Vainglory 3.21 - Secrets in Dark Waters

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Thanks for reading :)

-Plum

21 – Secrets in Dark Waters

As the horde of rat-men began to pile into the courtyard, Ward heard chittering from behind, and he spun to find Trent Roy facing off with an incoming pack of eight of the creatures. “They’re coming over the walls behind us!” he yelled. Lali was standing between him and the main horde coming toward the pathway, so he grabbed her shoulder and tugged her behind him, shoving her toward Trent. “Help Trent keep ’em off our backs!”

“Right,” she grunted, hefting her heavy mace.

Ward looked at Haley, standing ready, fists clenched and emitting visible heat waves. “You got that side?”

She nodded. “Ready.”

Ward gripped his sword hilt, eyeing the giant rat-man as it whipped its enormous rusty halberd forward, roaring. It was commanding a charge! Then the swarm was on them, and the fight began anew. Ward’s arm was tired. His back was tired. His mind was weary from the two protracted battles they’d already fought, and it showed. His sword strokes were more sloppy, his reactions a little slower, and he let a few more claws and jagged, pointy spears through his guard than before.

He knew that if he was suffering from exhaustion, the others had to be worse. His lycan blood, especially when he let it come to the surface like earlier, had a certain tireless energy to it. Whether that had to do with its regenerative nature or if it was an additional boon, he didn’t know. What he did know was that he’d already let the wolf out and then pushed it down, and it was reluctant to surface again so soon.

“Ward,” Haley gasped, snapping a kick that sent a rat-man flying back into the horde, “if you’re holding back…”

“I’m not,” he grunted, scowling, hacking his sword in a broad sweep, killing one rat-man and maiming another. The giant rat creature was still lurking back by the fountain, apparently content to let his horde wear the companions down. The swarming little monsters weren’t as numerous as during the second wave, but there still had to be a hundred of them in that square. Ward wasn’t sure they could hold out against so many, not if he couldn’t wake up his reluctant wolf.

Harsh words rang out from behind him, echoing through the gardens, “Brym slenvek dhorvak!” A chill flowed behind the words, almost like an icy wind, and when the rat-men faltered, their eyes widening from the words of power, he glanced over his shoulder to see that Trent Roy had clad himself in frost. A layer of icy-blue coldness surrounded him as he charged into the pack of rat-men beleaguering him and Lali. The creatures attacked, but Trent waded through them, hacking and stabbing with his swords, ignoring their claws that seemed slowed and deflected by the frigid aura surrounding him.

“You know any words that might help?” Haley asked, bringing Ward’s mind back into the fight as the rat-men renewed their frenzied attack.

“I don’t…” He was about to say he didn’t have anything that would be more effective than his sword. After all, his Mana Bolt would only kill one creature at a time, and he could only cast it a handful of times. His sword could do just as well. The difference, though, was that the Mana Bolt would work on something far away…like the giant rat-man commanding this horde.

Ward hacked his sword, splitting a rat-man’s skull, and as it fell back, he held up his left hand, staring at the big rat commander, and shouted, “Vrakkun khorvek!” The horde shrank back as the words rang out, amplified by his artifact tongue. Shimmering energy coalesced in his palm and then burst forth, streaking toward the rat commander. It saw it coming, but far too late. The creature’s great beady eyes widened, and it swung its halberd forward, but the rusty blade only swooped harmlessly through the air as the Mana Bolt smashed into the monster’s chest.

Ward whooped as he saw the bolt flash, sinking through the monstrous bipedal rat’s armor and then instantly exploding from its eyes in ghostly white flames. The rat commander roared briefly in agony; then, it fell forward with a thud that echoed through the courtyard.

“Yes!” Haley yelled, driving forward into the stunned pack of rats before them. She kicked and punched, shattering their little frames. Ward was right beside her, hacking with renewed energy, buoyed by the success of his spell. Their furious onslaught only lasted a few seconds before the remaining rats, following some unseen signal, chittered, squealed, and fled. It seemed that, without the presence of their oversized commander, their morale had shattered.

