Moving Mountains

31

^^ the Naga Shaman ^^

— Josef —

The tunnels under the caldera were gone, entirely so. All that was left was a pile of sludge and caustic liquid, but we didn't descend from our perch just yet for good reason; The Dungeon wasn't Cleared yet, which meant the Boss was still alive, somewhere in all that Muck.

Soon enough, our patience was rewarded, as a bubble of green energy rose out of the mud, and popped, dropping an Old Man with a curious-looking staff onto the ground. When he touched the mud, his hands glowing green, it solidified into stone again. At first it was just the area around him, then it expanded all the way throughout the caldera.

I raised an eyebrow slowly, and Loran nodded. 'That's at least an ArchDruid or an Ancestral Shaman. He didn't chant, which means he has to be either of those.'

'Mm... it could be from that staff; it's a Four-Headed Laernean Hydra, and I can smell the magic in it from here, it smells like bile and rot... Corrupted Druidic Arcana.' I crinkled my nose against the disgusting smell.

'So we get the staff away from him, he's probably weaker, yes?' Bex asked.

'Most assuredly; but will it make him less dangerous? I don't need a Staff to cast magic, but it does make it easier, having a Focus.' I shrugged.

'So, Step One: Steal the Staff. Step Two: Beat up an old man. Step Three: WIN!!!' Jessie grinned impishly.

I snorted at his summary, and the group chuckled softly. 'Sounds good, sure... but you see those scales on his arms? He's a Naga, not a Human; he'll be X+ in Stats, just like the Commanders, or actually more so. So the Staff is Step One, then taking out his legs is Step Two. Step Three is removing his head. Very few things can survive without a head. Don't go for his heart, or his stomach, or what-have-you; he's likely as almost-immortal as we are, after all. Always go for the head.' I lectured seriously.

Vega nodded. 'That's true, too many Fighting Arts teach to aim for the Heart; that is wrong. Jessie, you Tank the front with Vanya and I. Bex, you will steal the staff. Loran, you will make sure he can't control the ground to trap or attack us. Josef, you will kill anything that he summons... do you have a fourth of those big spells in you?'

I shook my head sadly. 'Not even a little bit... I used all my mana for each of them, and then refilled with a Mana Crystal... but each one of those is worth 1,000 Platinum Pieces, fully charged...'

Loran glanced at the crystal in her staff, paling slowly.

'Don't worry about the bill for that one, I'm taking all the loot as collateral.' I smiled as she relaxed.

'So you don't have any more? Or you can't afford to spend any more of them?' Vega clarified.

'I need the ones I have left to enchant Items... Wait- Messenger, did I absorb all the Mana and Skills of the Naga I just killed with the Tempest and Maelstrom?' I asked, switching channels, So to speak.

'You did, Yes, and then you spent it, defending against the various tornadoes and waterspouts that attacked your shield over the last few hours. You have about 30% of your max mana right now.' She answered promptly.

'Alright, I'm at 30%, I suppose... I could-... no... aha!!!' I grinned and stood up, spreading my hands and focusing on the field below. "Spartoi, Rise."

My mana dropped to almost empty, instantly, but the stone and dirt of the ground began cracking and breaking, making the Druid whip around, wielding his staff cautiously.