Dex Warrior (Libertas Online)

18: The Convergence

"So, you fell into my little trap," Alloy says, smiling wide as he leans back against the wooden tavern wall and crosses his arms. Why did the name River Raiders not set off a million red flags in my mind? I should have known that inescapable trouble would be lurking in Bandit's Pinch, and by the look on this punk's face I don't think we're going to be getting out of this without a fight.

"Trap?" I ask. "Looks more like a pop up carnival full of clowns."

Rin grabs me by my arm and pulls me around to face her. "What are you doing? You're just gonna piss them off."

I furrow my brow. "I thought you were all about fighting these guys? It was your idea to begin with, and by the way it's looking we might as well go back to level one swinging."

"Yeah, that was when none of them were necromancers! I don't think you understand what you're getting into."

"Yes I do. We ran the Five Roses Keep together. I know this kid. He's an asshole. And if I have to take him down a second time, that's what I'm going to do. But, trust me. I don't want to fight if I don't have to."

Alloy saunters down the steps of the tavern and onto the dirt street, taking an open space in the line of River Raiders that surround us. "Did I hear the word, fight?" he asks coyly.

I ignore him for a moment and speak to Rubble: "Do you think that you could use Deep Sight and Twin Shot to deal the kind of damage you were doing in sunshine mines?"

He glances at Alloy to examine his stats, then whispers back to me, "He's definitely got more armor than the cultists. I don't know."

Rin grabs me by the arms and makes me look her in the eyes. Those violet pools of shimmering light normally instill a feeling of awe in me, a vast respect for her determination and righteous fury, but right now only anger and fear emanates from them. "You don't want to fight a necromancer."

"Oh, but I want to fight him," Alloy says, crossing his dark robed arms across his chest. "He sent me back two levels. Not only that, but I'd also consider the treasure we could've gotten out of the Five Roses Keep a loss as well. Worst part about it is how he was too afraid to face me himself, so he used the dungeon against me." He looks to Rin and Rubble with those beady yellow eyes and says, "you two may not have issues with me, and for that I am severely apologetic for the thrashing that's about to follow. But, if you should you choose to, you are welcome to join our ranks here at Bandits Pinch. It's only Aiden I wish to destroy, and it should be quite obvious to you that I have a superior tactical mindset. This whole village was a trap of my design. I knew that Aiden would eventually find his way here. Going from Sunshine Mines in Birchcastle, because that's where all of the newbies begin, to the Dead Bay in Gormsay. By controlling this little strip of land and screening every passerby, I knew you'd come right to me."

The way he grins like a devil really ticks me off. I draw my sword, point it's shining steel point towards him. "So what if you know how people usually train in Libertas? That doesn't give you the right to be such an asshole and a bully. You forced me at knifepoint to run the Five Roses Keep, even when I told you that my ship was in danger. You realize, that if I prove I'm right and I can't save anyone and all those people die, it's going to be your fault."

Alice scoffs with a wave of his hand. "Please, don't go on with that drivel. It's insane! No one is going to die except for you, right here, right now." He draws his wand from the inner folds of his black robe and shouts, "attack!"

Everyone around us springs into action. All of the magic users around us draw their weapons: their magical books, their orbs, and their staffs. Evan the monk readies himself with a few flashy stances that ripple the air around him in a yellowish glow, giving him buffs of some kind. Others draw short swords, axes, and a few rangers knock their first arrows.