As the creatures emptied from the courtyard, Ward turned to check on Lali and Trent. They seemed fine; Trent’s frozen aura had faded, and Ward could see dozens of little cuts and scratches on his leather jerkin and pants. Lali was bathed in a fresh layer of gore. Ward looked at Haley, impressed that she didn’t seem to have any new wounds. “Let’s get our wounds treated. Hopefully, there isn’t an endless supply of rat commanders.”

“Hah! Rat commander. I like that one.” Lali shook her head in amusement as she dug through one of her packs for some healing salve.

“I don’t think we’ll be attacked here again,” Haley said.

“Why’s that?” Ward asked absently as he looked for a tin of poison and disease treatment tablets that he’d stowed in his pack. He was already healing from the cuts and stab wounds he’d received in the latest melee, but he wasn’t willing to take the chance that his lycan regeneration extended to disease resistance.

“Because a pedestal lifted out of the fountain, and there’s a chest on it.”

“What?” Lali surged past Ward, walking into the courtyard.

“Easy, Lali,” Trent said while Ward looked up, clutching his tin of foul-smelling tablets. Sure enough, a black marble pedestal about three feet square had risen out of the fountain, and a rusty, black iron chest sat atop it.

He plopped one of the tablets into his mouth, tucked the tin away, and moved up beside Lali. “We want to make sure this isn’t a trap. You ever done a challenge, Lali? I suppose it’s a bit late to be asking, but…” He trailed off, shrugging.

“Nah, but I’ve got mates who have. I know what you mean about tricks and traps.” She nodded, thumping him on the shoulder. “Nice work killing that big old boy with your magic, by the way.”

Ward smiled, pleased she didn’t seem to hold a grudge from their rocky introduction. “Come on, let’s have a cautious look.” He motioned for Trent and Haley to come along, pointing to the left and right. “Let’s check the perimeter. Move in slowly toward the chest.”

Everyone fanned out following his directives, and Ward stepped straight toward the chest, moving slowly. The garden had grown still, though he could still hear the distant cries and squawks of birds and animals. After fighting the rat-man horde, Ward viewed those strange sounds with a much weightier sense of dread; what other monstrous creatures did the garden conceal?

When nothing stirred and no hint of a trap revealed itself, the four converged on the fountain and stood before the large, rusted iron box. “Mind if I give it a good look?” Trent Roy asked.

Ward looked at him, arching an eyebrow. “You have some talent with traps?”

“I’ve been taught a thing or two about what to look for.” He unslung his pack and fished around in one of the pockets, lifting out a thick-lensed magnifying glass.

“You can take a look, but do me a favor and show Haley what you’re doing.”

“Oh?” Trent looked at Haley. “Studying the art of the trapsmith?”

She shrugged, smiling and holding up her hands, wriggling her fingers. “Not exactly, but Ward thinks I have nimble fingers.”

“Very well, apprentice, come close, and I’ll describe my process.”

Ward chuckled. He liked the idea of Trent teaching Haley; he was a good instructor. As they set to it, he walked over to the giant rat commander’s corpse. Lali followed him, peering down her nose at the big black-furred body. “Does this one have mana too?”

Ward shook his head. “Not yet. It takes a few minutes, usually. Sometimes it takes a lot longer.”

“Can you do something with it? The mana, I mean?”

“I can gather some of it.” He looked at her, trying to see if there was any ulterior motive for her curiosity. She seemed sincere to even his cynical eye. “Only a little at a time—a sorcerer’s body can build up mana and slowly improve from it.”

“Oh, right. I’ve heard something like that. It’s why sorcerers can’t just openly duel anyone they want, right? Like an old sorcerer has more power, so it’s not fair?”

“That’s the idea, I guess.” Ward squatted, peering at the corpse. He’d thought he’d seen a flicker of blue in the matted fur. “I mean, anyone can commit murder, but if you want a legitimate duel, you’re not supposed to challenge someone who’s a lot weaker than yourself. You’re on the ‘Road,’ too, Lali; you know this stuff.”

“Aye, I’m on the Road, but I ain’t got anything to interest the likes of you. A sorcerer dueling me would just get themself ostracized by polite society.”

