Chapter 14 - Out of Time

  Robert and Varg stared down at Brukk, who was sitting up against the stone wall of the cavern. His breath was ragged and uneven as the top layer of the orc’s grey skin began to molt in front of them. Layer by layer of charred flesh peeled off itself like an onion.

  “Disgusting,” Varg exclaimed. “But at least he does not have to rely on others just to heal, aye priest?” he added, slapping Robert across his aching back.

  “Come out! To those who were caged, you are safe now. Come out, we are here to help!” Alice shouted behind them.

  One by one the surviving villagers exited their hiding spots, drawn toward Alice’s voice of reassurance. Once all four emerged, the green script Robert had been waiting for finally appeared.

  [System: Trail of Combat - Rescue Plan has been successfully completed.]

  [System: You have been awarded XP and +10 days of The Hour Unspent.]

  [The Hour Unspent: 45 days remain]

  [Level Up Acquired: Cleric (Level 22)]

  [Level Up Acquired: Cleric (Level 23)]

  [System: You have 2 attribute points available to allocate.]

  My giant level ups are beginning to slow now that I am reaching higher levels, Robert thought, assigning the two points, one to strength and one to wisdom.

  [Current Stats]

  Name: Robert Ford

  Strength: 15

  Constitution: 10

  Dexterity: 10

  Intelligence: 12

  Wisdom: 24

  [System: After the conclusion of a trail, a grace period will be granted before the initiation of the subsequent trail. This grace period is system generated based on a variety of world factors. Times will not be consistent between trails so consider their variation when concluding trails.]

  [System: Trail of Ascension 2 of 5 will generate in 5 minutes.]

  “Five minutes!” one of the villagers shouted.

  Robert turned toward the old man wearing simple linen pants. He was still drenched from the cold pool he had almost drowned in and had wrapped himself in a large hide he had pulled from somewhere in the cavern.

  “What?” Robert asked. “You took the trails as well?” he added, confused, considering they had just found them trapped in a cage.

  Robert inspected the man, wanting to learn as much as he could before the next trial would begin.

  [Bram Hearthsong (Baker, Level 22)]

  “A bloody baker took the Trails of Ascension?” Varg blurted out beside Robert in disbelief.

  “What choice did we have?” the baker shot back, his tired face red with anger. “We had been trapped in that cage for almost a week. The PKers were killing us off one by one, feeding their quests, extending their days until the Trails of Ascension began. It at least gave us a choice in our fate.”

  The other three villagers walked up next to Bram, two younger men dressed in rags no older than Oswin and a woman of similar age to the baker wearing a dirty brown dress. They were all soaked from the icy water of the cavern’s pool.

  [John Hearthsong (Blacksmith, Level 24)]

  [Tim Hearthsong (Jeweler, Level 23)]

  [Jane Hearthsong (Tailor, Level 21)]

  A family, Robert thought as Alice joined the discussion.

  “What was your trail?” Alice asked as she walked up with two more animal hides she had stored on Persephani’s saddle, who by some miracle had made it to the mountainside with Killer and Carrot, with only the late Druffus leading them. Perhaps he had a quest leading him here, he considered.

  “To escape our captors,” Bram responded grimly to Alice’s question. “Although we failed all of our attempts at escape, we did not give up hope that we would pull through somehow, even as our time ticked down to nothing. If you had not come when you did…”

  He caught his words, looking ready to cry. The two young brothers each placed a hand on their father’s shoulder.

  “It is okay, Dad,” Tim said, looking near tears himself.

  “Enough of this human wallowing,” a hoarse voice called out behind them.

  Robert turned to find Brukk rising slowly from the ground. His grey skin was nearly regenerated, and the thick gashes the giant bat had torn into the orc’s sides had almost fully closed.

  “You look like a new man, Master Gladiator,” Oswin said as he walked slowly up from where he had been resting. Robert used the last of his mana to cast a Basic Heal on the approaching enchanter, fixing the limp mid-stride.

