Path of Dragons

Alyssa swung her spear in a long arc, severing a series of saplings in one swing. As she did so, she let out a shout of anger and frustration.

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Carmen didn’t make that thing so you could use it to cut down trees,” said Bryce, the party’s Wizard. He specialized in long-casting, hard-hitting spells that could change the shape of any battle, but he exchanged that ability for any personal survivability. Most classes were equipped with some sort of ability that helped keep them alive, but Wizards were one of the few exceptions. As a result, he was definitely the kind of a glass cannon who was almost solely reliant on someone else to be effective.

“Like it matters,” Kevin, the group’s healer, said. He was a short, dumpy man with a crown of shaggy hair, and he’d taken the Rejuvenator class, which meant that he specialized in efficiency and healing over time. As with every other class, though, that specialization came at the expense of versatility. His healing spells took time to work their magic, and as a result, he wasn’t great for emergency situations. But a healer was a healer, and they were rare enough that nobody could be particularly picky. “I’ve seen that thing go through a brick wall and not get a scratch. Wish I could convince her to make me something.”

“If you’re using a weapon, you’re doing something wrong,” Bryce stated. Tall, weedy, and awkward, he clearly hadn’t allocated many of his attribute points into any of the physical categories. But from what Alyssa had seen, he had Ethera for days, and he regenerated it extremely quickly.

“Or you are,” Kevin pointed out. “I mean, I’m dependent on jabronis like you to –”

“That word makes you sound like an idiot,” said the final member of their party, Lisa. She occupied the scout role, but she was more of a damage dealer than anything else. Alyssa had no idea what the woman’s class was – she wasn’t keen on volunteering anything – but that wasn’t a huge deal. She did her job, and that was all that really mattered.

“What word? Jabroni?” Kevin asked.

Bryce said, “I think it’s cool. You should definitely keep using it at every opportunity.”

“Do I sense some sarcasm?”

“I hate you both,” Kevin muttered.

“Samesies,” Bryce said with a grin.

“That word makes you sound just as stupid as him,” Lisa said. “In fact, I think being around you two is having a negative effect on my own intelligence. I’m going scouting.” She looked at Alyssa, asking, “That alright, boss?”

Alyssa nodded, and the woman flitted off into the wilderness. If Alyssa really wanted to, she could have kept track of her. She certainly wasn’t as adept at stealth as Roman. But that was fine. For a normal patrol, her skills were adequate for their purposes.

As the group continued on, Alyssa struggled to keep her mind on the task at hand. Not because of the banter between the remaining members of the patrol party, but rather, because her mind was nestled firmly back in Easton.

The settlement’s name was no new addition – indeed, it had been in place since they’d made the connection to the World Tree – but Alyssa still had difficulty thinking of it as anything but the settlement. Easton had been the now-defunct town where they’d lived before the world’s transformation, not the settlement they’d managed to cobble together from the ruins of a lost civilization.

In any case, Alyssa wasn’t frustrated with names. In fact, she should have been happy. Things were looking up, and it appeared that they’d passed through the worst of the transition. The problem, though, was Roman.

He’d never been much for compassion, and after Trish’s death, his heart had further hardened. He didn’t care much for the sanctity of human life. Instead, he looked at everything with the eyes of a man who was only concerned with the prosperity of the settlement as a whole. That meant that, if someone couldn’t pull their weight, Roman wanted to get rid of them.

The same could be said for any refugees who happened to stumble on them. Most recently, he’d turned a group of thirty away because they didn’t possess what he considered useful classes. Or not enough of them, at least. If they couldn’t contribute to Easton’s immediate needs, then they had no place in the town. He’d turned them away without a second thought, and Alyssa hadn’t found out about it until they were already gone.

When she chased them down, they’d been attacked by a herd of monsters, and the majority had been killed. She’d brought the survivors back to Easton, but saving those few wasn’t enough to assuage her conscience.

And the worst of it was that she knew that, if another group came while she was gone, they’d be turned away, too.

She understood Roman’s stance. There were only so many people they could support. Despite the fruition of the attempts to grow crops and their constant efforts to hunt more game, there was only so much food to go around. More, living conditions were still crowded, and while they were constantly building more houses, it was a slow process that had left quite a few people crammed into small domiciles.

They were surviving, but they were a long way from thriving. As a result, taking on more refugees was a bad idea. Alyssa knew that. But she didn’t accept the ramifications. She would go without if it meant someone else had a chance to live, and she suspected that many of Easton’s residents thought the same thing.

Or she hoped so, at least.

