The Elder Hyena was spread on a patch of stone, sunning himself. Jonas could imagine he looked smug.

The team had spotted the lake to the side, meaning his direction had been mostly accurate despite the detour in the ground hole lair. Hyenas had been roaming around the tree ringed spot again as if the slaughter they had visited on the lake a few days ago had been for all for nothing.

This time, they’d decided to clear the entire lake of the dogs before tackling the last beast. All of them not only had their Milestone but a new level by now. They found themselves a new spot and started killing dogs during the late afternoon until the sun was starting to set down. After making camp farther at a tree mini-grove further in the plains, they resumed at first light.

Slowly making it around the lake’s perimeter, they figured out five different elite peninsula nests – or their old quasi-peninsula - where they’d picked a bunch of new equipment, including two different, but otherwise similar-looking belts.

 

 

 

The second belt went on to replace the old belt that Guss had obtained during the first days of loot, while Jonas picked the first. Laura completed her waist pouch with a shoulder strap bag, Alton picked a new pair of trousers with Agility – not important for him, but still an improvement in quality over the starter stuff – and Ira managed to snag a pair of quality sollerets which were very useful.

 

 

Combined with the skill Rank Ira had picked with his Milestone, that got his Dodge to a much higher rank than he’d experienced before. Both rank descriptors clarified also the role of Agility in this particular skill.

 

 

Once they crossed the halfway point in the elongated ground spur leading to the centre of the lake, Ira noted “Guys? Didn’t the Hyena used to be a… Patriarch?”

 

 

“Oh. You’re right. I think. That means the fight might turn out to be a little different, maybe?” Jonas said.

The team exchanged glances, suddenly worrying if the fight would be as hard as the previous one, despite their progress.

“Okay. The goal here is to make sure Jonathan gets the final Lair completion we already have. So, if you ever go below half health, I want you to step back, don’t try to stab or slash the beast. Besides, your skills are useful to keep us informed of the beast’s abilities.”

“Will do,” the Watcher confirmed.

 

They kept a watch behind them for about fifteen minutes, looking if there were no surprise pack of hyenas coming nearby. The only one that came during the interval came from the other side of the lake, and they dispatched it as it approached, just to make sure of no further interference.

“Time to go. Ira, up to you,” Jonas started.

The Defender started jogging toward the hyena, followed closely by the rest of the team. The beast’s eyes jerked open and she immediately rose from her spot, obviously made aware of the incoming rush. As they neared, a familiar occurrence enveloped the four of the front line, leaving both Guss and Jonas just outside of the smelly range.

 

Hyena stink affects you. -1 Mind every 3s; -1 Health every 5s.

 

Opening moves were well-rehearsed, Ira using a bunch of attacks first before the three others moved in and to the sides – not backside for Alton – to start waling on the hyena.

 

Hyena tears at you. 38 (42-4) damage (32+4 defence)

 

“The damned dog bites a bit harder than the Patriarch,” Ira warned.

“I heal a bit better too,” Guss countered. “And you have more health anyway.”

“Bite!” Jonathan exclaimed. Unsurprisingly, the Matriarch did a repeat of the previous Elder fight, sniping toward Jonathan. The Watcher’s early spotting of the attack on himself helped, though, and the jaws snapped on nothing as he moved back just enough. She immediately repeated her attack on the other side, snagging Laura’s hand successfully instead.

 

Putrescent Bite succeeded. -3 physical stats, -3 Health/2sec.

 

“Cussed dog!” she exclaimed. “Cost me the entire Milestone’s worth of Potential!”

The Hyena Matriarch seemed to think it funny enough, as she emitted a cry that sounded suspiciously like hysterical laughter.

 

Disturbing Cry: -1 FOC, -1 mind/sec.

 

“What’s with that cry? Does this thing really laugh at you?” Guss asked.

“Damfino,” Jonas answered. Unlike the stink, for which they were too far at their range, the cry had affected him and Guss where they stood. A cursory check told him it would last a minute only, but that put some pressure as the meleers’ mind total dropped now steadily from both stink and laughter.

Jonas did a quick estimation of the fight between the rate at which they tore through the beast and the various vital losses. Barring unexpected other effects, they’d have ample margin, he concluded.

As if she’d read his mind, the Hyena laughed again, increasing the duration of the Cry status by an additional minute. But this time, Jonas heard a sound behind him and turned around to see a pack of three hyenas barrelling on them. For a fraction of a second, he froze. An additional pack of the roaming hyenas would be too much for them to handle…

 

 

He pulled himself together, yelling at the team, “Incoming! Three additional dogs, small minions. We should kill them fast.”

