Earning His Share

Chapter-Nine

Earning His Share

I looked at Bhoarn then to Emiri. "So, are you guys going to pull that thing out here and let me go in there or am I just sitting out here?"

Emiri looked at me with a hint of exasperation before sighing. “You really don’t know how this works. This is a sub-guardian event, and we can’t hurt it from out here. We have to step in.”

She pointed up, and I followed her finger to a portcullis hanging above the gate.

“As soon as we attack, that will close,” she said. “Then we’ll have to defeat it to exit again. Or it’ll open if we die.”

I shook my head and smiled. “You guys are just full of joy, aren’t you?”

Horus patted me on the back. “Don’t worry, we seldom die.”

I stared at him. “Seldom?”

He grinned. “Almost never.”

“Wait,” I said, “you guys die sometimes?”

Lyris giggled and brushed past me to stand behind Bhoarn. “He’s messing with you. Do you think I can resurrect people? I’m flattered, but that is a bit high-level. And even then, it only works if someone does it soon enough.”

Emiri glanced around the subterranean forest one last time.

Another piece of the ceiling came loose and crashed into the ground. It struck something hard beneath the soil and shattered, and a fresh stream of light poured through the opening it left behind.

Everyone looked around, but nothing happened beyond the ceiling collapse.

Bhoarn looked up. “If that continues, this whole cave may collapse.”

Horus nodded his agreement. “Yeah, seems we may have a natural timer. Anyone know if the light is actually dangerous?”

Lyris pursed her lips. “With how intense it is, I’d say yes. Maybe not immediately, but definitely not something you’d want to stand in for long.”

Emiri turned back toward the giant bear. “Let’s get this over with quickly, then.”

The group moved through the gate and into some kind of courtyard beyond the wall. As soon as Bhoarn raised his shield and pulsed green, the portcullis slammed shut behind them with a massive boom.

The giant bear slowly stood and faced them.

With a loud roar, it charged. The group spread out, but Bhoarn took the impact head-on. The bear hit him hard enough to throw him back against the portcullis.

He stood with a grunt and laughed.

Then the bear released another piercing roar, and it shook me to the bone. My health dropped by about four percent, and fear shot through me so fast I moved behind the wall before I really thought about it.

It felt like I’d been in a car wreck. My whole body ached.

I sat there, yawning again and again, trying to relieve the pressure in my ears. Then I slumped against the wall, shrugged my pack off, and pulled out my Life Mage book. Learning some healing would help a lot more right now than sitting there feeling useless.

I tried to block out the roars and yells from within. They seemed fine, or at least no one sounded like they were dying, but Emiri and Bhoarn were giving orders one after another.

“Stay to the left. I’ll try to pull it around,” Bhoarn shouted. “Horus, distract it if it turns on the casters.”

Emiri’s voice cut through the noise. “Lyris, come back to me. Bhoarn will be fine. You can heal him in a second.”

Finally, I began trying to grasp the concepts. I relaxed and slipped into something like a meditative state, remembering how the room had felt when I first learned to shape mana.

Then it clicked.

I wasn’t thinking about the itching, or the sudden crack when Lyris set my bone. I was thinking about the way her mana had flowed into me, into my shade more than my flesh.

That was what I had been missing. Life itself was easy enough to understand, but shade was beyond me: the layer between soul and body, the blueprint that told my body how to be whole.

I opened my eyes as a window appeared.

New Concepts Learned:

Life

Shade

New Skill Learned:

Meditation

Meditation has increased to 2.

Something hit the wall hard enough to shake it, and I bounced to my feet just as the thing let out a mournful roar.

The portcullis slid open.

I stepped around the wall, expecting the fight to be over, but the Denmother wasn’t dead. It was still fighting.

For a second, I just stared, confused. Emiri had said the gate wouldn’t open unless they won or died.

Then I heard something behind me.

Several large monsters were running in from the forest.

I turned quickly and saw three Jagged Ursa charging straight at me. I cast Push at the lead one and knocked its feet out from under it. The other two crashed into it from behind.

