17 Lumaki, 891 ED

Oraw, 15:28

Milagre, Empire of Tyrman

 

“To the left!” Gogo called out, pointing with his spear in case his words weren’t heard correctly. I switched my aim to that direction, peering around the corner down the corridor. It was a long, straight shot, and held four figures that were just barely distinguishable. As soon as they saw Gogo and I appear, I could make out two bows being raised.

“Back!”I shouted, shoving into Gogo as I forced us both out of the line of fire. Two arrows flew past us with an ominous whistling sound. They were quickly followed by a small roiling ball of flame, the heat of which singed my cheek as it just barely missed.

“Damn!” I exclaimed, feeling the exposed skin of my face. No real damage, I was sure. “Of all the places to come across a mage and two archers!”

“You think you can reach them?” Gogo asked me, gripping his shield more tightly.

“Maybe,” I said through gritted teeth. “Let me get a peek again.”

I peered around the corner once again, only revealing enough of myself to see down the tunnel. The archers had their bows raised still, and I could see a flicker of light coming from the mage. No clue what the fourth member was. I drew back to safety as one of the archers fired another arrow, and bit my lip thoughtfully.

“They’re over thirty feet away,” I muttered. “Probably closer to fifty. I’d have to run a fair distance before I could attack them.”

“If you can get to close quarters, those bows will be next to useless,” Gaurse replied. “But I think you’re the only one that has a chance.”

“Oh, I know. Just give me a second.”

Taking a moment to inhale as deeply as I could, I gestured for Gogo to take a step back and give me room. He retreated several paces, watching me intently. I knew the enemies had the drop on me. They could attack the instant I became visible, while I had to cover a decent distance before I could be effective. As part of the one turn, I could run twenty or twenty-five feet, then use Misty Step to teleport behind them. But that would mean that they’d have two rounds to hit me before I could retaliate.

Still, it was our best chance. I took a slight step back to prepare for my dash, and Felix put one hand on my shoulder. I glanced at him in confusion, but he smiled reassuringly.

“Many tales are told about the swift,” he said, in a calm voice. I could feel magic swirling to life in him, so I hesitated, waiting for him to finish. “The mightiest heroes rush into danger without fear of harm, for they are beckoned by fate and protected by legend.”

At once, the energy seemed to surge into my limbs and chest so that I felt incredibly light. I knew that, if I wanted, I could run at incredible speeds.

 

You have been granted 5 temporary hit points!

These will fade when you take enough damage or complete a long rest.

 

I nodded my thanks, then, with another deep breath, I lunged forward at top speed. I actually bounced off the wall of the intersecting tunnel with how fast I was going, but I recovered quickly and bolted forward as fast as I could move my legs. Immediately, and predictably, the enemy attacked.

 

Attack: 15 (+3) = 18 [Success]

3 Damage

 

Attack: 3 (+3) = 6 [Failure]

 

Dexterity Save: 20 (+7) = 27 [Critical Success]

 

One of the arrows did graze me lightly, ripping through the exposed fabric of my tunic’s right sleeve, but the other flew wide, and there was virtually no check to my progress. I saw another flicker of light and ducked just in time, my eyes squinted against the straight line of electricity that shot at me from the mage’s location. Then I was up on my feet once more and running forward. Once I was within thirty feet, I focused my attention forward in space and cast Misty Step. I’d only used the spell once before, and the tight, swirling sensation in the pit of my stomach was the same.

When the movement had stopped, I found myself right behind the mage. He was between me and the archers now, and he turned as if in slow motion to face me, the shock on his face evident. He leaped back, electricity flashing to life on his hands once again. At the same time, the archers stepped to the side for a clear shot and lifted their bows. On reflex, I swiped my hand up, conjuring an arcane shield between us.

 

Attack: 18 (+3) = 21 [Success]

4 Damage

 

Attack: 6 (+3) = 9 [Failure]

 

Attack: 11 (+4) = 15 [Failure]

 

[Shield]

 

The close nature of our positions would put the archers at a disadvantage, but that didn’t seem to matter to one of them. I could tell at once that his aim was dead-on, and that he’d strike me. But I was protected by the shield as it flared to life between us, stopping the arrow in its tracks and sending it clattering harmlessly to the floor. Then the shield faded, and I found myself within easy striking distance of all four of them.

“Game’s up now, lads,” I growled. I pointed the bracelet at the mage as I lunged forward, the saber flashing forward for two swipes.

 

Attack: 2 (+7) = 9 [Failure]

 

Attack: 17 (+7) = 24 [Success]

9 Damage

 

The mage had no chance to avoid the enchantment of the bracelet, and quickly toppled to the ground as he tripped and fell. The archer I’d targeted put up a good showing at first, leaning to the side to avoid my initial slash, but I brought the blade back around and scored a heavy wound on his right shoulder. That should make drawing his bow a little less easy, I thought.

