If I still had ears, Id be grinning to both of them. Freddies boss has no idea what hes getting into. At least his relaxed smile falters a bit when he turns and sees the look on Freddie's face.
Whats wrong? he asks the younger, before looking around. Nah, theres no traps around. Well, aside from that quest, heh.
Uh you rember the big spider that Yvonnes group rode to go fight Neverrest? asks Freddie, unsure how to actually explain what that quest entails. The small big guy nods.
Ah, yes, Miss Yvonne. I wish I could have given her more insight to her unique condition.
Well, that big spider is Tiny.
He blinks. Thats not tiny at all.
Freddie smiles. Yeah I think the dungeon nad him that just for that kind of reaction. Tiny is also the boss of the maze, he says, and motions for his boss to follow. At the hedge maze, the scene is now a little different than usual. I had Fluffles clear the maze while the two were walking from the cetery, and hes now coiled at the entrance, and the usual runners are all standing around chattering, confused at the change.
Freddie sees everyone and raises his voice for them all to hear. The dungeon has a quest in the maze for High Priest Torlon. To loot Tinys chest. The crowd goes silent for a mont, before murmuring about the news. Torlon looks like hes starting to understand the magnitude of the quest now, as Freddie turns to face him.
See theres a couple chests in there that people try to get, and Tiny tries to catch them before they can. Oh, and theres dire rats that try to steal your stuff sotis, too. Anyway, Tiny has his lair in there, and so people have said theres a chest in there, too, but nobodys been able to get it yet. Even Mr Tarl hasnt been able to get it, he adds.
To his credit, Torlon looks more intrigued than concerned. And if Tiny catches you, he webs you and you get carried out? I rember hearing sothing about you losing sothing to a spider guardian? He thinks for a few monts before speaking up again. Are we allowed to fight Tiny?
The young orc scrunches his face up in uncertainty. Uh kinda? I think just about everyone has taken a swing at Tiny, but he doesnt seem to take it personally. He tends to take weapons away after webbing people who try to attack, though?
The gno smiles and seems to start warming up; hopping in place, wiggling his fingers, just getting the blood pumping. Maybe if I was more of a fighting class Id try my luck, but Im not. Did you know, Freddie, that I wasnt always an adherent to the Crystal Shield?
Uh I an, you had to be a kid at so point, right? he replies, clearly having no clue where the priest is going with this.
The gno laughs as he starts casting little sparkles over his head, I guess to get his mana pumping, too. I used to be an illusionist, before I took up The Shield. I was pretty good, too, even by gno standards, he says with a bit of pride. So I think Ill just have to try to stay out of the way of this Tiny!
With that, he seems to be ready, and turns to face Fluffles. Im ready to brave the dungeons challenge. My noodle nods and slithers to the side to let him pass. Freddie looks like he wants to go, too, but hes a bright kid. He can see that his boss wants to do this on his own. And itd probably be more difficult for him to use an illusion to keep them both hidden from Tiny.
Not that I expect Tiny will be fooled. Hes got thin webbing all over the place, so he can feel where people are. Unsurprisingly, the gno vanishes as he enters the maze, and the hunt is on. Tiny doesnt seem too concerned, though, and does his typical thing when actually pursuing soone. He starts webbing certain intersections closed, opening others, and patiently weaving his trap.
I notice one of the other chests being opened, and the potion and coins vanishing. Looks like hes going to try to do a proper run of the maze, too. I think hes going for each chest, not just the big one at the end. More mana for , so Im not gonna complain.
At the second chest, I get the feeling hes realized his invisibility isnt working, as I can hear him tapping the lid of the chest after hes looted it. Probably trying to think of a way to beat my big leggy-boi.
The gno reappears and crouches down. Looks like hes spotted the webbing. Ah that complicates things. He soon smiles, though, and starts creating shoes? They sure look like shoes. Probably illusionary shoes? Hows that going to help him against Tiny?
He jumps and lands with the shoes at the sa ti, and I understand how thatll ss up Tiny. Theyre not just illusions of sight, but illusions of touch, too. He laughs before they all scatter, and he takes off in a different direction, too.
Tiny pauses as he feels the change, and I keep an eye on the real gno. I dont tell Tiny anything, though. This is supposed to be a fair chase. My big guy seems to think for a few monts before changing his tactics as well. Theres two other chests before the main one, and Tiny knows he wants them both. So he doesnt need to know where the gno is, just where hes going to be.
So Tiny has to just play the odds and hope he gets lucky. Or be patient. Tiny picks a chest and stakes it out, and Torlon makes his way to the other chest. Hes even subtle enough to wait for several shoes to get there before he opens it, and doesnt leave until they all get there.
