—— ? ——
“Up yer’ go, Brian!” Kurda yelled as he scooped the surprised inventor into a princess carry.
“Shit! Kurda, you’re going to make me lose focus!” Brian yelped as he momentarily lost concentration.
Kurda glanced down at Brian's hand. They were bathed in light, a shimmering dome surrounding the sparking dented metal that was Zerathis.
The barrier fluctuated and waned from Kurda’s pickup. Sparking energy snapped out from the cracks, splashing out and bathing part of Kurda’s face, causing him to grunt as he felt it sear. The energy faded almost instantly, leaving an angry red welt behind.
“Ow,” Kurda grunted.
“Sorry!” Brian hissed through clenched teeth. “I’ll get it stable.”
Behind them, crashing and bellowing filled the valley as the horde had come within paces of them.
Kurda’s stride lengthened, and he picked up speed as he dashed back towards the wall.
Thankfully, Kurda was faster. Each of his strides increasing their lead.
The researcher in his arms shuddered. Kurda saw that his face was as white as a sheet and was still paling. The damned idiot was burning through his magical reserves. The stone mason had no clue how much longer he could keep up that barrier of his, but it couldn’t be long.
Kurda pushed himself harder. He would get the man to the wall if it was the last thing he did. Even if he had to throw the lanky earth-born.
Bolts whizzed past them as Jorik fired over and over, raining death on their pursuers. Kurda’s eyes snapped to his right as he caught movement in the snow next to him.
The short figure of Dravlen kept pace with him, his two blades held ready.
“Get ready ter’ run Emrick!” Kurda bellowed as he approached the gap.
*Ding!*
——————————
> You have a communication request from Emrick Correll
> Will you accept? Yes - No.
——————————
Kurda nodded his head as he mentally accepted the request.
“Emrick start runnin’, I’ll have yer’ jump on my back if yer’ too slow.”
Emrick’s voice snapped back in his head. “No Kurda. You’re going on without me. Head to the inner wall and don’t stop. Get whoever Brian needs to get the damned barrier going.”
“What?!” Kurda’s run slowed for just a second. “What der’ yer’ mean by that? I can carry yer’ on my back if I nee-”
“Stop!” Emrick’s voice rang in Kurda’s head. The thurgen’s swift strides had brought him close enough to make out the serious expression that painted the thin man’s face.
“I’m going to hold this choke point. I can buy time for you and the others. Kurda, look beyond me. There are still hundreds that haven’t made it to safety yet.” The tailor’s voice was shaky, but his final words were firm as steel. “So GO! Don’t stop. Get the barrier going.”
Kurda approached the gap, his eyes sweeping over the passageway. Glittering metal threads painted the metal-encased stone like a spiderweb.
“Emrick yer’ can’t keep meanin’ to stop that army with some simple thread.”
The giant of a man slowed to a jog as he carefully stepped around the thread.
“Oh? Who said anything about a simple thread?” Emrick’s voice rang out.
A rainbow hue pulsed in Emrick's outstretched fingers. The glowing energy lanced back and forth through the tailor's hands as it followed a translucent thread Kurda hadn’t spotted.
Kurda frowned. “Identify.”
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> IDENTIFICATION SUCCESS
> Boslow’s Thread of Joining
> Tier: Master - (Tier 4)
> Rarity: Legendary
> Description: Boslow is an esteemed tailor of the Spine, renowned for chasing materials that others deemed impossible to work with. He felt his greatest limitation was never skill, but the thread he was forced to use. Years of experimentation alongside alchemists and material savants resulted in the creation of the Thread of Joining. A thread designed to survive and unify the exotic materials of the countless realms. Ironically, this creation resulted in Boslow having to dedicate most of his efforts to mass-producing his creation, much to his frustration. No longer were people interested in his unique works. Instead, the Spine and the countless realms hungered for one thing from Boslow. More spools of his creation.
> Features:
>> Spoolwell: Each spool contains a magical well of power that is tuned to the translucent thread. When activated, the energy will race down the unique fibers that comprise the thread and change its structure. While the energy remains active, the thread cannot be harmed by anything below Paragon (Tier 5). Additionally, the thread will move under the will of the owner of the spool, adhering, detaching, and reattaching to nearly any mortal surface. Spoolwell will remain active for up to 10 minutes.
