The Shadow Labyrinth: A LitRPG Adventure Read online

  "Teleport us there," said Newt.

  "I can't bypass the ward without being able to see the location." Terran tilted back his head, looking up at a tree. "But maybe I can spy it from up there."

  "You sure you can manage that?" asked Luna, smirking. "I seem to recall you used to need to grab my tail."

  "I've come a long way, thanks to your excellent tutelage," said Terran, bowing.

  After strapping his staff to his back, he hauled himself into the pine tree, working his way steadily upward. His weapon occasionally got in the way, but he managed to maneuver it around the branches. At the highest point, the tree no longer had the girth to sustain him, and the trunk listed dangerously to the left, but he couldn't quite see above the tips yet. A fall would be a long way down. Terran took a deep breath and worked his way up the slender trunk.

  Feeling like a circus performer on a flimsy pole, he finally caught sight of the Black Citadel. The aptly named stone structure was a massive, solitary turret of dark stone. As he watched, an enormous ball of ice sailed through the air and shattered against the wall. Sparks and flames burst from windows. Terran could not tell if those were aftereffects of the ice boulder, or return fire from the sages inside, but a battle was being fought in earnest. It would do them no good if the Citadel was destroyed before they arrived.

  "We need to get there now," Terran yelled down to his two companions, who looked up through the trees.

  "Climb down," came the reply from Newt.

  "If I do then I won't be able to see it," said Terran. "Climb up and I'll take us there."

  The nimble Luna went straight up the trunk, clawing her way through the branches, making his steady ascent look glacial in comparison. Within a few breaths, she was clinging to the tree beneath him.

  "I would climb further, but it won't hold both our weights," said Luna.

  "Hmmm...this isn't going to work if Newt can't come up. Maybe he shouldn't have brought all those bags," mused Terran.

  He changed grips, trying to get a better view of what his friend was doing below when he felt a dreadful tugging pulling him downward. The tip of the pine tree bent nearly ninety degrees, with Terran clinging for dear life. The downward tug was made apparent when the dark-skinned mage rose through the trees like a hot air balloon.

  "As soon as I reach you, teleport us," said Newt with his arm extended.

  "I can't see the Citadel anymore," said Terran, "and I'm not touching Luna."

  There were no further arguments because Newt surged upward, grabbing his hand at the same time Luna bounded up the final stretch, clinging to his leg with her formidable claws.

  "Owww! My leg," said Terran. "And I still can't see it."

  Newt wrinkled his nose. "A moment."

  The weight that had been pulling down on Terran suddenly reversed, and the tip of the tree sprung erect. The three of them arced upward with momentum. As the Black Citadel came into view, with the roof firmly in sight, Terran triggered his pathway traveler ability—

  —and they tumbled across the frozen ground right into the middle of a group of blue-skinned ice giants loading a catapult.

  Chapter Sixteen

  There had to be a hundred ice giants in the vicinity, set in a line, operating dozens of catapults that were launching ice boulders at the Black Citadel, one after another, a barrage of destructive force. Terran had hoped to land on the Black Citadel, but the interdiction had prevented teleportation across the final span, which meant that method of reaching safety was off the table.

  A quick scan proved the majority of his enemies were around his level.

  Ice Giant - Level 22

  I don't recommend you stick your tongue to one.

  The Ice Giants hadn't yet noticed the three of them suddenly appearing in their midst, but it wouldn't be long as there was nothing for them to hide behind. Only the size differential and focus on the catapults had kept them undetected.

  "Let's try to sneak behind that pile of boulders," whispered Terran, and he realized he was only speaking to Newt. "Where's Luna?"

  A moment later, the nearest Ice Giant, at least twenty feet tall, wearing a war kilt made of overlapping leather straps and a steel breastplate, cried out, his voice booming across the valley in pain.

  To Terran's surprise, Luna had latched onto the Ice Giant's Achilles with her teeth, tearing away the tendon, leaving the fur around her mouth bloody.

  The Ice Giant has been hobbled!

  "And now we're gonna be dead," said Terran, reaching for his staff as a half-dozen sets of eyes found them.

