The Labyrinth, page 35
part #2 of The Gods' Game Series
Kyran was halfway across the next stage with no kobolds in sight when his blend failed. As he crossed over some invisible line, a flicker of energy washed through his body in an unpleasant tingle, querying his identity.
Kyran has tripped a detection ward. Invisibility lost. Kyran’s location has been revealed to a hostile entity.
Kyran cursed. The camp was warded and he had foolishly triggered the alarm. They had been found out too early. Continuing forward was suicide; their only hope was to flee and lose pursuit. “Retreat. Quickly. We’ve been discovered.”
A ball of ominous red light sailed over the horizon from the camp’s centre. Fearing an attack, Kyran activated fire shield and double-stepped backwards with his head swivelling back and forth while the rest of the party, abandoning caution, turned and fled.
But the red ball was not an attack. It was a beacon. The ball floated into position, hovering over the location of Kyran’s blunder. Horns echoed, summoning the kobolds to arms. From the nearby buildings packs of kobolds spilt out, far more than Kyran would have believed they could hold.
Chattering animatedly, the kobolds looked curiously to the beacon and spotted the unmistakable bulk of the great bear and then the rest of the companions. With yelps of excitement they drew their weapons and converged on the party. Aargh, thought Kyran.
He turned and ran.
“Kyran, where to?” came Adra’s voice over the battlegroup.
Sprinting flat out at the party’s rear, Kyran wondered just the same thing. They could head east, back to the ledge but no, that would leave them trapped between the kobolds and the worms. Not a good idea. Stonekeep? But even with the guardian’s help, he did not think they could hold off five thousand enraged kobolds. No, their best bet was to lose pursuit and go into hiding.
“Head for the city centre. It’s a maze in there and our best chance to lose pursuit.”
But first they would need to put some distance between themselves and the nearest kobolds. He looked back. They were too close. “We have to slow down pursuit. Aiken, stone dive into the kobolds behind us and then back out. Gaesin, when he is clear, cast ice wall and slippery ice directly on our rear. Adra keep watch and protect them while they go about it.”
He began his own castings, casting ice wall on the left and grasping roots on the right, blockading those avenues. In a shower of rocks, Aiken burst through the kobolds to the party’s rear. Before the surprised kobolds could react, he loosened his roar, stunning them in place before making his escape, stone diving out. Gaesin, primed and ready, flung out ice wall and slippery ice while Adra picked off the stragglers missed by the casters’ area-of-effect spells.
The party’s manoeuvre worked, temporarily stalling pursuit. Grasping the window created, the party raced ahead, opening the gap between themselves and the burgeoning hunt.
With the threat to the rear momentarily stymied, the party plotted an erratic course through the city’s alleys to further hinder pursuit. The kobolds in the north of the city had not yet reacted to their presence. Watching his player’s map, Kyran saw the kobolds stalled at their rear diffuse and spread out, searching for alternate routes to their prey. With no shamans to co-ordinate, they were a disorganised mob but were unlikely to remain so for much longer. With luck, the party would find shelter before then. The party slipped from building to building, working their way deeper into the desolate city. With every metre they put between themselves and pursuit their odds of escape increased.
Kyran was just beginning to feel hopeful when disaster struck again. Another red beacon curved over the horizon, pinpointing the party’s location. What—? How? wondered Kyran. To add insult, the cry of a hunting horn sounded to the north, echoed by more to the south. The kobolds were converging on their position.
“Kyran?” asked Gaesin worriedly.
“I see it. Let me think.” How had the kobolds found them again? They hadn’t tripped another trap so how had they been found this time? Feverishly, he racked his brain for answers. Two possibilities occurred to him, both unpalatable. The first, that there was a concealed kobold following them, one beyond their means to detect. About which he could do very little.
The second, that the kobolds had scryed them out. This at least he could confirm. Hastily he opened up the game interface and unlocked detect scrying.
New ability learnt!
Ability: Detect Scrying
Skill: Scrying.
Description: This spell informs the caster when he is under magical surveillance.
Rank: Novice.
Cost: 80 Essence per hour.
