Stürm and the band of adventurers he'd picked out from the rabble were just about to set off as Lieze and Drayya returned. Spectators had arrived on the busy street to observe the so-called hero departing to slay a beast that normally existed beyond the scope of mortal men. Lieze's scale reacted as soon as the man entered her field of view.
New Quest Received!
'Hero Killer' - Kill Amadeus Cronley
Reward - 3,400xp
She'd been hoping for a grand reward to weigh out the risks of her plot. 3,400xp was quite the princely sum. Not to mention the observations she'd be making during the battle itself. If she and Drayya played their cards right, the two of them would be walking away from the hunt with quite the number of boons.
"There she is." Stürm unfurled his arms as Lieze approached, "Fancied a walk before our hunt, did you? I'd have liked to think you were taking this seriously."
"You've got quite the tongue on you." Lieze couldn't help but let her frustration show, "If you must know, the two of us were gathering medicinal herbs for the treatment of any inevitable mortal injuries."
"Spare me your talk of alchemy and herbology. I don't trust the hands of a so-called 'healer' to aid me in a battle. Magic is the way to go. Why, I'd wager Seraphi here has saved more lives with her magic than any stubborn fundamentalist."
His arm went out to gesture towards a companion of his. Two were seated with him at the table when Lieze began her negotiations earlier, but they seemed to have been beaten into emotional submission by Stürm's arrogance. The girl to his left didn't have much of an expression at all.
Noel Seraphi
Level 20 Restorator
HP - 110/110 MP - 810/810
BODY - 1 MIND - 15 SOUL - 5
-And the fellow to his right lacked one in a more literal sense. The suit of pearlescent armour encasing his body almost looked like it couldn't be taken off.
Dendrin Louanbona
Level 22 Defender
HP - 5,240/5,240 MP - 0/0
BODY - 22 MIND - 0 SOUL - 0
"Hello." Noel introduced herself with a polite but reserved bow, "My name is Noel."
A beat passed. The giant in the armour--Louanbona--didn't make a sound.
"This great lug has never spoken a word. Pay him no mind." Stürm said, "What he lacks in courtesy, however, he more than makes up for in tenacity. He is a Strider, from the Wildlands. Large people. Very large. And very hairy. Not very talkative, though."
There was a surprising amount of humility in his tone. Noel and Louanbona were no mere mercenaries he'd purchased to take down the Drake. They were his comrades. Something very proud and noble worked up from Stürm's diaphragm when he spoke of them.
"But what good are spoken introductions? As ever, our ideals are best expressed through deadly combat." He continued, "It will take a few hours to reach the Haloin Downs. In that time, I expect everyone here to memorise our plan of attack down to the letter."
The enthusiasm of Stürm's chosen warriors was evident in their cheers. Whether gold or glory, each and every one of them certainly had a reason to fight. Lieze took the opportunity to get an idea of their individual strengths. Her dismantling eyes led her to the conclusion that she was looking at an average level of around [16] for the entire group, with some outliers here and there. Even with 130 thralls, it would be quite the challenge murdering every last one. And she would need to murder every last one. If a single combatant escaped, her days as a respectable citizen would be over.
Ricta's tin soldiers gave a respectful salute as Stürm marched the party through the northern gates. Their paces were purposeful and foreboding. Few could be convinced that the Drake would perish without taking a few lives for itself, but that danger was precisely what some of those warriors sought. Death was but an inconvenience to those with the wealth to afford the Church's resurrection services. A miniscule but privileged minority. One that spat on the ideals of the Order with reckless abandon.
The plan was thus: Stürm, Noel and Louanbona would engage the Drake from the front. 2 of the guild's most powerful fighters would remain at their flank and step forward to replace any wounded combatants. The remaining 5 members of the group--including Lieze and Drayya--would encircle the Drake's flank and divide its attention while ensuring it wouldn't be able to retreat. The plan's success hinged on Stürm and Louanbona's strength, of which the twin warriors were confident would be more than enough.
A fine surveyor would have been able to tell the moment at which the group crossed from the Sovereign Lowlands into the Haloin Downs. From Lieze's perspective, it all appeared much the same. Her youth had been nothing but bogs and dry, splitting wastelands. She had more than enough to occupy herself with on the journey, however. Namely, ascertaining the weaknesses of the group she would be attempting to exterminate.
There was no reason to consider Stürm. If nothing else, he was a man of strict ideals. Upon the advent of Lieze's betrayal, he would be the one to rally against her. Noel and Louanbona were quiet, but they tolerated their arrogant leader. Perhaps even respected him. Noel would most likely be the first target. She was fragile and a powerful healer. On the other hand, Louanbona would still be standing long after his comrades were dead. With how much he was slowing down the group in that massive suit of armour, evading him would be no challenge.
Drayya didn't convene with Lieze to discuss their plan of attack. It was understandable. She didn't want to seem suspicious. It was a crucial moment of trust between the two of them, relying on one-another to arrive at the same conclusions despite never sharing a word along the way.
The Drake's roost wasn't particularly hidden. A comfort enjoyed by all apex predators was that they were never expected to hide themselves away from the world. No beast of the forest would ever be foolish enough to intrude upon the territory of such a powerful creature. Humans and their ilk, on the other hand, often proved too curious for their own good.
