flagstaff and I had to carry it horizontally, worried it might blow away.

The terrain was rougher here. Loose stone covered the trail, making it quite slippery. Soft snow whirled in small winds at our feet, and collected in cracks that spread from cliff wall to the trail edge. We all hugged the cliff face as we continued.

Eventually, the trail turned into the cliff face via a large bored hole tunnel. Samantah led the way with her lantern. Since the tunnel was wide enough for three to walk comfortably abreast, Seeud and Jorge walked beside her.

The further we ventured, the larger the tunnel became until the ceiling loomed far above us. At that point, the walls were lined with cages filled with blood-red and night-black corpses. The cold subdued any smells. Shadows thrown from the cages swelled in size as Samantah’s lantern swung by, then shrunk back as we passed.

“Guys, look,” Antoine said.

There were four tall stone pillars that marked the corners of a large square area. They each glowed with a different color. We slowed our pace and carefully approached. The pillars were obelisks that tapered at the top. The Obelisks were made of different stones. Each was marbled with an unknown material that veined the structures from top to bottom. One vein glowed orange, another purple, the third glowed green, and the last one glowed blue.

“This is it,” Samantah said. “We’ve arrived.”

The moment she said that, the colored veins of each obelisk grew brighter and brighter, until the cavern was perfectly lit. The tunnel ended just beyond the furthest two obelisks. At the base of the wall was a great mound of buzzard hides.

“Everyone prepared?” Samantha said.

In a few moments, we each confirmed that we were all prepared. All our mana pools were full, our health was full, and our weapons were equipped.

“Let’s fight,” Seeud said.

Jorge was the first to step into the square boundary that the obelisks made. A deep snort came from the mound of buzzard hides, resonating with the underlying timbre of a trumpet. The warriors placed themselves near the middle of the square area, and we three healers waited back at the border with Samantah only a few feet in front of Antoine and I.

The mound against the back wall shifted as though toppling over. But instead of tumbling, a leg came out from underneath. Then a hand and arm. With a mighty groan, the boss lifted himself to his feet. His entire form was draped in a thick sheet of buzzard hides that had been stitched together. He wore a cape of the same material. Large fluffs of feathers danced upon his shoulders as he moved. Each was the size of his head.

The head was the most confusing part. Above the jaw, the boss was almost entirely deer. Large antlers were impressively splayed atop his head. His eyes were human, and the bottom jaw was also human. I shivered at the sight. His human teeth ground up against deer teeth. He raked the two together before speaking.

“Halt! Leave this cave!”

“Not a chance,” Seeud said.

“Then I’ve got cages waiting to be stuffed. My birds will feast upon you. All your power will bleed upon the rock of this mountain and it will fill the crevices of these peaks. Passing clouds will stain red with your blood.”

“Advance!” Samantah called out.

“Yes!” the boss roared. “Advance to your graves!”

Jorge approached first, holding his shield firm and steady. The boss snorted and raised a hand with black nails. He chanted, “Steibhlag, Anhbhlag, Dheubhlag, Reibhlag.”

The orange veined obelisk in the far right corner sheened brilliantly. Then the veins lifted from the stone and poured down to the floor. The veins weaved together to form an orange burning form. It was the form of a large deer with a multitude of antlers. From head to hoof, the animal was made of flames. It pawed at the ground, though no sound came of it. Then it lowered its head and charged the warriors.

“Attack incoming from your right!” Samantah called out.

The burning stag reached the warriors in no time. Henrick and Seeud dodged the stag and delivered slashes across its body as it passed. The burning beast continued unbothered, and when it reached the opposite obelisk, it fell apart and ground away into the cavern floor.

The boss lunged forward and his free hand swiped at Jorge. The warrior brought his shield up and deflected the black nails as they scraped across the face of his shield. The boss’s hand alone was the size of Jorge’s shield.

“Oof!” Jorge grunted at the impact.

Henrick and Seeud moved in to attack, but the boss was quick, deflecting their attacks with a clatter of black nails against metal. The other hand rose high, and the boss began chanting again.