Ward nodded. “Cause you don’t have any mana.” He looked over at Trent and Haley. “Haley does. She’s not a sorcerer, though—”

“She’s a Gopah adept,” Lali scoffed. “Same damn thing.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” As he spoke, Ward saw the flicker of blue again, and this time it was brighter. He watched as more and more little motes floated above the corpse. He wrinkled his nose, feeling a sneeze come on, and realized he’d been trying not to inhale too deeply as he squatted there. The dead rat commander was filthy. It smelled like urine and heavy, almost damp, musk. Nevertheless, Ward studied the mana motes, grinning as he saw the tell-tale flicker of sparkling anima mixed into the mana.

He eagerly held his hand into the cloud and closed his eyes, grounding himself and opening his “pathways” to the flow. Just as had happened so many times before, he felt the magical, tingling rush of the mana as it entered his hand and traveled up his arm, first a little, just some stray tingles chasing each other, then in a rush, like a fountain of cold, electrically charged fluid pouring into him.

“Oi, you’re glowing,” Lali remarked.

Ward smiled, holding up a finger, trying to remain grounded and focused as the flow continued. When it was over, and he couldn’t get any more mana or anima to sink into his flesh, he shook his hand, laughing at the tingling, ticklish sensation. “Damn! That was a good one.” Honestly, it surprised him. Hadn’t he taken mana from Thrund’s corpse only a couple of days ago? Whatever the case, he was eager to look at his hemograph again soon to see what he’d gained.

When he stood and looked back to the chest, he saw that Trent and Haley were carefully working the lid open. “Looks like they’re opening it.”

Lali turned and stomped over. “Oi! We agreed to pool all treasures ’til Fitz gets a proper look at everything.”

“Relax, Lali, my dear!” Trent chuckled. “We’re only checking the hinges for tripwires.”

“I wouldn’t steal from you, Lali!” Haley added, squinting to watch what Trent was doing.

Lali folded her arms, visibly working to control her breathing. “Right. Still worked up from the fight, I think. Sorry, Haley.”

Trent snorted, and Ward laughed. He had to admit Haley had a way with people; everyone wanted to be on her side. He stood beside the big fighter, watching for a moment, and then Trent announced, “All clear,” and pulled the lid open with a squeaking, grinding racket. Haley was close, looking into the chest as it opened, and she caught her breath as the insides were revealed. “Treasure!” she announced.

Trent nodded, also looking inside. “She’s not lying. Come on, Lali, bring that empty pack.”

Lali unslung one of the packs on her back, and Ward suddenly felt a lightbulb go off in his mind; it was an empty pack for loot. As Lali had mentioned, they’d agreed to bring loot out and go over everything with Fitz. Things that might prove useful to a particular individual would be divvied out, and anything else would be sold so that they all could get a cut.

“What sort of stuff is it?” he asked, not wanting to crowd close with the others.

“Gems and coins,” Haley replied, holding up a sparkling red gem the size of her thumbnail.

“Well, that’s good.” Ward wasn’t so excited by plain old treasure as he might have been even a few days ago; the windfall he’d gotten out of Thrund’s suitcase had made him feel much more financially secure. Still, it would be good to have some more funds, and he supposed loot like that would be exactly what Fitz wanted for the adventuring business. If he got enough gems and precious metal, he might be more willing to back off as others claimed things like artifacts and refinement potions.

Ward watched as Haley and Trent scooped handfuls of gems and gold and silver coins into Lali’s pack. When they finished, she hefted it and laughed. “That’s enough to buy a nice place in the city, I’d wager.”

“And all we had to do was exterminate some rats.” Ward chuckled.

“What about this fountain?” Haley asked, looking into the dark waters near the base of the chest’s pedestal.

After Gwen had given them the tip about the fountains, Ward had prepared his Reveal Secrets spell, and Haley knew it. “You think I should see what I can learn?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“What? Are you a water expert?” Trent asked, hopping down from the fountain’s rim and brushing his hands clean of the rust he’d picked up while scraping gems from the chest.

“Well, let’s just say I have a pretty damn useful spell that you’re about to witness. Come stand by me, folks.” Ward waited until the other three had all moved back to stand near him, and then he stepped forward to the fountain. He concentrated on the black marble and the depthless-looking water inside it and uttered the first spell he’d ever learned: “Shrovak Gnyrath!”

