RD: Chapter Ten - Rematch

Dolli held tight to Rufus’ antlers as he sprinted on all fours through the underbrush. Bushes and branches seemed to part at his coming, leaving them unimpeded in their kiting escape.

“Get back here!” one of the miffed heroes yelled. An blue bolt of energy zipped past Dolli’s head and shattered against a tree trunk ahead. Ice spread across the bark and down to the ground, making a slick patch directly in their path.

Dolli’s Spark had finally regenerated up to half, which was all she’d need to finish these lowbie heroes off. “That’s enough!” she called to Rufus.

He leapt over the ice, then rounded the tree, charging back toward the advancing heroes. The caster stopped in his tracks like a stunned deer staring down a predator. Dolli cast Gravity Sink, trapping the two heroes in a slowed reality, and Rufus charged with a burst of yellow light.

Rufus dipped his head, using his sturdy antlers like a battering ram. Dolli jumped and flew twenty feet forward as Rufus slammed into the caster. She turned mid-air to watch his antlers pierced the man’s chest. The Rogue beside them yelped in fear. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, but Dolli knew she was still nearby. Even in the shadows, Gravity Sink had an effect.

Dolli cast Starfire over the whole area. Shooting brilliance rained down from the sky in bursts of color, illuminating the Rogue. A star smashed the black-leathered woman to the ground, and Rufus cast his Creeping Moss, pinning her in place. Dolli ended her with a Spark Lance, and then smiled as a notification blinked in the corner of her vision.

With the heroes dead and combat complete, she opened the message.

[Congratulations – You have achieved Level 8]

Unclaimed Stat Points: [5]

Unclaimed Ability Points: [2]

[2] levels remain until first character modification. Possible transformations: Arattelle, Celestelle, Flemelle, or Ventrelle.

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Dolli wanted to understand more about the transformations, or how they were being selected, but when she tried to open them, nothing happened. With an impatient sigh, she panned over to her character sheet instead. She needed to endure and have powerful strikes for the coming battle with Keegan, so she dropped two of her stat points into Stamina, then the remaining three into Mental Prowess.

With that done, she moved over to her skills. There were no new skills unlocked at level eight, but she was happy for the point. She’d got enough offensive abilities and needed some defense. Despite Dust Devil being amazing, she didn’t think it would help her against Keegan. For one, it was an AOE against one hero, and he was in plate, so the damage modifier wouldn’t affect him.

She selected Burst of Speed instead and dropped the solitary point there. If she stayed in her wisp-like form, she’d easily be able to dodge and outrun Keegan—at least for thirty seconds before it went on a two-minute cooldown. Still, that would be more than enough time to get her to dash out of range and rain Starfire down on his head.

Dolli opened the Overlord menu next and checked the spawn timer. Nubiri was almost done reviving, and four of the healing Wispelle were ready to be deployed. Dolli hated holding them in the Lifewell without releasing them since she knew they were suspended in complete nothingness—no awareness at all. To them, it would feel like a blink of blackness, and they were alive again, but in reality it would’ve been hours. But she had to hold them there no matter the discomfort. It wasn’t safe for any of the dungeonfolk to wander around town, and she’d need everyone fresh for the battle.

“We’re getting’ pretty damn efficient at that,” Rufus said.

“A good thing, too. We’ll need to teach the others how to fight like this.” Dolli closed her menu and approached the downed caster.

He had some low-level robes with +2% Spark Regeneration, and a necklace with +2 Mental Prowess. Dolli took them both and applied them to her character sheet. She was almost at max carrying capacity just from the gear she was wearing, but it would be essential to be at the top of her game.

Rufus rolled the Rogue over and looted everything she had. The boots popped off her body and onto Rufus’ legs. He flexed his feet and tugged on the top of the boot until his sharp hooves poked through the toe of the boot.

He grinned. “Still has the stats when ripped.”

“Let’s head toward town. It’s almost time.”

Rufus nodded, the grin wiped from his face. “Do you think he’s still there?”

“He promised he would be,” Dolli said, reaching up for Rufus.

He picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. “Then we better not keep him waiting.”

Rufus dropped to all fours and galloped through the woods. The autumn sun drifted through the yellowing foliage and glistened on the dew sprinkled pine trees. The scent of decaying leaves filled the air, and though Dolli could only justdetect it, she reveled in it. The ride was almost enjoyable until Dolli remembered she was sprinting toward her death.

