Chapter 7 #2
As I scrolled through the poem, I had a quick flashback to the theater.
The similarity to Shakespearean lines reminded me to toss off a less frantic message through the communication app to Lin and Charisse.
As I read, my hand seemed to move of its own accord, filling up a page of my idea book with cramped writing about possible quests and scenarios.
The group gave me several minutes to read and absorb.
ScarlettSaber: Wow. Looks complicated.
ShadowImp: IK already figured out the first one. We can head out right away.
Mom wasn’t home yet, and cozy in my room, I had plenty of time to just sink arm-deep into fighting before making dinner. But if IvoryKnight had already figured out the couplet, did that mean he would be the MVP? I’d just dive in and hope for the best.
ScarlettSaber: Lets go.
We fast-traveled to the closest town and started the trek through mob-infested foothills into the mountain range we had to climb. I switched to a voice-to-text program to keep my hands free, and I assumed the others had the same setup. No one asked me to do voice chat, and I was good with that.
ScarlettSaber: Are you not worried about the rumors?
ShadowImp: RogueStriker is the griefer.
That was sweet, but did they really believe it?
VerdantArcher: This isn’t the first time his name has come up. They’ll remember that.
IvoryKnight: Aggro mobs.
A couple of hours passed as we got to know each other while wiping out hordes of Snow Hares and Frost Sprites. I found my place in their group, facing off against the pack mentality of ice wolves during the trek to the top. Near the peak, our shaky alliance was tested against a Yeti mini-boss.
IvoryKnight: We’re nearing the boss. You up for it, scarlet saber?
I almost laughed at the spelling of my name. He was definitely in voice-to-text. But I still hadn’t made dinner.
ScarlettSaber: Gimme a minute.
Setting down my headphones, I grabbed the empty soda can to throw away in the kitchen.
Mom still wasn’t home yet. I reached into the fridge for a second soda.
Leftovers, which could pass for dinner tonight, meant I could spare another hour if that was how long it took to defeat this snow boss.
Besides, I wanted to at least finish this one step and see if we could work well enough together in a boss fight when it was more about teamwork than the little mobs and minions that just needed numbers.
And the loot from a big boss was too great a temptation.
I sat back down at my computer and settled the headphones over my ears. A couple of the avatars stood still as if AFK while the others milled about, keeping away any mobs that might wander over.
ScarlettSaber: I’m in.
IvoryKnight: The plan is for us to make an opening for verdant archer to get a disarm arrow off.
That will lower the boss’s defenses, making it more likely that shadow imp’s dagger can hit.
He has a reveal ability that uncovers one weakness of a creature each time it is used.
It may take multiple fights with a boss to get enough information about how to defeat it.
I can send out adjustments as we battle it and learn its skills.
ScarlettSaber: You sound like you have this all worked out.
VerdantArcher: That’s because that is what he does. He’s the best at making plans and exploiting weaknesses.
ShadowImp: Can you tank it?
ScarlettSaber: I’ll be too fast. Won’t need to tank. Why didn’t you guys pick up a healer?
ShadowImp: IK’s style is too aggressive. No time to waste on someone who can’t contribute damage. We have potions and buffs.
There was no more time for chat as we hit the first of the higher-level minions at the entrance to the cave.
Wind blew and snow fell, masking some of the aggros.
And there were lots. We had to clear the cave three times before the mini-boss, Abominable Snowman, dropped a door key.
I gulped down half my grape soda while we had a break from fighting and searched for where the key went.
ScarlettSaber: I found a smooth section over in this shadow. It might be a door.
The others hurried over to check it out, and ShadowImp, the group’s rogue, checked for traps.
He used the key, and the door opened, leading us through more minion-infested halls until we reached a great ice hall.
Would my discovery be enough for me to get MVP?
I stretched my fingers and shoulders, preparing for a hard fight.
The very-rare boss actually turned out to be a snow queen.
She sat on a throne of crystallized ice in the center rear of a large room with flat ice walls, each with a single door. Columns of decorated ice dotted the room, with her sycophants stationed throughout. Those columns would be great to throw our backs against, so we wouldn’t get surrounded.
IK—I was already falling into the shorthand in my thoughts—used some group buffs as the doors to the room shut, locking us in. There would be no breaks until she was defeated.
