The display amendments took some getting used to as SJ flew above the streets. The new overlay was confusing at first as she moved towards areas that appeared a brighter orange colour; it had the same transparency as before, but the amended colours caused mild confusion as she assimilated the information. What she had perceived to be a shaman had turned out to be one of the town members who was helping clean the streets.
Dave had concluded that it was highlighting mana purity, which might add limitations to its use, not just for those who had high mana levels. He was currently attempting to make minor adjustments, and SJ's display kept flickering as he did.
SJ was currently sitting on a branch by the Wandering Ogre. The display showed a criss-cross of orange lines that covered the entire building. It looked like an intricate spiderweb. Her display flickered off again, her frustration growing.
'Maybe we should have waited to make the changes,' SJ thought.
"Nope, nope. I'm almost there... Yes," Dave said. "That should do it. Close and open your map again."
SJ did as Dave asked. As she opened the map again, her vision swam slightly, and she gripped onto the branch to prevent herself from losing balance. As her vision settled, the display came into view, and the changes were dramatic. No longer did it just show orange lines of mana, but now showed variations of orange and a purple colour; it was even more confusing at first as she viewed the overlay.
'What's all this mean?'
"Okay. Orange displays items with natural mana constructs. Purple colouring shows you items that are imbued, and finally, red highlights pockets of forced mana."
'I can't see any red on the display?'
"No, the visibility limitation is still apparent; it will only show anything within a twenty-foot radius of you. You can see the basic orange for anything within your maps' standard distance, but this feature won't work beyond that distance, unfortunately. It's no different from the markers for showing unknowns as grey. If you fly over the area, the colours will change as it identifies a change in the mana construction."
Two draconians were sitting near where she hid in the branches; they appeared as faint orange circles, but one of them had a purple mark on it.
'What's the purple showing me?' SJ asked.
"I think probably magic items, potions or similar, anything that has mana imbued into it," Dave said.
'Wow. I take it all back; you aren't as stupid as you seem.'
"Hey," Dave grumbled.
'This will be like having a permanent detect magic ability.'
"Better than that," Dave scoffed. "This is much more advanced."
'I didn't even know there was a detect magic spell?' SJ had only thought the comment because of her previous gaming experience on Earth.
"There is. It's a mid-level mage spell; usually only Legionnaire mages who specialise in dungeons bother with it. It's an amazing spell but has a long cooldown. It definitely doesn't show mana constructs like your display does."
'Thank you,' SJ thought sincerely. With her newly adapted overlay open, SJ lifted from the branch and flew above the Wandering Ogre. As the building fell within the bounds of her overlay, the previous orange lines lit up with a vibrant red.
'It definitely has wards covering it,' SJ thought after now seeing that the criss-crossed pattern was all bright red.
"Yes. You aren't getting past those wards anytime soon," Dave sighed.
'Then I have to identify the shaman, then. If that's our only option to break the wards.'
As SJ hovered high above the building, a draconian entered below. In doing so, the red outline blinked out momentarily. It wasn't for long, only a moment, but if the ward could be broken, maybe they could use that to their advantage.
'I wonder how they maintain the ward? All other spells I have seen involve channelling, and I can't see any beings nearby.'
"You absolute fool of an AI. Why on Amathera didn't I even consider it before? Stupid, stupid, stupid," Dave said.
'Dave, what's wrong?' As she imagined him banging his head off a desk.
"I was so involved with the concept of adding the mana to your display, I completely forgot about totems."
'Totems?'
"Yes, shamans use totems to control their spells. Similar to the power circles they used to control the scorpoids. Look to the edges of the building."
SJ did as Dave suggested, and at six separate locations, there were purple markers. SJ couldn't see anything on the ground where the marks were on the map.
"I think they have buried the totems around the building. If you can interrupt the totems or destroy them, then the wards should fail. I'm so stupid, grrrr," Dave berated himself.
'Calm down. I wouldn't have considered it if you hadn't mentioned it,' SJ thought, trying to placate her friend. She knew he was trying to do as much as he could to help within his constraints, not having a physical body to support her.
SJ flew away from the building, heading back over the town towards where she had left Fas. As she did, she noticed the movement in the distance to the south of the town. She paused in her flight, turning back as she watched one of the giant beetles lumbering from the forest. They had been at the ridge previously, but it had been called back. SJ wondered what purpose it had been brought for. She continued back to Fas and Kibble, concerned about what the appearance of the beetle might mean.
