The scream came from below the ridge. Ren followed the others down to the creek.
Redjaw was impossible to miss. Neither was the crowd around him.
Ren stopped counting after thirty players. More were still arriving through the trees.
Guardians tried to keep Redjaw pinned near the creek while Swordsmen rushed in whenever they saw an opening. Rangers fired through gaps in the crowd. Mages stood farther back, throwing spells over everyone else’s heads.
A sword struck Redjaw’s shoulder.
-2 HP
An arrow buried itself in his flank.
-1 HP
Fire burst against the briars along his back.
-3 HP
Another Swordsman got around one of his legs and landed a clean hit.
-2 HP
The numbers were almost insulting. Even with dozens of players attacking him, Redjaw wasn’t being overwhelmed by damage.
Not yet.
Several Clerics were healing players who managed to get away from the wolf.
Half the crowd was shouting instructions. The other half was ignoring them. Two Gold had apparently created its own military organization.
Redjaw disagreed with the command structure.
The huge wolf slammed into a Guardian and sent him crashing into two Swordsmen.
Another Guardian immediately took his place.
Redjaw bit the top of his shield and jerked his head sideways. The Guardian disappeared into the crowd.
Ren lost sight of him.
"That’s a lot of people," the Ranger beside Ren said.
The curved-sword Swordsman looked at her.
"They’re just the first wave. The longer we wait, the harder it’ll be."
Ren approved.
Blood covered one side of Redjaw’s coat. Arrows stuck from his shoulder and flank. Several cuts crossed his legs.
The black briars around his neck had changed. Red veins ran through almost every thorn now.
The crown was ready.
Unfortunately, half of Briarwash seemed ready too.
Roots burst from the mud around Redjaw’s hind legs. The wolf ripped one apart and dragged the second several feet before it snapped.
A Guardian planted himself in front of him.
Redjaw hit the shield and threw the man backward. Before the wolf could pass him, another set of roots wrapped around his front leg.
Redjaw tore those apart too and fresh roots caught his hind legs.
Two more Guardians moved in front of him while he twisted around to bite through them.
Ren watched the same thing happen again.
Redjaw could throw individual players out of his way. It didn’t matter. Every few seconds, another Mage rooted him, and those few seconds gave new Guardians time to get back in front.
The damage would matter eventually.
The crowd getting larger would matter sooner.
Ren looked at the others.
"I’ll handle the roots."
The Guardian glanced at the crowd.
"And us?"
Ren pointed at the players packed around Redjaw.
"Keep them busy."
The curved-sword Swordsman smiled.
"Gladly."
"Comforting."
Ren activated Burrow.
MP: 45/50
The ground swallowed him.
He pushed beneath the edge of the crowd and surfaced beside Redjaw’s trapped hind leg.
The nearest root was thicker than his wrist. He drove the spearhead through it and pulled anyway.
The root split.
Redjaw ripped his leg free and immediately moved toward the creek.
One step.
Two.
A Guardian raised his shield.
Redjaw crashed into him and knocked him backward.
Another Mage cast.
Roots curled around Redjaw’s front paw before he could take a third step.
Ren dropped underground again.
MP: 40/50
He moved a few paces and surfaced beside the trapped paw.
Two roots had crossed over each other. Ren stabbed through the thinner one, twisted the spear until it split, then cut the second.
Redjaw pulled free.
He ran another few steps.
"Who’s doing that?"
"Root him again!"
Several Mages tried. One spell missed when Redjaw changed direction. He tore through another root himself. A third wrapped around his right hind leg and stopped him just short of the creek.
Ren burrowed.
MP: 35/50
He surfaced behind the trapped leg, shoved the spearhead beneath the thickest root and pulled upward with both hands.
It resisted.
Ren planted one boot against it and pulled again.
The root snapped and Redjaw kicked free.
Mud hit Ren across the chest.
The wolf didn’t care. He lunged toward the water.
"VAGRANT!"
Ren looked toward the shout. A Ranger was pointing at him.
"He’s breaking the roots!"
Several players began cursing him. Then Redjaw hit the creek.
"Forget Vagrant! Stop Redjaw!"
Priorities restored.
A Guardian splashed into the water and raised his shield in front of Redjaw. The collision lifted the man off his feet. His HP vanished before he hit the water, and he dissolved into motes a moment later.
Another Guardian rushed forward, saw what had happened to the first one, and stepped aside.
A wise man.
Redjaw splashed past him.
The Mages cast again, but the roots erupted behind Redjaw as he splashed across the creek. He climbed the muddy slope in three long strides and ran toward Briarheart Hollow.
For half a second, everyone watched him go.
"AFTER HIM!"
Dozens of players splashed into the creek after Redjaw.
