Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

700 - Hammering the Opposition

Lex had no idea what was going on.

Around him, the world spun nauseatingly, everything having descended into a mad tableau of chaos. A cacophony of pained screams and terrified shouts assaulted his ears. Each breath he took sent a sharp, agonizing throb through his chest. And there were a half-dozen different crises pushing their way to the forefront of his consciousness, each one demanding his full attention.

He needed to figure out what to do now that the flaw in his thaumaturgical spellcasting had been revealed. He had to determine how his attempt to execute that adlet had gone so disastrously wrong. Thermal Draft’s safety had to be confirmed. The sudden appearance of several new individuals had to be analyzed and reacted to accordingly. The severity of his injuries needed to be evaluated in case they were incapacitating. Solvei’s abrupt disappearance from his consciousness had to be investigated.

While Lex had taught himself how to follow parallel lines of thought years ago, that was a technique for calmly and rationally examining multiple hypotheses at the same time. Now, his thoughts were a disorganized jumble that left him struggling to come up with a coherent response to what was happening. It was pure instinct alone that made him start picking himself up, dazedly looking around to try to-

The head of a hammer came down hard on his right foreleg, the elbow snapping under the blow.

Lex couldn’t even scream as he collapsed back into the snow, the sudden influx of additional pain becoming bogged down in the quagmire of his mind.

“Grisela said you’d be tougher,” came an unfamiliar voice. It was enough to make Lex look up, staring at a humanoid – or rather, a human of all things – that he didn’t recognize, lifting their hammer for another blow. “I should’ve known she was just making excuses.”

But before he could swing the weapon, another voice interrupted them. “HEY BALDY! CATCH!”

Dimly, Lex managed to look over just in time to see Shadow Star fling his mask – the magic item having fallen from his hooves when the first hit from the human’s weapon had taken him unaware – at his attacker. The sight was enough to make Lex’s brow furrow in confusion, dimly recalling that the mask was only able to unleash a killing pulse of negative energy once per day, and even then it had to be worn for a full hour before it could be used in that manner.

But while Shadow didn’t seem to know that, the human apparently didn’t either, abandoning his attack in favor of diving to the side, allowing the mask to sail harmlessly by. Coming up in a crouch, the human rose to his feet-

Just in time for Thermal Draft, hovering a dozen feet above his head, to release the fire spell embedded in the gemstone Lex had given her.

The human looked upward just in time for the torrent of flames to catch him full in the face, pouring down to engulf him completely.

“PASKA!” came a grating shriek, once again causing Lex to reflexively look toward its source. Standing a short distance away, holding a double-headed axe, the ugliest creature he’d ever seen was gaping at the sudden firestorm. “Don’t let the scroll with our way back get burned!”

“You should worry more about yourself!” snapped Mystaria, having just finished an incantation. Darting toward the thing, she slapped her hoof against the head of the creature’s axe. Immediately, a loud crackle filled the air as tendrils of electricity arced down the haft of the weapon, causing the hideous creature carrying it to stiffen in pain as the voltage coursed through her.

From within the cone of flames, a dry chuckle could be heard. “That pony is right, Vidrig,” smirked the human as Drafty’s spell finally ran out, leaving the pegasus open-mouthed as she looked down at where her enemy was standing, completely unharmed. “You and Blat do your jobs, and let me worry about doing mine.”

Lex had no idea who “Blat” was, but a distant roar clued him in a moment later. Further past Mystaria and Vidrig, some sort of winged lion with a spiked tail and a twisted countenance struggled and snarled as Valor forced its jaws open. The earth mare stood upright, pressing her shield to the roof of the creature’s mouth while one hind leg stepped down on its jaw, ignoring the scratches along her abdomen as she instead used her other foreleg to pry Spinner free from where the monster had bitten down on the filidh’s neck.

“Someone,” she hissed through clenched teeth as the other earth mare gave a bloody gurgle and stumbled back, only to collapse before she’d taken two steps, “get a healing spell in her! NOW!”

---

Her eyes widening as she saw the state Spinner was in, Mystaria immediately stepped toward the fallen bard. “Spinner, hang on! I’ll-, AAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Mystaria’s howl of pain grew louder a moment later, when Vidrig yanked her axe free from where she’d just planted it in the priestess’s flank. “Bet’cha wish you could heal like me,” she leered, nodding at where the scorch marks on her arms from Mystaria’s electrical spell were already closing. “‘Cuz I’m not gonna let you cast no more spe-”

She didn’t have a chance to finish as a spear drove itself through the side of her head.

