“Of course.” White rose from his throne with a stretch, and strode over to the window. Rain slicked the keep and the cobblestone streets below. Not a single figure moved. “I have animated every last citizen, save shopkeepers, and they are ready. We can take them all. Nine crack legions of wights.”
“Wow.” Nutpuncher hopped up on the window sill to get a look. “Looks like I definitely joined the right side. All right, here’s the deal. The sky rock is inside Mount Dhuuum, in the lowest level, past the maze.”
The moment the gnome gave him the location White sucked in a deep breath and intoned the words to a potent scrying spell. “Tumultus Secretum!”
A shimmering window in the air appeared that revealed a rocky room bathed in a volcanic glow. That glow paled compared to the green fire of the blazing sky rock. White approached the scrying spell, and extended a hand even though he knew he couldn’t touch the strange rock. “I must have it….”
Beside him he realized both Crushstuff and Nutpuncher had also risen and were facing the scrying spell. Their covetous eyes had fixed upon the sky rock, which had been emblazoned with numbers on each of its twenty sides.
The object tickled something in the back of his mind. It was maddeningly familiar, and he sensed that obtaining it, and obtaining it quickly, was of paramount importance.
White stroked his goatee and considered his options. The Dark Lord Bert would have a small but capable army of monsters. White’s legions would crush them, and even were that not the case he himself could destroy anything Bert had arrayed against him.
“I believe,” White decided aloud, “that based on your reaction neither of you can be trusted to retrieve the sky rock. I will set out with my legions, and bring it back here for further study.” White hesitated, and then forced himself to consider his companions. “We will examine it together, and can decide what to do with it as a group.”
The anger faded in both their gazes, but the lust and greed remained. It was a good thing White had no intention of keeping his word.
“Oh, and one more thing.” White turned back to Nutpuncher. He narrowed his eyes, which activated a spell-like ability. An aura of truth burst out around him, compelling everyone but him to speak no false word. “Nutpuncher, are you still working with Kit?”
“Yes.” The gnome blinked down at himself in surprise. “Oh, crap.”
“Ah, so you plan to betray me.” White turned to the ogre. “Deal with him, Crushstuff. I will fetch the sky rock, and when I return we will share it.”
The ogre smiled cruelly down at the little gnome as he eased his axe from its leather sheathe. “Sure, White. I don’t much like traitors. I’ll take care of the gnome.”
White turned from the fight, and assumed Crushstuff had the situation well in hand. There was no way the gnome could win. Not after the upgrades he’d given the ogre.
But if the gnome somehow prevailed? Well, then White would deal with the traitor upon his return. For now he had a sky rock to obtain.
White didn’t know what that rock did, but he knew it was meant for him, and him alone. That rock was his destiny, and he would have it, along with Bert’s head.
28
Player Kill
Crushstuff turned toward the tiny gnome, and raised his axe in a defensive position. He didn’t hesitate because Nutpuncher was his friend. Quite the opposite. He hesitated because he knew his friend, and knew him well. The gnome would be agile, and nearly impossible to hit. But if Crushstuff managed it the gnome would likely die in one shot.
The logical thing for the gnome to do would be overwhelming offense, as he’d have to whittle down the ogre’s hit points. All of the gnome’s attacks would land, but Crushstuff’s damage reduction would blunt the gnome’s already weak punches
So why hadn’t he attacked?
“Are we really going to do this?” Nutpuncher backed slowly away, though the monk did dance on the balls of his feet, ready to defend himself if needed. “We’ve been friends a long time. And White will turn on you sooner or later.”
“Why do you think that?” Crushstuff lunged and attempted a low slash, but the gnome hopped over the blade, and danced nimbly out of reach. “He’s only turning on you because you betrayed him.”
“Because he turned me to stone, remember?” Nutpuncher circled the edge of the room. He still hadn’t attacked. Was he trying to lull Crushstuff into a mistake? “He wants to win, and he doesn’t share. You’re only around as long as you’re useful.”
The ogre roared and charged, maybe because the gnome was right. His axe slammed into the stone between the gnome’s legs, as the monk flipped out of the way at the last moment.
“Can’t dodge forever.” Crushstuff interposed himself between the monk and the wider portion of the room. He needed to limit his opponent’s mobility. “And all I have to do is connect once. If I get sixteen plus to hit you’re done, scrub.”
“And then what?” The gnome rolled away from another slash. “Let’s say you kill me.”
“Then what?” Crushstuff blinked in confusion, and hesitated. “Then I get tenth level from killing you, and I level up. What do you mean ‘then what?’”
“You saw the sky rock.” Nutpuncher flipped atop the axe blade, then kicked off to land on a bookshelf against the far rock. “White won’t share it. He won’t let you have it, or a say in what happens to it. At best you get scraps of power. You’re a pet. Nothing more. I was content to be a pet, but when your ‘master’ is cruel…it’s not a lot of fun. Trust me, sooner or later White will expend you too. Besides…we’re friends man. I don’t want to hurt you.”
The gnome eyed him searchingly, and Crushstuff lowered his axe. Nutpuncher smiled and they shared a moment.
“See, here’s the thing, man,”