Before leaving on the current scouting expedition, she’d had another argument with Roman about it, but neither had been willing to budge. She trusted the man, and she knew he meant well, but they just couldn’t come to a consensus about how to approach the subject. More than once, she’d thought about how much easier things would be if they simply broke apart and went their separate ways. If she hadn’t had Carmen and Miguel to worry about, she might’ve already done it.

Shaking her head as she looked around, she realized how untrue that was. For better or worse, she cared about the people of Easton – too much to abandon them, especially over people she’d never even met. So, as much as she wanted to save everyone, Alyssa knew precisely where her priorities lay.

“You alright, boss?” asked Kevin.

“I’m fine, Kev,” she said. “Just stressed is all.”

“For what it’s worth, we agree with you,” Bryce said, adopting an uncharacteristically serious tone. As far as Alyssa knew, the man had approached the world like it was one of the video games he’d played before the world ended. It had served him well, giving him some insight into the inner workings of the System. However, it also meant that he sometimes failed to take things seriously, instead approaching it like he’d simply respawn if things went wrong. He wasn’t the only one, either.

More than once, Alyssa had considered the possibility that the world’s integration into the larger universe had been a large enough change that it had broken people’s minds. Not completely. Not with the ones who’d survived, at least. But just enough that they weren’t truly certain if what they saw was real.

Alyssa said, “You’re a good man, Bryce. Don’t let yourself forget that. Now, eyes up. You know how dangerous it is out here.”

For the next hour, they continued on their patrol, passing through the old town along the way. The vegetation had experienced explosive growth over the spring and summer, and as a result, many of the buildings had been enveloped by creeping vines and blankets of moss. Thankfully, though, they didn’t encounter any monsters.

They were out there, Alyssa was certain. They always were. In that respect, it wasn’t unlike walking through the woods before the integration. Back then, animals were all around; they were just good at staying hidden. The mutated versions of the new world were much the same, and most avoided humanity as much as possible.

The patrols were there to combat the other ones. The type that preyed on humans and killed indiscriminately. There were plenty of those as well, which meant that the patrols were an absolute and dangerous necessity.

Almost an hour after she left them, Lisa returned. The slender girl – she couldn’t have been older than nineteen – slipped from between a pair of overgrown buildings, saying, “Boss. You need to see this.”

“What is it?”

“I genuinely don’t know.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Alyssa muttered, but she directed the others to follow Lisa as the scout led them across the abandoned and mostly destroyed town. Along the way, Alyssa saw a few smaller animals, and she even caught sight of a couple of skeletons that had once been human beings. They hadn’t had the chance to properly bury the people who’d died right after the integration, and so, they’d been left out to rot.

Or for the scavengers to gorge themselves.

Finally, Lisa pointed at the old hardware store and said, “In there.”

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“What?”

“I don’t know. It’s some kind of…I don’t know. A hole in space or something. It’s weird. Once I saw it, I didn’t go any closer, but I wasn’t so far away that I didn’t feel it.”

“Feel what?” asked Bryce. He carried a staff, though he didn’t know how to use it. It was more of an affectation for the Wizard.

“The scaled monsters,” she said. “Like that, but different. Wrong, you know?”

They all nodded. Each of them had felt it, so they knew precisely what she was talking about.

“Okay,” Alyssa said. “Bryce and Kev, to the rear. Lisa, flanking. If something comes, I’ll pin it down. Everyone else do what you do.”

They’d drilled the strategy dozens of times, and it worked great against the comparatively weak wildlife. Against the scaled monsters – the Voxx, Alyssa had read in one of the guides she’d bought off the Branch – it was only moderately effective. It was fine when they only faced the weaker versions, but against something like the creature that had killed Trish, it would be woefully inadequate. If they fought something like that, Alyssa intended to tell her team to run while she tied it up.

They probably wouldn’t obey that order, though.

In any case, they couldn’t leave something like that free, let alone something that sounded suspiciously like the dimensional rifts Alyssa had read about. She’d made those guides available for anyone who wanted to read them, but few people had the time or the inclination to learn more than was absolutely necessary. Survival was enough to occupy the whole of their minds.

“Follow.”

Then, Alyssa advanced, passing through the shattered frame that had once held a pane of glass. When she stepped inside, she was assailed by a musty smell and a subtle undercurrent of what she could only interpret as corruption. Overgrown with moss and fungi, the interior of the old hardware store looked like it had been abandoned for decades rather than a little less than a year.

An effect of the ambient Ethera, she reasoned.

What remained of the shelves was empty, having been picked clean by scavenger teams, so there was nothing useful – aside from a few mushrooms that looked like an edible variety. She marked it in her mind, intending to direct the gatherers to the small cache of potential food.