Once SJ had explained her discovery to Fas, they proceeded towards the Wandering Ogre. Fas stayed to the east of the town, heading along the mountain's edge before working in from the rear. That meant that he stayed well away from the clearing where the lizards had been kept. Kibble had followed Fas while SJ had flown above as a scout.
There was too much activity around the Wandering Ogre in the daytime with the draconian families that had settled in the surrounding area so that they would wait until night before their attempted infiltration. SJ stayed high above, hovering, watching things unfold. The draconian family prepared meals, and as the evening closed in, others joined them to eat. There had been no sign of the leaders, and SJ could only assume they were still inside the Wandering Ogre.
The primary concern was that they were unsure of the exact number of people in the building. SJ hadn't even considered asking Fran and could have kicked herself for not doing so. The sounds floating up from below were no different from what SJ would have expected to hear in any typical town or village. Draconian children were playing as though they didn't have a care in the world, while so close by, beings were forced into slave labour. This tribe had no care for any others apart from their own kind, and it sickened SJ to her core.
Eventually, she returned to where Fas and Kibble were waiting as darkness descended to prepare for their next move.
It didn't matter how SJ viewed the ground around the building; even now, at night, every area outside it was brightly lit with lanterns. There was only one totem that they might get near to without being in view of the immediate hostiles. With Fas unable to attack the draconians, there was little to nothing they could do apart from attempting to destroy the one totem. SJ only hoped it would be enough to break the ward.
"Any ideas how we destroy a totem?" SJ asked as she realised she did not know.
The three of them were hidden within the treeline to the rear of the bar.
"Didn't you ask your mage friend?" Fas asked.
"Don't worry," Dave said. "You don't need to be a mage to destroy totems. They are physical objects that can be broken."
All SJ could imagine were miniature totem poles.
SJ felt a little embarrassed. "Apparently, we just need to destroy them with physical damage."
Fas raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Dave?"
"Yes," SJ replied sheepishly.
Fas just shrugged; his reaction to finding out about Dave had been so nonchalant.
"We don't know if the ward will drop with just one broken, but at least it's a start. I'm still not sure how we can get inside unnoticed," SJ said.
"Damn," Fas said. He was looking toward where SJ had described the totem to be, and two draconians had taken it upon themselves to be sitting virtually next to it.
"Where did they come from?" SJ said. As she watched them kiss. "Of all the luck!"
"You're going to have to deal with them. Mark the exact location and then do overwatch while I deal with the totem. That's probably the safest bet."
Kibble squeaked, then growled.
"How?" SJ asked.
"I'll set fire to their tents to cause a distraction. That should get them away and may even draw them out of the building," Kibble replied.
"Now that's a brilliant idea," Dave said.
Due to focusing so much on the totem, SJ hadn't considered using a decoy. She smiled at her companion. "Okay, but be careful. Don't get too close."
Kibble chirped as he turned and hopped off into the underbrush. SJ watched his dot as he moved around the front of the building and away towards the tents.
All she saw was a flash in the night sky of blue, before the cries started, followed by three more flashes. The two draconians who had come for some quiet time, hearing the cries, stood rushing to see what had happened.
"Now," SJ said, as she took off, flitting forward, staying low. As soon as she reached the purple mark on her display, she stopped. Fas Shadow Stepped, appearing beside her as she rose immediately into the air. There was no physical sign of the totem, so it had to be buried, and Fas knelt with his dagger, digging into the ground.
As SJ flew above the building, she could see the chaos Kibble had started. Three tents were blazing, and draconians were panicking, trying to deal with the flames. A nearby tree, which one tent had been next to, had also caught fire; the dry weather of Killic turned it into the perfect torch.
Cries came from the building, and SJ watched as several draconians piled outside. The disturbance was probably a hundred feet from the inn entrance, and they ran over. None of them were wearing their usual gear, dressed casually as though disturbed from rest.
"Got it," Fas said over the clip with a grunt. "It's a metal rod. I'm going to move it away. I can't break it."
SJ watched as Fas's dot flashed and reappeared as he stepped. Initially, her display didn't change, and then the wards flickered. Once, twice, then they dropped.
"Yes," she said excitedly. "I'm going in."