As always, the words slithered off his tongue like whispered promises and then echoed and hissed off the flagstones and vine-covered walls. They rippled the water in the fountain and seemed to darken the air, pulling shadows out of the corners to coalesce in the air, dimming the sun. Ward felt his companions draw closer together and heard Lali inhale deeply and stop breathing; she was mesmerized by the spell's effects.

The fountain seemed to take on an unearthly sheen, gleaming with an inner silvery light, and then blue-tinted phantoms stretched out of the deep shadows—a man and woman, both wearing gleaming chainmail armor and helms. Their slender, wiry frames and long, pointed ears made Ward think of elves, just like the woman he’d seen in the market. They were weary-looking, and smears of something dark marred the smooth flesh of their cheeks and the woman’s chin. Ward thought it might be blood. Had they just finished a battle?

“That was well-fought, sister,” the man said, removing his helmet and running his fingers through his long, thick hair. “Pass me that flask, and I’ll fill it.”

“Oh, Davyn, those creatures were in the water. I’ll not drink it.”

“The flask is enchanted, is it not? It will remove anything vile.”

“Just what the swollen sow’s tits is going on here?” Lali interjected.

“Hush!” Haley admonished, grabbing the much taller woman’s arm. “Just watch!”

“Suit yourself, but I’ll drink naught but wine if you put that water in our flask.” She reached into an area of shadow that wasn’t represented in the vision and picked up a crystalline bottle. The man—Davyn—took the bottle and gently unscrewed the top before dipping it into the fountain.

“Don’t beg a drink when you’re thirsty, then.” He held the now-full bottle up, swirling it, peering through the sparkling crystal. “Utterly clean.” With that, he held it to his lips and tilted it back, gulping noisily. The woman watched him, her big almond-shaped eyes narrowed. Ward wondered what color they were, but it was impossible to tell through the strange blue of the phantom glow.

“Ack!” Davyn cried, holding his hands to his throat.

“Brother!” the woman cried, but then Davyn lowered his hands and laughed.

“I’m fine!” He stood and stepped toward his sister, but then he fell to one knee, his face utterly still.

“Stop, Davyn!” The woman pushed on his shoulder, and he fell back, unmoving. She knelt beside him, shaking him, but when he didn’t stir or even seem to breathe, she began to cry. “Davyn! Davyn!” she said over and over, and Ward was sure this vision would be a warning and that they ought to stay very damn far away from that water, but then something happened.

Davyn convulsed, coughed, and then sat upright, shaking his head. “Damn me! I’ve been given a prophecy! We must flee this place! Our kin need us!” He leaped to his feet, grabbed his sister’s hand, and the two phantoms ran off, slipping into the shadows.

“What the hell?” Lali asked.

“Hush!” Haley said again, though this time with less conviction. The shadows were breaking up, and the sunlight was returning; the vision was over.

“My word, Ward,” Trent said, clapping him on the shoulder. “That’s a wonderful spell. I can’t help but feel a bit slighted that you withheld that one for yourself!”

“Hey, now.” Ward clicked his tongue. “Mana Bolt’s a good one, too.”

“This magic is so unique, and if I understand it correctly, I’d wager to say it’s a truly top-tier spell. Not many sorcerers can boast of such a complex design.” Ward knew what he meant; learning the words of power and experimenting to figure out an effect was one thing, but coming up with the forms and timing to create a spell that did something so complicated as digging the secrets out of a particular place or thing was something that would take uncountable hours of effort to figure out.

“Putting that aside,” Haley said, “what do you think? Should we try the water?”

“What? And get struck dumb and helpless?” Lali scoffed.

“Maybe it will show us something important.” Haley was looking at Ward. “Maybe it will provide some answers about our troubles outside this place.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m game to give it a try. If more than one of us wants to do so, we should go one at a time.” He clapped a hand on Lali’s metal-clad shoulder. “So we’re not all lying around helpless.”

“I’m interested,” Trent said.

Haley nodded. “Me as well.”

“You couldn’t pay me,” Lali said, folding her arms over her chest. She looked at Ward, locking her bright green eyes onto his. “What about you?

“Yeah, I’m curious.” Ward grinned and squeezed her shoulder, winking. “I’ll wait and see what happens to Trent first, though.”