> Legendary trait: Upon depletion of its charge, an alchemical and magical wonder will occur. The thread will meld into an amalgamation of the materials it has passed through, forming a seamless bond between otherwise incompatible substances. Once fused, the thread counts as a single continuous material for enchantment, reinforcement, and structural integrity. As if reality itself changes to allow the Thread of Joining to function.
——————————
Kurda nearly tripped, sucking in a sharp breath.
“Emrick, are yer’ insane? What are yer’ doin’?”
Emrick shrugged, but a half grin crept up his face. “It’s pretty damn amazing, don’t you think?”
“But…” Kurda’s pace slowed as he stared at the growing rainbow lines. His eyes locked on the shifting hues as they pulsed across the walls. “Where did yer’ get that from?!”
“From the system. I told you I was one of the first to craft a masterwork, right? This was my reward.” The tailor's gaze shifted around the stunned Thurgen. “But we don’t have time for that. You saw the properties of this thread. I’m going to turn this passage into a web of death.” Emrick’s eyes turned back to Kurda.
“So, get your ass moving. Bring Brian to the barrier. We need it going sooner rather than later.”
“I’m not sure if I can do it while keeping Zerathis alive.” Brian’s strained voice cut in. “If this shield around him goes down, he’s going to die.”
Kurda and Emrick both looked down at the pale, sweating inventor.
“Then, have Kurda find someone who can help you,” Emrick stated, then his voice turned clinical. “If that’s not possible, then make the right choice.”
Silence.
“Those beasts are almost here. Run Kurda. Go. Now!” Emrick insisted, his face lit with pulsing hues as the rainbow energy filled the last bits of thread in the gap.
Kurda hesitated, then started to run. Over his shoulder, he called back.
“As soon as I drop Brian off at der’ lab, I’m coming back to get yer’ out.”
“Don’t. I will find my own way back.” Emrick’s voice echoed in his mind. “Kurda, your talents would be best suited to reinforcing the inner wall.”
“Yer’ damned moron. The moment I ca–”
“Kurda LISTEN to me.” The tailor's voice hissed through his head. “I’m just a tailor. Don’t sacrifice the lives of everyone else for some foolhardy plan. Promise me you will let me make my own way back. Your skills could be the difference between Varnholt standing tall or everyone dying.”
There was a long pause before Emrick added. “Or worse. Please, Kurda.”
“Fine. Yer’ ain’t allowed to die yer’ cranky ole stick.”
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“Get the barrier up, and I won’t have to.”
With that, Kurda felt the tailor cut the connection. He glanced back and saw that the open passageway through the outer wall had become a cross-stitched glowing nightmare.
Kurda brought his eyes back towards the inner wall. The damned tailor wasn’t wrong. With every large stride, he overtook resident after resident. They definitely needed time.
His mind emptied as he focused on his body. He felt each of his muscles as they contracted and extended. Kurda let them become his only focus.
His speed increased as he pounded across the snow towards the inner wall.
—— ? ——
Emrick turned his eyes away from the oaf, cutting the mental connection with him.
The stonemason would need to coordinate with people in Varnholt. He didn’t need to be connected to someone outside of the inner defenses.
The oaf needed to focus. And so did Emrick.
“Got a plan?” Dravlen asked, appearing next to him. The yoreboon’s eyes studied the glowing threads. “How long can you keep that up?” He gestured to the rainbow web.
“Ten minutes,” Emrick replied. “The plan is to delay them for at least eight.”
Above and to their left, the twanging sound of Jorik’s crossbow rang every few seconds.
“I’ll see about getting up the right wall.” Dravlen nodded. “I’ll stop any that try to scale it. Don’t know if eight minutes is possible, but I’ll try.”
The yoreboon studied the slick wall, looking for a way to scale it. He frowned. “Damned stonemasons. Did they have to make it so smooth?”