A fourth one, hidden behind the others, leaped over the pile.

I backed into the courtyard.

Horus must have seen what was happening because three arrows struck the leaping bear in rapid succession. It dropped mid-lunge and slid across the ground, stopping near the Denmother.

I looked down at the Jagged Ursa, then up at the Denmother. I identified her, hoping she was close to death, only to find she still had twenty-five percent of her health left.

“Get back outside before the gate closes!” Bhoarn yelled.

I turned and saw the tangle of claws and fur separating as the other Ursa started to stand. I cast Push again, knocking their feet out from under them.

For one insane second, I thought I could probably kill them.

Then the portcullis dropped in front of my face.

I yelped and turned back toward the group.

That was when the group seemed to collectively sigh.

The Denmother reached down and bit into the fallen Jagged Ursa. One clean bite tore its chest open, and she lifted her head, chewing through flesh and bone like it was nothing.

Intestines slipped free with a wet slurp and dangled from her mouth.

I watched in horror as her health climbed to forty percent.

I sighed and lifted my staff. “I’m totally fucked here.”

Lyris yelled at me. “Adam, get over here!”

Bhoarn slammed his sword against his shield, trying to draw the bears’ attention, and I, of course, didn’t waste a beat. I ran toward them, which turned out to be exactly the wrong thing to do. The Denmother ignored Bhoarn and locked her eyes onto me.

“Fuck,” I yelled, stopping about halfway to them. “I’m going to die.”

I lifted my staff and cast Fire Bolt through it, trying to give the spell more punch as I aimed for the Denmother’s face. The bear released another horrific roar before I could fire, rattling my teeth as panic welled in my chest. My health dropped five percent, then another five, but I forced the spell through.

The bolt stretched into something closer to a lance and shot straight into its open mouth. The Denmother choked, coughed, and shook her head, pawing at her jaws.

I hadn’t realized how much mana I pushed into the cast until the drain hit me. I’d spent forty percent of my mana in one shot, and it had only done ten percent damage to the monster.

I turned to run toward the group just as they started moving toward me, but my legs gave out and I collapsed to my knees. Lyris and Emiri were yelling something, but I couldn’t hear them at all. Everything in my vision wavered until Lyris reached me and started healing me, and the world slowly came back into focus.

“Idiot,” she said. “Why did you come in here?”

I coughed and forced myself to stand. Emiri turned and cast something at the bear before looking back down at me.

“I thought,” I said, coughing again, “that the fight was over. You said the gate wouldn’t open until the fight was over.”

Emiri looked down at me again. “Well done. I think you disabled her ability to call more, along with that damn sonic attack.”

I looked back toward the giant beast. It kept trying to bite Bhoarn, but he smashed his shield into its teeth each time and dragged his sword across its face whenever he found an opening.

Horus appeared to be out of arrows. He was behind it now, working with a pair of long daggers, slicing at its back legs and jumping away whenever it kicked.

The bear swung at Bhoarn. He raised his shield, but the hit sent him flying sideways. He slid to a stop, then bolted forward and drove his sword into the thing’s neck.

It tried to roar, but the sound came out as a raspy hiss.

I watched the thing’s health as Emiri landed a Fire Lance, sweat dripping from her brow from the exertion. The bear’s health kept ticking down, eleven percent, then ten, before it suddenly turned toward us and charged.

My eyes widened. I barely had time to turn toward Lyris before she shoved me hard enough to throw me ten feet through the air.

I hit the ground with an oof, rolled, and scrambled back to my feet.

Once I got to my feet, I saw that the bear had run through Lyris and knocked Emiri off her feet.

Emiri was already trying to stand, but Lyris wasn’t moving.

Blood pooled beneath her.

The bear had gutted her with its claws when it ran her over.

Bhoarn looked down at Lyris and yelled something incoherent before charging the bear. Horus frowned, then followed him with his daggers raised.

Emiri looked down at Lyris, anger flashing in her eyes. Then she cast something that looked like a comet and collapsed shortly after. The spell hit the bear hard enough to slam it into the wall, and Bhoarn was on top of it a moment later.