  Escape was no longer an option, so Terran unleashed a vocal barrage at the two nearest Ice Giants. The impact cracked the ice boulder in their hands and forced them to step backwards, but it wasn't enough damage to feel significant.

  The first Ice Giant exhaled a cloud of freezing mist that covered them in an instant blizzard. The cold went right through his armor, into his bones, until his teeth chattered and his eyebrows crackled with hoarfrost. Terran could barely move his arms and he shivered like an avalanche, making the prospect of singing nearly impossible. The second Ice Giant approached with a sword that could have been the pillar of a house and lifted it over his head. Before the blade came down, the Ice Giant's eyes bugged out and they left their feet, hurling forward in a uncoordinated leap to impact into its friend. The crack of their skulls sounded like a dynamite blast, and the two Ice Giants slumped to the ground with bloody foreheads.

  "Thanks, Newt," said Terran as he shook off the icy breath and turned towards the other Ice Giants readying to throw ice boulders as if they were mere snowballs. Terran focused his voice at the ice boulder that would be thrown first. The chilled air crackled as sonic waves exited his lips, hitting the icy rock, setting it to shake, then rattle, then explode before the Ice Giant could launch it. He managed to explode two more ice rocks while Newt sent the others careening into the Ice Giants using his Gravomancer abilities.

  "We can't keep this up forever," said Terran. "Where's Luna?"

  The gray lynx streaked amid the Ice Giants, slicing tendons and creating havoc, a mad gleam in her eye.

  "Luna! We have to get out of here!"

  "If we're gonna die I want to take them down with me!" she shouted as she dodged a blow that sent up a spray of ice and rock where the club had hit.

  Distracted by Luna, Terran had no time to defend himself when a blue-skinned giant reached down and scooped him up. The enormous fingers tightened around his chest, cracking ribs, squeezing the breath from his lungs. With the last of his air, he lifted the staff to his lips and exhaled a rage note while triggering Void Blast.

  The staff vibrated in his hands like a rail gun as a grayish beam of energy slammed his captor in the face. The Ice Giant's blue skin melted away under the blast, and Terran was falling before he could right himself. He landed on the hard ground, right as the dead giant tipped forward, forcing Terran to scramble out of the way before impact.

  "That was impressive," said Newt, looking over his shoulder while he held two Ice Giants back using twin discs of repellant energy.

  Terran checked his mana bar. Between the teleportation and Void Blast, his mana was down to half. "Impressive, but I can only do a few more before I'm out of mana. It's not going to get us out of here."

  The other Ice Giants up and down the line had noticed them. Another two dozen converged on their location.

  Newt's forehead wrinkled. His keen gaze speared the nearest catapult. "I have an idea."

  The dark-skinned mage flung the two Ice Giants in opposite directions as he jogged to the unattended catapult and climbed into the cup where the ice boulders normally sat.

  "Oh, no, you can't be serious," said Terran, following his friend. "Luna, come! Hurry!"

  The fur around her mouth caked with blood, Luna froze momentarily, snarling like a wild animal before sprinting through the legs of a grasping Ice Giant, dodging around two others, and scrambling into the cup with Terran, followed by shoving her claws right i
nto his calf.

  "Ow! What was that for?" asked Terran.

  "If you ever call for me like a dog, I'll do the same to you as I did to them," said Luna.

  Terran's reply got shoved in his throat, as Newt triggered the release. He was flying high through the air, his stomach sucked into his knees, eyes watering from the chill, rapidly descending towards the massive stone wall of the Black Citadel. He was only vaguely aware of small shapes on the roof, pointing at them, incredulously so, probably wondering what kind of fools they were to smash themselves against the wall, when Terran's body accelerated again, drawn forward as if by a tractor beam until they were tumbling across the stone to land unceremoniously on their backs.

  A bouquet of sword and staff tips was thrust near their faces, an unwelcoming gesture to say the least.

  "Hi. You're probably wondering why we're here," said Terran, feeling a little too adrenaline worn for formality.

  A sour-faced man wearing thick wool robes leaned into view. "We should kill them just to be safe. It could be a trick by the Jarl Maiden."

