Tendrils more rapidly came for Zwei as he advanced toward where the arcane threads were densest. The Shadowsteel weed whackers shredded them, and they struggled to find traction on his legs. However, the growths slowed his progress toward the loot. He couldn’t help but wonder if the plant monster had some symbiotic relationship with whatever creature was coming from above. It guarded the nest and kept the area clean, and likely consumed the monster’s uneaten meals.
It wasn’t the time for such ponderings. Instead, Zwei focused on the task at hand, focusing on pushing ahead. The pit’s barren floor had turned into a patch of squirming green. He didn’t just need to get through it swiftly to stay ahead of the monster, but also the rest of the party. He didn’t immediately spot any essences and shards, but the arcane threads suggested there were likely some valuable pieces nearby.
Zwei was almost at the target when the ground in front of him exploded. A giant bulb emerged from below. It opened, revealing a fleshy, toothless mouth. Slime dripped from it, and the stone sizzled when the fluid made contact.
When his instincts told him to leap backward, Zwei obeyed. The vines holding up the vine swung themselves from side to side, a moment later, spraying the sludge all around itself. Hardened shadows protected Lukas. The metallic bits sizzled and melted, but the rest remained intact.
Shadowsteel spikes assaulted the monster, ripping through plant matter. New vines replaced the severed bits, and the damage to the bulb repaired itself. He followed up with more, electrifying them. They passed through the acidic sludge, steaming. Instead of skewering the creature, they splattered across its body, and the lightning magic within exploded across the body. The arboreal exterior burned, turning black. The damage took longer to recover. Best of all, the sludge spray ceased.
The clone rushed forward and grasped the bulb with both hands. He released uncontrolled sound energy through his palms. A boom followed, blowing all plant matter away. The vines went limp soon after. Zwei ignored the roaring and yelling above, rushing to the monster’s stash of loot.
The journal took over. It had stayed floating an arm’s length from Zwei during his descent and the short exchange with the plant monster. It rotated, facing the stolen items, and the pages turned black. The damaged book flew off the ground and disappeared into the darkness before everything normalized. It faced Zwei again.
Should I pick for Lukas? I doubt you have the time to use Inspector’s Compendium on everything here.
I suppose we have no other choice.
An assortment of random trinkets disappeared into the journal before it closed.
Thank you, I guess?
There were more arcane threads connecting to things in what remained of the pile, but Zwei left them alone. The rest of the party would appreciate it and look upon him favorably for it. El-Prime wanted them to build his reputation in the Gray and not just with the Shadow Seekers, which meant leaving goodies for everybody. It felt stupid to Zwei, but he didn’t argue, trusting the journal to grab whatever would benefit them the most.
The relic served Lady Silverspine’s best interests, but Lukas’s growth and success would only help her in the long term. Growth came with the ability to take on challenging quests or complete more jobs quickly. It was likely that the dragon and her servant trusted El-Prime’s greed and thirst for power. He was far from strong enough to cease taking on jobs altogether. However, Zwei believed it would be a while before they took on another quest unless it aligned with one of Penelope’s tasks or personal goals.
Shadowsteel hooks and bits of Shade’s Mantle shaped into tethers helped the clone exit the pit. The party had just entered the cavern, and the stalker had already engaged the monster, preferring to evade and annoy instead of attack.
Their opponent was a giant avian creature with four wings and plumage that looked like the sky at sunrise and sunset. El-Prime and preceding clones had seen it during their journey to the Gray. It was sitting high in the mountains grooming itself. The creature also had two raptor-like arms growing out of its chest, but they didn’t seem ideal for combat. Each flap of its giant wings sent powerful gusts through the cavern. However, the air had turned hot and humid. Feathers flew free as it attempted to nail the stalker clone, and Zwei snatched one out of the air. He summoned the journal, struggling not to grin at the ability to do so, and used Inspector’s Compendium.
Twilight Roc
Rocs are giant eagle-like birds known for their size and strength. They often target giant prey, carrying them back to their nest and feeding on the carcasses over several weeks. Their powerful bodies and regenerative abilities enable them to take on formidable opponents, and they emerge from each victory stronger.
Older solitary Rocs often develop a love for shiny things, power, and potent magic, raiding nests of other beasts or civilized settlements.
Twilight Rocs are a rare, powerful variant known for their limbs and coloration, which helps them blend into the sky during sunrises and sunsets. Legends say the creatures can change the weather, bringing storms with the flap of their wings.