I hadn’t practiced the damn healing spell.

And I had left the fucking book on the other side of the gate.

I leaned over Lyris. Blood dripped from her mouth as she spoke.

“See,” she said. “Told you I was tougher than I look.”

Then she passed out.

“No,” I yelled, shaking her. “Stay with me.”

I remembered most of Minor Healing. I just didn’t remember the frame. I tried forcing it through my Push frame, but the spell wobbled and popped out of existence.

I stopped myself before panic took over completely.

The frame had to make sense. It had to have a shape. Life. Shade. Body. The blueprint that told flesh how to be whole.

As soon as I thought about it that way, the memory clicked into place.

I began casting.

The first attempt failed. So did the second.

I didn’t stop.

Then a window appeared.

You have learned a new spell:

Minor Healing 1%

I laughed, a tear running down my face, and cast it again.

Then again.

Each time, the spell lasted a little longer. Each time, more of her insides returned to where they belonged.

My mana was dangerously low. Ten percent.

I cast one final time.

It didn’t completely close the wound, but Lyris took a deep breath and coughed.

I fumbled out of my robe, yanked my shirt off, and tore it into long strips. Then I wrapped her wound as best I could, my hands shaking so badly I could barely keep the cloth tight.

I collapsed onto the ground just as a window popped up.

Your party has gained 60,000 experience for defeating a Level 45 Elite Denmother Ursa.

Your contribution share is 20,000 experience.

You have gained 5,000 experience from excess experience that could not be absorbed by your party.

You are now Level 19.

You have 6 points to distribute.

You have gained 20 additional Health Points.

You have gained 20 additional Mana.

Your skill Mana Control has gained 5 points.

Your Wisdom has gained 2 points.

Your Willpower has gained 8 points.

I closed the window and lay there, somehow overloaded and empty at the same time. Lyris should live. Hopefully, once she woke up, she could take care of the rest herself.

That didn’t last long. I heard Bhoarn running over, each step thumping against the ground.

He stopped beside Lyris and looked down at her. “I’ve failed another healer,” he said, his voice dropping.

Then he knelt and placed one hand on her.

His eyes widened. “She’s alive.”

He looked me up and down, then frowned. “I see you used your shirt as bandages, but…” He lowered his head. “That won’t fix her organs, will it?”

Horus walked up, pulled off his head covering, and held it to his chest as he looked at me. Emiri was still unconscious on the ground near Lyris’s head.

I looked at Bhoarn and forced myself to sit up. “I think she’ll be fine. I managed to heal her the best I could.”

My eyes dropped back to Lyris. “When she wakes up, she can finish healing herself. She’s far better at it than I am.”

Horus looked back at Lyris before bending down. “Since when do mages heal?”

Before I could answer, Bhoarn reached down, grabbed me like a doll, and began hugging the life out of me.

“You really healed her?” he asked.

He pulled me away from himself, still holding me in the air by my shoulders. “How? Never mind. I don’t care.”

He hugged me again, and I swear I heard my own bones crack.

Lyris coughed beside us, then groaned.

Bhoarn dropped me and turned to her as I landed on my ass.

“Can you talk? Can I get you anything? Can you heal yourself?”

The gate slid up behind me, and I jumped to my feet, grabbing my staff off the ground. There were still three Jagged Ursa out there, and I had nothing left but a staff.

I spun around, only to find the bear monsters had wandered off at some point.

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

I turned back around after my panic faded and looked down at Lyris. She was already at work healing the remaining wounds.

“I’m fine, Bhoarn. Look,” she said, pulling back the bandages. “It wasn’t that bad. Who patched me up with rags?”

Then she looked up at me and smiled. “Oh, you did that, then. I finally got you to undress for me.”

Horus started laughing and shook his head. “Yep, Bhoarn. I think she’ll be okay.”

Bhoarn turned sharply back to me, and I put up my hands. “It’s alright, big guy. I get that you’re thankful. No need to crush me again.”

Lyris looked from Bhoarn to me. “Am I missing something here?”