Execution time: Instantaneous.
Duration: Infinite (activated ability).
Range: Self.
Kyran has cast detect scrying, revealing magical surveillance of rank of apprentice or lower.
Detected: your location is being scryed by a Feral Kobold High Shaman.
Damn, damn and damn again, thought Kyran. Somewhere a powerful shaman was tracking their presence. They had no hope of avoiding detection now. “We’re being tracked through scrying,” he said. “And there is nothing we can do to stop it,” he ground out in frustration. He paused. Or was there not? A vague memory tickled. What was it that the guardian had said about the enchanter’s armoury? That it was made of orichalcum. Maybe… they could lose the shaman’s scrying there.
Of course, the kobolds would still track them to the armoury but maybe they could exit it undetected. Somehow. A forlorn hope but the best he could come up with right now.
“I have an idea. Head for Craft Quarter.”
✽✽✽
Lesh was delicately setting the final cog in place on the second eyebot when the kobold camp was engulfed in commotion. He paused in his work. What had gotten the savages riled up this time?
He got up and spied through the slits of his tent. The uproar was not dying down. Kobolds were everywhere, running to and fro, arming themselves. They were mustering for battle and not just some of them, Lesh realised, but the whole camp. Feeling unaccountably apprehensive, he stepped outside.
What conceivable threat required the entire camp to face? He peered around nervously. Was he safe?
He stuck out a foot, tripping up a passing kobold. Before the fallen warrior could rise, Lesh stamped down, trapping the kobold in place.
“You there, tell me what is going on?”
Refusing to speak, the kobold struggled to escape but Lesh had him securely pinned down. For all his small size, Lesh was heavier than most realised and for once his corpulence stood him in good stead.
Lesh leaned forward and brought all his considerable weight to bear down on the kobold’s torso, causing him to gasp for breath as his lungs constricted.
Other kobolds ran past, ignoring the confrontation, bent on whatever task they were set. Lesh flicked his eyes scornfully over the trapped kobold. “Last chance, what is going on?”
Wisely the kobold realised the futility of further resistance. Staring up at the burning intensity of Lesh’s eyes, the kobold drew back fearfully from what he saw there. In that moment the kobold was sure the kend wanted him to resist, wanted the excuse to inflict more pain.
Trying not to provoke Lesh further, he babbled, “Intruders! Intruders have been spotted in the city. The chieftain is mustering the entire camp. They will not escape this time. We will get our revenge for our fallen—”
Lesh cut through the kobold’s babble. “Intruders? Is it the one I search for?”
“Yes, yes but he is not alone. He has a jade bear with him and—”
Lesh stopped listening. “A jade bear?” he ruminated thoughtfully. There were thousands of kobolds in the camp, all set to converge on the player. Even with a jade bear he could not survive these odds. But this time Lesh would take no chances. Xetil would not accept another failure. Absently he bent down and snapped the kobold’s neck, his purpose served.
He glanced to the finished eyebot on his workbench. He would observe and be ready to act if necessary.
Chapter 26
07 Octu 2603 AB
Panting heavily, Kyran looked back. Behind him, two shamans gesticulated insistently to a train of kobold warriors who trotted into a line and prepared to let fly their spears. “Incoming!” he shouted.
The first few spears, although wildly aimed and landing harmlessly around the party, forced Kyran in the rear to act. He cast ice wall, freezing the spearmen and shamans mid-motion and resumed running.
The last ten minutes had been one long chaotic swirl of skirmishes and dodged attacks. The red beacon had doggedly followed them, pinpointing their location for nearby kobolds and trapping the party in a tense game of cat-and-mouse.
They remained a step ahead only through the use of their disabling attacks but their straits were dire. They turned towards Craft Quarter when they could, but more often than not escaped down whichever direction remained open. The kobolds had not managed to close the noose yet but it was only a matter of time. We were so close, thought Kyran bitterly.
Around the next bend, another party of kobolds found them. It was a small disorganised group of ten warriors. Not bothering to slow, the party led by Aiken simply bowled the kobolds over and continued on their way.