Snow Queen stood, making a chilling announcement about our imminent deaths, then raised ice imps and snowmen adds.
My sword sliced through the additional enemies easily, but their ice attacks added up.
I watched my health bar slowly but steadily drain, and my blood sword wasn’t helping because these creatures had no blood to steal.
IvoryKnight: Scarlet, help me attack her straight on. I have a bonus when an ally attacks next to me, and she just keeps raising more of those adds. There’s no clearing of the room. We need to interrupt her rhythm.
Ignoring the adds, I jumped into the fray and sliced my sword downward, aiming at her head.
The blade hit at the joint where the neck meets the shoulder, and her spell fizzled.
I had to come up with something to change the balance.
IK and I went back and forth, creating our own rhythm.
He threw out orders, and the team followed them.
I blocked and attacked, blocked and attacked.
This boss was tough, and I was glad I had decided to team up.
I would never have been able to defeat her on my own.
IK was a good leader, unlike RogueStriker.
Plus, it was good fun having a challenging fight!
Finally, a lightbulb went on in my brain.
I switched to the sword that did fire damage, which I had gotten as my second-place prize.
A swing or two showed the effect it had on her health bar. Another point for MVP to me.
ScarlettSaber: Try fire if you have it. It does extra damage, though not much, so it depends on how much base damage your weapon does.
IK switched too, and things went better for a while. But this angry Snow Queen was a tank, and our weapons were only dealing a percentage of the damage they should’ve been doing. Her health bar ticked down slowly, while ours fell much faster.
IvoryKnight: Arrow, now!
I got in the Snow Queen’s face, taking the brunt of her anger.
The arrow penetrated her frozen armor, but she’d slowed me with a cold damage hit that froze me for who knew how long.
I assumed the dagger had hit and done what it was supposed to because ShadowImp sent us all a message letting us know she was weak to fire. No kidding. How helpful.
The ice walls glowed from within. Somehow, the room inside the cave system was well lit despite the lack of torches. An even more chaotic version of the battle was reflected in its depths, mirrored from the columns dotted throughout the room.
The Snow Queen screamed in frustration and howled her promise of our doom.
Everything was going wrong. My avatar, ScarlettSaber, was blue instead of my normal glowing red and moving at half speed because of the ice curse.
IK and the others seemed to be moving just as slowly.
The Snow Queen raised more snowmen, and her health bar stabilized.
IVORYKNIGHT USED AN ability attack, calling down a column of fire onto the angry Snow Queen. The red on her bar dropped further. And cracks appeared in the glassy surfaces of her frozen domain.
ShadowImp: Another of her weaknesses is direct mental attacks. Keep her attention while I use my Mind Splice.
We redoubled our fire and sword attacks, although I was taking the brunt of the damage, slowed as I was.
VerdantArcher had already burned through his curse and kept the minions off us single-handedly.
I was impressed. The others were almost as good as IK.
This team was no joke. Yet, it felt seamless being a part of it.
Snow Queen shrieked long and loud. Her health bar plummeted.
IK and I hacked at her faster as our curses also wore off.
It was easier getting past her defenses with the distraction.
Within seconds she melted onto the floor, and the loot boxes behind her throne glittered temptingly.
With their queen dead, the rest of the minions either melted right away too or those who lingered were tidied up easily.
IvoryKnight: Time to vote.
VerdantArcher: ScarlettSaber. That fire sword was key.
I smiled. Glad I’d selfishly kept it. Maybe I’d sell it now. We weren’t likely to face another Snow Queen.
ShadowImp: ScarlettSaber. He kept going despite being frozen.
We all had. I hadn’t done anything special.
IvoryKnight: Take it. This is your first fight with us. And I think you earned first dibs with the fire sword idea.
My face heated. She was a Snow Queen, so the possibility that she would be weak to fire seemed like a no-brainer.
But I’d accept the first look at the loot gracefully.
There was some nice stuff. I took a shadow cloak, after asking the others if they wanted it, intending to sell it.
It was the second priciest item in the lot.
I was also greedy and took the priciest item after everyone had a turn choosing a piece—an amulet for ScarlettSaber.
It would increase my avatar’s ability bar fill-speed.