Alas, the other two serpents did not keep fighting.

Moments after I grabbed the seed and fled, the two flying snakes disentangled themselves from each other and, taking to the air, gave chase. The threat of losing the seed, it seemed, was enough to spur them to set aside their own conflict.

Once aloft, both serpents’ jaws yawned open to emit piercing hissing whistles. At first, I didn’t understand the sounds’ purpose, but when I heard a responding cry from the left—the direction in which the ravine lay—I realized they were calling to the rest of the nest.

Reinforcements were inbound.

I’m not going to make it, I realized. Not without some help at least.

“Simone, you guys still here?” I panted.

“We are,” she replied. “The stygians aren’t pressing us as hard anymore. I think they’re retreating.”

If only. I chuckled grimly. “They’re not. They’re heading my way. The two flying serpents on my tail are drawing the others to my location.”

A pregnant pause. “What happened to the third one?”

“It’s dead. Can I expect any aid?”

“We’ll think of something,” the archer replied. “Just keep heading our way.”

“Will do,” I acknowledged. Saving my breath, I said nothing further and put my head down to run flat out.

Unfortunately, it did me little good. The flying snakes were too fast to escape.

I had covered less than twenty yards before the two caught up. From up high, the duo swooped down together, coordinating their attacks.

Smart, I thought grudgingly. Dodging both attacks would be near impossible. Tracking their approach by sound alone, I kept running. At the same time, I spun psi in preparation. The two plummeted fast. Holding my spell at the ready—and nerve too—I waited.

The first crossed the edges of my mindsight, no more than a fast-moving blur passing through my awareness.

I reacted instantly, shadow blinking.

You have teleported onto the back of a flying serpent.

The startled snake hissed and jerked around its head to nip at me. I was faster though. Before the creature could halfway complete its attack, I plunged my blade, hilt-deep, through the thick, ropy muscles of its neck.

The snake shrieked and flipped over, trying to fling me off.

Obligingly I let go.

In freefall, I kept my gaze locked on my foe. Its ill-timed maneuver had left the creature stranded upside down and with no time to pull out of its dive. Even its incredible agility would not save it now.

In a flurry of wings, and frantic contortions, the snake hurtled into the ground. I grinned as I heard the snap of fragile wing bones. The serpent had inflicted more damage on itself than I’d managed on my own.

Momentum kept the crashed snake going, and it only narrowly escaped a second collision with its fellow which was forced to swerve left at the last minute.

A yard from the ground, I cast one-step and broke my own fall. I landed in a sprawl but was a little worse for wear. Not bothering to get up, I shadow blinked immediately.

You have teleported onto the back of a flying serpent.

I emerged in nearly the same position I’d first landed on the snake. Activating one ability after another, I yanked out the still-embedded stygian blade and struck the dazed beast in a series of rapid-fire attacks.

You have cast whirlwind, increasing your attack speed by 100% for 3 seconds.

You have crippled your target’s neck for 3 seconds.

You have struck your target for 2x more damage with a piercing strike.

You have critically injured your target.

You have killed a flying serpent.

I had little time to celebrate. Sensing a fast-approaching form from my rear, I rolled off the corpse and took shelter beneath its large wings.

The second flying snake rushed overhead, its jaws clamping down on nothing but empty air. Thwarted, the beast winged aloft.

I plucked free my bloodied sword and took off running again. At the sounds of enraged hissing from my left, my gaze darted in that direction.

The stygian reinforcements had arrived.

A tightly grouped clump of a dozen serpents were slithering rapidly across the ground. Given their bearing and speed, they would intercept me well before I reached the rift.

“Damnit, Simone! Where are you people?”

There was no answer.

Clenching my jaw in frustration, I kept fleeing. Sooner or later, I knew my luck would run out, but I was out of options. There was no point in stopping to fight either, each delay only worsened my predicament.

The approaching stygians drew closer, and I readied my psi, picking out a likely target at the group’s rear for shadow blink. The flying snake was closing in for its next attack too.

It was going to be close.

The last serpent in the landbound group drew into range, and I blinked, teleporting into its shadow.

The way to the rift was clear. Not looking back, I fled.

Behind me, I sensed the serpents slither to a halt and turn. I had no attention to spare them though. The flying snake was diving.

But I was out of tricks.

Shadow blink was not ready for recasting, and there was no time for anything else. Throwing myself forward in a halfhearted dodge, I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining the serpent’s fangs digging deep into my exposed back.

Almost unnoticed, something whizzed past.

Simone has killed a flying snake with a fatal blow.

I could scarce believe the Game message. But it didn’t stop me from acting. Rolling out of my dive, I bounced back to my feet and resumed sprinting.

Standing a few dozen yards in front of me—and miraculously unobscured by the nether’s smog—was Simone and Moonshadow.

The archer was raising her bow again, and the mage… the mage was chanting.

