QuestWright Bk2 C66: The Second Dungeon (III) (Patreon)

Author's note:

Howdy folks.

This isn't just an early posting. I'm still hoping to get two chapters out to you this weekend. So, consider this and the one to immediately follow as a bonus. Enjoy the end of the second dungeon arc.

Chapter 66: The Second Dungeon (III)

Cass didn’t have a moment to lose.

Tactical Framing once again showed its value as he quickly scanned the battlefield separating himself from Bella and the horses. Amid the Ash and darkness, the black-and-white vision of his ability presented a route he took without a thought. 

When a Greybeard fired a shot from his right, his buckler met it with a clang as he used the momentum from the shove to carry him forward faster. When a bloody, armor-torn Jason came silently screaming from the darkness, plowing into a field of Greybeards, Cass used the distraction to cover another dozen feet to his equine friend. A slash of his hatchet ended the life of one monster from behind as he cut deep into the back of its neck, then he was only seconds away.

Bella was his bonded, his partner, and most importantly, his friend; he wouldn’t let her become a feast for the monsters of the dungeon, no matter what.

But as he grew closer, Cass discovered that Bella had no need for a rescuer.

In the battle before him, a twenty-hand-tall horse of terrible fury stomped, kicked, and even headbutted every monster surrounding her fellow equines. Bella’s foot-wide hooves tore through the Greybeards, launching them with bloody indentations into every known direction as her protective instincts entered overdrive. And each attack came with a mental reminder of just how angry she was.

Fuckith you too!

I say nay to death this day!

Get thee to hell!

Cass took only a few steps closer before pausing as she spun his way, then stood still. With a shake of her head, glorious mane lying back against her neck, she pawed the ground before speaking.

Rest thyself upon my back, Cassio. I will see this through!

Not needing to be told twice, Cass reflexively leaped into the stirrup with one leg as he pulled himself over the wide horse. As soon as he seated himself, it felt like something latched onto both of his feet, holding him in place. Then, Bella glowed a ruddy brown before something struck his vision.

Power of the Herald activated

Choose your ability.

With Awakened running and alacrity fully adapted, Cass didn’t take long to scroll through the options. Were he panicking, he likely would’ve chosen Quill. After all, it had been his training focus since leaving Liora.

But clarity superseded fear in that moment.

Command Center selected.

A Tactical Overlay will be provided to all allies while the Heraldrider’s choice presides. This overlay will provide threat-level augmentation along with an upgraded detailing of all enemies within the area.

A pulse of Cyan burst from the center of them both before intermingling. A brief lull existed as Bella took a breath, then burst forth with a muted scream as the pulse imploded, then expanded again ten times as large. With a rush, it burst out, sweeping across the battlefield in a rush of wind that, for once, kept the falling ash at bay.

For a brief moment in time, the entire battlefield was clear and easily seen.

As the pulse reached the far edges of Cass’s sight, Bella shrunk down to her usual size. Cass felt a mental nudge from her. He didn’t fight as their senses bound themselves to one another. 

Though he was seeing through her eyes, he still maintained a small view of his own vision. Like a window in a small house looking out. And in the corner of his vision as she leaped toward the nearest Greybeard, a miniature version of Command Center had appeared. 

Within it, Cass noted all of his allies had changed to blue figures detailing their status, while each monster now appeared in exacting detail with small notes beside them.

Greybeard: Minor

Status: Injured left leg

Cass clicked on Jason’s status as Bella fired off the ground, ramming a Greybeard with her snout hard enough to fling it into the dried branches of a tree. It died with an open mouth as he read, trusting her to take care of the monsters around them.

Jason Portillis: Vanguard

Status: Fatally wounded.

There’s an awful chance that Jason doesn’t make it out of here. If I can give him better odds, I will.

As Cass emotionally processed the fact that Jason was not going to live through the battle, the fight changed on a dime with the new tactical overlays.

The problem with fighting in a dungeon covered by ash was the fact that a person couldn’t see anything, whereas the Guardian within its natural habitat had a sense of everything walking its domain.

The luminosities from fallen Greybeards certainly helped, but they also brightened the ash to the point that the environment was almost blinding. But now, with a small map in the corner of every ally’s vision, they knew exactly where their enemies were.

And where to hurt them.

Cass and Bella continued to protect the horses. Working together as they sensed what one another was going to do, they became a wrecking ball of death’s deliverance.

Bella’s four legs and occasionally her head dealt out swift vengeance for threatening her herd, while Cass’s hatchet swung often enough that his arm began to burn fiercely. 

When a pair of Greybeards catapulted themselves into their midst in a maneuver Cass had never seen before, he and Bella reacted instantly, both knowing what the other would do. As the Rake dropped off several more Greybeards north of his position and far too close to the archer brothers Wallace and Seb, Cass and Bella were there, evening out the odds.

A few minutes passed as Cass tracked every monster, directing his partner with his senses as they cleared the area around them.

In a rare breather, Cass looked at the overlay. More Greybeards were coming, but his allies were up to the task as luminosities liberally covered the ground everywhere. Then, the Rake began running at the group a second time.

Cass was just finishing a large, low-intensity Bane Quest centered on the horses when Alan came sprinting up to him. Flipping to a page, he held out his notepad with only two words written big on it.

Lure me!

Cass looked at the old Scout, then shook his head in denial. There were too many monsters, and if the Rake got caught up in it, Alan wouldn’t stand a chance. 