The next group was larger and, led by a cunning shaman, nearly ambushed the party out of an alley on their right. Again, the party did not slow. Gaesin, reacting an instant before the shaman, cast ice wall across the alley, cutting the shaman’s warband off.
Down the next street, the party skidded to a halt, faced with sixty waiting kobold warriors and four shamans. Spotting the party, the shamans began casting. The routes to the left and right were blocked by the approach of larger warbands. The only way through was forward. “Adra, Gaesin, take cover. Aiken, go get them.”
Aiken stone dived forward to disrupt the shamans before they completed their spells while Kyran sprinted and cast confusion.
As one, the warriors released their spears in a single cataclysmic volley and drew their swords, yelping in excitement as they charged forward.
Kyran ignored the approaching volley and finished his spell. Adra dived through an open doorway on her right, drawing her bow as she went. Gaesin, a few steps back, hurried towards her.
Aiken burst from the ground in the centre of the shamans, sending them scattering. The kobolds had not yet adapted their tactics to combat his dive. He let loose his terrifying roar, causing the warriors’ charge to falter. Kyran’s confusion added to the chaos, with more than half the warriors falling victim to the spell.
Aiken has triggered stone tremor (chance to resist: 25%, total damage dealt: 143 damage to 10 kobolds), 6 kobolds knocked down.
Kyran has cast confusion (radius: 35m, chance to resist: 5%, duration: 6 minutes), 33 kobolds confused (18 dazed, 4 stunned, 4 enraged, 3 unconscious, 2 charmed, 2 terrified).
Aiken has used terrifying roar (radius: 85m, chance to resist: 10%, duration: 3 minutes), 4 kobold shamans dazed, 25 kobolds terrified.
Aiken mauled the senseless and dazed shamans. Many of the warriors, confused and without orders, turned back in an attempt to defend their leaders. The rest resumed their charge.
The spear storm arrived. Flung spears rattled against Kyran’s fire shield but failed to penetrate. Adra, within the cover of the door, avoided the projectiles and returned fire with her bow but Gaesin, his magic shield drained from earlier skirmishes, was not so lucky. A spear ripped through his leg as he dove for the cover of the door.
Gaesin has been hit by a feral kobold for 28 piercing damage and has sustained a minor wound (left leg crippled). Remaining health: 134/162 HP.
The half-elf crashed to the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. “Gaesin,” screamed Adra, the dread apparent in her voice. She abandoned her attack and rushed to his aid.
Kyran was torn but couldn’t afford to go to Gaesin’s aid just yet. He had to stop the charge of the remaining warriors. He shouted from the fore, “Adra, is he all right?”
“I don’t know! I don’t know, there is so much blood!”
“Calm, Adra. Gaesin needs you if we are going to get him out of this. All right?”
Adra nodded, overcoming her panic.
“Good. Staunch the bleeding as best you can. Aiken or I will attend to him soon.”
He turned his attention back to the approaching kobolds and bracing himself, cast grasping roots.
Kyran has cast grasping roots (radius: 43.4m, chance to resist: 5%, duration: 7 minutes), 19 kobolds entangled.
The charge faltered anew and with most of the warriors entangled, only six were left to threaten the party. Not willing to risk the warriors circling around him to Adra where she attended to Gaesin, he drew his sword and stepped forward to meet the kobolds.
In surprising good order, considering their losses so far, the kobolds advanced on Kyran. He dodged the first thrust and chopped down on the second. The third and fourth arriving on his flanks, struck his shield. He need not have feared the kobolds circling to reach the others. The warriors ignored them completely, focusing on Kyran as the bigger threat. Two more blows struck from the rear, collapsing his fire shield.
The four shamans meanwhile, were dead, mauled viciously by Aiken, who was now embroiled with their surviving guards. “I need you here, brother,” sent Kyran. Aiken disengaged from the warriors and stone dived back to Kyran.
Beset on all sides by six warriors, Kyran had his hands full parrying their barrage of blows. Despite his best efforts, strikes penetrated. More kobolds freed themselves from entanglement, joining the fray. His defence became ragged and he stumbled backwards in desperate retreat.