"Wait," Fas said, but it was too late; she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. She knew the layout of the main bar area and flew to the entrance. Only just pausing in time as another draconian came storming out of the building. It was the chieftain's daughter, Markisha. She screamed over at the disturbance where the draconians were fighting the flames, yelling for them to get one of the shaman to put them out. As she stepped from the exit, SJ ducked inside. The inside wasn't well lit; the time of night meant that only one lantern glowed by the entrance. Immediately inside, she lifted towards the ceiling before she looked around. Nothing showed on her display inside. The rear of the building was too distant to reach or identify any beings.
Then she saw them. Three bodies, chained to the dancing poles which rose from floor to ceiling. The ceiling of the main area was nearly twenty feet high, and SJ was now standing on a beam looking down. In the area around the bar, there were several sleeping areas, where she assumed the other draconians had been before being disturbed. There were no others in the main area, and the number of draconians inside appeared to be limited. Then again, the guards that SJ had seen with the chieftain previously had proven how few were allowed near the chief.
Zigferd was chained to the middle post, Gary was at the nearest, and Orik was at the furthest. Gary looked terrible. His face was battered, one eye was completely shut, and he appeared to be missing a tusk. Orik looked little better; his dwarven face was drained, his shoulders slumped, his beard matted, and his nose bloodied. It was only Zigferd who appeared unharmed. Bile rose in SJ's throat as she saw them; the scene was sickening.
A shout came from behind the stage curtain. "What's going on?" It was the chief's voice.
Markisha walked back inside, hearing her father call. "A fire! One of the idiots has set fire to a tent, and it spread," she called from the doorway.
The chief cursed as SJ heard movement and a lantern get turned up behind the curtain before he appeared. He sneered as he stormed across the stage area and down the steps to the entrance, leaving the building.
There was no other sound inside, nothing showing on her overview, and SJ watched the entrance in her vision. The sight of her friends made her catch her breath, as rage warred with horror. She shot down towards them from the beam. Orik looked either asleep or unconscious; both Gary and Zigferd were awake. The lantern light from the entrance didn't reach where they were; only her night vision allowed her to see them clearly.
"Gary, Zigferd," SJ whispered as she neared. Both of their heads turned towards her voice.
Gary's one good eye was wide open in shock. "SJ, get out of here," he said, his voice low.
"As Gary said, get out while you can," Zigferd reiterated.
"I'm here to free you," SJ hissed as she landed by the chains that held them to the pole as she grew. Her display was open, and she watched for any enemy dots as she worked. With her claws equipped, she pried them into the link of the chain. They could break blades that got caught in the 'V', and she hoped it would work for the chain. Focussing on a slightly thinner link, she violently twisted her wrist. The chain grated, slipped, and didn't snap as it broke free. Again, she attempted it, her nerves on edge as she watched everything around her.
"Keep going, you nearly had it," Dave said encouragingly.
As she twisted her wrist more slowly this time, she triggered her Void Grasp skill on the chain. It froze it in place, preventing it from moving as she applied force. With a sharp crack, the chain snapped. Gary's arms released as they fell weakly at his sides. He slumped forward, having been held upright by the pole rather than his own strength. His ankles were bound with leather straps, and she sliced through them easily.
Gary may be free, but he was broken, no longer the strong sergeant of the guard she knew. SJ removed the rejuvinatus from her inventory and handed it to him.
"Drink some now," SJ said. Gary swigged the liquid before handing it back. SJ turned to Zigferd.
"Save your strength," Zigferd said as she approached him. "You won't break the bonds. They're shamanic."
"I have to try," SJ said, looking at the black iron shackles.
"No, free Orik instead," Zigferd ordered.
SJ blinked momentarily before cursing and moving to do what he had said. Orik had stirred as the chain had snapped, and his eyes fluttered open, seeing SJ.
"Orik! Be ready to move," SJ said as she again pried her claws between the links.
The battered face of Orik met her gaze; determination burned in his eyes. "You may cut me free, but I ain't leaving Zigferd," Orik rasped through broken lips. "Not while he's still breathing. They've been tryin' to use us to break him, but it will never work." His stubborn nature shone through like a beacon on a dark night.
"Orik, you have to come!" Gary said as he moved painfully towards him, his arms trembling as he crawled on his hands and knees.
"And how do you expect SJ to do that? I'm as injured as you, and she can't support two of us. No! You go, get free, and you can come back to get us after."
