Bending the Rules Pt. 06: Abrasion

"Didn't count on being caught by a young adventurer. What are YOU doing out here?" Nyarai asked.

"Filling in my map. Just wandering with my thoughts."

Nyarai and Zuberi looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"Ah, the boundless wastefulness of youth!" Zuberi said, slapping his leg.

"There's almost nothing of interest for miles," Nyarai added. "We really didn't think anyone would come out here, we both agreed there's no reason."

"And yet here I am," Nuru grinned. "Finding something of interest!"

"I guess we need a cave after all," Zuberi said. "Hard as it will be to find one big enough."

"But then how will you find people to force me to be shared with?" Nyarai said.

"That's why we're buying guides to the dwarven cities. They're a hardy folk, they can dish out what you can take. And you can fit more of them in a smaller space; just what you need."

"Well what are we lying around for?" Nyarai said.

"Shaddup, wench. I said we're here all day, and that's final."

"Aww," she pouted, but snuggled in closer to him again.

"I know, I'm such a villain. Inflicting a day of leisure and relaxation and a little rough sex. Or a lot."

"And you say the _desert_ is a hard life," Nyarai taunted.

"Woman, that paddle's not broken yet."

"Don't threaten me with a good time."

"I'll do as I please, as well you know."

"So you're just out here picnicking, basically?" Nuru said.

"Yeah, you just caught us at an awkward moment," Zuberi said.

"We could go play battleball," Nyarai suggested.

"Hah hah! We could do," Zuberi said.

"What's that?" Nuru said.

"Come on, we'll show you," Zuberi said.

They got up and walked a ways to one of the rock walls hemming in the map. Tucked away, in a cracked and broken landscape, there was a hole in the ground, surrounded by a bunch of rocky mounds.

"What's all this?" Nuru said.

"Watch," Zuberi said.

He walked over to one of the mounds, which rumbled to life, spitting pebbles at him at high velocity. Zuberi used Defensive Stance, holding a hand up to ward off any pebbles from getting into his eyes or nose. He reached down as he came within arms reach, and ripped the mound up with brute strength. The mound grew legs and started wriggling around a bit, but Zuberi swung it around and hurled it up through the air to Nyarai who had a big rune-engraved club. She leaped up and gave the now vaguely-insectoid rock thing a mighty upward swing, sending it flying high in the air.

"Don't move, Nuru!" Zuberi warned.

Nervously, he watched the blob tumbling and falling in his direction, and covered his face protectively with an arm at the last moment. It landed with a thud and a cloud of dust right in front of him; when it cleared he saw that the thing was waving its legs and attempting to right itself.

"Now, finish it!" Nyarai said.

"If he wants to," Zuberi said, glaring.

"Of course, that's what I meant," Nyarai said defensively.

"I'm strict about negotiating power dynamics. Call it a quirk of mine," Zuberi said.

Nuru pulled out his hunting knife and stabbed; it had a hard outer shell that took a few hits to break through. It crunched loudly, then gave off a puff of dust and crumbled into a soft pile of dirt.

"What are these things?"

"Minor earth elementals," Zuberi said. "That hole over there is an intersection point between ethereal power flows. The strongest part's been mined out long ago, but there's still enough hitting the surrounding area to produce these little guys when the rainwater washes some dirt around in just the right way, and they slowly grow. I believe they use them in producing the training golems for you youngsters if I'm not mistaken."

"Could somebody fill it in and get stronger elementals?"

"I doubt the mayor or the factions would allow it, but theoretically yes," Zuberi said. "It's a bit dangerously close to town if something goes wrong. Earth isn't the most unpredictable elemental type, but it has a way of creeping out further than you expect."

"So battleball is when you knock an enemy between you back and forth until it dies, right?"

"Mostly," Zuberi said. "It does vary by enemy, if it's too big or heavy for knockback, we take turns pulling aggro and then we do a combo attack. We've practiced our timing so Nyarai's club hits in the face just as my axe is behind the neck and shears through it. The head goes tumbling away if we've got it right. What was our record, five yards?"

"Something like that. Hard to be exact in field conditions," Nyarai said.

"I figure we can get up to double that if she supercrits when her club is all charged up."

"Wait, charged?" Nuru said.

"It's an enchantment that does less than normal damage for a bunch of hits, turning the difference into extra damage after it hits the threshold," Nyarai said. "One hit might do fifty, the next might do four hundred as it discharges. I figure I can probably hit six hundred if I get a natural crit. I've been maxing my LCK and DEX as much as I can, collecting potions and charms. Zuberi says he'll make our contract permanent if I succeed."

"Oh, nice. Good luck!"

"Thanks!" she said.

"Nuru, it's been great, but you're not on our level so we're gonna run off as a pair and play for a bit," Zuberi said. "No hard feelings?"

"Only in my pants," Nuru said, winking at Nyarai.

"Now don't go getting uppity," Zuberi told her as she blushed. "I still haven't finished punishing you for acting up the other day..."

"No, sir." She blushed harder, and was the first to turn away and start walking, but turned her head to call back. "Don't be a stranger, Nuru!"

And just like that, they were gone.