Behind my opponents, I could see Gogo and Gaurse rushing into view, with Felix just behind them. Felix sent a bolt of electricity bouncing along the corridor to strike the archer I hadn’t yet attacked, and Gogo focused on running forward. Gaurse paused just long enough to hurl one of her bolas at my opponent, but it missed, skating along the floor for a few feet out of sight in the dim lighting.

The archer facing me,  too close to use his bow, made a tactical error then. Instead of drawing one of the knives at his belt, he tried to put some distance between us by backing up. His foot caught on the writhing form of the mage, however, and he stumbled, giving me a perfect opening.

 

Attack: 12 (+7) = 19 [Success]

11 Damage

 

I caught the archer high in his chest with a quick thrust. He gave a strangled grunt, then fell flat, barely stirring. The second archer tried to turn and fire at Gogo who was still charging forward, but the shield stopped that arrow, and a second later, Gogo slammed into him with brutal force, knocking him to the ground. A quick cast of the enchantment on my bracelet, and I had the two archers restrained.

“Healers will get to them when they’re found,” I said quickly. “We need to keep moving.”

And without a backward glance, we ran past the enemies and further down the corridor they were guarding. This tunnel, according to the directions we’d been given, led to a storeroom full of the Thieves Guild’s supplies. If we secured that, then it couldn’t be used by whoever was trying to initiate the mutiny. There were bound to be more guards, of course, but I didn’t expect too much resistance. I was in excellent form after that last fight, with only a light scratch on my arm. Felix’s spell had protected me from the worst of it.

Another left turn, then two rights, a middle fork, and a final left. We saw the tunnel widening ahead of us, and, by the light of several magical torches, I could make out half a dozen figures facing us, grimly determined to defend. Yet, strangely, as they recognized us as people outside the guild, they seemed to relax slightly.

“Are you with the Crown’s forces?” One of them asked loudly, taking a hopeful step forward. “Are you here to put down the mutiny?”

“We are,” I confirmed. Then, seeing that he posed no threat, I shot a binding at him, and he fell back against the wall. “Sit there a moment. The rest of you, drop your weapons and surrender. We will not harm you if you do not fight us.”

The one I’d bound looked relieved, in spite of the fact that he couldn’t move. Two others quickly sheathed their weapons, also seeming relieved. In fact, it only looked as though one of their number intended to oppose us. I moved my aim slightly, and directed another binding at him, locking him in place. The others hurriedly stepped away as he fell, then looked to us.

“You have to be careful,” one of them said. “She’s the nastiest I’ve seen in a while, and I fought in the Infernal Invasion.”

“We’ll bear that in mind,” I said, then gestured toward the wall where the first thief was bound. “Get along the wall there. Men from the force will come to take you to the dungeons shortly, and we’ll get this sorted out.”

He nodded his understanding, and he and his comrades moved over. I was glad that this last hurdle had proved so easily. I didn’t want to fight six at once, I thought, binding their hands and feet in place. I hoped they were comfortable enough where they were, but I had more important things to focus on.

“Where is she?” I asked. “And if you know her name, that would be helpful.”

“We didn’t recognize her when she first joined our ranks,” one of them said in a solemn voice. “We were happy to recruit some new muscle. But she’s a nasty one, alright.”

“What’s her name?” I asked firmly, stepping closer to the man. “Do you know where she is?”

He shook his head sadly, and I could tell he was being genuine. But then another spoke up. “I don’t know if it’s true, but one of the men recognized her. Said she’s that dark Tokugawa, the one that turned traitor to help Attos a few years ago.”

Already moving to the door because I thought I’d get no answer, hearing that nearly knocked me over in shock. Of course, it had to be her, I thought. Anya Tokugawa. The former adopted daughter of Shiora Tokugawa and sister of Ehran Tokugawa, the current Grandmaster of Issho-Ni. When had she escaped her confinement, then? The fact that she was at the center of this movement didn’t bode well. Not only was she a prodigious martial artist, but she had the natural charisma and leadership skills of the rest of her family.

If learning the identity of our enemy was bad, it was nothing compared to what the man said next. Jerking his head toward the door, he said, “We was told to guard the storehouse. She said she was going to commune.”

“You mean she’s in there?” I asked, feeling that cold hand of fear again. The thief nodded. Almost unconsciously, he was edging away from the door. “Damn. That’s not good for us.”

“If there’s only one of her, we can take this,” Gogo said. “She wasn’t that strong when she was captured. If she escaped recently, then she’s bound to have been weakened by prison.”

While my first instinctual response would have been to disagree with him, I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. It wasn’t a half-bad idea. When I’d last thought about her, she’d been a level 10 monk. At worst, she could be up to level 12 now. But there were four of us, all level 8 or 9, and we were fresh and in perfect condition. In addition, I had Ancient Magicks at my disposal. I nodded in his direction.

“You’re right,” I told him. “We might as well end it now. Worst case, we delay her until stronger support arrives.”

And so saying, I took a deep breath, readied my sword, and pulled the door open.