Rueben Frost

The constant forks in the road were a cause of frustration for the Sixty, but to Rueben it was thrilling. He had never felt more useful since awakening in the Pit. The sense of being superfluous was gone. His mind no longer turned and twisted to create missions in the pursuit of purpose. A sense of competency exuded from the scout as he dove into the duty. An opportunity was shining down on him. It was all because the integrity of their straight shot was dissolving the further upwards they headed.

There is nothing like feeling useful, decided Rueben. Maybe Clarrisa will stop referencing my “stealth poop missions.” … Nah, no way that’s gonna happen. She’s the devil. The thought didn’t harm his smile any.

It started slow. At first, they asked him only for cursory looks. A short push to see if there was anything to help pick out the best route. Despite the precaution, the raid group was forced to backtrack twice. Grumbles rose each time they had to trek downwards to head back up the other route. After that, Malachi asked Rueben to make deeper trips. To the scout, it was a pleasure to stretch his atrophied skills. He had been quite adept at pathfinding.

The porous tunnels weren't the same as the wild terrains he was used to, but his long experience as a scout still applied. It was enough to help him adjust. He slipped into the shadows of a tunnel, leaving the Sixty behind to wait at the fork. Reuben brought his protegees this time. Just a few who had shown an inclination for his kind of work. They showed a talent for observation and quiet. Coming along with him were Porsha and Francisco, who followed in his footsteps in melee-focused stealth. Backing up the three of them was a shifty-eyed acolyte named Analia and a silent archer called Amiyah. Their ranged support was much appreciated.

Even with those numbers on his side, Reuben wasn’t taking a chance. Relaxed guards in dangerous places got people killed. These tunnels were definitely on the scout’s list of dangerous places. That is why the companions he took all had a stealth capability. The two melee fighters and the archer all had a Form like him that eased them into the background. The acolyte had a (mildly nauseating to watch) spell to conceal her in literal darkness. To top it off, all of them were in leather armor over gambesons. The acolyte’s armor was different in that it was a hooded robe augmented by tightly strapped leather pieces.

Thus shrouded, the scouting team moved up the tunnel. They huddled to the left side with Porsha watching their rear. Daggers out, Francisco watched the closest pits. Analia and Amiyah held the middle while keeping an eye on the right. Slowly, in step, Reuben led them upwards. The lighting of the upper tunnels changed as well. The phosphorus flora became scarce, there were only thick meadows of it in alcoves and at the ends of tunnels. Instead, very dim light emanated from thread-thick veins of blue material. Just enough light to create shadows. The scout had taken a closer look, but he still wasn’t sure if it was organic or inorganic.

Mana softened the pats of their footsteps, but they were loud in Rueben’s ears. The eyes of the party swiveled to scan the shadows. In his head, Reuben counted out steps. Six hundred steps was how far they were to go. To the scout’s surprise, Malachi had counted the steps out from each fork. Five to seven hundred steps had been the distance to both the dead ends and the next fork. At the mark, the scouting group would, in theory, know which path was the correct one. He had been impressed by the plan. More so that their chosen leader would think to count steps at all. When asked why the bearded man shrugged and said it was just a habit.

His counting was disturbed when a soft voice called out to him. Reuben paused and turned to Amiyah, her bow readied. Following the woman’s line of sight, and the arrow’s tip, he settled on their concern. A rotten rat’s head emerged out of the shadows of a hole. Pale green eyes scanned the tunnel. With a stuttering slowness, that reminded him of a sloth, a sickly thin paw settled to the tunnel floor. The Ratsin crawled silently out into the open as it looked for something it couldn’t see. The snuffling echoed loudly in their ears.

The scouting group looked to Rueben for what to do. He quickly scanned the other holes for any sign of other monsters. It didn’t know where they were, but the random shifts were getting it closer anyway. Suppressing a sigh, then a growl too, he signed to the others. Prepare, Silent Attack, Quick and Over, Run If More. All four nodded back and three limbered up. Their archer never shifted, just waited for the signal. Porsha and Francisco moved to either side, blades steady. Darkness collected around the hands of Analia as she whispered to herself. When the monster shuffled awkwardly close, Reuben’s hand came down.