He seems to be planning while he waits for his illusions to converge. Im not sure how, but he can definitely sense the other chest, and also the main one. He seems to look from one to the other, before making up his mind. Play by the rules he says to himself, before he starts to pick his way towards the last of the simple chests.
He fleshes out his illusions as he makes for the chest, and I only know which is him because Ive been paying attention with more senses than Tiny can bring to bear at a distance. Theyre so pretty serious illusions, too, as one trips over a big web snare and is hoisted up as it closes around it.
The gno lets it dissipate with a little pop, and the others start moving in. Tiny seems to be enjoying himself, at least. He throws webs, he throws illusions into webs, he actually lassos and hogties one of the illusions, too. Then I notice Ive lost track of the real Torlon. Theres only three illusions running around now, at least Im pretty sure theyre all fake. Its getting difficult to tell.
Its not until I feel the chest being opened that I know where he is. I cant even see the chest being opened. It looks untouched still. No wonder hes proud of his illusions. I give him a couple seconds to get away before telling Tiny only the last chest remains, and the big guy is surprised and impressed.
He takes one of Teemos shortcuts to his lair, while Torlon weaves his way through the maze to the goal. Tiny gets there first, of course, and has enough ti to weave a tangle around the last chest. No more sneaking up to take it while his back is turned.
The priest/illusionist cos to a stop as he sees Tinys lair, and Tiny guarding the last chest. The trees make a dense canopy overhead, giving so room for vertical movent, but not much. Sunlight filters through, leaving it bright enough to still see clearly, but also producing shadowy areas to potentially hide. A thicket to the north is Tinys actual spawner/lair thing, and the chest and spider are more or less in the center.
Torlon surveys the area, before his eyes land on Tiny. Itll take more than a simple Phantasm to distract you now, hmm? he says with respect in his voice. Looks like hes been having a harder ti than I thought he might be, which is great. His fight so far with Tiny has been making so good mana, and I get the feeling itll be a drop in the bucket compared to whatever will happen next.
He raises his hands and a large shape starts to form overhead. Simulacrum! he shouts and it suddenly cos into focus: a giant wasp. Im pretty sure its an illusion? The leaves seem to be rustling from the beat of its wings, and dust and detritus from the ground is being blown around, too, so its difficult to tell. If it is fake, Torlons pulled out all the stops to fool every sense he can think of.
Blur! he shouts and his form becos hazy, indistinct and multiplies. Theres four of him now, as well as the big wasp.
But Tiny hasnt been idle while Torlon prepared. A large web flies at the wasp, as Tiny tries to deal with the major threat first. Its stinger sweeps through the air and slices the web in half, though it can only dodge part of it. The wings are entangled, forcing the angry thing to land with a puff of dust. Its feet even leave marks on the ground as it charges Tiny, and the two grapple.
The blurry Torlons, anwhile, all take wide routes to the webbed chest, and start slowly working through to it. Im pretty sure all he has to get through it is so knife or sothing, but I still dont know which is the actual Torlon.
Tiny and the wasp tumble and wrestle, trying to web or sting their foe into submission. My spider knows to keep the two ends of the wasp from getting too close to him, but focusing on defense like that makes it difficult to get any offense going properly. And hes against the clock, as well as the wasp. It doesnt need to even hurt him, it just needs to keep him busy long enough for Torlon to get the chest.
Looks like Tiny has a plan for that, though. As they wrestle and roll around, he manages to slowly steer them towards the other half of the large web. He manages to land the wasp on its back on the web, sticking it to the ground for just long enough to get his spinnerets into gear. Just as he gets it restrained enough to no longer be a problem, the wasp vanishes as do the other illusions.
The initial webbing was never cut in half. Tiny stands over a pile of restraining web, and the large one he threw. Over at the chest, a single Torlon stands, breathing heavily and leaning on the freed chest.
I hope this counts as a win he huffs, wiping sweat from his brow. It sure counts in my book. Tiny agrees, and walks forward. Torlon stiffens as he approaches, but the big guy just waves a leg at the chest, and the gno gives a tired smile.
Whew heh. That took everything I had. Well, lets see whats in the chest. He smiles and hefts the large lid up, coins spilling as the seal is broken. Once he gets it open fully, he stares at what lays atop the pile of coins and gems. His battered shield.
Tiny reaches over and plucks it from the pile and brings it to his mouth, giving it a solid bite and a new chip, before offering it to the stunned priest. He accepts it, his hands tracing each ding and nick, each scratch and chip, mories clearly filling his head. A tear falls and he smiles at Tiny.
Thank you.
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