The three dogs rushed into the fight from the rear, snapping at the two robed backline men. Jonathan tried managed to warn them, but both Guss and Jonas ended up getting a pair of bites, which gave them a slightly worse condition.

 

Putrescent Bite × 2 succeeded: -4 physical stats, -2 Health/sec.

 

He launched a series of spells, killing one of the small pups before the rest of the team reached them to help. The remaining pups aimed toward both Alton and Jonathan, intend on inflicting more bites. Laura sent a Batter on the pup coming through her side, halving its health, but did not manage to land a Smash from any of her hammers. Alton finished immediately the pup before he’d get bitten, but Jonathan wasn’t that lucky and suffered from a bite for his pains.

“Dratted! Not again?”

The pup kept trying to bite, and Alton shoved Jonathan aside, plunging both knives downward, narrowly missing the Watcher who yelled: “Be careful with those things!”

The target emitted a small yip and fell lifeless, and the three dispatched his last surviving sibling almost as quickly, avoiding yet another bite. Then, they limped back to the fight, the painful bites taking their toll on their ability.

The Matriarch’s laughter ended as the last pup fell from Alton’s Slice. As they reached the main combat, the beast tried again to bite left and right, only to be prevented by Jonathan’s watchful gaze. The only one who suffered a second bite was Ira, who kept on smashing his long sword on the beast’s head. A normal creature would have been cleaved already, but the beast’s attacks didn’t falter despite the blood running on its side.

A third yell brought on an extended duration of the Disturbing Cry status but did not attract any further attack by a random litter.

“Out of aether,” called Guss.

“Same here,” Jonas noted, before adding, “It’s almost dead anyway.”

 

Lake Hyena Matriarch+3: 1821XP/6 contributors = 304XP

 

“Levels and higher Potentials do make the difference,” Ira said as he rolled back his chainmail legs to check his calves. The biting was still marked, a small streak of blood still coming down his leg. He knew by experience now that his own health wouldn’t really regenerate as long as the putrescent bite still held. But Guss’s aether would be back faster, and if he could get healing if necessary.

 

 

“You are not only avenged, but you even got the loot,” Laura said, smiling.

Jonathan turned the leather band. It looked like one of those small masks you saw in carnival and mummer shows, with one glaring difference. It did not have any eye holes. It was just a smooth two-inch leather band, with a fold for the nose, and laces at the end to close the mask.

“Maybe, but I can’t see with this thing on. It’s worthless,” he said, looking despondent.

“Try it,” Jonas said. “I don’t think the Labyrinth would hold that kind of stuff without it being useful.”

“You’re sure? You think it’s… intelligent enough for this?”

“It seems to. Everything we got was useful, at least to a point,” Jonas replied, encouraging Jonathan to use the mask.

Still looking doubtful, Jonathan removed the old burlap band circling his hair and placed the leather band over his head, settling it over its nose.

“Can’t see anything, as I expected,” he complained.

“Lace it,” Guss suggested.

He fumbled a bit with the mask’s backend until Laura sighed with a disgusted look and grabbed the lace, sliding it into the eyelets. She had barely finished wrapping the mask when Jonathan yelled.

“Ouch!!!”

“Oops. Sorry. Did I snag your hair?” she asked.

Jonathan hesitated a bit before replying.

“No… but it was a bit unpleasant, like a whole ant nest crawling over my face. But now… I have that new skill with the bonus… and I can see. Normally.”

“Told you. Although it looks a bit weird on you,” said Jonas.

Jonathan’s head turned left and right, as he checked his vision. The team all seemed to agree with Jonas’ opinion; a man with an eyeless mask seemed very odd when he walked around without seeming to miss anything.

 

 

“Got the Lair completion?” asked Jonas.

“I did, as soon as the beast dropped dead. What’s next?”

“We head back to that Zolferras gate now that you can cross. Then we see if Zolferras leads to Grailburg. Sounds good, everyone?”

Seeing all the team acquiesce, Jonas added, “Let’s Recall to the Plaza, then head to the gate. It’s probably a tiny bit shorter, now that I’ve got a better idea how to go around.”

Light swirled as the various team members activated their Recall. Jonathan was last, looking at the decomposing hyena until the corpse finally disappeared, leaving no trace. Then he finally smiled and activated his own.