The High Priestess stepped out from behind the table and let go of the crescent moon in her hand. Instead of falling, the moon floated in the air a few feet in front of her.
While his counterpart readied herself, The Magician also stepped out from behind the table. The four orbs of light followed, floating in front of him much like the crescent moon did for The High Priestess.
They gave the heroes time to talk amongst themselves.
“Got any ideas?” Peregrine asked. “We handled The Magician relatively easily when it was the three of us.”
Alissa grinned. “Focus on the weakling. We know we can take The Magician, so let’s get him out of the way first. Wendell, you’ll need to pull double duty. Block his attacks, but also do what you can to keep the new girl off our backs. Don’t know what that moon thing is she’s working with, but it looks pretty wicked.”
Wendell tilted his head upward and let out a heavy breath. He shook his hands loose and closed his eyes. “No pressure. Right? Be in two places at once. Not like our lives depend on it. Right?”
“Sorry, man,” Peregrine said, resting his hand on Wendell’s shoulder. “The reality of being a tank, I guess. But I’ve seen you take a beating and keep on trucking. You’ve got this.”
“We got your back, too.” Alissa chose to slug Wendell on the shoulder instead of giving him gentle reassurance. “Alone, we’re fucked. Apes stronger together.”
“Jeez,” Wendell said, shakily. “You’re going to give me IBS. I’ll try my best.”
“We’ve got some healing items left, if we need them.” Peregrine glanced at the bosses. “But something tells me they don’t intend to make us use them.”
“Give ‘em hell,” Alissa yelled, yanking both her swords out of the ground, then sprinting toward the enemy.
Peregrine shook his head, but deep down found Alissa’s ability to dive head first into danger refreshing.
The black orb floating in front of The Magician lit up. He thrust his wand forward and a blast of energy erupted.
Alissa kept running, but slower and slower. Her body hunched and her hair turned gray. She wobbled ahead, using her swords as walking sticks.
Wendell jumped in front of the energy, his shield reflecting the blast back at The Magician. It was quick enough that the boss didn’t counteract, finding himself on the receiving end of rapid aging. His body began to wrinkle and shrivel.
A crescent moon flew from the side, bashing against Wendell’s shield. The wood splintered, leaving his shield in hundreds of shredded pieces. He gasped as he turned toward The High Priestess, who was now hovering in the air.
Peregrine fumbled the jar of Holy ink as he refilled his quill. He managed to shoot a UFO at The High Priestess before she could harm Wendell anymore, simultaneously using Burning Heart to fling a fireball at The Magician.
The Magician ate the fireball full force, dropping his health slightly. As for the High Priestess? Her crescent moon zipped in the way and blocked the UFO, disintegrating the Holy infused spaceship.
In the meantime, Alissa’s age had reverted back to normal. She swung her swords overhead like a windmill on an extremely gusty day, connecting with The Magician, who tried blocking the blades with his forearms which proved to be a painful technique when multiple BLEEDS spilled.
The High Priestess came to the rescue of her partner by first taking Peregrine’s feet out from under him with her moon.
Peregrine hit the ground, stomach first, gasping for breath with his burning lungs.
The moon hit Alissa, knocking her to the ground. She bounced up and caught the object with a sword, swiping it to the side. But the weapon flew right back at her. She brought both her swords up to block it, grunting as she tried to push it away. The clashing of her swords against the moon, which seemed to also be made of metal, spilled a stream of sparks.
Weaponless Wendell did what he could, shoulder ramming The High Priestess. It was enough to budge her and pull her focus away from Alissa. Unfortunately she set her sights on shieldless Wendell.
The Defend class held his own, taking multiple blunt force strikes from the crescent moon. He held his hands up like they were his shield, allowing them to take the punishment. His health bar stayed strong, dropping, but in small increments. He truly was becoming their tank.
Alissa spun around The Magician, running her blades across the backs of his ankles. The boss tried stepping, but collapsed to the ground. An anguished cry escaped his throat.
After hearing the cry, The High Priestess joined her partner’s side. The moon went into the ground, chunks of dirt and grass spraying in the air as it dug in. A moment later, it shot out of the ground behind Wendell and smoked him in the back of the head, causing him to stumble around with a likely concussion.
The High Priestess stood behind The Magician. Her crescent moon, which acted like a shield, placed itself in front of The Magician. The four orbs formed a square around the shield.
A sudden thought spurred in Peregrine’s mind to mimic their stance. He called Alissa and Wendell over, with Wendell up front as their shield, and Peregrine and Alissa behind him for attacking. The bosses gave them time to form up.
“Keep me fed with elixirs,” Wendell said. There was a slight quiver in his voice, but his face looked prepared.