Not a moment too soon Aiken burst through the ground right on top of his position. Both Kyran and the kobolds around him were tossed into the air. Kyran landed back with a thud, his breath ripped from him. Aiken activated his healing wave and stepped protectively over Kyran, bellowing in murderous rage at the surrounding kobolds.
“Thank you, brother. A timely entrance.” The healing wave washed over Kyran, reaching the fallen Gaesin as well, soothing their injuries.
Aiken’s healing wave has healed Kyran and Gaesin for 17 HP.
…
Aiken’s healing wave has healed Kyran and Gaesin for 21 HP.
Rejuvenated, Kyran regained his feet and with Aiken by his side, rejoined the fray. His efforts though were redundant. The great bear had matters well in hand. The kobolds’ swords were little more than pin pricks against his jade skin, whereas each of the cub’s blows inflicted massive trauma on his lightly armoured opponents. Indeed, Kyran’s efforts hampered more than helped as Aiken divided his attention between hovering protectively over Kyran and raging into the kobolds.
Realising this, Kyran left Aiken to it, and retreated to Adra and Gaesin. Adra had pulled out the spear from Gaesin’s leg and thanks to Aiken’s healing wave, the wound was already closing. His leg however remained crippled. Which was the true problem. The trembling half-elf was in tears, understanding what this meant.
Adra looked up pleadingly. She begged, “Kyran, we cannot leave him!”
Kyran nodded. “I know, Adra. I promise you we will not,” he replied firmly, wracking his mind for a solution. Thus far, only speed had kept them ahead of the kobolds. With Gaesin crippled…
He set aside the problem and took stock of the battle. Aiken had done well on his own, few of the kobolds remained alive but the situation was devolving again. The kobold forces from the left and right were fast approaching and would soon be in range to threaten the party. They had to leave. Now.
With Adra's help, Gaesin had regained his feet and tottered about grimly. The youth looked about at the approaching kobolds and his face hardened in decision. “Kyran, go. I will buy you some time.”
But Kyran was not ready to give up on the young mage just yet. They were almost to the square, they just had to keep going for a little longer...
He looked from Aiken’s great bulk to the two. “Brother, can you carry them?” asked Kyran, projecting an image of Gaesin and Adra on Aiken’s back.
Aiken, although doubtful, understood the party's peril and acceded at once.
“Thank you, brother.”
Aiken shuffled back and kneeled down before the confused pair. Kyran faced the approaching kobolds and cast ice wall and slippery ice. He turned back to find Gaesin and Adra still staring in incomprehension. “Climb up, Aiken will carry you.”
“Quickly!” he urged as the pair hesitated. With some difficulty the two managed to climb on, Gaesin in front and Adra in the rear for support.
“Hold on!” shouted Kyran as Aiken shuffled forward, building his momentum slowly into a run.
Kyran watched them for a moment to make sure the two managed to stay on. Gaesin’s hands clutched the bear’s coat in a white-knuckled grip while Adra had her hands wrapped around the half-elf, holding both firmly in place. “All fine, brother?”
Aiken, despite his discomfort at the unusual weight on his back, huffed agreeably.
With one last look to the advancing kobolds who were fighting free of the ice, he gathered in his will and teleported himself ahead of Aiken. Materializing some fifty metres ahead of the bear at a three-way crossing, he saw that the road to the Craft Quarter was free of threat.
He maintained watch until Aiken lumbered past. By the blissful look on her face, Adra was enjoying the ride while poor Gaesin looked terrified. Even in the midst of their woes, Kyran couldn’t help but smile at this.
With the party safely past he teleported ahead again to the next crossing. They continued in this manner, Kyran leapfrogging the galloping trio, and disabling or slowing any opposition. They did not encounter any further significant threats, only small squads which Kyran had little trouble dealing with on his own.
And then finally, they reached the square. However, when they did so, they found that the kobolds had another surprise in store for them.
✽✽✽
The party shuffled into Craft Quarter and stared in shock at the sight that greeted them.