  "Hey! Whoa, we're visitors, not tricks," said Terran, holding onto his staff as one of the sages tried to pull it from his grip. "And I suggest you back off or I'll blast you with my void crystal."

  Naming of his weapon brought wide eyes and made the sages step away. Terran couldn't tell if it were horror or interest, but it gave him a chance to sit up. There were at least ten men and women in robes circled around them, weapons pointed in their direction, but gazes firmly on the thick gray chunk of crystal on his staff.

  "Where did you get such a cursed thing?" asked Sour Face.

  "We killed a Carykarak in Wunderlust Keep," said Terran, climbing to his feet as the sages took another step backwards, glancing between themselves at mention of their foe.

  Newt stepped forward, a gold-embossed tome in his hands. "I bring you an offering of knowledge. One you have never seen before."

  The scowls evaporated into hungry expressions. Sour Face stepped forward, gesturing casually at Newt even as ice boulders smashed into the Black Citadel like thunder overhead.

  "There is little chance you bring us a virgin tome. We keep all the knowledge of this world, nothing escapes our notice," said Sour Face.

  "Far to the east of Sand Blossom, in the deep desert, there were ancient ruins occupied by a demon. We slew the foul creature and claimed its treasure as our own, including this book," said Newt, still holding it out as a temptation.

  The story piqued the sages' interest. A tall woman with hair the color of snow and skin the light blue of a frozen lake, stepped forward. Terran recognized her as a bellasi elf, or iceflower elf, a cousin to the Rock Leaf Elves. Luna sniffed at the air, tilting her head in curiosity at the woman.

  "High Keeper Astran. Would it not be prudent to turn our attention back to the assault on the Citadel? As unusual as these newcomers are, we are still repelling an invasion force."

  The sour-faced man, High Keeper Astran, sighed heavily, glancing to the line of Ice Giants arrayed in the distance with an annoyed scowl. "You are correct, Keeper Latia. Please attend to our prisoners."

  "Prisoners," said Terran. "We've come to the Black Citadel from Gneiss Glen in the Rock Leaf Forest, seeking knowledge.. We're not your enemy."

  High Keeper Astran lifted his chin. "In times of war, one must carefully determine that status, or suffer a terrible betrayal." He glanced to Keeper Latia. "We may be sages sequestered in the wilderness, but we are keen students of history, which includes far too many wars." He blinked, softening his stiff shoulders. "But given the circumstances, we will let you retain your weapons and not require bindings until we can better understand the reasons for your visit."

  Keeper Latia gestured for them to follow as she descended a staircase that entered the Citadel, leaving behind sages who had returned to the battlements.

  "My apologies for High Keeper Astran's treatment of you," said Keeper Latia, ice-blue eyes flashing. "This surprise attack by the Ice Giants has upended our normal operations. But it's good that Astran is in charge, as he is the foremost scholar in the Citadel about war."

  The stark black stone of the outer construction was in contrast to the warm rooms they entered below, luxuriously covered in tapestries, and with ample seating areas. A group of younger sages—a variety of races, including a hulking Barghest—sat at tables while a gray-haired woman with wrinkles as deep as valleys lectured them about the types of flowers found on the tundra.

  "...the brutalis fungi can be found in the cracks of rock formations, thriving where life would seem impossible..."

  They passed through hallways as the vibrations of impact occasionally reached their ears, though in the tranquil settings, one could easily forget that the Citadel was under assault. Eventually they reached a vast library, shelves heading in all directions.

  "How is it so warm in here?" asked Terran. "I was expecting it to be cold."

  "We're built on thermal vents. Deep in the heart of the structure there are tubes that bring us hot gases." She gestured towards black pipes in the ceiling. "These run throughout." Keeper Latia for the first time seemed to notice Luna, who had taken a moment to clean the bloody fur around her mouth. "Are you a lynx? A Rock Leaf Lynx?"

  Luna shot Terran a worried glance. "Possibly."

  Keeper Latia put a hand to her chest. "We thought your kind extinct."

  "Not yet," said Luna with a sad sigh.

  Keeper Latia bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."