  “I am an orc, not a human,” Brukk growled, followed by a loud cough. “We need to resupply while we can. We have minutes until the next trail starts.”

  Robert, who had been using the downtime to regain his strength, needed the brief moment of rest if he was going to be rejuvenated enough to face whatever horror would come next. But he agreed with the orc’s logic, regardless of how tired he truly felt. Who knows how much time the next trial will give us, he thought. They needed to make use of every minute, no matter how tired they all were.

  “Agreed, Brukk. Let’s spread out and resupply with whatever we can. Load up the mounts and we can lead them back to the airship if the trail permits.”

  “You have an airship?” John the young blacksmith asked with a mix of confusion and awe.

  “We did before the orc crashed it,” Varg grumbled under his breath.

  “Enough, Varg,” Alice cut in as she began to fire off orders. “Brukk is right. Gather what we can. Search the dead. Bram, you and your family get rid of those wet clothes and find something warmer. There was a blizzard outside not too long ago. Dress for winter.”

  Robert eyed a small burned pouch attached to part of a leather belt near the remnants of the dead giant bat. He had seen the Baron wearing it from a distance during the battle, but the incinerated corpse of the old man was nowhere to be seen. He walked toward it when the sight blared out another alert, urging him to quicken his pace.

  [System: Trail of Ascension 2 of 5 will generate in 2 minutes.]

  He bent low, picking up the ruined belt as the sounds of rustling feet echoed behind him, the others scattering in all directions. Robert grimaced as he straightened, the movement causing the healed wound in his shoulder from the Baron’s fallen knight’s sword to flare red hot.

  “Cursed…” Robert said, grimacing in pain as he opened the small charred pouch. Inside, tucked safely within, were three mana potions.

  Yes! he thought with excitement.

  “Finally, a bit of luck,” he called out. “The Baron left us some mana.” He popped the cork on one of the blue vials and drank it down in one disgusting swig.

  “Wonderful news, Robert,” Oswin responded as he searched through a crate of fruit.

  Robert waited a moment for his mana to return to full, then cast a heal on himself, followed by one on Oswin, repairing their wounds before the trail to come. After his casts, Robert grabbed the other two mana potions and slotted them into the loops of the strap running across his ruined breastplate.

  [System: Trail of Ascension 2 of 5 will generate in 30 seconds.]

  “Oswin, load up some food onto the saddles. Hurry!” Alice called out from across the cavern. She was tying an extra quiver of arrows she had found onto the side of Persephani’s saddle as Killer and Carrot stood by watching blankly.

  Robert rose, searching around the cavern for any last-second goods that could be looted. They would have to be light enough for mountain travel, he thought as he scanned over the dead bodies and broken supplies scattered about, searching for anything else they could carry.

  The blood and destruction caused by Brukk and Varg in the short time it had taken the rest of them to reach the ground floor was staggering, Robert thought. Had it not been for the Baron and his bat, the two of them alone would have taken the marauders’ base.

  With the short amount of time left, Robert walked toward a slain marauder sprawled against the stone. He was missing a head, but slung around his shoulders was a newly coiled rope. Robert gingerly removed the rope from the headless corpse when the final warning appeared.

  [System: Generating Trial of Ascension 2 of 5…]

  Robert sighed, exhausted and needing sleep, but he stood again and walked toward the rest of the group gathering near the mounts.

  [System: Trial of Speed has been selected…]

  [Trail of Speed]

  Name: The Summit

  Objective: Reach the summit of the closest mountain to your location.

  Reward: XP, The Hour Unspent +20 days (+ X days owned at the start of trial)

  The Hour Unspent Acceleration Multiplier: 1440x

  Trail Condition: The Hour Unspent cannot be traded during participation in this trial.

  Well that seems simple enough, Robert thought, not considering the multiplier or trail condition yet.

  “Oh no,” Alice said as Robert caught the subtle panic in her voice. “Robert, how many days do you have after the last trial?”

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  “Forty-five,” he replied, worried now as he noticed the much larger acceleration multiplier compared to their first quest.

