Amelia and James were currently surrounded by around 15 scarecrows. All of them were exactly the same as the first one they had killed, with a pumpkin head and grey overalls leaking hay. They shambled forwards, their arms limp, raising them only to swing at the duo. Unfortunately for them, it had actually been an ambush, and now they had the torn sacks of two scarecrows at their feet, the rest were coming to slaughter them.
“That’s a lot more than I expected,” James admitted.
“Did you take any potions from Grey?” Amelia asked.
“No. Did you?”
She shook her head.
“Well, this is magnificent. I really hope these things give us some decent XP.”
Amelia jumped at one of the scarecrows, slashing downwards and slicing off its poorly attached arm.
“Why are there even this many scarecrows in one place anyway?” James asked. “Who put them all here and then animated them?”
He slammed his sword into the ground, sending out a shockwave
Cieth
Crash Blade
----
Scarecrow 4-18
65/75 HP
Now targeting Cieth
----
Scarecrow 3
40/75 HP
Now targeting Cieth
“The crows around here must be huge,” Amelia said. “I kinda wanna meet them now. Would be a better fight than this.”
GlassAngel
Rising Slash
----
Scarecrow 3
0/75 HP
The scarecrow broke apart into hay and the pumpkin rolled across the ground, trampled underneath the feet of the advancing horde. The scarecrow that crushed said pumpkin then got stabbed by Amelia as she fell back down.
CHAIN
GlassAngel
Piercing Blow
----
Scarecrow 4
0/75 HP
Amelia yanked the sword out of the pumpkin, sending the rotting seeds inside spraying out onto the next monster that swung at her. However, being made of straw resulted in their attacks being rather weak.
GlassAngel
140/150 HP
The rest of the horde tried to slap Amelia, but James leapt between them, blocking the attack easily.
Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Thanks for defending me from something that wouldn’t hurt.”
“It adds up,” James told her, stabbing the scarecrow through the chest, and Amelia followed up by sliding under James’ shield and cutting at its legs.
“We can’t fall back on Grey anymore,” he continued.
“So we kill these things even faster,” she said. “Understood!”
She swung her sword at the scarecrow in front of her, cleanly decapitating it.
GlassAngel
Perfect Strike
----
Scarecrow 5
0/75 HP
“Huh, I actually got one,” she said, parrying another strike from another scarecrow. “So I’ve just got to aim for the head, huh?” She swung at the scarecrow next to her, trying to cut its head off in the same way, but her sword got lodged in the pumpkin. The scarecrow then punched her in the gut, but James reacted by slicing its arm off. Amelia pulled the sword out and ran the skeleton through, and James punched its pumpkin off.
Scarecrow 6
0/75 HP
Two more scarecrows came at them, and both attacks were swiftly blocked. James crouched down and smashed his sword into the ground, and as he did so Amelia leapt over his head and slashed downwards at the scarecrow he was fighting. She spun around and stabbed at the scarecrow who she’d blocked previously, but just as she did the others wrapped their hay around her and pushed her to the ground.
Scarecrow 7
30/75 HP
----
GlassAngel
Prone
The empty eyes of the scarecrow were lit up by a blue flame. A sword as long as its forearm slid out of the soft hay. It cackled, almost like it was savouring the moment, and then it got kneed in the face and shot in the head.
Scarecrow 7
0/75 HP
----
Gunslinger Trait
Ammo
All of the Gunslinger’s abilities have an ammo count. When that ability runs out of ammo, the Gunslinger must perform a Reload that puts the ability on cooldown for double its usual time. Normal attacks have 12 ammo and a 2 second reload cooldown.
----
Gungnir
Pistol Ammo
4/12
The gunslinger rolled as the body collapsed and aimed her guns at the other scarecrows. She was dressed like a cowboy, with a long trenchcoat, two revolvers and a large Stetson. The scarecrow fighting James turned to face her, ready to strike, but a scythe slashed through its arm as a man dressed in black robes walked up behind them. The gunslinger aimed her pistol and shot it through the head, sending pumpkin juices splattering on the horde behind.
Scarecrow 8
0/75 HP
As soon as the Scarecrow died, the man in black raised his hand and a skeleton crawled out of the ground where the pile of hay was.
Necromancer Skill
Corpse Disposal
Use the freshly dead to fuel your own power.
When an enemy is defeated, call forth an Abyssal Summon. Alternatively, when an ally is defeated, call forth 4 Abyssal Summons.