The arrow flew and took out an eye. A Clarissa Special. Before the Ratsin could do more than open its mouth, another arrow took the other. A sharp, strangled cry began before a fountain of black energy surged into the open mouth. It acted like water, forcing itself down the gullet, but also splashing around as it overwhelmed the space. Pouring around the head of the beast to keep moving forward. The passing of the darkness left trails of freeze-dried skin.

The blade wielders came next. Two figures charged silently under the cover of the ranged attacks. Francisco gouged into the stomach while Porcha hamstrung the forelegs. Next, they switched it up, the blonde woman went for the soft spot, throat-slitting, while the man with dark hair hamstrung the hindlegs. The Ratsin collapsed, a gurgling moan as it did.

Rueben came in last, ready with the finishing blow. With his share of the cores, the scout had purchased a mace to add to his belt. The fanged weapon shined in the blue light of the tunnel. Swords aren't the only way to deal with pests, thought Rueben as his mace came down on the disabled monster. The skull shattered and spilled all its nauseating secrets. He took one look at the tumorous growths before staring down the holes in the wall.

The scouting group reformed around Rueben as the Ratsin powdered. All eyes turned outwards. Waiting to see if anything would come. The silence remained. There was only the rumble that echoed from further up. Deciding they were good, he turned inwards to find the number carved there. Three hundred and thirty-seven. Still, a ways to go, thought the scout. To the others, he signaled for them to continue upwards. We still have a fork to confirm.

Damian Franklin

The obsidian acolyte looked down at the crystal in his hand. One of his rare smiles formed, small but genuine. Blue light glowed from the fist-sized stone. It had been found in the flora garden at the first dead-end. More were found shortly. The alcoves off the main route and the second dead-end had their own formations. Damian was happy to pilfer them at every opportunity. He wasn’t sure how yet, but an instinct told him they could be very useful.

Turns out finding them wasn’t hard. It was just a matter of if there were any forming. Delicate structures assembled themselves in bowl-like depressions in patches of the phosphorus fungi. Damian theorized that the azure ooze would collect there when the Ratsins feed. The monsters feed on the mushrooms and moss because they are rich in Mana, thought Damian. Very sloppy and juicy eating. A lot of liquid splashes to the floor. The organic components rot away and leave the liquid Mana behind. “Mana attracts Mana and easily reacts in concert.” That is how spells work and why these crystals must form. The Mana draws itself together and becomes solid. This is crystalized Mana.

He had been giddy at the discovery and the following realization. Unfortunately, how to use it was still a mystery. Several experiments were tried. Pulling Mana from it, casting Mana through it like his staff, and anything he could think of. The crystal had stayed inert. Though it hadn't been entirely fruitless work. His unique vision had glimpsed one aspect. The crystals glowed blue, but weren't actually blue. What came out was less light shining through something blue, but instead something like radiation.

Also, Damian had been taught that Mana could have color. In this case, the Mana was blue. Some might think that a small discovery, noted the obsidian acolyte. But, it has been made clear that perspective strongly affects Mana. We see what makes sense to us. This blue light is a physical manifestation. Entirely different and intriguing story.

How to use it was frustratingly difficult. Reaching for the Mana was like trying to grasp the wind. He could feel it, but gaining a grip was impossible. Casting through it was equally pointless. Using the staff there was a sensation to it. An effort to thread the thought and Mana through it. The payoff being a more focused spell. While Damian believed it was more of a mental aid than anything else, there was a noticeable interaction. Using the crystal was like pushing at the air. It is as if the Mana in the crystal is out of phase, he grumbled to himself.

The light of an idea bloomed in his head. Immediately the obsidian acolyte slapped his head while crying out, “Of course!” Several people turned to shush him, but it didn’t matter. The Mana has already been harmonized! decreed Damian. To interact with Mana you have to do so on the same frequency.

He brought one of the crystals up to his chest and formed a Mana bubble as if preparing for a spell. His personal Mana diffused into the surroundings to bring it under his control. Knowing what to expect this time, Damian zeroed in on the small opposing field within his own. Violet Mana pooled around the crystal’s field. He prepared his Mana and laid down the pressure. Across the barrier, he felt the nature of the azure Mana. Hunger, Madness, and Corruption were the biggest impressions that came over. It was not a friendly essence.

