Chapter Seventeen
Vester abandoned the strange mask and rushed to the center of the camp where he could get a clear view of whatever was causing the pillar of light streaming up toward the ceiling of the cavern. What he saw when he sprinted to the top of one of the tents Krysta had made saw him scowling.
Because of course it’s Denny, he thought with a sense of frustration that made him want to scream.
His twin was surrounded by a brilliant nimbus of white light and standing in a crater he’d likely created in the middle of the elfling camp.
The Hero had already begun swinging his sword and sending arcs of incandescent energy slicing through the monsters.
Vester might have thought the aura was a new skill if he hadn’t spotted Emma channeling power into Denny from a short distance away.
Rachel and Davis had formed their standard triangle with Emma, and Rachel was focusing on defensive magic at the moment, with beams of lavender power licking out at anyone who got too close.
The Soulsage’s attacks struck something ephemeral deep inside each blood elfling; the ones struck simply collapsed without any visible wounds.
Davis appeared to be channeling healing energy into a circle around Emma and himself, likely protecting Emma from her own power. Vester hadn’t forgotten how the girl’s body started tearing itself apart whenever she channeled too much of Peace’s might to Denny.
Vester shifted his attention, searching for the other member of Denny’s Party.
A glance revealed Kimmy. The felid girl looked even more savage than before.
Her muscles were thicker and stronger, and her snow-leopard coloring was fluffed out as she charged through her opponents.
Slashes of her claws tore huge wounds in chitinous flesh with each impact, and Kimmy moved so fast that few of the reprisal attacks reached her.
The shackles and collar still gleamed on her body, but the chains had broken much closer to her limbs than Vester had previously seen.
Those enslavement tools from the Church of Light have to be some kind of limiter.
Kimmy shatters them every time I’ve seen her fight, then they restore after the priests get their hands on her. Paranoid fucks.
“What do we do?” Skylar asked. She had Ripper moving to link up with Krysta and Kora, who had already started retreating back into the Sanctuary.
Fortunately, someone had woken Li Ra; the oni was already on top of the short tower of rock next to Reve, and it looked like she was trying to ensure the Avatar of Life didn’t go attack Denny alone.
“We can’t attack the Hero just to protect dungeon spawn,” Kora insisted the moment she was close enough to be heard.
She raised an arm, motioning for Reve and Li Ra to join them at the campfire.
Her other arm was around Krysta’s waist, because Kora had lifted the Hospitality Mage off the ground to leap the last twenty feet.
“Though I understand the temptation,” the Elemental Knight concluded softly.
“But… we made a deal with those women!” Krysta managed, looking upset and curling her tail around herself.
She was hugging the appendage to the point the only thing holding her staff up was that it had gotten caught in her cleavage when she wrapped her arms tight around herself. “I just healed them…”
Reve stepped forward, resting her metal hand on Krysta’s shoulder.
“If we enter combat, it is unlikely the dungeon spawn would see us as allies,” she offered.
“In a chaotic melee like this they’re attack anyone who doesn’t match their nature. That is why dungeon break waves always attack outsiders before each other.”
The reassurance did nothing to make Krysta feel better, but Vester appreciated that Reve was trying to help.
He offered the towering bat-woman a nod, then cleared his throat.
“Krysta, can you ensure the Sanctuary’s boundary is focused on us alone? We don’t want to risk Denny sneaking anyone into our camp.”
The pandali began to focus on her own magic—she looked relieved to have a task to do, and Vester was grateful.
He turned his eyes to Li Ra and Reve. “I don’t see any sign of a replacement for Jack, so be on the lookout for someone who specializes in stealth.”
The pair nodded, and then they separated to take up different vantages, scouting for whomever Denny had selected to fill the spot of his fallen friend. They had no proof that Denny had replaced Jack, but Vester didn’t imagine the Church of Light would let Denny run off without a full Party.
Skylar was next to meet his gaze. “Aside from Ripper, who can you deploy?” he asked her.
The blue-skinned djinn frowned, fidgeting.
“No one,” she admitted with a grimace. “My basic combat frames are good for lower-quality threats… but against Denny’s team? No. They’d go down in a single blow. I’ve got hours of work before my next real golem will be ready. Even with everyone’s help, it’ll probably take half a day, maybe two.”
