CPC-02. Couch Potato Crisis, page 24
part #2 of Couch Potato Chronicles Series
“This isn’t working,” said the original. “Let’s form a circle and attack from all sides at once.”
Pollyanna triple jumped onto the roof of the cabin, making it impossible for her to be surrounded. Two of the Tasha-Clones jumped up to meet her, but Pollyanna leaped out to meet them, killed them mid-jump, and triple jumped back to the cabin roof.
“How many of us are left?” asked one of the Tashas.
“Eleven, I think,” replied another.
“Ten,” corrected Pollyanna, who had just killed another of the Tasha clones.
Three Tashas double jumped up the roof from the other side. Pollyanna dispatched two with little effort but merely deflected the attacks of the remaining one. Somehow, Pollyanna must have realized she was the original and was taking efforts not to kill her. Had she been watching for which was the original this entire time?
“I’m going to use stat shuffle,” said one of the Tashas.
Another one answered, “No, don’t be stupid. We only get to use that once per day.”
The remaining seven clones were gradually taken down one by one. Pollyanna made a point to never expose her back to the enemy, forcing the Tasha clones to chase her across the deck of the ship, dividing the enemy and only taking them out when they presented individual targets of opportunity. In the end, only the original Tasha remained, completely untouched by any attack but reduced to three heart containers by her use of the shadow clone ability.
Pollyanna picked up her tea and took another sip. “You’ve kept me waiting so long my tea has grown cold. Are we done? Have I made my point?”
Ari approached. “Pollyanna, look at your right arm.”
Pollyanna turned her head to look at the point he indicated. There was a small cut on her right arm. “Hmmm. I suppose one of your copies must have cut me while I was turned away.”
Tasha shook her head “I think you’ve proven your point. If sixteen of me can’t do more than that small scratch, it proves I’m just as unskilled as you said. I’d be honored if you’d teach me.”
Pollyanna asked Pan, “How about it, master? Do you mind if I stick around to teach your friend how to hold a sword.”
Pan nodded. “Okay.”
Pollyanna turned back to Tasha. “Then let’s begin.”
Blobby, who was normally full of seamen, was sad. He’d plopped himself down on the seabed in consternation. His appetite had left him.
It was that detestable human’s fault. He checked his battle log for the fiftieth time. Tasha, was her name. How could she hurt him so badly? She’d stolen away his snack and cut him up horribly. The physical pain had long since subsided, and his health had returned, but the humiliation stayed with him.
How dare that woman escape from his gullet? Didn’t she realize what an honor it was to be a snack for someone as great as Blobby? This entire situation was inconceivable.
He’d promised his one and only friend a snack, but the mean human had stolen his delectable morsel right as he was about to bite.
This would not do. No, this wouldn’t do one little bit.
There was no choice, no alternative, no rational course of action except to go after her and get his snack back.
But that, of course, proved troublesome. He feared the land. Even the sight of it sent chills into his core. On land, he couldn’t even move under the pressure of his own weight. Thus, his conundrum.
There was simply nothing for it but to lose weight. He wasn’t always as large as he was now. Though most of his memories had long since faded, he remembered a time long ago when he was nothing but a simple slime, even smaller than a human. His body was composed of a collection of mucus with a solid membrane he could control, allowing him to assume whatever shape he chose. If he shed most of his excess mucus, he might grow small enough to walk about on land, but still be large enough to be intimidating when the situation called for it.
This transformation would take time, however. Still, there was no time like the present to get started. Scrunching up his face, he began excreting his excess mucus. It would take days, but soon, he’d return to land and the hunt for Tasha Singleton would begin.
Chapter 15
The Hunter and the Hunted
Marnie had followed the trail of the elves for days. However close he got, they always seemed a few steps ahead of him. They didn’t seem aware of his presence, as there was no evidence they’d tried to conceal their passage, though maybe they lacked the skills necessary to do so.
He’d come across an encampment with three distinct sets of tracks. Two matched his query, but there was another set of adult female tracks. Someone must have aided them in their escape.
Though the two raptors gave his targets a speed advantage, he didn’t lose track of them completely. Marnie’s hunter class was at its most useful in the wilderness. Once he identified his targets, his Active Tracking class ability ensured that any indications of their movements were automatically highlighted in his mind’s eye. Raptor prints, as clear as day, shone in his sight. The ability also emphasized any disturbed branches and discarded cheeseburger wrappers, indicating their path.
After six days of tracking the three elves, he stood at the outer rim of a hill which led to a wide valley below. In the distance lay the ruins of a town. It wasn’t an uncommon sight in these lands. City administrators often ran out of money, forcing the inhabitants to move elsewhere, leaving their homes and livelihoods behind. This was most likely the case here.
Nonetheless, it might provide a tempting respite for three feral elves on the run. The town seemed lifeless, but from this distance the lack of activity proved nothing. The tracks led to the ruins. If the slaves took refuge here, he’d have to conceal his approach. He donned his cloak of un-noticeability and crept down the hill slowly, careful not to dislodge dirt or rocks that would advertise his presence.