Emrick glanced up the wall. With a twist of his fingers, a glowing strand snaked up and slid across a high corner. Another twist of his fingers and a glowing strand snaked down from the top of the wall. Emrick willed the piece at the top to adhere, and the glowing thread turned to the color of stone.
“Use that.” He said to Dravlen.
The Yoreboon took quick steps, then gave the glowing thread an experimental tug. His eyebrows raised, and Emrick saw him mouth a word.
Startled, Dravlen turned back. “Seems a waste. But damned if we don’t need any advantage right now.”
Emrick just grunted. He really didn’t want to think about just how he could have used this thread.
He felt a tap on his shoulder, and his eyes snapped to the yoreboon that had stepped back to him.
——————————
> You have received a party request from Dravlen Sorrant
> Accept?
> Yes / No
——————————
Dravlen was already climbing the wall when Emrick accepted.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> PARTY FORMED
> Name: The Three Idiots
> Members
>> Dravlen Sorrant - Nameless Span, EABST-4327D - Alive
>> Emrick Correll - Nameless Span, EABST-4327D - Alive
——————————
Emrick rolled his eyes. His gaze caught movement above as a blur of motion vaulted overhead.
——————————
> Jorik Ferrospar has been added to the party.
——————————
Another blur of motion above as Dravlen vaulted back to his side of the wall.
“Got our last idiot,” Dravlen said. “Time to hold the line. Let’s see how many minutes we can buy Varnholt.”
The twang of the crossbow above increased in response.
Emrick’s eyes shifted to focus on the incoming horde. Jorik’s bolts continued to rain death on the rampaging beasts as they thundered toward the passageway. One after another fell to the whistling glints of death, but their numbers were barely impacted.
There were so many. This group was the first of countless others; they were merely the fastest ones.
On the hillside in the distance, dark shapes poured down the mountain. Just how many were coming out of that portal?
Icy fear coursed through the tailor. He shook his hands, and the glowing threads danced in the gap.
It was fine. He would hold this point.
Emrick stepped forward, moving into the shade from both walls. He was now between them, and his hands whirled, and around him, threads danced. Interwoven between Boslow’s legendary thread were countless lines of shimmering metal. Emrick had used every thread he had. Now all he needed to do was focus on his fibers.
The roars of the creatures grew louder, deafening, and Emrick’s face cracked into a nervous grin. Just what the hell was he thinking?
But part of him was excited. He wondered just what would happen in the next few minutes. Just how much death would he weave? He pondered as he stood among his threads, like a spider waiting for its prey.
He barely heard the sound in time to react. With a snap of his fingers, threads went tight and caught something.
A small, simple hammer was several feet from colliding with him.
His fingers snapped again, and another hammer was stopped mid-flight. The next few moments were filled with his senses kicking into overdrive as he stopped the projectiles.
There was a momentary pause, and Emrick’s eyes frantically searched the oncoming horde.
Then he spotted the small shape dodging between the oncoming creatures.
“Maelis.” Emrick hissed, then mentally sent to Jorik. “Maelis is hiding among the charging creatures.”
“Moves fast. Trying to hit.” Came Jorik’s clipped response.
Emrick’s fingers snapped again as his eyes caught the glinting light of another hammer. Each one was caught further and further away from Emrick.
“Clipped him.” Jorik’s response gave Emrick a surge of joy.
“He’s pulling back. Probably going to get out of Jorik’s range.” Dravlen replied.
Damnit.
But Emrick couldn’t focus on the fleeing form of the traitor. The horde was mere steps away. He gulped.
He really hoped this plan worked.
—— ? ——
Kurda thundered through the inner gate, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“Oie, Serel!” He shouted as he dashed towards the surprised celestial Councilor.
“Kurda!” Serel’s eyes went wide as she took in the state of the inventor in Kurda’s arms. “What happened to you, Brian?!”
Kurda shook his head. “Ain’t no time ter’ explain. He’s barely conscious, holding on ter’ dat’ barrier on der’ metal fellow.” Kurda’s eyes scanned the gathered crowd. “We need someone who can help get der’ town barrier goin’.”
Everyone looked at each other.
Kurda let out a frustrated grunt. “Ain’t no one capable of helpin’?”
