CHAPTER 108 Is That a Horse?
CHAPTER 108
Is That a Horse?
Brownie
Brownie saw Rufus burst out of the palace in beast form. He caught himself and then collapsed to the ground.
Her heart almost escaped her chest, and without heed to her earlier promise, she ran up the stairs to him. She was on her knees in front of him when she saw the antidote and swiped it into her hands to pour it down his muzzle for him.
Rufus didn’t look too happy to see her this close to the open doors of the palace, but he accepted her help. Slowly, his body shrank to his beastman form. His head was in her lap, and he looked up at her with a mix of love and frustration. “You aren’t a combat type, remember?”
“What’s the difference between standing over there,” Brownie teased, pointing to the bottom of the stairs where the rest of the noncombat classes were waiting under the gray sky and light rain. “And up here?”
“The area of effect damage radius, and you know it.” Rufus sat up and rubbed his head, shaking off the effects of whatever had hit him. Wolfsbane, from her experience.
“Well, let me [Buff] you again before you jump back into the battle.” Brownie pulled out Danielle, not caring at that moment if the lyre harp got soaking wet. She promptly struck a D chord.
[You have activated the Perk: Strength of Sound . You may target listeners up to or equal to your level: 31. Target(s) gain +2 Strength for 10 minutes. ]
[You have activated the Perk: Inspire . You may target listeners up to or equal to your Charisma 17. Target(s) abilities cost 10% less for 10 minutes.]
Brownie stood up and hit a G chord.
[You have attempted to activate the Perk: Piercing Wave . You have succeeded. The area of effect attack hits targets equal to Siren Song , dealing piercing damage. Targets available: 1]
An elf maiden with long auburn hair and light green skin wearing a maid’s outfit was running out the palace doors. Brownie’s attack hit the panicking woman at full force.
“What?” Rufus asked, concentrating on the now angry-looking maid as both his eyebrows shot up. Brownie knew he had skills that would let him see exactly what she already knew. “I was wondering where the fifth spy had run off to. But how—?”
“You think I wouldn’t recognize an assassin in disguise? Please .” Brownie flicked a wet strand of curl out of her face.
Rufus shot her a smile and a nod before pouncing on the elf.
[You have defeated a Blackfog Spy (Level 21) with Commander General Rufus Triever. Experience Points halved. +12 EXP]
[Your bonded companion gained +12 EXP from her Shared Experience Perk.]
Even in the heat of battle, Brownie was a touch jealous. Rufus should only be pouncing like that on her .
A throwing knife flew out of a window from the second floor, arcing down and landing very close to Brownie’s shoe. She decided then that it was time to hightail it out of there. Donna met her at the bottom of the stairs.
Her mare was actively pouting.
“You really wanna fight that bad?” Brownie sighed, reaching out a hand to rub her horse’s neck. It was hard to keep Donna from all the fun. And experience points.
The mare chuffed sadly.
“Alright, how about this.” Brownie gripped Donna’s reins and pulled her to the side of the courtyard. The giant door to Green Oak Dungeon was just to their right, and the towers of the estate wrapped around and over, stopping still high in the air. There was no way out from that side of the palace except to get lost in the roots of the tree or to fall to the ground below.
And the tree, as she understood it, was carnivorous. She couldn’t imagine anyone foolish enough to go that route, but …
Brownie let her horse stand under a window far below the treetop estate, and sure enough, two spies floated down with magic about five minutes later. The pair, a mage and a swordsman, were arguing quietly as they descended .
“Every time. You do this every time,” the mage accused.
“Not every time,” the swordsman countered. “Just, you know, most of the time. I don’t like the Void Mage; she gives me the creeps .”
“So? We’re spies , who else are we going to work for—Is that a horse?”
The mage was hit with [Knockout] before he knew what headbutted him. Donna, not wanting it to end too soon, even let the swordsman draw his weapon.
It was more fun for her that way.
[Your bonded companion has defeated a Blackfog Spy (Level 24) .
You have gained +24 EXP from Donna’s Shared Experience Perk.]
[Your bonded companion has defeated a Blackfog Spy (Level 23 ).
You have gained +23 EXP from Donna’s Shared Experience Perk.]
Brownie tied them up and dragged them back to the waiting area.