It was dusk when Kieran arrived at a strange clearing in the forest. Surrounded on all sides by dense foliage, the clearing was a perfect circle, with nothing but grass growing inside it.
The formation struck Kieran as odd. While clearings weren’t exactly uncommon, this was the first perfectly circular one he’d ever seen.
His keen eyes quickly picked up on more details. Spread throughout the clearing were patches where the grass was more sparse. Even from a distance, Kieran could see the ground around these patches looked recently disturbed. He frowned as a wave of combat medic memories surfaced in his mind.
The scene reminded him an awful lot of a freshly planted minefield.
Kieran drew Defiant Aphelion and held it to the side, ready to adjust at a moment’s notice. He doubted that whatever lay in wait beneath the clearing were actual mines, but this was a world steeped in magic. Who could guess what kind of vicious traps might be possible here?
Looking around, Kieran found a decently sized stone nearby. He then studied his path to the stone with extreme care, double and triple-checking each bit of earth he was about to step on before making a move.
When he reached the rock, he examined the ground around it before picking it up. After all, a trap could be triggered by lifting something off of it as well. Only once he was certain that the rock itself wasn’t trapped did Kieran pick it up and turn back towards the clearing.
He knew, of course, that he could have just taken a wide berth around the clearing and avoided the possibly trapped space altogether. But if the clearing contained traps, wasn’t it all too likely that the surrounding area might be trapped as well? And traps in the forest would be far more difficult to spot.
Besides, Kieran had to acknowledge himself bested by his oldest friend and enemy: curiosity. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of traps he would encounter here on Lyruna. New knowledge was always worth the risk.
He took aim, heaved, and threw the rock at the nearest patch of disturbed soil.
The rock landed with a heavy thud. Instantly, a series of ropes sprang forth from the ground, wrapping themselves around the rock and creating a perfect ball. When the movement settled, Kieran noticed that each rope was covered by glowing signs. He could hear the material straining as it squeezed even tighter.
Interesting… possibly not deadly. Used for capture, maybe? Kieran measured the ropes with his eyes. Judging by the radius, placing them in the forest isn’t feasible. They would get tangled in the trees… This clearing was probably created by hand to trap passing survivors.
This last conclusion was guided by his studies of the map. His bracelet was leading him along one of the main routes between Eon’s Peak and Groveside…
Groveside.
Kieran nodded to himself. The sacred grove he was heading for was probably how the city of Groveside got its name.
The sound of leaves rustling behind him interrupted further musings. Turning swiftly on his heel, he had just enough time to process the projectile hurtling towards him and duck out of the way.
The spear narrowly missed Kieran’s chest and landed with a thunk directly in another trap. The sound of rope wrapping around the weapon’s wooden handle and the following snap echoed in the still twilight air.
Lethal, Kieran observed approvingly. Even if the initial wraparound didn’t snap the victim’s neck, the rope would be more than enough to suffocate them.
He returned his attention to the forest, scanning for his attacker. It took him a moment, but he eventually noticed a pair of shadows darting through the underbrush.
Kieran turned towards the right. Immediately, the shadows dashed across his line of vision. The same happened when he turned back towards the left, and even when he did a full about-face. The figures seemed determined to corral him in the clearing.
They want me in amongst the traps… clever.
For a moment, he considered taking the fight into the forest. Then he noted the speed and precision with which the figures seemed to move through the trees.
Fighting them in their domain seems like a bad idea, he decided. Fighting among the traps seems just as bad… but at least I could see them.
Thinking on the fly, Kieran took a few steps backwards before sliding hit foot along the ground and kicking the rock which he’d previously thrown. Still balled up in rope, the rock rolled further into the clearing. It quickly hit another trap. The new deluge of ropes added to the stone’s mass and stopped it in place.
There, now I have a little room to maneuver.
Tracking the figures as best he could, Kieran tried to place himself in front of another trap. They’d already thrown one spear. He expected the possibility of more. And if he was to dodge more thrown spears, he needed each one to disarm another trap when they missed him.
Unfortunately, his enemies seemed to recognize his intention. They began to approach swiftly through the forest gloom. Kieran took on a defensive stance, thinking through his options.
These were unknown foes, and seemingly quite intelligent. Kieran’s least favorite combination of characteristics in enemies.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
When the two shadows suddenly changed direction and darted towards him, Kieran’s instincts kicked in. He found himself calling on one of his new tricks: Shield Counter.
Warmth surged through Kieran’s body, a feeling which he was entirely unused to. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Then again, what was his definition of ‘comfortable’ these days? He’d grown accustomed to the grave cold that rushed through his body whenever he cast a ‘Death Domain’ spell. This foreign sensation felt… wrong.
At the same moment, he felt a string of energy attach to his brain. He knew on an instinctual level that this thread was the spell. If he were to cut it, the shield would detonate early.
A nearly transparent barrier erupted around him, distinguishable only by a faint shimmer. He was just thinking that it reminded him of a nebula when two humanoid figures emerged from the tree line. Both were covered from head to toe in carapace plating. One wielded a spear, while the other held a hand-axe high.
They uttered no battle cry. The clearing remained silent as the two figures charged towards Kieran.
He stood his ground. Once the weapons collided with his shield, the glow of the nebula intensified around him. Stars rippled across the barrier.
Suddenly, Kieran gasped. The drain of this spell was both significant and instantaneous. It was taxing to cast, taking a considerable portion of his energy with it. His instincts told him it would drain more with every attack it blocked.
