Spire's Spite

“Over there, just by the second to the left spike,” Fritz said pointing out the next goblin captain as it hid from its far-off attacker.

Sid grunted and conjured another arrow, she brought the translucent shaft up to her sweaty cheek, looking down its length as she bent her bow. Sid stood there aiming for a solid three seconds then loosed. There was a rustling of the wind as the arrow soared over the mushroom fields, over the crystal wall and into the head of the captain as it peeked out. The air-infused missile drilled a hole right through the creature’s face and burst out the back of its skull. It fell backwards off the wall and onto some unfortunate worker goblins causing them to cry out in shrill screams tinged with annoyance, pain and no small amount of fear.

“Bullseye! Right in the head!” Fritz announced.

Sid grinned in satisfaction, seemingly she had gotten used to the long range. They were about one hundred and fifty feet from the wall, not including the height difference. The first couple of arrows had missed but she had quickly adapted, and even if she couldn’t tell the difference between the constantly milling goblins she could absolutely still put an arrow where Fritz directed.

Fritz didn’t know the effective range of bows as they were seldom used in the wet alleys and cobblestone streets of Rain City but it seemed not to matter much with the addition of Wind Strike and Sid’s prodigious Agility and Grace. The only bottleneck to their strategy was Mana and Stamina, like it had been before they climbed up to rest on the overhang, but Fritz felt they had some time before they were assaulted by the fort’s disgusting inhabitants.

And even if we were charged. How would they get us all the way up here? Fritz mused as he searched the, definitely unwashed, masses for Sid’s next target. Spotting a shaman trying to cross the courtyard with a retinue of warriors he called out, “Bottom right, near the wheelbarrows.”

Sid sat and shook her head, grumbling out something about being exhausted while Bert was swinging his legs as they dangled over the cliff’s edge.

And so the day went, picking off the leader goblins and resting between the arrows. Fritz took some time to fix up his damaged equipment and study the strange motes of blue-green still dancing up and down Quicksilver’s core. The mending of his scale shirt was a pain with only one hand but he was able to stitch together the rents and tears with a little help from Bert. The sword however had no marks of damage, save those three tarnished spots from snail blood and even Bert seemed interested in its new swirling colours.

“Maybe it ate or absorbed the eldritch fire?” Fritz theorised, he thought he could feel a familiar heat through the blade's makeshift hilt of wrapped cloth and his burnt hand twinged in with an echo of the weird searing flame. He suspected that if he wanted to he could pull the fire free or force his blade to ignite. Had his fish blade become a Treasure? A magical sword? No, it was probably just storing the magic somehow, with some strange property monster parts were likely to possess.

“Didn’t it do something like that with my Wind Strike?” Sid said wiping her damp hair out of her eyes. Bert shrugged, he seemed happier to whistle a jaunty tune than to join in on any speculation.

Fritz nodded eagerly saying “You’re right, I forgot all about that, seems like an age ago honestly.”

“It does seem like that,” Sid agreed with a tired sigh.

They lapsed into silence, but not an awkward one like some of the many others before. He hoped it would stay that way. Fritz still wondered what in the abyss he had been thinking, trying to kiss Sid in that cold cave. He shook his head and looked away from her face as a confusing cascade of conflicting impulses fluttered in his chest.

He echoed her sigh, more in frustration than weariness and waited for her Mana to recover.

The hours passed like this, Fritz picking out a target and Sid slaying them with an expertly placed arrow. On her ninth of such long-ranged kills, Sid let out a gasp and Fritz blurted out, “What's wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No, I just felt.. something... in my Sanctum, give me a minute,” Sid said breathlessly as she sat and retreated into her Sanctum.

She was back with bright blue eyes and a wide grin on her face and she near shouted, “I discovered a Technique!”

“What!?” Fritz and Bert yelled back in shock.

Sid beamed.

Fritz was the first to start the questions, “What’s it called? What’s it do?”

“It's called Syl...uh Sid’s Soaring Sharpshooting… Novice,” Sid stated.

“You discovered a self-taught, no, a self-named Technique?” Fritz said slack-jawed and completely stupefied.

“Yep,” Sid said with clear confidence.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Bert said. “I take it that its not common?”