  “1440x… that’s a day per minute. That only gives us forty five minutes to finish this trail, and we can’t send you or Oswin more hours to extend your time. We have to move, now!” Alice shouted to the group.

  [The Hour Unspent: 44 days remain]

  A minute a day, he thought, stunned. They needed to reach the summit of this large mountain in forty five minutes. Was that even possible?

  Tim began to sob next to them as his father, Bram, hurried over to comfort him.

  There’s no time for this, Robert thought. “Bram, did your group receive the same trail? The Summit?”

  “Yes,” he replied grimly. “But we are not mountain climbers. We are not even fighters. We are a trade family.”

  “Not today,” Robert replied, then joined Alice barking orders to the weary villagers. “Get him on his feet. We need to move now! Everyone, take the ledge circling the cavern to the highest point it will go, then find one of the caves that will lead us back outside.”

  “Travel light, nothing that will slow you down on a climb,” Alice added.

  “We’ll leave the horses and donkey here,” Robert said. “We can return for them after.” At least I hope so, he thought.

  “Persephani, watch over the other two!” Alice called out to her black-haired horse as she bolted toward the ledge. Robert followed, watching as Killer and Carrot gave each other a side glance.

  “Hurry up, orc,” Varg rumbled as he ran up beside them along with the four terrified villagers. Brukk, to everyone’s surprise, leapt up the ledge past them, shaking off the slowness of his once severe injuries.

  He turned back to all of them as they caught up to the spot of his high leap and roared, “Now we climb!”

  [The Hour Unspent: 40 days remain]

  It took their group four minutes to reach the top of the ledge leading toward another small cave cut through the mountain. They pressed through it and, fortunate for their limited time, it exited toward the outside where the icy air stole Robert’s breath the moment they surfaced.

  Alice drew her bow and arrow as the rest of their group exited the mountain, preparing the signal they had discussed with Zurni the goblin before their departure from the airship. She knocked an arrow as its head burst into flame. Releasing it, the fire arrow arced far through the air down the valley they had originally traveled from.

  “That little bastard better show up,” Varg rumbled.

  Robert began shivering as he watched the fire arrow fade from view. Maybe we should have stopped to find our orc coats, he thought as he looked down at his dirtied light clothing. Although he was better covered than the villagers, who had only managed to drape loose, bloodied fur vests and coats taken from the dead marauders, the cold still cut through him like a knife.

  Robert turned to look upward toward the steep ascent of the mountainside. Rocky, snow-covered formations rose high above, disappearing into a thick layer of grey clouds. This looks more difficult than the rising ramp trap in that blood raid, he thought. He glanced toward Alice and Oswin, who were still staring upward at the challenge ahead, then toward the villagers who, to Robert’s dismay, were not even wearing shoes. I can heal them, he thought as Bram the baker suddenly bolted toward the mountain’s face. The man turned back toward everyone still taking in the vastness of the climb and, to Robert’s surprise, began shouting commands.

  “Come on, everyone! Climb!” the baker roared, and in a rush they all followed after him, beginning their treacherous scramble upward.

  [The Hour Unspent: 38 days remain]

  Robert’s hands began to shake as he gripped each grey rock, perch by perch, pushing himself upward against the steep slant of the mountainside with his leather boots and gloveless hands. Come on, Robert, he told himself as he climbed. Above him, Brukk and Varg led the ascent, a good thirty yards ahead of the rest, finding the safest path and calling back warnings of loose rocks or footing too iced for unclawed boots.

  “Heads up!” Varg called down as a loose boulder crashed downward. It struck Tim on the shoulder and the young man cried out as he slipped and tumbled several yards down the mountainside before Alice caught him by the arm as he yelled in pain.

  Robert stopped where he was and pulled his staff free from the makeshift leather strap on his back. He cast a heal on Tim and called out, “Keep moving, we need to move faster,” as his time continued to tick downward.

  “Robert, what’s your time?” Alice called back as he secured his staff again.

