Grand Game 416: A Night Out in the Gorge (Patreon)

It turned out that the gorge in which New Haven was located had a spawn point. According to Algar, it was only a minor spawn point and one the city’s soldiers had regularly cleared out—before the advent of the stygian seeds, of course.

Since the nether had fled the dungeon, the spawn had repopulated, but as a result of Cilia’s decree of martial law, no one had gone out to clear it.

Which was fortunate for Nyra and me.

I’d been planning on taking my new apprentice outside the gorge, but this was much better.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Algar asked for what felt like the tenth time. “And now?”

The captain had insisted on accompanying us on our excursion. Not only that, but he’d also brought along two full squads of soldiers with him.

“Yes,” I replied. “I have little else to do with my time while the council deliberates. And besides, it’s best that Nyra’s first encounter as a player is an easy one. This is perfect.”

“Nothing in Draven’s Reach is ever easy,” Algar grumbled.

That was true enough.

I glanced at Nyra. The young woman had withdrawn into herself since we’d passed through the city’s gates, and I was sure she heard barely one word in ten that Algar and I spoke. From the constant twitch of her fingers and the way her eyes flitted suspiciously across the terrain, I guessed she was nervous.

“First time out of the city, Nyra?” I asked lightly.

She nodded jerkily but didn’t stop scanning the horizon.

I rubbed my chin, wondering how to get her to relax. This was no way to be going into battle.

“It can be daunting,” Algar said, breaking the silence before I could. “I know my first time out was.”

That drew Nyra’s attention. “It was?”

Algar nodded. “All those folds in the land, trees, rocks, and what-not. Anything could be hiding behind them, right?” He shook his head ruefully. “I tell you, that first day, I jumped at my own shadow more times than I care to admit.”

Nyra’s mouth curved in a half-smile. “How… how did you deal with it?”

“I put my faith in my sergeant,” Algar said firmly. He gestured to the twenty soldiers marching behind him, “And the men around me.  They knew what they were about. They’d done it before. And in my gut, I knew they would get me through whatever we faced.”

Nyra nodded slowly as she internalized the captain’s words. Her shoulders straightened a touch, and her eyes cleared. She was still nervous, but she no longer looked like she’d bolt at the first sign of trouble.

Glancing at Algar, I nodded approvingly.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment before his eyes darted forward. “We’re almost at the cave. How do you want to do this?”

I turned to Ghost, and she glided away. “On it, Prime.”

“Ghost is going to the cave,” I told Algar, who had observed the pyre wolf’s departure with interest. “She’ll keep an eye on the creatures while we get into position. Where’s that ridge you mentioned?”

“It’s this way,” he said, breaking right.

Following on the captain’s heels, I surveyed the newly dubbed sniper walking beside me. Algar had seen Nyra outfitted, and now she wore the standard garb of a New Haven scout. Quaker was strapped across her back along with a new quiver full of the stygian arrows.

“Ready?” I asked quietly.

“I am,” she replied, her voice shaking only a little.

Reaching into my backpack, I retrieved a brace of items and handed them to her. “These are for you.”

You have lost a small bag of holding.

You have lost a slotted-potion belt and 1 full health potion.

You have lost an adept’s ring (+6 Magic).

“More gifts?” she asked in wonder.

I shrugged. “Most are secondary gear that I have no use for any longer. The health potion is the most important item, though.” It was one of only three I had left. “Keep it close. You remember what I told you about them?”

She nodded mutely.

While Algar had been getting things ready for our expedition, Nyra and I had had a much longer conversation about the Game and… about House Wolf. She now knew nearly everything and certainly more than enough to set Loken and his fellows hunting me to the ends of the Kingdom.

Still, her own fate was tied to mine, and I doubted very much that she would betray me. But, I conceded, perhaps I did tell her too much.  I suspected knowing just how hunted I was—we were, I corrected—had contributed to her bout of nerves.

“We’re here,” Algar said abruptly.

Glancing up, I saw that the trail we’d been following had come to an end at the summit of a small hill. I clamped a hand on Nyra’s shoulder and waved her forward. “Come, let’s do this.”

✵ ✵ ✵

The cave in question was little more than a hole in one of the sheer walls surrounding the gorge and was likely one I never would’ve ventured into. From the lookout point Algar had led us to, we had a clear—if distant—view of the cave mouth.

I glanced at Nyra. “You think you can shoot that far?” It was about three-hundred yards to the cave mouth, not an easy shot even for an experienced archer, but Nyra had the Game to help her—and thirty bonus Perception attributes.

She bit her lip. “Let me see.” Unhooking quaker, she drew and knocked an arrow. I stepped back, giving her some space.

“Wait,” Algar instructed. Turning to the soldiers still waiting on the trail, he yelled, “Everard, come here!”

We both threw him questioning glances.

“Everard is a master archer, one of the best in the city. It’s why I brought him. He can advise Nyra.” He inclined his head. “If she wishes.”

“Good idea,” I said, once again, surprised by the captain’s forethought.

Withdrawing farther, I watched as the master archer—a wiry but otherwise nondescript dark elf—stepped up to Nyra’s side and wordlessly began correcting her stance. Eventually, seemingly content, he barked one word, “Release!”

Her brow creased in concentration, Nyra took aim and fired.

The arrow did not immediately fall to ground as I half-expected. Instead, it arced over the intervening distance—evidence of a good shot. Impressive for a first try, I thought.

Lowering her bow, Nyra watched with the rest of us as the stygian arrowhead struck the cliff wall some thirty feet above the cave. She winced. “I was aiming for the entrance,” she muttered.