“Steimen, Anhmen, Dheumen, Reimen!”

The purple veins on the far left obelisk sheened brilliantly. The veins lifted from the stone and poured out altogether to the floor. The veins wove together to form a stag made of purple vapors and writhing shadows. The purple stag bolted across the area.

“Left corner!” Samantah called out as she drew a gold orb from her lantern.

The boss focused his attack on Jorge, pinning him in place. The purple stag was going to ram right into Jorge. Samantah shot the healing orb toward the warrior and prepared another orb. Antoine and I cast our mana bars wide enough to step through. Antoine’s hawk shrieked and flew to the ceiling, circling the battle.

The purple stag lowered its head as it arrived at Jorge, and since the warrior was pinned in place, the stag simply passed through him. Jorge’s health bar instantly changed. A purple brain shivered above his health bar, which took around 50 points of damage. The warrior screamed behind his shield and dropped it. He stood straight and stiff, back bowed backwards, clutching his head in pain. Samantah’s orb melted into the warrior, healing him back to full but doing nothing to remove the affliction. She shot the second orb toward him.

The boss raked his claws across Jorge, sending him flying backwards. The warrior’s health plummeted halfway. One rake of the claws would put an end to me, and I knew right then that I had to stay clear.

Samantah’s second orb missed by a long shot, and it burst upon the far wall. She cast her mana bar wide, retrieved a scroll from her inventory pouch, and flowed blue mana into the rune on the scroll. My ears were filled with the sound of a beating heart. It thrummed loudly, the source coming from Jorge, who slowly and painfully struggled back to his feet. For every beat of heart that I heard, Jorge’s health bar refilled by at least 50 points until he was at full health.

The boss battled both Henrick and Seeud with one hand. Then his other hand rose once more and he chanted, “Steipo. Anhpo. Dheupo. Reipo.”

Green veins shimmered brilliantly on the obelisk to my left. As though pulled like reigns, the veins jumped from the stone and poured down to form the form of a deer. The animal shimmered with a neon green. Then it charged toward Henrick and Seeud, who had yet to land a successful strike.

“Attack from your left shoulder!” Samantah called out.

Since the stag was green, I was afraid my comrades would be poisoned, and I didn’t want to let my team down yet again. So I rushed forward and cast Fist of Wind. I struck my flagstaff down. 5 points of my mana powered the rune. The Fist of Wind tumbled forward with a low whistle. It blasted into the green stag just before it arrived at the preoccupied warriors. The stag was barely knocked off course and it passed between the warriors and the boss. When it reached the opposite obelisk, it fell apart and dissolved into the ground.

The boss resumed his attack, scoring a rake of nails to Henrick’s arm. Jorge bolted forward, and joined the fray once more. Antoine’s hawk and Samanah’s orbs healed Henrick.

The boss continued to battle single handedly once more, this time receiving a few cuts to his hand and forearm. He raised his other hand and chanted, “Steigel. Anhgel. Dheugel. Reigel.”

Blue veins sheened on the Obelisk closest to Antoine. The veins whipped out from the stone and poured down to form a blue stag. It was icy blue, and snowflake symbols flickered in and out of existence around it. It charged toward the warriors.

“Attack from your right shoulder!” Samantah called out.

I sent another Fist of Wind to intercept the stag, but I missed horribly. Seeud was the only one who didn’t evade the stag in time. It passed right through him in slow motion. His health bar fell by a small amount and adopted a new symbol above it. It was a trio of snowflakes with a large red arrow that pointed down.

Samantah saw the same thing on the healing lens in her mana bar. Her hair twirled around her as she turned to look at me.

“He’s received chilling damage. His speed has been affected. He’ll be slower in battle now.” Then she returned her focus to the warriors. “Speed debuff on Seeud,” she shouted.

The obelisks all pulsed brightly together before the veins suddenly dimmed. The boss fell to one knee. He leaned forward and braced himself against the stone floor. He panted heavily and his antlers bobbed with every panicked breath he took.

“Attack!” Samantah shouted. “Now!”