“What!? Gods no! Of course it's not common,” Fritz said. “It’s incredibly difficult, it takes great care, knowledge and talent to create or modify a Technique.” He was still reeling from Sid’s declaration, his general respect for her skill being replaced with a slight awe.

“Oh,” Bert said, eyeing Sid warily. “Does that mean Sid’s some kind of genius?”

“Bert, I’m sorry to say. That’s exactly what that means,” Fritz said in an overly grave manner.

“But that would make us the crew’s idiots,” Bert said aghast.

“I’m afraid so,” Fritz intoned.

“Both a genius and a hero, what next? A beauty?” Bert blurted out.

“Bert, you fool, have you not looked? She has been a beauty all along!” Fritz cried out theatrically.

“Stop, Fritz!” Sid yelled furiously, her face getting redder by the minute.

Fritz realised he had been caught up in the excitement and Bert’s performance and that he’d gone too far in his teasing.

Bert seemed ready to continue the compliment barrage but Fritz shook his head slightly, warning him to stay silent.

“Ah. Sorry Sid, got a bit carried away. Just surprised and thrilled for you,” Fritz explained.

“Well, it feels like you’re mocking me... When you say all that stuff,” Sid said through her scarf.

“I meant every word wholeheartedly,” Fritz said earnestly.

“That might be worse,” Sid mumbled so low that Fritz suspected that only he could hear her soft voice.

Sensing the tension brewing Bert coughed and asked, “What does the Technique do?”

“Increases accuracy from long distances with slings and bows, also reduces the Air-Mana cost of Air aligned Abilities when they’re used with slings and bows,” Sid explained, pointedly not looking at Fritz.

“Whoa, that’s good,” Bert said, to which Fritz agreed with a nod.

“How much does it reduce the cost?” Fritz asked.

Sid shrugged, “Don’t know, just got the Technique didn’t I?” She answered, obviously annoyed.

“Fair enough,” Fritz said, deflating at her rebuke.

They sat in an awkward silence until, suddenly, Fritz heard the horn calls change. The chaotic notes rang out shrilly, warbling out what might be an inexpert call to arms.

Fritz turned his gaze to the goblin fort’s walls, over its ramshackle houses and its tall tower. The horde of goblins had stopped their fearful swarming and had begun to lash out at the warriors who in turn looked for their captains and shamans for orders. As planned they couldn't see any of their commanders around. They must be hiding from Sid’s arrows, Fritz thought with a wicked smile.

There was a great bellow from the tower and the Chief in his glittering crystal armour strode into view on its unfinished roof. The warriors, knowing an order when they heard one, retreated to encircle and protect the base and bar the entrance of the crystal tower. They raised their shields and cut down all those between them and their objective. They clustered around the tower, shields high and screaming and slashing at any that got too close. Which in the shoulder-to-shoulder confines meant at least a hundred of the thronging workers were hacked to pieces or trampled in the chaos.

The workers scurried back, out of the reach of the warriors swords, picked up their tools and yelled at their oppressors. Chunks of glowing crystal were flung at the warriors, but bounced harmlessly off the shield wall. There was still a three-foot space between the warrior's formation and the swarm of workers, they glared at each other from their respective lines. Both sides were boiling, ready to fight, tear and kill in a furious rage. The Chief scowled, barked an order to its bodyguards and left the tower’s precipice.

Probably retreating to the safety of its throne room. Coward, Fritz surmised.

“This is our cue,” Fritz said as he watched the riotous events unfold with startling speed. “We have to get down there and attack when they're too weak and tired from fighting each other.”

Bert nodded and Sid stood up again, brushing terracotta dust from the back of her pants.

“Should we use the rope?” Bert asked. “Tie it to me so you two can slide down, then I’ll just make the climb again. Won't be hard with my Strength.” He added flexing his bicep.

Fritz glanced down over the cliff and shuddered. “Sure but even with the rope it's still something like a ten-foot fall, that could still hurt us.”

“I have Wind Step, I’ll use it to slow me down,” Sid said.

“Your ring,” Bert reminded him.

“I’m not sure how effective the barrier is against falls,” Fritz hedged.

“Good a time as any to find out,” Bert said while Sid nodded along in agreement.

Fritz clenched his fists and anxiously looked over to the raging goblin rebellion, deciding haste should outweigh their caution he gave his nod and agreement.