“Pace yourself to what you feel comfortable,” Peregrine said. “We’re right behind you. I’ll start attacking at a distance. Alissa will strike when we’re within range.”
The Magician began casting spells with his wand, each orb lighting up when called upon. Lines and beams of colored energy zapped Wendell, slowing his steady strides. His body shook and he roared with pain. But he didn’t give up. He didn’t turn around. He kept the party moving toward its target. Alissa jammed a bottle of elixir against his lips to keep him healed.
It was at this time Peregrine noticed the trinity knot glowing green on the party’s arms. A surge of confidence coursed through his body. He held up both quills, using them at the same time to hit the bosses with Fire and Holy. The moon shield blocked most of the spells, but a few slipped past, doing minor damage to both enemies.
Once the party was close enough, Alissa leapt high into the air, disappearing into the light fog above. She crashed down in between The Magician and The High Priestess. Spinning in a circle, she sliced away with her high speed and strength, destroying her targets. Instead of killing them, she stepped back.
“What are you doing?” Peregrine yelled.
“I know it’s out of character.” Alissa lowered her swords. “I feel like they’d spare us.”
Each boss had just a sliver of health left. Their chests heaved with labored breaths. Blood dripped profusely from their wounds.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Peregrine disagreed with Alissa’s actions. They should be finishing the job, not giving second chances. A single mistake could cost them.
“You are on the right path, wanderers.” The High Priestess smiled. “Giving compassion to your enemies is a true marker of quality. Magic wielder, you show great promise. Your mind hasn’t yet reached its full potential. But it will, in time. Trust your subconscious. Use it to conjure the right creation for the right time.”
This piqued Peregrine’s curiosity, taking his mind away from killing the bosses. “How do I learn to use my subconscious?”
“You already are,” she replied. “As your level increases, your mind will expand and flow.”
The crescent moon shield floated toward Wendell.
“Shield bearer,” The High Priestess said. “I apologize for the destruction of your device. Accept this replacement from me. You will find it surpasses your old weapon. It becomes one with your body and will move to where you wish it to be. The power inside can be used to physically attack your opponent. You, and your Attack class, will be an overwhelming duo. Use your magic wielder to apply elements to increase its strength.”
Wendell grabbed the shield floating in front of him, turning it over in his hands. “T-thank you. I’m not sure what else to say.”
“You needn’t say anything,” the boss replied. “Just use it to your advantage.”
The Magician took his turn to speak. “The Morrigan undersold your quill. Ink doesn’t always need to be refilled. Running around looking for jars is unnecessary. She told you it was the only way because she wanted to hinder your progress. A funny thing, The Morrigan is. She wants to defeat her sister, yet she sabotages her own creations. As my partner did, I, too, will offer you a new weapon.” He showcased his wand. It was black with a white tip, much like a standard magician’s wand. “Housed inside is a quill, much like those that you possess.” The four balls drifted in front of him. “These appear to be orbs of colored light. But they are enlightened ink that are eternal. Never again will you need to find refills for these four.” He tossed the wand.
Peregrine caught the weapon. It was heavy to hold, like the amount of power inside weighed it down. The four orbs travelled from The Magician to him, placing themselves around his body. Up close the orbs looked like twirling liquid, which was deceiving as they had looked like solid glass from a distance. One thing for certain was that they were bright. He didn’t have to shield his eyes when he looked at them, but he did have to squint.
“Don’t let us down, wanderers,” The Magician said. “Know this … for every boss you defeat, The Morrigan’s level decreases. Her power wanes. This is the reason she hinders her heroes. She knows she will become weaker with the success of her creations. A conundrum she doesn’t know how to overcome.”
“The Morrigan does not know we are helping you,” The High Priestess added. “Her absence blinds her. Not all will assist you, but some will. We are all trapped in a realm controlled by this deity. Understand that others wish to escape, no matter the cost.”
It was hard to believe that these two were sharing this information. They were sworn enemies, created by Macha. Except … they were more than puppets of an evil being. The High Priestess had said they’d been recycled, implying they were once no different than Peregrine. Maybe the entire realm wanted to be freed. To live in peace as they were meant to when they had arrived in the Irenic Realm. Were Peregrine, Alissa, and Wendell the only ones truly capable, and willing, to put an end to it all?
“Thank you for the weapons,” Peregrine said. The wand and shield were more powerful than what they currently possessed. “I don’t know if we can stop The Morrigan. But we’ll try. How do we know what to do next?”
“We are the tarot,” The High Priestess answered. “The bosses are the tarot. Go in order. You will know who to seek next. The Morrigan placed you on The Fool’s journey. All three entities have their own set of guidelines for their matchup.”
“Break the rules,” The Magician said. “Remember you are powerful.”
The High Priestess stepped forward. “Our time for dialogue has come to an end. You must take our lives. Weaken The Morrigan and you will come to match her power. Just … make it quick.”
