“We really need to stop getting ambushed like this,” James said to himself. He coughed as the smoke completely filled the room and his lungs, swinging his shield to bat away the dust, the fires that had started this whole mess the only things he could see through the smog. Despite the room bursting into flames, he wasn’t hurt, which he assumed meant that everyone else was fine too.
Cieth
GlassAngel
Trident743
Skibabylon
----
Status Effect
Burnt
Deals 1 damage every 2 seconds.
He then realised his assumptions were wrong.
“Anyone there?” He tried to shout through the smoke, hoping someone would hear him over the roar of the flames, only to inhale a lungful of it. He was nearly knocked over as Grey stumbled into him. James turned around to see them parrying a blade with their staff.
“Why is there a maid trying to stab you with a rapier?” James asked.
“I’m glad you see her too, I thought the smoke inhalation was getting to me.”
Grey pushed the rapier to the side, giving James an opening to run in and stab her. Despite being run through and likely having lungs filled with smoke, her face was completely emotionless.
Combat Maid
Level 4
25/40 HP
The maid kicked him away and tried to slash him, but James blocked it with his shield. Grey whacked her in the back of her head with their staff and James stabbed her again, and he let her body fall to the floor.
Combat Maid
0/40 HP
The face and skin of the maid faded to reveal a basic wooden mannequin dressed in maid clothes. Grey wrapped their cloak around their face, hoping to block out some of the smoke, while James tried to find a window in the flames so they could try to breathe.
GlassAngel
Whirlwind Cutter
They were almost thrown off their feet as a wave of soot and burning paper was thrown their way by Amelia’s spinning strike, trying to hit two maids who skillfully dodged back. However, with the smoke a little clearer, one of them was taken out swiftly by a firebolt to the head.
Trident743
Firebolt
----
Combat Maid 2
0/40 HP
----
Trident743
230/250 Mana
Patrick stumbled through the soot, his cape wrapped around his mouth like Grey’s. The last maid tried to flank him and stab him, but James blocked the blow with his shield. Amelia ran past them and she and James ran their opponent through both sides, making it turn back into a mannequin.
Combat Maid 3
0/40 HP
“You feeling ok Amelia?” Grey asked.
“Christ, I thought I told you guys I was fine with this stuff,” She growled. “Let’s just get out of here before we’re slow roasted.”
James stumbled over to where the spiral staircase had been but it was gone, replaced with only brick. Amelia felt the maid she had just knocked down grab her leg, the fake flesh returning as it drew her rapier and stabbed her in the leg.
Combat Maid 3
20/40 HP
----
GlassAngel
130/200 HP
Burnt
“Stupid magicians!” Amelia said, as she stabbed the maid yet again.
Combat Maid 3
0/40 HP
“I’m standing right here you know!” Patrick shouted back. “How do we get out before these things all come back and kill us all?”
“Only one way I can think of,” James replied. He turned around, running his hand along the wall until he found the window. Once he did, he took a step back, held up his shield, and prepared to run through it. However, before he could, Delarius stood in his way.
“Surely there is another way than this?” He asked.
“Why not?” James replied. “I could just slide down the side, these buildings have so many statues and flourishes I could easil-“
“Surely there is another way than this?” Delarius repeated in the exact same tone of voice, but his face looked quite a bit angrier. As he said this, James heard an explosion behind him.
Trident743
Firebolt
----
Trident743
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
210/250 Mana
The concrete now had a large hole in it. Grey shrugged. “We liked it more than your plan.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” James said. Patrick glanced down, only to see several butlers aiming guns at him. Amelia grabbed him and pulled him back before bullets whizzed past them, embedding themselves into the roof. James climbed down the staircase first, holding his shield up to block the shots. He leapt into the air before landing on the floor and slamming his sword down.
Cieth
Crash Blade
----
Murder Butler 1-12
15/30 HP
The butlers nearly fell over them, but several of them stood their ground and returned fire. James staggered back as the shots went straight through his armour and into his flesh.
“I’ll be honest,” James said, “I get the impression I shouldn’t have done that.”
Amelia leapt off the stairwell and stabbed through another butler as it turned to shoot her. Patrick threw an energy bolt at another one who trained his gun on him. They both fell to the ground like broken mannequins.