In next to no time Fritz was slipping down the dark rope in a controlled manner until he reached its knotted-off end, dangling around twelve feet from the rocky floor. It wasn’t the tallest place he had jumped from, he had leapt from many a tenement roof when he was young but he knew he was far heavier than he had been back then. With his current stature he might hurt himself, perhaps not badly from such a small fall, but even a sprain would slow him down and that was something they couldn’t afford.

Sighing he used the barrier ring, heard the soft hum of its activation and took in a deep breath, then he let go, dropping like a stone. The near-invisible second skin popped just before he hit the ground. He expected the jarring thud as his boots met the stone below, but it was a far softer landing than it had any right to be, the barrier seeming to have taken a lot of the force from his descent.

He waved and smiled up at Bert and Sid as they looked over the ledge, he thought he could see them let out breaths of relief. He almost felt offended and their complete lack of faith, but to be honest he wasn’t completely sure about the plan either so he let it slide, this time.

Sid was next, sliding down the rope as gracefully as she did anything, Fritz had to tell himself not to stare at her legs as they wrapped and squeezed the rope. She reached the bottom quickly, and let go even quicker, falling until she was three feet from the ground then kicking off of a sheet of hard wind that solidified under her foot.

It slowed her considerably and then she landed lightly with a slight thud. She smiled at Fritz confidently and he said, “Well done, delightful show.”

“Wasn’t a show,” Sid stated as her smile took on a vicious edge.

“Of course,” Fritz replied, holding his hand up placatingly.

There was a yell from above. He realised it was Bert screaming, “Out the way!”

Fritz looked up rapidly and stepped back as Bert hurtled down from the overhang, with the rope still tied about his waist.

Freezing fear gripped Fritz in his guts, holding him fast and he could only watch in horror as his friend fell the full fifty feet. Bert hit the stone feet first and threw himself into a forward roll. Fritz heard the sickening sounds of shattering bone and crunching cartilage. Bert screamed in pain as his uncontrolled tumble stopped and he lay in a crumpled heap with his limbs poking out in unnatural directions. His legs, ribs and back snapped and popped back into place and he screamed some more. Bert was eventually silent, passed out, even as his fingers cracked and straightened.

Fritz and Sid looked on stunned and mortified.

Fritz ran and was by Bert’s side within seconds. He rolled his friend onto his back and lay his head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat. It was beating and it was beating strong. Fritz let out a long worried breath then said, “He’s going to be okay. I think.”

“Did he slip?” Sid asked.

“I have the terrible feeling that he did not, in fact, slip. I have a certainty in my chest that he flung himself off the cliff in some idiot scheme to get down quicker.”

“Did someone say idiot?” Bert groaned, as his amber eyes opened wide. “What did Fritz do?”

Fritz scowled, “You’re the idiot, why in the abyss did you jump off the cliff?”

“I slipped,” Bert said his face going deadpan when it should be wincing, a definite tell.

“You did not, don’t try to lie to me, and don’t you dare say it was a quicker way down,” Fritz warned.

Bert’s bloody lips curled up into a smile then a mad grin stained with red, “It was a quicker way down.”

Fritz fought the urge to punch the dumb grin off his friend's infuriating face. He stepped back and let out a breath willing his anger to leave with the exhalation.

Sid scowled at Bert as he staggered slowly to his feet, “What about; no unnecessary risks, did you not understand?” She growled.

“I deemed it necessary,” Bert said offhandedly, as he endured Sid’s glare. “We have to get moving.”

“We’re going to be slowed more by having to wait on your recovery than the time lost on you carefully climbing down. And. Why put yourself through the pain you idiot, you fool, you complete lunatic,” Fritz berated.

Bert wobbled on his feet and Fritz caught him under his arm as he began to sink to the ground.

“Urgh, I hate to admit it. But I think you may be right, Fritz,” Bert said his grin sharpening into a pained grimace. “My legs are all messed up. The bones are fine and dandy but my muscles feel like they’ve been put through a mincer.”

“That tends to happen even when you survive such a fall, honestly I’m surprised you’re alive,” Sid said, ruffling through a bag tied to her belt.

She held the health and stamina potions in her palm, looked between the two, then seemingly coming to a decision threw the vial containing yellow liquid to Bert.