Emiri groaned as she began picking herself up off the ground. “Did we kill that damn thing for Lyris?”

She turned and saw Lyris sitting up, undoing her bandages.

“What… I saw you take a fatal wound, Lyris. How are you still alive?”

Lyris shrugged. “I keep telling everyone I’m tougher than I look.”

Horus shook his head. “No, Lyris. You nearly died, and our stray freak here somehow became a healer. I’d still love to know how that works.”

Lyris turned to me with a confused look. “Mages don’t heal. That can’t be right.”

Emiri looked from Lyris to me. “He’s not a mage in the classical sense.”

She walked up to me. “He’s a Spell Shaper. I read the primer, and technically, because of the way he casts, he can learn every form of magic.”

I was about to say she was correct, but Horus beat me to it. “So, you’re saying Adam here is a special kind of mage?”

I sighed. “Emiri is right. I chose this class because I was trapped in that tower, and it seemed useful for whatever I might need. I chose it because it was flexible.”

Horus smiled. “Well, I’m glad, then. You saved Lyris, and you managed to help with the sub-guardian.”

His eyes flicked to the far side of the courtyard, where I noticed three golden boxes for the first time.

“Guess we should get to that, then.”

Emiri looked from me to Horus and frowned. “He helped, yes, but let’s not forget Lyris almost died because of him too.”

Bhoarn shook his head, frowning. “Lyris got hurt, yes, but what would have happened if Adam hadn’t stopped the other monsters? How much more health would the Denmother have gained?”

Horus looked between the boxes and Emiri. “Bhoarn is right. We would have died if the Denmother had gained her health back. Now can we please go check out the loot?”

Emiri crossed her arms and looked away. “Fine. Let’s check the reward.”

Lyris finished healing and stood, handing me what was left of my blood-covered shirt.

“Sorry about your shirt,” she said with a wince. “I’ll buy you a new one when we get to the city.”

I gave her a wry smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Emiri’s right, though. If I had held back, maybe you wouldn’t have been trampled. I’m sorry.”

Lyris jumped in and gave me a hug. “Nonsense. You pulled through and saved my life. I owe you now.”

She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. “Anything you ask, I will gladly try to make happen for you.”

I just chuckled, and Lyris giggled before making her way to the reward boxes.

Emiri stayed behind. She looked up at me. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I’m glad you could save her. I don’t think Bhoarn would have continued with the group if she had died.”

“There’s history there, huh?” I said, looking toward Bhoarn. “Maybe one day he’ll tell me. Maybe not. I don’t expect the group needs me. Once we get to the city, I figured we’d go our separate ways.”

Emiri frowned at me, then looked toward the others. “No, we don’t really need you. But I think we would all remain friends, if you’d like.”

I smiled and nodded. “I would like that. I would like that a lot.”

She reached up and put a hand on my shoulder, then turned her head to look at me. After a moment, she nodded and walked gracefully back toward the group. I smiled. She really was a good leader. My eyes lingered a little too long before I caught myself and followed.

As I walked over, several things confused me at once. There was a staff and a bow lying on the ground, along with three piles of coins. One was a large pile of what looked like copper. Another, smaller pile looked like silver. The last held maybe six gold coins.

Then there was one more coin. At first, I thought it might be platinum, but the hue was wrong. It was too blue, not the brighter color I expected. Maybe it was the denomination above gold. Maybe it was some kind of token. I had no way to know, but my money was on the first option.

Beyond the coins, I spotted a tome and several gems. A few looked ruby red, a few looked emerald green, and then there was one bright white gem, not clear exactly, but white and somehow clear at the same time. The contrast made my eyes ache a little.

Then Horus pulled out a long black robe with gold runes embroidered into the cuffs and down the seams. I didn’t know what it was, but I certainly liked the look of it. My white robe had looked nice too, though. I turned and looked at the blood-soaked, dirty thing on the ground. At least a black robe wouldn’t look like that after a while.

I decided to Identify it.