  "Maybe now is a good time for introductions. I'm Terran, leader of Gneiss Glen. This is my companion Newt, and you've already met Luna."

  "I've been rude," she said. "I am Keeper Latia. What exactly brings you to the Black Citadel? We entertain few visitors. I assume you're in search of knowledge."

  "We are," said Terran, hesitating, "but I do not know your customs, or who it is best or proper to speak to about my inquiry."

  The corners of Keeper Latia's eyes crinkled. She was starkly beautiful, with a royal demeanor.

  "I am Third Sage in the Citadel, which means there are only two of higher position, High Keeper Astran and Lore Master Gruul. There is nothing that you cannot tell me."

  Terran set the hard metal end of his staff on the stone, the sound echoing through the room. "The Howling Wind is coming to the Belavar continent to conquer us all. I am in search of a black crystal to defeat them."

  If Keeper Latia was surprised, she hid it well, though the way her gaze flitted to the crystals on the staff and back to his attire revealed the order of her thoughts.

  "I see. This will require discussion." She frowned, raising an eyebrow at the concussion of boulders against the stone. "Of course, there are other considerations right now, which may make your inquiry difficult. Even under normal conditions, your request would meet with much resistance."

  You have been offered a quest: Convince the Black Citadel to give you information about black crystals.

  You've considered that this is like asking for nuclear launch codes, right?

  "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

  Keeper Latia inclined her head. "You are a Crystal Bard? How do you even know you could handle such power?"

  "I am, and I have encountered a chip of black crystal before. A tiny sliver. It seems I am attuned to them," said Terran.

  "What happened to it?" asked Keeper Latia, clearly impressed.

  "It was being used by Grimchar the Necrochanter to steal life from the Mother Tree, but I made it explode to stop him." Terran nodded his head towards the latest impact. "May I ask what's going on? I was under the impression that the Ice Giants had a truce with the Black Citadel. Or at least an agreement of nonaggression."

  "This is true, but they broke the truce recently, ambushing a supply train and nearly getting inside the gates before we realized what had happened. Only High Keeper Astran's quick activation of the defenses stopped them."

  Keeper Latia clasped her hands before her, kneading them. The closeness o
f the breach was apparent in her wringing. After a moment of contemplation, she continued.

  "The Black Citadel was created long ago by a group of Offworlders much like yourselves. In the bones of the stone, there are fell enchantments that the High Keeper can rely upon in moments like these."

  "Can the Ice Giants breach the walls?" asked Newt.

  Keeper Latia squeezed her lips tight. "We lack the firepower that we enjoyed in older times. I'm afraid if the Ice Giants can continue unabated, then we will not withstand."

  "Do you know why they attacked?" asked Terran.

  Keeper Latia glanced away. "No."

  Terran turned to his friends. "Do you think they could be allied with the Howling Wind?"

  "Like the pirates," said Newt.

  "Yes, like the pirates," said Terran, and seeing Keeper Latia's expression went on to explain what he knew about the Howling Wind and the coming battles, leaving out the Lady of Shadows complication.

  Keeper Latia slumped onto a chair at the conclusion of his story. "This is distressing."

  "Do you think if we took care of the Ice Giant issue we might enjoy more favorable conditions when asking about the black crystal?" asked Terran.

  Keeper Latia caught him with her ice-blue eyes. He wasn't expecting it, but his heart jumped at the connection. They stayed locked.

  "It certainly couldn't hurt," she said, corner of her lips twitching with mirth. "Though you are assuming we have something tangible to offer."

  "Would you take that offer to High Keeper Astran?"

  She tilted her head. "You think you can easily eliminate the Ice Giant problem?"

  "Easily, no," he said.

  Keeper Latia stood. "I will take your offer to the rest of the Black Citadel leadership. Please enjoy your stay here until I return. You may examine the books but do not wander far."

  As she strode out of the room, Keeper Latia passed unusually close to Terran, almost brushing him. The scent of clear air on a high peak filled him.

  While she was gone, Newt perused the shelves and Luna finished cleaning her fur, looking less like a homicidal maniac and more like her former self.