Slowly, they advanced. The store was a local mom-and-pop operation – or at least it had been before the world ended – so it didn’t take long to reach the rear. When the group did, Alyssa saw the anomaly that had garnered Lisa’s attention.

Suspended a few inches above the floor, it was a gaping hole with jagged, purple-glowing edges that looked like some interdimensional being had ripped a hole in the fabric of reality. The interior of the portal – and that was clearly what it was – was pitch black, offering no visibility.

“We have to go in,” she said.

“W-what?” asked Kevin.

“That sounds like the kind of thing someone says before they’re violently murdered,” Bryce pointed out.

“I hate to agree with him, but Bryce is right,” Lisa agreed.

“Wait, why do you hate to agree with me? I’m smart,” he argued.

“You’re stupid smart. Like, you know plenty of things, but…well, you’re stupid, too.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Doesn’t have to.”

“Shut up,” Alyssa said. “That’s a dimensional rift. A minor one, by the looks of it. If we don’t close it, it’s going to burst, and we’ll get a flood of those scaled monsters. If we go in, though, we can close it. And we’ll be rewarded for it, too.”

“No offense, boss, but we’d have to be alive to get a reward,” Bryce said.

“That’s the idea, yeah.”

“But if it’s got one of those big monsters inside…”

“It won’t. It’ll be one we can handle.”

“You know that?” he asked.

“No,” Alyssa said. “Not for sure. But everything I’ve read suggests we should be able to do this. More importantly, we’re here. If we take the time to go back, it might burst. If that happens, people will die.”

“And if we go in there, we might be the ones to die,” said Kevin.

“Maybe,” Alyssa acknowledged. “But maybe not.”

“Fine. I’m in,” said Bryce. Kevin looked at him like he’d said something crazy. “Look – we’ve got the boss here. If we’re ever going to earn our pay –”

“We don’t get paid,” Kevin pointed out.

“Whatever. You know what I mean. If we’re ever going to do something like this, now’s the time when we’ve got the best chance of surviving. Plus, I’m close to leveling.”

“This isn’t a game, Bryce,” said Kevin.

“I’m aware,” he replied, a bit of steel in his voice. Like everyone else, he’d lost people, and every now and again, he let the carefree mask slip.

“I’m going in,” Alyssa said, cutting the conversation off. “You can come in with me if you want. Or not. If you don’t –”

“We’re obviously coming with you, boss.”

“Yeah.”

Lisa added, “I’m in.”

“Alright. Let’s do this,” Alyssa said, forcing a smile. She appreciated their loyalty and faith, but she also knew what was probably on the other side of that gate.

So, she took a deep breath, then stepped forward into hell.

After a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it period of black nothingness, Alyssa stumbled into a rocky landscape. Upon crossing that threshold, the first thing she saw was a sky of roiling, purple fire, but soon after, she took in the grey terrain with rivers of purple liquid cutting through it. More importantly, she saw the creature.

Even as the others staggered out of the gate, the viridian monster – four arms, two legs, and a face like a salamander – rumbled forward. It was big. A little over six feet tall and bulging with rippling muscles.

Alyssa didn’t hesitate to act.

Using Heroic Leap, she launched herself into the sky. The monster stopped its charge, seemingly surprised by what it saw. At the apex of her leap, she used Descending Dragon, which sent her plummeting toward the ground like a falling meteor. She led the way with the Spear of the Dragon Lancer, which sliced through the monster’s scales, pierced through its thick muscles, and erupted from between its four shoulder blades. Then, her weight hit it, knocking it onto its back.

The blade of her spear bit deep into the ground, pinning the creature in place.

However, Alyssa didn’t escape unharmed. The moment she landed on its chest, the Voxxian monster went insane, and with all four of its claws, tried to rip her to pieces. She sprang away in a black flip that sent a cascade of blood raining onto the landscape, then landed on unsteady legs.

Then, she felt the familiar sensation of Kevin’s healing spells layering onto her. One after another, and the wounds the monster had ripped open began to mend. Still, it would take more than a few minutes for her to completely heal, and the monster wouldn’t remain pinned in place for long.

That’s where the other two members of the party came in.

Bryce had begun casting the second he’d stepped through the portal, and he would be occupied for a few more seconds still. Meanwhile, Lisa had circled around to the back, unnoticed by the monster. And even as Alyssa gathered herself for another pass at the creature, Lisa struck.

Once. Twice. Her swords arched out, biting deep under the influence of her abilities.