He caught it easily if somewhat sluggishly, and downed the Stamina potion. He immediately began to perk up, strength flowed into him and he stopped leaning on Fritz for support. He tested his recovery by walking a couple of steps, wincing as he did so.

“Ouch,” Bert intoned. But Fritz and Sid had little sympathy for him.

“It’ll do for now, You’ll have more time to recover as we walk,” Sid said coolly.

They gathered their packs that they had hidden behind a boulder and shouldered them, Bert did so with an over-the-top moan of pain as he hefted up his overladen pack, to which Sid merely rolled her eyes.

“You could leave those glass horns behind to save yourself some pain,” Fritz suggested.

“No,” Bert replied, staggering on with grim determination.

With nothing else to add or any will to argue Fritz shrugged and led the way into the mushroom field. They weren’t far away from the fort and it only took three or four minutes to reach the wall’s outskirts. Luckily for them, the warriors were glaring inwards, protecting the wall’s walkways from their oppressed kin with warning stabs or just by knocking them off the battlements with their shields. They were looking haggard, the brief stint of fighting exhausting their weedy malnourished-looking frames.

Fritz suspected that goblins weren’t made for drawn out fights, more for sneaking and using hit-and-run tactics or their overwhelming numbers to win their battles. Something the warriors were now on the wrong side of and suffering for.

“Think you can sling those guys?” Fritz asked motioning to the warriors holding the wall.

“Already on it,” Sid stated as she whirled up her weapon.

It was hard to hear the snap and crack of the slung stone and its impact over the blaring of horns and goblin shrieking, but it was easy to see the warrior falling forward as a stone was embedded into the base of its skull.

“Nice,” Fritz whispered. However skilled she had come into the Spire she had grown even more so by climbing this high with them. She’ll be a true terror on the outside, Fritz suspected, I suppose Bert and I will be too. Fritz smiled and another goblin fell.

“What's the plan?” Bert asked loudly. Fritz motioned them back away from the wall so they could plan their assault.

“A tricky question, are we feeling like a quick run through the riotous rabble into the Stairway? I’m almost positive it’s in the fake Spire. Or would we like to mug the Chief first and make off with its treasure, then run away into the Stairway?” Fritz asked.

Bert smiled, and Fritz knew he had him as soon as he said mug the Chief. Sid seemed to think for some moments as she put another stone into the leather strap of her sling.

“Big Fish, small fish?” Fritz prodded.

“Big fish,” She replied easily, then glared at him as if she’d been tricked. Fritz smirked. Then Sid seemed to think the question over again and nodded, repeating her previous answer seriously, “Big fish.”

“We’re going over this wall, we’ll use my rope to make it an easy climb. Then once we’re on the wall we need Bert to clear a path through the horde, with copious amounts of acid maybe,” Fritz explained. “Then Sid and I break through the warriors and get to the base of the tower, Bert follows us once we break the tower’s gate.”

“How will we break the metal gate?” Sid asked.

Fritz pointed to his fish blade and said, “I’ll saw through its bars, it's only painted mushroom wood, not metal.”

“Huh, you can tell that?” Sid said curiously.

“Mhm, don’t know what but it has a feeling of...trickery or deception, so I’m assuming it's not real metal,” Fritz supplied tilting his head this way and that.

“You’re assuming, that doesn’t seem smart,” Sid retorted.

“Well, have you seen any metal on this floor?” Fritz asked pointedly.

Sid shrugged then shook her head, “I haven’t. Only mushroom and crystal.”

Fritz smiled saying, “It's a fair assumption then,”

“It is,” Sid agreed.

“If it is real metal. I’ll just rust it away, with my spray,” Bert said. “Hey, that rhymed. Fritz, write that down.”

“No,” Fritz said.

“Sounds like a bare-bones plan,” Sid stated cautiously.

“No, we left the bear bones behind in the cave,” Bert joked through his aches

“Best the plan be simple unless you have anything you’d like to add,” Fritz offered, ignoring Bert’s comment.

Sid suppressed a chuckle and pondered for some seconds before stating, “Nothing comes to mind.”

“Knock that last warrior down and let's go,” Fritz said unfurling his rope and tying its end in a loop.

“On my mark.”