"No!" Gary protested.
"Sergeant," Zigferd said, his voice low but authoritative. "You will go with SJ." His eyes were clear as he stared at the orc.
Gary turned to Zigferd. "But..."
"But nothing. That's an order. Now go. You are in no condition to fight. SJ, get him out of here," Zigferd said. There was no point in her arguing with Zigferd; she knew that stubborn streak too well.
SJ grunted as the chain holding Orik snapped; he fell forward before slowly pushing himself to his knees. SJ went to grab Orik. He pushed her away. "Go, I said."
Time froze for an instant as SJ felt torn. She handed him the rejuvinatus. He smiled as he swigged some.
"Fas," she said into her clip, her eyes focused back on the entrance, the lantern light flickering, casting unholy shadows across the room's interior. She still could see no grey dots on her display, which meant the enemy wasn't close to the door. "I'm bringing Gary out. He is badly hurt. Zigferd is shackled by magic, and Orik refuses to leave."
SJ took one last look at her two friends as Orik pushed himself upright using the pole to support him. "You have no weapon," SJ said to Orik.
He smiled wryly. "I've been fighting since the day I was born with my fists. I don't need a weapon to deal with them."
"Fas, check the entrance," SJ said.
"It's clear. Kibble is causing chaos," Fas replied.
SJ had to stay large as she grasped Gary under his arm and dragged him to his feet. The rejuvinatus had helped, but he staggered, his legs weakened. They stumbled to the entrance.
"We're coming out," SJ said.
"You're clear, hurry," Fas said.
Gary looked back one last time, and SJ saw a tear run down Zigferd's cheek in her vision as she exited the building.
Chaos reigned outside. Kibble hadn't just burned the tents but now flew around the area, randomly firing lightning down at the draconians. He streaked through the night, his position only given away by the blue lightning that crackled across his jaws. He released a bolt, which struck a water barrel; the barrel exploded in steam and shattered wood.
Screams of anger and panic as lightning fizzled across the area. Some tried to douse the flames, while others attempted to hit Kibble.
Gary leaned on SJ heavily. His size compared to hers was significant, and she strained under his weight; his movements were uncoordinated. His leg buckled under him as he let out a deep groan, his teeth gritted in determination as he placed one foot in front of the other.
As they neared the treeline, they were spotted. A draconian near the remnants of a tent suddenly shouted. It took several moments before others turned to look. "Intruders!" it yelled, pointing.
A silver streak flew through the night past SJ and embedded itself in the draconian's shoulder. It grunted as its shout caught in its throat. Another silver flash as Fas threw another dagger. Another screamed as it was struck by the dagger in the thigh.
"We're under attack," Markisha bellowed as she grabbed her father's arm, dragging him towards the building's edge.
Several of the draconians had gone to ground, reducing their size to any incoming missiles, as Fas appeared next to SJ. He grabbed Gary from the other side and almost lifted him as they hurried into the forest, the relief on SJ's face noticeable.
Kibble had noticed them turn towards SJ and Gary, and with a shriek, banked sharply as he swooped low over the draconians, releasing another bolt. As he rose back into the air, he released a sound SJ had never heard before. It was a cry of pain, and the sound tore through SJ, colder than any chill she had ever felt, as he rocketed away towards the southern forest. A javelin thrown by a draconian had caught his wing. SJ watched as he crashed into the upper branches of a tree.
"KIBBLE!" SJ screamed, her throat raw. She stopped, almost dragging Gary down.
"MOVE. NOW!" Dave roared in her head, breaking her from her frozen state. "You can't help him if you're dead."
SJ hurried further into the forest as the shouts from behind followed them. Her eyes teared up as she helped drag Gary to safety. The glimmer of hope she had felt had vanished, replaced by a pit of dread in her stomach.
Fas growled as they broke into a small clearing, releasing Gary to fall to the floor. "Go get Kibble. I will take Gary." His face twisted in anger as he transformed. Gary, never having seen Fas in dragon form, gasped as the majestic beast appeared where he lay broken on the ground. Without saying a word, Fas grabbed him in one of its massive claws as he beat his wings and lifted into the air, Gary almost limp in Fas's grasp.
SJ only watched momentarily as she shrank, wiping the tears away as she turned and hurried back for Kibble, only hoping he was still alive.
