Broker

Chapter 151

One had been scary, they moved like ghosts. When more came, it was a nightmare. Lily raced down the stone-paved street-if you could call it a street-that stretched between two rows of the eerie buildings that made up the ‘city’ nestled within the largest section of the dungeon. Her heart pounded in her chest as she hopped up and cleared another fallen piece of a building, pushing her palm against the surface and launching herself further along while the monsters continued their pursuit. They were relentless, leaping into the air and reaching heights that no normal human could ever hope to achieve.

She spun on her heel as she felt the mana shift behind her again, whipping her sword across the path of the incoming projectile. The arrow split down the middle across the edge of her blade, scattering as she continued her spin and resumed her flight. I gotta get back! She thought, forcing down the rising panic in her gut. I wasted too much time out here and there’s so damn many of them! 

Everything had gone downhill just a short while ago. They had been exploring the dungeon as usual, mapping out this larger section and studying the structures that made up the city. The scouting party’s numbers had dwindled as the camp had dragged on, either through drop-outs or aspirants deciding that it wasn’t for them. Now there were only five of them together. While the town they’d found the other day had been impressive to say the least, this place was practically a metropolis. Sure, none of the buildings went over three stories in height for the most part, but the few that did struck quite the chord with the scouts. They had taken up camp in what appeared to be some kind of large religious building, there were murals everywhere and it had captured the imagination of several of the more academic members of their group.

It was a good four hours into their research and cataloging when they showed up. The first two had been scouts, it seemed. Just like the one they’d been followed by the other day, they had bark-like skin and vine-like hair. They had ‘elvish’ appearances but they could hardly be compared to the pretty creatures that they’d all heard about in myths and legends. The initial surprise had nearly been catastrophic, but they’d decided to go for Lily first. The cuts and scrapes had healed quickly.

They should have been on high alert at that point, but the mystery of the murals had become even more intriguing. There were two kinds of ‘elves’ on the walls. One set looked beautiful and were often seen positioned above the other set who looked very much like the monsters they’d encountered. There were even a few depictions of elves turning into these things after some kind of calamity. None of them were sure exactly where reality began for the murals and where some manner of fiction ended, crafted by the dungeon. There were even theories tossed around that the dungeon was just filling in details to add atmosphere.

They should have paid more attention. She should have considered how strange the mana felt in the dungeon. She should have given it more thought. Instead, all they concerned themselves with was patting themselves on the back for ‘discovering’ the ‘Dire Elves’ as they decided to call them.

That was when Nina got hit with an arrow right below the shoulder blade. She was laid low in an instant, some kind of poison on it paralyzing her before she’d had a chance to react. William, the healer, had frantically done his best to get her stabilized and had succeeded but only as Lily and the others were beset by dozens of attacking dire elves. By the time the fighting was over, three of their group had been seriously injured and William was working double-time to get them back on their feet. 

Without much choice, they fortified the temple using the nearby rubble and ruins for materials and Lily had been sent out to get a better idea of how bad the situation was and figure out a route to take out of the city and back towards the previous parts of the dungeon. They needed to reach the portal.

It was worse than they could have imagined.

She raced around another corner before pivoting a second time into an alley just as the three pursuing dire elves followed her. They ran past her position, gleaming eyes blazing with bloodlust. She grit her teeth and shot forward like a rocket, cleaving across their backs with her broadsword in one quick movement. When she slid to a stop she turned to see them drop to the ground, their faces hitting the broken stone pavement. She panted, sweat dripping down her face as she turned in a circle before spotting the rising shape of the temple. Almost there, please be okay, please be okay!

She didn’t hear any fighting, at least, but that could mean one of two things and she didn’t want to even consider one of them. She raced down the nearest alley, leaping and springing, grabbing onto whatever she could to get higher before finally alighting on a rooftop. She squinted, peering at the distant building as she nearly turned into a blur, her legs pumping with mana as she used her internal energy to enhance herself. Faster! She willed, begging her body to move beyond its limits as she hopped from one building to the next.

