Dokeshi March: Chapter 34 (Patreon)

Chapter 34

They reached an entirely different section of the maze before they finally stopped running.  In this part, the hedges had thorns, and the walls were made of brick, not stone.  Panting, they leaned on a vine-covered portion of red brick to catch their breath.

“Who do you think won?”  Grant was doing his best to force his breathing back to normal, but was failing miserably.  Suki recovered much faster, which was to be expected.  She was in better shape, and her pack was a third of the size.

“Does it matter?”  She stopped leaning on the wall and stood up straight before peering back the way they had come.  “The rats won’t leave their hunting grounds to follow us after getting such a big meal, and the patrol won’t be able to catch up after getting mauled by such a large group of beasts.”

“I guess you’re right.”  Grant finally took a good look around at their surroundings, and reached out to touch a nearby thorn.  It instantly drew blood, causing a drop to form on his fingertip.  “At least we shouldn’t have to deal with things hiding in the walls anymore.  There isn’t much that could deal with these thorns.”  As soon as he put his finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding, an unexpected screen popped into his vision.

Combat initiated

Action: Defend: Without weapon

Result: Mimic poison entered bloodstream.  One point of health lost for the next sixty seconds.  Armor value negates 58 of 60 damage.  Two damage taken.

Opponents remaining: 1

Actions: Please select one option from the following list

Attack: Lethal, Non-lethal, Spell

Defend: With weapon, Without weapon

Run: Attempt escape

“What did you do?!”  Suki was already preparing to fight, tossing her pack against the wall as her gauntlets appeared over her closed fists.

Grant didn’t have time to answer, because a ten foot section of the thorny hedge wall suddenly shuffled into the middle of the path, completely blocking any escape in that direction.

“Stay back!”  Grant jumped in front of Suki, his sword already held vertically in front of him.  “The thorns are poisonous, and you aren’t wearing any armor!”

“I’ll try and get around it.”  She sprinted for the vine-covered wall and started climbing.  “Most mimics can’t form a shape this big on both sides.  Just keep it distracted!”

“Sure, keep it distracted.  Easy for you to say.”  Grant was just mumbling under his breath, but her smile told him she had heard.  Deciding the best course of action was full-out attack, Grant selected ‘Attack: With weapon’ and slid into range as he slashed downward into a heavy blow in the center of the monster.  Instead of the sensation of breaking branches and the resistance of wood, the blade felt like it was parting leathery flesh.  The spray of pus and mucus that coated his face was also unexpected.  “Gwargah!  This thing is disgusting!”

<This one isn’t that bad.  You should see what happens when they imitate a Slime Pod.  The combination is enough to make even a dragon gag.>

Action: Attack: With weapon

Result: Critical Success, attacker takes 107 slashing damage - bleed effect active.

Actions: Please select one option from the following list

Attack: Lethal, Non-lethal, Spell.

Defend: With weapon, Without weapon.

Run: Attempt escape.

The mimic didn’t take Grant’s attack standing still.  A whip-like appendage appeared from the base of the creature, and he immediately selected ‘Defend: With weapon’.  The thorn-covered limb struck with the speed of a crossbow bolt, aiming straight for his unprotected eyes.  Luckily, since Grant had been training his Iaijutsu, the appendage hit the ground in a squirming spray of mimic blood instead of him getting a face full of poisoned thorns.

Action: Defend: With weapon

Result: Attacker takes 27 slashing damage - bleed effect active, defender momentarily blinded by viscera.

Actions: Please select one option from the following list

Attack: Lethal, Non-lethal, Spell.

Defend: With weapon, Without weapon.

Run: Attempt escape.

“Hiya!”  Suki’s shout echoed over the rows of hedges as she finally jumped from near the top of the wall, the flickering blue shield of the barrier that kept things from going over the top shimmering as her pink hair brushed against it.  Her downward punch nearly folded the mimic in half, and Grant timed his choice of ‘Attack: With weapon’ perfectly.  He used the distraction of her attack to stab the leathery back of the monster while it was exposed.

The combined attacks were too much for the disturbing creature, and it finished folding forward into a gloppy mess.  Somehow, Grant managed to be covered in the disgusting miasma, while Suki was spotlessly clean.  He took a few moments to review all of his life choices leading up to this point, trying to see where he had gone wrong.

Congratulations! Your new battle count moves from [6 Wins / 3 Losses] to [7 Wins / 3 Losses]. Remember, the lucky rise to the challenge!

<That was a wonderful win.  I’m surprised you were able to defeat such a mighty foe so quickly.>  Grant only grunted in reply, doing his best not to get the slime he was covered with in his mouth.  <I wonder why such a strong mimic was in the early part of the Labyrinth, while this weaker one was deeper in.  My guess is you are close to the hunting ground of a mighty beast.>

“How close do you think it is?”  Ignoring the slime to get clarification on such dire news, a glob of snot-like substance invariably got in Grant’s mouth.  It caused a brief moment of furious spitting, and after a few moments he was able to collect himself.  “Seriously, Sarge.  How close do you think this ‘mighty beast’ might be?”

<Well, I have to be completely honest.  The fight let me finally triangulate the location of the Vassal, and he is only a few hundred yards to the west.>

“Seriously?”  Grant could feel his blood pressure rise.  “You let me get that disgusting goop in my mouth for nothing?”

<Well, it wasn’t for nothing.  Personally, I thought it was hilarious.>  Grant glanced at Suki, who despite being unable to hear both sides of the conversation, was also fighting back a smile.

“You guys are jerks.”  Grant stormed off, all the while doing his best to shake off the disgusting phlegm he was coated in.

<Clean yourself off, and get your head back on the matter at hand.>  Sarge’s voice deepened, his obvious excitement showing through.  <It’s time to show a Vassal who the next Calendar King is going to be.>