“What happens to you when you die?” Wendell asked.
“That, we do not know,” The Magician replied. “We will find out, momentarily. Perhaps, we will meet again.”
The heroes regarded one another. Who would finish the task? Who would deliver the killing blow?
“You should be the one,” Peregrine told Alissa. “They’re weak against your physical attacks. It won’t take much for you to finish them.”
Alissa sighed. “Yeah. I know. Been a minute since I wanted to avoid the dirty work spotlight.” She approached the bosses with her swords ready to strike. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” The Magician and The High Priestess said in unison.
Alissa slid her sword across both of their throats. There wasn’t any pageantry or fanfare. It was quiet and quick.
Once the bosses had been slain, the heroes rummaged them. There were six Elixir of Life bottles, two Poison’s Embrace drinks, and a new item called Batten the Armor which gave a temporary immunity to physical attacks. They split the items amongst themselves, with Alissa getting the single crunch bar-ish Batten the Armor.
Peregrine and Wendell checked out their new weapons.
Lunar Phase
Rumored to have been created from a slice of the Moon, this shield is stronger than metal. It defies gravity and travels to its destination by way of your mind. Where you will it, it will go. Its true strength lies in its skill called WANING CRESCENT, allowing it to be used like a battering ram, capable of destroying weaker objects and smashing enemies like kids do to wrestling action figures. Adds +5 to Defend. A generous gift from The High Priestess.
Illusioner
Like a magician’s wand, there is more to this weapon than meets the eye. Hidden inside the dense coating, lies a special quill capable of hosting four spell types at once. Fire, Water, Holy, and Blight are now at your disposal. The Magician discovered these inks and altered them to be everlasting. Never again will you need to dip your pen in the company ink to use any of these four spell types. If you meet him again, be sure to thank him. Adds +7 to Creative.
After taking time to learn about their new weapons, the group checked on their stats, excited to see they had all gone up three levels.
[Peregrine]
[Creative Level 10]
Attack (Strength & Speed & Agility) 10
Defend (Block & Absorb & Withstand) 10
Creative (Magic & Durability & Adaptability) 14 [+7]
Weapon - Illusioner
Weapon Creatives - Fire, Water, Holy, Blight
[Alissa]
[Attack Level 11]
Attack (Strength & Speed & Agility) 15 [+3]
Defend (Block & Absorb & Withstand) 11
Creative (Magic & Durability & Adaptability) 11
Current Equipped Weapon - Crimson Leaker
Weapon Skill - Bleed
[Wendell]
[Defend Level 10]
Attack (Strength & Speed & Agility) 11
Defend (Block & Absorb & Withstand) 15 [+5]
Creative (Magic & Durability & Adaptability) 11
Weapon - Lunar Phase
Weapon Skill - Waning Crescent
Satisfied with what they had accomplished, the trio made camp for the night, setting up the portable cleaning station and starting a fire.
“Where do we go from here?” Wendell asked, soaking in the hot water.
Alissa and Peregrine were seated around the campfire.
“The High Priestess said the bosses were the tarot, and to find them in order. I assume she means the major arcana then, since we’ve encountered her, The Fool, and The Magician.” Peregrine thought hard. “I can’t remember which one comes next, though.”
“The Empress,” Alissa said, throwing a handful of branches on the fire.
“I wouldn’t have expected you to know that,” Wendell said.
“Yeah. Well. I watched a lot of Tarot Tube clips. You watch one video and your algorithm thinks you’re obsessed.”
“To each their own,” Peregrine said. He pulled up Map on his menu. Four red dots appeared on the areas visible to him. A large “X” appeared over three of them, which were near Fiddler’s Green and the land of the banshees. The fourth remained clear. He zoomed in and the one dot turned out to be two, each with their own label; The Empress and The Emperor. They were located in a dwarven town called Hem Hengari.
Peregrine told the other two to check their maps.
“Another double banger,” Alissa said. “Super.”
“Can we take our time dealing with them?” Wendell asked. “It’s been nonstop. I feel like we’ve got a chance to breathe. The Morrigans didn’t show up. My thoughts are, as long as we’re alive new heroes won’t be made. And if we aren’t killing bad guys, then there won’t be any more of those needed, either. We don’t want to neglect our mental health … or get physically burned out.”
Wendell raised a good point. It had been nonstop since arriving in the Irenic Realm. Taking their time wasn’t a bad idea. He was, admittedly, feeling overwhelmed with the constant fighting and the inability to process anything. “I’m game.”
“Sure,” Alissa said with a grin. “I suppose I could downgrade my speed for you two slowpokes. To each their own.”
Peregrine smiled, laid on the ground, and rested his head on the soft grass. “To each their own.”