Vester nodded. “That’s okay, it’s not your fault our luck has been so bad from the moment we got to this floor. The Great Dungeon wants to challenge us. Keep Ripper close and don’t let it get overwhelmed. Have him back up Kora to protect her flank and take advantage of her defensive power.”
Kora seemed to agree with him so far, when he met her eyes, she raised an eyebrow and offered him a teasing grin. “And what are my orders, sir?” she purred, clearly in one of her playful moods. If she was worried about fighting the Hero, it didn’t show. “How do you want me?”
Rolling his eyes, Vester nudged her hip with his cane and pretended to be disapproving.
“You’re going to be watching the perimeter of the Safe Zone to make sure no one throws anything over the borders while also blocking any spells that look like they’ll hit someone. Since we know we’re vulnerable on that front.”
“I’m on it,” she promised, sobering. Her tower shield appeared in her grip, and then her heaviest armor materialized around her body.
She locked one of her smaller scimitars to the sheath hidden on the inside of her shield, then drew the longer weapon with her free hand.
Her tails flicked, brushing one by one against Vester’s hip before she moved into position to be the first person anyone encountered if they pushed toward the Sanctuary.
Vester layered Labyrinth Wards in a wide arc all across that border, ensuring anyone who tried to get close would have to free their minds from his traps—then he covered the glowing circles with an illusion that matched the ground, effectively making them invisible.
“What are you going to be doing?” Skylar asked, voice low. She had her wrench out and was nervously slapping the wide head against the opposing palm. “You can’t think you’re going to talk him down again, right? They’ve tried to kill us too many times now.”
“I know,” Vester said heavily. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, his expression growing cold enough for him to feel it on his face.
“First, I’m going to go to the top of Li Ra’s tower and tell her to take down Emma if she gets a clean shot. Then I’m going to tell Reve to be ready to disable Rachel and Davis if she can, and kill them if she can’t. Kora can handle Kimmy, especially if Krysta uses Rebuke the Guest.”
“But what about Denny?” Skylar pressed, staring into Vester’s eyes. “You can’t use Unfettered again so soon, so how are you going to handle him?”
“Denny’s not going to know what’s real or not soon,” Vester said.
“Just remember what happens if you see a flash of pink fire.”
It was one of the signals they’d designed beforehand.
Some of Vester’s abilities weren’t discriminative when it came to friend or foe, so they’d worked out a method to make sure everyone knew to watch what they thought they were seeing.
Vester used his intelligence to remember the exact wording of how Nightmare’s Release had changed:
Nightmare’s Release (Unique):
This skill supplanted the Dreamspinner ability (Phantasm Hunter) and is unique to the Avatar of Non (So don’t tell anyone about it, Vester!)
. Nightmare’s Release causes a target to experience their worst fears for 2 minute per point of the caster’s intelligence score.
While the spell cannot deal direct damage, it can leave the target traumatized.
When cast through Trickster’s Cane, this spell is amplified.
Usable three times per week, this ability affects all those targeted and capable of perceiving the Avatar of Non.
He was glad he could target it now, because it meant his Party was no longer in danger. His current level 2 Nightmare Field wasn’t quite as helpful:
Nightmare Field (SS-rank): Level 2
The ability to create a zone in which reality bends to force those within to battle the physical manifestations of their fears.
This area starts as a 20-foot-by-20-foot-by-20-foot space that cannot be exited without destroying the fears summoned.
External forces can disrupt and destroy the field.
Manifested fears cannot cause direct damage, instead draining mana, stamina, and mental energy.
At SS-Rank, each additional level doubles the volume covered and increases the durability of the field against outside interference.
Like most skills, level 5 is the cap. This spell requires mana to use.
That one wouldn’t spare his Party if they moved into it, which was why Vester didn’t immediately cast the field. Throwing up the pink flare would let his Party know not to get too close to him, because he’d be the only one unaffected by the Nightmare Field when he activated it around himself later.
I wish I could just use Deprivation Cage on Denny, but his divine resistance is too high…
and our last fight makes me think the rest of his Party might have finally thought to get something to protect them as well.
We’ll have to do this the hard way… but Skylar’s right; we can’t just let Denny keep hunting us.
He took a moment to mentally center himself, then he put his dexterity to work.