Ahead of her, she could make out the distant shapes of dire elves marching up the steps in columns. There had to be dozens more, Where are they coming from? She thought frantically, The mana’s coming into the dungeon way too fast! Still, it was almost a relief to see them crowding around the walled-off entrance to the main part of the temple. Even as several robe wearing dire elves began blasting it with bursts of verdant green energy. That just meant that the others were still alive. She hopped another gap and landed, spotting the end of this cluster of buildings and the beginning of the plaza that surrounded the temple.

She slid to a stop and crouched, peering over the side.

Holy shit, she breathed.

There were at least a hundred of the damn things, all formed into neat columns. They looked more like footsoldiers rather than monsters. I’d heard that monsters could speak on occasion, especially the humanoid ones but-

“Ik Th’aahht!” A raspy voice croaked so loudly she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She whipped her head in the direction of the sound and saw the strangest thing. It looked like a palanquin but it didn’t have any curtains or roof, instead it looked like the cutting of a massive tree-trunk that had grown out four roots to be used as handles. Four dire elves were carrying it on their shoulders. Atop it, the ghostly visage of a dire-elf stood. Unlike the others who wore tattered robes or odd wood-metal armor, it wore finery and jewels embedded in its long fingers. Its face was more natural too with the ability to make expressions despite otherwise clearly being one of the plant-like monsters.

It raised a finger and pointed at the temple, “Ik Th’aahht asa am!” It commanded, bearing its needle-like teeth and gesturing wildly.

Is that the boss? Looks like he’s projecting himself rather than being here, that’s good. She wondered as more robe wearing dire elves ran up the steps, already weaving their verdant green spells. Not the time to gather intelligence, Lillian! She gripped the hilt of her sword and froze, a tremor going through her hand. She felt her heart leap into her throat as she took in the sheer number of them down below. There’s so many. She closed her eyes, Fuck, I’m so scared!

Her knee shook as she rest her hand on the roof beneath her. She couldn’t move. A couple monsters was one thing. Sparring against teacher was a controlled situation. This was-

Stop! Right now! She clamped down on the terror with a snarl, biting her lip so hard it bled. A blast rang out and a portion of the wall erected to protect the others crumbled. They need you! What would Firestorm do right now? He wouldn’t hesitate, that’s what! Didn’t you make a promise to Miss Chernovna that you would be that kind of person too? How is this any scarier than facing down Ishtar someday? She snarled at herself, gripping her weapon tighter. It’s now or never, Lillian! Do it!

With every ounce of strength she had to throw into it, she kicked off the roof, leaving a small crater behind her as she hurtled through the air at the heart of the columns of dire elves. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her nostrils, setting her body ablaze with golden fire. A shriek of anger rose up from her right just as she completed her arc; “Th’aahht!” The boss shrieked furiously as she shifted forward, her arms crossed in front of her. Her eyes blazed, light flaring up in them as the tattoo on her neck began to glow in concert. Her muscles tensed and in the heartbeat between her landing and the dire elves rounded on her, she swung in a wide arc, her free hand whipping out as well.

A short range burst of flame erupted around her, catching a dozen of them ablaze while the handful in front of her were cut down in short order, their bodies incinerated as they crumbled to pieces. She rose and pushed forward, catching the hilt of her weapon with her free hand and adjusting her grip. She brought the weapon down and to the left, cutting through another pair as she stepped forward. 

‘Our martial arts are about momentum,’ Black Lotus’ voice rang in her head. ‘How momentum is defined is based on our styles of combat.’

She took another step forward and carried through with the momentum of her swing, spinning her body around and cutting through a trio that raced up to catch her from behind. Her foot landed hard and cracks formed in the ground, golden flames bursting up from them. She set her jaw, her eyes focused on the stairs leading up to the temple and shifted the trajectory of her weapon, changing her grip again as she followed through with another horizontal swing.

Two steps… come on…

‘Mine is more about fluid motions and grace, taking advantage of quick stabs and powerful finishes,’ Black Lotus’ voice continued, ‘Despite or perhaps because of your preferred movement style, who you are, your strikes are powerful and direct, a clear goal in mind. You don’t stop pressing forward for anything.’

