She selected no and the Main Hall appeared back to her. The crew was chatting while gathered at the foot of the dais, with Maelstrom still sleeping next to a pile of her vomit.

  Alastair seemed to notice that Flor had come out of the puzzle. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, just a challenging Codeword with a trick at the end.”

  “What did you get from it?”

  Flor looked at her interface, pulled up the Lore section, and reviewed what was there. She exited. “I know how to access the table.” She walked around to the back of the throne and moved a switch. A mechanical motion began to lower the dais that she was on. Simultaneously, a table rose out of the center of the Main Hall.

  “You think we could have just checked the back of the throne,” said Sparks.

  Flor laughed. “I’m not sure it would have worked, but maybe. So, who here is the best at solving the maps?”

  “I’m pretty solid on them,” said Alastair. “I’d like to give it a go.”

  “That’s likely the least of your problems,” said a voice quietly from the stairs to the Lord’s quarters. The quiet voice drew the looks from the three remaining party members. A small lady walked into the Main Hall, flanked by a cleric and a guard. “You have defeated my patsy, and slowed my plans, and now it’s time you pay for your disrespect, regardless of how aware you were that you showed such.”

  The guard began walking forward. Alastair whispered, quietly, “Rush them? Flor and me? Sparks, you go for the table. Even if we die, perhaps we can call this place solved.”

  Flor immediately understood, and Sparks nodded assent. Sparks ran toward the table. Flor rushed forward and into combat with the guard, with Alastair behind her.

  The combat interface showed up in front of her. Flor combined three red gems in a start-off attack. Despite her rush into combat, it appeared the guard was expecting the attack and dodged her jabs easily.

  Stolen story; please report.

  The enemy has been reinforced.

  You have been reinforced.

  The cleric and lady joined the guard while Alastair joined Flor. Two on three was not ideal. It probably would have been better if Sparks had joined them rather than going to solve the table. But with Maelstrom passed out and Galoots missing in action, this might be the only way to complete the keep.

  Flor considered her next move carefully. It had been some time since Flor had been in combat with multiple opponents. She was surprised that there was an option to select or change the target. Perhaps that was one of the cat interface updates. But, in this case, maybe it would be useful. Always take out the healer first. She switched targets until the cleric was the enemy designated for her attack, then put together an attack-defense combo. Her avatar flowed forward, under the cleric’s dropping staff, and threw two quick punches into the cleric’s midsection. Fortunately, the cleric seemed minimally armored.

  Flor figured the Cleric might appreciate being at full health, and the best move she had to attack was a four-red gem combo. She selected the attack. Surely, the cleric glowed green and was unprepared to defend against Flor’s flurry of blows. After the blows landed, Flor flowed back.

  Something strange happened - the combat puzzle forced her to face the guard again. She wasn’t able to change her target again, so perhaps the guard had employed some form of taunt ability to pull and keep her attention.

  After a taunt, the guard would likely try a strong block or attack. With the unfair team odds, Flor cautiously decided to set up a strong defense. Both she and the guard looked at each other dumbly for the round.

  If anything, spending time in the carillon had informed the team how to anticipate and prosecute these sorts of matchups, even if they weren’t usually so challenging. So, she used the opportunity to block again, this time with a three-block to set up a more complicated attack next turn. The guard rushed forward and swung his warhammer hard overhead. Flor moved to the side and raised her arms to deflect the blow. The force of the swing overcame her defense, but her health only ticked down one. But she also noticed that she could change her target again. She returned to the cleric.

  Her follow on five gem attack moved her into the cleric, who was again attempting to heal himself. Flor’s five blows caught the cleric, and surely he’d be down to one or two health after this, even with the constant focus on regaining health. She combined another four red gems. As she rushed forward, she saw the cleric seeming to jab her with his staff. However, her hands crashed into either side of the cleric’s head.