Ren crossed with the first wave. Nobody cared about him anymore. Two Gold was running away. The hidden-quest holders were already moving after Redjaw as well.
"You!"
Apparently one person still cared. Ren knew the voice. The Swordsman with the red strip tied beneath his spearhead ran in front of him. The same man Ren had sent east.
The Swordsman looked toward Redjaw, then back at Ren.
"You lied to us."
Ren kept walking.
"I gave you several accurate facts."
"You sent us east."
"Ah. That one wasn’t one of them."
The Swordsman stepped into his path.
"You assholes are protecting it."
"That sounds unnecessarily judgmental."
The spear came at Ren’s chest.
Ren knocked the shaft aside with his own.
A notification appeared.
Self-Defense status active.
Good. At least one problem had volunteered to become legal.
The Swordsman pulled his spear back and thrust at Ren’s ribs.
Ren stepped aside, the point passing in front of him.
Orange light flashed behind the Swordsman. Ren saw it and threw himself away from the next attack.
A Firebolt struck the ground where he’d been standing. Dirt and sparks sprayed across his boots.
Ren looked past the Swordsman.
A Mage stood behind him with his staff raised.
The self-defense warning from their last fight had been clear. Anyone helping the attacker became a valid target too.
More importantly, the spell had a name.
Firebolt F
Ren stared at it.
Finally.
He’d carried Fire Affinity since the charcoal yard with nothing to cast. Now a Mage had attacked him with exactly what he needed.
The Swordsman thrust again.
Ren caught the spear shaft against his own and shoved it away.
Redjaw was already running toward the Hollow. A few seconds probably wouldn’t kill him.
Ren looked at the Swordsman. He was close enough to keep pressure on him. The Mage was far enough back to cast safely.
Easy problem.
Ren turned and ran away from the Mage.
The Swordsman followed.
"Running again?"
"It worked last time. Perhaps you’ll be the one to catch me."
Orange light flashed behind them. The Mage had stayed where he was to cast.
The Firebolt came straight at Ren. He jumped behind a tree and let the spell burst against the trunk.
The Swordsman came around it with his spear already moving.
Ren kept running until the man was close enough to thrust and far from the Mage. Then he activated Burrow.
MP: 30/50
The spear passed through empty air.
Ren turned underground and hurried back toward the Mage. A few seconds later, he surfaced beside him.
The man’s eyes widened.
"How the fu-"
Ren drove the middle of his spear shaft into his stomach.
-11 HP
Kestrel HP: 89/100
The Mage folded around it.
Ren pulled the weapon back, shifted his grip, and drove the spearpoint into his side.
-26 HP
Kestrel HP: 63/100
The Mage screamed and collapsed into the mud.
"KESTREL!"
The shout came from farther back.
Ren glanced over. The Swordsman was running toward them, but Ren had dragged him far enough away that he still had several seconds.
Good.
Ren turned back to Kestrel. The Mage was already trying to raise his staff.
Ren stepped in and stabbed through his thigh.
-24 HP
Kestrel HP: 39/100
His leg folded beneath him and the Firebolt forming above his staff shot wide and burst against a tree.
Ren kicked the staff out of his hand. It landed several feet away.
The Swordsman was getting closer.
Not close enough.
Ren raised the spear.
"Enjoy the day off."
"Fuck you."
"Likewise."
Ren drove the spear through Kestrel’s chest.
Critical Hit
-46 HP
Kestrel slain.
Kestrel began to dissolve into motes.
The Swordsman finally crossed the distance. His spear passed through the space where the Mage had been and missed Ren by inches.
Ren jumped back.
"You killed him!"
"He seemed committed to killing me first."
The Swordsman thrust again. Ren knocked the spear aside, but the man stayed on him.
The black Plunder window had already appeared at the edge of Ren’s vision.
Bad timing.
Ren activated Burrow.
MP: 25/50
The Swordsman’s next thrust passed through empty air.
Ren moved underground for several seconds before surfacing behind a wall of briars farther north.
The Swordsman was still shouting somewhere behind him.
Better.
Ren started moving after Redjaw and opened the waiting window.
[PLUNDER]
Victory condition satisfied.
Eligible player target detected.
Kestrel · Level 4 · Mage
Available ability candidates: 3
Ren opened the list.
Firebolt — F
Type: Active Combat Skill
MP Cost: 6
Launch a bolt of fire at a target.
Damage scales with Intellect.
Requires: Fire Affinity
Mana Ward — F
Type: Active Combat Skill
MP Cost: 5
Create a temporary barrier of mana around yourself.
The barrier absorbs incoming damage based on Intellect.
Staff Familiarity — F
Type: Combat Passive
Improves basic handling and control of staff-type weapons.
Effect improves through continued staff use.
Ren stopped at the first one.
I’ve been waiting for you.