Carefully, Damian pushed his Mana inside and let his Heartsong sing to it. There was a struggle and he had to fall deeper into meditation. The outside world fell away. The obsidian acolyte didn’t even concern himself with whether or not he kept pace with everyone. His focus was absolutely needed. The azure Mana resisted, so he pushed. It lashed out, but violet Mana was already ready for it. The effort only led to bleeding strength. When the obsidian acolyte was aware of the world again, the crystal was violet.

I need to test this, thought Damian excitedly. He darted towards the front of the raid group. Dodging through people with ease. He had chosen to stick entirely to the wizard aesthetic rather than add more than a leather breastplate under his robe. Once there, he called out, “Julia Sarcos, are there are Ratsins near?”

“Uh, not at the moment, Damian,” replied Julia. “Please keep your voice down, I’d rather not risk another swarm.”

“Mmm, yes… that would be annoying,” said Damian trying to sound convincing. By the look on her face, I did not pull it off well, he debated with himself. The short woman frowned at him in what was likely confusion. Or she was hungry. That does not seem as likely, though.

“What’s the commotion up here?” asked Malachi, curiosity and concern tinging his voice. Maybe. Damian was more sure of the bearded man’s mannerisms.

Giving him what was probably a suspicious look, Julia answered with a grumble, “For some reason, Damian was in a hurry to find out if there were any monsters in sight. Being pretty loud about it too.”

“Ahh, my friend, let’s not call out the monstrosities from their holes, please,” affirmed Malachi with a lopsided smile. “Why the rush?”

“It is not that I mean to bring them down on us,” explained the obsidian acolyte. “I simply wish to test out the effect of using a Mana crystal to cast a spell.” He held up the crystal giving off violet light. “Doing so on a target is a preferred use of my Mana. I do not like waste.”

“Huh, wasn’t that blue, or did you find a different one?” question Malachi, his attention now fully on Damian. Even Julia seemed to have lost her irritation as the shieldmaiden considered the crystal.

“I changed it,” announced Damian with pride. “I used harmonization to change the Mana within into my own. Now, it can be used. By me at least. Hmm, I wonder if it is possible to create neutral Mana for anyone to use?”

“Wait, before you go down that rabbit hole,” interjected Malachi quickly. “What do you think this crystal will do exactly?”

“I don’t know,” grinned Damian. “There are several beneficial effects that could apply. Or nothing could happen at all. That latter has been what has mostly happened. I hoping there will be a change.”

“And are there harmful possibilities as well?” interrogated Julia. Her frown had returned. Damian felt like maybe he should be worried, but wasn’t certain why.

“That probability is unlikely,” assured Damian, a little confused. “Most likely it will act as a battery. Though, the method might be a deciding factor. Enhancing effects are on the table as well. I am hoping for that one.”

“Right, well please give us a heads up before you test that,” said Malachi, who strangely, looked worried.

“In case you explode,” stated Julia matter-of-factly.

Offended, Damian replied, “I am not going to explode!”

“We all rather you didn’t,” soothed Malachi. “Even with the buffer lives, I’d rather you didn’t risk it to be honest. Maybe the screens have a book that can confirm it instead.”

“I am fully certain that it will do as I say,” argued Damian.

Before the other two could counter, Clarissa popped her head in. “Hey, loudmouths, we got an enemy ahead.” All three turned to see a Ratsin that looked like it had the plague. Sores oozing and a large mouth that appeared to split all the way through to the neck.

“I think we just got scolded by Clarissa,” blinked Malachi in disbelief. Julia sighed, “Great… she’ll remember this moment forever…”

“Excellent,” whispered the obsidian acolyte. Damian didn’t understand their grief. The only thing he felt was gratitude. He raised the violet crystal before him and recited Starshot. The power and words surged from him to flow through the crystal. Heat rose from the stone in his hand. A dozen spears of violet energy appeared above. Their glass-like forms were jagged and wastefully energy coiled off the surface. With a gesture, the large shards flew forward and tore the monster apart. He barely paid attention beyond making sure the target was killed.