40 second cooldown
----
Necromancer Trait
Abyssal Summon
Several of the Necromancer’s skills summon a skeleton ally with 0.2*HP HP. It attacks with a shortsword that deals 0.5*STR damage.
James quickly looked up at their names.
Gungnir
Level 4, Level 4 Gunslinger
25/100 HP
----
Lambda
Level 4, Level 4 Necromancer
50/150 HP
“Who the hell are you?” Amelia asked, standing up.
GlassAngel
Prone status removed
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“No time to explain,” the gunslinger responded. “We’ve gotta run.”
“From what?”
“From that,” the Necromancer said, pointing his scythe over Amelia’s shoulder. The duo turned to see three crows, each the size of an elephant, flying towards them at high speed.
Oblivion Crow
Level 6
170/170 HP
“You’re kidding me,” James muttered.
The Scarecrows moved into formation, standing in front of the adventurers, the pumpkins lighting up and their blades drawing.
“I guess we’re all on the same side now,” Amelia said, raising her sword at the crows. James slammed his shield down next to her.
“Those things are vicious,” Gungnir replied, as she, Lambda and the skeleton took their place in the line. “I couldn’t hit a single one.”
Amelia smirked. “Watch and learn.”
Amelia jumped back out of line, took a running start at one of the scarecrows, leapt up and bounced off its head, her sword outstretched towards the first crow that was flying straight towards her. She stabbed it in the eye, which made it screech and reel back.
GlassAngel
Piercing Blow
----
Oblivion Crow 1
95/170 HP
“How didn’t we think of that,” Gungnir shouted incredulously.
“You didn’t have scarecrows,” James said, matter of factly. “Also, you have guns and they’re the size of a barn.”
Gungnir chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a horrible shot. I thought they’d be some kind of auto aim because this is an RPG, but nope. Gotta point and shoot. But, on the plus side, highest strength of any class in the game. If I do hit my target it will explode.”
James looked at the skeleton. “And this is what your class does? Just the classic necromancer stuff?”
“Indeed,” Lambda replied. “Broadly a support class, but not much of a healer.”
Amelia swung around and yanked the sword out of the crow’s eye, slashing at one of the other crows as it dived to help its friend. The third crow dived towards the other, but the scarecrows stood in their way, dogpiling it, although doing little to pierce the thick feathers.
Oblivion Crow 3
140/170 HP
The crow dived at James, Gungnir and Lambda. James raised his shield and blocked the swiping claws, and Gungnir took aim and fired her pistol. Lambda and the skeleton followed up as well, slicing it at the legs and forcing it to pull back.
Oblivion Crow 3
95/170 HP
----
Gungnir
Pistol Ammo
3/12
“So you brought all the expansions for the additional classes?” James asked.
“Yeah, a bunch of our friends played Sable but we never did,” Lambda replied. He kept swinging his scythe to ward the bird off as the rest of the scarecrows tried to reach the creature. “Thought now would be a good time to give it a shot. None of the starting classes looked that fun to us anyway, no offence.”
“None taken,” Amelia shouted as she landed on the crow she’d slashed. The crow spun around trying to throw her off, but she stabbed her sword into its neck.
GlassAngel
Perfect Strike
----
Oblivion Crow 2
108/170 HP
The creature screamed, dive-bombed towards the ground, and then dragged Amelia along the ground, forcing her to let go of her sword as she rolled across the ground.
GlassAngel
110/150 HP
“Hey, give it back!” Amelia shouted, running after the bird. It looked back at her, seemingly cackling, before being swarmed by the scarecrow horde. They leapt up onto its feathers, stabbing it constantly, shredding through its skin.
“Take that, you bastard!” Amelia said with glee, before the first crow grabbed her in its talons and flew off into the air.
Meanwhile, James and Lambda were still swiping at the crow circling around them. Gungnir pulled a grenade out of her pocket.
“This’ll do the trick!” She shouted as she pulled the cord and chucked it at the bird. A bright flash exploded out from it, sending the crow flying randomly in mid air.
Gunslinger Skill
Flashbang
A special grenade that will emit blinding light on impact.
Apply Stun to all enemies for 2 seconds. 2 ammo.
20 second cooldown.
----
Gungnir
Flashbang Ammo
1/2
----
Oblivion Crow 3
Stunned
The bird crashed into the ground, and the group immediately leapt on that chance, beating down on the creature with basic attacks.
