City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

I waited quietly, but when Bane flopped down next to me heavily, I started to turn to him, only to have Nerin snap at me to remain still.

“What’s going on?” he asked me, and I shook my head, earning another glare from Nerin.

“No idea…” I said quietly, trying to remain still. After a minute, she straightened up, the light show snapping off, and she frowned at me, before shifting her attention to Bane.

“You need healing,” was all she said before slamming a spell into him that made him stiffen and let out a gasp of surprise. “For your information ‘my lord,’” she said, almost sarcastically, “I was examining your body to see if you really were incapable of being healed further, and whether you have to remain as you are.” I waited a minute, before prodding her.

“And?” I asked.

“You do.” She didn’t  meet my eyes, concentrating on the spell she was using on Bane. “And after this, you’ll need to rest as well, Mer.” She shook her head disdainfully. “Honestly, I’ve never come across a group that’s spent as much time being healed as you people…” She huffed in annoyance. “It’s as though you’re deliberately trying to injure yourselves… that, or you’re useless as adventurers.”

“Yeah, well, we love you to.” I muttered, helping Bane to his feet as he sucked in shaky breaths. “Here, mate, I think you could probably use this…” I  commanded a fountain of clean, cool water to bubble up next to him. He leaned into it, relaxing and breathing the water into his lungs for long seconds. “Oh, and Nerin?” I said, and she looked at me. “Your bedside manner sucks.”

“Medicine does you no good if it doesn’t taste bad, boy,” she replied, a faint smile tugging at the edge of her lips. “Maybe next time you’ll think to dodge, rather than get hit, so you don’t have to put up with my advice…hmmm?”

“Maybe I just like spending time with you!” I shot back, and she laughed.

“Nobody likes spending time with a healer, Jax. We’ve seen it all, heard it all, and we’ve always seen someone who was worse off than you and handled it better.” I nodded sourly, remembering a nurse I’d once dated. She had no sympathy whatsoever; fantastic in other ways, but every time I’d injured myself, all I got was ‘Are you dying?’ Wandering over to where Hellenica floated next to Augustus, I arrived just as they were discussed the ships floating above us.

“Jax.” Augustus said, nodding to me in greeting.

“How are you doing?” I asked them and got a smile from Augustus.

“We’re doing well. That little light show you let off when you destroyed that belt earlier must have gotten their attention, as two of the ships are floating right over us. The other, which was apparently damaged when you discharged it, has headed off to land, so with a bit of luck, we can get both of the nearby ships.”

“Any word from our people?” I asked, and he shook his head as Hellenica spoke up.

“My children have found a group of Alkyon on the far side of the square. They’re talking to them now; hopefully these are the right ones. Also, you have two Imps in chains…”

“Damn, totally forgot about them,” I said, shaking my head. “Where are they?”

“We left them on a floor two levels below, still chained up. I’ve sent Rinko for them; shouldn’t be long,” Augustus said calmly, as the others quickly gathered together. Grizz sauntered over to wind Tang up. “I tell you, Jax, at times it’s more like I’m their babysitter than their Primus…” Augustus grumbled under his breath as the female Legionnaire who’d commented on Grizz’s stamina earlier walked over and casually clipped Grizz across the back of the head.

“I feel sorry for you, mate,” I said, shaking my head in mock dismay.

“It’s you I feel sorry for…” Augustus laughed. “I’m used to these reprobates; you’ve just adopted over a hundred of them, and their families…”

“Damn, good point… Can I turn some of them down?” I asked, pretending to consider it.

“Unfortunately not. No returns, no refunds,” Augustus insisted, and I laughed.

“Ah, well. Guess we’ll just have to do the unthinkable, and house train them, then.”

“It’s been tried…” Augustus warned me, chuckling as I set off, leading the way down to the lower floor.

“Perhaps, but has it been tried in a Tower that’s two miles high?” I asked, grinning. “I’m thinking morning training in full armor, running top to bottom, should get their attention.”

“You wouldn’t!” Grizz said in horror.

“Oh, I would, mate. I’m evil!” I said winking at him.

“Two miles of Tower to climb…” Augustus said, his eyes lighting up. “Are the stairs straight…or…”

“They curl around the outer edge of each floor, mate, turning at least twice, often seven to ten times. Some floors, it takes five to ten minutes to walk between…”

“Damn, that’s going to be some distance…” A sadistic smile lit up his face.

“Soul of a sergeant…” I muttered, seeing the evil expression.

“What was that?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“It’s not important, mate. Okay, so we need to take control of the ships and get them down close enough for us to board them. Which floor is going to be the best for that? The one above us was no good, but…”

“This floor might be okay…” Augustus mused, all business again, before looking to Hellenica. “Unless a portal would work?” he asked her.

“We could make a portal, but only if the ship can be held rock steady. The edges of a portal… they form a barrier that is impenetrable. Whatever touches that edge will be destroyed. If the ship was to move…”

“Good point,” I said, nodding. “Better to find a level we can jump across from…”

“Jax, Augustus…” Rinko called, huffing to a stop. He’d evidently sprinted up the last few levels with the Imps tucked under each arm.

“What’s wrong, Rinko?” I asked, noting the strain that the night of heavy fighting had left on the normally unflappable Legionnaire.

“Downstairs, sir…”