Suspecting what was about to come, a bloodthirsty grin spread across my face.

Moonshadow has cast heaven’s fury.

Three charged orbs of roiling energy emerged from the elf’s hand to arc gracefully over me. That’ll do it, I thought, laughing in anticipation.

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched the balls of lightning splash into the ground to create three expanding pools of lightning that neatly trapped my pursuers.

All the serpents were caught and writhed helplessly as destructive coils of energy crackled through them. A moment later, Game messages flooded my mind.

A level 115 stygian serpent has died.

A level 108 stygian serpent has died.

A level 113 stygian serpent has died.

…

The chase had come to an end.

About bloody time, I muttered and resumed jogging towards the rift.

~~~

Simone and Moonshadow didn’t wait for me. Spinning around, they fled towards the rift. With their motion, whatever had been holding the smog at bay dissipated and the mists rolled back in to obscure them from sight.

Despite this, unhampered by pursuit, I quickly covered the remaining distance to the waiting party.

When I broke through Moonshadow’s purifying circle—still in place about the rift—I skidded to a halt as I beheld the devastation the party had wreaked in my absence.

The entrance to the ravine was piled high with stygian corpses, but plenty more were still alive. A wall of roaring flames patrolled by Barac and Jasiah held those back though. Some serpents, more foolish than others, braved the fire but were summarily dispatched by the waiting Barac and Jasiah.

At my appearance, the pair retreated from the ravine mouth. “You have it?” Jasiah yelled.

I nodded. “In my backpack,” I replied.

“Then let’s go,” Simone said. Spinning on her heels, the archer raced towards the rift.

The rest of us followed, and as one, the party plunged through the curtain of shimmering nothingness.

~~~

The moment I stepped out of the portal an avalanche of Game messages scrolled through my vision. Ignoring them, I spun around to see how many serpents would follow us through. But I need not have bothered.

The rift was gone.

Dumbfounded, I stared at the space where it had hung.

From beside me, Jasiah chuckled wearily. “Check the Adjudicator’s messages, and you will understand.”

I did as he bid.

You have slain 17 / 20 stygian beasts required for bounty 674.

You have removed a stygian seed from the nether, disrupting the ley line it was forming to this sector.

A stygian seed has died.

A rift has been closed.

You have accomplished the feat: Rift Defender! Requirement: close your first rift. You have been awarded an additional life! Total lives: 3.

You have reached level 95!

Congratulations, Michael! You are now a rank 9 player.

Your dodging has increased to level 63. Your sneaking has increased to level 70. Your shortswords has increased to level 68. Your thieving has increased to level 45. Your light armor has increased to level 53.

Your chi has increased to level 54. Your telekinesis has increased to level 57. Your telepathy has increased to level 51. Your insight has increased to level 66. Your deception has increased to level 62.

Congratulations, Michael! Your skill with light armor and telepathy have reached rank 5, allowing you to learn tier 2 abilities.

“Woah,” I exclaimed softly, not sure if I was more amazed by the life I’d gained or the seven whole levels. Damn, that was a profitable venture.

“Your first rift, I take it?” Moonshadow asked, coming up from the other side of me.

I nodded, still scanning the Game messages.

“I can still remember my first,” the elf said musingly.

“You do?” Barac snorted. “That must have been at least a hundred years ago!”

The rest of the party chuckled, and the mage glared at the centaur in mock anger.

“So, does closing a rift always grant you a life?” I asked.

“If only that were true,” Jasiah said glumly. “But the Game is not that easy. The requirements for rift-related feats increase exponentially each time. You will have to close nine more rifts before you can earn another life.”

“Still,” Moonshadow said. “Rift diving is always profitable.”

“But dangerous,” Jasiah added.

“That it is,” Barack agreed with another laugh.

Laying a hand on my shoulder, Simone stopped me. The others, still laughing, kept walking. The maneuver felt pre-arranged, and I sensed the party leader wanted to chat to me alone.

What now? I wondered.

“You did well back there, Michael,” the archer said. “Better than we could’ve asked, in fact.” She sighed. “I fear I gambled too much on this venture and I placed, not just you, but the entire party at risk. If not for your quick thinking…” She shook her head. “Anyway, for a moment there, it was all touch and go.”

I smiled, if a trifle bitterly. “Not bad for a noob, heh?”

Simone met my gaze unflinchingly, not looking away. “Don’t judge me too harshly, Michael,” she murmured. “Someday, you, too, may have to use others to achieve your goals.”

I winced at her words, they struck deeper than she realized. I’d manipulated others in the past for my own ends—just as she’d used me. Exhaling heavily, I let go of my animosity. “What now?”

Simone glanced at me. “I don't suppose you'd trust us to sell the seed and deposit your share of the proceeds into your bank account?”

I smiled with no trace of humor.

Simone grinned. “Just as I thought. Then, I guess we're heading to the citadel.”