GlassAngel
Perfect Strike
----
Murder Butler 7-8
0/30 HP
----
Trident743
215/250 Mana
Gold light went into James as Grey descended the stairs, keeping a low profile to avoid getting shot.
Skibabylon
Healing Beam
Bullets went flying as the remaining butlers opened fire. One shot lodged itself into Grey’s shoulder, but Amelia swiftly cut its head off before it could do more. James and Patrick swiftly rounded up the rest before they could do anything substantial.
Skibabylon
120/150 HP
Burnt
----
Murder Butler 9-12
0/30 HP
“Let’s move before they can get up,” Grey said.
Combat Maid 1-2
20/40 HP
“Well, shi-”
The maids leapt down the spiral staircase and both ran Grey through, pushing them over the bannister and sending them tumbling to the ground. A couple of the butlers joined the maids' fun, standing over Grey as the group were ready to finish them off. Luckily, Amelia leapt in, swinging her sword in an arc that pushed the group away and sliced the maid’s heads clean off.
Combat Maid 1-2
0/40 HP
----
Murder Butler 1-3
10/30 HP
----
Ruby Butler
80/100 HP
“Wait, what?” James said as he saw the stats pop up. “One of those is different.”
“All look like butlers to me!” Amelia shouted, cutting down a butler next to her. However, some of them were starting to get up again, completely unmoved and unfazed than any of the party’s attacks.
Murder Butler 1
0/30 HP
----
Murder Butler 7-8
15/30 HP
“If my video game instincts are right, one of those must be the leader,” Grey said. The butlers tried to shoot at Grey as they got up, but James stood between them and blocked the bullets. “We need to find him again and focus him down.”
James and Amelia cut down two of the butlers that had survived the Whirlwind Cutter, and Patrick shot down another. However, another returned fire, shooting Patrick in the chest.
Murder Butler 1-3
0/30 HP
----
Trident743
210/250 Mana
----
Trident743
20/100 HP
Burnt
“Ok, which was the last one you hit?” James asked Amelia, another bullet embedding itself in his shield.
“How the hell would I? I was busy cutting them up!” She replied another bullet narrowly missed her head.
“Good thing I did,” Patrick replied.
Trident743
Firebolt
----
Trident743
190/250 Mana
----
Ruby Butler
0/100 HP
The remaining butlers and maids collapsed, turning back to simple wood. the third maid who was about to join combat from the attic careening past them and slamming into the wall, the mannequin breaking into pieces.
Encounter Complete
All Party Members gain 800XP
All Party Members gain 1000 Gold
Trident743: Level 4
Trident743: +5 DEF
"You should thank me for being the only one with a decent memory," Patrick said to Amelia.
"Level up not good enough for you?" She smiled and gave him a playful shove. “Now all you have to do is not die stupidly and you’ll get a new skill."
"When do I ever do that?"
Delarius walked down the stairs, looking perfectly fine despite being set on fire.
“Let us swiftly advance,” he said. “I was watching out of the window, and saw the Baroness leaving towards the Tower of Night.”
“Is this why he was so intent on keeping the window intact?” James wondered. “It’d just mess up his dialogue?”
Grey shrugged. “Let’s cut them some slack. Video game AI is hard, especially with something as advanced as Sable Online. At least we know where to go now. Let’s meet up with the baroness again. Our inquiry’s not done.”
Amelia smiled and walked down the stairs, her sword hefted over her shoulder. “Oh, and I won the bet Patrick, you owe me!”
James Stats: Level: 5 VIT: 300/300 STR: 15 DEF: 25 DEX: 10 SPL: 15 INT: 1
Amelia Stats: Level: 5 VIT: 110/200 STR: 25 DEF: 15 DEX: 10 SPL: 5 INT: 0
Grey stats: Level: 4 VIT: 30/150 STR: 10 DEF: 15 DEX: 10 SPL: 30 INT: 0 Healing Pool: 490/600
Patrick stats: Level: 4 VIT: 20/100 STR: 30 DEF: 10 DEX: 15 SPL: 25 INT: 0 Mana: 210/250