Her face pale with agony, Mystaria nevertheless turned her head, tracing the weapon’s trajectory back…

To where Toklo was panting from the effort he’d put into his throw, one arm still extended.

“If that helped at all,” he murmured as he caught Mystaria’s eye, “then please tell your friend to uncurse me when this is over!”

Gulping, Mystaria nodded, but the adlet wasn’t looking at her anymore, instead moving to grab another of the spears that had been scattered across the snow when Valor and Spinner had been attacked…and as he did so, she was able to catch a glimpse of Littleknight further back, meeping sadly as he poked at Woodheart’s unresponsive form, still laying where she’d fallen.

The sight made Mystaria’s heart lurch, but she forced the feeling down. She could still be alive! Lex’s mask might have been a deadly weapon, but that didn’t mean that its every use was absolutely lethal. There was every reason to hope that the druid was still clinging to life…but the same wouldn’t be true for Spinner much longer, the bard’s eyes already turning glassy as her efforts to draw breath through the bloody mess that was her neck grew feebler.

Knowing that she had to prioritize the latter pony over the former, Mystaria lurched toward Spinner, trusting that Valor would be able to keep that manticore – Blat – busy in the meantime. But she barely got two steps before she had to stop, the gash in her flank making it impossible for her to put any weight on her back leg. And although Spinner was barely a stone’s throw away, that was still far enough that by the time she limped over to her and cast a spell, it would likely be too late.

Fortunately, Mystaria had more healing than just spells.

Please let me be in range! Mystaria fervently prayed, reaching a hoof up to touch her holy symbol; a silver amulet showing an upturned hoof holding an open book. “O Luminace, Lady of Friendship, please help me to safeguard those dearest to me!”

The words had barely left her lips when her amulet began to glow. Shining brightly, the illumination stayed concentrated on the icon for only an instant before it burst forth, the light radiating outward in all directions.

The glow didn’t travel very far, dissipating a little past two dozen feet. That was enough to let it wash over Spinner and Valor, however, as well as Vidrig and Blat. But whereas the manticore and the hideous humanoid saw no benefit from the energy that moved over them, the ponies were an entirely different matter.

Immediately, the wounds along Spinner’s neck closed, and the filidh gasped as she drew in a sudden breath, her eyes snapping open as she sat up, hacking and spitting out the blood that she’d swallowed. Valor was likewise healed, the cuts on her side closing even as she jumped back from the manticore’s mouth, narrowly avoiding taking several new cuts as the manticore swiped at her furiously. “Nice job, Mysty!” yelled the shield-toting mare.

But Mystaria had no time to thank her for the compliment. “You two work with Toklo and stop that manticore! I’ll go help Shadow and-”

“You’re not goin’ nowhere.”

The sound of Vidrig’s voice made Mystaria jump in fright – thankfully, Luminace's grace had also healed her own injury – and in doing so just barely managed to avoid taking an axe hit directly to her spine. Even then, the near-miss sent her scrambling, falling back in a panic. How can she still be alive?! Luminace’s curative blessing only works on those I designate as friends, and that monster is NOT my friend!

Vidrig seemed to sense her confusion, snickering as she hoisted her axe in anticipation of another strike. “Told you I can heal,” she snickered. “This little scratch up here don’t hurt barely at all.”

In another context that statement would almost have been funny. The spear had struck her with such force that half of its length burst completely through the other side of Vidrig’s skull before it came to a stop, leaving her head completely skewered. It was like how foals would sometimes take a broken arrow or crossbow bolt and use a tiny bit of wire to hold them on each side of their head, pretending to have been shot.

Except Vidrig wasn’t pretending, something she demonstrated a moment later as she reached up and casually yanked the spear out of her head. Grunting as the last few inches exited her cranium, she paused long enough to give it a quick glance before tossing it away with a snort. “Now,” she drawled, reaching up and digging a finger in the hole in her head as though she were cleaning wax out of her ears, “where were we?”

She’s some kind of troll, realized Mystaria, backing away with a gulp. She’ll regenerate from anything unless she’s burned or melted. And judging by her skin pigmentation, she’s probably some sort of arctic sub-species, which means fire is the way to go.