The journal made no mention of raising ambient temperatures. He guessed their monstrous bodies carried large amounts of heat and moisture, allowing the rocs to survive high altitudes and the extreme cold. The twilight variants were likely perfect hunters in the snow-covered environment. Everything turned bright shades of red and orange at sunrise and sunset.
The ‘shadow golem’ retreated as soon as the rest of the party joined the fray. He was already on the back foot, struggling to keep up with swift pecks and swiping claws through the powerful gusts. Everyone else’s arrival finally came with respite. The shieldbearer released an echoing warcry. It seemed to compel the Roc to look away from his current target. Then, he moved at blinding speeds, sliding along the ground like he was ice-skating to place himself between the stalker and the monster. Then, he slammed the shields down on the ground, releasing a shockwave that didn’t just knock the Roc back but also seemed to disorient it.
The four wings failed to flap in unison and flew sideways into the cavern wall. A deafening screech burst from the creature’s beak as it collapsed to the ground. Chopper attempted to capitalize, swinging her giant axe at the monster, but an errant swipe knocked her aside. The swordsman had better luck. He knelt low, grasping his giant walking stick with both hands. The man twisted the handle, and most of the outer layer slid away, revealing a long, flat blade. He shot past the Roc, slashing as he moved. Another screech burst from the Roc as a part of one of the four wings, and a raptor arm fell away.
When Chopper recovered, she didn’t try to get in melee range. Instead, she unravelled the long chain wrapped around her torso and used it to spin her axe rapidly. The woman swung her weapon at the giant bird, striking its head and embedding it in its side. The blade didn’t bite as deeply into the monster as Zwei expected. The creature’s skin and muscles were far too dense.
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Zwei wasn't sure if the two monsters shared the same quality or had absorbed it from one another, but the Roc began to regenerate swiftly. The injured limb regrew, as did the damaged limb. However, it struggled to take off again. Whatever the shieldmaster had done seemed to have seriously disoriented the creature. Its wings struggled to move in coordination, but every movement sent powerful gusts through the cavern. Blasts of hot, damp air came from random directions, buffeting Zwei.
Memories of Earth came to him, specifically El-Prime's memories before the first transmigration. He had gone mountain climbing with his university's climbing group. El-Prime wasn't particularly skilled or experienced, but had the necessary confidence and bravery to be the lead climber in a medium difficulty stretch. It helped impress his crush as he had hoped, but he hated every second of the experience. The constant rain had taken all the joy out of the experience, leaving his extremities damp and freezing. Carrying and then pulling up wet rope had left his shoulder and back muscles screaming. His crush's whining also put him off her. However, El-Prime had mastered a new climbing skill that he never forgot: the three-piece anchor. Zwei now used the same to stabilize himself.
Three shadow tethers slithered off the Shadow Mantle around his waist. They followed his manipulations and the shadowsteel hooks at the tips planted found homes in crevices within three feet of him. Zwei had them vibrate, moving deeper and cementing themselves, and then the tethers retracted until he could barely move from where he stood.
“What the hell are you doing?” The stalker asked, landing next to Zwei. He squatted, stabilizing himself. “Take cover. Leave the dangerous stuff to the experienced locals. We don’t gain anything from being heroes.”
“No. But we might as well make a positive impression for El-Prime.” Zwei grinned. “Ever seen a human turret?”
“Do we even count as human?”
“I’m more human than you for sure.”
Zwei raised both arms, and Shadowsteel needles grew out of his arms. Half a dozen broke away from each limb and rotated rapidly. Lightning arc between the six-inch-long, darker-than-night projectiles. He released them rapidly, one after another. They flew as fast as crossbow bolts and dug into the Roc’s hindquarters. Miniature energy explosions followed. The lightning-attuned magic flowing through the needles seemed to combine, and the already disoriented beast spasmed.
The rest of the party took advantage of the opening and attacked. First, the shieldbearer zipped forward again, holding both halves of his shields together. He rammed it into the Roc’s face and knocked it backwards and off balance. All four wings flapped at once, creating the most powerful gust yet. The man dropped straight downward, slamming his shield into the ground and pushing against it. He didn’t move an inch from where he landed. The Aquila mage appeared behind him out of thin air, almost as if they had teleported.
The staff’s head glowed bright blue. Spell circles danced around the weapon. It was clear she was deep into the process of casting a powerful spell. Everyone was buying her time.