"...Stop here." In an unremarkable stretch of woodland, Stürm brought their march to a halt, "Any closer and we risk being the victims of a surprise attack. From this moment onward, act as if blood could be spilled at any moment."
No. Stürm did have a weakness. His single-minded devotion to the hunt was drawing his attention away from everything else. An undead ambush would be the last thing he would expect while running his blade through a Drake. That crucial moment of weakness would be one of the battle's decisive moments. Lieze couldn't afford to let it go to waste.
In readied silence, they proceeded towards the clearing in which the Drake had settled. A twisting bundle of sticks and soil sprouted from the earth like a flower of mud. From the chalice-like nest emerged a draconic skull as the group wandered fearlessly into the beast's territory. A forked tongue spindled lazily from the half-wyrm's crooked jaw, intrigued by the band of intruders.
Red Drake
Level 41 Dragonkin
HP - 9,915/9,915 MP - 774/774
BODY - 31 MIND - 9 SOUL - 1
Stürm unsheathed his longsword while taking in a breath. His speech would have been impassioned and awe-inspiring, but whatever heroics he had planned on expounding were snuffed out by the deafening beats of crimson wings. Dragonfire lapped greedily at the beast's mouth. Even someone so repulsed by life as Lieze could appreciate the Drake's natural ability of intimidation.
"Fear not the Dragon's fire!" Stürm's voice was crushed beneath the waves of air rushing towards him. Blades of grass took flight, "Charge!"
There was a resounding--and somewhat dependable--roar of delight from his comrades. Before Lieze had any time to think, the Drake leaped from its perch, and the battle had begun.
"Lieze!" Rushing to the girl's side, Drayya couldn't hide the apprehensive look on her face, "I know we never discussed this, but do try to… you know- stay alive."
"There's no need to worry!" Lieze replied, "It can't afford to waste time on weaker members of the party! We just have to hope that Marché will choose the best moment to appear!"
"Don't take that as an excuse to act the hero, now." Drayya warned, "I'm sure you're aware that burning to death isn't the most pleasurable way to go."
There was no more time for words. The two of them separated knowing full-well that bundling together would only create a more pleasing target. Thankfully, as secondary members of the group, they had the privilege of sticking to the Drake's behind, where a handful of once-valiant warriors were struggling to comprehend the beast in front of them.
Technique Observed (+11%)
Noel's focus--an oaken staff tipped with a blue crystal--flickered with arcane light. Particles of snow were expelled from the stave towards Stürm's sword, enveloping the blade with frost. Her incantations were practised. It was a ritual she'd repeated on a ridiculous number of occasions. Without skipping a beat, Stürm launched forward, planting a foot into the soil while thrusting his weapon towards the Drake's neck, paring crimson scales as it sank greedily into the flesh beneath.
Drake's HP - 9,544/9,915
Crystals of ice coalesced and shattered where the blade made contact.
Drake's HP - 9,313/9,915
Stürm withdrew the blade and returned to a fighting stance with incredible speed. Before a word could be spoken, Louanbona moved forward to occupy the same space, wielding an oversized battle-axe with both hands. He struck downwards as the Drake recoiled from the previous blow, cleaving toe and talon cleanly from a defenceless foreleg.
Drake's HP - 9,008/9,915
The Dragonkin seemed unfazed by the assault. Boiling saliva dripped from its gums as embers crackled in the air. Louanbona raised his axe in a fruitless attempt to shield himself from harm, knowing full-well he didn't have a chance of dodging. As it turned out, both Stürm and Noel had also underestimated the Drake's fire, with only the latter able to make way as a sea of flames escaped from the beast's gullet, indiscriminately burning anything unlucky enough to be directly in front of it.
Stürm's HP - 1,968/3,001
Louanbona's HP - 4,507/5,240
It was a miracle they'd survived at all. Lieze couldn't help but be impressed by their sheer tenacity. An attack like that would have reduced her to ashes. She was beginning to understand Drayya's enthusiasm regarding their suitability as thralls, but it was becoming more apparent by the second that putting them down would be slightly more trouble than either of them had anticipated.
"Ah…" Stürm tightened his grip. He didn't attempt to hide the expression of excruciating pain on his face, "Noel!"
Technique Observed (+10%)
Without hesitation, Noel incanted yet another spell. An azure mist began to spread from her focus, quickly enveloping the three adventurers. It was a particularly high-level restoration spell, no doubt earned through exhaustive studying on Noel's part. The effects were apparent immediately as Stürm's breathing began to settle.
Noel's MP - 160/810
Stürm's HP - 3,001/3,001
Louanbona's HP - 5,240/5,240
"She doesn't have another one of those in her." Lieze observed, giving the Drake's lashing tail a wide berth, "Wait, no… what's that on her hip?"
Moving around to catch glimpses of the mage, Lieze spotted a flask of cerulean liquid dangling precariously from Noel's waist.
"A mana potion?" She wondered, "I can't allow her to use that…"
A careful balance needed to be struck in order to ensure Lieze's victory. Stürm and his comrades had to inflict enough damage to the Drake that it could conceivably be finished off by the undead ambush. But if the hunt was too successful, there would be no guarantee that Lieze's forces would be able to defeat the wounded party. She would have to count on Marché's intuition to attack at the right moment.
"Alright…" Lieze swallowed a breath, "It's time for some sabotage…"