She couldn’t help but bite her lip at that, wishing that Thermal Draft had unleashed the cone of flames on this creature instead. While Mystaria had a few such spells prepared, she wasn’t sure if they’d be enough for her to bring the troll down on their own. I just hope that she and Shadow are doing okay. If they can hold off that human long enough for Lex to recover from whatever happened to him, he can summon Solvei back…

But a glance in the direction of the fallen unicorn was enough to dash those hopes.

The human – Paska – was barely paying attention to Drafty and Shadow, instead advancing doggedly toward where Lex was once again trying to get up. But Paska apparently had no intention of letting the stallion rejoin the fight, one hand going to the back of his belt and withdrawing a small throwing hammer, which he brought up and flung at Lex even as he kept closing the distance between them.

His singlemindedness left him open, however, as Shadow dived past him, her dagger flicking out as she did. But although her blade slipped across the back of his knees, all she had to show for her effort was a deep cut in his boots, the skin and muscles beneath them completely undamaged by her attack.

Nor did Drafty’s attempt to defend Lex fare any better. Hurriedly finishing a spell, a lump of snow in front of Lex suddenly surged upward, interposing itself between the semi-lucid unicorn and the thrown hammer. But before enough snow could rise up to catch the blow, the hammer struck home, punching through the icy cushion as though it wasn’t even there and striking Lex on the side of the head – just above where Woodheart’s ice spear had cut him less than a minute ago – and sending him sprawling again.

“Nothing personal, kid,” remarked Paska conversationally as he moved to stand over Lex, ignoring that Shadow and Drafty were both frantically moving in on him again. “But you set things back for us pretty badly before. So now, when you wake up, we’re gonna talk about how you’ll make it up to us.”

Then he raised his hammer for the final blow…

Author's Note:

Paska and his crew keep the pressure on, not letting Lex respond as the others try to mount a defense!

Will they be able to fight off their attackers? Or are they powerless to stop them from taking Lex?

Comments

[Not so New Brony]

Now would be a really good time for Solvei to arrive though I think even if she did, Paska and the others can just retreat and teleport away with Lex in tow. Well, unless the scroll somehow gets damaged in the fight or the process is interrupted somehow but this is unlikely unless some stupid amount of luck is involved.

Regardless, I can help but pity Mystaria for holding out hope that the effects of Lex's mask wasn't lethal to Woodheart. Honestly, I can't help but hold out hope for that happening too though not very much to be honest. Mystaria might even blame herself for this happening but I doubt that it'd change things too much if the ones who ambushed them are anything to go by.

The only change would be Solvei being summoned back though I think they three were prepared for that.

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

One of the reasons not to travel with a party you do not trust nor want to trust is these situations... Just by being less mistrustful everything would have gone better.

[Booster Spice]

Its like an overly complex trolly problem, keep throwing more information at it and you get ever more bogged down. The simplest rule in combat, numbers matter. Next, distance equals time, the guy in your face is too close to think about, so take them out, then try and catch up on surroundings?

[Alzrius]

11194455 Well, Paska made it clear that whatever magic they're planning on using to escape requires that anyone coming along be unconscious (which is due to a quirk of the d20 System's rules; there are some spells that only work on "willing" individuals, but anyone who's unconscious is automatically counted as being willing). So if that last hit doesn't do it, they might still have a little time. Of course, Solvei seems like she's more than a few minutes away, so that probably won't be much of a help if it's the case; Lex is already pretty battered, both physically and emotionally, and is probably near his limit.

As for Mystaria's hoping that Woodheart is still alive...that was melancholy, wasn't it? But until they've confirmed that she's dead, she's not going to give up on one of her friends. The real question will be what happens once things settle down and they're able to start taking stock of what happens, though that presumes that this doesn't end badly for them.

[Alzrius]

11194520 Quite right, but unfortunately trust isn't a strong point of Lex's. He's capable of putting his faith in other ponies, but usually only if he already has authority over them to at least some degree. Fail Forward is a bit more independent than that, however, and combined with his exceptionally poor disposition and the way they got off on the wrong hoof, it's no surprise that he doesn't trust them and vice versa.

[Alzrius]

11194545 To be fair, Lex isn't really in a good headspace for processing that. While it seems obvious that he should put the existential issues aside in favor of the immediate ones, he perceives a level of immediacy to those existential problems, as well as being pretty seriously injured. While normally he'd still be able to think of a plan, since he's been in similar situations before, this is basically him hitting bottom, and so he's having severe trouble marshaling his strengths.