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Authors: Wade Adrian
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sword high over his head…
Paul bashed it away with his shield.
Toby let the sword down again. It wasn’t that Paul was doing something wrong… he was the tank after all… but still. It seemed clear he still intended to make sure Toby didn’t suffer so much as a scratch, but in the end that would mean he never took part in anything.
And that just wouldn’t do.
Claire knocked a charging goblin into the air with an uppercut strike before crushing it into the dirt with an overhead blow from her hammer. Tim the rogue flitted about the goblins knifing them in the back. Jesse kept them all on fire. Amos peppered those closing in with arrows.
And Toby… stood around.
He ground his teeth. Even the alternates who weren’t in their party were fighting. Granted, they knew how, but he wasn’t going to learn anything by taking coffee breaks in the back.
He charged out past Paul when the next few goblins pressed in. They were already on fire and screaming as they brandished weapons at the shield before them. They seemed preoccupied with him. Good.
Toby held the sword out behind him to his right and swung it forward with all his might.
He almost dropped the weighted rod.
The sword before him cleft the space where three goblins stood without stopping. A bright red trail of light followed the arc of the blade.
The goblins ceased their attacks, their voices falling silent as the upper halves of two fell away from their lower halves. The third was not cleanly cleft, and the whole thing flopped to the ground.
He blinked at the sword in his hands. They had not exactly been fresh, already some hit points burned away by Jesse, but those that came before had taken a few hits to drop.
Soulbreaker. Amos had said it was a thing that should not be. He’d meant it in jest… but as far as the game’s rules were concerned, it seemed he was proven right. It seemed to be well beyond the power curve.
The others were staring at him. Or were they looking at the sword?
A goblin cry went up behind him. He turned and held the sword aloft. “I got this.”
He charged it even as it ran at him with its crude cleaver sword raised. He leaned to the right as the jagged blade swept toward him... it sailed by harmlessly through the open air.
He lifted the sword up over his shoulder. Might as well test both unknowns at once.
The blade whistled through the air as the red trail followed it down diagonally.
The goblin’s head and right arm fell away while the rest of it crumpled to the ground.
This one had been fresh.
Huh. He held the sword up and looked back over his shoulder. “Yup, diagonal.”
Paul was scowling as he closed the distance between them. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping.” A quick glance showed no other goblins close by. Those they could reach with minimal walking were outside their aggro range, and thus blissfully unaware of their fellows being bisected and burned.
“Good. Fine. Successful test. Now stay where we can protect you.”
Toby leaned a bit. He could see Claire and Jesse just fine. “I don’t think I’m out of range of the healers.” He looked up at Paul, a taller man only a few feet away. “Especially not out of your range.”
“You think this is funny? We only get one chance here, kid.” Paul didn’t seem very amused. His eyebrows were drawn low.
“Yeah, and when the time comes I have to be the one to swing this thing. So I need to know how. I’m part of this party, and I clearly have the power to help us progress. I don’t have any intention of sitting back there and leaching experience for everyone else’s work. I don’t do that.”
Paul shook his head. “We don’t have a safety net, here.”
Claire stepped out of the group and faced Paul. “And we won’t have one at the end, either. He needs to be capable of standing with us, of being a full member of our raid. We could barely clear it with everyone working as a unit. We can’t do it carrying someone we
Paul bashed it away with his shield.
Toby let the sword down again. It wasn’t that Paul was doing something wrong… he was the tank after all… but still. It seemed clear he still intended to make sure Toby didn’t suffer so much as a scratch, but in the end that would mean he never took part in anything.
And that just wouldn’t do.
Claire knocked a charging goblin into the air with an uppercut strike before crushing it into the dirt with an overhead blow from her hammer. Tim the rogue flitted about the goblins knifing them in the back. Jesse kept them all on fire. Amos peppered those closing in with arrows.
And Toby… stood around.
He ground his teeth. Even the alternates who weren’t in their party were fighting. Granted, they knew how, but he wasn’t going to learn anything by taking coffee breaks in the back.
He charged out past Paul when the next few goblins pressed in. They were already on fire and screaming as they brandished weapons at the shield before them. They seemed preoccupied with him. Good.
Toby held the sword out behind him to his right and swung it forward with all his might.
He almost dropped the weighted rod.
The sword before him cleft the space where three goblins stood without stopping. A bright red trail of light followed the arc of the blade.
The goblins ceased their attacks, their voices falling silent as the upper halves of two fell away from their lower halves. The third was not cleanly cleft, and the whole thing flopped to the ground.
He blinked at the sword in his hands. They had not exactly been fresh, already some hit points burned away by Jesse, but those that came before had taken a few hits to drop.
Soulbreaker. Amos had said it was a thing that should not be. He’d meant it in jest… but as far as the game’s rules were concerned, it seemed he was proven right. It seemed to be well beyond the power curve.
The others were staring at him. Or were they looking at the sword?
A goblin cry went up behind him. He turned and held the sword aloft. “I got this.”
He charged it even as it ran at him with its crude cleaver sword raised. He leaned to the right as the jagged blade swept toward him... it sailed by harmlessly through the open air.
He lifted the sword up over his shoulder. Might as well test both unknowns at once.
The blade whistled through the air as the red trail followed it down diagonally.
The goblin’s head and right arm fell away while the rest of it crumpled to the ground.
This one had been fresh.
Huh. He held the sword up and looked back over his shoulder. “Yup, diagonal.”
Paul was scowling as he closed the distance between them. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping.” A quick glance showed no other goblins close by. Those they could reach with minimal walking were outside their aggro range, and thus blissfully unaware of their fellows being bisected and burned.
“Good. Fine. Successful test. Now stay where we can protect you.”
Toby leaned a bit. He could see Claire and Jesse just fine. “I don’t think I’m out of range of the healers.” He looked up at Paul, a taller man only a few feet away. “Especially not out of your range.”
“You think this is funny? We only get one chance here, kid.” Paul didn’t seem very amused. His eyebrows were drawn low.
“Yeah, and when the time comes I have to be the one to swing this thing. So I need to know how. I’m part of this party, and I clearly have the power to help us progress. I don’t have any intention of sitting back there and leaching experience for everyone else’s work. I don’t do that.”
Paul shook his head. “We don’t have a safety net, here.”
Claire stepped out of the group and faced Paul. “And we won’t have one at the end, either. He needs to be capable of standing with us, of being a full member of our raid. We could barely clear it with everyone working as a unit. We can’t do it carrying someone we
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