  “Thirty-six,” he replied, feeling the exhaustion of the climb beginning to slow his pace, if only slightly.

  “Villagers, what about you?” he heard Varg shout from above, his booming voice echoing across the mountain range.

  “Don’t worry about us!” Bram shouted back with surprising strength. “We can make it, all of us!”

  [The Hour Unspent: 35 days remain]

  Robert appreciated the optimism in the man as he continued climbing. A faint slowfall began drifting from the clouds above, and his breath materialized in the frigid air with every exhale as the cold tightened around them.

  Cursed weather, Robert thought as his foot slipped briefly against the snow. He caught himself on another rock and heard one of the Hearthsong boys cry out above him.

  “My hands, healer! I can’t feel my hands!”

  “Shut up, Tim, and keep climbing. We’ll warm up once we hit the summit,” his brother John replied sharply.

  Robert pushed himself upward to reach them as Tim’s cries grew more desperate.

  “I can’t do it. I can’t do it anymore,” he whispered as the bootless jeweler leaned his back against the mountain and closed his eyes, his body beginning to succumb to the cold. Robert reached them as John tried helplessly to drag his brother by the arms farther up the mountainside.

  “What’s going on down there?” Alice called. She and Oswin were now a dozen yards farther up the mountain.

  “Keep going,” Robert replied. “I’ll help them.”

  He retrieved his staff again. “Huddle up,” he called as Bram and Jane climbed back down to check on Tim. “Gather on me.”

  Robert raised his staff toward the storm clouds and cast his Party Heal. For the brief moment he held the cast, he felt the warmth burn away the ice forming in his veins, and for a fleeting instant it was as if they had stepped into a warm sunny day, untouched by the frozen weather bearing down on them from every side.

  [The Hour Unspent: 30 days remain]

  Tim sprang back awake as the heal took hold and Robert released his cast, conserving the rest of his mana.

  “Tim!” his mom, Jane, shouted. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes,” he said through chattering teeth as the brief warmth of Robert’s heal began to fade.

  “Then get up and climb, my boy,” the grey-haired tailor replied, pulling him up by the arm and forcing him to resume the ascent.

  Ten minutes later the group reached the beginning of the grey cloud cover consuming the mountain like an endless wall of fog.

  “The snow is picking up now!” Bram shouted as flurries of wind and white powder blasted across Robert’s face, further restricting his already limited view. He tried to keep a tight formation with the four villagers but the worsening weather made the climb more treacherous, and he’d lost sight of the rest of his party, unsure if they were still climbing in the same direction along the mountain.

  “Varg! Alice!” he called out into the now blinding snow all around them. They began climbing closer together, trying to stay warm as the blizzard consumed them, unaware of the location of the rest of the party. Robert had just finished another Party Heal, forgoing storing his staff on his back, when they came across a massive flat face of stone pressing up against the mountainside.

  Robert looked upward, unable to see where the cliffside ended above them. My god, he thought as he stared up at the vertical flat rock. We are not mountaineers. We have no tools for this climb.

  “Varg! Alice! Oswin!” he shouted as he and the villagers spread out across the grey rock face of the cliff blocking their ascent, trying to find an easier path up.

  “Priest!” he heard Varg shout out somewhere in the distance, unable to make out the direction as the sound echoed through the wind all around them.

  “Where did that come from?” he shouted to the villagers, who looked as if they were about to freeze solid where they stood.

  John looked toward him, icicles clinging to his eyebrows and long brown beard.

  “I think it came from this direction!” he shouted back across the snow as he climbed on a narrow ledge pressed against the cliffside.

  Robert watched in sudden horror as the thin ledge beneath the blacksmith he barely knew shook loose, and the man screamed as he plummeted downward into the snowy abyss below.

  “John!” Tim cried out, followed by screams of horror from his parents as all three rushed past Robert toward the broken ledge. They stopped at the edge, looking downward for the fallen man, but it was no use. Where the ledge had broken, it opened into a vertical crevasse carved into the mountain’s face.

