HP:
180
Mana:
160
“Shade, can you cut one of his hoses? They have metal covering them, but it should be brittle enough for you to break it open.”
“I might be able to, but I’d need him to stop running long enough to line up an accurate shot. His movements make a precision strike like that almost impossible.”
The rogue dropped low and slid under a swing from the machine before popping back to his feet. Atlas turned the corner and bolted across the room in a diagonal pattern.
“If I can stop him, can you do it?” Atlas asked.
“Yep. Don’t get yourself killed trying, though.”
“Well, this is going to hurt one way or another. I can’t keep running like this. My stamina won’t last forever.”
Atlas kicked in a burst of speed to gain a little distance on the guardian. When he thought he might have enough distance, he came to a halt and spun to face the machine. He cast Entangle and his hands wove in a quick pattern, but it wasn’t fast enough.
A fist connected with his chest right as the last motion released the spell. Atlas fell backward and rolled away as pain erupted in his chest. He was relatively sure it broke at least one rib from the attack. His vision flashed red, and he noticed he only had 15 HP left.
He fished in his bag and pulled out a health potion. Popping the cork off, he drank it down in one quick gulp. The liquid slid down his throat and its magic took over almost instantly. Two bones moved in his chest and he felt a soft pop as they returned to the correct place. The pain quickly subsided, and he jumped to his feet.
It didn’t quite top him off, but brought him back to a respectable 140 HP. A grunt of pain drew his attention. Glancing at the guardian showed Shade bringing his blade up and into the armpit of the machine. The knife bit deep into the tube and black sludge ran down the creature’s side. The contraption swatted the rogue away, and he landed in a heap, holding his shoulder.
“I have to get close enough to light that stuff on fire, preferably without him killing me. Any ideas on how to immobilize him?” Atlas asked.
“Don’t have enough health to keep him occupied for long. He also seems solely focused on you since you have threat.”
“Not my fault he’s only vulnerable to magic and the elements.”
“The valiant Carhein to the rescue!” the warrior bellowed as he glowed with a red haze. His speed increased, and he held his one remaining axe with both hands as he chopped away at the guardian like a lumberjack felling a tree.
“I’ll help,” Shade called and then he appeared behind the machine in a flash. His form blurred as he constantly vanished and reappeared with double bladed strikes each time. His pattern was random and erratic as he jumped from spot to spot near the back of the machine.
Small punctures and dents appeared as they smashed attack after attack into the metal armor. Its steps caught on damaged pieces of its armor as it moved, causing it to stumble and work to regain its balance. Completely stopping the thing seemed out of the question. All of them were already low on health and trying to light the guardian on fire was as likely to wipe the entire party out right now as anything else. Atlas tried his new big ability. He cast Tranquil Fountain.
The movements were broad and sweeping as his mana gathered in front of him. A final few twirls of his hand and a small pedestal the size of a bird bath formed, made of golden energy. Rays of light extended out and connected with each of his party members.
You healed FaceStomper55 for 43 HP with Tranquil Fountain.
You healed Carhein for 43 HP with Tranquil Fountain.
You healed Shade for 43 HP with Tranquil Fountain.
You healed Yourself for 43 HP with Tranquil Fountain.
Atlas continued to concentrate on the spell, and everyone’s health ticked up at an incredible rate. Restoring 43 HP a second on each person was a bit overpowered, but it had the downside of him now being immobile.
OH SHIT continued its trek toward Atlas while still randomly swinging at his party members who ventured too close. Atlas concentrated on the spell. A big dip in Stomper and Shade’s health told him the machine hit both again. The spell quickly restored them as he focused on keeping it going.
Atlas hoped his party members could finish the guardian after his death. The machine was only a handful of steps away, and if he dropped the spell, they wouldn’t last much longer. As the machine loomed in front of him, he closed his eyes in anticipation of the end.
A loud metal clang sounded through the room, and a grunt followed. Atlas opened his eyes to see Carhein standing between himself and the golem, his body glowing slightly with red light. His axe was buried in the machine’s chest and its green eyes were now focused entirely on the fighter.
It reached forward and grabbed Carhein by the neck.
The warrior turned toward Atlas, his face turning a dark shade of red as the guardian squeezed tighter. Without a word, he raised his hand and gave him a thumbs up.
“You’ll die if I light it on fire now.”
“Carhein the Mighty… has no fear… of death… do it.”
Atlas saw Carhein’s health drop faster than his spell could heal, so he quickly dropped it, ducked under its arm, and slid to its side. He used his Basic Firestarter spell and the leaking fluid caught fire.
Flames spread quickly as all the exposed liquid burned. Hissing filled the air as fire burst from the different tubes all over the guardian’s body.
A minor explosion rocked the space and Atlas tumbled away. He rolled to a stop and saw his health flashing red and burned spots on his leather. It also caught Carhein