Unlike his quarry, Marnie was skilled at covering his tracks and moving about unnoticed.
He zig-zagged slowly toward the city, and by the time it was in range, it was already late evening.
He circled the city walls carefully, searching for a point of ingress. Though the walls still stood, some sections were in better condition than others. He could either make for the front gates or keep circling the walls until he found a break large enough for him to squeeze through.
The sun had just begun to set, and he berated himself for wasting time. There was no reason to ignore the front gate. His prey were no more than three elves, none of them higher than level 2. He was being too cautious.
When he approached the front gates, three NPC pikeman guards surprised him with their challenge. Human in appearance, two were male, and one female. He scanned them. They were each level 1, and though Marnie could dispatch them easily, it would be a waste of energy.
Two of the guards crossed their spears, preventing his entry.
“Welcome to the city of McBreakfast Sandwiches. State your business, traveler,” said the female NPC guard. A screen appeared before her with a number of choices. The first choice was to enter the city. He tapped that one.
“I’m sorry, traveler, but the city is closed to outsiders. Would you like to leave a message for the city administrator?”
He sighed, then stabbed the female NPC with his brand new rapier, killing it in one stroke. The remaining guards engaged him, but he made short work of them. They were no more difficult than any other level 1 mob.
The slain NPC guards faded into purple mist; in that regard they were no different from a typical mist monster.
If the runaway slaves were in the town, they’d most likely have taken refuge close to the save point, which was easy enough to find by following street signs.
Fin set aside his unfinished cola and read the notification for the second time.
Alert! The city is under attack! 3 of the city’s NPCs have been killed.
“Big brother, what does it say?” asked Mara.
He had been giving her reading lessons, but now wasn’t the time to push her to read it for herself. “It says that three NPC guards have been killed.” Fin had purchased several NPC guards to protect the city, though he could only spare the GP for three-level 1 guards. They didn’t provide much protection, but they were still better than nothing.
“Is someone close by?” asked Mara.
“If we’re lucky, it’s only wild animals.”
“And if we’re not lucky?”
“Another human found us.”
“What should we do?”
“Just”—he frowned in frustration—“give me a second…”
He scrolled through the town interface, bringing up the battle log for the slain guards. After some fumbling, he found the option he’d been looking for.
Combat Started!
Marnie (level 15) stabs NPC Guard Kelly (level 1) for 3 hearts of damage.
NPC Guard Kelly dies.
Combat ends.
He turned to Mara, “It’s him! It’s Master Marnie. He must have followed us. Why can’t he just leave us alone?”
“He followed us? We need to get the raptors and run!”
Fin frowned again. It was a good plan, but running would cost them everything they’d gained until now. Even if they escaped, it was only a matter of time until Marnie, or someone like him, caught them.
Trista might have been a match for Marnie, but she had gone out hunting nearby mobs for food and GP. He couldn’t reasonably expect any aid from the fairy.
“No,” said Fin.
“But…”
“I have a better idea.” He smiled. It was a fake smile, but he put it on for Mara’s benefit. “I want to capture him. We’ll trap him in that cage by the save point.”
“But… he’s so strong. You were only able to kill him before because he was weakened and paralized.”
He nodded. “I’m not going to fight him on his terms. I have a plan. Mara, you’re the only one who can do this.”
“No, big brother, I can’t! Hurting a master is forbidden. And, he’s so much stronger than me.”
“That’s why we’ll fight dirty. You’re the only one who can.”
“But what can I do?”
“We’re going to use your chemist class ability to enhance consumable items. Follow me. We don’t have much time before he gets here.”
He rushed out of the NPC inn, leaving his cola and half-finished taco behind as he approached the merchant NPC and made a quick purchase. He handed the newly purchased object to the dark elf girl. “It took most of the GP we had left, but if this works, it’ll be worth it.”
She looked at the object, “This is a grenade.”
Fin nodded slowly. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
Marnie had moved through the city slowly, staying in the shadows whenever possible. He scanned the streets for movement. It was a strangely old city, one that hadn’t been used in decades, perhaps longer.
The elven tracks ran everywhere and they were fresh. He no longer doubted his slaves were here. How odd the city was still active. Fingaerion must have stolen the GP to pay for its restoration. That also explained the NPC guards. Where the slaves got the money, Marnie couldn’t fathom, but once the slaves were subdued, he’d take time to find out.
By the time he reached the city square, the sun had completely set and the air had turned frosty. The smells of freshly cooked food wafted in the air. He followed the scent to an NPC operated inn that had only a single entrance. He checked the windows, but they were shuttered. The slaves must be inside. There was nowhere else for them to run.
It wouldn’t do to be reckless now, not so close to his target. To avoid being shot by anyone who might be expecting him, he stood to one side of the door and opened it with one hand, never exposing his face.. When no attack came, he removed a mirror from his pocket and extended it to get a look at the interior without presenting any part of his body as a target.
He angled the mirror to get a more complete view. Several tables stood in the dining room, one of which had a half eaten taco, a can of cola, and what looked like a half-eaten McBreakfast sandwich. The NPC innkeep cleaned the bartop with a rag.