The run toward Li Ra’s pillar passed in a blink, then extending Trickster’s Cane into a long stave let Vester vault to the top.
He landed smoothly and told her that if she could, she should take down Emma.
When the oni agreed, Vester dropped off the stone column and ran toward Reve.
Her pillar was significantly taller than Li Ra’s, but when Vester shot upward he found himself caught by Reve’s telekinesis; she smoothly lifted him to join her on the flat stone surface. “What is our goal?” she asked, staring intently toward Denny. “Do we slaughter them all?”
“Not quite,” Vester said. When the woman snapped an angry glare his way, Vester put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.
He could feel Reve trembling with suppressed emotion.
“Emma is pouring Peace’s power through herself, so Li Ra is going to take the girl out if she can. Davis and Rachel, the other two casters, have shown far less loyalty to the Church of Light. If we can disable them, I want you to do it.”
“And the feral one and the Hero?” Reve inquired, her voice absolutely frigid. “How do we handle those two?”
“The Church has treated Kimmy like shit, and she wasn’t with the Party when Denny came after me the last time,” Vester replied bluntly.
“I don’t know if she’s on their side or she’s their slave. We’ll try to subdue her to start, but we’re not letting her kill any of us… As for Denny, I’ll do my best to take care of him.”
Reve’s expression softened and she took several breaths, visibly trying to calm herself.
Her wings flapped, fidgeted, and then wrapped around her body.
Vester didn’t fail to notice that the wing closest to him had caressed down his back and side before she enclosed herself in it like a cloak.
“I understand,” she agreed, “he is still your brother. You are being resolute, so I will not be ungrateful for that. Thank you for filling me in on the plan.”
“Of course. You’re one of us,” he said, and then he stepped into her space and gave her a hug.
It was a little awkward—she was two feet taller than he was, and if her wings hadn’t been where they were his face would have been buried in her cleavage.
On another occasion he’d likely have cursed those wings.
Now, he just gave thanks for the lack of distraction.
“I’m going to start this,” he said. “Watch for the pink flames.” Vester stepped away and then walked out to the edge of the pillar’s cap. He leaned out and let gravity take him, starting to run even before he had truly begun to fall.
It was only his incredibly high dexterity that allowed him to race down the side of a sixty-foot-tall stone column, but Vester managed it.
The speed he built up was insane, and he shot out and across his Labyrinth Wards like a streak of black and crimson.
He covered himself in illusions while he ran, a dark cloud of smoke and shadows that seemed to boil with hidden flames.
He caused a crackling red flame to wrap around Trickster’s Cane, giving it an illusory edge, and then he recreated his weapon to make it look like he was dual wielding. He shot past several retreating blood elflings, the dungeon spawn stumbling out of his way in shock and terror.
Denny had already slain most of the chitinous women by that point, and the ones he’d missed were being hunted down by Kimmy.
The pair were relentless, attacking any monster they could reach like brutal killing machines.
Even as Vester approached, Denny simply backhanded the head off a tall elfling.
He hadn’t used a weapon, just the strength of his arm and gauntlet.
He didn’t realize Vester was coming until Vester hooked the flying head on Trickster’s Cane and whipped in a circle to send it sailing back in Denny’s direction.
Vester was very careful to aim the projectile in a way that missed Denny by the smallest of margins, and was rewarded by his twin twitching with shock—right into the head’s path.
The sudden crunch of the elfling’ forehead off Denny’s nose was shockingly loud.
The black chitin face burst in an eruption of gore that sent chunks of scalp and white hair flying around Denny’s head, filling the opening of his helmet.
Denny let out a noise of disgust and confusion while reaching up with his empty hand to claw at the brains covering his eyes.
Vester took that moment to pass around Denny and cross Kimmy’s path.
His cane snapped out and tapped the woman on the tip of one fluffy, triangular ear.
Vester cast Deprivation Cage, not expecting it to work, yet Kimmy went insane.
The felid Ragedancer began tearing into the air around her, trying to kill… something.
She was cut off from all stimulus, so she had nothing to aim at, but that didn’t stop her from trying.
Vester just veered around her and came to a stop in front of Denny.
His twin had just cleared the brains from his face when Vester said, “Hello, Brother. Still chasing me because Peace has you brainwashed?”
Whatever reaction he’d hoped for, Vester wasn’t prepared for what he got.