Shield of the Barbarian: +10% to Vitality, +5% Stamina. All damage taken reduced by 10%. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
I taunted the group to make sure I had both aspects of the Guardian of the Wild buff active, then hefted my axe for action.
A growl at my side made me look down. I was happy to see Tejón’s brave form standing next to me. As my companion, it seemed he could tank side by side with me.
The trow had gone after Hana and Alysand, but Pachi drew their attention away through flashes of her teleporting movement. Now that I had drawn agro, the other three group members began to attack the enemies from behind. All I had to do was stay standing.
Rather than block the next attack, I swung my axe sideways, pushing the huge pick off balance and sending it crashing into the stone floor. Luckily, the implement got stuck. The trow seemed not to notice and simply raised his offhand to attack. I sunk my axe into its neck on the unguarded side. To my surprise, the creature wasn’t killed. The attack was blunted by its stone-like skin. I had to use Dodge again to avoid being slammed with the second pick.
Tejón bulled into the creature and disarmed it, and the two bruisers began pummeling each other with blows so hard they shook the air.
The other two trow closed on me, and I avoided the first attack easily enough, only to have the second monster reach out and grab me around the neck.
I felt my throat close as it crushed my windpipe in its hand and began to lift me off the ground. I flung my axe at its head, but it caught the attack on its forearm and stared at me while I struggled. The second trow was winding up to bury its crude weapon in me when I heard a trilling whine and explosions erupted, filling the chamber with smoke and light.
The trow holding me was still growling, its mangled teeth bared in a terrible grimace, when its head snapped to the side, a hole punched through the side of its temple.
It released me and fell in a heap beside its companions.
Alysand stood, wisps of smoke trailing from his pistols and a look of concern on his face. Then I remembered Tejón.
I spun on my heel and saw the bear shaking his head, bits of gore dripping from his mouth. The trow underneath him was unharmed but for its crushed skull. Tejón sneezed a few times and licked at his maw, his face wrinkled in disgust.
“Ha!” I said. “You freaking gangster. Don’t like the taste of trow brains, eh? I wouldn’t either.” I looked back to the gunsinger, noting that he had already reholstered his guns and was now brushing his waistcoat with careful hands.
“I’m sorry,” Alysand said. “We are compromised for sure now. Every malevolent creature in this blasted hillside has heard us, and it is my fault. I’m…”
“Callete la boca! You saved my life. Thank you, Alysand.” I walked over to him, and despite his obnoxiously precise manners and perfectly tailored suit, I hugged the man.
I heard Hana laugh as I released the poor man. “You shut up, too. That isn’t funny, and you can tell princess feathers over there to watch it or I’ll sic Tejón on her.”
“Pachi!” Hana said, staring in shock at her pet. “Watch your mouth.”
It was my time to laugh, and we took a minute to collect ourselves.
Alysand spoke first. “I say we hurry up from here. No doubt a reactionary force is being assembled as we speak. The sooner we begin eliminating whatever opposition we may fight down here, the better.”
Our jerky buff was wearing off, so we all ate a bit more of the dried bear meat and drank more water. Then, with me in the lead, we headed down into the dark tunnel.
It felt like an hour passed as we trudged deeper and deeper into the mine. Several empty rooms met us, some with fresh evidence that they had previously been occupied. It wasn’t a good sign.
The tunnel finally leveled out and began to widen. An orange light flickered ahead, brighter than any other we had seen so far. I stopped for a moment and recast my buffs.
“Alysand, how about that Bullet Blessed? It’s a savage skill. We might need the extra Stamina and Dexterity.”
“It can only be activated once a day. I think it wise to wait until we need it most.”
I nodded and stepped out into the cavern.
A deep voice echoed off the excavated walls, startling me. “Greetings, friends. We’ve been waiting for you to arrive. It isn’t polite to keep your host waiting, you know?”
The chamber was the largest yet, an amphitheater of a cavern, with huge torches burning along the wall. To one side, a line of miners continued to shuffle out a side passageway, a few of the ratkin lord guards prodding them with spears. In the center of the chamber stood a huge ratkin with bright steel armor on his chest and shoulders. He held a halberd that shone in the fire of the torches. I inspected the leader and was not surprised to see he was a named mob.
Foreman Shezkal: Elite Ratkin
Level 26
HP: 9633/9633
Abilities: ?
The ratkin continued his rant, saying, “You killed some of my friends, though, so I am not feeling generous. I think we’ll kill you. And, oh, you’ve brought us bear? So tasty. I really should thank you.” He smiled at those who stood with him—a dozen twisted trow and six ratkin guards. The leader opened his mouth to keep talking, but I just couldn’t take any more.
I interrupted him, watching with satisfaction as the creature’s smirk disappeared. “Usually people talk a lot when they are scared crapless. How about, let’s fight already.”
He slammed a visor down over his face and jabbed his huge polearm in the air. “You heard the girl. She wants to fight. Attack!”
The trow