Like Chilling Touch, Shield Counter was incredibly potent but had to be used sparingly.
Kieran made a mental note to question Rah’Na about the possibility of expanding his energy pool when he returned to Eon’s Peak. Then, before either foe had a chance to readjust, he cut the thread connecting him to the spell.
All at once, the gentle stars which decorated the barrier detonated. Each was a miniature supernova. Celestial fire surged forth with all the desperate wrath of a dying star, one last defiant cry before it burned out.
The resulting explosion sent both attackers flying backwards. One disappeared into the forest’s gloom. The other was slammed into the nearest tree and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Momentarily awed by the miniature display of dying stars, Kieran just stood there, panting. He allowed himself only a moment, though, to observe the phenomenon and catch his breath. Then he dashed forward to meet his fallen enemy at the tree line.
The figure was struggling to push themselves up, their arms shaking under their own weight,. Kieran ran up and delivered a devastating kick to their chin. The action sent ripples of pain through his leg, but it also made the figure collapse back down to the ground.
Following up on the opening, Kieran poised Defiant Aphelion to stab at his opponent's neck and lunged forward again.
Before his blow could land, however, the sight of a flying spear in his periphery stopped him in his tracks. Kieran cut his momentum awkwardly and staggered backwards just in time to avoid getting skewered.
The spear cut through the air inches away from Kieran’s face, landing behind him in the clearing. The sound of another trap activating echoed through the surrounding forest.
While all three fighters recovered, Kieran stole a glance around the clearing. His mind worked coolly, unhindered by the recent energy drain from Shield Counter. Only a few of the traps remained in his immediate area.
I can use that.
He turned and ran further into the clearing, careful not to step on the active traps. A moment later, the two carapace-armored figures dashed after him, closing the distance with impressive speed.
The pair immediately split, aiming to attack from two different sides. However, they seemed reluctant to launch their assault after the trick Kieran had pulled the first time.
While he was glad for the fear Shield Counter instilled in his foes, Kieran felt that he could use the spell maybe two more times before his reserves ran completely dry. He would have to make every cast count, especially considering his other powerful spells.
His opponents were more careful in their next attack. First, one lunged from Kieran’s left, stabbing a spear at his thigh.
Kieran deftly stepped backwards, skirting the edge of a trap while also successfully dodging the attack. But before he had time to counter, the second figured attacked from his right, aiming an axe strike towards his other thigh.
In his periphery, Kieran noticed the first attacker back off when the second launched its strike. At the same time, he remembered his shortsword’s new weapon-bound skill, Ashes to Ashes.
‘When attacked, unleash a burst of searing light. The counter grows stronger proportional to the wielder’s wounds.’
Kieran felt one corner of his mouth turn up in a grim smile.
Now that’s an opportunity.
He took Defiant Aphelion in both hands and braced to block the second strike. While his block was successful, the sheer force of the blow sent a wave of pain through Kieran’s arm. But the pain was a good motivator.
Kieran then invoked Ashes to Ashes.
Defiant Aphelion lit up with the golden rays of dawn. The light concentrated into a beam aimed at the attacker’s chest, blinding the foe while also leaving a visible scorch mark in their armor. The carapace-covered figure staggered backwards.
Kieran noted with relief that this weapon-bound ability didn’t seem to drain his energy, but Defiant Aphelion did feel particularly hot in his grasp. The air around the blade shimmered with heat. The hilt warmed his bare hands.
How powerful would these spells be if he was hurt? After all, the descriptions of both Shield Counter and Ashes to Ashes claimed their effects grew stronger in proportion to the caster’s wounds.
Regardless, the effect was more than enough to turn the combat in Kieran’s favor.
With his opponent temporarily blinded and off-balance, Kieran seized his chance. He took two steps to circle around and then brought his knee into the enemy’s side. His bones ached from the forceful impact with his opponent’s hard shell, but the blow did send the figure stumbling directly into one of their own traps.
Focus slowed his perception of time as Kieran watched the trap activate, the ropes springing up and wrapping around the figure with elegant precision. He had seen many deaths by strangulation before, but this felt… novel.
The ropes wrapped themselves around the figure’s neck, chest, and arms first. The legs were next, completely restraining their movement. Finally, the ropes formed into a basic pulley system, using the legs as an anchor to apply pressure to the neck.
Kieran couldn’t help but grin as the crack of bone echoed through the woods.
How delightfully deadly, this trap, he observed, staring at the unnatural angle of the figure’s neck.
But he didn’t have time to fully appreciate the death before him. Not yet. One more combatant remained, and they were howling in vengeance towards Kieran.
A deadly mistake, giving way to such emotion in the heat of battle.
It would be their last.
Kieran turned towards the sound and easily ducked under the axe blade. Carried by the force of their rage, the figure staggered when their weapon met nothing but air. This brief window was all Kieran needed.
Quickly drawing Last Breath, Kieran stuck it between the plates of carapace his opponent was wearing. He felt the blade meet flesh. A spray of blood instantly followed, but he knew it wasn’t enough.
First, Kieran twisted Last Breath with all his strength, pushing apart the armor plating. Then he called on Death’s Arm to extend the blade. The attacker released scream after agonized scream as shards of ice formed and expanded inside their body. Finally, they went limp on Kieran’s blade.
Kieran let the body slide off his weapon. He squared his shoulders, shrugging away the pain of combat.
“Hopefully that didn’t damage your insides too much,” he muttered as he cleaned his weapons on the grass. “I’d love to have a look at them.”