He stepped into the otherwise empty room. Had they detected his approach? That was the most likely explanation for the half-eaten food.
Using his active tracking ability, he scanned for recent tracks. Two sets of footprints had been created in the last ten minutes, and they belonged to two elves—a female child and an older male. They led up a set of stairs to one of the inn’s rooms. NPC inns were designed to have no way in or out other than the main door. The barred windows prevented customers from sneaking in without paying the NPCs. Marnie was concerned there were only two sets of tracks, though he’d been following three. Where was the third elf?
Could they be planning an ambush? He couldn’t rule it out; he’d have to be careful. He briefly considered burning down the inn or smoking them out, but he was overthinking it. These were slaves, and weak ones at that. The boy was only able to kill him before because his hateful wife had poisoned him. Now he was at full strength. He was in no danger.
The stairs creaked with his every step as he climbed, so he dropped all pretense of stealth. He tested the door and found it locked.
“Open the door, now!” he yelled. “Don’t make me break it down, slave!”
No response. He angled his right hand at the doorknob. He didn’t have any unlocking spells, but a simple force spell would break the lock. “Break!” The doorknob cracked into pieces and fragments of the door splintered inward. His spell had also broken a portion of the wall.
“You’ll have to pay for that!” shouted the merchant NPC. A pittance vanished from Marnie’s GP account and he growled. He should have expected that. No matter, he would just take out his frustration on these two slaves.
He pushed open the broken door. Fin and Mara stood before the bed holding one another’s hands.
The experienced hunter grinned, looking directly at Fin. “Did ya think you’d gotten away from me, boy?” His grin turned into a cruel grimace. “You took everything from me. That treasure was in my grasp! All you had to do was give me the healing potion and it would have been mine. Now my wife won’t even speak to me, and it's all because of you.”
Fin said, “You did this to yourself, human. You killed your allies and your wife. I didn’t make you do any of that.” He turned to Mara. “Ready?”
Mara nodded.
The human hunter stepped into the room, closing on Fin. Instead of confronting his former master, Fingaerion dashed into the closet, shutting himself in.
Marnie’s smile held only contempt. “You can’t hide from me, elf. What are the two of you planning?” Marnie narrowed his eyes. Mara approached him slowly.
“I give up.” The dark elf girl bowed her head, as if ashamed. “You win, master.”
“One of you knows her place.” He stepped toward her, then paused. She held something in her hand. “What’s that?” he sneered.
She held out her open palm, wherein rested a grenade. She smiled as she held out her other hand, which contained the pin. “Enhanced Use!”
A luminescent aura surrounded the grenade in her hand.
As Marnie tried to scramble backward, a thunderous snap and a flash of light erupted, and needles exploded from the grenade in all directions, puncturing Mara’s hand and Marnie’s body in half a dozen locations.
Combat started.
Mara (level 1) has attacked Marnie (level 15) with Master Paralysis Grenade (level 40).
Marnie is paralyzed for 14 minutes.
Mara is paralyzed for 14 minutes.
He collapsed to the floor, his eyes stuck open, unable to move even the slightest inch. “What are you doing?” The paralysis debuff hadn’t affected his ability to speak.
Fin opened the closet door, which remained completely undamaged, save for a few needles partially stuck into it. He stepped toward the collapsed human, taking great care not to step on any fallen paralysis needles.
He removed several items from his inventory—a magic resisting collar and a pair of iron manacles. Fin pushed the former slave-renter’s body so that he lay on his face. A cold collar snapped onto Marnie’s neck, followed moments later by a set of manacles on his hands, and a second set to restrain his ankles.
“You’re never gonna get away with this, elf! You’d better let me go right now!”
“Did threatening me do you any good last time? Do humans never learn?” Fin ignored his further complaints as the elf boy dragged him slowly toward the door. Minutes passed, but the debuff lingered. He guessed he’d have to wait thirteen more minutes. Once it ran out, he’d find a way to fight back. He was still stronger than them, even if they’d restrained him. He’d make them pay.
Where were they taking him? His body was raised and draped over Fin’s shoulder. Fin crept carefully down the stairs carrying Marnie’s limp body. Twelve minutes. “I’ll be free soon, elf. Are you planning on leaving me somewhere and making a run for it? I’ll make short work of these manacles, and I don’t rely on spells, so this collar won’t save you.”
Fin ignored Marnie’s complaints as he carried the human past the barkeep NPC and through the door which led to the city square. Fin’s progress was slow; clearly the young elf wasn’t used to lugging large people like himself around.
“Where are you taking me?” he demanded, but Fin remained silent. “Speak, damn you!”
Eight minutes left on the debuff. They were moving so slowly, wherever Fin was taking him, Marnie didn’t think he’d make it before the debuff timer ran out.
Why was he being dragged toward the city square? There was nothing here except for—
The save point!
“No, you can’t! Don’t do it, boy! We can talk about this. Just let me go, and I’ll forget this ever happened!”
Fin didn’t acknowledge Marnie’s pleas in any way..