  [The Hour Unspent: 20 days remain]

  There’s no time for grieving, Robert thought in dismay as he looked at the broken family.

  “I’m so sorry, but he’s gone,” Robert said, sorrow aching in his chest as he realized how cold his words must sound. “We have to keep moving. Bram, Jane, for your other son’s sake, please,” he pleaded.

  “What do you mean? We have to go look for him! He can still be alive, you can heal him, you’re a healer!” she cried, her voice breaking as she reached for Robert in desperation.

  Robert grabbed one of her icy cold hands and looked into her blue eyes as tears froze to her cheeks the moment they fell. “He’s gone, Jane. Think of the rest of your family. We can still save Tim, but we have to find a way around this cliff before all our time is lost.”

  Her eyes hardened briefly as recognition of their dire circumstances gave her a moment of clarity through the grief. Bram stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “He’s dead, darling. Let’s go,” he said quietly, just as Varg’s voice rang out again, this time sounding closer.

  “Priest! Where in bloody hell are you!”

  Gripping his staff, Robert fired a Holy Bolt into the air, angling it slightly away from the mountainside, hoping the burst of light would illuminate their position like a beacon.

  [The Hour Unspent: 18 days remain]

  Moments later the massive shape of Varg appeared across the gap John had just plummeted through. The massive warrior balanced on the tips of his boots on the thin ledge, his body and hands pressed flat against the vertical rock face.

  “How in cursed hell did you lot get all the way over here?” he rumbled through the now raging blizzard.

  “We lost sight of you in the clouds,” Robert called back, relieved to see his big friend once more.

  “Wasn’t there one more of you?” Varg asked, still perched across from them.

  Robert shook his head and Varg pressed no further, likely seeing the answer in his grim face. Without further words, Robert watched as Varg extended a massive hand across the chasm, signaling for them to jump to him.

  Having bunched up together on a rock beside the broken ledge, Robert moved carefully around Jane, who was still on her knees weeping as Bram knelt beside his grieving wife, trying to lift her back to her feet.

  “Tim,” Robert said to the stunned jeweler standing behind his father. “You first. Reach out to Varg. He will pull you across.”

  Without protest, the man, wearing an oversized vest of what Robert assumed was bear hide, stepped toward the broken ledge and stretched out his blackening fingers. Varg leaned farther across the chasm, grasped Tim by the wrist, and yanked him over with a yelp.

  “Next!” Varg shouted as he climbed around Tim, who slid past him along the ledge, using Varg’s boots as footholds.

  “Time to go, Jane,” Robert called back, seeing that Bram had finally gotten her to her feet. She walked slowly next to Robert at the ledge and looked down into the snowy abyss, then extended her arm and allowed Varg to grasp her. Robert watched as Varg pulled her to safety and her form disappeared past him into the thick snow and clouds beyond.

  [The Hour Unspent: 13 days remain]

  We’re not going to make it, Robert thought, letting the feeling of certain defeat start to take hold.

  “Hurry up, priest!” Varg roared through the wind.

  Robert turned toward Bram, expecting him to already be beside him, but to his surprise he found the old man kneeling on the snowy rock. His hands rested on his legs as he bowed his head in what Robert assumed was a prayer.

  “There will be time for that once we reach the summit, Bram. Your wife is waiting for you.”

  The old baker slowly lifted his head toward Robert. His white beard and weathered face were crusted with frost.

  “Get them to the top, healer,” he said quietly. “Tell them… tell them I fell.”

  Robert was about to protest when the old man’s arms shot outward violently, as if yanked apart by unseen ropes. Robert recoiled suddenly at the sight as Bram began to scream quietly through gritted teeth.

  “No…” Robert whispered as he tried to cast a heal on the straining man, but to his dismay his spells did not respond. Unsure what to do, Robert could only watch as the doomed man rose into the air.

  Bram, the old tailor and head of the Hearthsong family, let out one final haunting scream before bursting into flame.

  [The Hour Unspent: 12 days remain]