Chapter 13 – Wrath of the Warlock

The armored figure stepped fully into the light and the massive macesparked on the stone floor. Up close, the crimson armor seemed to pulse with a heartbeat of its own, as if it had not been forged but grown from coagulated blood.

“The Princess and-” The voice sounded almost bored, but beneath it lurked something unsteady, almost crazy, like a string that had been stretched too tight. “Aah, how interesting. The Hero. Both already in one place.”

“Ha! He knows me!” Benderast grinned broadly. “Seems like I already have a certain reputation!”

Shaelith ignored Ben’s yapping and instead studied their opponent’s stance. The way he shifted his weight and the relaxed grip he had on the Mace made it clear he was a trained fighter.

Behind them was barely controlled chaos. The dwarf was dragging a catatonic woman up through the hole with his powerful chronosteel arm. “Damn,” he cursed, “they’re like rag dolls.”

“Grimbart, hurry up!” The Umilari buzzed nervously back and forth and left a faint trail of wingdust in the air. “We don’t have much time!”

The armored man tilted his crowned helmet to the side. “Tell me, Hero, do you ever feel like you’re walking a path that’s already been trodden smooth by countless feet before you?”

“What?” Benderast frowned in confusion.

“Forget it.” A soft sigh came through the helmet. “You wouldn’t understand. You’re usually not the brightest.”

You?What does he mean by ‘you’? You humans? You men? You heroes? You people who were thrown from another world into this one?

The runes on their opponent’s mace suddenly flared up and then he moved with a speed that no one in full plate armor should have.

Shaelith registered the danger only a split second before the massive mace whistled through the air, exactly where Benderast’s head had been a moment ago.

But Benderast dodged with a fluid motion and countered immediately, striking their opponent’s crimson armor so hard that his sword made a shrill sound that rang through Shaelith’s marrow.But his sword bounced off without effect.

“Nice!” Benderast grinned as if he waspleased about it. “His armor has really high defense stats! I hope it drops as loot after I kill him!”

Shaelith activated her kinesis glyph and hurled pure kinetic energy at the armored enemy that struck the rune-decorated armor and… fizzled out, just like that.

“Your parlor tricks don’t work on me, Princess.” The cultured voice sounded amused. “I am a warlock. I have studied forbidden magic far lesscomplacent than your kind’s.”

Exhaustion was already taking hold of her and crept through her limbs like ice-cold water. After two weeks of imprisonment, hunger, thirst and the horror of the sounds from the breeding kennels, she simply had no reserves left. Every spell cost her more than she could afford.

The warlock fought fiercely against Benderast and his mace proved to be a downright surgical tool in his hands. One blow was aimed at Benderast’s knee, the next at his sword hand, then even at his exposed foot, seemingly always aiming to cripple rather than kill.

Benderast parried with some effort. but he as well was a more than competent fighter. “That’s Sword Mastery!” he shouted enthusiastically in Shaelith’s direction. “Every rank gives me five percent more critical damage!”

Shaelith suppressed a groan and looked back to the exit. The Sylvyn from Benderast’s group was tugging at a woman who looked like she was desperately trying to crawl back towards the cells.

“No, this way!” he urged on Sylvyn, his voice strained with impatience.

Ryzinre stood still at the exit and had her dead eyes fixed on Shaelith.

But Shaelith could and would not allow herself to be distracted by guilt. The warlock pushed them back relentlessly, step by step closer to their companions. “You are only delaying the inevitable.”

Shaelith’s gaze traveled over the rough-hewn tunnel walls. The entire goblin architecture,if you could even call it that, looked as if someone with zero expertise and even less patience had randomly dug holes in the ground. Ceiling beams that offered more hope than stability. Loose earthworks that vibrated with every impact of the weapons.

If I can’t hurt him directly, maybe the environment can.

She bit hard into the small cut on her finger until fresh blood oozed out.

The warlock managed to catch and hold Benderast’s blade with his armored hand. “You’re all so predictable.”

The crowned helm rammed forward and the sharp metal crashed with a dull sound against Benderast’s face. He staggered back, blood streaming from his nose.

With trembling fingers, Shaelith hastily drew an amplification glyph on her other forearm. The lines were crooked and she could barely feel any connection with the mana, but it would have to do.

Benderast wiped the blood from his nose and groaned. “I think that was a critical hit!”

He barely managed to block the next blow from the warlock and then his sword moved in an impossible angle, that physics and human anatomy shouldn’t really allow and-

“Shielding Riposte!” Benderast cheered as his sword automatically connected with the warlock as if it had a life of its own.

The blade seemed to have found a weak spot and scraped across a poorly protected joint. For the first time, a surprised sound of pain escaped the warlock.

But his answer came withfast brutality when he swung hismacearound and struck Benderast straight on the chest. Shaelith heard the sickening crack of the heavy weapon against his bones.

Benderast was waving his arms in a ridiculous way as he flew backwards in a high arc and hit the wall hard.

“Hurry!” Grimbart’s voice from above. “Thaelon, push her up there! Mirrsoss, please, finally come down and help me pull.”

Shaelith risked another glance behind. The last of the prisoners, a young human clinging to the Sylvyn Thaelon with all her might, was just being pulled through the hole with him. Mirrsoss’ moth wings flapped like crazy as she helped Grimbart pulling them up.

Only the warlock, Benderast and she herself were left in the tunnel.

That’s good for my plan. I’ll just call it a plan. Sounds way better than desperation.

The warlock strode leisurely towards the injured Benderastuntil he stopped in front of Benderast.

“You know what’s really maddening, Hero?” His calm voice sounded thoughtful, almost polite. “The repetition.A thousand different faces, but it’s always the same stories.”