She knew she wasn’t the firepower in the coming fight, that was Nubiri. Dolli had to be the bait, and she’d fished enough times to know what happened to the bait.

Rufus slowed as they neared the edge of the village and stood upright once more. “Where do you think he is?”

There was a distant, rhythmic clanking like a wooden spoon on a pot, and then drunken singing.

“I think he’s gotten into your reserve.”

Rufus growled. “I was saving that for a celebration!”

Dolli hopped off his shoulder and floated down toward the ground. She opened the Overlord menu and selected a spawn point right next to her for all four of the available Wispelle.

Julie cowered and covered her head, then looked around her in surprise. “What happened?”

“You died,” Dolli said matter-of-factly. “Wanna get some payback?”

Keegan’s singing went off key and he laughed.

Julie’s fearful eyes narrowed to slits, determination setting her body aglow. “Let’s crush him.”

The other Wispelle nodded eagerly. “What’s the plan?” one whispered.

“We’re going to drop a Gravity Wells first, all around the square. You take the north,” Dolli said, pointing to Julie, then pointed to the others as she said, “you the south, west, east, and I’ll take the center. With our combined power, and five chances, at least one spell should take. Then I’m going to kite and lure him close, get him to use up most of his special abilities. Once he’s low on Spark, I unleash the wyvern on him. I’ll use Zeal on her first. As soon as it’s down, we’ll follow the same cast order as Gravity Sink, starting with north—Julie. Does that make sense?”

The little Wispelle were nodding, their twisted tails flicking and fists clenching.

“He may kill me, that’s okay, but don’t let him kill the wyvern—she’s our only hope of taking him down.”

“How do we avoid being taken down?” Julie asked.

The ghost-like dungeon creatures looked to Dolli, their eyes wide.

“Rufus will protect you. Spilt up if you need to—but don’t let Keegan survive.”

The memory of Rufus’ severed head splat on the ground sent a chill through her. Dolli didn’t want anyone else to get hurt but her dungeonfolk were going to die, sometimes horribly. If she stayed strong, if she just kept doing her best, they would be able to respawn and go on living.

“Dollitrice! Where are you hiding?” the hero’s distant call came from the top of the church tower. Then, the bell rang.

It was time.

“Stay several paces behind me out of sight. Remember your Gravity Sink location, and Zeal orders. Pace yourselves and keep the wyvern healed.”

The Wispelle nodded again and fear coursed through Dolli. Something else did, too. A nervous fluttering that felt like the moment before an uncertain thrill. Were her dungeonfolk excited to fight Keegan?

The bell tolled again.

“Let’s put an end to him,” Dolli said with a devilish grin.

The fear melted away as the others smiled and determination swelled.

Dolli wriggled with confidence into the open square at X Marks the Spot and came to a stop at the center.

“There you are!” Keegan yelled with sick glee from the top of the church tower.

The air around him glowed black and Dolli began the cast for Gravity Sink right in front of her. From the corner of her eye, Dolli saw the other Wispelle glowing as they cast the same, purple-hued spell.

Keegan leapt from the church tower, cracking the weathered stone and shaking the bell. He flew toward Dolli sword first, but as is body crossed over the first Gravity Sink, he slowed and dropped to the ground in a rolling tumble. He was so drunk it didn’t seem fair, but Dolli reminded herself this wasn’t about fairness—it was about survival.

She didn’t waste another second, throwing an overpowered Spark Lance at the downed Dusk Knight. The white light smashed into his chest armor, dealing a solid sixty points of health. The bar above his head dropped a tiny fraction, and Dolli grimaced. Nubiri had her work cut out for her.

Keegan dashed from the ground with a battle cry. The Gravity Sink slowed him just enough that Dolli could activate Burst of Speed and wriggle away. She went north, and turned, still moving backwards, and cast another lance.

“Just give me the quest reward! Why are you being such a butthole?” Keegan roared and chased after Dolli—just as she planned.

His sword glowed red, and he sliced it through the air. The deadly magic rippled out from his sword in a wide arc and gained on Dolli. She turned and dashed behind a wall. The magic hit against the stone and bounced off. Dolli returned to her kiting with Keegan not far behind.

Something hot and angry grabbed hold of Dolli’s tail, pulling her to a stop. She turned to see a black skeletal hand growing out of the ground and clutched around her. Keegan surged forward, sword drawn. Dolli didn’t expect it to be over so quickly.

This was going to hurt.