Mantle of Woven Forms

A robe suited for casters who alter spell structures directly. The runes woven into the cuffs and seams help stabilize spell frames during modification and reduce minor backlash from failed casts. The mantle can repair itself by drawing mana from the wearer and may mend other cloth-based materials through direct contact.

Known Effects:

Spell Frame Stabilization, Minor Backlash Reduction, Self-Mending, Thread Mending.

“Wait,” I said as Horus scrunched his nose at the robe and dropped it to the ground. “That is a little too on the nose for me.”

I looked at Emiri. She was already writing a description of the reward in her notebook, but she paused when she noticed me staring. “Dungeons sometimes reward items to specific party members,” she said. “It’s not common in standard dungeons, but trial dungeons almost always do. The guild will likely build an outpost around this one and use it for what that implies.”

“So,” I started, and she nodded before I could finish.

“You can keep them,” she said.

I blinked. “I can keep these, then?”

She sighed, exasperated. “Yes. They are specifically yours. When a dungeon gives items to someone, the unspoken rule is that the party member they were made for gets to keep them.”

I smiled and snatched them up. “So what happens with the rest?”

Emiri put up a finger as Horus pulled out a helmet. It was interesting because it matched the design of Bhoarn’s plate armor. Bhoarn frowned at it, reached down to grab it, then tied it to his backpack. Clearly, he wasn’t going to wear it.

Emiri finished writing and turned to me. “The rest, we take twenty-five percent of it and save that for the group as a whole. Supplies, repairs, lodging, things like that. Then we split what remains.”

Horus looked up at me. “Sorry, you aren’t actually part of the group, and we did most of the work, so you don’t get a split. But at least you got something.”

Bhoarn slapped Horus on the back of the head. “That was rude.” He looked to me as Horus rubbed the back of his head. “He isn’t wrong, but he’s not right either. As a non-group member, you don’t officially get a cut. But Horus thinks about himself first. We’ll give you something, even if it comes from our own split. You earned that much.”

Lyris was staring into some kind of necklace. Several chains dangled across the front, each ending in an orange gem, starting large in the center and growing progressively smaller in symmetrical lines as they spread outward. She spoke without looking away, clearly reading an Identify window. “Yeah, I owe you, so I’ll split my cut with you.”

I shook my head and frowned. “No. You saved me first. That could have been me on the ground instead of you.”

She harrumphed and looked up at me. “No. I was your protector, and you saved me after I, you know, protected you. I’m splitting my cut with you. No argument.”

I shrugged. “Fine. We can just owe each other for the rest of our lives, then. It could be worse.”

She smiled, blushing a bit before turning away. I wasn’t sure what I’d said to get that kind of response.

Lyris put the necklace on and looked back at me. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Emiri made most of the pile disappear into her storage item, then split what remained. The bluish coin vanished with the group share, along with several of the gems, but the rest of the coins were left on the ground. Horus took one gem and some coins, Bhoarn did the same, and Lyris followed after them. Then, including Horus, each of them left some coins behind and nodded to me in unison.

They had left three gold, twelve silver, and maybe thirty copper. I wasn’t about to count it closely, so I just grabbed it up.

“Thank you,” I said. “This certainly solves some issues with money when we finally make it to the city. Assuming this is enough to live on for a bit, that is.”

Emiri nodded. “It’ll likely last you about a week, but then you have the books to sell. You’ll be fine, though. The Adventurer’s Guild will likely set you up, evaluate you, and get you integrated into society properly.”

“That said,” Emiri added, looking back toward the gate, “we should leave and get you to the city. Any farther in, and I think you become too much of a liability.”

Horus’s eyes bulged. “Oh, come on. Look what we got already. He’ll be fine.”

Bhoarn frowned. “No. Emiri’s right. We should go. Besides, we can come back and finish this dungeon in a couple of days.”

I sighed, looked at Horus, and shrugged. Everyone began making their way toward the gate, so I grabbed my old robe, pack, and book on the way through, shoved the book and coin inside, and pulled on the new robe before following them toward the exit. Looking at my old robe, I figured I could clean it and sell it or something, so I threw it over my shoulder and continued on.