“Well, that was overkill,” commented Julia in shock.

“Hmm?” inquired Damian. His thoughts entirely running off with the new data gleaned from the test. He looked up at the chunks of the Ratsin. “Yes, I suppose so. More importantly, the test was successful!”

“Yeah, it was,” laughed Malachi.

Damian wandered away from the frontline to compile the information and figure out how to use it. There was still inefficiency in the process. It needed to be smoothed out. He looked at the polished wood of his staff, and its lack of sockets. “I am going to need a new staff.”

Warner Papadopoulos

The powdering corpse of a Ratsin laid at his feet when Warner stood up to survey the new fork in their road. There hadn’t been much time to study anything before the battle began. This patch of glowing mushrooms had several gorging monsters waiting for them. They dropped their wretched buffet the moment the Sixty showed up. Worse than that, they had walked in during a raid by the diseased rat things. The mutated creatures teaming up to prey on their muscular cousins. It had been a mess and grueling, but the SIxty knew what they were during.

This fork, though, was a different story. Reuben and his scout team had found the correct route thrice now. Unfortunately, the game had changed again. Instead of the normal two paths upwards, there were three this time. “Fuck, it’s a goddamn trident in the road,” cursed Warner.

Rolling his shoulders, the brawler walked towards where the tunnels branched from the space they were in. The area with the patch of flora was roughly a rounded triangle. The downwards tunnel connected at one point and the three upwards sprung from the opposite broadside. His eyes darted about for signs of danger, but mostly he looked up the gloomy tunnels. To him, they all looked the same and Warner wasn’t sure what to look for either.

“I think we’ll have to split up for this one,” said Malach as the ginger man stepped up to stand next to him.

“Why split up?” frowned Warner. He didn’t much like the idea, but if he could lead his own group. There was merit to that in the brawler’s eyes. “Yeah, it could take twice as long to scout it out, but it only needs to be done once. Then we have maps.”

“That is a good point…” considered Malachi. That was one thing Warner liked about their chosen leader. He always seemed to listen, even to a rival. “My worry though… isn’t the time it takes. Not really. The old marker of six hundred steps isn’t enough. Reuben says it almost doubled at the last fork. On top of that, the monsters are getting smarter and more numerous. The scouting party almost didn’t survive the last run. They tried to sugar coat it for me, but it sounds like it was a very close call.”

“That’s trouble,” grunted Warner. “Whatcha thinkin’? Scouting in force?”

“Basically,” nodded Malachi. “We each follow one of the scouts up the paths. They poke ahead with us following as support that can be called in quickly. If one of the teams finds the next fork, they send a runner.”

“We should set up specific increments to stop at,” suggested Warner. “Make it easier on the runners to catch up and give the scouts time to do their work.”

“I like the sound of that,” agreed Malachi. “We’ll square that with Rueben. I’m thinking it should be you, me, and Phelain to lead the groups.”

Warner brought up a meaty hand to stroke his chin. Slowly, he critiqued the choice, “Phelain, really? Kinda a goofy guy for leadership material...”

“Maybe not the most impressive guy in our first fight, I’ll give you that,” smiled Malachi. “But, he’s come a long way since then. You and Vincent did something very right with him. Think about it for a moment. Plus, who else would you pick? I know Julia wouldn’t want it, nor Molly. Not Vincent’s style at all.”

Warner did think about it and Malachi wasn’t wrong. The aspiring warrior had been growing by leaps and bound. Phelain’s normal party members looked at him whenever something came up. Competence wasn’t in question there. He felt hesitant, but couldn’t think of anyone else better. “Alright, let’s give the guy a command. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Malachi turned to him in horror, “Shit dude, why would you say that? Don’t tempt fate!”

“O’ damn, my bad,” said Warner with raised hands to ward the other man off. “I didn’t realize you were superstitious.”

With a scowl, Malachi explained, “I have worked in the service industry too long not to believe in some stuff. Seen too many shifts punished for saying something just like that. Come on, let’s get everyone organized.”

He watched the other man stalk away and looked back at the tunnels before following. Damn creepy-ass tunnels, thought Warner. No one’s dying today.