I glanced at Eileen’s profile and saw that she was still an elf, which meant Mogwai was the only legate there. This wasn’t the first time he and I had been in direct conflict. We’d studied each other well. In cases like these, nobody usually wasted time checking out the opponent and developing a strategy, but our confrontation was unique: each time we encountered each other, one of us had changed, reshuffling the deck.
This time our situations had switched again. I was no longer part of the Destroying Plague and had lost my rank of legate and Immortality — which is what Mogwai was relying on in organizing an ambush. But that hadn’t helped him at Kharinza, so what did he hope to achieve now?
Eileen answered my unvoiced question:
“The exit from the basement is blocked! All teleportation too. Only I can lift the block. Both of you keep that in mind…”
Chapter 3. Innoruuk’s Punishing Hands
JUDGING BY THE BEHAVIOR of the Widowmakers’ leader, she wasn’t overjoyed to be teaming up with Mogwai, but a common enemy united them. What had the Supreme Legate promised her to make her go up against the bungling Goblin League again? Participation in banishing the Threat? Legate status?
The supreme legate’s initial excitement from the successful ambush had passed and the panther’s face now bore an expression of disgusted indifference, but even still, his strong emotions flashed through: he was celebrating.
“Before I grind you into the floor, I want to tell you something,” Mogwai said.
His voice had changed, but not just because of panther form. Mogwai hissed and growled deep due to changes in his rotting vocal chords. Mr. Xiaoguang had shown before that he was a reliable source of information, and attacking first was disadvantageous for me due to the mechanics of Justice, so I let him finish.
“Your ex gave you up!” the Supreme Legate told me, mockery in his voice. “Apparently, Liam was better in bed… Oh, sorry, I forgot you didn’t even get the chance to crack that safe, ha-ha!” The panther’s laughter sounded like a cat trying to cough up a furball.
It wasn’t hard to see he was trying to rile me up. But even knowing that, it was hard to keep my cool. He achieved his goal, but I showed no weakness.
“Enough talk, Mogwai!” Eileen spat, her voice filled with anger. “Prove you’re not a rotting worm-filled coward and take him out!”
“You’re in no position to give me orders, future legate!”
“Hey, does this mean you two are like, together?” I asked. “Do your masters the Gallaghers know that you serve Xiaoguang now, huh, Waters?”
I deliberately used their surnames instead of game nicks, to make it clear that I meant real-life subjugation, not just virtual. In addition, I wanted to play on any potential disagreements between them: both were leaders by nature. It was clear by Eileen’s tone that she didn’t like working with Mogwai.
“Fuck off, kid,” Eileen spat. “Maybe you should keep your nose out of your elders’ business.”
Mogwai glanced at her and the elf girl shut up. Turning back to me, the druid snarled:
“I can get into that hole you’re hiding in like a stinking rat any time I like!”
“Sorry, I’m no expert on bugs, Fen. I’ve never seen one in my life.”
“That’s because you are a bug, but still, use what little brains you have, Scyth: why are you here, and not there? What stopped me from capturing your island and destroying the last temple of the Sleepers? Think, Sheppard, think…”
As he finished speaking, he tried and failed to take control of me with Subjugate Mind. That had already failed before, but he was trying all the abilities he had — what if it worked? Liberation protected me from the first attack, Sleeping Justice doubled my stats and Equanimity activated, giving me seconds of invulnerability at the start of the battle.
At that moment, I finally realized: I couldn’t kill him with Reflection or Vengeance, or my fists. However, my insanely high damage would give him endless plague energy. If Eileen wasn’t lying, then I couldn’t get out, and that meant the Supreme Legate had all the time in the world to eliminate the Threat. Plague attacks ignore armor and defensive skills, including Resilience, which resists all other types of damage.
These thoughts slipped along the edge of consciousness and I began to act out of habit and instinct: Ghastly Howl, as expected, failed to scare the undead, but hit Eileen, sending her running down the tunnel in Fear; I sent a Lethargy at her back, but it failed, blocked by an amulet the elf girl wore; above me, a chain of Spirit Shackles unfurled invisibly; I fired Sharkon’s Mane charged with Vindication at Mogwai; one after another, Iggy, Crusher and the Montosaurus emerged from their pocket dimensions… And then a hiccup:
You cannot summon Storm the Storm Dragon in an enclosed space. Pet is too large.
You cannot summon Sharkon the Underground Terror in an enclosed space. Pet is too large.
The Montosaurus, thanks to Behemoth’s preventive measure, only just managed to fit into the stone tunnel. The sharp mane on the beast god’s spine knocked chips off the low ceiling. Iggy’s wings brushed the walls as he tried to take flight. Crusher was stuck between the dinosaur and the needler, roaring and snarling and trying to get out. My pets completely blocked my enemies from view. The wolf and the needler were useless there, so I recalled them both.
An earsplitting roar echoed through the basement — the Montosaurus had entered combat and was beginning to grow. The ancient divine magic and