“I would just mess it up.” A short human chimed in. “I work with metal Kurda. Hell, I can’t even help you by suggesting someone. Besides Brian and Kaelalin, I don’t know anyone who even dabbles in magic.”
Kurda nodded. He had also been trying to think of someone to help, but had drawn a blank.
“Um. I think I could help.”
All eyes turned to the speaker. Councilor Serel.
“What?” Kurda asked, eyebrows raised. “Yer’ serious?” Even the pale and sweaty Brian chanced a quick glance towards her.
“I’m quite proficient in energy manipulation.” Serel gave a stiff nod. “I think I can do it.”
Kurda shrugged, spun on his heel, and started running. “Keep up den!”
Serel raced after him, and the three disappeared into town towards the lab.
—— ? ——
Maelis grimaced at the crawling feeling on his arm. He glanced down at the wound and then had to pull his eyes away.
Despite the… thing… being helpful, there was just something disgusting about watching the green fungus-like creature stitch his wound together.
His eyes turned back to the wall where that damned guard still released wave after wave of silvery bolts into his master’s army.
There is a problem. The phestun’s stated.
“What?” Maelis asked, still not used to the phestun’s words. It felt like they were his own thoughts, yet… not.
My vessels cannot make it past that glowing fiber the thin one wields.
Maelis frowned. “He’s just a tailor, are your warriors so weak as to be stopped by thread?”
Yes.
The smith’s frown deepened, unsure of what to think of the thing's reply.
We shall show you.
Without warning, his vision faded to black, then snapped back. Instead of his own eyes, he now looked through the eyes of another.
It was a blood bath.
Maelis watched as a creature bellowed and charged into the gap. Wind whistled as a glowing rainbow thread snaked through the air. In the back of the passage, Maelis spotted the thin, frustrating tailor, Emrick, suspended aloft by the glowing threads.
The bellowing creature made it exactly two steps when the tailor's hands blurred.
There was a *SNAP* as thin pulsing lines of thread were drawn tight. In their taut state, they were nearly impossible to see, the glowing rainbow light the only indication of their location.
The charging creature’s foot hit the ground, then it tumbled into pieces as if it were made of one-foot meat blocks.
Blood and viscera flowed as the chunks of flesh piled onto the floor.
Maelis’s borrowed eyes turned from the grisly scene to the hovering tailor. The man hovered suspended by threads, his eyes gleaming with madness.
Another creature moved in, slow and steady. It swung its wide cleaver out toward the glowing threads. The material effortlessly deflected the weapon, but was pushed back.
The creature took another step. Maelis immediately recognised its mistake.
Move bac–
*SNAP*
Glowing thread came from all around the creature, at neck level.
The creature’s head tumbled to the floor as its body slumped.
Maelis’s vision faded back to his own.
You see the problem? Our losses are growing. An insignificant number at this time, but we have made no progress.
“Yes, I see that.” Maelis eyed his wound. His flesh had been knitted back together, yet there was still a faint green tinge to it. “I don’t know what that thread is, but if it’s a skill, he can’t keep it up forever.”
Maelis stared back out towards the wall. “Can you scale the sides?”
The two on the walls are preventing our ascent. Our vessels are preparing ranged capabilities to deal with them.
“Good.” Maelis nodded, his melted skin pulling into a wretched imitation of a smile. “Make sure to leave the one with a crossbow alive if you can. I have a debt to repay.”
That may be difficult.
Maelis frowned. “What do you mean?”
If the one who struck you is hit, we do not believe he will survive.
The smith’s eyebrow raised. “Ranged capabilities, you say? Show me.”
Blackness again. Maelis was less disoriented as his new borrowed eyes opened. Moments later, he was back in his own body.
A sickening laugh hissed through his teeth as his twisted smile grew.
“Ohohahaha! Yes, I see what you mean.” Maelis turned his eyes back to the wall. “I can’t wait to see just how they fare against that. Hahahahahaha”
He couldn’t wait for the show to begin.
—— ? ——
— AUTHOR NOTICE —
What I didn't expect was just how freaking BRUTAL someone using threads like this would be.
Anyways...
Here is a sneak peek at the placeholder cover for the new series.
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