Oblivion Crow 3
40/170 HP
Stunned
----
Gungnir
Pistol Ammo
2/12
Just as they prepared to deal the finishing blow, James looked behind him to notice the crow the scarecrows and Amelia’s sword were stuck on preparing to divebomb the group. He ran back and raised his shield just in time to stop the bird crashing into them at high speed.
Cieth
Shield
----
Cieth
250/300 HP
James swung his shield to bat the creature away. As he did so, several scarecrows were forced to let go of the creature, crumpling on the ground.
Scarecrow 10-12
40/75 HP
Meanwhile, Amelia was punching and kicking at the bird that had her, pulling her up into the sky.
“Let go of me you bastard!” Amelia pulled back and swung her fist, hitting the bird at just the right spot on the claw.
GlassAngel
Perfect Strike
“Wait, I can do that with just my fists?”
Oblivion Crow 1
90/170 HP
It screamed in annoyance and let her go. She screamed as she fell through the air, but one of the scarecrows skidded across the ground and she landed on it, breaking her fall.
“Thanks,” she said. She then rolled off the construct as the bird flew down and crushed it under its claws.
Scarecrow 9
0/75 HP
Amelia started running towards the others. “Pass me my sword already!”
“Go forth, my minion, and give her the sword!” Lambda shouted at the skeleton. It nodded, ran forward, yanked the sword out of the crow and hurled it towards Amelia. It then got eaten by the bird immediately as it continued to try and pull the scarecrows off.
Lambda’s Abyssal Summon
0/30 HP
The sword spun through the air. Amelia grabbed it, turned around, and as the crow came into range, Amelia struck it with three lightning fast strikes across the neck. She pulled her sword onto her back and walked away as blood spurted out of the crow’s neck.
GlassAngel
Rapid Slash
----
Oblivion Crow 1
0/170 HP
----
Oblivion Crow 3
Stunned status removed
The crow stood up and tried to attack the other party members from behind, but Lambda and Gungnir turned around first. Gungnir shot it through one eye, and Lambda slashed through the other.
Oblivion Crow 3
0/170 HP
As the scarecrows stabbed into the last of the beasts, James leapt up and stabbed it through the eye.
Oblivion Crow 1
0/170 HP
The scarecrows retracted their blades, returning to their normal, limp selves. They all glared at James and Amelia as she walked over to join the others.
“We’re really sorry about before,” James said, embarrassed. “We assumed you were...bad scarecrows?”
The scarecrows stared at him for a little longer, and then looked away, returning to their guard duties.
Encounter Complete
All Party Members gain 650XP
All Party Members gain 1000 Gold
Level Up!
Cieth and GlassAngel: Level 4
Lambda and Gungnir: Level 5
Cieth: +5 STR
GlassAngel: +50 HP
Lambda: New skill: Life Eater
Gungnir: New skill: Napalm Bomb
“Wait a minute, level 5 gives you new skills?” James said in surprise.
“This is new to us too,” Lambda said.
Amelia looked over at James. “You wanna grind up to level 5? It sure would mess with the others if we got to show off skills they’ve never seen before.”
“Sure, I’ve got time. You guys wanna tag along?”
Lambda and Gungnir nodded.
“Where do you want to go?” Gungnir asked.
“We have some unfinished business with some goblins,” James said, “and...and there’s something I want to check back there. We’ll enter through the entrance near Vagrant Company. I'll buy some potions while we’re there.”
Amelia shrugged. “Sure, I want to kick that wolf’s ass. Let’s rock.”
James Stats: Level: 4 HP: 250/300 STR: 15 DEF: 15 DEX: 5 SPL: 15 INT: 1
Amelia Stats: Level: 4 HP: 160/200 STR: 25 DEF: 5 DEX: 10 SPL: 5 INT: 0
Grey stats: Level: 4 HP: 150/150 STR: 5 DEF: 15 DEX: 5 SPL: 20 INT: 0 Healing Pool: 400/400
Patrick stats: Level: 3 HP: 100/100 STR: 20 DEF: 5 DEX: 15 SPL: 15 INT: 0 Mana: 150/150
Gungnir Stats: Level: 5 HP: 25/100 STR: 30 DEF: 5 DEX: 10 SPL: 5 INT: 0
Lambda Stats: Level: 5 HP: 50/150 STR: 10 DEF: 5 DEX: 5 SPL: 15 INT: 0