With a casual flick of his foot, he kicked Benderast’s glittering sword aside and it skitteredacross the floor until it came to a stop against the wall.

“Again and again and again we go round and round and round.”

It‘s now or never. Shaelith positioned herself carefully, careful to keep enough distance from the warlock as well to keep Ben within reach,ready to channel the last of her power into a single, massive kinesis blast.

“I thought if I did this,”the warlock lifted his mace, “it would set me free. But here we are, dancing the same steps. Only now I’m the one leading.” He sighed theatrically. “But I’m talking too much, I guess.”

The massive mace reached out a little farther for the killing blow. Benderast tried feebly to rise, but he seemed to be still dizzy from the impact, and he hissed in pain from his bruised ribs. Then the warlock interrupted his movement, mace raised, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Wait a minute… I really am talking too-“

Shaelith released a raw, desperate screamthat pressed all her remaining strength into the blood glyphs, which flared up brightly in the dark of the tunnel for just a moment and then immediately went out.

The overloaded kinesis blast hit the ceiling like a sledgehammer.

CRACK!

Stones and earth rained down, and the warlock looked up in surprise. “Damnvillain mon-“

A massive boulder,easily as big as an anvil, crashed onto his shoulder and forced the warlock to one knee. Then the next chunk hit him and the earth started to move.

Oh shit. I think that was a load-bearing boulder.

What started slowly with a rolling sound quickly turned into a chain reaction of bursting rock and falling earth.

“MOVE!” Shaelith grabbed the dazed Benderast by the arm and pulled him up.

Damn, he’s heavy. Why does he have to be such a big hunk?

He groaned and tried to struggle to his feet, but his bruised ribs gave him a hard time, and he let out a pained gasp. “But… the loot-” he muttered, his eyes fixed longingly on the warlock.

I’m freaking out with this guy!

Shaelith wrapped his arm around her shoulders and when he made another quick turn to collect his sword, she punched and kicked him towards the exit hole, though her legs shook and trembled with every step.

The warlock tried to free himself from the growing mountain of rubble, while his crimson armor sparked and crackled where rocks met the runes. “This isn’t over!” He was beside himself with rage now. “You can’t beat-“

A particularly large boulder crashed directly onto his crowned helmet. A metallic GONG echoed through the collapsing tunnel, followed by abrupt silence.

Shaelith stumbled forward and Benderast’s weight threatened to knock her over. She was completely burned out and dancing points of light filled her field of vision, as nausea rose within her.

Not now, please. Just keep it together for one more minute, Shaelith.

“I’ve got you!” Grimbart’s massive chronosteel arm shot down from above.

With a feat of strength that was impressive even for a dwarf, he pulled Shaelith and Benderast up at the same time, supported by the groaning Thaelon and Mirrssos, who secured him by the shoulders. Shaelith felt her last reserves of strength dwindle as she was pulled through the hole.

The last look back showed only an avalanche of stone and earth that swallowed the entire tunnel.

Once she reached the surface, Shaelith’s legs finally gave way andshe slumped to the ground,shaking uncontrollably.

Mana exhaustion mixed with adrenaline crash is a nasty combination.

Her stomach rebelled once againand she nearly threw up.

“Ahhh!” Benderast groaned holding his ribs but already grinning again. “Did you see how the Shielding Riposte just went right through? Such a low chance and it triggered with perfect timing!”

Around them, the freed women huddled in small groups. Some were sobbing quietly, still unable to fully grasp that they were free now. Ryzinre sat apart, fists clenched, with her eyes fixed on a point in the distance that didn’t exist.

“There are patrols outside and the rest of the goblins will be swarming out of the fuffurk soon,” Thaelon warned. “We need to move. Now!”

Mirrsoss spread her moth wings. “I’ll scout ahead.” With a soft hum, she rose into the air.

Grimbart helped Benderast to his feet. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah, no worries, I’m a tough guy.” Benderast waved him off but grimaced at the movement. “I wonder why I didn’t get XP for the fight, though?”

Shaelith tried to get up as well, but her legs completely ignored her commands. The world spun around her and a new wave of nausea hit her. Fuck.

Without hesitation, Benderast grabbed her completely without effort and threw her over his shoulder like she was a sack of mushrooms. “Don’t worry, Princess!”

I should protest, Shaelith thoughtas she half-heartedly tried to get off his shoulder. But honestly… I don’t have the strength. I can’t walk even another three feet.

A deep rumble sounded beneath them. With a deafening crash, the entrance to the goblin fuffurk collapsed in the distance as well anda massive cloud of dust rose up.

“Hm,” Thaelon sounded relieved. “Maybe there won’t be so many goblins following us after all.”

“Do you think that got him?” Benderast looked hopeful, then grimaced in disappointment. “Nope, still no XP.”

Shaelith gave up her attempts to wriggle off his shoulder. No use. I’m too weak anyway. “We have to go,” she croaked, “Now.”

At that moment, Benderast jerked his fist into the air in loud triumph. “YES! Level up!”

Thaelon and Grimbart stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

“Got some XP after all,” Benderast declared, beaming. “From her Romance Quest for freeing her!”

Shaelith gritted her teeth.

I’m going to strangle him. As soon as I get my strength back.

Thaelon and Grimbart didn’t quite seem to know what to say to that, so they just looked away and coughed a bit awkwardly.

The next wave of nausea hit Shaelith, even worse than the last and she could barely hold it together now.

Mirrsoss buzzed back to them. “Which way?”

“South, towards Myzelemaerlazin,” Shaelith groaned from Benderast’s shoulder, before she lostconsciousness.