Rune Seeker

Chapter 78: Run

chapter 78: run

hiral ran.

he didn’t try to speak, and he sure as hell didn’t try to think. thinking just conjured images of balyo dying. of the thing that had been picoli smiling at him.

that was the enemy? how were they supposed to ever beat that?

hiral slapped himself in the face as he ran with the group, utterly failing at not thinking.

“you felt like you needed more abuse?” right asked from beside him, cal still cradled in his arms and mercifully unconscious. she was lucky she didn’t have to see that... but maybe she wouldn’t feel so lucky when she woke up to find three of her closest friends dead?

“needed to stop thinking about what just happened,” hiral said.

“is it going to come after us?” wule asked from a few paces ahead where he ran with nivian.

“yes,” hiral said simply.

“we’re not stopping again until we get to the dungeon,” seena said. “then we’re clearing it and getting right to the asylum.”

“balyo...” yanily said, his voice unusually lifeless.

“i’m sorry, yan,” seena said.

yanily glanced at seeyela and cal, the last two of the six party members, and shook his head. “she was... kind of badass, wasn’t she?”

“she was,” seeyela said. “always.”

the simple words, forced out through the pain and grief on seeyela’s face, seemed to sum up what everybody was feeling—or at least forcing themselves to feel. the truth of it was just too much. after that, they ran in silence. ran for hours, until finally, they came upon the ruins of a massive old building, made of thick logs that had somehow withstood the ravages of time. their glowing root path led right in the front door.

“this isn’t the same construction as the lizard town,” hiral said, the group slowing down to peer at the building. “not the same as fallen reach or that other town either. a troblin castle?”

“maybe,” seena said. “the dungeon is called the troblin throne, after all.”

hiral nodded—more out of habit than because he agreed with anything in particular—and ran his gaze up and down the building. yes, the overall construction was very similar to the keep they’d found in the appropriately named troblin keep dungeon, though on a grander scale. where the keep had been something more akin to a massive treehouse, this place was a very much a castle.

a castle made for war.

the wall that had once ringed the building stood in ruins, though the remnants were easily twenty feet thick, and hiral spotted sections that were more than twice that in height. beyond the outer wall, the castle itself was dotted with narrow windows and sheltered parapets, easy vantage points for those crossbow-wielding troblins. the courtyard itself was oddly clear, but then again, those magic-enhanced warriors were formidable, and there would be plenty of places for the shamans to direct a melee from. it was simple, but played to the troblins’ strengths.

“we going in?” yanily said, glancing back the way they’d come.

“hiral, see any signs of life?” seena asked him.

“nothing. this place looks abandoned, and i think i know why,” he said, pointing at the ruined roof. whatever had attacked had completely skipped the towering walls and killing ground beyond them. the enemy had gone straight through the roof to the heart of the building.

“they must’ve put the dungeon interface in after the troblins were attacked?” wule asked.

“not our problem,” seeyela said. “keep an eye out, but we’re going in. i’m tired of this damn rain.”

hiral drew his rhcs and started forward again with nivian at his side, the man’s lips a tight line.

“it wasn’t your fault,” hiral said quietly so that only the tank could hear him.

“maybe, but it was my job,” nivian said. “first fitch and lonil—nothing i could do about them, i guess. but cal? then picoli and balyo. i promised to keep them safe. i didn’t.”

“none of us did,” hiral said weakly. “i had the best chance, and i couldn’t stop her.” he thought back to his point-blank shot.

“at least you acted. the rest of us just stood there, frozen, until it was too late,” nivian growled, the anger at himself seething out through his clenched jaw.

“picoli was a friend. i don’t blame you for hesitating,” hiral said as they passed the outer wall and entered the courtyard. glowing roots had long since overtaken the grounds, running haphazardly around, then up the walls and through the windows. “what the enemy did—taking over her body like that—we had no idea they could do that.”

“something tells me that’s not all they can do,” nivian said. “that thing picoli... that it did with her punches... you know something about that, don’t you?”

hiral hesitated before answering, but then nodded. “yes. she was using the rune of impact somehow. i think i saw attraction too.”

“how are they using your runes?” nivian asked, glancing at hiral.

“what are you...?” seena asked.

“she’s gonna be pissssssssed,” yanily said at the same time.

“all of you, go through now,” hiral ordered them. “i’ll take cal through a second portal as soon as you’re gone. hurry, before picoli gets here. maybe she won’t know where we went.” or be here when we finish.

“hiral, you can’t clear...” seena started.

“i won’t try. we’ll stay in the entry room until the dungeon kicks us out. now, go!”

seena’s eyes narrowed like she was going to argue, but nivian put a hand on her shoulder. “it’s a good plan. come on.”

seena forced her breath out between her clenched jaws. “we’ll clear it with five, then get you two through it next. don’t die before that,” she finally said, then spun on her heel and stomped through the portal.

“see you soon,” wule said, following seena with yanily close behind after a sharp wave.

nivian, the last to go, let his eyes linger on cal. “i’d take her with us if you didn’t need her to open your own portal. take good care of her.”

“i will,” hiral said, then nivian turned and went through the portal.

a wham echoed down the hall behind him, far too close for comfort, and hiral swiped his hand over the interface crystal and said, “enter dungeon.”

“only five of six party members have entered the current portal. close portal and open a new one?” dr. benza asked.

“yes,” hiral practically snapped at the image, though the man just nodded, the first portal closing with a slight pop. a second later, a new portal opened to replace it. “right, give me cal, then you two need to rejoin me.”

right handed the woman over, then he and left put their hands on hiral’s shoulders. hiral absorbed them with a thought—another wham and crash signaled picoli was through the final barricade—and he stepped into the portal.

as soon as he was through, he activated foundational split, right and left peeling off him, and turned around.

the portal was still open.

“dr. benza, close portal,” he shouted through the portal at same time a blue notification window popped up in front of him.

the troblin throne – dungeon

e-rank

top clear times

xxx : --:--

yyy : --:--

zzz : --:--

attempt dungeon?

yes / no

hiral ignored the window, pushing it aside, and shouted again at dr. benza when the portal remained open. “close portal!” nothing changed, so hiral attempted to step back out, but he ran into something like an invisible wall, banging his head in the process.

“one-way portal,” left said. “picoli will see it.”

“and she might be able to come in,” right said. “not good.”

“no, not good at all,” hiral said.

options. what are my options? the best thing would be that she didn’t know we entered a portal at all.

hiral’s eyes went to the blue notification window, specifically at the attempt dungeon option.

reckless, but what choice do i have?

he took a breath and slapped yes.