The Voxxian monster screamed in pain, terror, and rage, ripping itself free of Alyssa’s spear. Before Lisa could react, it wheeled around, catching her with a backhand that sent her sprawling. Alyssa bounded forward, dragging her trusty machete from the sheath at her hip. As she did, she used Heart of the Dragon and Enrage in conjunction, sending her attributes skyrocketing.

Her first attack hit the creature’s shoulder, and the blade didn’t stop until it was embedded in its collarbone. She tried to yank the weapon free, but it was stuck fast. So, she let it go and kicked out, taking the monster in the stomach.

It staggered back but recovered quickly. Still, with Alyssa’s attributes so enhanced, it was no match for her. She raced forward – not at the monster, but at the spear she’d left embedded in the rocky ground. When she reached the weapon, she wrapped her fingers around the familiar haft and yanked it free.

That was when Heart of the Dragon ran its course. Her attributes plummeted, eliciting a gasp and a stumble at exactly the wrong time. She twisted around, trying to get her spear up, but the Voxxian monster was already upon her.

It tackled her to the ground, then raised its talons high into the air. They fell. Alyssa screamed as she was torn to pieces. Kevin screamed as he tried to layer his healing spells on her, and for a moment, they did the trick. She healed almost as quickly as the monster could tear through her body.

But it was short-lived, obviously the result of some ability that accelerated the healing over time effects upon which he relied so heavily.

Then, Lisa was back, her swords moving in a blur as she sliced into the creature’s back. It wasn’t much damage – not really. But it was enough to get its attention. The moment it turned to her, Alyssa kicked away. It paid her no mind, intent as it was on getting to Lisa. For her part, the young scout bounded away, barely faster than the scaled monster.

That was the opening Bryce needed.

He let loose with his spell, and a huge ball of molten rock descended from the sky. When it hit the Voxxian monster, it sent out a shockwave powerful enough to nearly knock the recovering Alyssa from her feet. Lisa stumbled to her knees before pitching forward onto her chest.

And the monster was buried under a pile of lava.

The spell only lasted a moment before it dissipated, and when it did, a sizable crater – at least ten feet wide and a few feet deep – was revealed. The monster wasn’t dead, though. It pushed itself to unsteady feet, then looked around.

Its scales were smoking, and it was clearly wounded. But it was still standing.

Alyssa, who was still healing, intended to put an end to that.

So, she bounded forward in a loping run. She couldn’t use Descending Dragon so soon, but Heroic Leap had no cooldown. She intended to use that to her advantage. Before she did, though, she used Heavy Blows, then Charge. Finally, she kicked off the ground, using Heroic Leap, sending her rocketing through the air. Before she reached the monster, she threw Bulwark out behind it, then used Champion’s Shout.

The creature froze for a split second, which allowed Alyssa to, once again stab it in the chest. As she did, she used Impale, which, in the event that it didn’t immediately die, would cause damage over time.

Her momentum knocked the monster back, but it could only go a few inches before it hit her Bulwark, which acted as an anvil.

And she was the hammer.

Bones cracked on both sides, but Alyssa had the benefit of Kevin’s healing. She reared back, yanking her spear free before stabbing it again. Then again after that. Three times, she managed to wound it before the monster knocked her free.

The moment Alyssa was clear, another spell – this time, sharpened spikes of ice ascending from the ground – exploded into the creature. Seeing that it was distracted, both Alyssa and Lisa hit it again. This time, its responses were sluggish, and they managed to do quite a bit more damage than the first few forays.

But still, the monster was dangerous and immensely powerful, and they were both forced to retreat a moment later. That’s when Bryce shouted, “After this, I’m out!”

Then, a giant, earthen worm burst forth from the ground, wrapped itself around the monster, and squeezed. It screamed, but its bestial cries fell on deaf ears. Bryce’s summon only lasted a few seconds before it fell apart, but by then, the monster was barely standing.

Alyssa approached with steady resolve, and when she got in range, she thrust her spear forward with deadly accuracy. The creature tried to respond, but it was far too sluggish. The blade took it in the throat, and Alyssa ripped it free a moment later, leaving a jagged wound behind.

That was the last straw, and it tipped forward, falling flat on its face. A few seconds later, it bled out, sending a deluge of experience to blanket the group. The moment the monster died, a pure, white crystal appeared before Alyssa. She reached out, touching it, prompting a notification:

Alyssa also gained a level, pushing her to level fourteen and granting a new ability. She didn’t take the time to inspect it, instead focusing on the vial of white liquid in her hand. She looked around, seeing that all the others were holding similar rewards.

“Well, I guess we win,” said Bryce, raising his arms in a sarcastic cheer. “Yay us.”

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