Lily took a third step, her muscles bulging on her arms as she bore her teeth, flames dancing on the edge of her blade. She felt the mana and internal energy cycling through her body, mingling, spinning, rotating. Her skin felt energized as she threw her back into the next stroke, she didn’t feel the arrows peppering her skin. She didn’t pay any mind to the knife that struck her in the shoulder, she kept moving. Diving low beneath a particularly deadly swing from a warrior behind her and spun again, catching another dozen up in a whirlwind of steel and fire.

She landed, still facing forward as the hissing screams of the dire elves winked out as suddenly as she ripped them from their lungs. Three steps, don’t stop moving, she ordered herself. She cut through two more and blocked another strike, catching it on the blade of her weapon and letting it slide down to the hilt as she passed by, finishing a swing and bisecting the warrior before it had a chance to react. Block, uppercut, block, block, horizontal slash, block, she snapped out a kick, gold flames beginning to burn around her eyes as she caught one in the abdomen and sent him flying.

‘You push through any obstacle, over, around, or through. A juggernaut. A force of nature. Burning bright with golden flames,’ Black Lotus continued to push her, just as she always had, no matter how hard it got, no matter how much it hurt.

Five steps, six steps, seven steps! She felt the momentum build to a fever pitch as more and more of them came running at her. A big one charged from the front, holding a longsword over it’s head. It swung down and she threw her weapon up, grabbing the blade with her armored hand and pushing with all her might. She bellowed, shoving the dire elf back as she brought her leg up. Weeks spent perfecting the first technique of her martial style. Days of trial and failure, frustration, fatigue. Now! Do it now!  She grit her teeth and felt the instincts blaze through her body, every muscle triggered, every neuron fired, every sense exploding with clarity.

‘A Crusader’

“AAAHHHHH!” She screamed in challenge, the fire bursting from her lips and catching in her hair.

First March of the Golden Crusade!

In an instant her movements became a flickering blur. Her weapon coming up in a right-to-left diagonal slash. Heat erupted from her weapon, the air shuddering for a moment from the force. The big dire elf was blown away by the strike, the flames so intense that he was turned to black ashes in an instant. She stepped down and swung again.

BOOM!

More of them were thrown about like ragdolls as Lillian brought her sword down in an impossible vertical stroke. The sudden shift in position almost impossible for a normal human to pull off. Step after step came with a thunderous boom and more dire elves falling in her relentless path of destruction. Her foot work was slow, but her blows came in faster, harder, crashing into anything in her path and leaving gilded cuts and carvings in the stone beneath her feet. 

Firestorm was the spark! She grabbed a dire elf by the face and threw them to the side, bowling over its compatriots. She took another booming step and swung again, I won’t stop, not for anything, not until the people of this world feel safe! I’ll protect them! I’ll give everything! All of it! 

She cut through a set of robes as a caster turned at her, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” She bellowed as she took the final step of her march, swinging with all her might as the golden flames began to stutter and die on her shoulders. Blood dripped from her arms and legs, from her chest and side, some of the wounds started to close faster than others as clumps of cloth and incinerated monster flesh collapsed to the ground around her. She panted, turning her back to the wall guarding the entrance to the temple. She pointed her weapon down the steps, not knowing how or when she’d ascended this far. It didn’t matter. She was here now.

“I AM CRUSADER!” She roared even as her entire body ached and her vision swam. Beneath her, a horde of dire elves raced up the steps, weapons drawn. A sea of bodies that seemed endless. She breathed hard, she was in so much pain, but she pushed her blazing aura out as far as she could, letting it wash down the steps and into the temple interior behind her. “AND I AM THE HARBINGER OF THE HEROES BEHIND ME!”

The wall crumbled behind her, revealing the interior of the temple. William and his patients in the back and one that stepped up to join in,a familiar face. She glanced back and smirked at Luke, “Finally got a chance to shine, Luke?” 

Luke brushed his brown hair out of his eyes, giving her a petulant frown, “Get back there and help him,” He said quickly, thumbing over his shoulder, “I’ll hold the line till you’re ready.”