But the old man was insistent, stepping closer and shoving the pad in his face.

Cass’s mind went to Jason, who on the map seemed to be moving slower and slower. He didn’t want to lose another member of the excursion, no matter the consequences. But again, as he considered it, Alan emphatically pointed at the notepad, a serious look on his face.

Seeing the old man be so insistent, and recognizing that it was his life to live, Cass nodded slowly. Spinning it up, he leaned over and touched the old man’s shoulder. On contact, the Quest finished, and Alan’s body turned red.

With a feral grin, the old man sprinted away as every monster on the battlefield paused. The excursion allies didn’t waste the moment, killing several Greybeards as the Scout began sprinting…straight at all of Damien’s remaining traps.

The map showed Alan disappearing and reappearing as he flew over everything Team Razorwire had set up before the battle. The Rake was in hot pursuit, cleaving through dead trees as it worked to get to the old man. When it got close, Alan disappeared, reappearing dozens of feet behind it, with a train full of Greybeards between them. 

As they entered pursuit, the Rake unknowingly cleaved through its own troops in its haste to reach the old Scout. Cass had a moment of deja vu as he remembered doing something similar during the chase in Liora.

Not one to waste an opportunity, Cass, Bella, and the rest of the allies began striking the Greybeards down whenever the opportunity presented itself. Adya in particular was terrifying, as she sprinted beside the shambling monsters, spear stabbing out again and again as holes opened up in their bodies. They collapsed while she moved on to the next in line.

Beneath him, Bella was breathing hard enough that Cass tried to get down so she could rest. But his companion nixed that idea right away.

No! I can take it!

To prove her point, she leaped forward two steps, spinning on the third to rear kick a limping Greybeard deep into a copse of trees. With a silent neigh, she sent a message to him as proof.

See! I’m fine!

Cass wasn’t convinced, and he sent those feelings her way, along with spare bits of encouragement when he could. They talked back and forth, she with thoughts and he with feelings, before she finally relented and he felt the stirrup release its hold.

Alan was continuing his tactics, using the Rake to wipe out entire groups of other monsters. Taking one last look at the map, Cass noted only twenty or so Greybeards still remained before he hopped off. The overlay left the group the moment he did.

Reaching into his bag, Cass removed a piece of paper and wrote on it as Bella rested. Spying Pellin and Gary, he waved them down, then pointed at the paper.

20 Greybeards left + Rake. Watch Bella, please?

His friends took up positions next to the horse while Cass opened Command Center. As Adya slayed another Greybeard, Cass pulled up the Hunt template, then sent it out three times. One to Shirley, one to Adya, and one to Wallace, with an extra note to have Seb accompany the archer.

To Damien, Cass pulled up a pre-designed template and sent it after a few alterations.

[Tier 2 Escort Quest]

Damien, get Jason out of here quick! He’s bleeding out and doesn’t have much time. Go, bandage him up quickly, get on the horses, and get the fuck out of here.

We’ll deal with the bastard Rake, maybe the Guardian too. 

Just get him to Johan.

I’m definitely not scared.

Cassio Vale

Liberty Guildtower

Journeyman QuestWright

It took Cass a moment to realize the writing of the Quest was much more harried than he had been since the fight began. With a breath, he re-activated another Quest.

Awaken Activated.

The world slowed down again as Cass felt his anxiety leave him. In that moment, and with a clear head, he realized something.

Using Awaken is almost like a drug. I’ll need to keep an eye on that.

Re-focused on the battle, Cass tracked Alan as the older man continued dragging the Rake around the area.

It has to be wearing on him. Moving that fast for that long has probably taken every bit of stamina he has.

He won’t last much longer.

After checking that Damien had Jason on a horse and the two were galloping away, Cass walked over to Pellin and Gary just as Adya got there. The Scout had a few scratches. In fact, everybody did, and there was a certain green cast to them that he didn’t like the look of.

Knowing they’d have to deal with the rot after, Cass wrote on a piece of paper and showed them.

Rake Only

They understood as everyone began walking over to the biggest trap Damien had set up. There was a doubt in his mind that the thick cable could hold up against the Rake’s charge. It was heavily anchored and even strapped against several dead trees in the area, but there was still doubt.

What if the trap didn’t hold? What if everyone took too much damage in the fight, and each of them succumbed to the rot infesting their wounds? What if his plan failed and he doomed them?

But those questions, those thoughts, didn’t grab hold of Cass's mind for long. He’d been in plenty of tense, high-pressure situations like this since becoming a QuestWright.

The only thing they could do was their best, and hope for better.

With Quill in hand, Cass wove together the merger of a standard Combat Quest with Secure. Then he sent it to everyone who was still remaining, including Bella, so she was aware of what they were trying to do. 

Everyone that is, except Alan.

[Tier 2 Ambush Quest]

Secure the perimeter at the primary anchor points. 

Draw the high-tier Rake into the heavy cable trap designated “Rake Only.”

Once the monster is entrapped, execute a coordinated Combat strike to flip the creature and target its underbelly.

Cassio Vale

Liberty Guildtower

Journeyman QuestWright

It was time to take this bastard down.

Alan…

Hurry up, you bastards. I’ve got maybe a minute left at this pace.

A large piece of deadened tree broke the ash to his left as Alan instinctively dodged right. Looking back, he swore the monster was smiling at him.