Two of the Roc’s wings went next. First Chopper’s chained axe swung into one, severing it at the base. The swordsman took one off on the opposite side, and the beast crashed to the ground. Meanwhile, Zwei continued to pepper the beast with lightning-filled pillars. His eyes and head hurt as the beginnings of arcane strain struck him. The mage specialization and Spellweaver granted him considerable resistance, but he was doing far too many things at once.
New shadows rushed to join Shade’s Mantle as Zwei ripped off bits of it, before shaping the scraps into needles. The shaping and manipulation had become second nature to El-Prime and the clones, but repeating the process several dozen times with no break was starting to add up. Pumping lightning into the projectiles and keeping them all under control before firing added the most strain. He clenched his jaws and narrowed his eyes, struggling to keep his breathing under control.
Zwei felt on the verge of his arcane shell destabilizing, but he held strong. If he fell, the stalker would take his place. He continued to pepper the Roc with electrified Shadowsteel needles. The lightning coursing through its body seemed to slow its regenerative powers.
The Aquila mage finally released their spell. Another powerful gust blew off the hat that hadn’t left their head since the journey’s beginning. Long platinum blonde hair blew free, and the staff illuminated an almost sculpted porcelain face.
A sphere as black as Shade’s Mantle manifested in front of the Roc. It flickered in and out of existence, rapidly sucking in the dust and stone chips from above, and also the bones and stone shards that littered the floor. The conjuration grew rapidly until all ambient air was rushing toward it. The Roc screeched, attempting to backpedal, but more electrified Shadowsteel spikes peppered its body. The melee fighters retreated behind the shieldbearer, wary of the sphere.
The stalker lost his footing and almost went flying, but created tethers and hooks of his own, using far more than Zwei’s three. It wasn’t clear whether the mage had created a miniature black hole or some sort of portal sucking everything into the Void, and he didn’t want to find out. He assumed it was the latter and did his best not to directly look at it. Light distorted, but the world didn’t seem to stretch, and the bits of the Roc close to the sphere didn’t spaghettify.
Erasure
The journal manifested without Zwei’s summoning. El-Prime had never reported such actions by the relic before, and it concerned and annoyed the clone. He appreciated all the information provided. However, its freedom and activity were concerning.
Are you going to show up unannounced all the time from now?
I sensed the presence of Erasure and had no choice but to appear. This magic is concerning. It belongs to one of Lady Silverspine’s greatest enemies. We need to be wary of its source. It's a threat to her and all connected.
Why?
Erasure is born of the Great Black Dragon’s flame. Erasure doesn’t burn.
It erases. But what is with this gravity fuckery?
Zwei didn’t get an answer. The Twilight Roc lost its balance and ability to pull away. Parts of the damaged wings had recovered, but it wasn’t enough to generate enough force to pull away from ‘Erasure’.
Erasure grazed the side of the monster’s face, shaving away part of the beak, feathers, outer layers of skin, and an eye. The sphere took out a chunk of the Roc’s skull before disappearing. The Roc collapsed and gravity resumed its ordinary behavior.
The Aquila mage collapsed, but Chopper was ready; she caught the woman just as her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. A cheerful cry burst from the shieldbearer; he didn’t seem to care about his now-seizing comrade. The swordsman joined in the revelry, and the pair pumped their fists.
Zwei’s condition wasn’t much better than the mage’s. His knees had long turned to jelly. Only willpower had kept him upright. He fell onto his bottom. The stalker caught him, keeping him from faceplanting.
“You okay? Do you need to dispel yourself?”
“It's tempting, but no,” Zwei answered, smiling weakly. “There is enough ambient magic for me to stabilize the shell.” He paused, glancing at the party. “Just let me play the role of golem for a bit. Alright? I need a break.”
“You got it.” The stalker nodded, patting his fellow clone’s shoulder. “That was insane. I don’t think even El-Prime can manage that.”
“He’d never. Too much of a loser. Not enough grit or willpower.” Zwei snorted. “What did he call it again?” His eyes narrowed. “It was something stupid. Moronic even. Self-preservation?”
The stalker snorted, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Who the fuck needs that, right?”
“Indeed.”
The pair laughed. Zwei released his control over Shade’s Mantle, letting it flow and dance around him. The stalker retracted it, compressing the shadows under his clothes before returning to the party.
“Don’t celebrate yet!” He called. “Not until you check the pit, anyway. There are goodies for both of us!”
All but the mage’s head swivelled to face him.
“Goodies?” The swordsman asked.
The stalker nodded. “The Roc has gathered goodies for us.”