Adam Drake - Blackout

The first few arrows bounced off the creature’s rocky skin with no effect. It reached up again, this time with both arms and struck down on the exposed back of Mudhoof. The Minotaur was pushing against the Golem’s stomach, desperate to dislodge his horns.

“I’m at half health! What the FILTERED?” Mudhoof said.

I fired again, and this time the arrow found its mark and lodged in one of the Golem’s eyes. Instead of reacting in pain, the thing seemed to be curious about the arrow sticking out of its head. It grabbed and pulled the arrow out.

Feign moved quickly behind it. His dagger glistened with a magical glow in his hand and he stabbed forward with all his might.

The blade sunk into a crack in its skin and the monster bellowed with pain. Its arm snapped back and struck the mage, sending him flying hard against the rock wall to crumple in a heap.

My next arrow found its mark again, then the next. Two arrows were buried in its eyes and, with the pain of the dagger wound, the thing flailed.

This was enough to help Mudhoof dislodge himself from the Golem and stagger back. Angered, and maybe a little embarrassed, the minotaur unhooked his ax from his back. With a leap up in the air he swung downward with all his might.

The ax hit the Golem in the head and cleaved down its middle. The creature had been cut right in half with one great blow of the uber ax. The two halves of the Golem split apart and collapsed to the ground with an arrow still protruding from each eye.

“Okay, now that was a first,” said Mudhoof with a surprised chuckle.

I went to Feign’s side who was still slumped against the wall. “Are you okay?”

The ice mage blinked. “Yes, I think so. Knocked the wind out of me.” He paused and I could tell he was looking at the icons on his view screen. “Seems I took a good whack of damage there. Down to two-thirds health. I cast an enhanced damage spell on my dagger which it didn’t take kindly to.”

“Here take this,” I said as I removed a healing-salve from my inventory. “Won’t make much of a difference but every little bit helps.”

I gave one to Mudhoof as well who grunted this thanks.

“We still need to cross this nonsense,” I said as I stood at the ledge and looked down. The lava bubbled and heaved. Occasionally, a large clump of rock would float by. Some were big enough to sit or stand on. But what would be the use in that if you were going to eventually sink?

I gaged the distance to the other ledge and had an idea. “Okay, I may have a way but you guys aren’t going to like it.”

“Better perform this miracle quick,” Mudhoof said. “Looks like he had friends.”

From the tunnel behind us could be made out several figures. As they past the wall lights it was obvious we were about to get into even more trouble. Rock Golems. Lots of them. They trundled toward us.

“Oh, dear,” said Feign, backing up to the ledge.

Again, I summoned a special arrow. When I pulled it out and set it in my bow a thick rope was attached to it. The rope coiled back into the quiver.

“Oh, no,” Mudhoof said. “You expecting us to go all cat-burglar now?”

“Got a better idea?” I said, and fired. The arrow arched across the lava river and lodge deeply into the rock over the ledge on the other side. The rope extended the entire way.

I turned and fired another similar arrow into the rock wall next to me, at a slightly higher angle. The rope magically fused together and now formed a single strand rope bridge that spanned the river.

The Rock Golems moved through the tunnel at a plodding pace, but they were much closer now. We had no time left.

To Feign, I said, “Start shuffling across! Now!”

With a fearful glance down the ice mage grabbed onto the rope and pulled himself up, wrapping his ankles around it. “I am very glad none of this is real!” he said, then shuffled hand over hand down the rope.

Mudhoof swung his ax, and a long crack shot out along the ground. It met the first Golem coming out of the tunnel and the knock-back sent it staggering into the others. But this would only serve to slow them down.

I fired normal arrows rapid-fire at the clustered horde, but none managed to hit an eye. They all bounced off their rocky skin.

“You’re next, Vee!” Mudhoof said. He stood with his legs braced apart and the ax poised over a shoulder waiting for his knock-back ability to recharge.

I looked to see Feign reach the other ledge and ease off the rope. He waved.

“No can do, big guy,” I said, still firing arrows. “The rope will disappear the moment I cross over. You gotta use it before me.”

“FILTERED!” Mudhoof said. “Sometimes this game really FILTEREDes me off!” And with that he struck down again. This time several Golems were cast backwards with the impact.

The minotaur spun around and placed the ax on his back. “You be right behind me!” He said, and I nodded. This was going to be close.

Mudhoof grasped the rope and wrapped his hooves around it. Then he pulled himself hand over hand down the length with great speed.

I kept up a perpetual volley of arrows but since it had almost no effect on the approaching enemy, it was mostly to make myself feel better.

Once Mudhoof was past the half-way mark, the creatures had gotten even closer. I fired one last shot, dispelled my bow and jumped onto the rope.

Quickly, I pulled myself hand over hand, but I had a sense of impending dread.

I’d barely made it a quarter down the rope length when one of the Golems reached the ledge.

“Hurry!” I heard Mudhoof shout. I glanced to see he had just stepped onto the ledge and he and Feign watched me anxiously.

But then the rope shook violently, and I nearly lost my grip.

Looking back I saw the Golem striking at the rope, and another walked up to do the same.

Uh-oh, I thought.

Regaining my hand hold I pulled myself along as fast as I could.

But it wasn’t fast enough.

The rope snapped under the attack of the Golems and I swung downward toward the lava.

I heard Mudhoof shout, and the rope swung me at full speed into the rock wall. For a moment my view screen went completely black. When I could see again, I was tumbling downwards.

The last thing I saw was a large floating rock pass beneath me. Then all went dark again.

I waited impatiently for my view screen to respond, but the blackness persisted.

My health indicated was dropping. Bit by bit my avatar was steadily taking damage. If I didn’t regain consciousness soon, I would die.

If that happened, it would be up to Mudhoof and Feign try to finish the quest. But despite all we had been through, the odds would not be in their favor.

Mudhoof sent me a chat request. “Vee!” He said, once I pulled up the screen. “Are you dead?”

“No,” I said, frustrated. “Not, yet. I got a black screen at the moment. Did you see what happened to me?”

“Yeah, you landed on a big floating rock thing and vanished from sight. I couldn’t do anything to help. Sorry, Vee.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll wake up next to the Legendary Item and we can forget about this quest.”

Mudhoof laughed. “Okay, we’re going to continue on,” he said, looking off screen. “Looks like the tunnel leads further down. Maybe with these lucky charms we’ll be able to hook up later.”

“Do that,” I said, “Oh, and you were right about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“This quest sucks!”

Mudhoof laughed and canceled the chat.

At that moment my screen brightened as my avatar opened her eyes.

I was still on the floating rock, bobbing along with the river current. Lava was lapping over the edge and splashed my leg causing the damage.