From where she crouched near the cave mouth, Ghost looked over her shoulder at me.

“Ranging shot,” I explained.

Disdaining to reply, the pyre wolf turned back to watch the cave mouth. The two creatures inside had not yet emerged and wouldn’t, according to Algar, until someone ventured within.

“Well?” the captain asked, staring at Everard.

The master archer grunted, looking surprised. “The bow has the range for it. But I warn you, it’s going to be some time before the girl’s going to be hitting anything from this far out.”

“That’s alright, we have time,” I replied with a grin. “And I think you’ll be surprised by how fast she learns.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Leaving Nyra in the capable hands of Algar and Everard, I slipped down the hill and joined Ghost at the cave mouth. Neither the captain nor his soldiers would play any role in the upcoming battle.

My own role would be minimal, too. Assuming everything went according to plan, Nyra would do all the killing.

“Well?” I asked Ghost as I dropped down into a crouch beside her.

“It’s exactly as the captain said,” she reported. “Two wisps wait inside. I can’t tell their levels, though.”

“That’s alright.” Reaching out with my will, I inspected the two bright bubbles of awareness in the far depths of the cave.

The target is a level 201 shadow wisp lord.

The target is a level 203 shadow wisp lord.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. Both wisps were elites and of the shadow variant. According to Algar, the nature of the creatures that spawned in this cave sometimes changed, but there were always two, and they were always wisps.

Which was why Nyra was using stygian arrows.

Wisps were immune to physical damage. My own blades would be useless against the creatures, but then, I didn’t plan on damaging the creatures myself, only holding their attention.

“Will you be able to lure them out one at a time?” Ghost asked.

“I hope so,” I replied. “You better go join the others,” I added as I prepared my buffs.

She didn’t budge. “I should help you.”

“You can’t,” I said. “Not against these two. You’re not ready to face such foes.”

“But—”

“And then there are Nyra’s arrows to consider,” I went on inexorably. “You know, the entire time I’m trying to tank the wisp lords, I’m going to have to dodge her missiles too?” I shook my head. “It’s already complicated enough. Better I do this bit alone.”

The pyre wolf’s shoulders sagged. “Very well, Prime,” she said, slinking off dejectedly.

I felt bad for Ghost, but I’d only spoken the truth. Without any magical defenses against Shadow, she’d be vulnerable against the wisps. As it is, I was concerned about my own ability to fend off the creatures. With my null force void skill only at rank three, my Shadow resistance was nothing to shout about either. Still, if things didn’t pan out as I hoped, I had plenty of escape options—which my familiar didn’t.

Your Dexterity has increased by +8 ranks for 20 minutes.

You have trigger-cast quick mend.

My buffs were in place, and I was ready. Neither fade nor load controller would be needed for the upcoming confrontation, so I hadn’t bothered activating either ability.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Ghost was already out of range. The time to act had come. Weaving psi, I drove tendrils of my will into the mind of the farthest wisp.

You have cast slaysight.

You have induced a level 201 shadow wisp lord to sleep for 40 seconds.

Perfect, I thought. Swapping targets, I sent psi surging into the mind of the second elite.

You have charmed a level 203 shadow wisp lord for 20 seconds.

“Come,” I ordered. Subservient to my will, the creature did as I bade. Rising to my feet, I backed away from the cave mouth.

The wisp came swiftly.

But it did not come alone. Darkness surrounded it, ephemeral weaves of shadow that sliced through the air in lazy circles around the wisp. There was nothing comforting about the shadows, either. They certainly weren’t natural, and they certainly wouldn’t hide me from the wisp.

It’s an aura.

Steeling myself, I stretched out a finger and touched the leading edge of my minion’s shadow cloak.

Warning: you are about to enter the embrace of shades!

This is not a spell that distinguishes allies from hostiles. As long as you remain within its field of effect, you will sustain shadow damage.

Grimacing, I jumped back and out of the range of the wisp’s aura. I’d endured its cloying touch for less than a split-second, but even that was enough for me to know that staying close to the wisp was going to hurt.

But hopefully not for long.

Continuing my retreat, I drew my minion farther away from the cave. The wisp itself was an anomalous blob of darkness that floated on unseen currents. It lacked any sort of physical form or limbs and, without its aura, would have appeared innocuous to the casual observer.

But it was not harmless.

Far from it, and I had less than five seconds to get it positioned. Reaching the flat stone clearing we had designated as our killing ground, I strode to the center and glanced over my shoulder.

From high up on the hill, three hundred yards away, Everard gave me the thumbs up. Holding up my hand in the agreed signal of ‘wait,’ I turned back to face the wisp and summoned it closer.

The spell I’d wrapped about its mind would fail about… now.

You have lost control over a level 203 shadow wisp lord.

For a second, the creature stayed frozen in place. I could almost imagine the primitive thoughts running through its mind. Where was its companion? Why was it here? Should it attack or retreat?

Of course, it chose to attack.

Rushing through the small distance that separated us, the wisp descended on me in a furious storm of shadows.

I didn’t react. Keeping my arms crossed across my chest, I waited.

You have entered the embrace of shades!

You have failed a magical resistance check! You have failed a mental resistance check!

You are shadow-haunted. While haunted, you will sustain ongoing shadow damage, and your mental acuity will be reduced by 90%.

Duration: infinite. The debuff will remain in effect as long as the source spell is being channeled.

“D-a-m-n,” I swore. But I had barely had time to finish the thought before the debilitating effects of the wisp’s aura swamped my mind.